sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

"God is everything, man is nothing, says religion. But out of that nothing God has created a kingdom so despotic, so tyrannical, so cruel, so terribly exacting that nought but gloom and tears and blood have ruled the world since gods began." -Emma Goldman

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POV you've caught most of the potential man-eating fish in the entire world

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Bro exactly

Real life crush.

Listen, I can’t explain it, you ever watch River Monsters? I love this man.

He doesn’t kill the fish, it’s all catch and release to teach us about fish. He has a British Accent and he speaks a bunch of other languages so he can speak to locals. He’s like sixty years old and he’s like “I’m gonna catch a 250 lb shark” and then the shark bites him a lil and he goes “wow, what an amazing animal”. He’s so considerate of indigenous people, going so far to get a full health examination before he even comes into contact with remote tribes so he does not harm them. He’s gotten into a pool with Piranha just to prove that myths about them being aggressive and bloodthirsty are false. He’s gotten into a river with Boto just to find out if they’re worthy of the anxiety that locals have about them.

I. Love. Him.

And I feel like he’s underrated.

This dude is a modern day, fish-oriented Steve Irwin.

Anyway, this is Jeremy Wade.

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Jeremy Wade(Sweetest most wholesome man alive)

Nobody understands how much I love Jeremy Wade. Nobody likes River Monsters the way I do. The show and that man are a treasure and we should be so lucky he decided to grace society with his presence. He's literally a non-binary ally too.Like Sam Smith said they wanted to be a "fisher-them" and Jeremy responded back saying there was a term that was "less clunky"(angler) and saif that he's all for a language change in favor of inclusivity. He even calls himself an angler!Like litreally nobody gets it. I love him so much. I also learn a whole bunch form the show. Like bro arapaimas? Sick as hell. Also I learned they stopped making the show because he caught every river monster. What a fucking legend.

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

The Ocean and I

I live in a movie, I like to believe

Loving the ocean the way National Geographic, Blue Planet, and Ponyo have taught me to

Years of driving by and over the massive, sparkling, blueish greenish expanse 

Flying over it to actually get in it, ironic

Leave me feeling heavy with the presence of nature and all its life, so much larger than I

She swells up to meet me, then leaves, drawing me in, I must follow

Hover just below her surface for hours

Watch your sorrows sink, and your silky smooth sunscreen-scented serenity float to the top

Another earth lives just below me that I will never know

Stick your head in and see the fish, a rainbow of life swirling and dipping just praying that you will drop your food, while I am praying they just stick around

I love the ocean when she burns my eyes, when she allows the sun to burn my skin with her crystal reflections, no matter how much Hawaiian Tropic I apply

“I love the ocean too”, selfishly, not like I do, part of my silly fantasy that I mean even a fraction as much to the ocean as she does to me, and that I am her guardian

Sting rays, manta rays, rays of sun, each just as beautiful as the last, shimmering gold in my mind

On the sand created of centuries of her hard work, her song lulls me to sleep in the middle of the day, something I’ve never been able to achieve

But then again nobody has ever done anything the ocean could

As the sun sets on the ocean like the closing credits of the movies that brought me to her, she turns coral pink, burnt orange, dark salmon, pearly purple, and midnight aquamarine

And I leave her knowing she has already forgotten me, ensuring that I will be new for her for next time, but I will never return the favor

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Absolutely brilliant

One time, the Queen of England decided to knight a loyal member of her country who happened to be Jewish. 

This man knew that knights were supposed to say something in Latin as the Queen knighted them, but didn’t remember the line, so he quickly said “ma nishtana halaila hazeh micol haleilot”

This, of course, confused the Queen, who turned to her advisor and asked “Why is this knight different from all other knights?”

