#there are serious issues with both but that is a dangerous mindset

[rms-mathematic]

Alastor never hated new technology he hates the way that Vox has become someone he can barely even recognize in the pursuit of modernity and. Vox never hated old technology but he’s literally made of it so upgrading himself to be newer, faster, lighter, and more powerful improves his quality of life and he hates how Alastor won’t understand that. And because they are both assholes who can’t communicate healthily to save their lives, they insist on hating each other’s “thing” purely on principle in a way that will only harm themselves. In this essay I will

[mcyt-builds-contest]

I'm not sure where that previous anon is seeing people say that Ghost's Vault should be disqualified? I haven't seen ANYONE saying that.

If they mean the 'these bribes shouldn't be allowed', we mean going forward. Ghost's Vault won fair and square (or, well, with highly coordinated voter fraud, which is allowed and we did it too. So it's as fair as it gets for this sort of thing). It wasn't disallowed, thus it's not really something we can say should disqualify them. We're not saying 'no they shouldn't get their win', we're just worried that any FUTURE bribes of that nature could end in a very ugly situation.

I think some of y'all who think it's not a big deal haven't seen any of the horrors and think we're exaggerating when we say we're concerned about potential consequences. Like, please understand; Dreblr has had people deal with serious things like stalking, doxxing, and utterly deranged shit like people threatening to kill pets over MCYT fandom darma. It can get NASTY-- just look at what happened with the USMP and QSMP. People were in literal, actual, physical danger because of fandom shit.

While Dominionblr and their ccs seem fine-- lovely, even, and excellent opponents; we think highly of y'all-- we've seen other ccs (and their fans) dogpile on fandoms and ccs that they don't like.

The concern is that someone with that kind of mindset and that kind of fanbase might see the results of the previous poll and take the wrong lessons from it-- ie, that if they dangle goodies above their fans heads they can get clout. They might actually not release that stuff if they lose.

We've seen multiple ccs decide to get involved with various tumblr polls, so I really don't think that's a huge stretch to imagine someone deciding to do those kind of bribes again but not release the goodies at all if they lose.

What happens if a less chill fanbase genuinely loses something they care about? People don't always lose gracefully, and it would be so easy to point the blame at the winning team.

Does that sound paranoid? Yes, yes it does, and I fully acknowledge that fact! But it's a genuine concern because we've seen and been through too many horror stories of hatred and harassment.

Plus, again-- adding Actual Stakes for a dumb tumblr poll feels weird! It can make the other team feel like they're bad people for voting for their side and potentially making the others miss out on stuff they really care about.

While Dominionblr knew that their prizes would eventually be given regardless of the results, WE DIDN'T. We thought that us winning would lock you out of those prizes. There were a lot of people who felt guilty for voting, and that's just not fun! It spoils the enjoyment of the poll because it felt like we'd be huge assholes for pushing to win when there were Actual Stakes Involved.

Someone in both fandoms did assure the server I'm in that the prizes wouldn't be lost, which very much influenced me deciding to commit massive voter fraud. I don't know that I would have done it without that knowledge. But not everyone saw that message, meaning a lot of people still labored under the assumption that prisonfuckers winning would mean that Dominionblr lost a lot of really cool content forever.

All we want is for the polls to stay silly. We don't want to grapple with the ethics of potentially depriving the other side of important things for a fuckin' tumblr poll. Even if it's not us who goes up against a fandom like that, it's unfair to whoever does so.

TL; DR: Ghost's Vault won completely legitimately and Dreblr/DSMPblr has zero issues saying that. Nobody wants it disqualified. We're just asking for FUTURE bribes from ccs to be disallowed out of worry it could lead to harassment & generally suck the fun out of the polls.

Yeah I understand the problem, smaller ccs will want to interact with a poll about them if they find one, you cant really stop them from doing it, and this things as been made for fun and was never supposed to be some sort of accurate classification medium, just silly polls. But we dont need more drama in the mcyt fandom so I understand where you're coming from

[covid-safer-hotties]

We may think we’re done with COVID-19, but COVID-19 is not done with us - Published oct 30, 2024

by Dr. Niels Riedemann

As we approach a new presidency, a new Congress and new leaders in our health agencies, I am concerned that the sense of urgency about COVID-19 appears to have faded. The disease has not been discussed during the election season, even though it is an ongoing and developing public health threat.

I believe this is a dangerous mindset. The reality is that COVID-19 remains a unique and deadly threat for many people — it is not just another respiratory virus, and should not be treated as such by our leaders.

I am the CEO and co-founder of biopharmaceutical InflaRx. But I am also an intensive care physician and researcher active in the immunology field. I have worked in the ICU. The reality is clear: We may be done with COVID-19, but COVID-19 is not done with us.

The virus continues to cause fatalities, even outside of the traditional respiratory season. During the summer of 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that COVID-19 killed thousands, with about 4,200 reported deaths in August alone. As of October, some 40,000 Americans have lost their lives to COVID-19 in 2024.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in May 2024 found that in the fall and winter of 2023-2024, the risk of death in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was greater than the risk of death in patients hospitalized for seasonal influenza. On Sept. 28, 2024, the CDC reported that COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to outpace flu and RSV hospitalizations combined.

Despite these facts, the CDC website now groups COVID-19 with flu and RSV, stating that “while COVID-19 still poses a significant threat to people at higher risk, its health impact is now similar to other respiratory viruses, like flu, which are also important causes of illness and death, especially for people at higher risk.” I believe this positioning is dangerously complacent and sends the wrong message to those responsible for guiding us through public health challenges.

As we approach a new presidential administration and a new Congress, we cannot regard COVID-19 as one of several respiratory diseases that can be dealt with through a vaccination program and other measures. COVID-19 requires special attention from the new administration, federal health agencies and lawmakers. They need to remember and treat COVID-19 as having different characteristics compared to other respiratory diseases and manage it for what it is — a virus that caused the most extended pandemic in over a century, with a significant death toll that continues to take lives every day.

Our knowledge of the disease continues to evolve. We still do not fully understand it or the best way to treat it. For example, long COVID, which is estimated to affect 5.3 percent of U.S. adults in the U.S. (13.5 million people), poses potentially serious and debilitating long-term health issues such as fatigue, brain fog and uncontrolled blood pressure.

We must not abandon the tools, therapies and strategies we’ve developed to prevent and fight it. That means we must ensure the availability of at-home tests, educate the public and medical community on diagnosis and treatment options (both outside and inside the hospital), be tolerant of people who still seek to protect themselves by wearing masks, and continue to support and fund research into new treatments and vaccines.

We may be tired of COVID-19 but the number of deaths we are seeing should not be regarded by our leaders in Washington and in the states as acceptable. COVID-19 requires ongoing vigilance, early diagnosis, timely treatment through all the stages of disease progression and continued research.

Our political and medical leaders must continue to pay attention to what we learned from the pandemic and must assure that we all are taking the needed steps, to protect not only ourselves but also future generations.

Niels Riedemann, M.D., is trained intensive care physician and general surgeon who lead a large academic ICU in Germany. He is the co-founder and CEO of InflaRx, a Nasdaq-listed biotech company.

[dolphin1812]

“ Up to that time, the Republic, the Empire, had been to him only monstrous words. The Republic, a guillotine in the twilight; the Empire, a sword in the night. He had just taken a look at it, and where he had expected to find only a chaos of shadows, he had beheld, with a sort of unprecedented surprise, mingled with fear and joy, stars sparkling, Mirabeau, Vergniaud, Saint-Just, Robespierre, Camille, Desmoulins, Danton, and a sun arise, Napoleon. He did not know where he stood. He recoiled, blinded by the brilliant lights. Little by little, when his astonishment had passed off, he grew accustomed to this radiance, he contemplated these deeds without dizziness, he examined these personages without terror; the Revolution and the Empire presented themselves luminously, in perspective, before his mind’s eye; he beheld each of these groups of events and of men summed up in two tremendous facts: the Republic in the sovereignty of civil right restored to the masses, the Empire in the sovereignty of the French idea imposed on Europe; he beheld the grand figure of the people emerge from the Revolution, and the grand figure of France spring forth from the Empire.”

