#this is one thing i truly despise about social media and also society

[shihalyfie]

I’m a diehard 02 fan who does not want a reboot and never wanted a reboot, and here’s why

This is one of my few editorial-esque pieces, but this is something some friends and I have been discussing for a while, and given what’s going on right now, I feel like this needs to be said at some point.

Sometimes I feel like there’s a really massive gap between what 02 fans want (especially diehard ones) and what people think 02 fans want. I'm not saying that media should only be catering to hardcore fans, and if more casual fans of 02 or people who simply just happen to have a stake in the full franchise have their own opinions on what they wanted to see out of 02-related media, that’s perfectly fine, and they have a right to have those expectations. What I’m mainly writing this about is sentiments that talk about how Toei is apparently doing 02 a disservice or sweeping it under the bus by not rebooting it (which basically comes with an implication that giving it respect would mandate it being rebooted just because Adventure was), or talking about how doing a reboot would please 02 fans just by giving their favorite characters more rep. (Although, I suppose the simultaneous reveal of an actual 02-related movie kind of killed any grounds for claiming that the lack of a 02 reboot meant sidelining 02. You can’t really claim that they’re sidelining 02 when they’re making a whole movie, after all...)

Of course, I don’t claim to speak for every single 02 fan out there (so if you’re a 02 fan who doesn’t agree with anything I’m about to say, I apologize and hope I don’t sound presumptuous), and I highly doubt I represent the mainstream, but I felt I should input my perspective as a 02 fan who’s friends with a handful of other 02 fans, who have discussed this extensively and all have the same feelings on the topic, and why it’s kind of frustrating to keep hearing this kind of thing from people who assume that all fans of something should want to see more things that resemble them by default without any more nuance to it.

It won’t actually improve much that’s worth it

I’m going to be blunt about it: I think more people who supposedly want this 02 reboot are people who hate or dislike 02 than people who actually are fans of the series, because they’re doing this under the sentiment that “this was a bad series, so a redo would improve it.” You can especially tell because a lot of people acting like a reboot is in 02′s best interest are the same people being scathingly critical of the current Adventure: reboot right now, so you can see that this kind of mentality comes from people who clearly understand that a reboot won’t necessarily be something everyone likes all that much, and thus believe 02 is so unsalvageably bad that you couldn’t possibly make it worse. So you can probably understand why I’m not exactly patient with this kind of take.

If we are to be charitable, though -- if this sentiment comes out of a genuine feeling that 02 had missed potential that could be addressed by the reboot -- I want to ask everyone if they really believe that this theoretical reboot would be a net improvement, especially one that’s worth all the time and effort involved, and even more especially given the writing style that the current Adventure: reboot is employing. You don’t have to claim it’s a perfect series or anything to understand the sentiment that it held up enough by itself to not necessitate a whole anime series being made to do another take on it.

Something I would like to remind people who love to claim that 02 is such a despised series is that it made around 89% of Adventure’s revenue at the time it aired, and despite those who despise 02 being very vocal on the Internet, the actual mainstream tends to be very positive about it, especially in terms of anything to do with Ken (whom most reasonable people will agree had a character arc that deserves acclaim). So in other words, if you want to do a reboot, most likely you would want to do it without offending the base that likes the series already, right? (Especially since, you know, recent events have proven that upsetting the real-life 02 fanbase is actually a pretty inadvisable idea...)

Here’s the thing: Once you filter out most of the “scapegoat” reasons people tend to criticize 02, the one that’s generally the most agreed upon is how disorganized the plot gets in the second half. So this so-called ideal situation reboot would supposedly iron out all of the messy plot writing and make use of the “wasted potential” the series had -- but 02 was way more than just a narrative storyline with characters walking around in it, and when it comes to the reasons people were so drawn to it, they’re tied to the series themes about regrets and making up for the past, and about the unreasonable pressures that society places on children. That, and also the most important one, the central theme of human relationships, and the charismatic and well-developed (yes, really) characters. The so-called “messier” second half of 02 was full of payoff for a lot of what was set up in the first half in regards to its themes, and a lot of its subplots or character flairs are packed in really small nuances that are easy to miss on the first watch.

What this means is that 02 is a series that works off of a lot of delicate balances. Adventure could be “rebooted” because everything was very clear-cut and straightforward, which meant that you could change almost everything about the plot and still relatively adhere to the primary points of “kids gain self-awareness through a journey in another world”. (Like, I really hate to break it to those who put Adventure on a pedestal, but this is mainly possible because Adventure doesn’t really have much of a plot besides “defeat enemy” followed by “defeat bigger enemy”...) In the case of 02, everything regarding the story is, for better or for worse, much more deeply tied to the plot, the narrative behind the Kaiser and the traces of psychological horror laced into everything, and the second-half evolution mechanic, Jogress, has a lot to do with the developments related to the human relationships narrative. Moreover, a lot of the reasons that people call it “bad” for are deeply tied to the exact same reasons a lot of people like it -- that its takes on certain topics were heavily nuanced and unconventional, meaning it could cover ground that most media wouldn’t go anywhere near -- and so the series loses too much of its identity if those aspects are removed, even if it ostensibly seems like “streamlining” it.

So if you mess with one thing, a lot of it falls apart -- and in fact, considering the writing style that the Adventure: reboot is using right now, it’s hard to imagine that applying it to 02 would make it any better. Actually, it seems like it wouldn’t address any of the grievances anyone has with it to any substantial degree, and it’d be more likely to axe all of the stuff that were integral to 02′s identity, like the social commentary, or the heavy focus on human relationships, or the unusual sort of character nuance it employed, and...basically, we go back to the same question: is this actually worth it?

02 itself was about not having this kind of sentiment

The main reason most 02 fans get upset about the 02 characters not being included in Adventure canon-related things that should rightfully include them is that, quite simply, they’re part of the canon! In fact, most 02 fans like Adventure too, so they like the way 02 built on Adventure’s worldbuilding, and moreover they’re attached to the web of relationships between the Adventure and 02 groups -- 02′s additions to Adventure’s worldbuilding and the nature of what it established around the neighborhoods of Odaiba and Tamachi were not only added on but also deeply entangled with what was established before, so you can’t just act like none of it exists!

So this also means that once we’re talking about a completely different universe, absolutely none of this applies and there’s no expectations to adhere to any of this. The 02 quartet doesn’t exist in this universe? Cool.

Funny thing about 02: one of the biggest themes the story revolved around was “not getting caught up in the past, and moving forward with what you have instead,” so it’s probably pretty understandable that a lot of people who like 02 would be the type who wouldn’t be fond of rehashing stuff too much (and even more so it involves 02 itself), especially since being okay with 02 as a sequel likely means being okay with change in general. To make something really new out of it, you might as well...actually make something new out of it, or cover some truly new territory, instead of bothering with this whole reboot business, you know?

One thing you might notice about a lot of 02 fans is that they’re not actually all that fond of the idea of canon putting the group through more massive suffering or emotional ordeals after 02 compared to most. I mean, I think it’s pretty normal to enjoy your favorite characters going through emotional trouble, but the aversion to it often tends to be much stronger than usual, regardless of what country’s fanbase we’re talking, and even the official staff for Kizuna seems to have somewhat recognized that the 02 group is most in its element when in the context of fun and silliness. All things considered, this probably isn’t particularly surprising when you take into account the fact that “just being able to hang out with each other as casual friends at all” was considered such a blessing, and such a difficult goal to reach, that there’s a natural aversion to seeing them go through more emotional suffering again. The new trailer for the upcoming movie seems to have Daisuke in a relatively good mood (and even then, “please don’t make it too emotionally vicious for them” is a pretty common plea).

So if you want to talk about rehashing all of their old problems, seeing it all over again is just not very fun. It’s like holding Ken’s sins over his head again, even if it’s in a different universe; it just doesn’t feel right when the series itself endorsed the best possible outcome for these kids to be “to live happily and at peace with themselves, no matter what happened beforehand”. They worked so hard to get out of it, so to decide we have to do this entire rodeo again for the sake of doing it again, instead of trying something new is...well, it’s not that appealing of an idea, I have to say.

The real-life impact would be intolerable

It’s no secret that the 02 hatedom is a bit uncomfortably vocal about it, but what tends to be really frustrating about it is how many of them love to dunk on the series based on misremembering it. It’s fair that, if you don’t like a series, you probably wouldn’t want to watch it again, but as someone who’s spent a lot of years unpacking all the little details in the series and noticing that it’s much deeper than it initially seems on the surface, it’s honestly annoying to see “criticism” of the series that’s actually just dunking on it based on details that are genuinely factually incorrect (it’d be one thing if it were a question of subjectivity, but no, so many of the insults 02 often gets are based on things that legitimately did not happen in the series).

In the end, I admit that 02′s penchant for ridiculous subtlety probably worked against it a bit too much, and I’ve already covered its impact on how the series gets misread a lot. Thing is, this kind of subtlety was a thing in Adventure too, and it all leads to the unfortunate effect that a lot of people tend to forget what actually happened in Adventure if they haven’t seen it for more than a few years. With the current reboot right now, you’ll see people saying that certain characters are the same as they were in the original series, even though in most respects they’re actually the opposite -- because a lot of said people only remember them by the surface characteristics that seem to be similar.

So when you look at 02, and consider the fact that even official media -- including the official American English dub and V-Tamer -- has been a bit too prone to not handling Daisuke’s character tastefully and reducing him to traits that make him easy to dislike, you might realize that handling these characters improperly runs an extremely high risk of actually turning them into the flat, unlikeable characters that people tend to accuse them of being -- imagine Daisuke where his entire character is about fixating over Hikari and being impulsive, or Miyako being nothing but self-centered and selfish, or Iori being genuinely stoic and missing the nuances of constantly holding his emotions back. And making it worse is that this would basically solidify these negative perceptions of the characters even further -- because people, especially those inclined to hate the series, would take it as further evidence that the characters have always been like this, reflect it back on the original, and everything would really just become a miserable experience. (Those who are particularly inclined to be malicious against 02 would probably even claim a reboot to be “better than the original” no matter whatever it is, because of the belief that 02 is so incredibly terrible that literally anything would be better than it.)

It’s not my business to dictate other people’s opinions, but it’s already been a frustrating twenty years of dealing with this kind of thing, so of course I’m not going to be enthusiastic about the idea of putting up with more of it...

[tanadrin]

I suppose because politics is what means I have no future of any kind left, so it's hard to be silly about it. And I seem to have landed myself in a sector of social media filled with people who are very smug about how smart and nihilistic they are, and I hate all of you with the hatred that only a miserable, powerless person can feel.

I don’t buy it. Unless you are quite literally scheduled to be executed at dawn, “no future of any kind left” because of politics is catastrophizing. People in very dire circumstances the world over often manage to build some kind of life for themselves; it may not be the life they want, and the suffering they endure because of the circumstances they are limited by should not be dismissed, but to say that someone in such adverse conditions has no future is to infantalize them and deny them the agency they do have to shape their life to some extent.

And this is an insight I’ve found important when dealing with depression in myself: even if one’s catastrophizing is not irrational (say, you’re a queer person stuck in an extremely homophobic environment, at minimum for the next 5-10 years), that does not mean it is useful. To put it another way: circumstance might justifiably make you angry and sad and frustrated. That may be rational. Deciding, in the face of that anger and sadness and frustration, to surrender to it is not rational.

So--assuming that you are not a political dissident due to be executed, nor suffering from a terminal illness which somehow for political reasons cannot be cured (if either of these things are true, you have my sincere condolences)--I have to say, this ask reeks of someone who’s depressed. If you are depressed, you will always be able to come up with reasons why happiness is unattainable for you, due to circumstances entirely out of your control. This is not a crazy thing to think, because if you are depressed and not treating that depression, most if not all the things you try to do will not solve your unhappiness because they are usually orthogonal to what is making you unhappy. Your very ability to accurately imagine future happy states and what might bring them about is suppressed by depression; for instance, you might, if you are depressed and you know it, rationally understand that exercise often helps with your depression, but be unable to motivate yourself to exercise because the intuitive link between if I do X I will feel better is broken by an internal forecasting system that refuses to spit out predictions other than “nothing I do will help with anything.”

A depressed state is not a psychotic break--it doesn’t cause you to lose touch with reality--but I think depressed people would sometimes benefit from treating it like one, because it does subvert your ability to accurately model the world, and therefore you can’t trust your own ability to reason or intuit about certain topics. I have both experienced this from the inside, and seen it from the outside: friends whose depression causes them to believe they are unlovable, and thus that nobody loves them, even when told (and shown) repeatedly that they are very much loved, and very important to the people around them.

In fact, you remind me of this post: depressed and anxious people who notice politics is depressing and anxiety-inducing, and that depressing and anxiety-inducing problems confront the world and society, and therefore conclude that their depression and anxiety are a rational and reasonable response to the world. But that doesn’t follow at all! A lot of responses to a depressing and anxiety-inducing environment are more useful that shutting down and withdrawing, or letting yourself be paralyzed; and even if there are negative external factors in the world affecting your life, if you have nothing in your life that is a sufficient source of joy to offset these things at least somewhat, then you have problems sufficiently severe that I don’t think your depression or anxiety can be laid at the feet of the world at large alone; more likely, you’re dealing with shitty personal circumstances, and these are far more likely to be tractable to your individual capacities than, like, all of climate change. And if you do have some sources of joy in your life, you can cultivate those further.

To put it another way: humans are very bad at reasoning about things on large scales or over large timelines. One reason we’re slow to solve problems like climate change is that we tend to be pretty blasé about remote and impersonal problems, which is actually often useful as well--because it means we’re capable of adjusting our hedonic barometer to create joy even in catastrophic circumstances. If you are constantly worried about big issues like climate change or the Trump presidency to the point where you can never do that, then the conclusion you should draw isn’t that you’re a uniquely rational human being with a uniquely accurate worldview, it’s that your brain is broken and you should not trust your intuitition.

Emotional states are not rational models of the world. They are tools our brain uses to motivate certain kinds of action. They probably have their origin in our social evolution, but this means they are extremely untrustworthy when it comes to complex, large-scale, philosophical, or impersonal issues, because these are not scenarios our brains evolved to handle before the advent of high-population, highly-stratified societies.

Now, I realize it’s hard to convince someone they are depressed and/or should seek treatment by rational argument (lord knows I’ve tried in the past!), because after all, if we were being perfectly rational, we would not feel depressed. We wouldn’t feel anything; again, emotions are contingent tools, not highly rationalized responses to the world! So I won’t belabor this point any longer. Instead, now I’m going to get annoyed with you.

Because here’s the other thing depressed people do--and I have done myself. They see people who are not depressed, whose hedonic barometers are functioning normally, and capable of experiencing joy even in arguably (or inarguably!) shitty circumstances, and they get mad at them. How dare you be capable of laughing at a joke, or sharing a meme, or having a nice day, when everything is so bad!

