#and that we have to make compromises with ourselves when we vote

[dailyanarchistposts]

Chapter 2. Decisions

Meeting in the streets

Politicians and technocrats are clearly not capable of making responsible decisions for millions of people. They have learned enough from their many past mistakes that governments usually do not collapse under the weight of their own incompetence, but they have hardly created the best of all possible worlds. If they can manage to keep their absurd bureaucracies functioning, it’s not a wild jump of logic to think that we could organize our communities at least as well ourselves. The hypothesis of authoritarian society, that a large, diverse population needs specialized institutions to control decision-making, can be disproven many times over. The MST of Brazil shows that in a huge group of people, most decision-making power can reside at the grassroots level, with individual communities that take care of their own needs. The people of Oaxaca showed that an entire modern society can organize itself and coordinate resistance against constant assault by police and paramilitaries, with open assemblies. Anarchist infoshops and Israeli kibbutzim show that groups running complex operations that have to pay rent or meet production schedules while accomplishing social and cultural objectives capitalist enterprises never even attempt, can make decisions in a timely fashion and uphold these decisions without a class of enforcers. The Nuer show that horizontal decision-making can thrive for generations, even after colonization, and that with a shared culture of restorative conflict resolution there is no need for a specialized institution to solve disputes.

For most of human history, our societies have been egalitarian and self-organizing, and we have not lost the capability to make and uphold the decisions that affect our lives, or to imagine new and better forms of organizing. Whenever people overcome alienation and come together with their neighbors, they develop exciting new ways of coordinating and making decisions. Once they liberated themselves from landlords, priests, and mayors, the uneducated and downtrodden peasants of Aragon proved themselves equal to the task of making not just a whole new world, but hundreds of them.

New decision-making methods are usually influenced by pre-existing institutions and cultural values. When people recapture decision-making authority over some aspect of their lives, they should ask themselves what reference points and precedents already exist in their culture, and what ingrained disadvantages they will have to overcome. For example, there might be a tradition of town meetings that can be expanded from symbolic window dressing to real self-organization; on the other hand, people might be starting from a macho culture, in which case they will have to learn how to listen, compromise, and ask questions. Alternately, if a group develops a decision-making method that is totally original and alien to their society, they may face challenges including newcomers and explaining their method to outsiders — this is sometimes a weakness of infoshops in the US, which employ a well thought-out, idealized form of decision-making complex enough to seem foreign even to many participants.

An anti-authoritarian group may use some form of consensus, or of majoritarian voting. Large groups may find voting quicker and more efficient, but it can also silence a minority. Perhaps the most important part of the process is the discussion that happens before the decision; voting does not diminish the importance of methods that allow everyone to communicate and arrive at good compromises. Many autonomous villages in Oaxaca ultimately used voting to make decisions, and they provided an inspiring example of self-organization to radicals who otherwise abhor voting. Though a group’s structure doubtlessly influences its culture and outcomes, the formality of voting may be an acceptable expedient if all the discussion that takes place before it is steeped in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation.

In a self-organizing society, not everyone will participate equally in meetings or other formal spaces. A decision-making body can eventually become dominated by certain people, and the assembly itself can become a bureaucratic institution with coercive powers. For this reason, it may be necessary to develop decentralized and overlapping forms of organization and decision-making, and to preserve space for spontaneous organization to occur outside of all pre-existing structures. If there is only one structure in which all decisions are made, an internal culture can develop that is not inclusive to everyone in the society; then experienced insiders can rise to positions of leadership, and human activity external to the structure can be delegitimized. Soon enough, you have a government. The kibbutzim and APPO both evidence the creeping development of bureaucracy and specialization.

But if there are multiple decision-making structures for different spheres of life, and if they can arise or fade out according to need, none of them can monopolize authority. In this regard, power needs to stay in the streets, in the homes, in the hands of the people who exercise it, in the meeting of people who come together to solve problems.

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

Dominique De Villepin, former Prime Minister of France (who also led France's opposition to the Iraq war and advocated for the Palestinians in 2014) who's had a significant diplomatic career gave a pretty good interview (source for translation) that touches on many of the reasons why the Palestine-Israel conflict is so insoluble and how the use of force is a cyclical dead end. Interview beneath the cut

"Hamas has set a trap for us, and this trap is one of maximum horror, of maximum cruelty. And so there's a risk of an escalation in militarism, of more military interventions, as if we could with armies solve a problem as serious as the Palestinian question.

There's also a second major trap, which is that of Occidentalism. We find ourselves trapped, with Israel, in this western bloc which today is being challenged by most of the international community.

[Presenter: What is Occidentalism?]

Occidentalism is the idea that the West, which for 5 centuries managed the world's affairs, will be able to quietly continue to do so. And we can clearly see, even in the debates of the French political class, that there is the idea that, faced with what is currently happening in the Middle East, we must continue the fight even more, towards what might resemble a religious or a civilizational war. That is to say, to isolate ourselves even more on the international stage.

This is not the way, especially since there's a third trap, which is that of moralism. And here we have in a way the proof, through what is happening in Ukraine and what is happening in the Middle East, of this double standard that is denounced everywhere in the world, including in recent weeks when I travel to Africa, the Middle East, or Latin America. The criticism is always the same: look at how civilian populations are treated in Gaza, you denounce what happened in Ukraine, and you are very timid in the face of the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.

Consider international law, the second criticism that is made by the global south. We sanction Russia when it aggresses Ukraine, we sanction Russia when it doesn't respect the resolutions of the United Nations, and it's been 70 years that the resolutions of the United Nations have been voted in vain and that Israel doesn't respect them.

[Presenter: Do you believe that the Westerners are currently guilty of hubris?]

Westerners must open their eyes to the extent of the historical drama unfolding before us to find the right answers.

[Presenter: What is the historical drama? I mean, we're talking about the tragedy of October 7th first and foremost, right?]

Of course, there are these horrors happening, but the way to respond to them is crucial. Are we going to kill the future by finding the wrong answers…

[Presenter: Kill the future?]

Kill the future, yes! Why?

[Presenter: But who is killing whom?]

You are in a game of causes and effects. Faced with the tragedy of history, one cannot take this 'chain of causality' analytical grid, simply because if you do you can't escape from it. Once we understand that there is a trap, once we realize that behind this trap there has also been a change in the Middle East regarding the Palestinian issue… The situation today is profoundly different [from what it was in the past]. The Palestinian cause was a political and secular cause. Today we are faced with an Islamist cause, led by Hamas. Obviously, this kind of cause is absolute and allows no form of negotiation. On the Israeli side, there has also been a development. Zionism was secular and political, championed by Theodor Herzl in the late 19th century. It has largely become messianic, biblical today. This means that they too do not want to compromise, and everything that the far-right Israeli government does, continuing to encourage colonization, obviously makes things worse, including since October 7th. So in this context, understand that we are already in this region facing a problem that seems profoundly insoluble.

Added to this is the hardening of states. Diplomatically, look at the statements of the King of Jordan, they are not the same as six months ago. Look at the statements of Erdogan in Turkey.

[Presenter: Precisely, these are extremely harsh statements…]

Extremely worrying. Why? Because if the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian issue, hasn't been brought to the forefront, hasn't been put on stage [for a while], and if most of the youth today in Europe have often never even heard of it, it remains for the Arab peoples the mother of all battles. All the progress made towards an attempt to stabilize the Middle East, where one could believe…

[Presenter: Yes, but whose fault is it? I have a hard time following you, is it Hamas's fault?]

But Ms. Malherbe, I am trained as a diplomat. The question of fault will be addressed by historians and philosophers.

[Presenter: But you can't remain neutral, it's difficult, it's complicated, isn't it?]

I am not neutral, I am in action. I am simply telling you that every day that passes, we can ensure that this horrific cycle stops… that's why I speak of a trap and that's why it's so important to know what response we are going to give. We stand alone before history today. And we do not treat this new world the way we currently do, knowing that today we are no longer in a position of strength, we are not able to manage on our own, as the world's policemen.

[Presenter: So what do we do?]

Exactly, what should we do? This is where it is essential not to cut off anyone on the international stage.

[Presenter: Including the Russians?]

Everyone.

[Presenter: Everyone? Should we ask the Russians for help?]

I'm not saying we should ask the Russians for help. I'm saying: if the Russians can contribute by calming some factions in this region, then it will be a step in the right direction.

[Presenter: How can we proportionally respond to barbarism? It's no longer army against army.]

But listen, Appolline de Malherbe, the civilian populations that are dying in Gaza, don't they exist? So because horror was committed on one side, horror must be committed on the other?

[Presenter: Do we indeed need to equate the two?]

No, it's you who are doing that. I'm not saying I equate the faults. I try to take into account what a large part of humanity thinks. There is certainly a realistic objective to pursue, which is to eradicate the Hamas leaders who committed this horror. And not to confuse the Palestinians with Hamas, that's a realistic goal.

The second thing is a targeted response. Let's define realistic political objectives. And the third thing is a combined response. Because there is no effective use of force without a political strategy. We are not in 1973 or in 1967. There are things no army in the world knows how to do, which is to win in an asymmetrical battle against terrorists. The war on terror has never been won anywhere. And it instead triggers extremely dramatic misdeeds, cycles, and escalations. If America lost in Afghanistan, if America lost in Iraq, if we lost in the Sahel, it's because it's a battle that can't be won simply, it's not like you have a hammer that strikes a nail and the problem is solved. So we need to mobilize the international community, get out of this Western entrapment in which we are.

[Presenter: But when Emmanuel Macron talks about an international coalition…]

Yes, and what was the response?

[Presenter: None.]

Exactly. We need a political perspective, and this is challenging because the two-state solution has been removed from the Israeli political and diplomatic program. Israel needs to understand that for a country with a territory of 20,000 square kilometers, a population of 9 million inhabitants, facing 1.5 billion people… Peoples have never forgotten that the Palestinian cause and the injustice done to the Palestinians was a significant source of mobilization. We must consider this situation, and I believe it is essential to help Israel, to guide… some say impose, but I think it's better to convince, to move in this direction. The challenge is that there is no interlocutor today, neither on the Israeli side nor the Palestinian side. We need to bring out interlocutors.

[Presenter: It's not for us to choose who will be the leaders of Palestine.]

