#tree health specialist

[treedoctorusasworld]

Winterizing Your Trees: Top Tips for a Flourishing Garden

The onset of winter weather is imminent, and you won’t be the only one who needs to wear warm clothing. It is imperative that you get your trees ready. If you do not, you run the chance of them breaking, falling, or simply being an eyesore in your yard. Therefore, you should contact Tree Health Care San Diego if you need tree care. In light of this, you will need to adhere to the specific guidelines for winter trees to shield them from frost and maintain their viability. An excellent place to begin is by performing light pruning and applying mulch. It would be best if you continued to water them and keep the snow off the branches. In addition, you should take precautions to keep animals away. These are just a few elementary steps to follow.

The Advantages of Strong Trees

Trees have a tremendous impact on how our environment is shaped and confer many benefits on individuals and communities worldwide. Trees in Minnesota offer much more than only giving much-needed oxygen; in addition, they provide much-needed shade for homes and businesses and homes for a broad range of native species. In other words, trees in Minnesota serve several purposes.

During the warmer months of the year, trees act like enormous parasols, shielding a neighborhood from the sun’s direct rays and lowering the air’s temperature. In addition to their usage in natural landscaping, trees are frequently used in architectural design as ornamental features. In either scenario, trees’ continuing vitality and healthy development are essential for them to carry out their responsibilities.

On the financial side of things, it has been suggested that the worth of a house is higher when it has been adequately planted with trees and that this contributes to an increase in the value of the home. Are you familiar with the facts regarding trees and the imperative that it is to look after their health throughout the winter? Even though winter may appear to be an odd time to care for trees and may even be an uncomfortable season, there are several benefits to performing this activity at this time of year. We have compiled five tried-and-true approaches to tree healthcare to ensure your trees continue to thrive and remain healthy throughout the season.

Advice for Caring for Trees in the Wintertime

One thing that property and company owners should remember to do throughout the winter is to take care of their trees by managing any necessary pruning that needs to take place. It is recommended that you prune your tree during the winter months because this is when deciduous trees are dormant, and it is not the growing season for these trees. Because all the leaves have fallen off during the winter, you can easily access different regions of the tree and see precisely where you need to prune. It makes winter an ideal time for tree pruning.

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Pruning trees in the winter reduces the risk of inflicting fatal wounds on the trees, which may occur if the pruning were performed in the spring. When trees are pruned during the growing season, also known as the warm weather seasons, the resulting wounds and the sap that flows from them can become breeding grounds for a wide variety of pests and diseases that are harmful to the tree’s health.

Take Good Care of Young Trees

During the winter, young and newly planted trees are typically more susceptible to damage. Considering that these young trees have yet to develop their root systems, it may not be easy to care for them in the future.

It would help if you tended to your young trees and bushes now that the weather has turned chilly since they will have to survive a winter that is likely to be bitterly cold, snowy, and even icy. You may help safeguard the safety of young trees over the winter by cabling them, so they remain upright. It will reduce the risk of damage to the trees. The snow and ice may bring down your young tree because they are such powerful forces.

In addition to that, make sure that you put a plastic guard around the trunk of the tree or a wire fence around it so that rabbits and deer won’t eat it. Because of this damage, the tree may eventually perish. It is also helpful to prevent winter burn on the growth of your shrubs by wrapping them in burlap or cotton before winter arrives.

Stay Away From Using Salt Near Any Trees

It would help if you didn’t use salt anywhere near your trees, as the snow and ice accumulate over the winter months. Even while salt is an effective tool for melting ice on sidewalks and driveways, using it in the immediate area could hurt the trees.

Salt will end up causing damage to your tree’s roots and trunks since it will inhibit the tree from obtaining the critical nutrients for life and nutrition that it needs from the soil. Use sand or a natural de-icer that does not contain salt as an alternative to salt.

Conduct Frequent Inspections of Your Trees

Residents in Minnesota are well aware of how rapidly the weather may shift. It is crucial to check on your trees and bushes whenever there is a snowstorm or other type of winter storm. If there is a significant accumulation of snow on either of these, you may damage your tree or your house considerably. Ensure that you keep a close eye on your trees and the structure of their trunks and branches throughout the winter season.

Retain the Services of a Qualified Arborist

Last but not least, one of the most valuable pieces of advice we can provide regarding the care of trees during the winter is to contract the services of an expert to carry out the activities of winter tree removal and pruning. Although there are circumstances in which it may be OK for you to do some duties related to winter tree care on your own, it is prudent to delegate the more significant projects to professionals.

Professional arborists have access to specialized equipment and a wealth of knowledge, making them the best choice for many aspects of tree maintenance, including but not limited to the removal of trees and trimming branches located at greater heights on trees. Get in touch with a tree care provider to ensure your property’s trees receive the attention they need this winter.

Superior Tree Maintenance During the Winter

Do you plan to take care of your trees and ensure they remain healthy this winter? Dial the Professional Tree Care Services number right away. Professional arborists at Tree Doctor USA have extensive experience and training in applying vital tree care services to residential properties.

Original Source: How to Care for Happy and Healthy Tree in The Winter

[landscapedesignfirm]

Callery Pear Tree Invasive Species

Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana), native to China and Vietnam, have been popular ornamental trees for almost 200 years. These trees were introduced to the United States in the 1800s and are often planted along streets and sidewalks because of their attractive form and coloration. This species is also known for its disease resistance (particularly fire blight resistance.) However, Callery pear tree is an invasive species, so much so that nurseries will no longer be allowed to sell the plant in Pennsylvania in 2024.

Callery Pear Tree Appearance

Callery pear has a distinctive appearance with crucial aspects that can help homeowners and plant health care experts quickly identify the plant.

Size: Callery Pear trees typically grow to around 16 to 26 ft tall, or approximately 5 to 8 meters, often with a conical to rounded crown.

Leaves: The leaves are oval-shaped and about 1-1⁄2 to 3 inches long, with a dark green color in early spring before the leaves turn yellow, orange, or red in the fall.

Flowers: The flowers are white and grow in clusters, have about five petals, and are about 3⁄4 to 1 inch in diameter.

Fruits: The fruits of the Callery pear are small, less than 3⁄8 of an inch in diameter. In addition, the fruits have a rugged, almost woody feel but are softened by frost, after which birds readily consume them.

Damage Caused by Callery Pear

Callery pear trees are invasive plants in many parts of the country and have damaged the landscapes and gardens of Pennsylvania homeowners. One of the significant reasons Callery pears cause so much damage is how the trees grow. These trees form dense thickets which displace native plants and animals. The dense thickets push out native trees or other plants that may compete with the Callery pear for water, soil, and space.

In addition, some cultivars (a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits), such as the ‘Bradford pear,’ are susceptible to storm damage, becoming disfigured or killed by strong winds and winter weather. So there is also a risk of the branches falling during strong winds and storms and damaging other things around the tree, like property or people.

What Makes Callery Pear an Invasive Plant

Like other species of plants we have discussed in this series, Callery pear has many qualities that enable the tree to spread quickly. One primary reason is the fruits discussed previously. The tree species produce large quantities of fruits that birds consume, and then those birds fly and relocate to new areas, passing the seeds in droppings into the soil, allowing new Callery pear trees to grow.

What makes Callery pear unique among the other invasive plant species we have talked about is the role of cultivars in spreading its population. Cultivars were initially bred to produce sterile fruit. However, different varieties can cross-pollinate, which results in viable seeds. When these cultivars grow close enough to each other to cross-pollinate, the trees produce fertile seeds that can sprout once dispersed.

Treating & Controlling Callery Pear

Callery pear can be challenging to control, but some methods exist for managing or removing the population from a landscape.

Small plants and their roots can be removed by hand, but larger trees require more extensive removal with specialized equipment, and herbicide application must be used as a follow-up.

Foliar herbicide applications can be done from around mid-May to early-mid October. These foliar treatments are ideal for landscapes with a low to moderate density of trees, which are less than 10 feet tall.

Basal bark treatments can be applied to the stems of a Callery pear tree throughout the year, with some exceptions (particularly during snow or rainy weather.)

As always, these control and treatment options require specialized, extensive knowledge of plant health care techniques. So call a plant health care expert if you need help with Callery pear in your landscape.

Contact Burkholder PHC for Expert Treatment of Plant Health Care Issues

The Callery pear tree invasive plant can overtake landscapes, and its dense thickets prevent native plant species from growing. To keep your landscape and native species healthy and able to thrive, we recommend a professional evaluation to help remove the plant and control any adverse effects. Our evaluation is free, and the proper treatments can help improve the health of your landscape. Contact Burkholder PHC today for a free consultation.

Blog is originally published at: https://www.burkholderphc.com/callery-pear-tree-invasive-species/

It is republished with the permission from the author.

[sunrise-tree-service]

Customized Plant Health Care

With the proper care and maintenance, landscape plants can provide years of benefits. Plant Health Care (PHC) is a unique and multifaceted concept in plant management. The goal of our Plant Health Care Division is to attain and then maintain your landscapes overall health and appearance. We work closely with the local arboretums and pride ourselves on being up to date in all aspects of the tree care industry. The Plant Health Care Division utilizes the most up to date, safe, and effective preventative and curative methods on all of our customers’ properties.

[star-anise]

It's been a hot minute since I looked at Canada's National Occupation Classification system. I learned about it when studying career counselling in grad school, and it's pretty useful in terms of job-hunting and getting information on what different types of jobs require and pay.

A friend asked me for advice about becoming a therapist so I went and looked. They redid it since I last visited, and oh man there are some chef's kiss decisions.

There are 9 top-level categories, with 1 being legislative and senior management, 5 being arts, culture, and sport, and 9 being manufacture and utilities. So I was looking for my old job's classification, which used to be 4153 - Family, marriage and other related counsellors. Knowing that made searching the government job bank really easy back in the day, because instead of searching "counsellor" "counselor" "psychotherapist" "mental health therapist" "clinical counsellor" etc etc etc to find them all, I just typed "4153" and hit enter.

