#if we lived in a world with UBI this would just be normal i would hope

[lapeaudelamemoire]

Wrote my one-page summary of academic achievements etc. for the reference request my temp supervisor asked for.

In writing these cover letters or the like I am always dumbfounded by how little it accommodates for trauma or independent study. I have an unni (older female Korean friend) who, because of her C-PTSD, is unable to continue studying despite greatly wanting to, and has trouble managing to continue her life just in day-to-day life. I find it so hard to 'sell' myself when there are huge gaps of years in my life where I have been able to do little more than struggle through what I don't know how to 'market' or 'package/present as a strength' in these academic or professional arenas. When you ask for my life experience so you can write me a reference, what do I write? 'Survived multiple sexual assaults and rapes'? 'Daily attempt to overcome my PTSD as a result of a near-deportation experience'? Do people understand how much or how many years these things can debilitate you?

Like I know plenty of people walk around with these things having happened to them and still somehow function while going to school and whatnot, but I couldn't, and still have trouble doing so. I remember being coaxed to go back to school by my ex-best friend in secondary school after all of that had happened in my teenage years, but I just couldn't. How do I explain the black hole fog that has consumed me for so many years while trying to sell myself as a functioning, profitable member of society?

Some of us die after things like these happen. I don't know how to say my greatest achievement is still being here in this sort of academic context, or that of my life experiences these are huge and heavy but I got through them and these are what have shaped and continue to shape me, and are the lion's share of what has taken up my life. If I add them up the number of years that these have taken up number at least half a decade (literally just counting one event/per year).

And I did work some, just very early on - Benjamin Button'ed the whole thing. Worked at 15 (does that count as child labour lmao), worked till I was 17/18. I haven't done volunteer work or busted my ass getting a sparkling CV because for most of that time I have just been trying to survive (mostly done while and through reading/studying, to make sense of it, etc.). 14 - dropped out of school bc of what happened at 13 (first sexual assault). 15 - second sexual assault. Still went to intern at an international magazine press. 16 - third sexual assault. Started working as a shop assistant. Still finished my iGCSEs. 17 - sexual harassment at work while at a bar/bistro, went on to do waitressing elsewhere instead. 18 - went to Norway to study and did that full-time for 2 years. (Wanted to work but couldn't find a job since I didn't speak Norwegian fluently enough. Had to be counselled about this, actually.) Graduated at 20. Went on gap year at 21 while actually also doing Open Uni - then had that near-deportation experience. Immediately went into researching unis anyway at 22, only that because of uni start times and visas I didn't start till I was 23. Learned Polish by myself in that time. Studied full-time without a job because if I can focus on just that, why not? And I graduated anyway, having finished my coursework early in 2.5 years but the graduation ceremony was after summer hols. Started this degree at 26. Will finish this year after 1.5 years, only extended beyond the one year because of their fuck-up (which they acknowledged!) in a unit my first term. The only pauses I've had between studying were because of start times. And if we didn't have to work, would we? Is it not alright to spend the time trying to make some sense of grief, or to study on your own? If someone said to me their greatest achievements included recovering from PTSD once after the things that happened to me in my adolescence that would be the most important thing I would note.

So much of my life and what I've really done and profited from have not been done watched by anyone or institutions. All the years I spent reading and studying by myself on things that I rarely find place to talk about. If I add up the years I've done plenty in studying - I just never got a degree for any of it.

It's not like I've done nothing. I just haven't done it societally-conventionally. I don't want to have be 'forgiven' for not making myself work when I didn't and don't have the bandwidth for it. Isn't it called studying full-time? Why am I supposed to also work on the side? Why can I not study by myself in that time on the side (which is what I have been doing)? Why do I feel ashamed or this need to explain myself? Fuck.

[naamahdarling]

You know what? You know what I think?

I think that if we lived as we were meant to, in larger intimate ("extended family") groups and with more shared labor and time to do it (UBI NOW) people like me would not feel so useless and burdensome because there would be people around to help and to do what neurodivergent people can't while making valuable space for the neurodivergent to do what they ARE good at.

The way we live right now, all right, the way we live right now forces units of two adults to be able to do EVERYTHING or PAY to have someone come do it for them. I have to do the housework. I have to do it! But I am having to do a million different things and most of them I am not good at. I suck at them.

