#which is not likely but an example that having children doesn’t guarantee that you will be remembered fondly or if at all

[sunnysideaeggs]

I just realised that Aegon’s line might not have actually ended, it did end with his children with Helaena and the history books. But in the series we were shown his bastard child and Ser Arryk presumed there would be many more. So if any of them survived and their descendants survived Aegon’s line could still exist in game of thrones but they would be part of the smallfolk

oh i love the idea of some random white haired families in the main line of asoiaf, just chilling in king’s landing. some of them like to bathe in really hot water and others have weird dreams they just ignore lol.

but i think most importantly, aegon’s impact on his world is more than just the children he had. he mirrors some great rulers who didn’t have children (or survived them all), like alexander the great or elizabeth the first. even characters like daeron the first and aemon the dragonknight never had children but they’re remembered often because of their actions. daenerys will probably never have children of her own but she will be remembered for centuries to come for her deeds and dragons.

like it or not, westeros was never the same after aegon the second, just like it never would be the same after aegon the first. he had the most striking dragon in westeros, and the closest bond with him. he wrote the laws of succession in blood (unfair as they were), he buried all his enemies, he died with a crown on his head.

[nerdygaymormon]

Scriptures for queer people

I like that the scriptures show life is messy and complicated. God works with really flawed people and they learn to measure up and do amazing things. The scriptures are full of contradictions as people try to figure out God’s will and how it applies in their situation. The scriptures show that God’s people are a mess and often get it wrong. These are the chosen people? In that case, I’m doing alright. 

God is an out-of-the-box thinker who wants to be inclusive. The scriptures teach me that God values a relationship with me, will adjust things so the gospel works for me and my situation, and God can help me do amazing things.

I'm not claiming to be an expert or that people should agree with my interpretations. I'm simply sharing how I am thinking of these verses when I apply my viewpoint and experience as a queer Latter-day Saint

Instead of concentrating on all the specific answers & rules, I look for the overarching themes of the scriptures, I can apply those principles in my life and to my life’s situations. Some principles & teachings are more important than others, we can use the more important ones to help us think about the rest. The Bible emphasizes love, equality, & justice, we can use these to filter which messages are important for us and which should remain in the past as part of ancient cultures. For example, the Biblical principles of loving other people as yourself and treating others how you want to be treated should cause us to dismiss slavery even though the Bible allows it. Would forbidding someone from marrying who they love while allowing yourself that opportunity fit with the Biblical principles of love, equality, & justice? No.

I think most people view the Bible as decidedly anti-queer because certain “clobber passages” are regularly used against queer people. A closer inspection of those “clobber passages” shows when put back in context they’re not quite what people think. For example, ‘don’t have gay sex...as part of worshiping a pagan god.’ For the record, straight sex that is done as worship of another god is also condemned, but nobody goes around saying all straight sex is banned.

The verses people like to use to condemn homosexuality, when put back into their cultural context and original language, they are condemnations of sexual exploitation and abuse which was common in the ancient world. They are not condemnations of loving, consensual same-sex relationships. The marriage doesn't define what marriage is, so how can people claim the Bible is against same-sex marriage?

There’s queer-positive scriptures that are usually ignored because they don’t fit the anti-queer narrative people want the Bible to have.  

We’re also taught in Matthew 7 that good principles don’t bring forth bad results (“a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit”). If teachings are bringing forth bad outcomes for a whole group of people, then we should discard those, they aren’t good.

It's sad to me that so much of modern Christianity identity is about being against LGBTQ people and against abortion when those things are not condemned in the Bible, but the Bible goes on and on about forgiving debt, liberating the poor, healing the sick, and loving others. Where are the sermons and Sunday School lessons on forgiving student debt, guaranteeing health care to every person, loving our LGBTQ+ neighbors, and decrying racism? The Bible has a lot to say about protecting women and children. Do we have preach more about queer people and abortions than we do condemning domestic violence, sexual assault, and molestation?

If every Christian church congregation in the United States decided to provide resources to help every child in foster care reconnect with their family or get adopted, each church would need to help only 1 child and there'd be none left in the foster care system. Same for the number of homeless people each church would have to help get into a home for there to be no more homeless people. Christians could transform the nation and the world if they actually applied the lessons taught by Jesus.

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Genesis 1 & 2 - Adam & Eve AND Adam & Steve : The purpose of this story isn’t to discount being gay or trans, in fact queerness fits into this story

Genesis 2 - Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil : Humans have been messing up what to do with the concept of good & evil. Gender roles are a result of the Fall

Genesis 3:20; Genesis 17:5 & 15; Genesis 32:28; Numbers 13:16; Matthew 16:17-18 - Changing Names : The Bible has much to teach about our obligation to respect a person’s name

Genesis 4:9-10 - Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out to Me from the Ground : The blood of queer people is crying from the ground

Genesis 6:9 - Noah’s obedience led to destruction : Kindness & inclusion are more important than obedience

Genesis 7:2-3 - Noah and the Ark : Some people point to the animals on the ark as proof God only honors male/female pairings, however for many animals Noah didn’t just bring 2 of them but 14, which offers opportunities for diversity

Genesis 9:13-16 - Rainbow : Queer people carry the promise of the rainbow

Genesis 9:20-27 - Noah & Ham : It’s wrong to use this passage to justify the enslavement of people, and to be against love between consenting gay adults

Genesis 12:1-3 : A blessing to all families - If we choose to harm rather than to bless queer families, then we are not the people of God

Genesis 16 - Hagar : We may still be required to deal with difficult situations, but we have a God who hears us, a God who knows us

Genesis 19:1-11 - Sodom & Gomorrah : It’s ironic THIS story is used against queer people when its message is the opposite

Genesis 19:26 - Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt : She became a memorial to the destruction of two cities and likewise we need to witness and bear record of the suffering and marginalization of queer people

Genesis 21 - Hagar, Part 2 : God finds all of us in the wilderness

Genesis 22 - Rejection of Ishmael and Binding of Isaac : We aren’t asked to sacrifice our queer children, doing so may cut us off from God

Genesis 25 - Jacob & Esau : The great blessing didn’t belong to the manly man but to the effeminate one

Genesis 34 - Rape of Dinah & the Response : Diverse viewpoints are needed in positions of power & decision making

Genesis 38 - Tamar : It is a sin to deny people fair treatment & they are justified to find solutions when basic rights are denied

Genesis 37-46 - Joseph Sold by his Brothers into Slavery : Life gets better and there may come a time for forgiveness and reconciliation

Genesis - The Bible teaches that wealth is destructive

Exodus 1 - Pharaoh Seeks to Murder the Hebrew Baby Boys : The right thing is to defy the oppressors in order to protect the innocent and the vulnerable

Exodus 3:14 - I AM THAT I AM : I am who I am

Exodus 3:15 - The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob : Why not say��“the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob”?

Exodus 10: 7-11, 24-26 - Passover is an annual reminder that we do not negotiate at the expense of others : Civil rights aren’t to be given sparingly, we fight for all.

Leviticus 18:5 & Ezekiel 20:11 - Doing what You Need to Live : Living is more important than obeying commandments

Leviticus 18, 20 - Lie with a Man as with a Woman : These verses forbid Jews from engaging in male-male sex done as part of pagan worship

Numbers 9:1-14 - Second Passover : God finds ways to include people

Numbers 21:6-9 - The Brass Serpent : The people’s tradition of not worshiping idols made them misunderstand what God wanted from them. What traditions do we have that blind us from what God wants for us?

Deuteronomy 22:5 - Cross Dressing : This verse isn’t about performing drag or living as a trans person, it’s meant to avoid harming others

Deuteronomy 23:17 - Whores and Sodomites : The word “sodomite” is used for male prostitutes

Lessons from Moses’ life for Queer Folks

Judges 4-5 - Deborah : A woman prophet? What else is possible?

Judges 19 - Murder of the Levite’s Concubine : Despite this horrific story, we don’t condemn heterosexuals & heterosexuality

Ruth & Naomi : The Bible celebrates this relationship of 2 women

1 Samuel 16:7 - The Lord Looketh on the Heart : Gender & orientation are matters of the heart and God knows us for who we are

Jonathan & David : The possibility this is a same-sex relationship blessed by God is why this story has been a favorite of queer Christians

1 Kings 14:24; 1 Kings 15:12; 1 Kings 22:46; 2 Kings 23:7 - Sodomites : The Hebrew Bible condemns worshiping a different god

Esther : By ‘coming out,’ Esther changed how the king viewed a marginalized group, and gender non-conforming people are the unsung heroes of this story

Book of Job : God had a different path for Job, and queer believers know God has a path for us

Psalms 27 - With the Lord’s Strength, We don’t need to Fear : The Lord won’t abandon us even if our parents do

Psalms 126:5 - Shall Reap in Joy : Life gets better

Psalms 133:1-3 - How Pleasant it is for Brethren to Dwell Together in Unity 

Psalms 139:13-14 - I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made : Our sexual orientation & gender identity is woven throughout our bodies

Proverbs 6:16-19 - The 7 Things the Lord Hates : Being Queer ain’t on the list

Isaiah 3:9 - Declare their Sin as Sodom : Sodom’s sins are not taking care of the poor or visitors & not feeling guilt for committing sins (notice being gay isn’t one of the sins of Sodom)

Isaiah 43:1 - I have Called Thee by Thy Name; Thou art Mine : God is with us no matter whether our church is

Isaiah 51:1-2 - Abraham and Sarah are Intersex? : A traditional Jewish understanding for why they’re infertile is that they were intersex

Isaiah 54:2 - Enlarge the place of thy tents, and let them stretch forth the curtains : We need to make room for not just more people but for more diversity 

Isaiah 56:3-7 - Eunuchs Welcomed by God : God’s way is radical inclusiveness, God doesn’t marginalize people

Jeremiah 1:5 - Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee : You are not a mistake. God loves you and intentionally made you into who you are

Jeremiah 16:1-2 - God tells the prophet Jeremiah not to marry nor have a family : How does this fit with the Latter-day Saint idea of exaltation where marriage is required? Maybe we need to expand our vision of heaven

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 11 - God Plans to Give You Hope and a Future: God’s plan includes blessing & prospering You

Ezekiel 16:49-50 - Two types of forbidden things, To’evah is forbidden for Jews and Zimah is an injustice or a sin : The gay sex acts prohibited in Leviticus 18:22 & Leviticus 20:13 are to’evah, not forbidden for anyone but the Israelites

Daniel - Daniel & Ashpenaz : God supports a loving gay relationship

Hosea 6:6 - God desires mercy, not burnt offerings : True religion isn’t about practicing rituals, it’s about extending love and mercy

Joel 2:28 - Restoration of Gospel Leads to an Increase in Knowledge : Science is providing knowledge about queer people

Amos 5:23-24 - God Wants Justice, Not Our Hymns : Enough with the talk, let’s enact real change to achieve justice

Micah 6:8 - the prophet says, "What does the Lord require of you?" Are we to kill our enemies because God is vengeful? No!!! That's not what Micah says. "To do justice, to do kindness, and to walk humbly with God." That is the whole point for the prophet Micah." : Are we just & kind to our queer siblings?

Malachi 4:6 - The human family is going to be united : if queer people are excluded then the whole is cursed

Socially Queer Jesus & Disciples : Queerness fits naturally with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ

Matthew 1 & Luke 3 - Jesus’ genealogy : Think what it this means for chosen family 

Matthew 1 : Joseph chose mercy over the Law - Joseph preserved Mary’s dignity and life

Matthew 2:1-12 : The Magi visit the Christchild : The Magi knew of the Savior’s birth but not those who read the Hebrew Bible. Knowledge, wisdom, and truth come from many sources and those inside a religion may be blind to what is apparent to others 

Matthew 4 - Denying Identity is a Tactic of the Devil : Understanding who we are is an important part of facing the challenges of life

Matthew 5:30 : And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee : if a church continues teaching queerphobic things, it may be necessary to cut it from your life in order to survive and thrive

Matthew 5:21-48 - Ye have heard that it was said...But I say unto you : Jesus is saying this text has been interpreted one way, but He is giving a better way. With all that God taught about loving others and about all being alike unto God, what is a better way to interpret how we treat and love queer people?

Matthew 5:43-48 - Love Your Enemies : These verses refute the idea that the two great commandments to Love God and to Love Our Neighbor are in conflict 

Matthew 6:9-13 - The Lord’s Prayer : We’re meant to build heaven on earth. There’s an idea that queer people will no longer be queer when they die and then can have joy and all the blessings. That’s wrong! We’re to have joy in THIS life. We’re to have justice in THIS life. We’re to have all the blessings in THIS life. We’re to be treated alike in THIS life. 