Is this a pun in Marius’ political crisis

On a serious note, the flip from “darkness” to “light” here - with Napoleon being the brightest - draws on a longstanding association of light with Progress within the novel and outside of it (“enlightenment”). If to Marius (and frankly, to Hugo), the Revolution was a necessary predecessor to Napoleon and Napoleon was needed to shape modern France, then they must be light, not “twilight” and “night.�� The image of him being blinded before he learns how to deal with this new information underscores how shocking this revelation was to him, understandably so given his upbringing and the emotional stakes behind his political shift.

A brief note on the issues with how both Marius and Hugo perceive Napoleon and his empire: the “sovereignty of the French idea imposed on Europe” isn’t appealing at all. Hugo has some implicit recognition of that with the choice of “imposed,” but the reverence for the “French idea” in general means that the imperialist part of empire (or France’s colonial history) isn’t really addressed in the text. To Hugo, the issue with Napoleon is the dominance of one man over the people, so the problems with empire beyond authoritarianism aren’t really touched on.

Marius, of course, has no problems with Napoleon now, having veered into complete idolization of him and of his father. While he’s sympathetic on the personal level - he’s never been exposed to this history in a positive light, and it’s not surprising that he’d want to think positively of someone who loved him so much - his mindset is dangerous. Hugo accused Marius of “fanaticism” as a royalist under Gillenormand’s tutelage, and now he accuses him of the same, but for “the sword.” While I’m skeptical of Hugo’s language here after reading the convent digression (he’s calling Marius’ belief a “religion” and saying he’s a “fanatic” in his devotion to it, which calls to mind Hugo’s more offensive opinions on religion), it’s true that Marius is now suddenly dedicating himself to Napoleon’s army and a militaristic view of history without thinking critically. To be fair, he’s never learned to think critically - this is the first time his worldview has been questioned - but his focus on violence and the military is concerning nonetheless. 

Building on the broader theme of community, we also see Marius start to think of his “country” at the same time as he thinks of his father. He still doesn’t actually interact with a broad range of people - Mabeuf is the only person outside of his family that we know he interacts with - but he is conceptualizing a broader form of community. Given that the most community he’s seen so far has been the church and the salon, the latter of which seems heavily fragmented based on titles and individual stories, his attempt to define a broader community for himself - France - is extremely significant. Marius remains alone in many ways, but at least he can imagine connections in a way he couldn’t before, even if only through a nationalist lens.

[roseaesynstylae]

I've noticed that there are a number of antagonists who are or were enabled by the parental figures in their lives.

Doflamingo was found by Trebol, Diamante, Lao G, and a couple others I can't remember after being tortured by the mob. Doffy was a kid, a kid with serious issues but still a kid, and they were adults who knew better, especially Trebol and Lao G. Doflamingo is far from innocent, but these guys were the ones who gave him the literal and metaphorical weapons to become a danger to everyone around him. With a few exceptions (ie, Senor Pink, Baby 5), I don't like most of his crew, but I especially loathe Trebol. It isn't just that he's physically disgusting; he's the guy who fed Doflamingo's already present sense of entitlement and turned someone who was not a good person to begin with into a monster. Dude deserves a lot more hate, in my opinion.

Big Mom was encouraged in her violence and her deranged beliefs by Mother Carmel and Streusen, both of whom wanted to use her for their own ends. While her birth parents abandoned her, they honestly come across as the ones who had her best interests at heart, leaving her with the giants because they were unable to care for her due to her abnormal power. They're more sympathetic than Carmel or Streusen, in my book, because they at least tried to find people who they believed would be able to raise her properly when they couldn't. Granted, it didn't work out, but they at least tried. Carmel, on the other hand, wanted to turn Lilin into a weapon and didn't even try to convince her to calm down in her well-meaning attempts to make everyone get along. Streusen noticed her power and mentored her in becoming a truly deranged pirate. To make matters worse, this casual enabling of worst traits passed down to the next generation. I get the impression that even when Big Mom isn't being overtly abusive toward her offspring, she still encourages them to be violent and sadistic. Just look at Anana. Big Mom might be a terrible person, but I feel sorry for her. I feel even sorrier for her children.

I definitely get vibes of this off of CP9, especially Rob Lucci. Yeah, he's a sadistic nutjob who isn't particularly sympathetic, but he didn't end up like that without some guidance. The World Government trained him to become a living weapon, gave him the ideal excuse to kill people, and very likely encouraged his violent personality because it would make him a good assassin. Then they have the unmitigated gall to act disturbed by his willingness to slaughter 500 people when they were the ones who enabled that mindset and practically handed him the tools he needed to use on a silver platter. As if I needed another reason to hate them...

[justinnault]

True Masculinity Unveiled, How Misunderstanding Masculinity Harms Your Health

In a society where masculinity often gets misrepresented, many men find themselves caught in the web of “traditional” ideals that don’t necessarily serve their well-being. The impact of these outdated views can reach far beyond one's self-perception, leading to serious consequences for both physical and mental health. It’s time to bust some myths and discover a healthier, balanced approach to masculinity.

Understanding the Health Risks of Misinterpreted Masculinity

Men who strictly adhere to conventional masculine ideals often shy away from seeking help, even when they need it most. Studies show that behaviors like risk-taking, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug use are frequently linked to “being a real man.” But this mindset can be dangerous. As a nutritional therapist, I want to guide you through the process of redefining masculinity in a way that supports your physical and mental well-being.

Myth vs. Reality: What True Masculinity Looks Like

Myth: Seeking help is a sign of weakness.

Reality: Asking for help is an act of courage. It demonstrates self-awareness and a commitment to self-care.

Myth: Real men don’t show vulnerability.

Reality: Vulnerability allows you to connect on a deeper level and build trust with others, which is essential for strong relationships.

Myth: Masculinity is about toughness, both physically and emotionally.

Reality: True strength includes emotional intelligence and the ability to express oneself.

Q&A: Embracing True Masculinity for Health

Q1: How can redefining masculinity improve my mental health? Toggle to see the answer. Embracing a balanced view of masculinity means letting go of the notion that men need to bottle up emotions. By acknowledging and processing emotions, you reduce stress and anxiety, which positively impacts mental health. Research indicates that men who seek support for mental health issues experience significantly lower rates of depression.

Q2: Does avoiding risky behaviors actually impact my physical health? Toggle to see the answer. Yes, absolutely. Risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex, excessive alcohol use, and drug consumption, not only harm your body but also lead to chronic conditions and even life-threatening diseases. By understanding that taking care of your health doesn’t make you any less masculine, you’re prioritizing long-term well-being.

Q3: What role does nutrition play in redefining masculinity? Toggle to see the answer. Nutrition is foundational to physical and mental health. When you nourish your body, you’re taking a step toward self-respect and health, which aligns with true masculinity. Proper nutrition supports energy levels, mental clarity, and resilience.

Practical Steps for a Balanced Approach to Masculinity

Seek Help When Needed Whether you need medical advice, therapy, or simply a friend to talk to, never hesitate to reach out. True masculinity includes knowing when to ask for help.

Adopt Healthier Habits Focus on habits that align with your wellness goals. Reduce alcohol consumption, avoid harmful substances, and engage in regular exercise.

Redefine Your Inner Strength Strength is not solely physical. Embrace mindfulness practices, journal your thoughts, and allow yourself to process emotions in a healthy way.

