#the risk of cross contamination is SO high

[likeabxrdinflight]

I appreciate my friends wanting to get together for the lunar new year and understand that an asian restaurant thus makes a lot of sense however

I just feel like I explain time and time again that my soy allergy makes east asian food one of if not the most difficult restaurant options, and time and time again that's brushed aside. "Oh there'll be something" I hear, and then we get there and it'll be like steamed plain rice and a basic salad with no dressing, at most.

Anyway they're insisting on a Japanese place this time and once again my reservations are being well and truly ignored.

[covid-safer-hotties]

I would like to ask if there are some things I've misunderstood or been misinformed about when it comes to masking. Are the following things true?

If I take off my mask in public for even a brief moment, it cancels out any positive effect wearing it might have had up until then.

If I touch my mask with my hands, my hands are contaminated and must be washed immediately with soap and water before I touch anything else.

If I take off my mask, it's "spent" and must be thrown away, and I have to put on a new mask.

I'm asking because I'm having a hard time figuring out how to drink water or eat food while masking, or if it's even possible to do so safely.

There's some crossed wires and half-truths here.

While unmasking in public for a moment doesn't undo the protection you've been doing, it does remove that protection and potentially expose you to covid. This risk is lessened outdoors, especially when you're far from others and it's breezy/windy (covid aresols don't stay aloft long on moving air; and the turbulence can potentially kill any virions that remain aloft... and being away from people diffuses any potential covid they may be exhaling, substantially reducing chances for infective exposure.) The risk rises the closer the people and in public indoor spaces (air changes often aren't high enough to clear covid aresols via ventilation. Big offenders in bad air circulation are schools, many medical buildings, and resturants.) You also are far less likely to get a good seal when putting your mask back on in public, increasing your exposure risk while masked again. It isn't all or nothing, but donning and doffing [taking off] a mask isn't just like pulling up socks: there's ways to do it correctly and most people don't.

This is following contamination controls for diseases spread by fluids or fomites. While covid rarely if ever spreads via surface contact, other diseases (such as mpox, potentially) could seep through the fibers of your mask given the right circumstances. All this being said, touching your mask (especially with dirty hands) fouls it like any filter. It means it will have to be thrown out sooner, and touching it may also break your seal. Avoid touching your mask in public and do try to touch it with mostly clear hands, and only on the edges of the filter material for best longevity.

Most masks used for covid can be used several times by most people. It's been proven in studies that the elastic on a disposable mask will wear out before average usage would wear out its filter medium. You should throw out any mask that is visibly dirty: sweaty masks grow mold. Dry masks can be stored in paper bags for a week or more to aid in basic decontamination, and you can use most masks that still have stiffness in the nosepiece and good elastic 3 or 4 times depending on type and how you use them. Daily wear (multiple hours at a time) will wear out the components faster. I have some KN95s that I opened in 2021 that I still use when opening the door to get a delivery or when I'm pumping gas around people or something like that. They probably need to be replaced soon (and many have been) but they've been used maybe a total of 25 minutes each and they're clean and the elastic and nosepieces are still good! It's all about being able to judge the quality. If you struggle with this aspect, it's best to play it safe and not reuse masks much.

[mariacallous]

CAIRO—Although Egypt has refused to accept refugees from the Gaza Strip, more than 100,000 Palestinians have crossed the border into Egypt since the start of Israel’s offensive in Gaza following Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

Khaled Shabir, a 29-year-old man, is one of the Palestinians who managed to flee. He entered Egypt in March, four months after the Israeli army bombed his house in the southern Gazan city of Khan Yunis. The attack killed his parents, but he survived with crushed bones in his foot, thigh, and hand, which landed him in a hospital and then a field medical facility.

Some Palestinians are able to get a free medical transfer to Egypt for life-threatening conditions. But Shabir had to go the route of most who have fled: paying Hala Consulting and Tourism, the only company that secures passage from Gaza into Egypt. Hala, whose owner reportedly has close ties with the Egyptian authorities, charges $2,500 to $5,000 per person crossing over—much more than most Palestinians can afford.

Shabir did not have the money. But with a crowdfunding campaign, he was able to raise $5,000 to cross into Egypt. “Doctors at the hospital were sympathetic to my condition and waived their financial fees for my surgeries,” he wrote in a text message from his hospital bed in Cairo on June 4.

Like most Palestinians who have recently arrived in Egypt, Shabir has found himself in a strange position: Because he is not technically a refugee, he isn’t eligible for most international aid for refugees, unlike his counterparts back in Gaza. Eight Palestinians in Egypt interviewed for this story said they hadn’t received any humanitarian relief from international organizations. This has left them dependent on the goodwill of others—and increasingly at risk of being unable to get by.

Palestinians who have fled are reaching Egypt at a time when the country is experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades. In recent years, Egypt’s inflation rates have reached all-time highs, rent and food prices have soared, and millions of people have fallen into poverty.

It is especially difficult for Palestinians to navigate Egypt’s crisis. The majority of recent arrivals do not have official residency documents, so they cannot enroll their children in public school, apply for jobs, or receive health care and other benefits, according to an official from the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo who spoke with Foreign Policy on the condition of anonymity.

The official said on June 30 that just three international organizations have provided assistance to Palestinians who have fled to Egypt, and it has only reached a small portion of them. This aid includes $200 from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for 500 students, as well as medical and psychological care from Save the Children and UNICEF for a few injured infants.

Even for those with more resources, life has grown tough as their savings have run low. Nagham, a 23-year-old college student majoring in commerce, left Gaza at the end of January to stay with relatives in Cairo after the Israeli military destroyed her home and her husband’s barber shop. Because she had residency papers and was already enrolled at Cairo University, Nagham—who preferred to use only her first name—did not have to pay for entry. (Before the war, she studied online and only went to Cairo for exams.) But after arriving in Cairo, Nagham had to sell her wedding ring and other jewelry to raise the funds needed to pay transit fees to bring her husband to safety.