I wouldn't feel like shit, okay, if I had more than one other person around who was not a child and who could do the things I can't, like do the yard and cook and do repairs and basic maintenance; and someone else to split everything else that I like but is too much for me. It would free me to do what I am good at and enjoy. Cleaning, as in the sink and toilet, the windows, the blinds. Taking out trash. Folding, hanging, and sorting laundry.

But because all the shit I can do often relies on other shit being done first, and I can't do or have trouble doing those things, the shit I can do often can't be done. And even the shit I can do, I can't do ALL of it. So I can't keep up, and things get very bad.

We aren't meant to live like this. We are not meant to live like this.

That thought hurts so much because being able to flee the birth family is integral to survival for so many people. I'm so afraid that living in larger family groups would create more opportunities for, say, queer kids to be isolated, rejected, bullied, and abused. But if we gave people enough money to survive, and stopped considering children the property of their parents with no system in place to help them escape bad situations except a system that is often just as bad, just different.

I'm aware that communes and collectives aren't all that successful and are kind of a joke. I don't mean that. I mean a fundamental shift to multigenerational families where taking in "strays" (which my family did) is also normalized so people escaping abuse into existing households was accepted, with these families centered in maybe a couple of different larger residences so not everyone has to buy and maintain their own fucking washing machine and vacuum cleaner, and so people can benefit from large group meals that yield leftovers, and so child and elder care can also be centralized.

Then disabled people and the neurodivergent and sick and injured people, and pregnant people, and grieving people, would not have to either labor through all those stressors or consign themselves to living off an unlivable pittance or being put under legal guardianship.

I'm not saying anything new. People live like this in other parts of the world and maybe it sucks and I am wrong. But I'm just really mad right now because I can either do laundry or clean the sink but not both, and I really think we could improve society somewhat by making it so I did not have to choose one without sacrificing the other.

[prototypelq]

So, I stumbled upon a video about Adi Shankar today (that's the netflix anime exec and showrunner), and I...now feel much, much more positive about the whole thing!

What I've learned, is that Adi is basically El Donte with Vergil-drank-a-whole-Monster levels of hype&energy&perfectionism in tv series industry. The guy is clinically unhinged and deranged, which I think could fit the DMC anime tone nicely.

He has been making gaming adaptations for a long time now, and his works all come from a genuine love and care for the source material, enhanced with a special Adi TM take on the whole thing. Sadly, I've just learned of his other works, so not exactly best source for this kind of thing, but I got the feeling the guy likes to gore and darken up the source, spice it up with self-irony, and sew everything to skeleton made out of pure-geek love and obsession over the original.

He had a sort of El Donte arc in the industry, as the guy liked to come in shattering doors and expectations of 'normal' executives and investors, but he seems to have matured a little to start combining the best of fan-love and big investor money into amazing and unique works of art. He is most known for working on Castlevania series, but personally the show I learned about (and was sold on to give a watch) is Captain Laserhawk.

Captain Laserhawk is Ubisoft doing a RARE INDEED creative take on their stuff, basically they gave Adi creative freedom over every franchise Ubisoft has ever owed, and a result of that was a.... an adult show which roasts the ever-living hell out of Ubisoft, their practices and everything, with Rayman doing news-anchoring, drugs and then having an existential crisis? Oh, and also for animation he specifically commissioned a studio known for the...furry carnal desire series they uploaded to their own page.

The most bizarre thing is that Adi said he had a Ubi-lawyer follow him to every meeting to confirm that, yes, Ubisoft gave a green light to all of this.

So, uh, yeah gotta give Captain Laserhawk a watch, I wanna see Ubisoft roasted.

Mind you, Captain Laserhawk was Adi given a free-out-of-jail card on going unhinged, so he did not disappoint. His Castlevania show seems to have been loved by all fans, and seems to be much more tone-according to the series, as far as I can tell. At least, I've heard nothing but praise for that series. Also, knowing japanese studios, I think Capcom was keeping a close watch over everything, still, if Adi's previous work is to go by, then this anime is sure going to be

C R R R A Z Y

Adi claimed to have played all the DMC titles, so he knows his source, and I now believe that those manga in the latest anime preview weren't for show either. We also know the father of the series, Hideaki Itsuno, oversaw the anime production to some extent, so I'm sure it's going to tonally fit DMC. I also wouldn't mind a darker take on this series at all. The anime would be the perfect form to do that, too, as DMC is a world where demon incursions are a frequent occurrence, this HAS to affect the people of this setting somehow. The games can't really tap too much into that either, cause the gameplay of this series is 'bully your opponent back into hell' basically, these games are f u n, and you can't really have fun gameplay and a depressing story, the tone clash wouldn't really work.

