#and your brain is made out of bad decisions and an inability to comprehend the fact that you are dying while alive on your own drunk drive.

[friedbreadwombat]

What the fuck is minecraft as a game system i swear to god there are so many holes

[rwprincess]

Blinded Me With Science (Fred Benson x Reader): Chapter 1

Masterlist

Part Two

Word Count: 1.2 K

Synopsis: I want to expand my "Would Include" into a series, I think. So here is how reader meets Fred: both of them struggling in Geometry and getting along. 

CW:  math and group-work anxiety; smack-talk about math

To say math wasn't your strong-suit would be a gross understatement. The only thing worse than sitting in Geometry class lamenting your inability to comprehend any of the material, was to be assigned to work in groups. This could go one of two ways. Either you were paired with people who wouldn't pull their own weight, or you were put with someone who knew what they were doing and that always seemed to be way worse. You didn't want to take on the role of slacker and be the one not contributing, but you also felt like you were flailing and drowning when your classmates so confidently worked on the problems. You could always feel the judgment burning in their eyes. So, when your teacher announced that this is exactly what you'd be doing today, and that he would be assigning the groups, you had to restrain yourself from collapsing on your desk in defeat. 

You were partnered with Fred Benson. Great, you thought, regarding the decision sarcastically. He was known for being a brain. And one full of snide remarks, at that. Not that you'd ever actually talked to him, but apparently that would change now. To your surprise and delight, though, he seemed about as lost as you. "This is ridiculous. This makes utterly, entirely no sense. If a circle is 360° why is this not adding up to that?!" He hissed in frustration and you smiled softly to yourself. Finally, someone to share in your misery. But at least he was actually trying. That's more than you could say for previous partners. 

"Oh my God, I know." You joined in,”'like, math wasn't so bad when it was just addition, subtraction, division, ya know? And then they started adding defined equations and angles and---and letters!" You sputtered out in disgust.

"Don't get me started on the addition of letters," he groaned. "I thought I'd be safe with that, because I'm good with writing, you know? But I barely made it out of algebra alive." That made sense to you: how he got his reputation as a brain, if he was good at writing. That didn't mean he had to be good at everything. While you struggled with math classes, you still wouldn't consider yourself stupid. In fact, you were really good at science and always excelled on your projects there.

"Oh, yeah. You're on the school paper, right?" You tried making small talk, trying to push through on this together.

"Yeah…" he trailed off and looked bewildered, blue eyes becoming ludicrously large behind his glasses, "I am. I didn't think you knew that, though." You shrugged noncommittally. While you didn't know Fred personally, you were still aware of his existence and paid attention enough to remember a thing or two about him. He stared at you for a moment longer than was comfortable for you, so you turned back to your paper and tried to suss it out on your own. You couldn’t decipher the look he gave you and you assumed you'd put him on the spot or made him feel awkward…or like you were stalking him. Any which way, you were in trouble. 

"I don't think this is right," you muttered to yourself and hastily began erasing.

"So…you're really just as lost as I am?" He asked and you looked up, surprised to see him smiling softly. You thought he was going to make fun of you, not commiserate.

"Yeah. It wasn't like, a put-on to make you feel at ease or anything. I suck at math. I mean, it's always been a struggle, but it just keeps getting harder and harder. I hate that there's all this useless stuff but then some things are totally necessary and they seem to fit into other subjects."

"What do you mean?'

"Well, like. I'm dreading chemistry next year. Don't get me wrong, I love science. It's all these mysteries you get to figure out and sometimes there's explosions," you smiled at the chuckle he gave you for that, "but I've heard chemistry is the really math-intensive science. Second semester is supposed to be all equations and stuff. Which, I see the practical application in so there's less explosions than necessary, but still. Way to suck the joy out of it, with math."

"You're funny." He said and you weren't sure if it was a jibe or sincere, "I guess…that's what I like about writing, too." He offered up, finally giving in to your attempt at small talk. "Journalism is like uncovering the mystery, getting to the bottom of it and figuring stuff out. Admittedly, there's fewer explosions."

"Generally speaking." You mused, and noticed how straight and even his teeth were when he smiled back at you. "Never really know about Hawkins these days." 

He lowered his voice, almost conspiratorially and leaned forward towards you, "You know, I don't think there was really a 'mall fire' like they said. It seems a little hush-hush and covered up. So many things don't add up, and I've been digging into them."

"Really?" You asked and the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Your face fell and you realized how invested you were in this conversation, and not just as an escape from math. "You'll have to tell me more about it sometime." You said, packing your things into your bookbag.

~~**~~**~~

"How did you end up doing on that assignment?" You asked him after class at the end of the week. You hadn't been assigned to work together and you didn't really have an opportunity to speak to him otherwise…or have much to say to break the ice. But since that day you were paired together, you hadn't been able to get Fred out of your mind and caught yourself stealing glances his way during class on more than one occasion. He was just so different than you had imagined he'd be. His similar failure with math made him seem more 'normal' to you. More human. There hadn't been a rude comment directed at you or anyone else, only at Geometry, and you were more than okay with that.

"Ugh," he groaned at the reminder, "I scraped a C out of it. You?"

"C-minus," you nodded in return, "but hey, that's passing." 

"Well, I could tutor you and make that minus go away," he joked and you noticed the mischievous glint in his eye. 

"Oh, wow. You mean I could really have a C, like you?" You asked in mock-wonderment and he acknowledged it for the joke it was, laughing. "Hey, so you were gonna tell me your mall conspiracy theories."

"Hmm." He clicked his tongue in response, "that's really more of a rabbit hole than we have time for right now." 

"Oh, yeah. I guess so, huh?" You had been too caught up in the conversation to think logically that you had limited time in between classes. 

"Tell you what, why don't you come to the Streak office after school? I can show you some of the research I've pulled." It was a simple, friendly request but your heart hammered in your chest at the prospect. 

"Okay, sure," you agreed automatically, your mouth taking over for your brain, which was currently miles away. 

"Great! I'll see you then!" Fred hooked a thumb under the strap of his bag and walked away jauntily, leaving you to wonder what exactly just happened.

Next/Part Two

[fullmetalscullyy]

royai + “you make me feel safe, like im allowed to be anything i want” 👀

meg ur mind,, anyone want some young!royai 👀

thank you for the prompt friend i really appreciate it!! i hope you enjoy

for reference this is set after roy decodes the secrets of flame alchemy on her back

rated: g | words: 1913

“It’s a beautiful sunset,” Riza breathed.

