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someone-will-remember-us · 3 months ago

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Elton John and David Furnish have done it, and so have Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

There’s a bloke from Essex who recently joined the club via an undisclosed overseas location and a 72-year-old Scotsman has just been recognised as the legitimate owner of an American one he bought back in 2020.

What we are talking about here is surrogacy: the incubation and effective purchase of babies after the careful selection of their component parts.

The global market – already worth almost $18 billion (£14 billion) – is projected to rise to $129bn by 2032, according to the research firm Global Market Insights, with anywhere between 5,000 and 20,000 babies incubated to order annually.

This covers the whole caboodle in which you can DIY things with a friend at one extreme, or go for the full Lamborghini treatment where, in some countries, an agent will help you shop around the globe for the finest sperm, eggs and wombs money can buy.

For those opting for the international pick and mix route, there are BOGOF deals (two implants for the price of one), the option of sex selection and a pay-as-you-go plan.

And that’s because you, the customer, are always right. As one agency, New Life Conceptual Limited, based in Lagos, Nigeria puts it: “…it takes four ingredients to make a baby: an egg, a sperm, a womb to grow in, and a family to go home to. You have the last ingredient, but you need a place for your baby to grow, and that’s why you’re here.”

Some companies even offer legal guarantees around defective foetuses that have to be aborted.

If you think I’m making this up, think again.

In the UK, where commercial surrogacy is banned but international imports are not, there are now between 400 and 500 new surrogate-incubated babies registered each year, while globally the business is more than doubling in value every two years.

Some call it a “miracle” and point to the invisible hand of the market creating a profitable multi-billion dollar industry in which everyone wins; a benign system of supply and demand the libertarian economist Leonard Read might have called I, Baby.

And while there is no suggestion that the multi-millionaire celebrities who have used surrogacy, like Elton John and the Kardashians, have exploited the surrogate mothers who bore their children, for others – including feminists like myself – the global surrogacy trade reeks of false entitlement.

It has been sanitised by the liberal “rights” agenda and the same self-serving logic that brands prostitutes “sex workers”. If it brings to mind a book or essay, it is Brave New World, Aldous Huxley’s dystopian novel about social engineering and evil hiding in plain sight.

To what extent, for example, is the lack of regulation around surrogacy driving impoverished women into unsafe and unconsented arrangements, as it once did so extensively with domestic and international adoption?

And what do we really know of all those hundreds of Brits now shopping for children around the world.

Can it really be right that you can effectively buy a baby overseas but raise it in Britain where commercial surrogacy is supposed to be banned?

Just as in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, when we thought of adoption as a favour to unsuitable mums whether they be “wayward” teens or impoverished Mexicans, surrogacy is being sanitised.

Delve into the subject on the Internet and you will find that almost everywhere you look, it’s celebrated. These babies, magicked into welcoming arms, are seemingly a modern miracle for childless couples of every stripe. TikTok is full of it.

Here in Blighty, we have only “ethical surrogacy”, says Surrogacy UK, a leading non-profit “providing a safe, supportive environment for surrogates, intended parents and families”.

Such organisations emphasise the benefits to infertile couples, and the “great gift” bestowed by women (aged 16 or older) who are happy to “altruistically” lend their womb to another for nine months.

Whilst such arrangements do work for some, there is no reliable data on what is really going on in the UK. This is because the sector is governed by a bizarre mish-mash of statute and common law, and because regulation, where it exists at all, is opaque.

Echoing the words of a Tarantino script, surrogacy is legal in the UK but not a hundred per cent legal.

It’s legal to enter into an agreement with a surrogate, it’s legal to pay her “reasonable expenses”, and, if you’re the owner of a womb, it’s legal to grow a child (made with your eggs or someone else’s) and give it away once it’s born.

But it’s illegal to advertise you are looking for a surrogate in the UK or solicit for business if you want to become a surrogate. It’s also an offence to arrange or negotiate a surrogacy arrangement as a “commercial enterprise”, but that doesn’t really matter because, get this: “reasonable expenses” can stretch beyond the average annual wage.

If money is still an obstacle, you can always rent a womb from a woman in a country like California, Cyprus or Greece where for-profit surrogacy is legal, before bringing the child back home to the UK.

Another oddity of the UK system is that, while it is a criminal offence to advertise surrogacy services, there are “some exemptions for not-for-profit organisations”. It is not clear how these agencies are selected but they are organisations that officials at the Department of Health and Social Care deem trustworthy. It is how agencies like Surrogacy UK and Brilliant Beginnings are able to proactively recruit and advertise a willing pool of surrogates in Britain.

“All our surrogates benefit from being a part of our thriving community and can enjoy a range of events and gifts along the way,” says the Brilliant Beginnings website. “Surrogate retreats” and “milestone gifts” such as chocolates, flowers and even bellybuds - speakers that allow mothers to play music to babies in the womb - are all part of the service.

Brilliant Beginnings says “expenses” payments to surrogate mothers in the UK typically range between £12,000 to £35,000. It is not known how well off the typical UK surrogate is in relation to the intended parents check, but there is potentially a stark economic divide.

“For surrogates who receive means-tested state benefits, it is important to be clear about whether benefits might be affected by any expenses received,” says the Best Beginnings website. “We would always recommend surrogates are upfront with their benefits office”.

Evidence for the benefits and harms of surrogacy in the UK are almost entirely anecdotal.

Disputes do occur but no one really knows their frequency or what they entail because they are heard in the secretive Family Court, which sits mainly in private and from which detailed reporting is banned.

An obvious problem in the UK, is that the flash point for disputes typically arises after the fact - that is, after a child has been born. This is the point at which the intended parents (or parent) must apply to the Court for a “transfer of legal parenthood” and, in most cases, will be the first time the state even becomes cognisant of the surrogacy arrangement.

An application for such a transfer can only be made with the surrogate’s consent but the decision hinges on what the Court considers to be in the best interests of the child, not the surrogate mother.

“The parental order process takes place after birth and involves the family court, and a court-appointed social worker,” says the DHSC website. “This provides a valuable safeguard for the best interests of the child”.

There is a growing recognition that the regulation of surrogacy in the UK is inadequate but the agencies who run it want legislative reforms that favour the would-be parents rather than the surrogate mothers.

They are especially exercised about the fact that written agreements between surrogates and intended parents are ultimately unenforceable in the UK courts.

Others, including myself, want the practice banned – as it is in many countries across the world. Miriam Cates, the former Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, caused a storm in January when she said surrogacy was “just ethically not acceptable”.

“Of course adults have a strong desire to be parents, both men or women. Of course it’s a sadness if that’s unfulfilled for whatever reason – they can’t conceive, don’t have a partner, whatever it is.

“But to deliberately bring a child into the world in order to separate it from its mother at birth I think is just ethically not acceptable,” she said.

Alan White, chairman of Surrogacy UK, told a webinar hosted by the Royal College of Midwives in February that those of us who see the practice as unethical and exploitative were limiting choice and free will because we failed to properly understand the motivations of surrogate mothers.

“Surrogates don’t see themselves as mothers, they see themselves as extreme baby-sitters,” he said. “[They are] doing that wonderful thing of doing the part of having children women or gay men can’t do for themselves”.

To survive the psychological impact of giving away a child, there is little doubt that this sort of thinking helps.

As Helen Gibson, the founder of Surrogacy Concern points out, surrogates are encouraged to see themselves as a bystander – just the “the oven” or “the microwave”, as some describe themselves.

But this sort of psychological dissociation doesn’t always work, and perhaps seldom does.

I spoke to one UK woman who feels deep regret at her decision to enter into a surrogacy arrangement. Sandra, whose name I’ve changed, was 32 with two children of her own. She had escaped a violent husband, and was struggling to make ends meet.

A friend suggested she could make money by carrying a baby for an infertile couple. And, after approaching a UK agency she found via Facebook, she was told that in return for having the baby, she could enjoy “unlimited expenses, within reason”.

She was introduced to a gay male couple who wanted her to carry an implanted embryo, engineered with selected eggs to give them the best chance of a “tall, blonde child”. Sandra, by contrast, is short and dark.

The embryo transfer failed three times, and the IVF process made Sandra extremely sick. Eventually, the couple decided to go to California, but not before admonishing her for wasting “their time, and a lot of money.”

“I felt like a broodmare,” she told me.

If the UK surrogacy market is a classic British muddle, the global market is the wild west.

And because no UK Court or Home Office official can possibly check the provenance of all the elements that go to make up a child (the sperm, the eggs, the IVF, or, crucially, the free agency of the surrogate mother), anything goes for the unscrupulous.

Although most countries around the world still ban the practice, there are more than enough who don’t.

In Greece and various US states including California, Washington DC and Arkansas, commercial surrogacy is fully legal. In many other countries it is either unregulated or very lightly regulated, enabling the trade to flourish. Countries in this bracket include Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Guatemala, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia and Ukraine.

WFI Surrogacy, one of America’s biggest providers, offers its customers what it calls a “live birth guarantee” – the promise that a birth will occur once the process is underway.

