#Americans are the result of being taught you live in the best country on the world so you dont bother to learn other world perspectives

[the-acid-pear]

I think the most American take I've heard is that people shouldn't get their guns taken away from them.

[hypnoticwinter]

The End of History and what it means for you

A while ago, a political scientist named Francis Fukuyama wrote a book called The End of History and the Last Man. In it, Fukuyama argues that history is an essentially evolutionary process and that the modern Western form of liberal democracy is a fundamentally better system of governance than any of the alternatives. This is what he means by the 'end of history' - he's thinking of it in the same sense that Marx and Hegel were, where history is a linear progression or evolution through socioeconomic eras.

Fukuyama argues that, in the time since the French Revolution, this sort of liberal democracy has proven time and again to be a better system than other styles of government and as such there is no reason why there would be a progression from it to a better system. Rather than a literal end of history in which no more events occur, according to Fukuyama the end results of those events will be that liberal democracy becomes more and more prevalent in the world.

Naturally this is a very silly idea just to begin with and a lot of people made fun of Fukuyama for it, and to his credit he has mostly stuck to his guns about it since 1992 when his book was published.

With that being said, I think the world is approaching a much more literal 'end of history' than Fukuyama expected or anticipated. Keep in mind that he was writing in 1992. The Berlin wall had been torn down in 1989, the USSR dissolved right at the end of 1991. Apartheid would end two years later in 1994. It was an optimistic time.

Coming to the end of 2023 in the West, however, I am a little bit less optimistic. The politicization of the Covid pandemic and the resultant inflation and bailouts have driven the national debt in the US to record highs, with gas and food prices to match. Year after year, it seems, ever since 9/11 or so, everything gets very slightly worse; the quality and size of products for sale decreases, the cleanliness of our cities decreases, race relations take an ironic tumble ever since Obama was elected. Today we are faced with enormous government spending on foreign wars with dubious, if any, real benefits to American citizens.

Everyone with a brain knows that the geriatric pencilnecks in Congress are still living in a world where the Cold War never ended, and the American public has gradually come to terms with that, just like we've come to terms with a world where 'no-go' zones exist in American cities, where Flint, Michigan still does not have drinkable water (that's a bit of an exaggeration as the water does still have lead in it but it's below the EPA's maximum allowable level...but there isn't any safe minimum for lead exposure, which says something about the fact that there is a nonzero maximum allowable level of lead in drinking water supplies).

The last fifty years, and the last thirty in particular, have taught The Powers That Be (by which I mean whatever shadowy cabal of international political and economic entities really control the major Western countries - depending on your political leaning you can call them bankers, Jews, Soros, the Illuminati, big business, the CIA, whatever fits your worldview best) a great deal about what people in the West are able to come to terms with.

The end of history that I see approaching, or perhaps possibly already arrived, is a world and a society where The Powers That Be are able to implement whatever policy they want as long as they do it slowly enough so that the population and tax base of the countries they control do not complain. We have reached a sort of equilibrium now in the West where The Powers That Be have roughly calculated the amount of distractions the average pleb requires in order to overlook the policies that are being implemented that actively harm them. Pornography and video entertainment are available for free online, or require barely any effort to pirate; although more expensive recently, food is still cheap, especially for those poor enough to qualify for food stamps and other types of assistance. There are subsections of the population who do not even have to work as they are propped up by government subsidy for nebulous mental illnesses that have contradictory or seemingly nonexistent symptoms, while others simply live off of the largesse of family members or scam seemingly never-ending unemployment benefits from state governments. For those that do work, wages are stagnant and the price of gas and food and shelter (these people as a rule do not tend to qualify for any sort of assistance for these things, or if they do it is at minimal levels) increase steadily, but not at such a high pace that we do anything more than grumble about it and then accept things as just the way they are.

In five years, your car will be shittier and your apartment will either be smaller, or the same size but with two or three more roommates in it. There will be more people in your city that you have nothing in common with. There will be more crime, more government spending on items that do not have any meaningful impact on your life. Infrastructure will be worse. People in general will be dumber, either addled by prescription drugs that are entirely too easy to get ahold of or the product of a failing educational system. You will be in debt, but it won't be a big deal cause everyone knows unsecured debts don't really matter. In California people actually vill be living in ze pod and eating ze bugs and we will still be laughing at them but not quite as loud. Repeat ad infinitum.

There will always be a chunk of the population who does notice and care, but the portion of that chunk that is actually angry enough to try and do something about it will, it seems, always be too small to actually matter or to be able to coordinate in any meaningful way. The vast majority of people will be either too stupid to see what is being done to them and notice the gradual decrease in the quality of life, or too ground down by the monotony of daily life to spare any brainpower for things like that.

A situation like this can be maintained indefinitely so long as the distractions supplied are adequate. Totalitarian regimes in the past have tried to crush dissent and maintain control over culture in order to prevent a counterculture from forming, but the regime we live under has made the deduction that it is much easier to control people who actually have something to lose, who have lives that are relatively comfortable (key word relatively), and who ultimately see no reason to try and stand up to anyone. The spirit of '76 is long dead at this point, and even if there were enough red-blooded patriots left to revive it, very few of them would be willing to die for a country filled with people who are in effect collaborators.

Let's be perfectly clear: there is nobody in this equation who is innocent. Everybody who has stood by and allowed us to reach the end of history is part of the problem, everybody who has allowed themselves to become mired in racial and identity politics, everybody who has accepted a smaller shittier life on a yearly basis without doing anything more than grumbling is part of the problem. Everyone who has paid their taxes in the last fiscal year is part of the problem (and if you haven't and you're reading this, I congratulate you on being more based than I am).

The ironic thing here is that the power is still ultimately weighted towards the populations of these countries rather than with The Powers That Be. The Cabal needs footsoldiers and collaborators, and each of those footsoldiers is a weak link as the excuse of following orders only goes so far. To be clear: those outside the top 1% of wealth do not share the same values as the Cabal. Nobody outside the Cabal shares those values, and there are far more of us collaborators than there are of the true believers, at the end of the day. These are people with names and addresses, with families and business interests and properties. The people who work for them are the same, and so are the people who work for them all the way down to the lowest man on the totem pole, who is still, I might add, a collaborator.

But we all know, ultimately, that nothing like that is going to happen. It would require too much sacrifice; our lives are too comfortable to risk on something like that, even if we really did believe that the system we are entangled in is as evil and calculating as I am suggesting here that it is. We have reached a point where it is obvious that demonstrations and protests do nothing; these are easily ignored by The Powers That Be. If necessary they can be quashed by force, and the collective population of the West has proven that we will, ultimately, look the other way, as long as it is them getting quashed and not us, and especially if some new spectacle can be offered for our attention to shift to.

I said earlier that this system can continue on indefinitely and that is more or less true, barring some sort of cataclysmic outside event like an asteroid or one of these CMEs we keep hearing about finally actually knocking the internet offline for an entire hemisphere. The Powers That Be could also change their minds, or become too stupid to be able to continue the system as it exists today, but we cannot assume that if we just wait long enough things will change.

We are all collaborators because we have chosen so far to look the other way. We are all morally culpable for Israel's genocide of the Palestinian people because we fund the governments that fund Israel. We are all morally culpable for the systematic depopulation of the Ukraine because we fund the governments that fund Ukraine (or more accurately, that fund Zelensky and his cronies' lucrative embezzlement schemes). We are all morally culpable for every injustice committed by the countries we live in because we pay for it with taxes, because we look the other way when it happens, because we are unwilling to offer more than milquetoast dissent, because we are unable to sacrifice any of the comfort our lives in the West hold, even as they are gradually made more and more shitty as time goes on.

Until we, individually as collaborators, take action to undo that culpability, it is a stain that will follow us wherever we go and whatever we do. And even this, I'm afraid, is something we in the West will be able to learn to live with. Once we do, history will truly have ended.

[johnlloyd020725]

America is one of the most culturally diverse countries, with residents representing nearly every region in the world. Learn more about American culture, values, and more.America is home to people from all around the world, so when you study at a US university, you’ll likely encounter unique cultures, traditions, arts, sports, and more. Over time, these many multicultural traditions have blended and adapted to become the face of culture in the USA. 

If you are planning to study in the US, it helps to know what to expect when you arrive, and also to prepare for culture shock. Read on to learn more about culture in the USA and what you can expect as an international student living in America.

American Culture  

Described as a “melting pot” of cultures, the US is the third-largest country in the world, with residents representing different ethnic groups such as African Americans, Asian Americans, Indigenous Americans, and Latin Americans. As a result, US culture may at once seem both familiar and different, whether its shared values, food portions, driving, fashion, and even slang. Learning about American culture in advance can give you a sense of what to expect while studying in the US!

Values

Every country has its own set of values and principles, and this is also true for America. Speaking generally, people in the USA align with the values stated in our Declaration of Independence: that all are created equal, with unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let’s take a closer look at what this means from a cultural values perspective.

Independence

From a young age, Americans are taught to be self-sufficient and independent. The importance of a person being able to mold their own identity and future via their own choices, abilities, and efforts is heavily emphasized in American culture, education, and institutions. Americans value taking care of themselves and having the freedom to pursue their own definition of happiness. This extends to university life, where students are in charge of selecting their own major and pursuing the degree program that best aligns with their personal goals. 

For international students who come from a culture where everything is done collectively as one unit/family, this emphasis on individualism and autonomy could take some getting used to. Focusing on independence does not mean you are alone, however, as there are many communities, advisors, and support services in the US you can rely on in times of need.

Equality

For Americans, equality means everyone is born equal and no one is inferior or superior to the other. US universities take equality seriously, and will often include statements affirming equal rights in their charter, annual reports, and student and staff codes of conduct. Additionally, anti-discrimination policies are often in place and enforced for admissions, hiring, events, etc.

If you attend a US university, you can expect to live and study in an equitable and inclusive campus environment, where everyone can learn and freely pursue their goals.

Individualism

Similar to valuing independence, culture in America places a great deal of importance on individualism. Individualism usually refers to being self-sufficient, with community and/or government assistance as a last resort. This means people are free to pursue their goals, often on their own terms, within the context of US laws. 

Americans hold the ideals of freedom and order in high regard, and individualism is a key component — everyone in the US is entitled to their personal beliefs. The ability to express your individual views and opinions is considered part of this freedom.

Materialism

America has the largest economy in the world, built off the principles of capitalism. As a result, culture in the USA often places a strong importance on materialism. 

Competition and capital accumulation encourage businesses to maximize efficiency, allowing investors to profit from growth while customers benefit from cheaper pricing on a broader selection of goods. Equally, consumers are incentivized to purchase goods and services to feed back into the economy, and many financial systems in the US are designed around encouraging spending.

Due to America’s strong economic position and capitalist economy, people can sometimes be encouraged to assess their wealth based on personal possessions and compare material possessions with others. This materialism plays an important role in explaining inequities in America, but can depend on many factors such as your personal community, city, or the state where you live.

Religion

With its many multicultural communities, US states and cities tend to be home to a variety of different religious denominations. According to a 2021 study, Americans identify as: 

63% — Christian (40% Protestant, 21% Catholic, 2% other)

25.1% — Unaffiliated with any religion

2% — Jewish

1% — Buddhist

1% — Hindu

1% — Muslim

Even though the majority of Americans practice Christianity, the United States does not have an official state-endorsed religion. This is a foundation of the US Constitution: Everyone has the freedom to follow and observe whichever religion they wish. 

REFERENCE:

[masarukitkat]

TW: Talk of Lived Experience of Racism from Japanese American POV, Stolen Culture, WWII

I really feel like this needs to be said and said more often:

I wish that Asian Americans weren’t left out of the conversation so often when folks, especially when white folks, are having conversations about race and racial inequality throughout history in America. It’s like…for some reason, we’re just forgotten about. At least, until a handful of us end up dead. Or we end up in the news somehow because we got brutalized again. Or because it’s AAPI Heritage Month. Or if someone like me has to become a royal pain in the ass and has to remind folks “hey, remember that we exist and that historically this country has been HORRIBLE to Asians across the board. And remember how historically we literally had a whole ass executive order 9066 to put literally any and all people with Japanese Ancestry on the mainland of the USA (and in some parts of Hawai’i) into, using FDR’s words here, Concentration Camps??? Yeah, that HAPPENED HERE. Not a fantasy.”

Also, before anyone wants to say shit under this post about WWII, and Hiroshima, and about how “the Japanese deserved what they got”, etc, keep in mind that I am Japanese American, fourth generation and my family specifically came from Hiroshima and I personally lost family when Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 at 8:15am. It is seared into my brain, knowing that time and date.

Did the Japanese government need to be stopped? Absolutely. Did all of those innocent people that got bombed deserve to die? No. No they did not. They absolutely did not. No one deserved to be bombed in a bombing like that. No one deserved that.

Let me make myself perfectly clear: nothing pisses me off more, nothing angers me more than when I see folks who aren’t Japanese speaking on this particular issue without any kind of nuance. Without understanding the kind of suffering that people like me and my family or other families like mine have had to endure. The racism that we have had to go through our whole lives. The kind of culture erasure that we have had to suffer through because of what happened in WWII. The fact that I don’t have a lot of my knowledge of my culture anymore because of what happened because my grandparents, and as a result, my parents, had to make choices in order to assimilate in order to protect me.

At least, that’s what they thought they were doing.

I don’t know my culture’s language (though, I am doing my best to learn on my own and I did take classes when I was in college). If I do want to learn specific traditional artworks, I need to learn them on my own or in a class - usually being taught by a non-Japanese person, and usually being taught by a white person who can’t even pronounce the names of the things correctly. Usually, they butcher the names horrifically. Honestly, that’s usually why I get very annoyed with people when they mispronounce Japanese words around me, even if they’re my friends. It isn’t anything personal, it’s because of my history with “teachers” that, frankly, should have known better. I mean, seriously, if you’re going to be teaching something to a whole classroom full of people, especially people from that culture, you should at least take the time to make sure that you’re pronouncing the names of the things correctly. It’s beyond disrespectful…honestly, sometimes the mispronunciation is so bad, that it makes me question if the person is mocking the language.

Anyway…I’m just really tired of feeling like I’m fucking invisible when white folks talk about the marginalization of “People of Color” and then proceed to completely overlook Asians of any kind. So I guess this is a huge resounding reminder for all the white folks: News Flash - Asians aren’t just another brand of white person. We are, in fact, People Of Color/People Of The Global Majority. You wanna know how I know that? All the years of my life dealing with racism from white folks.

