#childless women * true

[omshivaram]

Astro Shiva Ram possesses profound knowledge in various aspects of astrology, including palmistry, numerology, horoscope reading, Vastu, and more. With this extensive expertise, they are adept at offering assistance to people, ensuring they navigate through life without encountering significant problems or discomfort. Having been immersed in the field of astrology since childhood, Astro Shiva Ram brings years of experience and wisdom to their practice. If you ever find yourself facing challenges for which you cannot find solutions, seeking the guidance of Astrologer Astro Shiva Ram can help you overcome them effectively. love

[nerdgirlnarrates]

Even though it's been months since I switched from neurosurgery to internal medicine, I still have a hard time not being angry about the training culture and particularly the sexism of neurosurgery. It wasn't the whole reason I switched, but truthfully it was a significant part of my decision.

I quickly got worn out by constantly being questioned over my family plans. Within minutes of meeting me, attendings and residents felt comfortable lecturing me on the difficulties of having children as a neurosurgeon. One attending even suggested I should ask my co-residents' permission before getting pregnant so as not to inconvenience them. I do not have children and have never indicated if I plan to have any. Truthfully, I do want children, but I would absolutely have foregone that to be a neurosurgeon. I wanted to be a neurosurgeon more than anything. But I was never asked: it was simply assumed that I would want to be a mother first. Purely because I'm a woman, my ambitions were constantly undermined, assumed to be lesser than those of my male peers. Women must want families, therefore women must be less committed. It was inconceivable that I might put my career first. It was impossible to disprove this assumption: what could I have done to demonstrate my commitment more than what I had already done by leading the interest group, taking a research year, doing a sub-I? My interest in neurosurgery would never be viewed the same way my male peers' was, no matter what I did. I would never be viewed as a neurosurgeon in the same way my male peers would be, because I, first and foremost, would be a mother. It turns out women don't even need to have children to be a mother: it is what you essentially are. You can't be allowed to pursue things that might interfere with your potential motherhood.

Furthermore, you are not trusted to know your own ambitions or what might interfere with your motherhood. I am an adult woman who has gone to medical school: I am well aware of what is required in reproduction, pregnancy, and residency, as much as one can be without experiencing it firsthand. And yet, it was always assumed that I had somehow shown up to a neurosurgery sub-I totally ignorant of the demands of the career and of pregnancy. I needed to be enlightened: always by men, often by childless men. Apparently, it was implausible that I could evaluate the situation on my own and come to a decision. I also couldn't be trusted to know what I wanted: if I said I wanted to be a neurosurgeon more than a mother, I was immediately reassured I could still have a family (an interesting flip from the dire warnings issued not five minutes earlier in the conversation). People could not understand my point, which was that I didn't care. I couldn't mean that, because women are fundamentally mothers. I needed to be guided back to my true role.

Because everyone was so confident in their sexist assumptions that I was less committed, I was not offered the same training, guidance, or opportunities as the men. I didn't have projects thrown my way, I didn't get check-ins or advice on my application process, I didn't get opportunities in the OR that my male peers got, I didn't get taught. I once went two whole days on my sub-I without anyone saying a word to me. I would come to work, avoid the senior resident I was warned hated trainees, figure out which OR to go to on my own, scrub in, watch a surgery in complete silence without even the opportunity to cut a knot, then move to the next surgery. How could I possibly become a surgeon in that environment? And this is all to say nothing of the rape jokes, the advice that the best way for a woman to match is to be as hot as possible, listening to my attending advise the male med students on how to get laid, etc.

At a certain point, it became clear it would be incredibly difficult for me to become a neurosurgeon. I wouldn't get research or leadership opportunities, I wouldn't get teaching or feedback, I wouldn't get mentorship, and I wouldn't get respect. I would have to fight tooth and nail for every single piece of my training, and the prospect was just exhausting. Especially when I also really enjoyed internal medicine, where absolutely none of this was happening and I even had attendings telling me I would be good at it (something that didn't happen in neurosurgery until I quit).

I've been told I should get over this, but I don't know how to. I don't know how to stop being mad about how thoroughly sidelined I was for being female. I don't know how to stop being bitter that my intelligence, commitment, and work ethic meant so much less because I'm a woman. I know I made the right decision to switch to internal medicine, and it probably would have been the right decision even if there weren't all these issues with the culture of neurosurgery, but I'm still so angry about how it happened.

[revive-the-fandom]

the dragons series had a lot of inconsistencies tbh and I've yet to see anyone spell some of them out? so I'm gonna be the critic i need in my life

Gothi

this childless Grandma is not a healer.

she is a Seeress or a Wise Woman. the Berkians canonically refer to her as The Elder.

A Seeress' job is to commune with gods and spirits (mostly thru getting high) and give advice to their King or Jarl (or Chief). Gothi does this canonically by being the final judge for whether Hiccup or Astrid got to graduate/get the honour of killing the Monstrous Nightmare.

Seeress' were almost always women, although men did occasionally become Seers, it was considered emasculating and unnatural.

Seeress' may also live in high, isolated places in order to be closer to the Gods, which Gothi most definitely does. They could also take vows of silence, which is most likely what Gothi has done, if she isn't physically mute.

Seeress' were highly respected and had a considerably amount of influence over their clan.

Berk's attitude towards the dragons

The end of Httyd 1 showed multiple people riding and co-habituating with Dragons. They had feeding stations (made out of old braziers), stables etc:

But RoB/DoB opens with the village seriously struggling to assimilate the Dragons into their lives, with the Dragons stealing food and shitting in the town square.

Fishlegs & Hiccup

Fishlegs is not Hiccup's friend in Httyd 1, he's one of Hiccup's bullies.

Fishlegs hangs out with Snotlout, the twins and Astrid and laughs along with them when teasing Hiccup. He may be a conflicted or opportunistic bully rather than a flat out asshole, but he's still participating.

Fishlegs is one above Hiccup in the pecking order, if Hiccup's not around to be bullied then Fishlegs is next in line. But as it stands Fishlegs is allowed into the friend circle, whereas Hiccup is not.

Fishlegs is the bully that needs Hiccup around so that he doesn't get bullied himself. He for sure wants to be friends with Hiccup too, but he's not going to risk his position in the group for Hiccup.

Snotlout & bullying Fishlegs

the series (The Iron Gronckle ep mostly) makes out that Snotlout has been terrorising specifically Fishlegs (both physically and verbally) to the point that Fishlegs has become meek and anxious because of him.

which is just blatantly not true, see my above point on Fishlegs being one of the bullies.

Snotlout is mean to Fishlegs, sure. but he's also mean to Hiccup, and on occasion to the Twins. Snotlout is second in command of this group's/generation's pecking order, and he only bows his head to Astrid because she is sitting solidly at the top (and he has a crush on her).

