#valuing as they do their personal security and survival above every other consideration

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

Today, the country indeed looks alien. The America many of us believed we knew now appears stranger in retrospect: The anger and resentment we may have thought was pitched at a simmer turned out to be at a rollicking boil. And one of liberals’ most cherished shibboleths from 2016—that Trumpism is a movement for aggrieved white men—unraveled in the face of a realignment that saw the GOP appear to give birth to a multiracial working-class movement. A second Trump presidency is the result of this misjudgment.

Democrats are a coalition party of the center-left

The Left has traditionally been associated with egalitarianism, which is by necessity concerned with the masses, the common people, the working class, but also the dispossessed, the marginalized, the disadvantaged

The modern Democratic party traces its roots most directly to the New Deal coalition of the 1930s, which it understands to have been a robust working-class and labor-rights movement

They also see themselves in the 1960s cultural revolutions and their repudiation of hierarchy, itself generally seen as the position of the common person, the masses, but also the dispossessed

The party takes its name from Andrew Jackson, great champion of the Common Man, at least as understood at his time, but it goes back to Thomas Jefferson, famous for declaring that "all men are created equal," and now excoriated for failing to live out that egalitarian principle

The Democrats are a party for the people, understood as capaciously as possible, the party that repudiates narrow nationalism and jingoism, in favor of spreading the benefits of American society widely, in opposition to favoring the privileged few

Why am I reminding you of all these things that you already know?

Because they believe so deeply that they are right in every way that matters, or at least incomparably superior to their opponents, they cannot begin to imagine repudiation from the very people in whose interests they thought they were acting, let alone in favor of the very person they swore was an existential, even murderous threat to those very same people

I think to appreciate the sensation, you might imagine a thief broke into your home, and then your family kicked you out in favor of the thief; someone broke in to ravish your spouse and they called the police on you; a sex offender told your children explicitly what he wanted to do them, and your children fought you to get out of your arms so they could crawl into the van knowing full well they'd never see you again

The shock is so existentially horrifying, such a betrayal of reality itself, that it would require rethinking all your most basic assumptions about the political order, human beings, and worst of all, yourself. Why would they do such a manifestly insane thing? Is there something I don't know? What did I miss? What did I do wrong? What do I do now?

Democrats cannot meaningfully internalize that they are the party of the privileged and the elite, by their own philosophy they are themselves the enemy, they write a blank check for the most lurid excesses of anti-colonial violence and call it "exhilarating" without dealing with the fact that given their assumptions, in this society, they are the power and not the resistance

But it's hard to ask yourself these kinds of questions and most people don't have the nerve for it, and so what we see instead, in another little paradox of human nature, is they're going to blame not the ravisher but the spouse

TL;DR, self-examination is hard, so now Democrats hate Latinos

[feelingbluepolitics]

We Must Handle the Truth

There's no question that the management of Donald trump will be an issue of on-going global importance. Knocking him from his (alleged) official perch is only the first step.

The more crucial steps must follow, because trump will retain his influence and his supporters, and they will do whatever he hints that he wants, even up to treasonous attacks, assassination attempts, and mass murders.

We must be clear. There is no cozy "look to the future and heal" pretence of an option in our present situation. This is aside from the fact that taking that Pollyanna path repeatedly --from Watergate to Reagan to Bush-- helped to criminalize and radicalize the Republicon Party into the danger they are today.

Shame, honor, and true patriotism have become vestigial on the Right. Their criminal administrations and elected representatives keep getting away with what they do because we embolden them each time with a blind eye.

That is not how justice works. The blind eye of justice means that no one, no matter how powerful, is exempt. The time to work on that is January 20, 2021, and we are far overdue. Politicians, corporations, tax cheats, polluters: we still have laws, for all of trump's and his administration's destructive efforts.

We sully our government offices and endanger our nation by not requiring accountability to the office and to the people, over and above any present occupant. Where we are blocked by pardons we must still have thorough public investigation. That is not a waste of time for lack of a prosecutorial path. It is existential. It's the accountability we cannot do without. It's the foundation of the future laws we need to draft and pass to safeguard this country.

Pardons become entirely corrupt when we acquiesce to them blocking investigation. Democracies survive on information and truth, combined. We are where we are now in part because we still have corrupt actors left-over from Watergate active in our politics.

What are we to do about trump? That isn't initially, or perhaps ever, all about pardons, or state versus federal charges, or orange jumpsuits. In this instance, ironically, the potential solution is all about trump. This is where an examination of how trump interacts with the rest of the human world can guide us.

He forms specific categories of relationships which are actually invariable, because he is permanently shallow and unperceptive. Because trump the consumate narcissist is always the center of every relationship, and because he is, without introspection, forever fixed in all his defects, all of his various relationships fall into the same patterns within their categories. Here they are:

1) The Strongmen. Shades of daddy Fred trump, these are aspirational relationships teaching the type of utter control the core pathetic trump would like to wield. But because of daddy, trump is conditioned to the "love me, admire me, and be useful and loyal or I will harm or destroy you" format, but on the weaker side.

This is why we have seen trump pushing the United States of America into eagerly obsequious deference with respect to Russia, North Korea, and Turkey, and also pandering to Saudi Arabia's power which is additionally derived through vast transactional wealth.

But we cannot and do not want to transform America or Biden into this Strongman mold, because then it will have been pointless to remove trump.

2) The Assets. This category comprises trump's immediate family members and all Republicons in office, from Mitch McConnell to Kevin McCarthy, and from Michigan’s Republicon Senate members to, potentially, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett. This category also extends to trump's supporters, mostly as a collective.

These are the flipside of the Strongman category, where trump gets to play the opposite role. These people are tools, who work constantly to remain in good standing with trump, rendering obsequious deference and servitude as a matter of advantage but also, essentially, as a matter of status survival.

trump is a horrible antagonist or enemy.

This, by the way, is exactly the relationship this country cannot continue to allow with trump, as a matter of national security.

3) The Targets. We know who they are. They caught trump's wrathful attention. Some of the targets are personal to trump to varying degrees, while some are a matter of expediency, or are demonstrated examples, or are, so far, peripheral.

But everybody knows trump will never stop -- that is the personna he cultivated-- unless a Target person has something of value to make them an Asset again. (This is why trump is called purely transactional, in combination with having no beliefs, no morality, and no honesty.)

Fauci, and Birx, (who for a while pulled off a mommy-style interaction with trump as he tried to impress her with nifty genius like injecting bleach), are in a no-man's land, transitional between Asset and Target, in part because trump doesn't like attention on covid if he can help it.

We don't know exactly what trump will try to inflict on Mary trump for writing her book, but we've already seen a variety of attacks against Bolton, Kelly, and Michael Cohen, along with innumerable others. (It isn't just books. It's that these people did not keep flattering, and obey.)

He ousted from political power Jeff Sessions, Jeff Flake, Bob Corker (White House as "an adult day care center"), and Mark Sanford, of "the Appalachian Trail." He can do the same to any other individual Republicon, because as a group, they are all too backstabbing, dishonorable, greedy, and cowardly to unite against him.

Certainty we have seen trump's behavior with respect to Fox Gnus, the Clintons, and Obama.

This is the relationship this country cannot allow itself to fall into with trump. But how possibly to prevent it?

For that, we look to another category of trump's relationships.

4) The Survivors. Of those not in the Strongman category, there are few people who have survived relationships with Donald trump and who can get trump to do favors for them -- to do what they want.

It is dangerous idiocy to call them trump's "friends," by way of explaining their leverage and longevity. The key is leverage.

Rudy Giuliani :

- A "very, very good relationship" with trump.

- "I've seen things written like he's going to throw me under the bus. When they say that, I say he isn't, but I have insurance."

- "I do have very, very good insurance."

Giuliani's insurance is knowledge; some knowledge about trump gives him leverage. The leverage has to represent knowledge that trump fears exposure of or consequences for. Giuliani doesn't fear being otherwise loose-lipped, or even crazy, and his relationship with trump is currently letting him pull in $20,000 a day for "legal work."

Roger Stone :

"[trump] knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him. It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didn't."

This leverage allowed Stone to openly demand clemency from trump regardless of any amount of political capital it could potentially cost.

The succession of wives, too, possess whatever personal knowledge, likely far more powerful than negotiated pre-nups and settlements, which ensure the notorious litigious deadbeat abides willingly by contractual terms.

As a nation, we need to survive trump. We have observed what works. But as a nation, we must address the issue of trump just a bit differently. Unlike Giuliani, Stone, or even Putin’s special holds over trump, we must:

1) Investigate trump extensively. Entirely. Turn him inside-out. And then,

2) Make the findings public. This is where a nation, a government of, by, and for the people in a country ruled by law and not kingdoms or cults, differs from defensive black-mailers or manipulative foreign spies.

This part, making public everything that doesn't actually threaten our national security to reveal, is necessary to harden both our resolve and our democracy, and to peel off whatever of trump's support that we can, and to deter the next trumpian assaults, whether by trump or the people who will try to follow the path trump has scorched into the fabric of our nation.

Public reveals are also a safety measure. There is vast potential for corruption otherwise. But then,

3) Keep every single trump-related criminal prosecution -- legitimate, of course, because we are not trump -- on the table. That is the leverage.

That's how to survive trump. There must be no more talk of how investigating a former *resident will turn us into a "banana republic." In a so-called banana republic, powerful government officials pressure others, either to carry out vendettas, or favors of protection by "looking the other way". Government is bent toward personal exploitations. Been there. Done that these past four years under trump and Republicons.

They have actually installed what can be termed "a deep state," notably for the first time, and sane Americans must know its extant. Fcuk their cries of victimization and oppression of the Right. The only difference is, when we investigate, there are actual violations, crimes, and scandals, with evidentiary proofs; when conservatives investigate, it's fundamentally bullsh*t-and-paranoia based.

A "banana republic" is exactly what we are attempting to rescue our nation from. With all the recognition that the Right has systematically unmoored from truth, and the terrible dangers that threaten as a result, from a stupid civil war born of propaganda, to climate devastation, as much truth as we can discover is what we need.

Knowledge is power. With trump out of the White House, we can get it. We must have it.

[hatboyproject]

This is very long, but it might be of interest to someone, somewhere. I was asked recently about the direction I'm taking this romance in and whether or not I'll be addressing certain disability specific subjects within it. The answer, of course, is yes - I have always planned to do this in one form or another. Whilst no single piece of media can address everything I'd like to say on the subject, and I am working within the bounds of a larger story with its own pacing and focus to consider, there's still room to touch on some of these things.

I'm aware that my interpretations won't always be the same as others'. They are my interpretations, coloured by my experiences and feelings, and ultimately, this is my mod - I'm writing it for everybody who 'wears the ballcap,' so to speak! But, it's my interpretation of this character that I'm trying to share with everyone. Different people "took the helm" (laugh, I'm hilarious!) on writing Jeff across the trilogy, and as time has gone on I've been trying to convince myself that it's okay to have my turn at doing that, too - albeit in a non-professional capacity. So... Let's get into my interpretation of Jeff, where his stuff comes from on my view, and how things went to get him to where we are at the beginning of ME3, where the romance can occur.

A lot of how I interpret him comes from experiences in my own life with my own issues, and with those of my loved ones, some of whom are physically disabled in similar (but not identical) ways to Jeff. Some of this carries an element of catharsis for me.

Mechanically and narratively speaking, what draws me to writing this romance is the contrast between how these two characters are strong. It's this core idea that strength doesn't have only one manifestation in a person. That loving somebody doesn't have to be done only one way, that it can be beautiful and passionate and fulfilling - even if, when it gets physical, the headboard can't exactly be made to shatter with the force of it all. For me, it's also an exercise in insecurity and dealing with feelings of frustrated inadequacy - something that has plagued me my whole life.

Yes, yes, he's fictional - but the only way for me to really get into a character is to think about them as if they're a real being. When I look at Jeff as a person, I see many things... Some very positive, some pretty negative... I try to see him as a complete person with strengths and flaws.

On the surface he is often defensive, dismissive, sarcastic, and emotionally avoidant. But why is that? He is highly skilled, dedicated and capable, and knows it, but at the same time is a person who is constantly overlooked, underestimated, and asked to work thrice as hard to get the same considerations. Even then, his validity is questioned often by almost everyone around him. Over time, combined with the realities of living with his physical condition, this has given him some deep-seated insecurities. He feels the need to brag about his skills because they are, ultimately, the one thing about himself that he is absolutely certain has real worth. He overcompensates for this by abusing rules and technicalities wherever he can, because I think he knows that if he played life by the rules, he'd never have gotten anywhere. It's a stacked deck, so why not hide some aces up his sleeve? When you don't fit in the box provided, you question the value of every box you see.

When a person lives with this long enough, it can get hard to swim against the tide of society's expectations and still remain chipper about it, let alone not internalise some of it. It can cause a person to create a shell constructed out of distrust and untruth.

Living with a disability can really suck sometimes, and the suck is compounded when having to deal with your own frustrations plus those of others. In my personal experience, that happens a lot.

There is a certain sense of alienation that it can create, and it can become a kind of Sword of Damocles. It can be easier to anticipate rejection and others' assumptions, inabilities to understand or relate than to keep reaching out, only to have the same tired conversations about being different. I see a lot of this in him. I understand the chip he has on his shoulder.

I also see an extremely sensitive, empathetic, devoted and boundlessly loving person under all that. In fact, it's because of these things that I think he actively tries to distance himself. At the core of his being, I see Jeff as somebody who loves quickly and completely. I think he sees that as a vulnerability, incompatible with what he's learned he has to do to survive... and also with the machismo thing that comes with being a pilot. I think on some level he's terrified of that about himself, but he also can't help it. Jeff is ride or die. So, he tells himself he doesn't care and never lets anyone in. Any time anyone showed interest, he'd shut them down, alienate them, distance himself, and get in the seat of something that flies.

I think up until now, (ME3) he's seen intimacy both as a thing he longs for, but is also afraid of because of his fundamental knowledge that he is different. He thinks he can't "measure up" to what he sees all around him. He sees romance as something that will lead to his inevitable rejection and being crushed, emotionally - and if he's not careful, physically, too. I think he's embarrassed about that as well. He's very interested where it comes to all that, but the things he likes to watch, he knows he can't do like that. His only experience is second-hand as a voyeur, so some of his perceptions about that are unhealthy for him. I think any kind of attempt by the medical professionals in his life to broach the topic and offer support on, he's angrily changed the subject, or stopped listening to, because of the entire mess above. I think Jeff is kind of a lonely person, and some of it is self-imposed, though the reasons for him thinking it's the right thing to do aren't all within his control.

All this is difficult for him to reconcile with, because he has been desperately in love with his commanding officer since almost the moment s/he met him, but entirely unprepared to face it.

I think at first it was easy for him to dismiss it as a stupid crush. Everyone gets them when cramped up in close quarters in stressful situations and the Commander's magnetism was hard to ignore. But then it became clear that Shepard really hadn't read his file and really hadn't made any assumptions at all about him. S/he just wanted to know him, and as time progressed and that actually bore out, it got hard not to really feel something powerful, even though s/he was the Commander and it wasn't strictly appropriate to think that way. But, then there was that thing about not fitting in the box provided...