The Israeli policy over recent years did not necessarily want to cultivate a Palestinian leadership… Many are in prison, and Israel's interest - because I repeat: it was not in their program or in Israel's interest at the time, or so they thought - was instead to divide the Palestinians and ensure that the Palestinian question fades. This Palestinian question will not fade. And so we must address it and find an answer. This is where we need courage. The use of force is a dead end. The moral condemnation of what Hamas did - and there's no "but" in my words regarding the moral condemnation of this horror - must not prevent us from moving forward politically and diplomatically in an enlightened manner. The law of retaliation is a never-ending cycle.

[Presenter: The "eye for an eye, tooth for tooth".]

Yes. That's why the political response must be defended by us. Israel has a right to self-defense, but this right cannot be indiscriminate vengeance. And there cannot be collective responsibility of the Palestinian people for the actions of a terrorist minority from Hamas.

When you get into this cycle of finding faults, one side's memories clash with the other's. Some will juxtapose Israel's memories with the memories of the Nakba, the 1948 catastrophe, which is a disaster that the Palestinians still experience every day. So you can't break these cycles. We must have the strength, of course, to understand and denounce what happened, and from this standpoint, there's no doubt about our position. But we must also have the courage, and that's what diplomacy is… diplomacy is about being able to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And that's the cunning of history; when you're at the bottom, something can happen that gives hope. After the 1973 war, who would have thought that before the end of the decade, Egypt would sign a peace treaty with Israel?

The debate shouldn't be about rhetoric or word choice. The debate today is about action; we must act. And when you think about action, there are two options. Either it's war, war, war. Or it's about trying to move towards peace, and I'll say it again, it's in Israel's interest. It's in Israel's interest!"

[pleaseexcusemylameness]

im really sick and tired of this debate and i am really sick and tired of democrats shaming people like me but i can not in good conscience vote for joe biden. a man who is knowingly and purposefully supporting a genocide. using MY tax dollars to kill people. there is blood on MY hands. and to all of the people who want to point out that not voting for biden is a vote for donald trump i am an unemployed (really fucking lucky i’m not homeless) trans man from fucking texas. you think i don’t understand what i am risking? it is likely over 40,000 people over half of which are children and babies have been killed in palestine since october alone. (we don’t even have a real number because there are people buried in mass graves and buried under rubble. the number is very likely much larger than we think it is) generations of people meticulously and violently wiped off the map. i am sick to my stomach every night. i cry almost every day. i feel helpless. and there is blood on my hands. i cannot comprehend how anyone can comfortably say that voting for him to “save” ourselves is worth any more death in palestine. there is and there will be blood on your hands. when we look into history books decades from now they will be wondering how this all was allowed to happen and you will have been why. and i know that if trump is elected he will most likely continue to make us complicit but i really cannot stomach casting my ballot for someone how has already made me complicit. i will not compromise my morals because at the end of the day what else is there.

i won’t leave this in the tags to get lost. if you like me cannot stomach to vote for joe biden it is still very important that you vote. i am not endorsing not voting.

[multiplicity-positivity]

hello! do you perhaps have any advice, or know of any resources for situations where the collective cannot agree on important decisions? like, say, some have come to absolutely hate a friend and want to cut off contact, some are still attached and would be very sad and griefing if the friendship is lost, some is thinking of compromising where only the ones who want to talk to that friend would do so (but will not work bc the ones who hate this person would still be exposed to them anyway bc of shared memory, when the healthiest thing to do for them is walk away. which also cannot work bc it will devastate the ones who want to stay friends with said person)

Hiya! Woof, our system really struggles with this ourselves! >_< and I don’t think we’re gonna have an easy, straightforward answer for you! We’re really sorry!! T_T But we can still try to share some stuff that our own system is working on when it comes to making decisions, if that’s okay!

Okay, so first off, communicate! >w<

It’s really important to keep up an open dialogue and communicate with each other, especially when it comes to making big decisions! If someone wants to do something, ask them why! And do the same for the headmates who don’t want to do something! And like, try not to make fun of, belittle, or lash out at headmates for being vulnerable and sharing their reasons for having a certain opinion! Not every headmate will think the same way or want the same things! So just talking to each other and trying to get everyone’s opinions can at least help y’all all get on the same page :33

Next, maybe try taking a vote!

Um, if the vast majority of the headmates in your system want something, and only a couple don’t maybe it would be worth it to do it anyway! But at the same time, keep in mind the feelings of the headmates who aren’t getting what they want or whose votes are being overruled. Maybe try explaining to them why the system as a collective is going to be making this choice in particular, and why those who voted for it believe it is the best choice!

But the biggest thing (at least for our sys!) is…

Compromising!!!

Making compromises is essential for every system. Yeah it sucks that not all headmates can always make their own choices or get what they want all the time, but compromising is a great way to help everyone feel seen, acknowledged, and find a path that more or less works for everyone! >w<

Okay, so let’s try and use your example (but keep in mind we don’t know you personally or your history, so please don’t take our potential compromise as the only solution here!)

You brought up a good compromise by saying that only the headmates who want to be in touch with this friend could do so, though it would impact the headmate who doesn’t want to be in touch because of shared memories. To further this compromise, maybe you could help this headmate access tools for proper emotional regulation and learning how to sit with, accept, and come to terms with painful memories and negative emotions. Everyone will form bad memories or experience bad emotions at some point or another in their lives! >_<” But equipping this headmate with the tools to manage their emotions in healthy ways might make it easier to live with the memories of other headmates interacting with this friend.

It’s impossible for anyone to live their whole lives without ever having to make a compromise… but for systems, we headmates may find that learning how to compromise is way more important than it is for singlets!!

I’ll be honest, many members of our system love wikihow and we (Ralsei and Margo) have personally gotten a lot of use out of wikihow over the years! We’re including a link to a wikihow article on compromising - maybe y’all could find some use in it!

Also, if your system is in therapy, this would be a perfect subject to talk through with your therapist! They might have some good ideas or suggestions tailored to your system’s needs specifically, and could probably help y’all in ways that we won’t be able to!! >w<

Good luck to y’all though with figuring this out!! Gosh, we know that trying to make group decisions is not easy, especially when it comes to big things that headmates have opposing views on. We really hope though that y’all will be able to find ways to communicate and compromise in the future!! :33

[spainkitty]

WIP WEDNESDAY

I was tagged by @greypetrel but I still almost missed posting this in time, pfft. I finally finished this scene and therefore finished the chapter! There's only one more chapter to finish up and then I'll finally start posting this mammoth on AO3😁 Just for Arja, I made sure to include the little hints of Cullavellan, like, blink and then you miss it, because this is going to be a slowburn from hell and we're only in Part 1 of 3. But now, here we go...

Chapter 6: stolen tribe from stolen heart

“There will be templars here, and more coming if everything goes well in Therinfal Redoubt, but this is also a place for any refugee of the war. Free mages and apostates would be more likely to consider Haven and the Inquisition safe if you’re here,” Adaar said.

Lanil crossed her arms over her chest and glanced around the room. “And everyone else here? You all agree with that offer?”

“Of course!” Ambassador Montilyet said. Although she all but exclaimed it, her tone and bright gaze sounded genuine. “We promised our aid in relocating the remaining free mages. We can’t do anything like that without your input.”

“I’ve had many friends who were mages, and some of them were better people than I ever could be,” Leliana said softly. “I fought alongside Wynne for nearly a year during the Blight. I know how much a single Spirit Healer can do. Your skills and expertise would be as invaluable as your input.”

Lanil was a little, just slightly, flattered. Wynne was one of the strongest Spirit Healers Lanil had ever seen. She had been one of Lanil’s first mentors, and the first one to see her potential with Spirit Healing. She had encouraged Lanil in her earliest memories and praised her progress to Irving a dozen times. To be compared to her made that small part of Lanil, that never quite let go of Kinloch or her rosy-tinted memories of before, preen smugly. She tamped it down, but she could see Dorian smirking at her.

“We can’t let it seem that we’ve ignored Justinia’s legacy when we made ourselves an organization with her writ,” the Seeker said, frowning. “She did uphold the vote of independence. She wanted to find true compromise between the Chantry and the mages. The idea that the Rebellion fell through on something akin to default and Tevinter meddling is infuriating.”

“I can’t even be offended by that statement,” Dorian said with a little sigh.

“There’s been a lot of friction between the former templars and what mages are here,” Cullen said while rubbing his forehead. “Maybe having a mage higher up in the ranks, someone the other mages would recognize as an official rebel, and the templars can see as our ally and as an authority figure, would help. A lot of of them are still using my old templar titles. We need to change the narrative.”

“Well put, Cullen,” Adaar said. Something sly gleamed in her brilliant eyes, but before Lanil could figure out if she was seeing things, Adaar was frowning pensively. “Enchanter Surana, you could work with the Commander to train troops and bridge the enmity between the mages and the former templars. Perhaps we could make you one of his lieutenants? I’m not sure you have the experience to be co-Commander, but it is something we could talk about later.”

“What?” Lanil blurted in shock. “Co-what?”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” Sister Leliana said. “Does anyone have an issue with it?”

“I… uh. No?” Cullen said. Though he looked as flabbergasted as Lanil, as if he too was wondering how the conversation had turned so quickly. They stared at each other, not quite gaping, until they realized, nearly at the same time, how long they'd been staring. Lanil's mouth snapped shut as she glared at the far wall, her ears burning. She was too aware of Cullen's quiet throat clearing.

“That settles it. You will oversee the training of mage troops and former templars with Cullen,” the Seeker said briskly. Adaar and Sister Leliana nodded in agreement, both looking too satisfied. Cullen and Lanil shuffled awkwardly in place, carefully not looking at each other again.

[scobbe]

The thing is, when it comes to something like end of life care, or abortion, or something widely social like voting rights or marriage equality, it’s such a big deal it’s like, “Of course! Of course each person should be respected for their inherent humanity!” But underneath that big visible umbrella are the thousands of little behaviors and decisions that make up our lives and influence how we feel about ourselves. And those are the little decisions that turn into compromises. It’s going to the movies when you really want to stay in. It’s shaving your legs when you haven’t in ages. It’s smiling and talking about golf with your aunt when you don’t care about golf at all. It’s all the little things that gradually build up and make us hate life and think it’s impossible. 

Those little decisions, in the great scheme of things, are just as important. That’s why they seem like no big deal in the moment and then you hate yourself and everyone else after. Likewise, they are the small choices that will make your life beautiful and worthwhile. And you have just as much a right to make those decisions as you have a right to anything else that has been fought for under a banner. 