Now, she said, “we’re in a really bad financial situation.” As of April, she was being treated for a cervical infection she contracted from contaminated water in the first few months of the war. In May, Nagham sought financial aid from the Palestinian Embassy in Cairo, but it did not provide any help. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), meanwhile, included her name in a registry tallying the number of Palestinians in Egypt, but she is not sure whether this implies any forthcoming aid.

“We’re starting over from scratch,” Nagham said. “I feel like we are in a nightmare.”

Kamel Mohamed, a 23-year-old who left Gaza in April, said that the majority of university students he knows from Gaza are running out of money, especially after paying the transit fees. He is currently applying for scholarships to study at a university in Egypt or other Arab countries. But in the meantime, international organizations have not provided any support, leaving him dependent on monthly aid from two local charities in Egypt.

“We are from a region devastated by war, and the people there have lost everything,” Mohamed said. “International organizations need to play a part and provide assistance.”

Jeff Crisp, a visiting research fellow at the University of Oxford’s Refugee Studies Centre, echoed this sentiment. “It should be the responsibility of the UN as a whole (UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, IOM, etc.) to step in and support the Palestinians,” he wrote via email.

One major problem is that those who have fled Gaza are not considered refugees. This means that the two U.N. refugee agencies—the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which protects non-Palestinian refugees, and UNRWA, which is solely responsible for Palestinian refugees—can’t support them.

UNRWA spokesperson Tamara Alrifai wrote in an email to Foreign Policy, “UNRWA does not have programs in Egypt, in the way it runs schools, health centers and social support in the areas where it has a mandate to operate.” She added that UNRWA, unlike UNHCR, “does not have a mandate to resettle refugees into new countries.”

The Egyptian government has refused to recognize Palestinians as refugees since 1978, instead referring to them as “our guests” or “our siblings.” It has long opposed both the establishment of a UNRWA operational office in Cairo and the displacement of Gaza’s population into its territory, citing potential threats to regional security and fears that Israel would not allow displaced Palestinians to return to the coastal enclave.

But many experts, including the U.N.’s special rapporteur on torture, argue that Egypt has legal obligations to accept refugees. Crisp stated in his email, “Egypt is a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and should do what it can to support any that arrive from Gaza.” He added that Palestinians who fled war should be treated as displaced people.

For now, without residency papers, most of the Palestinians who recently arrived from Gaza are at risk of deportation. The Palestinian Embassy in Cairo is urging Egyptian authorities to provide papers as soon as possible so that children who have left Gaza can attend school in the fall, according to the embassy official.

The Egyptian government has, however, supported some Palestinians who have been injured in the war. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said in May that around 5,500 injured people had been evacuated from Gaza for medical care in 160 hospitals across Egypt since the start of the conflict. These individuals are treated at the Egyptian government’s expense.

The process, however, is not easy. “It was a torture journey,” said Um Qusai, who was able to leave Gaza so that her six-year-old daughter, Noor, could get eye surgery. One of Noor’s eyes had fallen out after debris from an Israeli bomb fell onto her bedroom in October.

After six months in the European Hospital in Gaza, Um Qusai finally secured a medical transfer for Noor, making their entry to Egypt free. But because they did not have passports, she had to wait with Noor and her two other children for 12 hours at the Rafah border crossing, while Noor was in agonizing pain, before border authorities let them in.

Once they arrive in Egypt, many Palestinians who received free medical transfers are not allowed to leave the hospital. A number of those patients, along with family members accompanying them, told Foreign Policy that they felt trapped inside hospitals and would only be permitted to leave if they returned to Gaza.

Egyptian volunteers have arranged trips to bring Palestinian patients food, medication, and clothing. However, some volunteers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they had to undergo lengthy bureaucratic procedures to obtain authorization from Egyptian officials to visit the patients due to strict hospital security measures.

For now, many Palestinians in Egypt must rely on the support of local charities and grassroots initiatives to get by.

In November, Sherif Mohyeldeen, an Egyptian researcher and nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, launched For the People, a grassroots group with about 60 members, to support injured Palestinians and their families in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt. So far, he said, the initiative has collected donations to support more than 1,200 Palestinians with food and cash assistance for rent.

“People have come here with only their clothes,” Mohyeldeen said. “There is a huge amount of psychological and physical suffering.” The Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research has reported that more than 60 percent of people in Gaza have lost family members since Israel’s war—which has killed more than 40,000 people in the territory, according to the Gaza Health Ministry—began in October.

Sherif added that his group has yet to find solutions for families who need prosthetic limbs or chemotherapy, both of which are extremely expensive, as well as Palestinian students whose annual university tuition in Egypt exceeds $4,000.

Abdullah Abu al-Aoun, a 26-year-old man from a wealthy family in Gaza, is also trying to help others who have fled. His family owned many buildings and two restaurants in Gaza’s Remal district, all of which were bombed by the Israeli army. After fleeing Gaza with 22 members of his family in February, he opened a Shawarma restaurant in Cairo. His mother’s Egyptian passport and the family’s savings of more than $100,000 helped him establish the business.

Aoun has hired three young men from Gaza in his new restaurant and has been helping other Palestinian families in Cairo with cash assistance. “Although there is still war in Gaza, some aid is getting in,” he said on May 25 while sitting in the restaurant, where four men from Gaza were dining. “Here, the families who left for Egypt are not getting any support.”

But individuals and small charities can only make so much of a difference compared with international organizations—and many Palestinians, including Aoun’s family, know that they may have to stay in Egypt for years to come due to the scale of destruction in Gaza. According to the Palestinian Embassy official, many more Palestinians are expected to arrive in the coming months. With no humanitarian relief on the horizon and Cairo so far refusing to provide residency permits, they sink deeper into uncertainty with each passing day.

“What really scares me is the unknown future,” Naghan said. “When will the crossing open again? If we return, will we live in a tent or on the rubble of our house?”

[gyusimp]

°•300 followers gift! •°

⚠️Warnings: NSFW, MINORS PLEASE DNI!, Smut content, Very explicit content, Dark content, Kidnapping at Kyogoku house, Stockholm syndrome, submissive reader, Female reader, Insults, Inappropiate languaje, Canon Gyutaro. Read at your own risk.