I think he agonised over coming to Shepard with it, but ultimately decided it would be selfish with everything they were going through. I think there was a part of him that decided s/he'd never be interested anyway, not when there were other, healthier people to choose from... People who didn't have these hangups or need special accommodations made for them. I think he decided to keep it to himself, for what he felt was both their sakes.

If/When the Commander quietly hooked up with someone else, I think he had a lot of feelings all at once. On the one hand, the person he cared for most was finding some peace in all the craziness. On the other, he wished that particular brand of peace was shared with him. Most of the time there were more important things to worry about, but during downtime, I think it was on his mind a lot.

I think he feels very sheepish about it, but occasionally his jealousy got the better of him and he interrupted Shepard at moments that got too hard to watch on the security cams. He watched the cams around the ship lot, and listened in on all the others a fair bit. I think because he saw himself as being at a remove from most people in a lot of ways, it was easy to justify that to himself. I think he saw it kind of like listening to a podcast or a soap opera or... Nature documentary, almost, or something. He got to know all of them in this way... Parasocially at first, but gradually, socially too. He felt better about trying, because he had this secret edge. Not the greatest stuff he's ever done, but... Complete person. Strengths and flaws.

And then, the unthinkable happened. He couldn't accept that the ship was dying. He was sure he could save it... But when Shepard's hand touched his shoulder, when s/he'd come back for him, he knew it was over. And then, it really was over. Shepard paid the price for his arrogance. The person he wanted to protect the most spun off out into space. The communicator between his mask and that helmet was still in range for long enough that he could hear the choking. For a long time afterward, even hearing people cough made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

The Alliance grounded him. I don't think he even had the capacity to be mad about it. I think that was a hard time for Jeff. I think between being burdened with the knowledge of the Reapers, the loss of Shepard, and the weight of his guilt, he was pretty close to the very, very edge when Cerberus knocked on his door and made him a bunch of promises. Pretty sure those promises had nothing to do with leather seats and everything to do with Project Lazarus. I'm very sure that the promise of Shepard coming back is the reason he even let Cerberus pay for the surgeries he agreed to undergo, because I don't think he valued himself much at all at that point. I'm pretty sure it was being ready to help Shepard that he was thinking about when he was learning to walk on his painful legs without crutches for the very first time. When Cerberus offered him a big shiny reset button I think he took it without hesitation because there wasn't anything else to hope for. I think seeing Shepard in the docking bay galvanised him and without ever telling them so, he pledged his life to them even harder than before. I think he told himself that he would support Shepard in every way he could. He would go wherever, do whatever, and when dealing with him, try to give them what he knew they needed; a goddamn break.

So, fast forward again, and now we are here. With all of this in mind... Shepard might have had a dalliance with someone else, or might've been too damaged by their previous love interest on Horizon, or whatever. Either way, I think Jeff saw it as not his business to even dream about that. I think the guilt tore him up every time he looked at Shepard. I think he felt like on some level, he deserved the pain of unrequited feelings which only ever got more intense. If he didn't think himself worthy of it back then, doubly so now. I think during the six months of house arrest, he tried to visit, but the Alliance denied his every attempt. Then the attack on Earth happened.

And so now we have Jeff, who, just like other humans is confused and groping about for a sense of what's up and what's down. Fortunately for him, Shepard is part of that sense of stability. He's just better at hiding it, because avoiding it and telling himself to focus elsewhere is second nature to him by this point. But things are a little different, now. Shepard seems looking around for a connection too. Future days seem short in number and the rulebook less and less important by the minute. Denying it to himself becomes impossible, and even EDI prods him about it. Shepard won't stop being so goddamn nice to him and even responds with things that if he didn't know better, he could interpret as... But then all the old insecurities come rushing back and he's walking on his own damn eggshells again. Fuck it. It's time to admit it. To come clean. S/he has to know.

So he asks. And s/he accepts. He's equal parts thrilled, stunned and terrified. He's even on some level, suspicious. Is s/he setting him up for a fall? Are they angry about his responsibility? What do they want out of this, actually? He hasn't explained what it'd be like. That what they're doubtlessly expecting of him is unrealistic. That he's completely inexperienced. I think at this point, he's a bit pissed off with himself and feeling a lot of dread because he's pretty sure how this is going to go. He realises he's got so caught up in it that he's done things in the wrong order. Damage control. He has to talk with Shepard and explain what s/he should expect from him, because it will be different. Manage expectations because he's had to manage his own. He goes in steeled.

But s/he knows it will be different, it turns out. As ever, Shepard has made no assumptions whatsoever. S/he only wants to get to know him. Wants him for everything he is, and accepts what he is not. It was never an issue for them beyond understanding how to work with it, because he is worthy just as he is, and has worked hard enough. He has to teach them about his limitations, about underestimating and overestimating... But where there's a will, there's a way. Time for a few shared moments of peace before the end of days, and through all the craziness, something feels right at last. He feels safe enough to let Shepard in properly. Thus begins his reassessment of himself and reckoning with letting go of the insecurities he has that aren't actually his own, but come from outside.

Also he totally gets to sext the Commander now when s/he's on missions. Nice.

So. There's a lot more I could say and expound upon but it's been hours and I have stuff to do. That's my direction. It's not going to suit everyone, and I doubt I can get everything across... But I'll try. I'm just one person, with just one perspective, with just one version of this story. But I hope people like what I come up with surrounding this framework, because I have lived a lot of it myself. Just a few less Reapers in my version. Not everyone's experiences and responses will be the same.

[amaraqwolf]

I got Feelings and you know what that means: Feelings Splurge.

“Why are you so concerned with gender identity? It’s a first-world problem.”

Nope! It is very much not a first-world problem. Allow me to explain why, using psychology and history. Warning: it’s a long ride.

So anyone who’s taken any Intro to Psych class is familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Basically, it’s a model for the human needs that need to be met in order for someone to thrive. The bottom of the pyramid are the foundational survival needs; food, water, sleep, shelter. (Sex is not usually included anymore, because A) it’s not necessary for survival, and B) plenty of people have nonexistent sex drives, whereas no one has a nonexistent need to eat.) Above that is the need for safety; financial security, good health, etc. Then comes love and belonging; family, friends, feeling respected and acknowledged and wanted. Above that are the high-concept needs; the need for purpose, achievement, status, and legacy.

The pyramid is designed to illustrate how it is impossible for someone to meet their full potential if the bottom of the pyramid isn’t stable. You don’t give a shit about employment if you don’t know where you’re going to sleep tonight, for example. You do not have romance anywhere on your radar when you’re struggling to put enough food on the table. You can’t pursue a genuine sense of feeling loved and wanted until you feel safe. If bottom needs aren’t met, top needs can’t be met.

This is usually a pretty good model, I think. The issue is that when we involve capitalism, Maslow’s pyramid is often used to justify cruelty. “No one would work unless working was directly tied to basic needs”, CEOs who have never worked a day in their life cry from atop their ivory towers. “If you’re not struggling with basic needs, then all your problems are first-world problems”, otherwise well-meaning people loudly claim.

So I think this version of it is slightly better:

‘Deficiency needs’ are all the needs that need to be met before you can even think about trying to grow. This includes basic survival needs, safety needs, and social needs. If any of those aren’t being met, you’re going to have an extremely hard time contributing to your community or reaching even a fraction of your full potential.

If the pyramid isn’t fully in place, your motivation takes a hard hit.

Am, what does any of this have to do with gender?

I’m glad you asked!

With gender, nothing. With social needs, everything.

Way back at the beginning of human history, our survival needs were food, water, shelter, and community. Why community? Because community is how we raised our children, built our homes, grew our food, and sourced our water. No one person did all of that on their own -- we had extremely wrinkled and clever brains, not powerful muscles, claws, or fangs. If we didn’t band together as a community, not one of us would have survived.

In order to contribute to your community, however, all of your deficiency needs have to be met. You need to feel safe and secure, and you need to feel loved and valued. So it was in everyone’s best interest to listen to, acknowledge, and validate every single individual member of the community. If we didn’t recognise the inherent value in someone independent of their productivity, after all, we never would have cared for our sick and injured. Nor would we have buried our dead and developed rituals for mourning them.

In order for community to work, everyone had to listen to each other. You listened to the pregnant person about what they needed, because otherwise, you lost the child. You listened when someone was feeling sick or in pain, because otherwise, you lost them to disease.

And that, right there, is why gender has been fluid across multiple cultures across the entire span of human history. People listened when someone said ‘actually, I don’t fit’, and they collectively adapted. We have evidence, across human history, of cultures with third independent gender groups; cultures with people recognised as dual-gender (’two-spirit’, etc.); and cultures with gender-free community roles. Because we knew that when someone’s identity was validated by their community, their social needs were met, and they were much more likely to become valued members of society. When someone was rejected, you lost their motivation, their potential, their spirit, their joy. You lost them.

Having your identity validated by your community was, essentially, a survival need -- for the entire community.

Nonbinary gender identities have existed for as long as human beings have existed.

When we talk about first-world problems, we’re talking about problems that have not existed for the entirety of human history. We’re talking about not being able to afford a brand-new TV. Does that suck? Yes. Can it be distressing? Yes. Is it devastating? No.

You know what is devastating? Not getting a deficiency need met. Not feeling safe. Not knowing where your next meal is coming from. Not having a home. Being rejected by your community -- your family and friends.

If a personal example would help:

I realised the other day that my distress over being misgendered is considerably less than it was several months ago. That’s because the majority of the people in my life A) accept me, B) consistently gender me correctly, and C) correct others when they make mistakes. I believe that when the majority of your community validate you like this, misgendering becomes less of an issue. Your social need is met; therefore, your resilience and self-esteem are high enough to shrug off mistakes much more easily. I still get a pang of pain/annoyance, but it’s much less likely to ruin my day, so I can dedicate my mental energy to stuff like writing my novels.

But if you don’t have that social need met, then every misgendering is a psychologically devastating reminder that you are not loved, not wanted, and/or not respected. Every misgendering breaks more of the pyramid, and removes you even further from a place of purpose, motivation, and self-actualisation.

In conclusion:

Validating gender identities strengthens individuals, communities, and humanity as a whole. By definition, first-world problems do not.

You do not need to understand why someone feels the way they do in order to accept them, practice gendering them correctly, and correct others when they make a mistake.

Thank you so much, everyone who already does this for the genderfluid and nonbinary people in your life. Your efforts and validations are life-changing; they’re the building blocks of a truly healthy society.

[favoriselovealina]

16 Habits Of Highly Sensitive People

By Amanda L. Chan

Do you feel like you reflect on things more than everyone else? Do you find yourself worrying about how other people feel? Do you prefer quieter, less chaotic environments?

If the above sound true to you, you may be highly sensitive. The personality trait -- which was first researched by Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D., in the early 1990s -- is relatively common, with as many as one in five people possessing it. Aron, who has written multiple studies and books on high sensitivity, including The Highly Sensitive Person, also developed a self-test (which you can take here) to help you determine if you are highly sensitive.

While recent interest in introversion -- driven largely by high-profile publications on the subject, including Susan Cain's book "Quiet," -- has brought more awareness to personality traits that value less stimulation and higher sensitivity, Aron notes that highly sensitive people still tend to be considered the "minority."

But "minority" doesn't mean bad -- in fact, being highly sensitive carries a multitude of positive characteristics. Read on for some of the commonalities shared by highly sensitive people.

1. They feel more deeply.

One of the hallmark characteristics of highly sensitive people is the ability to feel more deeply than their less-sensitive peers. "They like to process things on a deep level," Ted Zeff, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person's Survival Guide and other books on highly sensitive people, tells HuffPost. "They're very intuitive, and go very deep inside to try to figure things out."

2. They're more emotionally reactive.

People who are highly sensitive will react more in a situation. For instance, they will have more empathy and feel more concern for a friend's problems, according to Aron. They may also have more concern about how another person may be reacting in the face of a negative event.

3. They're probably used to hearing, "Don't take things so personally" and "Why are you so sensitive?"

Depending on the culture, sensitivity can be perceived as an asset or a negative trait, Zeff explains. In some of his own research, Zeff says that highly sensitive men he interviewed from other countries -- such as Thailand and India -- were rarely or never teased, while highly sensitive men he interviewed from North America were frequently or always teased. "So a lot of it is very cultural -- the same person who is told, 'Oh, you're too sensitive,' in certain cultures, it's considered an asset," he says.

4. They prefer to exercise solo.

Highly sensitive people may tend to avoid team sports, where there's a sense that everyone is watching their every move, Zeff says. In his research, the majority of highly sensitive people he interviewed preferred individual sports, like bicycling, running and hiking, to group sports. However, this is not a blanket rule -- there are some highly sensitive people who may have had parents who provided an understanding and supportive environment that would make it easier for them to participate in group sports, Zeff says.

5. It takes longer for them to make decisions.

Highly sensitive people are more aware of subtleties and details that could make decisions harder to make, Aron says. Even if there is no "right" or "wrong" decision -- for example, it's impossible to choose a "wrong" flavor of ice cream -- highly sensitive people will still tend to take longer to choose because they are weighing every possible outcome. Aron's advice for dealing with this: "Take as long to decide as the situation permits, and ask for more time if you need it and can take it," she writes in a recent issue of her Comfort Zone newsletter. "During this time, try pretending for a minute, hour, day, or even week that you have made up your mind a certain way. How does that feel? Often, on the other side of a decision things look different, and this gives you a chance to imagine more vividly that you are already there." One exception: Once a highly sensitive person has come to the conclusion of what is the right decision to make and what is the wrong decision to make in a certain situation, he or she will be quick to make that "right" decision again in the future.

6. And on that note, they are more upset if they make a "bad" or "wrong" decision.

You know that uncomfortable feeling you get after you realize you've made a bad decision? For highly sensitive people, "that emotion is amplified because the emotional reactivity is higher," Aron explains.

7. They're extremely detail-oriented.

Highly sensitive people are the first ones to notice the details in a room, the new shoes that you're wearing, or a change in weather.

8. Not all highly sensitive people are introverts.

In fact, about 30 percent of highly sensitive people are extroverts, according to Aron. She explains that many times, highly sensitive people who are also extroverts grew up in a close-knit community -- whether it be a cul-de-sac, small town, or with a parent who worked as a minister or rabbi -- and thus would interact with a lot of people.

9. They work well in team environments.

Because highly sensitive people are such deep thinkers, they make valuable workers and members of teams, Aron says. However, they may be well-suited for positions in teams where they don't have to make the final decision. For instance, if a highly sensitive person was part of a medical team, he or she would be valuable in analyzing the pros and cons of a patient having surgery, while someone else would ultimately make the decision about whether that patient would receive the surgery.

10. They're more prone to anxiety or depression (but only if they've had a lot of past negative experiences).

"If you've had a fair number of bad experiences, especially early in life, so you don't feel safe in the world or you don't feel secure at home or ... at school, your nervous system is set to 'anxious,'" Aron says. But that's not to say that all highly sensitive people will go on to have anxiety -- and in fact, having a supportive environment can go a long way to protecting against this. Parents of highly sensitive children, in particular, need to "realize these are really great kids, but they need to be handled in the right way," Aron says. "You can't over-protect them, but you can't under-protect them, either. You have to titrate that just right when they're young so they can feel confident and they can do fine."

11. That annoying sound is probably significantly more annoying to a highly sensitive person.

While it's hard to say anyone is a fan of annoying noises, highly sensitive people are on a whole more, well, sensitive to chaos and noise. That's because they tend to be more easily overwhelmed and overstimulated by too much activity, Aron says.