Anyway, they redid the system and now that job is parked at 41301 - Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies. Here's the tree to get there:

Cool cool cool. It's tidier, even if the occupations are still a bit messy. (When I dropped out of the field, the different counselling subdivisions were tapping their toes impatiently waiting for the provincial government to let them form their own professional regulatory college. Which still has not happened. Last week my shrink said he'd got an email from the College of Psychologists announcing that it would be gathering all the smaller counselling fields into its own downy breast instead. I have no idea what's happening anymore.)

Anyway. I scrolled down to another job I once worked and HAHA WHAT

Yes. There are only three sub-units of category 44:

Nannies:

In-home caregivers:

And,

Combat specialists

I find this grouping of professions hilarious, appropriate, and deeply validating. No notes. 🧑‍🍳👌💋

[b3achysurfur]

ANALYSISSSS TIMMEEE

Call me a reacher, but actually I’m a preacher. About to make y’all learn this lore like I’m your teacher. I don’t care if you get dreary, y’all gon hear this theory.

I know y’all want the paper crane cult to be evil , but I think it’s the other way around tbh. the cranes probably aren't bad people, they believe what they're doing is correct.

They also have a reason to do what they are doing (or at least they think they do). Not sure exactly what it could be, since non-fastpass literally have crumbs of info on them, but the way I see it is they have a “being mean to be kind” mindset.

Don’t get me wrong, they know turning people into phantoms is a horrible thing to do. They are aware their actions are harmful, both through self-reflection and outside opinions. But I believe their organization is either going to end up being the lesser evil or it’s a selfish sacrifice for a greater goal.

When I say “outside opinions”, I’m referring to the other two groups currently working against (?) the paper crane cult. At least one of these mysterious groups is trying to shut down everything the cranes are doing. The other one’s goal can be anything tbh. They might want to take over, they could know the folklore behind phantoms and are more knowledgeable than the cranes are. Regardless, their interference is obviously not helping the cranes which is why they are in hiding.

Also, since we’re on the topic, I don’t believe the ‘stunt pulled in savannah’ had anything to do with Ashlyn and the main cast. We’ve been told that this isn’t the first time they’ve pulled people into the phantom dimension. So why would something they do constantly be considered a stunt?

The group is experienced enough to be able to predict the physical reactions the main cast’s bodies should be undergoing. But when things don’t go to plan, instead of revising their studies, they automatically understand that the children are anomalies. Them being anomalies is important for my next point.

Let’s go back to the basics. The cults symbol is a black paper crane. Cranes symbolize peace, while paper by itself represents newness, life, and growth. Together, this can be interpreted as a goal for a new era of peace and the recovery/growth of society. This could be the boss trying to come to peace with a situation of his past and his end goal of the phantom research is the only way he can cope/try to solve whatever happened.

But, paper cranes as origami can also be given a meaning. 1000 paper cranes are needed in order to have ONE wish granted. The origins of this belief tie back to prayers for recovery and good health. Which links back to my earlier statements about the goal of the cranes being to help something (society, the boss, a person of the past) recover or improve in health/ability.

Hear me out now. What if, instead of using paper cranes, the crane cult uses humans as their offerings instead? Say they need 1000 experiments in order to make a break through in their research of the phantom world. Remember earlier when I stated the main cast were anomalies? What if they’re experiments 994-1,000? Ashlyn, who fosters the closest connection to the phantom dimension out of everyone else, is the 1,000th person. She’s the specialist one, and she will be the breakthrough the cult had so desperately been searching for.

Going back to the orginally topic of the cult not necessarily being evil, there is honestly an odd amount of symbolism that surrounds the members.

In chapter 44, the boss stands at a window reviewing the situation with a member of the paper cranes. In the window, there is a sparrow sitting on a bare tree. This detail can be overlooking very quickly, but the fact it comes up in 2 panels and is the only thing in the window is odd.

So, after some research, I learned that sparrows are actually a sign of good luck! Furthermore, the sparrow is outside.

A sparrow leaves when a family member has died. People need time to recover after the death of a family member. Given my earlier points, are the dots connecting? Perhaps the boss has recently experienced a death (or someone important to him/he himself is very sick) and he is doing everything he can to restore their health. Even if that means others have to die and suffer in order to save them, or even himself. This would be the selfish goal I was talking about earlier.

Or maybe it’s not just one person who’s sick/dead. Maybe it’s society as a whole? The paper cult wants to save people from their own greed and division and make everyone harmonious and equal.

If everyone became a phantom, war and conflict would cease to exist. From what we’ve seen, the phantoms don’t attack each other. Unless they are working together, they completely ignore each other.

In the case that the cult is attempting to save us from ourselves, than wouldn’t that mean the organization is the ‘lesser evil’ I was talking about before?

The charater designs of paper cult members are also very important to this analysis/theory thing.

I don’t know his name, so I’m gonna call him baldy, but look at his piercings. He has two on his right eyebrow. In some cultures, this represents a rite of passage in someone’s life.

The three stages of a rite of passage of separation, transition, and the return. This process can apply to so many theories and events in sbg that I really don’t know which to pick for this post 😭. To save time, I’ll leave it up to the reader. But I’m always open to hearing everyone’s thoughts on this(even if it doesn’t have anything to do with this post’s specific topic).

Now, let’s look at jasmine. She was the funniest to research lol. Her double piercing is on her right ear. This symbolizes life at jeopardy or the prevention of a disaster. HELLO? This covers literally all of my ealier points in one go.

Her tattoos also are quite interesting to look at too. OKAYY so I’ve seen the theory about how this specific tattoo is actually these biggies and it does make sense. However when I was originally putting this analysis together, no one pointed it out yet, and I went in the opposite direction. It still applies to my connections though so.

Originally I thought this tattoo was a centipede, which symbolize good luck, healing, and energy! All three add onto my ealier points.

I’m not 100% sure what these are but it looks like smoke to me.

There are two different thing smoke can symbolize. It can hide a situation or cloud judgement. The clouded judgement could be the emotion that causes the cult to make their selfish sacrifices or our judgement of the cult and assuming their bad people without context (even though they’re kidnappers 😓). Smoke is also important in artworks and ceremonies that deal with sacrifices. In this case, the human sacrifices being used to further the research/domination of phantoms.

This tattoo of what appears to be a snake wrapped around a dragger or staff represents medicine and rejuvenation. It can also represent overcoming a challenge or fear.

I also find the quote, “snake shed their skin” interesting because in a sense when the humans become phantoms they’re shedding their skin and becoming a new being. Just saying 🤷‍♀️

I’m too lazy to write an ending to this long thread but hopefully you guys see the point I was trying to make. Yes I know I’m reaching but also it makes too much sense and I wanted to share. Anyways feel free to add onto this or disagree with it. I’m curious about other peoples perspectives on this!

[gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan]

My Father Told Me

Author’s note: Zariel in Husbandry

Summary: He assesses Keed for the Bizzare time Loss his brother had. Then brings him to one of the Librarius Alpha legionaries he knows for mental assessment.

Warnings: Let me know if I need to add anything else

Tagged: @barn-anon, @bleedingichorhearts, @c-u-c-koo-4-40k, @egrets-not-regrets, @kit-williams

Tagged: @sleepyfan-blog, @ms--lobotomy , @thevoidscreams, @i-am-a-dragon34, @gra93fruit-blog

Zariel was in his Ultramarine Apothecary disguise with Keed came into the clinic. He not-watched as his brother signed in and got the check in paperwork completed.

He just so happened to be free to take Keed back with him to the room as he assessed his brothers condition. His physical condition was decent- but he was healing from something that had happened to him recently.

"You're well on your way from healing from a light concussion," Zariel tells Keed.

"... I don't remember getting into a scrap, or falling hard enough to get one." Keed says baffled, honest, and nervous at the same time.

Zariel keeps a professional demeanor on, but his brother is also an Alpha legionary and can read into even the slightest of tells and grows more worried.

"I've sent a message to Tarsol," Zariel says, "You have a check in with him in an hour."

"I see," Keed says with a slight wince. "Where?"

"The park near Main and cherry tree." Zariel says with a hum as he writes a few more things down.

"I'll head out once we are done here, sir." Keed replies.

Getting checked over by an Alpha legionary psyker is usually unpleasant. Getting very little mental privacy as they root around your brain is terribly unpleasant, but necessary, unfortunately, due to ... the loss of time he's experienced.

Zariel gives him a mostly clean bill of health, he's not supposed to go on patrol or missions until he's been cleared by a Chaplain and a Libarius. The Chaplain is going to take a while to get here. Ugh.

Alpha legionary Chaplains are very rare on Ancient Terra, then aren't all that common in any Future Era too. Very necessary for the running of the legion, like a specialists.

Keed gets to the specified park and flops down in the shade of the trees. The day is pleasant, sun with some clouds, enough wind to keep the heat from being unpleasant.

"Ah- hello there," A voice calls out and he cracks open an eye to look at the Salamander-looking fellow.

"Hi," Keed says, "I'm Kesto, what's your name?"

"I'm So'val," the Salamander responds, before using a seemingly normal sentence, but is a code phrase among Alpha legionaries.

Keed responds to the phrase correctly, and the pair of them have a pleasant getting to know each other conversation as the Librarian not-probes his brain to see what he can find in his head.

Once the happenstance meeting ends, So'val says, "It was nice meeting you, I hope we get to see each other again soon."

"That would be nice," Keed responds, "I like meeting new people and friends."

The Salamander nods before heading off. Keed waits for the other to be out of hearing range before swearing. He'd noticed that Tarsol had looked concerned. Fuck.

He gets a message from Zariel a few minutes, and winces, he's going to have to head to the nearest Alpha legion base to be checked and monitored.

He'd been fucked with psyhic-wise and that could mean that some of his Alpha training could activate, or twist, or he could have been embedded with a fucking bomb and they wouldn't know until they monitored him for a while and watched to see if anything was triggered.

He's not going to be able to be near Lana for months at this rate. He'd rather not be a potential threat to her, even if it sucks. He heads to the base and helps out with paperwork and training the younger brothers.