About Justin Nault: Your Guide to Wellness

Justin Nault is a Certified Nutritional Therapist with a deep background in nutrition, fitness, and human metabolism. As the founder and CEO of Clovis, and creator of the Clovis Daily Superfood Powder, Justin has helped over 2,500 people find a balanced approach to health. His work redefines health and fitness, aiming to create sustainable change through holistic nutrition and wellness.

Start Your Journey Today!

Are you ready to embrace a more balanced, healthier approach to masculinity? Watch our video for in-depth insights and practical tips to start redefining masculinity for a better life. Let’s shift the narrative together and explore the power of true masculinity!

[yanyanspeaksout]

To the 25 million Filipinos who voted for Senator Robin Padilla,

We must pause and reflect on the significance of leadership in our society. Recently, a question was raised by your chosen senator that has sparked outrage and deep concern. Senator Padilla asked how a husband can legally coerce his wife into bed, a statement that touches on the sensitive and serious issue of marital rights and the autonomy of women.

This is not just alarming; it is deeply disheartening and reflective of an outdated and dangerous mindset. Marital coercion is a violation of human rights and undermines the dignity of both women and marriage. It disregards the concept of mutual consent, which is fundamental to any healthy and respectful relationship.

The responsibility now lies with all of us to hold our leaders accountable. This is not just about one senator; it's about the kind of society we want to create. A society where respect, equality, and consent are upheld as core values. We cannot allow such rhetoric to persist, for it endangers the progress we’ve made in fighting for the rights of women and all individuals.

The power of your vote put Senator Padilla in a position to influence national policy. The same power can demand better from those we elect. Ask yourselves: Is this the representation we need? Is this the future we want?

Now is the time to speak up, demand accountability, and ensure that our leaders understand the gravity of their words and actions. Let this be a wake-up call for all Filipinos to strive for a government that champions respect, equality, and justice for all.

[mirambles]

The Rise and Fall of Murtasim Khan

Tere Bin - I have been saying that post E20 this show has stopped making sense, logic has gone out of the window, the character development has stopped, the relationship has not grown and my IQ has dropped to negative.

I have long stayed away from Indian soaps and Pakistani dramas which have had nonsensical tracks, toxic leads, misogyny and medieval plot lines. My only hook to Tere Bin was Wahaj Ali’s performance as Murtasim and him softening towards Meerab played by Yumna Zaidi. Of the 30 odd Pak dramas I have watched, I haven’t seen such sizzling chemistry amongst the leads.

Meerab was already the worst written female lead in all the dramas I have watched - Indian, Pakistani, Korean, Western. You can read my rant on her in my earlier posts on this blog.

I wasn’t first taken in by Murtasim Khan as a lead cause he showed the typical toxic traits that most sub continent dramas focus on - rich, arrogant, alpha male, controlling, egoistic and worst here with serious anger management issues. I’m sorry but using physical violence, even a slap is simply not acceptable.

But I’m willing to tolerate them, if they show a good development arc , redemption and acknowledgment of their misgivings, and IF the actor is stellar. Murtasim’s arc and Wahaj Ali’s performance excelled on both accounts. Until E46, Murtasim was the only person trying to make the forced marriage work, he accepted it and put his heart and soul to abide by it, his growth into softening as a person, falling in love, empathising with her plight, tolerating her arrogance and stupid antics (where she put his life in danger, not once but twice), trusting her no matter what (even though there was proof she helped his sister elope with his arch enemy), understanding her point of view, giving her benefit of the doubt, were all on display for us to fall in love with. Wahaj being ace at romance also added to us loving Murtasim.

Murtasim in Wahaj’s vision was in stark contrast to what Nooran had written. Wahaj said in an interview that Murtasim was logical and they tried every bit to make him less toxic.

All that the audience was holding their breath for, was for Meerab to realise her love for Murtasim and then see their journey together. Murtasim supporting her law career, Meerab helping him open up from his conservative mindset and together fixing their flaws , their marriage and grow as a couple. It’s not hard to write a positive arc for two hot headed, egoistic people who realise their mistakes and make amends. The audience will forgive the toxicity if they see positivity, growth and genuine repentance.

But Nooran the writer is the villain of this story - we have all established now that she is twisted in her head and seeks some kind of sadistic pleasure in making her female leads look bad; but derives even more pleasure in kicking the male lead from the cliff after elevating him to be one of the best male leads in dramas.

Male leads remained toxic and we never warmed up to them. Some got redemption arcs and we made some peace. Consent and agency were missing for the female leads and it frustrated us. Handful of shows started reflecting on showing strong female leads and we naturally lapped up those shows. But Tere Bin showed what no other drama did before - the biggest downfall of a male lead in television history.

The amount of toxicity that has been brought into Murtasim’s character in the last 12 episodes is beyond my imagination. How can a guy who kept harping about consent force his wife, that was clearly the original track because nothing makes sense post E47. If assuming they consummated in anger but with mutual consent , the separation makes no sense. Her pining for his love makes zero sense in both scenarios. Post the separation he is doubting that she ran away with her male college friend. The trust issues this lead couple has and their inability to have a single meaningful conversation in 58 episodes is totally baffling.

His need to find Meerab is not because he loves her, but because it’s matter of his family’s reputation. He is announcing to the whole world that she ran away with a man without any evidence. The worst straw for me is that he gives Haya a complete free pass. This is the same woman who has physically harmed his wife (even when it was a false pregnancy) and is obsessed with him to the extent she has left no stone unturned to destroy his and Meerab’s relationship. He is now willingly marrying her - there is no pressure from anyone to make him do so. For all the talks about Meerab will be my wife till end of my lifetime and I will live my life in memory of her love - his lifetime surely lasted a few months/years (honestly I’m confused what the timeline is now between Meerab leaving, giving birth and Murtasim getting married to Haya).

For a supposedly logical and non toxic character, this U Turn has impacted the fans like no other and rightly so. You cannot mislead an audience to love a character and dump garbage all over him. That’s not bad writing , that just pure evil sadism.

Kudos to Wahaj for pouring his heart and soul in Murtasim, but post E46 even his acting is reflective of the fact that he no longer believes in his character. The difference is evident.

Murtasim Khan was set to charm his way into every woman’s heart (and he did given how much popularity this show got and the discussions we have seen on TV and social media). This is full credit to Wahaj’s superior acting skills and on screen charm. But he ended up now as the worst villain in the history of television thanks to Nooran’s impeccable sadistic writing skills.

I will be eternally grateful for discovering Wahaj through Tere Bin, it was always a trash show and I didn’t have any expectations from it, but it was my guilty pleasure for Wahaj and Yumna’s fine onscreen chemistry. However, the fall of Murtasim Khan has been immensely jarring to watch and now Tere Bin has has done permanent , irreparable damage to the joy and pleasure it had brought viewers worldwide.

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

You know I like to think of myself as a pretty open-minded person. Fanfiction, in my opinion, has always been about exploring whatever you find interesting within your fandom. You're allowed to write about anything that you want and if someone doesn't like it then they don't have to read it. But let me tell you, this mindset has been severely tested by some of the Quaritch content I've seen. I'm totally fine with fics that portray him as a villain and person at the same time because even bad guys brush their teeth and all that, but guys. He is not a good person. I want people exploring him as a villain, not as some redeemable or misunderstood person. That's not what anyone working on the movie intended for him. The way he destroyed Hometree without a second thought? The way he obeys a horrible corporation mindlessly? The way he rubbed Neteyam's death in Jake's face? The way he had literally no problem killing and hurting those around him in order to find Jake and his family? The deaths of hundreds of people both na'vi and human rest on his shoulders! You don't get to justify that with "oh, well he's just misunderstood".

I try and find the good in everyone but I just can't see anything good in this man. Anyone who causes the type of pain he caused and feels no guilt (or even worse: thinks that they're justified in their acts of hatred or that the other party are the people deserving of punishment) has no good in them. And that's okay! People are allowed to acknowledge a good bad guy, and I think Quaritch is pretty interesting as far as bad guys go and there is a lot of fic potential for that very focal point. But that's it. There is no excuse for his actions and no redemption in his future and the day karma finally catches up with him (again) will be the best day in movie history.