As soon as Astrid is booted off of her pedestal by Hiccup, Snotlout starts acting friendly to Hiccup. So does everyone save Astrid.

and once Hiccup is top dog, Snotlout takes orders from Hiccup, because Hiccup is the most successful and respected of their group. Even when they lead him into dangerous situations like the final battle against the Red/Green Death.

Snotlout is not The Bully TM he's just one of many bullies. He wasn't trying to single people out, he was just trying to fit in with the standard the adults of Berk had set, and one of those standards was bullying the weak.

Astrid & bullying hiccup

the series loves to forget that Astrid was the Leader of the group for most of Httyd 1, and she was at best a passive observer of their bullying Hiccup, and at worst an active participant. She shared Berk's views on "get tough or get out" and applied them to Hiccup.

Astrid took things a step further and started stalking Hiccup as soon as he started out pacing her in training. She pushed him around and hit him, while even Snotlout had only teased him.

Saying that Astrid and Hiccup have "known each other all [their] lives" in RTTE is true in that they have lived in the same village and grown up at the same time, but they most definitely weren't close in Httyd 1.

[racefortheironthrone]

Hello, I’ve a part asoiaf part medieval history question. So despite the strict gender roles, we know that women (at least noble women) can enjoy some “male” activities like horse riding and some kinds of hunting (Cat says Arya can have a hunting hawk). Are there any other “male” activities women can partake too without being judged about it, or even encouraged to do so (both in Westeros and real world)?

So as medievalists and historians of gender have pointed out, ASOIAF is far more restrictive for women than actual medieval Europe. I'm actually going to leave aside the situation of noblewoman for a second, because the vast majority of women were not nobles and their experience of gender would be radically different.

What counted as "male activities" for example would vary enormously by location (rural vs. urban) and thus occupation (farmer vs. artisan). Among the peasantry, while men tended to work in the fields and concentrated on cereal-crop production and women tended to do the manifold work of maintaining the home, the reality is that the irregular nature of agricultural labor meant that in times of high demand (especially spring sowing and autumn harvest) it was a matter of survival for every single member of the household to work in the fields. So women absolutely knew how to work a plow, and swing a scythe.

As for the urban worker, while there was also a high degree of gender segregation by occupation and guilds could often be quite misogynistic when it came to trying to masculinize trades (especially those involving higher rates of capital investment), it was also true that the entire household was expected to contribute their labor, so that wives, daughters, collateral female relatives, and female servants picked up the trade alongside their male counterpart. Moreover, as biased towards men as guilds could be, they were even more committed to the principle that guild businesses were family businesses, and so in situations where a master artisan had only daughters or died childless or died with underage heirs, it was absolutely routine for guilds to admit daughters and widows as guild members, indeed usually at the rank of master, all so that the business could remain in the same family. This is why medievalists can point to so many examples of women who worked in skilled trades, often at a high level.

That's what I think GRRM's portrait of medieval society is missing: an entire world of women in business, working elbow-to-elbow with men to make a living.

As for noblewomen, part of the difficulty is that a big part of being a noble was not doing stuff - not working for a living, chiefly - and instead engaging in leisure activities as much as possible. And women were very much a part of those activities (indeed, for many of them the point was to mingle with eligible people of the opposite gender), whether that's feasting, dancing, hunting, hawking, theater and other entertainments, fireworks, tourneys and jousts, etc.

However, women were also engaged in the main "occupations" of the nobility - estate management and politics - way more than GRRM really takes note of. To begin with, as even GRRM acknowledges to some extent, the lady of the house was expected to take an active role in running the house, which meant managing servants, keeping track of accounts payable and receivable, making sure the supplies arrive on time and in the right quality and quantity, keeping an eye on maintenance and repairs (with the help of servants, natch), etc.

Given that even the manor houses of the nobility were units of economic production, the lady of the house would also be responsible for oversight of how the house was doing with its pigs, goats, chickens and pigeons and geese, bees (because beeswax and honey were really important commodities), sheep, and so on, and what kind of figures they were pulling down at the mill and the weir, and so forth.

As medievalists have known for a long time, this list of duties got even longer whenever the lord of the house was away at war or on business, when the lady would be expected to pick up all his work too - which means making sure the rents and taxes get paid, deciding which fields to distribute manpower to and when, dealing with legal disputes in the manorial court, and so on. And if the war came home, the lady of the house was expected to lead the defense of the castle and there are many, many examples of noblewomen who had to organize sieges that lasted months and even years.

However, we also have to consider the impact of inheritance by birth and the inherent randomness of sex at birth - as much as they tried to avoid it, plenty of noble houses ended up with female heirs or in the hands of widows. Most of the time in most countries, women could and did inherit (or at the very least their male children and relatives could inherit through them) titles and fiefdoms, and while their husbands would often take on overlordship de jure uxoris, unmarried women and widows very much exercised their authority as the Lady or Baroness or Countess or whatever, and history is also full of women who were extremely influential in medieval politics and backed up their influence by any means necessary.

[fanartka]

I love so many different ships with Strange and each relationship develops so differently. I like Clea Strange because she is always Strange's equal, she is not a damsel in distress, but in the same way studies magic and fighting and can take on the responsibilities of protecting her world or Earth.

I don’t know in which country what the habits are, but here in Ukraine, on March 8th, men usually congratulate women something like “you are such gentle and beautiful flowers, thank you for decorating our lives so much, inspiring us so much, take care of us. We wish you to always remain so beautiful, we wish you to find true female happiness (this means finding a man and getting married successfully), etc. " Then they give us a frying pan or some household item, as if this is exactly the one thing that every woman dreams of, flower and sometimes husbands take the responsibility of cooking on this day. Wow.

Of course, this is not done out of malice. None of them, or almost no one, I’m sure, wants to somehow offend a woman with such behavior, but just think about this.

March 8 is the day of women’s solidarity in the struggle for equal rights, for the right to be not only a muse and “hearth keeper,” but also for the right to simply be human. for the right that women, those who literally create and raise humanity, throughout the history of mankind, did not have, except for small historical moments of relaxation in some societies, and then very weak ones. And in many countries they still don’t. And it’s incredibly wild and painful.

This is the right to be not only a flower and decoration of a man’s life, but also to decide your own destiny. And all we hear in this day is "be kind as spring, be gentle as flower, here's a pan, isn't it everything you wish?"

I am so happy to live in a time when I can live my own life and earn my own living. My father could not marry me off against my will, and, knowing his character, he would have done so if he had the opportunity. I have the right to manage my property and have received an education. Such simple joys of a free person that many women did not even dare to dream about a hundred years ago.

I would like to thank all the women who made this possible for us, suffragettes, feminists, who demanded equal pay, demanded to reduce the working day from 16 to 10 hours, demanded voting rights. They were beaten and thrown into prison, barbarically force-fed when they went on hunger strike. Society hounded and mocked them, just google the caricatures of those years.