I reached 300 followers! I promised a good smut so here's a gift from me to all of you for being so amazing. I have no words to thank all your support and kind words since the beginning of this adventure on Tumblr, writing for Gyutaro makes me very happy and it also makes me happier to know that I am contributing a little to this fan club of his. Thank you very much so enjoy! 💚

Special thanks for @mrsshabana and her interesting suggestion 👀

It had already been a long time. were they days? Weeks? Months? You don't remember, but since that day your life took a 180 degree turn. You entered the Kyogoku house with the hope that you could have a better life than you've led up to now, even if it meant selling your body as if you meant nothing. They say that money is not everything in life, surely someone who never lacked for anything said it and now here you were, in your training to learn to be a refined and elegant girl capable of attracting clients with something more than just your physical.

It was easy for you to be accepted, you were one of the few most beautiful girls that existed within the Entertainment District, the house would grow enormously with you so if they didn't accept you it would be stupid. Your beauty had saved your life but it had also condemned you in a way, without you knowing it. You didn't even imagine it.

He had seen you. At all hours of the day, although you could not see him he could watch you, from the dark depths of the shadows he watched you. Every step you took, every word you said he could hear you and hell, you were driving him crazy, just looking at you made him want things that had never crossed his mind before in all his long years of life. Would he just keep watching you or would he do something to change his reality?

His selfishness took him too far this time. You were perfect, you were his and he would not allow you to be contaminated by the dirt of any insignificant worm. You were clean and beautiful, he wouldn't let anyone get their hands on you until it was his turn. If someone was going to try you, it would be him, if someone was going to stain you, contaminate you or desecrate you inside this house, it would be him and no one else but him. He wanted that just by seeing you, everyone would know that you were his and no one else's, that you belonged to him, that every corner of your body screamed his name.

Gyutaro Shabana.

That was when his sister let him do as he pleased, it would be easy to invent a rumor about the girl's escape or murder, it didn't matter. Like her, her brother always got what he wanted. He took you all to himself, he owned you in the darkest and most secluded place in the Kyogoku house, the place furthest from all human contact that no one had the slightest idea existed, where he could remind you that you were his when he wanted.

The first few days were difficult, this client took you all to himself and it seemed like he would never let you go. That twisted idea had no place in your head, you cried, you got angry but no matter how big a scandal you made you couldn't escape from his side.

Those days are just memories now, vague memories where you still can't understand how your way of thinking changed by being by his side. As if you felt anger and frustration when you saw him, you went from wanting him in the same way and doing whatever this man could think of. It would be enough for him to snap his fingers to have you on your knees in front of him completely at his will, because you were his.

Summer was just arriving, the nights, despite being windy, were still hot and irritating. You were in the same place you had been since he took you in trying to find a way to deal with the high temperatures in the environment. Small amounts of sweat began to dampen your body under your clothes, your loose hair was a torment and that feeling between your legs was too annoying. It wasn't because you felt aroused, just the heat made your panties feel very wet for some reason and that was starting to irritate you. When suddenly, he appeared.

Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, your heartbeat quickened, and thrilling joy blossomed from the depths of your chest.

"Gyutaro-sama!" You squealed with excitement.

He walked towards you and you just greeted him as usual. You sat on your knees with both hands resting on the ground in front of you as he continued to move closer to you. You looked at him happily, waiting for his return greeting. Gyutaro watched you from above, from head to toe. He noticed the big blush that was painted on your face, how little hairs stuck to your forehead and shoulders due to your sweating and then he looked down at your chest. Your kimono was slightly open because you were trying to freshen up a few minutes ago, which left the beginning of your breasts exposed, making Gyutaro start to feel hard.

He cupped your chin in his thin, bony fingers and forced you to look into his eyes.

"It's hot in here, don't you think?" he asked, with a lazy smile.

"O-Of course, it's quite annoying!"

He kept looking at you "It's different for demons but..." he placed his thumb over your lips, touching them with his fingertip noticing that they were a bit dry. "I suppose you'd do anything to get some water, wouldn't you?"

Water. That would be the solution, you were dying and you didn't know why but Gyutaro had given you the answer. You were probably dehydrated so that was what would get rid of this unbearable heat.

"Yes! You're right!" You answered agitated. "You could get me some, right? You are very good to me, Gyutaro-sama. Could you get me some water?" You asked, eager to hear an answer as you rubbed your face in the palm of his hand as if you were a cat happy to see its owner after a day without seeing him.

Gyutaro laughed after hearing your request. "Of course! You know I can give you whatever you want, as long as you do your part...would you do what daddy asks, sweetie?" He asked.

"Y-yes! Of course I do!" You responded excitedly, almost jumping in place to get closer to him and hold his hands. "You know I would do anything for you, I'm yours!"

Gyutaro watched you with a mocking smile, he thought you were desperately pathetic and that turned him on too much. He loved seeing you so desperate and surrendered at his feet, willing to leave you in his hands so that he could do what he wanted with you.

"Then you'll have to take care of this." Gyutaro took a part of your hair to pull it and bring your head closer to his hip in an abrupt way, to bury your face in his crotch making his length crash against your face. "Look what you've done, my little slut…you'll take care of it."

Gyutaro pulled your hair again and forcefully threw you to the ground so that you were lying on your back. He didn't wait another minute to loom over you in an imposing way and watch you eager to do with you what he wanted.

He took the red ribbon around his neck and took it off, took your hands and tied them above your head to hold you steady. Immediately after, Gyutaro grabbed the collar of your kimono with one hand and pulled it down with all his might to open it, ripping your obi and the rest of the garment leaving you completely naked since you weren't wearing any underwear. Gyutaro looked at you carefully and made fun of you when he saw your extremely flushed face, trying to cover you but your hands were tied.

"What a pathetic and poor girl...I will make you feel like never before." He said between laughs.

Gyutaro settled on you and took your knees with both hands to separate them and open your legs wide, finding your cunt naked and already very wet. He licked his lips and without wasting another minute he pounced on you to start tasting you.