Being called yellow, flat as a board, flat face, “oh your so exotic”, having people reach out and touch my hair without my consent because it was so very different from theirs, people making fun of and mocking my last name, people doing the “slant eye gesture” at me, saying gibberish that they thought sounded Chinese (even though I’m Japanese and not Chinese) at me, people calling me the R-slur because for some reason, they thought that I had Down Syndrome??? Because of my eye shape??? And because I had slow processing (and I still do because *gasp* I’m autistic…). Being called a “stupid J@p bitch” before, right in front of my Math Teacher and she did absolutely nothing. Being physically assaulted on the playground, having spit-wads shot into my hair, had spit wads made of wax shot into my hair and then had to have my hair cut super short because we couldn’t get them out…

So, if you are a white person and you think that Asians are just another brand of white person? That literally makes you racist, it makes you a part of the problem with perpetuating the “Model Minority Myth” and frankly, that makes me immediately not like you. At all.

Also, keep in mind that this? This is just the racial issues. And that’s all the stuff that I dealt with as a child and some of those things I still deal with TODAY. As an adult. And today? I’m also out openly and I’m identifiable as a trans person, I’m disabled, immune compromised (so I need to wear a mask everywhere) and I’m converting to Judaism (keep in mind that this is by no means bad - none of these things are bad things, including me being Japanese, but people suck and bigots are everywhere so experiencing transphobia, ableism and antisemitism is just all part of the hate package from the bigots)

I’m not sure how to end this venting rant of mine, except that I’ve been sitting on this for a long time. After years of seeing folks talk about these subjects when they have no business talking about them, basically saying that my family “deserved the death that they got” when the bomb dropped. And being literally in the room when conversations about racism issues and being totally overlooked when I’m THE ONLY PERSON OF COLOR in the room and not a single person will think to bring up Asian American issues when it comes to racism…not a single person. And do you know how stressful it is to be the ONE Person of Color in the room and to try to bring up something like that in a group setting? And if you already have an anxiety disorder and you’re autistic? Yeah, that’s next to impossible, folks. And it’s enraging because not only do I end up feeling invisible but I also end up feeling like a total failure. And I end up feeling as if the folks that I’m surrounded by don’t care about me either because, again…I feel invisible. They do not see me, and they do not seem to care.

This is not a new issue. Not by a long shot. This has been an ongoing problem my whole life. And sadly, I do not see it changing any time soon.

[florasearle]

North Korean Escapee Stories-Jihyun Park

Notes:

Jihyun Park describes her experience escaping North Korea twice.

Jihyun did not know about outside countries-North Korea has only one TV programme and newspaper. Jihyun describes how propaganda would describe other countries as being dangerous-north korea is promoted as the best country as it is socialist. Kim jong un is thought of as a god. Human hate ideology-taught in school to hate south koreans and anti-socialist people and countries. Made to believe what government would say. South Korea thought to be an american country-people are homeless and starving because of capitalism. 1990's north korea stopped food production to other countries, causing food shortage and people died of starvation. Many bodies in streets and train stations-neighbours died. Jihyun was a teacher, she could hear the rumbling of starving children's stomachs.

After school, children are forced to do labour in farms and mountains, cleaning streets and roads. In 1996 her uncle died of starvation in front of her. She was still brainwashed at this point. But in 1997 her younger brother had problems with his business, meaning he couldn't pay money to the government. Army were intent on finding her younger brother, which meant harsh consequences-most likely prison camp. He was severely beaten for four hours within her own home and taken away. Her brother escaped prison and her father told them to both escape the country. She had to leave her ill father in order to go. They knew of the Tumen River which connected China and North Korea due to having worked in forced labour. South Korea is only accessible via government permission. Going illegally across the border is incredibly dangerous and will most likely result in death.

Car was paid for with alcohol and they drove them to the border, there were lots of people willing to do this at the time due to the starvation and unrest in the country (Kim Ill Sung had just died). She and her brother did not have a broker. The river was frozen (solid to walk) but there was 1 metre between North Korea and China. They cross at 2am, but about half way, gunfire came upon them. Army do not follow once halfway as they are not allowed to cross. They knocked the door on the nearest house, the host explained how North Koreans would cross for rice. White rice is luxury as it is only allowed on the leaders birthday. Chinese koreans live on the border so she could communicate with him. Chinese police would search area upon hearing gunfire-they would put the person in prison and send them back to korea, either put in prison or executed. North Korea and China made a separate agreement to the United Nations refugee agreement, as both are communist countries. Man sold her and her brother to his friend in city, who told her she needed to marry a chinese man-he had no use for her brother. She refused but he threatened to contact the police. Her younger brother told her to go and he was sent back-to this day she does not know if he is alive.

Her husband's house was collapsed and dirty. Her husband was a farmer and so the location was very rural. He lived with his mother who told her 'I bought you', with the intention of her working on the land from 5am until evening. There were five other North Korean women across the town, but communication was not allowed between them. Traffickers threatened to kill them or report them if attempts to escape. Neighbours would taunt them with food-she was seen as a lower class citizen. She was only fed rice and kimchi, food was hidden from her and she was given no proper shoes (to prevent her escaping). Park became pregnant through sex slavery-she was initially angry but then saw the child as hope. She was told she would have to abort the child but she wore big clothes to hide and still worked. Her labour was 12 hours and she had help from no one. The farmer wanted to sell her son due to his gambling addict, Park threatened him with his life.

A year later, Park was arrested with her child alongside the other women. They were held in the prison for almost three days, Park was told she could sell her child to bribe the police. They ended up locking her in the house, telling her to pay up 5000. She escaped with her son back to the human trafficker and begged him to help her. He called the farmer to collect her. She stayed at various places doing housework-farmer would take all her money. Chinese reported her (chinese citizens get paid by government) and she was arrested. She was told she could go back with or without her child, he was only 5.

Park was taken back to korea and imprisoned- there are different prisons and defectors are placed in political prisons. You have no lawyers or trials in korea. In prison they would work in mountains, without shoes. Her leg became infected and she lost feeling from waist-down. She was told she "smelt like a dead person". She kept hope by thinking of being reunited with her son. Wardens thought she was about to die and so kicked her out of prison with another girl, who died from malnutrition three days after.

In 2004 she connected to human traffickers to escape. She travelled with a young woman and old man. Soldiers and traffickers worked together to get people across the border. Her leg was infected at this point and they had to enter the freezing river. Upon arriving, they had to walk through the mountains to avoid spies and she never once sat down. She hid her leg from traffickers as they would have rejected her. They arrive at another brokers house and travelled via taxi (taxis were spies and so Park covered for the other travellers by talking to driver, made up a story using her injured leg). The broker took sympathy as she had saved everyone's lives and so she was allowed to see her son. She stayed at her mother's relatives house until she was better. Once better, she went to the village in disguise and saw her son outside and grabbed him, he was dirty and malnourished.

Embassies in china are controlled by chinese police so they avoided these. However, they met nine north koreans in front of the beijing embassy and decided to go to Ulaanbaatar. They went to Namyanggukkyong and crossed the border by climbing high fences. They arrived in Mongolia and were isolated in desert for three days. They went back to the border and into china again. They stayed in china for two more years. She met an American pastor who directed her to United Nations. She chose european countries as there is less risk in being sent back. They were sent to England and she has lived in Manchester with her three children since. She does human activist work and helps refugees with english and social care. She has met with King Charles and the prime minister.

[beauty-and-passion]

What Eurovision 2021 taught us

1. That a nice, enjoyable show was possible (even if 4 presenters are still too much)

Of course nothing can beat Love Love Peace Peace (even if Ja Ja Ding Dong does its best), but this year's intermissions were very enjoyable.

We expected something flashy and over the top because hey, The Netherlands. Sex, drugs, gays and all that jazz.

But instead Covid surprised us. And then The Netherlands surprised us even more, by making a very enjoyable show, despite the restrictions. My personal favourites were:

The water intermission of the first semi-final. I loved the mixed feelings, how water is both scary and respected, for being such a powerful, unstoppable force.

The rooftop concerts during the final. Social distancing? Sure, no problem, let's make the past winners sing on top of some roofs all over Rotterdam. That was pure genius, I loved it so much.

On the other hand, the presenters were basically all useless. We could've had just two of them instead of four. But hey, at least they weren't as cringy as the three scary ukranians from 2017 or the useless four ladies from Portugal. The true highlights of the show were the intermissions, the guests and especially the songs themselves and this is perfectly good for me.

________________________

2. That we can live in a world without boring ass ballads

I’ve never been so proud of the Eurovision public, especially during the second semifinal: that evening was PACKED with ballads. Boring ballad after boring ballad, with just a couple more funny songs in between.

The ballads were all left behind. Even the two Amen. And I love the irony we chose El Diablo and the finnish band for the final, but no Amen. No saints allowed, only the norwegian angel. As it always should be.

And so we had the best final I've seen since I started following Eurovision in 2014. Catchy songs, dance songs, upbeat songs. And power ballads. Yes, ballads can still have a place, but only if they're good.

Because yes, Switzerland and France were good. Very good. Just not as good as the ones the public wanted.

________________________

3. That we want Eurovision, not Englishvision

Every year, the same message blasts from all Europeans: send a song in your native language. This show is supposed to make other people from Europe (and the rest of the world) to know more about your own country, to enjoy its rhythm and to listen to something we don't usually hear. So why waste this huge opportunity, to bring a generic song in English?

Because the English song wins. Because we all understand English, so English has more chances.

Flash news: GUESS WHO WON THIS YEAR. No, it’s not the generic English song.

The public has been crystal clear, the final poll is even clearer: the top five includes an italian song, an ukraine song, two french songs and only one english song. We want different styles and rhythms, we want to listen to Europe.

So I want to give my full thank you to:

Albania: amazing song, great voice, wonderful language. Do it again.

Serbia: these ladies are fantastic, their song is great and they sang it in their language so I love them

Switzerland: thank you for leaving English to the side to give us some good french

Spain: the song wasn't as good as Universo, but it was in sexy spanish, so thank you for using it almost every year

Danemark: the song was terrible, but it was in your language and this alone deserves everything

France: I know we all make fun of you for being France, but your language is perfect for songs, so thank you for always using it

Ukraine: take note, Ukraine, because Europe is madly in love with your language and your rhythm

Italy: our language is beautiful, so thank you for delivering every year

While my biggest biases go to:

Greece: a generic pop song with no balkan rhythm and no greek either? An absolute shame, greek should always be used for songs.

Russia: russian language is very melodious and yes, we got something this year, but what about bringing a full russian song? We want it!

Germany: I may sound crazy, but I honestly think german language is good for songs. It's not like the mediterranean languages, but it still works. So please, do not be scared and show what you can do with it!

Scandinavian countries: why do you never want to bring your own language? Do it, don't be scared! Yes, Sweden, I'm talking with you: you still never tried to bring something in swedish, so do it.

________________________

4. That we don't want Americans to play with us

For reasons we still have to understand, Flo Rida was competing this year. And he was competing for San Marino, the smallest European country.

I'm pretty sure they took some time to explain to him what was going on, where he was, where San Marino is, wtf was happening, why there were sexy italians and ukranian witches and a norwegian angel and loads of beautiful women everywhere.

And I loved how we all send memes about this, about ahahah why is Flo Rida here, what if San Marino wins where would they host Eurovision, all while enjoying an actual catchy song.

And then, in the end, Flo Rida basically disappeared. Who remembers Flo Rida, when we got Ukraine, Italy, Finland, Iceland, and the UK? And Germany being wholesome? And the love story between Norway and Azerbaijan? We collectively forgot about him and I think it's very sexy from Europe to just say "nope" and push America away, even if for just one week.

And this isn't the first time: we basically showed Madonna in a corner in 2019, thanks to Mans, Eleni, Verka and Conchita. Once again, Europeans knows what they want: we don't want Americans. Australia can because they're like that little brother we took under our wing for no reason and now it's part of us. But not Americans.

The rest of the year is all yours, but one week is ours.

________________________

5. That we can lose like bosses

This year, the voting results have been absolutely insane and FOUR COUNTRIES got zero points from the public, while the UK got both zero points from the public AND the jury.

Don't get me wrong, the song was bad. And yes, Brexit played a role in this. And yes, hating England is Europe’s favourite sport.

But can we please all take a moment and appreciate how James Newman reacted? The public gave him a round of applause and he celebrated this achievement like a boss.

And he had all the reasons! He achieved something incredible, he unlocked something that this new voting system was supposed to never lead to. But he did it. So hats off to you, my boy: My Last Breath was better.

Germany is also used to the bottom of the chart, but this year I really thought Jendrik could have a chance to achieve a higher position. The song was funny, carefree, lively, the hand costume was the kind of trash we need and the message was nice as well. But he still got 3 points.

Despite that, Jendrik celebrated like a maniac and seeing his this happy made me happy as well. I really wish him the best.

________________________

6. That FUCK YOU JURY

Again, same message every year: the jury vote should be eliminated. It's a fucking farce and their votes have nothing to do with what the public want.

The jury focuses on the voices, except when they don't, and clearly giving points to your neighbours is because you like the song, not because they're your neighbours.

I usually make fun of Greece and Cyprus showing eternal love to each other, by giving 12 points to each other every year, but this time, it sounded even more stupid than usual. It really looked like a farce. Why should we see this farce? Why can't we just choose what the public wants? So at least we would blame ourselves for our shitty musical tastes.

Even if I'm pretty sure we all have great musical tastes. Let's not forget that in 2019 the public's winner was Norway, with a song that mixed english, a catchy rhythm and an amazing part in yoik language. Arcade is good as well, but we cannot deny the norwegian entry was a lot more interesting.

And this year, the public's taste was flawless:

Look at this beauty: italian glam rock, ukranian techno folk, french powerful ballad, finnish hard rock and whatever that thing was with Iceland.

There's variety, there's everything for everyone. And there are native languages. Italian, Ukranian, and French on top three, followed by English.

Moral of the story: the public is great and the jury should be abolished forever.

________________________

7. That Ukranian technofolk is all we needed in our lives

I didn’t see enough love for Go_A, so as italian, I think it's my sworn duty to give my appreciation to them and their amazing entry, because this band is awesome and Shum is currently on top of the Spotify top 50 - as it should be, because everyone should listen to it and join this slavic rave party.