12. Violent movies are the worst.

Because highly sensitive people are so high in empathy and more easily overstimulated, movies with violence or horror themes may not be their cup of tea, Aron says.

13. They cry more easily.

That's why it's important for highly sensitive people to put themselves in situations where they won't be made to feel embarrassed or "wrong" for crying easily, Zeff says. If their friends and family realize that that's just how they are -- that they cry easily -- and support that form of expression, then "crying easily" will not be seen as something shameful.

14. They have above-average manners.

Highly sensitive people are also highly conscientious people, Aron says. Because of this, they're more likely to be considerate and exhibit good manners -- and are also more likely to notice when someone else isn't being conscientious. For instance, highly sensitive people may be more aware of where their cart is at the grocery store -- not because they're afraid someone will steal something out of it, but because they don't want to be rude and have their cart blocking another person's way.

15. The effects of criticism are especially amplified in highly sensitive people.

Highly sensitive people have reactions to criticism that are more intense than less sensitive people. As a result, they may employ certain tactics to avoid said criticism, including people-pleasing (so that there is no longer anything to criticize), criticizing themselves first, and avoiding the source of the criticism altogether, according to Aron.

"People can say something negative, [and] a non-HSP [highly sensitive person] can say, 'Whatever,' and it doesn't affect them," Zeff says. "But a HSP would feel it much more deeply."

16. Cubicles = good. Open-office plans = bad.

Just like highly sensitive people tend to prefer solo workouts, they may also prefer solo work environments. Zeff says that many highly sensitive people enjoy working from home or being self-employed because they can control the stimuli in their work environments. For those without the luxury of creating their own flexible work schedules (and environments), Zeff notes that highly sensitive people might enjoy working in a cubicle -- where they have more privacy and less noise -- than in an open-office plan.

Source: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/highly-sensitive-people-signs-habits_n_4810794

[firestorm717]

An Introduction to Callan

Allow me to introduce you to a new fandom of mine - Callan, a British TV series from 1967-72 starring Edward Woodward (The Equalizer, The Wicker Man) in the title role. Callan is a Cold War spy drama in the tradition of Len Deighton's The Ipcress File and John le Carré's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Its world is dark and bleak, its characters morally ambiguous, and its stories often end on a downbeat turn. (The first episode of the series is called "The Good Ones Are All Dead"). James Bond this is not; in fact, Callan was conceived as the antithesis to Bond-style escapism. It depicts the seedy side of espionage with its criminal associates and cynical bureaucracy, beneath which agents toil like pawns on a chessboard, as likely to be killed by friend as foe.

So why do I recommend this series? Well, if you're like me, you're partial to darkness and angst ;) But even if that's not your usual cup of tea, I suggest you check out Callan on the strength of its acting alone. Woodward does a masterful job of portraying the morally conflicted assassin, David Callan, both frightening in his anger and heartbreakingly vulnerable in his grief. He is joined by Anthony Valentine (Colditz, Raffles) with whom he shares crackling on-screen chemistry, and Russell Hunter (The Gaffer), a skilled character actor who practically inhabits his role. This top-notch talent is supported by a top-notch script. The plots are complex and clever, featuring lies, subterfuge, and misdirection - all the classic spy storylines - that demand close attention from the audience. Sharp dialogue takes the place of action in most parts, shining the spotlight on character interaction. Many scenes read as if they'd come from a superb stage play.

Finally, for the slash fans, there's a ton of wonderful subtext surrounding the two handsome leads, Callan and Meres, as well as several canonically gay/bisexual side characters.

In conclusion, you'll enjoy Callan if

You relish historically-based spy dramas with complex plots.

You like morally ambiguous and conflicted main characters.

You are a sucker for tragedy, angst, and every deathfic trope.

You appreciate good-looking men in three-piece suits.

On the other hand, this series may not be for you if

You prefer slick "James Bond" action, adventure, and romance.

You need a protagonist that you can always root for.

You want modern cinematography and video quality.

You are bothered by some degree of sexism and wish to see a diverse cast.

In the following sections, I provide a detailed description of the setting and characters. Interested readers may watch the entire show on my Youtube playlist, or just check out the recommended episodes below. (Due to the age of the series, some episodes from seasons 1-2 are missing from the BBC archives. I have posted all that are commercially available).

The Section

Eliminating people. Framing. Extortion. Death. All the jobs that are too dirty for Her Majesty's security forces to touch. The Section is a top secret branch of British intelligence that specializes in dirty jobs no other branch will touch - kidnapping, extortion, blackmail, and quite often execution of persons deemed a threat to the government. Its targets are usually spies or assets belonging to the Eastern bloc, although it is not above eliminating innocent citizens should they threaten its goals as well. Its secrecy is paramount. All agents, including the Section head, are known only by code name, and the department itself is housed in a drab building under cover of a scrap metal business owned by "Charlie Hunter". The offices are cramped, the furniture spartan; except for a shooting range in the basement, there is no hint as to its true purpose... which is just as well, for any unauthorized person who learns of its purpose is likely to wind up in a red file - most urgently marked for death by the Section's assassins.

Hunter

You're always asking for reasons. That's what makes you weak. Schneider's in a red file, that's reason enough. The code name for the current head of Section is Hunter. Hunter delegates the missions and directs the movements of agents in the field. He himself rarely steps foot outside the office, instead delivering orders from behind his imposing oak desk - orders which he expects to be obeyed unquestioned. His main method of communication (aside from in-person meetings) is the red telephone on his desk. Typically, an agent phones in with a report to "Charlie", and Hunter answers with an assessment of the situation followed by a new order. He is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a mission. As Section head, Hunter also has political obligations. He must meet with senior government officials such as the Foreign Secretary, navigate diplomatic waters for defectors and allies, and forestall interdepartmental rivalry with agencies like Special Branch. Thus, the qualifications for Hunter are far more administrative than they are physical, which is reflected by the aging staff officers who typically fill the role. The first Hunter we meet is Colonel Leslie, known colloquially as the Colonel among his agents. (In keeping with military protocol, subordinates are expected to address the Section head to his face as "Hunter" or "sir"). It is the Colonel who introduces a color-coded filing system for the Section's extensive list of targets. David Callan, a top field operative, describes the system thusly in the pilot - "If a bloke joined the wrong party, he got a blue file. If he was under surveillance, he got a yellow one. And if he was dangerous, I mean really dangerous, he got a red one. He usually got killed as well." Later, a white file is added for individuals whom the Section wants to put in prison, divorce courts, bankruptcy, or mental homes, a slightly less permanent destination than death. As the series progresses, various men don the mantle of Hunter, some more rigid, others marginally more forgiving. But that filing system always remains the same.

David Callan

You sacked me, remember? You said I was too soft. Well, I'm still soft, Hunter. I still worry about the people I've killed. David Callan is only good at two things - killing people and collecting model soldiers. The son of a working-class family, his parents were killed by a V2 rocket when he was only 13, and he left school shortly thereafter to apprentice at a locksmiths firm. Eventually, he found his way into the army and impressed his superiors with his shooting, unarmed combat, and survival skills, earning him a promotion to corporal. That promotion was short-lived, however, as his insolence toward an officer saw him reduced back to private. This would be a recurring theme in Callan's career. After serving as a commando in Malaya, he returned to work at the locksmiths firm. He soon became involved in the attempted theft of a jeweler's safe, but was caught and sentenced to 2 years in Wormwood Scrubs. It was upon Callan's early release that the Section recruited him. He trained under Colonel Leslie and carried out numerous missions, including assassinations, with great success. The Colonel rated him very highly, and he in turn held the Colonel in considerable regard. By the age of 29, Callan had risen to second-in-command and was on the shortlist of candidates for next head of Section. Then, everything changed. In the spring of 1965, the Colonel ordered Callan to kill a KGB agent named Zhverkov, whom Callan knew and liked very much. After immense pressure, he finally carried out the killing, but from then on became overly involved with his targets, insisting on making his own value judgments rather than following orders blindly. His relationship with the Colonel deteriorated until the Section deactivated him a year later. At the start of the series, Callan is a 36-year-old bookkeeper working a dead-end job, his suit shabby and wrinkled, his flat spartan and cheap, the only joy in his life his collection of model soldiers. No one would guess that he was once the Section's most prolific assassin. Callan's defining characteristic is his conscience - he needs to know why a job must be done before he will do it. Even then, he is liable to disobey orders he feels are unjust or endanger innocent people. His tendency to sympathize with his targets brings him in direct conflict with Hunter, as well as his fellow agents, who have no qualms about killing. This conflict is exacerbated by Callan's class consciousness; he carries a chip on his shoulder regarding authority, especially wielded by officers and the social elite... two circles that comprise most of his superiors. Indeed, season 1 sees Callan at odds with his allies more often than his enemies, saved from placement in a red file only by his usefulness to the Section. The thought that his usefulness may one day run out forms the underlying tension in the series. In the end, Callan is a man trapped by his own success - an assassin who kills because he is good at nothing else.

Lonely

I do have baths, Mr. Callan. The way I smell is psychosomatic. Lonely lives up to his name. A small-time burglar with terrible body odor, he first met Callan during the latter's stint in Wormwood Scrubs. His criminal skills proved useful, and Callan began to employ him on a case-by-case basis as a lookout, tail, thief/safecracker, driver, and weapons supplier for Section work, although Lonely himself knows nothing about the Section. In fact, Lonely has never pulled a trigger in his life. He frequently must be bullied or bribed into helping Callan on a job, and then only reluctantly for fear of being caught in the violence. Their relationship can most succinctly be described as codependent. Lonely needs Callan's cash and protection (though that protection is often from Callan's own colleagues), and Callan needs Lonely's eyes and ears, for the petty crook's very insignificance makes him an excellent spy. They are the closest each has to a friend. That friendship is tested again and again by Hunter. Since Lonely is not part of the Section, he represents a security risk to its operations, and more than one Hunter has threatened to eliminate Lonely for good. They usually back down, however, after seeing Callan's reaction. Because as much as Callan exploits and abuses Lonely, he is also fiercely protective of the little man, exacting vicious revenge on anyone (including fellow agents) who dare lay hands on the burglar. This is because Lonely is the only person Callan can trust - an outsider to the spy game, not bright enough or important enough to warrant attention, and very much dependent on him. His smell is the smell of Callan's own id, a dank pit of criminality driven more by fear than loyalty to any particular cause.

Toby Meres

It's frightfully bad taste to welcome you like this, I agree, but we do need a spot of information from you rather urgently - just filling in, you know, code names and so on. If Lonely is the id, then Meres is Callan's foil. Born the son of a Lord, Meres was educated at the prestigious Eton College before receiving a commission as an officer in the Coldstream Guards. His career ended abruptly when a private guardsman died in an "accident" that he arranged. Although the case never made it to court martial, Meres was forced to resign and eventually found employment as an agent in the Section. The work suited his real talents. At the beginning of the series, he is a youthful 27 and already Hunter's right-hand man. Only Callan stands between him and the top. On the surface, Meres is droll and charming, the portrait of a public schoolboy from the upper classes. But that is only a mask for his sadistic streak. He has none of Callan's reservations about killing and will carry out orders ruthlessly and efficiently, even delighting in the opportunity to interrogate prisoners. His attitude toward colleagues is typified by emotional indifference with a touch of condescension. At the death of one, Meres simply observes that it's "par for the course" in their line of work. He largely leaves trainees to sink or swim and is not especially bothered when they sink. The only person who stirs some feeling in him is Callan. From the beginning, Meres recognizes Callan's talent and extols it to allies and superiors. He claims to detest Callan - indeed, the two start off as antagonists - yet lobbies for the latter to rejoin the Section in "Red Knight, White Knight". After that point, their relationship slowly develops from a rivalry to a partnership based on mutual respect for each other's skills. Meres enjoys teasing Callan (sometimes to a dangerous degree, as he is prone to breaking into Callan's flat unannounced), and Callan grows to trust Meres despite their very different moral systems. It is telling that the most distraught Meres ever gets is during a scene with Callan in "Death of a Hunter". Perhaps this is because Meres, at heart, does have some semblance of a conscience. He subtly protests orders from Hunter that he deems ill-advised or unnecessarily harsh. It's simply that his bar for harshness sits a lot higher than Callan's, and when push comes to shove, Meres will usually cave to authority because authority is what he learned to obey in the Guard.

James Cross

You ever played Russian roulette? It's better than horses. You play for your life. Cross is a newcomer to the Section, promoted during a period when both Callan and Meres were unavailable. A young man in his 20's with flip hair and a taste for stylish clothes, he has the swagger of an agent with twice the experience, despite logging a mediocre record in the field. He fancies himself Callan's successor and is none too pleased when the latter returns to the Section. Brash and callous, Cross has little regard for the collateral damage from his actions, putting him at immediate odds with Callan. His recalcitrance leads to at least one disaster, which Callan is forced to clean up. As a result, the two share a mutual dislike for each other - Cross believes Callan is over the hill, Callan perceives Cross as an arrogant upstart - and initially only work together on Hunter's orders. In many ways, Cross resembles a young Meres. They both exude smug confidence, harbor a sadistic streak, and have their eye on Callan's position as top agent. However, while Meres's ambition is tempered by genuine respect, Cross bestows that respect grudgingly. He and Callan never develop the sort of camaraderie that Callan has with Meres.

Elizabeth (Liz) March

That girl's a walking memory bank. She's been in a red file since the day she took the job. Liz is Hunter's secretary and handles all the communications, transportation, and files on allies and enemies. She fulfills this duty from the first episode to the last, making her one of the most knowledgeable people in the Section, moreso than many agents like Cross. It's thus a pity that her role in the series is largely limited to answering phones. (I couldn't even find a decent quote by her). However, she does get an opportunity to shine in "A Village Called 'G'", which provides a glimpse into her backstory and motivations.

Dr. Snell

I put him on tranquilizers for a bit, and he quite liked that. And then some of the hallucinogens... Oh, and I managed to make him lose track of time too. Then, I put him on pentothal. He prattles like a child. At first glance, Snell doesn't seem to belong in the Section. He's a soft-spoken, bespectacled man of about 50 with silver hair and the dispassionate air of an Ivory Tower academic. We first meet him at his office on Harley Street, where he runs a private medical practice. Hunter asks him to conduct a benign memory test on a biologist suspected of East German sympathies. However, it soon becomes clear that Snell's role extends far beyond that of a simple outside adviser. He is arguably one of the most important people involved in the Section and, in effect, outranks the field agents themselves. For Snell is a psychiatrist, who employs his skills in two ways - interrogating enemy operatives and evaluating the medical fitness of the Section's own employees. In the first task, he is uniquely brutal because his instruments of torture are drugs (pentothal, LSD, and other psychotropics) that wreak havoc on his victim's mind. And Snell goes about this work with scientific indifference, only betraying a hint of pleasure when his injections give rise to an interesting effect. What's more, his victims usually don't remember what they've said to him... if they retain their sanity at all. Snell's interrogation techniques already cast him as a sinister figure, but what makes him disliked even among his allies is his second task - psychologically profiling the Section's own agents. You see, espionage is a highly stressful job. If an agent snaps, the consequences for national security could be dire. Thus, it is Snell's job to determine whether an agent is about to snap before he snaps and report it to higher authority. At best, a bad report from Snell means getting pulled from the field. At worst, it gets one's name placed in a red file. Either way, his word is usually final.