The most offensive thing is that women themselves were part of the bullying society, those who were taught to be obedient and comfortable and who taught this to their daughters, spreading from century to century the ideology of second-classness, which is very destructive for women. And even now in many countries, when terrible stories happen like a father and his sons trying to kill their daughter because she married whoever she wanted, the mother supports the killers, and not her own child, because the shame is on the woman. Always on the woman, no matter what they do to her. Being raped is a shame, being childless is a shame, giving birth out of wedlock is a shame. She left her husband who beats her - it’s a shame. She wore pants instead of a dress with a corset - well, you get the idea.

So many unfortunate broken flowers throughout history.

And just imagine how much faster humanity could develop if not only one half of humanity were allowed to create and learn! Look at the fandom artists and writers, most of them are girls. Now remove all the girls from the list of all fandom artists, leaving only the guys, and you will understand what humanity has been deprived of for thousands of years. Guys, your work is also wonderful, I have nothing against you. But I just see how many artists there are women, it’s just 70 or 80 percent, at least of those whose work I see on social networks or on Pinterest. We had frightening losses that we did not even notice, and many beautiful drawings and many wonderful stories withered and decayed in home notebooks and albums in attics, because women were not published. Only children's books, that's all you're good for.

I like living in this time.

I like to see how younger couples around me are gradually getting used to the fact that household responsibilities are not only the woman’s business, but also the man’s. And really, how weird it was. When a man worked at work and a woman at home, this could still be dealt with. But when both work, to think that after work a woman should bring groceries, cook food, clean, do homework with the children while the man rests after work - this is nonsense! But our women have lived like this for almost a hundred years, and many still live by this ingrained habit and teach their daughters this, “otherwise the husband will leave for another, a better and more comfortable housewife.” When will this end?!

I see many film studios, including Marvel, trying to be on trend and in line with the spirit of the times, but doing it so ineptly and without the slightest understanding that it causes more frustration than gratitude.

It’s the same as if you asked for bread in a store, but they covered it with cream and glitter, wrapped it in pink packaging and didn’t let you carry it yourself, otherwise it would suddenly be too heavy and you wouldn’t be able to handle it. And we just need simple, honestly earned bread.

Often in films they try to show a strong female character as some kind of Mary-Sue, an imba, a standard Superman, but in a skirt. And to emphasize this, such heroines are shown as almost super-cool, emotionless robots against the backdrop of stupid, weak men.

But this is not what we would like to see, not what women and humanity need.

I can't speak for all women, but I think we don't want to be the strongest males. We want to be able to become as strong as our character will allow, if we want to. We don't want to be stronger than anyone, we don't need to surround ourselves with weaklings to feel strong. We want an equal partner who will never say something like "I'm a man, so I'm in charge. You're a woman, so submit and don't talk back."

It's scary to think how many women still live in a world where they are forbidden to live their lives the way they want; where they are tortured and no one, not family, not the state, will protect them, because this is “the norm and traditions.”

So on the holiday of March 8, I wish all women that they live in a world where their equal rights with men will become such a common thing that they will never think that it could be otherwise. and men, knowing that a woman can divorce and leave him if he offends her, will become less aggressive and more understanding. I’m not saying that all men are like this, but, unfortunately, very often practice shows that as soon as a woman becomes dependent on a man, for example, while caring for a baby, husbands begin to take advantage of this and behave... as they should not there would be.

So, congratulations with March 8, girls. Remember the millennia that we lived without rights. Appreciate the rights we have now. Help those who still don’t have them. And be happy living your life the way you want.

P.S. I may make mistakes in English, I will be grateful if you point them out to me if you notice them.

Also feel free to write anything, share a thought or story if you wish.

[dhaaruni]

The most annoying criminal justice reformers are childless men in their 20s/30s who can't fathom why women are scared to be around strung-out homeless guys, followed by sanctimonious women who are super proud about not fearing assault even if they've already been assaulted.

This author was assaulted by a stranger but is insistent that fearing strangers is bigoted (or w/e) because most (note: not all) acts of violence are committed by people known to the victim. I don't like being assaulted, regardless of the perpetrator!

Homeless men try to grab me on a semi-regular basis and I dodge and move on, but the level of social disorder I'm willing to tolerate as a small woman is lower than what my tall boyfriend will tolerate and the level I'll tolerate will plummet even more when I have children.

[bethanydelleman]

There's a part on Persuasion where Admiral Croft and Anne are walking in Bath, and the Admiral is telling Anne about Louisa's engagement and how Fredrick is free etc etc. And at one point Admiral offers his arm to Anne saying that he feels weird without a lady at his arm, implying that he's so used to his wife Sophie walking and being by his side that one time of one day that she wasn't he felt awkward and couldn't resist himself but mention her coz something reminded him of her. Similarly when Mrs. Croft tells at the dinner with the Musgroves that she's lived on so many ships and she was fine and dandy on all of them, but the only time she "imagined" herself sick was when she was away from then Captain Croft for a month or so when he was in sea and she was on land. These twooooo 😍. I LOVE this couple!! You know not being able to conceive a child can make or break a couple, but in their case I think it definitely brought them closer. Also that instance when Admiral, Mrs. Croft and Anne are riding when the lot is coming back from their walk and Mrs. Croft informs Anne that her and Admiral married quite quickly after they got to know each other, infact too quickly by the standards of that time 😂. I also remember that part where Anne is visiting her house after the Crofts have rented it and the Admiral informs her that he and Sophie moved around some furniture together, implying that they both are actively involved with each other even in mundane, day-to-day things of life. These two have clearly been thick as thieves in both love and adventure, and have stood by each other through it all. Now, THIS is the relationship I want!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Admiral and Mrs. Croft are even more #couplesgoals than the main couples because they have stood the test of time! They have survived war, childlessness, separation, and relative poverty. Mrs. Croft even fondly remembers when they lived in a room as small as a postage stamp.

That is true love that lasts. I don't want honeymoon fresh feelings, give me a couple that still wants to be together every day after 15 years.

(Also, the Admiral is a hilarious man and I love him as much as his wife. All women should be named Sophie? Gold!)

[brightnote]

Marvel is playing a fast paced no risk no reward game and the characters and story are really paying for it

Yes yes an old complaint that Marvel fails its female characters and instead of fixing it they just fall into the same old tropes. But Secret Invasion failed Nick Fury,  Rhodey, Talos, and Gravik too! This was a very very very good cast and they all did a great job with what they had but the stories are so bad, they are nonsensical, not well developed, filled with plot holes. In fact the only person who made it out of this show were the new characters G’iah and Sonya, and so far G’iah is pretty Mary Sue which is another Marvel problem!  

This is a long one.. 