This is a common response, not only from depression, but also I think from grief, or fear, or trauma, or lots of other things. But it’s bullshit. I’m sorry, but you don’t get to demand that everyone feel your suffering as acutely as they feel their own. You don’t get to demand that just because you’re a pessimistic ball of frustration and anger that everyone else be, too. You get to--and ought to--demand that people treat you with empathy and respect, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get to make jokes about topics you find depressing as hell. Yes, even topics that personally affect you, and may not personally affect them (though, of course, a lot of times people assume the person making the joke isn’t personally affected by the topic, when in reality they are and the joke is a way of relieving stress and coping with frustration).

That calvin and hobbes meme I reblogged is an extremely generic political compass meme; the only relevance it has to the world today, I suppose, is acknowledging that, like, politics is a thing that exists. If you’re upset by that--how dare people laugh at politics, the source of all my problems--you’re being a dick.

And this leads my to my final point, which is this: while we are all of us owed compassion, we also owe others compassion. And people caught up in their own anxiety and depression and anger often don’t see the way their emotional states impose costs on the people around them. They often treat the people around them badly--worse, at any rate, than they normally would--and react defensively if this is pointed out to them.

I’ve done this. I have friends who have done this. I get it. It doesn’t make someone a horrible person! It doesn’t meant they deserve to feel the way they do. But it does create the second half of a twofold moral obligation. You see, I believe that the, call it “utilitarian selfishness” view, is essentially correct: if all humans are of similar moral worth (they are), and you can only help one person (often true), and that person is yourself, it is no less moral to help yourself than it is to help someone else. This is usually framed as a grant of permission: “you are allowed to be selfish sometimes.” But it’s also an obligation: “you should not be a dick--even to yourself.” You have a positive obligation to care about your own suffering! And you have a positive obligation to try to reduce the costs your suffering--your bad mood, your depression, your anxiety--imposes on the people around you.

Because I’m not a smug nihilist. I actually believe, with embarrassing intensity, in a large number of abstract principles. And while I believe circumstance or injustice can conspire to make people feel miserable and powerless, and I have the utmost sympathy for you feeling that way, no one is so omnipotent as to be able to truly excise our power to do something with our life that is rewarding to us, no matter how modest. Your subjective feeling of misery is not license to be a dick to people, or to misrepresent them or their motivations. And if reading my tumblr (or anyone else’s) makes you miserable, you have a positive moral obligation to stop, because you’re being a dick to yourself, which is no more justifiable than being a dick to me. And being a dick to me because you don’t like my Tumblr, because you’re miserable and I’m not, is pants-on-head stupid.

I, too, have been so convinced of my misery and powerlessness, and so utterly convinced of my inability to make improvements in my life, that I have yielded utterly to the feeling of myself as a despised, helpless, wretched thing. You can spend years in that state. A lifetime, even. I suppose it relieves you from the burden of having to try, which is a tiny shred of comfort when the climb up the hill seems so steep. But I have found that in the long run it brings no other relief; there’s no regression to the mean, just an endless prolongation of misery. It required some courage, and not a little determination, to try to climb out of that pit. Sometimes you struggle. Sometimes you fall back in. Sometimes it’s easier to believe there’s nothing beyond that place of unhappiness. But there is, and you can get there, and the choice of whether or not to reach it lies only with you.

[ofcloudsandstars]

Amber and orchard for the fall asks!

amber - share an unpopular opinion that you may have.

Hahaha this is like cracking open pandora’s box. I feel like I have too many. 

I think my primary one though is I absolutely despise capitalism’s affect on witchcraft. I DO NOT think it’s made it more accessible for people, I feel like the only very minor positive thing is that you can now tell people you are a witch and into tarot cards and they won’t find you as weird anymore. Otherwise people don’t realize how capitalism is a force that actually strips culture of it’s meaning in order to sell it for profit and it’s affects on this practice has left a lot of damage not just to some aspects that are sacred but towards the earth since it’s a practice that works really closely with nature. 

(added a read more to spare you poor scrolling souls from my rant lol)

Anyway what crapitalism does is it takes a culture and turns it into an easily consumable concept- almost like a brand, so that as long as you slap something ‘witchy’ seeming together then it qualifies as that brand. It boils everything down to an aesthetic. And no one has to actually believe in it anymore, or practice it or make any effort towards learning it or incorporating it into their lives. As long as they buy into the brand or embody the aesthetic then they count. Sometimes you can try to express that some traditions and materials and such do have meaning (I mean of course they do no one just sat around and made this shit up) people kind of have this nihilistic view that’s fed from this weird modern capitalist society that like: nothing truly has meaning anymore. But it’s like they are feeding this consumerist culture by repeating this mindset and gaslighting others when they appropriate magical practices or other cultures that are still very much alive and still tended to (often by indigenous people still being prosecuted) that are focused on working with the earth. 

Then you see this ripple effect on places like instagram or the big mainstream like magazines and shit and do not get me wrong cause there are a lot of cool and creative people that practice this that are on there but there is so much cashing into this field now and oversaturation that comes with seedy and shady background stories that show creators being completely disingenuous because they really just want to make money. And then going back to my point that this practice works closely with nature, capitalism exploited the fact that we like working with certain herbs, woods, crystals etc and is overharvesting and mining and tainting the very tools that we want to work with, with greed, pollution, child slavery etc. And it’s irritating cause you can make your own tools and don’t have to import anything and you can tell everyone how bad some industries are but they don’t listen cause they are buying into capitalism’s lie that they can sell you anything at a price, even if it’s sacred. Then if you try to defend your point they tell you that this is the only way it can be accessible to everyone, but it’s NOT accessible to everyone, it strips it away from people that could be working with these tools for generations and protecting the climates that these guides and resources for the tools grow in. It also disempowers people in their craft to begin with because witchcraft is about finding that connection to your own power and magic and the bridge with the universe’s power and magic and when you venture down into this practice you will find tools and guides local to you and find ways to make your own magical tools but capitalism disempowers us by telling us that we are not legit until we can put a price tag on it. So people don’t believe in their ability to find the sacred in themselves or nature, they just keep consuming whatever herb bundle or tool capitalism spits at them because it’s the only way to feel legit in this culture. 

And then since it’s seen more of a title or aesthetic and less of a way of life or set of ethics or practice, you have people interested in this spiritual or witchy community that don’t do any work or want to work on themselves that bring their shadow baggage into it. So you get racism seeping into it, homophobia, I also am so fucking confused how TRANSPHOBIA has made its way into here like transfolx are magical by just existing they are walking manifestations and works of alchemy like wtf; and like if you guys were friends with any queer people and hung out with them, they get the idea of magic, ritual and manifestation so well cause so much of their daily life already embodies some of that. But that’s a whole other topic. I vibed well with my queer friends on this and they were the only ones I could talk to about it before witchcraft became mainstream. 

 Then in general it’s seen as like radical if you tell people that are supposedly practicing witches that our energies should be focusing on restoring balance and we should put our energy towards healing nature or towards human rights (since humans are apart of nature) you will literally have witches being like: don’t tell me what to do!!! Like!! Gurl wtf lmaoo I don’t know how people claim to be empaths or into this but they don’t see that maybe if there was a so called “Great Awakening” to “Empower Ourselves” that’s probably what the fucking point was? Not to say that you need to spend every waking moment protesting (another contribution of capitalism- showing some kind of documented proof on social media that you stand for something instead of little daily actions embedded into your everyday life) but you can find ways to change your daily patterns to make space for the societal change that’s coming to bring in a more compassionate world and better community. But since we are so indoctrinated in this consumerist culture, so many people don’t know how to incorporate their values into their everyday lives anymore. It’s all about quantity and showing off on social media. And that negatively impacts witchcraft cause witchcraft is a daily practice you do little things for everyday that just gets embedded into your everyday life, but people get confused and think to be legit it’s something you gotta buy into or show off as proof with stylistic rituals and of course for many people that’s exhausting or financially inaccessible. 

And for the sake of clarity cause the internet hates using critical thinking sometimes, of COURSE you can have a fun and flashy craft I’m not saying you can’t, but there is a massive imbalance here I am pointing out with how people are developing insecurities because they cannot attain this aesthetic overnight without dropping a shit ton of money. Yes witchcraft is very aesthetic-heavy but that’s because it’s a really creative practice that people pour their creativity and energy into and capitalism saw a way to put a price tag on it and now it’s confusing everyone else that’s mistaking this as something else to consume in exchange for money. 

And then I hate that I feel often I cannot talk about this cause instead of people using their critical thinking braincells and realizing how bad capitalism is, they somehow turn this conversation into thinking that I just don’t like when a culture becomes mainstream cause not everyone should enjoy a culture or whatever and it’s like fucking hell of course I would LOVE more witches and to have more people into celebrating nature or finding their own magic and connecting to the universe and whatever, but capitalism isn’t helping at all. It’s separating us from it’s connection and the meaning behind it’s practice. (Also one day I dream of living in a witchy town or community so yeah, the more the merrier, but right now with capitalism, this method is not the way to get into this practice lol). 

You really see the negative effects of capitalism marketing witchcraft because people now treat it as like this commodity they can jump into without finding a way to genuinely connect with it cause it’s all just a gimmick until the next zeitgeist. This either manifests in two ways where they think they can just buy a book or read some posts and not do any work on themselves or thinking on stuff like cultural appropriation so when they start experimenting they might bring harm to themselves by evoking spirits that do not want to work with them, or taking in some sacred herb or substance that can fuck them up leaving deep psychological damage or death- or they can harm others in a myriad of ways. 

Then the other way it manifests are people feeling like witchcraft is suddenly inaccessible because you need money to practice it because capitalism put that veil over their eyes. It’s now another thing gatekept by money. So they try to reclaim it by being like: it’s just a title you can slap on yourself; but they give capitalism more power because that’s what capitalism was doing all along by stripping the meaning. Stripping it down to a concept that only matters as a label that evokes a brand or idea but not an actual practice. In a way it’s very counter culture to not buy into the aesthetic or put in effort anymore. Even if you want to put in effort you feel like you are not good enough cause you will never fit capitalism’s standards of quantity and money to spend to showcase it on the internet to feel legit. So people develop this no-effort approach to it. And ONCE AGAIN for clarity for the internet’s lack of critical thinking and jumping to conclusions I am NOT referring to anything like spoony witchcraft or energy based witchcraft (I am an energy witch primarily thank you very much) I am talking about people calling themselves witches but then when you want to sit down and chat about the craft they have a blank stare cause they were never serious and sometimes judge you for how much you cared about it cause they don’t really believe in it anyway. Not even cause it’s woowoo it’s cause capitalism doesn’t make you believe any anything anymore. The only thing it wants you to believe in is money and what you can consume with it.  

And then when people online try to talk about this and point out it’s a practice these guys get angry with you like you are gatekeeping but it’s like BITCH it’s a FREE FUCKING PRACTICE like GO TALK TO A TREE go COLLECT A ROCK YOU FOUND IN THE CLEAR STREAM OF A BABBLING BROOK and maybe you’d CALM THE FUCK DOWN. Capitalism making it seem like you gotta buy all this shit to be seen as legit is not what this practice is about and it makes me upset how there is like this massive group of people that want to access this culture but are so lethargic about actually doing anything because they are disenchanted and it’s really because they are mentally bogged down by capitalism’s grip on it making them feel like they aren’t shit cause they can’t afford all that bullshit that ain’t gonna help them anyway so they just call themselves witches to get them 2 drops of serotonin and feel included but never really go anywhere beyond that cause capitalism strips the fucking joy and meaning out of everything. The only reason why this bothers me is cause I could be staying in my lane drinking my herbs and shit and chilling but then people either judge me for the effort I put into my practice’s aesthetics thinking I am shallow and buying into this or they think I am being reckless and dangerous believing in something not real by practicing a craft that tbh has a lot of dangerous aspects to it so it’s not rated E for everyone. Like you can fit it to what you want it to be since it’s your journey but it’s always been a bit edgy in some ways and it’s annoying when you get people judging you now for your lifestyle or they wonder why you are so invested cause they don’t get it. 

Anyway that was a rant but you asked for it lol. 

orchard - share one thing that you’d like to happen this autumn.

Get some more weed 

Thanks for the asks lol. Kept the last one short haha but it’s true I have been trying to manifest for a while after my quarantine rations went out. Here are the autumnal asks if anyone else wants to ask or reblog them!

[arcticdementor]

When we hear the term “Deep State,” we tend to think of people staffing the federal bureaucracy. I want to suggest to you that that is an incomplete way to think about it. The Deep State in Western liberal democracies consist not only of government bureaucrats, but also of the leadership in major corporations, leading universities, top media, medicine and law, science, the military, and even sports. A more accurate way to think about what we are dealing with comes from the Neoreactionary term “the Cathedral,” which NRxers use in more or less the same way that 1950s Beats used the term “the Establishment.” I like the term “Cathedral” because it entails the religious commitment these elites have to their principles. You can no more debate these principles with them than you can debate with a religious fundamentalist. They adhere to them as if they were revealed truths.

Yet they still like to pretend that they are liberals — that they favor open, reasoned discourse. This is, in fact, a lie. It is a lie that they depend on to conceal the hegemonic intolerance that they wish to impose on everybody under their authority.

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It is true that no society can tolerate everything. What the Cathedral is now doing is radically limiting discourse, and demonizing as heretics all those within its purview who dissent, no matter how reasonable their objections. (And now Facebook is incentivizing some of its users to report their friends as potential “extremists.” Please get off Facebook now!) The Cathedral seeks to make all of society over in the mold of a college campus. The Cathedral is growing ever more radical. In recent months, we have seen the US military embrace wokeness (to use the slang term for the most vibrant and activist form of the Cathedral’s religion). You would think that it makes no sense for the leadership of a racially diverse armed forces to embrace and indoctrinate its officers in a neo-Marxist theory that causes everyone to see everyone else primarily in hostile racial terms, but that is exactly what has happened. In time — and not much time, either — we are going to see young people who were once from families and social classes that once were the most stalwart supporters of the military declining to join the armed forces in which they are taught that they are guilty by virtue of their skin color.

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That’s the Cathedral and its values. The Cathedral has also taken over corporate America, and the professions. I hardly need to elaborate on this further, not for regular readers of this blog. It was a hard knock this past week to see that the US Supreme Court, which some of us had thought would be the last line of defense for anybody traditional in this soft-totalitarian Cathedral theocracy, refused to take on the Gavin Grimm case, and the Barronelle Stutzman case. The Cathedral line in favor of privileging LGBTs over religious people and secular people who don’t accept the full LGBT gospel is hardening.

…

I realized over the weekend why I have been so affected by the experience of being here in Hungary these past three months. It has clarified for me the nature of this conflict. First, take a look at this powerful piece by Angela Nagle, writing about the views of Irish intellectual and cultural critic Desmond Fennell. 