If anything, it’s your right to do the little things that make the right to the big things possible. 

[raeesadarsot]

Blog 2, Year 4.

Reflect on UKZN’s OT curriculum, the pros and cons in terms of preparation for practice at a Community/PHC level.

Since the beginning of my community block, through all of the adapting, prioritising, compromising, my brain has been in supercharge, with the same few questions: “Am I doing this correctly?”, “Will this benefit my client or will I just benefit from getting to practice my techniques?”, “So much to do but where’s the time?”.

During a lunch break this week, in sort of a ranting way (might I add), I spilled my thoughts to my colleagues in my prac group. These questions were met with hums of agreement, followed by the rest of the girls voicing their very similar thoughts and reflections. When we wrapped up the conversation, it was unanimously agreed that it is just week 2 of the block, and with feelings of overwhelm, frustration and much excitement that built up in block 1 (start of final year, thoughts of making it to graduation, being on prac daily, all that), we are still finding our feet and place in the community.

However, these thoughts remained in my head. I needed to know whether it is just us who are feeling this way or do similar thoughts cross the minds of everyone who enters this block. So I conducted a survey with a group of community service OTs who were in our position not too long ago - the UKZN OT class of 2023. The question posed to them was, “Do you believe that the OT curriculum prepares us for Community in OT4?”, followed by a WhatsApp poll with the options to select either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. From the 21 who voted, 21 voted ‘no’.

When thinking up the pros and cons of our preparation for community block, my anxiety-filled brain automatically deviated to the cons first.

1. There is no concrete, laid-out theory for community on Learn. Unlike with psychosocial, paediatrics and physical, community doesn’t have the assessment process and intervention process glaring at us when we check our resources to help guide our practice.

2. The community lecturers are completely brilliant no doubt. However, lectures were covered during the shortest time-frame. This made grasping and retaining all the knowledge that much more difficult.

3. On that note of lectures, no aspect of OT has proved how learning the theory and practicing it differs SO drastically like community does. This is due to a number of reasons beyond the control of UKZN such as, the declining economic climate making resources more scarce, socio-economic factors that are diversifying as time progresses, underlying racism through the rise of Xenophobia in our communities, a lack of understanding of the value of OT to oneself. We can never fully prepare ourselves for this prior to the block.

4. To better prepare ourselves for a full community block, a previous year prac block should include spending some time in the community to acclimatise.

However, there are also pros on UKZN’s approach to community block.

1. We were taught Psychosocial, Physical and Paediatrics in previous years. Since community is a mix of seeing a variety of diagnoses, we have the knowledge of how to treat these conditions.

2. Although this is conducted by the previous students who have completed the block, it is still facilitated by UKZN. Handovers. Without them, we would truly be lost on where to begin.

3. Through retelling of real-life community stories, we feel a strong connection to the community members and a stronger urgency to leave our mark as best as we can.

4. Although all the community placements are in Durban, South Africa, there are great differences in terms of resources available, socioeconomic deficiencies and racial groups that major in each community. Through the weekly tuts with a combination of all the block members and supervisors, the knowledge we gain is priceless. 

I therefore conclude that NO, my classmates/colleagues and I do not believe that we are adequately prepared for life in community. Although we are having the most fulfilling experience thus far, we can only hope that we will make our mark by June 14th, despite everything.

[ronnie613]

 UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE NAME OF,

AND THE TRUE FAITH IN,

” CHRIST”

Beloved believers,

As we come together in reverence before The Almighty, let us dig deep into the sanctity of Scripture, focusing specifically on the pivotal truth of knowing the true name and purpose of The Christ. For it is written, "there is “NO OTHER” name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

In our journey of faith, the foundational step in believing in The Christ is not merely professing a generic belief in a higher power, but knowing whom He truly is: YHshua, The Messiah. His name holds profound significance, for it is the ONLY NAME by which salvation is attainable. Scripture admonishes us to cling steadfastly to this truth, for the strictness of The Almighty is unchanging forever. If you insist on believing that you have the right to believe anyway that you choose and still make it into the kingdom of heaven, understand this; The Almighty answers to no one, there is no vote, no president, no senate or congress that He must answer to. Salvation is not a constitutional right. It is a holy procedure that can only be received when the exact holy conditions are met. Period!

Let us not be misled by the distortions of history or the whims of human tradition. The name of The Christ was not arbitrarily chosen, nor is it subject to alteration by mortal hands. No human being, no matter their so-called authority or influence, has the power to change His name. To know and acknowledge YHshua as The Savior is to align ourselves with the immutable will of The Almighty. If you are one that is stuck in the habit of pronouncing the lie, salvation is not what you seek, and salvation you will not receive

Understanding the true purpose and reason for The Christ's coming is equally essential. He did not descend from the heavens to fulfill our fleeting desires or to cater to our selfish ambitions, or to make this world a better place. Rather, He came to demonstrate how certain humans are  redeemed from the bondage of sin, offering the gift of salvation to all who believe in His name and follow His teachings, correctly.

It is incumbent upon us, as disciples of The Christ, to proclaim His name boldly and without compromise. For those who have departed this earthly realm believing in any name other than YHshua, there remains a solemn reality to be addressed—a reality that shall be expounded upon in a separate sermon. But understand those persons are not saved, they are not in heaven, neither are they in hell. For now, let us focus on the urgency of knowing and professing the true name of The Christ.

Let us reaffirm our commitment to the sacred truth of Scripture. Let us cling unwaveringly to the name of YHshua, The Messiah, as the sole pathway to salvation. Let us continue to delve into the depths of His Word, seeking wisdom and guidance from The Almighty, and let our faith be firmly rooted in the unchanging truth of His name. 

We are here to discern the truth and the profound wisdom encapsulated within The Word, not to wield it as a mere instrument of convenience or for personal gain. The Word of YHWH is not a magic wand to fulfill our desires at whim, but a holy guide to illuminate our path towards righteousness and salvation.

In our quest for spiritual enlightenment, it is imperative that we grasp the essence of Scripture, understanding its context, and discerning the intended audience to whom its sacred words were addressed. Too often, individuals cherry-pick verses to suit their own agendas, twisting the profound truths of the Scriptures to fit their desires or beliefs. However, we must remember that the promises and admonitions contained within the Holy Scriptures were not meant for arbitrary interpretation but were meticulously crafted for specific people in specific circumstances. For example, the letter to the Romans was not addressed to you or I, the corinthians didin’t get our mail, neither did the hebrews. Therefore, stealing information from someone elses mail and applying it to oneself is delusional at best. The teachings of Christ addresses all believers. Not the letters from apostles or disciples.

The sacred texts remind us that belief in The Christ is not a superficial declaration, but a profound commitment rooted in understanding and obedience to the Word of The Almighty. Merely professing faith without genuine comprehension and adherence to the teachings of YHshua is akin to building a house on shifting sands, merely awaiting its collapse.

We must guard against the perilous temptation to dilute the sanctity of Scripture with hearsay, assumption, or erroneous traditions passed down through generations. The Word of YHWH stands as an immutable beacon of truth, transcending the fleeting trends of human opinion or cultural norms. Let us not succumb to the allure of false teachings or misguided interpretations but instead anchor our faith in the unwavering foundation of Scripture. It does not matter how hard you believe in something, if it is not in scripture, or if it is not a promise that you are allowed to claim, you are wasting your time. Your faith is baseless and has no power or authority backing up your mindless unscriptural claims.

It is crucial to recognize that the path to salvation is narrow, and not all who claim to believe in The Christ will inherit eternal life. The Scriptures unequivocally declare that there is only one way to salvation, and that is through genuine faith in YHshua, The Messiah. The Creator is not swayed by empty professions of faith, emotional cries of the hopeless or hollow rituals, but requires true disciples whom walk in obedience and righteousness.

As custodians of the Sacred Word, we bear a solemn responsibility to approach Scripture with humility, reverence, and discernment. Let us not wield it as a weapon to justify our desires or impose our will upon others, but as a mirror to reflect upon our own shortcomings and a lamp to illuminate the path of righteousness.

In conclusion, let us commit ourselves to a deeper understanding and reverence for the Holy Scriptures. Let us seek wisdom and guidance from The Almighty as we navigate the complexities of life, and let our faith be steadfast, grounded in the unchanging truth of His Word. 

In Christ's Name, Service, and Right Hand.

So be it.

[jaypturnerbhm]

Top 10 Reasons to Date a Gay Dad

Originally published to GayswithKids.com by Jay Turner

We’re gay dads. Many of us were married to women, and for various reasons we eventually found ourselves single and looking for companionship from another man.  Life is a little more complicated for us because we have kids. But that shouldn’t deter you from seeking a relationship with a gay dad.  In fact, there are many reasons why we make better partners than men without children.  We are generally more mature, responsible, and emotionally available.  We are also better communicators.

Here are the top ten reasons why you should date a gay dad:

We know how to plan play dates

We know how to juggle schedules to keep everyone happy, and that would include you. Picky about where we’re having dinner? Can’t decide whether to go to the club or the party? Trying to make plans for that weekend getaway?  Love theme parks and playing dress up?

We’ve become experts at dealing with small minds with short attention spans, so we can handle even the pickiest guys!  We know how to have fun, and we’re more adventurous than you would imagine.  We have an arsenal of creative ideas at the ready.  Even when it comes to planning group activities, we’re going to make sure we please all comers.

And we’re experts at picking out the right toys!

We do drama on a different level

Ever dealt with a teenager having a meltdown?  How about a case of the terrible two’s?  Broken up fights between siblings?  We’ve probably seen more drama than the cat fights that occur at your local gay bar, and we handle it with aplomb.  We also don’t bother being passive aggressive about it or spreading the news of our latest spat all over social media.  What happens at home is dealt with swiftly and fairly and just between us.  We’ve seen it all, but there’s no reason the rest of the world should see it too.

We know how to compromise

As dads, we’ve become skilled negotiators.  My younger daughter is a fashion diva, and when she was very little she demanded the right to pick out her own clothes.  Every morning we were met with a meltdown.  As a compromise, we instituted “Me Mondays.” On Mondays, she could choose what she wanted to wear, so long as it was weather appropriate.  That led to some… questionable fashion choices.  She may have looked like a destitute queen voted off the first episode of Drag Race, but she felt empowered, and that’s what mattered.  The rest of the week, we called the shots.