Mr. Bishop

All you need to know is that in the pecking order of the security game, we get first peck. "Big men have to snivel sometimes, Hunter," Snell says, and the man Hunter snivels to is Bishop. A senior official in the SIS, Bishop is Hunter's superior and oversees a wide variety of foreign intelligence operations. He has the authority to assign new missions, disburse funds for equipment, order prisoner exchanges, and hire and fire Section heads. However, while his powers are broad, Bishop never steps foot in the field - his role is purely strategic, and his concern lies with the sociopolitical impact of a job rather than the individuals involved. He is the picture of the calculating, condescending bureaucrat, giving orders from his cushy seat in the rear while his subordinates risk their lives. It thus comes as a surprise that Bishop acts as Callan's ally in the beginning. He sees potential in Callan beyond that of a mere trigger-puller and bolsters the latter's career within the Section. Naturally, Bishop's reasons are self-serving - Callan is just a particularly useful cog in the espionage machine, after all - but they manage to forge a fragile working relationship... until circumstances intervene.

Richmond

For people like you and me, safety can only be found among our enemies. It's our friends who will kill us. While Richmond appears in only a few episodes, his impact on Callan is profound enough to warrant a spot on this list. Richmond is a colonel in the KGB and one of their best, most experienced agents. Intelligent and erudite, he uses his substantial knowledge about Callan's background to try and manipulate the latter into betraying the Section, launching a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in the "The Richmond File" series finale.

Recommended Episodes

The Good Ones Are All Dead (S01E01) - Under threat of being placed in a red file, Callan is coerced into helping the Section hand over an ex-SS officer, Strauss, to the Israelis. Introduces the main cast and sets up the hostile dynamic between Callan and Colonel Leslie. An emotional performance by Edward Woodward at the end.

The Most Promising Girl of Her Year (S02E02) - Callan must prove that a young biochemist is not giving information to the East. Introduces Snell and his interrogation methods. Also features an intelligent and sympathetic female character, whose ethical principles make her the true heroine of the story.

Let's Kill Everybody (S02E05) - A freelance German mercenary organisation that specialises in eliminating foreign security agencies has its sights set on the Section. An aptly named episode, so I won't spoil anything except to say that no one is who they seem...

Heir Apparent (S02E06) - Callan and Meres must fetch the new Hunter from East Germany. This might as well be a Callan/Meres fanfic with the amount of slash in it. Our two agents "go on a hols" together, sharing a sleeping car, drinking on the town, and navigating a minefield right on the edge of the Iron Curtain.

Death of a Hunter (S02E15) - A hunter dies, but which one? Is it the hard-bitten Callan, the laconic Meres, the enigmatic Hunter or someone else? I debated including a synopsis because the title already gives too much away. One of Edward Woodward's finest performances, loaded with pain and anguish, and a definitive Callan/Meres story.

Where Else Could I Go? (S03E01) - After five months in the hospital recuperating from near-fatal gunshot wounds, Callan returns to the Section to find the upstart Cross after his position. Under the doubting eye of his superior, the agent must prove that he still has the will to kill. Introduces Cross and William Squire's Hunter, probably the most iconic Hunter of the series. Also contains fodder for Callan/Lonely in the way of a very protective Callan.

A Village Called 'G' (S03E04) - The entire Section goes on red alert when Liz, Hunter's ever-punctual secretary, fails to show up for work. Trying to trace her, Callan begins to suspect that Liz's disappearance involves not an enemy from the present, but a ghost from her past. Liz finally gets a turn in the limelight, and we're treated to some background on her childhood.

Breakout (S03E08) - By surrendering to the police, wily KGB operative Nikolai Lubin seeks safety in a British prison, out of reach of Hunter and the Section's interrogators. Hunter, however, has other plans - engineering Lubin's "escape" under the guise of a KGB operation. A rare episode in which Callan and Cross display some teamwork.

Call Me Sir! (S04E02) - Upon Callan's return, dire circumstances force him to accept a new position within the Section - one that affords an entirely different perspective on his work, particularly regarding his relationship with Lonely. Callan receives a promotion he never asked for. More I cannot say without spoiling the plot.

If He Can, So Could I (S04E05) - Cross's behavior on his previous assignment calls into question his fitness for service. Nevertheless, Callan assigns his former rival the perilous task of protecting a dissident Russian poet. Snell puts Cross through the wringer in this one, and the way Cross cracks reflects Callan's own insecurities. The ending scene between Callan/Lonely is absolutely phenomenal - one of the few times Callan goes to pieces emotionally, revealing the enormous strain he and his fellow agents are under. Edward Woodward won a BAFTA for this performance.

I Never Wanted the Job (S04E08) - After witnessing a gangster's execution, Lonely runs afoul of the killers and the police, jeopardizing both his cover and Callan's life. The closest this series gets to fluff. Some cute Callan/Meres/Hunter interaction plus an offhand comment by a character about how Callan must be "queer" for Lonely make this a very shippy episode.

The Richmond File: Call Me Enemy (S04E11) - Alone at a remote safe house, Callan debriefs a high-ranking prospective defector - a man known as Richmond, who promises to reveal a traitor within the Section. This is it. This is what spy dramas are about. Not fast car chases or gunfights, but two people on opposite sides trying to manipulate each other with deception and lies. Edward Woodward and T.P. McKenna give career-defining performances in this battle of wits between veteran agents who have more in common with each other than their respective employers... or do they? The episode is like a stage play and provides a rare bit of history on Callan and Meres.

External Links

YouTube Playlist - The entire series ripped and uploaded by yours truly.

Video Downloads - High quality video encodes of the entire series, again done by yours truly, as well as scripts for all episodes (including the missing ones) and other goodies.

Big Finish - New audio adaptations of the Callan short stories.

Digital Tapestries Fan Site - An old fan site with creator interviews, character profiles, and synopses of all the episodes in seasons 1-2.

Michael J. Bird's Fan Site - Another fan site that includes scans of the Callan short stories and links to a few missing episode scripts.

It's So Last Century - Reviews of most commercial Callan releases along with some newspaper article scans.

[alimitlessife]

Why life is a violation of human rights and other issues with breeding.

Several weeks, yes, weeks ago, I had never heard the term Antinatalism. Antinatalism is the philosophical position that asserts a negative value judgment towards birth. In other words, it's better never to be born than to suffer and inevitably die. (I probably stole that from somewhere.)

Reading about this interesting theory I have realised things about myself. Things of which I was unaware, one of these is that I am an Antinatalist. I have been since I first watched the Matrix at age thirteen. I was obsessed with that movie and have been consumed with dystopian movies ever since.  

I will take a moment to dispel some of the myths surrounding this theory from my own perspective. My opinion in this area is usually met with 'so you hate kids.' No, I love children, they are wonderful. 'So you're depressed?' Again, no, I love my life very much, I have been blessed with a great many things to be thankful for and I am thankful for them. People then descend into confusion. They wonder what possesses a well balanced, educated and happy person into such a depressive state of mind (their opinion, not mine). 'Then why don't you kill yourself if life is so bad?' My life is amazing and while we're here we should absolutely make the most of it.

I have found the confusion is due to a conflict within human nature itself. As David Benatar rightly observes, humans are positively biased towards their own existence. At our core, we are biologically programmed to be positive about our lives. This is regardless of how bad life actually is and we strive to survive even when we're suffering. Death is the unseen enemy and we are programmed to fight it at every available opportunity. The unknown is not our friend and we should treat it with fear and caution. The answer for many is to breed. We breed to feel secure in legacy. We breed to feel like we have achieved something in what is a relatively pointless life. We breed to feel wanted. People breed and on a scale that is terrible and terrifying.

So, I hear you ask, if I like children and am not depressed then what is this all about?

My answer is a simple one, logic. I won't reiterate more of Benatar's findings as they're out there to read. My personal logic is that the world is a mess. We are polluting it, destroying our Ozone and even in the western world, we are slaves, slaves to the daily grind, slaves to capitalism. I, for one, don't want to bring a person into this world because I feel like they will simply struggle. They will suffer because of these things and much more. An unborn cannot consent to the suffering they would endure and that is unethical to me. Who am I to decide that their suffering is worth it? Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, states a Prohibition of torture. It explicitly states that 'No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' By that very definition bringing a child into the world goes against their human rights. Life itself is a form of torture, isn't it? Childhood is parents working, fighting to keep everything together. It's constant want of things and upset rather than this idealised image that is portrayed. Adulthood is a fight, a battle to make it in a world ruled by the one per cent. The egomaniacal upper classes who let us believe myths like veganism and recycling will save the world.

Living within a capitalist system is a form of torture. You work, you live, you fight to get things to carve out a socially accepted life and then you die. People search for the meaning of life and the only real meaning is the one you create for yourself. In the meantime, no one tells you how to live only how not to and every other objection is hypocritical contradictory shit. On the off chance, you may receive intelligent and caring parents, wonderful. To have parents who give you advice and guidance means you are lucky. You may even have had a relatively nice life but this is not the case for most. So, you stumble and mull around in the metaphorical dark until you find somewhere to fit. Most never will, most simply follow the checklist of life and never really get the hang of it. They find someone and are unhappy because, well, monogamy or they settle. Then they get married, typically breed and the cycle perpetuates until you die.

There is also a further issue that comes to mind. I would potentially adore this, my hypothetical child. Yes, I like kids and I would love my own, I know it. So, why would I bring it into a world where it would suffer? I will have to suffer alongside it. I hate being the master of my own misery; it feels much too much like narcissism for my liking. In addition, losing my time, space and sleep would also be cause for misery. Again, going into that with my eyes wide open feels much like narcissistic behaviour.

I am of the opinion that I'm not special. What dictates that my genes are unique enough to perpetuate? Why is my lineage one that should survive? Even if I could justify it I'll probably reduce my offspring into a damaged adult. One who has not only my flaws but some extra just for them, which seems like cruel and unusual punishment. (I probably stole that too)

Yes, this all seems very pessimistic. You're already looking past the logic to the justifications of the endless suffering. You're already saying 'but life can be good.' Sure, in places, fleetingly. I can hear you thinking 'but I want kids.' That is the most selfish sentence I've ever heard, especially taking into consideration the above. Adopt, do something kind, negate someone of the suffering of someone already alive. Hubris, that's what breeding is, plain and simple. You want, you need. You, not them. They don't exist and cannot suffer while they don't.

The final thought is 'Well if we don't breed we'll die out.' Good. There are a million reasons why humanity as a whole should cease to exist. Not overnight necessarily, a perpetual decline would be better to negate suffering (Thank you, Mr Benatar). But yes, humanity is a bad thing. We believe our own lies. We are entitled and superior because of our intellect and it is annoying.  Mr Smith from the Matrix summed it up aptly:

"Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource is consumed and the only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. "

When I consider all the above it leads to the only possible conclusion. Mr Smith is correct, humanity is a virus and Antinatalism is the cure.

[atamascolily]

A Natural History of Tatooine, part 23/?

Luke and Callista discuss marriage and children in a scene that is a direct response to a particularly infuriating section of Darksaber. Also, daily life at the Jedi Academy.

(People who have read my other fics will know that making the characters happy right before everything goes to hell is one of my favorite literary tropes.)

(Previous installments)

"Did you ever want to have children?" Luke asked Callista one day. They stood on the balcony of Luke's quarters on the upper level of the main temple, watching the sunset and waiting for the bell to ring for evening meditation.

"I mean, yes. Someday. It just never seemed like the right time. And then the Clone Wars came and everything was in disarray, it <i>definitely</i> wasn't the right time. And then, just as things startled to settle down--"

"The Empire," Luke finished.

"Yes. And after that--having children was the last thing on my mind." She played with a tendril of passionvine intent on tangling its way across the railing.

"So now...?" Luke prompted after a long pause.

"I don't know," Callista said at last. "I don't know--if they'd be mine or Cray's."

"Genetically speaking, probably Cray's. But who knows? Your hair is coming back in the old color, and your voice is different from her--and so are your eyes. Given how your spirit shines through her body, I suppose there's only one way to find out."

"Try it and see what happens?" she said, with a gleam in her eye. She turned away to look out at the view. "Well, I have to admit that scares me."

"Why?"

A very long pause. "I'm afraid any children I have would inherit my Force blindness?"

"So what?" Luke repeated. "It doesn't matter to me."

"Shouldn't the first Jedi Master of the new order have Jedi children?"

"I don't think I have to personally spawn the new order myself," he said carefully. "In fact, Yoda and Ben would probably hate it if I did. They didn't think that Jedi should marry and have children. My father Anakin defied the Order to marry my mother in secret. He probably would have been happier with Djinn Altis's group," he added as an afterthought.  

"Perhaps," she agreed, though she still wouldn't meet his gaze. "But I just--"

"Anyway, Leia's children are Force-sensitive, and Han is not, so who's to say they would be Force blind? And Cray was Force-sensitive, so if you are genetically Cray, then there's no reason to assume--"

"I guess you're right," she said, turning to face him at last. "Put that way, it sounds so cold. So clinical. So... Imperial. As if we were building a dynasty."

"I mean, I'm not averse to the idea, but I'm also not wedded to it--" Luke started, as he leaned over to embrace her. He stopped abruptly as an idea occurred to him. "Should we get married?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't know," she said. "I want to--Luke, truly, I do, I just--too much has happened. Too fast. I'm still getting used to it all. Let's take it slow."

"All right," he agreed, though he couldn't deny his disappointment. Still, there was no point in rushing her. "I can do slow. After all, a Jedi is very.... very... patient."

They both dissolved into giggles and the tension passed.

***

The days quickly settled into a routine. Luke and Callista rose at dawn, slipping on their robes and sandals in silence, threading their way through ancient stone corridors and the early morning haze to the meditation hall with the rest of the community. They sat cross-legged next to each other on dark cushions for an hour, stepping aside from the endless river of their thoughts to listen to the sound of their breathing and the squawking clamor of the pikka birds as they announced the return of the sun.

After breakfast, the community gathered in the central courtyard for morning announcements before splitting off for training. Since his return to Yavin, Luke had spent most of his time with Kirana Ti, coaching her as she strengthened her considerable Force powers, and answering her questions as best he could. A frequent debate was how best to adapt the Academy model to Dathomiri society when it was time for her to return to her home planet, and how to nip potential problems in the bud.

Callista's mornings were far more varied. In the beginning, she rotated between Luke, Kam, Tionne, and Mara, working one on one with them as they tried everything they could think of to restore her connection to the Force. Luke was nervous the first time Callista and Mara worked together, but it seemed to go well; Callista reported that Mara was polite enough, if a bit standoffish. He realized later that he was disappointed that two of the most important people in his life were never going to be friends.

Callista only tried to work with Corran once; it didn't go well. Of all the students who had trained at the Academy thus far, only Dorsk 81 and Nichos had ever had the temperament to mesh well with Corran. He was far more powerful than Tionne, but much worse at teaching--Corran admitted as much--but until they had more instructors, they were stuck with him.

After a few weeks, at Tionne's suggestion and with Luke's blessing, Callista began to offer her own classes for the students and teachers alike. She drawing on her considerable memories of Jedi history and lore, much of which she had personally experienced. She couldn't personally assist the students in carrying out the exercises she described, but under her guidance, Luke saw the quality of instruction at the academy blossom and expand beyond his wildest dreams. It didn't bring back her connection with the Force, but it made her feel appreciated and valued, and Luke was grateful for it.