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

My bracelet

The desk has my entire life on it

Included in that is the bracelet, wrapped in shining silver, from Israel

The trip he was bouncing-off-the-walls excited to tell me about, and I fell in love listening to

A standout from the rest of the chaos that inhabits my workspace

The charm on it symbolizes protection, and it once did

The clasp is forever undone, as he will never clasp his arms around me

But it still stares at me, as I am unable to put him away and out of my mind

The shining silver blinds me when I turn on the light, so I turn it off, just as we always did

When he gave it to me I wore it as if I were carrying him with me

Now it lays in the same spot every day, occasionally touched and remembered, but never worn, though I think it’s absolutely beautiful

Sadly beautiful

It’s almost a relief that I don’t wear it, it was always getting in the way and it was too loose, but it was delicate and lovely, and above all else made me feel loved

I’ve tried to reimagine the meaning, attributing it to my Judaism or connection to Israel

And yet when I pick it up I can’t put it on, just as I can’t look at him

Because those things remind me of him too

Now on this beautiful day, when the sun shines as it never did on that bracelet 

I stroll to a place I eventually see him

And on my journey there I buy myself a new bracelet, with gold beads that sparkle in the sun

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

The Elevator

The elevator. With all the time I spent waiting for it to get to the first floor I would think there was something in there worth the suspense. The wall around it is old and the paint is peeling, and it’s what I focus on as all the people also waiting come and go. When finally I get on it’s dim and musty. Suffocating. Though there’s only three buttons, none of them are labeled and I don’t know where I’m going. The floor is black, whether that’s the color it was built as or it’s just so dirty it’s turned dark I can’t know. People come and go like they know where they’re going, but I don’t. Should I? The ceiling, a mirror, shows my reflection. This is the way I will stay, at least during my time in the elevator. As it creeps from floor to floor people get on and off with a purpose, but it’s never my time. Each floor is the same, at least in the frame of the cold, industrial doors of the elevator. Up and down we all go between three floors. People are no longer getting on and off. I am left with one person in the elevator and she turns to me with complete neutrality and says “Where are you going?” “I don’t know,” I say. “That’s okay,” she replies and then leaves as the doors open again. I’m alone. I wait for what seems like an eternity for the next floor and when the doors open they don’t seem to want to close. I hesitate as I take one step forward, but stop.

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Though this always applies to Jews, everyone can take this on. We need to be resilient and strong.

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

— Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Wisdom of the Sages

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Mural

I hate this,

I don’t want to think about this,

I want it all to be taken out of my mind,

And I don’t want to remember him,

Because it feels as if my heart my heart is going to stop at any second

But I don’t,

I love him too much,

 I cherish him too much,

the good parts were so sparkly, warm, wonderful,

I wish I could lock them up in a borwn box,

With ornate gold details on it,

And store it in the back closet of my mind,

I get to choose when I wistfully reminisce on this part of my life,

Only to be touched, seen,and experienced when I make the effort to

Not some mural strewn across all my walls,

That I’m forced to perceive,

Haunting me wherever I go,

Taking my sleep from me,

And tainting any chance of mundane regularity and normalcy

I want him to be a good memory,

A good experience,

A good friend,

A good love,

And in many ways he was

But I can’t go back,

He won’t let me,

And that’s why it hurts, why I physically can’t stand it,

Because he doesn’t want to experience me anymore,

He doesn’t want to love me anymore

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When Finally She Touched Me

I walked through the valley full of fog. Unsure of which way to go or what was even in front of me, I went along slowly, my arms slightly raised. If I actually encountered any danger my arms would be the sacrifice. A sudden an serene melody prompted me to plant my feet in place. The ground became steady beneath my feet and I felt an internal warmth. No longer were my arms the sacrifice for I was not afraid, and certainly not in any danger. When I finally saw her I was ready, accepting, and desperate to bring her into my life. It was like she was floating. I couldn't see her feet on the ground. Her flowing white dress sparkled with no light source and seemed to merely exist around her celestial body for its own pleasure and convenience. She didn't seem to mind. Her hair, like flowing water, created a soft halo around her head and neck. Her eyes glowed and immediately they were a part of me. I had never felt anything so certain and blissful as her gaze on me. Not only was I no longer lost, but I was found. When Finally we were close enough to interact, I was unsure what was appropriate to do. She touched me and I was happy. So happy to be acknowledged and made real by her. Overjoyed. I was on my way to the spring of my youth and the beginning of a new chapter of my life. Her energy spread throughout me from the ends of my hair to my fingers and toes. Filling my life with purpose and my mind with gold. She was only there for a few minutes and then she was gone. She stayed in my heart forever, flowing and helping me through the trials and tribulations of my life. I know her as I know myself, and yet not at all. And though she's gone, I still feel her.