We know how to compromise, because that’s how our life works.  Sometimes, we really just don’t care.  We’ve learned to pick our battles.  You’re having a meltdown because you really wanted the Range Rover, but we have a Ford budget?  We see the big picture.

We don’t sweat the small stuff.  Things that would cause a hissy fit with some guys just roll off us.  It’s not that we don’t care about you, but we know that it’s just not worth arguing about some details.

Nothing scares us

Before coming out, I remember being so scared of anyone learning my big, dark secret.  I was terrified that anyone would discover I was gay.  Certainly as gay men, we’ve endured our fair share of discrimination, and in some parts of the world we even fear for our safety.  But nothing can prepare you to face the world like having kids.  

If you’ve raised kids, you’ve seen it all.  From dirty diapers to the stomach bug, we’ve seen and cleaned up our share of messes.  Bloody noses and all sorts of cuts and bruises have probably been endured.  Have you ever seen childbirth? Yikes!

From accidents to terrifying displays of defiance, we are unfazed.  We’ve probably been yelled at and assaulted more than most, and yet we still stand our ground.  These little ones have been placed in our care, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to protect and care for them.  We don’t back down.

We’re willing to fight for what we believe in and for those we love.

We’re all about comfort 

Yes, it’s fun to go out for an amazing dinner, followed by drinks and dancing until the wee hours of the morning. But have you ever snuggled up under a blanket with popcorn and chocolates and watched Disney movies for hours? How about spreading a blanket out in the park and taking a nap in the sunshine? Yes, we know how to have fun, but we also enjoy sleeping late and just snuggling.

Every day doesn’t have to be spent running ourselves ragged to keep up with the party circuit.  Sometimes, we’re content to just take it easy.  This takes the pressure off of you to keep another man constantly entertained.

Endurance

Up at 6:00am, getting kids ready for school, packing lunches, commuting, homework, practices, play dates, gym time, getting in a run, and more makes for busy days.  We juggle and stretch to get it all done.  

We’re all in.  We know how to go for a long time, and we know how to make it fun.  We don’t back down, even in the toughest of situations, and we can literally go all night.

You’ll never be first

You will never be first, but you’ll strangely be okay with that.  You see how much we love our littles.  You’ll see us sacrifice and compromise in ways that most men would never consider.  We are always going to put our children first, and when you see that kind of selfless love and devotion to the wellbeing of another, you’ll know that a gay dad is the kind of man you want in your life. 

I know the world doesn’t revolve around me.  That gives me a different perspective from many gay men.  Ever bothered by how selfish and self-centered some men can be? Gay dads have learned to give of themselves in ways that many men have never had to face, and we have our priorities in order.  Sometimes that means I don’t get my way, but it helps me grow as a person and become a better human.

We take a long view of time

We only have these kids in our care for about 18 years.  After that, they leave the nest.  We have to take a long view of time, because we are planning not just this week’s activities but what we’re going to be doing with our lives after our kids are grown.  Who will we be? What will we do with our lives? 

This perspective helps us reach our goals and plan for our dreams.  We’re focused on long-term happiness and success.

We listen and know how to meet your needs

One of the most important things a gay dad does is listen.  We’ve become skilled communicators out of necessity.  How are you feeling? What do you like? No, what do you REALLY like?

Do you have any idea how picky kids can be? No, wait – do you have any idea how picky a gay man can be? We have become experts at reading between the lines.  We know what you’re thinking when you first wake up in the morning.  After all, we’re men too.  We understand those midday urges, and we’re all for a little wrestling match and maybe some cookies before bedtime.  

We understand true love

What is true love?  I think we’re all aware that it isn’t that 1:00am Grindr booty call.  It’s not even the butterflies in your stomach you get when he’s showing off that latest package from Andrew Christian.  We know that true love is a lot more.

I like to define true love as a choice.  I’m all for some fun, but for those of us who want more than a one-night-stand, feeling chosen takes a relationship to another level.  True love is choosing the very best for the beloved.  It’s choosing what is best for the beloved, sometimes even at a cost to myself.  It’s putting another person before yourself.  It’s considering their needs and the outcomes of your own choices.

We know what’s important.  We have our priorities in order. We take care of our own.

[sambinnie]

I enjoy it when something is simmering in my head, and I’m struggling to think precisely how to word it, then I stumble upon something already published that just what I need, and often worded far better.

1. On comedy and its importance, David Mitchell on an old episode of Rob Brydon’s podcast (around 40 mins) says: ‘In our culture, there is a notion that acting something [not comic] is more significant and more important than comedy, comedy is trivial… I will die on the hill that something with jokes is better than something without jokes. You say things more powerfully, and more entertainingly, through comedy... Sitcoms: every other art form is about things changing, about moments of change and transformation, which is incredibly self-important, because… the general experience of human existence for millennia has been unchanging drudgery and a sense that that spark in our soul, that thing that makes us different, is being frittered away having a boring or dissatisfying lifestyle. There is only one art form that addresses that human experience, and it is the sitcom. Films are about change, novels are about change; sitcoms are about continuity.’ It reminds me too of the famous Ursula Le Guin quote, about the ‘bad habit, encouraged by pedants and sophisticates, of considering happiness as something rather stupid’. 

2. Speaking of unremitting drudgery, I do also ponder constantly the same handful of questions over and over again (apologies for the large handful): 

Has social media made us genuinely more connected to people? Why do digital natives have off-the-charts poor mental health and self-harm? If sexuality has been liberated from all those tired old confines, why do women and girls suffer — physically, emotionally, sexually — from pornography being one of the most consumed forms of media, and normalised enough that otherwise-inclusive, teen-friendly sitcoms like Brooklyn 99 joke about it in every episode? Why hasn’t identity politics widened the sense of ‘what is acceptable’ to create a beautiful unicorn world, but instead done a wonderful job of putting up unscalable walls between social groups and between individuals? Why hasn’t our constantly connected society built stronger bonds between the people with whom we spend our physical and communal space, with the result of improved support for the most vulnerable in that space? Have computerised and contactless payments improved our personal debt levels or spending habits, or just invited us to walk into a world of financial controls that benefit only the few? Why do we accept that technology has failed to liberate us from work, and that most people you know check their work emails for many more hours than those companies pay them? How does capitalism work when we have no more resources and no money to buy the things we don’t need? What is the government plan for when we’ve run out of nurses and doctors? With all the information at our fingertips, are we more engaged with local, immediate politics, or have media owners and politicians convinced us that it’s all too much, they’re all as bad as each other, there’s no point, voting is a triviality and haven’t you got something more fun/enraging/colourful/terrifying to look at? 

(Some of these I have my own answers to, others I have no idea.) 

When we need, viscerally, a better world, one in which we can breathe and live and co-exist, are we treating our brains well enough to engage with discussion, debate, changing our mind, admitting our errors, finding a compromise, abandoning our ideas of moral purity and opening ourselves up through community contact, crafts and culture, fearlessness and vulnerability, being outdoors and feeling the balance of nature that exists beyond the world of our tiny screens?

Three things addressed all these perfectly: firstly, and perhaps most bleakly, this twitter thread someone sent me about terrorist and murderer Ted Kaczynski. Didn’t we all have that phase as teenagers of thinking, ‘I mean, apart from the monstrousness of the unnecessary deaths he caused… has he… got a point?’ Turns out middle age takes me back there. Secondly, and more hopefully, this extract in the Atlantic about Russian troll farms deliberately tearing apart US society, and the signs that these same tools can stitch it back together. Thirdly, this fantastic book, out early next year, which not only continues the story of why we are all so fractured, but also what we can do about it, and the simple mental vaccines we can self-administer and encourage schools and groups to share, to inoculate us against the horseshit and idiocy that turns much of the internet into a cesspit. It’s OK! We can do it! But we probably need to make better choices about how we spend each moment of the day! And also maybe a global revolution of some sort! But I’ll leave that to the better planners!

3. One day, one day, I will stop fixating on why I dislike Promising Young Woman. One day. In the meantime, and after watching Don’t Worry Darling with a film-fan housemate, I think I have a little more of it: that PYW is everything I loathe about modern life.

She’s damaged, so inflicts that pain on others; she’s hurt, so her pain is the greatest; her nightly plan of — what, revenge? — will essentially radicalise even more dudes into hating women and believing we are all liars and manipulators; she abuses other women; her suffering is somehow heroic, rather than boring and self-indulgent; she deprioritises the feelings of others (her parents, her friend’s mother, her colleague) because ‘trauma’ is fine to have as your sole personality trait and honestly fuck everyone else; and more than anything, I loathe that her plan is to hate as hard as she can before actually, men carry on doing what they were doing and there are zero consequences. Compare PYW to Don’t Worry Darling (criminally underrated and almost deliberately misunderstood by reviewers), or Fresh, or Men, or Melancholia, or Shirkers, or Shiva Baby, or, of course, Under the Skin, and its flatness, its disconnection, its cynicism, start not to seem like thoughtful reflections of the protagonist’s injured mental state, but an early 21st-century glossy belief in those choices as the only ones to convey importance. Christ, I fucking hate social media. 

4. This rice pudding recipe is mind-blowing, if you don’t mind the increased faff compared to Nigel Slater’s (I can’t find that one online, but drop me a line and I’ll send it to you). Also, I assume there’s a typo in the Olive recipe; I’ve made it twice and taken the 450g of butter down to 200g, and even that’s too much. Go for 180g and give your arteries a high five if they make it through.

Take care, gang x

[lifeascaty]

So, it’s voting season in the UK which means everyone on tumblr is posting ‘Vote Labour’ but no one’s really engaging with Labour’s blatant anti-semitism. 

& I don’t really want to get into a political argument on here so I was staying quiet but then I realised what a fucking dick move that was.  

Labour is anti-semitic. Full fucking stop. 

I’m not saying every single Labour MP is anti-semitic, obviously. But it’s a huge fucking problem. And it’s been pretty disgusting to see fellow lefties kind of shrug and see anti-semitism as an acceptable price to pay to get the tories out. And then, bafflingly, some who have been very ‘????’ when I mention it, because they don’t follow the news. 

A quote from The Jewish News (a site I don’t follow and was linked to by this NBC article but is apparently the biggest Jewish newspaper in the UK): 

“Shockingly, nearly half (47 percent) said they would “seriously consider” emigrating if Corbyn won. When it comes to perceptions about party leaders, 87 percent deemed the Labour leader to be antisemitic, 32 percent believe Nigel Farage to be antisemitic, with five percent saying the same of both Boris Johnson and Jo Swinson.”