Matthew 6:27 - Can’t change your height or extend your life just by thinking about it : Queerness is not something we can simply choose to change. Thoughts, prayer, & faith aren’t going to change this part of who we are 

Matthew 7:9-12, 16-20 - If his Son Asks for Bread, Will He Give Him a Stone? : Our Heavenly Father is more liberal in his views, and boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive

Matthew 8:2-3 - Jesus touched the leper : Contact with queer people heals others of their anti-queer bigotry, which leads to the question of who actually needs to be healed? 

Matthew 8:5-13 - The Centurion and his ‘Servant’ : Jesus holds up a gay man as an example of faith for all to follow

Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-34; Luke 8:41-56 - Woman touched the hem of Jesus’ garment : She persisted in getting what she needed. Queer people have to persist to get what they need

Matthew 10:29-31 - God knows of every sparrow that falls to the grown and has numbered every hair of your head. You are worth more than many sparrows : You can trust that God isn’t squandering souls, isn’t creating queer people while simultaneously condemning them for being queer

Matthew 12:50 - Who does Jesus proclaim as brother, sister, and mother? : Chosen Families

Matthew 13:24-30 - Parable of the Wheat and the Tares : This parable teaches that the wheat and the tares can’t be separated until the very end. That to pull up tares would also uproot the wheat. Whichever one we are, we’re inseparable from each other. We can’t remove them without removing ourselves. Only Christ can tell them apart and will separate them. However, a lot of people think they can tell, and unsurprisingly, they always think they’re the wheat, and often they assume queer people are the tares

Matthew 14:22-23 - Peter Walks on Water : Queer people need to believe in ourselves, that’s when miracles happen

Matthew 15:7-14 - But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men : Some churches are misguided and teach the biases of humans rather than God’s message of love

Matthew 15:10-20 - The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them : Racist, transphobic, and homophobic words make us unworthy

Matthew 15:21-28 - Yet the Dogs Eat of the Crumbs which Fall from their Master’s Table : God’s love is so expansive it can surprise and stretch even Jesus Christ 

Matthew 17:1-9; Luke 9:28-43 - Jesus Comes Out : Jesus revealed the deepest truth about Himself to His closest friends

Matthew 18:6 - Do not Offend the Little Ones who Believe : Being queer isn’t the problem, it’s the church experience that is broken and defective

Matthew 19:5-12 - Marriage & Eunuchs : Jesus declares men who aren’t attracted to women are exempt from a male+female marriage

Matthew 19:16-23 - Obey the commandments to have eternal life : There is no commandment to live a heteronormative life

Matthew 20:1-16 - Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard : Queer people are relying on the goodness of the Master to bless us the same as others

Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-25 - Jesus curses the fig tree : The only time Jesus cursed a fig tree was for not being fruity enough, maybe we should contemplate on that as we consider how to love our LGBTQ+ neighbors

Matthew 21:31 - The Publicans and the Harlots go into the Kingdom of God before You : Church leaders are setting themselves up to go from ‘First’ to ‘Last’

Matthew 21-27; Mark 11-15; Luke 19-23; John 12-19 - Final Week of Jesus’ Life : Many lessons from Jesus’ life apply to queer lives

Matthew 22:23-32 - When His disciples asked about marriage and about whose wife someone will be when they reach heaven, this was Jesus’ answer, “You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage, they will be like the angels in heaven.” : Sounds like no heterosexuality in heaven. Sorry.

Matthew 22:36-40 - The 2 Great Commandments

Matthew 23:37 - Even as a Hen Gathereth her Chickens under her Wings : Jesus uses feminine pronouns and imagery to illustrate His role

Matthew 25:1-13 - Parable of the 10 Virgins : the foolish bridesmaids listened to those who said they weren’t worthy to meet the groom

Matthew 25:14-30 - Parable of the Talents : telling queer people not to “act” on their queerness is akin to telling us to bury our talent and to go back to the Lord without doing anything with it

Matthew 25:31-46 - Jesus will use how I Treat Others to Determine if I Inherit his Blessings : Mistreating queer people isn’t a qualifier for Christ’s blessings

Garden of Gethsemane : Asking for help & seeking emotional support is Christlike

Easter : Jesus' resurrection can be read as a coming out story. Jesus came out into a changed body and new way of life. Likewise, queer people come out into a new identity and can never go back to what it was before. Others may look back and see your empty tomb that contains your deadname & the misgendered identity of how they saw you, but they'll also see your life reborn as you move forward in your new identity.

Mark 1:10-11 - God Knows Us, We aren’t a Mistake : Many queer people get messages of love from God

Mark 1:32 - Jesus is teaching that under certain circumstances it’s okay to break the rules about the Sabbath.

Mark 2:1-13 - Friends Lower a Paralyzed Man through the Roof to be Healed by Jesus : Better to break the house than to break the person

Mark 2:15 - Jesus invited sinners & disciples to His house and fed them : We also can invite people to our homes for meals as a way to show we love them and want them in our lives. As Ben Schilaty likes to say, “Love the sinner, invite them to dinner.”

Mark 2:27 - The Sabbath was Made for Man, not Man for the Sabbath : We don’t have to break ourselves against the commandments. They’re for our benefit, not our harm

Mark 9:17-27 - This is a story of demonic possession which causes the individual to act in strange ways, and when the demon(s) is cast out the person is healed : Today we use medicine and counseling because we understand diseases and mental health issues. When we know better, we should do better.

Mark 10:46-52 - Ask People Questions and Listen : “We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing”

Mark 12:30-31 - Love God and Love People : There’s no greater commandments. How do we love queer people, and do they recognize how we treat them as love?

Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4 - The Widow’s Mite : Jesus condemns making the widow impoverished and the same applies to queer people who are asked to sacrifice all they are

Mark 13:24-37 - Fig Tree’s Leaves Show Summer is Near : Members are trying to build a church that’s more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. Maybe summer isn’t near, but perhaps it is Spring as it seems the winter chill is thawing

Luke 1:27 - Mary is a virgin : The Greek term parthenos normally referred to an unmarried woman of marriageable age, because in their society an unmarried female typically hadn’t yet had sex. As a missionary, I learned the Korean language does the same thing, all unmarried women of marriageable age can be referred to as a virgin, even though some unmarried women have had sex. But if we keep with the tradition that Mary was in fact a virgin as we think of that term in English, and she did not conceive through ordinary means but through the Holy Spirit she produced an offspring without a human father, then that raises some interesting questions. For example, the Y chromosome is inherited from the biological father, which calls into question how is Jesus a male? Could this suggest Jesus is trans?

Luke 1:37 - Nothing is impossible with God...except for LGBTQ+ people getting into the Celestial Kingdom, at least that’s what some Christians believe

Luke 1:78-79 - Give Light to Them that Sit in Darkness : Going from the darkness of the closet to the dayspring when we learn our Heavenly Parents love us

Luke 2; Matthew 1:18-25 - Nativity Story : Queer people can see ourselves in this story

Luke 2:52 - Jesus Increased in Wisdom and Stature, and in Favour with God and Man : Jesus didn’t marry, as a church we need to reprioritize what is important 

Luke 3:12-14 - Jesus was able to meet people where they were at. He didn't ask the Roman soldiers to stop being a Roman Soldier. Jesus told him to be just and virtuous in his soldier duties. How does this apply to queer people?

Luke 3:23 - Jesus began His ministry at age 30 : There’s no rush, come out when you’re ready

Luke 4:16-30 - No prophet is accepted in his own country : Jesus understands the hardships & joys of ‘coming out’

Luke 4:17-21 - What did Jesus come to do? : Do we liberate or oppress queer people? Do we share God’s abundance with them or withhold it?

Luke 7:36-50 - Woman who Anoints Jesus’ Feet : Queer people’s tears wash Jesus’ feet 

Luke 10:25-37 - The Good Samaritan : Members of the church avoid the injured man, or perhaps are even the ones who hurt him

Luke 13:24-30 - The First Shall be Last and the Last First : We’re gonna be surprised at who gets into heaven

Luke 14:15 - an ass or an ox fallen into a pit : Under some circumstances it’s okay to break a commandment/covenant

Luke 15:1-7 - The Lost Sheep : The 99 sheep are also sinners but they think it’s just the 1 who is lost

Luke 15:8-10 - The Lost Coin : The woman’s joy at being reunited with her lost coin is like God’s joy at being reunited with a queer person.

Luke 15:11-32 - The Prodigal Son : Queer People go on a journey similar to the Prodigal Son

Luke 17:34-35 - One Shall be Taken, and the Other Shall be Left : There shall be two men in one bed; two women shall be ‘grinding’ together, some of them are saved and some aren’t

Luke 22:10 - A Man Carrying a Pitcher of Water : A man not conforming to gender norms is mentioned without any negative connotation

Luke 22:33-34 - Paul will deny Jesus 3 times : What if Jesus tells Paul to deny Him so that he would live to lead the church? Queer people sometimes deny being queer in order to be safe (especially when they’re in the closet)

Luke 22:50-51 - After Peter Slices Off a Man’s Ear, Jesus says “No More of This!” and Heals the Man’s Ear : One day Jesus will say to those who harm queer people, “No more of this!”

John 1:11 - His own received him not : Many queer people experience being rejected by their families and loved ones

John 3:16 - Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life : Despite what some teach, Jesus didn’t come to earth to condemn us, but to save us. Unfortunately, some Christians add “unless you’re queer, in which case you can’t have eternal life”

John 4 - Jesus meets a woman at a well and points out she has had 5 husbands and now lives with a man to whom she is not married : What’s interesting is Jesus doesn’t call her to repent or command her to stop sinning. Contrast this with purity culture. 

John 6:37-39 - I Shall Lose None of all Those He has Given Me : The Church may cast out, but Jesus does not

John 8:2-11 - Woman Caught in Adultery : Jesus stood with the woman, not the religious leaders

John 9:1-3 - Who sinned, the blind man or his parents? : We all have inherent value and should be respected and loved

John 10:10 - I am Come that They Might have Abundant Life : A Harvard Study found Relationships are key to happiness, as are having good health, being educated, having coping skills, and giving back to the community. This is how to have joy, don’t deny this to queer people. 

John 11:43 - Jesus Helps Lazarus to Come Out : Coming out of the closet can feel like going from being dead to coming back to life, or to being fully alive

John 13:23 - John, whom Jesus Loved, is Laying against Jesus’ Breast : Could John & Jesus be in a same-sex relationship?

John 13:26 - Jesus feeds Judas : Jesus never excluded Judas, Judas excludes himself. So why does the church exclude queer people and treat us as enemies?

John 13:35 - By This Shall Men Know Ye are my Disciples if Ye have Love One to Another : To be Christian is to love others, including LGBTQIA+ people

John 14:1-3 - “In my Father's house are many mansions...” : Christ doesn’t tell queer people there’s not a place for us

John 20:15 - Supposing Him to be the Gardner : Jesus is our Gardner

Acts 1:15 - Peter has a dream where God commands him to consume food that his religion considers “unclean.” Peter is reminded that it’s God who gets to declare what is clean and may even contradict the law : This passage shows that God’s promises and beloved community are not defined by our own rules or boundaries, or even by our understanding of God’s law. God is constantly drawing us to love our neighbors

Acts 8:26-39 - Apostle Baptizes Eunuch into the Church : The early Church welcomed queer people. When will the modern Church allow queer people to fully participate?

Acts 10:15 - What God Hath Cleansed, that Call not thou Common : People who were traditionally excluded are welcome

Acts 10:34 - Peter declared “God shows no partiality”

Acts 17:28 - God has a Womb : Do we use the image of God to see the Divine in all of us or do we use God to diminish others?

Romans 1:20 - To Know God, Look at the Things God Created : What does the diversity of different sexual orientations & gender identities tell us about God?

Romans 1:26-27 - Vile Affections : People use this against gays, but it’s really directed at straight people

Romans 8:38-39 - Nothing Separates us from God’s Love : Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Not church leaders, not metaphorical muskets, not the church

Romans 10:12 - There is no distinction between Jew & Greek, the same Lord is the Lord of all, bestowing riches on all who call on Him

Romans 13:10 - Love Does no Wrong to Others : If church is causing harm, then it is not doing the work of Christ and God

1 Corinthians 1:27-28 - God Chose the Lowly Things of this World : Things look different from the margins than they do from the center

1 Corinthians 3:16 - You are the temple of God : The actual temple is our bodies and it's beautiful the way transgender people get to co-create with God in building their temple 

1 Corinthians 4:3-4 - We’re often told not to judge others and not to let others judge us, but it’s easy to forget we shouldn’t shouldn’t judge ourselves. Work hard, do your best, and let yourself be forgiven. When we repent, the Lord forgives and forgets all of our transgressions so we should allow ourselves the same peace of mind. Stop beating yourself up, It’s okay, let it go

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - The Unrighteous Shall Not Inherit the Kingdom of God : No one believes Paul is condemning sex between heterosexual couples as unrighteous, we shouldn’t assume He’s condemning relationships between people of the same gender

1 Corinthians 7 - We Shouldn’t Force Ourselves to be Celibate if We have Sexual Desires, Instead We Should Channel our Sexual Appetites within Marriage : A great argument for Christians to accept & celebrate gay marriages

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 - All the Members are One Body : The church needs its LGBTQ+ members, without us the body of the church is incomplete

1 Corinthians 14:10-13 - So Many Kinds of Voices in the World : It takes every voice for the choir to sound beautiful, no one is without significance

1 Corinthians 15:41 - Glory of the Sun, Moon and Stars : The sun, moon and stars all appear in the same sky. Could this mean we’ll all be together?