Gyutaro squeezed your thighs hard, making you moan shakily the moment his tongue made contact with your slippery folds. Your hips moved in circles to one side and the other to try to get more pleasure than what Gyutaro was already giving you. You could feel his tongue and teeth running all over your wet vagina, he didn't take breaks, he just devoured you completely like there was no tomorrow. After his mouth had been in each and every one of the corners of your core, he separated from you with a snap coming from his mouth after having made one last suck.

You could feel how wet you were between your legs, a part of your juices had trickled down your butt, wetting your thighs and crotch, mixing with Gyutaro's thick saliva. When he separated from you, a transparent thread was the only thing that united him between your pussy and his mouth. His lips were wet, drops dripping from the corners of his mouth to his chin and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. You felt very aroused and the best of all is that all this was just beginning.

You gave Gyutaro a submissive but daring smile, letting him know you needed more from him. Sometimes, he just bothered you, stimulating you for a while, making you believe that he would fuck you, but actually, he ended up getting up and leaving on purpose, leaving you irritated and desperate. The times when this happened, you usually ended up masturbating, but it was nothing like when Gyutaro did it to you.

"Aren't you going to continue? I thought you wanted to" you said, feigning sadness. "I need more of you and you know it..." your legs stayed open on your own and you weren't going to close them. Gyutaro was in front of you so your intention was that your open and wet cunt was under his gaze to seduce him. "Sure? You don't want to continue?" You asked, you started rubbing against the futon you were lying on to tease him, Gyutaro untied your hands and you lowered your fingers into your pussy. "I'm yours, Gyutaro...see?" You took your labia and spread them wide to expose your wet folds and swollen, throbbing clit to begin rubbing it with your fingers slowly and carelessly until your movements became faster and more rushed as you began to feel more pleasure. "Don't you want to do this? Don't you want to touch me and do everything you want to me?...that's what I'm for!" Your voice was desperate and a bit demanding begging for him. "I told you you could do whatever you want to me so here I am, see?" You said, and you spread your legs more showing Gyutaro your vagina. "Th-this cunt is yours Gyutaro-o...aahh...it's all yours and you can do whatever you want, whatever you want but I-I need you inside, I need you inside of me...j-just take me and do what you want, open me as wide as you can and fuck me until you can't anymore...fuck this little pussy and make me feel complete! Do it Gyutaro-sama!"

Gyutaro removed your hand from your vagina before you could cum on your own, grabbed your hair and turned you to place your chest on the futon, exposing your back. He took you by the waist with both hands hard and put them under you to squeeze your tits making you gasp. Gyutaro came closer to you and lowered one of his hands towards your pussy to insert his fingers directly into your wet hole. Every time Gyutaro moved and arched his fingers inside you there were wet sounds that caused you to get more and more wet.

Your eyes were blank and a thread of saliva ran down your mouth to your chin while you couldn't stop moaning desperately.

"I love to make my whore happy!" Gyutaro said, full of pride in himself. "Do you really want me to do everything you said? Well...you asked for it."

Gyutaro took his hand out of your pussy with another loud sound caused by your juices, he took your hip and made you lift it up, leaning on your knees but without letting your tits come off the futon, arching your back. The only view Gyutaro had now was of your ass so in awe of the view he gave you a hard and painful spank that made you moan. Your ass was on top so he didn't have a perfect view of your hole unlike when he just spreads your legs to fuck you. Gyutaro lowered his hand to your pussy again and began to touch you "looking for your hole" while with the other hand he pulled out his hard dick dripping from his pants and when he finally knew where to enter, he rammed you and penetrated you the first time making you scream with a bang painful pleasure. Your hands were clinging to the futon trying to hold you steady but Gyutaro was too strong and moved too fast. "Is that okay? Is that how you wanted me to fuck you?" he asked sarcastically. Gyutaro cupped your pussy with both thumbs and spread it open to expose your swollen folds. "That's how you wanted me to fuck and open you, right bitch? To fill you up and make you dirty with me, to stain you and make you impure! Are you enjoying it now? Is your pathetic cunt better now or will it still be dripping and writhing for me until i destroy it?!" He spoke mockingly.

You were dying in every way, this hurt as fuck but the pleasure that Gyutaro gave you was completely indescribable, his thick cock was demolishing you but that was what you wanted and you didn't care that your legs and your entire cunt hurt tomorrow and during some days. This is why you were by his side, right? Gyutaro took you by the hips as he dug into you, squeezing your ass and showering you with insults and dirty words, he pulled your hair up to see your expression and your eyes rolling up non-stop moaning until he kissed you abruptly without stopping moving. Gyutaro kept going until he realized how tight your pussy was, your body began to shake and your hair was a mess mixing on your face with your tears, sweat and saliva. Your entire cunt trembled and after feeling that perfect sensation of burning and pleasure at the tip of your clit, you cum. You cum all over Gyutaro's dick just like he did inside you, his release so great that it began to overflow through your folds until it seeped out of your vagina and trickled down your crotch, thighs and knees until it dripped onto the futon and created a small thick puddle under both of them. This orgasm was a relief for you, after having come all you could do was fall on the futon without caring how you got daub in your semen and Gyutaro's. Your eyelids were starting to feel too heavy until you started to close your eyes.

You couldn't even get the water that Gyutaro had promised you because after that amazing fuck, you fell asleep or passed out even with Gyutaro deep inside you. Maybe you had reached your limit but... are you sure that Gyutaro too?

[cerealboxlore]

imagine, and i don’t know how or why, cap having to reveal his identity to the league, but he just says his name

whatever members immediately look up billy batson, sees he’s a kid, and assumes that marvel being there is time shenanigans and that he was keeping his identity secret to not mess up the timeline

would be funny if somewhere after this another superhero asks him if he looked up to himself as a kid and he just responds with “nah, i hated captain marvel. i mean, who the hell would willingly be so cringy” or something idk i’m tired

that just seems like it could be a lot of fun to me

THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO RESPOND TO BECAUSE MY BRAIN WASNT BRAINING AND COULDN'T READ IT RIGHT BUT I GET IT NOW AND I LOVE IT

I think this is an amazing idea!! Using time travel as an excuse to lie to the Justice League and others about his existence is just pure, high-level wizard genius. Of course, some other time traveler, like Booster Gold, might make this a difficult lie to keep up, unless...he was in on the lie from the start 👀 It would make for a cute friendship between the two heroes and make for a good bonding story about the most unexpected people who became heroes.