“The high quality of our egg donors and surrogate mothers enables us to make this type of guarantee”, says WFI. “Our live birth guarantee programs are available for either: singleton or twins [or] one specimen source or two specimen sources”.

“All our surrogate mothers are medically and psychologically screened,” it adds.

This is Big Fertility, whose business model relies on the commodification of every aspect of pregnancy.

A healthy overall budget for a Brit using the US surrogacy route sits between £250,000 to £320,000, according to the UK agency Brilliant Beginnings.

Often freelance agents or “fixers” will shop around the world for their clients to increase choice and reduce costs. A surrogate mum in Los Angeles, California costs a whole lot more than one from rural Mexico, for example.

Denmark has long been prized for its sperm, its tall blond donors making the most of their viking heritage.

For eggs, there are also options galore – and all pushed with a good dose of fairy tale genetics.

Egg Donor number “241222_01” on the World Center of Baby website (motto: every person deserves to be a parent) conforms precisely to the modern notion of female beauty as defined by Instagram.

Weighing in at just 66kg, she’s also “an artistic soul with a flair for creativity”. If you would prefer a sporty one, just go for donor number 241222_02 – “an athletic enthusiast, deeply engaged in fitness and sports”.

Embryos can be made up from the customers chosen eggs and sperm in any number of IVF labs around the world. They are then frozen and shipped to wherever the chosen surrogate may be. Fixers facilitate the entire process, including the negotiation of complex legal agreements and the careful arbitrage of international and domestic laws and regulations.

The wording of commercial surrogacy contracts is telling, the text reflecting the economic disparity between carrier and client.

“If Gestational Carrier suffers a loss of her uterus as a result of the performance of her obligations under this Agreement, she shall receive $5,000.00 from Intended Parents”, stipulates one contract.

It continues: “If Intended Parents jointly request Gestational Carrier to terminate the pregnancy because of the Child’s medical condition(s), she will do so promptly. If Gestational Carrier refuses to terminate, Gestational Carrier will have materially breached this Agreement and Intended Parents’ obligations under this Agreement shall cease immediately”.

Natalia Gamble, a director at Brilliant Beginnings, says the agency made an active decision “to only facilitate people going to places that we felt were ethical, secure, and safe”.

Although Ms Gamble is adamant that her approach is ethical, she helps clients go to Nigeria, Cyprus, and Ukraine, where commercial surrogacy flourishes.

“We made the active decision at Brilliant Beginnings to only facilitate people going to places that we felt were ethical, secure, and safe – we have very much focused on the US, but through our law firm (NGA Law) we have helped people go into places like Nigeria, Cyprus, and Ukraine because our role is much more not to help them do it in the first place but to help them bring their children home and resolve all the legalities afterwards,” she said.

Northern Cyprus even allows sex selection, with several clinics there advertising the service on their websites.

“The cases that are happening in Nigeria or Cyprus where it’s very unregulated and there’s no legal framework are a very, very small percentage of the overall international surrogacy landscape,” she said.

“We do need to be very alert to the risks of exploitation and those risks are greatest in places where there is no legal framework regulating how surrogacy is run [...] but, it’s about not overinflating those risks when the majority of people are going to what you might call ‘good surrogacy destinations’.”

Ms Gamble is pushing for a change to UK law that would grant commissioning parent(s) legal rights to the child (embryo) at the point of conception.

“It’s in the best interest of the child,” she says. “If you speak to any surrogate mother they will say ‘Look, I am not the mother of this child, I’m always very clear that it’s someone else’s child that I’m carrying’ – no one wants the surrogate mother on the birth certificate, including her.”

But is that really true – are surrogate mothers really so detached?

I spoke to Liane, who said her own experience of surrogacy caused “a huge amount of grief and hurt”.

She described the market as being infected with a sort of “toxic positivity”.

She added: “It’s painted as a wonderful thing to do, a beautiful selfless act which can only bring joy when for me, I felt used, manipulated, and devastated”.

Ms Gibson of Surrogacy Concern says cases involving “coercion and regret” are not uncommon, even within the UK’s surrogacy model.

“Surrogacy prioritises the wants of the adults ahead of the needs of the child, and creates a societal sense of entitlement towards women’s bodies,” she said.

The practices of single men buying children abroad, white couples using black surrogate mothers, and the growing trend towards using cut price surrogacy destinations such as Mexico, Colombia, Kenya and Ghana are all on Surrogacy Concern’s radar.

Physical harms to surrogate mothers are real. Carrying a baby always involves serious risk but, for surrogates, those risks are often greatly magnified.

Linda Khan, an epidemiologist based in the departments of Paediatrics and Population Health at NYU, says surrogates run an “increased risks of all kinds of pregnancy complications, which lead to adverse outcomes for women and children”.

One factor, she says, is that the embryo is not biologically related to the woman and implanted via IVF. Another is that “many women are carrying multiples because it’s so expensive. They want two for the price of one”.

“Twinning is not safe, even when it occurs naturally. It is a huge burden on women’s bodies, it gets all the risks of complications sky-rocketing.”

Whilst it would be difficult (though not impossible) to ban or abolish surrogacy entirely – changing laws to ban the ‘womb traffickers’ as many campaigners refer to the brokers, should be a priority.

The marketing of surrogacy should also be made subject to tougher regulation, say some experts, although many others favour a blanket ban.

“Surrogacy is a trade that makes commodities of children, of embryos and of eggs, and reduces women to being seen as machines,” said Ms Gibson. “It should not masquerade as a progressive solution to the problem of infertility.”

Further, any legal protections introduced in the UK should be for the benefit of the surrogate mothers giving birth and the babies, rather than for the commissioning parents or agents, adds Ms Gibson. A commissioning parent should never have a legal right to remove a baby if a woman has changed her mind.

In March last year, experts from 75 countries signed the Casablanca Declaration, which calls for a global ban on all forms of surrogacy. And in April this year, an international conference was held in Rome with an aim to provide all States with a legal instrument banning the practice of surrogate motherhood.

Implicit within it is a rejection of the fanciful and dangerous notion that anyone, anywhere has an inalienable right to a child.

“The regulations of each country are not enough to stop human trafficking globally,” said Bernard Garcia Larrain, the Executive Director of the Casablanca Declaration for the Universal Abolition of Surrogacy.

“We need an international treaty to prohibit surrogacy because this is a global market that moves a lot of money and knows no borders,” he added.

#radfem #radblr #radical feminism #gender critical #radical feminist #terfblr #radfem safe #terf safe #article #surrogacy

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elbiotipo · 8 months ago

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Someone in the notes on your post about food in fantasy mentioned connection between at least early modern production of sugar and colonialism and slavery, and while I 100% agree that it's something that should be known, I think that if you want to have lighthearted fantasy setting there are definitely ways to work around this.

Like sugar is also produced from sugar beet. I don't know could it be done without modern equipment (production started at the very end of 18th century so while industrial equipment was primitive it was), but like you may do something with it, like some wizards developing production technology.

In the same vein, crop exchange in the Old World was mostly peaceful, or at least it wasn't due to slavery. Like rice was already grown in Egypt in 1000 BCE and made its way to Spain by 7th century CE. Bananas were grown in Turkey by 15th century CE. And tons of agricultural goods come from West Asia both ways. What I am trying to say is that if your world has equivalent of Americas your Europeans* could have just acquired potatoes and corn without colonization (because they were more ethical than irl or because they didn't have resources for conquest or because American nations were strong enough to stop them). Like potatoes and such are just crops, sailors could have picked them as a supplies and then someone decided to grow them at home.

This is like a suggestion specifically if you want to have a world for costume drama without dealing with heavy themes. I would suggest describing it specifically to point that out, and I can't say that it's very politically aware but definitely not worse than "they just have it" or "yes there are overseas colonies but pay it no mind".

*Because that's usually the case in examples that are discussed, from what I heard East Asian fantasy set in East Asia also suffers from this for the same reason, but I didn't read enough of it to say

Let me say you make real good points and I broadly agree with you. I do think the history of colonialism and where our foods came from is important (I do research that so no doubt). And I also agree that sometimes, those themes are too difficult to board properly, especially in a lighthearted story.

However, in fiction, it's not so much that I want people to do more "clean" ways of getting those crops. Many people told me "well, what if they get it through trade, or what if they got it through magical portals and such" my point is not that you find a "colonialist free" way to have potatoes in your setting, my point is that every crop in real life has a history behind them, and when you place them in your setting, I think you should consider that. Not only because you will learn about real life and its history, but also because of the storytelling potential.

I mean, I do have "worldbuilding fundamentalist" in my bio, and I think even if you don't sketch the entire world, you should at least know where your heroes are. Much of modern fantasy loves to adopt the "medieval" aesthetic, while in fact presenting a world with widespread trade, urbanization, a growing artisan class, etc. (I've done a longer rant about it here). Those things aren't just aesthetic choices, they are different societies that have different dynamics and they do affect the kind of plots and characters you might make on them.