Galatians 2:1-5 - Gentiles are not Required to become Jews : Gentiles are accepted as they are and not forced to lose their identity by becoming Jews. Likewise queer people should be accepted as we are and not required to live as cisgender straight people

Galatians 3:28 - Ye Are All One in Christ Jesus : The scriptures say that all our diversity is welcome by Christ

Galatians 5:22-23 - There is No Law Against Love : The law doesn’t distinguish between gay and straight love

Ephesians 5:22-33 - A marriage between a man and a wife is used to symbolize Christ’s relationship with the church : If the church is made up of its members, we are the bride of Christ, we are in a marriage relationship with Christ. Which is an interesting concept for cis hetero men, they’re in a same-sex marriage with Jesus

Colossians 3:9-11 - There is not Greek & Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, slave & free, we’re all one in Christ : We can continue this metaphor to say there is not difference between cis & trans, or gay and straight, you’re all one in Christ

1 Timothy 1:8-10 - Whoremongers...Them that Defile Themselves with Mankind...Menstealers : Condemnation of men who use boy prostitutes, and the slave dealers who procured the young boys and sold them into prostitution, in other words a condemnation of pedophiles, not as some claim of all homosexuals

1 Timothy 3:2 - Husbands of One Wife : Paul is not trying to address questions about sexual orientation or gay marriage in this verse

2 Timothy 3:1-3 - Without natural affection : Hateful, shaming, rejecting behavior by a parent to a queer child certainly sounds like the opposite of “natural affection” and was prophesied in the New Testament

1 Timothy 4:1-5 - Forbidding to marry : This is about people in the congregation leaving the faith because of what’s taught at the pulpit, teachings which happen to not be in line with God’s will . If you're against people of consenting age getting married, it seems like this is a test to show who's on the wrong side.

James 1:27 - Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world : Pure religion is not about hiding away in an ivory tower and discussing eternal truths--it's about being out in the world and living those truths by caring for people. We can come closest to Christ not by studying and memorizing His words but by loving the way He loved "that when he shall appear we shall be like him" (Moroni 7:48).

1 John 4:7-8 - He that Loveth not, Knoweth not God; for God is Love : Any genuine love comes from God. Unfortunately, Christians have created many laws against love

1 John 4:20 - If you hate others then you don’t love God : Quote this verse to any Christian who is yelling scriptures at you for being queer

Jude 1:7 - Going after Strange Flesh : Some use this to condemn homosexuality, but what would be the word for a married person going after “strange flesh,” aka “another flesh”? Adultery!

Revelation 4:1-4 - There’s a Rainbow Around the Throne of God : Confirmation that queer people make it to heaven

1 Nephi 2:2 - God tells Lehi to leave the land given to his ancestors, leave behind the temple, leave behind extended family, and go on a new path : Many queer people also get this message, to leave behind the church, the temple, and the community which are hurting them

1 Nephi 4:6-19 - Nephi Kills Laban : What does it tell us about God that He is chill with murder but not two men or two women in love? Maybe it’s the believers that are mixing up what is okay and what is not

1 Nephi 8 - When Lehi tastes the fruit of the tree, which symbolizes the pure love of Christ, he wants his family to experience it with him : God’s love isn’t meant to be experienced alone

1 Nephi 16:2 - the guilty take the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center : The truth about how church hurts queer people can be hard for believers to hear 

1 Nephi 16:10, 26-29 - Liahona : They had the Brass Plates, but that wasn’t enough. 

2 Nephi 2:25 - Adam Fell that Men Might Be; and Men are that They Might have Joy : A Harvard study found relationships are key to happiness, also helpful are good coping skills and giving back to the community. This is how to have joy

2 Nephi 26:33 - All are Alike Unto God : When will the Church embrace all people?

2 Nephi 31:20 - Love of all men : those who try to make sure they don’t love us too much so that it’s clear they don’t condone all our choices, they are breaking the commandments.

Jacob 5 - Allegory of the Olive Tree : Fruitful trees start producing bad fruit and wild olive branches are grafted in : It’s interesting that good fruit comes from margins of the vineyard, which is not the expected place. The Lord operates in places those in the center don’t even know about

Omni - Two Queer Authors? : This book is written by 5 different men, 2 of them have no sons to whom they could hand it down. Could that be it's because they’re queer?

Mosiah 3:19 - Putteth off the natural man : It’s natural to feel uncomfortable around people who are different from you. Try putting off your natural reaction and learn to see as God does.

Mosiah 9 - Zeniff sees beyond the biased teachings : It’s hard to hate people up close

Alma 7:11-12 - That He May Know How to Succor his People : The atonement lets Jesus know how to help us

Alma 17:24-25 - Ammon & King Lamoni : They love each other

Alma 19 - Abish : Abish was closeted, God used her to upend social norms

Alma 32:9-10 - What Shall We Do? For We are Cast Out of Our Synagogues : Queer people can worship God whether we’re allowed at church or the temple

Alma 34:34 - We’re still queer when we’re resurrected

Alma 37:6 - Who are the small and simple? : Queer people who were considered small and simple were the ones strong enough to break the rules of masculinity and femininity which made it safe for the strong and powerful to come out as queer

Alma 41:10 : Wickedness never was happiness : What makes you joyful is not wicked

Alma 53:2 - Captain Moroni and General Lehi : Could Moroni and Lehi love each other as more than just as friends and soldiers, but as family?

Alma 56:16-17 - Helaman and the 2000 young warriors show up and boost the soldiers’ morale : I can easily imagine feeling beat up and defeated by the nonsense of church folk, and then the arrival of a few more queer people would lift me up and feel like those who be with us are brave and fabulous and what we have is worth defending and affirming.

Alma 60:5-10 - Captain Moroni’s opening words could be a cry of marginalized people and a damning indictment of complicity or participation in their oppression

Ether 6 - Jaredite Barges are Driven by the Winds to the Promised Land : All 8 barges made it to the Promised Land and each made a separate journey

Ether 12:4 - Hope for a Better World : What would a better world look like? A place where we’re all treated alike and allowed personal dignity

Ether 12:27 - I Make Weak Things Become Strong Unto Them : To become strong, people must acquire a positive self image

3 Nephi 28 - The 3 Nephites : Could they be queer? It’s a possibility

Doctrine and Covenants 1 - Purpose of revelations to Joseph Smith : How is the church doing in these purposes in regards to queer people? 

Doctrine and Covenants 38:25-27 - If Ye are not One Ye are not mine : Bad news for the homophobes, transphobes, and all those who oppose their queer siblings

Doctrine and Covenants 46:3-6 - Don’t Cast People out of Church Meetings : Don’t cast out queer people but instead provide a place that is safe, welcoming and inclusive

Doctrine and Covenants 49:15-17 - Whoso Forbiddeth to Marry is not ordained of God : This is a rejection of requiring life-long celibacy and affirms that getting married is approved by the Lord

Doctrine and Covenants 74 - Sometimes apostles teach their own opinions as commandments : Sometimes apostles actually are teaching things opposite of the Lord’s will 

Doctrine and Covenants 78:5-6 - If Ye are not Equal in Earthly Things Ye cannot be Equal in Obtaining Heavenly Things : We could seal gay couples today if we wanted to, that would help make things equal on earth.

Doctrine and Covenants 93:33-34 - Fulness of Joy Contingent on Connectedness of Spirit & Body : Transitioning can be part of a person’s journey towards godliness

Doctrine and Covenants 121:41 - Priesthood doesn’t give Authority and Power over Others : It’s how you treat others

Doctrine and Covenants 128:18 - We cannot be pro-family and anti-LGBTQ+ at same time : Everyone talking about being exalted without their LGBTQ+ family members WON’T BE.  If same-gender couples and trans people aren’t exalted, NO ONE will be. 

Doctrine and Covenants 130:2 - And that Same Sociality which Exists among Us Here will Exist among Us in Eternity : Love will prevail

Doctrine and Covenants 131 - Eternal Life : Nothing in this section excludes queer people from obtaining Eternal Life

Doctrine and Covenants 132 - New and Everlasting Covenant : There’s no reason to think queer relationships were meant to be excluded from being sealed

Doctrine and Covenants 137:7-9 - We will be Judged According the Desires of our Heart : Queer people will not be judged for not completing opportunities not open to us

Moses 6:31 - Enoch doesn’t See Himself as God Does : When queer people accept ourselves it opens 1000 doors of possibility

Moses 7:28-40 - What makes God weep? : God weeps when we don’t have love for one another

Joseph Smith--History - God can be found outside church

Articles of Faith 2 - Adam’s Transgression : Elder Oaks classifies gay marriage as a transgression, not a sin. What are the implications of that?

Articles of Faith 8 - Scriptures only as Good as the Translation and Interpretation : Has the Church & Christianity been interpreting scriptures using fear, ignorance, and personal bias in a way that’s harmful to queer people?

Articles of Faith 13 - Doing Good to All Men : Harming queer people and denying them the promises & blessings made to others is the opposite of what this church claims to believe

Proclamation on the Family - It doesn’t say what most people assume it does. Queer people aren’t discussed at all in this document

Criteria by which Christ will Evaluate our Lives

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Haseeb— The Reckoner, The Accountant, The Sufficient— on three occasions in the Quran. He’s the one who keeps account of everything in the worlds and requites even the smallest of deeds. Al-Haseeb is The Sufficient; in general because He takes care of all His slaves, giving them benefits and warding off harm. Al-Haseeb takes extra special care of those of His pious slaves who put their trust in Him, giving them support and victory!

The Ultimate Reckoner, Accountant, and Sufficient One

Haseeb and Haasib come from the root haa-seen-baa, which points out to three main meanings. The first meaning is reckoning, counting, and calculating. The second main meaning of this root is to give without sparing and to give without the receiver’s expectation. The third is to suffice, to be sufficient, or to be without measure.

This root appears 109 times in the Quran in eight derived forms. Examples of these forms are tahsabanna (“think”), hasbunaa (“sufficient for us”), and al hisaab (“the account”).

Linguistically, hisaab is used to indicate an account, bill, or balance. Al-Haseeb is the One in whose hand is the final account on the Day of Judgement and He will present to mankind their balance in which every detail will recorded to be followed by a most accurate, just, and eternal recompense.

Al-Haseeb Himself says: Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave? [Quran 39:36] . . . And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.” [Quran, 4:6] and . . . And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant. [Quran, 4:86]

Running the Cosmos with Ease

The name Al-Haseeb is close in meaning to Al-Hafeedh, The Preserver. The balance of the entire cosmos shows that there’s a great power capable of computing even the smallest atom up to the largest planet; that power is Allah (swt). The course of the moon, the sun, the clouds, the change of seasons and all systems in the universe perfectly run their course to guarantee the preservation of our life on earth in the best way so that we are able to do what we are created for: to worship Al-Haseeb.
Surely we have created everything according to a measure. And our command is but one, as (swift as) the twinkling of an eye. [Quran 54:49-50] His attribute of hasaba truly is miraculous.

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Bring yourself to account.
[It will be said], Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant. [Quran, 17:14]. Make it a daily habit, for example before you go to sleep, to sit back and do ‘muhassabah: honest self-criticism. Bring yourself to account before you’re brought to account. Make a list with your main weaknesses and make a practical plan on how to work on them.

2. Repent within six hours to Al-Haseeb.
A very important consequence of taking yourself to account is that you repent. How can you repent if you don’t even realize you did something wrong? That’s why al muhassabah is so important. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told us about a beautiful opportunity: The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn’t, they write is down as a single sin. [At-Tabaranee] When you’re about to sin, remind yourself that this sin will be written down and presented to you on the scariest day of your life: the day of Judgement. Take your chance to repent within six hours to avoid your sin being presented to you on this dreadful day.

3. Be honest in your dealings.
Even when people might not find out you were not honest in your dealings, Al-Haseeb will add it to your account. So always be honest in any transactions you do, at work, at school, even in dividing things at home amongst your family and children.