I already liked their entry for 2020, Solovey. But I also liked My Last Breath from the UK and Universo from Spain. And this year they brought two of the worst songs. So I was very wary of Go_A.

But Shum is an absolute blast. Katerina Pavlenko's voice is unique and the song is even more, because based on ukranian folklore and traditional dances to summon the spirit of spring. They managed to teach something to all Europe in a three minute song and I think that’s incredibly sexy of them.

And so, I searched for other songs and OMG, I don’t know how it’s possible, but they are all great. Rano-Ranenko, Zhalmenina, Tanula, they all are perfect and I’m in love with this band.

And if all of this is not enough, THEY DID A COVER OF DANCING LASHA TUMBAI. The most iconic Eurovision song, sang by our god Verka. And this is the coolest, most badass cover ever in the whole universe. Please listen to it HERE everyone needs to hear this.

So thank you, Ukraine, for giving us Go_A. We all had a small empty place in our hearts and this place has ben perfectly filled by them.

And yif you think you don’t need ukranian technofolk, is only because you still haven’t listened to it. Please listen and enjoy Shum. You’re welcome.

________________________

8. That rock and roll never dies (and Italy’s well deserved victory)

The last time Italy won was in 19-fucking-90. 31 years ago. I was just born.

And now, they finally won again. And what a song! Despite being italian, I've never listened to Maneskin before, but oh damn, this song is good. Not all their songs are, but this one is. And also Morirò da re.

Their show was perfect as well. This post is really eye-opening about how well they put on their show. The use of the stage, the movements, everything has been part of a great performance, even their clothes. Damiano's voice never faltered, despite having an entire continent watching him. They handled the stage like bosses, despite being only in their twenties. And they gave us some good fucking rock.

And so the public said a loud "FUCK YOU" to the jury and chose its winners. The sassy, sexy italians.

And yes, I know that there has been a lot of petty polemics because those youngsters are having drugs!1!! as if they were a bunch of idiots who used drugs on international TV, with their manager sitting next to them.

Of course it was a pointless accusation and honestly I don't care if some people are sore losers. The drug results were negative anyway, what a shocker.

What we should truly think about is how strong the Maneskin's bladders are, because they spent the whole evening of the final drinking the entire alcohol supply of the Eurovision and, at the end, they were still happy and cool. Hats off to you, you sexy people.

This man is just iconic, why did I miss him before.

Also, have some more Maneskin. You know, as a treat.

________________________

9. That solidarity and wholesomeness are the biggest winners

It's just beautiful to see these nice people, from all over Europe, bonding, having fun, taking photos together and being friends.

The true winner of this, is probably Norway: Tix wanted to have a good time and he had a good time. The video of him vibing with Ukraine and Germany while listening Hard Rock Hallelujah is the best (HERE). His love story with Efendi from Azerbaijan is even better (please, check the video on his youtube channel, it's hilarious). I don't like his song, but he's a great guy and deserves everything.

The italian and finnish rock relationship is also great. Maneskin and Dark Sides found each other, considering they were the only two rock bands in the competition, so mutual appreciation was inevitable.

But Damiano is also a man of culture and he appreciates Ukraine's entry. And Ukraine appreciates both Finland and Italy. Is this what world peace looks like? Because I love it.

________________________

10. That Italians will be Europe's clowns again (and you're all allowed to make fun of us)

Beware, Europe: we Italians are messy and chaotic, our presenters don’t know a single word in English, we are homoerotic AND homophobic at the same time, our musical competitions are so fucking sloooow... let’s say next year’s Eurovision is going to be interesting.

And yes, you’re allowed to make fun of us. We don’t care, we won, so we deserve to be Europe’s clowns once again.

And I don’t know who the presenters will be (my bets are on everyone’s favourites: Fiorello, Amadeus and Malgioglio), I don’t know how we will ridicule ourselves once again, I don’t know where will we find the money to put on the show, I don’t know how ungodly long it will be... but I know that Mans Zelmerlow will be part of it. This man loves Eurovision just like all of us, so I can already see him packing his suitcase and planning his flight to Italy. Come to us, Mans, we will wait for you. We actually need an English presenter, so if you have nothing else to do...

[apenitentialprayer]

I hit the breaking point as a parent a few years ago. It was the week of my extended family’s annual gathering in August, and we were struggling with assorted crises. My parents were aging; my wife and I were straining under the chaos of young children; my sister was bracing to prepare her preteens for bullying, sex and cyberstalking. Sure enough, one night all the tensions boiled over. At dinner, I noticed my nephew texting under the table. I knew I shouldn’t say anything, but I couldn’t help myself and asked him to stop. Ka-boom! My sister snapped at me to not discipline her child. My dad pointed out that my girls were the ones balancing spoons on their noses. My mom said none of the grandchildren had manners. Within minutes, everyone had fled to separate corners. Later, my dad called me to his bedside. There was a palpable sense of fear I couldn’t remember hearing before. “Our family’s falling apart,” he said. “No it’s not,” I said instinctively. “It’s stronger than ever.” But lying in bed afterward, I began to wonder: Was he right? What is the secret sauce that holds a family together? What are the ingredients that make some families effective, resilient, happy? It turns out to be an astonishingly good time to ask that question. The last few years have seen stunning breakthroughs in knowledge about how to make families, along with other groups, work more effectively. Myth-shattering research has reshaped our understanding of dinnertime, discipline and difficult conversations. Trendsetting programs from Silicon Valley and the military have introduced techniques for making teams function better. The only problem: most of that knowledge remains ghettoized in these subcultures, hidden from the parents who need it most. I spent the last few years trying to uncover that information, meeting families, scholars and experts ranging from peace negotiators to online game designers to Warren Buffett’s bankers. After a while, a surprising theme emerged. The single most important thing you can do for your family may be the simplest of all: develop a strong family narrative. I first heard this idea from Marshall Duke, a colorful psychologist at Emory University. In the mid-1990s, Dr. Duke was asked to help explore myth and ritual in American families.“There was a lot of research at the time into the dissipation of the family,” he told me at his home in suburban Atlanta. “But we were more interested in what families could do to counteract those forces.” Around that time, Dr. Duke’s wife, Sara, a psychologist who works with children with learning disabilities, noticed something about her students.“The ones who know a lot about their families tend to do better when they face challenges,” she said. Her husband was intrigued, and along with a colleague, Robyn Fivush, set out to test her hypothesis. They developed a measure called the “Do You Know?” scale that asked children to answer 20 questions. Examples included: Do you know where your grandparents grew up? Do you know where your mom and dad went to high school? Do you know where your parents met? Do you know an illness or something really terrible that happened in your family? Do you know the story of your birth? Dr. Duke and Dr. Fivush asked those questions of four dozen families in the summer of 2001, and taped several of their dinner table conversations. They then compared the children’s results to a battery of psychological tests the children had taken, and reached an overwhelming conclusion. The more children knew about their family’s history, the stronger their sense of control over their lives, the higher their self-esteem and the more successfully they believed their families functioned. The “Do You Know?” scale turned out to be the best single predictor of children’s emotional health and happiness. “We were blown away,” Dr. Duke said. And then something unexpected happened. Two months later was Sept. 11. As citizens, Dr. Duke and Dr. Fivush were horrified like everyone else, but as psychologists, they knew they had been given a rare opportunity: though the families they studied had not been directly affected by the events, all the children had experienced the same national trauma at the same time. The researchers went back and reassessed the children.“Once again,” Dr. Duke said, “the ones who knew more about their families proved to be more resilient, meaning they could moderate the effects of stress.” Why does knowing where your grandmother went to school help a child overcome something as minor as a skinned knee or as major as a terrorist attack? “The answers have to do with a child’s sense of being part of a larger family,” Dr. Duke said. Psychologists have found that every family has a unifying narrative, he explained, and those narratives take one of three shapes. First, the ascending family narrative: “Son, when we came to this country, we had nothing. Our family worked. We opened a store. Your grandfather went to high school. Your father went to college. And now you. ...” Second is the descending narrative: “Sweetheart, we used to have it all. Then we lost everything.” “The most healthful narrative,” Dr. Duke continued, “is the third one. It’s called the oscillating family narrative: ‘Dear, let me tell you, we’ve had ups and downs in our family. We built a family business. Your grandfather was a pillar of the community. Your mother was on the board of the hospital. But we also had setbacks. You had an uncle who was once arrested. We had a house burn down. Your father lost a job. But no matter what happened, we always stuck together as a family.’ ” Dr. Duke said that children who have the most self-confidence have what he and Dr. Fivush call a strong “intergenerational self.” They know they belong to something bigger than themselves. Leaders in other fields have found similar results. Many groups use what sociologists call sense-making, the building of a narrative that explains what the group is about. Jim Collins, a management expert and author of “Good to Great,” told me that successful human enterprises of any kind, from companies to countries, go out of their way to capture their core identity. In Mr. Collins’s terms, they “preserve core, while stimulating progress.” The same applies to families, he said. Mr. Collins recommended that families create a mission statement similar to the ones companies and other organizations use to identify their core values. The military has also found that teaching recruits about the history of their service increases their camaraderie and ability to bond more closely with their unit.Cmdr. David G. Smith is the chairman of the department of leadership, ethics and law at the Naval Academy and an expert in unit cohesion, the Pentagon’s term for group morale. Until recently, the military taught unit cohesion by “dehumanizing” individuals, Commander Smith said. Think of the bullying drill sergeants in “Full Metal Jacket” or “An Officer and a Gentleman.” But these days the military spends more time building up identity through communal activities. At the Naval Academy, Commander Smith advises graduating seniors to take incoming freshmen (or plebes) on history-building exercises, like going to the cemetery to pay tribute to the first naval aviator or visiting the original B-1 aircraft on display on campus. Dr. Duke recommended that parents pursue similar activities with their children. Any number of occasions work to convey this sense of history: holidays, vacations, big family get-togethers, even a ride to the mall. The hokier the family’s tradition, he said, the more likely it is to be passed down. He mentioned his family’s custom of hiding frozen turkeys and canned pumpkin in the bushes during Thanksgiving so grandchildren would have to “hunt for their supper,” like the Pilgrims. “These traditions become part of your family,” Dr. Duke said. Decades of research have shown that most happy families communicate effectively. But talking doesn’t mean simply “talking through problems,” as important as that is. Talking also means telling a positive story about yourselves. When faced with a challenge, happy families, like happy people, just add a new chapter to their life story that shows them overcoming the hardship. This skill is particularly important for children, whose identity tends to get locked in during adolescence. The bottom line: if you want a happier family, create, refine and retell the story of your family’s positive moments and your ability to bounce back from the difficult ones. That act alone may increase the odds that your family will thrive for many generations to come.

- Bruce Feiler. Emphases added.

[beforedawnworld]

durmstrang institute (written in cyrillic as дурмстранг) is one of the three great wizarding schools of europe, and it is the one most shrouded in secrecy. the requirements of students and staff in attendance placed on them by the school are known only to other durmstrang staff and student, both current and former. they do not share their experiences with other wixen from other magical schools, as there is a superstition among alumni that to do so would only damage the skills they learned there. tucked in the ural mountains of russia, pushed up against the arctic circle, the four-story tall castle is unplottable and cannot be found on any maps. it is known for its emphasis on the dark arts in its curriculum and in recent times has developed a reputation for producing dark wixen, most famously the dark wizard gellert grindelwald.

acceptance

durmstrang accepts students from around europe aged eleven up, including those as far west as iceland and as far south as bulgaria. as long as a student seeking acceptance to the school does not live in an area covered by the other two wizarding schools of europe, hogwarts and beauxbatons, there is a possibility durmstrang would offer them acceptance. it is never a certainty, however, as despite this wide geographic region, the school is rather selective in who is allowed to attend. first and perhaps most infamously, the student must not be a muggleborn. they must come from a family that has not spoken against the dark arts nor acted to limit education on the dark arts. the path to admittance can and has been smoothed by generous donations from the family members of those seeking acceptance, though such students have been known to get teased relentlessly at school upon arrival.

education

unlike many other magical schools, including hogwarts and ilvermorny, it is not the lighter magics such as charms and transfiguration at the core of the curriculum of durmstrang. while such subjects are indeed taught, their importance and standing in lessons is strongly undercut by the pervasive flow of the dark arts through the various programs offered. a student of durmstrang is far more likely to know how to transfigure another wixen than an object and can likely think of several… unconventional applications for a well-cast aguamenti.

as a nod to their founder, all durmstrang classes are offered in bulgarian, however the true lingua franca of this school is russian. for those unfamiliar with these languages upon their arrival at durmstrang, an eight-week intensive course in the cyrillic alphabet, as well as the russian and bulgarian languages is required for any first-year or transfer not demonstrating adequate levels of language proficiency. however, because durmstrang accepts students from an incredibly broad geographic area, professors also offer classes in their home languages, resulting in lessons being conducted in polish, romanian, and other languages. this has resulted in nearly every durmstrang student speaking a minimum of four languages, depending on their professors, their courses, as well as the origins of their fellow pupils. translation spells do not work on campus and no class is taught in english.

core classes

core subjects are mandatory up until fourth year with the exception of dark arts, which is mandatory through the student's entire time at durmstrang.

the dark arts

the core that runs through durmstrang. to any durmstrang professor or alumni worth their magic, there is no “dark” and “light” magic, it is all simply magic and like a tool, it matters only in how it is used. durmstrang has chosen to focus on what other schools would refer to as the dark arts, which is defined by the administration as: “the interaction and manipulation of organic matter through magical means via internal manipulation of magical pathways”. this seven-year course grounds students in the basics of such an approach, moving into simple spells and manipulation, both with and without a conduit such as a wand or a staff. unusual applications of more conventional “light” magic is discussed, as well as dark spell development, the definition of a curse and how to create a cursed object, and applications of jinxes, hexes and curses in practical, applicable settings.

zagovory

the study of verbal enchantments. students learn the precise pronunciations and necessary circumstances this method of magic requires and begin practice with a set of knives. as they advance through their lessons, they will eventually be required to gather a full set of teeth through their own, non-magical means in order to fuel the enchantments. the strength of the enchantment, as well as how long it lasts, depends on how much power the caster can produce, which is why a full set of teeth is crucial to actually advance in this style of magic, making the collection of those teeth what distinguishes advanced students from beginners.

