#u have serious health issues from it and we’ve been trying to get u to stop forever why are u trying to incouraging others via thinspo

[amethystroselily]

EDtwt is wild to me. It’s like if the mental health community was just a bunch of ppl being like “you SHOULD kill yourself 🥰😍🥰”

[unbridgeabledistances]

Prompt: Sandy and Debbie break up and Ian and Mickey each take a side. During the fall out Ian worries that Mickey has the same complaints about Ian that drove Sandy to break up with Debbie. But in the end Mickey reassures Ian that their relationship is nothing like theirs.

hi!<3 thank u so much for this prompt, it was so fun to write! hope u enjoy:)

also this scenario could take place anytime between ep 2 and ep 3 of s11, because ian still has his warehouse job

**

“Jesus, Debbie, calm the fuck down. You’re being dramatic”

“Sandy, if you call me dramatic one more time, I swear to god. I’m not trying to be controlling I’m just asking you where you were last night, which is a perfectly reasonable question—”

“Reasonable if you were my mother, maybe, but I can go wherever the fuck I want without you needing to smother me all the time! I was on a run with Terry, because I have no money and don’t really know what to do with myself, and I’m never fucking good enough for you, and that’s literally all you need to know—”

“Trouble in paradise,” Mickey commented as he poured Ian some coffee, breaking the silence in the kitchen, where everyone was staring at their breakfasts and listening to the voices shouting upstairs.

Ian rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Debs isn’t known to be the most… secure partner in a relationship.”

“You can say that again,” added Liam, wrapping his poptart in a napkin and shoving it into his backpack. “I’m just gonna eat on the way to school. It doesn’t seem like this screaming is going to stop anytime soon, and while you and Mickey having sex twice a day is bad enough, Debbie and Sandy having a lover’s quarrel has somehow pushed me over the edge.”

Ian smirked and sipped his coffee. “Can you drop Franny off on the way?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Liam led Franny out of the kitchen, where Ian and Mickey remained, listening to Debbie’s shrill voice drifting through the floorboards.

“Fine, if I can’t know what’s going on in your life, I guess you don’t need to be in mine anymore!”

“Are you fucking serious, Debbie? Why do you need to know where I am, you can barely handle knowing the whereabouts of your own kid—”

Ian and Mickey traded raised eyebrows while Ian silently took a bite of toast.

“Sandy, get out of this house! I don’t need you and your illegal bullshit anyways, all you’re doing is putting me and Franny at risk with Terry and all of his issues—”

“Okay, little miss perfect, but don’t expect me to give a shit when you come crawling back.”

“Fine!”

The door upstairs finally slammed, and seconds later Sandy came stomping down. She looked at Ian.

“Your prissy fucking sister is a pain in my ass. The sooner your whole family realizes that your garbage father is as bad as Terry is, the sooner you’ll hop off of your superiority complex over the Milkoviches and realize that your way of surviving is literally the same as ours.”

Sandy shoved past the kitchen table and out the back door.

Ian breathed out a laugh. “Well, that was an eventful morning.”

“I’ll say,” Mickey agreed, looking at the door Sandy had just walked through. “Do you think I should go talk to her or some shit?”

Ian shrugged. “Nah, I’m sure it’s fine. I’m sure Sandy’ll grow up and apologize for whatever illegal shit she was doing with Terry, Debs will calm down, and everything will go back to the way it was.”

Mickey looked slightly uncomfortable as he placed his mug down on the table. “I mean, she has got a point. I’m sure whatever Sandy was up to was no big deal, Debbie doesn’t need to be freaking out.”

Ian scoffed. “Yeah, if getting involved in all of your dad’s shit is no big deal. Sandy could at least tell Debs whatever she’s up to, that sounds pretty fair to me.”

Mickey stood up, clearing their plates and walking over to the sink. “Whatever, Gallagher. I’m just saying Sandy does have a point about you being marshmallows. If she’s not telling Debbie what she’s up to, it’s probably for her own good.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Mick? Last time you disappeared on a run with your dad without telling me where you were, I literally thought you murdered our PO. How is that better than just telling me you’re hawking some stolen guns or whatever you get up to?”

Mickey distractedly wrung his hands with the dish towel, looking sightly pissed and defensive that Ian would even bring up that onslaught of memories, of their almost-wedding and Ian’s rejection at the courthouse and everything that followed.

“I don’t know, asshole. Maybe because Sandy’s right, and you all can be a little judgy about all the illegal shit. I get that you’re a goody two shoes breaking your fucking back in a warehouse, but that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to work their ass off to make minimum wage like you. I used to do shit for my dad all the time, so does Sandy and she doesn’t need anyone to be her keeper.”

Ian rolled his eyes, taking a final sip of coffee and standing up. “Alright, whatever. I’m gonna be late.” He pecked the top of Mickey’s head as he put his mug in the sink. “Enjoy your hard day’s work of watching TV and jacking off.”

Mickey turned and flipped him off as Ian strode out of the room.

Later that day, as Ian was mechanically checking expiration dates on an order of off-brand crackers, he couldn’t help but replay he and Mickey’s conversation from that morning over and over in his mind. Was Mickey seriously going to defend Sandy for sneaking with Terry behind Debbie’s back? He knew Mickey didn’t give a shit about making minimum wage right now, but was Mickey really going to spend the rest of his life following in his dad’s footsteps, depending on his next heist for cash? And, worst of all, did that mean he was going to live a life of feeling like he needed to hide every move from Ian? Ian knew what he was signing up for when they got married, that being with Mickey always meant some level of scamming and schmoozing; but for some reason, he thought that now that Mickey and his dad had fallen out that Mickey’s existence would stop being so constantly on the brink of incarceration.

He’d expected marriage to be a partnership—but so far, it felt like he and Mickey were on different pages about pretty much everything.

When Ian finally made it home and stumbled in the front door, tired and bleary, Sandy was still noticeably absent from the Gallagher house. Debbie and Franny were in the kitchen, along with Liam who was muddling through his homework at the table. Ian went upstairs and found Mickey laying on their bed, watching some sort of video on his phone at full volume. He didn’t look up when Ian came into the room.

“Hey, Mick. Can we talk for a sec?” Ian asked, taking off his hat and coat and gingerly placing them on the bottom corner of the bed.

Mickey still didn’t look up from his phone. “Don’t know what the fuck you want to talk about.”

Ian sat on the edge of the bed. “Did… Sandy and Debbie make up yet?”

Mickey huffed. “What d’you think.”

“Guess not. How’s Sandy doing?”

“Don’t know, haven’t heard from her yet. Figure she’s just off somewhere blowing off some steam.”

Ian approached the next topic with caution.

“So, uh, I was thinking. And I think we need to talk again about, y’know, our mutual expectations.”

“This shit again? Listen, we already did this, I know we agreed that we aren’t fucking other people—"

“No, no I mean about other stuff. Not even the money stuff again really, just like… if you’re ever going to go back to doing the shit that Terry does. For example.”

“What the fuck are you even talking about man, you know I don’t talk to that asshole anymore.”

“I know, but—what if you want to do stuff with Sandy, or someone makes you an offer for a big job? What if you end up in jail again? What if you feel the way Sandy does and you feel like you need to hide all this stuff from me, meanwhile I’m just here working my ass off trying to make a life for us—”

Mickey paused the video and finally looked up from the phone.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Gallagher?”

Ian ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. I just… I don’t want you to not tell me shit, the way Sandy was with Debbie. I’d rather know what illegal bullshit you’re up to, even if you think it’s going to piss me off. I… I don’t want to lose you again. I don’t want you to have to lie to me, and I don’t want you to go to jail again. I just wanna be on the same page.”

Ian inched his hand over the covers and placed it on top of Mickey’s as he kept talking.

“I know we’ve been fighting a lot lately, not agreeing on stuff. But I just…want you to know that I’m in this. I love you, I’m your fucking husband. I want us to work together, and I don’t want you to think that I can’t handle anything, or that we can’t tackle everything together.”

Ian looked down at their hands, letting the silence swell as he traced Mickey’s palm with his thumb.

“Hey, Gallagher. Look at me.”

Ian met Mickey’s eyes—Mickey was looking directly at him, unguarded and open. It reminded him of the look on Mickey’s face when he had tried to break up with Mickey the first time, back when they were both kids sitting on the front stoop and Mickey had sprinted over when Ian called; when Mickey had split himself open, had told Ian how much he loved him, through sickness and health and everything they were about to go through.  

“Sandy’s got her own bullshit to learn. About people caring about her, caring where she is, caring if she throws her life away. But I’ve been here this whole time, and I’ve learned that. Why do you think I used to throw myself into as much risky bullshit as I could, before I was locked up? I was losing myself in everything, because all I ever wanted was this.”

He put his hand up to Ian’s face—a small gesture, but probably the most intimate touch he’d given Ian in weeks. It stung like ice and fire on Ian’s cheek, like electricity was flickering where his fingertips met Ian’s skin.

“I’ve pointed a glock at my asshole dad’s head and been willing to take the bullet for this. I’m not getting involved in any shit that can take you away from me, Gallagher. Am I going to stop forging my payroll for my PO? Or stop selling shitty expired brownie mix? Probably not. But I’m not gonna do anything risky, anything that might take me away from you for good. Never was.”

Ian sighed. He was being stupid, and he knew that. But between all of their senseless bickering the last few weeks, he couldn’t help but worry that Mickey was feeling more and more indifferent about this whole marriage situation, or getting restless about being pinned down. He listened earnestly as Mickey continued talking.

“How many times have I told you—my family was never there for me. You’re the only family I need. And I made that shit official when I put a ring on your finger, or I guess when I forced you to put one on mine. I’ve always been there for you, I’m always gonna be there for you. We fought long and hard enough for this, Gallagher. You just gotta believe in me.”

There it was—that fondness in Mickey’s eyes, the softness that he tried to hard to hide, but showed up anyways as he was tying Ian’s tie, or holding him close through a wave of depression, or kissing his forehead when he gave Ian his meds. Mickey was never going to let anything come between them again, not after all the pitfalls and heartbreak they’d been through—Ian realized that now, even more than he already had.

“I know, Mick. I believe you.”

“You’d better, asshole. Now c’mere.”

Mickey led Ian’s chin forward, and their lips met—just a ghost of a touch, at first, but it made Ian grab the back of Mickey’s neck and pull him in closer, fiercely slotting their lips together again and again.  

They broke apart, and Ian smiled sheepishly. “Sorry for freaking out.”

“I’m all yours, Mr. Milkovich. Whatever shit our families get into can’t change that.”

[gffa]

Hot take. You are a human being. Running a blog. Who also happens to like Star Wars. How dare your thoughts and opinions differ from any random single individual's in the fandom???? Lumi is problematic for THINKING THINGS! HoW DARE U????

LOL, OKAY, I’ll write a more serious response:  I don’t mind that other people disagree with me about stuff, I don’t even mind genuine attempts at discussion!  I do think that you probably have to step more carefully than you would with other topics--at least with some of us, because we’ve had enough bad faith bullshit to last us a lifetime--but that we’re not closed to all conversation, regardless of whether it’s good faith or bad faith.  I have had and do still have conversations with people who disagree with me! What I mind is when people come to me like I’m just here for them to argue with, when it’s clear they’re not engaging with anything I’ve actually said, when it’s clear they don’t want to have a discussion, but just want to tell me how wrong I am.  That’s only going to get shitpost meme responses from me because I think that’s far funnier and more productive.  I don’t owe anyone on this hellsite my time or energy for these things.  I will gladly give it to those who take extra steps to be considerate, but I don’t owe it to anyone. (I will say, however, that if you want to approach me to have an honest discussion about it, I promise to try to be as genuine as I can in such a conversation.  I can’t guarantee that it’ll be a fruitful conversation, but I can guarantee that I’ll give an honest shot.  You can send me an ask here or, if we’re in block with each other, over on mirkwoodings.) But also I think what you’re saying is important to keep in mind, too.  Yes, I am very loud.  Yes, I post a lot.  But also yes I am just one blogger on the internet.  I’m not obligated to agree to something or be some sort of blog-for-everyone-in-the-fandom, I’m here for the opinions I hold, I’m here for the things I like.  Disagreement is fine!  I follow plenty of people I disagree with on stuff!  But they’re kind and considerate people who recognize that disagreeing with stuff doesn’t mean you have to go around putting that on other people. (This is setting aside more serious issues of shitty behavior in fandom, that’s a whole other discussion.  I’m talking about stuff like, “I think it’s funny to make fun of Anakin for the things I relate to about him.”  Agree or disagree, whatever, but it has nothing to do with you, if it’s not your thing.) Ultimately, I have some popular opinions, I have some unpopular opinions, I’ll keep yelling loudly about all of them, and I’m happy to answer serious questions (when I have the emotional reserves for it, I’ve been cycling through a lot of mental health spirals lately, not worrisome bad, but definitely a lot of “I am not dealing with anything serious on tumblr today” places) and have conversations, but at the end of the day, I’m one person running a blog with the goal of entertaining myself.  I’m here for me.  Everyone should be on their own blog for themselves, you can’t light yourself on fire to keep others warm, even just virtually.

[unsympathetic-angst]

Prompt: The light sides know Logan has emotions so they force him through stressful situations until he has a breakdown

[this isn’t the exact prompt but tumblr ate the ask so here’s what i can remember]

TW: U!Patton, U!Virgil, U!Roman, crying, manipulation, hair pulling, mental breakdown, gas lighting(perhaps), lmk of other things to add

  Logan was to put simply exhausted. He desperately attempted to fix Thomas's deteriorating mental health, yet each side either knew and did nothing to help or pretended nothing was wrong. Logan grips his hair in frustration as he looks at the red lines that scattered around his calendar that brightly showed whenever a plan was canceled or replaced, each rescheduling being worse than the last. He desperately tried to logically explain to Thomas that his health was in a troubling state but Thomas wouldn't listen. And no matter how much Logan asked Patton, who should know that Thomas felt ill, Patton would just pat him on the shoulder for 'trying to care'. It's not as if he was apart of Thomas and it wasn't as if his function was to logically help Thomas through any situation. He didn't want to admit that he was emotionally drained but he was and he needed answers for the other's behaviors.

  "May I speak on a topic that's been bothering me for the last view days?" Logan questions grabbing the attention of the other sides," it seems to me that we've been allowing for Thomas to fall into a figurative hole and I feel as-"

  "Ha! Feel," Roman laughs mockingly," get it, cause ya know you say you can't feel.”

  Logan looks at him confused before shaking his head slightly to refocus," I believe that this behavior has gone on for too far. There has to be an explanation for Roman's lack of motivation, Virgil's continuous anxious antics, and for Patton's lack of awareness that Thomas is suffering!"

  Each side eyes were raised at Logan's voice raising, including the logical side himself. He swallowed the lump in his throat and stood up straight fixing his glasses. The trio looked at each other until Virgil cleared his throat," guess he does an extreme reaction other than screaming falsehood."

  Logan his mouth before snapping it close narrowing his eyes at the anxious side in confusion. Patton noticed and let out a laugh," I'm sure Virgil's just teasing Logan! Now, what were you talking about?"

  "Well, that! Your lack of awareness is one of my issues. How you only see what you choose to see what you want to see is harming Thomas!" Logan stats.

  It doesn't help that Patton doesn't seem affected by Logan's claims which only bothers the logical side more.

  "Thomas is fine Logan, I don't know what you mean," Patton shrugs watching gleefully as he witnessed Logan become more annoyed.

  "Have you not notice that Virgil's been a bit more cumbersome to deal with? Thomas is too scared to leave the house!"

  "Hey don't force your problems onto me! I'm just doing my job and id hate for my job to be disrupted," Virgil adds bitterly.

  "However, your job is causing distress to Thomas!" Logan exasperates angrily.

  "I thought we all agreed that Virgil was an important side. Have you changed your mind all because you can't handle him?" Roman questions with a small smirk.

  Logan opens his mouth to speak but Patton interrupts him," Logan that's cruel of you to think of Virgil in such a way!"

  "I wasn't saying that, however!"

  The trio looked at Logan and he couldn't help but feel like a bug. He wanted to duck out but he knew he had to stand his ground because if he wouldn't then Thomas would continue to get hurt by their ignorance.

"Why do you even care how Thomas feels? Thought you didn't care about emotions," Roman questions with a raised brow," that's more of Patton area anyways."

Logan lets out a breath of air as he fixes his already perfect tie," while I do agree that it is Patton's task to regulate and help Thomas with emotional situations, Patton hasn't been a thorough job."

"I mean you haven't been a great job either teach," Virgil says lowly, his tone full of venom," if it's so easy for Patton than shouldn't you just logically find a solution?"

  Logan snaps his attention at Virgil who stares at him like prey.

  "It isn't my job to regulate Thomas's emotions, my task to logically find solutions for Thomas or simply answer questions," Logan says with facade confidence that each side can see through.

  "Then why don't you just find a solution for whatever problem you're whining about?" Roman asks looking at his fingernails bored.

  "I am not whining this is a serious issue-"

  "Look," Patton interrupts now standing," I'll help okay? I know you don't know what you're talking about Logan, but I'm just glad to see you trying kiddo!"