4. Say hasbun-Allaahu wa ni’mal wakeel.

‎حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ means Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs and is one of the most powerful statements we are taught to say in the Quran and the Sunnah. If you put your complete trust in Al-Haseeb, by leaving all matters to Him by seeking only His pleasure, by accepting His decree, and by submitting to His will, you can face any challenge in life. Ibn ‘Abbas radiyallahu ‘anhu said: When (Prophet) Ibraheem ‘alayhi sallam was thrown into the fire, he said: Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and, He is the Best Disposer of affairs [Al-Bukharee].

5. Return the greeting of salaam.
Al-Haseeb even accounts our salaam. He ‘azza wa jall instructs us: And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.[Quran, 4:86]
So if a Muslim greets you with the salaam, return the greeting with a better salaam (wa ‘alaykum ussalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu), or at least equal to the salaam that was given. Therefore, the better salaam is recommended, while returning it equally is an obligation.

6. Ask Al-Haseeb.
Aim high in asking Allah Al-Haseeb; instead of just asking for Paradise, ask for the highest level, Jannatul Firdaws bi ghayri hisaab– without reckoning. A very important daily dhikr is: حَسْبِىَ اللّٰهُ لَآ اِلَهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He. I have placed my trust in Him, He is Lord of the Majestic Throne. Whoever says this seven times in the morning after fajr and seven times after Asr, Allah will take care of whatever worries him/her of the matter of this world and the Hereafter. [Muslim]

O Allah, Al-Haseeb, we know that You measure and bring all to account. Guide us in bringing ourselves to account regularly, make us of those who remember Your hisaab and repent to You continuously, and adorn us with trust in You during all life’s challenges. You are sufficient for us and You are the best disposer of our affairs, make us reflect the signs of Your amazing attribute of hasaba in the entire universe and in ourselves and make us enter Jannatul Firdaws al ‘Alaa without reckoning, ameen!

[esther-dot]

We should talk more about the fandom's love of violence as a response to the injustice.

Bcs i think they're (english isn't mother lenguaje 😅) being played by Grrm? He knows we like to escape to fantasy worlds and seeing the evil be defeated, but also he knows of our taste for blood, vengeance and retaliation.

I know what he said about he not being a strict pacifist believer. But is still contradicts his beliefs to burn alive someone for example, crucify a bunch of people, torture of innocent girls, or torture, simple torture.

One of the mayor problems of Grrm is the ethics and morals of his readers(and his).

Oh, I certainly agree that our acceptance of casual violence as a culture (I say this as an American, perhaps it is different elsewhere), has made a lot of fans miss how critical he is of violence in all forms. There’s a disconnect between what we believe the solution is (killing) and how he shows that to be ineffective. As in, Aerys starts killing people in an unjustified way which leads to a justified rebellion, but in that rebellion, innocents die (Elia, her children) and characters like Ned and Robert, who are victors, have their relationships changed, change as people, never recover what they lost--themselves or their loved ones. It's not a happy ending, not merely because both of those men die by the end of the first book, but because we also know that Aerys’ daughter is coming for revenge and will unleash devastation on Westeros in her effort to reclaim it.

Or we can look at Joffrey killing Ned (unjust), the North going to war (totally understandable), but we’re shown how the smallfolk suffer, that it doesn’t save the Starks from further suffering, and Robb and Cat die. Even when wars seem justified or necessary, Martin refuses to glamorize them the way the fandom wants and might expect. I’ve said before, depicting something isn’t condoning it, and we all land in very different places on certain subjects, “is this for a purpose or is this revealing a disturbing thing about the author”? But justice, mercy, war, peace…that all seems to have been of great interest to him from the get go which means we as readers should try to listen very carefully for that authorial guidance when determining what he is saying about it. Ned chose to save Jon (commit treason), he was ready to defy Robert over Dany, he warned Cersei in an attempt to save her children, and I think fro all his mistakes elsewhere, in these moments, we were meant to see that his was the moral choice:

What strange fit of madness led you to tell the queen that you had learned the truth of Joffrey's birth?" "The madness of mercy," Ned admitted. (AGOT, Eddard XV)

I understand how we get swept up in that feeling of power when a hero can easily kill the bad guy and guarantee a happy ending, but that isn't Martin's world, and in fact, he used Ned to show us how much he valued mercy instead. I recently watched The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die and Uhtred told someone that if you kill a man it only means three sons will rise up to kill you. It made me think of Ned's death, his children who want to kill Lannisters, of the North's loyalty to him, the reality of Dany returning, there is a cost to violence in Martin's story. Obviously, the good guys kill, you're right, he doesn't create a way to be a complete pacifist, and yet, I do think there may be a misalignment between his generation of hippies and our own which is also anti war but otherwise...shall I say, a little more open to violent means.

If we look at Ned's answer to a potential problem (whether that was Jon being a Targ who might grow to hate "the usurpers" for what they took from him a la Dany, or Jon being a bastard who might resent his trueborn "siblings"), he thought love would save them. That Jon growing up loving and being loved by his children would be the solution to a potential future problem. I've said before, I believe Jon will help in retaking Winterfell, will protect Ned's children when he failed to, because Ned, even if he is naive and people suffered for it, had the right ideals.

I believe this is why Sansa is so important because she has that ability to care and show mercy for enemies of her house and people who wrong her specifically, so it seems to me, that she would be someone who might strike compromises for peace rather than resort to further violence. War, death, that doesn’t seem to be Martin's preferred solution, and certainly, cruel deaths, torture, slavery, none of that is acceptable to him which feels like a silly thing to point out, but it is of course, an unpopular stance in the fandom, nonetheless true, and one we should keep discussing! I quite frequently see people act like those of us who write “anti Daenerys” (a tag we use out of consideration for her fans, a consideration that anti Sansa people have never given us) content are engaging in a ship war, but if one wants to understand what the author is saying, I don’t think you can avoid it? Is it really more reasonable to conclude Martin wants us to be fine with burning a slave alive than that we’re meant to be horrified? Tbh, if he didn’t want us to condemn it, doesn’t that demand we condemn his moral framework? It’s a different kind of fandom engagement, perhaps, but trying to understand what the author is saying is the basic form of engagement with a novel, shouldn’t be as offensive as people pretend.

I say this a lot but I always want to reiterate, I love that people who speak English as a second language still engage with the fandom. I know that English speakers are spoiled with content and ease of engagement, and that it can be intimidating to reach out for anyone, more so if there's anxiety about the language barrier, but I'm very happy you did it anyway, and hope you know how much I admire you for it!

[woozapooza]

ridiculously long Sopranos post I swear I tried to keep it concise but this is as short as it's going to get

One pattern among Sopranos viewers that I find baffling is the veneration of Dr. Krakower, the therapist in “Second Opinion” who tells Carmela flat-out that she’s obligated to leave Tony and refuses to take her “blood money.” I’ve seen him described as one of the only truly moral characters in the whole show, if not the only one. I agree that his integrity is truly admirable, but I think a lot of viewers overstate the value of that integrity. Granted, this is partly just me being the biggest Melfi apologist imaginable (I’ll get to that in a second), but I also think that I have an objectively valid point to make. One of the biggest themes of The Sopranos is how difficult it is to make a substantive change in one’s life, and that’s partly a matter of human frailty, but it’s also a matter of circumstances and environment. The Sopranos understands that, for most people, willpower will only take them so far because people don’t exist in isolation. To take an example from the last episode I watched (6x17, “Walk Like a Man”), Christopher has been trying so, so hard to stay sober, but he ends up getting drunk and murdering a guy, and while that is ultimately on him, it might never have happened if he hadn’t endured years of mockery from the very people who insisted that he get sober in the first place. It’s this interconnectedness, this imbrication of people, that makes morality so complicated—and so insufficient. Virtue and vice are unfortunately never the only factors at play in human behavior.

Bringing this back to Krakower: his integrity is undeniably admirable, but what good does it do? Carmela doesn’t take his advice! I saw a YouTube comment that said that the best thing Dr. Melfi ever did for the Soprano family was to refer Carmela to Krakower, but how can that be, when the net impact of that referral was nothing at all? Is throwing moral clarity at a morally murky situation really the objectively right thing to do, when it’s so unlikely to accomplish anything material? Not to mention Carmela's religion teaches her that she’s obligated to stay in this marriage, which is an absurd belief IMO, but it is her belief nonetheless. Of course he’s not going to get through to her if he doesn’t meet her where she’s at. I’m not saying integrity doesn’t matter. I’m just saying that in Sopranos World, as in the real world, you don’t have a good/bad effect on the world just by having good/bad morals. I think it’s best to have one foot firmly planted in morality while also being willing to engage with immorality, but even that approach to life isn’t guaranteed to do good, because sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it’s out of your hands. The world is just too complicated.

One of countless things I love about Melfi is that she’s one of the few characters who I see making a fairly consistent effort to walk the line between principles and pragmatism. Obviously she makes mistakes, she’s as human as the rest of them, but damn it, at least she’s trying! I think a lot of viewers don’t give her enough credit for that. If Krakower deserves credit for his moral intransigence (and he does!), surely Melfi deserves credit for trying to strike an effective balance. I just don’t understand how viewers of this show, which takes such a realistic look at the limits of how far an innate sense of right and wrong can take you, can see one therapist who tells his patient that she has to do something she’s almost guaranteed not to do because it would be enormously difficult both psychologically and logistically (he tells her to “take the children” and go—how’s that supposed to work? They’re not toddlers who she can just scoop up and carry away!) and then sends her away, and one therapist who tries to build a relationship with her patient through which they could theoretically work together on shaping him into a more functional person, and declare that the former is doing it right and the latter is doing it wrong. Sure, her strategy ultimately fails, but so does his, and I think hers was a lot more pragmatic! It would have worked with a patient who was more willing to try. Like me, for example. I would be the best patient she ever had and I would never let her down and she would be so proud of me.

Okay, I had written some additional paragraphs switching gears and focusing on Melfi’s approach to treating Tony and explaining some of the reasons that I will always stan her, but this post is so long already I think I’m going to end it here. Sometime soon I’ll make a separate post with the Melfi paragraphs. She deserves her own post anyway. Have I mentioned that I love her? Have I ever mentioned that???

[chocobochaserstories]

Shinra Executive Omegaverse Headcanons

Believe it or not, despite how I’ve called Hojo a greasy creep, I actually don’t hate him as much as I portray, and characters that I like I tend to torment. I won’t disagree with the fact that Hojo has done some messed up things, but hey, he’s an antagonist, isn’t that his job? Plus, come on, the villains are more fun to play with. Also, I know I forgot Palmer. I didn’t want to write him since A) I don’t really care for him all that much and B) I just didn’t really have any major ideas for him. Edit since writing Hojo’s part: Well, I really decided to not to be nice to him. Characters: Scarlet, Hojo, Reeve, Heidegger,

Scarlet

Scarlet is an Alpha

Scarlet prefers to keep the company of omega workers as her pheromones are more effective at keeping her workers on a tight leash.

This logic also applies to SOLDIERs and infantry, so for example she prefers her footstools to be omegas because she finds them easier to mold into being submissive

Scarlet is not bonded, nor does she plan to be (She claims it’s because she finds mates to be a waste of time, but really it’s because she’s too emotionally reserved to allow herself to let herself be open with another person)

She’s had omegas dedicated to blowing off steam, but she doesn’t know any of their names or remember any of them all that well since she really only wanted them for one purpose.

Scarlet also does not want pups, nor does she like them. She thinks children are messy, temperamental, and obnoxious.

This means she’s also particular about the ages of her employees and often won’t hire anyone under 21-22 (age of mature heat cycles, see Omega Heat Cycle A+P) to avoid any residual pup traits or habits that omegas can carry through their adolescent years. She just doesn’t have the patience.

Hojo

Hojo is a beta… or was.

This also spurred on his research in the field of secondary genders, and what lead him to genetically alter Sephiroth to be a guaranteed alpha, as Lucrecia didn’t actually carry the trait to produce an alpha pup.

Hojo spent so much of his life feeling inferior to Alphas, so he worked hard to prove himself and establish himself in the field of science and research… even if it meant sacrificing his morals and some of his sanity.

If Vincent didn’t annoy him enough before, Vincent being an alpha was definitely the pain in the ass he didn’t want to deal with, or in his workaholic frenzy, have time to deal with.

He also felt the insecurity that Vincent would somehow take Lucrecia from him, given how close she became with her bodyguard and the fact that he’s a workaholic, plus it’s natural for an omega to prefer an alpha.

Haven’t decided yet who did it, but I like the idea that Hojo got bitched, leaning on Scarlet probably did it, getting fed up with the beta’s shit and decided to “teach him a lesson” and “shut him up”.