Keed wonders if there are any Primaris Marine Alpha legionaries or not. He knows that they are all hybrids, so it's likely that there are some with Alpharius and Omegon's geneseed within them.

[beardedmrbean]

An American woman has been found chained to a tree in an Indian forest where she had been for 40 days, triggering a manhunt for her former husband.

Lalita Kayi Kumar, 49, was found by a shepherd in a forest near Sonurli village, Goa, after he heard her crying for several days.

Unable to speak following her rescue, she wrote a note that alleged her ex-husband had left her to die and that she had been without food for 40 days.

She also claimed she was administered an “injection for extreme psychosis which caused severe jaws locked and inability to drink any water. Need intravenous food later ... husband tied me to a tree in a forest”.

Ms Kumar was found with her legs tied to the tree but her hands unbound. A police officer said she was too weak to unchain herself. There were also reportedly marks from numerous other injuries on her body. She was wearing a see-through raincoat, an olive green shirt and worn-out brown trousers when she was found.

Police have registered a case of attempted murder against her former husband, who is accused of chaining her up before he escaped. Relatives of the couple are being interviewed by police.

Ms Kumar was transferred to Goa Medical College for specialist treatment after doctors raised concerns about her mental health.

A hospital official said: “She is out of danger, but she is suffering from severe depression and other mental health illnesses. We have found medical prescriptions in her possession suggesting she was on antidepressants.”

Documents found on Ms Kumar show that she was a resident of Tamil Nadu, a south Indian state, about 600 miles away from the forest where she was found. It is thought that she had been living in India for the past decade.

[pokemoncaretips]

How to spot poached slowpoke tails.

Slowpokes have no nerve endings in their tails, and very good regenerative qualities, capable of growing back within a few months of losing it. As a result, slowpoke tails are a well known delicacy. But there are always those looking to make a quick profit at the expense of their pokemons health, and consumers need to be aware they aren't perpetuating this.

In an ethical slowpoke farm, they are allowed to roam the grounds freely and do as they please. Harvesting is done under anaesthesia, as there are some nerves close to the base of the tail, and once the tail is taken it is exempt from harvesting from 6 months, enough time for the tail to grow back and the body to recover and replenish the energy lost to regrow it. These tails have a mild, sweet flavour and a tender texture.

A big warning sign is the price. Slowpoke tails are a specialist delicacy and are priced accordingly. If you're paying around 10000 pokedollars for a tail, it's most likely legitimate. Cheap slowpoke tails are a red flag.

Flavour is another warning sign. Slowpoke allowed to grow at their own pace and in a natural environment are sweet, tender and appetising. A tail grown in an illegal farm or poached will be bitter and tough due to the stress involved.

Slowpoke tails should be harvested no more than twice a year, and sold fairly promptly, though some are dried or smoked. If fresh slowpoke tails are being sold year round this is a SERIOUS red flag.

If the slowpoke tail is local, you can ask to see the farm itself. Slowpoke farmers tend to hold a lot of pride in their work, and a legitimate farm will be happy to show you around and let you see it for yourself. A good farm will have clean paddocks with plenty of trees and brooks, with secure fencing. The operating rooms should be clean and sterile, and the slowpoke themselves should be healthy, plump, and relaxed. If the paddocks are overcrowded and the slowpoke look thin and/or stressed, this is a red flag.

If they refuse point blank to let you in and offer no good reason, start looking into it further. This could be a red flag or it could be due to rustling. Don't discount this, but keep alert.

If you suspect a slowpoke battery farm, contact the authorities immediately, and do not attempt a vigilante raid. Some of these unethical farms have backing from organized crime (allegedly) and you could put yourself in danger. Do not try to be a hero.

[treedoctorusasworld]

Discover the invaluable advantages of investing in Professional Tree Services. Our comprehensive guide explores why the expertise of Tree Doctor USA is worth the investment. Ensure the health and beauty of your trees with our trusted professionals.

[pokemonranch]

Hi, any recommendations for desling with abnormal growths on a Torterra Tree?

Regular branch overgrowth is usually dealt with by the small Bug and Flying types living on a Torterra's back. If your 'mon doesn't have other 'mons living on their tree and they've been evolved for a while, it's worth a health checkup! Healthy Torterras should have a small ecosystem on their backs, and excessive growths might be a sign of a lack of Bug-Types eating it. If you live in the city, and they don't get enough time out of their ball, that might cause some issues in developing their trees.

I recommend you take 'em to your Poke-Vet, and a Grass-specialist Pokegroomer too. Many groomers can safely prune a Torterra's tree, just make sure they don't remove any nests or Wurmples that might be there!

[sunrise-tree-service]

Customized Plant Health Care

With the proper care and maintenance, landscape plants can provide years of benefits. Plant Health Care (PHC) is a unique and multifaceted concept in plant management. The goal of our Plant Health Care Division is to attain and then maintain your landscapes overall health and appearance. We work closely with the local arboretums and pride ourselves on being up to date in all aspects of the tree care industry. The Plant Health Care Division utilizes the most up to date, safe, and effective preventative and curative methods on all of our customers’ properties.

[juvia-is-beast]

Hey Y'all I rarely post stuff of my own but I'm in need of help. I've always had a hard time asking for help but I've become desperate. I just moved out of my toxic Indian household at 27 with no savings because my mom would take all of my SSI checks and huge chunks of my paycheck that I worked for. I'm having a lot of health issues and chronic pain flare ups. I work at a college but I've been put in an administrative role until I can get my health in order. I don't have as many hours but now I can actually see doctors. My family was preventing me from getting help, from seeing doctors or getting my meds on time. I have PTSD and I can't drive because of it. I need financial help. I've been approved for SNAP but I'm waiting on my EBT card. I'll be going to a food bank tomorrow to get some food but that still leaves me with no funds to buy medical marijuana. I've been experiencing nerve pain the last 2 months and hormonal migraines for a straight month. I live in FL and it's super heavily taxed and I'm having trouble getting my muscle relaxers re-prescribed because I need a specialist to prescribe them for my insurance to keep paying for them. I have no other proper pain management rn. Please help me. I know the global climate is at its worst right now and I feel guilty making this post with everything going on in Palestine but that doesn't change the fact that I NEED HELP.

If you can help in any way please, even suggestions on what to do better with e-begging would be greatly appreciated.

My Cash@pp: $ButtPirate27

I can also tutor you online in Algebra if you need a math tutor I can help with Pre-Calc and Trig too but I'm far too rusty on Calculus to tutor but I would gladly tutor for any financial help.

If you want more info on my situation I don't mind sharing. I've been on Tumblr for 11 years and barely ever posted about my own life. I know that there are definitely people here willing to help but there have also been a fair share of scammers so I understand the hesitation. Here's my cat Ares, something cute to look at. I want to get him a cat tree too and a bin to make a housed litter box for him.

[contentment-of-cats]

Text from the Washington Post

DYING EARLY AMERICA’S LIFE EXPECTANCY CRISIS STRESS IS WEATHERING OUR BODIES FROM THE INSIDE OUT

By Akilah Johnson and Charlotte Gomez Oct. 17 at 6:00 a.m.

Link to article here - paywall warning. Use 12.io or other paywall buster.

Physicians and public health experts have pointed to one culprit time and again when asked why Americans live shorter lives than peers in nations with similar resources, especially people felled by chronic diseases in the prime of life: stress.

A cardiologist, endocrinologist, obesity specialist, health economist and social epidemiologists all said versions of the same thing: Striving to get ahead in an unequal society contributes to people in the United States aging quicker, becoming sicker and dying younger.

Recent polls show adults are stressed by factors beyond their control, including inflation, violence, politics and race relations. A spring Washington Post-Ipsos poll found 50 percent of Americans said not having enough income was a source of financial stress; 55 percent said not having enough savings was also a source of stress.

“We should take a step back and look at the society we’re living in and how that is actually determining our stress levels, our fatigue levels, our despair levels,” said Elizabeth H. Bradley, president of Vassar College and co-author of the book “The American Health Care Paradox.” “That’s for everybody. Health is influenced very much by these factors, so that’s why we were talking about a reconceptualization of health.”

The Washington Post’s efforts to gain a deeper understanding of how stress can cause illness, disability and shorter lives led to a once derided body of research that has become part of the mainstream discussion about improving America’s health: the Weathering Hypothesis.

Stress is a physiological reaction that is part of the body’s innate programming to protect against external threats.

When danger appears, an alarm goes off in the brain, activating the body’s sympathetic nervous system — the fight-or-flight system. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is activated. Hormones, such as epinephrine and cortisol, flood the bloodstream from the adrenal glands.

The heart beats faster. Breathing quickens. Blood vessels dilate. More oxygen reaches large muscles. Blood pressure and glucose levels rise. The immune system’s inflammatory response activates, promoting quick healing.

Once the threat passes, hormone levels return to normal, blood glucose recedes, and heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline. That’s how the human body should work.

Life brings an accumulation of unremitting stress, especially for those subjected to inequity — and not just from immediate and chronic threats. Even the anticipation of those menaces causes persistent damage.

The body produces too much cortisol and other stress hormones, straining to bring itself back to normal. Eventually, the body’s machinery malfunctions.

Like tree rings, the body remembers.

The constant strain — the chronic sources of stress — resets what is “normal,” and the body begins to change.

It is the repeated triggering of this process year after year — the persistence of striving to overcome barriers — that leads to poor health.

Blood pressure remains high. Inflammation turns chronic. In the arteries, plaque forms, causing the linings of blood vessels to thicken and stiffen. That forces the heart to work harder. It doesn’t stop there. Other organs begin to fail.

Struggling and striving It’s part of the weathering process, a theory first suggested by Arline T. Geronimus, a professor and population health equity researcher at the University of Michigan.

Geronimus, whose book “Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society” published in March, started out studying the health of women and babies as a graduate student in the 1980s, having been influenced by two distinctly different jobs she had as an undergraduate: one as an on-campus research assistant, the other as a peer companion at an off-campus school for teen mothers.