I don't think fantasy should shy away from exploring themes such as imperialism and colonialism, trade and politics, intercultural contact and social change. One reason why I'm so insistent with the theme of crops and trade is that it's because it's emblematic of those issues. Sure, you don't want to explain the potatoes or chocolate in your setting, whatever. Don't you WANT to, though? Don't you want to explore beyond the pseudo-medieval aesthetic, and explore what an American or African -inspired setting might look like? Of course, you could and should also make your own new settings, but exploring actual history, geography, biology (at the broadest term, natural history) will make you a better worldbuilder and a better writer, AND also let you learn more about the world.

Sorry if this rant is a bit unfocused, just woke up from a nap after some wine, but this is why I'm so insistent with the stories that can arise just by considering the crops in your setting. Imagine what else can you write.

#worldbuilding #fantasy #writing #biotipo worldbuilding

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zvaigzdelasas · 1 year ago

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[Nikkei is Private Japanese Media]

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) came at the "right time" for boosting Africa's development, a top African Union (AU) official told Nikkei Asia, as he played down concerns that it was a debt trap for poor countries. Last week, Beijing said it would ramp up the decade-old infrastructure drive to build ports, roads and railways by pushing into the digital realm, as the multibillion-dollar program becomes China's key foreign policy tool for influence in developing nations. Chinese President Xi Jinping's renewed focus on industrialization, agriculture and talent development was also just what the continent needs, said Albert Muchanga, head of trade and industry for the African Union Commission, the AU's Ethiopia-based secretariat.

"China will continue BRI, at the same time there is a complementary effort to support us in those three areas. ... Both came at the right time," Muchanga said in an interview on the sidelines of last week's Turkey-Africa Business and Economic Forum in Istanbul. "Africa was making massive investments in developing infrastructure, connectivity, telecommunication systems as well as energy facilities [when BRI launched] and that helped quite a lot." "We need to start the process of adding value on the continent to push industrialization," added the former Zambian diplomat.[...]

Asked if Western powers were being drawn to Africa in competition with China, Muchanga replied, "Well, they are reacting to it, which is good." He also questioned growing criticism that the BRI's massive infrastructure loans and an opaque structure have saddled some recipient countries with unsustainable debt. Some $76.8 billion worth of Chinese overseas loans were renegotiated or written off between 2020 and 2022, according to U.S. research firm Rhodium Group, compared to $17 billion in the preceding three years. "When you discuss with the scholars from China and other people, I think there's an acknowledgment that if we demonstrate greater transparency, I think some of the allegations that are made may not be well founded," Muchanga said, without elaborating.

AU member nation ministers will gather in November to adopt a critical minerals strategy, the official said, adding that the commission is working on a document for approving its new leaders at a summit scheduled for February. "We are responding to the issue of green transition by coming up with a critical minerals strategy," he said, "but the message is to come and produce at source to contribute to decarbonization."

16 Oct 23

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venusianc0mplex · 1 year ago

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Children of Hermes

Children of Hermes are made of pure wits and humor, they are people's people, always on the go and living their lives to their fullest. They are also friendly people, people’s people, and they have the ability to be able to fit in with anyone, any group of people with ease. Master networkers and fun-loving people by nature. They love to attend a good party and to throw a good party. Their lives are the definition of work hard play hard.

Below are the gifts and challenges of the Children of Hermes.

Gifts:

1. Natural networkers and extremely good talkers, they tend to know exactly what to say and what not to say in any given situation

2. A lot of the Hermes’ sons are lovely short kings (depending on what is considered short for people of their ethnicity)

3. They are gifted with intellect and the strong value for hard work, they tend to get ahead in life with the combination of those two qualities

4. They are usually the top earners in their industry

5. Gifted gamers

6. Extremely good talkers if I haven't emphasized that already

7. Extremely gifted in learning foreign languages (have no problem becoming fluent in 6-7 languages)

8. Learns faster than other people their age

9. Extremely good at conveying their emotions through words

10. Gifted with the ability to adapt into any culture with ease

11. Very, VERY good businessmen

12. They can talk themselves in and out of anything

13. Great teachers that get to the point in a fast and straightforward way

14. Multi-talented and very gifted in multiple fields

15. Blessed with talented and/or very supportive parents

Common Themes Among Children of Hermes

1. They are forced to help out their family with business-related matters starting from a young age

2. Their parents expose them to the risks and gains of running a business starting from a young age

3. Realists

4. Extremely hard workers that will put in any amount of work to harbor the result they want in life

5. Go-getters

6. Very-likeable in a social setting

7. They rarely ever open up to people emotionally

8. Can be clingy to their closest friends

9. They are strict with themselves and others

10. They have high-standards regarding their quality of work

11. Affinity towards opening up their own business

12. They usually get along with their family very well

13. They have a lot of options when it comes to romantic love but they struggle to settle with one person

14. They usually travel a lot for work or wants to work overseas

15. They understand the value of every $$$

16. They are either generous or very obviously stingy to their friends

17. They make friends in a new setting very quickly

18. They don't mind befriending the person no one else wants to talk to

19. They want everyone to get along with each other because they are always trying to get along well with people around them

20. Calculative by nature

21. Usually have prominent sidereal Virgo and/or sidereal Gemini placements in their astrology chart, or they have Mercury Atmakaraka

22. People who have a stronger spirit guide or guardian deity of a non-Greek origin tend to be adopted by Hermes

Challenges Faced by Children of Hermes

1. They are often pushed to work to the point where they don't get enough sleep and suffer badly from health/mental health issues

2. Very picky by nature

3. Sometimes they are not honest enough with people closest to them because they don't want to see the other person unhappy because of what they said

4. Dishonesty stemmed from people-pleasing tendencies

5. Over-calculative to make up for a deep sense of instability if they had financial trauma

6. Overly-talkative

7. Unable to give emotional support because they don't know how to be there emotionally for themselves

8. Over-rationalization of their emotions

9. Avoidance of their own emotions by burying themselves with work

10. Prone to cheating because they don't want to have the difficult conversations with their partner

11. Immaturity that stemmed from the avoidance of their own emotions

12. Not the most gifted people when it comes to height

13. Inability to settle down with one partner even if they do want monogamy deep down

14. Flighty and indecisive

15. Bottling all their struggles inside of them and cope in extremely unhealthy ways

16. Sometimes they want to get along with everyone so badly they end up keeping some really bad friends around them

17. Lying about their situation and it becomes a regular habit of theirs for them to get what they want

18. Gets bored easily

I hope this helped you understand the children of this fun, witty, kind, and loving trickster god a bit better. Feel free to shoot me a question anytime.

Disclaimer: Everything written above stemmed from my own observations, I'm not claiming to be 100% accurate on everything

#hermes #greek gods #greek mythology #deity work #spirituality #hellenic gods #hellenism #deity worship #hermes greek god #children of hermes #records #observations #Based off of my own observations of famous people and people around me #personality traits #astrology #astroblr #percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo

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mariacallous · 2 months ago

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On Monday, the UK saw the closure of its last operational coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which has been operating since 1968. The closure of the plant, which had a capacity of 2,000 megawatts, brought to an end to the history of the country's coal use, which started with the opening of the first coal-fired power station in 1882. Coal played a central part in the UK's power system in the interim, in some years providing over 90 percent of its total electricity.

But a number of factors combined to place coal in a long-term decline: the growth of natural-gas-powered plants and renewables, pollution controls, carbon pricing, and a government goal to hit net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

From Boom to Bust

It's difficult to overstate the importance of coal to the UK grid. It was providing over 90 percent of the UK's electricity as recently as 1956. The total amount of power generated continued to climb well after that, reaching a peak of 212 terawatt hours of production by 1980. And the construction of new coal plants was under consideration as recently as the late 2000s. According to the organization Carbon Brief's excellent timeline of coal use in the UK, continuing the use of coal with carbon capture was given consideration.

But several factors slowed the use of fuel ahead of any climate goals set out by the UK, some of which have parallels to the situation in the US. The European Union, which included the UK at the time, instituted new rules to address acid rain, which raised the cost of coal plants. In addition, the exploitation of oil and gas deposits in the North Sea provided access to an alternative fuel. Meanwhile, major gains in efficiency and the shift of some heavy industry overseas cut demand in the UK significantly.

Through their effect on coal use, these changes also lowered employment in coal mining. The mining sector has sometimes been a significant force in UK politics, but the decline of coal reduced the number of people employed in the sector, reducing its political influence.

These had all reduced the use of coal even before governments started taking any aggressive steps to limit climate change. But, by 2005, the EU implemented a carbon trading system that put a cost on emissions. By 2008, the UK government adopted national emissions targets, which have been maintained and strengthened since then by both Labour and Conservative governments up until Rishi Sunak, who was voted out of office before he had altered the UK's trajectory. What started as a pledge for a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 now requires the UK to hit net zero by that date.