Black Widow is such a good example of this. Marvel never wanted to make a Black Widow movie. They did it for fan service and as an easier way to introduce Florence Pugh’s character, it was not in anyway to provide Natasha with a background, history, story, or development and it was total rushed nonsense. That movie was BAD. I rank it slightly above Quantumania. Natasha and Maria were in the MCU in 2012 to be there to be beautiful women around men (the bad ass normal (hot woman) trope).   Also, the idea they had to kill Natasha off because she ~could never have a family!~ as if childless women don’t exist happily is pretty rough or because she could never deal with the mental stress of her old life…yet Hawkeye, Fury, all these male killers can adjust to life just fine, except for Gravik who apparently can’t get over killing so he kills Talos and Maria and all those other skrulls and people? Uhhh ok? Natasha gets a sad cold lonely death—at least a choice by her, a sacrifice to save everyone so Clint can go home to his wife and kids—after she spent five years doing Fury’s work because he died in the snap. Maria gets a sad cold lonely CRUEL death with nothing wrapped up and for no point. 

So, Marvel then decides they want to make a Nick Fury project and to be honest I don’t feel like many people were asking or pushing for this… but sure let’s give a look into his life for some reason, cause he’s a man and he deserves it! It’s true that Fury also doesn’t have very much development but some his mystery and intrigue actually makes Fury cool. Like he’s a private person, he has to be because of his job.  What we learn about him... is that all of his success was from Skrulls and women propping him up. So Marvel removes Talos and Maria from the story (but still makes sure Talos gets a family and a full on fucking funeral while Maria gets a body transfer and some random lady pathetically guilting Fury which didn’t even work) Marvel knows no one is gonna watch that shit if they find out it’s a short run for Hill and Talos and Ross and advertises this show as Fury + Friends spy thriller boots on the ground!! NO SUPERS!! What is it instead? A barely comprehensible loose outline where no one has ANY development at all there is no spy thriller storyline and there are ALIENS AND SUPERS THE ALIENS ARE THE SUPERS!!  The the Super Aliens just kill the Fury Friends the regular way with a gun and a stab…. Then Fury who insists he is one step ahead and there’s a chess theme all around has so many awkward flubbed supposed to be cool lines and they make no sense. 

Let’s look at them for a minute: 

“Even when I’m out I’m in!”  Yeah… he’s so IN that he couldn’t spot a totally obvious trap that gets his No. 1 ally killed right off the bat? Yeah welcome back to earth… he’s so in he only prepared his team FOR A BOMBING with infrared glasses, A+ game.

“Nobody calls me Nick” - Except the long history of many people calling him Nick, I don’t even know why this was a tell and this whole scene was so weird why would a skrull care about the human’s son sure idk makes sense……and also Talos is his close friend so if the allowance is that only his close friends can call him Nick, it wouldn’t be weird if Talos did…… ….. 

“No one can defend the world like I can” - says a man who can’t even defend his team from a knife and a gun…! This whole show just makes Fury look really really dumb and really really bad at his job and then he didn’t even do it he just left after assisting in creating even more chaos. 

Is the point of this show that Fury is a delusional narcissist who never should have come back from SABER and probably maybe should have never been the head of SHIELD? So far this is my take away. What if this whole show is a set up for a Fury exit? That would make the most sense because after this circus you don’t got it buddy. No one really wanted a Nick Fury solo project. In fact, killing off Nick Fury’s allies who have propped him up for years so he can take all the credit for the win is very telling about the problems that exist in Marvel story telling. It really is too bad because this could have been a great set up for a Fury exit and if they just killed off Maria so she wouldn’t replace him in the next movies I think that’s unbelievable, the woman could have retired and gone to the real Tahiti, she doesn’t have to work forever? I think it’s fine if Monica takes over and with Maria gone she’s who I hope does but I always thought it was great to have a non super be the one doing it. Also Maria has to die to not get a promotion? We don’t even know where or what she is working on or who for, maybe she has different ambitions now, geeze Marvel. 

I think a more fun plot for Secret Invasion is that Talos and Maria figure this shit out and get Nick Fury into gear—and they do it alive! I mean if they want to do this sad boi act, I think that’s fine but I he can’t just go from beach boy happy to suddenly so sad and pathetic in one year? It’s a much more interesting story to have the people around him get him together after he spent all his life getting them together!! People can be separated from their allies without dying?? And killing characters to show us THIS SHOW IS SERIOUS it’s just kinda dumb it’s already serious there’s one million shape shifting skulls and a skrull army trying to take over earth with super DNA and eradicate all people in a nuclear holocaust... but not enough stakes! If you wanted more stakes maybe don’t show off that Fury is gonna be in the Marvels before his show comes out, yeah? We know it’s fake we get that some people will die but to kill them in these dumb ways that does nothing for the story is so god damn stupid. Having Rhodey have been a skrull since Civil War? THAT IS FUCKED UP. No way. That totally ruins such great moments with him. This is not thought out. I am still wondering why Cobie said she had a lot of scenes with Don and I hope it is for something somewhere… but now I just don’t know. 

The writing in Secret Invasion is bad.  The cuts and edits are also bad. The plot twists aren’t really twists at all.  In fact, there is not a single plot twist that wasn’t obvious from the get go. This whole show could have been a 5 minute clip at the start of the Marvels…people learn about the skulls and that they had kidnapped people and were pretending to be others, all chaos breaks loose on earth. 

Plot gaps I am still mad about that we will never find answers on:

Why are Ross and Hill in Moscow? Was Maria tracking Ross and intercepted his call? That could have been SO COOL. But nothing on that front. Were they working together, what were they doing? Why would Ross call Maria for extraction if he had the top secret Gravik plans unless he wanted Maria to see them or know of them? What exactly is Maria’s job now and how can she just drop it all to go help Nick Fury? Was she still working for Fury this whole time? How if he keeps ignoring her? WHEN ROSS DIED AND CHANGED INTO AN ALIEN DID THEY JUST LEAVE HIM THERE? MARIA AND FURY DIDN’T TELL ANYONE, DIDN’T SOMEONE NOTICE THAT ROSS WAS MISSING???? 

Why would Hill contact Nick for Talos if Talos can contact Nick? Why would Hill contact Nick and tell him to come back if she was going to tell him to sit this one out? Why would Nick, a man who isn’t supposed to be on earth and that people are looking for, go out to a bar with Maria? Why and how was Gravik at the bar before Nick?

Why do Nick, Maria, and Talos have infrared glasses but not protective vests? Where did Maria’s glasses go?  When Maria was looking at Gravik as Nick wouldn’t she have noticed he raised his gun up to shoot her? She was literally looking directly at him. If she saw Nick with a gun out at a bombing she wouldn’t take hers out too? Why would Gravik shoot Maria in the stomach and not like the heart like he shot G’iah? Did Gravik and Skrull Rhodey decide to shoot Maria from the start at the bombing or did Gravik just do it by chance? If the whole plan was to use her death as leverage against Fury why wasn’t it ACTUALLY leveraged against Fury? Why did this not get wrapped up.  When did Maria, Talos, and Fury lose all sense of reality where they think they are invincible against bombs?? Like how was this the plan HOW WAS THIS THE REAL PLAN?  Most importantly, why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Why was Maria not wearing a vest? Not like a gay vest, like a protective vest? 