I am very curious as to what fandoms you've been a part of before if this is the first time you've seen this phenomenon. By that, I mean the phenomenon of a fandom excusing the actions of a (typically white and male) villain. I find it to be pretty common. To me, it's one of the scariest things in media and fandom today. I've made a ton of posts about it, but I like to call it the Darth Vader trope. The idea that one good act or one scene of past trauma can wipe a slate clean, with no regard for the systematic harm caused, no reparations, and no work done to actually change and evolve as a character. I find it to be a really dangerous thing to show. The idea that so many people can rally around these actions just being swept under the rug, that they will get mad at you for even reminding them they occurred, is really terrifying to me. Media does not exist in a vacuum, and if so many people are that eager to move past genocide in fiction? It is for parallel reasons so many do in real life.

Trauma is not an excuse, it is an explanation. Change is a long process, and with serious, real world issues such as the ones Quaritch represents, time and effort are owed to the marginalized groups affected. If Avatar is really supposed to be a movie inspired by the beauty of indigenous cultures and the horror of what happened and is still happening to them, then I think fans excusing Quaritch are really doing something quite disgusting in ignoring that.

(If you want to spend as much time freaked out by genocide as I do, Genocide Watch is the place for you! They don't have the US on alert rn, but they fucking should! Also they're a lOT Pro-Israel in their alert on that, but there aren't many places to keep up on current genocides sorry).

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Lasso of truth! Byakuya, what are your favorite things about everyone?

Gugh...Alright fine...

I've always been rather envious of Makoto's tenacity and his unwillingness to give up even in the bleakest of times. It feels like the one thing he could do that I could not, and I don't know if I'll ever match it. Kyoko is one of few people who I think can match me in intellect and observation. Even back when we first met, I did always think she was cunning. Dangerously so, in fact.

Hina has an enviable passion, and it stuns me how she can both be so upbeat and positive, but also knows her limits and is realistic when she needs to be. She doesn't live in her own fantasy like most people and is serious about everything she does.

Hiro...Geh...I suppose I can compliment Hiro on trying to get out of his diseased mindset of money and scamming, as well as how he's strong for his friends and family. Other than that, that man unfortunately doesn't have many redeeming qualities.

I don't keep it a secret that I've never been really fond of Toko. However, since she joined up with Komaru and got off my back a little, I came to respect her more as a person. Especially as of late, when she's trying to keep everyone together despite how it's weighing on her too.

Sayaka has a near unshakeable willpower and a strong dedication to fix everyone's problems and right her own wrongs. Even though her past weighs heavily on her, she remains standing. Leon isn't the brightest bulb in the box, but he's capable and strong. He's not the slacker everyone thinks he is. Give him a task, and he'll do whatever his limits allow him.

Chihiro's intellect and digital smarts have gotten us out of scrapes more times than I can count on my hands. Honestly, had it not been for him, we would have lost to Junko a long time ago...And I admit, it makes me feel...indifferent about what I did to his body during the Killing Game.

Mondo is an oaf, there's no denying that, but he cares greatly about his friends and would do anything to protect them and make them happy. And that includes me. We definitely have issues with each other, but we can still make a decent team. Taka's actions don't always go the way he wants, but his heart is always in the right place with everything he says and does. Though his rants about effort get a little tiresome after a while, nothing he says is really wrong. If you're going to advocate a message, there are worse things to stand by.

Hifumi...as strange as his practices are to me, I admire his passion and creativity. His talents and his eye for detail are not wasted on him.

Sakura's strength is obviously something to be admired. But not only her literal strength, but her strength of heart as well. Back in the day, I could not fathom the idea that someone would be willing to take their own life for the sake of protecting the bonds between her friends. I severely underestimated her, and regret my assumptions even to this day.

And Mukuro...The decision to bring her back to life was not an ill one like we thought. Having someone like her on our side made our jobs at the Future Foundation so much easier...and it made me reconsider where the line between Hope and Despair really lies. I wouldn't have learned that if not for her, and I hope she's resting peacefully now, wherever she ended up.

[cbrosa-archived]

I have this headcanon that Billy is a great musician/singer and if he had a chance to leave Hawkins in s3 he would've started a rock band and got famous hehehe

Like he remind me of Guns N Roses frontman Axl Rose, they share so many similarities it crazy I haven't seen anyone else point it out.

Don't mind me I'm in a quest of pushing my singer!billy aganda on the fandom.

billy and axl are two peas in a pod this is a fact lmao. it definitely doesn't get enough talk say that! the deep almost demonic-like yet smooth voice tone when talking but going the highest when louder. i could definitely perceive billy having a six octave register, just one more than axl because he IS that fab. the violent short temper, that 'fight me bitch' vibe, the daddy issues, them using dangerous coping mechanisms, mental illness, the grumpy episodes, the unhinged attitude, the aesthetic, both being in indiana (axl and izzy were born and raised in lafayette) and living in california we could go on non stop tbh.

i bet billy made his way to LA and the sunset strip before moving to hawkins. fucking around, partying, getting drunk, being a trendsetter, doing drugs and vibing to all the glam metal emerging bands from that scene. because yes before becoming a singer, he was an infamous groupie just like her mama daisy was from the mid 60s till probably 1972 c': runs in the family!

i insist that in an au in which he lived past '87, he got to discover the music video for welcome to the jungle and when he heard axl's long scream on the song's intro he was like ''that's it that's fucking it this is what i'm gonna do.'' he surely knew he was perfectly toned to do that from an early age, but he only sang in private on his own bc he felt to introvert for it and he used it as a cathartic way to cope with trauma and the general shit going on the household. every time he played something that got through him - specially the vinyl stack of 70s hard rock records daisy left - it definitely sent him back to earth and helped him to keep surviving.

however, it didn't become a serious thing for him until that moment. he instantly became a fan and bought a copy of appetite for destruction. he got to learn axl's 'from rags to riches' story type. frankly, billy GREW to admire the man's work ethic mindset and stubborn determination because he felt represented with him in that matter like he never did with no other rockstar he looked up to except nikki sixx and rob halford but that was it.

billy was like 'if he could do it so i will' as soon as he saw how axl came from a working class shithole, an non stop abusive household, an active desire to be nothing but the best and that gifted monstrous vocal range. so he worked his way to leave hawkins behind and formed his own band. becoming much more successful than the ones he grew to love and idolize.

years ago when i first got into GNR's first album, i got to research the original line-up. needless to say axl was the first i got look into for all the obvious reasons. he is an interesting case with tons to unpack from his story. focusing on the things him and billy have in common, it does not surprise me and i have always seen this too.

please keep bringing these ideas and all the billy brainrot things. they are more than welcome in this house ♥

[tarotlogy]

SEVEN OF SWORDS

USING YOUR INITIATIVE, PLOTTING & PLANNING, THEFT

KEYWORDS

Resourcefulness, Logic, Reason, Ahead of the Posse, Adaptability, Flexibility, Plotting & Planning, Strategies, Mind Games, Tactics, Daring Behaviour, Danger, Courage, Taking a Risk, Relying on Your Wits, New Approaches, Beating the Enemy at their own Game, Running Away, Making an Escape, Getting Away with It,  Not Looking Where you Are Going, Going it Alone, Lone-Wolf, Taking Sole Action, Acting Without Conscience, Cunning, Sneaky, Underhand, Under-Cover, Self-Reliant, Infidelity, Sneakiness, Theft, Deceit, Lies, Enemy in the Camp,  Spy, The Military

CARD IMAGERY DESCRIPTION

The Seven of Swords can be quite a tricky Card to interpret so it is really important to use the surrounding Cards to give insight into its relevant meaning.  All the Sevens in the Tarot carry the message of Hanging on, Not Giving Up and Finding a Way to overcome the challenges we face.  The Seven of Swords does echo that theme too as in using your mind and wits to get yourself out of a difficult situation or to come up with a new approach to your problem.  However, The Seven of Swords is one of those Cards that can have several negative or nasty associations tied up in it.  It is rarely welcomed in a Relationship Reading where it can possibly mean, betrayal, deceit and infidelity, but this again depends on surrounding Cards as it can also mean finding a new way as a couple to approach your problems and issues.