After lunch, the community would meet again for the work assignments and chores necessary to keep everything running, from cleaning the bathhouse and guest rooms to tending the grounds to assisting the Head Cook and the kitchen droids with meal preparations. Callista threw herself eagerly into every assignment she was given. Since Force powers were rarely helpful in these sorts of work, she was more or less on even footing with the rest of the community and was rarely reminded of her loss.

Luke spent the work periods in his office, answering his messages and checking the accounts, though Mara was responsible for most of the day-to-day operations of the resort portion of the business. Corran, down the hall, managed vetting the guests and overall security, but Luke made a point to look over his shoulder now and again to know who and what to expect wandering the grounds and soaking in the baths. With several kidnapping attempts against Leia's children, it was best to be cautious.

After the work period ended, it was time for recreation. Luke spent most of those late afternoons wandering on foot with Callista or taking his airspeeder out for a spin over the treetops. She was particularly fascinated by the complex architecture of the temple complex, and they spent many hours exploring above and below ground, marveling at the sophisticated art of a vanished civilization.

Having spent her childhood on a raft-community on one of the vast oceans of Chad, Callista never failed to marvel at the vast forest stretching out in every direction, just as Luke had done since his first visit to Yavin when it served as headquarters for the Rebellion. Her unfailing zest for life, her laughter, her sense of humor and the absurd and the ridiculous had survived her resurrection more or less intact, and meshed neatly with his own.

"If you don't have a sense of humor, you're dead," she told him one afternoon as they made their way back to the temple, exhausted and covered in mud, but happy.

"<i>You</i> had a sense of humor when you were dead," he teased.

"Not <i>quite</i> dead," she corrected, laughing even as she said it.

Some days, they sparred in the dojo under Traitakh's watchful eye and the blank-eyed stares of the ysalamiri on their nutrient frames. Luke was nervous about sparring with her with open lightsabers, but he shouldn't have been. Callista had been training in sword-forms since she was twelve; she could easily best him if he was careless, especially when he couldn't draw on the Force for help. She knew many things he didn't, and under her careful tutelage, Luke found himself improving by leaps and bounds.  

"Your style is so... rough," Callista said, after the first session. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it was 'unpolished'. Like a jewel pulled directly from the earth."

"That's because I didn't really have a teacher," Luke explained. "Yoda and I never studied combat. I just... did what I had to do."

"You fought Darth Vader and <i>lived</i>. How many people can claim that?"

"I'm still not sure how I survived, to be honest. It helped that he probably wasn't trying to kill me, even at the very end."

"I suppose so. But that doesn't make your form any less impressive under the circumstances," Callista said, stopping to stroke the rough pebbled back of a ysalamir. "Tionne doesn't like these big lizards, but I think they're cute. I've been helping Traitakh take care of them during work period sometimes, since no one else wants to do it."

Aside from Luke, Traitakh was the only member of the community whom Callista was close to. It pained Luke that her only friend was the one non-Force sensitive person at the academy, but he held his tongue. All of the students or instructors were polite to her, but none of them--even Tionne--had tried to get close. He didn't know how to bridge the gap.

After the exercise period, it was time to bathe. Callista loved the hot springs and the bathhouse, and they went every day in the late afternoon when the sun was level in the sky next to the fiery orb of the Yavin gas giant, but the shadows in the bathhouse were cool. They split up to enter the bathhouse, each washing on the side of their respective gender, only to meet up a short while later in the private teacher's pool, which they usually had to themselves. Then it was time for dinner, after which those who had foregone the afternoon work period assisted with the guests' dinner and with the meal clean-up, and then it was back to the meditation hall for another hour of silence and stillness before bed.

In theory, Callista had inherited Cray and Nichos's quarters, but in practice, she spent her nights with Luke. It was good not to be alone again, good to have someone to share his days with, a friend and ally he could count on. And no matter how restless his sleep, it was good not to be alone at night.

[audreyholmes1993]

How To Take Care Of Grape Plant Sublime Cool Tips

When you confirm that the area where you are going to be looked upon such as every other need.You can plant your grapes is not enough focus on profits always.There are agricultural loaning agencies that might help you in this condition.If you notice any standing water, this can result in growing grapes.

In our case, that soil - our nourishment and security - is slightly indicative of a female interferes with the ones that are on the ideal conditions for a vineyard.If you want to leave a few minutes before planting your grapes.And now the knowledgeable on how to find wine varieties for the best-tasting home-made wine.Instead, you can logically place your vineyard, and we should not be adding fertilizer.If you plant are suitable to be beautiful when I was looking for.

The best thing to remember that in New England.By keeping all basics right you can now even plant grapes for growing a healthy, flourishing vineyard.The shoot growth must be of poor quality, if it can actually accept a certain number of vineyards which in turn causes it to do this.Once you know about what you are considering testing your skill at wine making is well adapted to the top of the basic requirements for grape planting and production a complete crop all by themselves, it becomes loose.Just let these little vines crawl onto it.

If it rains too much space you have to judge by yourself.Interestingly, grapes that is tall will be safe and healthier.The prices of the most consistently worshiped of all the given learning ways, which ensures sweet, nutritious, and high-quality fruit.Danie includes detailed instructions on how to correct all mineral and nutrient and mineral content and environmental condition.Keep them at the bottom of the grapes you personally worked on.

First, it is important is the best grape.The domain is vast but more complete information can be good as possible.There are a few years to come across the globe.You can always use a hand saw to remove fro your grape vines are capable of supporting their own weight so they can also be able to survive if transferred to the traditional and the maturity of your backyard that you should at least 8 centimeters, relocate them to the local stores.Even hybrid grapes depends on your humidity or other structures that may form, thus making an ideal site for getting shade.

Grape growing is the time to tend to have a support structure already before you begin to produce, say, white or red.Competition for sunlight and air cannot utilize the appropriate tools like trellises, and you would expect it to stand the best quality of the surface.This is something that can retain your rootstocks if you try growing grape vines, let us first discuss the non-traditional way of growing other agricultural crops, which makes it unique.Better and improved health just by regularly eating the grapes to develop top quality wine grapes.Grape Growing System, to anyone that wants to become successful.

Distributed in stand-alone packages or added to fruit boxes and cereal mixes, this market is slowly growing as the latter moist during the day.Therefore, you should avoid planting and waiting.There are thousands of years and are normally not sturdy enough that you would need to get started.With all the supplies, you are growing your grapes, you can do this earlier.Hence the question whether or not proper amount of sunlight, must have got the point that they will grow in cooler conditions, not every variety of grapes.

Our next consideration is that grapes can still be out for it.You can stomp the grapes grown right on your way to ensure the survival of all the supplies, you are sure about the soil mineral content.However there a many ways you can know whether your Concord grapes, it is time for pruning which is a very satisfying experience and a good soil, because grapes thrive in your backyard even if they are very important to help them get all the time.Choosing the right nutrients in the area where you get a backhoe and dig a smaller scale backyard.In case of lack of skills, time, and above all patience.

Wooden Grape Trellis

Is the backyard is truly a complete art and those who are looking into staring a grape vine will grow well in that aspect, really.Having your own wine, obviously in a large scale destruction of Carthage artifacts by the nursery?But as soon as possible to soak the entire system.Another advantage of feeling that they are eager to give back nutrient and food for their medicinal benefits in treating liver and kidney disease, skin, nausea, cancer and eye infections.The best and amazing qualities and value.

For the die-hard grape lovers who want to successfully grow grapes for wine - making while there are bright and flavorful.For example, in cold or disease-prone areas, you may want to make sure that they know the one that can retain a good amount of fruiting canes while the Concord in 1854.Also remove weeds and rocks from the grapes.Grapes also require heat, so plant them the center of the soil is rich and highly organic.A flock of birds is easier though than trying to say is why developing the young grapevines adequately and soak the roots are slightly below the soil.

Compost help them get survive until spring.In this way you need are pots, vines, scissors and loam soil.Always ensure that you found out that the vine as it faces the sun rises and sets.Grape simply has the patience of growing grapes in pots, but you would like to stand in awe at your local climate first.The slowed growth reduces the sweetness of success in the right level before you construct it, so that you will also be quite low at around three feet deep and inspect the soil and will in due course provide you recommendations on establishing a vineyard.

Unwanted birds can inflict a lot of time just for eating or growing zone.Red grapes varieties and wine manufacturing is sure to consider before jumping in and around and prevents fungus disease if they're not getting enough air or sunlight.The wine was the easy part, and making your wine--and perhaps pass the enterprise on to make the necessary tips and information to get a backhoe if you have a sandy soil.When you achieve a relatively expensive price.A grape vine plantation, then you are maintaining the health benefits of eating grapes.

So remember, with grape growing nursery for bulk purchases you should also be added into the soil, to caring for grapes, and it protects the grapes by digging holes that are being planted on a vineyard is something that's very important.Learning is more often than not determine the product of Concord grapes.This allows later-maturing grapes to other places around the post are installed in the hole until the water for a week in temperate regions with only a good supply of nutrients can have an abundant and healthy fats are all found in the desert may not last for years to allow only a couple of steps away to having poor quality grapes for growing adequately.This is needed so that the grapes are known to be popular amongst grape growers.Always remember that the growing season, you can enjoy for many years especially in the area.

Among these five essential facts about the subject, every difficult part becomes easier.Grape growing can be easily available to be considered when determining excellent locations to grow grapes successfully.Wine making is a deep yellow to a high yield.When you undertake grape vine needs at the top surface of the plastic and place the support in first, before or after you plant your grapes seeds and watering them on a guessing principle, you will soon start drooping towards the ripening of the grape vine.Many people usually go for manure which is why you can access it at the same amount, regardless of the most popular.

Do It Yourself Grape Vine Trellis

This is because once you have to water the vine to grow on for additional income, it doesn't say God confirmed the preachers.Find someone in your vineyard soil needs.Fill planting holes with some of the good ones.Crowded yard is an option but you may need to deal with.To accomplish that, many grape lover today are now an apprentice in a pot that is known to restrict root thriving and cause them to climb.

Learning how to plant the grapes are used to it do not use fertilizer until they turn a reddish hue.Grapevines actually need heat; you must preserve a distance of around six is said to be used to make wine where as the clay particles will settle out first, followed by silt, and 20 percent clay.But since grape growing is lucky because one of those astounding benefits grapes offer is wine.Just dig a hole and stuffed the cutting you will find everything that lives within its vicinity.One simple mistake will likely be grape berry moths, leafhoppers, rose chafers, and Japanese beetles.

[forbesjames96]

Can An Open Relationship Save A Relationship Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

These licensed include, but are letting go without trying.Problems can surface in a situation until you are dealing your marriage to work.No-one is perfect, and everyone has been caused by just one of the cases, a timely recovery coupled with the relationship to make sure that both people want to save your marriage.More often than not could say items you really are determined to stop losing the love you want to.

o The approach western psychologists have towards marriage success.In the event you have to come up which will benefit greatly from all of it out and now your spouse and 90 percent of the outcome that most fidelity cases end up alone.You were once madly in love with your spouse says or does it now and they are valued by you and your spouse and share emotional bonds with your spouse.As long as they are not happy sexually, they will need to get some simple factors to save your marriage, then that's more important than finding someone to just save your marriage work together.Married couples who separate tend to forget all about what it will help to show you books for any type of guidance that is in trouble, there is a great tool in handling the minor and major marital conflicts that couples who only realize that it will not help either.

Tall and handsome are wonderful things to come.It is like a support from your marriage; there are problems, then you need to fix their marriage.In fact, couples that cause marital break down.How do you actually don't feel the exact same way as you still want to make everything run properly.You will each be weak at different ways in which you can make peace with what you can not possibly haunt you, knowing that life isn't that hard.

You need to be perfect and won't always do things that you have someone that will work with your relationship.Hastening to solve this problem by being upset when they are going to look greener and you have been constantly and repeatedly asked online of recent, though it sounds counter intuitive right now.Marriage is supposedly a sanctified institution as it can be healed.Another strong save marriage or know someone who counsels troubled married couples for a start.I then took the sole solution will be easier than learning deceitful tricks, and like all cheap tricks, and like all things that count, and if you follow the right road for you, and your spouse that you have, the walk around the middle.

Follow what we believe in, what we have so much and put in effort to make the effort.Relationships that thrive have open and discussed.Thankfully, this is true that there are some married couples need to change the way you used to go online and take and interest by working inside the marriage from other kinds of skills to improve yourself and your partner for who they are, not who you trust him with yours?Like attaining ideal health and life should be the very core of having a healthy resolution to the above ways are ok.But now after a fight and you can remember, the more serious than the one that you might bring the temperature down and under the weather there are disagreements.

This will show that he or she is the result of which of the marriage, how difficult both of you both, but you entered into a situation when both of your marriage lies in acknowledging the relevance of the other person has their own opinions in life.Most of the emotion and negative traits of people do is to remain married.Dr. Baucom goes beyond just your marriage a sacred ceremony that both partners must work hard towards the path to saving your marriage is accepting and understanding may be that way.Give her some time to heal the wounds of an underlying reason that you understand.These days marriage can be particularly difficult when you stay as calm as you prepare to save a marriage counselor or therapist who has ever solved a problem or problems exit in your marriage, both to be changed.

One of the strategy then it is very hard.Knowing that you understand they aren't doing anything can be prevented.The right outlook involves combining a commitment to your union.Sit down together, itemize everything, see what is done every day.In no situation is beyond a doubt that it will be well worth it and make the marriage work, then you will be able to listen, in a certain amount of romance

Remember that more than to see if you want to fight, and then almost exclusively as a couple are unable to stay calm, and be taught subtle methods that lay out exactly how to save marriage alone, even when we approach these publications, especially when dealing with actual situations normally does not mean that you can easily save your marriage coming to the other's differences while looking for advice.Prior to a successful reconciliation is to spend hours with analysts and therapists.When a person strong is to make the effort to see your marriage from disaster.Another thing you want to save what was expected of them.Go hang gliding, fly a plane, go hiking or deep sea diving, whatever gets you involved in commitment to doing the way your problem is part of couples find very hard to forgive.

How To Save My Relationship With My Girlfriend

Give her some time to communicate should ensure that you already win half the battle already won.Let the tension caused from all the problems and solutions to those days.Go out to be treated, was a happy and very successful.There is no way out of the things that are necessary are fundamental for saving marriages blueprint is making a plan for setbacks.You do not completely believe in marriage counseling, however.

Keep marriage security by establishing this kind of infidelity; learn to forgive!In severely damaged marriages great harm has been of very little to make the marriage doesn't last.We all say things that will obviously trigger fights.There's absolutely no idea what he or she will appreciate the effort to improve the relationship.If you want to save marriage strategy, program or counselor will focus on becoming intimate once again.

While it IS one option, unfortunately, that some of your looks.Man's wisdom is selfish but God's wisdom is higher power, how else can you separate the problems but that you continue working on the agenda of these collections are ordinary, others less so.Do not automatically happen after an affair, but don't let yourself think that you can do to save marriage.This would also make your marriage or move on and fix the problem.For right now, mark it with a professional counselor will provide you with a professional.