Why would Maria notice G’iah at all and what is the purpose of their fight in the tunnel other than to give Maria a scratch on her nose so no one can think it wasn’t a different Maria that died? Like that was it? How does Maria lose a fight to G’iah??? Why does G’iah just change sides and why does Talos and Nick believe G’iah changed sides just like that. After it was a set up, why do they still trust and believe her? If Gravik is broken from all the killing he’s done for Fury why did he kill Maria and Talos?

Why did Nick only go to the body transfer and not her actual funeral, why didn’t he go to Talos’ funeral? I am sorry but for Maria that is not fucking funeral. It was literally just the transport of her body and why did they bring Maria’s mom out to that?? Does Maria have two moms? And Why did Nick only talk to one of them? Why did the cast Maria’s mom to guilt Nick into getting his shit together when still hasn’t even gotten his shit together and just goes home to his wife and is all happy?  The only thing I learned from this show is that Nick Fury fucking sucks now, like yikes? His mental crisis comes at the expense of many innocent people and he does little to show gratitude or care for others. I get it’s Nick’s story but why bring Maria back to pick him up and then just die and serve no purpose to the story? 

WHERE WAS MARIA IN FAR FROM HOME? Was she on a mental health break or does only Nick Fury get to do that? Why wasn’t Nick thanking Maria for taking care of shit while he was up in space? Instead he was kinda of rude to her a few times — but I guess this is what we learned about Nick is that everyone else props him up and he thankless about it?  He makes a huge fucking mess again and then goes back up to space? Couldn’t this whole skrull reveal be where SECRET INVASION STARTS AND NOT WHERE IT ENDS? Idk why they made this show, except to make a nice pay day to Cobie? It’s really too bad because Marvel should have taken the opportunity to usher Maria in as a new lead for when Fury retires, people know her, Cobie has a huge following, and people like her and it would have been such a great way to tie in the old phase one people with the new phase 5 people. G’iah taking over for Fury would be very stupid, the whole point of Fury / Maria / Coulson is that they are bad ass normals. G’iah taking over would be dumb and no one is going to know who she is since she’s not going to be tied into the Marvels, which makes NO SENSE? Sigh. I guess Maria will never get her moment. RIP.

[soulsnatcher0xx]

Yandere king X Reader

Tittle: I change my mind. 

when you just turn 20 years old your life forever changes when you heard from your parents that you would be wed off to the infamous king from the north. You never wanted to marry someone as the king because you have heard rumor of him beheading his late wife's head. but the less you didn't want to think badly about anyone so you agreed to marry Thorfinn from vinland. Two weeks later you were ship to vinland where Thorfinn live and not long after you were wed to him, you find out soon after that he has 3 children and he love them dearly but you on the other hand was childless and you like to keep it that way because you never want to have children with him. The reason is because you been hiding a dark secret even form your more powerful family because you didn't want to cost bloodshed for your own selfish desires so for now on you have to lay low and think of a plans.  

You were spending time with his children this afternoon, being the best mother, you could be to them because after 2 years of being marry to Thorfinn you come to love his children and care for them as your own. You were playing card game with when they were called, it was time for them to go and get ready for bedtime. You went to take a bath and sent your servant away since you like to be alone and think to yourself, something you always enjoy as you grow older. As you walk out of the bathroom in your night gown, your husband walk in because if they are servant, they would always knock beforehand, or you are informed about them. As always you smell his drunk state and female scent on him but you say nothing to him as you don't care. you have been knowing that on the day of your wedding night, he went to another women bedroom and never consummated the marriage with you and honestly you were fine with that because as the day passes you begin to see his true color. He never cares about you and as he said he hate you and everything about you, but you being the good person you are, you never mention the awful things he has done behind your back or the poor treatment he shown you. As Thorfinn lay down next to you, he started to wonder why you never questioned where he has been or what he has done, it almost started to bother him to the bone. He turns to face your sleeping form as you curl up to yourself almost as a baby bird kick to the curb. He reaches out to touch your face when suddenly you open your big e/c and stare right into his ocean one and for the first time in his lifetime, he felt his heart skip a beat. He all of a sudden grab your hair and pull you in for a rough kiss, it caught you off guard and you didn't understand what change, but you know you don't want to be with him, nor you want the title of a queen. You rather live poor with the love of your life then with someone who have no respect whatsoever for you. So you put your hands on his chest and push him away. 

“I made a new arrangement for someone else to be your queen and i will be sent to become a nun because in here i have no reason to stay with you and I'm no use to you.” 

y/n said as she turns away from Thorfinn and that night after your conversation with him he seems to become a new person. He treats you more kind and you soon learn that his kingdom has become more powerful than your family. All the more reason for you to get out of this marriage and you insist on that. Since he cannot change your mind of being a nun, he will give you a reason to stay with him. he thought of a plan as he watches you play with his children blow low in the garden. 

Y/n was informed that her estranged husband was going eat dinner with her that night and she had a bad feeling about it but she put her guts feeling to the side and push though. As she ate the food, it was saltier then usually so she quickly drink her glass of water. After a while y/n began to feel lightheaded and soon after she went out like a candle. 

“I will give you a reason to stay.”  Thorfinn said as he unbuttons y/n corset. The smile on his face growing wider. 

let me know if you want a part two.  

[godsofhumanity]

poll time!! you guys voted here, and now the poll’s ready!

no gods included in the poll haha but if you want some background to the characters who made it in, check below the poll!!

AGAMEMNON (king of Mycenae, see: the Iliad)

Filicide (kills his daughter Iphigenia, albeit at the request of Artemis)

Dishonours his allies (takes Achilles’ war prize Briseis)

Murder (kills his wife Clytemnestra’s first husband and her infant son)

Rape (Cassandra became his concubine after the sack of Troy)

ATREUS (king of Mycenae, Agamemnon’s father)

Murder (kills his half-brother Chrysippus)

Hubris (promises Artemis a golden lamb, but then hides it from her to avoid having to sacrifice it)

Cooked his brother Thyestes’ sons and forced his brother to eat them

THYESTES (king of Olympia, brother of Atreus)

Murder (kills his half-brother Chrysippus in order to take the throne of Olympia from him)

Adultery (sleeps with his brother Atreus’ wife Aerope)

Rape + Incest (rapes his own daughter Pelopeia in order to conceive a son to kill his brother Atreus, as prescribed by an oracle)

NIOBE (daughter of Tantalus, and wife of Amphion who, with his brother Zethus, built the walls of Thebes)

Hubris (boasted of her great blessedness in having produced 7 sons and 7 daughters where the titanide Leto had only managed to produce a single son and a single daughter (Apollo and Artemis)

TANTALUS (ancestor of Atreus, Thyestes, Agamemnon, and Niobe)

Filicide (kills his son Pelops)