As you can imagine… Hojo becoming an Omega doesn’t go over well with the scientist, plus with his thought process he believed he could outshine even an alpha if he worked hard enough. That drive consumed him, and he truly looked down on omegas and honestly began to think of them as an inferior race, which isn’t true.

His first heat cycle was brutal.

Something you have to realize, natural born omegas have their reproductive anatomy developed over a period of nearly ten years (see Heat Cycle A+P post), so you can imagine that a body speedrunning that process… it’s not exactly pretty. Plus given the fact that bitching can literally remold bone, not fun.

Heidegger

A no-nonsense alpha. 

He’s pretty closed off, stoic, doesn’t really show the touchy-feely side of himself. I mean, he’s an accomplished general, and I assume he’s got an extensive military resume considering where he stands in Shinra.

Heidegger knows how to channel the aggression and volatility that come with being an Alpha, and that means he knows how to be assertive and control a situation. 

Alphas are generally natural born leaders, and Heidegger’s no exception. 

He’s also the definition of burly, the man is built like a pirate captain. 

Heidegger is also the alpha that for whatever reason decided to have Hojo’s back after his incident. Maybe it was because they already had a level of trust, maybe he had feelings he hadn’t acknowledged, maybe it was instinctive, who knows. Not even Heidegger himself really knows.

He clashes with Scarlet often, given that Scarlet is the only other alpha on the Shinra Executives Board after the death of Shinra Senior, since Rufus and Reeve are omegas and Hojo is beta turned omega. 

Alpha vs Alpha is already a messy construct, given you have two very dominant forces going at each other, and then you have two powerful alphas who already don’t always get along because they clash. Yes, they work well together when they have a common goal, but when they don’t… They do their best to stay far apart and just respect each other’s territories like a pair of feral cats.

Reeve

Reeve is an omega.

Reeve has a maternal drive, and cares deeply about others, but he isn’t mated, nor does he have pups, though he doesn’t necessarily not want pups, he just realizes that with his job he doesn’t really have time to spend with pups the way he would want to.

Because Reeve grew up in the country, he wasn’t used to the struggles that omegas face in the big cities like Midgar.

His caring, gentle nature extends to the people of Midgar, and while he originally came to the city due to his role in its design and construction, plus the engineering and mechanical opportunities he had in the city, he truly does care for the wellbeing of Midgar.

His Inspire nature grants him a little comfort because while he doesn’t have time for pups like he wishes, he can dedicate love and care into the creation of the Cait Sith dolls/robots he controls, which at least partially fulfills his maternal nature. 

Reeve doesn’t forgive Hojo for anything, but he does sympathize with the beta turned Omega and offers help, which Hojo ultimately declines, finding Reeve to be “too soft”.

Reeve’s kindness and earnest nature give him a true omega “behavior profile”.

Also cute little fun idea: Reeve enjoys nesting and will enjoy taking his laptop to work on his work in his nest. He also always includes his mother’s sewing work in his nest, especially her handkerchiefs. They’re his favorite.

[russiandog06]

This is my first time cooking so here me out. I’m in an AJR concert when a paragraphed quote came to mind: “Music is the ultimate combination of logical science, and illogical emotion”. Then the follow up intrusive thought came in like a wreaking ball: a music centered magic system in which music is the bridge between the physical world, one of math, science, logic and reasoning, and the souls of all breathing things.

So as I was trying to figure out how this system would actually work. I thought of the (aura?) sensation of walking through the forest on a hike. How there would be a intuitive thrum from nature itself, with first clue of magic coming form song birds. Music being the bridge between the real world and the soul would be literal, with all living beings having a ‘theme song’. The complexity would reflect the intelligence of the organism. Plants would be very basic having short bits on repeat while animals would be longer and more complex songs that could be played by an orchestra. While humans would have actual lyrics in their songs.

(Should the theme songs be called soul-songs, or something else that’s fancy n stuff?)

(Which could make writing new characters easy, maybe? Just take a song like Yes I’m a Mess by AJR and turn it into a person.)

Meanwhile, another aspect of the song would represent magical capabilities, like volume or intensity, perhaps clarity or maybe quality. You know what, imma pick quality cause a non-magical person would sound like a normal dude while magic users would sound like professionals. Regular animals would sound like a middle school band or a choir of pre-k children, while a dragon would be a full orchestra playing the HTTYD soundtrack.

It terms of a people’s magical capabilities. The common folk would be unaware of soul-songs cause they are not played out loud and cannot be physically heard or detected. Soul-songs can only be instinctively known which is why people ironically say music is like magic without knowing music is literally magic. While common folk are level 1, level 1.5s would be professional singers and musicians who DON’T know about magic, they are just really good at music. Meanwhile, magic users, level 2s, are people who know and can use magic.

Note: being a magic user doesn’t guarantee that they would world-renowned celebrities. In fact, most would try to not be in the public eye to avoid accidental exposure unless they are the best of the best.

Applications of magic would split into different categories. The categories would not be determined by strength but rather by skill and complexity. While strength will be an ambiguous thing that is diverse at all levels. Determined by the quality of the magic user and the circumstances of what they’re trying to do.

The first level would simply be playing a single note to release magic as a physical manifestation. It would be the second hardest stage to achieve due the attempter having to figure out how to take the nature magic/energy of their soul-song and push it into the sound waves made by their instrument. Plus, they wouldn’t be controlling the magic at all, just simply releasing it. Turning the sound wave into a blast of magic. For example, someone on a string instrument, when playing a single note, could release a ‘slice’ of magic that would cut whatever it hits. While someone on a brass instrument would launch a ‘blast’ of magic.

(Like a ki blast of dbz.)

Level two would be achieved by purposely controlling the released magic and weakening its intensity to allow for more complex effects. This is where actual ‘spells’ (not really) would be, like a spell to knock someone out, or make a book float, or pick a lock. However, they can’t control or change anything around them due the nature of how the magic works. It’s already embedded into the sound waves and can’t be injected into other things to effect them at this level, though can still affect objects like telekinesis.

Level three would be changing the sound waves into something else, the ‘conjuration’ level. It has several sub levels ranging from object conjuration, like furniture and blades. Then liquids like water and various chemicals. Next would be gasses like oxygen and hydrogen. Finally, the hardest level would be chemically reactions due to the complexity of making several things at VERY specific amounts to produce a certain effect like fire and explosions. Things that can very easily be overpowered and result in accidental mass destruction.

Level four would be the hardest level to achieve as its the level that bypasses the limits of the second level and transfer the magic from the sound waves and into anything else. This is where actual spells are with applied effects changing the functions of objects (charms) and/or changing the properties of the objects(transfiguration), along with healing too. The difficulty of these spells range based on how detailed and deep the changes are. With easier spells being surface-level applied effects like a stunner, followed by very hard, atomic level changes like turning a thing into another thing; or a turning a person into a dog. Notably, breaking molecules down into atoms and combining atoms into molecules are the easiest while the trickiest spells turn one molecule into another since the magic user isn’t changing the atoms in the molecules, only moving them around. The second hardest spells is to add and remove protons and neutrons from atoms to change an atomic element into another. The hardest spells, however, is to move around electrons, which are smaller, spread out, and constantly moving unlike protons and neutrons which just sit in the nucleus. Moving electrons from one atom to another what electricity is, thus lightning.

[wow-cool-robot]

Episode 19: Cinderella Four

i took a break, and i'm feeling a lot better about the last few episodes after some reflection. the stuff i said bugs me still does, but not as much. my knowledge of cinderella and my tendency towards pattern recognition lead me to believe something sad is going to happen to four this episode. can't wait!

i would also want you out of my city after the last 2 episodes

amuro is a shitty mentor who's trying his best, which is a good dynamic

amuro clearly trying to help kamille avoid dealing with cute enemy newtypes which has never gone well and probably never will, but he's too traumatized and awkward to explain himself

i do like beltorchika here, she seems nosy and worried for amuro, but in ways that make sense and are conducive to good drama

mirai also good here. trying to respect amuro's privacy, but kamille is close enought to him that she feels like she owes him a partial explanation

four jaywalking and forcing trucks to swerve rules

oooh, it's cinderella because they're meeting up and have to return before midnight

on the one hand you probably shouldn't steal a motorcycle, someone might need that. on the other hand they left the key in the ignition, and at that point it's kind of on you

idk, cyber newtypes have worked about as well as anything else

don't call her #4. i assume she's the 4th cyber newtype and they didn't name her, so she took it as a name?

they have until 12 midnight together :(

idk why this is working so well for me, but i think it's the fact that they're both clearly reaching past their trauma to try and make human connections. even though they just met them wanting to spend time together feels earned to me

i say all that and then the guitar kicks in and i can't take it seriously any more

ok, i support cross faction relationships for good drama, but there is definitely a difference between the fascists who gas colonies and the anti-fascists fighting the fascists who gas colonies. that being said, four isn't necessarily a titan and might not have any clue what's going on outside her bubble beyond "you need to fight these people"

frankly i'm surprised four is the first explicit war orphan we've met who wasn't orphaned on screen, unless i've missed someone. you'd think there'd be more, given that over half of all people died in the one year war

though i guess most of them were civilians and it happened when the cities were destroyed leaving no survivors because australia was turned into a crater, so probably most of the dead parents children also died

four looking for her memories is an archetype i've seen before, but this might be one of the earliest examples

i love the carpet bombing interrupting the romantic music

thank you kamille for remembering that the reason you fight the federation is because they're carpet bombing their own civilian population for sympathizing with the enemy

i really like four being super selfish. it gives her personality beyond "is sad about memories" which isn't always a guarantee

this guy piloting the psycho gundam doesn't know what the fuck he's doing

man, amuro really is a better pilot than kamille

yeah, i bet that thing blows big when it eventually goes

thank god for newtype powers, saving valuable seconds each episode by letting characters just know who it is piloting the mobile suit without any cues

dang, four's cool. this is maybe the most impressive newtype thing we've seen. lalah did some cool stuff, but that was all with stuff set up for her and the lasers weren't too big. four controlling the psycho gundam without any of that is impressive

what's up with the animation of the thing coming in? goes in then out then in again? at 14:45 on the youtube version?

yeah, why not. everyone slap kamille. mirai, i think it's your turn

kamille: a man can't go out to die just because he's been slapped

it's a good line, but i'm not sure the show agrees. 0079 definitely takes your side, but this show seems to have a different perspective on things

i like the way they move through physical space in this fight

oof, she is wrecking this city. might have the highest kill count of any character we've met outside a command role

kamille has jumping on a mobile armors back ever worked?

man :( they probably are lying, but kamille can't know that, and neither can he know the aeug could help

the combat system forces her to fight?

that hizack taking off amuros hand and tackling kamille is by far the most impressive a zaku has been since at least episode 10 of 0079

if beltorchika takes mirai's advice and chills i think i'll end up liking her just fine. she was already a lot better in this episode

i think the show has found its identity, and while i don't necessarily jive with it perfectly i do like this

[casspurrjoybell-17]

HEART'S FATE - CHAPTER 31

*Warning: Adult Content*   

Skylar West is good at many things but Martin Hunter appreciates some of his skills more than others. 

Skylar’s expertise with distraction and deflection for example, Martin could do without.

Every time the single dad tried to bring up what happened at the coast, the art teacher turns Martin’s attention to something else.

A kiss and like some Fairy-tale Prince caught in a spell, Martin forgets what it was he meant to say, a softly spoken word and the older man’s priorities shift.

At the same time, Martin can't help but feel that Skylar grows more distant day by day and by the time the weekend approaches again, it seems the younger man hardly has a moment to spare for him. 

Thursday morning, as Martin sees his four children off to school, he hugs himself as a brisk November breeze rattles the few remaining leaves still clinging to the skeletal branches of the trees. 

Winter will set in soon, locking the little mountain town in a cycle of snow and ice until the warm breath of spring breathes life into the land again. 

Thanksgiving approaches, Ambrose Thorne and Noah Hunter have offered to host it at their place, which is big enough to hold everyone and the winter holidays loom beyond. 

In the meantime, though, all Martin can think about is a phone call he hasn't yet received.

"You did say that he was rather old," Skylar points out distractedly when Martin brings the matter up for the fourteenth time. 

"Perhaps he simply forgot. You ought to give him a call and check into it."

Martin watches as Skylar packs more art supplies into a large duffel bag. 

"You're probably right," the older man says and sighs disconsolately, he doesn't imagine calling a doctor's office is on anyone's list of favorite things to do. "What are you packing for, anyway?"

"There's an art show this weekend down in Sacramento," he says. "Thought I'd go."