DMC5 tried, but it is still mostly a very fun experience, the tragedy of the Qlipoth attack is highlighted only in the beginning, and the game even ends with Nero brightly lit and looking around the ruins, which works for him as a character, but the human tragedy that happened has already been forgotten by that point.

This is not a critique, I wouldn't have DMC any other way, but I DO want additional material that brings the setting down when we exit the 'sparda idiots' radius, and I feel like with Adi at the helm that's exactly what we might get with the anime. Oh, he also claimed to have been working on the anime all this time since 2018, and with his drive and obsession over every project I feel like Adi is not exaggerating, the production of that size and obsession could have very well taken over five years in the oven.

So yeah, I am now feeling much more excited for the whole thing. That's a very nice feeling)

[jiniwae]

i came up with that!

What I like to think is the Swan Army will go out and start dominating danceverses, and Jack Rose will make a group of people, call them "The New Just Dancers" or "The Second Just Dancers" and try to free the good guys from Night Swan and try to defeat her for good.

This might be a bit of a stretch but I really hope Agent D is on her way to save the day

ack goes rouge, Night Swan remembers a time when dancing was fun and uplifting , Wunderlust kinda snaps out of it due to The Traveler or Si'ha Nova, Battle with Night Swan ends with the darkness purging off and we get a cleansed happy Night Swan, Sara goes back to the real world for the last time

(or they get rescued by real just dance players, with the power of dance or whatever :P)

Mine doesn’t contribute much but Wanderlust isn’t strong enough to stop Night Swan on his own because he needs the love of his parents to power him. he can’t get that because they’re not able to be together in the same realm. This would give Ubi the excuse to bring back Traveler and Si’ha Nova

THATS WHAT IVE BEEN SAYING!! i thoroughly believe we’ll see either siha and the traveler OR maybe cygnus show up in 2025

Sounds like a good idea, maybe we bring in master panda to help cure mihaly in some duo song or something, who doesn’t like playing the panda

Traveler and Si’Ha return along with Agent D

I am hoping the story will proceed sooner like 6 month. , Don’t tell me I need to wait for a year to get the story ….

Jack , would you please swim faster , otherwise your Frd will be trapped for entire year ( side eye )….

Imagine how cool it would be if jack rose recruited all the coaches of the jd2025 songs, but unlike wanderlust and night swan, jack can't make portals for himself, so he'll need to save wanderlust and dip, but I'm pretty sure they're just gonna recruit new original just dance coaches and try to save his friends (and beat the shit out of his mom)

That sara will fall into a eternal sleep in JD25E and she'll be the last one that the others will save sara by getting the 10 gems from JD17 and other coaches

I doubt it will happen but I'd love to see an avengers end game like battle where you've got all sorts of coaches from different maps fighting nightswan and her minions. I think that would be v cool

Jack is able to save his friends on his own;

Wanderlust awakens his ultimate/Chosen One form and destroys Night Swan once and for all;

Wanderlust realizes he no longer wants to be the Chosen One and relinquishes his duty to live a normal life with Sara on Earth;

Surprisingly, the Traveler and Si'ha Nova still do not show up at all (sorry, but I think Ubisoft has closed the book on them)

I like the idea of a new group of Just Dancers. Would be better than having the same five characters every time.

Jack gets a bunch of coaches together (including The Traveler and Si'ha Nova), saves his friends from his mother's corruption, and faces off against his mother

[ill-will-editions]

FEVER DREAMING IN THE NEW GENERAL ANTAGONISM 

Neal Miller 

March 22, 2020

We are living in the political fever dreams of COVID-19. Fredric Jameson’s oft-cited quip – “it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism” – is obsolete.[1]  Having spread across the globe, the coronavirus has become the background phenomenon and concern of every passing moment. And along with it has come the imagination of an end of capitalism. However contagious and deadly COVID-19 is as a virus, its existence as the virtual object of the world’s attention and inattention has proven far more viral in its capacity to change society – mostly by cancelling our sensibility for realism. The dull weight of the everyday has lifted to unleash nightmares and dreamscapes that have magnetized the attention of our species with a measure of universality thought to be obsolete in our post-hegemonic world.