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What does this have to do with Hungary? Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government have brought down the wrath of European Union leaders over Hungary’s recent law restricting sex education for children, and information about LGBT presented to children. The prime minister of the Netherlands, in extraordinarily bellicose language, threatened to “bring Hungary to its knees” over the law. I am reliably informed by an American source in a position to know that in Washington, even among conservative elites, Viktor Orban is seen as nothing but a fascist. I have been writing all summer about the radical disjunction between Hungary as it is, and Hungary as described by Western elite discourse (media and otherwise). This is by no means to say that Orban’s government is flawless — it certainly is not; corruption, for example, is a big deal here — but to say that there has to be some reason why Western elites of both the Left and the Right despise Hungary so intensely, and slander it so.

There’s a lesson in all this, I believe, for where conservatives and traditionalists in the West are, and where we are likely to go. I have come to believe that the standard left-liberal and right-liberal critiques of Orban — “Magyar Man Bad” — are just as shallow as the “Orange Man Bad” critique of Donald Trump. I say that as someone who was critical of Trump myself, though I credited him for smashing the complacent GOP establishment. I write this blog post in the spirit of Tucker Carlson’s excellent January 2016 Politico piece titled, “Donald Trump Is Shocking, Vulgar, and Right.”

I’ve been reading lately a 2019 book, The Light That Failed, by Ivan Krastev and Stephen Holmes. Both men are liberal scholars who undertake to explain why liberalism failed in Central Europe and Russia after the fall of the Cold War. It’s a remarkably insightful book, one that any conservative with an interest in the problem should read, even though its authors are liberal democrats. They write:

A refusal to genuflect before the liberal West has become the hallmark of the illiberal counter-revolution throughout the post-communist world and beyond. Such a reaction cannot be casually dismissed with the trite observation that “blaming the West” is a cheap way for non-Western leaders to avoid taking responsibility for their own failed policies. The story is much more convoluted and compelling than that. It is a story, among other things, of liberalism abandoning pluralism for hegemony. [Emphasis mine — RD]

You would have thought that in any reasonable pluralistic polity, a sovereign nation choosing to restrict what its children can learn about human sexuality would be of little interest to other nations within that polity. After all, Hungary is not France any more than Estonia is England. There is an immense amount of diversity in Europe. But see, the Cathedral’s liberalism — whether in America or in the EU — is not pluralistic, but hegemonic.

Krastev and Holmes (henceforth, “the authors”) point out that after 1989, the West expected Central European countries to imitate them in every way. The authors — who, remember, are liberals — write:

Without pressing the analogy too far, it’s interesting to observe that the style of regime imitation that took hold after 1989 bears an eerie resemblance to Soviet-era elections where voters, overseen by Party officials, pretended to “choose” the only candidates who were running for office.

…

The authors explain that the reforms demanded by the West weren’t like “grafting a few foreign elements onto indigenous traditions,” but rather “put inherited identity at risk” and stoked “fears of cultural erasure.” From my perspective, this is what you see when you get over here and start looking more closely at what George Soros and people like him, both within and outside of government, did, and seek to do. And so, as the authors put it:

[P]opulism’s political rise cannot be explained without taking account of widespread resentment at the way (imposed) no-alternative Soviet communism, after 1989, was replaced by (invited) no-alternative Western liberalism.

Here’s something I bet you didn’t know about Viktor Orban. After the 2008 crash, Western governments bailed out banks left and right. When Orban came to power in 2010, he chose not to do that, instead taking the side of hard-pressed Hungarian homeowners who had been allowed to take out home loans in Swiss francs. He and his party passed a law to protect homeowners at the expense of the banks.

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Remember, they wrote this in 2019, but think of this principle applied to now. If you are Viktor Orban, and you look to the West in 2021, you see a United States that is destroying itself with Critical Race Theory wokeness, which is starting to come to Western Europe. You see the Left here in Hungary starting to embrace it (e.g., the Black Lives Matter statue the liberal Budapest city government erected earlier this year), and you know that it will be bad for your country if this poisonous ideology takes root. So you encourage Hungary’s national soccer team not to take the knee before matches.

…

And so, the disintegrating West, headed towards shipwreck, is going to bring Hungary to its knees for trying to protect itself.

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The authors go on to say that what it means to be a good Western liberal is changing so fast that people in the East never know for sure what vision of society they are supposed to imitate. Think about what it was like for us Americans. I was born in 1967, and educated by schools, by the media, and by every aspect of culture to believe in Dr. Martin Luther King’s colorblind vision. I took it seriously, and I believed in it, and do believe in it. But now the same liberals who argued for that are now arguing that this vision was wrong — that to truly be against racism, you must train yourself to think in exactly the same categories that white segregationists used prior to the Civil Rights revolution. It makes no sense. You come to understand that you have been conned. Never, ever believe liberals: they will change the rules on you, and blame you for your own confusion.

The authors go on to say that sex education in the schools has been a huge flashpoint of conflict within Central and Eastern European societies. It has to do with parents losing the ability to transmit their values to their children. In the flush of post-1989 enthusiasm, young people didn’t so much rebel against their parents as to feel pity for them, and to stop listening to them. The young took their catechism from the Western cathedral. Sex ed was a neuralgic point of the overall struggle between Central European populists, who believed that the traditions and the national heritage of these countries were in danger of being wiped out by the West. Imagine, then, what Hungarian voters must think when they hear the Dutch prime minister threaten to bring their country to its knees because he knows better what they should be teaching their children than they do.

The authors tell a story about how Viktor Orban, at the time an up-and-coming liberal from the countryside, was publicly humiliated by a well-known liberal MP from Budapest’s urban intelligentsia, who adjusted Orban’s tie at a reception, as if doing a favor for a hick cousin.

They go on to explain Orban’s illiberalism by quoting his criticism that liberalism is “basically indifferent to the history and fate of the nation.” Liberal universalism “destroys solidarity,” Orban believes. (“If everybody is your brother, then you are an only child.”) Orban believes that liberal policies will lead to the dissolution of the Hungarian nation because liberals by nature think of the nation as an impediment to the realization of their ideals.

The authors go on to say that Orban has long campaigned on the abuse of the public patrimony by the regime that governed Hungary after 1989, when Communist insiders used their connections to plunder what was left of the public purse, and left the weak to fend for themselves. This attitude explains Orban’s hostility to the banks after the 2008 crash. “[I]n Central and Eastern Europe, defending private property and capitalism came to mean defending the privileges illicitly acquired by the old communist elites,” they write.

(Readers, did you know any of this context about Orban and other critics of liberalism from Central Europe? Doesn’t it make you wonder what more you’re not being told?)

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What’s preposterous about it? I know these guys are liberals, but what Duda identifies is the difference between soft totalitarianism and hard totalitarianism. In both cases, the Poles don’t get to decide for themselves.

There’s more to the book, but I’ll stop here for today. You don’t have to believe that Viktor Orban or any of these other politicians are saints in order to understand why they believe what they believe — and why people vote for them. The Cathedral did the same thing to Trump and to Trump’s supporters. Yes, there were some Trump voters with disreputable motives, and in any case Trump was by and large not an effective president. But the anti-Trump opposition’s passionate belief in its own righteousness rendered it helpless to understand why so many people hated it, and do hate it still. Trump’s own incompetence made it harder to take that critique seriously.

Trump lost, and most everything he did was wiped away by his successor. Viktor Orban wins — and that is the unforgiveable sin in the eyes of the Cathedral.

Here is the radicalizing thing, though. As you will know if you’ve been reading this blog, Viktor Orban appears to be building a conservative deep state in Hungary. His government has transferred a fortune in public funds and authority over some universities to privately controlled institutions. It is difficult to accept this, at least for me. At the same time, it is impossible for me to look at what has happened in my own country, with the Cathedral now extending its control over every aspect of American life, and to criticize Orban for this. The alternative seems to be surrendering your country and its traditions to the Cathedral, which pretends to be liberal, but which is in fact growing even more authoritarian and intolerant than anything Orban and his party stand for.

It is becoming harder to think of liberalism in the sense we have known it as viable anymore. Me, I would actually prefer to live in a more or less liberal, pluralistic society, where California was free to be California, and Louisiana free to be Louisiana, and so forth. This is not the world we live in.

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The controversy around Viktor Orban is not only about an obstreperous Hungarian politician who doesn’t play well with others. It’s about the future of the West.

UPDATE: To put it succinctly, we might need soft authoritarianism to save us from soft totalitarianism.

[thecosmicsen]

✮ ┆  D-6 COUNTDOWN TO INÉS’ BIRTHDAY WITH @shesin​

he stares down at the muted twinkling of the metal band situated on his ring finger,  thumbing idly at the glimmers that catch the cosy dim lights of the bar.  the incandescence of fidelity.  once the lustre used to spark a slew of comforting warm trickles of utmost bliss that would curl his toes from the simple happiness he would gain from observing the proof of his lifelong ardent dedication to the one woman who he truly loves with all his aching heart.  but now he cannot say the same anymore as the dreamy euphoria has now dissolved into a slush of bitter resentment of what he perceives to be the worst betrayal to their adoringly spoken vows. 

another sip of his bourbon on the rocks is an unconscious reminiscence to what his treacherous love enjoys indulging herself for a choice of drink.  there is some woman perched besides him on one of the stools at the bar but he hasn’t taken a glimpse of her face yet despite the fact that she is relentless with her pitiful attempts of sultry engagement.  you’re not Inés.  you never could nor ever will be her.  she is on a different level to you all.  please shut the fuck up.   

he continues to thumb and thumb at his ring,  his eyes flitting half-closed as he sharply inhales the aromatic scents of the bourbon.  it all reminds him of her.  no matter what he fanatically throws himself into to at least get out of his mind for a few minutes,  her presence refuses to leave.  she has leeched her roots and implanted them far too deep in his heart that all he can do is sit at this bar,  close his eyes,  take in the earthy warm scents of vanilla and butterscotch that tugs on the strings of his heart with a gory twist of resentment that oozes out all his incubated hate towards her.  what have you done to me  ?  she has made sure that all his mental fixation remains solely on her and only her.  it drives him insane,  his knuckles whitening as his grip tightens fiercely around his glass,  teeth gritting in nostalgic agitation as the fog of Inés Inés Inés wholly engulfs his system.  this is the drink she likes take in that one crystallised whiskey tumbler she sets aside for the times they relax together in the bath together with.  these are the honeyed hints of what tastes off her skin with such tantalising allure.  this is all Inés Inés Inés. 

“  what is she like  ?  ”  is the one question from the incessant woman sitting next to him that pierces through his whimsical despise-tinged recollections of the woman who has destroyed him worse than any of his family members did to him.  he will make her pay for it,  that is for certain.  if she thinks she can shovel out his presence in her life,  she is about to become sorely disappointed.  he has always told her this before,  he is here to stay by her side and never leave.

without any disruption to his spiteful revenge fantasies that begin to manifest in a lustful storm of appeasement,  his gaze remains on the ever glimmering wedding ring band on his finger and how painstakingly perfect it naturally looks to be placed there.  another excruciating stab to his heart elicits an imperceptible flinch from him as he wonders what she did with her wedding ring yet.  

“  she is unlike any other,  ”  he smugly narrates to the ever curious female although the metallic tang of blood pools in his mouth as he bites down on his tongue in vicious spite to be admitting such a thing.  “  a fucking nightmare.  a daydream.  all the clichés of that paradox can be applied to her.  she is someone you aspire to be but you know that you will never even be able to glimpse the unreachable level she is at.  she can make you feel like you don’t mean shit to her but you will try your best to appeal to her with your redeeming qualities anyway.  she creates a new set of conduct and morals in you.  she isn’t untouchable though.  she is here.  she is present.  everyone follows her on social media.  I can reach out to her.  I can touch her if she wants it.  but she is a demon and makes no attempt to hide it.  she will rub your face into dirt and then make you lick it clean off her shoes.  you will have the illusion that you managed to secure her emotional intimacy and trust for you that you begin to think that you know the emotions surfacing to her eyes.  when she is deep in thoughts,  calculating and observing you,  you won’t be able to stop staring at her lips.  she has a habit of licking over her teeth and folding her arms when she is examining you  —  taking amusement from whatever you said or did.  over time,  if she lets you,  you will get to know all her quirks.  believe that you got touch and gently bring out her emotionally attuned functions.  but in the end,  you forget that she is a demon.  she hunts prey for fun.  she will get countries starting world war three over her just because she feels a little bored and wants to purposefully start shit as long as it doesn’t affect her wealth and assets too much.  lures you in with a false sense of security.  brings along her demon boytoy because she doesn’t know how to commit to the one person who is willing to accept every part of her.  she is smart.  she knows how to play her games.  she is a menace to the fabric of society by doing whatever the fuck she wants without any consequences.  ” 

willing himself to take another deep breath,  the action merely comforting and placebo from the mere habit of doing so,  he takes another sip of his bourbon with a forlorn sigh mingling with an uttered groan of annoyance.  a twisted smile upturns the corners of his lips,  his heart dropping to his stomach as he whispers out,  a few syllables cracking under his distressed state of mind.  “  but what do you do when you find out that this demon also gave birth to two of your baby boys who are the most beautiful ones to ever exist  ?  this woman who lives to hurt managed to mother my children with so much love.  where is her love  ?  I can’t see it for me.  I can see it in our beautiful baby’s eyes that light up when they see their mother.  I can see it lining their bodies with their fat rolls.  how they wiggle in happiness when she comes into their view.  she loves them but she doesn’t love me.  is it so wrong of me for wanting to spend time with my own boys  ?  she drives me insane . . .  I love her and I fucking hate her with my entire heart.  she is the only one who owns me and is allowed to have me.  Min Inhye.  that is who she is.  the love of my life.  the mother of my children.  my fucking downfall.  ”  

he spits out the last few words with utmost venom before he aggressively chugs down the rest of his bourbon,  the liquid scorching his already parched throat in the process but he pays no mind to it. slamming the glass back down on the counter,  he glances down at his ring once again.  something stirs within him,  a pathetic sense of all I want is her and to take me back.  but now she has his sworn enemy by her side now and that is something he cannot allow.  he will not lose this fight.  his heart craves for respite and reconciliation.  is it really too late to hope for that still  ?  but he remembers how she gave birth to their gorgeous baby boys all on her own,  already damning their life without a stable father figure that he knows he can be.  he remembers how she has so cruelly parted him from his own children without a single word of his say in this matter.  he remembers how she had the nerve to attempt to talk him down the moment he witnessed with his own eyes with how that fucking demon boytoy of hers just casually strolled in her living room to start playing with his babies.  the babies that are supposed to be carrying down the Ahn family name.  his baby boys,  the ones he always dreamt about having when the blood was still flowing through his veins.  she took it all away from him.

he yanks the wedding ring off.

finally,  he looks up to observe the face of the woman who provoked his bitter tangent about Inés.  you don’t look like Inés.  he eyes her distastefully from head to toe,  his mind automatically distinguishing her with repulsion on all the points that separate her likeliness to Inés.  no,  he needs someone like her.  it will make it easier for him.  after all,  why should he fuck someone who is five foot three with fried split ends  ?  he gives a curt dismissal of disinterest before moving on.  it has to be someone like Inés with the same gorgeous raven locks,  the amber hues of her eyes,  the tapered ends of her canines,  the proud impressive lifted back slope of her shoulders,  the legs that go on for days . . . 

where is she  ?

