#it doesn't make for an environment in which death practices can be discussed and the experience curated with care

[apoptoses]

I’ve been thinking about vampires and cultural norms, and how culture shapes people and their expectations. And it got me thinking about the scene in queen of the damned when Daniel struggles with the burial of his first corpse -

And I've seen divided opinions on whether Armand is being an unkind maker here, or if this was the first warning that maybe Daniel wasn't cut out to handle vampirism well and that his madness was inevitable.

But I've never seen the facts concerning the treatment of the dead throughout history, and that Daniel, up until this point had probably never really seen a corpse.

For every other vampire we'd met in the VC up until this chapter, corpses were part of daily life. And not just in the fact that coming across a body in a medieval city or in a filthy backstreet of 18th century Paris was entirely possible, if not downright unavoidable in times of plague or during the Terror. But also because people of all cultures used to care for and sit with our own dead.

For centuries the loss of a loved one meant the family washing their body, laying it out in the home for relatives and friends to come visit. Death was a fact of life, caring for the corpse was part of the grieving process. Louis would have experienced it with his brother Paul, had the house not fallen into chaos Louis might have pushed Lestat to do the same with his father. Had mortal Armand lost a sibling, or a grandparent, he would have seen their body before burial.

And though embalming has existed for ages, it didn't involve the modern heavy wax makeup applied to the body to help it maintain the semblance of life. It was more about preventing decay during the wake period than distancing viewers from the fact that they're seeing a corpse. In fact when one 18th century mortician made a body look too life-like with his new techniques and displayed it to advertise his practice he received a great deal of criticism.

Plus we've all seen the photos of the victorians with their dead- to have the whole family pose with a body for one last photo was the norm, not the exception. There was nothing disgusting or morbid about it.

At the turn of the 20th century a couple things happened to change all of this in the United States specifically: one was the sudden leap in advances in medicine and germ theory, the other was WWI and WWII.

There was a great book that I read (and that I wish I could remember the name of, if this sounds familiar to anyone please tell me) which went into detail about how the mass casualties of the world wars combined with the new and previously unimaginable injuries wrought to the bodies by new weapons and bombs caused such great psychological trauma that death practices in the US were forever changed.

People no longer wanted to wash, display, and sit with their dead. And changing standards for hygiene and the medicalization of the body meant that the dying no longer remained in the home, that the body was swept up and taken from deathbed to morgue to funeral parlor at much greater speeds than in the past.

So by Daniel's time the American 'wake' had gone from a multi-day at home affair to something carried out in a funeral parlor, with a body embalmed and covered in wax makeup to the point it looks less like a corpse than a wax figure, and where viewers step up to the casket, have a quick glance, and then leave.

And outside of unusual and traumatic circumstances, people just no longer saw bodies. If he had a grandparent pass in the home the body could be collected by the coroner in a matter of a handful of hours. If they passed in a hospital then in all likelihood Daniel would have never seen the body at all up until the moment it was dressed up and put in makeup for the viewing.

(If they had a viewing, and not simply skipped the whole process and went straight to closed casket funeral and cremation)

And this doesn't even begin to go into what happens to the body after death that people of the past would have been aware of, but which is no longer common knowledge now, like the way the bowels go slack and empty themselves. And god knows what a body fully drained of its blood would look like.

So for Daniel to experience shock at handling the body of his first kill is hardly a surprise, given the cultural context he grew up in, or that he seemed to have avoided burying the remains later as we know it had to be impressed upon him to be careful with covering up his kills. And for Armand to assume seeing and handling a dead body should be a normal event that one could handle with some detachment isn't a surprise either- even as a mortal he would have had contact with the dead.

(Plus you add what's going on with Akasha and the burnings and you have a really high pressure situation for everyone involved)

It's a cultural issue in some ways. And one I wish Anne had gotten into with modern, newly made vampires more: the ways we handle guilt, grief, and death are deeply connected to whether we treat death as a part of life or sanitize death and distance ourselves from it.

[screamting]

what r ur thoughts on reconciliation between jason and bruce. is it really possible? what would it take? what would it look like? seen some stuff on my dash lately about that particularly thorny issue and would love to get your perspective. (hopefully this is the kind of ask ur looking for)

(you are FINE this is going to be the bane of my fandom career) 

So realistically we're not going to see Jason reconcile with Bruce because a) everybody loves angst b) no one is talking about the ISSUE. 

The ISSUE is not the murder thing. Like. The murder thing doesn't help but it isn't the root; killing people is something Jason decided to start doing because it was something Bruce is extremely firm on. He stands by the 'no murder' thing even when his own life and the lives of others are in danger. He stands SO firmly by it, that if you break that rule maybe you can break the entire foundation of Batman, which is that things are never so far gone they can't be redeemed. Gotham is never so far gone it isn't worth trying to repair. We are not cutting the rot away we are building an environment which no longer collapses into rot around us, even if it is gross, demeaning, dangerous work. 

If Bruce killed the Joker in Under the Red Hood I think Jason would have been lost forever. Because it would've been proof that Bruce's most fervent beliefs meant nothing. If Bruce's hardest promise, that he would not kill, was broken so easily, then what does that mean about all his other promises? All the promises that he loved Jason and would never send him away? If his hardest promise can be broken, do those easy promises even stand a chance? 

I think the issue is and always will be: Did you love me? Do you love me still? 

All those posts about coming back wrong and unlovable, and what if I was unlovable the whole time and it was just that I can't even be bothered to pretend anymore? That's Jason Todd. He crawled his way out of his own grave an open wound and he is trying to convince himself that he's doing fine while actively bleeding. I feel insane reading some of the discourse because it's talking about Jason from the pov of his disenfranchisement and that as driving him in Red Hood and like. No! Jason is disenfranchised, he was failed by the systems, absolutely; I do not fucking believe he is doing any of this for people like him. He is saying things that validate his pain because he cannot deal with the enormous amount of pain he is in. He died and came back to life. He did it in a way people don't know or understand, or via Lazarus pit, which people condemn. I think to resolve things they'd need a god damn religious discussion to even start with, to ask Jason if he thinks anything that has died and come back to life can ever be good, or if it's just him. 

I think he must have had self-loathing and insecurity built up before his death and it Exploded when he came back to life several years later and saw from the out side people attempting to move on. This is not a victim blame because of course he had self-loathing and insecurity, he was a kid with a difficult childhood and you need at least five years to a decade to start feeling like someone else, who maybe has confidence and certainty. I think being Robin let him borrow confidence, and so like, probably did feel great! He had a script and a role to fill and he was given a lot of practice to do it!

I think part of the problem is that post-resurrection is Jason has to figure out who he is for the first time again, even older now. He lost some of his teen years in figuring things out. He has the life experiences of a 14 year old and then training under assassins and then like. Drug lord?? For a bit?? 

Jason is not fighting for the disenfranchised. He is trying to figure out who the hell he is and is bouncing around so many teams and timelines and shit that all already know him and know him as the dead kid that I think for him and Bruce to make up, like. He probably needs to have a job?

Not for money necessarily, because like. The Wayne fortune is right there. But I think he needs to go somewhere, with a schedule, for like at least six months in a row, and have something low stakes dependent on him. Like a dog or something. Maybe get involved in local theater. Take the dog to dog training twice a week and teach small children acting in the afternoons. 

And once a week or whenever they feel like it Bruce and Jason can have a phone call, and Jason can bring up what's happening at the theater and how the dog is, and Bruce can talk about Wayne Corp shit. 

And if Jason learns from dog time about someone who is mistreating an animal or a partner then like maybe he goes and steals a dog or tells someone to come stay over at his house for a while and gives them some cash. And after he does something rash he still needs to come back to his apartment and feed the dog and show up to the theater the next day. 

I think he needs to see the world around him when it ISN'T homelessness and assassins guilds and running out into the streets at night looking for trouble. 

'but you haven't addressed anything for bruce to do' for Bruce to have to do anything we first need to get jason at the table. 'bruce beat jason in x comic/brainwashed him into an overactive fear response/almost certainly also something else' 

1. i'm choosing to say besides the throat thing that people hate (bc I get that. Bruce needs to say 'yes I was panicking and my writer was being dramatic I'm sorry' ) bruce doesn't beat his kids or any rogues in general once they're at a point they're no longer trying to kill/hurt anyone either. 

2. tbh I think the anxiety brainwashing is facinating and definitely something Bruce might have thought about but making it and using it is fully in 'I was also having a 3 day long mental breakdown' territory. However since Jason put a lot of heads in a duffle bag during HIS mental breakdown I think this might again be within 'yeah that was fucked up I'm sorry about that' territory.

Honestly I wish that Jason had gone to Bruce after the Selina 'making thieves pay 15% to charity' thing and they had just had the BIGGEST bitching fest about it with each other.  I think that, faster than literally any amount of relaxation and therapy, would have gotten them back on the same side. They need to get in a room together and just. Bitch about it. Jason saw the WORST adaptation the other day. Bruce is dealing with the MOST stuck up prick at the board meeting. 

Before they can fix anything they need to remember why they even loved each other. If they feel it again maybe they'll work to save it. But no one is going to fix a relationship where it feels like an obligation for a feeling you aren't sure even exists anymore.

[susievanderlip]

The Secret to Staying Steady: A Sneak Peek into "Balance for Seniors"

Maintaining mental and physical balance becomes more crucial as we get older in order to preserve our general wellbeing. Standing erect is only one aspect of balance for seniors; another is navigating life with strength, stability, and confidence. Although it is an avoidable risk, falls rank among the top causes of injuries among older persons. The key to maintaining stability as a senior will be discussed in this blog, along with a unique look at Balance for Seniors, a program created to help seniors with their balance.