Hubris (steals ambrosia and nectar from the table of Zeus, and then tricks the gods into consuming his son Pelops’ flesh to test their omniscience)

MINOS (king of Crete)

Betrayal (tricks Scylla into sharing with him the secret to killing her father, and then punishes her for betraying her father for him by tying her to a boat and dragging her till she drowned AND imprisons Daedalus and his son Icarus within the labyrinth they built for Minos purely to protect the secret of the labyrinth)

Hubris (substitutes the white bull Poseidon sends him as a sacrifice for another bull, against the god’s wishes)

Murder (orders Athens to sacrifice 7 young men and women from the city in return for Minos not attacking them)

THESEUS (king of Athens)

Betrayal (abandons Ariadne on the island of Naxos after she betrays her country to help him navigate the labyrinth (though this may have been at the behest of the gods, sources differ))

Kidnapping (kidnaps Helen (future queen of Sparta, pre-Iliad) to make her his bride)

Hubris (dares to kidnap the goddess Persephone from the Underworld as a bride for his friend Pirithous)

Filicide (has Poseidon kill his son Hippolytus after hearing that the boy attempted to force himself on Phaedra, Theseus’ wife and Hippolytus’ step-mother, which was not true)

LYCAEON (king of Arcadia)

Filicide (kills his son Nyctimus)

Hubris (attempts to trick Zeus into consuming his son Nyctimus’ flesh to test his omniscience)

LAIUS (king of Thebes)

Rape + Kidnapping (defiled and abducted Chrysippus who was the son of Pelops, the king who welcomed Laius into his city after Amphion and Zethus usurped Laius’ father’s throne in Thebes)

Attempted filicide (tries to kill his infant son Oedipus when a prophecy warns Laius that the only way to save his city is for him to die childless)

MEDEA (princess of Colchis)

Murder (kills her brother to distract her father while her lover Jason escaped with the Golden Fleece from Colchis AND tricks Pelias’ own daughters into murdering him (though these things may be credited to the influence of Eros’ arrow which had struck Medea by the will of the gods))

Petty revenge (curses all Cretans to never be able to tell the truth after the Cretan Idomeneus judges the Nereid Thetis to be more beautiful than her)

Filicide (kills her children by Jason in revenge for him abandoning her for Creusa, princess of Corinth)

Conspirator (attempts to deny Theseus of his royal birthrights by trying to convince Theseus’ father Aegeus that Theseus was not his son but an imposter who needed to be killed)

[1yyyyyy1]

How short-sighted must someone be to believe that motherhood is so difficult and painful that mothers absolutely must be the center of feminism, that mothers are so uncared for that they need to be supported by all true good feminist women on earth without admitting how stupid it is to know that and then still choose to have children with a man. Why do I need to coddle you? Get the man who impregnated you to do it! What is this bizarre, one-sided parasitic relationship where you choose to give birth and then depend on women who have chosen not to to support you?

I understand your frustrations... See, this is another thing that gets me — I have a suspicion there is such a push in support for motherhood because mothers-to-be are aware that the men they plan on getting children with are useless when it comes to child-rearing, hence all the talk about needing a village (childless women) to help raise said children. It would be a valid concern if it did not imply that women like that care so little about their offspring they will knowingly reproduce with someone who is unstable and unreliable. And again, if the man who the woman is with and who very much benefits from the system cannot provide for his partner properly, how can a woman, who is crushed by that very same system, make up for that?

[yuri-for-businesswomen]

Is it true that in germany, people who dont have kids have to pay a specific tax, and people who have kids are exempt from It?

If its true is the tax applied for single people or just couples who live together?

its not really my topic of expertise but from my understanding we have six tax classes, if you are not married and dont have kids you get put in the class with the highest taxes. so its not a special tax its just a higher percentage. if you have kids and are not married i think you are in a different class with lower taxes than unmarried childless persons. married people do in fact have tax advantages but dont ask me how that works exactly… overall german social politics are very conservative, they are clearly aiming at fostering traditional families where the parents are married and the mother does not work or only parttime. this is a bit off topic but related, single mothers are among the groups most at risk of poverty, and even though fathers can take paid time off after the birth of a child, on average women leave the workforce for around eight years while men do so for two or three months on average. so overall i would say its mostly married men who profit…

[cricketcat9]

Long, but worth reading; warning, it’s about…life and death…

I just learned that my best friend from high school died about two weeks ago. She was an extraordinarily talented pianist and writer, a great friend who influenced me in the best way and broadened my horizons; I feel privileged to know her and to have her in my life. I feel very sad that she is no more.

Here’s a letter written by another person; her name was Kerri. She wrote it before she died of brain cancer. Please read, and reflect…and hopefully, apply!

“If you’re reading this, this fu$king brain cancer probably got me.

But let me be crystal clear while I’m able: I did not ”lose a battle” against cancer. This is a ridiculous, steamy pile of horse shit that society has dumped on cancer patients. Western medicine, and Western culture, especially, is so uncomfortable talking about death that instead it created this “battle” analogy that basically shames people who die from cancer.

News flash: None of us gets out alive from this rodeo called life.

There is no shame in dying from cancer – or any serious illness. And it doesn’t need to be a battle. It’s a transition that each of us will go through. I was asked by a shaman, whom I spoke to after my second brain surgery, “Are you running towards life or running away from death?”

Whoa! That got my attention.

There’s a BIG difference. I got it wrong more often than not.

Don’t let fear fuel your choices. Live fearlessly. Run TOWARDS life. Don’t worry about what people will think. Trust me, it doesn’t matter.

Focus on you. Be true to yourself. Be your own best friend. People who tell you you’re selfish are not your people. If the voice in your head says these unkind things, get a new voice. Honor your mental health and seek out a good therapist with the same vigor you’d search for a romantic partner.

Speaking of, be intentional about cultivating friendships that lift you up. As those friendships grow and change, don’t overlook them while you search for that “great love of your life.” (No, I’m not suggesting you sleep with your bestie. But you do you!)

Another unhelpful message that we get from society is that we need a “love of our life,” as a romantic partner.

Single and childless when I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, I looked around my life and came up sputtering and sobbing from the wave of grief washed over me. I thought I’d be doing this alone… no husband, no kids, no “great love.”

How wrong I was. At the first appointment with my neuro oncologists, one of the nurses diligently hauled in chair after chair for the great loves of my life who came with me that horrible day and many days after that.

I sat and listened while the doctor explained the 12-month treatment plan, focusing on my breathing, then looked around the room…. filled with great loves of my life: incredible women friends whom I had met at various stages of my life.

Surround yourself with people who contradict that unkind voice, people who see your light, and remind you who you are: an amazing soul.

Learn how to receive these reflections from your people. Because they are speaking the Truth.

Love yourself, no matter how weird and silly it might feel. Every morning, give yourself a hug before your feet hit the floor. Look deeply into your eyes in a mirror. Say to yourself, out loud, “I trust you.” That voice in your head might say you’re a dork. Ignore it.