magic of the body

“it is from the body that your spell must originate. the wand, if you choose to use it, is nothing more than the way it escapes. it all comes from within you.” - durmstrang headmaster katayeva leonidovna. this seven-year course examines how energy moves through the body, how circumstances can hinder that flow, and where magical energy and various kinds of magic originate within the wixen’s body. one of the slower courses offered at durmstrang, it is a basic building block in how durmstrang students and teachers understand magic. as the course continues, it builds on itself until nonverbal, wandless magic can be produced by any graduating student purely by the manipulation of the magical energies inside of them.

potioneering

students examine what a potion is, how one is made, brewing a potion with proper safety precautions, as well as the development of a potion recipe and the history of potioneering. a strong believer in the hands-on approach, durmstrang students are given access to a cauldron almost immediately and are allowed to access it whenever they wish, as long as they prove they can be responsible and follow all guidelines. as a student advances, potions will become more complex with more and more complicated effects on the body. the class is divided in half, with the first half being a lesson and the latter half being an opportunity to discuss what was applied in class. exams are given at the end of each week.

organic transfiguration

a study on the history of transfiguration, the dangers and benefits of organic transfiguration, as well as in-depth practical study of the subject. students may use plants, non-sentient magical beings, or themselves as subjects for practice. the idea behind organic transfiguration, as they teach it at durmstrang, is a simple one: you must reshape the internal magical paths of a living being to resemble something else. this results in students needing a good basic knowledge of anatomy, both human, plant, and animal, which is also offered in this course.

greenskeeping

the durmstrang version of herbology. this is the study of keeping plants alive and healthy in order to be able to harvest needed materials from them. students will interact with both magical and mundane plants, both poisonous and safe and learn how to best look after them all, as well as how to monitor their health and how to produce the best yield when needed. repotting strategies, health issues, and applications of all plants for a variety of measures and situations will be discussed. students are strongly advised to have thick gloves and warm clothing for this course.

ancient and modern runes

a study of runic meanings and their history, alongside potential divination techniques and uses for runes in academic, professional, and personal settings. runic linkings and charging will also be discussed at higher levels of the course. translation of runic texts and artifacts will also make up a portion of this course in order to gain a greater appreciation for the history of runic magic. fluency in runes, both in divination and as a form of writing, is a must in order to succeed in this course and will be taught but not elaborated on. students are strongly encouraged to seek out additional help if they are having problems reaching consistent divination successes or having problems reading the runes.

lower division electives

magical law

a study of magical law across many wizarding countries in europe and asia. laws involving regulation and condemnation of the dark arts will be examined closely and broken down to further facilitate student understanding. other laws, including travel laws, artifact laws, and laws regulating interactions with non-magical populations will also be covered in this class. students will be expected to familiarize themself with one law covering dark magic regulation from their home country and present it, arguing either for or against it.

use of magical creatures

the examination of magical creatures, including their diets, mating habits, and life stages as well as how these creatures can be used by wixen kind. proper care for these creatures will be emphasized, as well as examining unconventional uses that may not have been obvious upon first examination. students will be trained to find these atypical uses and capitalize on them as well. laws around magical creature care, movement, and reproduction will also be examined.

non-magical studies

the study of the non-magical world, including what the americans would refer to as “no-majs” and their societies, cultures, and laws. also present will be lessons on the development of the nature world, the existence and categorization of non-magical creatures, and non-magical ways of understanding internal processes and systems.. this class is only available upon request of ten or more students. to make this request, please contact the auxiliary headmaster.

homeopathy

the study of medicinal plants and animals, the development of modern medical practice, and introductions to modern healthcare with the opportunity for limited practical applications. medical spells and plants will be at the center of this course with lecture material supplemented by field excursions and guest speakers. for a student gleaned to have a great aptitude for this field, medical texts as well as great opportunities for practical applications may be available. not recommended for those below third year.

whisperings

similar to the hogwarts study of charms, whisperings is the opportunity for students to expand into a field similar to zagovory with a return to spoken magic designed to produce an effect. unlike zagovory, whisperings are used to accomplish a task, whether that be extinguishing a fire, moving an object, or polishing a shoe. students will learn both the traditional method of whisperings, which does not use a wand, staff, or other conduit, as well as the more modern method, which combines limited conduit movements with shortened words to produce a similar effect to the traditional method.

inorganic transfiguration

a study of the more popular part of transfiguration in schools such as ilvermorny and hogwarts, this class examines how to turn inorganic objects into other inorganic objects, as well as how to turn inorganic things into organic ones. durmstrang considers this a more difficult form of transfiguration as there is no flow of magic in the starting object and, in some cases, a student must imbue it with magic in order to bring about the change into an organic object. as such, this course can only be attended by those recommended for it via a letter of recommendation.

conjuration

one accio can bring an object flying across the room. conjuration teaches that but at a far greater level. as this course serves as the foundation for future studies in conjuration, it is primarily theoretical, with examination of several texts written about the subject, including an introduction to the subject, an examination of how conjuration works, traditional methods of conjuring, before moving into more modern ways of taking a great many things from there and moving them to here. towards the end of the course, students will have the ability to put their learning into practice with limited conjurations from around the castle.

sailing

a traditional and dearly beloved pastime of durmstrang students, this course teaches students how to sail without the use of magic. one of only two recreational classes offered at durmstrang, this course will discuss how to plot a course, navigate using the stars, operate rigging, steer a ship, and cast an anchor. hopefully, students will become proficient before the annual great sailing competition, a time when mastery of the water and of offensive magicks come together to prove just who is the best student at durmstrang.

flight

a popular mode of transportation among the greater european magical community, this course teaches students how to fly, including how to summon and maintain a broom, get off the ground, hover, move up and down, and how to land. after several accidents in the past, students are expressly forbidden from using magic on brooms until they have demonstrated sufficient mastery of how to control one via completion of a mastery course.

upper division electives

advanced whisperings

students interested in furthering their studies into whisperings at last have an opportunity with the addition of the advanced whisperings class, added less than a decade ago. there is a greater focus on non-traditional methods of whispering and students are encouraged to examine and explore how different conduits impact their success in whispering. traditional whispering methods will be further expanded upon by examining how many words and sounds are needed to properly whisper without it failing entirely. lessons will be supplemented with historical sources and lectures from experts in the field.

advanced conjuration

letter of recommendation required for entry into this course. after a firm grasp of the history and methods have been proven, alongside an ability to successfully conjure objects from around the castle, students now have the ability to experiment further with practical, hands-on work in conjuring. students are expected to demonstrate mastery of both traditional conjuring methods via a summoning circle as well as more modern means that do away with the ritual. the final portion of this course will involve the conjuring of organic material with a human subject capping off the class.

resurrection studies

a class focused on the history, legends, and practical potentials of the resurrection of the dead. students will begin by examining popular stories and traditional tales of wixen returning from the dead, analyzing similarities between these stories to see what, if anything, is the truth. from these individual observations, students will then present them to the class and as a group, the class will pick a few options and attempt to succeed in this most elusive of goals via experiments conducted on plant life and deceased magical creatures. durmstrang would like to remind its student body there has not been a success in this course yet and there is no reward for succeeding.

alchemical studies

a magical field as old as magic itself, students will be instructed and taught in this ancient form of transfiguration and the traditional study of the elements of nature (earth, fire, water, and air). students will learn the history of this subject, the successes and the many, many failures that have plagued this study, before trying their own hand at it, turning ore into a refined metal, conducting the elements to obey one’s whim, as well as attempting the impossible: turning lead into gold.

advanced flight

once one has mastered the basics of broom flight, that is when the fun can truly begin. this course teaches advanced techniques on a broom, including offensive and defensive moves for airborne combat. popular trick moves, including those most commonly found in quidditch matches are also taught in this course. at the end, there will be a demonstration of learning presented to student peers and faculty of durmstrang.

experimental potions

letter of recommendation required for entry into this course. for those interested in going beyond what the books teach about potions, this is the perfect course. students will learn how individual ingredients affect the outcome of a potion, how to make a potion reliably explode, and what boundaries are currently being pushed in the field of potioneering today. students will be required to attempt to create their own potions and their own recipes, as well as modify existing potion recipes to produce an entirely different effect. several course will take place with the students blindfolded, in order to teach them how to brew a potion from touch, smell, and sound alone.

advanced homeopathy

letter of recommendation required for entry into this course. for those students that demonstrated exception skill and talent in the field of homeopathy, this course is the next logical step for them and serves much more as an apprenticeship to a working mediwix than an actual class. students gain extensive hands-on experience in this subject, as well as an above average knowledge of the theoreticals behind it. students are almost guaranteed a place alongside the healthcare workers they have worked under upon successful completion of this course and upon graduation from durmstrang.

examinations

at the end of each year exams are sat in every subject with the exams that that determine placement and job opportunities coming fourth and seventh year. fourth rank oral guidance exams, or f.r.o.g's, are sat in forth year with the seventh year exams known simply as crowns, as they crown off the student's time and determine what jobs they can perform. certifications and final exams all in one.

grading

much like the non-magical russian academic grading system, grades for durmstrang are on a scale from one to five, with five being the highest and one being the lowest. 

5 (“excellent”) - shows highest distinction and excellent knowledge of the subject. equivalent to an outstanding and is a passing grade.

4 (“good”) - shows good knowledge of a subject. equivalent to an exceeds expectations and is a passing grade.

3 (“satisfactory”) - shows a credible or passing grade. equivalent to an acceptable and is a passing grade.

2 (“unsatisfactory”) - shows a limited knowledge of a subject and is below average. equivalent to a poor or dreadful and is a failing grade.

1 (“very poor”) - shows a complete failure. equivalent to a troll and is a failing grade.

extracurricular activities

while all students at durmstrang are strongly encouraged to participate and interact with their fellow students as much as possible, student involvement in extracurricular clubs is intended to advance their academics and complement their learning. therefore, most of the clubs found at durmstrang tend to be more academic in nature, or at least tangentially related. however, as is the case with many rules, there are exceptions to this.

choir

for a school with such a focus on spoken magics, is it any surprise that durmstrang is particularly proud of their choir? any student can join and will sing both modern wixen hits from around the world as well as traditional songs from russia, bulgaria, and other countries prominently represented in the student population of durmstrang. perhaps most exciting is the opportunity to learn traditional magical songs that the wixen of the past used in casting their spells. a true hit among the students, especially with the incredible contrast between their sopranos and the baritones and basses, who are the three most common vocal types in the durmstrang choir and are trained to provide a maximum amount of contrast between their voices.

conduit performance

a form of performance unique to durmstrang, conduit performance allows students the ability to become more comfortable with magical conduits outside of an academic setting. a student will choose a wand or a staff and will work with others in their performance group to learn how to use that conduit in art as an extension of their body. there are semesterly performances by this club to demonstrate what they can do, and the most popular are always routines that combine partial movement with particularly powerful use of a staff.

dark arts club

one of two school-required clubs, every student is a member of the dark arts club and as such, receives more exposure and experience with this style of magic in an informal, out-of-classroom setting among their peers. this is where students will discuss lessons, work on homework, and experiment with material learned in their lessons. however, as this is a school-required club, it meets daily for only forty-five minutes.

debate club

it is an odd idea for a school such as durmstrang, but the administration understands that there is only so far magic can take an individual and that sometimes battles must be fought in courtrooms, offices, and private buildings. this is why they offer the ability for students to practice arguing each other into submission. the topics are all chosen by the students and each debate is judged by the students as well. depending on their successes, they might advance to the next level of the club or stay to learn more about communication techniques they had not previously been aware of. there’s often a fair amount of yelling in the halls of durmstrang, but few rooms are louder than the one where the debate club meets.

duelling club

the world has entered uncertain times, but durmstrang has been expecting such an event for centuries and would even claim that this all is nothing new. any student of durmstrang is expected to hold their own in magical combat and duelling club is how this expectation is met. one of two clubs required by the school, every student in durmstrang is a member of the duelling club and as such, receives consistent, focused training in offensive and defensive dark magicks. this has led to a healthy environment of competition among students and it is believed that this school-sponsored fight club is the reason there are fewer fights between students outside of the duelling ring.

homeopathy club

a place for the truly gifted in the art of homeopathy, as well as those interested in learning more about the subject to meet, practice, and discuss their lessons in this truly crucial practice. there is almost always a steady stream of students seeking medical attention that don’t want to risk the wrath of the staff at a school like durmstrang, and this club is a place for the next generation of healers and mediwix of durmstrang to become even more familiar with healing and its many challenges. there is a joke among students of durmstrang that every friend group should have someone in homeopathy club in it as it is a near-certainty that their skills will be needed.

quidditch

a durmstrang student intends to win, in all aspects of their life, and nowhere is this more clear than among the quidditch players of their school. durmstrang has six quidditch teams, all selected from the greater student body, with the captain of each team being voted on by the team members. students are expected to have a natural aptitude towards flying, a remarkable level of fearlessness, and the willingness to win a game at all costs, which makes a durmstrang quidditch match a bloody affair, often resulting in many injuries. it is, of course, a favorite of the students and most dream of joining one of the teams.

rune reading club

one doesn’t learn an entirely new alphabet, each symbol with its own greater meaning, only to use it just in class. this is the thinking of the students in rune-reading club. these students often have a proficiency with languages or a particularly mischievous streak. students in this club are infamous for swapping their classmates’ notes for ones written solely in runes, if they don’t simply hex a student, resulting in that student seeing nothing but runes no matter what language they are attempting to read.

sailing

a classic pastime for the students of durmstrang. sailing has a long history in the school and much of this club’s time is spent preparing to win the great sailing competition, which occurs each year in the sub-arctic sea near durmstrang. students will customize their boats, practice racing, and engage in mock naval battles in preparation for the big day.

[impossiblelibrary]

Today's rant brought to you by: Queer Eye Japan, can we all just try to be as kind as they try to be?

After watching the Queer Eye Japan super short season, I wanted to google to see the overall reaction to the show, make sure that my western eyes were correct in seeing the care that was given to the culture. Were cultural taboos, other than being outwardly gay, crossed? So I find this article in the top results and other than the perspective, why tho? Tokyoesque.com had an article with a higher reading level, with surface level appreciation but at least better written.

I can't get over this hate article though. Unfounded, dumb, wrong and incorrect. Do not go forward unless you like that blistering kind of anger from me.

But the reasons just get weaker as the article extends: "Hurts the country it set out to save?" Looking for white savior much? They did not go to save Japan, they gave some free shit to like 4-5 people, think smaller.

Their culture guide wasn't gay enough.