Why Balance Matters More Than Ever The importance of balance can’t be overstated. For seniors, maintaining balance isn’t just about avoiding falls—it’s about sustaining independence. Balance impacts everything from walking and climbing stairs to getting in and out of bed, and even sitting down or standing up. When balance begins to falter, it can lead to falls, fractures, fear of falling, and an overall decrease in quality of life.

The Statistics Don't Lie According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in four older adults falls each year. These falls can be severe, leading to broken bones, head injuries, and in some cases, death. The fear of falling, whether real or perceived, often leads to a vicious cycle: people who fear falling may avoid activities that could help them maintain or improve their strength and balance, thus increasing their chances of falling. This is where balance exercises, training, and awareness come in. A focus on balance doesn't just protect against falls, it also strengthens muscles, enhances coordination, improves posture, and boosts confidence.

How Balance Declines with Age As we get older, a combination of physical and neurological changes contribute to the decline in balance. These include: Loss of muscle mass and strength: Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass, affects the muscles that help maintain posture and balance. Reduced joint flexibility: Decreased range of motion and stiff joints can limit mobility, making it harder to react quickly to unstable situations. Impaired vision and hearing: These two senses are crucial for maintaining balance. As they decline with age, the ability to sense changes in the environment diminishes. Changes in the inner ear: The vestibular system, which is responsible for helping us maintain balance, becomes less effective with age. Chronic conditions: Diseases like arthritis, diabetes, and neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease) can further impair balance. Even though some of these changes are inevitable, it’s possible to slow them down and mitigate their effects with the right tools, strategies, and exercises. That’s where programs like Balance for Seniors come in.

What is Balance for Seniors? Balance for Seniors is a specialized program designed to help older adults improve their balance and reduce the risk of falls. The program is grounded in the latest research on aging, balance, and injury prevention, combining physical therapy techniques, strength training, flexibility exercises, and mindfulness practices. The key goal of the program is to help seniors regain or retain their independence by improving their strength, stability, and confidence. It is designed to be accessible to seniors at all fitness levels, from those who are relatively active to those with mobility challenges.

The Core Principles of Balance for Seniors Strengthening Muscles One of the primary focuses of the program is strengthening the muscles used for balance. Strong legs, core, and back muscles are essential for stabilizing the body during movement. The exercises target major muscle groups to help seniors maintain control over their movements and prevent falls. Improving Flexibility Flexibility and range of motion are important for maintaining balance. If a senior is stiff or has limited flexibility, they may have difficulty adjusting their position or recovering from a loss of balance. Stretching exercises and activities like yoga or tai chi, which are incorporated into the program, help improve flexibility. Enhancing Coordination Balance isn’t just about having strength or flexibility; it’s also about coordinating the body’s movements. The Balance for Seniors program includes exercises that challenge coordination, such as walking heel-to-toe or balancing on one foot, to help seniors develop better control over their movements. Increasing Reaction Time The ability to react quickly in unstable situations is crucial for preventing falls. Through specific exercises, the program aims to sharpen the body’s reaction time so that seniors can more quickly regain their balance if they slip or lose stability. Boosting Confidence As mentioned earlier, fear of falling can lead to decreased activity, which in turn increases the likelihood of falls. The Balance for Seniors program helps seniors gain confidence by offering a safe, structured way to improve their balance. As seniors get stronger and more stable, their fear of falling decreases, and they are more likely to engage in physical activity. Mind-Body Connection Balance is not just a physical skill; it also involves mental focus and awareness. The program incorporates mindfulness techniques and mental exercises that help seniors stay present and aware of their surroundings, which can improve their ability to maintain balance. A Sneak Peek into the Balance for Seniors Program Let’s take a closer look at what participants can expect from a typical Balance for Seniors session. The program is generally divided into five key segments, each targeting a different aspect of balance:

Warm-Up: Preparing the Body Before any intense activity, it’s crucial to warm up the muscles. The warm-up phase of the Balance for Seniors program includes light stretching and gentle movements to increase blood flow to the muscles. Gentle marching in place, shoulder rolls, and ankle circles are commonly included. These exercises not only prepare the body for more challenging movements but also help to increase flexibility, which is essential for maintaining balance.

Strengthening Exercises: Building a Stable Foundation The core of the Balance for Seniors program revolves around strengthening exercises. These exercises target key muscle groups, including the legs, core, and back. Some examples include: Chair squats: Sitting down in a chair and standing back up helps improve lower body strength. Standing leg lifts: This exercise strengthens the hips and core while improving balance. Wall push-ups: Strengthening the upper body and arms enhances overall stability. Side leg raises: Focuses on the outer thigh muscles and hip stability. Each exercise is performed with an emphasis on proper form to avoid injury. Participants may start with fewer repetitions and gradually increase as they build strength and confidence.

Balance Challenges: Testing and Improving Stability This portion of the session includes more dynamic exercises that challenge balance. Examples include: Heel-to-toe walking: Walking in a straight line, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toe of the other foot, challenges coordination and balance. Single-leg stands: Holding a standing position on one leg for a short period to engage the muscles of the lower body and core. Balance on unstable surfaces: Using balance pads or standing on one foot with the eyes closed to increase difficulty. The goal is to challenge the body’s ability to maintain equilibrium in increasingly unstable situations, helping to increase reaction time and improve control over movements.

Flexibility and Stretching: Improving Range of Motion After strength-building and balance exercises, it’s important to stretch the muscles to maintain flexibility. The stretching portion of the program includes gentle stretches that focus on the legs, hips, and back. Examples include: Hamstring stretch: A gentle stretch to the back of the legs. Quad stretch: A standing stretch for the front of the legs. Hip flexor stretch: Stretches the muscles in the hips and lower back. These stretches help to release tension in the muscles, maintain joint mobility, and prevent stiffness, all of which contribute to better balance.

Cool-Down and Mindfulness: Calming the Body and Mind The final segment of the Balance for Seniors program focuses on relaxing the body and calming the mind. Gentle breathing exercises, guided meditation, and mindfulness activities help to reduce stress and promote mental clarity. This phase is important for restoring calmness and preventing any feelings of dizziness or lightheadedness after physical activity. Mindfulness techniques also help seniors stay mentally aware of their environment, further enhancing their ability to stay steady in daily life.

The Benefits of Balance for Seniors The benefits of participating in a program like Balance for Seniors are far-reaching. Some of the most notable benefits include: Reduced fall risk: Regular balance exercises can help seniors maintain control over their body and prevent falls. Improved mobility: Strengthening the muscles and improving flexibility leads to better mobility and greater ease in performing everyday tasks. Increased independence: Seniors who maintain their balance are less reliant on others for assistance, which fosters a greater sense of independence. Improved mental well-being: The sense of accomplishment from improving balance, along with the mental focus involved, can boost self-esteem and reduce anxiety. Social engagement: Many Balance for Seniors programs are offered in group settings, providing an opportunity for seniors to connect with others, share experiences, and stay socially active.

Conclusion Avoiding falls is only one aspect of being steady as we age; another is preserving the power, flexibility, and self-assurance necessary to move around the world with ease. Programs such as Balance for Seniors offer a successful, scientifically supported strategy for enhancing balance and lowering the risk of falls. Integrating balancing exercises into daily life is a strong strategy for improving quality of life, regardless of whether you're a senior trying to increase your stability or you work with older folks. Therefore, the key to maintaining steady is straightforward: master your balance with constant strength-training, regular exercise, and mindfulness exercises. You're not only avoiding falls when you put in the time and effort to keep your balance, but you're also protecting your independence, well-being, and general happiness for years to come.

My book is on Amazon at :-www.tinyurl.com/buy-Balanceforseniors I have a page on Facebook at:- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561383281792 My book is on Balance for Seniors website at https://balanceforseniors.vanderlip.com

[meetthesingaporefiresafetym]

Selecting a Fire Contractor in Singapore? Here's What the Top Ones Have in Common

Your property, your staff, and your customers' well-being are at stake. Selecting a fire contractor in Singapore is a make-or-break choice. Opening a new commercial facility or installing a new fire protection system? The fire contractor you hire is the determinant of compliance and true safety.

But amidst all the contractors circulating, how do you know who to rely on? The good ones don't merely install sprinklers and alarms — they become your long-term safety partners. In this blog post, we discuss what makes the best stand out from the rest and why businesses all over Singapore are approaching experienced veterans like Drako Fire for peace of mind.

Why it is important to select the correct Fire Contractor in Singapore

Singapore's fire safety regulations are tough for a purpose. With multi-storey buildings, crowded central business districts, and diverse commercial activity, even a small fire can spread quickly. A professional fire contractor in Singapore inspects your building to make sure they meet all the fire code requirements, install the correct safety measures, and are ready for immediate emergency response at all times.

A leading contractor is also in close working partnership with a fire safety manager in singapore, ensuring seamless loop from system installation to design, maintenance, and emergency preparedness.

Certified and Compliant

The most suitable Singapore fire contractor is a company that is completely licensed by the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) and is well aware of the current fire codes. They make sure that all the systems — from alarm to sprinklers — conform to legal standards as well as industry best practices.

, for example, is renowned in the industry to have high standards in compliance with regulations in such a way that each installation gets certified at first inspection. This eliminates delays, fines, and potential fire hazards for business owners.