These have included a floor on the price of carbon that ensures fossil-powered plants pay a cost for emissions that's significant enough to promote the transition to renewables, even if prices in the EU's carbon trading scheme are too low for that. And that transition has been rapid, with the total generations by renewables nearly tripling in the decade since 2013, heavily aided by the growth of offshore wind.

How to Clean Up the Power Sector

The trends were significant enough that, in 2015, the UK announced that it would target the end of coal in 2025, despite the fact that the first coal-free day on the grid wouldn't come until two years after. But two years after that landmark, however, the UK was seeing entire weeks where no coal-fired plants were active.

To limit the worst impacts of climate change, it will be critical for other countries to follow the UK's lead. So it's worthwhile to consider how a country that was committed to coal relatively recently could manage such a rapid transition. There are a few UK-specific factors that won't be possible to replicate everywhere. The first is that most of its coal infrastructure was quite old—Ratcliffe-on-Soar dates from the 1960s—and so it required replacement in any case. Part of the reason for its aging coal fleet was the local availability of relatively cheap natural gas, something that might not be true elsewhere, which put economic pressure on coal generation.

Another key factor is that the ever-shrinking number of people employed by coal power didn't exert significant pressure on government policies. Despite the existence of a vocal group of climate contrarians in the UK, the issue never became heavily politicized. Both Labour and Conservative governments maintained a fact-based approach to climate change and set policies accordingly. That's notably not the case in countries like the US and Australia.

But other factors are going to be applicable to a wide variety of countries. As the UK was moving away from coal, renewables became the cheapest way to generate power in much of the world. Coal is also the most polluting source of electrical power, providing ample reasons for regulation that have little to do with climate. Forcing coal users to pay even a fraction of its externalized costs on human health and the environment serve to make it even less economical compared to alternatives.

If these later factors can drive a move away from coal despite government inertia, then it can pay significant dividends in the fight to limit climate change. Inspired in part by the success in moving its grid off coal, the new Labour government in the UK has moved up its timeline for decarbonizing its power sector to 2030 (up from the previous Conservative government's target of 2035).

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keep-it-krispy · 11 months ago

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LMK Ride Or Die AU

The AU is (relatively) parallel to cannon up to a point.

Sun Wukong (60), World famous Dancer and musician, wants to retire. He holds a battle of the bands style contest in Megapolis (his hometown), in which the winner will receive his Lucky golden Microphone (staff equivalent), and the opportunity to become his apprentice.

Mac (Macaque) is a bass player/beatboxer/break-dancer who turns out to be Sun wukong's twin brother, the black sheep of the family.

MK (21), a college freshman that works part time at his adopted father's noodle shop “Pigsy’s noodles” [his name is Paul, (42)], and a music prodigy with the uncanny ability to learn any instrument in under an hour, thinks it would be neat to enter the contest with his friend Mei [(22, Popular Twitch streamer and music buff, Heiress of the dragon family (Old Money)], who has been wanting to start a band since forever.

They convince Tang [(38, Paul’s Husband, accomplished Scholar and teacher at Malin’s college)] to be their manager, and recruit Sandy [(43, Ex con, Lyricist/poet, and lifetime friend of Paul] to write their songs. Calls themselves “the Monkie Kids”.

Red Kingston [(23), Red Son] A robotics genius trying to break into the music industry to spite his parents; Penelope Kingston [(48), princess iron fan, retired actress] and Bruce Kingston [(52), Demon Bull King, founder of Bullcorp [Apple equivalent Tech company]] decides to compete; seeing it as an opportunity to kickstart his career.

Other notable competitors are Jin and Yin (20) [Soundcloud rappers and Classmates of MK], and Malin Meister [(19), Nonbinary Social media influencer, rising Independent Artist/performer, and child of the late Laura Demona (58, Lady Bone Demon alternate, once an Actress and bitter Rival to Sun Wukong)].

The Monkie kids win, and MK gets chosen as Wikongs’s successor.

Red acts as the main antagonist, until new competition in the form of Spider Queen (22, Melissa bitsy) and her lackeys show up and threaten to throw the rest of them into obscurity, forcing them to work together to take her down.

For the main group, the majority of the plot goes much the same way as the cannon story; The crew learns the ins and outs of music production, how to operate in the music industry, improve their skills, compete to get gigs, become closer as a group;

But things get shaken up for Malin and Milton [(21), The not mayor alternate. Son of a corrupt politician/ Businessman who’s always overseas, trust fund kid. Plays right hand man/platonic life partner to Malin. He loves their 5D chess like approach to navigating life, and relies on their devastating smarts, weirdly accurate prediction skills, and artistic talent to get by] a week or so after Wukong’s contest.

Malin finishes editing their latest video, and decides to get something to eat as they wait for it to upload. They leave their office and go downstairs to see Milton standing, dazed and confused, in their Livingroom.

At least, they thought he was Milton. Until the actual Milton knocks at their door.

[”Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.” Milton smiles. Malin is about to respond, when they feel a faint buzz in their pocket.

They look away from him to check their phone, face twisting in mild worry ”Are you certain you're okay, Milt? You never come over unannounced, and you've been acting pretty weird since you got here. something has to be wro-….” the words die in their throat as they unlock the device, confusion blossoming forth, as the text {”I'm outside.”} **was displayed on the screen, Clearly sent from Milton's phone number. Their blood ran cold, looking back at the man they had previously believed to be their friend, and seeing no phone in his hand.

It was strange, Malin hadn't noticed before. He looked exactly like Milton, from his head to his toes. He had the same voice, the same verbal ticks and gestural mannerisms; even his clothes resembled something they had seen on their friend before.

His eyes, though. Pure white, with no Irises or pupils, emanating a soft light they had previously mistook for the sun shining weirdly through the window. It was in that moment Malin realized that he hadn't blinked even once. during the whole conversation he had just sat there, not blinking or breathing. For a whole hour.

They looked at the front door, a sick feeling rising in their stomach as they made their way over. “Milton” made no move to stop them, just leaning back on the couch and crossing his legs with that familiar disarming smile. Malin gripped their self control with hands of iron composure, gulped, and opened the door.

…

……

……….

That was not Milton.]

They throw open the door, grab the real Milton and bolt, thoughts flashing between a reasonable “strange man broke into my house” to a maybe not as unreasonable as previously thought “Shape-shifters that want to steal our skin”

Of course, the mayor has unspeakable Eldritch power, so it's no chore for him to chase them both all over town and heard them into Milton’s manor. Once safely locked inside, cornered and terrified, The mayor explains to them that he’s from an alternate universe, answers their questions, assures them that he's not going to hurt them, basically waiting for them to stop panicking.

When the both of them calm down enough to make sense, he demands asks if he can stay with one of them until he can “find a way back to his universe”. he Just needs to rest here for a while “And then I’ll be out of your hair.” The threat behind his words Is crystal clear, and while Milton is sick with unease, Malin is confident in their ability to Handle This.

Milton takes Malin aside to discuss this with them

[”……. You have a plan, right?” “Milton, I appreciate your faith in me. But I'm not a miracle worker.” “Mal- come on. there has to be a way out of this.” “A wise man once said: Sometimes the way out isn't over, or around; but straight through.” “….I don't like this..” “If you're scared, he can stay at my house-” “No way.” “Then the only way out is..” Milton sighs, Malin pants him on the shoulder “We can rotate, I take him every other week.” “Mal I… I don't feel comfortable leaving you alone with this guy-”

“Every other week?” The Mayor interrupts from his spot on the other side of the room “That sounds like a great idea! That way, I can spend an equal amount of time with the both of you..”

They both take a moment to look at the man, standing well out of normal hearing range. Disquiet displayed on One, and determination emanating from the other “… Are you sure?” “Are you doubting my abilities?” “No- I'm worrying about your safety.” “I thought that was my job?” “Malin.” “I'll be fine, Milt. Just trust me.” Milton takes a breath “….. Always.]

And that was that. For the rest of the season the Mayor just kinda hangs out, helping around when he feels like it, advising them when they need it, being creepy when he thinks its funny, learning about their world. Malin’s just wondering when he'll get around to killing them.

Malin and Milton, go on to do their villain thing, plotting the downfall of “The Monkie Kids”.

A month before the main story, Malin discovered something that tied Sun Wukong to the death of their mother (its a long story), and has been waiting for an opportunity to do something about it ever since they found out.

Participating in his contest was a bust, so they move on to Constructing a plan around the annual Lunar New Year Music Deathmatch Tournament, Which Malin is certain The Monkie Kids will be participating in.

They plan to orchestrate a scenario that will allow them to confront Sun Wukong at the event; the result of said confrontation either being closure, or a domino effect that will defame Sun Wukong, destroy the main crew’s friendship, careers, and everything they’ve built; All the while boosting their own fame in one go.

Destiny, Fate, and inevitability is gonna be a big theme in this AU. In cannon, The Lady Bone Demon used the spider queen and her failure to kickstart her own conquest. This conquest causing the entire series to focus on her downfall.

And much of the same was supposed to happen in this alternate universe. Maybe not step for step and word for word, but the ultimate goal was congruent.