A scenario where I can imagine your plan happening would most likely be a funny one, and while there can absolutely be a serious event that causes this idea of yours, I am laughing out of control thinking about Captain Marvel accidentally touching the lasso of truth and saying his name when someone asks him on the Watch Tower. And then he goes silent. Cap sees the rope next to him. And then everyone goes silent. They see the rope next to him. And then he leaves without saying anything, and the entire break room bursts into PURE chaos.

I think it's an awesome idea to have people think Billy hated Captain Marvel growing up, because that's just a factor of hilarity right there. In the Captain Marvel Adventures comic run, there was an issue where Billy pretended to have a feud with Captain Marvel (himself) so that people would leave him alone (if I remember right??). It's always funny to me to see someone pretend to hate their alter ego, it brings up so many opportunities for shenanigans!

Bonus:

Superman: Hey, Captain! Sorry to bother you, but I was curious, if it's not too much to ask, may I inquire as to why you're in the past instead of, you know, back in the future?

Captain Marvel: Ah, well, that's a pretty long story there, Supes. I can't go into it too much for privacy reasons, you know how it is.

Superman: Oh, no, I get it, don't worry, I won't press into it.

Captain Marvel: Hm...I can tell you this though, if I ever come into contact with my past self, due to my magic cells and the fabric of the universe, I will self-destruct.

Superman: ....what.

Captain Marvel: Yeahhh, it's a whole thing, it's why I never bother to meet my past self, and if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you left my past self alone. Haha, wouldn't want to risk cross contamination accidentally and explode.

He then walks away whistling without a care about what he just said, leaving Superman and the rest in a confused and concerned state.

On the news next week a JL member sees Booster Gold shake hands with Billy on the Fawcett City news (Captain Marvel's city) and holds back the urge to body slam him back to the future.

Gosh, this was wonderful to answer!

[fuck-customers]

I'm the anon who sent in abt the gluten free pizza. Noticed a bit of discourse in the comments and just wanted to make a quick amendment:

To the ppl saying 'there's no difference between an allergy and a preference' yes, there very much is. Anyone who has worked in a high traffic kitchen (as I do) knows modified orders (especially allergies) are a real time eater. If someone requests a gluten free pizza, but only because they're on a low carb diet/prefer the taste etc, I can save time by not having to adhere strictly to allergen protocol. If the customer is celiac, however, I have to make sure I get fresh prep, that the surfaces and equipment are clean, and also ask the severity of the allergy; because we don't have a dedicated oven for GF pizzas, so cross contamination is a possibility I can't let some people risk. That's a lot of time and attention taken away from several other orders. There's no point in going through all that trouble every time if it's just a preferential thing. Saw a few people in the comments saying as much, so thanks to them- y'all clearly get it

As for my response: I don't think I articulated it well considering I only highlighted one part of the interaction, but this lady was INCREDIBLY rude throughout her whole order. It was more then what I wrote, she was being snippy and condescending the entire time even beforehand, and the GF thing was just the cherry on top. If I were less of a person, I could very well have just gone 'well f you bitch, have fun in the hospital' and not bothered to take any amount of care with her order. But I'm not, and I didn't. I'm not going to risk my source of income to be petty, and the idea of intentionally fucking with someone's food makes my skin crawl (mostly cause I wouldn't want that to happen to me- I'm a germophobe and take hygiene very seriously). In saying that, if I want to have a dark thought entertaining the idea over some lady who wanted to treat me like I'm the human equivalent of dogshit on her shoe, sue me. Blowing off steam =/= actually fucking doing it, chillax lol

Posted by admin Rodney

[grl-rina]

THIS is the message that @wafs-posts sent me yesterday:

Please, you are my hope that my children will be saved from hunger and death I hope that my message reaches all free people in the world and those with compassionate hearts. I ask you to save my family, as they are in danger. Every day they face death. the situation is dangerous. There are no necessities of life. No food, no milk, no diapers, no medicine. All goods have become at ridiculous prices. My little daughter is infected with hepatitis, and suffers from high temperature and lethargy in the body. The fear of losing her has become very terrifying to me. Surviving in Gaza is very stressful. This war kills without mercy. Every minute poses a threat to the lives of my children and my family, so I ask you to help me. Your contribution, no matter how small, can make a big difference in their lives. Or share this link with your network. Thank you for your kindness and support.

Nobody should have to ask to live in safety, to live in liberation without a siege, without violence, without endless b*mbing and starvation. Without contaminated water, or the threat of the IDF raiding homes on the ground. There is ZERO SAFETY in Gaza. ZERO.

These are HUMANS. Wafaa is a 40-year-old woman who already had health issues before this genocide began. Her daughter is suffering from hepatitis and we all know that Gazan hospitals do not have sufficient treatment after constantly being attacked. Her family consists of 15 people. I come from a big family myself, and I cannot imagine dealing with the thought that none of them are safe. Not even myself.

No person should be feeling so powerless over their own life. It isn't right. We cannot forgive ourselves if we do not make an effort to help them. It doesn't matter if you can relate to them or not, these are HUMANS. Same as all of us, they deserve the right to live in peace.

Wafaa is already dealing with the loss of her young niece, who was killed by the IDF. There is no telling when they will attack again, and whether or not Wafaa will be in danger. There is literally nobody to protect them.

Wafaa has a fundraiser set up that will collect funds for the Rafah crossing, so that when it opens, she and her family will be able to leave for safety together. No Palestinian's first goal is to leave their home, but the brutality has made it so there is no other choice but to stay there, facing all of the risks, or to leave for Egypt.

The goal currently sits as €26,025 and I highly encourage everyone who sees this to help out in anyway they can. No amount is small. This is a very urgent matter because there is no telling what will happen tomorrow. The IDF are completely unpredictable and vicious.