"Oh..." Martin rubs the back of his neck and glances around the cozy studio apartment which, a few weeks earlier, was nothing but a barren garage. 

"That sounds fun."

Skylar glances up at him. 

"I'd have invited you, but the children might find it rather boring."

"The children needn't be invited by default," Martin points out.

Skylar lifts a brow at him. 

"Would you leave them, though?"

Martin breaks eye contact and look away. 

"I know I'm a little overprotective. I don't want to hover but..." 

Rising, Skylar crosses the room and rests his hand on Martin’s shoulder. 

"I know. You've good reason to be protective. And I didn't mean it that way. It's only a short trip, far more business than pleasure. If it was the latter, I'd have you with me, for sure."

Martin nods, still not quite able to meet the younger man’s eyes and excuses himself as Skylar resumes packing.

                                                     ******

Martin decides to put off the call to Dr Howard, until the afternoon, when he had finished his work for the day but before the children get home and in the intervening time, he did his best to concentrate.

He nearly jumps out of his seat when his cell-phone rings around noon, narrowly avoiding a disastrous accident as he knock over his coffee cup and brown liquid spills across his desk like a tiny encroaching tide. 

Lifting his laptop to safety, he answer the call with a breathless. 

Hello?" 

He sags with relief as he hears his agent's voice on the other end of the line. 

"Hey, Martin. How are you?" she asks.

"Trish. Hi... um... good. It's good. I mean, I'm good," he says and cringes. 

His social skills are far from top tier, especially when unprepared. 

"What's up?"

"Good news," she says. 

"Sales of your last book are steady and your editor says you've got the next one in the bag. The publisher wants at least two more in this series, with a pretty good advance for your genre, if you can guarantee delivery in six months."

‘Two books in six months?’

He rubs his jaw. 

That used to be nothing, I could have done it in his sleep. 

Now, just the thought gives him heartburn.

"Two books?" he repeats. "Could you talk them down to one?"

"I tried, Martin," Trish says, suddenly sounding a lot more honest and a lot more tired. 

"You're not up and coming anymore, you've got a solid following and a reliable audience for your books but they wouldn't budge. It's a cutthroat business. For every established author, there are hundreds willing to work ten times as hard for a tenth of the pay. You know how it is."

He rolls his eyes. 

He does but it doesn't make it any better. 

In his head, he does a series of rapid calculations.

Things are different now. 

With Skylar's help, his family at his back and the weight of guilt and pain finally beginning to lift from his heart, Martin is in a place where he can say 'yes' to this without fearing it will kill me.

"Okay," he says, hearing the smile in his voice. 

"Tell them I'll do it."

"I'll send the contract over," she says, sounding relieved. 

"Read it carefully. There are some new stipulations I couldn't worm us out of but overall, I think it's fair... considering."

"Considering what?" he asks, made wary once more by her tone.

"Just... how long it took you to finish the last one," she says apologetically. 

"I've been on your editor's ass and I know she's been on yours and the publisher's been on mine. I'm sorry, Martin but this is a big deal, okay? It'll make or break you. Understand?"

Martin Hunter swallows. 

"Yeah. I understand, Trish. Thanks."

"Hey," she says, her tone warming. 

"You're my friend, Marty. I only want what's best for you, all right?"

"Yeah, me too," he says, his throat tightening at the nickname only his family use for him and ends the call.

                                                       ******

By 3:00 p.m., he’s sweating. 

Martin is both dying to know and afraid that knowing will end him but with an hour before the kids get home, he calls Dr. Braden Howard on the direct line the Doctor had given him. 

He answers after five rings, long enough to make Martin wonder if he'd been staring at his number and contemplating whether or not to pick up. 

"Dr. Braden Howard speaking," he says, as if he's answering on a two-piece receiver from eighty years ago and not the latest model iPhone Martin knows he has.

"Dr. Howard... it's Martin Hunter," I say. "Umm... I haven't gotten the results yet, and I was wondering..."

"Haven't gotten the results yet," he exclaims, so vehemently that I imagine him in black and white, clapping his hand to his forehead, like a scientist in a Mel Brooks parody. 

"I was sure I sent them along to you! Must have slipped my mind."

"Do you have them?" Martin asks.

"Have them? Of course I have them," the single dad hears papers rustling, followed by what sounds like glass breaking and Dr. Howard swearing under his breath.

Martin waits and at last, the Doctor is back on the line.

"Sorry about that, kid," he says, sounding slightly out of breath. "The truth is... Well, the truth is..."

"Doctor Howard, please," Martin says, breaking in. 

"Please, just tell me. I need to know. I mean... you understand, this is my life. My... everything."

The single dad shuts up as emotion tightens around his throat like a vice.

For a long moment, there's silence. 

Then, Dr. Howard sighs.

"Alright. You know what? Fuck it. I got good news and bad news, kid," he says. 

"Congratulations, or maybe consolations, I don't fucking know at this point. Either way, you're a father. 99% sure. Now, I know you're one of a set but your fellow triplets are fraternal, not identical, right? Even if one of them had fucked your wife, the results wouldn't be the same. Unless you got an evil twin somewhere, you're Nico and Rio's biological father, for sure.."

Martin covers his mouth to contain the sob that chokes him and then take a breath. 

"Okay, so what's the bad news?" he asks.

Doctor Howard sighs.

"That ex-wife of yours is something else, you know that? She paid me a visit. Threatened me. Told me to destroy the results or change my report. Fortunately, I'd sent everything off to the lab already, once it's out of my hands, it's official record. Nothing I can tamper with."

"Are you okay?" Martin asks him, anxiety triggering a slideshow of horrors to play through his mind.

Dr. Howard chuckles. 

"I'm eighty-seven years old, kid," he says, "And entirely human, despite my associations. She scared me, yeah. But what's she gonna threaten me with? Death?" he cackles. 

"I'm perfectly fine. It's you I'm concerned about. That bitch wasn't at all pleased when I sent her on her way, though. Best keep an eye on those sweet boys of yours. I got a bad feeling, if you know what I mean."

"Thank you, Doctor Howard," Martin says, resting his face in his palm and breathing a sigh. 

"I will. I'm sorry you were dragged into this."

"No worries, kid. I'll make sure the results are stored safely and get you a copy in the mail. Should be there in a day or two. Take care."

The doctor ends the call and Martin Hunter lets the phone fall from his hand and clatter to the floor as he drops to his knees.

The single dad doesn't know what to feel or what he’s feeling but what starts as quiet catches in his breath soon grows into deep, uncontrollable sobs as his mess of emotions overcome him like a sleeper wave, knocking him down and pulling him under hard.

And that's how Skylar West finds him, sometime later, curled in a ball on the kitchen floor. 

[theaword-livingwithautism]

What is Autism?

Autism, or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that exists on a severity spectrum, with some symptoms presenting stronger than others, and some individuals presenting more symptoms than others. On the “high” end of the spectrum, you’ll find conditions like ADD (Attentional Deficit Disorder), and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder). On the “low” end of the spectrum, you’ll find individuals whose autistic traits severely impact their ability to function on a day-to-day basis, can deeply affect their thought and speech patterns, and can limit their ability to live and function independently. But both ends of the spectrum are still autism, and so is everything in between.

The Prevalence of Autism

The diagnosis of “autistic” in some capacity has risen dramatically in recent years. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 2000, 1 in 150 children were reported to have been diagnosed as autistic in some capacity, and in 2018, that number is now more like 1 in 44 children. This is of course, quite drastic. But why is that? With an increase in the quality of diagnostic tools such as the DSM-5, which has erased Asperger’s Syndrome altogether and combined it to create the term “autism spectrum disorder,” researchers are beginning to broaden their understanding of the autistic spectrum and what it means to be “severely autistic”. Additionally, it can be extremely difficult to diagnose girls and non-binary individuals with autism, as many of the diagnostic tools were created around white males for white males. While the male rate of autism is almost four times that of women, our understanding of autism is always changing as we continue to listen to autistic individuals about their symptoms and experience in order to improve our full understanding of autism spectrum disorder.

Why Should You Care About Autism?

You have met someone with autism. I guarantee it. Whether it was the kid in elementary school who was “weird” and introverted, preferred books over people, and spoke rarely, or the high school cheerleading captain who was always moving and talking and severely obsessed with the Twilight Saga, autistic individuals come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities. It is important that we understand autism at a base level in order to make the lives of autistic individuals around us easier. Additionally, understanding autism means that if you encounter an autistic person in distress, you will have the equipped knowledge to understand the situation and know the “dos-and-don’ts” of assisting an autistic individual.

What Does Autism Look Like?

Autism doesn’t look like anything. This is very important. Once you have met a person with autism, you have met a person with autism. This saying is used to mean “Not all autistic people are the same, and you should not treat them as if they are the same.” In fact, treating all autistic people you meet as if they are the same could be actively harmful for you, as symptoms in their severity change from person to person, and what might be a pleasant noise for one autistic person could cause a shutdown to another.

What are the Symptoms of Autism?

Some of the basic signs are sensory avoidance, which occurs in all ages and demographics. Touching certain textures, smells, tastes, visual stimuli, sounds: All of these things can be incredibly difficult at various levels for any autistic person. And the severity of reactions can vary greatly as well. For example, I actively avoid raw tomatoes as the sensory experience of smelling and tasting them, and the texture of the tomato in my mouth makes me actively nauseous, but sometimes even if my favorite food doesn’t smell right, I can’t eat it, or my brain tells me that it isn’t safe to eat. These symptoms while often present, are always changing.

Another common symptom of autism is a behavior commonly referred to as “stimming”. Clinically referred to as “self stimulating behaviors,” these things can include flapping one’s hands, making unprompted noises or talk to oneself, obsessively touching or tapping objects, rocking back and forth, and the impulse to chew on things or even one’s own body like obsessively biting your lips or fingernails. These behaviors exist when autistic individuals are in non-ideal states of stimulation, either too high or too low. They can be used to ground the brain in high-stress situations (like flapping one’s hands or rocking back and forth) or to provide extra stimulation to the brain in a low-stimulation environment (like making unprompted noises and chewing on things). It’s also important to note that these behaviors can, and often do, go both ways. I rock back and forth as an overstimulation and understimulation tool, for example. It is a comforting behavior for me regardless of the situation I am in.

A lack of speech or delayed speech is also very common in autistic individuals. Sometimes people are completely nonverbal, or can be like me, where they are partially nonverbal and experience episodes of aversion to verbal conversation because the surrounding environment can be overstimulating, or other factors may be in play, causing extreme stress and eventually leading to a “shutdown,” which for me, often includes a nonverbal episode. On a less extreme level, nonverbal communication and behaviors can also just be calming and easier for autistic individuals, especially those who struggle to correctly use tone when speaking aloud.

Another one of the significant symptoms is a lack of understanding in social skills and cues, or struggling to interpret tone and inflection in the words of themselves or others. The most stereotyped example of this is an autistic student in your class wanting to be your friend and proceeding to follow you around, constantly attempt to speak to you, and even tell other people that you’re their friend whenever you were just being polite and hoping that they would leave you alone, as you were trying to focus on your work. In this situation, the autistic individual failed to observe the social expectation that you provide the people you are friends with the space they request when they request it, and they also failed to interpret your tone correctly, taking your politeness as friendship when you were really just trying to get some peace and quiet. While it is neither individual’s fault here, and both people were doing what they thought was best, it is important to recognize that this situation is extremely common, especially in elementary-aged children, or in stages of life with heavy social development periods. It’s also a difficult situation to solve on your own, as it can be tempting to snap at the autistic student and say something rude even though it would make them realize that they were not having a positive impact on you. The correct thing to do in this situation would be to sit down and have a one-on-one conversation with the student and explain how they’re making you feel, and ask for them to either change their approach and give them suggestions on how to do so, or politely ask that they leave you alone for the time being. We’ll get into conflict resolution and social struggles with autism later, but I wanted to give you a little sneak peak on why social cues and expectations can create such difficulty for both autistic and non-autistic individuals. The differences in the communication styles of both can create misunderstanding and unnecessary conflict.

The last symptom that is highly common is something called a “special interest” or a “hyperfixation.” Autistic individuals will often choose a topic that they like and then proceed to develop complex, in-depth knowledge about the topic and everything related to it. This information-gathering process is extremely common across all parts of the spectrum, and something that many autistic individuals can use to relate to each other. This topic in particular is so complex that it will ultimately require its own post, as I sit here thinking about it.

Where Should I go to Learn More About Autism?

Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html

National Institute of Mental Health: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/autism-spectrum-disorders-asd

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network: https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/about-autism/

Autistic Women and Non-Binary Network (AWN): https://awnnetwork.org/

Where Should I NOT go to Learn More About Autism?