The continuous streams of news and commentary can hardly keep up with the latest collapse of everyday life. They give us the mise en scène in which to play the endangered protagonist of a canned Hollywood disaster flic and yet we’re told to stay home, keep calm, and practice good hygiene. Stories like the one about the recent missile strikes in Iraq are quickly phone-scrolled into oblivion by the latest notifications about the disease. And so we find ourselves reawakening with disbelief to the same new reality each day. 

Following Michel Foucault’s Discipline & Punish, one might say that we live our reality as though caught between two fever dreams, which alternate depending on the nature of the immune response to the virtual presence of the virus. On the one hand, there is the suffocating nightmare of the global “plague city,” of governments securing human “life” by identifying all bodily movement and contact with disorder and death. The dream of governments today is to “return” us to a new normal in which they have won surpluses of legitimacy and control. The other dream is a dream of upheaval that won’t let go of all the vital signs of freedom amidst the pandemic. It wants to make irreversible all of the revived forms of class war, mutual aid, and social welfare, along with all of the autonomous means of survival not yet invented. 

The general antagonism today is the war on COVID-19. And whether we like it or not, we have been enlisted to the immune systems of global humanity. Yet the politics of today concerns the decision before us. Will our collective immune response intensify our cynicism about our dependency on governments? Or will we experiment with novel forms of relief and this newfound disbelief in the black magic of the economy? Will we dare to play in the festival-dream of new forms of collective life and reliance upon one another? 

The Nightmare of Governmental Realism

Today, quarantine lockdown extends from the “non-essential” flows of commuters to the fluids and gestures of our bodies, which have become paranoid colonial-style occupations of themselves. My body experiences itself as if on the other side of a gulf of unhygienic habits cracked open by the virtual omnipresence of COVID-19: I catch myself touching my face, I catalog the surfaces I’ve recently touched, and my proximity to others spontaneously triggers a quantitative calculation (“was it a distance of six feet or ten that was recommended?”). The new universal phenomenon is the object of a panicked consciousness immersed in a world that has been reduced to the medium for a disease vector. 

As for the engineers of the new order, China and Israel represent the nightmare line toward the most grim extreme of plague politics. Both have employed the metadata of people’s smart-phones to track their movements and all points of social contact. Each new case is a profile whose recent social history is rounded up for quarantine. The horizon here would be something like Chris Marker’s film La jetée (or Terry Gilliam’s remake, 12 Monkeys): humanity survives, but at the cost of complete imprisonment and dependency upon a specialized medical government.

We glimpse this suffocating nightmare in the undecidable decision facing governments with respect to their incarcerated populations: do they relieve themselves of having to manage and care for their masses of concentrated and confined bodies? Or, do they give the prison guards and wardens a blank check to administer order by any means necessary? Whereas Iran temporarily released 54,000 prisoners on March 4th, two weeks later Massachusetts prisoners lost the right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment when a moratorium was announced on all disciplinary measures for prison staff. The undecidability here is no doubt due to the intensification of what Foucault called the carceral continuum, or the fact that the “inside” of the prison extends “outside” into the racialized ghettos of urban metropolises. The quarantine regime of social distancing and “shelter in place” lockdowns has turned the “outside” into a vast space of confinement, however gilded. 

The Festival Dream of Relief

Against this new confinement, efforts at self-organization are cropping up all over in food distribution networks, rent strikes, requisitions of abandoned housing, and calls for debt jubilees. Such earnest efforts at organized care finds its parodic inversion in the devil-may-care attitudes of Spring Breakers migrating South, as well as paranoid social media speculation about riots breaking out amidst mass hoarding. All of it tracks with what Foucault called the “whole literary fiction of the festival [that] grew up around the plague.”[2] 

Things we struggled for only weeks ago have been given outright – and much more besides. In the U.S., conservative food stamp policies have been lifted, unemployment safety nets reinforced, moratoriums on various costs of living instituted, and political parties are fighting not over whether to give UBI, but how much. Those immunized in their home-bubbles are offered an increasing amount of freely circulating intellectual property, while, in Chicago, parking has been made free, evictions courts are on hold, and utility companies are giving away electricity.