  The logical side hands are white fists as he miserably attempts to hold his in anguish. They all still believe that this situation was about him and that he knows nothing. His entire existence is Logic and if he didn't know how to solve a problem then who even was he.

  "I do know what I'm talking about," Logan says softly, his voice full of grief," I've been feeling the same drain and burden as Thomas has been feeling for the last two weeks, seven hours, and forty-five minutes. He's-I am exhausted from constantly feeling like a failure from my mistakes which only occur as a result of you threes indifference to Thomas's emotional distress. Do not tell me I do not know what I'm talking about. Please."

  He feels tears swell as the three looks at him with no remorse. The room is uncomfortably still and Logan hopes that this silence is just the three thinking about their actions but a loud harsh laugh coming from Roman makes Logan's heart drop.

  "Oh man I actually thought you felt something for a moment," the fanciful side wheezed," you should be an actor or something because that was flawless."

  "Yeah, you almost had me there. You don't have to do all this for attention Logan," Virgil remarks humorously.

  He feels sick. His vision is blurry and his white hands are now uncontrollably shaking whilst they move over his mouth to cover his cries. Logan doesn't understand how they look at him at a joke. He stands weak closing his eyes to block out their faces as the tears fall down his face, his cries being the only sound and it disgusts him. He feels vile for being emotionally open and trusting them, and now they gawk at him while he cries.

  Patton moves closer till he wraps around Logan who cringes under his touch," awe Logan you don't have to feel infinitesimal."

  Patton says with a wink not caring that Logan look like he's on the edge of crumbling beneath him.

  "We know Thomas has been going through some stuff and that our doing, but Thomas will be fine! We just needed to push you out of your shell!" Patton said gleefully.

  Logan opens his eyes to look at the moral side in terror," excuse me?"

  "Well, now that you've embarrassed yourself you shouldn't feel scared to be emotional with us!" Patton says ignoring Logan's horrified expression.

  The logical side lets out a breath of a laugh. I really did embarrass myself, Logan thinks as his vision goes in and out. I was worried about nothing and Thomas kept getting hurt. What an embarrassment.

[xxcureangelxx]

5, 9, 10, 13, 20, 21, 24, 25, 28, 30-35, 38-42, 44-46, 50, 52, 54, 60-62, 66, 71-74, 86-91, 96, 100! 😊

okay I literally have no clue how old this is and if I'm even taking the questions from the right post but here goes I guess? 🙈

<u>5. What is your favorite Color?</u>

PURPLE

<u>9. How tall are you?</u>

about 1,70 meters or 5'7"

<u>10. What shoe size are you?</u>

size 40-41, I think that's about 8 in US sizes?

<u>13. What talents do you have?</u>

uhhh good question... not sure if it counts but I guess I'm quite good at a lot if things but can't do anything extraordinarily well?

<u>20. Are you religious?</u>

Absolutely not. Due to family history and a lot of other things I'm actually against it a lot but people can do whatever they feel like is right for them as long as they don't harm others with it.

<u>21. Have you ever been to the hospital?</u>

Yes, quite a lot actually. practically grew up in hospitals as a baby because of kidney issues, broke both my legs with 4 years old, had to revisit for tests a lot during my childhood because of the kidney issue. it calmed down afterwards until I was back in hospital last year because of my terrible mental health and I'm currently in a rehabilitation clinic for it as well.

<u>24. Baths or showers?</u>

Shower's because we don't have a bathtub

<u>25. What color socks are you wearing?</u>

currently none, I love going barefoot, but usually I wear white, gray or black. I know... I'm a bad gay.. no rainbow socks (;ŏ﹏ŏ)

<u>28. What type of music do you like?</u>

you know.... I hate this question with a passion even though I love music so I'll just throw in my yt-playlist here and everyone who's interested can look through it to get a picture xD not sorted in any way and not a conclusive list at all, I just add songs as I find them

<u>30. How many pillows do you sleep with?</u>

mostly just one at a time but I've got two different ones. one is the normal fluffy kinda pillow, the other is made of some kinda foam material and rather thin.

<u>31. What position do you usually sleep in?</u>

I'm always lying on the side! have been doing that since I was a baby too.

<u>32. How big is your house?</u>

compared to what? 🙈 I'd say decent size for 5 people to live in, would have space for 1-2 more if rooms were used differently but definitely not enough to comfortably live with 12 or even more people like my family used to. we've got like 3 proper sleeping rooms (one of which is the attic so not very nice in terms of heat and the staircase is smack in the middle of the room), a kitchen, a dining room, a big living room, a tiny bathroom that barely fits a toilet and shower, and the basement is a mix of storage, electrics and stuff, washing room/utility room and it's got another smaller room that's been turned back into a small workshop but used to be the room of my brother and later my grandmother.

<u>33. What do you typically have for breakfast?</u>

I guess this is where it shows that I'm german but we usually just eat bread (preferably whole grain) with cheese or slices of salami or ..meat sausage? is that a proper translation? 🤨 idk... it's rather simple really. on the weekend maybe buns and boiled eggs. on the occasion that I'm too tired for it or don't have enough time I eat cereals but it's not very common when I'm at work/school

<u>34. Have you ever fired a gun?</u>

No, and I don't want to

<u>35. Have you ever tried archery?</u>

Yes!! I did last year when I was in the hospital and it was super fun! was quite good at it as well, even for my first try 😤

<u>38. What's the longest you've ever gone without sleep?</u>

I think about 3 days? if we count "barely unconscious for a few hours" as sleep that is... otherwise no clue...my memory of the bad sleepless time is quite hazy lol

<u>39. Do you have any scars?</u>

yeah, quite a few tbh. got 2 huge ones from surgeries due to my kidney issues, well they look like 2 but it's actually multiple ones since they simply cut open party of the old ones again, tiny hooman apparently have very little skin. then I got some other ones here and there from accidents, general dumbness, etc, like when I cut through my sunday morning bun and almost cut half of the tip of my finger off because my mother sharpened the knife and didn't tell me or that time as a kid I couldn't wait for my ironing pearl pictures to be done and burned myself on the hot iron, mostly stuff like that.

<u>40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?</u>

I mean.. if they're a secret... how would I know? ;) not sure if it counts that it took me months to realize I had a crush on my best friend and the feelings were reciprocated and I was too blind to see the signs?

<u>41. Are you a good liar?</u>

Nope. People actually think I'm lying more often than I lie... so.... :/

<u>42. Are you a good judge of character?</u>

I'm.. honestly not sure what this one means? like, am I able to judge what kind of character a person has after barely meeting them or smth? if so, I'm terrible at it

<u>44. Do you have a strong accent?</u>

in german? nope. in english? hmm hard to judge since I rarely hear myself speak. I think the stuff I do know how to pronounce is mostly okay but since I learned it through reading I'm simply unsure of a lot of pronunciations. 'also'.... I can not for the life of me pronouns that word no matter how many times I hear it... it's kinda become a quirk after some classmates pointed it out to me and I'm incredibly aware how terrible I say the word but.... just can't get rid of it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

<u>45. What is your favorite accent?</u>

I.. actually really love the way my best friend talks? 👉👈 they're french btw. just... typical me for struggling to understand them though, already terrible at it in german too...

<u>46. What is your personality type?</u>

honestly, I don't think I can answer that. I'm big on self loathing and everything's pretty shitty so, no thanks

<u>50. Left or right handed?</u>

Right handed. but does it even count id I'm bad at doing things with that hand too? lol

<u>52. Favorite food?</u>

hmmmm tough question... not the biggest fan of food in general a lot of the time... probably Züricher Geschnetzeltes

<u>54. Are you a clean or a messy person?</u>

Definitely messy. my allergies did not like this post trying to clean and tidy up more often though. my depression does not like this post either

<u>60. Do you talk to yourself?</u>

sometimes. quite a bit when watching movies or if I mess stuff up

<u>61. Do you sing to yourself?</u>

barely. got a lot of bad experiences with that so i keep my singing to a minimum. my shower is a great listener though

<u>62. Are you a good singer?</u>

I was in a choir for a few years when I went to 'middle school' and I had like one solo part once but other than that I can't really say because I barely ever sing in front of people

<u>66. Do you like long or shor hair?</u>

this question is currently my absolute nemesis.. I've got suuuper duper long hair and have had it ever since elementary school and I used to be super happy with it and sometimes I still am happy with it but other days, depending on where I'm at genderwise, I absolutely hate it and I just want to take the closest scissors and cut it all off... currently haven't had the guts to look for new hair styles though... but in other people? or women more specifically? I love long hair 🥺

<u>71. What makes you nervous?</u>

Or the shorter question: what doesn't make me nervous... I'd say pretty much everything has got the potential to make me nervous. I'm an overthinker, anxiety is a big thing for me and ptsd makes me scared of almost everything. so.. yeah... sucks to be me sometimes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

<u>72. Are you scared of the dark?</u>

Yes, very

<u>73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?</u>

I try not to but sadly I sometimes do, even if it's not my place to. I really don't like that part and hope I'll be able to learn not to sometime

<u>74. Are you ticklish?</u>

Yes and I hate it 😭

<u>86. What are you allergic to?</u>

again, easier question: what am I not allergic to... it's... a lot... like, really a lot. with the test on the skin of my arm I reacted to every single substance and the more thorough blood test lead to much of the same result. the absolute worst are birch trees (pitty, love those), then the usual pollen of pretty much every tree or flower, all animals with fur or feathers, dust and... yeah list goes on and on, you get the picture... :/

<u>87. Do you keep a journal?</u>

no.. have tried to multiple times in the past but never made it more than a week... too depressing to write and read... the therapist at the rehab clinic is currently forcing me to try a positivity diary for the millionths time, can't even get that done each day even though I'm doing it on my phone and get notifications to do it each evening...

<u>88. What do your parents do?</u>

making my life hell lol.. okay on a serious note, my father was a car electrician, he's retired by now, my mother is a housewife, she used to work different jobs before her first kid, later on she took care of my grandmother who was suffering from dementia, got some money and retirement points for that too.

<u>89. Do you like your age?</u>

I-... I don't know? it's weird because I both feel a lot younger and a lot older than I am rn....

<u>90. What makes you angry?</u>

another tough question... I actually have anger issues in that way that I'm barely capable of feeling anger... used to be worse but I already worked a lot on it in therapy so there's at least some there now... in the past I simply started to cry and felt overwhelmed by sadness whenever I was supposed to feel anger... so I can't tell very well what makes me angry because I first have to realize that I'm feeling anger or more like should be feeling it....

<u>91. Do you like your own name?</u>

Not really, no, but I guess I finally figured out some reasons why.. I've recently started going by a bit of a different name too but only my closest friends know so far and I'm not sure if I'll be using it irl at all..

<u>96. How did you get your name?</u>

I'm still trying to get my mother to admit that she named me after this song but she keeps denying it.. she's a fan of this band so it would have fit.. but she keeps saying she just liked the name, no long thought process behind it..

my chosen name is a bit of a different story. an ex friend I got to know through yt gave me that nickname almost 10 years ago after I complained that you can't make a shorter nickname out of my birthname and it's also the name of s character I like, especially his voice, and... idk it just feels more gender neutral and I simply feel comfortable with it. it just fit.

<u>100. Color of your room?</u>

same as question 5: Purple 🥰 or... well half the walls are purple, the other half is white

phew... can't believe I made it through all of these....

in case people haven't noticed yet, I'm currently kinda getting back into tumblr? I think I've already stayed a lot longer than any times I tried getting back before. it mostly started because we've got super bad wifi at the clinc I'm at rn and reddit takes up waaayy too much mobile data and... idk, I guess I just missed the vibe of tumblr

I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stick around but we'll see

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #273

ew, wtf is this new /tagged formatting???? ugh.

What is something you dislike about the dating world? I haven't dated around enough to have first-hand experience, really. But from an outside view, people don't seem all that interested in serious commitment. Don't fwm if you aren't into the idea of working towards a whole lifetime together. What gives you confidence? Bitch nothing lmao. Have you ever dated someone with very different sexual tastes than you? No. What is the most meaningful gift you’ve ever given? Both Jason and Sara got a huge list of reasons I love them for certain relationship "milestones," both which really did take a long time because there were loads. I did it with each because I really did feel like it was a very personal, uplifting, and full-of-adoration gift, not just for the sake of recycling an idea because I had no others. I have a shitload of romantic ideas, ngl man. Do you feel as though someone ‘won’ in your last break up? Neither of us "won" or "lost," really. It was a mutual agreement that now just isn't the time for a relationship between us. Whatever happened to the first person you ever loved? Sometimes I'm scared to know. Do you still shop at the same stores you liked when you were a teenager? Yeah. Thankfully Hot Topic became more accessible to plus-size people. Is there anyone significantly older than you that you would date? No. I won't go over like... nine years. Even eight it pushing it. Please share your embarrassing and weird celeb crushes. Post pictures. What do you like about them? I don't have any "embarrassing" or "weird" ones. What is something your partner does that is unattractive to you? N/A What is something that would have made the show better/you would have liked to see happen on one of your favorite series? I honestly wish Weed in Ginga Densetsu Weed was more realistic and realized Hougen was worth killing himself. The lightning seemed cheap and anti-climactic. He had EVERY reason to kill him, and it sounds weird to consider killing as a form of growth, but I feel like it would've been. Maybe that's just a personal thing, believing killing is sometimes justified, but it actually annoyed me. Nevertheless, fucking fantastic show. How do you feel about celebrities that are silent about political or human rights issues? Do you think celebrities should use their platform to speak out? I have... mixed feelings. I think most of me says to use their prominence for good, to be a loud voice to look up to and bring greater attention to issues, but at the same time, some people just like/feel safer being non-political. When you were a kid, what child characters did you admire or relate to most? BINDI IRWIN!!!!!!!!!! I still follow and fucking adore her. Y'all she recently got married and she is just so beautiful and so happy and the Irwins are just genuinely angels on this earth. Tell me about a time that you were bored in a relationship (can be romantic or friendship). What was it about them/the situation that bored you? I've never been romantically bored, and not really with a friendship, either. Sure, I've been bored in another's presence, but it was never a consistent issue. Who’s your favorite Tiktoker? I have never even touched it. How high or low is the barrier to entry in your field or desired field? It's tough, but not that high. More than anything, photography depends on who you know to help get you out there, sadly. It's luck, too. There is most certainly skill involved, but yeah... building your brand up to stand out with only your own hands is ridiculously hard. But that's really any small business/self-employed position. Where would you look if you were looking for a job (e.g., indeed.com, company websites, asking a friend…)? I've pretty much always used Indeed, or I hear from family/friends. How much lower than your ideal salary would you take? What would the job have to entail for you to take a less than ideal wage? Hi, I live in America, where the government doesn't give a fuck if you can support yourself on minimum wage or not. :^) But anyway, this is a difficult question to answer with how little experience I have. I can say, however, that I will fucking not work to just barely scrape by with minimum wage. If I'm going to bust my ass, it's gonna be fucking worth it. Even if you were able to support yourself/your own family, would there ever be a situation in which you would choose to live in a shared house with another family or individual, be it your parents or a sibling’s family, or some other housemate? Sure, I wouldn't mind. Especially family. Do bridges make you nervous? To a degree. Are there any movies that you find so dumb, you find funny? Napoleon Dynamite, of course. How often do you vacation? Pretty much never ever. Do you think it’s cruel to leave a live fish to die in an ice box? I am genuinely concerned for you if you say no to this. Have you ever done anything sexual with someone of the same sex? Yes. Have you ever pawned anything off at a pawn shop? No. Do you have stomach abs? OH, HUNNY- Do you know anyone who is trying to physically impersonate a celebrity? No. Have you ever seen a shuttle launch? I mean, on TV, but even then I didn't seriously watch it. Are we having signs of the apocalypse? I don't believe in the "apocalypse." We're going to fall through natural methods. We're definitely heading deeper into destruction in some ways, though, by our own hands. I'm quite sure humans themselves will be the end of humanity. Would you rather see The Blue Man Group or Fear Factor live? BLUE MAN GROUP!!! They're dooooope. Do you have any exciting plans for this upcoming weekend? No. I'm staying in the goddamn house like we're fucking supposed to. What color of colored contacts would you like to have? To wear regularly? Sapphire blue. Ohhh, maybe one that, and the other icy blue. What’s on your bedside table? It's more a shelf than a table, so I have quite a bit. My medicine basket, fan, a drink, books, sketchbook, some other miscellaneous things. What’s on your bed? A bedsheet, comforter, two pillows, and me, ha ha. Your floor besides furniture? Nothing. Your dresser? All my meerkat stuffed animals, plus some others. The top shelf in your closet? Ha, good question. Are there any dead stuffed animals in your house? No. What’s the best prize you’ve won on an amusement park/carnival game? *shrug* Have you ever done anything sexual in a school? No, I was a good noodle. Have you ever been indoor skydiving? No. Would you have any interest in going on a cruise? Not really. What did you have for dinner last night? I made some hot wings. What's your ideal indoor temperature? High 60s, ig. It’s hard to really tell because my room is always the hottest in the house and I have a fan on me, so I don’t really feel the “normal” temperature most of the time. Does your kitchen have a theme? No. What's the grossest thing u have found in your food? Probably nothing worse than a hair or something, idk. Are you a flip flop lover? I am NOTORIOUS for wearing flipflops absolutely year-round. A little bit of snow on the ground? I’m wearing my gd flipflops because they’re just easy to slide on and I care about convenience probably too much lmao. What namebrand dishwashing liquid do u use? … Dawn, I think? I don’t really pay attention. Do you like ice cream sandwiches? UGH yesssssssssss hunty. Do you prefer hard or soft shell tacos? I hate tacos, but I’d definitely rather have a soft shell than hard. Ever worn a flower in your hair? Maybe as a kid? Name five random things in your kitchen? Nothing abnormal, really… no, wait. You know those sticky cylinder things that flies are attracted to and die a slow death for their brazen intrusion upon your property? We have one of those hanging up in there. Magnets and pictures on the fridge is considered pretty normal, right? Name four things in your fridge? Milk, apples, a bigass bag of pepperoni, and some cold water bottles because I strongly prefer cold water. Name two things in your meds cabinet? We’ve got a load… Different kinds of pain pills, things like Pepto, etc. Name six things in your family room? A couch, a reclining chair, the TV, Mom’s bed, loads of pictures on the walls, and uh… sidetables? Name three things in your bedroom? My snake, my bed, and my dresser. Name three things in your yard? A bird feeder that squirrels like to steal from, a random fucking dolphin statue thingy that deadass looks like a distorted dick (it’s been here since we got here, idfk), and two sheds. Name two things in your bathroom? Our bathroom is tiiiny, so very normal stuff. Y’know, a toilet and sink. What health problems do you have? A lot that I don’t feel like thinking through. Fave name brand of water? Essentia. Do you have a trampoline? Not since I was a teenager. The last time you were in the fridge, what were you looking for? Jam to make a pb&j. Do you like clowns? No opinion. Are you listening to anything at the moment? Surprisingly nothing, but Halocene’s cover of “My Immortal” is seeeeeriously jammed in my head. Do you twitch when your falling asleep? YES. They’re more like muscle spasms. Are your dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? We don’t have one; we have to wash by hand. Buuut that house we’re moving into has one! :’) When is the last time you were on a bicycle? Not since I was a teenager. I used to love love loooove to ride my bike after school. What have you eaten today? Special K cereal and aforementioned sandwich. Do you own a strapless bra? Fuckin Y I K E S that would not work w/ my size lmfao. Does the person you like know it? Ye. Did anything brighten up your day today? Our lawn FINALLY got mowed and the bushes trimmed. We had to tidy it up before we can move. It looked like a jungle, deadass serious. Do you ever wonder how other people see you? Only all the time. What is one good thing you're known for? I write well. How about one bad thing? I’m very dependent. When was the last time you sang an ENTIRE song? Wow, no clue. I rarely sing, never mind an entire song. What is one thing that is currently bothering you? Actually my stomach kinda hurts. What did you do today? Wander around the Internet looking for something to even mildly entertain me, play World of Warcraft for a very brief period since I’m going through a bored phase of it, read for a bit, showered… not a lot, but later today we’re celebrating my mom’s birthday early, actually. Do you consider yourself to be attractive? No. I think my dimples are kinda cute, but that’s it. Do you regret going out with the last person you did? Not at all. Do you realize it when you curse? It’s so normal in my vocabulary that generally, no. I’m very mindful around kids, though. I still remember the first time I said “fuck” in my mom’s presence without realizing it and she just like f r o z e. Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? Yeah, for various reasons. That is veeeeery rare nowadays, though, partially because I’m so fucking bored that I’m just happy to close the day. What's the longest amount of time you've been stuck in traffic? An hour or so is my guess while traveling. I don’t recall any specific instances. Best field trip experience? We went to the zoo!!!! It was the one and only time thus far that I’ve seen meerkats irl. What is the most amount of money you've spent on a meal before? I’ve never really been able to buy my own meal, never mind something expensive. What museums have you visited, if any? Just local ones centered around art or science, generally. What's your worst traveling experience? Idk. Sims 1, 2, or 3? Why? Never played. Not my kinda game. What area of math are you best at? Worst? lol I suck at them all. How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? It’s exciting! Do you believe in luck? Why or why not? No, because I don’t believe in any “magical” influence over events that occur. Shit just happens, sometimes to good people, sometimes to bad people, and everything in-between. How often do you "half-ass" things (put little effort in)? IIII tend to do that a lot.. Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? Not really. Have you ever missed a meeting/event that was required/necessary? You could say so, but it turned out fine that I missed it anyway. What's something that makes you incredibly nervous? Talking to people I don’t know or being alone with a man. If you don't have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? N/A If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn't need them anymore? I’d be fuckin’ stoked, I could get my undereye dermal without it looking stupid. How many vegetarians do you know? I’m not sure. Have you ever considered going to art school? Does Photography count? I majored in that. Otherwise, no. Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? No, I was always very attentive in class. Are your parents supportive of you? Very.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Will you get robbed this year? How would you rate your chances?