This from The Guardian (a left-leaning newspaper - trying to just quote left publications because right publications would be against Labour anyway):

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched an official inquiry into antisemitism in the Labour party in May and is due to report next year. The final submissions on behalf of the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) to the inquiry was leaked to the media on Friday, including 70 sworn testimonies from current and former staffers, and concluding that the party was institutionally antisemitic.

and from the same article:

“ . . . a leak of documents from Labour’s disciplinary department to the Sunday Times, (...) included a recording of an official complaining that more than 130 cases were outstanding even though the majority were reported to the party 18 months ago and one had been on the books for more than three years.

The cases included members likening Jewish people to killer viruses, labelling them “bent nose manipulative liars” and calling for the “extermination of every Jew on the planet”.

It reportedly took 10 months for the party to expel a member in Nottingham who wrote that “Jews represent a viral infection that need to be completely eliminated” and said he wanted the “complete extinction of all Jews”.

(Labour claims it’s under 130 cases, to be transparent).

I just find it kind of awful when people aren’t prepared to engage with Labour’s anti-semitism but will vote for them. Like, if you have engaged with their anti-semitism, are aware of it but still want to vote for them then I can’t do anything to stop that, but the number of people who just go blank when I try to talk about it is ridiculous. Oh and also the number of non-Jewish people who will say it’s not true and Jewish people aren’t feeling nervous in this political climate, what do they expect me to do? I’m just like “well I dunno if I feel comfortable telling my Jewish friends I don’t believe them just because you said so”. Like, ??????!

I truly, truly don’t believe that the British public would be this willing to vote for a party who was openly anti-black on the level that the Labour party is anti-semitic. But maybe I’m a naive idiot and they’re not comparable? 

Anyway. Why vote for an anti-semitic party when you could vote Lib Dem? 

[cyraspace01]

What Co-fronting is Like, & How To Go About It

Obviously, how systems operate is different for everyone! But for us, especially after hours at end of research, we've found that there is more than one way to co-front.

And yes, it does exist! More than one or two people, can front or take control of the body. Not everyone system can or has done this, but you must keep in mind, just because your system doesn't do this, doesn't mean that others can't!

So, before we get into this, let's get educated on some terms.

Co-fronting, and Co-conscious. These sound the same, but depending on the system, they can be different, or overlap!

What's the difference?

Co-fronting is when more than one headmate can control the body. All parties are usually aware of what is going on usually, and they work together to get through the day. Let's use the car analogy! You might see this analogy a lot in systems.

Usually, one person is in the driver's seat, but co-fronting can mean two or more people have a hand on the wheel.

Co-conscious can mean something different. Using the car analogy again, one headmate has their hands on the wheel, but there are still others in the car, and they are watching and listening to whatever goes on around them or in the car. Some may even switch positions if the driver gets tired, someone else may drive!

Again, it isn't like this for everyone, but these are the common differences I've seen.

Okay, now you know the difference, you might want to know what they feel like.

What is it like?

Again, it depends! The most common things we've seen are...

Inner system conversations getting louder or more apparent

Physical pain

Not knowing what emotions are yours or not (and mood swings)

Other headmates making comments on what the current fronter is doing

Some say that they can even control one part of the body, while another headmate controls the other

It might feel stressful of over-stimulating, it's just like being in a big classroom! Many people may always be talking

Co-fronting or co-conscious can also lead to blurring, meaning you don't know who you are or whos controlling the body

And so much more, feel free to add what it feels like for you&!

Alright, now we got that out of the way too, you may want to know how to operate easier, or, you maybe want to explain how this works to a loved one!

We got both of those covered.

For systems;

1. Improve your in-system communication

This may sound like the most obvious one, but it's also really important. You can't function together without knowing how you all function separately. Consider everyone's choices and inputs, trust me, this will be a lot better in the long run.

2. Be ready to make compromises

Again, consider everyone's choices and inputs. You can find even a strategy to do this. For example; a voting system, or a this or that mini-game, or compromise this time, for a guaranteed want next time, etc. We know this may sound simpler than it is, so keep looking for a strategy until you can at least somewhat come to an agreement.

3. Don't force anything

We aren't professionals or anything, but as multiple ourselves, we've found out so many times that forcing someone out of the driver's seat can only lead to a crash sooner or later. Don't try and force yourself to the front, and don't try and force any others out.

4. I know it's difficult, but things will quiet down

It really is a difficult thing to get used to! But believe us, things will settle themselves eventually. There might even be a bit of fun in fronting together, so don't see it as it all being a bad thing if you can!

For loved ones of a system;

1. Ask how they would like to be addressed

When talking to more than one headmate, you should treat it as if you are having a group conversation! For example, if both of these headmates prefer different pronouns, don't be afraid to ask them how to refer to them both. Some headmates even feel more comfortable in this state if you refer to them with a plural term. (Ex. They/them, you all, you guys, you two, you& &you, etc. These are just some examples! It all depends on what you prefer.)

Personally, we prefer being addressed as plural pronouns and being spoken to as if we're all separate.

2. Don't be afraid to ask the opinions of someone else in front

Let's say you and A, who's mostly at front are deciding on a movie. B is still there, and it's alright to ask about what B thinks and if B wants to choose too, they'll be more than happy to be included usually.

3. Be patient

This can be confusing for both parties, and there may or may not be lots of stress included. The best thing you could do is let everyone know you are here to understand and stay, and not harm them in any way. They may not be able to tell you who's mostly fronting or controlling the body, so just be aware of what the possibilities are.

4. Sometimes the best thing you can do to help, is ask

While some systems may need time to be alone and reorganize themselves, (as fronting all at once can be distressing) others may prefer an outside friend to help them keep things quiet or cope. Some systems may want you to talk to both headmates, while some may only prefer you to just speak with whoever announces themselves, and that's alright!

I know this most is all about information, but we're not professionals, and we aren't your loved system, and no amount of informative post can inform you of them, other than them.

We hope you all find this helpful 💕 feel free to add-on as always, or correct anything you feel is false or looks wrong.

[simsadventures]

Not Me: Chapter 4: More of This

CEO! Bucky x Wife! Reader

Summary: You finally have enough, and do the thing that you feel like will help you take matters into your own hands. In the meantime, Bucky is finding out things he never knew would be true, and some new issues appear.

Warnings: angst, confusion, swearing

Word Count: 2608

A/N: New chapter is finally here. Again, sorry for the delay, hope some of your questions will be answered after this chapter, and there is sooo much more coming!! Love you all guys!! xx

Series Masterlist __ Masterlist

< Previous Chapter

A week went by before you were able to function as usual. You and Bucky didn’t share any more moments at home, like the first day of your sickness, and, as a matter of fact, you didn’t even see him that much that week. You assumed he was at work, or at one of his bitches’ place. And you didn’t even care anymore. All you cared about was to finally do something for yourself. You’ve had enough of the abuse your father and Bucky put you through, and you were ready to free yourself.

You still wanted to work at Barnes & Clark, because it was something you’ve always wanted to do, but you knew you would have to give it time before it was even a possibility. So the first logical step was to find a place on your own. You didn’t want to share a living space with James anymore.

And although you haven’t work for some time, you also didn’t spend your own money during the marriage, so you could rent a place on your own without further issues. You knew you would be able to afford only about 6 months of life without a job alone in an apartment in New York, but you were also confident that with your background it couldn’t be that difficult to find another job if Barnes & Clark weren’t an option anymore.

You came across a studio in Brooklyn, and although the location wasn’t the greatest, the apartment itself looked cosy and warm, something you couldn’t say about your current house. You got in touch with the real estate agent, and when she showed it to you, you fell in love with it.

The whole process only took another week, and so it only took around two weeks after the house party for you to start doing your own thing. Bucky was still nowhere to be found, and if you heard him coming home, you scurried to your own room, not really having the energy to fake smiles in front of him anymore. Not when you had such a great plan on your mind.

Your father tried to reach during all that time, but you didn’t want to listen to him anymore. You only picked it up two more times, to listen to him scold you for something he remembered about the party, and whenever he’d ask about you and James, you would say that everything was perfect and that you resolved the issues, naturally, and you were a good wife once again. Just like he liked.

You wanted to tell James, just for the old-time sakes. To tell him that you couldn’t do this anymore and that you wanted a divorce, and that you were moving out. But he was nowhere to be found, and he didn’t pick up his phone. You wanted to be worried, and you would if he didn’t do that for the last 12 months- ignoring you every way he could. So you just sighed and picked up the last boxes on the floor, and marched out of the house, ready to start a new chapter in your life.

Bucky was exhausted. Between doing his normal job, trying to keep the company up and running even in the darker times for the economy, and trying to find any evidence that you were either behind or not involved in the things going on in his life, there was very little me-time he was getting. He rarely even came back home, he would just stay in his office where he used his sofa as a provisional bed. And it showed on his back which was hurting like the devil himself. But he knew he couldn’t stop now.

There were things that needed his attention more than himself. He could get a good sleep when this was all over, one way or another.

Bucky had a board meeting that day, and he honestly couldn’t imagine worse days than that. Board meetings were not only dull as fuck, but Bucky also hated to explain himself for the decisions he made. He knew he made them with the company’s best interest in mind, and even though they sometimes didn’t go as planned, Bucky would all make them again, if he had the chance.

When he came into the room, the board was already there. The board consisted of a few investors that have been with the company for years now, the director of the sales who was there more as moral support to Bucky and then his and your fathers. Even though they were both retired by now, they still held onto some percentage of the interests of the company, and so they were always there at the meetings.

At first, Bucky thought they were there to make sure that Bucky wasn’t doing anything stupid and that he was keeping everything in line. But the more time passed, the more Bucky started to notice that some questions and some ideas coming from your fathers weren’t as straight as Bucky would have wished. But he always ignored it, thinking the dads were just giving him a hard time in those meetings for the sake of it.

The meeting was mostly all about a potential deal they could strike with a Japanese publisher, that would help them distribute their books in Asia as well. Bucky saw it as a huge opportunity and was all in, but the longer the conversations went, the more obvious it was that the fathers weren’t too excited about it.

“We could publish them ourselves. All it takes is for you to grow a pair and decide that we build a publishing house there as well. What are you afraid of, son?” Mr Barnes asked Bucky, who was staring at him as if he just fell out of the sky.