Roy hummed in agreement, his fringe tickling his forehead as the breeze caught it. “It really is.”

It took every ounce of his power not to turn his head to look at her instead, finding her far more captivating in the light than the setting sun.

They were sitting on the porch step of her father’s house, looking out over the fields and beyond. In the evening breeze the growing wheat moved like water, swaying back and forth creating a sea of gold. In the distance they saw the doors of the neighbour’s barn close for the night, sealing the horses inside, safe and secure. The sky was burnt orange, the orb of the sun just kissing the horizon as it fell. As it lowered, so did the temperature by a fraction, but it wasn’t enough to cause any kind of proper discomfort.

A fleeting thought crossed Roy Mustang’s mind, that he could shuffle closer to his companion so they could keep each other warm. If he were at his own house back in Central he would have offered a blanket and draped it over her shoulders.

“I’ll miss sunsets like this back in Central.”

Regret flooded him, his face dropping when he saw Riza’s own smile fall from her face. Her head tipped forward to look down at her knees. On her neck, the top of her tattoo peeked out from her slightly too big, open collared shirt. The sight of it made Roy’s stomach twist. He’d spend weeks deciphering that monster, but time hadn’t made it any easier to look at.

“I’m sure you will,” Riza replied, her voice barely a mumble.

He cursed himself for removing that smile from her face.

“I’ll keep it with me, though,” he hastily added, “like I do with every moment I’ve spent here.”

His face turned crimson as his brain blurted out what he was thinking before his mouth could stop it.

Tentatively, Riza peeked out the side of her eye. Her fringe was half obscuring her vision, and Roy hoped and prayed she didn’t see how bad his embarrassment was. The smile she was fighting to keep off her face told him his wish had not been granted.

“Thank you, Mr. Mustang,” she replied sincerely.

He couldn’t be too annoyed at his inability to think before he spoke because it returned a pleased smile to her face after all.

“You’re welcome, Miss Hawkeye,” he managed to get out. “What will you do with yourself?”

A deep sigh heaved through her body, expanding her chest and back before exhaling quietly. “I don’t know.” Her eyes lifted to look out into the fields. The light accentuated the gold in her hair, but also the colour of her eyes. They looked amber in the fading sun. Beautiful.

“Anything I can do to help?”

“You’ve already done so much.”

“I could always do more. If you’d like me too, of course,” Roy offered. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

The look she was giving him… Her head cocked, her fringe falling to the side while she regarded him. It looked like she was smiling, but her expression was quizzical. Like one was trying to figure out an amusing puzzle.

“What?”

“Nothing,” she dismissed with a mysterious smile.

Roy blinked at her, trying to discern what that smile meant.

They returned to silence. Roy was still stumped by that look she’d given him. Settling back in his chair, he contemplated it further inside his mind, turning over the nuances of her tone and changes in expression.

“Thank you. For everything… Roy.”

His head snapped up at the use of his first name, returning him jarringly to the present. That tiny, appreciative smile was back, making his heart stutter twice in such a short space of time. The way his name had sounded coming from her… It was breathed, like it was a forbidden secret. Under the watchful eye of her father he’d always been Mr. Mustang. That title was sacred to him, because that was what Riza called him, and vice versa with her, for Miss Hawkeye. But… Hearing his first name spoken so openly after all this time…

He wanted to hear it again.

“You’ve done so much for me recently,” Riza continued, oblivious to how hard his heart was pounding inside his ribcage. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“Any time, Riza.”

The name was foreign on his tongue as he tested it out, but he enjoyed every moment. It felt like a step forward in a promising direction. Like the shackles her father had on her were finally lifted, letting her be free and grow into her own person, and not just his caretaker.

A flush covered her cheeks, making Roy wonder if it had anything to do with the use of her first name.

“What?” He wanted to prompt her, to find out if that was the reason for her cheeks prettily turning pink in the last light of the day.

“It’s nothing,” she stammered quietly. Shoulders bunched up to ears, chin tucking into her chest as she tried to hide from him.

“Riza, what is it?”

He had a habit of prodding too much. Riza Hawkeye was not one to be poked at and investigated, especially not by him. Whatever needed to be revealed would come in her own time and she would never be rushed. However, Roy’s eager inquisitive streak had gotten the best of him. He just hoped, in hindsight, he hadn’t made her retreat further from him, effectively ending their conversation completely.

With a breath held tightly inside his lungs, he observed her form as she shied away, hoping she would answer. Hoping he hadn’t pushed her too far into a corner.

“It’s been tough, but you being here through it all has helped a lot,” Riza murmured. Her shoulders relaxed and her head tilted, eyes catching onto movement on the path before them. A worm was making its way across the concrete, its movements slow and patient.

“It has?” Roy was bewildered. He didn’t think he’d helped that much. He’d just taken the secrets from her and imposed.

Riza nodded, her expression changing to assurance, moving away from idle contemplation. “It’s made me happy.”

Her reply, so simple and spoken as if it was the truth of the world, made colour rise up the young man’s cheeks.

“Roy?” Her inquisitive expression was wondering why he’d turned away from her so sharply. It was to hide his blush, but she didn’t need to know that.

Upon hearing her reasons, a warmth spread across his chest. It trickled down through his ribs and settled into his heart, burrowing in deep as something he would keep with him for the rest of his days.

He’d done that for her. She’d kindly opened up her home and her sanctuary to him. It had felt like all Roy had done recently was take and take. The feeling of being able to give something back in return was welcome. Not that Roy Mustang thought the indomitable Riza Hawkeye needed any kind of protection from the likes of him – the image of her rifle resting against the wall by her front door flashed into his mind – but it was… nice. He felt useful to her. And that was something he wanted to be.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, schooling his expression. He could blame the heat of the evening on the flush of his skin if she asked. “I’m glad I could make you h – happy.” He cursed himself for the sudden onset of a stutter.

“You do,” she replied confidently, turning back to look out over the fields. Her confidence dwindled slowly, turning timid as she opened her mouth to speak further. “You… make me feel safe.”

It was so quiet he had to strain and concentrate, but when the words sunk in Roy was afraid his heart had stopped beating. His head turned sharply to look at her, but she was looking back down at that worm, shoulders back up at her ears.