Over 10 years, from 1994 to 2004, the national Survey of Economic Expectations asked respondents to do just that. People estimated their risks for a whole host of bad-news life events — robbery, burglary, job loss and losing their health insurance. But the survey didn’t just ask respondents to rate their chances: It also asked whether those things had actually happened to them in the last year.

And that combination of questions revealed something important about American fear: We are terrible at estimating our risk of crime — much worse than we are at guessing the danger of other bad things. Across that decade, respondents put their chance of being robbed in the coming year at about 15 percent. Looking back, the actual rate of robbery was 1.2 percent. In contrast, when asked to rate their risk of upcoming job loss, people guessed it was about 14.5 percent — much closer to the actual job loss rate of 12.9 percent.

In other words, we feel the risk of crime more acutely. We are certain crime is rising when it isn’t; convinced our risk of victimization is higher than it actually is. And in a summer when the president is sending federal agents to crack down on crime in major cities and local politicians are arguing over the risks of defunding the police, that disconnect matters. In an age of anxiety, crime may be one of our most misleading fears.

Take the crime rate. In 2019, according to a survey conducted by Gallup, about 64 percent of Americans believed that there was more crime in the U.S. than there was a year ago. It’s a belief we’ve consistently held for decades now, but as you can see in the chart below, we’ve been, just as consistently, very wrong.

Crime rates do fluctuate from year to year. In 2020, for example, murder has been up but other crimes are in decline so that the crime rate, overall, is down. And the trend line for violent crime over the last 30 years has been down, not up. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the rate of violent crimes per 1,000 Americans age 12 and older plummeted from 80 in 1993 to just 23 in 2018. The country has gotten much, much safer, but, somehow, Americans don’t seem to feel that on a knee-jerk, emotional level.

“The biggest challenge really, and we’re seeing this as a society across the board right now, is that even though our organizations, our businesses, our government entities are becoming more data driven, we as human beings are not,” said Meghan Hollis, a research scholar at the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship.

That’s not to say that Americans are completely clueless about crime. When we spoke to John Gramlich, a senior writer with the Pew Research Center and one of the people who has been tracking and writing about this disconnect for years, he was quick to clarify that Pew didn’t like to frame Americans’ apparent inability to register their own increased safety as a product of being uninformed or misinformed. The reality, he told us, is that the nature of data collection makes it hard for the public to really assess crime rates and for experts to assess what the public knows or feels about crime rates.

Even the concept of a “crime rate” is messy. When we talk about crime rates in the context of an article like this one, what we’re actually discussing is the number of crimes, in a set of particular categories, that get reported to the police and, from there, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation — or results from a government survey about whether people have experienced crime. These stats document murder, rape, robbery and assault, among others, as well as several property crimes, including burglary, theft, car theft, and arson. That covers a lot of ground, and it gives us a pretty good idea what the crime rate truly looks like — enough that experts feel comfortable saying things like “Hey, look, the crime rate has been going down for 30 years.”

But those statistics don’t tell the whole story, and that matters in ways that become important when you’re trying to understand the difference between how people feel and what the data say. Not all crimes are reported to the police. Sexual assault, in particular, is notoriously underreported. And there are plenty of crimes we don’t really track well in data — like vandalism, drug use and sales, or public intoxication — which can affect how safe people feel in their neighborhoods, even if the crimes aren’t serious.

Wesley Skogan, professor emeritus of political science at Northwestern University, spent much of the 1990s attending neighborhood-level public meetings around Chicago and documenting the issues that residents told police were problems they wanted solved. Some of these issues weren’t even, strictly speaking, crimes, at all. In 17 percent of the meetings, residents asked police to do something about litter. Loud music or other noise-related problems were discussed in 19 percent of the meetings. Residents complained about abandoned cars more often than they complained about gang problems. Skogan thinks about these factors as measurements of social disorder, and has found evidence that these things affect how safe people feel. If violent crimes are down, but there’s still a good deal of social disorder in an area, people’s responses to a survey might reflect how they feel about litter more than how they feel about a reduced murder rate.

The way the polls are worded also don’t help. “The polling tends to be pretty generic,” said Lisa L. Miller, a political scientist at Rutgers University who studies crime and punishment, which makes it hard to capture the difference between how Americans think about murder and litter when it comes to how safe they feel. More importantly, she said, questions like “Do you think crime has gone up or down?” is not the same thing as measuring fear. “When people are genuinely worried about crime and really fearful, it tends to be in relation to violent crime. That’s the thing I’ve found really drives public pressure for the government to do something,” she said.

This whole thing is further complicated because crime is extremely localized — and estimates about the national crime rate are, well, not.

“All the homicides in Chicago occur in about 8 percent of the city’s census tracts,” Skogan said. For almost everybody, he said, that means “the crime you hear about is crime somewhere else.” And that matters because research suggests people are a lot better at estimating the crime rate in their own backyard than they are at estimating what it’s like across town, or across the country.

Finally, there’s the question of race, which permeates and complicates everything surrounding crime. It’s not just trash and loitering that make people perceive a neighborhood as more dangerous regardless of the crime rate. When Lincoln Quillian, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University, analyzed data from three surveys of crime and safety in cities across America, he found that people perceive their neighborhood as more dangerous — regardless of the actual crime rate — if more young Black men live there. That was true for both Black and white respondents of the surveys, but in some cities the effect was significantly more pronounced in white people.

This is all a long-winded way of saying the situation is messy on many levels, but it remains true that people’s personal fear of being victims of crimes and their perceptions of national crime rates are far from accurate.

So why do Americans still think crime is high?

Turns out, the local news may be responsible for convincing Americans that violent crime is more common than it really is. Researchers have consistently found that “if it bleeds, it leads” is a pretty accurate descriptor of the coverage that local television broadcasters and newspapers focus on. For years, rarer crimes like murders received a lot more airtime than more common crimes like physical assault. And that hasn’t changed as the crime rate has fallen.

Understandably, seeing stories about violent atrocities on the news every night seems to make people afraid that the same thing could happen to them. According to one study conducted in California, consumption of local television news significantly increased people’s perceptions of risk and fear of crime. “The news is not going to report on things that are going really well very often,” Hollis said. “It’s not like ‘Hey Austin, Texas doesn’t have a whole lot of crime and that’s our news for the day!'” Stories about gun violence grab attention, so you get more stories about rare, but serious, crimes. “You can have people perceiving areas of cities as much more violent than they actually are because that’s what they see in the news,” she said. “It really amplifies that view of criminal activity beyond what it really is.”

There’s a significant amount of evidence, too, that reporting on crime can prop up harmful stereotypes: Studies have found that local news media disproportionately portray Black people as perpetrators of crime, and white people as victims.

There’s also plenty of fodder for this kind of coverage because even though crime has fallen a lot over the past few decades, the U.S. is still a pretty violent country, at least compared to other developed nations. “Violence remains an American problem,” Miller said. “Just think about mass shootings. So in that sense it’s not irrational for people to be somewhat fearful of violence.”

But often, those fears can be blown out of proportion — not just by wall-to-wall murder coverage on the news, but also by politicians who bring up the crime rate in press conferences and interviews. President Trump is far from the first president to paint a dark vision of crime in American cities, but he is singularly obsessed with the topic, especially now. According to a HuffPost analysis, the vast majority of the ads his campaign aired in the month of July dealt in some way with public safety. In one ad, an elderly woman is robbed as text flashes across the screen reading, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”

And a recent study suggests that Trump’s words could have an effect. Researchers found that news coverage and political rhetoric — as measured by mentions of crime in presidential State of the Union speeches — were significant indicators of whether Americans thought crime was a pressing issue facing the country. The actual crime rate was not. A HuffPost poll conducted from July 22 to 24 found something similar: Only 10 percent of Americans correctly believe that crime has fallen over the past decade, while 57 percent think crime has increased.

Some Americans may be more receptive to tough-on-crime rhetoric than others, of course. Republicans are generally more apt to say that crime is a serious problem facing the country than Democrats. And although Pew analysis of polling data doesn’t uncover big racial differences in perceptions of crime, white and Black Americans likely think about crime very differently because criminal justice has become so inextricably tied to race.

Hakeem Jefferson, a political scientist at Stanford University who studies race and justice, told us that Black people’s views on criminal justice are complex, in part because they’re likelier than other demographic groups to actually live in high-crime neighborhoods and to be victims of crime. In other research, he’s found that some Black people have also internalized negative stereotypes about who commits crime, and may be more likely to embrace punitive solutions as a result. Those perceptions and experiences are hard to capture in public opinion data, but they can do a lot to shape what Black people mean when they tell a pollster that they think crime is a serious issue facing the country. And that’s important, because as the past few decades have shown, Black people are also much likelier to be mistreated by police, experience incarceration or grapple with the challenges of a criminal record.

Regardless of what’s driving fear of crime, though, the fact that it is so out of whack with reality can make it really hard to change people’s minds or reform the criminal justice system. It’s not that an out-of-proportion fear of crime automatically leads people to support more punitive policies — right now, for instance, Americans are mostly not in favor of more money for policing. But these misperceptions can make it harder for reforms to gain traction, particularly if politicians with a big national platform — like Trump — are talking about out-of-control crime at every turn.

It’s not hard, for instance, to imagine that kind of rhetoric being used as a wedge against efforts to restructure local funding for the police. Especially considering that in the past, a fear of crime has been used politically as a reason to oppose criminal justice reforms like reducing incarceration or changing the bail bond system — even though research suggests those reforms don’t increase crime in the long term.

The history of “law and order” campaigns is riddled with dog whistles, and Trump’s recent rhetoric about sending federal agents to combat crime in cities like Chicago arguably falls into this category, according to Justin Pickett, a criminologist at the University of Albany who studies attitudes toward crime and justice. Talking about the dangers of crime, he said, can turn into a cover for racist attitudes.

None of this has made us safer. And ironically, fear of crime can actually lead to other behaviors that put us at greater risk, like buying and carrying guns. If anxiety about crime keeps Americans from embracing different ways of thinking about criminal justice, that may be doing more harm than good, too. For instance, there’s no real evidence that putting more people behind bars contributed to the decrease in crime or that imprisoning fewer people will raise crime. Instead, a mountain of research points in the opposite direction to problems and inequalities linked to mass incarceration.

The trouble is that fear about crime isn’t rational, and it’s hard to convince people to think differently about a problem that they don’t experience on a day-to-day basis anyway. “You can tell Americans that the crime rate is lower today than it was in the 1990s, but it won’t feel real to them,” said Kevin Wozniak, a sociologist at the University of Massachusetts Boston. “That is, unless politicians stop drumming up the crime rate and people stop hearing about murder every night on the local news.”

And that seems unlikely to happen in 2020.

[kolinburges]

Covid-19 and the Dangers of the UK's Response.

This is a long post but it’s very important if you are in the UK because it lays out the horrific situation the country is about to be in if the government does not do a U-turn. It’s about Covid-19 and the government’s plan for it. The UK has one of the worst and most reckless response plans to deal with Covid-19 of anywhere. Up until Monday (16th March) the plan was basically “Tell people to wash their hands and carry on as normal.” On Monday they gave out significant warnings and added extra measures, however the measures are still extremely soft and laid-back compared to most other countries struggling with the virus. Given what we’ve learned from other countries, there is little real possibility that the infections will stop expanding exponentially even with these new measures. So why are the UK government being so lax when the rest of the world is getting serious?

The answer is they still don’t seem to have changed from their original “action plan”. That plan was to immediately surrender to Covid-19. Instead of trying to fight the virus, the aim was for it to infect the population so that they eventually gain herd immunity. But the government was not just investigating or preparing for a scenario where it could infect the population, the plan was to actively steer us into this situation using a series of carefully-timed control measures. Their claim was that for those who survive, the herd immunity they gain would help us to get rid of the virus before the flu season next winter.

This is both insane and wrong. Boris Johnson fancies himself as the next Bond villain. An idiot with too much power who has convinced himself that the greater good would somehow be served by a method which involves the deaths of masses of people. But also as with Bond villains, there’s an uneasy sense that he’s not really as naive as this, he most likely knows what he’s doing is very wrong. He seems hell-bent on this policy beyond any reason which can be offered by his publicly-professed motives.