You want to suggest any lgbt insta models or celebrities, use your platform to raises some up?

"There is a growing sexless culture in Japan for married and unmarried people, and it is perilous watching Queer Eye present this without any context behind what is driving this behavior."

Sexiness is what the fab 5 embrace, unfortunately and it was probably discussed behind the scenes of how much talking about sex was allowed or polite and the conversation of not having sex is closer to the tip of the tongue rather than the feeling of sexiness. The West is not the ones blasting that information. It is across multiple Japanese printed newspapers and online stories by now and the "context" is still being discussed and debated amongst Japanese. So I don't think any outsiders should be weighing in or "explaining" this phenomenon. We can repeat what we have been told but guessing at the reasons is not our place. The reasons illustrated by the author of the article seem lacking, a take but not the only one, but who am I to speak on that being in a sexual relationship with someone who pulls from that culture?

Kiko begins to lecture Yoko-san on how she “threw away her womanhood” (referring to a Japanese idiom, onna wo suteru) by going makeup-free and wearing drab, shapeless clothes.

The mistranslation by the subtitles fixed by this author was necessary information. But Kiko didn't lecture her on it, it was brought up by Yoko before any of them arrived, that was her theme, that was what she had decided to focus on. Meanwhile, if you watched Jonathan, he understood there was no time to spend on makeup and skincare so provided her a one instrument, 3 points of color on the skin to feel prettier. That and the entire episode being the 5 treating her like a woman on a date, not trying to hook her up, which is what they did in American eps.

"In teaching a Japanese woman, who already struggles to find time for herself, how to make an English recipe, Antoni is making great TV and nothing more."

So Antoni shouldn't have taught her apple pie because it's too exotic for a Japanese woman. (Can you smell the sexism?)

He didn't make an apple pie, altho Yoko did mention her mother made that for her when she was a kid. He made an apple tartine after going to a Japanese bakery who makes that all the time. Then highlighted the apples came from Fuji in true Japanese media fashion. Honey, American television doesn't usually highlight where the ingredients come from. A Japanese producer told him to do that. So all worries handled within the same ep. She got Japanese ingredients, had the recipe shown to her and then made it for her friends in her own house. Did the author actually watch this show or nah?

"beaten over the head with his western self-help logic. “You have to live for yourself,” he says."

The style of build up the 5 went for was confrontational but in a "I'm fighting for you" way. It's hard to describe, but the best I can say is, a person has multiple voices in their head, from parents, siblings, society, and maybe themselves. By being loud and obnoxious, American staples right there, they are adding one more voice. You deserve this, you are amazing, you are worth it. I know this is against most Japanese cultural modesty, but maybe it shouldn't be.

Sarcasm lies ahead:

Apparently: mispronunciation is microaggressions, not just someone who had a sucky school system. Yea okay, They're laughing at the language not at how stumbling these monolinguals are with visiting another country. Mmhm. Japanese don't say I love you and don't touch and that should stay that way instead of maybe, once in awhile, feeling like they can hug. Yeah, let's just ignore Yoko's break down that she had never hugged her lifelong friend after hugging strangers multiple times. Maid cafes are never sexualized in Japan ever, just don't go down that one street in Akihabara where the men are led off by the hand sheepishly blushing. Gag me. And Japanese men love to cry in front of their wives and would never break down once the wife leaves. I have never seen a Japanese movie showcase that move. Grr.

"I identify as many cultures."

So you're a Japanese man when it's convenient for you to get an article published? Are you nationally Japanese or just ethnically or culturally?

Homeland is an inherently racist word?

"After the Bush administration created the Department of Homeland Security after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a Republican consultant and speechwriter Peggy Noonan urged, “the name Homeland Security grates on a lot of people, understandably. Homeland isn’t really an American word, it’s not something we used to say or say now.”

Yes, let's use a Washington Post article rather than a etymology professor. Yes, the google search results increased after 2001 Homeland Security was used but the word has been around since the 1660s and I've read multiple turn of the century lit on white people returning to their homeland, i.e. the town off the coast they were born in.

"But" is not disagreeing. I think the repeated offender for the author is the not acknowledging the makeover-ees feelings. But, that is how LGBT have decided to deal with the inner voices that invade from society. They are just that, not our own, they are the influence of society, and we can choose, we have to choose, to be influenced by someone, anyone else.

Karamo can't speak about being black when an Asian is speaking about being Asian, even though the Asian gay man was feeling alone. It's called relating bitches, and I'm done with people saying that is redirecting the conversation, it's extending the conversation. That's how we talk, the spotlight is shared, especially when someone's about to cry and doesn't want to be seen as crying, time to turn the spotlight.

The gay monk wasn't good enough, you should have invited the gay politician.

Yeah, causes I'm sure a politician has all the time in the world for a quick stint and cry. They picked a Japanese monk who travels to NY because they had a guest who travels to the West too. Did you want him to stop traveling back and forth? Did you want a pure, ethnic and cultural Japanese gay man who has no ties to the west to talk to this Western educated young man? Seriously?

This is just not how it works in Japan.

Being in a multi-cultural marriage between two rebels, discussions on facets of culture are plenty in my household. Culture should be respected enough to be considered but not held on a pedestal like we should never adjust or throw some things out. LGBT being quiet and private for instance. "Being seen" was Jonathan's advice, and a good one especially for a Japanese gay man that was called feminine since he was a kid. Some gay men can hide, but as Jonathan said, he couldn't hide what he was, he couldn't hide this. So fuck it. Don't hide. It's actually more dangerous for a feminine man to come off as anxious rather than gay and proud. It makes you more of a target if they think you won't fight back. Proud means, Imma throw hands too, bitch.

This is also from the civil rights playbook going back to Black America: never hold a protest or a fight without the cameras, without being seen. LGBT have found the more seen they are, in media, in the streets, the better off we are. When LGBT Americans were being "private" about our lifestyles, we died, a la 1980s. They won't care if you start dying off if they never saw you to begin with.

And hence why I think the author's real anger is from these 5 being seen dancing flamboyantly in Shibuya, in Harajuku, afforded the privilege of doing this safely because of their tourist status, cameras and very low violence rate in Tokyo, loud and obnoxiously. Honestly, they wouldn't have been invited or nominated if they didn't want that brash American-ness coming into their home, just for a taste, at least.

Here's my real anger, my own jealousy: Japan's queer community currently does not have marriage or adoption rights. US does, so we have progressed further. But we are also not that many years from being tied to cow fences with barbed wire, beaten with baseball bats and left for dead overnight. If things are so bad over there, maybe take a few pages from the civil right playbook we took so much time to perfect and produced by the Black Americans who fought first. But so far, I only hear loss of jobs and marriages, which we still have here too. Stop trying to divide us, we are one community, LGBT around the world and we are here to try to help. Take it or leave it, it's not like we're going to go organize your own Pride parade for you.

Rant over? I guess. Is this important enough to be put in the google results along with his. Hell no, anyone with half a mind can see he's reaching more than half the time. And any argument about: this wasn't covered! There are a shit ton of conversations that are not covered in the 45 min they have. They are not a civil rights show, it's a makeover show, doing their best in that direction anyway. Know what it is.

Next blog post, what research I would guess was happening behind the scenes for each of the 5? I'm pretty sure I saw Jonathan doing Japanese style makeup there...

[redpillfuturist215]

The new world order

To keep this as short as possible, I’m only providing a few words and links. Some are no longer available because tyranny but the title is enough.

NWO, Marxism, feminism, democrats, leftists, Antifa, BLM.

Attacks on free speech and movement, the right to peacefully protest.

Useful idiots, who historically get killed once the tyrant comes into power.

History repeats itself because people never learn.

Those who elect corrupt politicians are not victims but accomplices.

What we are seeing now is the result of a century of societal/financial leeches, idiots, the emotionally incompetent and women being allowed to vote.

 People were also calling it in March of 2020 that democrats were going to cheat in the next presidential election, and that China would print millions of fake ballots.

Biden is everything they lied and said Trump was. Projection 101.

US energy and independence are bad but foreign and especially Islamic oil, funding people who want to kill us is okay.

 This is why Trump was hated, for being a threat to the NWO. The same with Putin

Trump defies the global elites

Delingpole: Only Donald Trump Can Save Us from the Great Reset

 Feminism and the One World Government: Why We Must Prepare and How | Steve Brule | Full Speech - YouTube

The Marxist-Feminist Roots of Black Lives Matter

 Brendon Marotta on Twitter: "Revolutionaries plunged Russia into a century of brutal communist rule during the Spanish flu pandemic. Don't tell me you can't accomplish because "COVID."" / Twitter

 President Dream 🇺🇸 on Twitter: "If 2020 didnt definitively prove to you that The New World Order is 100% real, that the goal is one world communist government, slavery, and genocide, then I sincerely hope you starve to death when the food shortages come. You deserve worse" / Twitter

President Dream 🇺🇸 on Twitter: "The only reason you're not being rounded up into trains and camps right now is because 100 million Americans own 500 million guns. Believe it." / Twitter

 Schnauzer on Twitter: "@lporiginalg People are being investigated for being "far-right". Keep in mind, "far-right" means anything right of absolute communism" / Twitter

Toto on Twitter: "It's not really Trump they are after folks. It's everyone of us who disagrees with leftist/communist ideology. Trump just got in their way. They will be coming for us next. Best get prepared because it's coming." / Twitter

Kevin Sorbo on Twitter: "They know a society of strong men would never have allowed what’s happening right now. That’s why they attacked masculinity first." / Twitter

Candace Owens on Twitter: "There is no society that can survive without strong men. The East knows this. In the west, the steady feminization of our men at the same time that Marxism is being taught to our children is not a coincidence. It is an outright attack. Bring back manly men." / Twitter

Communists approve Joe Biden for president - Washington Times

How America will collapse (by 2025) | Salon.com

Tucker: We’re watching civilization collapse in real time - YouTube

Accepting That You Don't Have A Country Anymore - MGTOW

🔴 WE ARE NOW DOMESTIC TERRORISTS

🔴 TIME TO LEAVE AMERICA | A Coach Red Pill video - YouTube

LEAVE NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN

Me realizing America has already been destroyed

 ZUBY: on Twitter: "Being called a 'conspiracy theorist' is essentially a badge of honour at this point." / Twitter

Isabella Riley on Twitter: "If you’re not a conspiracy theorist, you’re a sheep." / Twitter

 Democrats, leftists outright threatening political opponents and their supporters

Communism - its us or them, now or never

Leftists, Never Trumpers Begin Compiling Lists of Trump Supporters

[thistle-and-thorn]

my goal-setting manifesto

So recently @woodswit wrote a super thought-provoking post about struggling with the benefits of loving feeling fit and struggling with external validation regarding fitness and so this is kind of my reference guide for myself about goal-setting and the way *I* need to remember to think about it.

I minored in a very specific form of organizational management in college and a huge part of that curriculum was goal-setting. We were encouraged to make one-year, five-year, ten-year career plans, we learned how to set SMART goals, how to identify what steps were right for you, etc. Well, babies, I did not need this curriculum because in high school we had done this exact same curriculum. SMART goals, college planning, etc. Bitch, I knew how to plan my life and, bitch, I had it planned. I was a very high-achieving and ambitious student—I went after awards, AP scores, good grades, letters of recommendation. The school system I attended was very typical of an American school in that those things were the primary indicators for success and the “quality” of our grades determined our classes (and subsequently our social groups) and myriad other things. I was a “good girl” and bought into and benefitted from this kind of structure immensely.

Well. I also have struggled with severe anxiety and periodic depressive episodes that significantly interrupt my daily life and ability to care appropriately for myself. These disorders reached a critical mass at the midpoint of my college career and, after two very bad semesters (one of which ended with me getting a tiny sexy scar from fainting into a doorway), I realized I needed to make significant changes to my priorities. More specifically, I needed to examine the method by which I was defining and collecting achievement and validation. So, after much therapy (I love u Claire), soul-searching, several glasses of a very good local hard cider, I decided to write out the way I goal-set now that enables me to actually breathe and not spiral into self-hatred.

Why Do We Need Goal-Setting?

I actually think that goal-setting is deeply important. If you are a dreamer, I would even say that goal-setting is essential. Personally, I’m a planner/dreamer and enjoy setting goals. It comforts me. Getting a little organized around amorphous ideas like “I want to be a novelist” or “I wish I could travel the world” allows those things to become attainable.

Process and Product

I would say that there are two ways of thinking about goals:

1. Product-Oriented: This is the type of thinking that was taught in my management classes and is exactly what it sounds like. If you do these steps, then you will get x-result. An example of a well-written product-oriented goal is, “By Tuesday, I need to complete three research reports.” (This is true, and I completed them today motherfuckers.) It’s concise, attainable, and happens within a set timeframe.

2. Process-Oriented: This type of thinking focuses on what you will learn or benefit from accomplishing an activity. When I was teaching preschool, an example of this would be taking the kids for a nature walk or free drawing, basically doing an activity where there is no expected result. There is nothing to achieve, there is no medal. The work and the discoveries you make doing the work is the reward. A process-oriented goal would be, “I want to learn about characterization from writing this story.”

In woodswit’s example, she talks about the benefits that cardio exercise has on her mental health, how much happier and confident she is when she is doing a certain variety of exercise regularly. She also talks about how she used to do intense sports.

In this case, a product-oriented way to frame that discussion would be, “I want to get back to the weight I was when I was playing sports” or “I want to be able to lift fifty pounds again.” You will take smaller steps to reach that product—changing the way you eat, figuring out a plan for to work up to lifting heavier things. But the product-oriented way is ultimately a binary—you will either be able to lift fifty pounds or not, you will either reach the weight you were or you won’t. But the process-oriented way to think about these things would be, “I love biking and want to do more of it. Every weekend this summer, I will bike a different rail trail in my county.” The process-oriented method is less specific, but it takes that pressure away from your performance—in the biking example, the only expectation that is set is that you’re going to travel to different bike trails, not that you have to go to every rail trail in the county or that you have to complete the whole trail when you go or that you have to do it in a certain time, just that you are going to go.

There is space for both of these methods, and they are best used in conjunction with each other. Product-oriented is useful, especially in financial situations. A goal for 2022 is to visit my childhood best friend in her new home, halfway across the country. Say I want to go in May 2022 and I figure out that it will cost me roughly $2000. I should probably set a goal with steps to save $2000 by May. It’s also beneficial for the smaller steps to bolster your path to your big dreams—When I was a kid, playing piano gave me a lot of discipline and I would like to have that habit again. That is a process-oriented way of thinking about playing music, but you will probably need to set smaller, product-based goals to achieve it—you will need to select a song and learn to play it, within that song you will need to master it measure by measure.