If you cannot donate, I also encourage you to make your own post about @wafs-posts. Spread the word, repost this post, share her story. Keep on showing solidarity with Palestine. Don't wait for you politicians to care because they already chose their side. Choose yours. Stand with humanity.

[kinodraws]

hello! I was wondering if you had any tattoo machine recs for a total beginner?

LOL i literally made a thread about this on twitter the other day!

Here's a bunch of stuff for someone who's learning to tattoo.

DISCLAIMER

DO NOT TATTOO OTHER PEOPLE FOR MONEY IF YOU ARE NOT WORKING IN A SHOP

DO NOT TATTOO OTHER PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR HOME OR ANY PLACE THAT IS NOT A SHOP

TATTOO FRUIT, PIG SKIN OR SILICONE FAKE SKIN

TATTOO YOURSELF IF YOURE BRAVE AND CAN ACCEPT THE RISKS INVOLVED

That being said:

MACHINE PICKS: - high end: bishop power wand packer ($1200 for full set, $649 on sale at kingpintattoosupply.com rn for the machine itself which would require purchasing a separate battery) - midrange: FK Irons spektra xion ($574 on painful pleasures, requires power supply or battery) - beginner: MAST archer ($179 on Amazon) Be aware that with this machine, the battery is rechargable but NOT replaceable, so if the battery dies, the machine dies. IMO not a big deal at $179 tho. You can also get coil machines from just about anywhere but they're less foolproof and you need to know how to tune and maintain them, and they aren't cordless so there's much more risk of dragging the clip cord through contaminated material which is gross and dangerous

POWER SUPPLIES: - Critical is kind of my go-to for everything. If you buy an RCA compatible machine, you would need a critical RCA Battery which comes in two configurations, the regular one gives you about 10 hours of running tattoo time and the shorty gives you 5.

BLACK/WHITE INK PICKS: - Allegory BLAK - Dynamic black - Empire white COLOR INK PICKS: - Electrum (flows nicely, doesn't crust over if left exposed to air in the ink cap for a long time) - SOLID Ink - (flows nicely, highly pigmented, haven't used this much) - Eternal ink (good all rounder but most of their opaque highly pigmented colors tend to go thick over time and do not flow easily)

CARTRIDGE PICKS: - High end/best for very experienced artists - Black Claw - Midrange: Kwadron, Electrum - Budget: MAST

Other things you need to tattoo safely: - Tattooing/medical tray - Cling wrap - pen covers/clip cord covers - masking tape - ink caps - stencil printer - stencil paper - shaving razors - green soap - wash bottles - madacide/cavicide/opticide (NOT OPTIONAL) - Paper towels - vaseline - single use individually wrapped tongue depressors - Fake skin (get it at pound of flesh or amazon) - Scissors - Stencil transfer solution (I prefer Dynamic's stencil magic) - Wash bottle bags - Rubbing alcohol - Dental bibs - Laser/Inkjet printer - GLOVES

ALSO GET YOUR DANG BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS CERTIFICATE! IT's $30 on the red cross website and cheaper on other sites!

you also need like at least some cursory drawing skill and the knowledge of how deep to go in skin to prevent blowouts and faint lines! There are lots of folks on youtube who can give you the rudimentary knowledge you need to get started, but the best way to get into tattooing professionally (if that's what your after) is to build up a portfolio of flash pieces that you feel best express your style, and to start getting tattooed at local shops by artists you like & respect.

Anyway! Hope this helps!

[acti-veg]

Hey Acti Have you heard the latest about H5N1 (bird flu) not only crossing from animals to humans, but also transmission in via handling/consuming of animals? https://twitter.com/Globalbiosec/status/1775709161738895706

It is worrying, but it is important to keep it in perspective. I have heard about the new human cases, but I think some of the coverage on it is a little bit misleading. I’ve seen lots of people using it as a way to conclude that eating chicken/eggs means you’re risking catching bird flu; but this is hyperbolic and the evidence that it carries a significant risk of contamination is just not there.

The World Health Organisation found that all the human cases were linked to close contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. The new case in the US is significant because it’s linked to handling cattle rather than chicken, but risk to the public is still very low - much lower than the likes of E. coli, Campylobacter, or Salmonella which chicken already carries a risk of.

The virus is not well adapted to infect humans, and even less so to transfer between humans. It is workers and non-human animals who we should be most concerned about when it comes to bird flu, rather than the wider public. No human or animal should have to endure being exploited in filthy, overcrowded, demoralising conditions where the risk of disease is so high.

Bird flu represents a major pandemic risk and it would be truly disastrous if transmission between humans and other animals become common. The conditions in factory farms and the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture has created the perfect environment for an antibiotic resistant microbe to emerge. However, as troubling as all such cases are, we are not there yet.

[mh-and-celiac]

I use to love this salad from the a food court take away shop before I was diagnosed with Coeliac disease. Whilst it’s a gluten free salad, it’s incredibly high cross contamination risk from other salads beside it in the store & from the staff grabbing salads with the big spoons. So instead, I’ve given it a go at home & it’s worked out really well. I need to find just the right aoli I think, but otherwise yum!

Ingredients if anyone cares.

Brown rice

Quinoa

Baby spinach/rocket mix

Tomatos

Cucumber

Chickpeas

Aoli

Saltanas (I think these are raisins for you non Australian people)

Felafels - yumi brand sesame yellow packet are my favourite

I just guessed how much I’d need, I made like 1.5 cups rice, 1 cup quinoa, 3 tomatoes & 2 cucumber. This made 3+ big servings

[thegodthief]

Dreamt I was sitting in an abandoned rural one-room church/school having a pleasant chat with an angel about something or another when a priest kicked in what was left of the front door to challenge me.

"You can't be here!"

"Why?"

"You're not Christian!"

"... And?"

"THIS IS A CHRISTIAN PLACE OF WORSHIP! You can't be here!"

"The building is abandoned and ownership of the land has reverted to the government for rewilding. The only reason the building is still here is because it would cost more money to tear it down than to let it rot in place and no church wants to pay the cost of restoration and no museum has marked this place as historical. You have no authority to dictate who can be here and who can't."