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Currently listeing to a bunch of idiots in my dorm common room justify why they like a whole bunch of problematic artists, one of which is Kanye West. Never have I felt more stealth mode than I do right now(I’m Jewish). I also love one of their commentaries on how he’s only been listening to “minority music” lately and “good on [his] parents for only putting minority music on when [he] was a kid”. On top of that I don’t even think these kids live here. Not sure how they got in considering you need a special key card to enter the building. What the actual fuck lmao

Edit from not even two seconds after I posted this: they just found out Steve Lacy is mixed race and it was a very heated discussion. They also found out that Bruno Mars isn’t entirely Filipino and they’re losing their minds. This is a real quote one of them actually said “but he doesn’t look Jewish”. The response “well his dad’s only half Jewish so that’s probably why”. It took everything in my power not to ask them what they think Jewish people look like. A later quote “He probably gets his darker coloring from his puerto rican side”. The response *with sarcasm* “oh really not from being Jewish?” Dawg holy shit. I’m fighting demons.

Edit from not even two seconds after I posted my update: The guy of the group(there are tow girls and one guy) has now declared he would never want to date someone within his own major because he “doesn’t want to compare his own intelligence to [theirs]” and somehow the women are agreeing. As I’m typing this he’s also talking about how he doesn’t want to date a woman who comes from money or makes more money than him because “he’s used to living a certain way” and they’re being like “yeah mhm I understand”. This isn’t real.

Edit from not even two seconds after I posted my update to the update: They were still on this topic of socioeconomic status in a realtionship and the guy has agreed to date someone who makes less money than him then this happened. Girl 1: “what if the girl was like begging on the street” Guy: “I feel like if you’re like begging on the street then you’re......not really trying”. I’m not even doing my homework anymore I’m solely invested in this conversation. I’m gonna have to go to bed soon but I really don’t want to.

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Gun violence archive as a legit and unbiased source? May as well get the giffords and the porn people “moms demand action” as a source too.

First off I had a stroke trying to read this. Second off the gun violence archive, if you bothered to go to the link, is literally just statistics on how many people have died from gun violence in past years and in specific incidents. It's not biased it's literal fact.

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Interest Groups: An Interesting Dilemma

Another essay I wrote for a political science class I’m taking. Please don’t argue with me in the comments I don’t care about your opinion.

Interest groups have been an essential component of public representation and opinion for centuries in the American political sphere. They are catalysts for change and have been an integral part of the efforts our government has made to address issues such as civil rights, climate change, and gun control. They are a direct extension of the American people, which is why we should take an in-depth look into the positive and negatives that make up interest groups, and seek to maximize their beneficial effects.