Spider queen’s crew would come back for vengeance. Malin would “assist” her, maneuvering her into a position that would briefly look like victory, a position that would place Sun Wukong within Malin's reach. Malin would confront him, and he would tell them that “Laura got herself killed.”

Outside events would prevent him from elaborating (he didn’t do it), and Malin would take that as a confession. In the wake of The Monkie Kids victory, The unfairness of it all would drive Malin to do everything in their power to take “The Monkie Kids” down, Ultimately resulting in their own defamation, abandonment, and eventual destruction.

But the introduction of the mayor had changed things.

Weirdly enough, the Mayor wasn't very secretive. Milton and Malin Didn't exactly know what they expected from an ancient, eldritch, space warping, gravity defying, scary as hell demon guy claiming to be an alternate universe version of one of them, but “being an open book” was absolutely not it.

He answered all of their questions, shared events that happened in his universe readily, and was more than happy to divulge information Malin couldn't even pry out of their own mother (when she was alive). Perhaps it was because nothing either of them could do would ever hurt him, Perhaps it was because he knew the both of them were too terrified of him to Inquire something that warranted more than a surface level explanation, perhaps he just didn't care, but the end result was the same.

One day before the Lunar New Year Music Deathmatch Tournament, Malin was standing in their living room, Watching the front of their house through the window. All of the arrangements had been made, the stage was set, And the show was ready to begin. All they were waiting for was a phone call from Milton, confirming that the last of the loose ends had been tied up.

The Mayor watched as well; He had been watching this whole time. This human was an interesting kind of dull. The way their eyes diligently snapped across every room showed their constant awareness of their surroundings. The intentional nature of their word and action, from the tiniest of gestures to the loudest of voices, spoke of iron self control. The extensive charts, lists, notes, and written observations on every being they have, are, and/or will ever meet demonstrates their borderline obsession with manipulation and control; however, the location in which they kept these documents exposes either simple civilian ineptitude, or a total lack of care for who might walk in and see it

[Opening the door, he was greeted with quite the spectacle. An entire room filled with documents and poster boards and conspiracy charts on every individual he had seen them interacting with, they even had one on him!

The war room isn't much of a surprise. It was true that Malin didn't look like the plotting and scheming type, but extensive interaction with them would at least clue one into their acute awareness of other people and their lives. In his eyes, it was a show of social competency; he was a little impressed with their attention to detail. But, Really? Above ground?? Just out in the open??? not even a lock on the door????).]

Malin was most like his lady, their mother, in the way that they approached the world. How they took it, struggling and fighting, into their merciless hands and gently shooshed it until it came to heel. They hungered for it’s salvation, and destruction in equal measure.

They would make a fine replacement.

It was in this moment that the Mayor decided to reveal to Malin what had happened to his version of her mother, Explaining every event, beginning to end, in full detail and leaving out nothing.

When Malin hears about their alternate mother’s plans, actions, and her subsequent downfall; and draws the parallels between those events and events in their life; They realize that they are very close to setting off a series of events that just might spell their own downfall… They stop, and they think.

Mayor expects his words to cause them to turn to him for help (trying to lure them into accepting his Eldritch power, warlock style) but is surprised when Malin instead calls Milton to cancel their dastardly plot.

[They get this… feeling in their chest. Like a chime ringing deep within their soul, and come to a decision. The phone rings for a moment, once again, and then three times. Milton’s voice filters through the speaker.

{”The arrangements have been made, we wait for your confirmation”}

“There has been a change of plans. Cancel the envoy, I’ll compete myself.”

The other end is quiet for a moment, Malin hears his silent confusion clear as day. One might worry for a seed of doubt using this moment to take root and sprout, but Malin knows better. At the end of the day, their friend beholds their word for gospel. It seems that this instance is no different.

{”Okay, Milton out.”}

The line goes dead, and Malin pulls the phone from their ear to look at the dark screen. They’re usually grateful for such a loyal and obedient ally; but they worry for him, sometimes.

”I’ve no reason to worry, you’re usually right about everything…”

they sigh, oh Milton..

Malin turns to face The Mayor, face set in concentration as a new plot began to blossom in their mind “I will not bend to the wheel of fate, nor will I fall as my mother has. As any version of her has. There is another way, There always is.”

Oh? A mote of anticipation rises alongside his surprise, the Mayor feels a familiar smile creep onto his face “Then what will you do?”

Malin looks back out the window, watching as Mk and his friend once again cut through their neighborhood; completely unaware of the jaws of death that always loomed nearby.

They turned back to him, looking over their shoulder as the light of a new idea shone through the crumbling cracks of the old one “I’m going to make some new friends.”

#lego monkie kid au #lmk au #lmk mk #lego monkie kid #lmk #lmk mei #lmk mayor #lmk sun wukong #sun wukong #This idea just kind of possessed me #so #here you go i guess #LMK : Ride or Die

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papirouge · 27 days ago

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There was a woman who came out to talk about how that girl group Pussycat Dolls was a sex trafficking ring and the manager was a madam of the girls.

Do you think models for companies like Victoria’s Secret that focuses on lingerie and swim suits are the same too? I remember when those Instagram models were exposed for being prostitutes so their whole accounts of them being naked was their advertising themselves to clients. I can’t help but think that now. I just see these glamorous models so many girls loving them for being pretty but the whole thing is just one big prostitution ring for powerful old men. Like their agents are pimps and madams and the models are sold off. It’s all hidden in plain sight type of thing

Yeah, if you scroll my #fashion industry tag (I think) you may find older posts where I elaborate how LOVE magazine allegedly a "cover" for a pimp circle and that every single model featured on that magazine has a price.....

And I think you're talking about TagYourSponsor for those Instagram models exposed yachting oversea/Dubai ? The one with that model accepting having sex with a 14 yo emirati kid still haunts me.... The whole porta potty thing was just the tip of the iceberg

Btw, while lurking on reddit I recently heard the story of a girl whose boyfriend invited her on vacation in his rich best friend mansion. The best friend sister (who lived not very far) rejoined them, and I kid you not, OP, her her bf best friend have sex with his sister💀 people in the comment section were spooked and were like "are you sure they were blood related??!!" but OP was adamant they were no signs (on their family Instagram) any of them was adopted. My theory is 50/50 they were not fully blood related or some secret adoption (cousin, illegitimate child - rich ppl are fond adopting siblings' children when they long for children) OR they are blood related and shows the tradition of incest in rich families.

Why am I talking about it? Because while yachting is seen as this thing for poor/gold digger celebrity/models wannabe, I definitely think those practices are also existant in families that don't need money. Incest, bestiality, etc. It's more of a spiritual, ritualistic thing

Here in France which is like masonic central, there's been a scandal of a very famous intellectual mogul exposing raping is underage adopted child. And when the child sister called out their abusive father....the mom defended his rapist/pedophile of a husband accusing her own children of "stealing her man" 💀 also this woman was known for being inappropriate herself, telling her daughter to smoke, or do horse riding "to get orgasm".... However the mom sister (so the aunt of the raped boy) believed the kids and wanted to do something but ...she died on mysterious circumstances before she could.. OF COURSE, the moid never spend one day in jail (it's France DUH) just his chair at some famous university. The death of the aunt got shrugged at "suicide"....

There's a book about it "La Familia Grande" (yeah the title is in Italian but it's french lol)

The rapist/pedophile /incestuous moid is also cited in another scandal of sexual trafficking/orgies ring in Paris. And the victims weren't yachter but children of their own families. This is such a huge can of worm. I think the potta porta is just one facet of this thing. I think a huge facet of sex ritualism is within those rich & influential families, where incest and pedophilia is not only tolerated but also encouraged.

#answered #papi conspiracy

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bacchant-of-dionysus · 2 years ago

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Listen up, anyone considering egg freezing!

As of right now I am curled up with a cup of tea and a heat pack, recovering from surgery. So I thought I’d give you an overview of my experience as a trans man getting my eggs frozen to preserve my fertility before going on testosterone.

Why did I do it?

We never know what the future holds. While I doubt I will detransition, ever want to be pregnant or become infertile, there is a possibility of all three of these things happening. Preserving my eggs means I can still have children, no matter what happens.

I have a beautiful partner who preserved her sperm before starting estrogen three years ago. She only did it at the request of her mother, thinking that being seen as ‘fathering’ her children and watching her partner go through pregnancy instead of her would be too heartbreaking and distressing for her to cope with. She thought she would just adopt. After a couple of years of hormone therapy, she became more comfortable in her body, and is now desiring to have children with a partner - specifically me.

After meeting my girlfriend, I realised it wasn’t that I didn’t want kids; it was that I didn’t want kids alone, and I couldn’t imagine anyone ever loving me enough or loving someone else enough to have children with them. That all changed when I met her. I want to have children with her.

When it comes to adoption, only 1 in every 30 couples looking to adopt gets to adopt a child. This number is even lower for queer couples in my country. It is also now illegal to adopt from many places overseas due to corruption in the adoption industry.