Why is this plan wrong? Well the biggest reason (other than the unnecessary deaths of potentially over a million people) is that there is already overwhelming and unignorable evidence to show that this virus can be successfully defeated or at least suppressed by any country with the political will to do so. So the fate of the world is now not actually in the hands of the virus but in the hands of the politicians.

China has all but wiped it out, by using a combination of quarantine/curfews and contact tracing. It was raging out of control in South Korea in the beginning, but now using mass-scale testing, contact tracing and individual quarantines they seem to have it under control and the numbers are slowly coming down (currently around 85 new cases per day). That’s without having to do any large regional lockdowns. Italy started quarantines/curfews a couple of weeks ago and in the areas where they did this they say there are 0 new infections. The reason the entire country of Italy has gone into lockdown is not because their original efforts failed, it’s because they worked so well (in those specific areas) that they’re rolling it out across the whole country.

There are two main methods which have been shown to work in reducing the infection numbers: (1) the blunt instrument of region-wide quarantine and curfew, and (2) the precision attack of mass testing, contact tracing, and individual quarantines. What I can imagine working best is using method 1 if things have spun totally out of control, and a more sustainable method 2 for the longer term.

It has become clear that one of the most essential tools for dealing with it is large-scale testing. To quote the World Health Organisation, “You cannot fight a fire blindfolded … test, test, test”. The more information a country has on where it is, how many people have it, and who to isolate, the better they can fight the virus. And with enough information they can fight it with minimal economy-damaging lockdowns, like South Korea has. The UK government’s policy is to do only a very small number of tests. It’s mostly only people who are so ill that they have to go into intensive care who get tested. So there’s very little information on who or how many people have Covid-19 in the UK and we possibly will never know. The government has the ability to do as many tests as it wants. Creating test kits is a fairly simple process and can easily be scaled up. They choose not to. This shows that there is currently no credible attempt at containment of this virus.

Let’s look at what is going to happen under the government���s plan. Their plan is to use a system of multiple control measures timed at specific points to effectively shepherd the scale of infections along a pre-planned path so that they reach a crescendo in June or July. They call it “flattening the curve”. So that means going not too fast and not too slow. They want herd immunity to be in place by the coming winter, which means up to 80% of the population having had the illness and survived.

Theoretically if the UK had 20,000 people infected now and every 7 days each person infected 4 others, then by early May 45 million people would be infected. In real life the infection rate slows as the number increases so any peak would take longer than this. The government’s plan is to “flatten the curve”, by which they mean reducing the number of infected people at the peak time by up to 50%. They plan for their control measures to lead to a peak in July.

Two days ago there was also a leak of a secret government report written for the NHS heads by Public Health England. It claims that with the government’s plan at least 10% of the UK will be infected at the same time at peak time. This figure correlates well with what would be expected if it was to peak in July and give the population herd immunity. So lets assume about 6 million people would be expected to be simultaneously infected at peak..

15% will need to be hospitalised, so that is 900,000 people. 5% will need intensive care treatment. That’s 300,000 people.

There are 127,000 hospital beds in total in the UK, including those for mental issues. Of those, between 6,000 and 12,000 beds are usually available. Even in a scenario with 12,000 free beds, 98.67% of people who need ordinary hospital bed treatment would get turned away.

There are 4,000 intensive care beds in the UK and around 640 of them around the country are generally free. So that’s 640 beds to somehow simultaneously fit 300,000 people who are critically ill with pneumonia or similar. That means at its peak if you were dying you would have about 0.21% chance (1 in 468) of being able to get intensive care treatment! So virtually everyone who is struggling to breathe will be turned away. Pneumonia is where the lungs slowly fill with sticky mucus and there’s not enough room left to inhale air. It’s an extremely horrible and drawn out way to die. You can imagine not just all that suffering but the chaos and panic it would cause in the UK.

We know that two days ago the government started ordering more ventilators to be made so that more people can be treated. The prime minister was asked on camera if he felt bad about waiting until now to order them when we knew these would be needed for weeks. He dodged the question. I heard him saying on the news that this plan of “flattening the curve” would allow the NHS to cope with the virus.

It should also be mentioned that the projected average death rate of 1–2% from this virus is calculated from situations where everybody has a nice cosy hospital bed waiting for them. When there is no hospital treatment the death rate goes up by multiple times, as we saw in Wuhan. Let’s get the death rate into perspective. If 1% of 70% of the population were to die from this virus over this summer, that would be around the same as the number of British deaths over the entire length of World War II. However the death rate would be likely to be multiple times higher given the lack of hospital capacity. So, following this government’s plan for Covid-19 is likely to be very significantly worse on the country than World War II. That’s in humanitarian terms — economically it wouldn’t be too serious because the plan is to disrupt things as little as possible.

One thing the government keeps saying is “We don’t have enough people infected yet to…X.”, where X is a measure such as closing bars, stopping events, closing schools, national curfew, etc. (None of which have been implemented in the UK yet.) This makes no sense at all. The government knows for sure that the infections are increasing exponentially. If you have 20,000 people infected and you know in 2 weeks it will be around 200,000 why would there be a reason to infect another 180,000 people before taking that measure? You’re just putting yourself in a far worse position for no upside. The more people who are allowed to be infected before implementing measures, the more economic and human damage will be caused. Let’s create an example — let’s say there were 1,000 new infections per day, with an infection rate of x4 every 7 days and implementing the measures will change it to x0.5 every 7 days. If you implement the measures now, it will take just over 3 weeks to get the infections down from 1,000 to 100 per day. If you wait another 2 weeks until there are 16,000 infections per day it will take over 7 weeks to get it down to 100 per day (and kill thousands more people!). So if the measure being taken was for example a full country lockdown, you’re going to have a much longer lockdown period and more than double the economic damage by waiting 2 more weeks. There is no upside at all. Unless you count the reason that it helps the government to adhere to their herd-immunity plan.

This has to be one of the biggest scandals of recent generations. Why hasn’t Boris Johnson been crucified by the media and by parliament? This is exactly the reason why we have such things. And why are there not riots in the streets over this? I don’t know the answer to these things, but the media is beginning to talk about it at least, especially with Monday’s leaked report about the lack of hospital facilities. However it’s public knowledge what the hospital capacity is and what the government’s plan is, so it shouldn’t take leaks like this to get this issue into the news.

No one person should ever have the power to make the decision to infect an entire country with a dangerous disease, it doesn’t matter who they are. And especially not someone with the ethical track record of Boris Johnson. This is what happens when a leader fires everyone who isn’t a yes-man and concentrates all the power on himself.

I believe that the countries which are pioneering the virus fight and taking it seriously will be successful, at least in massively reducing the infections and then holding them to a low level. This will provide templates for other countries to replicate and tweak and so the world will slowly defeat Covid-19. All that needs to happen is for it to be pinned down to a low level until the vaccines are ready. In the face of this, Boris Johnson simply cannot keep to his current plan. The voices against it will get louder and louder as the evidence mounts higher. I honestly don’t know why he doesn’t just decide now to fight it properly. But the longer we allow this to keep happening the more people in Britain will die and the more our economy will suffer. The 71 deaths recorded as of today (18th March) is probably about 65 more than was actually necessary. It’s morbidly ironic to think that statistically probably quite a few of them voted for the prime minister.

This isn’t just a political problem in the UK — many other major governments are still not taking Covid-19 seriously and they are allowing their countries to be unnecessarily ravaged before they will inevitably start taking serious action. (Hello, Mr Trump.)

If you feel strongly about this post, please share it any way you want to!

[lovemesomesurveys]

TEN HOW’S: How did you get one of your scars? Besides my many scars from surgeries, I have an identical one on both my inner thighs because I placed a cup of coffee there without realizing it was still too hot. :| I thought it was fine, but nope. As a paraplegic, that’s something I have to be careful about.

How did you celebrate your last birthday? I went out to dinner and a movie with some family.

How are you feeling at this moment? I’ve been feeling pretty sick for over a week now. :/

How did your night go last night? Just another crappy night in a string of crappy nights lately.

How did you do in high school? I did well.

How did you get the shirt you’re wearing? I ordered it from Hot Topic’s website.

How often do you see your best friend? I see my mom all the time, we live together.

How much money did you spend last month? *shrug*

How old do you want to be when you get married? I don’t plan on ever getting married, so.

How old will you be at your next birthday? 30...

NINE WHAT’S: Your mothers name? Yolanda.

What did you do last weekend? I was home resting.

What is the most important part of your life? My family.

What would you rather be doing? Sleeping. I’d love if when I woke up I felt better, but I’m not holding my breath.

What did you last cry over? Heath related things. There’s been some issues and steps back, so it’s not good. If my appointment with the new specialist doesn’t get canceled again for the 3rd time then maybe we can finally get things taken care of.

What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? My pup at least puts a smile on my face.

What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? Other than ya know, trust, loyalty, respect, and all that stuff, an understanding, patient guy with a good sense of humor is very important as well.

What are you worried about? Health stuff Never getting better

What did you have for breakfast? I haven’t had anything as of yet, it’s 2:53AM. I’m trying to go have breakfast with my Nana, aunt, cousin, and dad today. I really hope I feel okay enough. I should be asleep already.

EIGHT HAVE YOU’S:

Have you ever liked someone who had a girlfriend/boyfriend? Never anything serious, just little crushes who then ended up getting girlfriends.

Have you ever had your heartbroken? Yes.

Have you ever been out of the country? Yes.

Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? Oh you betcha. Too many things.

Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend? Yeah.

Have you ever had sex on the beach? Never had the drink and I never would physically have sex on the beach.

Have you ever dated someone younger than you? Just by a year.

Have you ever read an entire book in one day? Yep.

SEVEN WHO’S:

Who was the last person you saw? My brother just now when he came in to say goodnight.

Who was the last person you texted? My brother yesterday while he was at a concert.

Who was the last person you hungout with? My mom, bro, and I went to the beach again on Thursday.

Who was the last person to call you? My dad.

Who did you last hug? My mom.

Who is the last person who texted you? My brother.

Who was the last person you said “i love you” to? My mom.

SIX WHERE’S:

Where does your best friend live? We live together.

Where did you last go? The beach.

Where did you last hang out? ...the beach. I mean, besides just here at home.

Where do you go to school? I graduated.

Where is your favorite place to be? Home. I love spending some time at the beach, though. The past couple times we’ve gone have been perfect because the weather was nice and cool and it wasn’t crowded at all.

Where did you sleep last night? In my bed.

FIVE DO’S/DOES:

Do you like someone right now? Not in that way.

Do you think anyone likes you? Nope.

Do you ever wish you were someone else? I just wish I was a better version of myself.

Do you know the muffin man? Yep. Makes great muffins.

Does the future scare you? Very much so.

FOUR WHY’S:

Why are you best friends with your best friend(s)? She’s also my mom and we just are really close. She knows me better than anyone, always has been there for me through everything, will always have my back, we have the same sense of humor and share interests. Obviously I wouldn’t be here without her, but also I wouldn’t still be here without her because she’s what keeps me going.

Why did you get a myspace? When I got one back in like 2005 it was the new, cool thing and I had to check it out. I really don’t remember how I found out about it, though.

Why did your parents give you the name you have? They just liked it.

Why are you doing this survey? Why not. I haven’t really done any for the past week and I wanted to at least do one or two tonight if I could.

THREE IF’S:

If you could have one super power what would it be?? Teleportation.

If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? Absolutely.

If u were stranded on a deserted island & could bring 1 thing what would you bring? A boat with enough gas to get me back to real land. <<< Perfect answer. I’m too tired to even try to think of anything else.

TWO WOULD-YOU-EVER’S:

Would you ever get back together with any of your ex’s if they asked you? No.

Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? How would shaving my head save them?

ONE LAST QUESTION Are you happy with your life right now? No.

[tamsythepansy]

VOY: “Workforce”, the transest Star Trek episode ever

So. There’s a two-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager (“Workforce”) in which the crew all find themselves living out new lives as vaguely Fordist industrial workers on a planet called Quarra, all memory of their real lives having been artificially suppressed.

Imagine my surprise when, rewatching it years later, the bogus diagnosis they’re given as their memories start to resurface is...

...which also happens to be exactly what my partners have been reminding me for the last two months (bless them). I giggled.

Lo and behold, it happens to Tuvok as well:

Now, I get that it was the turn of the millennium and this hadn’t really entered the lexicon yet, but... this is just the tip of the iceberg. Watch along with me and see how it all plays out:

Tuvok, of course, is the first to experience memories of his real life breaking through the facade, has a panic attack, and is hospitalized:

Well, if this isn’t relatable to multitudes of trans and non-binary Star Trek fans, I don’t know what is. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Of course, the ‘treatment’ for Dysphoria Syndrome involves suppressing the offending memory engrams, so the patient can peacefully return to being a cog in the cisheteronormative machine Quarran power distribution facility (read what you will into that). As the expert on Dysphoria Syndrome himself later puts it:

Sounds like an allegory for LGBTQ conversion therapy to me, I mean, what?

Anyway, Seven realizes that Tuvok might be on to something, and heads to the mental health clinic to get a gender assessment investigate:

Stepping into the realm of the purely serious for a moment, I *have* sort of read Seven’s character arc as a plausible trans allegory, and it’s pretty compelling: having her true identity suppressed at an early age, and finally being forced to confront it in adulthood; processing layers upon layers of trauma just to function as an individual; being rehabilitated by a circle of strong, compassionate women, each with their own identity issues (plus the medical wizardry, overeager cisheteronormative life coaching, and starry-eyed / vaguely inappropriate crushing of The Doctor, I guess, so yeah); struggling to reclaim her human (/feminine) sense of self even while the effects of her Borg (/patriarchal) upbringing have thoroughly warped her thoughts (even as they continue to give her superhuman resilience and insight). I’m sure there’s even a comparison to be drawn to transfeminine desirability politics — Seven is continually presented both as an extremely conventionally attractive human *and* as a mysterious cyborg whose embodiment and manner communicates an often-threatening sense of Otherness — but I’ll leave that for a future discourse. I’m honestly spitballing a bit with all of this, but to see it so explicitly referenced, intentionally or not, is quite something.

So, Seven asks the obvious question, and it turns out that, while being trans is undoubtedly a Real Thing, the specifics are... inconclusive:

Let’s take a moment to celebrate the fact that we’re finally starting to see gender doctors who actually understand us in all our nuance, because...

...we already know this is bad news. (Paging Dr. Harry Benjamin.)

Anyway, the compassionate gender doctor goes to the conversion therapy doctor to see what’s up, because clearly something over at the power plant is turning people trans:

One important takeaway from this story is “never walk away and leave your work computer unlocked”:

I get it, though! On a planet ostensibly without Tumblr or OKCupid, trans community is just really, really hard to find. 🤷🏻‍♀️

The compassionate gender doctor soon notices a pattern:

...mm hmm, it all started when a genderqueer person sneezed in the employee locker room, and somehow the conversion therapy doctor wound up with his hands full as everybody in the office came down with a bad case of The Trans.

Finally, the compassionate gender doctor is determined to be just a little bit too sympathetic to these gender deviants, and the now-canonically trans but still awesome at passing Seven of Nine comes to the rescue:

As if this weren’t trans enough...

...check out the subplot featuring Jaffen, a co-worker with whom Captain Janeway has an adorable but bittersweet whirlwind relationship. Though Jaffen presents as male and uses he/him pronouns, THIS TOTALLY HAPPENS, and its implications are never made clear:

Though this is set up as the punchline of a “your father” joke, Jaffen isn’t just fucking around here. Tuvok knows what’s up, and proceeds to Vulcan-splain the joke right back to him:

Which begs the question, how do Norvalians procreate, anyway? Are they clones, like the Vorta? Do they deposit their genetic material into pods, like the J’naii? Do they pick up ready-made offspring, like the Kobali? Whatever the intent is, it has serious implications for whatever kind of relationship he and Janeway would have (like, it’s not on the cisheteronormative trajectory of sex and babies, at the very least). So, bear with me for a moment, because this is my honest-to-goodness fan theory: 

(okay, I admit I just had that image lying around, and this seemed like as good a moment as any to use it.)

What if Norvalians reproduce parthenogenetically, leaving the entire need for a biological “father” out of the equation?

This could mean one of two things: as with terrestrial Komodo dragons (I think), parthenogenesis happens but binary sexual reproduction is still an option (which honestly doesn’t seem like the most likely explanation, given the way Jaffen and Tuvok both frame it), *or*, as with terrestrial whiptail lizards, parthenogenesis is the default, and male (i.e., sperm-producing) offspring are extremely rare and/or usually infertile.

So yeah, okay, they reproduce parthenogenetically, Jaffen is a rare male and is probably infertile, and therefore the Jaffen/Janeway relationship is more about companionship and cooperation than sex and babies. I’m fine with that, and I actually find it quite heartwarming.

But, with that in mind, do we need to assume that Jaffen is male, whatever that means for his species? After all, whiptail lizards engage in female/female courtship behaviour, which somehow makes them more fecund — and remember, it’s the Delta Quadrant; we’ve seen enough weird sex shit by Season 7 (cf. “Elogium”, “Favorite Son”, “The Disease”, “Ashes to Ashes”, off the top of my head) that we can reasonably conclude that all bets are off. 