The black magic of the economy has revealed itself in its very withdrawal from our lives, tempering our panic and fear with a small modicum of relief. As Dan Kois recently argued, this relief has shown just how much of American society and its ‘death on the installment plan’ is a sham.[3] The mask has come off and the wand behind the conjurations now appears in the simple arbitrariness of its operations. Why don’t all of the other ways we get sick, fear hunger, or struggle to stay afloat count as reasons for having free access to high-quality food, health-care, and shelter? If all it took was a wand waving to put a stop to bills, evictions, and the like, does this not make all of our sufferings and hardships under normal circumstances seem meaningless?  

Just as we let out our sighs, however, the nightmare visions from abroad come closer and remind us that the only continuity between what was once normal and the current state of exception is the power of governments based on our dependency. We feel this dependency whether we panic or not, whether we trust their assurances and injunctions not to hoard or whether the sight of emptied shelves floods our heads with visions of the broken supply chains and interrupted logistics that we rely on to eat. As Chuang rightly noted, the arrival of COVID-19 in Wuhan induced a paradoxical form of general strike: there is a profound work stoppage, but it is hollowed out and devoid of any subject of history. The subject of history: not even the coronavirus can assume this mantle. Our continued dependency makes the strike false.

Yet one cannot help but read the ‘New Deal’ on offer as a symptom of faltering government legitimacy and the fits of market confidence. In the U.S., the government is betting that an avalanche of compromises with Democrats will cover over the truther-response of the Trump administration and the stock sell-offs of Senate Republicans. As belief in the forces of order goes into convulsions, one thinks, ‘If they cannot guarantee our survival, all bets are off.’ As we take all these “gifts” coming down from on high, we ought to remember that the social welfare state of the 1930s New Deal was a warfare state. And what will become of our newfound alleviation without the invisible enemy that has, with its own magic, cancelled society?

A New Universal? 

On the brighter side of things, it’s worth observing that we have been given a hint to the riddle handed down from the failures of 20th century revolutionaries. For one fundamental limit of all struggles since the 1960s has been their scale. It has been a very long time since we’ve been able to think what might connect struggles happening all across the world. Despite being geographically dislocated from one another, the revolts of 2019 showed promise simply in their synchronic co-existence and their ability to repeat each others’ tactics under the maxim “Be water.” Yet not only were the problems at the heart of these struggles locally particular (despite their many commonalities), they were never able to flow together in a global strategy.

Against such a backdrop, COVID-19 portends a new universal frame of war. For however uneven the experience of vulnerability may be, the global spread of the coronavirus amounts to the generalization of the new antagonism. When was the last time we were able to share our experience of dependency on the world of governments as a crisis? The multi-generational time-scale of the climate catastrophe has so far prevented it from mobilizing all of the humanity that it dooms. Yet whether it is glowing from our screens or hanging in the ambient disquiet while we distract ourselves in quarantine, the new reality for everyone is that reality has fallen apart. 

In these fever dreams where trust in the authorities is in shorter supply than food and the means of punishment alternate between melting into air and locking down hard, it is perhaps possible to take the wand from the magician and begin conjuring a reality of our own. What is frightening about COVID-19 is how little we know about it. But just as uncertain is how governments will react to us amidst this legitimacy crisis and how peoples will respond when the repression of governments comes down too hard. 

How can we flee our dependency on the old world while “sheltering in place”? If the world is cancelled, what are all these bills, digital parking meters, and universities but the fossils and tombs of a dead world? What new uses can we still invent for what stands idle and unused around us – what role can they play in the new dream? How can we breathe new life into existing spaces of immunity, like vehicles and homes? And what new immunity spaces remain to be invented? What new forms of action at a distance are called for? We are already venturing tentative answers to these questions. We try to flow like water where we still can. However, against a virus that fills our lungs with fluid and against governments seeking to return us to the earth of realism, perhaps we should consider the element of breath, levity, relief, and jubilation: air. 

[1] Jameson, Fredric. “Future City.” New Left Review, 21, May-June 2003, 65-79.

[2] Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish. New York: Vintage, 1995, 197.

[3] Kois, Dan. “America Is a Sham.” Slate, March 14, 2020. https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/coronavirus-tsa-liquid-purell-paid-leave-rules.html  

[nikkoliferous]

“I didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction, and in doing so, you know, it came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true,” Dr. Sean P. Conley, the White House physician, said in a briefing with reporters Sunday.