Though many interest groups do not have specific political biases, a fair amount do and, no surprise, those are usually the ones we hear about the most. Groups like the NRA and Majority Forward tend to have strong political leanings, the NRA being conservative and Majority Forward being more liberal. Personally, I think interest groups that align more with one party or the other aren’t really the ones that represent the people the best. They’re usually private interest groups that have their own agenda outside of what they say publicly. I think that whichever group can create the most news gets “represented” the most in the media. The NRA is actually a great example of that despite the fact that they are actually a public interest group, and technically they’re a nonprofit. Gun control has been a hot topic for a while and with each new shooting there comes a call to action for politicians to do something about it, and the NRA is always demonized, sometimes rightfully and sometimes not. However, the president of the NRA is always somehow talking to or being seen with some member of the Republican party, which makes it seem like all Republicans align themselves with the NRA. Groups like Majority Forward are less well known but they seem to be more concerned with the actual political aspect of being an interest group. Their job is more or less about working against Republican and conservative campaigns and organizing voter registration and turnout events. They still don’t really show how they align with the opinion of the public, but it has influence over elections. Both of these interest groups have effects on elections and therefore on the people. In terms of actual representation of the public I think interest groups that are largely politically motivated shouldn’t be included. There are, however, plenty of interest groups that actually represent values of different groups of people. AARP is a great example, especially because our tax dollars are funding things they help with, like Medicare. It shows that the general public believes that the elderly of our society should have care and have access to people who will tell them their options and help them into retirement and general life as a senior. 

The influence over democracy that interest groups can have varies widely. In certain cases they can sway elections drastically. ExxonMobil is a perfect example of this. In the 2016 election they worked very closely with the Trump administration. ExxonMobil being an oil company means it has many resources and connections and they can afford lobbyists. It worked so well for them that when Trump was elected they had five cabinet nominees that had either previously worked for ExxonMobil or been funded by them(Rowland-Shea et al., 2022). One of these nominees was for secretary of state and it was Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of the company. Does ExxonMobil have the best interest of the people at heart? I would bet not. It is an unfortunate truth that money controls a good amount of our government. It’s been that way since nearly the beginning of the United States government and sometimes interest groups, like ExxonMobil, perpetuate that. Because of this, they can sway elections in unfair ways which is why we can't rely solely on interest groups to fill in the gaps created by our current form of voting.  On the other hand, like I mentioned before, interest groups can help to mobilize people. They can work to make sure all different groups of people are heard and represented, and they make sure all these groups have a way to find pertinent political information about policies that directly affect them. Interest groups are also a great way to tell which issues are of most importance to the people especially because a lot of interest groups provide public goods. If a group that provides a service that doesn’t require the support of the people gets a lot of support anyways(meaning money), it shows that people are invested and interested in this cause. Because of the support it then gains from those people the interest group is then able to have more influence in the government. They can hire lobbyists and afford advertisements and create change in society. They can almost be seen as an extension of the popular vote, and would be better at representing what the people want if all interest groups worked that way.

Like most things, the necessity and usefulness of interest groups is not entirely black and white. They can have real influence in our government and daily lives. The NRA has an iron grip on the Republican party and I’m sure some Republican voters are happy about that. AARP has an iron grip on the senior population of America and we are definitely better off with them in existence. Interest groups also enforce the important idea that everybody should have representation in our government and it’s even better that most interest groups are run by regular people not involved in politics. There are groups like the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute that research issues that affect these racial groups and put information out on legislation that affects them. Since, historically, certain racial groups are often overlooked or underrepresented in the government and elections these interest groups show more accurately what the people that belong to them want and how they feel. Religious groups like the American Jewish Congress and Catholic Charities USA do a lot of charity work and advocacy, but still don’t really align themselves with political parties. What I think these groups do is bring people together and that provides an outlet and community for them to speak up politically and put their support into different causes and candidates publicly. Because popular sovereignty is inherently flawed in our system of government, interest groups are needed to make sure important issues and groups of people are not overlooked or ignored. It’s the people advocating for themselves which unifies them and enforces the idea that the people do have power and are capable of creating change and having influence. Despite the clicheness of the phrase they really embody the spirit of “be the change you want to see.”At the same time they can cause even more corruption and tampering in elections and other government processes. To decrease this side effect, more emphasis should be put on congressional testimonies by interest groups with less influence. Certain amounts of time could be set aside to specifically listen to what interest groups want to say as opposed to only hearing it when issues that apply to them are discussed in congress. This would give public interest groups, that don’t have as many resources as private ones, more of an opportunity to be heard and create positive change in our government.