My interpretation? Jaffen is an honest, gallant, leather-waistcoat-rocking, he/him pronoun-using, parthenogenetic Space Butch. Maybe I’ve spent too much time on Sapphic Star Trek Tumblr, or have finally disappeared up my own genderqueer ass, but I’m convinced it’s the simplest explanation that’s congruent with the facts.

[I just spent a bunch of time trying to find the “Captain Janeway is a closet lesbian, change my mind” meme, but no dice.]

Anyway, if you’ve made it this far, it’s time for me to deliver on the non-binary trans lesbian Star Trek shitposting that I’m usually all about. Having been closeted for a long time, I know a thing or two about relationships that seem straight on the surface but are actually hella queer under the hood, so to speak. Just look at these two u-hauling it on the third date (it’s adorable!):

This also seems really gay for some reason:

And, at the end of the day, he’s a good ally:

Watch the whole episode for the obligatory Sad Lesbian Ending.

The icing on this three-tiered Tholian gay wedding cake

...yup.

[Thanks to Em for subtly egging me on (ha) and Bry for putting up with me procrastinating all night. Love you both.]

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese on his new frontbench, Joel Fitzgibbon, and Labor’s imminent workplace policy

Last year, Anthony Albanese was criticised for his lack of cut-through during the COVID crisis, as Labor was sidelined by a hyperactive government. This year, amid ALP leadership speculation and now a shadow ministry reshuffle, Albanese is seeking to assert himself more forcefully, declaring last week “I will be leader of this country after the next election”. With that election possible within the year, the need for Labor to outline its policies, including on climate change and industrial relations, is becoming more pressing. Albanese is still intent on taking his time on climate policy, where international developments are fast-moving, but the IR policy is imminent. This week, the opposition leader joins the podcast to discuss the reshuffle, and his and his party’s goals. “Labor will always stand up for the interests of working people,” he says, and that commitment will be at the heart of its workplace policy. The policy’s “priorities are very much on job security and income security.” “Whether it be people in labour hire companies…working next door to someone but earning less money… whether it be people in the new gig economy who are sometimes working for almost nothing in some cases, whether it be issues of workers who are having to bid against each other.” Albanese says the policy will be in direct contrast to government legislation, drafted last year and now before parliament, which would “cut wages and conditions”. Will the ALP definitely vote against the government’s measures? “We’ve said we will not vote for any legislation that cuts wages or cuts conditions such as penalty rates.” Transcript (edited for clarity) Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese has had a rough start to 2021, the serious car accident and speculation about the future of his leadership. He’s hoping for some reset from the frontbench reshuffle he undertook last week, which saw Chris Bowen replace Mark Butler as spokesman on climate and energy. And at least this week’s Newspoll brought some encouragement, showing the Coalition and Labor commencing the year 50-50 on the two-party vote. The opposition leader joins us today. Anthony Albanese, your reshuffle didn’t quell the leadership talk. Did you expect it to? Anthony Albanese: I was determined to do the right thing. The advice that I had of some people before the reshuffle was you don’t make changes. If you don’t make changes, no one can complain. But that’s not the right thing. The right thing to do is to put in place the team with the right people in the right jobs in the lead up to the election. And that contrasts with Scott Morrison’s reshuffle that he talked up when Mathias Cormann was leaving the parliament and which left Angus Taylor in place, left Stuart Robert, the person who presided over the robodebt debacle in place, Melissa Price, still there in charge of defence procurement when we have real issues with the subs, made no changes of any substance. So I did the right thing by the Labor Party and that is making sure that we maximise our potential to winning the next election. MG: Now, Covid obviously made things extraordinarily difficult for oppositions last year, but even allowing for that, have you been surprised at the extent of angst within the Labor Party, given that federal Labor is polling not too badly, obviously on a two-party basis, the latest poll has you 50/50. AA: Well, I reject the premise of the question. The fact is that overwhelmingly my colleagues and the caucus is focused on holding the government to account, on putting forward constructive suggestions and developing a clear alternative at the next election. That’s overwhelmingly what people are focussed on. MG: Do you accept that Labor’s primary vote, around 36% is too low? And what can you do to get that up? AA: Well, I want it to be 100%, Michelle, but it’s worth saying that that’s 3% higher than it was at the last election. And if anyone thinks that if we get 3% higher primary vote across the board, we won’t win the next election, then they’re wrong. The fact is that we, of course, need to continue to work on that, but it’s heading in the right direction. And one of the things that will continue to argue for is that this is a do nothing government. We’re seeing today the prime minister give a speech at the National Press Club where once again, there’s no reform, no plan for the economy or for social policy. We still don’t have an energy policy. No plan to deal with the challenges of the future. We’ll continue to hold the government to account. During 2020, we put forward practical ideas and policies such as wage subsidies, support for mental health programmes, including telehealth, the issue of the vaccine, issues of quarantine and our borders, the need to have a plan to deal with aged care. We put forward all of those suggestions, some of which were adopted by the government, such as wage subsidies, the increase in unemployment benefits. It’s not like we weren’t focused on policy, we were. It’s just that we were focused on the immediate needs, and that’s what the Australian people expected of us. We were constructive. And that stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the Coalition during the global financial crisis. And that will put us in good stead at the next election. And what we need as well now, and we’ve started to do that, as I said we would on your podcast when I became leader, when we received the review of the election defeat last time around, that we would have more strategy and less tactics. We would roll out our policies from the time of the budget reply. Now, that budget reply was delayed, but we certainly did that with major childcare reform, a major initiative, a building on just as Labor made universal health care through Medicare, universal superannuation, universal provision of child care, working towards that is a major economic reform and as well a future made in Australia, recognising that whilst the pandemic has shown the strength of Australian society and the strength of people being prepared to look after each other, it’s also exposed some of the underlying economic weaknesses, our lack of economic resilience. Our need to actually be able to manufacture more things for ourselves, the weakness that’s there in the labour market to increase casualisation and all of those present opportunities for Labor to present clear alternatives at the next election. We’ve done some of that, we’ll be doing more of that in coming weeks and months. MG: They’ve obviously become increasingly frustrated with the criticisms by Joel Fitzgibbon. But do you at least agree with him that labour, L-A-B-O-U-R, needs to be put back into the Labor Party. AA: The Labor Party has never walked away from looking after working people. We’ve been around for some 130 years, we are Australia’s oldest and proudest political party and I reject the idea that we don’t look after working people. The last Labor government got rid of WorkChoices and put in place reforms in the interests of working people. What we’re advancing now in terms of childcare is about working people as well. Workers these days aren’t all blue collar males. They are women. They’re men, they’re young people, they’re older, older workers. You’ve seen the economy transition and we need modern solutions, we’ll continue to do that. But Labor will always stand up for the interests of working people. MG: Do you think it’s possible that Joel Fitzgibbon might leave the Labor Party, join the crossbench? AA: Look, no, I think that Joel Fitzgibbon actions will speak. People will make their own judgement about the role that he’s playing and whether he’s trying to be constructive or not. MG: But you don’t think he’d jump. AA: People will make their own decisions. Joel has said himself he made the decision some time ago, just after the last election, that he would stay on the frontbench for 18 months. And we had discussions about the timing of his departure. He chose to depart in a way that was different from what he had indicated to myself as leader and to others over a long period of time. And people will make their own judgement about that. I mean, the Coalition have Barnaby Joyce, have Craig Kelly, they’ve just knocked off Kevin Andrews, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives. They have a whole range of people on their side who are out of step with the mainstream opinion, on the LNP side. The difference is that Labor, when we’ve had an issue, we’ve dealt with it. We’ve intervened into the New South Wales and the Victorian branch whilst I’ve been leader, making necessary reforms and made those branches stronger as a result. Scott Morrison’s just sitting back watching the sort of chaos that’s seen, frankly, Kevin Andrews humiliated after a long period of time in the parliament. MG: The coronavirus supplement stops at the end of March when JobSeeker would return to the old level. The base, at the moment, for JobSeeker is $565 a fortnight and the supplement currently is $150 a fortnight. What level do you think the ongoing JobSeeker should be struck at? AA: Well, what we say is that it should be more. That $40 a day isn’t enough to live on, the government acknowledge that. We’re not in a position to change the level of JobSeeker in April and we’re not going to let the government off the hook. We’re going to continue to say that they should not be reducing JobSeeker to $40 a day because they themselves have acknowledged that this drives people into poverty. MG: This is not a complicated policy issue to nominate what you think would be a reasonable level. AA: There are costings, that are required of that process, we will have… MG: You could make them. AA: We’ll have, well we could make things up, Michelle, but I don’t want to do that. Just make things up without proper costings and without proper processes. And I haven’t done that. We will be in a position, I would hope, to make changes to a whole range of policies after the next election when we’re in a position to form government. But what we’ve said under my leadership very early on was that $40 a day wasn’t enough to live on. That was acknowledged by the government that that was the case. MG: You mentioned Scott Morrison’s speech today in which he’s very optimistic about Australia’s economic recovery. Are you as optimistic? AA: Well, one of the things that I wouldn’t do, what Scott Morrison said that today and Josh Frydenberg has been saying as well, is that everything is all hunky dory. The fact is, a whole lot of people have been left behind during the pandemic. So, yes, some people have done well, some businesses have done well. They’ve not only received JobKeeper, they’ve had their profits increased and being able to give big bonuses to corporate representatives. But other people are really struggling and people who are in casual employment didn’t receive any JobKeeper payments. They were the first ones to be laid off, and you have around about two million Australians today are either unemployed or want more work than they’re getting at. They’re being left behind. A whole lot of people are struggling to pay their rent or to pay their mortgage. And a whole lot of other people, because of problems with the labour market, are really doing it tough. The costs of childcare are something like four or five times the increase this year than the inflation rate. You have circumstances whereby in some cases people working, doing the same job in the mining sector, some will be earning around about 30% or in some cases more, less than their counterparts simply because of the use of labour hire. There are people in the gig economy who are basically working for third world conditions. There’s no minimum rates for them and they’re being left outside the system. Now, some people choose and it’s convenient for them and will continue to use new technology. And that’s not a bad thing at all. But some people who are in the case of people driving around on bicycles, delivering food and other products to people, have seen a considerable loss of life because they have to take risks because they’re not being paid enough to get by. When you have all those sorts of issues, I think that Scott Morrison as the leader of the nation should speak up on behalf of those people who need assistance and are struggling, not just those people who’ve done well. MG: Do you think JobKeeper should go beyond the end of March when it’s due to end? AA: I think for some sectors that are needing of support, if the logic of wage subsidies was to keep relationships between employers and employees so as to avoid businesses failing and workers being unemployed, then if those circumstances are still there, why would you prematurely withdraw support. MG: Which sectors? AA: So areas, for example, like the tourism sector that are continuing to struggle, particularly in sectors that are reliant upon international tourism like far north Queensland. MG: Now, obviously, climate policy was much talked about during your reshuffle with the move of Mark Butler and Chris Bowen being the new spokesman. What difference do you think this move will make? AA: Well, Chris Bowen is a former treasurer. He will focus, as he has already. You’ve seen him focus not on diminution of our commitment to action on climate change, but emphasising, for example, that Deloitte Access Economics says that 250,000 jobs will be created by moving, over coming decades, by moving to net zero emissions by 2050, and that, by contrast, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost if we don’t act on climate change. It’s that link that I’ve continued to say since my time as the environment and climate change spoke. A person under Kim Beazley, I argued the action on climate change was good for jobs and good for the economy, the policies that were put in place under the Rudd and Gillard governments that I developed in Kim Beazley’s blueprint we published in 2006, were significant, such as the most important of which was the 20% renewable energy target by 2020. At the time opposed by the Coalition, questioned by a whole lot of people, including some people in the Labor Party. The fact is that was the right thing to do that helped create jobs not just directly in terms of the renewable sector, but also in terms of reducing costs of energy for manufacturing sector. MG: So this move, does it represent a change of substance or a change in how the substance is presented? AA: Well, the Labor party policy is decided by the Labor Party, not by an individual spokesperson. And the Labor Party believes in climate change and that it’s real and that by acting, you produce more jobs, lower emissions and lower energy prices. The Labor Party is very consistent on that. And we’ve been consistent on it for a long period of time since we advocated well before we, of course, signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. But we argued, of course, for ratification. And that was the first action of the Rudd government in December 2007. So we’re absolutely committed to action across the board. And I’ve seen some commentary that says that a member of the New South Wales right wing grouping somehow won’t take action on the environment. Well, Graham Richardson, Bob Carr, Tony Burke were three outstanding advocates for our natural environment and for action. They all have a proud record of achievement in that area. Chris Bowen’s absolutely committed to strong action. And and I think he will do an outstanding job. MG: You’ve justified waiting to produce a climate policy on the grounds that a lot is happening this year. Now, that includes the Glasgow climate conference towards the end of the year. If we don’t have an election this year, will you delay announcing your policy until next year? AA: Look, we’ll make our policy announcements at the appropriate time. They probably won’t be, with due respect, on a podcast, there’ll be a full scale press conference for all to see and to assess. But it’s not like we’ve delayed policy announcements, Michelle, I have very clearly stated in one of my earliest speeches and policy announcements as leader, net zero emissions by 2050, and that we would act consistently with that. We have argued and I wrote to the prime minister before I addressed the National Press Club in the middle of last year, saying that we supported a mechanism to drive change through the economy and that that should be a bipartisan mechanism and then people could disagree on what the ambition was within it. But we’ve done our best to try to be constructive, but we’ve made it very clear that we will be ambitious when it comes to climate change. We’ve made specific policy announcements as well, opposing the changes and and the attempts by this government to get rid of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. And we announced in the budget reply last year the Rewiring the Nation policy. Now, that was a $20 billion fund to be made available to make sure that you fix transmission in this country. And what the, all the experts, the Australian energy market operator, no less, and all of the major energy companies say is that, that would address the major challenge because what that would enable it to do is for the renewables sector, which is, the problem there is one of storage and and reliability to be a part of the grid, to operate more effectively, which would, of course, assist the renewable sector. Now, because that wasn’t couched in terms of a percentage or what have you, maybe it didn’t receive the focus of something like the net zero emissions by 2050. But that was a very, very significant announcement. And indeed, the most significant thing that could be done according to the energy sector itself. MG: One policy you are going to announce soon is on industrial relations. Now, obviously, you’re not going to be revealing the detail of that today, but can you just tell me, what are the topic headings, as it were, that you’ll concentrate on - the priorities? AA: The priorities are very much on job security and income security, the fact that workers currently feel vulnerable, that if you’re in insecure work, that means you have difficulty getting a mortgage. It means you have difficulty planning for your first child or future children. It means that businesses suffer because they don’t have the certainty either of people being able to spend money and keep that flow, which then flows on to the economy. So that’s a big challenge. The wage stagnation that has been there since 2013, we have never seen since records were kept, wages being so constrained as they are. We need to deal with people who are in secure in work, in the workforce, whether that be people who work in labour hire companies and are working next door to someone doing the same tasks but earning less money, whether it be people in the new gig economy who are sometimes working for almost nothing in some cases, whether it be issues of workers who are having to bid against each other. And that’s one of the things we’re seeing as to areas like the NDIS, workers are being essentially putting in a bid to provide services, but the lowest cost is the successful bidder. Now, that puts a real downward pressure on wages, but also in the delivery of the services and the quality of that service delivery. MG: The issue of insecure work will be a centrepiece of this policy… AA: It will be front and centre because that’s a big challenge. And that’s something at the same time as, what Scott Morrison’s solution? Well, we know they’ve produced legislation last year which would cut wages and conditions. MG: Will you vote against that legislation… AA: We’ve said we will not vote for any legislation that cuts wages or cuts conditions such as penalty rates. MG: So you will vote against it in the Senate. AA: We will try to, of course, amend legislation and then we’ll make decisions, but we won’t be. Labor will always stand up for working people and their wages and conditions. MG: Well, it will be a lively industrial relations debate in the next few weeks. AA: It certainly will be, and that will be a major focus of Labor, which is consistent with the approach that I’ve always held and my Labor team holds. MG: Anthony Albanese, thank you very much for talking with us today. Additional audio A List of Ways to Die, Lee Rosevere, from Free Music Archive. Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Arplis - News source https://arplis.com/blogs/news/politics-with-michelle-grattan-anthony-albanese-on-his-new-frontbench-joel-fitzgibbon-and-labor-s-imminent-workplace-policy

[allenmendezsr]

Fitness For You

New Post has been published on http://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/fitness-for-you/

Fitness For You

 Buy Now

    From: Carolyn Hansen

Dear Health and Wellness Seeker…You woke up this morning and looked in the mirror. And you said in your head to yourself, “Man… what is going on here… I really need to get into shape. I feel so bad all the time, I don’t like the way I look and I really need to make a change!”