"THIS HAS BEEN MADE SACRED THROUGH CHRISTIAN RITES AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DEFILE IT!"

"Dude, before a cross was put on the roof peak, this was a [cunning woman's] hovel. And before she set foot here, it was the core of a sacred grove. And before those trees were ever planted, it was a sacred space for migrant tribes. And before the first person was drawn here, it existed from before time. This place decides who belongs here or not and it has decided that right now, right here, I belong here and here I am."

The priest huffed and puffed and turned red in fury before realizing that I was not alone. The angel remained in place during this entire exchange, watching us quietly. "YOU!" The priest pointed at the angel. "FULFILL THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD AND EVICT THIS WITCH FROM THIS HOLY PLACE!"

The angel looked at me. I looked at the angel and shrugged. The angel looked back at the priest who was doing his best to recite something in Latin. I looked at the priest and shrugged again. The angel looked at me and smiled, covering me with warmth and peace to the point that I forgot to be annoyed at the priest.

"You're right. I don't have to engage with that mess. So, back to our discussion."

When I turned my back to the priest, he became even more furious. I heard him condemn the angel as a false spirit and declare that he was going to evict us both by force if necessary. I heard him suddenly rushing towards us, but before I could react, the angel had placed a wing between me and him.

He bounced off the solidified light and fell flat on his ass behind me.

I turned around to see him covered with the dust and dirt from the litter-covered floor. I finally paid attention to his robes to guess at what denomination he represented, but his frock was so plain and generic, it might as well have been from a costume rental.

"Dude. No one has set foot inside of this building for at least four years. The last map that had this building marked as present is eight years old. The congregation that used to meet here literally died out twenty years ago, and there have been no formal ownership of this land for fifty years. There's nothing here. Nothing valuable. Nothing historical. Nothing that would be of value to modern society. There is no corporate profit to this place other than permitting it to go wild so there is a pollution break between valleys. Just getting here is a high expenditure of resources. Sitting under these rotting beams is a health risk as is breathing in possibly mold-contaminated air. What is here that you feel you have to protect so vigilantly?"

He tried to get up off the floor but the same wing that bounced him onto his ass was now pinning him to the ground by the tip of a feather of light. He struggled to move the glow from his chest but burnt his fingers each time. I questioned if he was really clergy in the first place, but somehow the angel silently confirmed that he was ordained in his order.

He stopped fighting the angel's restraint and told me his reasons. Christian Dominionism 101. Empire. If it could be claimed, then that claim must be enforced regardless of validity or truth. Somehow, he had heard that I was around and sought to challenge me directly.

But his primary intent wasn't to enforce dominion over the collapsing church and the land around it. His primary intent was to bring me "back into grace", at any cost. If he could get me forcibly removed from the building, then it would show that I have no power and no choice but to submit to those forces that were once over me. His biggest weapon: The Confidence of Unchallenged Mediocrity.

But he reminded me of someone, of some thing, and I needed to make sure that I was wrong. "By chance, did we sit in a Georgia bar once upon a summer?"

He entered into a malicious silence after spitting the word, "No."

Of course it's not him. He would never be so incomplete in his preparation nor so cocksure of a desired outcome. But, there is still the matter that this guy came here in the first place. "You came here for me first, and claiming the land was the cherry on the cake. You came for me first, which meant you were sent or there's a bounty on me. Again."

I looked to the angel. "My apologies, but our conversation will have to resume another time. Here I thought I was going to be pulled into a [Wild] Hunt later this year, but I see that I am going to be Hunted instead."

The angel, without moving, looked at me and nodded but kept their wing's feather on the priest's chest. I was granted leave to say some final words and depart from the dream first. I accepted their grace with another bow.

"Not much to be said, really. I knew that when I made the decision to pick up all my pieces off the table that I was going to trip some flags somewhere. I know that what I learned to do and what I can do natively and what I have the potential for is going to piss off a lot of folks because my very existence is a challenge to their power structures. I knew they would come for me. I know I'm not afraid to face them anymore."

I finally stood from the pew, gently patting the wood dust off me as I carefully moved so not to upset the air further. I bowed respectfully to the angel. "Thank you for your companionship and the dialogue. Thank you for keeping the peace in here. May the glory bestowed upon you be a blessing."

At first I was going to slash the fabric of the dream and exit that way, but I had the feeling that the angel was not done with this priest and I needed to leave with as little disturbance as possible. So I walked to the side door at the back of the room. The door itself had rotted away years ago, leaving only the lintel to mark that there was ever an intentional opening here.

Outside the church, a figure was standing in the knee-high grasses and wildflowers. "So. I hear you're going to be having an Experience™ soon. Mind if I walk with you? There's more than one way to come through this, you know."

I stood on the threshold. I looked back at the patient angel still pinning the impatient priest. He had begun squirming under the restraint again and attempting to command myself and the angel into submission by force of his indignation alone.

I looked out at the wilderness beyond the door. In the distance, a storm was approaching. The wind was starting to pick up outside and I could taste ozone in that breeze.

"No, Sir. I don't mind."

I put one foot on the ground outside the doorway. The ground shifted somewhat underfoot. I waited until it was stable before placing the other foot beside it. I held the doorway as the ground wobbled from some great pressure. I released the doorway and began to walk towards the figure.

The ground shuddered and a loud sound made me flinch and cover my head. When I looked up, it was now the middle of the night. The church building behind me had collapsed and rotted and only the stone corners of its foundation remained. Grasses, wildflowers, and low flowering shrubs were everywhere. White blooms glowed with unsourced moonlight.

"So. Just so you know, for me to walk with you is for you to walk with me. Still up for a stroll?"

I looked forward towards the figure. Yup. Just who I thought it was. All I could do was laugh and smile. "I'm game if you are." I made my way through the uneven terrain to stand before him and respectfully bow.

"What was it you were told earlier? The Moon's light will reveal what the Day's light hides? You might learn something about yourself that is distressing."

"But, will I survive the experience?"

"That's up to you."