[mia-vienne]

Art

What is art? This is a question I find myself revisiting in many blog posts; it’s a question I ask myself as I make art; it’s a question I ask when I view other people’s art. And it is also a question that I despise.

I have been pondering what to write about and pushing this post aside because I was planning on writing about Pop Art and Vernacular Cultures: Introduction by Kobena Mercer. While the reading was interesting, Pop Art is not a style that interests me that much. As I came back to the reading, I was hoping that some idea of characteristic would engage me more than the first read through. I suddenly found myself captivated by the idea of high and low art. Mercer acknowledges that pop art is often diminished in being referred to as a low art. This article also considers the idea that the boundary between high and low art is a “political” characterization of artwork. 

I am very interested in observing the social relationship individuals have with art. Why is there a hierarchy within the creative realm? Thinking through this question, I considered that historically, high and low art was defined by trade. It was a way to further divide members of different classes or cultures. Until the era of modern art, few people challenged the value of the work they made. As art became more expressive, and less socio-economic, many artists challenged the boundary of high and low art. In the post-modern era, there was an upward trend in vernacular art despite the discrimination against works like pop art. 

Like pop art, graffiti is another discipline that challenges the definition of art. The pattern of individuals challenging traditional styles relates directly to culture and society. For example, the hip hop culture shown in Style Wars very clearly defines graffiti as art despite the fact that the materials and techniques were uncharacteristic of traditionally high valued artwork. Modern society began to question things like value and rights which leads to an even more diverse and multidisciplinary definition of art, like contemporary art. 

While this post stands as an informative depiction of how art has been defined, I also want to write about the transformation of art as the culture and political definition has changed. Pop art is one of the many movements which shows that individuals are beginning to question the historically patriarchal hierarchy of the art world. The development of thoughts, style, technique, and media is always changing and challenging the past; therefore, the definition of art will always change in society. I cannot change how society thinks, but I do know that anything created to convey something is some form of art.

I think movements such as the graffiti and pop culture movements have both been groundbreaking in the development of art and culture. I also find more traditional artists, who may find themselves considered high artists without debate, are also pushing these boundaries. Artists like Kent Monkman and his use of textiles empowered me to rethink and reconsider the definition of art. Materials like textile, which are too often underappreciated as craft, can also fall into the category of low art in the trend of what low art means. This explains exactly why I despise the question of what is art. Why should there be a question? Where does the line between high and low art, art and not art, truly exist and why is it something modern culture feels the need to ask in studying art?

[mrlightgivemegoodmarkplease]

Social Lives Online: Am I alone out there, or am I never alone anymore? Supported and connected, or lonely and isolated?

Ever since I logged onto Instagram for the first time years ago, I have been greeted every day with a constant stream of content that depicts people’s lives, interests and more. At first, my pre-teen self saw this app, and many other social media platforms- such as Snapchat and Tumblr, simply as entertaining outlets to both see what my friends were up to, as well as places to express myself. To be honest, at the beginning I was seeing social media through rose coloured glasses (or perhaps I was merely naive...) because my opinion on these apps has shifted dramatically. Instagram, specifically, started out as nothing more than a fun place to interact with my immediate circle of friends. Then all of a sudden, it altered into something resembling a competitive social sport amongst all of my peers. Along with the number of friends you had at school, likes and followers became a key feature of our adolescent social lives. 

Instagram morphed into a platform where you had to prove yourself, and as a constructed medium it’s central values are based around popularity. This competitive act was, for me, unnecessary stress added to the more common anxieties that came with being 13. With this technological advancement, not only did kids have to worry about their position in a hierarchy at school itself, but online as well. As new-age pre-teens in the age of Instagram we spent our evenings obsessing over things like the amount of comments on our recent posts or the number of group chats that we were a part of. Online comparison with my classmates sparked self- consciousness. It also left me feeling like I didn’t have enough friends, or that the ones I did have were uncool because they failed to get as many likes as the popular girl groups did. During a time period when I was at my most insecure, the comparative aspect of Instagram made me second guess a lot of my friendships and ultimately, my own self-worth.

I started getting caught up in a lack of validation from peers towards my own online social life, noticing that photography I posted wouldn’t get as many likes as a group selfie would. I ended up subconsciously only wanting to meet up with my friends because it would give me something interesting to post about. Hangouts that I used to look forward to for ages suddenly became stressful with the rise of social media amongst kids my age. I would worry more about taking photos for Instagram than about actually having an enjoyable time. I despise that I approached friendships this way during middle school, but I will admit that even now I still catch myself using this detrimental thought process. 

I have detected a similarity between myself and countless others in my generation. Most of the people that I talk to about the toxicity of Instagram relay that they too often feel a complicated obligation towards the app. Many of my teenage peers say that they feel the need to keep up a falsely “perfect” portrayal of their social life on the platform. I find myself feeling forced by society to create an altered construction of my relationships online, one that is usually grander than reality. Often when I attend large social gatherings I notice a pressure that some people feel to post something- a fun photo or silly video, even if it doesn’t actually represent how the event went. I have found that this pressure causes people to be less in the moment, and often ultimately makes them feel disconnected from what is truly happening around them at the time. 

I think that balance is key in terms of maintaining a positive social life both online and off. In the past couple of years, I have remarked that many teenagers have difficulty maintaining this balance. As a matter of fact, many young adults work harder on strengthening their online relationships (with friends, even significant others) rather than cultivating the ones they have in real life. An article written by Michael Poh for Hong Kiat (https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/online-vs-offline-social-life/) hypothesizes that there are two kinds of individuals; “(people) who complement their offline social life with their online one, and the rest who pretty much replace their offline social life with the online one.” I would say that with each younger generation, society is leaning more towards adopting the habits of the latter type of person. Many teens nowadays use the internet as their primary source of social interaction. Personally, I think that this is a problematic shift because social interaction should not only be about what is being said, but also how it is being said.

Throughout my own teenage years, I have noticed the odd effect that social media has on a young person's social life. It makes us feel insecure when we’re alone scrolling, mindlessly looking at others having what looks to be a good time. Then, when it the time comes that we are out ourselves with friends, many individuals focus on presenting all the fun they’re having, rather than actually having it. 

I actively try to avoid worrying about Instagram posts anymore because all it does is breed comparison and insecurity. Although Instagram was created as a social network, I think that all it is ultimately doing is making people lonelier. 

[hisdelicatelittleflower]

ADVICE | Love is TOTALLY Overrated! (But Probably Not for the Reason You’re Thinking): A Love Letter to the Lovers

Worry not, dear reader! This actually isn’t the ravings of the archetypal “woman scorned,” here to tell you how falling in love is an awful idea, making yourself vulnerable in a romantic relationship is never worth the potential heartbreak, or that marriage is not a honorable, beautiful, and blessed vocation to pursue.

In fact, quite honestly, despite being the nearly 700 miles that separate us and all of the surprisingly difficult (and fairly instantaneous) exterior trials that tested and later cemented our bond, I feel that I’m truly with my beloved.

The reason that I write this piece is that I see every day, saturating the world around us, the constant and powerful over-romanticization of love. In our books, films, TV shows, even (and sometimes, especially) on social media!

Going by the metric society around us often portrays, what is love? What are some of the concepts and images that pop into your head?

I know a few of my own: candy hearts, drug store romance novels, and Hallmark Channel-esque love stories of the two polar opposite, diametrically-opposed in terms of values people who fall helplessly in love and live happily, ever after with their two and a half kids and family dog, a big house in the suburbs, and never seem to be challenged by big troubles of any kind.

To me, these are not at all reasonable or realistic representations of how romantic relationships of any measurable depth and breadth are, and if you allow these false idols of what love is “supposed to” look like or play out to color or influence your perception of these concepts in the slightest, it WILL inevitably doom any romance you’re in and dash any reasonable hope of one in the future.

Now, I know exactly what you’re thinking…

“Well, darn, what is love, Alayna, if not completely identical to this hollow and ultimately soulless manufactured product specifically designed to inspire delusions of grandeur and attempts of self-insertion in the willing and naïve consumer so that they hopefully stay engaged deeply and well enough to keep paying for them? And, what’s the problem of keeping my hopes up for that perfect special person and relationship, anyways? Can’t a [man/woman/it?] dream?”

All right, all right, I hear you, I hear you! Calm down!

Now, to begin to answer that amazing and eloquently stated question, here’s a couple truth bombs for ya: There exists no perfect person nor relationship—And whom does this huge revelation surprise, exactly? Not a soul.

And, yet, every single day, in person and in the media, I see the same vicious cycle repeated, over and over again. I hear the sorority girl sobbing or ranting to her friend on the bus about how her boyfriend gave her a one-word response with a period in his text message (Oh, no, the dreaded period! The absolute horror!) and how this must mean that he’s no longer “into her” and that he’s most likely cheating, the guy silently (but visibly) heartbroken when his girlfriend chose to skip out on a date to hang out with her girl friends for the third time in a row, the couple on reality TV that seems completely shaken by the slightest of complications.

So, with that said, what exactly is love?

Well, according to St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, love is patient, kind, refrains from envy, humble, slow to anger, despises evil and celebrates truth, is protective, trusting, hopeful, keeps no record of wrongs, and always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

In a lot of ways, this definition is pretty simplistic and straight-forward, but if it is, how come it’s so darn hard to live out?

Answer: Because humans tend to be stupid, lazy, selfish, and petty, and when you’re dealing with two of those…Well, things get pretty complicated.

The good news is, though, is that when you’re able to avoid these instincts, this resulting application of love in a romantic relationship is a truly beautiful and blessed thing, and, speaking from experience, there is nothing in the world that will ever compare. It will supplement the joy and fulfillment already inherent in being a child of God and make life sweet and blissful beyond your wildest dreams.

That being said, I don’t know if y’all know this already, but relationships are HARD. With as much tear-jerking laughter, shameless flirtation, and tender moments I share with my sweet beloved, when I swear I can almost physically feel him with me, there is also tons of awkwardness (at least, in the beginning), stress, miscommunication, uncertainty, and faux pas, in general, to go around.

The key I’ve found to truly unlocking this God-given gift of a successful and loving marital vocation is to do a deep examination of oneself and try your best to discover aspects of and flaws in your personality/mentality that may hinder your ability to love in a way that adheres more closely to the biblical definition of love and honors both God and your beloved.

For instance, I know that I sometimes struggle to speak up and ask for what I want and need, and that’s something I definitely need to learn to curb, as it again, puts the pressure on my beloved to somehow read my mind. Fortunately, however, as both of us learn and grow, we’ve always seemed able to stay in sync with one another, despite some extremely stressful circumstances that have popped up from time to time.

If you, too, struggle with this specific issue in your relationship, realize that, no matter how kind or conscientious they may be, they absolutely cannot read your mind. If there are any concerns or conflicts, no matter how minor or moot they seem, they must be appropriately and lovingly communicated, and if time after time, conflicts, minor or major, cannot be resolved to the other’s selfishness or immaturity, this is not the relationship for you.

Others, I know, struggle more with short tempers, tendencies to hold grudges, or struggle with jealousy or cowardice—One of these may be your proverbial cross to bear, but I’ve also learned that all of these, even the more severe cases, can be overcome with time, tenacity, humility, prayer, professional help (if necessary), and patience, mostly on the part of your SO.

So, ultimately, what should you glean from what I’ve written here about that awesome yet curious four-letter word that we all seem to want for so badly in this life?

More than anything, I would hope, at least, that you treat love as not so much a feeling as it is a commitment—A commitment to always work through each of your flaws both individually and as a couple so that you not only bring joy and love to yourselves, but to build up and be an example for your community, and to be effective and loving parents and role models to your children in this respect so that you may glorify God. The truth of the matter is any relationship you initiate with anyone, especially of the romantic/marital variety, does not exist in a vacuum and is not solely dependent on your ever-changing attitudes or drive for instant gratification (whether of the sexual or wrathful nature). There will inevitably be times in your relationship where you’re truly vexed, beyond exasperated, or hopeless with the state of your relationship, either for interior or exterior reasons, to the point that the two of you may actually require outside, professional help to sort things out. In the end, however, love is the decision to always persevere and to fight, hand in hand.

I will conclude with the eternal words of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who had this to say on the matter in his final novel, The Brothers Karamazov:

“I am sorry I can say nothing more consoling to you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly performed and in the sight of all. Men will even give their lives if only the ordeal does not last long but is soon over, with all looking on and applauding as though on the stage. But active love is labour and fortitude, and for some people too, perhaps, a complete science. But I predict that just when you see with horror that in spite of all your efforts you are getting farther from your goal instead of nearer to it — at that very moment I predict that you will reach it and behold clearly the miraculous power of the Lord who has been all the time loving and mysteriously guiding you.”

And, with that, God bless you all, and I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday afternoon!

With love, your Internet pal,

Alayna ☩ 💐

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{Original article}

[coupsdecoeurs-blog]

BTS : An Ode to those “Go too far shippers”

Note to self* : Things I'd like to say to BTS "go-too-far shippers" (the rest of you, you're doing absolutely nothing wrong and YOU WILL know reading me that you're not from that disgusting bunch, there will be no doubts, don't worry ! Innocent fantasy is harmless. THAT is not) :

 Here's a list of what you have to be doing to be considered a "Go-too-far shipper" :

 - FORGETTING that BTS members are REAL HUMAN PEOPLE BEING  and not characters from a TV Show or a book or a fudging YAOI. Actually, I'm a hundred percent SURE that you're not new to that kind of fanatism. Let me make a wild guess here : Marvel Universe ? Sherlock ? Supernatural ? Shadowhunters ? Yeaaaaah you know who you are.

- Loosing your precious time editing super long videos to analyse and prove without-a-doubt-omg-you're-so-smart-and-insightful-you-must-be-an-INFJ that your ship is the realest of all ships. It's a freaking Zodiac Boat, it's sailing so fast ! You guys... are loosing sleep over some 1 second footage slowed to the infinite and beyond of member n°7's left eye twitching (but be careful, if you blink, you'll miss it !) when member n°5 looked in his general direction. That proves it right ! I'm telling you ! But... but what is that ? Another shipper used the EXACT same footage to prove that member n°5 is actually doing this to make member n°6 jealous ! Look look ! N°6's fingers moved... slightly when that happened.

You should actually try to watch yourselves on camera. You'd be shipping yourselves with your father.

Plus, this is so creepy guys, watching them for hours, trying to decypher their micro expressions, looking for a sign, omitting what you don't want to see because it's convenient. But you know what ? BTS members get itchy, think about the weather, are sensitive to noise, their crew facing them during interviews, making gestures to tell them "we're running out of time", they have food between their teeth, they get BORED because they don't understand what's being said during english interviews... a thousand stimuli that would justify their eyes twitching better than your theories ever could.