The very look of this Card reminds us instantly of the Five of Swords.  The same smug look and sneaky or unlawful behaviour.  There is little to warm us to the Figure in its imagery as he looks like he is up to no good. He also looks like he is getting away with what he is doing.  Could you trust him? Would you want to?

We must also remember that The Seven of Swords is a Stage Card and that means that looks can be deceiving.  Therefore, the first impression you get may not be the correct one.  The man in this Card may be putting on an act.  He may be pretending to be one thing while actively being another.  What is going on may not be what you think.  Because of this, you will need extra information.  It may be necessary to pull an extra couple of Cards to determine whether the implications of this Card are to be dismissed as trivial or if it is highlighting a more serious situation.

To describe this tricky Card I have used a storyline which somewhat follows the plot or saga of the preceding Swords Cards.

*************

The last time we saw the Swords in Card Six, they looked beaten down, destroyed and weary.  Escaping the intense stress and conflict of the Five, they had run with barely the clothes they stood up in an attempt to survive the onslaught and attack.  They had tried everything they could to overcome and prevail but the odds were against them, the enemy too strong. And so, they made their escape by boat, undercover of darkness, to seek shelter and sanctuary on another shore.  They had left their Swords behind on the ground after they had been confiscated or surrendered.  This left them powerless and with no choice but to go.  They needed to put distance between them and the immediate dangers threatening their safety in the Five.  The Swords left behind were also their problems and symbolic of how they got into the mess in the first place.  They stood for negative attitudes, rigid mindsets, angry words and most importantly poor communication.

They had all used their Swords for the wrong reasons.  They had been put to destructive use both externally and internally.  It is very probable that those who ran for the boat in Card Six would have quite happily driven their Swords through the Figure in Card Five should they have got the chance.  All’s fair in love and war. Sharp Swords can be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but even  more lethal in the hands of one who is unused to their power, for they do not realise how much damage they cause. Regardless of who won control of the Swords, there is no real victory for they have left a trail of disaster in their wake.

Those who escaped, may have thought they were getting away from their problems but we plainly saw the Six Swords, plunged inwards  into the boat.  Even though they had left their Swords behind on the ground, they still subconsciously travelled with them.  It would not be possible to leave them behind. The Figures in the boat in Card Six may think only of the power that the surrendered Swords gave them and focus only on that loss.  The scars of battle run far deeper than that.  Is it really possible for them to get over everything, all the trauma, upset and loss by just re-locating? Can they clear the thoughts of anger and revenge from their pillaged minds?

Will the Figure in Card Five be content to let them get away, to just leave it at that? Maybe he is not finished with them yet.  He may have stood on the cliff side and watched the boat sail away into the distance.  He may have decided to let them think they were getting away, for the moment anyway.  It wouldn’t be difficult to track them down or work out were they may have gone for he held all the Swords and knew the way their minds worked. He has to decide now whether they are worth the bother or not. For the moment, he will let them settle into a false sense of security. They are bound to drop their guard eventually, and then should the feeling take him, he will make his attack.  No one is going to get the better of him for he knows every trick in the book.

On arriving at the island, the small group of man, woman and child had made their way inland until they came across a military camp just outside a small town.  Exhausted and weary, they fell at the feet of the strong bodied guards and told the story of the battle on the far island.  They asked for protection and sanctuary.  The head of the army came to talk to them and asked for information regarding the enemy they had just escaped from. He was planning an attack on this man for some time and the appearance of these refugees would give him the vital inside details he required to form a strategic plan of attack.  They willingly hand over the information before being led to one of the army tents to be fed and for some rest. The could relax now because they were safe.

The Army Chief drew his closest man to him and ordered him to keep guard over the tent for he was not sure if he could trust the people within.  Who knows whether what they told him was true or not? He only had their word for the account of what happened on the other island.  They could be spies for all he knows, feeding information back to the enemy.  If they have told the truth, then he is in a very advantageous situation and could launch a successful attack on his enemy.  He now needs to work out a plan, a proper strategy and make sure nothing goes wrong.  He heads off to his Military Operations tent to prepare.

Meanwhile, concealed behind a nearby tent is a young Soldier.  He stands in the shadows and makes no noise.  He has listened intently to all the Chief has said and secretly smiles to himself.  He could stand to make a lot of money with all he has heard.  He is sure that the Man on the far island would reward him well for his efforts. Who cares which side is right or wrong for it is just another battle, another war?  The cleverest, most cunning one will win and when they do, he will make sure to be supporting that side.  The Soldier who stands by the tent, wears the colour of his comrades but will have no problem changing to the enemy’s and back again as necessary.

Waiting until dark, the Soldier crawls on hands and knees around the back of the men who sit around camp fires talking and laughing.  When he reaches the Chief’s tent he puts his ear up to the side and listens carefully.  The Chief is not alone for he can hear several other voices. They talk in hushed tones but he can make out what they are saying.  He realises that they are planning to attack the enemy on the far island before dawn, just before they get a chance to attack them. The Chief’s plan is to take them unawares and hopefully while they are sleeping. The Soldier on the ground outside must move fast if he is to gain out of this.  Crawling back through the tents, he moves far away from where his comrades are seated.

The Soldier has to get to the far island and talk to the Man himself, but how will he convince him that he acts in his interest? There is a danger that he will be killed instantly and tossed into the sea.  He must have something to trade with and he knows exactly what that is.  He heads for the tent where all the army weapons are held.  He can’t believe his luck as he sees the armed guard outside it fast asleep.  Quiet as a mouse he tip-toes past the sleeping guard and into the tent where he grabs what he can.  He struggles to hold onto Seven Swords but they keep slipping out of his grasp.  Reluctantly, he sticks two of them into the ground with the intention of coming back for them later.  Holding the remaining Five Swords in both his right and left hand, he tip-toes away once more as quietly as he can.  He looks back over his shoulder a few times to make sure he has not been seen.  The guard is still asleep on the ground.  With a smug grin, he laughs to himself about the trouble the guard is going to get into when the theft has been discovered.  He cares less and now only has thoughts about what he stands to gain from his solo brave and daring adventure.  He is looking out for himself and that is all that matters.

Using the same boat that took the three refugees to his island only hours earlier, the young soldier sets sail for the far island feeling pretty pleased with himself.  His arrival has been spotted by the Enemy’s Hench men who drag him to their Head Man.  For a terrifying moment, he thinks they will kill him before he has a chance to speak.  He is wearing the other side’s colours after all. He must think fast. Pleading for his life, he quickly tells them why he is there.  The men who dragged him from the boat, carry the stolen Swords.  The young Soldier tells him that there is more where they came from and that he can go back for them. The enemy is pleased but thoughtful.  How can he trust this man? He betrayed his own side, what is to stop him betraying his side too? He decides that it must be all about money and that this young Soldier kneeling in front of him is a Mercenary.  He cares less about the cause or who is in the right or wrong.  He is a spy who trades in information, weapons and people and can be bought for any price.  He decides he might come in useful and so calls off his Hench Men but instructs them to watch him constantly.  The Swords are collected and examined. ‘ Very nice’, he thinks.  They need all the weapons they can get and now their enemy on the other island has lost some of its strength. Without these weapons, they cannot arm themself properly. He has the advantage now and will surprise those on the far island with an attack just before dawn while they think they will be attacking him instead.  He knows he has to be one step ahead of the enemy at all times and be able to second-guess their every move.