"Then, I guess I better. Let's go."

And we went.

[cherrywrites626]

HFOBG Chapter 16 Sneak Peek

Will glanced sidelong at Nico in time to watch his expression spasm through about a hundred different emotions before landing on something close to darkly murderous, not really certain why it was he appeared to be rubbed the wrong way by someone who seemed so nice—at least as far as he could tell.  

Chalking it up to past history that was frankly none of his business, he smiled at the slightly taller boy and brushed the comment aside with a halfhearted shrug.  “What exactly do you mean by ‘heal the sick’,” he asked, wondering whether or not it was the answer they’d been hoping for all this time.

Percy extracted his hand from his shoulder and rubbed it haphazardly through his hair once more.  “See, I really meant it when I said I am not the person who is best suited for this conversation,” he reiterated, gesturing off toward a different area of town.  “Artemis or one of the other healers could definitely tell you more, but the gist I gathered in passing was it healed a few people who had been suffering from some unknown illness that a lot of others had already died from.”

“The one that killed Nico’s sister,” he clarified further, just to be certain.

The other’s smile dropped at the reminder, sea-green eyes going wide for a beat before swinging over to the person in question.  “Shit.  Sorry, Neeks, I totally spaced,” he mumbled, tone strained as if the subject had been a point of contention for them several times in the past.

Nico merely huffed a humorless laugh out through his nose and shook his head, arms crossing over his chest as he glanced out toward the western wall.  “S’okay.”

“Right.”  Percy turned back to him with another sheepish grin.  “But yeah, the healers thought so, at least.  Doesn’t seem to do much aside from those two things, though.  They thought it might be connected to the other illness somehow.”

“Is that why you call it the zombie mushroom,” Will wondered aloud, brow furrowed slightly in thought.

To the best of his knowledge, no known species of mushroom came close to the description other than cordyceps.  The fungi’s parasitic tendencies were vaguely similar to the disease, at least in observation of the affected specimen while it was helpless under the mushroom’s control.  But that was a widely known and understood concept.  Perhaps there was a simpler explanation.

Ducking his head a bit, the sheepishness the other exhibited intensified then.  “Ah, not exactly,” he replied, chuckling low under his breath at whatever knowledge hadn’t yet become part of the equation.  “That’s just what we’ve been calling them because of their initial origin popping up all over the graveyard.  Plus they’re nearly the exact color of their skin, among a few other freaky details.  I’m sure there’s a more scientific term one of the healers would know.”

“Graveyard,” he echoed, eyebrows rising high in surprise at the concept of burying their dead when his people had abandoned the practice long ago for several practical reasons as well as preventative measures.

The biggest being cross-contamination of diseased bodies spreading the illness further.  Although that was more for those already turned or else known to be infected, even if the science was inconclusive to the harms of handling them either way.  A risk was still a risk, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

But it made sense to cremate all of their dead regardless of the reason for their passing with so little space to afford the growing number of deceased that couldn’t better be used in other ways.  Why put up a cemetery when you could utilize the land for growing food or something equally beneficial?  A loved one’s ashes in your family home were no different than a plaque slapped on the ground commemorating where a body had been laid to rest, in his opinion.  

It was fascinating to hear not all groups felt similarly about space-saving procedures.  That, or they simply had more room and less issues with sick and elderly dying regularly with a population so small it was still in the hundreds.

---------------------------------

Catch this update NEXT FRIDAY and don't forget to read the latest here

[kingdrawcse]

Chemical secrets of the food in your fridge

To curb bacterial growth, we often store various foods in the fridge, but it's not a "safe haven." Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen, can still multiply even at 0°C, making the fridge an unintended breeding ground. This bacterium is prevalent in many foods and poses a significant health risk, with a high fatality rate. It's sensitive to heat, so thorough cooking can eliminate it. To safeguard health, avoid consuming raw or undercooked foods, and ensure proper separation of raw and cooked items in the fridge. Use separate cutting boards and knives for raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.

[tj-crochets]

Hey y’all! I have family in town right now, and as a general heads up to people who don’t have food allergies/restrictions/stuff like that*: If you want to go out to dinner with someone you know has food allergies*, PLEASE discuss where you’ll go with them before you finalize plans. This message brought to you by my mom inviting all the local members of my family out for barbecue, a thing I cannot have in restaurants because either it uses sauce, which has vinegar in it (and usually so much sauce is used there’s a high risk of cross contamination) or it smokes meat, in which case I can’t breathe. Smells good! Usually tastes good! Very bad for my asthma.  *idk where food intolerances fall on this scale? but I couldn’t think of a good catchall term for “cannot eat some foods without bad consequences”

[flock-talk]

what is your sanitation protocol in between handling the 2 birds? are you fully changing clothes/showering/washing hair after interacting with toto or is it a little less extreme? i only ask for reference/your thoughts on this. thanks

I do things that intense until a vet clears him, change clothes and full shower between birds as well as disinfecting major touch points in the house that he’s landed on/ I’ve touched after handling him just so I don’t accidentally transfer anything downstairs.

After the vet clears him I’ll go less intense so I just have a specific Toto contaminant coat and change clothes he’s touched between birds with standard thorough hand washing, if he sits on my shoulder at this point I’ll likely tuck my hair up in to a toque to avoid contact.

Considering how dirty Toto’s cage was there’s a pretty high risk for him to be carrying various bacteria or viruses that can expand rapidly in his body as the immune system will weaken with the stress of switching homes. So I do want to be extra cautious. So far we’re not seeing anything indicative of illness so fingers crossed everything will keep going that way.

As cumbersome as the process can be I’d rather go overboard than end up with two critically ill birds!

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

After doing some research I have discovered I am allergic to nearly every sandwich on the mcdonalds and wendy's menu. the only sandwiches I can eat between the two restaurants pretty much are the filet o fish or anything on a pretzel bun, and even those have high risk of cross-contamination. So if you also have a sesame allergy and haven't checked the allergen menu for fast food restaurants, I implore you for your own safety, please check them. Things have gotten so much worse and I am so sorry for everyone who also has to deal with this.