- Actually SENDING the links of your shipping videos, or even worse : pornographic fanart TO BTS via Twitter or else ! You know they are active on social media, your know they go to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram... Do you ever ask yourselves : "Did I go too far with this fanart of member n°6 and member n°7 doing anal ?" And then you put it ON THE FREAKING INTERNET !

Would you like it if someone draw you and one of your friend that you like ONLY as a friend because he is not your type (aka he is not a member of Bangtan) together doing graphic sexual stuff.  These 7 men grew up together, are living together, are really close... Why on Earth would they want to see a drawing of themselves in a sexual situation with one of their bandmates. Why ? Think about it, try to have EMPATHY for once (you know, that thing you all think you have tons of), put yourself in their shoes, and tell me you wouldn't be bothered to come across such drawings of yourselves and... let's say your brother ? Your father ? Your sister ? Your best friend ? Your co-worker ? And on top of that, on your Twitter feed, for everyone to see. Wouldn't that be embarrassing ? No of course, BTS would be admiring the likeness, the finess of the details and the liveliness of the art. They are not human after all.

                                                 They're Idols !

- Linking EVERYTHING they do to your ship.

               Do you think they are THAT single minded ?

That the only thing in their mind at all time is their "boyfriend/bandmate/that-guy-they-spend-their-lives-with-because-it's-their-job" ? Just to be clear... when you are in love (if you've ever been), do you stop LIVING when the object of your affection is not on your mind ? Is it always ? Do you forget your other hobbies ? Like, if all of you fall in love at the same time, will you stop editing those hour long creepy videos ? PLease, let me know, I know one or two dating app that would make tumblr and Youtube a better place !

BTS youngest member is 21 YEARS OLD. None of them is a prepubescent teenager with raging hormones, with no self control and with only making his "boyfriend" jealous as his goal for the day. Yikes ! Let's not forget they are Kpop idols, which mean they are hightly trained (conditioned ?) to control themselves, their emotions etc. to FOCUS on their job. And besides, do you really, trully believe they have nothing better to do during promotion ? Because, let's face it guys (and I know you'll not like this but brace yourselves) : BTS are ALWAYS doing promotion. They are never truly natural. I'm not saying they are not genuine, I love them as much as you do, and I'm respecting them as mu... wait. MORE than you do, because I'm not actively trying to shove a relationship in their faces while they are working their asses off all day long to offer me quality content, music, MV's, while also trying to live their lives.

   Maybe that face twitching was sadness. But that doesn't mean it's because they fought with bae this morning.

- Making EVERYTHING sexual. That's it. This is the WOOOORST thing you do.

Exemple I : "Oh lord ! Member n°5 licked his lips. Totally obvious. He was thinking about member n°7, sending him signals. They are totally doing it tonight *insert the giggle of a pervert*

Exemple II : "Hhh ! Member n°2 gulped while looking at n°1. He is so thirsty today !"

Exemple III: " Wow ! N°5's hand is on n°3's shoulder. So erotic. He is actually so subtle, but they know eachother so well. N°3's in for it backstage !"

Exemple IV : "N°4 looked at n°6's lips ! I saw him ! It means he wants to kiss him ! I read it on an article titled "How to know if he's into you" from a... scientific magazine. About body language."

Exemple V : "His legs ACTUALLY twitched, he is such a hoe ! I'm sure he has a boner !" (Like guys, you think I'm exaggerating ? Think again.)

...AAAAaaand sceene.

Once again, try paying attention to every little move your body make during the day. Every time you lick your lips, every time you sigh. Every time your eyes land on a "so called" inappropriate place of your interlocutor's body (yeah ! I know you've been watching your history teacher's ass, you hoe ! Thirsty much ?).

      Apply the same logic you do watching BTS members interact, and you'll be thrilled to know that you're sexually                   attracted to your dog. Congratulations !

 - Calling them "hoes", "thirsty"... this is plain insulting. Why, just... why ? I have nothing more to say.

 - Insulting and criticizing shippers that have a different OTP than you. Like, being verbally violent sometimes ... over a-freaking-fantasy of a couple that only exists in your sick mind ! LOOK AT YOURSELVES ! Look in a mirror !

                                 You're the same ! All of you !

Why not put your microscopic differences aside, and celebrate what you have in common : CREEPINESS ! You are all so tolerent, accepting differences, bla blah blah... let's not break our own words and stick to your script, shall we ? Some other BTS fan is creepy, but not exactly creepy-like-you ? Let them be creepy their own way ! Your OTP is [57] ? Theirs is [58] ? Not a problem ! At the end of the day, it's all in your head ;)

- Talking about things you know nothing about, or very little. I've mentionned this earlier.

Are you Korean ? Do you have a Ph.D in Korean culture ? No ? 

So please, stop talking about such things as "the use of honorifics", "skinship", "the way Korean think about same sex relationships", "compliments between males", "fan service"...

Like, seriously you hate on this heteronormative society that we live in, but you are interpreting every single thing BTS does the wame way you actively despise, ho-so-western of you : "They graze eachother's hands, they're gay ! Proof ! They call eachother handsome : Gay ! Physical affection : Gay ! Impressed by a muscular body ? Gay ! You trully are a product of this toxic society you despise. And btw, if member n°5 does a peace sign and tounge to someone (*cough* a fangirl in the audience *cough*) during a choreography, does that mean... that his boyfriend has in fact a vagina, and that he was doing it for him to excite him in secret code ? No ? Do I hear "fan service" ? I thiiiiiink soooo... But wait, does that mean... That in one way or the other, your simple logic doesn't apply to every situation ? (If you are interested to know, one of BTS members actually did what I've just depicted during a choreography on stage. One of my favorite fancams EVER.)

Anyway : You're not defending any minority behaving like that. You're just adding fuel to the fire. Am I insulting you yet ?

Do you have psychic abilities ? Are you Dr. Cal Lightman from Lie to Me ? No ? So please, stop making assumptions about one facial expression or the involuntary twitching of leg muscles.

Are you a pervert ? Are you dangerously-obsessive-but-lying-to-yourself-by-telling-you-this-is-romantic ? Are you living by proxy ? Are you so focused on the sex life of 7 men - that would find that extremely horrible if they knew you btw - you completely forget to live your own life and experience things ? Yes ? Oh.

                                                        Oops!

 Let's recapitulate :

- Forgetting that they are real people, and not fictional characters but treating them as such, because hey ! They're famous, they must WANT the attention.

- Editing creepy videos, and actually believing you're raising awareness with your borderline psychic skills at decoding body language. Seriously, you're so sensitive, I'm amazed you're able to have friends, because you see everything : that is your curse.

- Thinking every single member of Bangtan is a single-minded teenage boy in love, incapable of controlling his impulses. Of course he'll waste his time during an interview to try and make his boyfriend jealous. How fun ! Making the person you love jealous. Haha. So intelligent and useful. Just like in that Tv Show you love. You know, the one with the toxic relationships and immature characters !

- Sending fanart to BTS. They're probably used to it, so why not taking your chances and trying to get their attention ! They might even like the picture of themselves giving a BJ to their bro. Aegyooooo !

- Making everything sexual. Not something unhealthy to do. Not at all. Again, so fun !

- Calling the artists you love cute names such as "hoe". Adorable.

- Discriminating shippers that aren't sharing your OTP. You're a pot. They're a kettle. But nobody's black, oh god no !

- Using Google to validate your theories, be it for body language or Korean culture. Everybody reacts the same way to the same things, true fact !

Anyway, that's all for today ! Please feel free to comment, and tell me how much you think I'm right, that you too have been aggravated by those "Go-too-far shippers". That you haven't been fast enough either to buy a ticket to the concert in your country, so you would love it if you could go on tumblr to find new pictures of Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook because you love them all (ALL 7 of them, thank you) but without accidently reading a post about "n°6 and n°7 sitting in a tree. F-U-C-K-I-N-G". If you are tired, like me, please share this post and comment below ! Even I you know, just like I know, that it wll not whange annyhing. But Damn if it felt good writing it !

Thank  you !

[mlow19ahsgov-blog]

Media Assessment of Issue

Article 1 (RedState): Yet Another Leftist Anti-Energy Misdirection: Hiding Behind the Animals [https://www.redstate.com/setonmotley/2018/09/06/yet-another-leftist-anti-energy-misdirection-hiding-behind-animals/] 

Subject: The author’s main point is that everything about green energy is either stupid or just a huge lie. According to him, renewable resources are terrible, so therefore everyone advocating for it is really just lying about how great it is in order to “halt any and all productive human activity.” He says people lie so much about advertising green energy, that apparently Earth Day is even fake because it’s on Vladimir Lenin’s birthday. He also accuses those on the Left of using “cute animals” to persuade people to invest in using renewable resources for purposes like global warming or climate change, which he calls “The Greatest Scam on Earth” that supposedly belongs to the Leftist environmentalists. Later in the article, the author addresses the Stand for Salmon ballot measure, an attempt to improve salmon habitat protections, which he says it’s misguided.

Author: Seton Motley is the president of Less Government, a DC-based non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the power of government. He is a writer, television and radio commentator, political and policy strategist, lecturer, debater, and activist. He is extremely conservative and hates Obama.

Context: The article was published online on September 6, 2018. The article is very recent, as it was published only a few days ago. This article represents the small percentage of people who don’t believe in climate change, thinking it is all fake and nonexistent. Everything about the article advocates against renewable resources and protecting the environment, making it only mean much to those who agree with the author.

Audience: The audience are the online community of RedState, who are most likely to be more on the extreme side of conservatism and might not even believe in climate change either. The article would only attract those who share this same opinion of climate change.

Perspective: The article is extremely subjective, as the author uses insulting language throughout the whole article, saying climate change is fake and that those on the Left are only lying to prevent productive human activity. I personally despise this author’s claim because it is downright rude and inaccurate. Sure, people use animals in advocating renewable resources, but it is because animals are a huge reason of why these resources need to be used. The pictures of animals are meant to show people some of the many consequences of using too much fossil fuels and raising the Earth’s temperature, which would cause several species and habitats to be in danger, which has already started to happen. It was amusing to see how one-sided people are about environmental issues, as the whole argument about Earth Day being fake was ridiculous. It’s likely that Motley exaggerated the Stand for Salmon ballot measure in order to invoke even more anger in the readers who believe the article’s content.

Significance: Motley provides plenty of commentary on his topic. Near the beginning of the article, he calls the “ideas for alleged energy – are awful, and awfully dumb. Solar, wind, ethanol and the like – are terrible sources of energy…and are worse for the environment than the real energy sources they purport to replace.” He also constantly accuses liberals of hiding “their anti-energy insanity behind cute animals. That way they don’t have to say “We hate energy, and capitalism, and human activity, and humans” – they can say “We like cute animals.” As Motley still thinks climate change is all a hoax, his opinion on seeing animals and their habitats destroyed because of it is: “So instead we get pictures of Polar Bears and Penguins on ice floes. Oh look – how cute. About which they lie – and say the floes are fleeting due to Climate Change. Oh no – what will become of the cute animals?!?”

Article 2 (HuffPost): Is President Trump the Kick in the Butt We Need to Get Onto a Sustainable Path? [https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/is-president-trump-the-kick-in-the-butt-we-need-to_us_58ab1d89e4b0b0e1e0e20e05]

Subject: The author is advocating to go against President Trump’s environmental policies in order to protect mankind from collapsing environmentally, economically, and socially. They explain that burning coal for energy can cause deaths for miners, citizens, and the unborn because of air/water pollution, mining accidents, and the destruction of plant/animal species and their habitats. A list of solutions are proposed like using renewable resources, finding the true health and environmental costs of products, services, and technologies, taxing behaviors that damage human and environmental health and rewarding behaviors that protect it, creating social equality, and strengthening democracies. The article ends off by stating that a crisis like this can empower people to advocate for their climate, health, living beings, and democracy. The author encourages the audience to immediately take action and make changes to society in order to thwart the president’s plan to the nation’s demise.

Author: Ellen Moyer is an environmental consultant with a BA in anthropology, an MS in environmental engineering, and a PhD in civil engineering. She is a registered professional engineer and a US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional.

Context: This article was published online on February 20, 2017. The article is one year old, and it is not likely President Trump has changed his opinion on the environment or his related policies. Even though the article is a little less than a year old, its arguments are still very much related to the problems circulating today. The only thing that is not as relevant anymore is that people have already started to make changes towards using renewable resources. It is now a matter of funding and spreading its use.

Audience: The audience are the readers of the HuffPost (formerly called the Huffington Post). It is likely that liberals would read this article, as the article clearly opposes President Trump’s environmental policies and encourages people to take charge. The author uses descriptive words to demonstrate her own opinion towards the president, giving a slightly dramatic and harsh spin of what is happening.

Perspective: This article is subjective, as the author‘s message is to defend the nation’s environment by standing up for major changes that need to happen in order to prevent Donald Trump from permanently ruining the nation. I agree with the author’s claim because I believe President Trump barely cares about the environment, and that it is up to us, as the citizens, to do what is best for the country so that the environment, society, and economy don't fall apart. I think enforcing these processes would significantly benefit not just the United States, but the world too by setting a positive example for other nations to follow.

Significance: The author inserts her own opinion throughout the article many times using both statements and rhetorical questions. She starts off with the very first sentence being “For someone with such immense financial wealth—and now power—President Trump displays a baffling ‘can’t do’ attitude and ‘poverty mentality.’” Moyer later asks a clearly slanted question: “Will we continue along Trump’s “road to ruin”­—like lemmings running off a cliff? Or will we veer onto a path of safety and prosperity just in time?”. One of the last few sentences of the articles even says “President Trump’s reckless environmental policies have our species heading straight for the rocks even faster than before.” Even the title of the article shows bias, as it is called “Is President Trump the Kick in the Butt We Need to Get Onto a Sustainable Path?”.

Article 3 (The New York Times): A Year After Trump’s Paris Pullout, U.S. Companies Are Driving a Renewables Boom [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/01/climate/companies-renewable-energy.html]

Subject: The author’s main point is that even though President Trump has made the United States exit the Paris Agreement, many large corporations are continuing to honor the agreement. These corporations have invested billions of dollars in wind and solar energy projects to power their operations, making them a driving force of America’s renewable electricity growth. Many hope that it will be easier by making “green tariffs” (utility-created programs that allow customers to buy renewable energy from specific renewable energy projects) more popular and offered to encourage more people to use green energy, as these green tariffs are limited to the larger companies. As some of these corporations managed to purchased an amount of renewable electricity equivalent to all the power that they use, it doesn’t mean that the company is truly 100% run on renewable energy. The next step for these companies is to figure out ways to completely power everything using zero-carbon energy sources.

Author: Brad Plumer is a reporter covering climate change, energy policy and other environmental issues for The New York Times's climate team.