As I prepare to leave this body and embark on this mysterious journey of my soul, I hope these observations from my deathbed are somehow useful.

What I know, deep in my bones, is that learning to love myself has led me to be able to say this: I’m so proud of how I lived.

May you, dear reader, feel the same when you head out on your soul journey, too. Until then, enjoy the ride. And always eat dessert first, especially if there’s pie!"

[cloudninetonine]

I heard miniature soulmate and I'm in 10 toes down so now listen to me ramble and weep.

You guys already talked about Legend so I'm throwing him into the void.

Imagine a miniature Wild trying to cook your favorite foods but he's too tiny to use the cooking pot so he has to sit on your shoulders (or wrapped in a sling like they do for newborns) (he could just sit on the side but he wants to be touching you🥺 at all times s/o this is a bonding moment 🥺. How would Wild's work? Because they said before 18 but wild was like 17-18 in stasis for 100 years before botw. I assume you would of had to go the first 18 years without one until this fucker wakes up. Imagine going your entire teenage years seeing everyone around you with their mini soulmates, thinking that you're broken or just not meant to find love (or that your one true partner died before you even got to meet them, which isn't too far off tbh). Imagine your elation when this mini mf popped up one day and just attached itself to the side of your face only to freak out when you started crying.

Imagine with four your soulmate just, splits into four different people with four very different personalities (though, you would probably also get shadow bc, y'know, link). Imagine having to literally separate Shadow from the other four links because they just kept fighting. You start trying to spend time with shadow bc you feel bad that he's all alone (he is literally the equivalent to a feral kitten, hisses and bites but after two days mf is like 'if you put me down I will climb you like a tree to get what I want affection'), but that seems to make the other four angrier, so you are literally dividing a custody plan of yourself between your soulmates. (Spoiler for FSA) After the whole 'Vio betrays the other 3 and 'kills' Green', you finish spending designated time with Shadow and Vio, only to open the door to leave and see 3 absolutely pathetic looking Meow Meows like 🥺🥺🥺. Even though you split the 5 into two groups, you still have to split up fights between blue, green, and red. Stopping Blue from pummeling red, comforting red after Blue said something mean, stopping arguments between green and blue. Until Four (the actual four) figures himself out it's like being a single mom except you're __ and childless (and not a women if you're not). It would almost be too much if it wasn't for the rings and flowers they give you whenever they can find it, and 5 of your soulmates comforting you whenever you get too upset (it's the only time they get along until they make up). They absolutely try to see if you have a favorite color, don't answer that color will get bullied and the other colors will sulk.

Imagine you finally get your soulmate, and the motherfucker is asleep 25/8. You're half tempted to shake him awake but he just looks so cute when he's sleeping 🥰 stop drooling on my shoulder I'll squash you like a grape🥰. Life with mini sky is him trying desperately to get you to slow down and take a breather, look he's picked you berries, why don't you two go on a picnic together? It can be at the park or even in a pillow fort in your living room? As long as he can spend it with you he's happy💛 (jokes on you he falls asleep 5 sec after his head touched the pillow/grass. Y'know how I said you could carry mini Wild in the Sling, you're going to need the sling with Sky. Its not that he wants to sleep all the time, it's just that he's so tired, and you're so comfortable and make him feel so safe🥺 how could he not fall asleep against the love of his life. When he's not asleep though, you can occasionally see him trying to serenade you with his harp, be it songs he already knows or his own song he made about you.

Time and Twilight are relatively similar in the way that they show love by fixing things/helping. They're small so they can do much but if you've got a crack or a leak they'll fix it for you, how did they fix it, don't ask they won't tell you (esp if the leak was on the roof).

Time is special because his affection is.. minimal, sure he'll give you a kiss, but he's much more content watching you, making sure that you're comfortable but also giving you (and him) space. You can approach him for affection, and 9/10 he'll reciprocate, but he has to be in a particular mood for it. If he's feeling cheeky though, he'll surprise you with a kiss, before running away to a small area where you can reach and laugh before doing it again. Tiny time looks relatively similar to normal time, but I can't help but feel when you first meet Time, there's a pause because like damn, you are way more attractive then you let on and I'm kinda intimidated by it (you get a chuckle at that).

I wonder if when you and your soulmate meet up and you beging dating, do your minis begin dating as well (that would be really cute). Do they continue to live with you, because although they (and you) did find your other halves, they are your other half, and they spent years with you and they aren't just gonna throw it away. Or do they move out and start a new life with their new s/o, maybe in the forest with all the other minis/creatures. Maybe it's a mix between the two and they live in your front yard and you two talk over morning coffee/tea.

So if the minis are your other half, does this mean that technically, there are mini!minish! Four and mini! Wolfie, because holy shit I would cry😭, mini!bunny legend, who lets you pick him up and pet him because he loves you and fully trusts you to not hurt him so he just chills there and maybe falls asleep😤 gud shit.

Last spurt of ideas because they aren't long enough to be in a paragraph.

Getting into fights with Legend and using his mini to make him jealous

S/o: I'm cuddling my first and only true love because my apparent soulmate, hurt my feelings beyond repair. It's okay though, because you are the only person I would ever need 🥰

Mini! Legend in players arms, just happy to be held: 🥺☺️☺️🥰🥰

Actual Legend, standing 6 feet away: are you actually fucking serious right now.

Mini! s/o, ignored: 🥲

Realistically thought, mini!s/o would be right square on his fucking lap because he'll be damned if another thing he cared about slipped out of his hands

Warriors wouldn't necessarily want to be seen with you out in public. It's not that he doesn't love you, he does, with all of his tiny heart. But although mini! Warriors would not have met Cia, Warriors did and he strongly doesn't want his soulmate in danger (via Cia or enemy soldiers/spies) because of their affiliation with him, and this unfortunately carries over to mini. Mini!Warriors is very much a charmer though, so you can't let it get you too down.

Living with mini!Hyrule is like having a 2nd shadow, if said shadow was not already on your shoulder. They want to make sure that you are okay 24/7 and will immediately try to solve any issue you may have, outside of their ability or not. No problem is too big for them (yes it is) and anything can be defeated with the power of love (don't think that he'll ask you to help, he won't even if he needs it), he loves you so much that his love for you essentially fuels his entire being. If by chance you manage to get hurt (which is very slim may I repeat that he is always with you), you have about 0.5 seconds before a very panicked Hyrule flies towards your wound (no matter how minor) and heals it with his life spell before scolding you for not being more careful. Y'know how I said he was always with you, y'know those cats that meow at the bathroom door whenever their owners take a shower, that's Hyrule, except he's not crying, he's quietly making sure that you don't slip or something (or have another breakdown if you're prone to those in bathrooms). He can be bribed with sugar, but if you do it too much it doesn't work.