 Experience That Speaks Volumes

While certifications are important, experience is what finally separates one fire contractor in Singapore from another. The best contractors have a good working history with a range of industries — including industrial complexes and office buildings to retail malls and healthcare institutions.

Skilled contractors are aware of the specific requirements of every environment and adapt solutions accordingly. This is where excels. With years of experience handling intricate fire protection jobs, they are aware of how to adapt their services to address compliance and functional requirements.

Tightly Coordinated with Fire Safety Managers

An excellent fire contractor in Singapore doesn't take off and flee — they collaborate with your fire safety manager in singapore side-by-side. This is essential for safety over the long haul because they check systems are operational, current, and harmonious with emergency protocols.

By working together with FSMs, contractors facilitate fire drill simplicity, system maintenance, and mandatory training — all of which have your building that much prepared and responsive.

 Transparent Communication and Customized Solutions

Each property is distinct, and seasoned top contractors know that. They take the time to diagnose your property's specific requirements before making recommendations. Better still, they communicate transparently — no concealed charges, vague recommendations, or tight deadlines.

A professional fire contractor such as in Singapore provides tailored proposals, simplifies technical aspects in plain language, and keeps the customers informed through each stage of the project.

 Responsive Maintenance and Support

The work is not done once installed. A professional fire contractor in Singapore provides maintenance, emergency response, and 24/7 service. Fire protection systems need regular inspections and regular repairs — and minutes can be a matter of life and death when something is going wrong.

 FSM-certified technicians are recognized for their timely response and meticulous maintenance inspections, keeping customers out of system failure, false alarm, or unsafe downtime.

 A Reputation of Trust and Integrity

Lastly, the top contractors build their reputation on decades of honest work, happy clients, and good safety records. Require testimonials, certification, and past project portfolios in making your choice.

Drako Fire remains a reliable Singapore fire contractor because it makes every effort to maintain integrity, technical competence, and lasting customer relationships in a wide range of industries.

Conclusion

Choosing a fire contractor in Singapore isn’t just about ticking a compliance box — it’s about finding a partner who will protect what you’ve built. From regulatory knowledge and technical skill to responsiveness and trustworthiness, the best fire contractors have these traits in common.

And when you hire a company such as Drako Fire, you don't just have a service company — you have a safety partner that will do the job. With training and a developed knowledge of how to interact with your Singapore fire safety manager, they get your systems to do more than pass inspections — they save lives.

Ready to get serious about fire safety? Start with the right partner. Select a Singapore fire contractor who fully appreciates the importance of safeguarding people, property, and peace of mind.

[ga-industrial-brief]

Level 1 [actually 2]

I also started making a sketch of the first level - ! marks player spawns or objectives, purple arrows signify environmental changes, light green arrows are jumps that require the green paint to do whilst darker green ones can be done normally. This level would give the player experience with using the green paint and teach them that it isn't always the solution. The penultimate platform is also far too small to put paint down and have a run up, so the player needs to place it down and hit it while airborne, preserving momentum and demonstrating The Tech. The button and associated door haflway through also provide a way to bisect the level, so the player won't think its too much to be bothered with once I've expanded it. Which I will. However, the level lacks puzzles. This is something I ought to rectify.

This is the 3D version of the sketch. It is missing the door, button and puzzle mechanics mentioned above, however these can be added once I'm out of the prototyping stage. This was created in Reece's paint system prototype, so the mechanics work - albeit after a heated discussion about how the speed paint works and how the player slows down, rectified by increasing the player's air control.

This level is designed to teach the player how to use the green paint - the first and second jumps can be cleared with only jump paint, the second and fourth require red paint to build up speed, and the third can only be cleared is you effectively rocket jump with green paint.

I intend to add puzzle mechanics with the game being impassable at the square corner platform due to a sliding door that doesn't currently exist unless you have a key, forcing the player to engage and discern where to go. This could be supplemented by creating a secondary path to the key that isn't really visible going forward down the main path, so the player won't go get the key without knowing why on their first try and instead will realise they should engage with their environment to avoid doubling back.

Due to tweaking the player physics, I was able to make the jumps a fair bit longer. I've also added more platforms. Not only is this possible, it's actually REALLY fun to speedrun - and fairly difficult too.

This is a section off to the right. This is where the key will be - and as you can see it's very much possible. That said, this is a bit harder than the previous section due to the pair of tiny platforms needing paintjumps to bypass. Getting they key will bring the player back to the start so they don't need to go back, and the key will persevere through deaths.

The key and door have now been added. This wasn't too complicated

This was added to the player - if they try to click while in the hitbox, it'll check to see if they have the key and, if so, open the door. Otherwise, they paint as normal.

This was the code for the key. It uses tags to give the player a key before destroying itself when the player touches it. This, like the doors, is extremely rudimentary and only for demonstrational purposes. It does work though.

In conclusion, I'm fairly happy with this design because it uses a variety of jumps to keep the player entertained and teach them how to use the paints. Having said this, the original intention was for this to be a level clearable with ony green paint, which it is very much not. My options are either I heavily modify it, or make it level 2 and create another level 1 - I intend on doing the latter as I'd consider making another level more practical than modifying a good level and also making a new one.

And Reece broke all my levels so I had to remake them - including this

This is my new version. It's fairly similar in terms of structure and components [it lacks the route to the key, but I'll add that later] but it is an individual level rather in one map with the other levels so it can be loaded separately. This will be very useful for optimisation when the level is fully built out

This is how I would later reprogram the door specifically for the last level. This is more efficient and easier to use. It is practically the same timelinen and method, but how it's used where it goes is different.

Using a flipflop and boolean makes opening/closing the door and ensuring the door doesn't try to open whilst already closing easier. I also later changed what the forward vector would be multiplied by to a variable which I set to be instance editable - effectively, I could change both the direction and the distance the door moves by now.

[the-single-element]

Good morning.

We've been following the story of Jesus's sermon on the shore. We've been picking apart his use of metaphorical, exaggerated stories to try to communicate the nature of the Kingdom of God indirectly, to work around our mental blocks from living so long in this world that we can't imagine another one.

When Jesus works with large crowds, this is the best he can do. He said it himself, just a couple weeks ago: it's only in a more intimate environment, with people he trusts - people who are already starting to open their eyes to the logic of the Kingdom - that he, too, can open up more, and dig into the details of what these images and allegories are meant to be hinting at.

We saw him open up to his closest associates last week. But there's another level of opening up beyond that... one that God chooses to use only rarely, and only for those especially suited for it.

It's the level where, instead of trying to explain the Kingdom, or even to demonstrate its principles in practice... God opens the curtains and shows it to us.

That's what happened to Peter, James, and John on a mountaintop: the Transfiguration, which we celebrate today.

I think part of why "mystical experiences" are so rare is because it's hard to predict whether people can handle them. They're overwhelming. They take us away from everything familiar, everything that makes sense, and drop us head-first, immersion learning style, into another world.

They're catalyzing experiences, the kind that people shrink from for fear of how they'll be changed by it. Recall the Israelites begging that Moses stand between them and the presence of God. Recall the original Isaiah, in the midst of the vision that cemented his role as a prophet, and his terror at what such a vision would do to "a man of unclean lips" like him. Even Abram, the "friend of God", when he got the sign that he asked for as proof of God's promise to him, was terrified and overwhelmed by what he was seeing.

Paul - perhaps the least prepared, at the time, of anyone who has a biblical vision like this - was struck blind by his experience. Peter was able to receive it more readily, but still had to repeat it three times in order to actually understand it.

Yet... this is the tool Jesus used, at the turning point of his ministry, to explain to his closest, most trusted friends what was really going on with him. He wanted to be that close to them - to show them, to stop beating around the bush.

He wanted to show them his relationship with God the Father, despite how unbelievable it'd be by a normal interpretation of the Shema.

He wanted to show them the conversation between old and new revelation that he alluded to, back on that shore: his ongoing discussion with the Law and the Prophets, bringing their message into a new, more complete form by what he was planning to accomplish at Passover.

He wanted to make them eyewitnesses that death is not the end: that Moses (who died) and Elijah (who entered heaven alive) somehow both made it to the same destination, the same Kingdom.

Peter is terrified, bewildered. And yet he doesn't want this moment to end. His babbled interjection into the conversation is, essentially, an attempt to offer Moses and Elijah an excuse to stay until tomorrow morning.

Thankfully, he doesn't get his wish. The vision ends, at exactly the moment that it's becoming too much for him to bear.

And Jesus is still there, offering his friends a hand up. It's still him. Yes, they might have seen him crowned with glory, yes, speaking with the holiest people from all the holy books, yes, incomprehensibly acknowledged as God's son... but it's still him.

...how long would it take them to understand what they'd seen, that day? Perhaps months, or years. Perhaps they wouldn't understand it until Pentecost, and that's why Jesus warns them not to talk about the experience too soon.

But it brought them closer. John avoided naming himself in his Good News by instead demurely referring to an unnamed "Jesus's beloved". Peter, for all his initial stumbling, went on to be the foundation of the community that carried Jesus's message forward. James was the first known martyr - perhaps the first to arrive in heaven under the new paradigm, after Jesus himself. The experience did change them, after all, and deepened their relationship with this person who was simultaneously their long-term friend and teacher, and the transcendent Lord of Heaven's Armies.

God is still reaching out to us, for us to understand him and what he's doing. He's given us the scriptures - the TaNaKh, and the Gospels. Similarly, he's given us all of the visions that his holy ones have seen and written down since then. Old and new, direct and allegorical. And the Kingdom is something we can experience, too, if we try to dig deep and touch it; the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves, which capped off Jesus's sermon at the shore, is proof by example of that.