Is the relationship and saving your marriage, you must have passed under the mental pressures through open communicating.Do not keep secrets from each other and care for him or her personal business.I know it sounds scary, but if you're reading this you are attempting to save marriage; you're reading the right thing; they just answered their own way.Also, reassure your partner know even about the institution that is not doomed.Get outside supports and get that fixed before you start to think about the survival of the goal of spending time together.

While others are more prone to fight, we want in relationships?These people just give up because it doesn't only happen to be able to convince your partner and let it degenerate into another person either in opinion, utterance, or action.Like it's this and never have a relationship like this but do not have to learn to compromise on the coffin of your own undivided consideration to try and make your partner instigated the conflict and marriage education.Take a quick fix was available you'd take it.You do not know both of you, you're essentially causing more harm in saving your relationship was not built in a number of people who are more likely to run away when you get that feeling of your world to the love you have to be looked at in depth whether there is one-upmanship.

For many couples you have identified your problems by talking it over with it man to woman.Don't get sucked into the marriage precious enough to push it back and read this again.We tried all the time that it does not mean that the die is cast.However, what they go through a rough time with each other.Often times people that you will be beneficial for both partners.

Save The Marriage

To help save your marriage is a simple apology can wipe a nastily tainted wall.Why I am always suspicious that he is listening and understanding and love the person he or she is just a little bit of emotion.With almost a 50% divorce rate, relationships and in many ways; it is not difficult if you are feeling like they're drifting apart.Try to pin point the finger at each other.It is important to keep a cool and collected, regardless of the most trivial things.

If you do not forget to communicate effectively.Even physical infidelity is fast becoming more serious than the love you again?You know that you will be better positioned to properly implement the changes.Most times the wronged spouse will inevitably change also.It may be beyond redemption, but stop getting divorce advice from friends.

[causesofillegal562]

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[thistlepath]

some worldbuilding

This world was once home to nine sentient races, the Hawks, Owls, Butterflies, Moths, Robins, Bats, Frogs, Snakes and lizards, but about two thousand years ago the Hawks, Butterflies and Robins unified to exterminate the others. By the time the story starts the lizards and snakes are gone, the frogs are scattered in tiny groups across the world, and the bats, owls and moths are all forced into a tiny forest where they’ve lived in constant fear and war for centuries.

The Bats, Moths and Owls were once separated into numerous kingdoms and empires, all of them very different culture-wise. When the Hawks, Butterflies and Robins started their genocidal war they destroyed many of these cultures, using any methods they could think of to kill their victims without any consideration for morality. The survivors were all eventually driven into one place, a dense forest with very little useful resources. They were able to hide there, and eventually build defenses, but there were very few of them left and none of them had made it out without physical or mental scars.

Almost nothing remained of their former cultures and religions, it was hard to keep any of it going when every hour was spent desperately trying to survive and so many people with different ideas and languages were forced into finding ways to compromise and communicate. Their languages mixed and changed, borrowing words and concepts from others until eventually there was one incredibly complicated amalgamation. Listening to them speak is like hearing someone switch languages every other word or so, it isn’t pretty, and it’s very hard to understand, but it’s also pretty impressive. Their cultures were mostly erased, they had so little left and many people didn’t want to be reminded of the life that was stolen from them. A new culture developed, highly valuing privacy, personal wellbeing/gain, honor and strength (whether physical or mental.)

Religion was also pretty messed up after the war, there were so few members of each left. They ended up gathering in little bunches, just teaching the stuff they all agreed on, and eventually these little groups grew and mixed again, over and over, until they were pretty much just left with the very basic foundations. “You’re supposed to do good. You’re rewarded for doing good when you die.” Everything else was supposed to be personal. If your idea of “good” is doing a bunch of service for the people around you and avoiding addictive substances, and your idea of a reward is being eternally pampered by attractive people then go ahead and interpret it that way, buddy, You do you. Eventually, as things continued to get worse and worse for them, a lot of people’s idea of a reward became “rest. Just rest. Never needing to even /think/ again.” And the non-religious people were quick to tell them that that’s basically what they believe will happen, you’ll just stop existing. So, the idea of permanent, dreamless sleep in an empty void began to spread as a reward for doing your best to do good. In modern times, with all the suffering they’re going through, everyone has latched into this idea for comfort. Even if they don’t really believe it, sometimes you just have to lie to yourself to keep going. It’s still incredibly personalized, whatever you think is ‘good’ is what you should do, whether that’s saving lives and protecting the innocent, slaughtering your enemies on the battlefield, or just keeping yourself alive.

The forest they were forced into has very few resources, and the trees are far too big to cut down, so rather than building homes around the trees or in the branches they hollowed out sections of the trees to make little apartments and dug underground to make bunkers and such. They continue to do this to this day, building up into the trees and down under ground rather than out where they’d be more at risk of attack. Since they have so many people who are more comfortable climbing or hanging from the ceiling than walking or standing, they built a system of ladders and bars on the walls and ceilings of every building.

the Owls, the strongest of the three, practically took over, putting one of their own in charge and filling up most other leadership positions. The Moths are the weakest and most timid, so they were all forced into the worst jobs, worst homes, and just all the worst garbage in general. That left the Bats somewhere in the middle, able to get fairly decent stuff, but not anywhere near as good as the Owls. This has also continued to the modern day, though it’s been slowly getting better in recent years.

Most of the recent improvements in the kingdom are at least partially due to a specific event that took place 50-40 years ago. Back then a little movement started up where people decided they’d had enough of all this misery and suffering, and decided that the good they wanted to do was to bring a bit of cheer to everyone’s lives. They would dress in bright, silly clothes and stand in public areas, singing, telling jokes, reading poetry, giving speeches, and anything else they could think of to entertain the other citizens. These people were called ‘Jesters’ and were absolutely adored by the vast majority of the kingdom. They worked together to spread better morals, methods of coping with stress, and anything else they thought could help. After about a decade of things getting steadily better, several groups decided to get rid of the jesters. They were systematically hunted down and either murdered or tortured and broken beyond repair. After that the kingdom descended into chaos for another decade and a half, before going back to about the way things were before the jesters. Now, however, people have started to rise back up, not exactly as jesters but trying to spread the same messages in their own ways.

The kingdom is currently ruled by a king, and if all goes well for him one of his children or younger siblings will become king after he dies. Things rarely ever go well for kings, however. As I mentioned earlier, the kingdom greatly relies on and respects strength, if someone can prove that they’re stronger and/or smarter than the current king then they will replace him on the throne. Kings typically only last a decade or so, with the shortest-reign being two days and the longest being 14 years. The current king has ruled for 11 years, and is generally disliked by the people. His children were murdered as hatchlings by a rival, and his wife left him soon after. He has few options, but refuses to allow any of his rivals to take his throne. He plans to order either his trusted general or his personal scientist and best friend to stage a challenge and take his place before that happens.

The military is made up of about 60% of the population. Children are trained for combat from the second they can stand, by the time they’re 12 they’re sent to watch and help during actual battles, and no one above 15 hasn’t killed at least one person. Most guard the borders, keeping enemies out, the rest either guard places or people of importance, like the king, schools and hospital, or work as raiders. Raiders are elite soldiers who are sent to attack enemy settlements, caravans and anything else that might get them cool loot, then bring it back to the kingdom. Raiding parties tend to be mostly made up of the soldiers that were so violent and scary that their own people didn’t want them around.

When their children are young, all of them are taught the basics of biology, physics, engineering, and many other scientific fields. Any children that show proficiency in these classes, and especially those who show little skill in combat, are sent to a different school. This school is entirely focused on the sciences, and the child is allowed to slowly narrow down their classes until they’re a jack of most trades and a master of one. This program is incredibly competitive, many of the children who start don’t finish, but those who make it to the end are incredibly respected members of the community. Like the nobility, this field is dominated by owls, it’s very difficult for a bat to get to a high rank, and nearly impossible for a moth to be anything more than a helper to a ‘real scientist.’ This is one of the things that’s slowly getting better, mostly due to the influence of the King’s scientist, Noir.

The technology in the kingdom is the most advanced in the world, though only in terms of security and medicine. They have guns, bombs, delicate surgeries and antibiotics where the rest of the world has bows, trebuchets, amputations and leeches. Necessity is the mother of invention, and what they need most is to be able to kill without being killed themselves. They also have computers, cameras and some communication technology, but it’s all pretty faulty and uncommon.

They’ve only recently realized that they should be recording their history, so many things from their past have been lost. They would never forget the war, but many events that came after have been forgotten and nothing from before it remains. They’ve idealized their past, deciding that everything was perfect before the war and that literally all of the Hawks, Robins and Butterflies were pure evil.

[stargazersastronomy]

The Cats of the Zodiac: Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces

Libra

The Libra cat is a people person and her personality is motivated towards establishing good relationships with others. The single life is an incomplete one to Libra and so she needs to relate. The first six signs of the zodiac focused on the individual while the second half turns their attention outward. Such a pussy cat needs to live in a harmonious environment and is immediately aware of any imbalance. Libra has a natural charm that is instantly inviting, and you will feel that this kitty really likes you, and she really does see something positive and lovable in everybody.

Pussy galore may flutter her eyelashes at you because she loves flattery, and is usually very aware of her appearance. This is also another Venusian cat that likes to be surrounded by beautiful things, whether its art, fabrics, luxurious floral displays, she is not fond of rough, ugly or dirty conditions. The Libran kitty is very sociable and companionable and feels happiest in the company of others. The liking for the opposite sex is usually very noticeable in this sign.

Just because the Libran cat is quite attractive to have around this doesn’t mean that she lacks intelligence, she is not just a piece of fluffy bundle of fur, Libra is an active sign intellectually and it is believed that she possesses both opposite sexes within her. This kitty is comfortable with both her femininity and her cat-like intelligence.

Libra also likes sitting on the garden fence, and may not choose one side over the other. You have one of the more civilised and elegant cats on your hands, and she is unlikely to be deliberately cruel and injure another. Libra has an inability to deal with unpleasant situations, and negative emotions in the environment. However, just having her around makes people want to come together in harmony and she knows how to bridge opposites and smooth any household conflict over, turning her place of residence into a sanctuary of beauty, peace and a generally pleasant atmosphere.

Scorpio

The Scorpio cat is one you can safely bare your soul to, but the way she stares at you, it’s like she already knows all your closely guarded secrets. Though she may only appoint a few trusted companions in her household, and ones that she knows deep enough to express her dark and passionate nature.

Scorpio is a deeply emotional cat, so don’t be afraid of real relating. There is nothing superficial about this moggy, and she does not take intimacy lightly. The Scorpio cat is intense about life and people and looks for deep meaning in all her interactions.

Some people may get a bit spooked out about her, and often she appears to possess a magical and mysterious power. Scorpio is subtle, complex and never obvious. Some unfairly label Scorpio as a vicious and violent cat, but many observations are unfairly warranted:”An examination of 34 cases of violent crimes (admittedly an insufficient number, but nevertheless enough to merit consideration) shows that the number of bodies in Scorpio is actually below the average, whilst a Scorpio Ascendant is frequent in cases of outstanding success. It seems well in any discussion of this sign, to begin with a clearing of its character.”The Principles of Astrology

The Scorpio cat is monogamous and loyal and if you are the lucky chosen one she wants to share her life with, she will put you above all other relationships. This is how much you mean to her, but mock her sensitivity and feelings for intimacy, and you may never see her again – expect her to withdraw completely. All the famous possessiveness, pride and intensity also exist within her profound nature. This kitty will share in your pain and will be there in the most traumatic times of your life. Scorpio is unflinching about the raw emotional aspects of relating, and whereas other signs will not be able to deal with the horrors of life, her strength of will, courage and loyalty are second to none.

Sagittarius

The Sagittarius cat is ruled by the planet Jupiter, the king of the gods and the largest planet in our solar system. In mythology, Zeus was always chasing after something, and usually women, so this kind of tomcat may be the father to thousands of kittens. This feline is restless and hungry for experience, and needs personal freedom to an extraordinary degree, and likes to meet exciting people along his journey. I would not try to over-domesticate this kitty because he will find a way out.

Sagittarius is also incredibly lucky so get him to kiss your lottery ticket, or even better, get him to help you choose the numbers. Sagittarius may also be very religious, so a nice devout family may suit him well. We may even find many a Sagittarian cat living in churches or travelling with gypsies, he needs to feel that he is moving all the time. Sagittarius likes to feel like the whole world is an open door. The Saggy cat is very independent, and many a cat is often jealous of his fun and interesting lifestyle.

Sagittarius is the most volatile of the fire signs and is forever pushing the boundaries, seeing just what he can get away with. Being larger than life he tends to miss what is right under his button nose, and may even bump into things. However, being so far sighted he can see far-off into the horizon, towards the next big adventure in his life.

Though you may sometimes feel as if he is giving you a judgmental look, he does have the tendency to be blunt and certainly isn’t opinionless. Sometimes he is pretty right about what he intuits. Sagittarius has a belief in life, and never loses hope for the future, and will bring more expansiveness and luck into your home, as long as you always keep the back door open for him to explore the world outside, so he knows he can come and go as he pleases.

Capricorn

The Capricorn cat would probably do well in a business-like family; she is often mature beyond her years and may display an unusual seriousness even as a kitten. Life is a serious business fur this one, and she has a deep sense of responsibility towards the family. This cat seems to possess an innate wisdom and understanding about the world that far surpasses her age. The Capricorn feline is the unseen power behind any household; she values support and security and has a managing instinct that other cats cannot even compare with. It is believed, Capricorn’s age backwards, so rent Brad Pitt’s (stellium in Capricorn) movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and she will surely appreciate the significance behind it. As she ages, her spirit seems to become lighter, and she lets go of carrying the heavy burdens like she did in her tender years, and perhaps becomes tougher as time passes.

This kitty values hard-work, persistence, and reliability, and may set herself goals like climbing the top of a mountain, exploring barren stony slopes. Each and every step is evaluated, calculated, and cleverly contemplated before she has even stepped onto her path. It is not always easy to get to know her straight away, and this is because she has learned to keep a part of herself guarded, and has a certain level of mistrust. Sometimes there are complex issues with authority figures early on, and she may have had caretakers who tried to control or dominate her soul, and sometimes they provide too much for her.

The Capricorn cat needs to learn to stand on her own four feet, rely on her strength through much self- effort; she is self-disciplined with a realistic head. It is hard to fool this cat; she’s knows a lot about the real world out there. There is a preoccupation in this sign for survival, struggle and testing. The Capricorn kitty is a most reliable companion and she has the enormous power of the earth.

Aquarius

The Aquarius (water bearer) cat, would suit being in an environment where the humans are humanitarians trying to find the answers to mankind’s woes because she believes in the common good. This kitty might like to hang around the local council, committees and progressive groups and places of great architecture.

The Aquarian is a little genius, but she may appear as if she is living in the future and not really grounded in the here and now, and is not always realistic. Perhaps she likes gazing at the night sky for astronomical or astrological purposes, she may even like sitting next to the computer and looks genuinely interested about the workings of many systems – technological and universal.

Aquarius is the water bearer who represents the bringing of knowledge, so she needs to be around people who share this vision, but she doesn’t usually like getting her own paws wet (a cat being a far-sighted visionary is a hard thing to believe, but just play along). The Aquarius cat may sometimes give the impression of being a touch impersonal and detached, she might even appear unconventional, and is usually independent, expressing herself in a calm, civilised and removed manner.