Well. Now it was going to be even harder to return to Central alone.

“I do?”

His question was stupid. His brain couldn’t comprehend anything else, so it left his lips with the same intonation as his feelings towards it. He wished he could form something more coherent for her in what felt like a pivotal moment of their evening. Riza was being open and sharing. It didn’t happen very often, so he should be cherishing this, not staring at her blankly in surprise.

“Yes,” she whispered shyly. “It was… hard. Not having Father here. Knowing he was really gone, and it was just me left.” Her voice had grown stronger, her shoulders peeling down from her ears one final time as she voiced her thoughts and well-hidden feelings. “Your assistance has reminded me that I’m more than just his daughter, the bearer of his secrets.”

Riza’s head turned. There was a fire in her eyes, a confidence, and Roy was trapped by it. Held steady by her determination.

“You make me feel safe,” she repeated slowly, testing out her wording while her cheeks became covered in a dusting of pink, “like I’m allowed to be anything I want. Sharing my burden with you was the best decision I’ve made,” she nodded, confirming it for herself.

“Oh, um.” Roy continued to stutter.

Expectantly, Riza had looked up at him but her head cocked as he sat there staring at her instead.

He didn’t have an answer for that. He didn’t know what to reply. If anything, that sentence made his yearning to stay even stronger. The dedication was on the tip of his tongue. Lips parted but no words left him, just a strangled sound.

“I’m sorry if that was too bold of me, Mr. Mustang,” she apologised, casting her gaze away from him. Retreating from him. The use of his title stung.

No! The voice in his head yelled the reply but it didn’t quite make its way out of his throat. She’d just bared her soul to him and all he could do was stare.

“No, no,” he reassured hastily, hands waving in front of him. Roy shifted on the step, moving closer. It caught her off guard, and Riza flinched in surprise. “No, not too bold at all,” he added. “Thank you. But I feel unworthy of such a praise from you.”

“Just…” Riza sighed as she looked into his eyes, suddenly very close. “Thank you,” she finished, completely sincere.

“Thank you in return, Riza.”

“What for?” Her brow creased in her confusion.

“For opening yourself up to me. With… your father’s work,” he gestured over her shoulder at her back, “and for just now.”

Tentatively, Roy reached out for her hand and placed his atop hers. A quiet gasp left her lips, making him smile.

“Thank you for trusting and believing in me,” he murmured.

“It’s an easy thing to do, I’ve realised.” Her admittance was shy, but her voice held strong in volume. She didn’t retreat away from him.

“I’m glad.” His smile almost split his face in two.

Both of them remained sitting there, looking up at the dark sky as they waited for the stars to come out to play. Their joined hands never parted, both of them shrouded underneath the warmth of a single blanket.

[gg-astrology]

sun gemini moon virgo

Hey there!! 💞 I’ll do my best okieee 💞💞

[Below Cut: Gemini Sun - Virgo Moon ♊️]

Double Mercury air x earth combo gives off the appearance of someone who’s stable, reliable and reflective (in their thinking) -- but also somewhat bold, eccentric and quick-witted at the same time

They have an inquiring nature about them, but unlike the typical gemini their Virgo moon makes them do some self-analyzes and internalize information before they let it out (use their brains more than just-- let their mouth flow) 

Like when they get information/acquire it, they don’t just blurt it out. They think ‘is this true?’ and tries to find/figure out how it works (internally, inside their mind)-- throw context into it, test it, challenge it. And if it passed the test then they reveal it to others (w/ some conviction to themselves)

Their ability to persuade is bc they seem convincing, they can vet for stuff even tho sometimes they are hesitant in doing so (bc they haven’t done enough “research” or feel like they should wait it out some more) 

These people are quick to change their opinions sometimes, when they see that others make a valid point (a solid, reasonable decision) when there’s no room for hesitation to be there. They quickly adapt, and use it to find the ‘universal truth/opinion’ that is their ultimate end goal (sharing information isn’t a bad thing, only by seeing different opinions/reasons can the answer for all of them come by how they interpret/use it for themselves)

They remind me of 1700′s-800′s inventors, around the science revolution/age of enlightenment? Where things are being discovered, actualize and made into facts bc of exploration/discoveries. Progression is what they’re after, and applications of how the theory is used, comes later through other’s interpretation/testing through a collective focused/mindset/expansion from the “facts”

 In a way these people are inventive and often time, a lil bit rebellious in their own way. They have their own ideology and thinking, although challenges and confrontations can be daunting for others. These people feel like they regenerate/become their better self when they’re ‘rise up from the ashes/enlightened’ by others helping them see ‘truths’ and making them progress. 

Bc these signs are mutables, sometimes these people may skrrrt away from confronting their own faults/being constricted in specializing in an area. If you tell them to do something, with purpose/heaviness to it. They will immediately switch lanes and become interested in doing something else instead

One of the things about Virgo Moon is that it can make the Gemini Sun kinda hard on themselves, or rather focus in on it’s inability. Inability to follow through, to comprehend something fully/deeply. Without seeing the good in the Gemini/Virgo’s quick and delicate work, it’s own strength often happens.

These Gemini/Virgo people often undervalue themselves and the impact/influence of their personal identity. Like in their ways of communicating: story telling, elaborations, descriptions, analysis etc. They think they’re lacking or just ‘bland/boring’ but they’re not. People revel in it and them, because there’s only them in the world who can do that y know.

You don’t have to be anyone else, or tell it like someone else does. Your way of doing things, of saying things and explaining things is good enough. is personal enough, is fulfilling in it’s own ways. You should take a look sometimes, at your own strengths instead of taking counts of your faults all the time. Try to see/reach the other side. See things from both perspective instead of one.

I hope this is helpful! noted! 💞💞💞 

[roliviarrrr]

Final Concept Reflection

(Olivia Rogers and Alicen Potts)

I would like you to record (and elaborate—please do not simply list them) 2 things you learned in class that had an impact on you/your way of thinking.  One should be from a documentary/video and one should be from class lecture/note material or the article you read.