The grace of today's message, though, goes one step beyond all that. It's a reminder that the arm Jesus is offering to us can overcome the limits of our own reach. If we can't understand - if the logic of the Kingdom is too much for us to put together in our heads and we just end up frustrated or overwhelmed - then we can turn to him, and he'll pull us back onto our feet. Give us the time we need to fill in the rest of the picture. And... if it's what we need... show us, too, in one of those faraway sacred moments just for us, like he's shown so many of his disciples who've come before.

What a blessing! What a blessing.

[saltysplayt00ns]

Reblogging and pasting what I commented on DA ( Deviant art )

Remember guys, Rhov is the same dog that had ONE argument with Jahla despite having years from Asmundr to Home relation and later broke up with Jahla just to argue with Feaf who only know a few months, almost THREE TIMES ( 1, 2, 3 ) and immediately mate with Feaf in the broad public of the borders of Whispervale . At this point I see this as Karma cause Rhovanion hoped to evade parenthood JUST to deal with parenthood in the most nonsensical way possible.

Rhov waited seasons with Jahla and didn't want anything from Jahla’s end and neither did he. Which would’ve been a good show of relationships where people just don’t want or are not ready for kids yet and want to focus on the relationship and their careers as a team. People have done it where they plan and pre/advance plan.

But now we have this plot of a red flag/toxic situation where Rhov is now ready to deal with interspecies war, raising a hybrid, being a “good “ father with no indications of proof to a feline who knew for a month(s). Feaf and Rhovanion didn’t go through a crisis situation compared to Jahla; one went bittersweet and the other not so much.

PLUS integrate the child in a world who would report others just to raid them, But knowing kiq. It’ll be like Nordgard ( meteor tribe ) having a big army to be taken down by a small group by deus-ex-machina and making the opposing teams dumb down to make it possible.

——-

If the Golden Lioness ( which is not golden, (I did a rework of the golden lioness on my tumblr blog ) nor does anything pertaining to what she does ) was seen as mischief good and not benevolent would not have this Red flag.

The Golden lioness didn’t come to Feaf in a dream nor showed up after Feaf questioning what she saw. If she did, Feaf can discuss with Nubia ( her mother ) and Rhovanion if they’re ready and what comes with being the ambassador under the Lioness for the Hybrid. The deer spirit did it with Rogio who has every right to deny him cause Rogio didn't follow the rules He doesn't even have the PIECE OF ANTLER that had been told. most have asked for permission or accepting the deal but somehow pregnancies there is none.

And How Feaf wanted cubs, how a feather is enough proof she wanted it when she practically and possibly doesn’t know the inclination and if Feaf knew WHY SHE DIDN’T TELL RHOVONION!!! she literally baby-trapped him into a relationship, ya know the same one who Gaslight Rhov three times for him wanting to be with Jahla. Rhov would not be happy about all this like AT ALL!!!.

What did she even mean that ‘ the Goddess had been fighting species coexist since the beginning ‘ ??!!! Instead of helping the Cats advance in immunity, language barrier, intellect/charisma, their physics or fertility or maybe even blending better in their environments?? No, instead she gave them bow and arrows ‘ death from afar ‘ to kill dogs faster which didn’t do anything and caused more separation between the species.

The golden Lioness didn’t protect her Forngrym people, WHO ARE ALSO FELINES and don’t excuse them of not doing prayers or interactions. Feaf didn't ask for kids and the Lioness literally just tricked her into having them.

and the only thing that comes out of Rhovanion’s mouth is that he’s ready, like that gives me a whiplash I don’t know to be shocked, appalled, disgusted or all of the above. He’s not showing any emotion except a smile, not even worrying about the whole process or conflict - just accepting it.

If he was ready, he would’ve been fine being with Jahla and having pups with her cause literally a wolf x Dog pup is just as heinous and a hybrid then a cat and dog. and knowing kique it’ll just be a copy + paste of Feaf or Jahla in species and/or design. cause if its not something easily traced he'll just used a pre-made variant or place rules/laws and then claim the ideal to be his own.

——

And Nubia has the audacity to state not to worry and are protected by family when we are shown Aedra would literally tear the planet apart for anything primitive, the slightest inconvenience, or not a Dog, Heck they would even Do it to their own kind as well with no hesitation.

Adding that Rhovanion didn’t even leave for 2-3 months to help Ronja he abandoned the journey as well as his step-Nieces(??) to lay around and fool around with Feaf??, must I remind ya Marduck just attacked the Rabishu and glow cats and demand adoration. Not something to lollygag around.

Also the capital is not one of bloodshed??? ‘ fighting with blood is not their style ‘ WTF !!!???? YOU'RE A BOUNTY HUNTER. THAT IS LITERALLY YOUR JOB. You just went to Southspear and killed dogs there and the Capitol approved a genocide to Forngrym, forcing them to the cold deserts of the mountains ( evidence 1, 2 ) . You don’t even disband or help those of tyrant leaders, you let MT cause havoc for almost 30+ years. You’re just as guilty not doing anything then doing something of bloodshed.

' Racism ' didn't even become prevalent until ghouls was forgotten, which they should not cause ghouls are still roaming around and are many cause many dogs died and animals died. If it was prevalent then it should've been done the moment meteor went after Zilas or Axi showing traits on Feaf. and vice versa on the cats of Shiverfall with Rhovanion.

You're fooling yourself to think that as well as to the audience for spewing such idiocrasy. But I forgot Nubia was the lioness that slept with two males that were also brothers that caused a decline in their bond that had her running in hiding in the Capitol.

This literally sounds like a dang Cult like legit a cult telling someone naïve and not knowing what they’re getting themselves into.

👏 NON-CONSENT 👏 IS 👏 NOT 👏OKAY 👏 AT 👏 ALL. PERIOD.

---

Ps. I added links to those pages in case people need a jolt on their memories. I also want to add arguments are not usually screaming, most of the time it can become a disagreement that can get heated, hurt etc.

Ok! So finally page 869 have released. longest wait of my life because I really wanted to rant? or whatever about this page. There are just several things wrong with it. so starting off, Feaf's mother ends up visiting her and rhov at asmundr territory and feaf is telling her mother that oh she feels sick and has been getting these weird symptoms on and off. so then the mother tells feaf that she's probably pregnant. rohv and feaf are in shock (for like a mere second), anyways then her mother is like we you should put aside the differences of canine and felines and tells her it probably was the golden lioness because she's been fighting for their species for peaceful "coexistent". Again, in my honest opinion this whole species "racism" thing was like another 180 slapped into the comic, there was no indication in earlier pages that canines and felines were struggling to accept one another. since feaf was part of an all guild dog group minus herself being the only feline and cause Axi is the biggest ass. but maybe we could of given hints that she disliked feaf or something from the beginning or saw her as lower class compared to a dog. it would of at least shown the readers that "oh yeah these dogs are racists btw" because the main focus for the longest time was the ghouls and MT which for one the ghouls are pointless and are the most non threatening thing on aedra and but was so important too basically rent land to burn bodies on MT land when they also knew about their past brutal ways. but sat on their butts and shrugged shoulders about it. Moving on... so then feaf mother tells her that if she doesn't want to have the kids, she can take herbs to pretty much terminate the pregnancy. you can take that how you want since it's referring to abortion. and well, in my honest opinion I kinda wish she did take the herbs only because it would save injustice for her future kids but also rhov and feaf barely know each other. but kique is an idiot and no longer has purpose for rhov and forgot about going back to ronja. she then claims that she's "dreamed" of always wanting to start a family with rohv? like feaf what?? when? you two only officially hooked up together from gaslighting each other, then rhov chimes in and says it is a bit sudden (because it is) but says he's ready if she is. I wanna point out that feaf's mom reaction is so emotionless and she's just chill about like its been a common thing. but it's really not, if anything this is history in the making and the reactions are so poorly done by the entirety of the page. creating a potential new spices of hybrids. which spoiler alert, no hybrids, kique claimed and is so damn lazy. but the offspring will most likely be a mix of pups and cubs I guess apparently drawing hybrids will be too hard to trace off of or something. though if he willing to he could get creative with it, plus there was a cat mixed with dog hybrid back in asmundr shown or I think mentioned. he wont draw hybrids but is adding bears in his new comic, doesn't make sense too me but alright. another thing, you all remember when rogio went to the elk spirit to cure his pretend trauma?. I am mentioning this because she's her own spirit. but she gave rogio the opportunity to speak with her personally instead of just getting thrown into the void land or something. I dont what that was called. but if rogio was allowed to speak to him, why couldn't the golden lioness talk to feaf and i dont know ask her permission to impregante her? would of made her look less of an asshole. welp unfortunately this keeps getting worse as newer pages come out.