I considered fostering, but after learning about the high rates of Aboriginal children taken from their families and placed in the care of white people, disconnected from culture, country and their people, I was horrified. 2% of the Australian population is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, yet over 40% of kids in foster care are Aboriginal. We are not past the Stolen Generations. Every year we apologise for something we are still actively doing to these kids and their families. I will play no role in that.

There is a part of me that wants biological children. It is present in many people and isn’t something to be ashamed of. Adopted children are absolutely their adoptive parents’ children. But I suppose there’s a part of me that wants my kids to inherit some of the things I love about my partner. I know this sounds selfish, but that is what love does to you sometimes.

Even if I did decide to go down the road to adoption, I don’t believe I am qualified to raise a child with severe trauma. All children who are taken from their families, even for the right reasons, are traumatised. Every child who feels abandoned is traumatised. I am disabled as it is and need help myself. Taking on the responsibility of raising a child who needs specialised support is something I would prefer to avoid if I can. Obviously all pregnancy comes with the chance that your child will have extra needs or accomodations, but I want to give myself the best shot at being a good parent that I can. This means waiting until I am absolutely stable and in a position to raise a child, and giving my child the best shot at being healthy.

What made me consider not doing it?

The dysphoria that the process would bring made me reconsider. I knew I would have to have a period first, then go through a series of hormone shots that simulated early pregnancy. I knew my breasts would get sore and that this may prevent me from binding. I knew that I would become bloated and almost look pregnant. I knew I would have extra estrogen, a hormone I did not want a lot of, running through my body.

The general side effects, disregarding gender dysphoria, were not going to be fun either. Bloating, nausea, soreness, mood swings, increased emotional sensitivity etc are not fun to deal with for anyone.

The likelihood of even finding a surrogate was low. Paid surrogacy is not legal in Australia, so it would have to be what is called ‘altruistic surrogacy’, or someone who chooses to carry the baby without being paid (though their hospital bills are covered by the parents). My best shot at a surrogate at the moment is my own mother, but she is turning sixty this month. Many people I know or who are in my family would be at risk of suffering complications from pregnancy and I absolutely do not want any harm to come to the person who chooses to do this for us.

The scans were an inevitable but horrible reality. These scans, as it turns out, can be done trans abdominally if you push enough and go through doctors until you find someone willing. I did not know this. All my scans were trans vaginal. These scans feel invasive and can be painful, especially if you haven’t experienced penetration before.

A timeline of my experience (with the occasional picture):

Day 1: stopping Slinda.

The first day of my treatment I stopped taking my birth control pill. This had been stopping my periods for over a year.

Day 2-30

I felt horrible. It was like my system was being flooded with poison. I cried. I wanted to kill myself. My dysphoria was terrible. Around day 30 my period finally came, but it was weak and there was never a day of full bleeding. So we started toward the end of my very short cycle.

Day 1 of hormone shots:

I went to the pharmacy with my partner and a kind lady explained everything we needed to know about the injections I was going to take. We were given three types of medication: overleap, orgalutran and a trigger shot. The overleap stimulated the follicles, causing them to swell. The orgalutran prevented the eggs from being released. The trigger shot was to release the eggs. I took my first dose of overleap that evening, then again at 10am the next morning. I took overleap at 10am each morning for around 30 days. I started on a dose of 75mls, as I was young, healthy and fertile, and they didn’t want to risk OHSS (ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome).

Day 7:

By now I was feeling pretty awful. The stabs weren’t too bad, but they stung occasionally. My partner injected them for me. I had started the orgalutran by this point. I had my first scan, which I had to travel an hour and a half for. The doctor doing the scan was male and not particularly sensitive to my situation. I shut down and cried afterwards and wouldn’t have sex for a week following due to severe genital dysphoria.

Day 14:

I had my second scan. This time it was with another male doctor who was much more gentle and kinder than the first one. I felt far more comfortable with him. The eggs still weren’t big enough.

Day 18:

I had my third scan, which was with the same nice man as before. I got the bad news via a phone call: my eggs weren’t responding to the medication, and they thought I should call off the shots and start again next cycle. There was no way in hell I was doing that, so I asked for another option. They said they could increase the dose of Overleap to 150mls. I thought about it for a while, and spoke with my mum, dad and partner for their opinions. In the end, I decided to double the dose and push on. They said in that case I would need to come down to be scanned by my main doctor, who worked in a city four hours from my home town.

Day 21:

we drove four hours to the city. By this time I was extremely bloated. We managed to do some nice things, like go out for dinner with my parents and try out a bagel place. I bought myself a new sweater, a wooden vest, and some fun socks.

Day 23:

My doctor scanned me for the fourth time. The eggs were responding well to the medication, but only two were big enough to retrieve. She thought I should wait another week and come down again, and hopefully they should be able to retrieve at least five eggs. She clearly thought we should start the whole thing over again because ‘I can do better than that’, but I was adamant that if this failed, I wasn’t trying again.

Day 27:

I began to question again whether any of this was worth it. I just wanted to end the process and move on with my life. I didn’t realise how close I was to the finish line. Every moment felt like hell. I was bloated and emotional and sore and I just wanted it to end.

Day 29:

We drove to the city again. This time we didn’t do anything fun. My girlfriend had to pull over halfway there and get picked up by my mum. She was exhausted and hadn’t been sleeping well from the whole process.

Day 30:

I was scanned by the doctor again. This time, it was immediately clear that my ovaries looked different. She counted ten on one side and didn’t bother to count the other side. I was ready for surgery the next day.

Day 31:

I went to the day hospital at 7:45am. My girlfriend wasn’t allowed in the waiting room with me due to Covid, so I was alone. As I was filling out my sheet, I noticed my gender had been marked as female. I asked if they needed my biological sex or my gender. As it turns out, it didn’t matter at all. I wondered why they bothered to ask if it was irrelevant.

In the nurse’s notes, a handwritten sentence was bolted with pink highlighter: ‘REFER TO AS MR [surname].’ I was glad they were trying, especially considering how gendered the surgery itself was.

I got changed into my cap and gown and a pair of grippy orange socks that I got to keep.

I then waited until the anaesthetist came to speak with me. He was slightly odd and a little abrasive, but I ignored this and made sure not to mention that my dad was an anaesthetist too. I felt like that would probably get us off on the wrong foot.

In the operating theatre, there was the same pop music playing as everywhere else in the hospital. The anaesthetist put a needle in he vein of my elbow, which I believe contained propofol. This wasn’t a general anaesthetic, just heavy sedation. They put an oxygen mask on my face. The last thing I remember was one of the doctors attaching a brace like prop for my legs to sit on. I don’t remember actually putting my legs on it.

It felt like no time had passed when I woke up. I assumed I was still in theatre until I was told otherwise. I vaguely remember having a weird sex dream. My dad tells me this is the propofol. My nose itched. The nurse laughed and blamed the fentanyl.

I was unusually chatty and bright, but my stomach hurt. They gave me some endone. This took the edge off.

They gave me a large triple choc cookie, some tea, and a glass of water. The first thing they told me was that hey managed to retrieve 28 eggs. I was ecstatic. I texted my girlfriend, mum and dad immediately.

Later, they told me that of those 28 eggs, 15 were mature enough to freeze and 3 more were almost mature enough and had been frozen too. I had essentially done two egg collections in one, and was at risk of OHSS. My girlfriend picked me up and drove us to the accomodation.

Day 31-33

Over these past few days I’ve been sore. It’s difficult to move without hurting my belly and lower abdomen. I’m still very bloated. The surgery itself had consisted of guiding a needle through the vaginal wall and retrieving the follicles from the ovaries, which were drained, and the eggs collected. The actual surgery site didn’t really hurt at all and there was minimal bleeding. The real pain is coming from where my swollen ovaries have been messed around, poked and prodded. They are also pressing on my bladder and uterus, so passing urine, gas and bowel movements can be painful. It also hurts to use my abdominal muscles for adjusting my position, laughing, hiccuping, yawning etc. I have to walk with slow, short steps.

Was it worth it?

Yes. Now that it’s over and i never have to do it again, I can safely say I am relieved to have preserved my fertility. Now I can move forward with my life: I’m seeing my hormone doctor on the 10th of may, who will prescribe me a low dose of testosterone gel. I can’t wait.

I would recommend preserving fertility if you can before medical transition. You never know what your future self might want, and self care is all about having compassion for your future self, even if it means sacrificing your comfort in the present.

Whatever you choose to do or whatever reason you are undergoing egg collection, know that you are doing something harrowing and brave.

After I have had my children (which will be a number of years in the future) I plan to donate the remainder of my eggs to those who need them on their own fertility journey. Knowing I’ve helped another couple or single parent build a family is compensation enough for what I’ve been through.

#ivf hospital #ivfjourney #IVF #ivf #trans #transgender #healthcare #reproductive health #fertility #hormones #medical transition #transition #gender affirmation

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jellysoiree · 1 year ago

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𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗬𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗢𝗥 !