(Olivia)

It is definitely something I should have realized, and maybe I did in the way I viewed things, but I never had thinking like “these are mens problems, not women’s problems” in response to things like domestic violence, rape, or other oppressive and violent actions towards women. That quote is a main thing I took from “Tough Guise.” And no, I’m not saying I didn’t blame men for doing these things, I guess all my life I only saw mainly women fighting for these things to change, not men. And that is exactly the point! That overtime it has become OUR responsibility to fight against these horrible things, so men (and everyone else) sees them as “women’s issues.” It’s ridiculous. It’s the men primarily (statistically) committing these crimes against women, and yet it’s come to the women—who are going through it—to fight against it. This needs to change, and hopefully by saying that these are “men’s issues,” we can get more men to check their friends, family members, coworkers, etc in what they say and do.

Secondly, I was interested to learn the actual definition of deviance is not just doing crimes, but just straying from the norm in general. I really only thought about deviant behavior as something illegal, or something that could get you in trouble with the law. I never really thought that just violating social norms could be considered deviance.

(Alicen)

   Importance of family for socialization- “what’s different about Robbie”

“What's Different About Robbie” was one of the first videos we watched in class and the one that sat with me the most. While his story was tragic, demonstrating the failure of the mental health system and the lives lost due to Robbie’s actions, what I took out from the episode was how much the family plays a role in socializing their children. The episode showed the families inability to deal with Robbie's raging emotions from a young age and how the failure of his first socialization group led to a lack of identity and social skills which affected his success in other socialization groups. Due to his parents' decision to institutionalize him during key developmental years, his social success was greatly hindered later on in life.

Families are the first agent of socialization for children which influence our first values system, political socialization and form a sense of self. Ideally families will be able to pass on constructive lessons that children can take into the world to form their own opinions, however this transmission of beliefs and norms can break down, as it did in robbies case. Due to robbies lack of familial bond, he was unable to effectively learn from other sources of socialization like his peers, school and the media. The breakdown of robbies home environment led to a breakdown in his socialization pattern which, in my opinion, influenced him to make the drastic decision to harm others.

If Robbie had been able to learn and comprehend hurting others is bad, constitutive ways to deal with emotions and how to form successful relationships, I think Robbie's story would have ended differently. While there are many in’s and out’s that influenced Robbie to kill others, the breakdown of the family unit, demonstrated through the documentary, caused a domino effect as he was unable to fully flourish in other settings. “What's Different About Robbie '' impacted how I view individuals' creation of self as many of the opinions we hold of others and ourselves relates back to how we were raised. Further, the family plays a large role in the transmission of class as many families tend to stay in the same economic sector as their parents did. This example of socialization can affect many opportunities for individuals later in life based on their class and skin color and further demonstrate the importance of a positive and strong family unit.

2.   Race relations- white normativity- how my presence affects those of color

I took this class as a part of my requirements for my criminology degree and hoped to learn more about race relations, and I wasn't disappointed. I learned a lot of key terms and themes that are important to keep in mind when evaluating individuals positions in society and its relation to race and class. However, I found the document “Race-based Critical Theory and the “Happy Talk” of diversity in America '' to have the greatest impact as it opened my eyes to my white privilege and how it affects discussion of race theory. While I have always understood the discussion of institutionalized racism, discrimnaiton and prejudice being formed from the oppression of colored people at the hands of white people, I had not thought about how these definitions and theories were created out of white perspectives.

Colorblindness and white normativity were new terms that changed how I viewed my white privilege. Both of these definitions fail to recognize how race plays a large role in the creations of people's identities as race is connected to many different cultures. By ignoring race, as is done in color blindness, one is ignoring years of oppression in the united states based on “white superiority” and how formation of today's institutions, like the prison system, criminal justice system and even the job market are based on the oppression of another group solely based on the fact that they are not white. White normativity also focuses on white superiority but uses the idea to preserve white domination over colored people consciously or subconsciously. By focusing on white superiority to perpetuate systems of inequality one is obscuring the experiences of people of color and focuses on how whites have advantages.

This problematic analysis fails again to recognize the culture and identities of colored people and how systems today are influenced by past relations of dominance based on skin color. The host analogy does a good job at explaining how ideas of white normativity and color blindness make people of color feel like they are only guests in “our white space” and that we have to accept them into the space thus giving them “privilege.” By recognizing my white privilege I'm able to work to break down institutionalized barriers which prefer me over another because of the color of my skin. More realty i've learned how, at times, my whit privilege can be helpful for the black community in spreading news of racism and discrimination as, unfortunately, many institutions like the media and lawmakers give preference towards these stories. Ultimately though, the recognition of my white privilege has helped me learn how to be an advocate for change and a partner to communities of color when my white privilege can bring awareness to these struggles of discrimination and prejudice when needed.

I would then like you to share this with a classmate.

What is their response to what you learned? What do they think of it? Please document that.

My partner learned about how much of an impact family socialization can have on a child, as shown in the video “What’s different about Robbie.” She thinks that the lack of family bond and his home environment is what led him down the path of violence. While I think this could definitely be the case, I am of the opinion that his psychological state was more of a factor in his violent decline, as his family got him help to try to fix his issues, and showed that they wanted to help him get better (but he ultimately didn’t). I will say, however, that a few events in his home life could have just made things worse, like the ring incident with the stealing money situation. But overall, I lean more towards his brain being the main problem.

She also learned about the terms white normatively and color blindness, and how they can reduce the progress we’ve made towards true equality by “not seeing color,” which is really just ignoring the years of oppression that people have faced. I think it is important for all white people to be informed about the issues that people of color face, as we have to be allies to them to ensure that our society can move forward, because—as Alicen mentioned—sometimes stories or opinions from white people are taken more seriously, so we should use the privilege and power we have to help those that we can.”

What did they learn? How is thier perspective different from yours? How is it the same?

My partner Olivia learned the importance of not separating issues into “mens” and “women's” issues but rather having a combined effort to fight injustices like domestic violence, rape and other oppressive actions. By having men step up, take responsibility and advocate for less violence against women, which they have been statistically proven to commit more, there can be greater social responsibility and accountability between men to check on their friends and families actions. I think Olivia's point of view is very insightful and is similar to how I think there can be greater reform by changing the rhetoric around “women's issues” to instead be issues everyone faces and must take action against in order to see change.

Olivia's second point about learning that deviant behavior can include breaking social norms in addition to breaking the law was something new I also learned! It is interesting to see how small breaks from social script that we think are “weird” is actually deviant behavior and how minor actions don't carry the same consequences as breaking the law does even though they are both forms of deviant behavior. I also think it's interesting the types of ways people are influenced to partake in deviant behavior and the interesting implications that hanging out with a social group holds.