Context: This article was published in print and online on June 1, 2018. Since this article was written only a few months ago, corporations probably haven’t made much progress yet and are still trying to figure out ways to power their projects 24/7 using renewable resources. They may try to overhaul electricity markets and allow companies to make direct purchases, incorporate additional technologies like battery storage, or even use nuclear power.

Audience: The audience is the readers of The New York Times, and anyone who is interested in what major corporations are doing and encouraging the use of renewable resources. Both liberals and conservatives who are aware of climate change and support the use of renewable resources would likely be interested in reading this article. This article does not aim to please anyone who does not support renewable resources.

Perspective: This article is primarily objective, as the author shows no opinion leaning toward a liberal nor conservative perspective. The article proposes that it would be difficult for smaller companies to run on renewable energy without green tariffs. However, many are hoping for the demand and popularity of green tariffs to rise, while major corporations are trying to find ways to run completely on carbon-free energy.

Significance: Using a lot of money to make long-term purchases for renewable electricity would make the smaller companies have to “create its own energy subsidiary and receive federal approval to trade its excess power, which wouldn’t be practical for [them].” Although green tariffs are often limited to larger companies, Rob Threlkeld, a global manager for renewable energy, says “If we can show utilities that the demand is there, that could convince regulators to expand these programs and allow access for smaller companies.” Seeking ways to completely run on no carbon power is important to many, as Michael Terrell, head of energy market strategy at Google, said that “Reaching 100 percent renewable energy is an important milestone, but it’s just the beginning. We have to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize, which is to enable carbon free power in every hour of every day.”

The 3 articles were not very similar, but more different. One focused on the denial of climate change, another one acknowledged it and encouraged people to do something about it, while the last one showed an economic perspective of how large corporations are trying to switch to renewable sources. The only things that are similar is maybe that 2 of the 3 articles came from reliable sources (HuffPost and The New York Times), while one came from an extremely biased conservative source (RedState). And that they all discuss ways people are persuading each other to use renewable resources. From using pictures of animals, to companies investing money, to public advocation.

I identify with the second article (HuffPost) the most because I agree with most of what is said. As someone who is very against the first article (RedState), the second article is nearly the complete opposite, which is why I identify with it more than the third article (The New York Times). I definitely agreed with the third article, but I didn’t feel as close to it because it was talking more on an economic perspective, versus the second article talking on a social perspective. I extremely disagree with President Trump’s environmental policies and hope that more people will continue to fight for an increased use of renewable sources because I think it’s very necessary in order to protect environments worldwide. 

[guacaaflockaa-blog]

Makeup and Masculinity

I’m someone that has been able to go through quite a big cultural shift in the environment around me in my life. It was like jumping into a new world when I moved from the small  town I grew up in to Ann Arbor for when I ventured off to school. I started working part-time as both a barista in a university-owned coffee shop, as well as a temp in a gift shop. I’ve been grateful to have lived a fairly privileged life throughout my childhood and into my teens, and the first jobs I ever had were ones that I got when I went off to school. I finally had some money to my name and that meant I had money to BURN. I put it towards things I needed, like clothes, food and textbooks. However, I also put it towards things I wanted, like laptop stickers, more clothes and—something I’d never been truly able to get my hands on— makeup.

It’s funny sometimes when I talk to my parents about my sexuality. I never really had to “come out” to them, because they always kind of assumed when I was growing up that I was gay. They say things like “Oh, you used to play with barbies and tutus” and “You used to steal mom’s makeup” and that those things were early indicators of my sexuality. From my perspective, I do see how that the correlation comes to be, and how it makes sense, but it’s interesting to me how things as small as an interest in toys, and things that one might typically attribute as something “feminine” at a young age could be an indicator of my sexuality, something that I wouldn’t personally even fathom until halfway through junior high.

But yes, I was a young makeup thief. I used to steal my mom’s eyeshadow, eyeliner, all kinds of things and mash them on my face to see what kind of monstrosity I could create, and I loved doing it. Most of the time I wasn’t able to get it all off, so the crimes I had committed would have been painfully obvious. But as I got older, I got more creative and crafty, using things like art supplies on my face. While I’m sure that acrylic paint can’t be too good for your skin, I made do with what supplies I had to turn my face into a canvas, subject to only my own creativity. When I first invested my money into buying makeup, I was inspired by the media I indulged myself in. From RuPaul’s Drag Race to Jeffree Star and NikkieTutorials, I was convinced that I needed to dive in head-first into Ulta.com, and get myself enough products for a full face. I did this without really considering the fact that I shared a small 9x11 dorm room with someone I barely knew, let alone one that knew that I was a man that wears makeup. But, the ability and the artistry behind transforming my face was more than enough incentive for me to drop my dollars on everything from primer to finishing spray, and to really make a commitment in my purchase.

Truth be told, I’m not someone with much experience wearing makeup, as it’s not something that I really want to commit to putting on daily (I can barely wake up, let alone have time to pack foundation onto my face). However, the night-life scene living in a city was something that really drew my attention. Friday night is the local club’s designated “gay night”, and draws in crowds of LGBTQ+ individuals, friends, allies, and everyone in between. I personally figured that this is the perfect opportunity to test out my skills and to gauge the reactions of other people as-to what my skill level might be (how good I look), what I can improve on (how good I look), and if my orange eyeshadow really does bring out my blue eyes. I’ve experienced a lot of different reactions based on the fact that I wear makeup, the fact that I’m even interested in makeup, the fact that I would even consider indulging in something that’s typically considered “feminine”, and it’s even personally caused me to consider why I would want to do it in the first place, and what it makes me think about myself and the way I want others to perceive me. But I think the aspect of me that really continues to drive my interest in makeup as a man is plain and simple: I like to push buttons.

I am a person that likes being in control. By that, I mean that I enjoy being someone that makes their own decisions based on what they think is best for them, best for those around them, and chooses their options based on what they want for themselves, not necessarily what others want for them. In other words, as a result, I despise gender roles. I loathe the idea of a prescribed formula of what a human being should be buying, wearing, doing, and saying simply based on the gender that they were assigned at birth, or even the gender that they identify as. The idea that it was socially questionable that, as a child, I played with hot wheels AND Bratz dolls, is something that I didn’t even consider at that age, and it’s a concept that I still don’t really understand to this day. The toys that the young child I used to be played with, in reality, had nothing to say about my gender. Only the meaning that people prescribed to those toys really determined anything, resulting in my behavior being slightly “abnormal” and having to be an indicator of something being “different” about me. 

I want to emphasize that I don’t blame anyone individually for how gender norms are both perpetuated and perceived, and I most certainly don’t assign any blame to my parents for assuming my sexuality based on my interests. But what I do want to discuss is how our society encourages us to make these assumptions. I want to emphasize how much value we as a society place on restricting freedoms from one another, and how these values can lead to a false perception of causation, and has an overall detrimental impact on one’s development of their own individual identity.

Makeup on its own has nothing to do with my gender or my sexual orientation. Yes, wearing makeup as a man is much more acceptable in gay environments, but in reality, I enjoy wearing makeup because I like to change my appearance. I enjoy wearing makeup because I like to push boundaries, and I like to get people to think. I enjoy wearing makeup because I think it’s fun to test the waters of androgyny. It’s interesting to experience how rubbing powder onto one’s face can suddenly make me seem like less of a man in the eyes of society. As a man, I take pride in my own masculinity, but I also take even more pride in my confidence and my freedom to do as I please, and to look as pretty as I want to while doing it. It doesn’t make sense to me that society should tell me how I should behave, what my interests should be, and what I should be valuing. To a large extent, these are things that I believe I should do on my own, and things that everyone should do individually, because that is where creativity, diversity and perspective really start to shine through for me.

[aznhedge-archive]

Foundational: Never filter the data because you'll reach an unsuitable result. It's never within the interest of the people trying to solve a long-term problems to lie to themselves. If someone is trying to "lie" to you while claiming to want to solve your problems; you need a question their motives and whose interest they truly have in mind.

Hard, uncomfortable discussions has always been a strength of aznidentity. This sub should be wary of tone-policing and watering down certain views and discussions just because some might get offended.: aznidentity

https://www.reddit.com/r/aznidentity/comments/mf8yt7/hard_uncomfortable_discussions_has_always_been_a/

Excellent post:

"This time period is going to be crucial in terms of attempting to finally get some real change going.

IMO, there is always the possibility, the danger of a sub downgrading in quality due to diluting important messages or even culling certain viewpoints altogether because an increasing amount of readers were complaining about them, even when they shouldn't.

I guess I'll get to the point - there has been a lot of new people coming here to see what's up. Welcome. However (and a lot of you are probs aware of this) there's also bound to be more than a few people from different backgrounds popping in with ill intentions that are interested in trying to dictate the narrative, subtly and slowly but surely twisting things here and there, telling people here how we should be allowed or not allowed to do or say this and that.

Let me tell it to you straight:

Yes there are good white people, but there is still an obscene amount of them who casually disrespect or even outright despise Asians, who either refuse to acknowledge their privilege or revel in it, try to co-opt and control Asian subs like the mess at r/ china or r/ korea, who conflate every Asian with muh CCP, ostracize and shun Asians in social and work life yet play all innocent and pretend they're not complicit in this situation. Every now and then, one might even go on a killing spree....

Yes there are good black people who are devoted to solidarity, but there is still an obscene amount of them who violently attack random Asians in the street whose only crime was existing, who taunt and bully Asians, who deflect and stay in denial in every other comments section related to an Asian hate crime, who will never shut up about some Chinese or Korean dudes who were mean to Africans in Asia but stay silent about the riots that harmed Asian businesses and the numerous times that both Africans and black people in America assaulted Asians.

Yes not all AF dating white people are unwoke, yes there are plenty of good Asian women, but there is still an obscene amount of them who publicly put down AM, who openly worship white people on social media, who say AM are the 'weak link' for dubious reasons, who bizarrely blame AM for the sins of extreme white men (see Elliot Rodger or the weird accusations at Andrew Yang), who keep trying to silence this conversation or, frustratingly, denying this problem exists and telling AM who's experienced these toxic people to be a good boy and shut up. Not all AM send nasty PMs to AF but there's tons of articles written about "evil Asian men" at times implicitly suggesting this is a rampant prevalent thing, yet we're not allowed to write articles or make videos about a not-tiny amount of AF who don't stop at rejecting AM but even slander Asian men to non-Asian friends and harass AMXF couples?

The "not all [ ]" argument that people (from various groups and demographics) keep throwing at Asians here and there is borderline patronizing. No one with two brain cells actually thinks every single _____ is anti-Asian, whoever uses and abuses that cliche more often than not is trying to nurse their hurt feelings, trying save their own hide and tone-police or gaslight conversations that need to be had, and (even if unintentionally) essentially covering up for those of their group that harm or contribute to harm against Asians. If your first instinct is to nag and say 'we're not ALL like that, I think you're just seeing things or exaggerating' and not 'I'm sorry, I sympathize for you, I will call those fuckers out when I have the chance', you're not fully or truly sympathetic. It's like the "not all men" stuff when women are trying to talk about sexual assault issues.

If you happen to be offended by any of this, go somewhere else cuz this ain't a safe space buddy!

I hope this sub can,

find a way/ continue to smartly and productively criticize anti-Asian people FROM ANY GROUP, without giving genuine racists/ misogynists/ anti-semites/ homophobes etc. (who are a stark minority, don't give the outside slanderers and detractors the upper hand on this one guys) any more of the leading voice or power than the haters of BTS in the past did

still keep in mind that many POCs are not only racist against Asians, but will also never change their minds, ignore what subs like this say, and continue to be anti-Asian. Preach unity all you want, but when any POC group is making a toxic Asian "joke" or planning to go on some assaulting campaign for shits and giggles, we must not go any easier on them than we do on white people.

You NEED to understand: Asian men in particular have been forced into a unique, unenviable position in society, and as a result, there are still not many spaces like this sub where AM can vent their pent up frustrations about their lot in life and all the prejudices and double standards. Don't take this away from AM too.

still remember that the toxic attributes and widespread impact and ramifications of many (not all) WMAFs is still worth discussing and calling out. Never forget that there is such a thing as a false equivalency, do 👏 not 👏 fall 👏 for the disingenuous types who cherry pick certain AMXFs that are cringeworthy and play 'whataboutism', the types whose main goal is to downplay this ugly phenomenon and brush countless events and stories under the rug out of embarrassment, trying to manipulatively point fingers and say "no YOU'RE the one who needs to explain yourself AM scum!" Taking the heat off of this very real problematic dynamic is exactly what they want. Never be fooled.

One of the best things about this sub has always been its ability to have controversial and 'offensive' conversations about taboo topics (read: black on asian crime) that boba liberals tend to pussy away from. While it's wise to avoid going to the extreme end, and to not completely alienate white people/ black people/ AF/ hapas and so on, the last thing we need, especially in this age when awareness about Asian struggles is more mainstream than ever, is for there to be so much neutering on r/ aznidentity that it ends up looking like r/ AsianAmericanChannel on many fronts."

[theliterateape]

Four Words That Will Change Your Life (and the Internet)

by Don Hall

"If you’re not a liberal when you’re 25, you have no heart. If you’re not a conservative by the time you’re 35, you have no brain."

Churchill did not say this. Attributed to him but completely inconsistent with his own political journey (Conservative at 15 and Liberal at 35) the quote joins a rather long list of quotes he was supposed to have said, but didn't.

To quote the Mandalorian, "This is the way."

As is often the case, who said it is less relevant that what was said. I mean, somebody said it even if they just made it up to falsely attribute to Churchill, right? That somebody had a point and the point is that people change their ideologies with experience. That is true no matter if it were Churchill or the batshit crazy cat lady on the street corner with the tinfoil hat and the shoes made of stuffed animals.

Experience forces perspective. If one is open to that perspective change, this new information allows the ideology to shift one way or the other.

A friend recently told me he thought I had gained a modicum of wisdom in my advancing age. He then stopped and corrected himself "Maybe it's not wisdom but age plus exhaustion. You aren't wiser so much as you are too tired to be the dumbass of your youth." There is some truth to the assessment. I am too tired to fight the same meaningless fights as I was so thirsty for in my younger days. Some of them are no longer relevant; most are just dull in repetition. 

I find myself get ginned up about some thing in the news or online. I start to write about the bigotry of Critical Race Theory or the pernicious grip Trump has on the bizarre amalgam of GOP legislators. I get bored or tired or filled with a sense of futility so I write about something I watched on Netflix or pop out 3,000 words in my draft of the book on working at the casino. The angry piece gets sidelined and I move on to something else.

I've always been a fairly angry guy but anger (usually a response to some other less proactive emotional state like fear or despair) takes a fuck-ton of energy and with age goes the energy. 

Oh, boo-fucking-hoo! When the life expectancy of the human body used to be around thirty years, you made it to fifty-five without too many dents in your fender and now you're bitching about needing more naps?