When we are trained to reach for product, it is hard to recognize the value of process-orientation. A phenomenal example is my WIP. The story I am writing now has 3% the amount of kudos as my biggest fic. I also had a goal of updating every Tuesday. By product standards, that story is a flop. It has the least amount of engagement of anything I’ve ever written, and I haven’t updated it in like two weeks. However, why do I write? I write because I enjoy it, I write fanfic specifically to practice new skills. This story has stretched my abilities and I’ve grown from working on it. By process standards, it’s the most successful of my fics.

And in terms of bigger life things? Process-oriented is the way to go. Why? Because if the pandemic taught us anything, it is that life is not linear. It is nearly impossible to set a straight path—be it up a corporate ladder or a fitness goal—why? Because life sucks. Someone dies, you become ill, it rains, you fall in love, you fall out of love—minute inconveniences happen every day. Process takes the pressure off of your performance because you can’t perform all the time. This is essential in fitness goals because our physical state is especially ephemeral. Of course, it happens in other areas of life, too. An example: In the autumn of 2017, I fell into the deepest depression I have ever been in before or since. I could not remember to shower, let alone do my anthropology homework. As a result, for the first time, I was struggling to create the basic products—like, you know, homework—expected in my classes. That was even more devastating. Around the midpoint of the semester, I realized that product was not sustaining me and if I didn’t want to drop out or harm myself when I “failed”, I had to change my approach.

Once my classes became less about “I need to feel my Middle East studies requirement so I can get a History degree and get an A so I can get on the Dean’s List,” and I reconnected with, “I want to learn a lot about the Middle East,” the products came more naturally. They came more imperfectly, too, but I was able to complete the product because I put less pressure on making them to a certain standard. It became easier to recommit to my goal of being a college-educated woman when I remembered the why of receiving a college education. In woodswit’s original post, she acknowledges that the definition of intense exercise is different for every individual. But it’s also different for the individual at different points in their life and recognizing that intensity and success are arbitrary standards is an essential part of reframing your goal-setting as being process-orientated.

How Do I Goal Set Now?

I still goal-set and a lot of my goals could be likely defined as product-goals. However, they are all made with a long view in mind—if I set a goal to run a 5K, what am I going to get out of it besides just saying that I can run a 5K? Here are ways that I stay process-oriented throughout:

1. Goal Periods

I have three times of year when I set goals: January, June, and Lent. I will set a date on the calendar every year to sit down and just think about what I want to accomplish just in the next twelve-month period and what vision I have for myself in three to five years. No more than that.

January is when I set my personal goals and June is where I set my professional ones. I keep a spreadsheet throughout the year of experiences I would like to have. I will look to this list for inspiration. In January and June, while goal-setting, I check in with the opposing goals. So, in June, I checked in with my progression on my personal goals. I rethought if those goals were still realistic and if I was benefitting from them and in what ways. Then I recommitted to them or adjusted them to help me reach them.

2. Holistic Goals

Unless it’s curing cancer, there is no single goal worth putting all the rest on hold for. Each goal is a battle, and your life is the war. This is a deeply privileged example but: the goal of living independently the first two years out of college was probably achievable. But the effort to achieve that one goal meant that, like, six other personal and financial goals would not be met. So, I put off my career goals and stayed at home and taught preschool for two years. It meant a delay while it seemed like my other friends were growing up and achieving at faster rates, but the temporary strain of achieving a particular goal is sometimes worth it when it dominos into other opportunities.

3. Goal Bundling

I bundle my goals now as a part of my goals check-ins. An example of this is: I loved studying abroad and would love to spend more extended time in the country I studied in during undergrad. I would love to go to graduate school. Ipso facto, presto change-o, I should look at graduate programs in that country and see if that is an achievable goal.

This post is a good example of all of this lol. Why did I write it? there won't be an audience for it but the process of setting all of these thoughts on to paper was cathartic, creating a reference guide on this topic for myself when I am depressed is important, and that has to, has to, has to be good enough.

[keanureevesisbae]

The alluring charm of Henry Cavill - Chapter 1

Summary: Adelaide Park meets Henry Cavill for the first time and she is obviously very nervous. 

Henry Cavill x Adelaide Park (ofc)

Wordcount: 3.5k

A/N: If you want to be on the taglist, just let me know. And please let me know what you guys think. I’d love to hear your thoughts about it 😘 

Masterlist // Introduction // Next chapter

I’ve never been to Italy before. Actually, before I was a renowned actress, I never came outside of LA. Growing up, my parents never had the money to go to a different city, let alone other countries. My vacations were spend solely in our small one room apartment back in Los Angeles by myself.

My parents were never rich. My dad worked long hours in a factory every single day, but earning just enough money to pay the rent and for me and mom to eat. One night, I saw him scraping the packages or our plats clean, so he had something to eat as well. After I saw that, I never ate all the food off my plate, because I realized that my dad was working the hardest, but was eating the least.

It always broke my heart to see both of them struggle. My mom used to be a cleaning lady, but after she got fired, she became a live-in nanny, which basically meant that from my sixth birthday, she was barely home anymore and I had to raise myself.

Hours on end I was alone. Back in school I barely had any friends—correction: I had no friends at all—and when I came home from school, I’d sit outside to do my homework, because dad didn’t have enough money to get a second set of keys.

I never complained about it, because I knew they were trying and I learned all too well from that one time when I asked for a Barbie doll back when I was five and I kept crying about it, because other kids had Barbie dolls and I was the only one who didn’t. My mom got so mad, that she grabbed my empty plate and threw it against the wall, while she was screaming something about how ungrateful I was. Mom never got mad, she was always admirably calm and collected, even when life got in the way like it did with us. Seeing her like this, meant she was serious and I never said anything about something like that anymore. I never asked for anything, at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my parents and I am so thankful for everything they taught me and did for me. It may have been a hard time, but every year for my birthday, they gave me something. It was always something I really needed, but I always appreciated how they went out of their way for me, wondering how many meals they skipped for this present.

It all became worse when I finished high school at the age of nineteen. I was older than everyone else, since I read so slowly and didn’t even understand it most of the time, causing me to get behind on many classes over the course of the years. Besides, our school wasn’t known for having the best results overall, so the fact that I didn’t score well, meant I was blending in with the rest.

I was working in a diner, because I wasn’t smart enough at all for a scholarship, when my mom got in a terrible accident, when she walked back home and she was hit by a car who ran through a red light. She was paralyzed from her waist down and besides the high hospital bills, she also needed psychical therapy, something that unfortunately isn’t free.

With what my dad and I were earning together, we couldn’t even pay two percent of those costs. I was thinking about putting myself up on a sugar daddy website, but I know I couldn’t lie to them, when I would come back with a lot of money. Besides, my dad was always very strict about what mom and I could and couldn’t do to make money and sugar daddies were off limits. He told me multiple times—even after mom’s accident—that we had nothing to worry about. That he would take care of it.

But I had something to worry about, because my father wasn’t getting any younger. He had been working too hard for too long and all he wanted, was staying with his wife, who he still loved so so much, despite everything they had gone through. I took up more shifts at the diner, only slowly coming to terms that, even with the tips I was receiving, it was never enough to cover the bills.

In about two months, my mom would be discharged from the facility, if we hadn’t paid at least something significant.

One day, I was walking back home from work, when I saw a huge billboard, with a message that a studio was looking for someone to star in one of the biggest sitcoms of that time: Remembering High School. Apparently, one of the new main characters (who was an adult) was having a flashback from when they were in high school—the main premise of the show. And that character happened to be an Asian lady.

I went in and decided I would try it out. I mean, I had no acting experience and solely did it to earn some money, but being Asian American was apparently enough and that was the beginning of my acting career.

At first the amounts of money I made were not enough to cover the medical costs, but it was enough to delay further payment and my mom could stay in the facility.

For years I had difficulty with reading, let alone reading out loud, with an audience, but somehow on the set, I could forget about that. I could finally be someone I really wanted to be. For a few moments I could forget all the sorrows and worries I had resting on my shoulders.

The first five weeks, I’d combine my new acting career with my job in the diner, but after awhile I became a recurring character and for a whole year, I was part of the cast. I remember walking into my mom’s room, showing both her and my dad the first episode I was going to star in. ‘I’m from Minnesota,’ was my first line and the beginning of a very promising career.

My parents were so proud of me. My dad didn’t even care about the money I made at first, because he was so happy that I was doing something that from the looks of it, I actually enjoyed.

Over the years, I’ve come to love acting, but no one knows I do it because of my family. Actually no one knew about my family situation and since I have zero friends, even in the industry (because I barely talk about my personal life and I never budge, even when the try to pry information about it. My co-stars are acquaintances, almost like neighbors: you know one another, but you don’t know them), no one is aware that every penny I earn, goes directly to my family.

Nowadays I make millions, but I’m mainly spending it on my mom, but also on other people who are paralyzed and need psychical therapy, but were in the same boat as my family and my parents met over time in the facility. Money doesn’t mean a lot to me and these people can use it a lot better than I can.

Besides, my parents worked so hard for me growing up, this is the only way for me to pay them back. Despite not having any money themselves, nor stuff, they always taught me to share, to make sure that other people are well taken care off.

The flight from Japan to Italy moved along pretty quick, but maybe that’s because I was traveling first class. My latest movie took place in Japan and though I loved it there, I really want to see what Italy is like, after spending eight months in a lousy hotel in Japan.

After becoming an actress, I went to a lot of great places for shooting movies. I went to Suriname, Canada, Spain, Australia and this time it was Japan. I’m so blessed that I get to travel, knowing really well that other people are still struggling with what I used to struggle with. Sometimes I donate the earnings of a movie to movements that catch my eye, that help kids in certain areas of California with their school work, and with access of clothes and food. I always donate anonymously, not wanting to seem like a philanthropist who is doing this solely for her own image.

I always think that if you really care about something, you would do it without earning praises.

Participating on ‘The Celebrity Project’ wasn’t something I would normally do, but when they reached out to me, I was actually delighted that I was going to be part of this. Maybe I could finally show the world that I’m not as stupid as I appear in interviews.

Being a loner, a slow reader and probably has multiple learning disabilities (if I actually got tested, but the tests were too expensive and no one at school seemed to care and I’m actually too embarrassed to get myself tested now I’m a twenty-five year old), I often come off as an airhead and it’s my own fault really. I do give them enough stupid material to go on about that accusation.

However, I’m really nervous. I mean, I’m going to work together with Henry Cavill. He is charming and sounds so intelligent. When I was done filming and back at my hotel room, I’d watch his interviews, because I wanted to know what I was going to work with. The way he is so articulate and he obviously knows what he is doing, makes me feel even worse about myself. I’m a total disaster and already a burden to him I presume.

I’m sitting in a taxi, waiting for traffic to calm down a bit. It’s early in the mornings and thankfully I got to make myself a bit more presentable in the plane already. I notice the tiny camera’s being strategically placed in the car. It really begun, I think to myself. I’m part of a reality show now. ‘How are you feeling, miss Park?’ the taxi driver asks. ‘I recently heard about this program.’

‘I’m a bit nervous,’ I say, wondering whether or not he is payed to to talk to me about this. I rummage through my purse, hoping I can find my lip balm.

‘Are you looking forward to work with Henry Cavill?’

That name alone makes me nearly make me shit my pants already. ‘Yeah, he seems like a nice man, so I really look forward to work with him.’ And I sure as hell hope that I won’t let him down.

The drive to the hotel is about an hour, but it feels like time is going by a whole lot faster.  The chauffeur talks about his family and how his wife is actually a fan of my movies and has watched every single one of them. I took a few pictures with him and signed the inside of the cracker box, because that was all he got with him for me to write something on.

After I said goodbye to him, I’m told that I should go to room 346. With my suitcases with me, I step into the elevator, a cameraman close by. They told me that at one point, these cameramen would just be invisible to me, but I highly doubt it. They are only with us during the assignments. In the cars and at the place where we’re staying, the camera’s are hidden.

When I’m in front of the door, I take a deep breath.

I can do this I think to myself. I have starred alongside other talented people. My first real role was playing Keanu Reeves’ daughter, I was Angela Bassett’s assistant and I also had some pretty steamy scenes with David Castañeda, after his Umbrella Academy days. I can handle being around Henry Cavill, right? I knock on the door three times and I open it a bit, peeking my head around the door.

I can conclude that I’m severely underdressed. I’m wearing a simply jean short, white crop top with some lace on the borders and socks with the same lace details as my top, paired with white sneakers.

I look like a slob, compared to Henry, who seems like he stepped out of a Disney movie.  His white blouse, off-white pants and those loafers. The only thing that is missing, is his yacht with the name Serenity.

A smile creeps up on my face, as I step into the room, rolling my pink suitcases with me, because he actually looks approachable.

‘Hi there,’ he says with a small smile on his face. He walks up to me, holding out his hand. ‘I’m Henry, nice to meet you.’

I can’t help but blush. He is so charming and his accent makes him so posh. I place my hand in his and it almost disappears. Not to be that girl, but my size kink is activated right here and now. ‘Adelaide,’ I say. ‘Uhm, it’s nice to meet you… Too.’

I curse my tongue.

‘How was your flight?’ he asks, as he gestures to the couch for us to sit on.

I take place right next to him and I feel like a child sitting next to her dad. Why is he so massive? ‘It was okay. Yours?’

‘It flew by.’

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Was that… a pun?’

Henry chuckles nervously. ‘Maybe, I’m sorry.’

I look around me. The hotel room seems okay, but I bet we’re not going to stay here for long. I stare at the silver tray in front of us, with a set of keys and an envelope with our names on it.

Henry takes the envelope from the tray and holds it in front of me. ‘You want to read it?’

I shake my head. ‘No, you go.’ The whole idea of reading out loud without practice, makes me want to vomit. Before the table reads, I use this program that will read everything for me, even using the right intonation. I stay up for way too many hours for that, because once I’ve heard it, I made notes, I can better read it.

Back when I was doing ‘Remembering High School’ I had the woman who played the adult version of me read it to me, because I had to portray the young her and keep her character in mind. Since she was an established character on the show, she had certain ways of saying things I had to copy. She never knew the real reason I wanted her to read it out loud for me.