The subjects we discuss in Sociology are often sensitive, so people tend to not talk about them. How could you communicate about these topics with someone who had very different opinions than you do in an effective way? Why should we strive for this?

(Joint answer)

When talking about difficult subjects in sociology, for example gender or race, it's important to be aware of another person's point of view and instead of attacking them for their beliefs learn how to respectfully disagree and use more neutral words to describe why you hold your position. When having a difficult conversation about value systems or politics today it's important to go into the conversation with a goal of wanting to inform the other person not change their point of view because often these are beliefs they've held for years and a conversation framed around changing their view they most likely won't be as receptive too. But, if you are able to learn the reasons behind someone having a specific opinion and share yours as well, it helps give new perspectives and education that someone may not have heard before. Constructive conversations can be hard to have in today's political climate but if respectable conversations are able to be held it is productive for all of society because it will ultimately lead to greater acceptance of being different and greater societal acceptance to have these tough conversations.

[alicenpotts-blog]

Final concept Reflection

Alicen Potts and Olivia Rogers

Alicen Potts---

1. I would like you to record (and elaborate—please do not simply list them) 2 things you learned in class that had an impact on you/your way of thinking.  One should be from a documentary/video and one should be from class lecture/note material or the article you read

Importance of family for socialization- “what’s different about Robbie”

“What's Different About Robbie” was one of the first videos we watched in class and the one that sat with me the most. While his story was tragic, demonstrating the failure of the mental health system and the lives lost due to Robbie’s actions, what I took out from the episode was how much the family plays a role in socializing their children. The episode showed the families inability to deal with Robbie's raging emotions from a young age and how the failure of his first socialization group led to a lack of identity and social skills which affected his success in other socialization groups. Due to his parents' decision to institutionalize him during key developmental years, his social success was greatly hindered later on in life.

Families are the first agent of socialization for children which influence our first values system, political socialization and form a sense of self. Ideally families will be able to pass on constructive lessons that children can take into the world to form their own opinions, however this transmission of beliefs and norms can break down, as it did in robbies case. Due to robbies lack of familial bond, he was unable to effectively learn from other sources of socialization like his peers, school and the media. The breakdown of robbies home environment led to a breakdown in his socialization pattern which, in my opinion, influenced him to make the drastic decision to harm others.

If Robbie had been able to learn and comprehend hurting others is bad, constitutive ways to deal with emotions and how to form successful relationships, I think Robbie's story would have ended differently. While there are many in’s and out’s that influenced Robbie to kill others, the breakdown of the family unit, demonstrated through the documentary, caused a domino effect as he was unable to fully flourish in other settings. “What's Different About Robbie '' impacted how I view individuals' creation of self as many of the opinions we hold of others and ourselves relates back to how we were raised. Further, the family plays a large role in the transmission of class as many families tend to stay in the same economic sector as their parents did. This example of socialization can affect many opportunities for individuals later in life based on their class and skin color and further demonstrate the importance of a positive and strong family unit.

Race relations- white normativity- how my presence affects those of color

I took this class as a part of my requirements for my criminology degree and hoped to learn more about race relations, and I wasn't disappointed. I learned a lot of key terms and themes that are important to keep in mind when evaluating individuals positions in society and its relation to race and class. However, I found the document “Race-based Critical Theory and the “Happy Talk” of diversity in America '' to have the greatest impact as it opened my eyes to my white privilege and how it affects discussion of race theory. While I have always understood the discussion of institutionalized racism, discrimination and prejudice being formed from the oppression of colored people at the hands of white people, I had not thought about how these definitions and theories were created out of white perspectives.

Colorblindness and white normativity were new terms that changed how I viewed my white privilege. Both of these definitions fail to recognize how race plays a large role in the creations of people's identities as race is connected to many different cultures. By ignoring race, as is done in color blindness, one is ignoring years of oppression in the united states based on “white superiority” and how formation of today's institutions, like the prison system, criminal justice system and even the job market are based on the oppression of another group solely based on the fact that they are not white. White normativity also focuses on white superiority but uses the idea to preserve white domination over colored people consciously or subconsciously. By focusing on white superiority to perpetuate systems of inequality one is obscuring the experiences of people of color and focuses on how whites have advantages.

This problematic analysis fails again to recognize the culture and identities of colored people and how systems today are influenced by past relations of dominance based on skin color. The host analogy does a good job at explaining how ideas of white normativity and color blindness make people of color feel like they are only guests in “our white space” and that we have to accept them into the space thus giving them “privilege.” By recognizing my white privilege I'm able to work to break down institutionalized barriers which prefer me over another because of the color of my skin. More realty i've learned how, at times, my whit privilege can be helpful for the black community in spreading news of racism and discrimination as, unfortunately, many institutions like the media and lawmakers give preference towards these stories. Ultimately though, the recognition of my white privilege has helped me learn how to be an advocate for change and a partner to communities of color when my white privilege can bring awareness to these struggles of discrimination and prejudice when needed.

I would then like you to share this with a classmate.

2. What is their response to what you learned? What do they think of it? Please document that.

“My partner learned about how much of an impact family socialization can have on a child, as shown in the video “What’s different about Robbie.” She thinks that the lack of family bond and his home environment is what led him down the path of violence. While I think this could definitely be the case, I am of the opinion that his psychological state was more of a factor in his violent decline, as his family got him help to try to fix his issues, and showed that they wanted to help him get better (but he ultimately didn’t). I will say, however, that a few events in his home life could have just made things worse, like the ring incident with the stealing money situation. But overall, I lean more towards his brain being the main problem.

She also learned about the terms white normatively and color blindness, and how they can reduce the progress we’ve made towards true equality by “not seeing color,” which is really just ignoring the years of oppression that people have faced. I think it is important for all white people to be informed about the issues that people of color face, as we have to be allies to them to ensure that our society can move forward, because—as Alicen mentioned—sometimes stories or opinions from white people are taken more seriously, so we should use the privilege and power we have to help those that we can.”