The young soldier ��is escorted back to the boat under orders to steal as many other weapons as he can. He is then to bring them to the shoreline where they will collect them upon landing. He will get his payment then. Before leaving the Head Man asks the soldier in which tent the three refugees are being kept.  The Soldier agrees to leave a marker outside their tent for easy recognition.  He kicks himself for not asking a price for this information too for it was not part of the original deal.  As the young Soldier sails back to his island the Head Man of the Five of Swords smiles to himself.  He is thinking how shocked his escapees will look when he surprises them in their tent. They thought they had seen the last of him.

As the Soldier arrives back on the island he can hear uproar.  The theft has been discovered and angry voices are shouting and roaring instructions.  The group of soldiers who sat around the fire laughing only hours earlier are marching up and down, looking anxious and afraid.  The young Soldier slips back into camp.  It will not be possible to take any more Swords without the threat of discovery but he might get an opportunity later.  He makes his way over to the tent that houses the three refugees and exchanges a few words of concern with the guard outside it.  The guard tells him that all the tents are being searched and that the Chief has threatened to personally run the thief through with his Sword when he catches him.  The young Soldier feigns shocked surprise and spits on the ground to show his own disdain and disgust for the villain.  The guard by the tent looks down at the young Soldier, suddenly noticing his torn and muddy knees and asks how they came to be in such a mess? The young Soldier walks away quickly but not before drawing a large chalk mark on the tent surface.  The guard was too busy looking at his dirty uniform to notice.  Puzzled and unsure, the Guard calls the Chief over to his tent and expresses his concerns about the young Soldier who he says appeared agitated and nervous upon drawing attention to his soiled uniform.  The Chief stiffens, for his men have just informed him that they have found evidence outside the tent they were discussing battle plans in hours earlier.  It appears that someone had been lying in the dirt and left footprints. Whoever it was would be covered in dirt.

Just as the Chief shouts out orders for the immediate capture of the young Soldier, the enemy appear across the hills in full battle cry.  The pre-dawn attack has been launched in the middle of all the confusion.  The Head Man from Card Five has outsmarted the opposition and will beat them at their own game.  He will use the very same weapons on them that they were preparing to use on him. He just got there before him and now has the upper hand once more.  There is no room for complacency with this man around.

Grabbing whatever weapons they have left, the defending army will stand their ground and prepare to fight.  A brave messenger is sent off on horseback, galloping off into the distance to seek help and reinforcements from a nearby military base.  They just need to hold the enemy at bay until then.  Most of their weapons are gone so they will have to rely on their wit and come up with a plan if all is not to be lost.

The attacking force drive forwards and are ruthless.  The Head Man is also on a personal mission.  He must find the tent that holds the refugees.  Fighting his way through the feuding bodies he sees the chalk mark and flings the curtain back.  In side the three refugees huddle together terrified.  He has found them and they won’t get away so easy this time. They thought they had made their escape but he has caught up with them and now are his prisoners.

Standing at the top of a far hill, looking down on the battle scene is the young Soldier, the Traitor, the Thief and Liar.  In his hand he holds a small leather pouch which is heavy with gold coins.  This is his payment for serving up his side to the enemy. He acknowledges that he is good at this work and can’t see why he won’t be successful again.  Let them use their Swords to hack each other to bits for he has another way of using his.  His cunning and manipulative mind will get him what he wants and to where he is going. He laughs aloud now and tut tuts thinking how terrible it is these days that you can trust no one, not even your own people.  He likes the idea of being known as the enemy in the camp, an informant, a spy.  It makes him feel important and powerful.   It does not bother him that he has no friends for he considers them to be a liability. He can look after himself and will deal with any scenario that comes along by using his wits.  They have served him well in the past and he has no reason to doubt that they will continue to do so.  He hasn’t thought about what would happen to him should he be caught but he must realise that no mercy would be shown him and that he wouldn’t have a single ally to help him.  No one likes a traitor. Neither has he thought about the trouble he got the Sleeping Guard into when he stole those Swords.  Serves him right is about all he thinks.  He has chosen this solitary path and for the moment it’s working for him. He shall Run with The Hare and Hunt with The Hound as he wishes.

********************

In The Seven of Swords we see the typical Sword’s type at play again. A man in strange attire appears to sneak out of a military camp.  He walks on tip toe so that no one can hear him.

In the background a group of soldiers sit around a camp fire oblivious to the danger that lurks not too far away.  There is an enemy in the camp and he has just stolen Five Swords or taken back what he considers to be rightfully his.  These may be the Swords, the same issues, from the Five.  It looks like he wanted to take more than Five for he has left another Two Swords plunged into the ground. He may only be able to carry the Five at present but more than likely intends to go back for the other Two.  He has a cunning look about him and appears to be operating in a very underhand manner.  It is for certain that those based in the camp are unaware of his presence.  However, because we cannot see what the other soldiers wear, it is also possible that he is one of their own. He may be an enemy in the camp or traitor but the man appears to be getting away with it.  He is so clever, that no one suspects him of a thing.  They may even allow him access to areas of security because they trust him.  This man is very resourceful and manipulative.  He is out for himself and what he can gain from any situation.  We wouldn’t trust him as far as we could throw him but there you go.

The man appears to act on his own and is as ‘sharp as a tack’.  The sky is deep yellow in the background which suggests that this man is using his intellect, his logic and reasoning to cleverly sneak in unnoticed.  He has a plan and a very cunning one at that.   If he is not one of their own, a traitor, then the  soldiers depicted could very possibly have set up camp to launch an attack or even an all-out war on this man.  He is doing what is necessary to survive and who can blame him for that? The sky is deep yellow in the background suggesting that this man is using his intellect, his logic and reasoning to cleverly sneak in unnoticed. He is stealing their weapons, ideas, plans or resources so that he can use them for himself.  He is playing them at their own game and intends to beat them. There are ‘no flies’ on this man for he is ahead of the posse.

We must also look at the possibility with this card that the Swords the figure runs off with could just be down to plain old theft. He very possibly is taking things that don’t belong to him when no one is looking. He could be stealing from his own people.  Dishonest behaviour, lies, deceit and underhand dealings are also suggested with this Sword Card. If theft is involved, then this man thinks he is smart as a fox but if you notice he is looking over his shoulder as he runs.  This tells us two things and that he has done something wrong that has removed or disconnected him from society or the community.  His actions and movements now require him to ‘watch his back’ and that he must be on his guard at all times.   Secondly, he is acting impulsively and with no longterm thought for he is running without looking where he is going.  He is bound to collide with something or run into the law in the future.  However, I am sure he will try to talk his way out of it or lay the blame at another’s door.

MEANING

The Seven of Swords appearing in your Reading generally highlights Mind Games but it depends on surrounding Cards as to whether this is helping or hurting your situation.  Being resourceful, thinking on your feet and trying to outsmart your opponent or competitor is part and parcel of everyday life and there are times when we all have to try to get into someone’s head to find out what it is that makes them tick.  Sports people do it constantly. If they didn’t they would never get a chance to out-beat or overturn their reign of success.  They spend a long time getting to know their opponent by watching and analysing their tactics so that they can go out and play a psychological game along with the physical. Those in Marketing and Sales do likewise and of course we see Mind Games being played out constantly in the Courtroom .