Interests groups have helped shape America into the country that it is today. Through their actions they represent the more specific interests and concerns of the American people that can be overlooked when all we get to directly vote for in the federal government are representatives. Despite that they are also very flawed, and the system allows for them to be that way. America is not what it was fifty years ago and we are better(and maybe a little worse) for it. Part of that is due to the efforts made by interest groups. We need to protect and improve interest groups so that fifty years from now America will see an even greater benefit.

Works Cited:

Rowland-Shea, J., Alexander-Kearns, M., Lee-Ashley, M., & Marano, H. (2022, September 1). How Exxon won the 2016 election. Center for American Progress. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://www.americanprogress.org/article/how-exxon-won-the-2016-election/ 

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Gun Control: Unified and Divided

This is an essay I wrote for a class I’m currently taking in college. I simply thought it would be cool to share and I wanted it to be published somewhere. Please don’t argue with me in the comments I don’t care about your opinion.

According to the Gun Violence Archive there were 691 mass shootings in 2021. Amongst those affected 1,563 children were killed. With mass shootings on a steady incline, children can’t feel completely safe in schools and large crowds are huge causes of anxiety and concern for many. At the same time, protecting the second amendment is being discussed more than ever. With tensions rising, and more people being injured or killed, the American people are calling for action on both sides of the political spectrum. The only thing is, nobody is sure who is responsible for that action.

The concept that the government is created by the people and only upheld by their happiness in its ability to do its job is called popular sovereignty. Assuming we trust that system, we should trust the people in our government to make laws about gun control. The Articles of Confederation were a great example of what happens when the federal government doesn’t have enough power or doesn’t have enough control over topics or issues that should be dealt with at a federal level. Gun control is one of these issues. Since guns have become such a safety concern in the past few decades, having federal laws on how they should be dealt with would unify our country and make it easier to standardize safety across the nation. Truthfully nowhere is completely safe from gun violence. People may argue that each state has a certain political leaning and the cultures are different, so each state should make its own gun laws, but there have been mass shootings all around the country regardless of each states’ political and cultural views. The gun show loophole is an extremely good example of why we should start with gun control on a federal level. Under federal law private sellers of firearms are not required to perform federal background checks on buyers. At the same time anyone(meaning private sellers) is allowed to sell a firearm to someone without a license as long as they have no reason to believe the person is prohibited from possessing firearms and they both reside in the same state. If this sounds extremely dangerous and irresponsible to you, you would be completely justified in thinking that. We clearly have problems with gun control on a federal level and we need to fix it. Having gun control be decided completely in the federal government would force them to consider every states’ point of view as there would be no way for the federal government to use individual state laws as a crutch to justify vague and dangerous gun control laws on a federal level. On top of all this we have the 2nd amendment. When the framers were creating the Constitution they thought the right to protect yourself was important enough that we should include it in the rights that our very country is built on. The fact is that gun laws were being made on a federal level from the very beginning of the nation and there’s no reason to change that. I also think it’s worth mentioning that the “federal government” deciding gun laws doesn’t just mean Congress. President Biden has said he wants to create a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines and require background checks on all gun sales. Another good example would be in the case of  D.C. v. Heller(2008). This case essentially gives us what is our modern day interpretation of the 2nd amendment. The Supreme Court decided in a 5-4 vote that people are allowed to own firearms outside of being in a state militia and that they are allowed to use it to defend themselves. I understand that it is hard to trust the federal government with issues such as this. They’ve been trying to deal with it for years and often we find that they endlessly argue and don’t get a whole lot done. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen unification or peaceful compromise from our federal government on a single issue in my lifetime, and I’m truthfully not sure I will, but if we could somehow make it unavoidable for them to decide I think it would turn out to be a good decision. I can’t imagine a scenario where somehow they would make gun control even looser than it already is at a federal level. It simply would not get the votes. This would also ensure political equality, or equal weight in decision making, amongst the states. 