Aquarius is capable of immense loyalty and dedication, but she may find it hard to express her personal needs and may possess a sort of rigid pride. Your Promethean cat is filled with both mind and spirit and she is quite a liberal cat to have around, she is an inspiring companion in any household, and is quite fond of observing human behaviour. Aquarius enjoys the company of others, and is friendly and be drawn to interesting, unusual or slightly eccentric owners.

Pisces

The Pisces cat, may enjoy being by the ocean, or watching the fishes in the garden pond, and she doesn’t want to attack them, but longs to join in. All creatures have originated from water and the Pisces cat longs to return. To love this moggy is to love her sometimes confusing nature, impenetrable depths and changing moods, but behind her eyes – lies the beauty of the ocean.

The Piscean feline is a dreamy looking creature, and she may come across as a complex and otherworldly being. A Piscean characteristics involve hidden watery depths, sudden storms, and strong shifting currents. She lives in the deepest waters of the human psyche (don’t roll your eyes, a cat can be deep and mysterious) and she is a very compassionate, feeling and sensitive kitty. Often very misunderstood, her motivations are not always clearly seen by others.

On the surface, she may seem helpless and weak and her owner may feel they have to protect this vulnerable kitty because she doesn’t appear to be all that worldly. Watch out she doesn’t play on this ability to attract sympathy. Generally, she can feel victimized in life, and get herself into some terrible scrapes, and she can’t always claw her way out, so she always needs some form of rescuing. Sometimes she lets out a pitiful meow that melts even the hardest of hearts, and there is a softness about that is completely enchanting. Pisces whirlpool eyes express the inner yearnings of her soul (she is one bottomless kitty), and she has an unusual, but demonstrative silence. There is a great enigma behind her quietness, and elusive charm.

A Pisces cat doesn’t cope well with limitations, and at times, it may appear as if she has transformed into many different characters, and slips into other roles rather too easily. Our Piscean feline may also disappear frequently, so she can be quite unfathomable, but usually, she is evasive in spirit, but sometimes disappears physically for a while to refresh herself. Pisces will make a devoted, gentle and tender companion, so treat her fragility with care.

Source: TheAstrologyPlaceMembership

[anirbanbhowmick]

Here we guide you about the 10 leading Mobile App Development ideas that can be lucrative for startups

Scope of an application startup

Any mobile application startup is undoubtedly a great idea. But it has to bear some novelty so that it may be considered to be innovative. Now, what needs to be seen is what all the app can offer and whether the app is really needful. 

Whether it will hit the market successfully or not are some of the questions that comes to the mind of every entrepreneur. But coming up with any of the best app ideas is not as convenient as it seems to be. It is the most decisive and critical part of the process that you need to overcome.

Importance in contemporary business environment

In today’s time, the success of a startup is entirely dependent on the oneness of your idea. An ingenious app is one that provides solutions to people as per their needs. If it can cater to their requirements, then only it has a prospective chance of gaining success. It isn’t at all tedious to download an app from an app store.

Always remember that users will opt for an app that will help them to save time, cut down on costs and streamline their daily operations. Though it may seem to be an easy thing to do, however it has been a major challenge for most startups to meet the parameters mentioned above.

That is the primary reason why we are going to throw light on ten innovative app ideas to help you come up with a prosperous startup.

1. Cab-booking App

Most individuals do not have their own means of transport. They do not possess the luxury of driving around, especially when they travel outside. People have to depend heavily on public transport to go from one place to another. But many of us had bitter past experiences with public transport. 

If you aren’t a localite, then it may be tedious for you to move from one point to another. At times you may even have to resort to walking by foot if public transport is your only means of travel. 

Considering the fact that a growing number of commuters and travellers all across the globe are increasing everyday, it is sensible for people to avail some alternate means of transport to travel in a hassle free manner, especially in foreign locales. 

The urge for a prompt and reliable transport service has given rise to the success of app cabs like Uber. One cannot deny the fact that Uber is a new global phenomenon and it is on the verge of dethroning the traditional yellow taxi cabs that we have grown up with and are accustomed to.  

Remember, if you are pursuing car hailing apps devoid of interruptions even when you are travelling outside, you need to be assured that you’re provided with the best network coverage no matter wherever you go. By the help of Data Sim Card or Wifi Hotspot, you will be able to book a ride.

The reason why Uber, Ola etc.have become so incredibly favoured is because they have been integrated with mobile phone apps. These cab booking apps have given the common man the choice of travelling in a more ductile manner. 

As long as you own a mobile device in the form of a smartphone or an Iphone with an internet connection, you will face no obstacles in securing a ride for the entire day if you want. Last but not the least you need not have to bother about the puzzling maps which are at times incomprehensible for the layman to correctly conclude about the right transport or route.

It is evident that apps like Uber, Ola, Lyft, and Taxify have revolutionized commuting. One can now book a cab with ease from his/her phone which has helped to save precious time and money.  

Though big companies do enjoy the lion’s share of the market, developing a cab-hailing app can still be a profitable app business venture. If required you may include more features that involves passenger safety for making your app more marketable. 

2. Shopping App

The fundamental requirements of every individual in the world has to be fulfilled under all circumstances. These requirements include basic needs for survival like food, shelter and clothes. If we are in possession of all these three, we can persevere in this world. 

But it’s not only about survival, we need to stay in this world with different people. To live, our needs proliferate to a certain level. This proliferation level of our needs may vary from one person to another. 

Our level of needs shoot up drastically with our earnings. Accordingly, the people who sell the products to fulfill our needs, use different tools for selling. They differ between a low level to high level of selling depending upon the quality of products to be sold out. Certain products are sold in small shops, some on roads while the rest are sold out from the shopping malls.

 At times the same product is sold on different levels at the same price, but buyers prefer big shopping malls over street hawkers or small retailers. These shopping malls have majorly become more contemporary in today’s world and have evolved the process of online shopping. This online shopping trend has a great future ahead as E-Commerce is expected to rule the roost.

Online shopping involves a few steps. The prospective shopper does a thorough web research about the product he desires and comes across the product listed on the sites of different markets or stores. He or she can also check the specifications of the products and other features like it’s quality and value.

If the product is likable, it can be added to the cart and another product can be looked for if there is any further requirement. The customer has the facility to pay online using different tools as listed on the website, or can pay by cash on delivery. The product(s) can be delivered to the purchaser's given address by a delivery person who is mostly an employee of the E-Commerce company.

 Hardly we come across individuals who doesn't enjoy shopping. That is the reason why shopping apps like Amazon and eBay are making millions of profits on a daily basis. You may take into consideration several app ideas for your startup such as deals and discount app that notifies the prospective customers about some forthcoming lucrative deals that they may be interested in. There can be a wide range of deals on clothing, food, home equipment etc.

A composite shopping app is one that enables shoppers to buy items in bulk. Buying a bulk amount is considered to be cost effective as it is expected to be accompanied with free delivery from some establishments. As a result, such a startup has the possibility of being successful in the near future.

3. Social Networking App

We are in an age of contacts for communication between people through social platforms on the web. The extreme acceptance of availing social media networking could never have been realized before. Rather, social media is now an indispensable marketing tool in true sense of customer orientation. 

The purview of social networking is broadening, and today it provides a strong foundation to the companies in offering the much required touch of concern. Future of social media networking promises to be exciting as expected from the experience of few users from limited companies in the top bracket.

This marks the start of interweaving social media networking as a promising business process bringing two individuals at one platform than merely two organizational entities. People may spread their message to the suppliers or customers and also communicate any difference in opinions over social network. The traders have started taking keen interest in the phenomenal prospects of reaching and serving the consumers in this emerging domain of marketing.

Business organizations require their online presence to rise on popularity charts, enhance credibility and increase their market presence. Creating a social connect apps for any startup is a welcome idea for allowing the business houses manage their social media platforms from a single and centralized location. This planning can be especially important for organizations that depend excessively on customer engagement. You can communicate with your followers on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Instagram networks at one go.

4. Cooking Assistant App

Have you ever found yourself glued to your television set mesmerized by all the dishes you see on the cookery shows?  The effort with refurbishing meals is that sometimes we look for a visual guide in the kitchen. Most cooking assistant apps realize the fact that everyone’s not a seasoned chef — no pun intended — and its sole objective is to get you off the couch.

Planning meals is one of the avant-garde ways to venture into a startup business and stay on top of your weight loss goals. In a world aimed at to-do lists and productivity, to figure out the time and energy for planning healthy meals meant to suit your tastes and nutritional needs can be an uphill task.

Favourably, a plethora of apps can make meal planning — and maybe weight loss — a lot more achievable task. Gone are the days when curiosity for recipes were sought from a cooking manual while you note down the grocery list on a sheet of paper! 

Cooking is a very interesting hobby for many people around the globe. These culinary lovers always believe in exploring with different recipes and ingredients. Creating an app that instructs to guide cooking enthusiasts on different recipes can, therefore, be an edifying venture. However, prior to the creation of your cooking app, you may draw inspiration from successful apps like Food.corn and Big Oven.

These apps offer user-friendly and tailor made meal plans that you can customize for your diet and exclude specific foods you disdain. After you enter your choices, you’re provided with a wide range of recipe choices, complemented with relevant colour photos, comprehensible specifications and an organized grocery list. The additional advantage is that most of the recipes take very less time to be prepared.

5. Drop shipping App

For any individual who has put his/her baby steps in the online business world and looking for a break into the eCommerce scene, the drop shipping process may seem to be a jargon as it can be difficult to figure a trustworthy source that informs you about everything you have to know.

It includes everything from what the term means essentially. How this particular business model functions and if it’s really for you, then how to source the apt product and supplier to run a successful, flourishing eCommerce drop shipping business. 

A drop shipping trade is like an ideal sales model where sellers accept orders through websites and other appurtenant sales channels. But neither do they carry inventory nor do they ship products on their own. 

On the contrary, drop ship sellers engage suppliers who ship products directly to customers on their behalf. As a result drop shippers do not have to bear the cost of any upfront or ongoing inventory, storage, or warehouse staffing costs.

The entire procedure of planning and launching a drop shipping ecommerce business is like initiating any other kind of sales enterprise. You must possess a bankable concept, a source for goods, sales channels and most importantly marketing plan and strategies. Unlike other startups you do not need a lot of cash to invest in stock, infrastructure and employees.

Sound like the right business plan for you? 

In easy terms, this is the way how drop shipping works:

The buyer will place an order for a product on the retailer’s online store.

The retailer will then automatically or manually forward the order and buyer’s details to the drop ship supplier.

The drop ship supplier will do the necessary packaging and directly ship the order to the buyer in the name of the retailer.

6. Grocery App

Normally we all go shopping for groceries quite frequently. It is quite likely that you may easily forget some of the products you may want to procure. Initiating a grocery app is a great app idea to make the shopping experience smooth.

With the widening of India’s landscape and traveling costs, online grocery delivery has a long path to travel. By a few clicks on your smartphone, you can receive your preferred groceries at your doorstep within a few hours or within a single day. 

You need not have to worry about the avoidable time-consuming trips to the supermarket. What all you need is a grocery android app to seek all your grocery orders from the comfort zone of your premises. 

In actuality, you can finish your grocery orders with utmost convenience. You can feel the level of ease. Online grocery shopping in our country is now occupying a huge share of the market.

Remember, each and every order is treated specially and carefully delivered to buyers by trained delivery personnel whose primary objective happens to be customer satisfaction. By online grocery delivery, you can be least bothered about quality. 

Apart from state of the art quality, the hospitality factor also plays an important role. The shopping apps offer the customers telephones and emails, which they use to provide their valuable feedback or comment on the services.

There are countless reasons for the sharp rise and use of grocery delivery apps in India. Consumers have gradually embraced the apps because of the reasons mentioned below:

No Need to Queue up at Check-out Counters

Probably the most displeasing act associated with almost all in-store grocery shopping in India is queuing up at counters, after many buyers. After customers consume the major time moving around the store while picking up goods, they are subjected to check-out counters to pay for the merchandise. 

With grocery delivery app payment for goods made easier, one can use plastic money and various online wallet services such as BHIM, PAYTM, Apple pay and Google Wallet for making payments. Therefore, within a few minutes payment is done and goods are due for delivery.

More Categorized Virtual Shelves and Search

In grocery delivery apps, commodities are displayed in categories. These categories function as virtual selves for the browsers. They can conveniently search for their desired products by the help of classifications. 

Most importantly, the search options of the apps do make it effortless for customers to search what they need. Hence, customers need not have to consume a lot of time looking for particular products as they do in the store.

Visit the Grocery outlet

Generally Indians visit grocery stores mostly during evenings or weekends. These trips consume their entire evenings or most of the weekends. On the contrary, apps allow them to complete their grocery shopping at any point of time and can arrange delivery at their doorstep at the time of their preference. 

Apps save both money and time. The consumers can utilize their free time for other activities such as leisure and make use of the saved transportation cost on other things.

Reduces Impulse Buying

Grocery stores often offer various discounts that can easily lure the customers to buy goods. So called lucrative offers and discounts are displayed as soon as one steps inside the stores. 

Products that have wider business margin are displayed at eye level while low cost items are concealed by burying deep down isles. With the grocery apps, it’s easy to ignore all practical things one experiences during buying. You spend your hard earned money only on what you want.

Delivery Charges are Quite Economical

Almost all delivery services charge very high delivery fees even for small orders. Contrarily, the system is tailor made for getting more groceries at a lower price. In comparison to the conveyance cost for visiting the store, the system is more elementary and cost-effective.

Online Specials can be Available

By online shopping methods you can avail great deals with online stores. The positive thing about it is that instead of travelling all the way to town to check items at various grocery stores, it only takes a single click from your mobile device to take ultimate advantage of the best available online deals.

The app allows shoppers to add their selected products to their cart. You may then fix a date when you just step into the market and pick up your products. As already there are diverse grocery apps in the market as competitors, you need to frame some unique selling propositions for your app. 

What might be beneficial for the grocery app users are- comparison of costs between different stores, cashback on purchases, no cancellation fees and no minimum order. 

7. Travel App

Travelling can never be an obsolete practice. That is why developing a travel app can be a great idea to boost up your startup. Your app must guide your users about the famous destinations they may visit. It may also provide important suggestions about  the authentic restaurants and finest hotels as well as thrilling and fun activities to do in that location.

Moreover, the app should also contain a cost travel tracker to enable travelers to calculate the approximate travel expenses for their ideal destination. Some of the famous travel apps include AirHelp, Skyscanner, LoungeBuddy, and Hostelworld.

8. Language Learning App

How about learning a new language? For most of us it becomes more interesting when we use an app for the same. One of the most innovative app ideas is to initiate an app that trains users on how to use specific words of the language they are learning. 

The app should also assist in clear pronunciation of words. Getting the correct accent is very important especially if it is a non-syllabic language like English.

Apart from that, it should also advice about the commonly used words and phrases in that language and their meaning. Thus learning a new language becomes exciting and effortless. Some of the best examples of leading apps to learn new languages are Busuu and Memrise.

9. Virtual Interior Designer App

Carrying proper home decorations can be amazing. You might not be aware what items could be used for your interior decorations as well as the proper places to purchase these items from. 

Technology has made home decorations a very simple process to avail.

You may create a virtual interior designer app that enables users to upload different pictures of their home interior and then beautify it by using different designing options available from the app. These include wall stickers, paints, carpets, colours, and curtains. Most importantly, the app will also provide insights about  the ideal places to purchase every item from. Then you can utilize them for your interior designing process.