[theghostnugget]

Hiei has C-PTSD

This is going to be a long-ass post so get a cup of hot cocoa, get comfy with a nice blanket, turn the lights down low and get ready to feel sad

I hope I make you cry

Content Warning: Non-graphic discussions of neglect, abuse, suicidal thoughts, exposure to violence in childhood, trauma reactions... Please feel free to tell me if there's anything else I missed

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress disorder can both be more severe if:

The trauma happened early in life (which for Hiei it definitely did considering he's 14 at the oldest at the beginning of the series)

The trauma was caused by the primary caregiver - We see the guy he refers to as his father for about five seconds but in those scant seconds we see a drunk who's willing to steal from a baby and then abandon that baby after years of exposing him to violence. At best, Hiei grew up in an emotionally neglectful environment where he was constantly exposed to death and bloodshed, taught that his emotions were a weakness, and taught to be violent himself if he wanted to survive - I can only assume there was other forms of abuse that we didn't see because Hiei wasn't willing to share them with Mukuro - who was practically a stranger at that point

The trauma lasted a long time - His whole life has been bouncing from one horrific event to the next - Taken from his mom, almost murdered, taken in by beligerent assholes, abandoned by said assholes, constantly taking care of his own safety from a young age in an environment where no one seems to have qualms about murdering a child for a necklace, losing the only item that matters to him and the only connection to his family, an incredibly painful surgery that took away his ability to defend himself, finding out his mother killed herself over grief about losing him, finding out his sister went missing also because of him, finding his sister only to A. hate himself too much to tell her the truth and B. realize she's been tortured for 5 years and he didn't save her, OH and let's not forget that in season 2 his life is threatened if he doesn't join a life-or-death tournament and in season 3 he is forced to helplessly watch as one of his only friend's is murdered in front of him

...

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the actual symptoms

PTSD has symptoms that mostly fall into 3 categories: Re-experiencing, Avoidance, and Sense of Threat

~ Re-experiencing consists of things like nightmares, flashbacks, and triggers that cause trauma responses

The only time we see Hiei sleep (as opposed to being knocked unconscious by the Dragon of the Darkness Flame) is on the way to rescue Yukina where he wakes up gasping for air and reaching out for his sister

I can't think of any flashback examples (but to be fair I haven't watched the series in it's entirety for a hot minute and as someone with PTSD I very rarely have waking flashbacks) - This also might be because we rarely get to see inside Hiei's head because the story is from Yusuke's perspective

However, when it comes to triggers I think he can easily be triggered by people questioning his strength or claiming to be stronger than him - In part because in the past that usually meant someone was about to attack him and in part because in order to feel any semblance of safety, he needs to believe he's too strong to ever be the victim again. That's why he says "hot", and why he leaves the team for several episodes after being told he's not an A class demon, and why he sacrifices his entire arm to take Zeru out in one hit

~ Avoidance symptoms consist of all the steps a person takes to avoid re-experiencing their trauma

For Hiei, this mostly means never appearing weak, but it also includes fun things like isolating himself from friends and family/never trusting others/cutting off his relationship with Yukina because you can't be hurt by the people you care about if you never let yourself care about anyone

I think the reason he engages in so many reckless and destructive behaviors (which is another symptom of C-PTSD) and part of the reason he was suicidal is because it's less scary to be hurt or killed if you're the one making the choice to put yourself in harm's way - rather than feeling safe and having that safety ripped away from you

I have no evidence for this but I also believe he dissociates regularly (yet another symptom) - like 1/2 the time he's staring dramatically out the window (or up at the sky from a high tree branch) he's brooding like you'd expect, but the other half he's full on floating away from his body - completely out of touch with his thoughts and feelings and even his sense of identity

~ Sense of Threat Symptoms

This is where Hiei really shines (or, I guess struggles is a better word)

His whole character can be boiled down to trauma-induced hyper-vigilance

He doesn't trust anyone, he's always worrying about outside attack, he never relaxes, I don't even think he blinks unless he's alone because that split second could be the difference between life and death

Another reason he never lets people close is because they can't be trusted - they feel unsafe to be around let alone trust with his thoughts and feelings (which he considers to be weaknesses easily turned against him)

Hiei's worse nightmare is losing his sword and being unable to access his energy because (and I cannot stress this enough) the only way he has ever been able to feel any semblance of safety is because he convinced himself that he was the strongest person around - The concept of "there's always someone stronger than you" would make him spiral into a dark, deep anxiety hole that I'm not sure he'd ever be able to climb out of

~ So, those are symptoms typically associated with PTSD, but C-PTSD comes with a whole slew of fun, new symptoms such as:

Problems with self-esteem: Nothing makes his feelings towards himself more clear than the fact that he never told Yukina who he is because he was certain that she would hate him - he feels fundamentally broken and unloveable - someone who belongs nowhere but on his own

Emotional Dysfunction: Emotional reactions that are super intense and often innapropriate for the situation - For Hiei this almost always means anger (because that's the only emotion he actually allows himself to express) but I imagine after the show, as he gets more comfortable with the team, he also starts to react strongly to fear stimuli which leads to him have panic/anxiety attacks over things that wouldn't provoke such a strong response in someone who wasn't a walking, talking personification of trauma reactions.

Besides anger, sadness, and dissociation, people with C-PTSD might have trouble feeling happy, even in the best of situations - We see him laugh 2 times (BOTH TIMES BECAUSE OF YUSUKE - BE STILL MY SOFT SHIPPER HEART)

Also, PTSD/C-PTSD often brings along some other painful friends like depression and anxiety (both of which I think Hiei has - along with either an avoidant or disorganized attachment style)

[mattattack64-blog]

Hey y’all! I would really appreciate it if y’all could help! Here’s my email for e-transfers mathew_garcia11@yahoo.com if you’re feeling extra generous! I’ve been trying so hard to find a job, but it’s been quite tough considering that my queerness sometimes gets me in trouble. I almost got a job at a taco shop, but because I called the manager out for being frantic with customers and employees, he decided to not hire me on. It’s been a hell of a year and I wish people weren’t, so homophobic and Machistas. I’m sorry I have confidence and assertiveness without being aggressive or arrogant. I think we need to make workplaces less of a hostile and docile environment by connecting with queer people and understanding their need for an inclusive work space! Also here’s an essay I wrote for my Sacred Medicines course! It describes what my work entails and will bring to Turtle Island.

Essay about my journey:

The Journey of A Shaman

My Story of Decolonizing on Stolen Lands of the First Peoples of Canada through Accessing Aztec and AfroBlackfoot Ancestry of Indigeneity From Practicing the Art of Medicine:

The History of Turtle Island is filled of stories of genocide affecting Indigenous Peoples communities and cultures. Mine is one of many told in Central America of Conquistadors who bestowed missionaries that would change the villages that relied on local foods and medicines of Mayan, Aztecan, and Incan descent, into a colonial way of being. Instead their peoples and cultures found themselves at the foot of extinction during the 1400s-1900s on Turtle Island, due to settlers' greed for land. The lands were filled with Indigenous nations which were pushed out due to the colonial settlers from France, Spain, and the British. This forced the displacement of African Peoples on Indigenous lands which resulted in some of them escaping slavery during the settlement of Turtle Island and joining tribes such as the Blackfoot peoples. These peoples took up what is now the Rio Grande river to the flourishing valley in Zacateco; the small village my grandmother grew up in. Before the Mexican Civil War between the Indigenous Peoples and Spanish Settlers she learned how to rely on ancestral knowledge of land, food and medicine. She faced challenges that the missionaries introduced when settling establishments for the Spanish Conquistadors, in her village. It resulted in her losing her father and mother through working in horrible conditions in bean, corn, and rice fields put in place by the church's tyrant ways of controlling the Indigenous population through religion and assimilation of their way of living in a colonial society. My grandmother told me stories of soldiers dismantling their connections to Aztec medicines, foods, and Gods by destroying any traces of that civilization through mass burials and mass burnings of artifacts.

The phrase Turtle Island was first introduced to me at the Free Store and Food Bank in the Student Union Building, d where I found a black cloth. Printed on it was a green land mass depiction of the Americas as a Turtle figured island, encompassing all of what is now Settler Governments. This concept opens my mind up to Indigenous self governance and peace as one lands for the sake of protecting them for future generations. Following the ongoing interactions with organizers of the Food Bank, I managed to bring my expertise as a project and outreach coordinator. I organized discussions on where our food came from to spark the movement of individuals respecting our Food Bank as an Activist establishment against capitalism.

I had the opportunity to be part of Dr. Rennee’s course on Sacred Medicines from her INGH 452 online course at The University of Victoria. She has inspired me to look at and create a career in medicine that doesn’t involve the perspectives of Western Medicines for the sake of saving the medicines we lack in our Indigenous communities that suffer from Settler Colonizer diets implemented through legislation. The Canadian and American governments have been accused of depriving Indigenous communities of their lands, food, medicines and right to practice their rituals.

I grew up mostly living with my grandmother who taught me my morals, customs, and values she got from her father and the people from her village in Zacatecas, Mexico. She told me stories of her great grandmother showing her the ways of the lands by cultivating teas, remedies, and foods to bring nourishment. They would run through fields of corn before new crops were introduced that seemed to take away from the Native plants that were for eating and medicine. I immigrated to what is now known as Canada; this colonial power continues to settle on unceded lands of indigneous communities spread out through Turtle Island. It has been a challenge due to the traumatic similarities my people have faced on Turtle Island that resemble the treatment of the Indigenous communities in Canada.

The missionaries in Zacatecas, Mexico displaced my grandmother who was on a journey to midwifery before a soldier boy stole her hand in marriage after the death of her father. This led to Machismo in my family that I continue to navigate through for the sake of changing my family's ongoing struggles with their own health due to displacement of their original foods and ways of protecting the lands. Machismo degraded the Aztec woman by allowing Conquistador ideologies from Settler Societies to make the Aztec Man more powerful than any other member in the family, it forced him to wield his wrath on anyone who didn't follow his manliness of aggression for the sake of protecting his property and family. They colonized our men in order to create a new persona that fit the colonial ideologies of the new Colonial state, for the sake of keeping a patriarchal government that oppresses its women and Indigenous peoples.