3. What did they learn? How is thier perspective different from yours? How is it the same?

My partner Olivia learned the importance of not separating issues into “mens” and “women's” issues but rather having a combined effort to fight injustices like domestic violence, rape and other oppressive actions. By having men step up, take responsibility and advocate for less violence against women, which they have been statistically proven to commit more, there can be greater social responsibility and accountability between men to check on their friends and families actions. I think Olivia's point of view is very insightful and is similar to how I think there can be greater reform by changing the rhetoric around “women's issues” to instead be issues everyone faces and must take action against in order to see change.

Olivia's second point about learning that deviant behavior can include breaking social norms in addition to breaking the law was something new I also learned! It is interesting to see how small breaks from social script that we think are “weird” is actually deviant behavior and how minor actions don't carry the same consequences as breaking the law does even though they are both forms of deviant behavior. I also think it's interesting the types of ways people are influenced to partake in deviant behavior and the interesting implications that hanging out with a social group holds.

4. The subjects we discuss in Sociology are often sensitive, so people tend to not talk about them. How could you communicate about these topics with someone who had very different opinions than you do in an effective way? Why should we strive for this?

When talking about difficult subjects in sociology, for example gender or race, it's important to be aware of another person's point of view and instead of attacking them for their beliefs learn how to respectfully disagree and use more neutral words to describe why you hold your position. When having a difficult conversation about value systems or politics today it's important to go into the conversation with a goal of wanting to inform the other person not change their point of view because often these are beliefs they've held for years and a conversation framed around changing their view they most likely won't be as receptive too. But, if you are able to learn the reasons behind someone having a specific opinion and share yours as well, it helps give new perspectives and education that someone may not have heard before. Constructive conversations can be hard to have in today's political climate but if respectable conversations are able to be held it is productive for all of society because it will ultimately lead to greater acceptance of being different and greater societal acceptance to have these tough conversations.

Olivia Rogers---

1. I would like you to record (and elaborate—please do not simply list them) 2 things you learned in class that had an impact on you/your way of thinking.  One should be from a documentary/video and one should be from class lecture/note material or the article you read

It is definitely something I should have realized, and maybe I did in the way I viewed things, but I never had thinking like “these are mens problems, not women’s problems” in response to things like domestic violence, rape, or other oppressive and violent actions towards women. That quote is a main thing I took from “Tough Guise.” And no, I’m not saying I didn’t blame men for doing these things, I guess all my life I only saw mainly women fighting for these things to change, not men. And that is exactly the point! That overtime it has become OUR responsibility to fight against these horrible things, so men (and everyone else) sees them as “women’s issues.” It’s ridiculous. It’s the men primarily (statistically) committing these crimes against women, and yet it’s come to the women—who are going through it—to fight against it. This needs to change, and hopefully by saying that these are “men’s issues,” we can get more men to check their friends, family members, coworkers, etc in what they say and do.

Secondly, I was interested to learn the actual definition of deviance is not just doing crimes, but just straying from the norm in general. I really only thought about deviant behavior as something illegal, or something that could get you in trouble with the law. I never really thought that just violating social norms could be considered deviance.

I would then like you to share this with a classmate.

2. What is their response to what you learned? What do they think of it? Please document that.

My partner Olivia learned the importance of not separating issues into “mens” and “women's” issues but rather having a combined effort to fight injustices like domestic violence, rape and other oppressive actions. By having men step up, take responsibility and advocate for less violence against women, which they have been statistically proven to commit more, there can be greater social responsibility and accountability between men to check on their friends and families actions. I think Olivia's point of view is very insightful and is similar to how I think there can be greater reform by changing the rhetoric around “women's issues” to instead be issues everyone faces and must take action against in order to see change.

Olivia's second point about learning that deviant behavior can include breaking social norms in addition to breaking the law was something new I also learned! It is interesting to see how small breaks from social script that we think are “weird” is actually deviant behavior and how minor actions don't carry the same consequences as breaking the law does even though they are both forms of deviant behavior. I also think it's interesting the types of ways people are influenced to partake in deviant behavior and the interesting implications that hanging out with a social group holds.

3. What did they learn? How is their perspective different from yours? How is it the same?

My partner learned about how much of an impact family socialization can have on a child, as shown in the video “What’s different about Robbie.” She thinks that the lack of family bond and his home environment is what led him down the path of violence. While I think this could definitely be the case, I am of the opinion that his psychological state was more of a factor in his violent decline, as his family got him help to try to fix his issues, and showed that they wanted to help him get better (but he ultimately didn’t). I will say, however, that a few events in his home life could have just made things worse, like the ring incident with the stealing money situation. But overall, I lean more towards his brain being the main problem.

She also learned about the terms white normatively and color blindness, and how they can reduce the progress we’ve made towards true equality by “not seeing color,” which is really just ignoring the years of oppression that people have faced. I think it is important for all white people to be informed about the issues that people of color face, as we have to be allies to them to ensure that our society can move forward, because—as Alicen mentioned—sometimes stories or opinions from white people are taken more seriously, so we should use the privilege and power we have to help those that we can.

4. The subjects we discuss in Sociology are often sensitive, so people tend to not talk about them. How could you communicate about these topics with someone who had very different opinions than you do in an effective way? Why should we strive for this?

[healthserv]

Overdiagnosing Trump

By SAURABH JHA, MD

When I first read about neurosyphilis in medical school, I became convinced that Mrs. Thatcher, who I detested intensely because it was fashionable detesting her, had General Paralysis of the Insane. The condition, marked by episodic bouts of temporary insanity, which indicated that the spirochetes were feasting on expensive real estate in the brain, seemed a plausible explanation why she had introduced the retarded Poll Tax.

A little bit of medical knowledge can lead to tomfoolery by the juvenile. I began diagnosing the powerful with medical conditions. I thought the former leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, who had an odd affect, was both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid – when he spoke he looked myxedematous and when was silent he looked like he had Grave’s Disease. The tacit, but not silent enough, Prince Charles spoke in a tone that seemed a cry for help for acutely thrombosed piles. I also realized that the Prince of Wales –  who is the most compelling evidence for the magical kingdom of elves – wasn’t reducible to a single diagnostic code. Diagnosing Hillary was relatively straightforward. After reading a third of her memoirs, which permanently cured my insomnia, I felt someone had inadvertently given her dextrose without thiamine.

There’s something delightfully empowering, and annoyingly juvenile, about diagnosing the famous with medical conditions. It is also strangely pedagogic. I’ll never forget the symptoms of syphilis, not because I’ve seen patients with them (nor because I have them), but because I’ve templated these symptoms on people who almost certainly don’t suffer from syphilis.