── 𝙀𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙩 𝙌. 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙣, lustrous ebony skin, soft plump lips, and the loveliest droopy midnight eyes. A physiognomy and energy so compelling that like moths, women and men alike, are captivated by his presence as if he was the only flame carrying the night into morning.

𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗 !

In his early teenage years, Elliot was determined to take care of his widowed mother and help her live more comfortably. He kept his head in his studies and filtered out trouble in and out of school.

After her husband's death, Mrs. Swan, Elliott's mother, took up work as a prostitute since her job as a nanny wasn't paying her enough to get by for both her and her little boy. Elliot was always dropped off at the house of his mother's friend, Mrs. Cardinale, before one of Mrs. Swans' clients visited.

Mrs. Cardinale was a sweet and stout Italian woman who migrated to America with her husband and mother for a better future, only to live in the ghetto. Her heart was not hardened by this as she didn't mind helping her best friend by taking care of a young Elliot, who was always praised by Mrs. Cardinale for being a sweet, quiet, and hard-working young man.

On the rare occasions when Mrs. Cardinale couldn't look after Elliot, he was looked after by Mrs. Cardinale's mother who was always resting in bed, but always told him beautiful stories of her youth in Italy.

Due to the fact that he spent a significant amount of his childhood being cared for by Italian women, Elliot adopted a unique accent that was a charming blend of southern and Italian.

After graduating highschool, Elliot planned to attend City College to become a lawyer, which would pay him good money to take care of his mother. However, Mrs. Swan disapproved, she wanted him to pursue his dream of acting instead of trying to be her caretaker. This caused a lukewarm feud between the two with each side making valid points. In the end, Mrs. Swan shut him up by telling him "Mother Knows Best." and reassured him that nothing would make her happier than to see her son truly be happy.

Elliot dropped his previous intention to be a lawyer and instead pursued acting while attending college. He executed such astounding passion and talent, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts granted him a scholarship. Elliot soon began work in the industry, with his new name, Elliot Q. Swan. A year later, at the ripe age of 22, he debuted on Broadway in a film called "Is Love A Tool?" A romance comedy where he played a minor role as a charming bellboy and became a heartthrob amongst teenage girls.

A few years later, after appearing on Broadway stages and television productions, a movie producer screen-tested Elliot and casted him in a lead role in "Melancholy Affairs at Sea" an erotic mystery film. Elliot was unaware of the revolutionary impact this movie would have on his life.

𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧 !

On rare occasions, when Elliot is having a slow day. He escapes from the cameras, the lust, and the predatory film industry to visit his family, Mrs. Swan and The Cardinales. While he is passionate about living his dream, a small part of him wishes he had disobeyed his mother's wishes and become a lawyer.

His love language is entirely devoted to acts of service, particularly cooking. Elliot's passion for cooking delicious cuisines stems from Ms. Cardinale's influence. He doesn't shy away from experimenting in the kitchen and is very open-minded to different cultures' food, one of the main reasons why he adores traveling overseas. He always enjoyed watching the blissful expressions of his past lovers while savoring his food. Even the ladies who tried to act hard to please had a difficult time maintaining their facade.

Speaking of which...

Not once has Elliot's old flames left him feeling whole. The intensity of Elliot's desire could be replicated by no other. Two hearts merging into one. A harmonious ecstasy is created by the synchronization of groans and moans. His touch, both fervid and conscious. The glint in his eyes, arcane yet vulnerable as if he was sharing a silent testimony that they could almost understand, but never did.

In truth, Elliot yearns for true love and an everlasting wild romance. He was always well aware that nothing long-lasting would come into fruition with any of his past lovers, most of them were just for media coverage anyway. A tactic to stay relevant in the industry and give people something to take about over dinner. He regrets not pursuing after love in his youth, especially since love seems like a pipe dream in his field of work. A thought that depresses him greatly.

Although it makes him feel silly, he occasionally wishes upon a star to meet the one who will understand the mysterious glint in his eyes that yearn's to be fathomed.

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘 ! thank you for your time, folks ! I hope y'all enjoyed reading about Elliot as much as I enjoyed writing and fleshing out his character to my satisfaction. the inspiration behind Elliott's design and story is my admiration for black folks in old hollywood media.

love, soireebarbie ♡

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maeliiirae · 1 year ago

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In honor of the last day of Asian-American Pacific Islander Month, let's learn about Anna May Wong

Anna May Wong, born Wong Liu Tsong in 1905, is considered the first Chinese-American Hollywood film star. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she knew from a young age she wanted to be an actress, and began acting in films as a child. She would later go on to perform in The Toll of The Sea in 1922, one of the first movies to be shot in color. In 1924, Anna May Wong became an international fashion icon as one of the first to adopt the flapper style.

Anna May Wong brought so much talent, diversity, and potential to Hollywood's doorstep, but, as always, the industry failed her.

Despite her abilities, Wong was typecasted for film after film to perform a caricature of her own culture. Frustrated with her unfulfilling supporting roles, she left for Europe in search of better opportunities. There, to increase her chances of being casted, she became fluent in German and French. She eventually achieved success, befriending other overseas American stars like Josephine Baker, but still found herself being forced to play shallow roles, such as the mixed-culture Asian character she played in her most acclaimed movie Picadilly.

In 1935, Anna May Wong suffered what she considered the biggest devastation in her acting career. She expressed interest in portraying O-Lan, the leading character in a movie adaptation of The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, a novel which tells the turbulent tale of a poor rural family in a Chinese village during the early 1900s. However, she was rejected in favor Luise Rainer, a white actress who would play O-Lan in yellowface. Anna May Wong was asked simply to teach Rainer how to use chopsticks.

Anna May Wong, in face of this rejection, traveled to China for the first time to learn about her culture. There, she faced criticism by those who were disappointed in her for her portrayal of racist stereotypes. Despite this, she had her journey through China filmed for Americans to see what China was truly like, and raised money for Chinese refugees during World War II.

After returning to the US, she became the first Chinese American to star in her own show, but saw little other work as she grew older and her chances at getting young, Asian roles dwindled. In 1961, Wong died in her bed from a heart attack.

"I was so tired of the parts I had to play. Why is it that the screen Chinese is nearly always the villain of the piece, and so cruel a villain—murderous, treacherous, snake in the grass. We are not like that. How should we be, with a civilization that's so many times older than that of the West. We have our own virtues. We have our rigid code of behavior, of honor. Why do they never show these on the screen? Why should we always scheme, rob, kill?" -Anna May Wong

"When I die, my epitaph should be: 'I died a thousand deaths.' That was the story of my film career... They didn't know what to do with me at the end, so they killed me off." -Anna May Wong

#anna may wong #aapi month #aapi history #aapi #aapi representation #aapihm #aapi heritage month #asian american #chinese american #asian american pacific islander heritage month

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harajukucorner · 1 year ago

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From the 1990s-2010s

Shibuya Casual turned vogue, traditional colors became more prominent and people wore 501 jeans with dark blue blazers and gold Ralph Lauren buttons. In autumn and winter, shibukaji wild emerged, a trend combining outdoor and sports brands. A style merging Western boots, silver or turquoise accessories, long hair, and sunglasses became a nation-wide fashion trend, due to trendy TV. In the winter of 1991, Shibuya Casual lost its original form, girls, leaving aside boys’ fashions, were swept into the paragal (paradise girl) trend, adopting a typical style of slouch socks with short boots from BCBG. American brands became very popular, later evolving into the colorful West Coast girl style named LA girl. In 1992, this suddenly transformed into the largely monotone French Casual. The basic fashion concept of mixing and matching simple items in an elegant way, similar to Shibuya Casual.

In 1999, now in their late twenties, the dankai junior generation became aware of minor luxury items and flocked to consume them. The term joshitsu na futsu (high-quality normal) is introduced. This concept of futsu (normal) represents a change in standards.

The GAP and Uniqlo opened in central Tokyo, making way for cheap but still fashionable clothes, which resulted in a change to the baseline for clothes to be considered acceptable. The gyaru phase is outgrown and the Gal Mix trend appears, a simple, unisex rakuchin casual (easy-going casual) fashion incorporating a mix of gyaru. With the economic improvement in the mid- to late 2000s the Fashion Celeb style emerged, which followed overseas fashion trends. At the same time, the fashion industry showed a concern for social and ethical issues. In the latter half of the 2000s, a number of fast fashion brands from outside Japan arrived. It is a time when attitudes towards clothes and thinking about prices undergo a major change.

In the 2010s, fast fashion became widespread. A ‘super mix’ fashion arises, merging three major aspects of street fashion—street style, gyaru style, and the konsaba (conservative) style. This resulted in a ‘sweet’ style that is both kawaii and fairly fashionable, characterized by a desire to enjoy the same trend as everyone else.

resources used!:

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/tokyo-street-fashion-and-culture-1980-2017-across/hQWBPmGdPtB7Iw?hl=en

#harajuku #harajuku fashion #harajuku street fashion #japanese fashion #japanese street fashion #fashion

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theculturedmarxist · 2 years ago

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I am completely at a loss as to why the UK should seek to join in with the US in considering China an enemy, and in looking to build up military forces in the Pacific to oppose China.