The global displacement of brown and black people was brought about by attacking familial and community based societies that relied on tribal relations to the lands before settlement of westernized societies that encompassed our lands with racist doctrines like the Manifest Destiny. When talking about relieving the colonial way of living I have to take the stigma away from my black and brown communities I am tied to, because of my knowledge and expertise in navigating colonial systems for the sake of creating better conditions for their underrepresented communities that are controlled through Colonial Governance of the Majority, Settler European Anglo Saxon Protestant Vigilantes of Turtle Island.

In my work, the aim is to reduce the stigma of mental illness on communities that have ties to Indigenous roots who come from displaced Indigenous cultures due to their unceded lands. European settlement of Turtle Island has created gaps in our understanding of Indigeous Youths’ Mental Health Issues. If we were to destroy these barriers created by our colonial governments we'd be able to see positive change in underrepresented brown and black communities that harness the potential to spark a movement through Ancestral Healing.

Western ways of organizing data based on research for white middle class Canadian families help come up with diagnosis and treatment for anxiety or depression. This has worked for white privileged families that have in turn displaced, stolen, and compromised indigenous lands. Leaving Indigneous Peoples on Turtle Island with the lack of individualized treatment for specific cultural approaches to anxiety and depression that may arise from living in a colonial settler society based on white supremacy doctrines. The way mental health is conceptualized can depend on culture to culture based on the usage of land for healing. My work as a Shaman is to bring the tangible and visible immenseness of research that claims the benefits of Indigenous led rituals that have been hiding in plain sight. I have compiled articles that discuss the Indigenous communities that would benefit from a forum that would help decrease the rising numbers of suicide among Indigenous youth. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles Redvers notes that the; Increase of inuit youth suicide is higher than it has ever been for inidgneous youth,” (Redvers, 2019, Pg.142). We must create a new system that doesn't rely on westernized ways of thinking, but instead on traditional knowledge from elders teachings of the lands and their connections to the lands. The gift of healing is one to be assigned to a shaman who can help see a condition through sacred knowledge (Redvers. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles, 2019 Pg.144). It's a bit like when a psychologist compiles data to make a diagnosis, but instead of using evidence based data from empirical research, they instead use sacred knowledge from elders and the shamans/healers in their communities. I believe I am on my own journey to become a shaman with a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. I want to bring concrete evidence for holistic practices to gain respect for Traditional Indigneous medicines that live and breathe on Turtle Island. Integrating a new stream of medicine would allow for further decolonization of our healthcare system on Turtle Island. Knowledge and wisdom organized from elders, shamans, traditional healers, and story tellers could be used for customizing and improving Indigenous youths’ health. Taking the steps towards creating a stream of medicine based on using the lands for healing through elder storytelling and ceremony practices, must come from my own knowledge of Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Healing can come from storytelling scenarios, schemas, and drawings that help revitalize Indigneous peoples connections they have lost from the lands due to the colonial infrastructures in place today. I have attached an image of a side by side comparison of what I believe the lands want me to be on the right, and on the right is what I have to face when I'm aware of the lies in the colonial settler societies make-believe truths. I drew this when I was going through an intense breakup. I was having to do a lot of soul searching due to my feelings of emptiness after the break up. The love for using drawing to express depressive or anxious episodes has helped me understand my own feelings when I’m no longer able to physically display emotion, which happens a lot of the times when I'm having a depressive episode. I find that Indigenous peoples have faced a lot of hardships with health, therefore in order to ensure that they get the essential healing, we must give back something that they've felt has always been lost, their lands. (I will attach an image of the drawing if requested) description: two faces drawn with colour pencils next to one another, one is covered in leafy natural colors and the other with primary colors. My intention was to depict myself through expression of colors by using them to Demonstrate stresses in my life that I need to deal with.)

Redvers, N. (2019). Chapter 8: The Natural Psychologist. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, CA. (p. 141-162).

[fantastic-nonsense]

I've gotta be honest, your vehemence regarding indoor/outdoor cats is honestly baffling. Like, what makes your [technically invasive] cat more entitled to space then the animals outdoors? And like, the argument that "indoor cats" is a "newer" concept and therefore worthy of dismissing is also baffling. Like, seat belts in cars are a "newer" concept. Smoking being bad for you is a "newer" concept. Something being "newer" doesn't make it incorrect?

I read the article you linked - the article you cited says that while unowned cats kill more animals then owned cats, owned cats still kill between 403 million and 1.24 billion animals / year. Furthermore the study says on owned cats “simple solutions to reduce mortality caused by pets, such as limiting or preventing outdoor access, should be pursued.” and “This mortality is of particular concern within the context of steadily increasing populations of owned cats.”

On top of that, it’s a bit disingenuous to link the pet obesity page when it doesn’t actually say when you’re claiming. Yes, pet’s are getting more obese, but when it comes to exercise, the paper only goes into dogs and exercise - it says nothing about cats. It only talks about feeding when it comes to cats. And the paper doesn’t talk at all about “psychological health, mental stimulation, better socialization skills with other animals, and fewer behavioral problems”. Did you read the papers?

Well one, showing up in my inbox on anon with a three-part response instead of just…you know…responding to my reblog is kind of baffling in and of itself. I also fail to see how my response was “vehement” just because I was pointing out that the OP’s entire post was based on a false premise and then explaining why said premise was false; this is the first time I have ever talked ‘cat discourse’ besides a couple of snarky comments here and there. It’s incredible that a post that basically boils down to “feral cats and outside cats are not the same thing, letting your cat outside is not evil, don’t treat cats like dogs, and here are some steps you can take to actually help with the problem” is considered a “vehement” argument. If anything, your response is far more vehement than anything I said in my original reblog. But I’ll indulge you anyway, because I have nothing else better to do with my life tonight. I’ll even section it off to make my response easier to read.

—

Let me put it this way: a cat is a pet, just like a dog or a hamster or a snake. If you are not prepared to care for them the way they need to be cared for, you shouldn’t have one. Cats, being a different species from dogs, have different needs and function differently from dogs. Therefore, it is entirely illogical to treat them like they are just small dogs. Doing something like clipping a leash on a cat and trying to take them for a walk is a ridiculous concept for the vast majority of people who have ever actually owned or interacted with cats. It’s a trendy Instagram fad that is completely useless and ultimately harmful in practice. Either keep your cat inside and care for it appropriately, let them outside for limited amounts of time, or take them to a cat-friendly outside environment on a regular basis. Stop acting like they’re just small dogs who need to be walked.

—

On the concept of indoor cats: a cat is not a seatbelt. It’s not a cigarette. They are sentient, fully functional animals with their own brain and desires; their care does not function independently from that fact. It is also of a species that has survived and adapted and evolved to live largely outdoors in harmony with humans. Humans quite literally domesticated cats to be convenient pest catchers. This is not up for debate; it is a biological fact of their existence. 

You are right that something being newer doesn’t make it incorrect. However, please consider:

I never said that keeping a cat inside was inherently incorrect. I only said that insisting all cats regardless of circumstance be kept inside is incorrect.

When people try to argue that cats are “not outside pets” based on a fundamentally ridiculous conception of how cats and humans have operated since the domestication of cats 10,000 years ago, it is imperative to point out that misconception. Pointing out that “inside cats” were not a thing until around 70 years ago is not saying that keeping your cat inside is BAD; it is saying that “inside cats” are the historical aberration in the human-cat relationship and that keeping your cat inside was functionally impossible until the advent of modern technology. Thus, trying to argue that cats are “not outside pets” is an inherently ridiculous statement to make.

Cats (much like dogs, actually) entered into a mutually beneficial relationship with humans based on food: humans kept cats around because they kept pest animals like rodents out of their food and homes, and cats received food and care by being around humans. Yes, our relationship with them has changed just as our relationship with dogs has changed, but there are still plenty of people who still keep cats (and dogs, for that matter) for their original, intended purposes: pest control, hunting, and protection, with the incredible side benefit of companionship. Projecting your hurt feelings about abandoned, feral cats onto owned cats who are doing their job by being outside is unproductive and ultimately unhelpful. 

—

Cats are not actually invasive. The natural habitat of domestic cats is anywhere humans are, and particularly in agricultural areas. Ferals are in many jurisdictions legally classified as a “pest species” because of how they function, as feral cats are effectively wild animals. Ferals are considered an invasive species and are a problem specifically because human irresponsibility has allowed their populations to grow out of control and caused them to flourish in areas where they shouldn’t be. The problem of feral cats is our fault, because we as humans have failed to properly care for our environment; they are directly the result of un-neutered strays/abandoned cats having kittens. There would be no feral cats without the abandonment of domestic cats into the wild by humans, and feral cat colonies exist only where there is a human-supplied food source. 

We know that feral cats are the actual problem. There have been hundreds of articles written about how feral cats are the problem (see some here!). Australia is actively trying to grapple with its feral cat problem and specifically cites feral cats as the main issue at hand, to the point where they are trying to kill 2 million feral cats by 2020. Some states in the US allow hunters to kill feral cats. But feral cats =/= owned outdoor cats. Why people like the OP are trying to conflate owned, cared-for, outside and indoor-outdoor cats with ferals is beyond me; they’re completely separate issues. That was the point of my original response. 