That's it that's the post 📦

AHEJWJDJWJEDJ NO BECAUSE THIS IS SO FUCKING CUTE ME HEARTS GOONG PITTER PATTER PITTER PATTER

[walkswithmyfather]

“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” –Ruth 1:16 (NIV)

“Explanation and Commentary of Ruth 1:16” By Connectusfund.org:

“Ruth, the great grandmother of King David, was not born a Jew but married into a Jewish family. Her mother-in-law was Naomi. Their family left Israel for a time because of a severe famine, and Naomi’s husband and two sons died, leaving three widows: Naomi, Ruth, and another daughter-in-law, Orpah.

For Naomi, to be left a childless widow was a great tragedy. When Naomi saw her desolation, she urged the women to return to the homes of their fathers in hopes that they may marry again. After a tearful goodbye, Orpah departed. But Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law alone.

The story ends happily when the famine ends, and they return to Israel. Ruth finds favor with a good man named Boaz who is a “kinsman-redeemer.” This meant that he was one of a very few family members who the law would allow to take on the family and possess the ancestral lands. Boaz marries Ruth and takes on the care of Naomi. This passage is such a statement of loyalty that it has been traditionally used as a wedding vow, though originally it was what Ruth said to Naomi.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Ruth 1:16

#1 “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.’”

Naomi had practically issued a command for Ruth to leave her. This is a true example of the love of God. Naomi selflessly sought to send Ruth away for her own good, even though Naomi would then be truly alone and helpless. She wanted the best for Ruth. Ruth loved Naomi just as selflessly when she refused to go. She saw that her new God, the God of the Jews, had put her in this family, and she was determined to be loyal to it and to him.

#2 “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”

Ruth told Naomi that Naomi was her home. The place was irrelevant. God had put them together, and no one would break them asunder. This is part of what makes this an appropriate wedding vow. What goes for these two widows goes doubly for a man and woman who God has joined into one flesh.

#3 “Your people will be my people…”

Any friend of yours is a friend of mine. This is again a true statement of loyalty. It speaks to a kind of bond that is special. Again, one can’t help but think of the marriage vow. Who doesn’t take on a new family when they join flesh with another? This kind of loyalty is hard to grasp in our culture, where people are traded in constantly, and few ever put down roots anymore.

#4 “…and your God my God.”

Here is the underpinning of the previous statements of love and loyalty. Ruth was not born a Jew, but she adopted Naomi’s God as her own. It was a calling from God that prevented Ruth from abandoning Naomi in her destitution. It was God whom they put their trust in, and it was God who provided a redeemer back in Israel. Our love for God should underpin all of our actions, and our faith in God’s Redeemer, Jesus Christ, should be the source of our great hope and acts of devotion.”

Other commentaries: 

What Does Ruth 1:16 Mean? (knowing-jesus.com) 

What does Ruth 1:16 mean? | BibleRef.com

Book of Ruth Summary: A Complete Animated Overview - YouTube

[f1ghtsoftly]

I actually really, really dislike that radfems tend to focus on judging women for individual life choices like they’re made in a vacuum and not actually making it easier for women to make more life affirming decisions. It's easy now, when so many things are technically legal but socially and financially difficult to blind ourselves to the very real hurdles that can keep women trapped in patriarchal social structures and communities.

While it is true that choices, like partnering with a man, reinforce patriarchy we also live in a system that does everything it can to reward behavior that sets women back. As feminists, it should be our job to make it easier for women to separate and when women refuse to ask ourselves "what more could we do to make this less harrowing?" Underneath, for example, many women's refusal to stop wearing makeup, is really a refusal to forgo the social status conferred by being gender conforming and that social status isn't useless. It can help women advance in their careers, help them gain sympathy, make them more attractive to their desired partners etc etc.. While compliance with patriarchal dictates separates a woman from herself and other women, it also helps her succeed in a woman hating system.

Making feminist decisions in a patriarchy is like swimming backwards against a current. Sometimes that current is weaker or stronger and sometimes, despite a woman' best efforts she might start going backwards. As politically engaged and awakened women, we are supposed to give women tools to help make swimming against that current easier. Not forming cliques or shaming women who are struggling (if you're frustrated with a brainwashed woman, that's your sign to log off and vent to a feminist friend). Even "privileged" patriarchal aligned women are committing self harm on some level, patriarchy hurts all women. Even the ones prolonging its life with their actions.

This is also why class is such a critical feminist issue. When escape from deep poverty is reliant on a women selling her body through an advantageous marriage to a man, it's not in her self interest to forgo that option for political reasons. When childcare is so expensive in the US women are forced to rely on a partner to help them raise children. Not only are male partners more likely to make more money, they also can't get pregnant, and thus can devote themselves to their own children (this is why older women and childfree women should involve themselves in childcare). When women know living single means having to fend off disgusting and violent men, they're less likely to do it.

And yes, I know women can learn a trade and be reasonably financially sufficient but it's also better for women to diversify and organize within their chosen fields. Not only will it make women more comfortable, but it's better for female consumers. Evidence also shows that pay lowers when women enter an industry en masse so the relatively lucrative careers in the trades are only like that because women *aren't there*. Furthermore, when women decide to become mothers, they take a massive financial hit, both in the amount of time they can put into a job and the financial burden of raising children. I'm not an anti-natalist, I think women having children when they want them is a good thing and patriarchy takes a beautiful experience and makes it a way to trap women with horrible men.

When we place the entire burden of feminist actions on individual women "choosing" to not partner with men or cater to them rather then using our energy to unite to make systemic changes we ensure that our movement centers young, childless women, rather then what is demographically common. Not only do we do that, but we also exclude mothers from this movement, when mom's need to be centered.

Here is what I am not suggesting:

We confuse compassion for women unable or unwilling to risk patriarchal backlash for some feminist actions for excusing them. Trying to understand women still aligned with patriarchy won't turn you into a liberal. Makeup is still patriarchal. Dating men is still not great for you mentally, emotionally and physically. Lying about pronouns or refusing to challenge the rollback of women’s rights publicly will still create the illusion women consent to the destruction of their legal protections. That is all real. But patriarchy comes down hard on women who stand against it alone. And an online community, especially one not exactly flush with cash, can only take us so far.

Here is what I am suggesting:

We begin to reprioritize party building and policy goals. How can we make it easier to make feminist choices? What structures can we make to support separatism?

How can we organize women across varying industries against unfair wages, misogynistic standards and the political repression of feminists and feminism?

How can we develop women only networks to support mothers in childrearing?

In general, how can we make forgoing personal safety to be around men a less and less desirable option for more and more women?

In general, let's please, please start thinking in terms of systems instead of individualistically. It doesn't serve anyone but men to pick judgement over solidarity with women who aren't there yet. Stop judging women you only know through a screen and start organizing to make it easier and easier for women to live feminist lives. Put that desire into action, stop using it to make us stagnate when we need to grow aggressively.