Wtf? What does this even mean? Was he afraid the virus would overhear him and change tactics? 😂

“It’s been a very interesting journey,” [Trump] said. “I learned a lot about Covid.” He added: “I get it, and I understand it.”

Cool, so you're gonna issue a national mask mandate and tell your supporters this shit is serious, shut the country down again and give everyone healthcare and a UBI to get through the pandemic?

....Hahahaha. I'm so funny.

Wearing a dark jacket and no necktie, Mr. Trump stood in the video and spoke energetically and with no apparent trouble breathing as he praised the “enthusiasm” of his supporters outside the hospital, then promised to pay them a surprise visit.

A short time later, Mr. Trump’s black SUV, escorted by Secret Service vehicles, appeared on the street outside the hospital. Mr. Trump could be seen in the back, wearing a suit and a mask and waving.

This sociopathic motherfucker who KNOWS HE HAS A DEADLY, CONTAGIOUS VIRUS made someone who had no choice in the matter get in a vehicle (A SEALED ENCLOSURE) with him just to feed his narcissism. There's really nothing inside this man, is there? It's just a hollowed out husk where his soul ought to be. Unbelievable. And yet somehow, completely believable.

(However, before anyone jumps on here with "that's why everyone HAS to vote for Biden!!" I would point out that Joe and his campaign assured supporters back in March and April of this year that it was safe to vote in person as long as they weren't symptomatic—in direct contradiction to the CDC's recommendations, which they straight-up lied about—and we know for a fact that people got sick as a result. Not only did they advise supporters it was safe, but in fact, when Brie Joy Gray called them out for it, they accused her of engaging in voter suppression. It's sociopaths all the ways down, I'm afraid).

Mr. Trump’s oxygen levels dropped to 93 percent at one point, his doctors said; that is below the 95 percent level that is considered the lower limit of the normal range. Many medical experts consider patients to have severe Covid-19 if their oxygen levels drop below 94 percent.

Uhhhhh 👀

Dr. Conley said that the president had been given the steroid dexamethasone on Saturday, in addition to remdesivir, an antiviral drug. Dexamethasone has been shown to help patients who are severely ill with Covid-19, but it is typically not used in mild or moderate cases of the disease.

[...]

The World Health Organization issued guidelines on Sept. 2 recommending that dexamethasone only be given to patients with “severe and critical Covid-19.” The National Institutes of Health has issued similar guidance, specifying that the drug is recommended only for people who require a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe, or who need supplemental oxygen.

Uhhhhhhh

Even though he has had low-oxygen episodes and is receiving dexamethasone, the doctors said Mr. Trump was doing better and might be discharged from the hospital and return to the White House as early as Monday.

That seems... premature, but okay.

What a wild ride this article was. Hope everyone's having a nice, relaxing Sunday. 😅

[spiritcompanionship]