Thus, it’s no surprise that many are keen to diagnose Mr. Trump with a medical condition – my preferred diagnosis would be Kluver Bucy syndrome, but that would expose my juvenile intent. Far removed from childish diagnostic name calling, many serious people seriously believe that Mr. Trump has a neurocognitive condition which is seriously impairing his judgment and decision making.

Analyzing Trump’s speech pattern, experts have questioned what his decline of verbal fluency indicates. Possibly mild cognitive impairment (MCI)? Possibly the first signal of dementia? Possibly normal aging?  STAT News outlines the evidence. STAT has gallantly fought overdiagnosis and overmedicalization. MCI is the mother of overdiagnosed conditions – it’s more capacious than the Pacific Ocean – technically anyone can have it on a bad day, or after opening the 2nd bottle of wine. I hope STAT will do an expose of physician-industry relationships which have lead to overdiagnosis of MCI.

That even Mr. Findlay, a serious journalist with hardly the juvenile disposition that I possess in abundance, has fallen for the medicalization of Trump, begs the question – what gives?

There is, of course, a historical curiosity how pain and disease influence a person’s worldview. Thoreau once said that nothing drives a revolution more forcefully than a man with unfulfilled bowels. Many historians believe that Karl Marx’s hidradenitis suppurativa – painful inflammation of the sweat glands – made him angry about capitalism. Which means that the Bolshevik revolution was conceived, not by the events of Bloody Sunday, but under the smelly arm pits of an unkept Nineteenth Century Londoner.

The analysis of Trump is not historical but in the present and Mr. Trump is certainly no Karl Marx. Even so, there’s little precedence for medicalizing POTUS because of their policies. When Bush Jr. alluded that he spoke to God, no one tried diagnosing him with temporal lobe epilepsy. Even Bill Clinton, the man who once put a preposition on trial, escaped the wrath of DSM.

Why, then, are people so obsessed with giving Mr. Trump an ICD-10 or DSM-5 code?

Many readers will say that conflating Mr. Trump with the flawed, yet genuine leaders that I’ve mentioned is moral relativism. And I’d agree. The Iron Lady was no follower. Bill had several leadership moments, even when he wasn’t alone. Even Bush rose to the occasion – he rose to other occasions when the world might have been better off if he stayed sitting. Even the reptilian Hillary would, arguably, have been more of a leader than the comically bumbling Trump.

The comically bumbling Trump who could, in a parallel universe, be auditioning for the next Austin Powers, and who seems not to be enjoying his presidency terribly, is the heart of the problem. There’s an incessant attempt at delegitimizing Trump. It was never enough saying “Trump is a joke.” And “Trump is evil” no longer suffices – even though the look on the Pope’s face, when he stood next to Trump resembled the look on Gregory Peck’s face when he saw that his adopted son, Damian, had “666” written on his scalp.

    The medicalization of Trump is part of an emerging phenomenon, thus far innominate, which I’ll call “rational delegitimization,” in which scholars, incredulous of Trump’s behavior, seek biological substrates to delegitimize him. It is an extension of the very legitimate and necessary legitimization of variation we like when we find that the variation has a biological explanation. But this is a very slippery slope.

Researchers have tried to show that conservatives and progressives have different brain structures – apparently, progressives have a larger anterior cingulate gyrus and conservatives have a larger amygdala. I’ll let you guess the abundance of which structure is more desirable.

This type of research can ossify polarization permanently. Already, many believe that their moral high ground shuts debate with opposing worldviews. The last thing you want is for people to believe they have not just the moral, but biological high ground. Tying biology with morality breeds a new class of biological theocrats who make the Ayatollah a libertarian, free love-seeking, cannabis smoker in comparison. Combining tribalism, functional MRI and p <0.05 can spit out BS of a scale one struggles to comprehend.

A colleague of mine hasn’t been herself for a few months. I often put academic blues to the promotion cycle, but she has already made Associate Professor. So, I inquired. With eyes swelling with genuine tears she told me that she was very upset that many “normal” (the air quotes are hers, not mine) people voted Trump.

This gets to the crux of the issue, which is our inability to grasp the broad coastline of what is normal (note absence of air quotes). I said to my colleague, as diplomatically as I could, that she needs to expand her definition of normal – actually, I said she needs to get out more.

It is normal for normal people to disagree about the least worst presidential candidate in 2016. It is normal for normal people to ask of those who disagree with them “how could you be so stupid?” It is normal, though worrying, to shrink the real estate of legitimacy by safe spaces. This is called “having an opinion,” which is what sets us apart from other mammals, notably the duck-billed platypus and, mercifully, the sheep.

The presence or absence of a disease, organic or psychiatric, is conditionally independent of whether someone agrees or disagree with your worldview. To seek biological substrates to delegitimize opposing views risks delegitimizing the already precarious medical sciences. Ideally, normal people politely agree to disagree, but even when they don’t, they’re still normal.

Mr. Trump has a condition which is very prevalent in our society and under diagnosed in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s called “ineptness.” It doesn’t have an ICD code, yet. Which is just as well, because if ineptness became a preexisting condition all insurance markets will truly enter an inept death spiral.

History will tell us if Mr. Trump had an unprecedented or, as he put it, “unpresidented” level of ineptness. But even if he does that doesn’t make him diseased. Normal can be aesthetically pleasing, or distasteful. And, for all his faults, and there surely are many, and notwithstanding #covfefe, Trump is probably normal.

About the author

Saurabh Jha is a contributing editor to THCB. He has an abnormally large anterior cingulate gyrus and amygdala

Overdiagnosing Trump published first on http://ift.tt/2sUuvu3

[isaacscrawford]

Overdiagnosing Trump

By SAURABH JHA, MD

When I first read about neurosyphilis in medical school, I became convinced that Mrs. Thatcher, who I detested intensely because it was fashionable detesting her, had General Paralysis of the Insane. The condition, marked by episodic bouts of temporary insanity, which indicated that the spirochetes were feasting on expensive real estate in the brain, seemed a plausible explanation why she had introduced the retarded Poll Tax.