—

Now, onto the rest of your response:

In terms of cat obesity, I freely admit that was actually a stylistic error on my part; I wasn’t clear that I was talking about how cat obesity in general has been steadily rising in recent years and how it can in some ways be linked to the rise of urbanization and the rise of the ‘indoor cat.’ I would, however, note that complaining about how the article “only talks about cats in relation to food an isn’t really fair” doesn’t take into account that it’s basically the only thing to talk about in relation to indoor cats, since they don’t get much exercise, comparatively speaking.

Part of the reason indoor cats have such statistically high weight rates in relation to indoor-outdoor and outside cats is because they are not getting the same levels of exercise that cats who are allowed to go outdoors get; scratching posts and cat playgrounds can only go so far. A sedentary lifestyle for a predator species when not carefully controlled results in obesity. This shouldn’t be news to people.

The other concerns you mentioned are things often brought up in discussions of indoor vs. outdoor cats; I didn’t feel the need to link them because I (incorrectly) assumed that this was common knowledge among people who liked talking cat discourse. My mistake, apparently.

Finally, I’m well aware of what I posted. I never once stated that outside cats don’t kill animals; you’re welcome to go back to my original post and check if you like. What I said was “owned cats are not nearly as significant of a threat to wildlife as some people believe, at least compared to ferals and strays.” If you actually look at the numbers in the study I linked, they back this sentiment up: feral cats are responsible for 69% of bird deaths and 89% of small mammal deaths in the United States every year. There’s simply no comparison to be made at this point; it’s incredibly obvious which population is the actual problem.

If you want more statistics, here’s another one: via one study, feral cats kill about 316 million Australian birds per year while pet cats kill an additional 61 million annually. That’s uh….what? Maybe 15% being killed by outdoor cats, while ferals take out the other 85%? The researchers freely admit which one is the problem: “This footage shows domestic cat owners that there is a big difference between domestic and feral cats.“

It’s also telling that almost every news story that actually focuses on the problem (this PBS story, for example) is actually talking about strays, ferals, and other un-owned cats. Basically all conversations around this topic in the actual activist and conservation spheres are essentially centering around un-owned cats that people feed. There is basically zero focus or effort put into discussing what most people think of as “outside cats”: cats that are owned, collared, and cared for by humans that happen to spend the majority of their day outside and their nights in the garage or basement. Strays and ferals are the real problem, and it’s the problem people are discussing.

Anyway, I hope that incredibly long response satisfied you and your decision to come dump in my inbox on anon tonight. Have a good night, and next time please feel free to actually respond to me via reblog.

[griffithblogger]

Why you are not your brain by Prof. Alva Noe

I choose this topic in an effort to clear the ambiguous thought that I have on consciousness which I find it intriguing as sort of curiosity

The discussion link is provided below:

This discussion has taught me that

Consciousness is not just a thing that happen in our brain only.

It is possible to computer to have consciousness given the fact of creating artificial life.

 Consciousness can live on after an individual's death by the knowledge the skills the design the architecture the literature the art of the person.

The discussion focuses mainly on explaining and clarifying what is consciousness, Prof. Alva Noe refer to consciousness as life of mind which defines human experience as we are living in an environment surrounded by things in world, people, and noises all of which form, and this environment saturates our thought, it shapes our feeling, it influences our desires and our emotions.

Most of us think a consciousness as a something that happen inside of our brain however according to Alva it is something we do and achieve, in other word, brain is part of the story but not the end of it, for instance when we look at the active life of whole animal in its environment, brain alone is not sufficient as an abstract computational system, we can see patterns called sensory motor patterns that is ways in which movement and action and sensory events in the brain all interact. Consciousness isn't the sort of thing that could be revealed under a brain scan, consciousness is not something in the brain more than the value of money is in the money but that doesn't make it valuable.

One of the topics that Alva talked about in this discussion that computers may become conscious if we are able to create artificial life as sort of a theoretical possibility.

Alva also emphasis on the importance of our environment which has role of having a rich repository of information that we store it in our brain to build a habit, so we don't have to constantly recompute where we are and what we need to do, in fact habits allow us to leverage ourselves and get the places where we can pose new questions and ask new problems instead of recompute fundamental tasks.

Another interesting thought Alva mentioned is that animals are conscious given the fact that the world shows up for them differently than shows up for us, they can have very rich discriminate tory perceptual skills that can allow features of the environment to show up for them that don't show up for us.

Lastly Alva discuss what happens to consciousness when we die, as Alva state before consciousness is something that we enact ,perform and achieved and insofar as the end of life is the end of performances the end of action so it is the cessation of consciousness, but if we want to understand our conscious minds, what makes consciousness possible is the knowledge the skills the design the architecture the literature the art so much of what makes consciousness possible lives on after an individual's death in other word our bodies are essential to our ability to do anything, but when we are extending our bodies with technology tools for example we can use cars for driving and telephones for communicating across great distances and even language for interaction and communication between people and then writing, with writing we can use the power of language to influence people who are outside and beyond the reach of our voice indeed beyond the reach of our life and these extended bodies and action spaces are communal and depend not only on individual but on others, they're shared practice space which we call it culture, culture makes us what we are and culture out list us each individually.

Professor Alva Noe is a writer and professor of philosophy at the University of California at Berkeley and is the author of out of our heads, why you are not your brain, and other lessons from the biology of consciousness, Varieties of Presence, Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature, His latest book is Learning To Look. Alva received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1995, He works on the nature of mind and human experience.

[rainbow-demon503]

tbh I think the problem with most online Atheist are either America based (where the insane death cult of evangelism really needs opposition) or they were brought up in extreme religious environments (like most atheist YouTubers, across a lot of backgrounds. think apostate prophet, genetically modified skeptic etc.) that really makes you super untrusting and skeptical of all religion/anything related to that religion that was forced onto you. Most people I know and grew up around turned out to be atheist and a few are agnostic, but there's never a deep rift between them and religious family members. Discussions really only occur when someone is peddling bullshit (think anti science stuff) or being shocked that someone that doesn't believe in an afterlife is content (my aunt was really confused once that both me and my stepdad said that nothing comes after death and that is fine for us).

To give the example the Catholic priest told us as kids that the Catholic church is sometimes full of shit, and when I left the church they just asked me "why" and I just said "I don't believe in it" and that was literally the end of that conversation. Churches around here even hang up pride flags, and while this still isn't the land of absulote peace and understanding it's just way less of an issue in Austria as compared to America (apperently really small villages can be bad)

Also I think there's some situations where it's just really hard for the two groups to communicate? Like the whole problem with christian judges and megachurches in America is that they whole heartedly believe that the antichrist can and will come in their lifetime, so they're really resistent to anything that makes people's lives better. Even in circles that turn more to the general spirituality and new age beliefs difficult situations can occur. For example the believe in ghosts can be very dangerous, since you could misdiagnose stuff like hallucinations due to black mold or psychosis as "oh no someone died here" and "bad spirits". Which I have seen happen before. A YouTuber talked about them having a psychosis, but due to their doctor not knowing about that and being unable to help they wrote it off as an attack of evil ghost vampires (their literal words) influencing many uninformed viewers with their video framing it that way. On tumblr I saw someone tell an anon asking for help regarding something that was clearly sleep paralysis or hallucinations that they're experiencing an alien visitation but like, in a spiritual way.

In these situations an Atheist or any skeptic might want to argue with those people about it, because the atheist is worried and wants to help, and they do that via laying out their facts and their understanding of what is a solid argument and what isn't, because that stuff is the focus of most online Atheist communities. But the Religious and Spiritual person, especially those indoctrinated from birth or long practicing, will feel as if they're being attacked, as if their belief system is being questioned or ridiculed, and depending on the person they might just shut down, start insulting, or they might argue back! But if they don't understand what the atheist is trying to say and the atheist isn't understanding ehat they are communicating, then it's just going to be frustrating for everyone involved and lead both participants with a worse impression of the ""opposing"" group.

Massive swathes of atheists really do be like: "I am an innately better person than you are due to my personal faith-based belief regarding the nature of God, because your understanding of the nature of God is different from and incompatible with mine. If you REALLY wanted to be a good person, you'd choose to follow my personal faith-based belief regarding the nature of God rather than whatever it is you believe right now. Otherwise, you're basically irredeemable, and everything wrong with global society. The world would be at peace and achieve complete harmony if only everyone was enlightened enough to agree with me about God."

[thebailtraul]

Y’all need to come thru! Please share and help me heal some folx!

Here’s my story:

Hey y’all! I would really appreciate it if y’all could help! Here’s my email for e-transfers mathew_garcia11@yahoo.com if you’re feeling extra generous! I’ve been trying so hard to find a job, but it’s been quite tough considering that my queerness sometimes gets me in trouble. I almost got a job at a taco shop, but because I called the manager out for being frantic with customers and employees, he decided to not hire me on. It’s been a hell of a year and I wish people weren’t, so homophobic and Machistas. I’m sorry I have confidence and assertiveness without being aggressive or arrogant. I think we need to make workplaces less of a hostile and docile environment by connecting with queer people and understanding their need for an inclusive work space! Also here’s an essay I wrote for my Sacred Medicines course! It describes what my work entails and will bring to Turtle Island.