“Because that would take too many resources and we cannot be sure we would do well there. Wouldn’t it be better if we signed a short-term deal with this buyer, we would see how it’d go over there, and if the profits were as great as you think they will, we could do all that? I don’t see a fucking point in building something so fucking expensive when we don’t know if it works or not,” Bucky hissed, clenching his fists under the table.

“Alright, let’s vote, if that’s what you want, son,” your father said with an amused smirk.

Bucky didn’t see the point, and he also didn’t get why suddenly, there had to be a vote. Until now, there was no voting in the board meetings. They would sinus the best approach, agree on something and move on. But voting? That was a first.

“Fine, whatever,” Bucky said tightly and waited. People around the room raised their hands in favour of Bucky’s idea, because, just as Bucky thought, it was the more logical one. But when he looked at the fathers in front of him, he could see that their smirks were still plastered on their faces.

“We don’t do this gladly, but we veto your vote, son. We truly believe that you shouldn’t be so coward-like and do something bold, accept the consequences and just, do something,” Mr Barnes said, and gasps could be heard from all around the room.

“You what? I’m the fucking CEO if I remember correctly. The majority is on my side, you can’t just waltz in here and veto something all of us agree on.”

“Oh, but we can. Haven’t you read the entire contract you signed when we gave you the company? We don’t want to do it, but we still built this company from scratch. And so when we think that you’re leading it to certain death, we step in. And that’s exactly what we just did. We’ll let you think about it, and we meet again next week and see if you all gained some perspective,” your father said, and with that, they both stood up and walked out of the door.

Bucky was staring at their backs, trying to find the right words for what just happened. Not only did he not see the clause in the contract, but he also didn’t see them using it to undermine him in front of everyone. To say he was seething would be the understatement of the century. He let the people in the office go and just sat there, breathing deeply, trying to regain his composure.

When he finally felt like he wouldn’t kill the first person he met on the hall, he got up and marched into his own office, looking for the contract. He wanted to see if there were other clauses like this one that he missed due to the elated state he was in when he first signed it.

He only got through the first two pages of the document before a knock sounded from the door. He didn’t feel like answering it, but he knew that as a CEO (if he even was that) he had to take care of the company, no matter how betrayed or angry he felt.

But when he saw that it was his father again, he regretted ever saying come in.

“Son, don’t be too angry. Just think about what we proposed, and we can talk about it again next week. You wouldn’t want such a thing to run the company? Or worse, the family, would you? Don’t go around being mad at your own dad!” Mr Barnes smiled at his son patting his shoulder, and Bucky just shook his head in response. Bucky was tired of always fighting everyone, so he remained quiet.

“But that’s not why I’m here. New... issue appeared, so it seems. We’ve received another bunch of photos, and there is a new request so that they don’t get posted online,” Mr Barnes said, and Bucky’s blood ran cold, suddenly.

There haven’t been any photos or videos for some time now, and Bucky thought that it was all resolved.

“What is the request this time?” Bucky asked angrily. He couldn’t understand how the same woman who seemed so meek and exasperated at home would be the same one sending him requests through family members.

Bucky’s father pulled out his phone and showed him the photos of his sister, Rebecca in new compromising positions. While she was still heavily using, Rebecca, his sweet, sweet Rebecca made some decisions, which weren’t the greatest, to say the least. She’s been with a man that took photos of her, she’s been at BDSM parties without signing any contracts beforehand, so there were multiple photos and videos of his beloved sister, splayed naked, doing God-knows-what with mostly various men.

Bucky felt physically sick, staring at the photos, and he had to look away.

His father took it as his cue, and he spoke up again.

“This time, your beloved wife wants something much more, I’m afraid. But she also insinuated that if you do this, it would be the last thing she ever asked of you, and she would give us all the materials she had on your sister.”

“So. What. Is. It?!” Bucky accented every word, and not-so-patiently waited for what his father would say next.

“Now, she wants to have a baby with you. She wrote that she’s been thinking about it for some time and that she thought a baby would make her happy. She said that right after the party she thought it could save your relationship, and she was probably scheming the whole thing in the meantime,” his father said, and when Bucky didn’t reply, he got up.

“Just do this, and your sister§s reputation will be clean. We can buy the information the other people have of her, and she will finally be free of all of this. Be a good son, a good brother, and just sleep with your wife. But remember, don’t ever talk about it with her. She’s crazy enough to actually post everything if you ever talked to her about this deal she stroke with us,” and with that Mr Barnes left Bucky’s office.

Bucky’s brain couldn’t wrap around the whole thing. In the year of your marriage, you proved to be a vial person, through the point of view of your fathers and the image they were providing to Bucky.

But, suddenly, something didn’t seem to add up to the whole story. Bucky saw you at home. You were seriously sick with the flu, and he could see that you couldn’t even watch Netflix because of how tired you were. Even when you didn’t see him, he would check up on you just to be sure you didn’t die from the fever. And you were always asleep. So when did you have the time to think about something so stupid as a child? Especially after the fight you two had in the kitchen the night of the party.

Bucky didn’t waste any more time and headed home. He was resolved to confront you, even if it meant you would publish some photos of Becca. Bucky needed answers, and he needed them now!

He practised the speech he wanted to give you the whole ride home, changing words and whole sentences not to make you too mad and to try and talk to you about your reasoning behind all of this. If you didn’t demand the marriage year prior, and if you didn’t do it through your fathers, Bucky actually thought you two could strike up some romance.

He thought about it all as he opened the door, but upon coming to the living room, he could sense that something has changed. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but the longer he stood in the room, the more it seems as if everything changed there.

And then it hit him. Some of the things you brought there were gone. The fluffy pillows you loved so much, and you would always cuddle them when you were watching something on TV in the living room as if to shield yourself from the outside world.

Your old coffee cups your grandma gave you a few years ago were also gone. Bucky almost ran through the whole apartment, finding things missing, and he was on the verge of calling the police that there was a robbery in his house, when he came into your room.

It was empty except for a piece of paper sitting on the bed.

Bucky took one last glance around and grabbed the paper, unfolding it to read what the person writing had to say.

Dear James,

I know you don’t care one bit about my whereabouts, but I felt like I should at least tell you that I’m not dead. I called you a few times today, but just like any other times, you didn’t pick up. I know you hate me, and although I can’t figure out why, I just wanted to tell you that I finally moved out. The house is all yours, and you can bring anyone there, like Natasha, for example. I don’t care anymore. I can’t act like I’m a happy housewife when every day in that house was pure hell for me. So I’m gone from your life, and I will file for divorce in the next few days. Please, just be so kind as to sign it when it comes and don’t make our lives even more miserable than they already are. I hope we will be able to find a way for me to work at the company because I miss it terribly. I miss working, I miss being independent.

Take care.

Sincerely

Y/N

/ Next Chapter >

Not Me:

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Marvel Taglist

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Forever Tag:

@eileenalone​ @sasbb23​ @p8tn0lish​ @coffeebooksandfandom​ @waiting4inspiration​ @caswinchester2000​ @mogaruke​ @justthatfangirloverthere​ @mushyjellybeans​ @livsheph​ @sebbbystaaan​ @notyourtypicalrose​ @itsunclebucky​ @rinkashirikitateku​ @leosandbuckysgirl​ @miraclesoflove​ @keithseabrook27​

[echo-three-one]

Whatever It Takes : RELOADED

Augustus' burner phone is the key to locating Nero but the team discovers that it's more than just Nero that's behind all of this. Will the former 141 soldiers find out what Nero is up to? Will Alex rescue Samantha?

Table of Contents

Hello! Ray's Back in his game!

Chapter 16 to another story made by Ray (echo-three-one) Comments and Reviews appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Love you all ❤️

My Damsel in Distress

"Alex"

Task Force 141 - Disbanded

On a plane off to somewhere

General Shepherd.

The name sent Alex's blood boiling from rage. He couldn't believe that a high ranking official would actually betray them and could still run away from it.

It's no secret that he wanted 141 out of the Nero scene. But why? He knew full well that Samantha doesn't have access over the address but he still took her? And he also knew that this little team won't walk away without her safe. Alex wondered what's running inside the snow-caterpillar-stache's little brain. He couldn't even say his name now.

He clenched his fists, feeling the thick leather gloves he wore for battle. It was a devastating day for him. They just bonded for a few moments here and there and now she’s already taken away from him. He couldn’t keep count how many times it happened. It was frustrating.

“So, which safehouse are you bringing us today?” Alex joked with his former CO. Jack looked serious as always, he never gets these kinds of humor.

“Same one in Brazil. It’s the most forgotten and spacious. No one’s going to come looking for us in South America.” Jack replied, looking worriedly at Alex.

“I know when you’re preoccupied Alex. What happened afterward?” Jack turned to him and Alex knew he had to open up. He deserved the truth anyway.

“I uh… I fell for her, Jack. I know I told you that I won’t but it just hit me.”

“Like a fucking brick…” Jack interrupted and chuckled.

“All I can say is that you’ve done a better job than I did when I fell in love. I could still see your determination towards your work. Or maybe because she’s still involved in all of this.” he added, causing Alex to relax his tensed shoulders.

“It’s good to have you back, old man.” Alex shook his hand and smiled. With all the problems around him, it was good to have someone close to him to talk to. He was glad Nero didn't kill him back in the Gulag.

“Yeah. Me too, and it looks like you’ve got yourselves a determined bunch. Especially that guy.” he noted, pointing to Soap who was sitting with France. Alex remembered how the two of them met at the Gulag and in that short span of time Jack was able to read the whole guy’s personality.

“Soap? Yeah, he’s an achiever. Heard he’s top of every obstacle course back at the base.” Alex mused, looking at the two. They were sitting together quietly but Alex felt jealous. He could've been doing that with Samantha right now. Now that she's ready to hear the truth about them.

"Yeah. He's got some fight in him. I'm sure we'll defeat Nero even with this little band right here. And I'll do my best to be of assistance to you." he patted Alex's shoulder and went back to check on Nikolai.

~

Safehouse 110197, Brazil

Alex remembered that this place was compromised, but then again that was the CIA mole's henchmen that found them here and they're no longer affiliated with Nero. Or he picked this place because no one would think of going back here after being compromised. The Reverse Psychology card. Either way, Alex didn't mind.

As the team slowly scattered around the house and prepared everything, Alex took note of some changes since his last visit. More beds were added and supplies got restocked. Even the bullet cache looked reloaded.