Stress is weathering our bodies from the inside out At the time, she said, conventional wisdom held that the Black community had higher rates of infant mortality because teen mothers were physically and psychosocially too immature to have healthy babies. But her research showed younger Black women had better pregnancy and birth outcomes than Black mothers in their mid- to late 20s and 30s.

For this, she was criticized as someone arguing in favor of teen pregnancy, even though she was not. Shaken but undeterred, she continued trying to understand the phenomenon, which meant better understanding the overall health of the community these teens depended on for help. As she studied those networks, she recognized “people’s life expectancies were shorter, and they were getting all these chronic diseases at young ages,” she said.

But she hadn’t come up with a name yet for what she was witnessing. That happened in the early 1990s while sitting in her office: “‘Weathering’ struck me as the perfect word.”

She said she was trying to capture two things. First, that people’s varied life experiences affect their health by wearing down their bodies. And second, she said: “People are not just passive victims of these horrible exposures. They withstand them. They struggle against them. These are people who weather storms.”

People seem to instinctively understand the first, but she said they often overlook the second. It isn’t just living in an unequal society that makes people sick. It’s the day-in, day-out effort of trying to be equal that wears bodies down.

Weathering, she said, helps explain the double-edged sword of “high-effort coping.”

Over the years, Geronimus widened the aperture of her research to include immigrants, Latinos, the LGBTQIA community, poor White people from Appalachia. She found that while weathering is a universal human physiological process, it happens more often in marginalized populations.

Regulation of cortisol — what we think of as the body’s main stress hormone — is disrupted. Optimally, it should work like a wave with a steep morning rise followed by a rapid decline, which slows until reaching baseline at bedtime.

But existing research suggests that is blunted by repeated exposure to psychosocial and environmental stressors, such as perceived racial discrimination, which flatten this rhythm.

Stress-induced high cortisol levels stimulate appetite by triggering the release of ghrelin, a peptide that stimulates hunger.

The interplay between elevated cortisol and glucose is especially complex and insidious, eventually leading to obesity, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, poor immune and inflammatory functions, higher breast cancer mortality rates and other metabolic disorders. Dysregulated cortisol also increases depression and anxiety and interferes with sleep.

Weathering doesn’t start in middle age.

It begins in the womb. Cortisol released into a pregnant person’s bloodstream crosses the placenta, which helps explain why a disproportionate number of babies born to parents who live in impoverished communities or who experience the constant scorn of discrimination are preterm and too small.

During the coronavirus pandemic, pregnant women experiencing stress endured changes in the structure and texture of their placentas, according to a study published this year in Scientific Reports.

The toxic stream can persist into childhood fueled by exposure to abuse, neglect, poverty, hunger. Too much exposure to cortisol can reset the neurological system’s fight-or-flight response, essentially causing the brain’s stress switch to go haywire.

Too much stress in children and adolescents can trigger academic, behavioral and health problems, including depression and obesity.

Stress can change the body at a cellular level.

The effects of relentless stress can be seen at the chromosomal level, in telomeres, which are repeated sequences of DNA found in just about every cell.

Telomeres are the active tips of chromosomes, and they protect the cell’s genetic stability by “capping” the ends of the chromosomes to prevent degeneration. (Think of the plastic tips of shoelaces.)

Researchers have discovered that in people with chronically high levels of cortisol, telomeres become shortened at a faster rate, a sign of premature aging. The shorter the telomeres, the older the cell’s biological age. Shortened telomeres cause a disconnect between biological and chronological age.

‘A societal project’ “I don’t think most people understand weathering stress. Stress is such a vague term,” Geronimus said. “But it still gives us a leverage point to get in there and see a more complex and more frightening picture of what it does to people’s bodies and whose bodies it does it to.”

Changes in seven biomarkers in cardiac patients during a 30-year period showed Black patients weathering about six years faster than White people, a 2019 study published in SSM-Population Health found. Research also found that Black people experience hypertension, diabetes and strokes 10 years earlier than White people, according to a study published in the Journal of Urban Health.

The impact of repeatedly activating the body’s stress response is called allostatic load.

Research has shown that Mexican immigrants living in the United States for more than 10 years have elevated allostatic load scores compared with those who have lived here for less than a decade, and a study of Ohio breast cancer patients published in May in JAMA Network Open found that women with higher allostatic loads — who tended to be older, Black, single and publicly insured — were more likely to experience postoperative complications than those with lower allostatic loads.

“The argument weathering is trying to make is these are things we can change, but we have to understand them in their complexity,” Geronimus said. “This has to be a societal project, not the new app on your phone that will remind you to take deep breaths when you’re feeling stress.”

So, in short, social inequality causes stress, leading to shortened telomeres and, in turn, premature aging, disease and early death.

[oliverreedmasterass]

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Interlude | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Second Interlude | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Epilogue

Chapter Summary: Rae befriends a mysterious guy in town and immediately gravitates towards him and his warnings about Frankenmuth and its residents.

Words: 4.7k

Warnings: language, allusions to poor health/hospitals

Notes: Thank you to @infinisonicosm for the fic idea!!

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1 month later

The leaves on the Frankenmuth trees began to transform into hues of red, orange, and yellow, like embers from a fire meant to warm against the rapidly chilling air. Rae slammed the door to her new room shut and heaved out a sigh. It was her second full day in Frankenmuth and she was already certain she hated her new life. In the back of her head she knew that it was for the best: her brother’s health was starting to get worse, and the specialist her parents had found for him for Detroit seemed like their only hope. It still didn’t mean she had to be happy about uprooting from the only place she had ever known to be surrounded by Bavarian buildings, tourists, and midwest folk who, in her opinion, were a little bit too friendly. 

“Please don’t slam your door!” her mom called from down the hall, where she was most likely unpacking in her own room. “I’m not fixing that if you break it.” 

“Sorry!” Rae shouted back, and she did mean it. As upset as she was, she was also old enough to know that she shouldn’t take her feelings out on her parents. They were stressed enough as it was, there was no need for her to enter into a rebellious phase that was bound to send them over the edge. 

Rae scanned around her cramped room. The stacks upon stacks of Home Depot boxes made the walls feel like they were closing in on her. Even though the air was starting to grow brisk with the changing seasons, Rae slid open her window that looked down on the suburban street below. Her parents had found the house for a surprisingly low price on the market and, because hospital bills were draining the bank, they hopped on the opportunity without asking too many questions. Just beyond the quaint houses across the street stood a barrier of tall trees that seemed to extend all the way beyond the horizon. Rae stared at the trees as the crisp wind passed through her short hair, and then shook her head. 

“Those are freaky trees,” she muttered to herself, turning back towards the boxes she needed to unpack. “Like the ones from The Wizard of Oz.” 

She stopped in her tracks when she saw her brother, Morgan, popping his head through her door. 

“Are you talking to the trees?” he asked her with his goofy grin. He started to laugh, but a raspy cough cut him short. 

“They’re creepy, don’t you think?” Rae said as Morgan’s cough started to die down. 

Morgan shuffled to her window and gazed out at the thick wall of greenery. 

“Maybe? I don’t know. They just kinda look like trees. You’ve got too much of a vivid imagination.” 

“It’s like a gut feeling, I don’t like it,” Rae frowned, looking beyond Morgan at what lay outside the window once more. 

“You and your gut feelings,” Morgan shook his head. He directed his attention to a box labeled “RECORDS” at his feet and pointed down at it. “You need help unpacking?”

“Are you already done?” Rae had a hard time believing that her brother, who was notorious for starting a task and then getting distracted halfway through, could complete setting up his room in two days. 

“Are you kidding?” Morgan’s laugh was back again. “No way, I just thought you might want a hand.” 

“You’re gonna steal some of my albums,” Rae squinted her eyes at him. 

“Maybe I am,” Morgan couldn’t deny it. 

Rae gave him a gentle, playful shove, and then planted herself on the floor next to one of the boxes, filled to the brim with her favorite books. 

“Well, c’mon,” she motioned for him to join her, which he eagerly did. Morgan was a year and a half younger and, although he was two grades lower than her, starting off his freshman year at Frankenmuth High, Rae had never felt like his older sister. They grew up close and, even before his diagnosis, Rae never wanted to leave his side, to push him away in angst, or look down on him. Their parents always joked that they acted like twins: they were incredibly intune with each other, frequently sharing the same thoughts at the same time, and bonding over common interests. 

“Remind me again why you own a Seals and Crofts album?” Morgan poked fun at Rae as he rummaged through her vinyl stash that she had carefully packed before they made their trek across the country from California to Michigan. 

“Hey, Diamond Girl is a great song,” Rae protested. “Those harmonies? Flawless.” 

“If you’re gonna listen to music for the harmonies, get a Beach Boys album.”

“That would just make me homesick,” Rae faked a pout. Her pout dropped into a look of concern when she saw that Morgan’s face was etched with a deep frown. “What?” Rae was concerned. 

“I told Mom and Dad you shouldn’t have to come out here with us,” Morgan spoke up. 

“You’re my family, of course I’m going to come with you,” Rae let the words spill out before she could reflect on if that was really how she felt. 

“You had a life back in Folsom,” Morgan protested. “Friends that you’ve known all of your life. You didn’t have to throw that all away for me.” 

“The way I see it,” Rae thought aloud, “I’m going to graduate next year. I was bound to leave my friends sooner or later. Sure, this expedited things a bit, but I don’t know how many times I have to say this to get it through that thick skull of yours: you’re my brother. You come first.” 

Morgan was too busy looking down at a Stevie Wonder album to meet Rae’s eyes. His shoulders sloppily lifted in a half-shrug that proved he didn’t believe what she was saying. 

“I’ll adjust no problem,” Rae was starting to sound like she was convincing herself more than Morgan. “In fact, Mom asked me to run down to the store to grab some veggies for dinner tonight -- I vow to make one friend while I’m out. Then it will be smooth sailing from there, right? That’s how that works.” 

“I don’t think most people go to the grocery store to make friends,” Morgan’s warm brown eyes finally landed on Rae’s. “In fact, I think that’s one of the last places I would want to talk to a stranger.” 