Essay about my journey:

The Journey of A Shaman

My Story of Decolonizing on Stolen Lands of the First Peoples of Canada through Accessing Aztec and AfroBlackfoot Ancestry of Indigeneity From Practicing the Art of Medicine:

The History of Turtle Island is filled of stories of genocide affecting Indigenous Peoples communities and cultures. Mine is one of many told in Central America of Conquistadors who bestowed missionaries that would change the villages that relied on local foods and medicines of Mayan, Aztecan, and Incan descent, into a colonial way of being. Instead their peoples and cultures found themselves at the foot of extinction during the 1400s-1900s on Turtle Island, due to settlers' greed for land. The lands were filled with Indigenous nations which were pushed out due to the colonial settlers from France, Spain, and the British. This forced the displacement of African Peoples on Indigenous lands which resulted in some of them escaping slavery during the settlement of Turtle Island and joining tribes such as the Blackfoot peoples. These peoples took up what is now the Rio Grande river to the flourishing valley in Zacateco; the small village my grandmother grew up in. Before the Mexican Civil War between the Indigenous Peoples and Spanish Settlers she learned how to rely on ancestral knowledge of land, food and medicine. She faced challenges that the missionaries introduced when settling establishments for the Spanish Conquistadors, in her village. It resulted in her losing her father and mother through working in horrible conditions in bean, corn, and rice fields put in place by the church's tyrant ways of controlling the Indigenous population through religion and assimilation of their way of living in a colonial society. My grandmother told me stories of soldiers dismantling their connections to Aztec medicines, foods, and Gods by destroying any traces of that civilization through mass burials and mass burnings of artifacts.

The phrase Turtle Island was first introduced to me at the Free Store and Food Bank in the Student Union Building, d where I found a black cloth. Printed on it was a green land mass depiction of the Americas as a Turtle figured island, encompassing all of what is now Settler Governments. This concept opens my mind up to Indigenous self governance and peace as one lands for the sake of protecting them for future generations. Following the ongoing interactions with organizers of the Food Bank, I managed to bring my expertise as a project and outreach coordinator. I organized discussions on where our food came from to spark the movement of individuals respecting our Food Bank as an Activist establishment against capitalism.

I had the opportunity to be part of Dr. Rennee’s course on Sacred Medicines from her INGH 452 online course at The University of Victoria. She has inspired me to look at and create a career in medicine that doesn’t involve the perspectives of Western Medicines for the sake of saving the medicines we lack in our Indigenous communities that suffer from Settler Colonizer diets implemented through legislation. The Canadian and American governments have been accused of depriving Indigenous communities of their lands, food, medicines and right to practice their rituals.

I grew up mostly living with my grandmother who taught me my morals, customs, and values she got from her father and the people from her village in Zacatecas, Mexico. She told me stories of her great grandmother showing her the ways of the lands by cultivating teas, remedies, and foods to bring nourishment. They would run through fields of corn before new crops were introduced that seemed to take away from the Native plants that were for eating and medicine. I immigrated to what is now known as Canada; this colonial power continues to settle on unceded lands of indigneous communities spread out through Turtle Island. It has been a challenge due to the traumatic similarities my people have faced on Turtle Island that resemble the treatment of the Indigenous communities in Canada.

The missionaries in Zacatecas, Mexico displaced my grandmother who was on a journey to midwifery before a soldier boy stole her hand in marriage after the death of her father. This led to Machismo in my family that I continue to navigate through for the sake of changing my family's ongoing struggles with their own health due to displacement of their original foods and ways of protecting the lands. Machismo degraded the Aztec woman by allowing Conquistador ideologies from Settler Societies to make the Aztec Man more powerful than any other member in the family, it forced him to wield his wrath on anyone who didn't follow his manliness of aggression for the sake of protecting his property and family. They colonized our men in order to create a new persona that fit the colonial ideologies of the new Colonial state, for the sake of keeping a patriarchal government that oppresses its women and Indigenous peoples.

The global displacement of brown and black people was brought about by attacking familial and community based societies that relied on tribal relations to the lands before settlement of westernized societies that encompassed our lands with racist doctrines like the Manifest Destiny. When talking about relieving the colonial way of living I have to take the stigma away from my black and brown communities I am tied to, because of my knowledge and expertise in navigating colonial systems for the sake of creating better conditions for their underrepresented communities that are controlled through Colonial Governance of the Majority, Settler European Anglo Saxon Protestant Vigilantes of Turtle Island.

In my work, the aim is to reduce the stigma of mental illness on communities that have ties to Indigenous roots who come from displaced Indigenous cultures due to their unceded lands. European settlement of Turtle Island has created gaps in our understanding of Indigeous Youths’ Mental Health Issues. If we were to destroy these barriers created by our colonial governments we'd be able to see positive change in underrepresented brown and black communities that harness the potential to spark a movement through Ancestral Healing.

Western ways of organizing data based on research for white middle class Canadian families help come up with diagnosis and treatment for anxiety or depression. This has worked for white privileged families that have in turn displaced, stolen, and compromised indigenous lands. Leaving Indigneous Peoples on Turtle Island with the lack of individualized treatment for specific cultural approaches to anxiety and depression that may arise from living in a colonial settler society based on white supremacy doctrines. The way mental health is conceptualized can depend on culture to culture based on the usage of land for healing. My work as a Shaman is to bring the tangible and visible immenseness of research that claims the benefits of Indigenous led rituals that have been hiding in plain sight. I have compiled articles that discuss the Indigenous communities that would benefit from a forum that would help decrease the rising numbers of suicide among Indigenous youth. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles Redvers notes that the; Increase of inuit youth suicide is higher than it has ever been for inidgneous youth,” (Redvers, 2019, Pg.142). We must create a new system that doesn't rely on westernized ways of thinking, but instead on traditional knowledge from elders teachings of the lands and their connections to the lands. The gift of healing is one to be assigned to a shaman who can help see a condition through sacred knowledge (Redvers. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles, 2019 Pg.144). It's a bit like when a psychologist compiles data to make a diagnosis, but instead of using evidence based data from empirical research, they instead use sacred knowledge from elders and the shamans/healers in their communities. I believe I am on my own journey to become a shaman with a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. I want to bring concrete evidence for holistic practices to gain respect for Traditional Indigneous medicines that live and breathe on Turtle Island. Integrating a new stream of medicine would allow for further decolonization of our healthcare system on Turtle Island. Knowledge and wisdom organized from elders, shamans, traditional healers, and story tellers could be used for customizing and improving Indigenous youths’ health. Taking the steps towards creating a stream of medicine based on using the lands for healing through elder storytelling and ceremony practices, must come from my own knowledge of Psychotherapy and psychoanalysis. Healing can come from storytelling scenarios, schemas, and drawings that help revitalize Indigneous peoples connections they have lost from the lands due to the colonial infrastructures in place today. I have attached an image of a side by side comparison of what I believe the lands want me to be on the right, and on the right is what I have to face when I'm aware of the lies in the colonial settler societies make-believe truths. I drew this when I was going through an intense breakup. I was having to do a lot of soul searching due to my feelings of emptiness after the break up. The love for using drawing to express depressive or anxious episodes has helped me understand my own feelings when I’m no longer able to physically display emotion, which happens a lot of the times when I'm having a depressive episode. I find that Indigenous peoples have faced a lot of hardships with health, therefore in order to ensure that they get the essential healing, we must give back something that they've felt has always been lost, their lands. (I will attach an image of the drawing if requested) description: two faces drawn with colour pencils next to one another, one is covered in leafy natural colors and the other with primary colors. My intention was to depict myself through expression of colors by using them to Demonstrate stresses in my life that I need to deal with.)

Redvers, N. (2019). Chapter 8: The Natural Psychologist. In The Science of the Sacred: Bridging Global Indigenous Medicine Systems and Modern Scientific Principles. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, CA. (p. 141-162).

[thebowlercapfairy]

It's good to discuss the problems our world is facing, but I don't appreciate deliberately misleading titles.

"Based on data from 2015, they estimated 9 million deaths each year can be attributed just to pollution..."

So they estimated something. That's a practice that's decidedly inexact & subject to error. This is followed by a lot of "could" & "expected to," which amounts to hypothesizing, & culminates in:

"The report concluded preventable environmental problems will 'cause approximately 25 per cent of global disease and mortality...'”

so based on some hypothesizing which was based on an estimation, environmental problems will cause a quarter of all deaths & diseases in the future. But that's not the case right now, even by vague estimate.

Let's talk about our problems, but let's not pretend the sky is falling & make wild conjectures about how horrible & doomed the future is going to be as though no one is taking any remedial measures. Using hyperbole to try & scare people into doing what you want is what religious fanatics with megaphones do, & it's not particularly effective. Either you lose all your credibility because people recognize the exaggeration, or they believe you & despair or panic because it doesn't sound like there's much left to save or any realistic possibility of doing it.

The truth is that we have no conclusive evidence to suggest that a large proportion of humans are dying horribly because of environmental issues. So what? We should care anyway, & we do. No one is campaigning on a position of "screw the environment, saving the world is for losers." The real points of controversy are what needs to be done, by whom, in what proportion, & how. There's no one out there who's going to suddenly realize that the environment matters because a small proportion of our species might die in the future if nothing changes, when it's already changing. Our world isn't doomed & we're working on it. Everyone should keep calm & keep working on it.

One in four deaths that take place worldwide can be linked to pollution and other environmental damage caused by humans, the United Nations has warned. Polluted drinking water, filthy air and land destroyed by “mega-farms” are among the threats that must be urgently addressed, according to a new report compiled by hundreds of scientists. Based on data from 2015, they estimated nine million deaths each year can be attributed just to pollution – with outdoor and indoor fumes posing the biggest danger. The report’s authors warned humanity faces a “bleak future”, as parts of Asia and Africa in particular could see millions more premature deaths in the coming decades. The gap between rich and poor countries is expected to grow as overconsumption and food waste in the developed world are matched by hunger and the spread of preventable diseases elsewhere.