Exclusive: Crystal Cut Ubi

Appearance Crystal Cut Ubi look like any other Ubi out there, meaning there is a large, endless variety of appearances and mannerisms. However the most remarkable part of Crystal Cut’s, is that part of their bodies are made of Crystals, as the name suggests. The crystals/stones can range from semi-precious to gems. Their position in society, and their bloodlines can help determine how much of their body is made of crystal. It is most common for hand/arms and feet/legs to be made of crystal whereas the rest of them is living flesh. The crystal parts are still completely maleable and a living part of them. Due to ubi nature, when finding someone to feed off of, from another species, they can mask their true appearance, into anything their prey finds most attractive. The higher up in society that someone is, the closer their crystal’s are to their heart and head. Clear crystals are still clear, they are just flexible in a sense, as it moves as skin would. Average Age Average age for these spirits tend to be about 3,800 years old, however, they are considered mature at about the age of 400, if not shortly before. Around that age is when they are considered adults in society, and are mentally mature.  Familial Habits Families tend to have an average of about four children, though there are outliers for this as well. Hybrids for this specific species of Ubi aren’t common either, as these Ubi tend to like to keep their offspring of a more pure standard. Mating habits can branch out to goodness knows who and what all else, but strictly speaking of family, they like to keep it in the species. They have nothing against those who do decide to bear children with others, and value those offspring with the same regard as pure crystal cut’s. The best way to explain this, is to say that they like to keep the blood line pure, and not so accessible to everyone else.  (This isn’t meant in a negative or hurtful way, they hold pride in who and what they are.)  Rarities/Outliers Rare formations for Crystal Cut’s are crystal formations standing alone against their brow bone as a circlet would. Those Ubi usually end up being more ‘holy’ in a sense, and those that have such a formatin will usually be offered to study and become a set devotee/priest(ess) for some deity. Said Ubi also have crystal formed eyes, allowing them to see beyond what ‘normal’ crystal cuts can see. The most rare formation is a full crystal Ubi, as those Ubi belong to the royal family. They are made completely of their given stone/crystal and are easy to spot among the other Crystal Cuts.  Gender Averages Female -  48% Male - 44% NB - 8% General Seasonal Preference Due to their crystal body parts, and how they can cool quickly, these Ubi prefer a more mild to slightly warm climate, as it keeps them from cooling too much. However they can survive in any season and most any temperature. Where they reside is generally on the warmer side though.  Music The most common and loved thing I have seen in terms of music is more soft and gentle, or faster paced, gentle music. It has a vibration that is pleasing to them and settles with them nicely. They do have louder or most ‘aggressive’ music but they don’t play it often, as it can disturb the energy vibration of some. They do have some underground clubs where they play such music however.  Origins The story of their origin begins with a succubus made purely of Taaffeite, which they only know as Selenty. She was the first Crystal Cut Ubi, and she was reveired for what she was. Others wanted to seize her due to how unique she was, going so far as to trap her. She knew that if they had their way, she wouldn’t be able to stop anything they would do to her. The main goal was to profit from her, as she was a rare beauty. Selenty was a kind woman, and never wished for the wrong people to have any piece of her or profit from what she was. The night before she was to be taken away, and sold off, she did all she could to crack her crystal skin. Before dawn, as the sun was starting to rise, she managed to shatter herself into hundreds of pieces. Those born from her heart became just as she was, a pure ubi following in her steps and forming the royal family. Those born from her eyes and mouth became those to follow the more religious path, speaking for her and seeing what she wants them to see. The rest of her crystals were strewn about, creating ubi with varying degree’s of crystal formations. Government Crystal Cut Ubi do have a monarchy, which is normal for quite a few spirit species, and they love the monarchy and respect the royal family above all else. The royal family is the deciding and ruling power in their world and it is accepted as it is. They do have a Cabinet and Advisors, but they only speak with the ruling monarch about the people and the best courses of action. The monarchy has been more centered around the wellbeing of the people rather than its own wellbeing for quite a few centuries now. It isn’t this suppressive force which we are used to, but more so a nuturing hand.  Culture Crystal Cut Ubi are really traditional, and follow the oldest traditions closely, as they feel their traditions make up who they are as a people. They aren’t religious per se, but they do have an origin story that they keep close to their hearts as some would with a religion. The fact that they follow old traditions is thanks to their monarchy, as it has developed with the people, driving them to feel content and cling to the old ways.  Average magic/specialties It is most common for Crystal Cuts to have a way with manipulating energy as a whole, not just sexual energy because they are Ubi, but also elements or energies corresponding with their crystal/stone. They don’t missuse their abilities, instead they use it for the benefit of those around them, more than anything else. It also is never a ‘total control’ situation but they can influence that aspect and can manipulate it and occasionally otheres through it depending on what they can do.  Elemental Association/Preference Even though you would think for this Ubi to have a stronger connection to earth, they actually have connections to any element. Their association and preference tend to reflect whichever crystal is a physical part of them.  Recommended Companion Level The most compatible and most recommened companion would be at least an intermediate spirit worker, just because of how niche crystal cuts are and the types of care they could need. These spirits aren’t the easiest to handle, and aren’t fit to be with beginners.  ° Mod Nebula works with Crystal Cut Ubi 

[frogsandfries]

We've been talking a bit about UBI

Actually, most of the conversation just happened today.

I don't expect our non-filer checks to be sent (edit: I checked my bank account and almost choked on the crow I had to eat). My partner is hingeing his next moves on expecting our checks.

Right now, I am working..... what few hours I'm allotted. Right now, just based on the last two years, honestly, $1200 is more than I've been living on month to month, and more than I've seen in a month for a long-ass time.