The Seven of Swords suggests that you might be doing that or need to and it does not necessarily imply that you are going out to play a game of rugby or golf.  You are in a situation at present that requires you to be super alert and smart.  Those around you and involved in your situation are very clever and intelligent. You need to be too in this instance.  You must start analysing the facts using logic and reason before coming up with some sort of plan that will put you out on top.  It needs to be something that they haven’t thought of or better still, something they never thought you would come up with. You may not think that this is possible but you need to start believing in yourself. You may see the other side as being way ahead of you and that they have held all the power in your situation. You more than likely have suffered defeat to them in the past which has dis-empowered you.  The thing is, they think you are dis-empowered too for they hold all your Swords.  This could be their downfall for they underestimate you.  Their guard may be down as a result.  You making a comeback or threat is the furthest thing from their mind right now.  You have the upper hand now and need to make your strike before they wake up to what you are doing.  You need to come up with a brand new strategy and game plan, then come at them from their blind side.  They won’t see it coming and they won’t believe you have it in you but with careful effort on your part you can prevail.   Time to use your head and think on your feet.

In this Card we see Two Swords left plunged into the ground.  The man cannot carry them all but even though he may plan to come back for them later, he is not too concerned as he believes he has the  most important ones.  The Two Swords are your secret weapon and now it is up to you to discover just exactly what that is.  You need to use all your resources now and carry out much research.  Others have been in your situation before so you might learn a thing or two about how they overcame similar challenges.  Scour the internet and read up on as much as you can.  Make yourself as informed as possible and look to see how others are doing things.  They may have some wonderful ideas that you could incorporate into your project or mission.  Use them as an inspiration but do not completely steal their ideas.  You have what it takes, you just don’t realise that right now.  It shows that you may be making a comeback after a major defeat or setback in your life. This Card shows your ability to rise from the ashes. The opportunity  has presented itself to you and you would be a fool not to seize it. Grab those Two Swords and put them to work.

The Seven of Swords often appears when you need to do something that requires you to be brave and courageous.  It brings with it the message of don’t give up. If your attitudes, plans and approach have not been getting you the desired result then change them. Use your initiative. Find another way to get what you want but it might involve taking risks or being daring in your approach to a situation or person. You may be unsure as to whether you have what it takes but you must do what is necessary. Now is not a time to be in two minds. You must be focussed, adaptable, resourceful, flexible and prepared to make your move when the Seven of Swords appears.

When the Seven of Swords appears it can suggest that now may not be the best time to share what you know with others or give too much information away.  Unfortunately, you may not be able to trust those around you as you think you should.  Rely on yourself right now and be as self-sufficient as you can.  If you have a secret, the less people know the better as what you say may be misconstrued, misinterpreted or leaked.  There is a possibility that you could be betrayed by someone you know or be at the receiving end of manipulation and deceit.  Lies and underhand behaviour could be going on under your nose and with the Seven of Swords, it generally is someone you wouldn’t expect.  This behaviour will not be out in the open but there is bound to be plotting and scheming going on in the background. Open your eyes and mind and observe closely what is going on around you and who is involved.

The Seven of Swords often brings the message of ‘know your friends, but know your enemies even better’ or ‘keep your friends close and your enemies even closer’. These are your secret weapons. In this way, you will not floored by any sudden surprises and it gives you the advantage when issues or challenges occur which involve them.  You must beat the enemy at their own game so keep yourself ahead of the posse at all times.

The Seven of Swords carries a warning of possible theft or criminal activity. Make sure your house, car and possessions are secure. Check alarms and security locks. There might be a thief around and if you have not taken precautions he just might get away with it. Theft can also come from close quarters and in a situation that you would not expect.  Someone may be trying to involve you in a scam or con. You need to be more on your guard, watch your back and be a little less trusting. Whoever it is, is very clever and cunning. They are bound to cover their tracks and will be far away before any discovery is made. They may also leave you holding the blame.

In a Relationship Reading, The Seven of Swords can suggest that you are finding new ways to communicate and revive a troublesome relationship. By hanging on in there and spending time adopting new approaches and ideas, the relationship revives.  You may see your relationship as incredibly tricky and complicated or that it keeps you constantly on your toes.

You may be trying to organise a surprise birthday party for your partner and are enjoying all the intrigues and secrecy involved.  There is a danger that someone will leak the surprise, so limit as much as you can those who know.

Unfortunately, the overriding meaning for the Seven of Swords in a Relationship reading suggests deceit and unfaithfulness. This Seven can bring secret love affairs, sneakiness, hidden truths and betrayal. You may very well have an enemy in the camp.  Look for other Cards such as the Three of Cups Reversed for a third person in the relationship as one partner may be having an affair. Other Cards that would tie in with this are the The Three of Swords, The Moon, The Lovers Reversed and Reversed Court Cards. There could be evasiveness and secret rendezvous or false names given in hotels as they travel incognito (check to see if the Six of Swords is around also!).  Trust is broken. A partner could take off without notice, leaving you high and dry and carrying the can for their bills and debts.

The Seven of Swords can also suggest eloping or running away together as a couple if your relationship is disproved of.

Then again, you may prefer to avoid relationships altogether. You could enjoy your own company and revel in solitude. You may not feel the need for a partner in your life and prefer to be independent. You just don’t the need the company or baggage of others and keep yourself to yourself. You might be the type who does not like the neighbours knowing your business or keep things from your family and friends for fear of gossip and speculation. Others may see you as a bit of a lone-wolf, someone who is always going it alone and very self-reliant. This can often annoy people who are generally nosy and intrusive.  They may see your need for privacy as stand-offish and unfriendly.   Spending time alone or single is healthy for all of us at times and many people could benefit from periods of solitary existence.  However, we must not totally isolate ourselves from others and forget how to be social and mix.

Your partner may also be stealing from you or lying. They may even be involved in criminal activity and the movement of illegal or stolen goods. Do you really know and can you really trust who you are involved with? He or she can be very manipulative and persuasive.

However, the Seven of Swords in a Relationship Reading may simply imply that you or your partner is involved in the military or police force.  Dawn raids and dangerous missions may be part of their daily work. They could be working undercover or carrying out investigative work which involves them having to be very secretive with the details.

In a Career Reading the Seven would suggest that you will have to be very resourceful and think on your feet if you wish to succeed in your career or job. Playing safe will get you nowhere this time. If job seeking, then create a really unusual CV and approach to get you noticed.  Time to stop doing what everyone else is and stand out from the crowd.

There may be a lot of office politics and hidden agendas in our work environment   Work colleagues could be two-faced and not averse to talking behind your back or stealing your work. There may be some nasty business going on around you in the workplace. Someone may be attempting to blame you for a mistake in work that they are responsible for.  They will have covered their tracks well so will be hard to nail down.

If in Business you might have been using the same old approach which is now proving to be stale and outdated.  It might be time to look at how the successful competition do things. You might learn a lot.  You might be able to put a few of their ideas together and make it yours. You may need to update your technology or install some state of the art computers that no one else has yet.  You need to be doing something that your competitors aren’t.  It is all about pulling information and ideas from wherever you can to come up with a new game plan. Time to be resourceful, flexible and adaptable in business.  ‘The early bird catches the worm’ . You may also be running with an idea that isn’t workable but only needs a bit of adjustment here and there to sort it out.

On a more cautionary note, you may need to be more alert or on guard in business.  How well can you trust those you delegate to.  There may be underhand business, theft or covering up that you are unaware of.  It is time to double-check business and bank account as something may not be quite right.  Also check your suppliers and their credentials or you may end up purchasing stolen goods or there could be discrepancies in your deliveries.

You business may also involve a lot of mental activity, thinking on your feet and communication. You might be coming up with an intriguing plan or idea. You could be creating or installing important security software to safe guard confidential information from theft and hackers.  As a writer, you might be working on a psychological drama or crime novel.

You may be involved in undercover work or the military. If working on a project or plan it may be time to go back to the drawing board to explore new ideas and strategies. Going with the same old approach could prove stale and outdated.

[the-final-sif]

Listening To A Potential Victim Does Not Mean Disregarding Critical Thinking or Evidence

So, I've been avoiding a lot of the stuff regarding Dream on twitter, mostly because I thought a lot of it was dumb, and being handled poorly. However, now that things have cooled off a bit, I want to discuss something.