This will be its own post. But, it is very important to note in the understanding of autism that there are people who believe that autism should be eliminated from the gene pool. There are also organizations which claim to have the interest of autistic individuals at heart and have been shown to have less than positive intentions. The next post will cover this topic.

Thanks for reading!

[eminentsoftblogs]

Finding a Registered NDIS Service Provider in Melbourne: Your Guide to Quality Support

Navigating the world of disability services can be overwhelming, but finding a registered NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) service provider in Melbourne doesn’t have to be. By following a few strategic steps, you can ensure that you choose the right provider that aligns with your needs and goals. Among the trusted options available, Pulse4Life stands out as a premier NDIS service provider in Victoria, including Melbourne. Here’s how you can find the right NDIS provider for you.

Steps to Find a Registered NDIS Service Provider in Melbourne

1. Search the NDIS Provider List

Start your search by visiting the official NDIS website, which features a comprehensive directory of registered providers. Utilize the search filters to narrow down your options based on specific services available in Melbourne, such as supported independent living in Melbourne. This step is crucial for finding providers that meet your specific support needs.

2. Check Services Provided

When selecting an NDIS provider, it’s important to evaluate the range of services they offer. Pulse4Life is an excellent example, providing a diverse array of support options tailored to individual needs, including:

Supported Independent Living: Assisting clients in living independently through customized housing solutions.

24-Hour High-Intensity Nursing Care: Delivering complex care services, such as wound management and catheter care.

Domestic Care: Offering assistance with daily living tasks, including cleaning and household chores.

Group/Centre Activities: Facilitating community participation through engaging social activities.

Travel Assistance: Providing transport services for work, education, and community events.

Behaviour Support: Implementing comprehensive strategies for managing complex behaviors.

3. Evaluate Credentials

Ensuring that the service provider employs well-trained staff is essential for receiving quality care. At Pulse4Life, all team members are equipped with the necessary certifications, including:

Cert III/Cert IV in Disability or Individual Support

Healthcare and Nursing Degrees

Working with Children Checks, Police Checks, and other safety certifications

These credentials not only guarantee a high standard of care but also foster trust and security for clients and their families.

4. Make a Referral or Contact Them

Once you have identified potential service providers, it’s time to reach out. You can easily contact Pulse4Life to discuss your specific needs and make a referral. They can be reached at 1300 785 734 or by visiting their office at 252 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong, VIC. Their team is dedicated to understanding your unique situation and can guide you through the next steps in your support journey.

Conclusion

Finding the right NDIS service provider in Melbourne is a crucial step towards ensuring high-quality, client-centered care that supports your independent living goals. By following these steps and focusing on reputable providers like Pulse4Life, you can feel confident that you will receive the tailored services you need. Remember, the right support can make all the difference in enhancing your quality of life, so take your time to choose wisely.

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Al-Haseeb— The Reckoner, The Accountant, The Sufficient— on three occasions in the Quran. He’s the one who keeps account of everything in the worlds and requites even the smallest of deeds. Al-Haseeb is The Sufficient; in general because He takes care of all His slaves, giving them benefits and warding off harm. Al-Haseeb takes extra special care of those of His pious slaves who put their trust in Him, giving them support and victory!

The Ultimate Reckoner, Accountant, and Sufficient One

Haseeb and Haasib come from the root haa-seen-baa, which points out to three main meanings. The first meaning is reckoning, counting, and calculating. The second main meaning of this root is to give without sparing and to give without the receiver’s expectation. The third is to suffice, to be sufficient, or to be without measure.

This root appears 109 times in the Quran in eight derived forms. Examples of these forms are tahsabanna (“think”), hasbunaa (“sufficient for us”), and al hisaab (“the account”).

Linguistically, hisaab is used to indicate an account, bill, or balance. Al-Haseeb is the One in whose hand is the final account on the Day of Judgement and He will present to mankind their balance in which every detail will recorded to be followed by a most accurate, just, and eternal recompense.

Al-Haseeb Himself says: Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave? [Quran 39:36] . . . And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.” [Quran, 4:6] and . . . And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant. [Quran, 4:86]

Running the Cosmos with Ease

The name Al-Haseeb is close in meaning to Al-Hafeedh, The Preserver. The balance of the entire cosmos shows that there’s a great power capable of computing even the smallest atom up to the largest planet; that power is Allah (swt). The course of the moon, the sun, the clouds, the change of seasons and all systems in the universe perfectly run their course to guarantee the preservation of our life on earth in the best way so that we are able to do what we are created for: to worship Al-Haseeb.
Surely we have created everything according to a measure. And our command is but one, as (swift as) the twinkling of an eye. [Quran 54:49-50] His attribute of hasaba truly is miraculous.

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Bring yourself to account.
[It will be said], Read your record. Sufficient is yourself against you this Day as accountant. [Quran, 17:14]. Make it a daily habit, for example before you go to sleep, to sit back and do ‘muhassabah: honest self-criticism. Bring yourself to account before you’re brought to account. Make a list with your main weaknesses and make a practical plan on how to work on them.

2. Repent within six hours to Al-Haseeb.
A very important consequence of taking yourself to account is that you repent. How can you repent if you don’t even realize you did something wrong? That’s why al muhassabah is so important. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told us about a beautiful opportunity: The Scribe on the left delays registering the sin of a Muslim for six hours. If he repents (within these six hours), and seeks Allah’s forgiveness, they drop if off. If he doesn’t, they write is down as a single sin. [At-Tabaranee] When you’re about to sin, remind yourself that this sin will be written down and presented to you on the scariest day of your life: the day of Judgement. Take your chance to repent within six hours to avoid your sin being presented to you on this dreadful day.

3. Be honest in your dealings.
Even when people might not find out you were not honest in your dealings, Al-Haseeb will add it to your account. So always be honest in any transactions you do, at work, at school, even in dividing things at home amongst your family and children.

4. Say hasbun-Allaahu wa ni’mal wakeel.

‎حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ means Allah is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs and is one of the most powerful statements we are taught to say in the Quran and the Sunnah. If you put your complete trust in Al-Haseeb, by leaving all matters to Him by seeking only His pleasure, by accepting His decree, and by submitting to His will, you can face any challenge in life. Ibn ‘Abbas radiyallahu ‘anhu said: When (Prophet) Ibraheem ‘alayhi sallam was thrown into the fire, he said: Allah (Alone) is sufficient for us, and, He is the Best Disposer of affairs [Al-Bukharee].

5. Return the greeting of salaam.
Al-Haseeb even accounts our salaam. He ‘azza wa jall instructs us: And when you are greeted with a greeting, greet [in return] with one better than it or [at least] return it [in a like manner]. Indeed, Allah is ever, over all things, an Accountant.[Quran, 4:86]
So if a Muslim greets you with the salaam, return the greeting with a better salaam (wa ‘alaykum ussalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu), or at least equal to the salaam that was given. Therefore, the better salaam is recommended, while returning it equally is an obligation.

6. Ask Al-Haseeb.
Aim high in asking Allah Al-Haseeb; instead of just asking for Paradise, ask for the highest level, Jannatul Firdaws bi ghayri hisaab– without reckoning. A very important daily dhikr is: حَسْبِىَ اللّٰهُ لَآ اِلَهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَ هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيْمِ Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He. I have placed my trust in Him, He is Lord of the Majestic Throne. Whoever says this seven times in the morning after fajr and seven times after Asr, Allah will take care of whatever worries him/her of the matter of this world and the Hereafter. [Muslim]

O Allah, Al-Haseeb, we know that You measure and bring all to account. Guide us in bringing ourselves to account regularly, make us of those who remember Your hisaab and repent to You continuously, and adorn us with trust in You during all life’s challenges. You are sufficient for us and You are the best disposer of our affairs, make us reflect the signs of Your amazing attribute of hasaba in the entire universe and in ourselves and make us enter Jannatul Firdaws al ‘Alaa without reckoning, ameen!

[michel-tanguy]

New Post has been published on Michel Tanguy

New Post has been published on http://micheltanguy.com/12-15-greatest-worldwide-relationship-websites-software-to-hitch-in-2023/

12-15 Greatest Worldwide Relationship Websites & Software To Hitch In 2023

Content material

Specializing In A Relationship

Which usually Mail Purchase Bride Web Sites Are Good Used?

Best Females Profiles Out of Easternhoneys

Do’s And Do Not’s When Going out with Russian Real love

There will be dozens of locations the place the most famous single women live. It truly is, however the truth is that often, it might be better still than a marriage with somebody you meet every single day. Listed below, we record all the primary advantages of courting a girl who is numerous miles away. Chatting is important and difficult component to acquaintance, particularly at first. Although chatting, you are allowed to perceive the character and particular traits of the companion. Women of all ages who’re all set to meet with you after one-two days of messaging are not the ones that are about as excellent future brides to be or wives.

Additionally , we coated the approved elements of getting married to a Ukrainian woman and the visa span of.

Without any doubt, Russian girls are extremely accountable in regard to marriage, home, and personal associations.

So why not be a part of eharmony at present and be launched to some ideal local or international public?

Like different mail order brides providers, Love Myself allows you to mail real-life gift items to young women.

The associate has to apply for a spouse and children visa to live permanently in britain. However , should your partner doesn’t have this visa, you, as a pair, must alert your objective to get hitched and wait until the Home Business office comes to a choice.

Focusing On A Relationship

It truly is changing into obvious the net site has paid out choices for males whereas women can provide across it freely. Females must upload simply no much less than two footage to finish the signing up course of, whereas males may skip it. The user profiles are quite precise, and enjoying them is freed from bill. Even though there is no iphone app right in the meanwhile, you can use a mobile internet browser to run LoveMe. Every region, race, or faith attracts folks out of different ethnicities for several causes.

RoseBrides. com delivers all of the equipment you need to meet up with stunning, simple and appropriate mail buy bride — who could also be every thing you’ve ever dreamed of and extra. A good firm costs round $40 a month for the purpose of consumer pub. The mentioned mail purchase brides costing ensures that you merely work together with actual users as a substitute of potential frauds. Depending upon the sort of online communication and service you favor most, you’ll have being able to depend on spending $100 a month. Therefore , if it requires a minimum of 6 months to get to know one another, you contemplate $600 a normal price for the Mexican star of the wedding. Before you set your ideas on going to any land, you want to use a while speaking with the mail-order fiancé of the desires.

It really is demonstrated, the adoration of Eastern European brides can not be as opposed with different gals all over the world. Ukrainian brides, for example , are thought to be likely one of the most enticing girls on the planet. You need to be thus lucky to start her gentleman, as you might be essentially the most satisfied man inside your continent. Should you be interested by finding the pleasure with Eastern Eu Ladies to get marriage but do not know the method to win the hearts of Eastern Western european women. At the start, it is essential to find dependable online dating web sites. For this relationship service, you can interact with gals worldwide using multimedia, and customers happen to be checked intended for authenticity to guarantee you keep protect while using the firm. To arrange an account on this dating service, you should enter name, birthday, nationality, and email.

Which All mail Order Bride Websites Are Perfect Utilized?

Suffice it to say, the lowest priced snail mail order brides in The european union are Slavic brides. These types of ladies aren’t that challenging and you may significantly save on several elements during travel to those countries. For example , in Kyiv, the significance of leisure is less compared to Warsaw or the Czech Republic. Even though European one ladies are believed of for being choosy, receiving a wife by European countries is not that pricey. Nevertheless, is actually still attainable to consider a particular nation for the rationale that costs all over the completely different places may considerably differ. We possess compared the prices in different international locations and identified the typical well worth of a mailbox order star of the wedding in The european union, in key phrases of the two-week vacation.

Finest Women Single profiles From Easternhoneys

Users are able to use the seek out filters to customize search outcomes according to their choices. When you be bored with the folks of your community, or you might be interested in interracial connections, it is time to hitch the intercontinental relationship sites to search out the most efficient match. Going out with someone within a unique country has not been clear-cut a couple of years before, but expertise has made this attainable. With so many marriage sites and apps, you possibly can simply get connected to someone in one other part of the world. The advanced filters permit you to shortlist a number of profiles as per to age, location, vocabulary, ethnicity, and faith. You could also end up being wondering if you have to lay the a fortune to affix these sites. You are able to become a member of every website without cost and pay a meager figure to speak with the customers.

Do’s Is to do Not’s When ever Relationship Russian Singles

Consequently, Russian submit order wedding brides are a ideal option for these on the lookout for a lifelong https://mailorderbridesadvisor.com/ companion. You can not buy Russian women with regards to marriage about worldwide internet dating sites, as any courting companies don’t encourage women.