In what sense are Chinese interests opposed to British interests? I am not sure when I last bought something which wasn’t maufactured in China. To my astonishment that even applies to our second hand Volvo, and it also applies to this laptop.

I have stated this before but it is worth restating:

I cannot readily think of any example in history, of a state which achieved the level of economic dominance China has now achieved, that did not seek to use its economic muscle to finance military acquisition of territory to increase its economic resources.

In that respect China is vastly more pacific than the United States, United Kingdom, France, Spain or any other formerly prominent power.

Ask yourself this simple question. How many overseas military bases does the USA have? And how many overseas military bases does China have?

Depending on what you count, the United States has between 750 and 1100 overseas military bases. China has between 6 and 9.

The last military aggression by China was its takeover of Tibet in 1951 and 1959. Since that date, we have seen the United States invade with massive destruction Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya.

The United States has also been involved in sponsoring numerous military coups, including military support to the overthrow of literally dozens of governments, many of them democratically elected. It has destroyed numerous countries by proxy, Libya being the most recent example.

China has simply no record, for over 60 years, of attacking and invading other countries.

The anti-Chinese military posture adopted by the leaders of US, UK and Australia as they pour astonishing amounts of public money into the corrupt military industrial complex to build pointless nuclear submarines, appears a deliberate attempt to create military tension with China.

Sunak recited the tired neoliberal roll call of enemies, condemning: “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, China’s growing assertiveness, and destabilising behaviour of Iran and North Korea”.

What precisely are Iran and China doing, that makes them our enemy?

This article is not about Iran, but plainly western sanctions have held back the economic and societal development of that highly talented nation and have simply entrenched its theological regime.

Their purpose is not to improve Iran but to maintain a situation where Israel has nuclear weapons and Iran does not. If accompanied by an effort to disarm the rogue state of Israel, they might make more sense.

On China, in what does its “assertiveness” consist that makes it necessary to view it as a military enemy? China has constructed some military bases by artificially extending small islands. That is perfectly legal behaviour. The territory is Chinese.

As the United States has numerous bases in the region on other people’s territory, I truly struggle to see where the objection lies to Chinese bases on Chinese territory.

China has made claims which are controversial for maritime jurisdiction around these artificial islands – and I would argue wrong under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. But they are no more controversial than a great many other UNCLOS claims, for example the UK’s behaviour over Rockall.

China has made, for example, no attempt to militarily enforce a 200 mile exclusive economic zone arising from its artificial islands, whatever it has said. Its claim to a 12 mile territorial sea is I think valid.

Similarly, the United States has objected to pronouncements from China that appear contrary to UNCLOS on passage through straits, but again this is no different from a variety of such disputes worldwide. The United States and others have repeatedly asserted, and practised, their right of free passage, and met no military resistance from China.

So is that it? Is that what Chinese “aggression” amounts to, some UNCLOS disputes?

Aah, we are told, but what about Taiwan?

To which the only reply is, what about Taiwan? Taiwan is a part of China which separated off under the nationalist government after the Civil War. Taiwan does not claim not to be Chinese territory.

In fact – and this is far too little understood in the West because our media does not tell you – the government of Taiwan still claims to be the legitimate government of all of China.

The government of Taiwan supports reunification just as much as the government of China, the only difference being who would be in charge.

The dispute with Taiwan is therefore an unresolved Chinese civil war, not an independent state menaced by China. As a civil war the entire world away from us, it is very hard to understand why we have an interest in supporting one side rather than the other.

Peaceful resolution is of course preferable. But it is not our conflict.

There is no evidence whatsoever that China has any intention of invading anywhere else in the China Seas or the Pacific. Not Singapore, not Japan and least of all Australia. That is almost as fantastic as the ludicrous idea that the UK must be defended from Russian invasion.

If China wanted, it could simply buy 100% of every public listed company in Australia, without even noticing a dent in China’s dollar reserves.

Which of course brings us to the real dispute, which is economic and about soft power. China has massively increased its influence abroad, by trade, investment, loans and manufacture. China is now the dominant economic power, and it can only be a matter of time before the dollar ceases to be the world’s reserve currency.

China has chosen this method of economic expansion and prosperity over territorial acquisition or military control of resources.

That may be to do with Confucian versus Western thought. Or it may just be the government in Beijing is smarter than Western governments. But growing Chinese economic dominance does not appear to me a reversible process in the coming century.

To react to China’s growing economic power by increasing western military power is hopeless. It is harder to think of a more stupid example of lashing out in blind anger. It is a it like peeing on your carpet because the neighbours are too noisy.

Aah, but you ask. What about human rights? What about the Uighurs?

I have a large amount of sympathy. China was an Imperial power in the great age of formal imperialism, and the Uighurs were colonised by China. Unfortunately the Chinese have followed the West’s “War on Terror” playbook in exploiting Islamophobia to clamp down on Uighur culture and autonomy.

I very much hope that this reduces, and that freedom of speech improves in general across China.

But let nobody claim that human rights genuinely has any part to play in who the Western military industrial complex treats as an enemy and who it treats as an ally. I know it does not, because that is the precise issue on which I was sacked as an Ambassador.

The abominable suffering of the children of Yemen and Palestine also cries out against any pretence that Western policy, and above all choice of ally, is human rights based.

China is treated as an enemy because the United States has been forced to contemplate the mortality of its economic dominance.

China is treated as an enemy because that is a chance for the political and capitalist classes to make yet more super profits from the military industrial complex.

But China is not our enemy. Only atavism and xenophobia make it so.

#china #united kingdom #craig murray #capitalism #us imperialism #taiwan

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study-abroadconsultancy · 1 year ago

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2023 Trends in the Services Offered by the Best Study Abroad Consultants

Studying abroad offers a profoundly rewarding experience to individuals. It opens up a world of possibilities that let students and professionals widen their horizons, gain enriching experiences and immerse themselves in different cultures. In an era of increasing globalisation, the world is becoming more connected, and aspirants have more opportunities at their disposal. New destinations are coming up, costs are stabilising, and educational institutes are adopting a hybrid model, making the experience accessible to a broader audience.

English-speaking nations are actively seeking alternatives to attract more students and minimise language barriers. The other factors that influence students' choices are environmental sustainability and social impact.

In this blog, we will discuss 2023 trends that have been observed in the industry by the best study abroad consultants.

1. Mainstreaming hybrid overseas education

Hybrid, sometimes referred to as 'blended' learning, has been in the system for a decade, but it became popular only after the epidemic. The pandemic has made educators realise that a certain amount of flexibility is necessary for both the current situation and moving forward into the future.

This method involves teaching and learning both face-to-face and through online activities. Hybrid courses allow the student to align with the changing dynamics of the modern world, where digital skills and adaptability are increasingly crucial.

It helps students living in remote areas to progressively transition to self-motivated learning, where they can learn at their own pace while under their teachers' direct guidance. A number of international educational institutes are offering the option of hybrid model courses to make education accessible and cost-effective.

Mainstreaming hybrid learning is a positive transformation in the way education is delivered. MSM Unify is one of the few abroad education consultants in India who have a hybrid model operating, with esteemed colleges on board.

2. Integrating AI into education

Artificial Intelligence is a rich technological advancement that has entered into every industry, including the education industry.

By incorporating AI into the educational systems, educators can unlock new avenues for student engagement, optimise learning resources and create tailored learning experiences that cater to the unique needs of each student.

2023 has seen the acceptance of AI and how it has gradually changed the impartation of education. Therefore, institutions are now planning to include AI in their course.

3. Other trending overseas education destinations

Canada and the United Kingdom have always been popular for Indian students to study abroad. But abroad education consultants have seen 2023 has seen a rise in the demand for courses in destinations like Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, and others.

4. The STEM demand in India and overseas

STEM education encompasses four critical disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It encourages critical thinking,problem-solving skills, innovation, and tech-ready individuals. It requires students to use logical and analytical thinking to solve complex problems.

STEM jobs have been in high demand and are expected to continue in the coming years.

5. Saving time with integrated programs

Integrated programs are becoming popular as they empower students to explore two academic disciplines in less time than usual. Like traditional learning, which takes four to five years for a bachelor's degree and two for a master's degree, Integrated Program lets students pursue both levels of education in five years. It expedites their academic journey and opens the door to multiple opportunities, making it an attractive choice for forward-thinking students.

6. More colleges and universities

The number of private colleges and universities has increased the competition among institutions, which has led them to adopt forward-thinking strategies. Consequently, there will be a proliferation of private colleges and universities in the future.

MSM Unify is prudent in its selection of partner colleges. It ensures that institutes with exceptional faculty are welcomed on board. This commitment ensures that students have access to the best educational opportunities and the support they require to achieve their dreams.

#education #educacion #study blog #study motivation

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