“It’s better than a public bathroom,” Rae retorted, and then stood to her feet. 

“Where are you going?” Morgan watched her. 

“To prove you wrong,” Rae flashed him a cheeky grin. 

It was nearly 5, so Rae hurried across town to the small market at the edge of the downtown strip. In comparison to the massive Costcos and Safeways she frequented in California, this market felt like walking back in time. As Rae wandered down the aisles, she admired the handmade price tags under each item, most of which were locally made. 

For the most part, the market was empty, with the exception of the older gentleman who was stationed at the front checkout stand. Rae knew that Morgan would give her a hard time if that was the “friend” she made, so she made a concerted effort to stall as she scanned over the baskets of lettuce, zucchini, and broccoli on display. A middle-aged couple strolled past her, talking under their breaths to one another. 

Rae just barely heard the wife say to her husband, “the boy is still missing, can you believe it?” She squinted and tried to hear more, but a woman entered the store with a screaming toddler, which distracted her. Rae watched the lady move through the door so a bell chimed with a soft ding! over her head, and made a sound of disapproval. 

Was anyone in this town her age? 

“Excuse me,” a voice that somehow wavered between soft and gruff said behind her. Instinctually, Rae took a step forward, accidentally bumping into a basket of lemons so they dropped to the ground, one spongey thud at a time. 

“Shit,” Rae let the curse escape from her lips as her face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly squatted down in an attempt to retrieve the lemons and hide any evidence of her accident, but the man was already snatching the lemons and tossing them into the basket with ease. He caught her eye and flashed a little smirk. 

“I am become clutz, destroyer of lemons.” 

Rae found her words stuck in her mouth. She was entirely paralyzed by the sight of the person in front of her. He looked to be around her age, only a spreckle of facial hair forming on his upper lip, his eyes still filled with enough hope that adulthood hadn’t shattered it yet. His hair messily tumbled down to his shoulders in a caramel cascade, and she couldn’t help but gawk at his button down shirt, which was hardly buttoned at all. 

“Sorry,” his face was turning red now. “That was a weird thing to say. I don’t know why I said that.” 

Since the words still weren’t forming, Rae focused her attention on grabbing the last two lemons from the ground to return to the basket. She was surprised that he was still by her side, standing back upright and staring blankly at the lemons. 

“Do you think anyone noticed?” Rae finally found herself speaking, her voice croaky and uncertain. “I don’t think I have enough money to pay for this whole basket if the shop owner has a problem with bruised fruit.” 

He made a display of dramatically scanning to his left and then his right, as if making sure the coast was clear, and let a chuckle escape from his lips. 

“Let’s keep this between you and me.” 

It suddenly hit Rae that she was supposed to make a new friend while she was at the grocery store, so she awkwardly jutted her hand out, nearly knocking into another display case in the process. She saw the guy jump a bit in shock, but his warm, calloused hand eventually grabbed hers. 

“I’m Rae,” she introduced herself, though she was still having trouble making eye contact. “I’m new in town.” 

“Jake,” his gruff voice had lightened a bit. “I’m not new in town.” 

“How long have you been here?” Rae asked once their hands dropped back to their sides. Jake’s hand retracted back up to his chin, where he started to stroke around his mouth. 

“My whole life,” he shared. “Most people who live here will say the same. It’s not too often we get any newcomers. You got a passion for Bavarian architecture or something?” 

Rae gave a small laugh at Jake’s quip. She could tell he was trying to play off some kind of cool character in front of her, but she wanted to know who he really was. “My family and I moved out here for my brother,” she replied. 

Jake moved his hand down from his face and folded his arms across his chest. He seemed to be thinking hard about the information Rae had offered to him, calculating the right response. Rae was eager to see what would come out of his mouth next. 

“So is your brother passionate about Bavarian architecture?” he tried, squeaking on the last words when he realized what he had said was stupid. Rae reassured him with a wide grin and shook her head. Jake was studying his sneakers in silence, his lips pursed tight like he wasn’t willing to make a fool of himself any further. 

“There’s a doctor in Detroit who claims he can help,” Rae sounded out her words carefully. She still hadn’t found the right way to share Morgan’s situation without making people feel uncomfortable. 

“Oh god,” Jake grunted out, still looking down at his feet. “I’m so sorry for making that joke, that was in bad taste.” 

“You didn’t know,” Rae said. She wished that Jake would look up from his feet so he could see that she was giving him a warm smile. Instead, his eyes remained glued to the linoleum. And yet, he still stood next to her. “Do you go to school here?” Rae decided to change the subject, desperate to keep their conversation going. Jake cleared his throat and nodded his head, his eyes slowly tracking back up to Rae’s. 

“Yup, I’m finishing out my last year at the high school. Thank god.” 

“Not a fan?” Rae raised an eyebrow. 

Jake nodded again, his shoulders losing some of their tension. “You could say that.” 

“Got any wisdom to pass off before I start my first day?” Rae tried. “I’m going into my junior year.” Her heart fluttered when she saw Jake’s face brighten. 

“How much time do you have?” Jake’s grin was cheeky. 

Rae knew that she was supposed to return to her parents with some fresh vegetables for dinner, but Jake had entirely captivated her, and there was nothing more that she wanted to do than spend time with him. She watched Jake search her face, as if trying to read how she was feeling about him, his smile still full. She was certain she was doing an awful job giving him a poker face back. 

“Why don’t you walk me around town?” Rae suggested. Jake’s smile grew wider, but then he gave a soft cough into his fist to hide his excitement. “Show me some sights and tell me all about Frankenmuth High.” 

“Let’s do it,” Jake agreed. He started to move towards the front of the grocery store, but Rae called out for him to stop, which he did. 

“I need to pay for some stuff first,” Rae said as she tried to hold in a laugh. 

“Oh, uh,” Jake’s eyes were glued to the floor again. “Yeah, I need to get some stuff too.” 

Jake wandered to the other end of the store, giving Rae a short wave, and, when he was out of sight, Rae turned her attention back to gathering some bushels of broccoli and bell peppers in her arms. She rushed to the older cashier and hastily dropped the items on the conveyor belt, checking over her shoulder to see if Jake was coming. She didn’t see him. When she turned back to face the cashier, she saw that he was looking her down. 

“You from out of town?” 

“I just moved here a couple of days ago from California.” 

“It’s an interesting time for you to be in Frankenmuth.” 

Rae wanted to ask the man what he meant, but at that moment Jake whisked up behind her with a pack of beef jerky and a can of Coca Cola in his hands. He eyed the bags of vegetables and nudged her in the side. 

“No lemons today?” 

“Don’t remind me,” Rae groaned. 

She paid the cashier, who was still staring at her from behind his big glasses, and waited at the end of the conveyor belt for Jake to pay for his food. He seemed friendly with the older man, using a warm tone to ask how his family was and wishing him a nice evening. As they headed out the front doors back out to the main street, Rae had to ask Jake, 

“What’s up with that guy?” 

“What guy?” Jake turned back to her with an arched eyebrow just visible over the circular sunglasses he had put on. 

“The cashier. He was looking at me really weird. He mentioned something about it being an interesting time to be in Frankenmuth.” 

“I don’t know why he was looking at you like that, but that’s Nate. He’s a long time resident here. I like to think of him as a town elder, he holds all the history and secrets of this place. He’s been hit especially hard by the missing people reports.” 

“Missing people?” 

“Yeah, three cases.” 

“Holy shit.” 

“It’s safe here, don’t worry. Just as long as you don’t go into the woods. That’s where they all disappeared.” 

Rae stopped in her tracks and it took Jake a few steps to realize she was no longer by his side. He came to a halt and whirled back around to face her. 

“The woods are right by my house. I was literally just telling my brother how much they give me the creeps.” 

“That means you should listen to your gut, it’s right.” 

Rae was still feeling troubled about the news, but she quickened her pace to catch up to Jake. They continued walking in silence, and Rae caught sight of a MISSING poster stapled to a wooden light post. The guy in the picture had dark, curly hair and a wide smile that stretched from ear to ear. He looked like he was around Morgan’s age which made Rae’s heart sink. Jake noticed her eyes lingering on the poster and he let a small, sad sigh escape from him. 

“He went missing about a month ago,” Jake explained under his breath. “Went into the woods on a dare from his friends and never came back out. His family is still determined to find him, but the cops and detectives in this town are ready to throw in the towel.” 

“What do you think?” Rae needed to know. 

“It’s hard to say.” Jake’s face twisted. “He’s a bright kid, but a month is a long time. They haven’t found any signs of him whatsoever, so literally anything could have happened.” 

“You’re talking like you know him,” Rae observed. Jake met her with silence. It was hard for her to read his expression with the large sunglasses on his face, but she knew that she had overstepped some kind of boundary. She wanted to apologize to Jake, but she struggled to think of exactly what she would be apologizing for. So instead they continued to stroll down the residential street, the sound of their footsteps on the pavement the only noise between them. 

After a large chunk of silence, they stopped in front of the high school, which was longer than it was tall, and made of faded bricks. Rae gazed on at the school, where she would be spending her next two years, and noted that it was an extraordinarily unextraordinary place. It looked as if it could have been a DMV, or a medical clinic, with just enough blandness that you could drive past it and never once process that it was there. Rae could feel that sinking feeling in her gut again, one that was prevalent when she was leaving Folsom. She knew that it was disdain for the life she was expected to live for the sake of her brother. But, it was also a feeling of disappointment. Jake read her mind as he kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk and then motioned towards the school. 

“For a town that’s determined to be a mini replica of Germany, you’d think the school would look a bit more impressive.” 

“Is the inside any better?” 

“If you enjoy feeling like you’re in a prison, then sure.” 

Jake led Rae to the front steps of the school and settled down on the concrete, motioning for her to join him. Even though Rae could see the faded puddles of who-knows-what that could only be found on a high school campus, she lowered herself next to him. 

“So, how do I survive my first day?” Rae tried to drive the conversation. 