A little bit of medical knowledge can lead to tomfoolery by the juvenile. I began diagnosing the powerful with medical conditions. I thought the former leader of the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, who had an odd affect, was both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid – when he spoke he looked myxedematous and when was silent he looked like he had Grave’s Disease. The tacit, but not silent enough, Prince Charles spoke in a tone that seemed a cry for help for acutely thrombosed piles. I also realized that the Prince of Wales –  who is the most compelling evidence for the magical kingdom of elves – wasn’t reducible to a single diagnostic code. Diagnosing Hillary was relatively straightforward. After reading a third of her memoirs, which permanently cured my insomnia, I felt someone had inadvertently given her dextrose without thiamine.

There’s something delightfully empowering, and annoyingly juvenile, about diagnosing the famous with medical conditions. It is also strangely pedagogic. I’ll never forget the symptoms of syphilis, not because I’ve seen patients with them (nor because I have them), but because I’ve templated these symptoms on people who almost certainly don’t suffer from syphilis.

Thus, it’s no surprise that many are keen to diagnose Mr. Trump with a medical condition – my preferred diagnosis would be Kluver Bucy syndrome, but that would expose my juvenile intent. Far removed from childish diagnostic name calling, many serious people seriously believe that Mr. Trump has a neurocognitive condition which is seriously impairing his judgment and decision making.

Analyzing Trump’s speech pattern, experts have questioned what his decline of verbal fluency indicates. Possibly mild cognitive impairment (MCI)? Possibly the first signal of dementia? Possibly normal aging?  STAT News outlines the evidence. STAT has gallantly fought overdiagnosis and overmedicalization. MCI is the mother of overdiagnosed conditions – it’s more capacious than the Pacific Ocean – technically anyone can have it on a bad day, or after opening the 2nd bottle of wine. I hope STAT will do an expose of physician-industry relationships which have lead to overdiagnosis of MCI.

That even Mr. Findlay, a serious journalist with hardly the juvenile disposition that I possess in abundance, has fallen for the medicalization of Trump, begs the question – what gives?

There is, of course, a historical curiosity how pain and disease influence a person’s worldview. Thoreau once said that nothing drives a revolution more forcefully than a man with unfulfilled bowels. Many historians believe that Karl Marx’s hidradenitis suppurativa – painful inflammation of the sweat glands – made him angry about capitalism. Which means that the Bolshevik revolution was conceived, not by the events of Bloody Sunday, but under the smelly arm pits of an unkept Nineteenth Century Londoner.

The analysis of Trump is not historical but in the present and Mr. Trump is certainly no Karl Marx. Even so, there’s little precedence for medicalizing POTUS because of their policies. When Bush Jr. alluded that he spoke to God, no one tried diagnosing him with temporal lobe epilepsy. Even Bill Clinton, the man who once put a preposition on trial, escaped the wrath of DSM.

Why, then, are people so obsessed with giving Mr. Trump an ICD-10 or DSM-5 code?

Many readers will say that conflating Mr. Trump with the flawed, yet genuine leaders that I’ve mentioned is moral relativism. And I’d agree. The Iron Lady was no follower. Bill had several leadership moments, even when he wasn’t alone. Even Bush rose to the occasion – he rose to other occasions when the world might have been better off if he stayed sitting. Even the reptilian Hillary would, arguably, have been more of a leader than the comically bumbling Trump.

The comically bumbling Trump who could, in a parallel universe, be auditioning for the next Austin Powers, and who seems not to be enjoying his presidency terribly, is the heart of the problem. There’s an incessant attempt at delegitimizing Trump. It was never enough saying “Trump is a joke.” And “Trump is evil” no longer suffices – even though the look on the Pope’s face, when he stood next to Trump resembled the look on Gregory Peck’s face when he saw that his adopted son, Damian, had “666” written on his scalp.

    The medicalization of Trump is part of an emerging phenomenon, thus far innominate, which I’ll call “rational delegitimization,” in which scholars, incredulous of Trump’s behavior, seek biological substrates to delegitimize him. It is an extension of the very legitimate and necessary legitimization of variation we like when we find that the variation has a biological explanation. But this is a very slippery slope.

Researchers have tried to show that conservatives and progressives have different brain structures – apparently, progressives have a larger anterior cingulate gyrus and conservatives have a larger amygdala. I’ll let you guess the abundance of which structure is more desirable.

This type of research can ossify polarization permanently. Already, many believe that their moral high ground shuts debate with opposing worldviews. The last thing you want is for people to believe they have not just the moral, but biological high ground. Tying biology with morality breeds a new class of biological theocrats who make the Ayatollah a libertarian, free love-seeking, cannabis smoker in comparison. Combining tribalism, functional MRI and p <0.05 can spit out BS of a scale one struggles to comprehend.

A colleague of mine hasn’t been herself for a few months. I often put academic blues to the promotion cycle, but she has already made Associate Professor. So, I inquired. With eyes swelling with genuine tears she told me that she was very upset that many “normal” (the air quotes are hers, not mine) people voted Trump.

This gets to the crux of the issue, which is our inability to grasp the broad coastline of what is normal (note absence of air quotes). I said to my colleague, as diplomatically as I could, that she needs to expand her definition of normal – actually, I said she needs to get out more.

It is normal for normal people to disagree about the least worst presidential candidate in 2016. It is normal for normal people to ask of those who disagree with them “how could you be so stupid?” It is normal, though worrying, to shrink the real estate of legitimacy by safe spaces. This is called “having an opinion,” which is what sets us apart from other mammals, notably the duck-billed platypus and, mercifully, the sheep.

The presence or absence of a disease, organic or psychiatric, is conditionally independent of whether someone agrees or disagree with your worldview. To seek biological substrates to delegitimize opposing views risks delegitimizing the already precarious medical sciences. Ideally, normal people politely agree to disagree, but even when they don’t, they’re still normal.

Mr. Trump has a condition which is very prevalent in our society and under diagnosed in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It’s called “ineptness.” It doesn’t have an ICD code, yet. Which is just as well, because if ineptness became a preexisting condition all insurance markets will truly enter an inept death spiral.

History will tell us if Mr. Trump had an unprecedented or, as he put it, “unpresidented” level of ineptness. But even if he does that doesn’t make him diseased. Normal can be aesthetically pleasing, or distasteful. And, for all his faults, and there surely are many, and notwithstanding #covfefe, Trump is probably normal.

About the author

Saurabh Jha is a contributing editor to THCB. He has an abnormally large anterior cingulate gyrus and amygdala

Article source:The Health Care Blog