Despite the fact that I have just made a very compelling argument for federal policy, there would be some benefits to state decided gun control as well. Having states decided their own gun control policy would make people happier. Each state could cater to its people’s opinions as policy in California is drastically different than that of somewhere like Arkansas. It is also so that if states want stricter gun control they can have it. On a federal level it would take an extremely long time to get sufficient gun control, if we got it at all. This is more or less how the country exists now, and for the most part the policies do reflect the general political ideals of each state. However, nationally we are very divided and a lot of people are unhappy with the way gun control is being handled. With individual states passing better gun control laws we can work towards a safer country one piece at a time even if it’s a slow process, but the only problem with that is that gun control won’t be the same in every state. Even if more states pass stricter gun control laws they won’t all be the same and making the country safer would be easier if the laws were standardized. 

The solution that would make the most sense to me, if we take into consideration our current political climate and tendencies, would be to have split jurisdiction. It would be so that the federal government would make decisions on how someone would acquire firearms and what kind they should be able to own, and that would be standard across the country. I also happen to believe that open carry laws should be made on a federal level. States can decide how they’re used or where they’re allowed. In my mind this way makes the most sense and would make the most people happy while still making the country safer on average, so long as the laws made on a federal level are in the stricter direction. The main issue is background checks and availability. Because the laws surrounding those issues are not the same in every state, it makes it easier for people to acquire and travel with firearms to different places. As it is, the age at which you can buy certain firearms isn’t standard. Shotguns and rifles and ammunition for them can only be sold to people who are eighteen or older. Any other kind of firearm or equipment or those firearms can only be sold to  people twenty-one or older. In situations like that there needs to be consistency so when problems arise there is no gray area as to what is allowed and what isn’t. I think that starts on a federal level so that states have a baseline as to where to go with gun control from there. 

Despite the fact that the second amendment has been around since nearly the beginning of America, we have just recently started to question the essentialness of it in our society today. As gun violence becomes more of an epidemic the need for gun control becomes greater as well, but whose responsibility it is to create those laws is still a major point of contention. Only through reaching across the aisle and bipartisan legislation can we truly make it work.

Works CitedGun violence archive. Gun Violence Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls 

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

I have no idea of you guys give a shit but I haven't posted in a while and I just wanted to give an update. Senior year and I've finished all my super important college applications and I really feel like life is moving y'know? I'm gonna turn 18 in a couple months. I'm gonna graduate. It's a trip truly.

[sage-advice-wrapped-in-rice]

Tease [G.W.]

Character: George Weasley

Word Count: 4110

Requested?: Yes/No

Summary: Every time George tries to get you alone, something seems to interrupt you and he can’t seem to catch a break. Maybe he just needs to get a bit more creative, or maybe teasing you under the table is enough to get you as worked up and desperate as he is.

WARNING: this is NSFW, 18+, smutty, sexy times, idk how else to say it. george is being a hot cheeky bastard wanting to shag his girlfriend.

Tags: @gracemayhateyou @harrysweasleys @toranyx @theweirdsideofstuff @ickle-ronniekins @levylovegood @wand3ringr0s3 @diary-of-an-onliner

Disclaimer: Gif isn’t mine, credit to whoever made it

A/n: idk, george makes me feel things. enjoy and thanks for requesting nonnie! ❤️

+ + + + +

George was frustrated. In both senses of the word. He had originally thought that inviting you to the Burrow over Christmas was a wonderful idea, and whilst he loved having you around, he felt as though he’d barely even seen you since you’d arrived. And it was beginning to drive him insane.

He loved that you got along with his family so well, that they constantly wanted to be around you but, in his eyes, he’d invited you there to be with him, and the fact you’d probably had around 10 minutes alone over the last week was starting to get to him.

It didn’t help, and he was certain you were doing this on purpose, that you kept wearing his shirts around the Burrow - something you knew turned him on - or that one day you wore a jumper that fell off one shoulder, exposing the area of skin that George wanted to kiss and bite down on. Or, worse, that one day you wore a skirt and knee high socks - Merlin, George thought he felt his heart stop that day.

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