“Stick next to me, and you’ll be fine,” Jake said. “Most people here are pretty tame, but there are a few people to look out for.”

“What’s their deal?” 

“Just,” Jake stopped himself, trying to find the right words. “Nothing good.”

Rae let out a nervous laugh. “The more I’m learning about this town, the less I think I want to know.” 

“Trust me,” Jake’s tone turned serious. “I wouldn’t tell you any of this stuff if I didn’t think it was important.”

“Obviously,” Rae corrected herself, “and I appreciate your concern. It’s just a lot, that's all.” 

“You’re telling me,” Jake mumbled. He tugged his sunglasses down for a second, wiped some sweat from his face, and then lifted them back up to conceal his eyes once more. Rae caught a quick glimpse of them and noted that they looked a lot more tired than when he had been in the store. 

Jake tore into his bag of beef jerky and offered some to Rae, who shook her head. Jake looked at her like she was crazy. 

“This is literally the best beef jerky in the world, are you out of your mind?” 

“I’m not big on dried meat,” Rae shrugged, and then patted her shopping bag full of veggies to make a point. Jake looked ready to engage in a long and emotional argument about whether or not beef jerky was good, but he suddenly became distracted by something behind Rae. “What?” Rae asked, suddenly feeling on edge. All the bad things Jake had shared with her were beginning to bounce around her mind. 

Jake didn’t seem to hear her because he quickly jumped to his feet and stationed himself so he was shielding Rae from whatever he had seen. In spite of this, she still tried to lean around him to see what lay ahead. A pair of dusty black high top Vans came closer and Jake’s shoulders started to lift towards his ears. Rae stood to get a better look at the person out of sheer curiosity, and Jake turned briefly to frown at her, as if signaling that she sit back down. But she ignored him and finally caught sight of who was coming to their side. He had a head full of tight, amber curls and his skin was ghastly pale, which made his chocolate brown eyes stand out. In comparison to Jake’s darker, baggier clothes, he was wearing a matching set of beige pants and a jacket that fit just right. Rae grew worried when she saw that there was a tight scowl sprawled across his face, his dark eyebrows bunched towards the center of his forehead, and arched down. 

“Josh,” Jake said, using his gruff voice once more. “What are you doing here?” 

“I can ask the same,” Josh retorted. His voice didn’t have as much body to it as Jake’s, but it still sent a chill down Rae’s spine. There was something cold about the way he spoke, like a single word parted from his lips could freeze your heart. Josh seemed to finally realize that Jake had company, which filled him with energy. “Got a new friend?” He jutted his thumb in Rae’ direction. 

Jake sounded like he was about to explode. 

“Get lost, Josh.” 

“Ooh,” Josh taunted, “And what if I don’t?”

“I don’t know what’s going on here,” Rae stepped from behind Jake, staring Josh down, “But you should probably fuck off.” 

Josh had trouble hiding his shock at first, but quickly recovered. 

“You’ve got a fire to you,” his icy voice addressed Rae. 

“Fuck off,” Rae repeated herself. 

“What she said,” Jake nodded, his arms folded across his chest. 

“Ouch,” Josh faked a pout. He looked between Jake and Rae’s glares and let his shoulders theatrically slump. “Well, I can tell when I’m not wanted,” he said, deepening his pout. Neither Jake nor Rae responded to him, so Josh gave a small shrug, jabbed his hands in his pockets, and strolled away, whistling a tune. When he was about 10 yards away he turned back around briefly. “We’ll chat more at school on Monday.” 

Rae felt unbelievably uncertain. Josh had looked directly at her when he said that, and the wave he gave after that, wiggling his fingers around, filled her with dread. Jake seemed to pick up on her discomfort since, once Josh was out of earshot, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and mumbled, 

“He won’t do anything, don’t worry. I won’t let him.” 

“So, obviously you two don’t get along,” Rae stated the obvious. “But what’s his deal?” 

Jake motioned for them to continue walking down the street, past the school. As they took off, he looked to be thinking hard. Rae cleared her throat to prompt him to start talking, which Jake acknowledged with raised eyebrows. 

“His, uh, group and mine don’t really get along. We never have. There’s just a lot of differences, so we’re constantly butting heads with each other. It doesn’t help that he’s always acting like we’re in some kind of competition, like who’s the bigger guy on campus or something.” 

Rae took in Jake’s frame, which couldn’t have been taller than 5’8, and kept her thoughts to herself. 

“That sounds exhausting,” Rae commented instead. 

“It feels like every time I’m around town, he always shows up,” Jake continued to share. “It’s draining, really.” 

“He kinda seems obsessed.” 

That got a good laugh out of Jake. 

“Maybe,” he decided. “I mean, how could you not be obsessed with this?” He jokingly motioned down at himself with a grin on his face. Rae chose to play along and joined in his laughter. 

Her phone’s text chime interrupted her mirth and, while Jake returned back to his bag of beef jerky, she retrieved her phone from her back pocket. It was no surprise that it was her mom. 

Rae, where are you? Morgan’s getting hungry

Rae gazed down at the text and could feel her jaw clenching. She couldn’t do anything for herself, she had to constantly look out for her family members, and offer a hand whenever they needed it. 

“Is everything okay?” Jake asked. Rae caught him trying to look over her shoulder at the message on her phone, so she shoved it back in her pocket. 

“I should head back home,” she somberly admitted. Jake seemed to be equally disappointed, but he did a better job of hiding it. 

“I’ll walk you back to your place, if that’s cool with you,” he suggested. 

“Of course, if you’re cool with power walking,” Rae replied. “My mom needs these groceries for dinner.” 

“I’ll take that as a challenge,” Jake smirked. Rae gaped as he hustled down the sidewalk, pumping his arms like an Olympic speed walker and swinging his hips back and forth. 

“You’re going the wrong way!” she called after him, practically choking on her laughter. Jake skidded to a halt and then started to speed walk in the other direction, back towards Rae. “Damn, you can move fast!” Rae exclaimed as he rushed past her. 

“We gotta get your food to the dinner table, it’s an emergency!” Jake hollered over his shoulder. “I’m haulin’ ass for the sake of your family!” 

Rae shook her head in disbelief as she watched her new friend entirely let his guard down around her, and ran to catch up with him. 

They were about a block away from Rae’s house when Rae heard a voice off in the distance calling Jake’s name. As it grew closer, Rae reached forward to clutch onto Jake’s shoulder to get his attention. 

“I can hear someone shouting for you,” she explained. That got Jake to stop in his tracks, and his eyes squinted to see who was at the far end of the block, pedaling on a rusty old bike like their life depended on it. 

“Oh man,” Rae just barely heard Jake murmur under his breath. 

“Jake!” 

Rae could see clearer that it was a boy with shaggy brunette hair, close to the same shade as Jake’s. He was tall and lanky, like a newborn giraffe, and his skin was darkened, as if he had spent every second of his summer vacation in the sun. His white t-shirt rippled as he pedaled hard to catch up. 

“Jake!” he repeated himself, screeching to a stop in front of them. Up close, Rae noted that he looked younger than her, but his eyes were sunken and dark, as if years had been taken off of his life. 

“What’s up, Sam?” Jake asked, sounding on edge. “Are you okay?” 

Sam looked like he was about to answer honestly, but then he winced and nodded his head, glancing briefly at Rae. 

“It’s about Danny.”

***

Taglist: @lvnterninthenight, @writingcold, @myownparadise96, @i-choose-the-road

[dailyanarchistposts]

I.4.10 What would be the advantage of a wide basis of surplus distribution?

We noted earlier (in section I.3.1) that competition between syndicates could lead to “co-operative egotism” (to use Kropotkin’s term) and that to eliminate this problem, the basis of collectivisation needs to be widened so that production is based on need and, as a result, surpluses are distributed society-wide. The advantage of a wide surplus distribution is that it allows all to have a decent life and stop market forces making people work harder and longer to survive in the economy (see section I.1.3). The consolidation of syndicates that would otherwise compete will, it is hoped, lead to a more efficient allocation of resources and technical improvements so allowing the transformation of work and reduction of the time we need to spend in production. We will back up this claim with illustrations from the Spanish Revolution as well as from today’s system.

Collectivisation in Catalonia embraced not only major industries like municipal transportation and utilities, but smaller establishments as well: small factories, artisan workshops, service and repair shops, etc. Augustin Souchy describes the process as follows:

“The artisans and small workshop owners, together with their employees and apprentices, often joined the union of their trade. By consolidating their efforts and pooling their resources on a fraternal basis, the shops were able to undertake very big projects and provide services on a much wider scale … The collectivisation of the hairdressing shops provides an excellent example of how the transition of a small-scale manufacturing and service industry from capitalism to socialism was achieved … “Before July 19th, 1936 [the date of the Revolution], there were 1,100 hairdressing parlours in Barcelona, most of them owned by poor wretches living from hand to mouth. The shops were often dirty and ill-maintained. The 5,000 hairdressing assistants were among the most poorly paid workers … Both owners and assistants therefore voluntarily decided to socialise all their shops. “How was this done? All the shops simply joined the union. At a general meeting they decided to shut down all the unprofitable shops. The 1,100 shops were reduced to 235 establishments, a saving of 135,000 pesetas per month in rent, lighting, and taxes. The remaining 235 shops were modernised and elegantly outfitted. From the money saved, wages were increased by 40%. Everyone having the right to work and everyone received the same wages. The former owners were not adversely affected by socialisation. They were employed at a steady income. All worked together under equal conditions and equal pay. The distinction between employers and employees was obliterated and they were transformed into a working community of equals — socialism from the bottom up.” [The Anarchist Collectives, Sam Dolgoff (ed.), pp. 93–94]

The collectives, as well as improving working conditions, also ensured access to other goods and services which market forces had previously denied working class people. Across Republican Spain collectives in towns and villages organised health care. For example, in the village of Magdalena de Pulpis housing “was free and completely socialised, as was medical care … Medicines, supplies, transfer to hospitals in Barcelona or Castellon, surgery, services of specialists — all was paid for by the collective.” This was also done for education, with collectives forming and running schools, colleges and universities. For example, Regional Peasant Federation of Levant saw each collective organise “one or two free schools for the children” and “almost wiped out illiteracy” (over 70% of rural Spain was literate before the Civil War). It also organised a “University of Moncada” which “gave courses in animal husbandry, poultry raising. animal breeding, agriculture, tree science, etc.” [Gaston Leval, Op. Cit., p. 156 and p. 125]

These examples, social anarchists argue, show that co-operation ensures that resources are efficiently allocated and waste is minimised by cutting down needless competition. It also ensures that necessary goods and services which meet vital areas for human well-being and development are available for all rather than the few. Rather than reduce choice, such co-operation increased it by making such things available to all (and as consumers have choices in which syndicate to consume from as well as having direct communication between consumer co-operatives and productive units, there is little danger that rationalisation in production will hurt the interests of the consumer).