He cocks an eyebrow, but then opens the envelope. He clears his throat, before a dramatic reading of our first assignment rolls out of his mouth. How can he make a simple note sound so… Sensual, almost? His deep and dark voice, making it sound way more intense than it actually is. I wouldn’t mind if he read my scripts out loud for me.

‘Dear Adelaide and Henry, the adventure of ‘The Celebrity Project’ has officially started,’ he says, tilting the card a little, so I can read a little bit with him. It’s a nice gesture really and I appreciate the thought. ‘We have provided you with a nice car, to drive to the little cottage, specially arranged for the two of you. Tomorrow will be a nice day for you to relax (because you two are both severely jet lagged we presume) and the day after that, you’ll be expected for your first assignment. Enjoy the car ride and remember: look out of your window every now and then. We are aware that Henry is really handsome, Adelaide and you’ll be forced to only look at him, but nature can be beautiful too.’

I scrunch up my nose. That last sentence seemed so forced and this is exactly the reason why I don’t like these types of survival, borderline reality shows. It’s not reality. It’s this forced setting, hoping to get people to believe that this is how real life should look like.

And I don’t like deceiving people like that. I almost regret participating.

‘Right, well, we might as well just go,’ he says, his tone flat, maybe just as annoyed with that last sentence as I am. Probably even more so.

◎ ◎ ◎

Why is there a pink carseat in the passengers seat? I mean, I’m not the tallest, but I’m definitely not that tiny. I look around us, only to see no member of the crew around. This is great. I want to take the seat out, because I don’t want to sit on it, but it’s securely fastened and only with a different set of keys, I can undo it.

And of course I don’t have that.

I really regret being here.

However, I still sit on the carseat, because I don’t want to sit in the back because I’ll get carsick and when I see Henry’s cocked eyebrows and a poorly hidden smirk, I simply say: ‘Don’t.’

Okay, maybe I do understand why they put me on a carseat, because this man looks so enormous and otherwise I’m simply non existent. He starts the car and simply drives off. I don’t know whether or not I should say something to him, because I feel like we should talk.  I mean, that’s why the camera’s are here right?

‘What is your newest movie about?’ Henry asks.

‘About a woman escaping from her past and she moves to Japan, when one day an old friend becomes her new manager,’ I say.

‘Romantic comedy?’

‘Of course.’

He nods. ‘You don’t get tired of doing those?’ he asks.

Yes, I do get a bit tired of them, but there are two things: for starters, just like those romance books (that I would buy my mom one for her birthday every year, because I knew how much she loved those), romantic comedies sell really good. And no one wants me for something else. I feel like directors don’t trust me with big roles, like Rose in Titanic or someone else major. Besides, I’m Asian American, when was the last time one of us got a major part in a movie that’s not a romantic comedy?

But I don’t want to seem ungrateful and it’s a nice stream of money coming in every time and that’s basically all I want.

‘No,’ I say. ‘It’s okay. You shot something new… new movie… Right?’ For fuck sake, Adelaide, you were doing so well.

‘I did, actually,’ he says. ‘It’s something I’m very excited for. It’s more of a dramatical part.’ I listen to Henry, as he is talking about this movie. How he plays a single dad, trying to figure out this parenting part with his daughter, when his brother and sister-in-law pass away and he has to take in four monsters of boys in his house. The way he talks about this, I notice a shimmer in his eyes. ‘I’m sorry,’ he apologizes. ‘I let myself go there for a second. It’s just I’m really excited about this movie.’

‘No, I get it,’ I say, as I look out of the window. I let out a deep sigh, as we drive over the sandy roads. Before I can say something else (as if I knew what), Henry hits the break and like the cliches in the movies, he holds out his arm in front of me, as the car comes to a halt.

There are four dogs and one owner on the road and the man screams something in Italian to us. Clearly we were supposed to stop for him. ‘Shit, sorry,’ Henry mumbles, as if the man could hear that.

His warm hand dropped to my bare thigh and with my pointer finger I tap him on the back of his hand. ‘Excuse me,’ I say.

‘Oh no, terrible sorry,’ he says quickly, retracting his hand. ‘What do you think the cottage will look like?’ Henry asks, when he pulled up again, not driving as fast as he did before.

Shrugging I play with my water bottle. ‘I don’t know, but I think I know one thing.’

It takes me a while before I can get the words out of my mouth, but Henry doesn’t force me to say anything, by asking something like: ‘Care to let me in?’ He actually lets me find the words and it feels nice not to be rushed into saying something.

‘I bet there is one bed that is large and comfortable. However, there is also one uncomfortable couch, too small for you. So people want to see whether or not you are a… gentleman and offer to sleep on the couch.’

‘You think?’ he asks frowning. ‘A bit far fetched, don’t you think?’

When we arrive at the tiny cottage, we walk inside. It’s nice decorated, warm colors mixed with nice hints of different pastel colors. My eye falls on the very uncomfortable looking couch that is pretty tiny if Henry is supposed to be sprawled out on that, but we don’t know what the rest looks like.

After a small tour through the house, we have come to the conclusion that there is indeed only one bed. I look over my shoulder, my eyes meeting Henry’s. ‘See?’

Taglist: @thelastsock​ // @jolly-polly​ // @henrythickcavill​ // @maan24​ // @diegos-butt​ / @agniavateira​ // 

[anntoldst0ries]

Meet my MC

A/N: When I first started playing OH, I had no idea how much I’m gonna love this book... which is why my MC got the first name that crossed my mind. 

When I wrote my first fic, the name stayed because I didn’t know if I’d be able to produce anything more than an incoherent mess.

But as MC evolved in my head, I understood that her name doesn’t fit who she is as a person... and it took me a while to find something that truly resonated with me. I won’t be changing this in my previous fics (at least not now). So, without further ado, please meet Dr Noelle Sky Valentine:

Noelle Sky Valentine was born on the 13th June in London, UK, where her family resided at the time. She is half-English (after her mother) and half-American (after her father) and holds dual citizenship. When asked about this, she always says ‘Amglish’, to which people usually respond: ‘Glish? Which country are you from?’

Friends and family call her ‘Elle’. Her parents found out about the pregnancy in early December and lived in France at the time - that’s how they came up with the name ‘Noelle’ which means ‘Christmas’ in French. Since they both love Christmas, this was a perfect fit.

When Elle was 3 years old, her family moved to San Francisco.

Her dad, Joseph, is a composer. Her mother, Melanie, is a lawyer specialising in media & intellectual property law.

Elle has an older brother, Nick, who is a musician like their dad.

When she was in high school, her parents got divorced and her mum moved back to London. Elle and Nick stayed in SF with Joe, as they didn’t want to leave their schools and friends.

Her mom wed again, her dad has a new partner as well. She adores her dad's new partner, Ava. As her mum lives in London and she doesn’t visit too often, Elle didn’t really have a chance to get to know Grant. But he seems like a good guy.

She was always very musical and loved watching her dad work. The first place she’d go to after school would be his studio. Joe taught both her and Nick to play piano, her brother also plays guitar and cello.

Not many people know that Elle formed a band with her high school friends, which they called ‘Valentine’s Day’. She was also the lead singer.

Elle is totally a daddy’s girl, she’s always had a fantastic relationship with her father.

When Elle was 10, her best friend passed away due to a rare illness, that medicine was not capable of treating effectively at the time. This traumatic experience resulted in her developing an interest in science after she came to terms with what has happened.

In high school, Elle still wasn’t sure about what she wanted to do with her life.

One day, she was doing research on the illness that took her friend from her. That’s when she came across ‘Diagnostics principles’ - a book written by Ethan Ramsey.

She has then read every single thing published by Dr Ramsey and decided to apply to medical school.

Noelle graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School, top of her class. She applied there for 3 reasons: the possibility of living in a different state, being more independent and most importantly - her medical hero, Ethan Ramsey, graduated from JHMS as well. If she wanted to be as good as him, she had to learn from the best like he did.

On her graduation day, her dad was so proud that he sobbed all the time. He also composed a song especially for this day, which he called “La Merveille” (wonder, miracle).

Elle is convinced she must have been a nymph in her previous life, as she’s always mystically drawn to forests, they are her favourite places and she’s got a million pictures from the woods on her phone.

She can neither confirm nor deny that she is in a relationship with her boss (due to it being or not being unethical).

Tag list 💜 💜 💜 : @genevievemd​ | @terrm9 | @poudredevie | @starrystarrytrouble | @whippedforethanfreakingramsey | @mercury84choices | @maurine07 | @gryffindordaughterofathena | @jamespotterthefirst | @justanotherrookie | @lucy-268 | @aarisa-frost | @caseyvalentineramsey | @brooks-eden | @iemcpbchoices | @lovingramsey | @red-rookie | @qrkowna | @queencarb | @oldminniemcg | @tsrookie | @catchinglikekerosene | @ohchoices | @the-pale-goddess | @schnitzelbutterfingers | @openheartthot​ | @tenaciousdeputydreamfriend​

[babbushka]

I’m confused, I was always taught that Reagan was one of the best and most progressive presidents we ever had, granted I went to a Catholic school way back when, what did Ronny do? (In a not accusatory or snippy way)

Hello my dear anon! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to talk about this, because while I am firmly a believer that everyone can have their own political opinions, objectively, Raegan literally ruined the country through something called Raeganomics -- and that's not just an exaggeration.

Here are some of his biggest lasting legacies that make people remember him in a negative light:

Purposeful inaction on HIV/AIDs

Purposefully widened income inequality through 'trickle-down' economics

Suppression of unions

Slashing of public assistance

Excessive corporate influence on government

Explanations under the cut (with links to articles for further reading, if you're so inclined)!

Purposeful inaction on HIV/AIDs

One of the most notable things that Raegan was responsible for was his failed response to addressing the HIV/AIDs crisis. The first case was recorded in 1981, but one of the first nationally pieces of recognition, the New York Times, posting an article about it in 1982. This was when it was first called GRID, or Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. Because it was affecting primarily gay men, the general public, and the government itself, did not feel any need to stop the disease from spreading. Literally, because it was the gay disease, the overall perception was that this was God sending a cure for the country.

Raegan said and did nothing, not about the disease, or about the deaths, or about the hate crimes that were growing more and more prevalent against queer people. So despite YEARS of begging and marching and millions of people dead -- it's not until 1985 when he even publicly acknowledges the disease that had thousands of Americans dropping dead on his watch. It's not until 1987 when the administration finally forms a committee to look into trying to cull the disease. 47,000 Americans are estimated to have been affected by AIDs by then. It's not until Ryan White, a straight white young man who contracts AIDs and dies when he is only 18 in 1990, that the disease becomes a matter of importance for the rest of the country, because suddenly they understood that disease does not discriminate. HIV/AIDs is still a disease that we deal with today, with over 1.1 million people living with AIDs today in the united states.

Purposefully widened income inequality

It is no secret that associated with the Raegan administration is something called 'Raeganomics', which, while being a very complicated economic theory, ultimately boils down to establishing a "trickle-down" economy. Where, in theory, those at the very top who hold the majority of wealth in the nation, allow that wealth to move down through the middle and lower classes by either investing it or spending it in communities.

And of course, as is well evident, that just, didn't happen. The wealthiest of the nation received large tax cuts in order to hold onto their wealth to trickle down, but instead of actually spending it, they put their money into off-shore banks and then asked for more. I could get into the why's or how's of economics, but just know this -- the tax rate used to be anywhere from 71 and 94% for the highest tax bracket, money that was used to fund this nation's infrastructure, roads and schools, maintain a healthy economy, provide public services and budgets for progressive programs.

Raegan slashed it down to 28%, and in doing so widened the income inequality gap almost immediately, something that we're still seeing today. The reason why you and your family pay more money in taxes than billionaires like Bezos and Musk is directly because of Raeganomics.

Suppression of unions

The backbone of this nation has always been fought by the Unions, which are organized groups of laborers who fight for better working conditions, safer working conditions, and good pay. The reason you have a weekend is thanks to the unions. The reason why we don't have child labor is thanks to the unions. And in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, unions were an incredibly powerful part of working society, because they ensured that workers would not and could not be exploited by the CEOs who want so desperately to exploit them. Well, thanks to Raeganomics and the tax cuts, CEOs were starting to play a much larger role in the The Raegan administration, and ultimately, Raegan sided with them to effectively put measures in place that slashed the importance or power of unions.

It first started with dismantling the Air Traffic Controller's union, then followed up with slashing taxes for the elite rich who employed the union workers. Then it continued when the recession that the tax cuts caused laid off workers in the auto industry, and still declined when he appointed a "management-sided" man named Donald Dotson to chair the National Labor Relations Board.

But what really put the nail in the coffin, was his push for something called the Right To Work law, which mean that state governments have the option to not fund or support unions, removed protections for unions, and that employees do not have to join unions if they don't want to. What happened as a result, is that companies began firing employees who threatened to unionize, turning the unions from having great PR, to being a thing of fear.

This is directly related to why minimum wage has been so low for so long. Thank Raegan for that.

Slashing of public assistance

Because of the enormous tax cuts for the ultra rich, the country fell into a deep recession, and as a result many programs were cut for the poorest of the nation. Food Stamps, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, Federal guaranteed loan programs for higher education, Legal Assistance, etc., all took a big hit.

The reason your student loans are through the roof? Raegan. The reason unemployment benefits are near impossible to navigate? Raegan. Directly his fault.

Excessive corporate influence on government

I think one of the things that's very important to understand is that Raegan was a film actor before he went into politics and became president (sound like someone else we know?) and he was actually neither a Democrat nor a Republican -- he was a Libertarian. And what Libertarians do, is look at America like a business. Which is exactly what Raegan did, and exactly why his presidency fucked up our nation. He thought that the president was like the CEO, and that the people were employees, which, is fundamentally not how that works.

So it's with no surprise that he allowed SUPER-PACs to completely take over political parties in accepting money donated heavily by them to write the policies that shape this country. The reason why so many politicians, particularly Republicans, are in their seats of power is because of the millions or sometimes billions of dollars that CEOs fund them, to write the laws they want. That's entirely Raegan's fault, and at his encouragement.

So, from these 6 major things alone, we have a country that has been ravaged by disease, thrown into poverty and recession, killed the middle class, boosted the wealthy 1%, accrued enormous amounts of debt, and prevented economic mobility for anyone to hope to climb out of it. And that's not even mentioning his war on drugs and increase of mass incarceration for privatized prisons, his insane military budget leading a larger budget deficit, the Iran-Contra scandal, among many many other things.