To summarize the situation for those unaware, on twitter, a person made an accusation that when they were 17/"18 soon", they had flirty conversations with a then 20 year old Dream. The person did not allege any form of grooming, coercion, actual relationship, sexting, nudes, etc. The evidence of this they provided is sketchy at best, they claimed to have evidence that was more definitive and then backtracked, and overall it's just been weird. I think people on reddit/here have already done enough to debunk a lot of it or point out how things don't add up. That's not what I want to talk about right now.

What I want to talk about is the narrative of "believe the victim" that has sprung up in these discussions. People casting doubt or pointing out holes in the story presented have received hate/been accused of "defending an abuser" under this assumption that you are supposed to "believe the victim". This is an incredibly dangerous and easily exploitable mindset. It is dangerous both for innocent parties that may get accused, and also for actual victims. I honestly do not like to say "believe the victim". Instead, I prefer to say "listen to the victim".

Now, when someone comes forward to make an accusation against someone, you absolutely should listen to them. You should hear the person out with an open mind, and not instantly jump to discredit or dismiss them regardless of what they say. You should remain respectful, and not engage in any form of harassment toward the person speaking out, even if you don't believe what they are saying. This is a healthy mindset. This is what "listen to the victim" looks like.

HOWEVER

"Listen to the victim" does NOT mean you should treat everything the accuser is saying as empirically true. You should consider it. You should look at the evidence that they present. You should use critical thinking skills and discuss the evidence as well as the weight of the accusation in question. The other side of the story should be heard and discussed as well. And then you can come to your conclusion based on everything that is presented to you.

"Listen to the victim" also does not mean that you should not ask for proof, particularly if the person in question is a stranger. It is on the accuser to provide proof of the claims that they make. It is on them to provide evidence as best they can. This can be hard, and it can feel unfair, but it's a vital part of addressing situations like this.

Part of why this is so important is because people can lie. If an abuser knows that a victim may speak out against them, they can come out and accuse the victim of abuse in order to discredit them. If you blindly "believe the victim", you may end up participating in furthering the abuse of someone and prevent an actual victim from speaking up.

The mindset of "believe the victim" when applied as "do not critically examine any of the evidence or doubt the person accusing" ends up actually turning into "believe whoever you hear say something first". This is incredibly dangerous, very unhelpful, and a mindset that is used to shut down and shame critical examinations of evidence. It is can and has been used as a tool by abusers or those looking to harass people to shut down anyone questioning what they say.

If you don't feel confident that you understand the evidence of a situation, or that you have had the time to process and evaluate it, do not spread that information or those accusations uncritically. Take your time, see things for yourself, come to your conclusions based on what you feel comfortable trusting.

You should always remain respectful, you should keep an open mind, and you absolutely should listen to people when they speak up about serious issues. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't also think critically about the situation, examine the evidence put out, and take your time before making a decision on how you feel.

[13thpythagoras]

Taxi drivers have a higher fatality rate per hour than police - commuters are worse drivers than taxi drivers. It is not out of the question to assert that commuting is more dangerous than police work, by a lot actually, commuting is by far and away the most dangerous thing people do all day, it's the one thing that can end a young life any day of the year. Asking us to commute is asking us to risk our lives and in many cases, actually die, commuting is serious, it's not just a small ask.

unpaid work, life threateningly dangerous, expensive as hell, mandatory, can’t opt out... that’s slavery commuting. RIP to the people who have lost their lives just trying to commute. There are many.

in my view anything that’s making a living off slavery commuting deserves to burn completely ... let’s see what businesses really attract their clientele rather than just forcing their way in. slavery / commuting is violence, I'm sad to say. Employers should pay for that. Unpaid commute work should be paid at hazard pay but we know employers would gladly burn it all down with us if we truly demanded hazard pay for the commutes.

The only governments left standing will be ones that legalized cannabis and tax it fairly and help protect growers’ ability to pay taxes safely. Until then, the FDA won't test RSO (cannabis extract) because the FDA knows RSO cures cancer affordably in a way that can't be patented and monopolized for fascist greed. Free markets, the kind in a socialist economy, free markets could easily provide cancer patients with RSO for fair prices on both sides. They call the USA / west a "free market" yet we have a medicine market that is refugee status, hiding cannabis and running from the fascist wetiko police and cancer mindset FDA / pharmaceutical industry that prefers to send people to the grave rather even test one time a cure that can't be monopolized for their twisted ideology of racism and fascism. The usual PSA here is that RSO cures cancer, I'm not rogue for saying this, there are millions of people aware of this and the number is growing with every cured patient from their alopathic death bed with their hippocrapic-MD terminal prognosis. I hope this can help save a life, because RSO costs less than any of the hacked cancer treatments they offer like chemo and radiation which can be over $50,000, nah, you can get a full treatment of RSO for under $10k, including security fees and a living wage for the growers in that $5-10k zone for a full 3-5 month daily dose supply of RSO that can and will bring someone back from a terminal cancer diagnosis, it brings people back from a "wait and see" stage 1 or 2 diagnosis, these are the key use cases for RSO where there is simply no counter-argument from any living soul in this world. Ask your doctor and they'll agree this is a checkmate on their ideology and paradigm and they might call security on you. 3rd rail issue.

So the question is on states at this point to legalize cannabis flower, and regulate it fairly, like any other food-grade-drug such as caffeine, or fluoride, and make sure that people stop dying of cancer in our world. Cancer is a preventable disease and crapitalist media is out here asking how will we force people to run in a hamster wheel if they remote work and don't need to use a dry cleaner every week??

"Banks will also feel the pain"

"Landlord defaults and foreclosures"

"many landlords could soon be saddled with significantly steeper payments. Analysts say it could end badly."

"And for local governments, high office vacancies will mean a drop in property tax revenues, which will burn a hole in city finances."

[whatevergreen]

The Telegraph and "Lord" Ian Austin knowingly lied about UK Labour Party staffer and Corbyn supporter Laura Murray, smearing her as racist and antisemitic, despite the fact she was actually working to fight the low levels of antisemitism there is/was within the party.

Antisemitism, which has factually never been as significant an issue within Labour as compared with other political parties, was even reduced to its lowest levels under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. Hardly surprising for a lifelong antiracist.

The issue was grossly misused by politicians both inside and outside the party, and their journalists, to sabotage the 2017 and 2019 elections and Corbyn's leadership. All to ensure the return of a neoliberal, war-loving, Israel supporting leadership, under Starmer.

This has had serious consequences for democracy, and has left the UK with a hopelessly corrupt, fascistic and racist government. It has impeded antiracism, and traumatised many Jewish people - both those on the Left who have been targeted for their politics, and many across the political spectrum who have naively (but understandably) swallowed this propaganda.

However the tide is now turning on dangerous antisemitism-issue misuse and smearing. Too late for some.

Also, this is yet another example of why most of the media cannot be trusted: it's nothing more than state/corporate propaganda, though some people are clearly happy to accept any lies handed to them, to justify their own warped mindset.

[aaron-scissorhands]

People who think like Billie Eilish are honestly half the problem. Bad enough having to deal with people who don't think male victims of DV are a thing, there's also dealing with people who don't recognise DV as a serious issue just because the people involved are famous. Discrediting very real issues because they involve someone who is rich or famous is a dangerous mindset. And I guarantee, that if the situation was flipped and it was not staggeringly clear that the man was the victim here, people like Eilish would not be dismissing it so flippantly, because it would be classed as a woman's rights issue and would somehow be worthy of more attention. Reproductive rights and protection for ALL victims of DV are equally important and should both be talked about. Dismissing one in favour of another because it doesn't fit the narrative is false feminism. Anyone out there who wants to fight me on this is welcome to square up. I've got four generations in my family who have had to deal with both of these issues.

I have nothing to add other than there will be a test on Friday.