Another way in which wide distribution of surplus can be advantageous is in Research and Development (R&D). By creating a fund for research and development which is independent of the fortunes of individual syndicates, society as a whole can be improved by access to useful new technologies and processes. Therefore, in a libertarian socialist society, people (both within the workplace and in communities) are likely to decide to allocate significant amounts of resources for basic research from the available social output. This is because the results of this research would be freely available to all and so would aid everyone in the long term. In addition, because workers directly control their workplace and the local community effectively “owns” it, all affected would have an interest in exploring research which would reduce labour, pollution, waste and so on or increase output with little or no social impact.

It should also be mentioned here that research would be pursued more and more as people take an increased interest in both their own work and education. As people become liberated from the grind of everyday life, they will explore possibilities as their interests take them and so research will take place on many levels within society — in the workplace, in the community, in education and so on.

This means that research and innovation would be in the direct interests of everyone involved and that all would have the means to do it. Under capitalism, this is not the case. Most research is conducted in order to get an edge in the market by increasing productivity or expanding production into new (previously unwanted) areas. Any increased productivity often leads to unemployment, deskilling and other negative effects for those involved. Libertarian socialism will not face this problem. Moreover, it should be stressed that basic research is not something which free-market capitalism does well. As Doug Henwood notes, basic science research “is heavily funded by the public sector and non-profit institutions like universities.” The internet and computer, for example, were both projects for the Pentagon and “the government picked up the basic R&D tab for decades, when neither Wall Street nor private industry showed any interest. In fact, capital only became interested when the start-up costs had all been borne by the public sector and there were finally profits to be made … good American individualists don’t like to talk about the public sector, since their hero is the plucky entrepreneur.” [After the New Economy, p. 196 and p. 6] The rise of such systems across the world indicates that basic research often needs public support in order to be done. Even such a leading neo-classical economist as Kenneth Arrow had to admit in the 1960s that market forces are insufficient:

“basic research, the output of which is only used as an informational input into other inventive activities, is especially unlikely to be rewarded. In fact, it is likely to be of commercial value to the firm undertaking it only if other firms are prevented from using the information. But such restriction reduces the efficiency of inventive activity in general, and will therefore reduce its quantity also.” [quoted by David Schweickart, Against capitalism, p. 132]

Nothing has changed since. Would modern society have produced so many innovations if it had not been for the Pentagon system, the space race and so on? Take the Internet, for example — it is unlikely that this would have got off the ground if it had not been for public funding. Needless to say, of course, much of this technology has been developed for evil reasons and purposes and would be in need of drastic change (or, in many some, abolition) before it could be used in a libertarian society. However, the fact remains that it is unlikely that a pure market based system could have generated most of the technology we take for granted. As Noam Chomsky argues:

”[Alan] Greenspan [then head of the US Federal Reserve] gave a talk to newspaper editors in the US. He spoke passionately about the miracles of the market, the wonders brought by consumer choice, and so on. He also gave examples: the Internet, computers, information processing, lasers, satellites, transistors. It’s an interesting list: these are textbook examples of creativity and production in the public sector. In the case of the Internet, for 30 years it was designed, developed and funded primarily in the public sector, mostly the Pentagon, then the National Science Foundation — that’s most of the hardware, the software, new ideas, technology, and so on. In just the last couple of years it has been handed over to people like Bill Gates … In the case of the Internet, consumer choice was close to zero, and during the crucial development stages that same was true of computers, information processing, and all the rest … “In fact, of all the examples that Greenspan gives, the only one that maybe rises above the level of a joke is transistors, and they are an interesting case. Transistors, in fact, were developed in a private laboratory — Bell Telephone Laboratories of AT&T — which also made major contributions to solar cells, radio astronomy, information theory, and lots of other important things. But what is the role of markets and consumer choice in that? Well, again, it turns out, zero. AT&T was a government supported monopoly, so there was no consumer choice, and as a monopoly they could charge high prices: in effect a tax on the public which they could use for institutions like Bell Laboratories … So again, it’s publicly subsidised. As if to demonstrate the point, as soon as the industry was deregulated, Bell Labs went out of existence, because the public wasn’t paying for it any more … But that’s only the beginning of the story. True, Bell invented transistors, but they used wartime technology, which, again, was publicly subsidised and state-initiated. Furthermore, there was nobody to buy transistors at that time, because they were very expensive to produce. So, for ten years the government was the major procurer … Government procurement provided entrepreneurial initiatives and guided the development of the technology, which could then be disseminated to industry.” [Rogue States, pp. 192–3]

The free market can also have a negative impact on innovation. This is because, in order to please shareholders with higher share prices, companies may reduce funds available for real investment as well as R&D which would also depress growth and employment in the long term. What shareholders might condemn as “uneconomic” (investment projects and R&D) can, and does, make society as a whole better off. However, these gains are over the long term and, within capitalism, it is short-term gains which count. Higher share prices in the here and now are essential in order to survive and so see the long-run.

A socialised economy with a wide-scale sharing of surpluses and resources could easily allocate resources for R&D, long term investment, innovation and so on. Via the use of mutual banks or confederations of syndicates and communes, resources could be allocated which take into account the importance of long-term priorities, as well as social costs, which are not taken into account (indeed, are beneficial to ignore) under capitalism. Rather than penalise long term investment and research and development, a socialised economy would ensure that adequate resources are available, something which would benefit everyone in society in some way.

If we look at vocational training and education, a wide basis of surplus distribution would aid this no end. Under free market capitalism, vocational training suffers for profit seeking firms will not incur costs that will be enjoyed by others. This means that firms will be reluctant to spend money on training if they fear that the trained workers will soon be poached by other firms which can offer more money because they had not incurred the cost of providing training. As a result few firms will provide the required training as they could not be sure that the trained workers will not leave for their competitors (and, of course, a trained work force also, due to their skill, have more workplace power and are less replaceable). So as well as technological developments, a wide basis of surplus distribution would help improve the skills and knowledge of the members of a community. As Keynesian economist Michael Stewart points out, ”[t]here are both theoretical and empirical reasons to suppose that market forces under-provide research and development expenditures, as well as both education and training.” [Keynes in the 1990s, p. 77]

By socialising training via confederations of workplaces, syndicates could increase productivity via increasing the skill levels of their members. Higher skill levels will also tend to increase innovation and enjoyment at “work” when combined with workers’ self-management. This is because an educated workforce in control of their own time will be unlikely to tolerate mundane, boring, machine-like work and seek ways to eliminate it, improve the working environment and increase productivity to give them more free time.

In addition to work conducted by syndicates, education establishments, communes and so on, it would be essential to provide resources for individuals and small groups to pursue “pet projects.” Of course, syndicates and confederations will have their own research institutions but the innovatory role of the interested “amateur” cannot be over-rated. As Kropotkin argued:

“What is needed to promote the spirit of innovation is … the awakening of thought, the boldness of conception, which our entire education causes to languish; it is the spreading of a scientific education, which would increase the numbers of inquirers a hundred-fold; it is faith that humanity is going to take a step forward, because it is enthusiasm, the hope of doing good, that has inspired all the great inventors. The Social Revolution alone can give this impulse to thought, this boldness, this knowledge, this conviction of working for all. “Then we shall have vast institutes … immense industrial laboratories open to all inquirers, where men will be able to work out their dreams, after having acquitted themselves of their duty towards society; … where they will make their experiments; where they will find other comrades, experts in other branches of industry, likewise coming to study some difficult problem, and therefore able to help and enlighten each other — the encounter of their ideas and experiences causing the longed-for solution to be found.” [The Conquest of Bread, p. 117]

The example of free software (operating systems, programming languages, specific packages and code) today show the potential this. Thus socialisation would aid innovation and scientific development by providing the necessary resources (including free time) for such work. Moreover, it would also provide the community spirit required to push the boundaries of science forward. As John O’Neil argues:

“There is, in a competitive market economy, a disincentive to communicate information. The market encourages secrecy, which is inimical to openness in science. It presupposes a view of property in which the owner has rights to exclude others. In the sphere of science, such rights of exclusion place limits on the communication of information and theories which are incompatible with the growth of knowledge … science tends to grow when communication is open… [In addition a] necessary condition for the acceptability of a theory or experimental result is that it pass the public, critical scrutiny of competent scientific judges. A private theory or result is one that is shielded from the criteria of scientific acceptability.” [The Market, p. 153]

Today inventors often “carefully hide their inventions from each other, as they are hampered by patents and Capitalism — that bane of present society, that stumbling-block in the path of intellectual and moral progress.” In a free society, socialisation would ensure that inventors will be able to build upon the knowledge of everyone, including past generations. Rather than hide knowledge from others, in case they get a competitive advantage, knowledge would be shared, enriching all involved as well as the rest of society. Thus the “spreading of a scientific education, which would increase the number of inquirers”, “faith that humanity is going to take a step forward” and the “enthusiasm, the hope of doing good, that has inspired all the great inventors” will be maximised and innovation increased. [Kropotkin, Op. Cit., p. 117 and pp. 116–7]

Social anarchists would also suggest that socialisation would produce more benefits by looking at existing societies. The evidence from the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and China shows that privatisations of nationalised industries associated with neo-liberalism failed in its stated aims of cheaper and better services while more than succeeding in their unstated aim of redistributing wealth upwards (for details see In Government we Trust: Market Failure and the delusions of privatisation by Warrick Funnell, Robert Jupe and Jane Andrew). The examples of railway and utility privatisation, the energy crisis in California (with companies like Enron reaping huge speculative profits while consumers faced blackouts) and the Sydney water treatment scandal in Australia are sadly all too typical. Ironically, in the UK after 30 years of Thatcherite policies (first under the Tories and then New Labour) the readers of the right-wing press who supported it are subjected to article after article complaining about “Rip off Britain” and yet more increases in the prices charged for privatised utilities, services and goods. This, it must be stressed, if not to suggest that anarchists aim for nationalisation (we do not, we aim for socialisation and workers’ self-management) but rather to indicate that privatising resources does not benefit the majority of people in a given society.