This is exactly what A Paid out Membership Can get You:

For me, this mail order website will all the time be a trustworthy method to an variety of Asian complements and a love your life that you simply do not ever thought that you’ll get. Fundamentally, TheLuckyDate stands among the many excellent 15 mail buy bride websites for its usability and a major set of communication tools. Zero difficult choices, it’s only a easy -mail order woman site that’ll help you make the worldwide dating journey to Eastern The european countries unforgettable.

[jack-bytez-genuine-corner]

Why did I talk about Hogwarts am I dumb!?!?

I just realized I commented on Hogwart’s Legacy so now I need to put this out there:

* Spend your money however you want

* The best thing that COULD happen to the game has happened, which is that it’s PR has been trashed heavily and in a very public manner, so if you think it sold too much remember the point was to get a conversation going, and it’s STILL going, so amazing job to all the active participants

* No ethical consumption under capitalism, but explaining and reasoning why giving royalties to a TERF is bad is a good thing to do and I would argue brave. The goal isn’t to STOP purchases, it’s to make people AWARE and hopefully that’ll lead to them and others taking small actions to better the world for everyone.

* There were queer people who were into the series and those who aren’t, my husband was and distancing from it has been harder for him than for me because he was a MASSIVE fan while I was born too late to get into it and never really cared. Everyone has a different relation with media and so be careful with how you talk about those people because the wrong words could turn someone who would be a potential ally into an obstinate enemy.

* Remember to transition from the game to talking about other bad things Trans people have to unfairly deal with: A good example being the discrimination Trans streamers face daily that isn’t treated as well as the people who are being told “No, I don’t like you anymore cause you played this game on stream” because one of these is a very real problem that people shouldn’t have to put up with, and the other is people being petulant children. Other examples being TERF operations in the UK that Rowling promotes which should be ended as soon as possible.

* Small factoid, even though no one will really care: Rowling only gets royalties, not actual cash, while the devs and publisher put in a Trans woman as a focal character and actively tries to diminish the antiemetic undertones of the Goblins. Things change, and properties change, with the times, so while it is important to lambast Rowling, don’t forget that she doesn’t “Own” the IP anymore and that was what drove her to her first massive public meltdown, her second being suspiciously timed with the game’s original delay. And yes, just like Fantastic Beasts this COULD end up with the game selling poorly... Or it might not affect sales at all, who knows.

* The target is practically just JK Rowling and her supporters, so don’t go throwing hands with everyone who talks about the game. It’s a waste of energy for you and a bad image for everyone else. Instead focus on things you CAN control, educate others, and ideally use the momentum from this to launch a very real change. Things are practically GUARANTEED to sell loads if they get tons of marketing, so don’t let that discourage you from making a real change in your own space, even if that change is only on a personal level.

Background about me is that I’m gay and married, neither Trans nor Jewish so I’m NOT an authority on any of this and I’m just throwing my cents into the large hat. I posted several replies on the matter but felt like I should write a long post of my thoughts incase anyone comes looking to discuss or harass. I didn’t feel right just leaving a bunch of random, unsolicited comments and then saying nothing at all, but nuance is hard on the web and even harder in a heated environment. I’ll try not to divulge into the cesspit that is the game’s current PR standing because you basically can’t say anything without being pinned one way or the other, and in earnest it’s better for me to not worry about that video game and instead focus on my studies, my life, and my found family.

[thaneweb]

Funding your youngster's schooling abroad

Guardians generally look for the best for their youngsters. Furnishing them with the best of training in their preferred surge is one of their main concerns. Most children today are sensibly clear on which college they might want to join in, way before they even completion center school. Thus it turns into the obligation of guardians to remain ready to furnish them with the truly necessary monetary help, and assist their fantasies with taking off.

Abroad training presently includes high on the list of must-dos of many children and guardians the same. While the expense and distance could appear to be very overpowering, with the right exploration, arranging and help, one can make this difficult assignment more straightforward, and assist with giving the kids the future they yearn for.

The following are a couple of things to remember whether your kid is quick to seek after higher examinations abroad:

Do all necessary investigation

Most understudies think US/UK for higher investigations abroad. In any case, one can investigate foundations in Australia and Canada that match the nature of training and potential open doors given by the top establishments in the US or UK - that too at a much reasonable expense. It might likewise be noticed that everyday costs in nations, for example, Canada and Australia are lower when contrasted with the UK or US.

Make a gauge of the all out cost

Whenever you have focused in on several establishments, now is the right time to sort out an expected financial plan. The college educational expenses as a rule makes for the greatest piece, except if you have a support or grant. Notwithstanding educational expenses, there are different costs to be thought about, for example, everyday costs, travel costs, various costs, and that's only the tip of the iceberg. It is vital to incorporate all significant heads so you or your kid doesn't miss the mark regarding assets anytime.

Sort out the wellspring of assets

There are many banks that offer schooling credits to subsidize advanced education. In any case, it should be noticed that most credits just concealment to 85% of the youngster's educational expenses. The leftover 15-20% is to be paid by the guardians or kids later on. You can decide to begin constructing the training store well ahead of time so you have a decent corpus when your kids are prepared to leave the home. You could put resources into repeating stores or shared reserve Tastes. On the other hand, you could open an abroad unfamiliar cash record and fabricate the corpus over the long haul by dispatching cash into it. Such unfamiliar money reserve funds assist fence against future trade with gambling or cash depreciation. Associate with us to find out about the abroad record.

Survey your ventures

Assuming you're putting resources into shared store Tastes or some other market connected instrument, it means quite a bit to survey your speculations no less than two times per year to guarantee that your funds are on target. When your monetary objective is close, it is prescribed to move your corpus to safer roads like fixed stores, obligation common assets, or investment accounts so you don't risk losing it to advertise changes.

To Know more about Junior Colleges in Thane city visit below link

Link : https://www.thaneweb.com/

[phantomtutor]

Response Essay #1:For Monday, February 28, write an essay that responds to and/or uses and cites Jennifer Boylan’s essay on summer jobs. 2-3 pages double-spaced. This essay is an exercise in essay structure as well as the use of reading. Your Essay should be a reflection on work and incorporate your own experiences or observations. Talk about life as you know it. Don’t make stuff up!Essay Structure: While the content of your essay is obviously your own, the structure of your essay should be very similar to the model essay you’ll find below. The structural key components are indicated in color. Feel free to color-code your essay as well. Not required, though.Title1st paragraph: Introduction with thesis (central idea, in purple).2nd paragraph: Summary of the reading (blue) with in-text citation (green).3rd-4 or 5th paragraphs: Your response points. Each paragraph begins with a Topic Sentence (orange) that states the idea that paragraph will discuss. Use specific examples from your own experience (red) and cite Boylan whenever you quote or paraphrase her ideas.Last paragraph: Conclusion that recaps the main idea and possibly adds a little observation or recommendation.1 of 4The model essay is below. It’s called “Service is the Rent we Pay for Living”Service is the Rent we Pay for LivingI don’t remember where it came from, but I like that quote. At a time when people talk a lot about self-care and pleasure, I may sound like the Grinch when I declare that the meaning of our lives is not derived from what we do for ourselves or what others do for us, but that a life’s worth should be measured by what we do for others, and apart from loving our families, partners, and friends, that service for others typically takes place at work. Work is the central way in which the social web all of us are a part of is formed, and it allows individuals to make contributions to society, which in turn creates feelings of self-worth. Children should learn that work is valuable early in life, and one way to teach that lesson is by encouraging teens to get summer or weekend jobs while they are still in school.In the short New York Times essay “The Value of a Mindless Summer Job,” Jennifer Finney Boylan reflects on the summer jobs she had as a teenager in the 1970s—selling hot dogs on the Jersey Shore, mowing lawns, working as a teller at a bank—and she worries that her sons might be missing out by doing major-related internships instead. She wonders “whether their summer jobs are as likely to build their characters as their résumés” (Boylan 2). She doesn’t quite spell it out, but I assume she is talking about traits such a perseverance, resilience, and kindness. I am sure some of the customers at McDonald’s are annoying, but working there one would learn quickly how to be able to treat all customers with respect and not take rude behavior personally, important life lessons.2 of 4Another important issue Boylan addresses is social inequality. She feels that working an entry-level job makes people aware of class privilege, which is why it is especially important for teens from privileged backgrounds to work. We live in a society characterized by enormous socio-economic inequality and even full-time employment doesn’t guarantee a comfortable, safe life, especially for people with families to support. Lots of people who work full-time remain poor while a few individuals are paid astronomical sums for their work. CEO Tim Cook’s pay was over 1,400 times the average Apple worker’s in 2021. And then we have these co-called Social Media “Influencers” who don’t work at all but make millions for posting trivial, absurd, misleading, or obscene “content” on the Internet. While a few CEOs and celebrities are paid astounding salaries, lots of people work back-breaking jobs on construction sites or in restaurants and hospitals for just enough money to pay the bills. What’s troubling, in my experience, is that most people who have cushy jobs

or are lucky enough to be supported by their parents or a spouse don’t think that’s a problem.This inequality and lack of respect for workers might have to do with the fact that work per se is not valued. The only careers that are respected are those of highly skilled, well educated, successful professionals: doctors, lawyers, software engineers, entrepreneurs, athletes, and performers, but I suspect that we admire them only in part because of their qualifications. I think we admire them because they are well paid. But what about all the other not so well-paying jobs all of us depend upon in our day to day lives? Not everyone can or wants to go to school for years and years to get a fancy degree. And not everyone is a maverick with a special gift. I don’t see anything wrong with that, and I think mowing the lawn and selling hot dogs are a perfectlyreading link:https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet02-xythos.content.blackboardcdn.com/61aab133e7df2/12857282?X-Blackboard-Expiration=1645563600000&X-Blackboard-Signature=E%2FVVYjwEKzidMW7tGRFFdkNJNSu54Vipvr2xabrwLb4%3D&X-Blackboard-Client-Id=100211&response-cache-control=private%2C%20max-age%3D21600&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%2712%2520The%2520Value%2520of%2520a%2520Mindless%2520Summer%2520Job.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Security-Token=IQoJb3JpZ2luX2VjEAgaCXVzLWVhc3QtMSJGMEQCIEt3RQZLrzyBQFmHCEbiMK9E%2Bi4LPVzCeSMALNZQe0rVAiBeGslddEN4CVTzFPI4amdPWN8UknenVn1jeF%2FiaTVNNir6AwhhEAIaDDYzNTU2NzkyNDE4MyIMUNmCALCTddsc0n91KtcDHDCFGtOE0KHy5ts%2BzWnt%2FHzNpACdxk%2FbKAK56tvld0IUVOi3He5B8mAmfw7BEJ%2FVGCGnTy7SIByBuamMf7X%2F1xgo65iYOaCDQHk2AFoo6CEBxYwYlorz9YhuBvBU80Et8547F8XE7sY2MjnXf64qgJTMm21rmpR%2BqRBqCeaXTT5iciSYhRo%2FORnS53UkDvKMEycbRlXwRTG39V7s0cIocL%2FGJ2xW69yXMgLhJTcvBaKpwpXwYmGTbGQaB%2BOPPRK8AJb5K4y%2F%2Bt%2BVqPjdsG%2Bn8XJqu1ctfygt6w2OHs%2FnxxOXTfaqTXqu6C5x%2F6WoG95bl%2FZQCSKNLcdLY6boTBIFm1tSIMPVTIv%2FqIbjKeWbQg0fzeLfs6D7ezmc1r13AObyyAyqhMXLPscRWPf5MIBTRqN3fJm4wPOKegrD87guhge9v7N1CoGH9BqlCZaaMRZxaafGPIQ83JKmJF%2BC5teX6WP4CVhbNFhPermF8yM%2F1XigXiNREuP9S894Cm8Y9b0BJ6yj0RfHOnAlrMOn0trq8tC6egrmdjpTr03UrENzRmGtrquqQbgWllSL6b%2Fjd%2F9IPOOJRqIXjACFC1PC41ab6mwWkiw5xhUlAAvoj9YPhCZ7MJcil00YMNWB1JAGOqYBLoyxOwRvSpjgmW2h7vyotbAbMTUQh1SqdfQ7%2FXJDph3QAyxWtP2T1mT5LR2%2BdCtkmPZcMco96WnWE16kVfe07EFRjwSnd9Kl8ax%2BbSixFX1k%2Faur0fsdxzcakDX5BxoLOU1ZHG%2BDWSvKt8vHxBZpdOGHam%2FYJ%2B3djaPSGsyFGPdAMybuGY%2BbRLK%2BLCcJ1fF0goxwpEDaDZ0J9SmNoDUpo%2FNfVmiqMA%3D%3D&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20220222T150000Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAZH6WM4PLRGK3SYUJ%2F20220222%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=3daa84d70bdac592e05f5f81afbec12699843d06c07eb2383840bcb0c8fb9720