Not complaining. Just acknowledging the inevitable loss of steam to fuel the pissed-off. The other noticeable difference is that I can see clearly how my mind has been changed on so many things since I was young, dumb, and fulla cum. 

At a time of such stridency and polarization (and let's be honest here, it's almost always been like this—we just have social media to stick it in our faces at nearly every waking hour and we're all fucking addicted to our devices like truck drivers and five-dollar whores) being able to both change your mind but also admit it and move on is quite the sign of either wisdom or age+exhaustion.

Back when I was a giant fatass, if you asked me about hitting the gym, my reaction would be the derision of a true believer in delusional fitness. I was strong(ish) but horribly out of shape and strolling leisurely down the path of late-stage diabetes and heart failure at the ripe age of forty-five.

Out of nothing but vanity, I started working out regularly. I lost eighty pounds (the equivalent of four and a half bowling balls strapped to my frame) and found a sense of Zen that my otherwise lazy rage-boner could drill.

Today, while not one of those wheat-grass drinking, Instagram humping fitness cultists, I think that a bit of exercise could do everyone some good. My mantra is simple: any exercise is better than no exercise. If all you can manage is a single pathetic push-up, do it. One push-up is better than no push-ups.

In terms of a massive change of mind, this single shift is significant in that it has been life-changing. Despite my smoking (years sucking on cigarettes and now more years on pipes) and my waning tolerance for too much alcohol (a coupla beers and a shot pretty much does me in these days) I'd wager I've added at least a few years toward the finish line. 

The change Churchill decidedly did not make note of (but note was made, that can be certain) is a sign of evolution. Not growing gills or something bizarrely nineties as all that but a personal evolving from a stupid twenty year old to a slightly less stupid fifty-five year old. In the grand scheme of things, less stupid may be a low bar to clear but it's at least a goal.

In the 1990's, as with all twenty-two year olds, I thought I had it all under control. I knew the world, saw its hypocrisies, and fully believed I was as put together and confident as a frat boy with a roofie and a Scooby Doo van. I easily dismissed anyone over the age of thirty as a sell-out, anyone past forty as societally obsolete, and couldn't believe that anyone past fifty wasn't walking around asking people who shit their pants.

And, like twenty-two year olds of every decade in every generation, I was a self righteous cunt about it.

In terms of evolving, in experience changing my mind about fundamentals, it took some trudging through certain trenches and seeing the world from multiple angles to shift perspective.

“Do what you love. The money will follow.”

Bullshit. As a younger man I loved this mythological smegma on my chest but it simply isn’t true. The more correct version is “Do what you love because you will lie on your deathbed one day and if you spent your one life doing what you despise so you could buy shit, you’re a fucking moron.”

This epiphany came to me after years of experience because that's how these things go. 

The ability to change one's mind does not come from other people telling you what to do. Sure, instructions are helpful but being told what to believe is almost always a non-starter. This has been true for all time as far as I can tell. 

Two things are at play in today’s marketplace of ideas: the ability to change one’s mind and the desire to demand fealty to competing sets of beliefs. Most people have the skill to take in new information, reflect upon it, and shift perspective. Few are willing to shift perspective taking orders from others.

In the grand scheme of things, less stupid may be a low bar to clear but it's at least a goal.

When Vegas was in the early stages of COVID shutdown, I genuinely believed it was overblown and Chicken Little hysteria. “It’s just like the flu!” I recall saying to guests on the casino floor. I made jokes about licking machines and drinking Purell. Then the information started rolling out as scientists began to truly understand the gravity of the situation.

I changed my mind. I began to take it seriously. I did the reading and paid attention. 

“You said it was just like the flu a week ago!”

“I did. I was wrong.”

Those three words cannot be forced. They cannot be scolded into existence. They cannot be demanded. “What if you’re wrong?” is far less powerful than “What if I’m wrong?”

That’s really the essence of the thing. If more of us asked ourselves that question perhaps the marvel of digital communication would be less populated by wannabe neighborhood watch types vomiting out their putrid opinions on how everyone else is wrong. Maybe—just maybe—we could relax a bit and reflect on our own perspective shifts and engage in society with more grace than an angry, underserved nun with a hard-on for punishing those around her.

When I was in my twenties, I was terrified of homosexuality, I voted for Ronald Reagan, I drank until I blacked out and got into bar fights, I treated sex like it was a prize to win through manipulation. No one shamed me for these ideas. At some point, with experience and at least an ounce or two of self-reflective ability, I asked myself if I was wrong. I was wrong so I changed my mind and thus my behavior.

The goal is to become a better human before your clogged heart shuts down or a bus casually caves in your rib cage. The goal is not to focus on the guy in the Walmart parking lot screaming about the government making him wear a surgical mask to buy cheap macaroni and powdered cheese or the woman pushing the white fragility book on you. The goal is to become better at this life before it ceases to be.

To become better, ask yourself “What if I’m wrong?”

[serenavangstuff]

Juniper Publishers-Gerontological Communication

Letter to Editor

The communication is an essential element of life, we could say that to communicate is to live, is a cross-disciplinary subject and what is called Social Communication can never be divorced from any task involving promotive activities or development plans, it is a matter that is not exclusive to journalists or communicators, and should be an essential part of professional training in general. Communicate is to express, to say, to call, to summon, to inform, to imply to agree, to lead, to advise, to influence, to draw attention to something, to discover with the weapon of language, observation, reflection and analysis. And there are many ways of communicating, different languages spoken, written, mimic, the language used must be the one that is adapted to each human situation or condition and the language is impregnated with the cultural or subcultural legacy, prejudices, myths, beliefs and often influenced by passions or hatred.

The societies evolve but many prejudices, taboos, are maintained and are necessary to implement public policies that fight these obstacles of cultural development that is united to the great problem of the discrimination, an age group as important as the older adult, in spite of many efforts still occupy a secondary place in our society, despite its real importance and going against the reality of its great contribution to the nation, and that only a minority are what the language of discrimination calls "old people” in the sense of dependency.

What we think and what we feel will be what our words express and only the one who is convinced of what he says can really influence others, you can not convince anyone if you are not convinced, so you communicate correctly, so too by the need for a process of reflection, and there is a language that is adapted to the reality of the older adult and social attitude, the image of the older adult is slowly changing, is generating a new respect and that new vision, real elderly person, banished by necessity and with basic terms such as old or old, is in some way creating a new reality and that brings us a new language, a new, fairer view of reality.

That is why people who work with older adults should lead and be promoters of a new concept of aging and their words be accompanied by actions and inspire them to know, reflect and love.

Respect is not only not to insult, it is to treat them as older adults who are, as important people, even if they are really vulnerable or with dementia, to express themselves with the elderly with the greatest dignity and consideration. We will analyze the importance of this language, of this great and deserved respect and the image of the older adult today.

The aging process begins well before the age of 60, but it is true that at older age, more discrimination exists and although people over the age of 35 are already discriminated against at work, the perception is that they are "old” a lot later, that vision of what is called old age, considers essentially certain visible physical changes where at that age they are usually more emotional, obviously a superficial vision that scorns the older adult in itself, for its aspect of "old”, without considering other variables, in which people they reach a creative, intellectual or artistic development after the barrier estimated above the age of 60, and which are based on a culture that exalts youth, seeing in such old age only decay and end of life.

The aging process is for everyone, but the most obvious discrimination is the older adult, the statistics themselves deny the false perception that the older adult is a decadent, dependent or weak subject. In recent years, there has been an increase in the social participation of the elderly, with various activities that show us learning new things, using modern technological tools, capable of changing their view of things and this new view justifies the fact that let us leave aside the terms of another "reality”, of a great persistent myth. Lamentable the role of large mass media that continue to emit images of a weak older person, and shows us as a second class citizen, just as someone who needs help, the typical "old man” of the news.

Claro also show us phenomenal "elders" who are seen as oddities to amuse the public. In our country and safe in many brother countries, almost all journalists refuse to call people aged 60, without leaving the associated language, to a different reality, a language contaminated with a deprecated vision of the reality of the elderly. In a way, in all professions there are vices and what we name here, is stubbornness, a kind of rebellion before what they seem to consider "official language" or tax, for my part there is no official language but correct and this can be varied or to qualify. And in all this that the older adult thinks, in our country they do not like to be called old or old, little by little, self-image evolves, as the new image of the older adult grows. But there is also the low self-esteem of the marginalized, of the despised who will always be low and can accept almost any word that contains contempt, so we have much to do to make the elderly adults more empowered.

Now the terrible manipulation of commercial television offers "what people like," supposedly no one likes "old", except to be pitied or laughed at, commercial media underestimate citizens, induce and manipulate the " taste of people". State institutions and civil organizations carry out various activities promoting older adults and aging, such as educational events, forums, workshops, commemorative events, workshops, and work meetings, but the question is the effectiveness of these activities can have, as far as the idea of promoting, is to influence citizenship to improve the image of the elderly and reduce levels of discrimination and poor attitudes towards older adults, where there are various types of violence, almost "Institutionalized" The most notorious defects are at the origin of many promoter activities that is the lack of conviction and therefore of mere compliance, many events and groups of activities are made for a small group of representatives or professionals, in an effort to avoid costs, when it is necessary to reach more people and what is also serious, the little importance they give to the diffusion of such events, diffusion before and after realized.

In that sense, promoter activities are absolutely ineffective and serve only as a signal that officials and organizers work and they add compliance bonuses. There are working meetings with interesting speeches, but to which they do not follow conclusions for the taking of concrete actions, and they become a simple exhibition of knowledge or sterile competences as long as an action is not collected from it. It is necessary to create an interinstitutional network that is taken seriously not to make mere exhibitionism of intellectualism or party, but to draw conclusions and actionable plans of action and this requires commitment and perhaps a quota of sacrifice, are promoted and they celebrate laws but they neglect the preventive factor of education and the possibility of an articulate permanent campaign that can really raise awareness and influence.

Promotion without diffusion, is wasting resources and talents, and achieves only inefficiency, which only serves to the applause of the audience and then pure oblivion, and we must remember that the public is no longer informed as before and the internet media are fundamental to the creation of the permanent campaign, it is not enough to work, you have to prove that you work. If we want to advance faster in the promotion of the elderly, positive aging and gerontological culture, it is necessary not neglect, assertive language, ie honest, direct and clear, as well as respectful and appropriate, say what you think and feel , to impact consciences and to break up perhaps a cold sterile academicism.

Always with the development of societies is accompanied by a certain inertia, which slows down and extinguishes enthusiasm, assertive language is the language of leadership, intelligent and emotional at the same time and therefore is our weapon against the coldness of sterile academicism. Knowing how to express something correctly and passionately at the same time should be the gerontological promoter's leading weapon, to influence, to convince, using what is usually called emotional intelligence. The true commitment is rational and emotional at the same time, it allows to analyze the receiver of the message, convince, does not impose or threat, so if one has a gerontological vision and real commitment this is his language, and also leaves aside inadequate or outdated terms, to name the people and express new respect for a new vision of aging.

And the misuse of an inadequate gerontological language, in front of the elderly and the community is a gravitating error in the gerontological promoter, together with bad humor and authoritarian gestures, the lack of commitment generates many errors that bring by logic bad results. The Gerontological Promoter must consider as a priority, the crucial issue, the dissemination of promotional activities, promote is to make public the work done for the good of the community and we must know with what means of dissemination we can count. We all know that the commercial media almost totally ignore the older adult theme and gerontology and it is very difficult to access them, when we achieve something of such means is merely occasional, not systematic and do not think that we should blow the bells to fly, and think because I got a note once, it will always be.

We must think about the means that are truly within our reach and that can always be with us, we must keep in mind that preferences and orientations are changing towards the digital world and that technology with its variety of devices puts the internet closer to the people, both because of it and the cheapening of the network costs and the large amount of public that navigates and above all enters the social networks. The traditional media are behind in gerontological information and the internet media generate great alternatives, latelevision, radio can provide programs but the internet generates alternative media, information systems and gerontological information networks, which exceed by hundreds the commercial offer of traditional media.

The idea is for the promoter to maintain contact with the commercial media if possible, but it is time to take the initiative and use the means that are truly available to the citizen and create their spaces in the network, pages, blogs, groups, with a permanent work communicator and linker, join with other pages, groups and blogs, promoters must have public profiles that allow them to go acquiring many friends, followers and contacts, join larger networks and support the small, publishing is always fundamental, choose the publications well according to the objectives drawn, and have the public they wish to have. It is good to have several social networks that are linked to each other, all this will result in an increasing positioning of the institution for which you work, it is not enough to work, you have to prove that you work.

Older people are constantly increasing in the internet and social networks and in a few years will multiply because of the large number of people over 50 who remain online, social networks as spaces of communication between people, have evolved into communities in network, in constant interaction. The social networks allow a tremendous interaction, and a repercussion of the news, comcomientes, shared and the so- called "rebounds", the systematic use of networks to publish news and capture networks tends to increase, while prejudices against social networks lose floor. They are places where we see news, we learn, we entertain and at the same time we communicate, that combination that is not possible in other means, strengthens the great change in progress, the move of the public to the internet media.

The gerontological promoter must polish and revise his communicational tools, his use of the appropriate language, the expression that generates confidence and the ideas must be exposed with clarity and conviction, so that the proposals in favor of the older adult, are accepted, before, by the elderly themselves. Never think of imposing an idea, however brilliant that we believe it to be, we must listen to others and perhaps this idea will develop better and be more successful and viable. It is necessary to achieve consensus and adequately substantiate. Once consensus has been reached, seek a broad participation of others in the implementation, generate a joyful commitment and this will be a success.

When it comes to organizing an event that is commemorative, festive or educational, keep in mind always, that being such an event a promoter activity, it needs an adequate diffusion. Dissemination is a fundamental element for the success of an event and should be an integral part of the plan of this activity, with what means will be counted, since the gerontological promoter should contribute to improving the image of the elderly, influencing people and both must always have a public profile, a communicating attitude and open to information. It is important to establish communication alliances in social networks, with other institutions and gerontological projects that go in a similar way, the type, style or quality of what you publish will form your audience, unite, interact, connect are actions that do not have loses, the big favors the small and the small to the big, to relate is to grow, isolation is the worst, of work, where little is published, or almost nothing will be no public and the lack of publications will lead to failure the project.

If a gerontological institution has few activities, it is obliged to share interesting information so as not to discourage readers from related themes and interesting for the elderly or their family and professional environment. We have to work seriously the means at our disposal, we review statistics, we must set goals and always have adequate and favorable institutional relationships. Avoid linking with institutions or people with questions, which affect the institutional image and observe transparency in the promotion, be truthful and persevering in dissemination. It is possible to say that the communicating attitude is the opposite of covering up, and must therefore generate confidence, the truth can not be harmful, only the lie is, we are always ready to publish and relate well and with optimism, seriousness and work will be achieved. Objectives of adequately promoting the older adult and the gerontological culture.