It should also be noted that more unequal societies are bad for almost everyone within them. Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett in their book The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better show that almost every modern social and environmental problem (including ill-health, lack of community life, violence, drugs, obesity, mental illness, long working hours, big prison populations) is more likely to occur in an unequal society than a more equal one. Based on thirty years of research, it shows that inequality, as anarchists have long argued, is bad for us. As such, socialisation of wealth would benefit us all.

Lastly, there is the issue of those who cannot work and the general provision of public goods. With a wide distribution to surplus, communal hospitals, schools, universities and so on can be created. The simple fact is that any society has members who cannot (indeed, should not) work unless they want to, such as the young, the old and the sick. In an Individualist Anarchist society, there is no real provision for these individuals unless someone (a family member, friend or charity) provides them with the money required for hospital fees and so on. For most anarchists, such a situation seems far too much like the system we are currently fighting against to be appealing. As such, social anarchists argue that everyone deserves an education, health care and so on as a right and so be able live a fully human life as a right, rather than a privilege to be paid for. A communal basis for distribution would ensure that every member of the commune can receive such things automatically, as and when required. The removal of the worry that, for example, privatised health care produces can be seen as a benefit of socialisation which cannot be reflected in, say, GDP or similar economic measures (not to mention the ethical statement it makes).

Significantly, though, non-privatised system of health care are more efficient. Competition as well as denying people treatment also leads to inefficiencies as prices are inflated to pay for advertising, competition related administration costs, paying dividends to share-holders and so on. This drives up the cost for those lucky enough to be covered, not to mention the stress produced by the constant fear of losing insurance or being denying payment due to the insurance company deciding against the patient and their doctor. For example, in 1993, Canada’s health plans devoted 0.9% of spending to overhead, compared to U.S. figures of 3.2% for Medicare and 12% for private insurers. In addition, when Canada adopted its publicly financed system in 1971, it and the U.S. both spent just over 7% of GDP on health care. By 1990, the U.S. was up to 12.3%, verses Canada’s 9%. Since then costs have continued to rise and rise, making health-care reform of key interest to the public who are suffering under it (assuming they are lucky enough to have private insurance, of course).

The madness of private health-care shows the benefits of a society-wide distribution of surpluses. Competition harms health-care provision and, as a result, people. According to Alfie Kohn:

“More hospitals and clinics are being run by for-profit corporations; many institutions, forced to battle for ‘customers,’ seem to value a skilled director of marketing more highly than a skilled caregiver. As in any other economic sector, the race for profits translates into pressure to reduce costs, and the easiest way to do it here is to cut back on services to unprofitable patients, that is, those who are more sick than rich … The result: hospital costs are actually higher in areas where there is more competition for patients.” [No Contest, p. 240]

American Liberal Robert Kuttner concurs:

“The American health-care system is a tangle of inequity and inefficiency — and getting worse as private-market forces seek to rationalise it. A shift to a universal system of health coverage would cut this Gordian knot at a stroke. It would not only deliver the explicitly medical aspects of health more efficiently and fairly, but, by socialising costs of poor health, it would also create a powerful financial incentive for society as a whole to stress primary prevention. .. every nation with a universal system spends less of its GDP on health care than the United States … And nearly every other nation with a universal system has longer life spans from birth (though roughly equivalent life spans from adulthood) … most nations with universal systems also have greater patient satisfaction. “The reasons … should be obvious. By their nature, universal systems spend less money on wasteful overhead, and more on primary prevention. Health-insurance overhead in the United States alone consumes about 1 percent of the GDP, compared to 0.1 percent in Canada. Though medical inflation is a problem everywhere, the universal systems have had far lower rates of cost inflation … In the years between 1980 and 1987, total health costs in the United States increased by 2.4 times the rate of GDP growth. In nations with universal systems, they increased far more slowly. The figures for Sweden, France, West Germany, and Britain were 1.2, 1.6, 1.8, and 1.7 percent, respectively … “Remarkably enough, the United States spends most money on health care, but has the fewest beds per thousand in population, the lowest admission rate, and the lowest occupancy rate — coupled with the highest daily cost, highest technology-intensiveness, and greatest number of employees per bed.” [Everything for Sale, pp. 155���6]

In 1993, the US paid 13.4% of its GDP towards health care, compared to 10% for Canada, 8.6% for Sweden and Germany, 6.6% for Britain and 6.8% for Japan. Only 40% of the US population was covered by public health care and over 35 million people, 14% of the population, went without health insurance for all of 1991, and about twice that many were uninsured for some period during the year. In terms of health indicators, the US people are not getting value for money. Life expectancy is higher in Canada, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Britain. The USA has the highest levels of infant mortality and is last in basic health indicators as well as having fewer doctors per 1,000 people than the OECD average. All in all, the US system is miles begin the universal systems of other countries.

Of course, it will be argued that the USA is not a pure “free market” and so comparisons are pointless. However, it seems strange that the more competitive system, the more privatised system, is less efficient and less fair than the universal systems. It also seems strange that defenders of competition happily use examples from “actually existing” capitalism to illustrate their politics but reject negative examples as being a product of an “impure” system. They want to have their cake and eat it to.

Significantly, we should note that the use of surplus for communal services (such as hospitals and education) can be seen from the Spanish Revolution. Many collectives funded new hospitals and colleges for their members, providing hundreds of thousands with services they could never have afforded by their own labour. This is a classic example of co-operation helping the co-operators achieve far more than they could by their own isolated activities. This libertarian health system was run and how other public services would be organised in a free society are discussed in section I.5.12.

So we can generalise from our experiences of different kinds of capitalism. If you want to live in a society of well-educated people, working today as equals in pleasant surroundings with more than ample leisure time to pursue their own projects and activities, then a wide sharing of the social surplus is required. Otherwise, you could live in a society where people work long and hard to survive on the market, without the time or opportunity for education and leisure, and be bossed about for most of their waking hours to enrich the wealthy few so that they can live a life of leisure (which, in turn, will inspire you to be work harder in spite of the fact that such high inequality produces low social mobility). The first society, according to some, would be one of self-sacrificing altruism and “collectivism” while the latter is, apparently, one based on “individualism” and self-interest...

[strawberry-soot]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ♦️ CATER BIRTHDAY SSR FLOWER ANALYSIS* ♦️*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

*Mandatory reminder that I’m no flower specialist, which means these are all very subjective opinions. Take everything with a grain of salt!

With their vivid hue orange roses express passion and excitement. They’re a symbol of energy and enthusiasm, as well as liveliness, youthfulness, new beginnings, and happiness. They’re a great gift for someone who needs a mood lift.

Daylilies are used to represent joy, love, courage, beauty, and devotion. They indicate good luck and have been used as symbol of flirtation (but not untrustworthiness) since it blooms at sunrise and closes at sunset and thus only stays around for so long. However, more commonly, they’re used to express joy, energy, and power, making them a great flower to gift someone who’s struggling or working hard to achieve a certain goal. They’re also said to indicate pride and confidence, or in the Japanese language of flowers power, success, and wealth.

Ranunculus stands for charm, attractiveness and having a crush on/wanting to learn more about someone. More particular, in yellow, it symbolizes happiness, joy, and positive feelings, and is used to bring positive energy to the recipient, while orange ranunculi express charm. According to Native American Mythology however, it can also be a symbol of careless behavior.

On a lighter note, gerbera daisies generally symbolize cheerfulness, loyal love, innocence and purity. I’m going to be honest here, I’m not sure if Cater has yellow gerberas or white ones that are just shaded in a way that makes them look yellow, so I’ll just tell you the meaning of both. White gerbera daisies represent purity and innocence, as I already mentioned. They’re used to show someone you find them loyal, thoughtful, and pure of love, which makes them a popular wedding flower, or as a gift from parents to their children. They can also be used to wish someone good health so a bouquet of white gerberas would make a great get well soon gift. If they’re yellow, however, they symbolize friendship and happiness, and once again are the perfect present to cheer someone up from a gloomy day, or as a recovering gift from an illness.

The small bulbous ones I believe to be white arbutus berries, which grow on arbutus trees, or as they’re more commonly known as, strawberry trees. Arbutus trees symbolize uniqueness of the human spirit, strength, beauty, as well as the ability to grow despite suffering, to live life fully no matter the circumstances.

The goldenrod/solidago in his bouquet represents good fortune, growth and encouragement, as well as positivity and good/happy thoughts since it’s one of the rare flowers that can survive harsh, diverse environments. They’re also a sign of support and often given to those suffering from depression to alleviate some of its effects.

Mimosas symbolize sunshine (as well as the sun and light in general), sensibility, sensitivity, and the want to expand in some sort of way. They’re associated with problem solving and the finding of complex solutions (sensibility), or to convey gentle emotions that are difficult to express or to represent emotions you don’t know how to talk about (sensitivity), which is why they’re also sometimes used as mourning flowers. The need to expand can relate to family, wealth, travel, and other areas of your life, though most commonly, it symbolizes the birth of a baby. Generally speaking, gifting mimosas means that you care about the recipient and that you want to convey your support, admiration, or sympathy.

Naturally, these are my un-educated guesses, but feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong/what flowers I might’ve missed.