But no matter how many times you say it you might be facing these issues:

It’s all right; we’ve all been down that road. This might be the one and only time, fifth, or the twenty seventh time you’ve tried to get healthy and reap the benefits of wellness. But you’re thinking “things didn’t work out last time, or the other time before that, or even the first time…”but it has to be different THIS time,” right?

So you fire up the internet, search “how to get in shape,” and see pages and pages of websites that promise you quick results with hardly any effort. You feel overwhelmed, anxious, and then go back to thinking that you really don’t have to make changes today…after all there is always tomorrow.

If this sounds like you then what you are about to see will make you very happy!

I’m about to show you how to put an END to beating your head against the wall trying to get in shape once and for all.  You can enjoy the health and wellness that you deserve that you get as a result. And trust me, I know exactly how… because I was looking for answers myself at points in my life!

It wasn’t that long ago that I was looking for some good solutions that would help people get in shape. I understand how important it is to every aspect of life.

It’s important for people to live a healthy lifestyle and get in the best shape possible. I looked all over the place trying to find some great, easy to follow solutions to getting into shape, that used different techniques and that would keep different people of all ages interested.

And I found that there just wasn’t that much out there. Sure there is P90X and Insanity Workout… but I was looking for great,easy to follow info on different ways to get into shape so that people could choose a plan that would work just for them.

As I looked for this kind of info the light came on… other people are looking for this stuff too and likely can’t find it either. So I saw a huge opportunity for my customers and put together fitness products that will fill the need that is there.

Wouldn’t You Love To Be More Fit?

With everyone wanting to be fit these days and getting into programs like P90X and Insanity Workout, people are looking for information on staying fit.

Why is P90X so popular? It’s quite simple actually. RESULTS! If you do the workouts, you will get results. People are looking for a simple solution that works.

BUT… P90X does NOT suit everyone. Children and older people, people who are already not in such good shape or those who have physical limitations just can’t get many benefits here.

Why is Insanity Workout so popular?

Insanity is still so popular because it works and people want to be in shape! They as well want detailed instructions that are easy to follow so they stick to the plan.

But… Insanity does NOT provide a solution for everyone as the workout can be too overpowering for some.

In the media and in people’s minds, the out of shape person is rarely satisfied with their body or health or has an energetic life. However, in real life, too, these people are less likely to live the life they want, get the better insurance rates, feel great about their body, feel well, or even have a positive mindset. Yep… it’s true!

Yes, getting more fit overall will increase the likelihood of success for people in whatever they do and of course, there are always the health benefits, such as improved strength and increased longevity and wellness.

People are now even understanding that getting in shape can have a significant positive impact on their earning potential.

Benefits Of Getting In Better Shape

Heart Health Cardiovascular activity betters the strength of the heart and boosts the circulatory system. The heart performs better. When people are fit, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. This can reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension. This can help you be healthier and live longer.

Body Image When you work out regularly, you burn a substantial number of calories on a steady basis. This helps you reach and sustain a healthy body fat percentage.

If you keep the same body fat levels when you consume and burn the same amount of calories, and you cut down body fat when you burn a bigger number of calories than you eat, then you want a way to burn more calories easily that is interesting to you. 

Keeping a healthy balance of body fat can affect every area of your body.

You see, obesity contributes to risk of health problems that can cause you serious issues, including cardiopathy, adult-onset diabetes, hypertension, stroke and cancer. You need a way to have a fit body to lessen the risk of these health conditions.

 Bettered Mobility and Stamina Weight training and cardio are serious allies in this area, because they can provide cardiovascular activity and flexibility work which will help your body overall and will increase the power to finish simple daily tasks.

For example, great cardiovascular health will let you walk farther without getting fatigued, and having a balanced and better level of muscular strength and a healthy range of motion will help you  to squat down to pick something up with greater ease.

 Healthy Mind Everyone wants a way to have a healthier mind. We have all seen information that being in shape betters our mind and mood because of neurotransmitters and endorphins that are discharged as a result of physical activity.

As well, if you feel better about the way you look, you will have an increase in overall self-confidence.

As well, today we have been taught that in addition to the feel-good brain chemicals that are discharged, being physically active and in shape likewise decreases the risk of suffering from depression as it distracts from daily worries and can lead to positive interactions with other people.

The advantages of getting in shape are many more than this; however, it likewise requires the right tools and knowledge and a plan that will work for you. It’s hard to explain just how much better you can feel if you are in fit condition; it can’t be expressed by words.

To appreciate the advantages of being fit, it’s essential to do it for yourself. Regrettably, it is not sufficient to just read about it.

What I have learned over the years is so powerful at transforming the way people feel I decided I needed to put something together that would help others get all these benefits easily.

As I became more physically fit myself in my life, I became happier than ever. I was also healthier than before — rarely ever getting sick and feeling great and my overall health allowed me to be more productive in all other areas of my life.

Introducing Fitness For You

Book 1: Strong Forever Surefire Strength Training Strategies For Health And Wellness

There is no doubt among fitness experts that strength training exercise should be an integral part of any exercise program for multitude of health benefits it provides.The reason is simple: our body mass decreases by 6 -10% with each decade after the age of 30. By age 70, we only have approximately 50% of our body strength left.

Decreases in body strength lead to decreases in function, less energy, less balance, increased accident rate and an increased rate of disease. Increased strength, therefore, decreases chances of illness or accident and increases longevity.

Get all the info you need here.

Book 2: Ripped With Cardio The Revolutionary Fitness Training For Fitter & Stronger Body

Most medical experts will attest to the fact that some cardio training is better than not having any at all. In order to live a fit and healthy lifestyle one of the prerequisites should be to incorporate some cardio training on a regular basis.

It should be noted that there are various types and stages of cardio workouts available for any interested individual. Therefore, some research should be done before the most appropriate regimen is designed and followed effectively.

Get all the info you need here.

Book 3: Never Too Old To Exercise Guiding You Towards Health & Longevity

Aging is a natural process that every human being goes through and it starts from the very day of birth.

However, the actual “aging” is only really visible when the individual is considered to be quite advanced in age.

It should be noted though, that the aging process should not in any way hamper having an exercise regimen and in fact exercising should ideally continue but at a gentler pace and design. Get all the info you need here.

Book 4: Stronger Kids A Holistic Approach To An Active And Healthy Lifestyle For Children

Strong kids do not just get that way overnight. There is a lot of effort and some genes that contribute to the strong and healthy body of a kid.

Introducing exercise regimens that include some cardio workouts and weight lifting is not a negative thing to do, and neither will it hamper the growth of the child in any way.

Get all the info you need here.

Book 5: Yoga Fire Burn Calories With The Best Yoga Techniques Today!

We need to give more importance to our health and the treatment of diseases.

A big number of medicines treat only the symptoms of the disease, and not the base cause. As a matter of fact, the cause of a lot of chronic ailments are still being researched.

It’s here that Yoga therapy comes to our aid. Get all the info you need here.

Book 6: TRX Training Extreme How To Use Suspension Training To Train And Tone Your Body

Nowadays, just about everybody wants to keep fit and healthyand to walk around with an attractive body. All the same, most of individuals do not get sufficient time to join training courses and visit a gymnasium.

To make up for this issue, they may look for workout equipment that can assist them in losing a considerable amount of weight and getting in shape at home.

Get all the info you need here.

Only $17.00!

When you take the step to change your life with getting in shape you will be part of a small group of people who have health, wellness and better lives!

I’m dead serious. You have no idea the kind of crazy, fad stuff that is out there about how to get in shape. No wonder there’s so many people that are confused and disheartened about getting in shape. Once you use these tools, you will have a path to wellbeing and a healthier life.

Life Is Way Too Short To Try And Learn This On Your Own Through Trial And Error. Why Not Learn From My Experience?

Why go through years of trial and error when you can use these tools to better your life and finally get in shape? You’ll then use your newfound knowledge to change the issues you wish to change in a short time. This is exactly the kind of thing I wish I had years ago when I was just getting started! Having a tool like this would have helped me to get information on different ways to get fit! I can only imagine how much more wonderful my fitness efforts could have been using these tools. But that’s OK cause there’s a reason for everything, and I believe that now I need to share this with others. This will be a tool that will better your life and the lives of those you love. And that’s pretty powerful.

And As Well…You Will Get These Bonuses…

Fitness Video Series

People have started to realize that there’s no point being the richest person in the graveyard. What’s having all the wealth in the world when you don’t have the health to enjoy it? So, the Fitness Video series has been specifically created to give you a little extra help getting in shape! 

The Deadlift King Of Exercises

The deadlift builds bone strength and is a great ‘anti-aging’ remedy. If you want to retain your mobility and freedom, you should include this exercise in your fitness program. 

Regardless of whether your fitness goals are to “rev up” your metabolism, increase strength or recover lost lean body mass, decrease body fat, rehabilitate your back, improve athletic performance, or maintain functional independence as a senior, the deadlift is a marked shortcut to that end.

Only $17.00!

Look… I want you to succeed in you health efforts.

I’d rather you get the information you need to instill in you a sense of urgency about your health.

How much is a healthy body worth?

Is it worth taking a risk?

This is YOUR health we are talking about.

Don’t let anything steer you away from getting this information right now!

So What Is This Going To Cost Me Carolyn?

Truly, the more profound question might be, “what is the cost of NOT learning how to get in shape and have a healthier life with “Fitness For You”. After all, if you had all the tools and the knowledge to change your health and have a better body, wouldn’t that be awesome. And that is why I have put together this material and made it available to those who are looking for answers and are ready to change thier health. And because you are here reading this right this very moment, I believe in my heart, that is you! The time has come for me to put this powerful material into the hands of as many people worldwide as possible – to make people more fit. To honor this, I couldn’t possibly price it out of reach of those who need it most. And this is why I am offering all this valuable information for the affordable price of not even the low price of $97.00, but the amazing price of $17.

That’s Right – Only $17.00!

I could easily charge so much more for this powerful, information that will change your fitness level…

But I want YOU to get started immediately, in the comfort of your own home and I have faith that you will begin to be able to live a healthier life and take steps today to change your fitness level, just as so many others have.

YES – Carolyn, I’m READY to transform my fitness life today!

I understand I’ll be instantly downloading the entire Fitness For You Course, and all of the “Bonuses” you’ve assembled for me for only $97.00, $17.00 today and today only.  

On top of that, I understand my investment is backed by your risk free, no questions asked, 100% money back guarantee.

You will get INSTANT ACCESS right now — Even if it’s 3.00 A.M.!   *NOTE: These are digital downloads in Adobe PDF and MP3 Format and you will be taken directly to the download page upon successful completion of checkout. Should you experience any problems being returned to the proper page, please simply email:  (carolynh@xtra.co.nz) 

(Click the Order Button Above to Download.)

Now, Let Me Ask You This… What’s Going to Happen if You Don’t Change Your Life Now?

Consider that for a minute. Where will you be and how will you feel in a few months if you don’t get started with changes today? Do you honestly think things will just magically change for you? I didn’t think so. I’ve been doing for this for long enough to understand a little bit about how we think. I understand you might feel a bit hesitant to order this because you don’t wish to have wasted your time and cash and purchased something that wasn’t what you thought it was. I understand that. We’ve all been there. However I also understand that you need to take a chance and give it a shot, otherwise, you’ll never enjoy the life you know you want.

So rest assured because...

I’m Going To Remove All The Risk For Your Investment Because I Want You To Succeed!

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So don’t hesitate to begin changing your life now by grabbing your copy.

To Your Health!

Carolyn Hansen

P.S. Your life begins right now. Remember that at any one time, the decisions you make will change the rest of your life forever and you’ll only know for sure once you take a chance.

P.P.S. You are protected by my 100% money back guarantee so don’t worry about the risk. It’s all taken care of.

ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. CLICKBANK® is a registered trademark of Click Sales, Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 917 S. Lusk Street, Suite 200, Boise Idaho, 83706, USA and used by permission. ClickBank’s role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products.

About . Privacy . Terms Of Use . Contact Us . Disclaimer . Site Map © Copyright 2013 Carolyn Hansen. All Rights Reserved Worldwide

[junker-town]

How NFL players are reacting to the new CBA before voting

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Former and current players share their opinions about the new collective bargaining agreement.

The divisive new NFL collective bargaining agreement was sent to the league’s players for a vote this week. The 32 team player reps voted by a slim margin (17-14 with one abstention) to pass it along early Wednesday morning. The NFLPA executive committee, in contrast, voted 7-4 against the contract earlier that day, while NFL ownership approved it last week.

The wider player vote is slated to happen within the next couple of weeks, but no date has been set yet.

Some of the biggest issues (among many) are the addition of a 17th regular-season game and the profit split between players and ownership. Though the first steps to approving the deal have been made, players around the league have become increasingly vocal about the deal on social media. Below are some of their thoughts on what’s at stake, both critical and positive.

From the executive committee and team representatives

Aaron Rodgers, the Packers’ player rep, explained why he voted against the deal in a post Wednesday. His concerns mostly centered on inadequate adjustments to the offseason and bye weeks to accommodate the 17th regular-season game proposed by the owners.

My thoughts. # pic.twitter.com/VOmCSNiI4f

— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) February 26, 2020

Richard Sherman, who also serves on the NFLPA executive committee, expressed his support of Rodgers’ note and shared that he had voted against the proposed deal.

Health and Wellness of our men is always the most important aspect. There is no price you can put on that and that is why I Voted No. I respect the Men that have been part of this discussion and stood up for their locker rooms. https://t.co/mL0Yj3E6d9

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 26, 2020

Sherman had shared his dissent last week as well, and retweeted a post critical of the NFLPA’s proposed “CBA Fact Sheet.”

https://t.co/PhPFNlHtgh

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 21, 2020

Leadership! I am with you! Please communicate with your team rep. https://t.co/JucZbwqoa2

— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) February 21, 2020

URGENT THREAD: The CBA "Fact Sheet" provided by #NFLPA is a joke. It's also the repeat of a common tactic that has led many people to make poor decisions because important details of the actual contract are conveniently omitted. pic.twitter.com/07x6MLRjSA

— Sheilla Dingus (@SheillaDingus) February 21, 2020

Chargers tackle Russell Okung, who is on the the NFLPA executive committee, has been among the most vocal on the board about the negotiations so far.

Roger Goodell has the best healthcare in football and makes QB money. Crazy.

— Russell Okung (@RussellOkung) February 21, 2020

He elaborated on some of his concerns about the deal in a longer thread last week, focusing on the NFL’s history of neglecting crucial player health and safety issues — especially around brain injuries.

While the @NFL is laughably trying to sell 17 games for a profit, how about we discuss how 16 and less games played out for generations of players? (NEW THREAD) https://t.co/aLhTJEWby1

— Russell Okung (@RussellOkung) February 21, 2020

Calais Campbell, who is the Jaguars’ player rep, posted a thread encouraging players to read the deal themselves and offer feedback to their reps — and suggested it had been challenging to decide which way to vote.

Fact: all players now have a chance to educate themselves on the proposed CBA! Everyone has a vote and a voice! And having just went through hours and hours of discussion...it’s not easy. Most Reps were torn on which way to vote.

— Calais Campbell (@CalaisCampbell) February 26, 2020

Quarterback Chase Daniel, who is the Bears’ player rep, expressed a similar sentiment.

SO MANY rumors on what this deal entails for the @NFLPA...any player w any questions/concerns about this deal please reach out 2 me! Ive been at every meeting the past 3 months. Would love to tell u exactly the economics behind this. Player leadership has worked tirelessly for u!

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) February 26, 2020

The Bucs’ Sam Acho, who serves on the NFLPA board, publicly denied a report from ProFootballTalk that he had flipped at the latest union board meeting to vote against the current deal — suggesting he advocates for passing it as-is.

This report is 100% false and the “league source” is a liar who can’t be trusted. I understand reporters have to do their jobs, but hear it directly from me. There was no secret vote. I stand where I stand. https://t.co/CIpeyXwP6H

— Sam Acho (@TheSamAcho) February 26, 2020

Adam Vinatieri, who serves on the NFLPA’s executive committee, favorited this tweet from retired player Matt Chatham.

Our union can’t do anything if the players aren’t willing to do it...this lesson learned over & over again in our business. More often than not, the membership is unwilling to do the things necessary to not get “rolled.”

— Matt Chatham (@chatham58) February 26, 2020

Steelers rep Ramon Foster has corrected what he views as misperceptions about the CBA, and compared voting against it without understanding it to voting for Donald Trump in 2016.

That 250K was eliminated so that no player making over 4.2Ms would be sacrificed making less than their contract stated. Guys are made whole in their contract. EVERYBODY EATS, no one is cut short. Clear that up please. Everyone gets their chickens. Shout out to @MoneyLynch https://t.co/9xNGa0XBJp

— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) February 26, 2020

Make sure they actually know the details first. I know I gave y’all all the info I had. Some just go off hearsay and twitter CBA experts. But what do I know ‍♂️ https://t.co/g571Mh3AUh

— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) February 26, 2020

No one ever explains why, it’s just no. Kinda like voting for Trump in 2016. A lot of folks said they didn’t, but the polls and the end result said differently. No that’s not my political stance and I’d never discuss that publicly. I’m still kinda old school https://t.co/9fJQlehafL

— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) February 26, 2020

Say this louder for the folks who don’t come to rep meetings. This discussion of the deal has been in place for years. We’ve withheld our royalty checks for years prepping for this. Oh now it’s important. Stay Woke people. Say I’m lying? https://t.co/uy9Fx7vdje

— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) February 26, 2020

Say this louder. They just honor it. @KirkCousins8 got fully guaranteed. People never say anything about this when they criticize guys about being spoiled rich athletes. But now they are CBA experts. https://t.co/5axPxKjkHI

— Ramon Foster (@RamonFoster) February 26, 2020

Lions rep Devon Kennard shared his surprise at the response to the deal.