The team loaded off everything they salvaged, or stole, from the 141 and set it all up. Ghost prioritized the tech stuff while the women fixed the bedrooms. Alex offered help but was denied by Gary saying "Your face still hurts so don't over exert yourself, we can do this on our own."

So Alex plopped by the central couch as Ghost untangle the wires, putting them on their respective slots.

"You holding up okay?" The masked man asked as soon as Alex released a deep sigh.

"I'm worried about Samantha." he replied, resting his hands on the back of his head.

"She doesn't have the address, what does Shepherd want from her?" Alex added, his tone raised like a kid complaining.

"I have no idea. But I do have something else. Information on the surprise attack at the 141." Ghost said, as Jack and Price moved toward them and discussed the contents of Augustus' phone.

"That bastard gave away our location." Price cursed.

"So his plan to disband us would be successful." Alex added and Ghost nodded.

"Why get Samantha though? He knows we'll be coming for him." Ghost added and the rest of them speculated their theories.

"Augustus failed to get her so Shepherd did it for him? For what?" Jack noted, reviewing their whole mission for reference.

"Something bigger, I presume." Price spat and everyone fell silent. The rest of the team except for Gary and Maxine gathered for a short briefing. Everyone gave away their take as to why, some of them made sense while some reasons don't add up. And thinking about it was only making them more frustrated.

Everyone looked serious until they inhaled the fresh aroma of dinner from the kitchen. Alex turned and saw Gary and Maxine, smiling while serving up the team's dinner. He could sense something him and Samantha once shared in this place and it looked like the Safe house did it's charm once again.

"Now that's bloody good cookin'" Price announced and everyone laughed. He wasn't the kind of person to say those kinds of things, but he did, and it was all they needed to ease the tension of not knowing what's next.

They never gathered like this before, together, happy and noisy. The two oldies sat on the opposite edges of the round table while Soap, France, Gary and Maxine sat beside each other on the left. Simon and Alex sat on the other side, an empty chair resided beside them.

"Don't worry lad, we'll rescue her." Price muttered and Jack nodded. Alex smiled as they started to eat some food.

"Hold on a minute!" Soap exclaimed causing everyone to halt.

"Thank you Lord for thy blessings which we are about to receive. Amen." he muttered while everyone looked at him.

"Amen!" they all said in unison and wolfed down Gary and Maxine's delicious meal.

"This tastes so good! Just like Mom used to make!" Francine chewed happily. Maxine stared at her supposed to be sister and smiled.

"It does?" she breathed.

"Mmhmm.. I was always jealous that you two were so close together in the kitchen, everything I touch turns to a culinary mess." she frowned and made everyone else laugh. Soap stared at her in amazement.

"You and me both, France." Jack agreed. The gang bonded throughout dinner and enjoyed the company. Alex volunteered on the dishes and France offered to help.

"You think she's going to be fine?" Maxine asked as she checked the contents of the fridge, looking at Alex who looked very focused on the dishes he's cleaning.

"She's been kidnapped a lot of times now. I think she's used to it." Alex attempted to joke, but the tone of his voice was far from kidding.

"Aye, That lassie's a tough one. Don't worry Alex. We'll get her, Shepherd's bound to make a mistake anytime soon." Soap commented from behind him while leaning on the kitchen island.

"I told you I can handle assisting Alex on my own!" France giggled as she wiped the plates dry.

"Aye! I know! Can't a man just enjoy some time with his girlfriend?" he raised his hand mocking surrender. France turned back and crossed her arms.

"Ahem. Girl space Friend. There's a space in between." she scolded and MacTavish just chuckled.

"Whatever you say, Babe." he joked once again as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"Ugh. That guy's so full of himself." France groaned. Alex and Maxine exchanged glances and laughed, causing the female soldier to worry.

"What?" she asked.

"You two look cute together." Maxine chuckled, closed the fridge and walked away.

"We're not together!" France yelled, making sure Maxine would hear it wherever she went.

"We will be soon!" Soap exclaimed from outside, followed by collective laughter from the group of men with him.

~

Alex groaned and looked at his watch. It's already 3:36 am and he couldn't sleep. He slowly got up and looked around. On the huge bed, Jack and Price slept peacefully as evidenced by the loud snoring. Beside him on the floor was Soap, Roach and an empty spot where Ghost was supposed to sleep. The girls occupied the guest room.

Alex slowly got up and carefully assisted his metal leg, trying not to make noise as he waltzed to the balcony where he suspected Ghost to be.

And he was right, Ghost sat by the railings on the terrace, not a single expression of fear etched on his face. A face Alex saw for the first time.

"Can't sleep?" the former CIA asked. Ghost slowly turned his head and nodded.

"I'm just contemplating…" he muttered, the tone of his voice sound defeated.

"We caught ourselves in a crazy situation, huh?" Alex chuckled trying to make the best of the situation. Ghost didn't seem to like the vote of happiness as he clicked his tongue and sighed.

"I'm into France… but it looked like she's happier with John." he spat. From what Alex heard from Roach, Ghost was not the kind of person to open up. And this was all too surprising for him.

"I… uh…" Alex stammered.

"Look, I'm also sorry… You don't have to reply… I was about to vent to Gary about this but he seemed too preoccupied with Maxine and I didn't want to bother him."

"Look, it's okay. Ghost."

"It's Simon, Simon Riley."

"It's okay Simon. That's life. You win some, you lose some." he consoled. He tried to make it as positive as possible but he was also down in the dumps, like him.

"Thanks for the honesty. I just realized how devastated you must be. I never got to hear your story until Gary told me. It must've been tough losing her over and over again." Gary talked without looking at him.

"It's like I've been cursed to lose her and save her all over again." Alex complained.

"Like Link." Simon announced like it's a great metaphor which Alex didn't get.

"Link?"

"Like from the video game. Where this knight was always out to save her damsel in distress. It's got many different variations but it's always the same name. Generations have passed and Link was always destined to save Zelda." he said in amusement.

"My damsel in distress…" Alex noted and looked up at the stars, wishing that wherever Samantha may be, he hoped she's safe and also thinking of him.

Next Chapter : Delayed Flight

Notification Squad my beloved

@smokeywhalee @samatedeansbroccoli @enderio @whimsywispsblog @beemybee @ricinbach

[booknerdateen]

My favorite lines/scenes from Six and Crows and Crooked Kingdom (Contains SPOILERS)

“would have liked to see that”

“would have liked to steal that”

“You wouldn’t waste the ammo”

“And he’d be dead halfway through forgive”

“It’s about sending a message. What’s the point of a dead guy with forg written on his chest?”

“Compromise. I’m sorry does the trick and uses fewer bullets.”

“Well, I’ve got a lager and a skillet of eggs waiting for me at the Kooperom, so I can’t be the one to die tonight”

“No mourners”

“No funerals”

Among them, it passed for “good luck”

“I like it when men beg, this isn’t the time for it”

“Greed is your god, Kaz”

“No, Inej. Greed bows to me. It is my servant and my lever”

One minute he made her blush and the next he made her want to commit murder

“Please, my darling Inej, treasure of my heart, won’t you do me the honor of acquiring me a new hat”

Matthias was dreaming again. Dreaming of her.

“Scheming face”

“Definitely”

What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?

Many boys will bring you flowers.

“You came back for me.”

“I protect my investments.”

“I’m glad I’m bleeding all over your shirt.”

“I’ll put it on your tab.”

If Pekka Rollins kills us, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost

“Nina Zenik, as soon as I figure out where you’ve put my knives, we’re going to have words”

“Van Eck writes to Wylan every week, and Wylan doesn’t even open the letters.”

“What do they say?”

“You’re assuming I read then.”

“You didn’t?”

“Of course, I did.”

“What do you want then?”

You inej, you

“Saint, we’re actually doing this.”

“I’ve spent every minute of every miserable day wishing to be off that ship. So why do I suddenly miss it?’

“I’m going to pay someone to burn my kruge for me.”

Jesper looked mournfully at his guns. “Such potential waste.”

Every morning he complained that she was impossible to wake.

“It’s like trying to raise a corpse.”

“The dead request five more minutes.”

The whole Matthias telling Nina he likes her and it doesn’t want to

“If you two keep fighting, you’re going to get us all killed, and I have a lot more card games I need to lose.”

“Any other impossible feats you’d like us to accomplish?”

The barest smile flickered over Kaz’s lips. “I’ll make you a list.”

“Well, we’ve managed to get ourselves locked into the most secure prison in the world. We’re either geniuses or the dumbest son of bitches to ever breathe air.”

“And I’m already in jail, so don’t tempt me to commit homicide.”

“You’re cuter when you’re smart.”

Wylan’s cheeks went pink.

“Saints.”

“That bad?”

“No, you just have really ugly feet.”

Ugly feet that got you on this roof.”

“If any of you survive, make sure I have an open casket. The world deserves a few more moments with this face.”

Matthias the tulip

“Wylan, your thoughts have taken a very dark turn. I fear the Dregs may be a bad influence.”

Jesper not wanting to kill unconscious men. Wylan suggesting to wake them up to kill them.

“Just girls?”

“No. Not just girls.”

I. Should. Let. You. Die.

“Kaz, you creepy little genius, the plan worked. You got us a tank.”

“Let’s go.”

“Me?”

“No, the idiot behind you.”

Kaz threatening a little girl if she tells that he’ll murder her parents and the dogs

“It’s a chemical weevil. It doesn’t really have a name yet.”

“You’ve got to give it a name. How else will you call it to dinner?”

“That’s why we call him Wyaln Van Sunshine.”

Jesper telling the crows that the whole city wants kill them and not half the city

She thought of Jesper toying with his guns, Nina squeezing the life from a man with the flick of a wrist, Kaz picking a lock in his black gloves. Thugs. Thieves. Murderers. And all worth more than a thousand Jan Van Ecks.

“You know, Wylan, one of these days I’m going to stop underestimating you.”

“And I know that look, Kaz. Don’t you dare start those wheels spinning.”

Inej forehead smacking Van Eck

Kaz shoving Wylan against the wall threatening him

“Where do you think the money?” scene

“A chemical weevil. But Wylan still hasn’t named it. My vote is for the Wyvil.”

“That’s terrible.”

It’s brilliant. Just like you.”

“Do not lick Wyvil. Does someone want to write that down?”

“Are we that predictable?”

“Yes.”