As I said earlier, people are allowed to think he's a great president if they want, but factually, his actions (and inactions) have fundamentally and irreparably broken the economic landscape of our nation for the poor, working classes.

I encourage you to research further into this, if you so desire. There's a lot more than I mentioned here, I only picked what I thought to be the most famous of his failures as a president.

[uncloseted]

What are your thoughts on critical race theory and how it's being taught or should be taught in schools? Everyone seems to have a different idea of what is being taught and it's hard to keep up. I've heard extreme stories about certain schools but I've also heard that those are mostly people on the right exaggerating. Thank you for answering these political questions and giving such well thought out responses!

Okay so... there's a lot to unpack within the discussion of "critical race theory". I'm going to give a primer of what it is, how it is (and isn't) being used in schools, what the controversy is, and then I'll give my opinions at the end.

What is Critical Race Theory?

"Critical Race Theory" is a previously obscure academic concept. It's an approach to studying US policies and institutions and is typically taught in higher-education institutions like law schools or schools of social work. It's been in use since the 70s, when law professors began considering how racism shapes American law. Basically, Critical Race Theory states that intentional and unintentional racial bias are baked into the way our institutions and legal system functions. CRT is a way of examining how "racism is sustained more through law, policy and practices than through individual bias and discrimination," in the words of Boston University law professor Jasmine Gonzales Rose. It's focused on shifting our attention away from individual people's bad actions (what we commonly think of as being "racism") to instead center how systems uphold racial disparities.

Where did the Controversy about Critical Race Theory Come From?

After the murder of George Floyd last year and the resulting Black Lives Matter protests, these same topics were introduced to public consciousness. Is our police system racist? Are people of color disproportionately likely to be arrested and imprisoned for crimes, even though white people commit crimes at the same rate? (The answer to these questions is yes, just so we're clear). Are there ways in which racial bias is baked into our legal system? There were a lot of people around that time who became aware that our systems are discriminatory, and, as with everything, a lot of people who pushed back against anything actually changing.

Here's where the whole thing gets a bit convoluted. The debate over "critical race theory" can be traced to just one person- Christopher Rufo, a fellow at a conservative think tank. On September 2nd of 2020, Rufo appeared on Fox News's show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight". On the show, Rufo claimed that "critical race theory" had "pervaded every institution in the federal government" and called on President Trump to ban "critical race theory" in federal workforce trainings. It's somewhat unclear why he thought this to begin with. In that same conversation, Rufo deemed "critical race theory" "divisive, un-American propaganda". From there, this idea that "critical race theory" (used as "a catchall phrase for any examination of systemic racism" or even as a catchall phrase to denote anything advocating for social change, as opposed to the principles of Critical Race Theory that are actually used in educational institutions) is infiltrating our government took off on Twitter.

By September 17th of 2020, Trump was denouncing "critical race theory" and had created the 1776 Commission to "promote patriotic education". The 1776 Commission was in direct opposition to the 1619 Project, a Pulitzer Prize winning, long-form journalism project developed for The New York Times, which aims to explore American history through African-American perspectives. The 1619 Project was being used as a tool in public school curricula to help students understand the impact of slavery on modern society. It's important to note here that at no point was Critical Race Theory being taught in schools except at the university level, and that the 1619 Project is not based in Critical Race Theory. When discussing the 1776 Commission, Trump said, "we want our sons and daughters to know the truth. America is the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world. Our country wasn't built by cancel culture, speech codes, and crushing conformity. We are not a nation of timid spirits."

To recap: Rufo introduces this concept of "critical race theory" to the conservative media on September 2nd. In his context, "critical race theory" has no real definition and has been divorced from actual Critical Race Theory. 15 days later, Trump adopts "critical race theory" as a major theme in his campaign, using the 1619 project to justify his claims that "critical race theory" is being taught to "our children" in schools, and he founds the 1776 Commission to provide an alternative narrative of American history. Conservative media outlets jump onto the "critical race theory" debate, but without a clear idea of what Critical Race Theory is (which is why it seems like there's a lot of different ideas about what it is and what's being taught) in an attempt to push for limits on teaching practices relating to racism.

In 2021, Joe Biden dissolved the 1776 Commission, but bills were introduced in Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas to "restrict teaching critical race theory in public schools". In some cases, these bills single out the 1619 Project in particular, even though it is not based in Critical Race Theory. Other bills have an even larger ban on programs that involve social justice in general.

I'm not familiar with any "extreme stories" about "critical race theory" being taught in K-12 schools, but if you want to send ones you come across my way, I'm happy to discuss the veracity of those claims.

As for my opinion, I think it's good that students are being introduced to the ways in which our country's history has impacted the way our country's systems are built, and it's good that they're being introduced to the ways in which those systems are discriminatory. 48% of Gen Z are POC. 50%(ish) of Gen Z is female. 15.9% of Gen Z is LGBT. We're becoming more diverse as a society, and so the ways in which people are discriminated against are more visible, even to kids. It's important that kids understand (in an age-appropriate way) what discrimination is, why it happens, and what they can do about it.

Kids who are POC or female or obviously gender-divergent don't get the luxury of being able to ignore discrimination. Black kids are aware of "critical race theory" (the way that society systemically discriminates against them) from the get-go. Nobody is arguing that we should be telling white six year olds that they're evil for being white or that their parents are evil for being white. They're saying that a white six year old will notice that they're being treated differently than their Black best friend, and they'll know that's unfair. It's better to respond to their questions about fairness with an acknowledgement that things aren't fair, but we can work to fix them, instead of insisting that there is no problem, and that we are the "Greatest and Most Exceptional Nation In The History of The World".

Our current educational system does a lot of whitewashing when it comes to US History. Just think back to any celebration you had of Columbus Day or Thanksgiving in school, where they make it seem like the colonists and Native Americans were friends. It's important that instead of whitewashing our history, we acknowledge that many people were, and still are, hurt by that history. It's important to center non-white voices in those curricula, because without them, the story we're telling isn't true. History classes should not be a stage for American nationalist propaganda, and yet that's what they become when we insist on only teaching about the "good" things we've done.

Do I think that the 1619 Project is the way to go about that goal? Not necessarily. There are legitimate criticisms that can and have been made about that project, and I agree with some of them. Likewise, I think actual Critical Race Theory is too advanced for your average K-12 student, and it's not the best framework for teaching these topics. There are educators much smarter than I am who can (and have) come up with age-appropriate curricula to talk about these topics. But it's important that we allow for and encourage discussion of those topics, and putting a blanket ban over anything social justice related isn't going to make that happen.

[diarrheaworldstarhiphop]

The first significant wave of Chinese immigrants arrived in the industrial zone around Prato, a city fifteen miles northwest of Florence, in the nineteen-nineties. Nearly all of them came from Wenzhou, a port city south of Shanghai. For the Chinese, the culture shock was more modest than one might have expected. “The Italians were friendly,” one early arrival remembered. “Like the Chinese, they called one another Uncle. They liked family.” In Tuscany, business life revolved around small, interconnected firms, just as it did in Wenzhou, a city so resolutely entrepreneurial that it had resisted Mao’s collectivization campaign. The Prato area was a hub for mills and workshops, some of which made clothes and leather goods for the great fashion houses. If you were willing to be paid off the books, and by the piece, Prato offered plenty of opportunities. Many Wenzhouans found jobs there. “The Italians, being canny, would subcontract out their work to the Chinese,” Don Giovanni Momigli, a priest whose parish, near Prato, included an early influx of Chinese, told me.

“Then they were surprised when the Chinese began to do the work on their own.”By the mid-nineties, Wenzhouans were setting up textile businesses in small garages, where they often also lived. Soon, they began renting empty workshops, paying with cash. The authorities didn’t ask too many questions. Prato’s business model was falling apart under the pressures of globalization. As it became harder for Italians to make a living in manufacturing, some of them welcomed the money that the Chinese workers brought into the local economy. If you could no longer be an artisan, you could still be a landlord.

Throughout the aughts, Chinese continued to show up in Tuscany. A non-stop flight was established between Wenzhou and Rome. Some migrants came with tourist visas and stayed on. Others paid smugglers huge fees, which they then had to work off, a form of indentured servitude that was enforced by the threat of violence. The long hours that the Chinese worked astonished many Italians, who were used to several weeks of paid vacation a year and five months of maternity leave. In 1989, the newspaper Corriere della Sera, using racist language still common among some Italians, published an article about a Chinese worker under the headline “YELLOW STAKHANOVITE ON THE ARNO.”

While Florence was celebrated for its premium leatherwork, Prato was best known for the production of textiles. The Wenzhou workers tacked in a third direction. They imported cheap cloth from China and turned it into what is now called pronto moda, or “fast fashion”: polyester shirts, plasticky pants, insignia jackets. These items sold briskly to low-end retailers and in open-air markets throughout the world.

The Chinese firms gradually expanded their niche, making clothes for middle-tier brands, like Guess and American Eagle Outfitters. And in the past decade they have become manufacturers for Gucci, Prada, and other luxury-fashion houses, which use often inexpensive Chinese-immigrant labor to create accessories and expensive handbags that bear the coveted “Made in Italy” label. Many of them are then sold to prosperous consumers in Shanghai and Beijing. It’s not just Italian brands that have profited from this cross-cultural arrangement: a Chinese leather-goods entrepreneur I recently met with just outside Prato was wearing a forty-thousand-dollar Bulgari watch. More than ten per cent of Prato’s two hundred thousand legal residents are Chinese. According to Francesco Nannucci, the head of the police’s investigative unit in Prato, the city is also home to some ten thousand Chinese people who are there illegally. Prato is believed to have the second-largest Chinese population of any European city, after Paris, and it has the highest proportion of immigrants in Italy, including a large North African population.

Many locals who worked in the textile and leather industries resented the Chinese immigrants, complaining that they cared only about costs and speed, not about aesthetics, and would have had no idea how to make fine clothes and accessories if not for the local craftsmen who taught them. Simona Innocenti, a leather artisan, told me that her husband was forced out of bag-making by cheaper Chinese competitors. She said of the newcomers, “They copy, they imitate. They don’t do anything original. They’re like monkeys.”

Although it could be argued that the Chinese have revived Prato’s manufacturing industry, there has been a backlash against them. Native residents have accused Chinese immigrants of bringing crime, gang warfare, and garbage to the city. Chinese mill owners, they complain, ignore health laws and evade taxes; they use the schools and the hospitals without contributing money for them. In the early nineties, a group of Italians who worked in areas with a high concentration of immigrants sent an open letter to the Chinese government, sarcastically demanding citizenship: “We are six hundred honest workers who feel as if we were already citizens of your great country.”

The strangest accusation was that the Chinese in Tuscany weren’t dying—or, at least, that they weren’t leaving any bodies behind. In 1991, the regional government began an investigation into why, during the previous twelve months, not a single Chinese death had been officially recorded in Prato or in two nearby towns. In 2005, the government was still mystified—that year, more than a thousand Chinese arrivals were registered, and only three deaths. Locals suspected that Chinese mobsters were disposing of corpses in exchange for passports, which they then sold to new arrivals, a scheme that took advantage of the native population’s apparent inability to tell any one Chinese person from another.

There was a note of jealousy to the Pratans’ complaints, as well as a reluctant respect for people who had beaten them at their own game. Elizabeth Krause, a cultural anthropologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has written about the changes in Prato. She told me, “While I was there, people would say to me, ‘Eravamo noi i cinesi’ ”—“We were the Chinese.”

Even as many Italians maintained a suspicion of Chinese immigrants, they still criticized them for not contributing fully to the wider economy. Innocenti, the leather artisan, claimed that “the Chinese don’t even go to the store here. They have a van that goes from factory to factory, selling Band-Aids, tampons, and chicken. And in the back of the van they have a steamer with rice.” The under-the-table cash economy of Prato’s Chinese factories has facilitated tax evasion. Last year, as the result of an investigation by the Italian finance ministry into five billion dollars’ worth of questionable money transfers, the Bank of China, whose Milan branch had reportedly been used for half of them, paid a settlement of more than twenty million dollars. Many of the transfers, the authorities said, represented undeclared income from Chinese-run businesses, or money generated by the counterfeiting of Italian fashion goods.

In Italy, these sorts of investigations are often more show than substance, and many Chinese residents see themselves as convenient targets. “We didn’t invent this way of doing business,” one mill owner pointed out to me. “If you go south from Rome, you’ll find people who are a lot worse than the Chinese.” He speculated that some Italians disliked the Chinese for working harder than they did, and for succeeding. In the Prato area, some six thousand businesses are registered to Chinese citizens. Francesco Xia, a real-estate agent who heads a social organization for young Chinese-Italians, said, “The Chinese feel like the Jews of the thirties. Prato is a city that had a big economic crisis, and now there’s a nouveau-riche class of Chinese driving fancy cars, spending money in restaurants, and dressing in the latest fashions. It’s a very dangerous situation.”

At a time when Europe is filled with anti-immigrant rhetoric, political extremists have pointed to the demographic shifts in Prato as proof that Italy is under siege. In February, Patrizio La Pietra, a right-wing senator, told a Prato newspaper that the city needed to confront “Chinese economic illegality,” and that the underground economy had “brought the district to its knees, eliminated thousands of jobs, and exposed countless families to hunger.” Such assertions have been effective: in Italy’s recent national elections, Tuscany, which since the end of the Second World War had consistently supported leftist parties, gave twice as many votes to right-wing and populist parties as it did to those on the left. Giovanni Donzelli, a member of the quasi-Fascist Fratelli d’Italia party, who last month was elected a national representative, told me, “The Chinese have their own restaurants and their own banks—even their own police force. You damage the economy twice. Once, because you compete unfairly with the other businesses in the area, and the second time because the money doesn’t go back into the Tuscan economic fabric.” He added that he had once tried to talk with some Chinese parents at his children’s school. “They had been here six or seven years, and they still didn’t speak Italian,” he scoffed. “Because they didn’t need to!”

TL;DR: coronavirus is the ultimate globalism virus, where it’s direct access to and rapid spread throughout Europe is owed to a massive illicit Chinese textile industry in Northern Italy, where Chinese run manufacturing plants that have displaced indigenous ones filled with Chinese workers paid under the table for the “made in italy” label, is currently the hardest hit area of Coronavirus outside of China.