I’m not going to lie a hard NO stance by some players that I’m seeing is surprising me. Not saying I like everything about the deal but it’s worth serious discussion IMO.

— DK (@DevonKennard) February 21, 2020

He later explained his affirmative vote:

My vote was YES. pic.twitter.com/Z9kgkLhBdI

— DK (@DevonKennard) February 27, 2020

Jarvis Landry, the Browns’ team rep, had jokes — although it’s worth noting the CBA doesn’t expire until the 2021 offseason, leaving plenty of time for avid football fans to cultivate XFL fandom in case of a holdout.

Look like y’all better start getting y’all XFL tv packages together!!

— Jarvis Juice Landry (@God_Son80) February 21, 2020

Team representatives and executive committee members in conversation with other players

Russell Wilson made his dissatisfaction with the current offering clear ...

The @NBA & @MLB are doing it right. Players come first. ALL @NFL players deserve the same. WE should not rush the next 10 YEARS for Today’s satisfaction. I VOTE NO.

— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 26, 2020

And NFLPA president Eric Winston responded, reiterating the care that the board had put into negotiating the current deal. Winston is one of two retired players serving on the NFLPA’s board.

No one is rushing into anything. We have spent the last 300 days listening to our guys and negotiating this deal. The proposal will be sent to all players and if somebody doesn’t like the terms once they’ve seen the entire package, I understand. That’s why every player gets a https://t.co/DT1DpeZdKd

— Eric Winston (@ericwinston) February 26, 2020

Robert Griffin III and Washington player rep Nick Sundberg also went back and forth on Twitter about the deal — Griffin advocating against it, and Sundberg for it. Sundberg’s first tweet is the start of a thread; what follows are Griffin’s rebuttals.

Simply put. The positives vastly outweigh the negatives. I wasn’t willing to risk a work stoppage over a little less time during OTA’s. We got a ton of the things we targeted last March at rep meetings. Former player pensions/medical facilities, current player benefits skyrocket. https://t.co/cpFjHmzkg5

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 26, 2020

Hold out til when? Do you honestly thing an extra % is worth ripping the deal up? The owners told us if we didn’t get a deal done before now, they wouldn’t negotiate again until February, when we would have to start from scratch. It took us 10 months of negotiating to get here... https://t.co/PcV5HAWerQ

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 26, 2020

You still have to look at the possible outcomes of every situation. If we go back and try to get more and they tell us to kick rocks, then what? Strike? Are all 2100 players who paid dues last year in a position to sit out TWO years? How long would it take to make up that money?

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 26, 2020

That’s a super easy thing to say. “Just get more.” But at what cost? Two years of a strike? We’d lose over 13 billion in player money in that time. Say we get to 50/50 after that. It’ll take 20+ years to recoup those lost funds. And guys careers will end because of that action. https://t.co/p6HFGrrNO3

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 26, 2020

You’ve got 6 XFL teams and probably 6000 collage kids coming out this year and next to fill rosters while we picket. You gonna be on the front lines at the stadium and facility every day fighting this? https://t.co/gvLiRKaRMe

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 26, 2020

That’s funny bro. We are a part of a union. We have to make hard decisions for the majority of our membership. 65+% are on minimum contracts. Every one of those guys gets paid more, better benefits, and better work conditions. https://t.co/Nrz6TlwIfV

— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) February 27, 2020

If we hold out and say no now until we get a better all around deal and protect our health and safety, that 65% you are referencing gets even more pay, more benefits and we all get better working conditions https://t.co/lgtiLRJzkg

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 27, 2020

Griffin had been expressing his dissatisfaction with the deal alongside fellow Raven Marlon Humphrey (who is the team’s alternate player rep).

It’s up to the players now to take a stand and vote no https://t.co/43CCDPgqp6

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 26, 2020

Saints tackle Terron Armstead fact-checked ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.

I don’t believe this statement is accurate Adam. NBA and NHL get 50% and MLB gets 48%-52% on player-owner revenue split! https://t.co/vqj1o9jWW5

— Terron Armstead (@T_Armstead72) February 26, 2020

The Saints’ Thomas Morstead, who serves on the NFLPA’s executive committee, countered.

When you hear about percentages in different sports they are all based on different definitions. It’s not apples to apples comparison. https://t.co/ktFiqxi8Uw

— Thomas Morstead (@thomasmorstead) February 26, 2020

To all commenting displeasure with my tweet. I love our troops. I’m not complaining about pay. We don’t get paid to represent the players. It’s an honor! Just making the point that relative to most players and “experts” I’ve spent a ton of time educating myself.

— Thomas Morstead (@thomasmorstead) February 22, 2020

From players outside union leadership

Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey posted a vehement rejection of the deal on Instagram, and asserted his twin brother — the Chargers’ Mike Pouncey, who is the team’s player rep — felt the same. Pouncey insisted he would be happy to help less established players if the current negotiations threatened their pay.

Maurkice Pouncey is strongly against the CBA. He posted this (NSFW) a couple hours ago: “I vote no. Our NFLPA, the dudes at the top, the leaders, that’s f’ing bs. F that. They’re not looking out for the best of the players. If y’all want my vote, the Pouncey twins vote no.” pic.twitter.com/hp4AqlG7Qu

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) February 26, 2020

J.J. Watt was similarly vehement last week.

Hard no on that proposed CBA.

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 21, 2020

As was the Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett.

NO DEAL!!!! #DealOrNoDeal https://t.co/fFJSkXRmeb

— Tyler Lockett (@TDLockett12) February 21, 2020

Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari has expressed frustration with the process over the past week.

48-48.5% split (roughly) between 1,700 players. 52-51.5% split among 31 owners?!...Yet this equation is supposed to make sense. ‍♂️ Not to mention the .5% only happens if we agree to an extra game a season. #KnowYourWorth https://t.co/v1jNZG7ml9

— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 20, 2020

So can we just let an executive group of NFL agents be a part of our counsel to negotiate our CBA?!? This is rediculous...

— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 26, 2020

I implore all of the current players to reach out to their agents and consult with them before voting on the CBA proposal. Please get informed by the people who YOU chose to give a percentage of YOUR contract to. Remember, they will act in YOUR best interest. #NFLPA #CBA

— David Bakhtiari (@DavidBakhtiari) February 26, 2020

Bears receiver Allen Robinson suggested doing away with the franchise tag which, as ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes, wouldn’t be possible since the player reps have approved the current deal.

Get the franchise tag out the new CBA

— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) February 26, 2020

The Vikings’ Stefon Diggs votes no.

I VOTE NO...

— DIGGS (@stefondiggs) February 26, 2020

Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs shared that he wanted a 50/50 revenue split, as well as his preparedness for a lockout.

50/50 https://t.co/41Dsn2UvYp

— Nino (@qdiggs6) February 20, 2020

We know he working for the owners spreading lies.. https://t.co/1AIFIDTUTW

— Nino (@qdiggs6) February 26, 2020

I wish the next generation of QB’s were older during this CBA negotiation period.. those voices carry weight.

— Nino (@qdiggs6) February 21, 2020

I’m cool with the lockout buddy my chickens in line! https://t.co/iRBent73W1

— Nino (@qdiggs6) February 26, 2020

Raiders tackle Trent Brown lamented offseason demands ...

Offseason program needs to be shortened‼️ shit a waste of time

— Trent Brown (@Trent) February 26, 2020

... while defensive end Cam Heyward (the Steelers’ alternate player rep) pointed out that voluntary offseason workouts are still voluntary.

The 250k cap was a real sticking point w/ 17th game but don’t hold ppl back from VOLUNTARY workouts. If you are old than don’t go

— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) February 27, 2020

[arplis]

Arplis - News: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese on his new frontbench, Joel Fitzgibbon, and Labor’s imminent workplace policy

Last year, Anthony Albanese was criticised for his lack of cut-through during the COVID crisis, as Labor was sidelined by a hyperactive government. This year, amid ALP leadership speculation and now a shadow ministry reshuffle, Albanese is seeking to assert himself more forcefully, declaring last week “I will be leader of this country after the next election”. With that election possible within the year, the need for Labor to outline its policies, including on climate change and industrial relations, is becoming more pressing. Albanese is still intent on taking his time on climate policy, where international developments are fast-moving, but the IR policy is imminent. This week, the opposition leader joins the podcast to discuss the reshuffle, and his and his party’s goals. “Labor will always stand up for the interests of working people,” he says, and that commitment will be at the heart of its workplace policy. The policy’s “priorities are very much on job security and income security.” “Whether it be people in labour hire companies…working next door to someone but earning less money… whether it be people in the new gig economy who are sometimes working for almost nothing in some cases, whether it be issues of workers who are having to bid against each other.” Albanese says the policy will be in direct contrast to government legislation, drafted last year and now before parliament, which would “cut wages and conditions”. Will the ALP definitely vote against the government’s measures? “We’ve said we will not vote for any legislation that cuts wages or cuts conditions such as penalty rates.” Transcript (edited for clarity) Michelle Grattan: Anthony Albanese has had a rough start to 2021, the serious car accident and speculation about the future of his leadership. He’s hoping for some reset from the frontbench reshuffle he undertook last week, which saw Chris Bowen replace Mark Butler as spokesman on climate and energy. And at least this week’s Newspoll brought some encouragement, showing the Coalition and Labor commencing the year 50-50 on the two-party vote. The opposition leader joins us today. Anthony Albanese, your reshuffle didn’t quell the leadership talk. Did you expect it to? Anthony Albanese: I was determined to do the right thing. The advice that I had of some people before the reshuffle was you don’t make changes. If you don’t make changes, no one can complain. But that’s not the right thing. The right thing to do is to put in place the team with the right people in the right jobs in the lead up to the election. And that contrasts with Scott Morrison’s reshuffle that he talked up when Mathias Cormann was leaving the parliament and which left Angus Taylor in place, left Stuart Robert, the person who presided over the robodebt debacle in place, Melissa Price, still there in charge of defence procurement when we have real issues with the subs, made no changes of any substance. So I did the right thing by the Labor Party and that is making sure that we maximise our potential to winning the next election. MG: Now, Covid obviously made things extraordinarily difficult for oppositions last year, but even allowing for that, have you been surprised at the extent of angst within the Labor Party, given that federal Labor is polling not too badly, obviously on a two-party basis, the latest poll has you 50/50. AA: Well, I reject the premise of the question. The fact is that overwhelmingly my colleagues and the caucus is focused on holding the government to account, on putting forward constructive suggestions and developing a clear alternative at the next election. That’s overwhelmingly what people are focussed on. MG: Do you accept that Labor’s primary vote, around 36% is too low? And what can you do to get that up? AA: Well, I want it to be 100%, Michelle, but it’s worth saying that that’s 3% higher than it was at the last election. And if anyone thinks that if we get 3% higher primary vote across the board, we won’t win the next election, then they’re wrong. The fact is that we, of course, need to continue to work on that, but it’s heading in the right direction. And one of the things that will continue to argue for is that this is a do nothing government. We’re seeing today the prime minister give a speech at the National Press Club where once again, there’s no reform, no plan for the economy or for social policy. We still don’t have an energy policy. No plan to deal with the challenges of the future. We’ll continue to hold the government to account. During 2020, we put forward practical ideas and policies such as wage subsidies, support for mental health programmes, including telehealth, the issue of the vaccine, issues of quarantine and our borders, the need to have a plan to deal with aged care. We put forward all of those suggestions, some of which were adopted by the government, such as wage subsidies, the increase in unemployment benefits. It’s not like we weren’t focused on policy, we were. It’s just that we were focused on the immediate needs, and that’s what the Australian people expected of us. We were constructive. And that stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the Coalition during the global financial crisis. And that will put us in good stead at the next election. And what we need as well now, and we’ve started to do that, as I said we would on your podcast when I became leader, when we received the review of the election defeat last time around, that we would have more strategy and less tactics. We would roll out our policies from the time of the budget reply. Now, that budget reply was delayed, but we certainly did that with major childcare reform, a major initiative, a building on just as Labor made universal health care through Medicare, universal superannuation, universal provision of child care, working towards that is a major economic reform and as well a future made in Australia, recognising that whilst the pandemic has shown the strength of Australian society and the strength of people being prepared to look after each other, it’s also exposed some of the underlying economic weaknesses, our lack of economic resilience. Our need to actually be able to manufacture more things for ourselves, the weakness that’s there in the labour market to increase casualisation and all of those present opportunities for Labor to present clear alternatives at the next election. We’ve done some of that, we’ll be doing more of that in coming weeks and months. MG: They’ve obviously become increasingly frustrated with the criticisms by Joel Fitzgibbon. But do you at least agree with him that labour, L-A-B-O-U-R, needs to be put back into the Labor Party. AA: The Labor Party has never walked away from looking after working people. We’ve been around for some 130 years, we are Australia’s oldest and proudest political party and I reject the idea that we don’t look after working people. The last Labor government got rid of WorkChoices and put in place reforms in the interests of working people. What we’re advancing now in terms of childcare is about working people as well. Workers these days aren’t all blue collar males. They are women. They’re men, they’re young people, they’re older, older workers. You’ve seen the economy transition and we need modern solutions, we’ll continue to do that. But Labor will always stand up for the interests of working people. MG: Do you think it’s possible that Joel Fitzgibbon might leave the Labor Party, join the crossbench? AA: Look, no, I think that Joel Fitzgibbon actions will speak. People will make their own judgement about the role that he’s playing and whether he’s trying to be constructive or not. MG: But you don’t think he’d jump. AA: People will make their own decisions. Joel has said himself he made the decision some time ago, just after the last election, that he would stay on the frontbench for 18 months. And we had discussions about the timing of his departure. He chose to depart in a way that was different from what he had indicated to myself as leader and to others over a long period of time. And people will make their own judgement about that. I mean, the Coalition have Barnaby Joyce, have Craig Kelly, they’ve just knocked off Kevin Andrews, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives. They have a whole range of people on their side who are out of step with the mainstream opinion, on the LNP side. The difference is that Labor, when we’ve had an issue, we’ve dealt with it. We’ve intervened into the New South Wales and the Victorian branch whilst I’ve been leader, making necessary reforms and made those branches stronger as a result. Scott Morrison’s just sitting back watching the sort of chaos that’s seen, frankly, Kevin Andrews humiliated after a long period of time in the parliament. MG: The coronavirus supplement stops at the end of March when JobSeeker would return to the old level. The base, at the moment, for JobSeeker is $565 a fortnight and the supplement currently is $150 a fortnight. What level do you think the ongoing JobSeeker should be struck at? AA: Well, what we say is that it should be more. That $40 a day isn’t enough to live on, the government acknowledge that. We’re not in a position to change the level of JobSeeker in April and we’re not going to let the government off the hook. We’re going to continue to say that they should not be reducing JobSeeker to $40 a day because they themselves have acknowledged that this drives people into poverty. MG: This is not a complicated policy issue to nominate what you think would be a reasonable level. AA: There are costings, that are required of that process, we will have… MG: You could make them. AA: We’ll have, well we could make things up, Michelle, but I don’t want to do that. Just make things up without proper costings and without proper processes. And I haven’t done that. We will be in a position, I would hope, to make changes to a whole range of policies after the next election when we’re in a position to form government. But what we’ve said under my leadership very early on was that $40 a day wasn’t enough to live on. That was acknowledged by the government that that was the case. MG: You mentioned Scott Morrison’s speech today in which he’s very optimistic about Australia’s economic recovery. Are you as optimistic? AA: Well, one of the things that I wouldn’t do, what Scott Morrison said that today and Josh Frydenberg has been saying as well, is that everything is all hunky dory. The fact is, a whole lot of people have been left behind during the pandemic. So, yes, some people have done well, some businesses have done well. They’ve not only received JobKeeper, they’ve had their profits increased and being able to give big bonuses to corporate representatives. But other people are really struggling and people who are in casual employment didn’t receive any JobKeeper payments. They were the first ones to be laid off, and you have around about two million Australians today are either unemployed or want more work than they’re getting at. They’re being left behind. A whole lot of people are struggling to pay their rent or to pay their mortgage. And a whole lot of other people, because of problems with the labour market, are really doing it tough. The costs of childcare are something like four or five times the increase this year than the inflation rate. You have circumstances whereby in some cases people working, doing the same job in the mining sector, some will be earning around about 30% or in some cases more, less than their counterparts simply because of the use of labour hire. There are people in the gig economy who are basically working for third world conditions. There’s no minimum rates for them and they’re being left outside the system. Now, some people choose and it’s convenient for them and will continue to use new technology. And that’s not a bad thing at all. But some people who are in the case of people driving around on bicycles, delivering food and other products to people, have seen a considerable loss of life because they have to take risks because they’re not being paid enough to get by. When you have all those sorts of issues, I think that Scott Morrison as the leader of the nation should speak up on behalf of those people who need assistance and are struggling, not just those people who’ve done well. MG: Do you think JobKeeper should go beyond the end of March when it’s due to end? AA: I think for some sectors that are needing of support, if the logic of wage subsidies was to keep relationships between employers and employees so as to avoid businesses failing and workers being unemployed, then if those circumstances are still there, why would you prematurely withdraw support. MG: Which sectors? AA: So areas, for example, like the tourism sector that are continuing to struggle, particularly in sectors that are reliant upon international tourism like far north Queensland. MG: Now, obviously, climate policy was much talked about during your reshuffle with the move of Mark Butler and Chris Bowen being the new spokesman. What difference do you think this move will make? AA: Well, Chris Bowen is a former treasurer. He will focus, as he has already. You’ve seen him focus not on diminution of our commitment to action on climate change, but emphasising, for example, that Deloitte Access Economics says that 250,000 jobs will be created by moving, over coming decades, by moving to net zero emissions by 2050, and that, by contrast, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be lost if we don’t act on climate change. It’s that link that I’ve continued to say since my time as the environment and climate change spoke. A person under Kim Beazley, I argued the action on climate change was good for jobs and good for the economy, the policies that were put in place under the Rudd and Gillard governments that I developed in Kim Beazley’s blueprint we published in 2006, were significant, such as the most important of which was the 20% renewable energy target by 2020. At the time opposed by the Coalition, questioned by a whole lot of people, including some people in the Labor Party. The fact is that was the right thing to do that helped create jobs not just directly in terms of the renewable sector, but also in terms of reducing costs of energy for manufacturing sector. MG: So this move, does it represent a change of substance or a change in how the substance is presented? AA: Well, the Labor party policy is decided by the Labor Party, not by an individual spokesperson. And the Labor Party believes in climate change and that it’s real and that by acting, you produce more jobs, lower emissions and lower energy prices. The Labor Party is very consistent on that. And we’ve been consistent on it for a long period of time since we advocated well before we, of course, signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. But we argued, of course, for ratification. And that was the first action of the Rudd government in December 2007. So we’re absolutely committed to action across the board. And I’ve seen some commentary that says that a member of the New South Wales right wing grouping somehow won’t take action on the environment. Well, Graham Richardson, Bob Carr, Tony Burke were three outstanding advocates for our natural environment and for action. They all have a proud record of achievement in that area. Chris Bowen’s absolutely committed to strong action. And and I think he will do an outstanding job. MG: You’ve justified waiting to produce a climate policy on the grounds that a lot is happening this year. Now, that includes the Glasgow climate conference towards the end of the year. If we don’t have an election this year, will you delay announcing your policy until next year? AA: Look, we’ll make our policy announcements at the appropriate time. They probably won’t be, with due respect, on a podcast, there’ll be a full scale press conference for all to see and to assess. But it’s not like we’ve delayed policy announcements, Michelle, I have very clearly stated in one of my earliest speeches and policy announcements as leader, net zero emissions by 2050, and that we would act consistently with that. We have argued and I wrote to the prime minister before I addressed the National Press Club in the middle of last year, saying that we supported a mechanism to drive change through the economy and that that should be a bipartisan mechanism and then people could disagree on what the ambition was within it. But we’ve done our best to try to be constructive, but we’ve made it very clear that we will be ambitious when it comes to climate change. We’ve made specific policy announcements as well, opposing the changes and and the attempts by this government to get rid of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. And we announced in the budget reply last year the Rewiring the Nation policy. Now, that was a $20 billion fund to be made available to make sure that you fix transmission in this country. And what the, all the experts, the Australian energy market operator, no less, and all of the major energy companies say is that, that would address the major challenge because what that would enable it to do is for the renewables sector, which is, the problem there is one of storage and and reliability to be a part of the grid, to operate more effectively, which would, of course, assist the renewable sector. Now, because that wasn’t couched in terms of a percentage or what have you, maybe it didn’t receive the focus of something like the net zero emissions by 2050. But that was a very, very significant announcement. And indeed, the most significant thing that could be done according to the energy sector itself. MG: One policy you are going to announce soon is on industrial relations. Now, obviously, you’re not going to be revealing the detail of that today, but can you just tell me, what are the topic headings, as it were, that you’ll concentrate on - the priorities? AA: The priorities are very much on job security and income security, the fact that workers currently feel vulnerable, that if you’re in insecure work, that means you have difficulty getting a mortgage. It means you have difficulty planning for your first child or future children. It means that businesses suffer because they don’t have the certainty either of people being able to spend money and keep that flow, which then flows on to the economy. So that’s a big challenge. The wage stagnation that has been there since 2013, we have never seen since records were kept, wages being so constrained as they are. We need to deal with people who are in secure in work, in the workforce, whether that be people who work in labour hire companies and are working next door to someone doing the same tasks but earning less money, whether it be people in the new gig economy who are sometimes working for almost nothing in some cases, whether it be issues of workers who are having to bid against each other. And that’s one of the things we’re seeing as to areas like the NDIS, workers are being essentially putting in a bid to provide services, but the lowest cost is the successful bidder. Now, that puts a real downward pressure on wages, but also in the delivery of the services and the quality of that service delivery. MG: The issue of insecure work will be a centrepiece of this policy… AA: It will be front and centre because that’s a big challenge. And that’s something at the same time as, what Scott Morrison’s solution? Well, we know they’ve produced legislation last year which would cut wages and conditions. MG: Will you vote against that legislation… AA: We’ve said we will not vote for any legislation that cuts wages or cuts conditions such as penalty rates. MG: So you will vote against it in the Senate. AA: We will try to, of course, amend legislation and then we’ll make decisions, but we won’t be. Labor will always stand up for working people and their wages and conditions. MG: Well, it will be a lively industrial relations debate in the next few weeks. AA: It certainly will be, and that will be a major focus of Labor, which is consistent with the approach that I’ve always held and my Labor team holds. MG: Anthony Albanese, thank you very much for talking with us today. Additional audio A List of Ways to Die, Lee Rosevere, from Free Music Archive. Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Arplis - News source http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Arplis-News/~3/6soqoHQ4Byc/politics-with-michelle-grattan-anthony-albanese-on-his-new-frontbench-joel-fitzgibbon-and-labor-s-imminent-workplace-policy