“An explosion?”

I

“I suspect Van Eck will notice that.”

“A very small explosion?”

“You just want to blow something up.”

The crows discussing over how much their heads are worth according to the wanted posters

Kaz sneaking a drop of the Wyvil onto the floor and like “see you on the other side” as him and Wylan fall down.

Jesper Llewellyn Fahey

Wylan “reading” his father’s letter/will out loud embassing Van Eck about his assumptions

The crows putting the roses on Matthias’ chest

Inej threatening Pekka Rollins in his sleep

[gayenerd]

An interview with Mike when Warning came out that I don’t even have a source for - sorry!

Laughing Off a "Warning" With Green Day 

Bassist Mike Dirnt's green thumb, punk perspective and personal dominatrix 

If Mike Dirnt wasn't in one of the most enduring and influential punk bands making the scene, the Green Day bassist could easily be a hilarious stand-up comic. Instead, he's devoting his insightful social commentary laced with witty repartee to the business (and funny business) at hand -- the band's sixth studio album, Warning. While Green Day's Nimrod and (especially) Dookie humor doesn't seep through in this seemingly ominous album title, it may be because these Bay Area hooligans -- Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Tre Cool (drums, percussion) and Dirnt -- have accepted and submitted to certain rites of passage other than platinum-selling discs. But it's definitely not as ominous as all that. We bantered with Dirnt to gauge the barometer of Warning, life as a prankster punk and his bid for world domination as Armstrong's presidential running mate. What would you like to talk about? Probably not myself (laughs). … It gets you so self-involved and self-absorbed, [that] it makes it difficult to change your perspective for an hour or two after you're done doing interviews. It's not so much narcissistic as it is dwelling. It's like being on tour and coming back and decompressing and acclimating to your home life again, because your surroundings are all about you, you, you for so long, that you need to stop and go home and realize, 'Hey, wait a minute. Other people aren't asking for a lot. I'm probably just self-absorbed still, and being an assh*le for a while and don't realize it.' And you need to take a breath and go, 'OK, how can I focus on the smaller things in my life, like getting up in the morning and making my girlfriend coffee? Or making my daughter breakfast.' And taking the focus off yourself for awhile. I think that's important. 

What's fun to talk about? I'm growing a huge pot plant in my back yard right now. My friend gave me this pot plant and I just left it in the window and left the light on it forever, and it grew and grew and grew, and got pretty big. So then I put it in my backyard just to see what would happen, and I came home and it's f*cking enormous! (Laughs) It's of the superskunk variety. It is nasty. Pretty cool. [My friend] is very proud of me. He said, 'Wow, Mike, that's beyond a plant -- that's a crime.' I smoke pot once a month. I take one hit. So I'm gonna give it all to friends.

No "jurassic monkeys" [joints] for you? Not this year.

Any special reason? Three months before my daughter was even conceived, I stopped smokin' pot and I stopped for about a year and a half, just to clean up my act. After that, it's never been the same. I haven't smoked as much pot ever since. I would hate to think that if she needed me, I was impaired by weed.

Warning seems to have been shrouded in a huge amount of secrecy and I have my theories as to why, but I'm hoping you could provide some perspective. We took a break so as not to hate what we do. We really toured the heck out of the last record [Nimrod] for about 238 shows, and we were like, 'OK, it's time to take a real break -- for once.' And instead of writing in the fashion of, 'OK, let's go in and write the next record and pound it out and pound it out' … [for] the last record we wrote about 40-some songs and then let the songs pop out and figure out what the record was from that … [this time] songs stood out on their own and we said, 'OK, this is the album' … Billie waited for inspired moments. And as a band, we practiced when it was working, and we only worked on the songs that already inspired us … instead of forcing it. We had about 14 or 15 songs, and we were like, 'We're totally ready.' And it was pretty obvious at the time which 12 songs were gonna be on the record. There's the dealio. (Laughs) … As far as the secrecy thing, we will sell no wine until its time. [But] go on Napster and check out a couple songs. (Laughs) I know they're there.

What is your point of view on Napster? I think it's gonna work itself out. Everyone keeps sayin', 'What's the deal?' I don't believe their schtick about 'Hey, we started doing this for poor college students and blah-blah-blah.' Well, first of all, if you can afford to go to college, [and if] you can afford a computer that can actually burn a f*ckin' CD and you can afford to pay the online bill, then you're probably not starvin', OK? When I was goin' to junior college, I was worryin' about where my next packet of Top Ramen was comin' from, OK? So, I don't wanna hear that. But do I think [Napster] is all evil? No. There's definitely two sides to it. I make comp tapes at home (granted, they're albums I've purchased). But when I was a kid, I would buy tapes at the flea market. When you're a kid, the only thing you can afford at the flea market is a tape or a pair of sunglasses. I don't think bands should be made to look evil just because they don't wanna be a grasshopper (hence, The Ant and the Grasshopper [fable]). The other side of that is people don't wanna purchase the record (laughs). I'm not gonna dwell on it. It might hurt you if you've only got one hit [on an album]. [But] we definitely have a full package.

How does Warning differ from your past efforts? I think this record definitely has an overtone of independence throughout the whole thing. I think that we've overcome a lot of adversity. We produced this record ourselves and it has a sense of honesty…. There's an overtone of hope to the whole record that says, 'It's up to you to choose to have hope.' And whether or not most people in the world want to admit that they want hope for their world … they do. If you really don't want any hope, well I have friends who didn't want any hope and they killed themselves.

What are some of the adversities that Green Day has managed to overcome? Everybody thinking, 'Here we are today, gone tomorrow.' Friends [thinking], 'They're becoming huge as a band,' and all of the family turmoil, friend turmoil. … I think the adversity is also that this is a Green Day-quality record. Every song on this record is good. And people giving up on rock-and-roll and punk rock ... [We're] being honest with ourselves and remaining who we are and what we are.

And with regards to remaining who you are and what you are, the band caught a lot of sh*t for "Time of Your Life" because.... … it was such a good song. (Laughs) It's funny, because the people who gave us sh*t about that … obviously hadn't heard our first two records [1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hour and Kerplunk]. Songs like 'Words I Might Have Ate' from Kerplunk and 'Rest' on 39/Smooth [have] touched on -- what can I say? -- our sensitive side. If you reach into your vulnerable side and you bleed on the plate for people, I think that takes a lot more balls than to just go out there a scream your head off and call it punk rock. Punk rock means no limits, no rules and breaking rules -- to us -- and there's a lot of punk rock on this new record. And if you think punk rock is just distorted guitars and hair-dos, you got another thing comin'. You need to listen to "Minority" and "Warning" [both from Warning].

Then can we look forward to songs like "Time of Your Life" and "Words I Might Have Ate" on Warning? No. (Laughs) There's definitely a sense of hope in some of these songs, but it's from a different perspective of where we're at this point in our lives. I'll give you an example: 'Minority.' That's a song about how … my next door neighbor's mom has a nose ring and my other next door neighbor is a jock with green hair. Everybody wants to look different and be different and act different, but ultimately, nowadays, you need to look inside yourself and find your individuality. With 'Minority,' everything has its suit -- its uniform. It's up to you inside to break the mold. With 'Warning,' that's a song about questioning everything. There's this false sense of freedom we have in the United States. There's all these signs tellin' you, 'Don't do this' and 'Don't do that,' and you just gotta read between the lines and figure out, 'What are those things really sayin'? Is it for someone else's convenience that I'm told to not go here, or that I can't do this or that? Or is it because it's really dangerous?'

Green Day traditionally has been trailed by a lot of controversy. What are some of your favorite controversies? It's weird. There are a lot of controversies, but it's a matter of how close to home you take 'em. Obviously, [there's the] whole sell-out thing, and I'm so over that. If selling out is compromising your musical intentions, I don't even know what that means. I guess that's a big one. (Laughs) At one point in my life it was -- now I'm over it. And I think most people are, too. Every time you spend a dollar, you're making that sell-out statement and casting a vote. Like, 'You're gonna slam me for being on a major label, and yet you smoke cigarettes? OK. (Laughs) Your shoe's on backwards, buddy.' Maybe you dug that controversy when Tre [Cool, drummer] climbed the Universal Studios globe after the MTV Video Music Awards. That was my idea. I'm so accident-prone, that I would have fallen off and broke my neck, so Tre did it. (Laughs) I said, 'Why don't you climb that?' and Tre's running up and down and I'm like, 'Good man.' Tre's got balls bigger than that globe, anyway. You gotta let the [music] industry know who's runnin' it -- and that's the artists. What our album is to a lot of people is a product. What our album is to us is our child. And often, when we turn a record over to the record company, when we finish it, it's like handing your child to a nurse after she was born -- all bloody, a purple tail, ready to go. (Laughs)

Have you settled the score on your past "disagreement" with Third Eye Blind? I really don't think anybody can mistake a kiwi for a banana. Third Eye Blind -- that whole thing. I was probably off the hook; I shouldn't have been fighting in the first place [backstage at a festival concert] and whoever hit me [over the head] with a bottle from behind was a f*ckin' coward. I shouldn't have been fightin' and they shouldn't have been fightin', and that's what boys do. To quote Eminem, 'Tomorrow we'll be boys again.' (Laughs)

Since Billie Joe is campaigning for president and you're his vice presidential running mate [and Tre is the ugly wife], what are you gonna do to keep him in line? Oh, he's a lame duck from the get-go. I'll be runnin' sh*t. (Laughs) I'll start out by lowering the price of alcohol and cigarettes, and shortly thereafter, we should take the 'explicit language' stickers off of albums, so f*ck Tipper Gore. I just think kids should be able to buy [the Clash's] London Calling. What kind of crap is that? That was a controversial record that got the explicit lyrics [campaign rolling]. It's the line, 'He who f*cks the nuns/Will later join the church.'

It was extremely magnanimous of Green Day to bring in dominatrix Mistress Simone for Warning's engineer Tone. Are we, then, to believe that the band didn't get spankings all around? Oh, no. I receive my floggings in the privacy of my own home. Under the watchful eye [and sure hand] of my gal. My girlfriend wouldn't have it. [My girlfriend's called] Mistress Sarah.

Where are you guys with the horror film you were planning, and have you signed Gwen Stefani yet? I think we got so involved in the new record that it became more important than anything else. I think we've decided to follow through on our own script that we've been working on, which is a much better script. Except that if I told you any more, I'd have to kill you.