There are many who consider that anonymity should be helped and without publicity, many argue in this argument to opt for an anti-communication option that often serves to cover up the lack of work and bad practices. Society, the elderly, need to know, with whom it can count and also have the right to demand transparency from the institutions and this goes also to private organizations. Transparency implies the need to inform about the activities that are carried out, and the sources of financing, it is necessary to know with which people leaders must be visible, the objectives and mission of such institutions must be known and their activities should be consistent with what they propose.

Anyone who speaks in favor of older adults and claims to have a supportive organization on their behalf is bound to have a public profile and a communicating attitude. We need institutions that are positioned, manifest their work and their objectives by the means at our disposal, that make known its name and its leaders. We talked about the proper use of internet media, the fact of having a website or a blog, or both, of having spaces in the main social networks like facebook, twitter, Google +, LinkedIn and Pinterest, a YouTube channel. It is very important that the institution and even those who lead appear in the public light and make themselves known. It is clear that there are also those who make themselves known in a biased way, they advertise focusing on a single place concealing, so it is necessary that there is an attitude of transparency showing their work their sources of financing and resource management, institutions are needed trustworthy with honest leaders.

To read more articles in Journal of Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine

Please Click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/oajggm/index.php

For more Open Access Journals in Juniper Publishers

Click on: https://juniperpublishers.com/journals.php

[transrph]

                                  Writing a Trans Character                          As Experienced by a Trans Man

With more resources coming out for trans faceclaims, I wanted to make sure that there were also more guides on how to write a trans character. So I’m going to be sharing my personal experience with gender as a toolset for those that haven’t/aren’t questioning their identity. Please keep in mind that this is entirely based off of my personal experience and growth, and that every trans person has their own journey with their own experiences. None are invalid and all are equally as important. This also wound up turning into more of a gender study as well, so feel free to share and message about your thoughts. I’d love to have gender discussions!

Part One                 Part Two The Early Signs     | Mislabeling 

Part Three Navigating Identities

My biggest struggle, but also probably the biggest blessing, was trying to sort through and learn about all of the different identities that I’d found out about once gender became less boy and girl. I owe the knew knowledge I had to a web-series called Carmilla, and I owe the remaining and future knowledge to a youtuber by the name of Ash Hardell, who’s videos are beyond educational (seriously if you ever want to learn about gender identities and different labels go to their channel, it’s incredible).

The first label I used was nonbinary, it was the one I felt most comfortable with at 23 and not having a clue as to what my gender identity really was. I enjoyed my feminine side, I even thought I was pretty. And while some days I was very dysphoric about my chest, others I was more than happy to look down and say ‘damn I have some nice boobs’. Which brings your character to the next set of questions. What about their body do they love, what can they simply appreciate, and what do they absolutely despise? Because there is a difference between appreciating something and actually loving it. I appreciated my boobs, but I didn’t love them. However, my hair I loved, but I also love my short hair as well. It makes me feel better connected to myself. So take your character head to toe, list the things like like about themselves, and sort out what they appreciate and what they love. And then make a separate list for what they hate.

There’s a common misconception that transgender people hate everything about their bodies, or have to be dysphoric at all. The fact is, being trans is different for everyone. For some, yes, it can be crippling dysphoria and severe depression. For me, it was minor dysphoria, and overall unhappiness in myself over something I couldn’t identify, and wishing for people to see me as a boy. In that sense I was more socially dysphoric as opposed to physically dysphoric (more on this in a few). And then we have some that simply don’t experience dysphoria at all, they just know that the way society views them is not how they view themselves. And they know they want to fix that.

With physical dysphoria it is about your body, the things that make you feel like you are not the gender you know you are internally. Hair, face shape, shoulders, genitalia, leg hair, adam’s apple, even height. These are all some of the things a person suffering with physical dysphoria would take note of.

With social dysphoria, it’s more about how society see’s you and what it is about your social interactions that make you come off more masculine/feminine. Voice, for instance, was a major social one for me, because my voice was relatively deep for a female it was still too high to be seen as male. The body language I used is also quite feminine. I pop my hip a lot, click my tongue, wave my hand, all things stuck with the ‘feminine’ label. And it was due to growing up and learning body language from other people that shared my sex.

So when writing your character, know what kind of dysphoria that they experience. Is it mostly social or physical, is it a balance between both?

Also keep in mind that dysphoria isn’t just about the chest and the genitals. Yes for some that’s a huge problem, but for me my lower half gives me no dysphoria. The worst I get is penis envy but never truly dysphoric. My biggest dysphoria comes from my voice, as I said, second to that my muscles, after that my chest, and then after that my height. Dysphoria can present itself in so many different ways and in so many different levels. How much someone experiences will be unique to that person, and no person, character, mun, anyone should tell someone that the way they feel their dysphoria is wrong. So keep this in mind when roleplaying with another trans character, just because their character’s dysphoria does not match your idea, it does not make it any less valid.

Getting back to dysphoria and identities, there sadly is a struggle with the standard ‘quota’ on dysphoria. Because media presents being dysphoric as a sort of requirement, finding one’s gender identity can feel like we are simply making it all up in our heads. So when I finally came to realize that it in fact, is not a requirement, I began to label myself as genderfluid. Because again, I didn’t hate myself for being a woman, and in my mind that was what was required to be a trans male. I can say, the more I explored the masculine side of gender fluidity, the more I began falling deeper and deeper into self discovery. Cutting long hair to short hair seems to be a turning point in a lot of the trans guys I see both on Tumblr and on Youtube. It was sort of like that eye opening moment of ‘Yes. This fits me. Yes.’ A sort of silent validation that this is who you are. For me, I tried to keep it feminine cut, wanting to cling to the female side of gender fluidity due to my relationship with a lesbian cis woman.

However when I got home and saw the cut, it felt worse than when I had long hair. I no longer had the femininity of my long hair, but this wasn’t quite masculine enough in my opinion either. So I went in and chopped my hair off little by little until I got to a length I was happy with. 

For me, my long hair was the biggest thing about my femininity, and even though it was my favorite part about myself, it also made people think I was only female and that didn’t work for me on days when I felt very masculine.

My point in this is that finding the right label and growing comfortable in said label is a process in itself. The entire journey through gender identity is long. Painfully long. And before you know it so much time has passed by just trying it figure out who you are and what your identity is. In my opinion this is critical to the development of a character, knowing the struggles they went through to find their label and to grow comfortable in it. Because as you can see, I very much am not genderfluid, but at the time that was the label I was happy with. It was a stepping stone in the full journey, and that is what character development is about. The journey to who your character is today, and why they are that way. Research as many labels as possible, think about what they would realistically feel comfortable labeling themselves as before transgender fits them (that is if yours struggles with identities, if not then feel free to skip ahead). The following links are to Ash Hardell’s very educational videos on gender identity that they made and I think are a great tool in both writing and in the self.

All About Pronouns

Everything Gender Part One

Everything Gender Part Two

Greygender

Settling into the trans label was oddly difficult. I don’t think it was internalized transphobia because it had nothing to do with transphobia and more to do with me thinking I wasn’t allowed to label myself as transgender given all the facts I’ve mentioned before. So now would be a good time to reflect on your character building. With their experiences as kids and on, their sexuality labels and their comfort in those labels, and now the stepping stone labels (if they used any before identifying as transgender), would your character feel comfortable and sure enough to label themselves as transgender? If yes, congrats feel free to move ahead. If no, then the rest of this will be catered to you.

Growing comfortable in a label, in my opinion, is all about the research done. Learning what it means to identify as that label, and listening to others experiences when finding themselves and identifying with that label. Below is a video I watched (excluding one by Benton Sorensen which was the genuine video that validated my identity. He has since deleted it) that helped me immensely through my journey and I think will further help you in putting your mindset in that of a trans guy (I cannot and will not speak on behalf of trans women because it is my belief that socially they have it much harder and have an entirely different struggle than trans men face. Again, just my opinion).

I Didn’t Know I Was Transgender

I’d like to remind everyone reading that transitioning and figuring themselves out is different for everyone, however, Taylor O’Keefe’s video was like someone took my life and had someone else speak about it. So while there are differences, there are also many similarities on the emotional and mental level. The thought processes when questioning your gender.

So if your character was not feeling comfortable identifying as trans before, write in how they grew comfortable, or have that be a plotline in your story/verse. Because it can be a long grueling process full of self doubt and at times self loathing, I can’t think of a better source of angst than feeling like you are at war with yourself.

Prompt Version:

What about your characters body do they love?

What about your characters body do they appreciate?

What about your characters body do they hate?

Do they experience more physical dysphoria or social dysphoira? Or a balance of both?

Does your character feel comfortable enough at this point in time, to for sure call themselves transgender?

How did they grow comfortable?

[abnahaya]

Jesy Nelson and I Can Finally Look at Our Old Photos Without Feeling Bad

I’m not a famous person, I can still count how many cruel online comments that I get, but I remember them all. There was a time when I was a dancer in a nightclub and they uploaded my picture with my fellow dancer who was younger and cuter —according to society’s beauty standard, and many of the people made fun of my features. Or another time when I received a weird and offensive question on a social media platform about how I gained so much weight. Even though I know that these aren’t the slightest true statements, and that I shouldn’t think of them, I can’t erase them from my mind. I try not to dwell on them but it’s so easy to recall those moments in a flash.

Now imagine hundreds or even thousands of hates comments every day for five years.

A few days ago, I watch a documentary of Jesy Nelson, a personnel of British girl group Little Mix. I like Little Mix but honestly, I don’t follow their journey from the start, they just caught my attention when “Wings” was released. Apparently, ever since their X-factor days, Jesy had been bullied online because of her looks and it affected her a lot. It broke my heart when Jesy told the BBC three that on the night Little Mix won X-factor, she was actually sad and devastated, she didn’t care about winning, all she wanted was to go home, but she couldn’t destroy the joy of her fellow band mates. At that point, all the bullying had gotten inside her head, overwriting her own ideas of herself. Not even the achievement of her dreams could chase the fears away. In the documentary that left audience weeping —including yours truly, Jesy told how she couldn’t look at her old pictures and videos because of deep trauma they evoked. Even after losing weight and applying makeup, she still hated herself.

***

I remember when I met my teacher from Junior High School days and the first thing she told me was, “Oh you’re prettier now, you used to be pitch black” (not trying to be racist but she literally said the word). I told my mum and she laughed it off—because it’s true, she said. And even though deep in my heart I wasn’t flattered one bit by that statement, I had to brush it off and forcefully telling myself that I was at least getting better. But even so, I couldn’t bring myself to look at my old photos because I thought I looked horrible. I erased all the old profile pictures and hid the tagged photos on Facebook. One time my friend uploaded one of our old picture and I felt so disgusted with my own face —although all I said to her was: “OMG LOL”.

I must say I’m lucky I’m a nobody, because I can easily forget about the times those “bad memories” comes into surface and they don’t pop up that often if not because of Facebook Most of my friends were too busy with their life to reminisce the old days, and I wouldn’t even do it in a million years, or so I thought.  However, once it happens, it’s like watching a horror movie. I don’t want to see it, even the sound itself already scares me, yet everyone keep shoving it into my face and telling me to look until I have to peek from between my fingers. Usually ends up with me looking for a brief two minutes that feels so long, before I squeak and close my eyes again, hoping that the image that has been carved into my brain can disappear quickly. But of course, it doesn’t, instead it’s going to haunt me for a couple of nights and making me feel uneasy.

I hated looking at my own face because it reminded me of how “ugly” I was, that all the features I had back in the days were laughable. It also made me sad that I thought there were so many wonderful memories, great stories and experiences, yet what people would remember from me was just how unattractive I was. I know vividly that my look was a big insecurity for me in those years, and even though some of my closest people were cheering for me at that time, as time pass by, they said the same thing with the bullies. One time my mum told me that she mentioned the name Naomi Campbell the supermodel only to make me feel better, but she never thought that Naomi was pretty, she was just simply stating we share the same skin tone. She laughed again as she continued describing how silly I was to believe her so easily, and that my teacher was right.

I tried to laugh it off many times, too. After all, those time has passed. I am now good in applying makeup, knows what clothes to wear, and not as terrible looking as before. I have grown into an adult and expected to face “criticism” with grace and a light heart. I tried not to be one of the “snowflake generation” whom offended easily in trivial matters. At least that was what I was told.

***

I believe how Jesy’s documentary could reach so many hearts are that because many people have been through similar experiences. Maybe not online, and maybe not by thousands of people, but just enough to hurt them. Others can also relate to the symptoms she describes on tape, maybe these people didn’t even think of getting bullied but at some points, they understand how it feels to just despise the image you see in the mirror. We all know very well how powerful words are, sadly, because at some points we have been hurt by others’ words.

Jesy went to see a beauty image consultant and we could watch short sessions between the two of them. In the second visit, Jesy was showed her old footage from the X-factor days and even further back to her childhood pictures, it was the first time she saw them after years. The consultant asked her what the old Jesy would think if she was told that she would have her dream coming true in the future, would she think of being sad? Of course not. The wake-up call for Jesy was when she was reminded that who she had become today was the result of the evolution of her past self, that she wouldn’t be able to reach her dream without the past Jesy inside her, and that she wouldn’t survive and become stronger if not from the painful journey the past Jesy had gone through to become the present Jesy.

I had a similar revelation, despite that I didn’t have to visit any consultant and simply just had extra time to look within myself. My wake-up call was just when I scrolled my Twitter timeline and finding a post where a guy put his new picture and a childhood picture together, saying that he didn’t change much. I looked through my tagged photos and saved a few of my old Junior High School pictures, the period when I was in a weird transition, leaving my cute childhood behind and not yet arriving into the graceful adult, basically the worst pages of my life lookbook. I stared at both pictures from different decades, puberty didn’t hit me like a truck, but I sure have evolved with time.

I mean, maybe I’d have a slightly better picture if iphone —or at least Xiaomi had existed in early 2000s. But that’s the point. Time has changed. I have changed. There have been so many things came in my way ever since and I survived. That skinny, curly-haired girl is still here inside me as I am inside her. I wouldn’t be able to be who I am now if she hadn’t put so much effort and positivity all along. Just as I picked up another picture from my golden days, when I was in Uni, the period in which I miss almost everything —slim figure, fun days, dancing non-stop, life free of responsibilities, and not having any more regrets. I no longer hate my few extra kgs or how my leg feels weaker when I twerk, not anymore, because I have everything in the present me. I have me.

We heard many wisdom sayings, like: life is like a roller coaster, just enjoy the ride —or some sort. It’s not wrong. I just want to add a bit of a note, that is to go to the toilet and take a look at the mirror. Appreciate yourself today. You are alive. Then remember another quote: life is a gift, that’s why we call it present. Your life today is the gift given by you from yesterday, last week, and even 8 years ago. Enjoy it. If it’s a bit too much today, scream it out, remember, everyone in the roller coaster are freaking out anyway. You’re not alone and you are beautiful.