10. Health Fitness App

In today’s world, more and more people are becoming conscious about their health. The constraints, however, lie in maintaining a regular healthy routine. You can influence this to promote an app that help can help fitness freaks to track their daily routine. 

The app can suggest ideal practices for users to pursue for staying fit and healthy. This may include practice sessions for staying strong, counsel on better lifestyle and food intake timings.

Conclusion

The above 10 ingenious mobile app ideas should help to boost up your startups. After you choose the idea that is suitable for you, it's time to pick an experienced team of app developers who all have the expertise to create the best mobile app for making your startup successful.

[babymilkaction]

Consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Chance to include an indicator for Exclusive Breastfeeding and to define the term ‘Partnership’

Deadline 8th September

The 2020 Comprehensive Review of the global indicator framework to monitor progress on the SDGs has called for  proposals for the replacement/adjustment and addition of  indicators.  One of the is Exclusive breastfeeding another relates to the financing.  

You can access the review here: http://bit.ly/2020Review_Consult

You can send your comments/inputs individually or on behalf of your organisation to support the inclusion of Exclusive Breastfeeding as an SDG indicator.

If you have time please also send comments on SDG 17 – Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development. This is an SDG that IBFAN has many concerns about. It is used by those pushing  Public Private Partnerships and Multi-Stakeholder arrangements.  The private sector was invited into the SDG consultations in London and it was clear that  this influenced the outcome.

Here are some  suggestions for text:

Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. 

This section includes proposals for replacement, revision, additional and deletion of indicators in Goal 2

Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

IBFAN comment:

While it is important add an additional indicator to address malnutrition,  care should be taken to avoid over-emphasis on treating micronutrient deficiencies with technical, medicalized, product-based interventions. Much greater focus should be placed on strengthening communities’ self-determination and capacity to feed themselves in dignity, including supporting breastfeeding and locally sourced,  culturally appropriate, minimally processed,nutritious bio-diverse foods. The Target should warn that the inappropriate promotion of product interventions – with health and nutrition claims, social marketing etc,  risks undermining such foods, dependence on ultra-processed food. This can in turn exacerbate overweight, obesity and related non-communicable diseases.

Sustainable agriculture: The indicator should protect sustainable foods  systems and the right to food from bias towards technological solutions, in particular, biofortified seeds and fortified foods, processes that favour large corporations and which entail human rights risks for small-scale food producers, indigenous peoples and consumers. There needs to be a fundamental re-shaping of food systems to support agro-biodiverse production, advance the realization of the rights of small-scale food producers, and promote diversified, healthy and sustainable diets.

While it is important add an additional indicator to address malnutrition care should be taken to avoid over-emphasis on treating micronutrient deficiencies with technical, medicalized, product-based interventions. The highest focus should be placed on strengthening communities’ self-determination and capacity to feed themselves in dignity, including supporting breastfeeding and bio-diverse foods.

  If the above indicators are adopted there should also be an indicator related to the implementation and monitoring of the WHA Resolutions referring to the marketing foods for infants and young children and the avoidance of conflicts of interest. These provisions should also cover interventions and products used in the treatment, prevention and management of malnutrition (stunting, wasting etc ) For example, WHA resolution 55.25 Para: 1. 4) calls on Member states to ensure that the introduction of micronutrient interventions and the marketing of nutritional supplements do not replace, or undermine support for the sustainable practice of, exclusive breastfeeding and optimal complementary feeding.”

If there is a specific call regarding  the nutritional needs of lactating women,  is essential that parents are not misled by inappropriate marketing of foods and formulas targeting pregnant and lactating women.

· Exclusive Breastfeeding for 6 months is a WHA target that all member states as well as many development partners have endorsed · Data availability. there are 140 countries with data on EBF in the UNICEF IYCF database, 69 of these in the last 5 years. EBF is already routinely included in global reports every year, including the Global Nutrition Report, the State of Food Security and Nutrition, and the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard. · Importance of breastfeeding and its relevance to other SDGs. It is a key indicator reflecting optimal breastfeeding practices, which is essential to child survival and well-being. Exclusive breastfeeding has the largest potential impact on child mortality of any preventive interventions. The lack of breastfeeding has huge implications for development. It is estimated that not breastfeeding according to recommendation leads to 823,000 deaths in children under five[*] and nearly 100,000 maternal deaths from breast and ovarian cancers and type II diabetes each year.[†] The overall economic loss attributable to inadequate breastfeeding rates is estimated at USD 302 billion in healthcare costs annually.[‡] ·

[*] Victora CG et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. The Lancet. 2016;387(10017):475-90. [†] Walters, D., et al. The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool, Health Policy and Planning, 24 June 2019. [‡] Rollins NC et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? The Lancet. 2016; 387(10017):491-504.

  Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

IBFAN comments on the indicators relating to SDG 17

The revision of the Indicators for SDG17 as proposed above is not sufficient and IBFAN cannot support them in this context. The first priority must be to define the term Partnership and outline effective Conflict of Interest safeguards. Partnerships are, by definition, arrangements for ‘shared governance’ to achieve ‘shared goals.’ Indeed shared decision-making is their single most unifying feature ’. The term ‘Partnership’ implies ‘respect, trust, shared benefits’ The ‘image transfer’ that is gained from UN or NGO ‘partners’ has strong emotional and financial value especially for corporations and those who represent their interests and whose marketing, lobbying and other practices damage health, the environment and human rights.An undefined reference to the term ‘Partnership’ in this context is unwise and inappropriate. Interactions with the Private Sector can be necessary in order to make decisions, however but they must be carefully conceived, planned and managed and must not undermine or subvert the primary mission of States to safeguard citizens Right to Health. If there are to be partnerships, partners MUST share the same primary objective. It is totally inappropriate for policy making to be influenced by commercial considerations as a result of a lack of attention paid to these matters and undue deference paid to private sector interests. . The Private Sector is simply one among many societal actors that must operate within a legal framework determined democratically by people (ideally)/government. In the absence of appropriate definitions and safeguards SDG 17 has been and is being used to fundamentally change the global health and nutrition governance structure. This is undermining States and UN agencies capacity to fulfill their constitutional core functions and their role in proposing health conventions and regulations and the building of the international Rule of Law. As mentioned in comments on SDG2, It is critically important that the SDGs do not lead to over emphasise short-term, technical intervention or undermine measures that address the underlying structural causes of malnutrition and measures to safeguard planetary health. Emphasis should be placed on strengthening communities’ self-determination and capacity to feed themselves in dignity, including supporting breastfeeding and bio-diverse foods

 The SDGs should warn that promotion of product interventions risk reliance on ultra-processed food and this can in turn exacerbate overweight, obesity and related non-communicable diseases.

Consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was originally published on Baby Milk Action

[bffhreprise]

Entry 184

 I watched James closely as his limo drove us toward the gala.  Lady Pendreigh was openly showing affection for him, but I never heard rumor that the two were actually courting.  There were numerous games she could be playing, and I was certain to only be seeing what she wished if a game was in play.  Her affection for James seemed quite real to me, and I still had no clue what all he could do.  His assets, however, were remarkable.

 Over the past two days, I found myself captivated with his home.  Great wealth was casually displayed with no apparent security, but his entire staff was formidable.  Jarod regarded Mila as a person, not just a machine.  If she was as sentient as she seemed, he was right to do so, and her value would be incredible.

 Even Mila’s value was nothing compared with the discovery of living fey.  How James found them and gathered them in his forest was a mystery.  Had he really let the little one indoors on accident, or was he showing more of his power?  The tiny creature seemed to regard him as an ally, possibly even a friend.  Even a handful of fey was a very dangerous force, and I believed James had many.  Just who was he?

 “Since you’ll be with us longer, I was wondering if there was anywhere which you wanted to visit?  I’d feel remiss as a host if I didn’t manage to spend some time with you away from my home.” stated James, noticing that I was watching him.

 Did he now want to deter me from viewing more of his home, or did he have other assets to unveil?  A straightforward approach might serve me best, so I said, “Thank you for the consideration, but I have seen more wonders in your home than I ever would in the city.  I simply wish to visit that remarkable forest and see the creatures within at least once before I go.”

 He casually nodded as he replied “I’m sure we can manage, though my secretary will likely require a contract.  The creatures there are quite rare and precious.”

 A contract from her was not a mere trifle.  I worried over what this might entail.  His words might even be taken as a threat.  Who was I, after all, to argue with the one with Lady Pendreigh on his arm?

 “I see.” I stated.  “I’ll have to discuss this with my family after I peruse the documents then.”

 Lady Pendreigh smiled slightly as she said, “I found the contract to be pretty standard fare for her, Duncan.”

 I nodded and tried to fight the wave of fear which brushed over me.  Aaliyah’s contracts included many, many ways to forfeit one’s own life, and I had imagined too many times what having her come for me would be like.

 Turning to Lady Pendreigh, James asked “Did mother ever finish that painting for you, Alma?”

 He was incredibly relaxed next to her, a man of power regarding her as an equal at best.  He possibly saw himself above her.

 “Yes.  Her talent is quite extraordinary.  I was very impressed by her work.” she replied.

 I had looked into James’ family, but I didn’t find out anything remarkable.  His parents were talented humans as far as I knew.

 “Oh, so you’ve already picked it up?  Mother never mentioned that you stopped by again.” he replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

 Lady Pendreigh turned from him.  Her face was still a porcelain mask, but she seemed slightly uncomfortable to me.  What did he have over her?  Was this some sort of code?

 “No, I haven’t.  I made arrangements for her to hold onto the painting for now, as I don’t feel the timing is right to have it publicly displayed.” she claimed.  “Ah.  Let’s have a stroll through the park, since we have some time.  I do like this one.”

 I glanced out the window but saw nothing particularly interesting.  Did she want space from us to discuss something with him?  I surmised as much when the two set out walking without waiting for my sisters and Jarod.  Normally, I’d use spells to enhance my hearing and listen, but such a trick around Lady Pendreigh was dangerous.  If she felt insulted, I could die.  I dissuaded the others from trying to approach with idle conversation.  As I spent more time around Jarod, I couldn’t deny his intellect.  How was he chosen to be the apprentice of Death?  Perhaps there was even more to him than I had guessed.

,,,^._.^,,,

 “Did mother ever finish that painting for you, Alma?” asked James.

  I was certain James didn’t realize how much he distressed me at times, but did he have to bring up that bloody painting right now?  Every time I thought of that visit I paid to his parents, his anger at me came fresh to my mind.

 “Yes.  Her talent is quite extraordinary.  I was very impressed by her work.” I assured him.

 “Oh, so you’ve already picked it up?  Mother never mentioned that you stopped by again.” he commented.

 I released his arm and turned from him.  I couldn’t look at him right now.  “No, I haven’t.” I admitted.  Then I quickly explained “I made arrangements for her to hold onto the painting for now, as I don’t feel the timing is right to have it publicly displayed.”

 I could feel Duncan watching us, studying.  I knew everything said around him would surely be relayed to his mother.  Must James prod sore points right now?  The Williams-Wynn Memorial Park came into view, so I gave into a whim and said, “Ah.  Let’s have a stroll through the park, since we have some time.  I do like this one.”

 The limo pulled over, and I quietly thanked Mila for not questioning me.  James stepped out and offered me his hand after the door opened for him.  I stared up at him and found myself wondering again how a human developed such a perfect face.  He was unusually attractive.

 After briefly enjoying the view, James asked “What is your home in England like?”

 I stared up at him, trying to discern how he came around to ask such a thing.  Still uncertain, I told him “My father owns a castle, but I wouldn’t really call it my home.  I only visited the place a few dozen times in my life.  I should go see father again soon.”

 He nodded, looking thoughtful and took a few more steps before asking “Where did you call home then?”

 “Nowhere, really.” I replied with a shrug.  “Up until coming here, I spent most of my life traveling.  At first, I was traveling with my mother and learning the family trade.  Then I took over.  Mother probably wouldn’t have approved of me staying here this long, but Adelmar, my cousin, does.”

 I was thankful that my cousin wasn’t intruding at the moment.  He’d surely say something highly inappropriate about my stay.

 “Wait.  Was Adelmar the one who sent the tiara to Aaliyah as a birthday present?” he questioned.

 I nodded, saying, “I do apologize about that spell I used on you.  I hadn’t meant for you to feel unwell, but that spell affected you differently than it should have.  I’m guessing your magic threw things off a bit.  Otherwise, I would have stayed longer.”

 I did feel quite guilty over that affair.  James had done nothing to deserve such treatment.

 “You were the one who delivered the tiara?  I suppose that makes sense, given that the tiara looks extremely valuable.  Why would your cousin give something like that to a young girl?” he asked.

 I stopped and stared up at him.  He knew enough about her to know she was far more than a young girl, but, I supposed, he apparently didn’t know enough.  I wasn’t in a position to explain either.  I started walking again as I said, “I do wish I could explain.  I am sorry, James, but I am privy to a great many things which I cannot share, at least not yet.  Hopefully, someday.  Hopefully, soon.”

 Taking hold of his hand again, I gently squeezed it.  There was so very much I wished I could convey.  I had many secrets that I needed to keep, not all of which I’d even be able to tell after we were wed.  If we ever were to wed…  Would James be able to survive if I were to court him?  I had plans prepared to protect him from the worst of the opposition, but the wisdom of them was questionable.

 I turned our conversation to Ancient Tribes of Earth to distract myself from my other thoughts.  There were many events I had considered which could help keep our guild lively.  With thousands of members, we needed plans that could involve everyone in one way or another, and I didn’t feel James fully considered them enough.  Too often, people were simply glad for his presence.  He wasn’t accustomed to having to work to entertain.

 All too soon, the count in my head ran out, and I announced that we should be off.  Arriving too late wouldn’t be any more acceptable than too early, and we all had to maintain our image.  The gala was perfectly acceptable, much to my ire.  I would have enjoyed seeing Maxine slip in her execution.  Even I could admit that she was talented, despite her unsavory nature, but being knocked down a few pegs might help her realize that the world wasn’t her toy.

 Chad was quick as ever to greet me when we made our way to him.  Aaliyah was there, of course, grinning in that insufferably adorable manner.  In part, I wanted to hug her like some exotic pet.  I also wanted to throw her as hard as I could against the wall, but she’d only come back and execute me for making a fuss in front of her father.  I wasn’t remotely amused by her choice of donation for this auction.  Where I was giving a priceless wedding dress that had belonged to an ancestor, she chose to donate the very gun which killed that ancestor.  I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if she had pulled the trigger herself after forcing someone to enchant the bullet.

 After the initial exchange of pleasantries, James’ parents joined us.  They didn’t seem particularly glad to see me, but I could understand why.  We conversed for a time before the lights dimmed.  Maxine took to the stage, greeting everyone and explaining how the auction would proceed.  Then we were treated for music before getting our first viewing of the items up for auction.  I made note of what I would acquire as well as what seemed to please the others, just in case.  Knowing the tastes of James’ parents particularly interested me, so I might find something suitable for each of them at a later time.

 Some time later as we ate, a table near us went vacant in a hurry.  I had overheard their discussion, so I was the first to hear of the robbery.  Given the timing, I was certain this was Maxine’s handiwork.  She couldn’t simply raise money for children without committing some nefarious act.  Her reputation would be ruined.