[whyshanti]

twenty nineteen. periodt.

i genuinely felt the need to write this because i was bored i have not written anything in a really long time. but mostly because there’s only a few who might read this and not care afterwards. it sucks to not be able to do something that i used to enjoy for quite a while. but here i am!

a lot of thoughts to unburden and a lot of unspoken feelings to unpack. let’s get to it, bih.

1. this year felt like it was dragging on. i wanted it to end asap.

so this year, i actually had A LOT of time. where did it go? 

to: movies, series, anime, music, watching youtube videos, breakdowns, feeling stuck & paralyzed,  academics, reading articles about pop culture & mainstream shit, going out with friends, chatting random ppl at night bc i thought i could trust them (and some of them, i can), and etc.

but on a more serious note, i really was more into the world of media, of both mainstream and indie worlds. i still can’t believe i got through this semester when i have been doing these things unrelated to uni. some ppl are also baffled by this activity log that i have. 

point is: i felt like a walking zombie. probably looked like one as well. there is this routine that i have to do and i got really sick of myself. i didn’t have the motivation to strive more. i was always either sleeping (at least for the first half of the year) or watching. it all feels lifeless. the latter part of the year, my body clock was wrecked. i did not like the weather during daytime. at all. i slept during the day when i did not have classes then i was awake at night. but i try to get as much sleep as i can because my health is declining. i think.

also this year felt like it had 3 sequels. unnecessary, boring, full-of-jump-scares type of sequels. fuck.

2. feeling anxious and chill at the same time.

the only thing that made me feel chill at the latter part of the year is the fact that this shit... like all these shitty things we’ve been doing... will pass anyway. 

i don’t know if it’s because of the new system that was implemented but it definitely feels like the stress levels were high only during exam weeks. for real. i am grateful to have THAT kind of “stress privilege (??)” but i also wish i was stressing over something that gives me LIFE. i know i’m studying for something that will actually help me provide something for myself and for my family but my soul (oh crap here’s where things get cheesy) screams i should do something else. 

my friend always tells me to chill but i couldn’t because there’s always that nagging thought that i have to do something productive everyday. i think it stems from past disappointments, failed expectations from ppl close to me, and just basically feeling like a failure. i’m a frantic mess who somehow has the time to do unnecessary things. wish the energy was put into finishing acads on time or earlier, but here we are. think they meant that i should be chill with mysef. to be kind to myself. to not panic and breathe.

another thing is that there’s a load of information shoved in my head that really paralyzes me to act on something.

3. leaving behind the things i’ve outgrown.

it’s so funny how i’ve met few new people this year who i already treasure only to have quite a number of people to walk out of my life.

it’s not really surprising to me. i think we all wanted it to happen anyway. i’m just happy that things kind of subtly fell apart for things to make more sense. the feeling is kind of like how a misplaced puzzle piece is put into its rightful place. finally, i don’t have to force myself and i think the feelings are mutual. anyway, this year was a revelation in itself despite how dragging the pacing felt. love how the gunk went out and i see now what i’ve been blind to. chuck the deuce! definitely a thank u, next moment.

4. meeting new people, unexpected unions.

i definitely did not expect to form connections and be reunited with some of my old friends this year. also witnessed deepened friendships. 

there’s always this thing where i put my energy on a high level when i’m meeting new people just to seem decent and happy then slowly revealing how tired, sad, and boring i can be. then there’s that fear of losing people’s interest in me or people not becoming excited to talk to me about... anything really. never thought i’d have this fear of losing certain people in my life. i want to detach myself from that and from people themselves too (in a healthy way ofc). 

i’ve never ever felt like i could lose people in an instant. there’s that thing where i worry if i’m too much or i’m lacking for people. so i appreciate people who let me know if i’m crossing the line or if i’m doing something that completely annoys them because i really want to be part of people’s lives, meaningfully and genuinely. a good one. i don’t want to half-ass my relationships with other people and i seek loving relationships that thrive and inspire where it doesn’t only get good at the start but is continually progressing even when we don’t see each other often. it’s fascinating how as we get older, we see how relationships are not as simple as we think they are but really are simple at the same time. we have different goals, we are at different stages in our lives, we are facing shit that nobody else seems to understand and things that don’t seem to end, and we can only hope that our mere presence and emotionally available hearts will listen to whatever the other person has to unburden. 

to somehow let them know that they don’t need permission to rest and to do things that they are afraid of pursuing. 

4a. discovering new artists.

AURORA: the most underrated artist for sure. watched every interview/video/set because she is that bitch. her SONGS, man. i swear. she is that ethereal fairy from the forest. her fucking voice just draws me in. she deserved a better role in frozen 2 tho. she needs to be a lead in a musical animated movie. idc idc i said what i said.

beabadoobee: fucking rockstar, reviving the 90s grunge music and looks.

Billie Eilish: a badass. hate how she still stans bieber tho. 

5. daydreaming of a new life.

you don’t know how many times i’ve been dreaming to have a big house. 

it’s time. we really need a new house. i’m not, as what the kids say, vibing with this old house anymore. this is what i wish to leave behind as soon as possible. how do i even get the MONEY to afford it? i’m just hoping for a miracle to happen, you know. i really wish my family gets to be in a better home soon.

i think if u know me, u might have caught me spacing out a few times. 

idk why this always happens. it’s so rude to the person speaking to me but my mind literally drifts off to another planet. it’s not that they’re boring. i just can’t help it. i feel like shit thinking about how many times it has happened to me. 

sometimes, i dream of being this whole new different person. 

someone who is better than who i am. someone who is good at something and is passionate about the things she does. there are a lot of things i am interested in doing but i don’t have the courage to actually do it. idk why i always turn into a statue when i think of things that i wanna do.

6. God.

it’s been a long time. i have lost contact with You but You are always there to patch things up for me. every effin’ time. i cry everytime.

it must be because i was raised in a christian setting. that’s why i always think it’s You who’s working behind the scenes. but still i am grateful.

saved me from certain people.

saved me this semester.

saved me from pulling worthless all-nighters.

provided me financially esp when i thought i had nothing.

prevented a severe acid reflux situation.

gave me new friends.

did literally so many things that saved me from bad situations and people in general like WHO DOES THAT??

7. a life without a plan.

this is literally what i wanted to happen. not carelessly but like where i don’t have to worry about what to do next. just let things be and go with the flow. the first half of this year, i really did not think things through as i normally would and i let plans fall just to enjoy what was in front of me. be at ease and be present during that time. and i did. it was a peaceful, cheery time tbh.

8. every day i wanted to start over just to get over a lot of things.

9. i missed a lot of ppl.

10. i wanted to be held. not by a certain someone. not romantically. but by anyone close to me. *plays i’m with you by avril lavigne*

sometimes we all just need a long hug. that’s all. and it’d be nice to hear more stories from people. :)

11. not everybody will reciprocate the same energy that i send out to them and it’s okay.

this bummed me out. felt like an effin’ loser but i’ve learned that people have businesses to do. life doesn’t always happen the way we want it to.

12. this the final year of college. just finish it already, dumbass. 

13. why can’t i just be kathryn bernardo or AURORA for like a month or a year? i promise i will not ruin their careers lmao.

14. i want to make major changes in my stupid life but money is an issue.

15. the stars are below the sky now.

the state of the environment is the same as of our minds. polluted and overloaded with gibberish to the point that we get scared of doing one thing at a time and where we also don’t throw away the unnecessary baggage/s. 

we’re so intent on doing things all at the same time. finishing everything in one sitting. being productive became an addiction and it scared me how i was becoming affected by this. there’s this constant thought that we collectively share which is to do something by every day and it only adds up to people’s anxiety and depression. social media definitely made us aware of mental illnesses/disorders but then it became a trend. people self-diagnose themselves and end up with the wrong treatment. some people use it as a tool to get followers and... ugh it’s all a mess. i hope people get the right treatment/s AND/or professional help because if they don’t, they’ll lose themselves. i mean... just look at the sky. there’s literally no sign of a star now if u live in the city. we’ve lost sight of what should guide us. we are unconsciously following a false light thru our devices. 

i’m not good at analogies or at explaining things as u can tell. but moving on...

this hyper self-awareness that i have gained from social media has its advantages but is also distracting me from living my best life. i didn’t realize that i was making my own christmas lights inside my seemingly dark mind when really... it’s just clouded by all this information that’s coming in fast and has affected who i am and certain areas of my life. i’ve almost forgotten this and i’ve come to believe again that there’s always an ever-present light and it will take time to get used to its brightness once my mind gets clearer by the day. hopefully, it will.

anyway, CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL AND WE NEED TO SAVE EARTH. 

16. men are trash. 

17. the people who i should avoid always looks odd or unpleasant and has bad energy. i know shit when i sense one. 

18. i’m not happy with my life and with who i am but i’ll work with what i’ve got.

life gives u a mirror and shits on your face. sheesh.

for some reason, i can’t forget what my adviser told me during my 4th year of high school. she told me “it seems like you’re a person full of regrets” and every time i have a cryfest, i think of that. idk why. (never underestimate the power of a few words, folks). you know how like in flow charts, u encounter decision points? the diamond shapes? i think i always decide no and end up with the worst consequence and then there’s no more starting over. 

i don’t think i understand flow charts well. ugh. 

i can’t come up with a cool transition to me having insecurities so let’s say i did!

some people’s beauty, inspiring. but others just make you feel like shit.

i really want to explore my feminine side more because i was more masculine when i was younger. i’m not gentle, i’m a bit aggressive. and it just doesn’t fit with who i want to be. idk why. and also, it’s fun (!!!). you get a taste of what it’s like and it’s so EMPOWERING at least for the short experience that i had. but can make me feel very conscious of my entire being and i just end up wearing cartoony disguises. ironic but BABY STEPS. when i think about it, there’s really no black or white answer whether this or that is feminine or masculine.  

self-love is not a 5-step process. 

it is continuous improvement of oneself to the point where you don’t give a fuck about what they say. i really envy the ones who are comfortable in their own skin, who are totally embracing their flaws. they just bloom. some people just look like them. like it’s SO THEM. unmistakably them. and i think if everyone had that, we would not have standards anymore.

oh, to live in a time where individuality is encouraged but is also discouraged when not lived up to its standards. hurray.

19. this year was the year of mindless decisions. periodt.

20. hoping that the new year, 2020, will be the year of CLARITY where i know who i really am, embracing it, and where i will not be taking anymore of anyone’s bullshit. where i know where i stand in my relationships with other people and vice versa. there will be intentional but meaningful endings that will pave the way for blossoming beginnings. 

let’s hope it unfolds the way it should be. for the better.

bonus: nobody knows what the fuck they’re doing. everyone’s just going with the flow. be yourself.

note: this is a compilation of thoughts, informally. thank u.