My partner is talking about a UBI of $2000 coming down the pipeline. I think the only reason we haven't done anything like socialism in this country is that socialism doesn't get hungry people clamoring to do, originally rather dangerous and hard work, so that they can afford to buy food or pay rent that will keep them living close enough to walk to work. Socialism doesn't cause people who may be too sick to work, but not sick enough for the government to take care of them, to forgo their health so that they can pay rent and feed their children.

Corporations have run this country since the dawn of corporations and it's about time their reign ended. Long since. Automation may have been coming, but we live in an age where it's the easiest it's been yet to imagine a computer or machine to perform price changes, to update product placement on store shelves, to stock shelves, to clean the floors and shelves. It's the easiest yet to imagine a world where I don't even need a human to ring up my purchases, to sell me movie or event tickets.

Humans are the most redundant to corporations that they've been yet. But the consumer is still a critical component of this food chain.

I thought these changes would come on a little slower but it looks like there are going to be lots of changes as we evolve to having a new, powerful enemy.

The US government has decided how corporations deserve to be treated, but either they haven't decided or they don't want to reveal what they think of the average American human citizen. But it's long been time to take care of individuals, to encourage communities to take care of themselves.

The world is changing. Talking about how easy (if not expensive upfront) it would be to automate accounting as little as prices changes, I remembered part of why I thought studying art was a good idea.

Even if you gave every single American enough money to pay a reasonable rent, plus bills (including a related health care program), and buy groceries, many Americans would still want to--as we've seen--at least get out of the house. A large number of Americans would want better, better jobs, better cars, to give their children better educations.

Tumblr talks a lot about what it would be like to just skip on a job that isn't treating you well, to be able to afford to live whole you look for a great job, one that treats you well and pays you well, if not one that you live to go to. I don't think a lot of us are ready to wake up in a world where it's not just that there are no more jobs that suck--but there are no jobs.

What then? How can people continue to be part of the economy when the vast majority of us have been forcibly ejected from it? That's kind of what we're living through today. What are people going to do when they are literally not needed to stock national grocery stores? What are people going to do when they're no longer necessary to clean stores and restaurants and entertainment facilities?

What could people accomplish if they didn't have to worry about the bills getting paid?

I think we're about to see this turn, in less time than I personally anticipated. We cannot go back to 2019 Normal. People who needed this for their physical health, or their mental health, shouldn't just roll over and return back to work--just $1200 to be born a US citizen is more than I've earned in any month of busting my ass, struggling to get to work, for over a year. Why the fuck would I quietly return to business as usual?? Why the fuck would I quietly settle to go back to busting my ass and struggling to get to work, to earn less money? Why would I go back to busting my ass at a job that doesn't matter, when I could earn more money doing something I love?

However, currently, in order to receive SNAP, my partner who is currently unemployed cannot turn down any employment opportunities offered to him. Living in such a small town, during the health crisis, with no vehicle, is an interesting, complicated proposition.

[sandovalenst1000]

What should be considered when we think of the future?

While the future of our earth seems largely uncertain, one thing is for sure: we need to help save our planet now. If we do not take action soon, any and all damage to our earth that we have caused can become irreversible, which will only harm our future as a human race. In Simon Lewis and Mark Maslin’s The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene, they focus on the human race’s role in the current time period, the anthropocene, which is “the epoch where the human component of the Earth system is large enough to affect how it functions” (Lewis & Maslin, p. 399). Lewis and Maslin look to the future and lay out the possibilities, including business as normal, a societal collapse akin to the Mayan and Roman Empires, or a transition to a completely new society with a different living style compared to present day society. In order for business to continue as normal and for society to maintain its current outputs and consumption habits, consumerism must tackle the most pressing issue of the environment and the harm that humans have caused to avoid societal collapse or switching to a different way of living, which is possible considering new governmental reforms, increased health and lifespans, improved nutrition, and more.

If collapse was to occur, it requires a drastic decline in societal complexity, which is unlikely, but will most likely “take the form of private property and a free labor based capitalist mode of living” (Lewis & Maslin, p. 370) in the event of its occurrence. However, the authors estimate that it is more likely that, as humans, we will have to address the harm we have caused to the environment and transition to a different way of life that will highlight sustainability and efficiency. The authors particularly contribute to the future switch to a more efficient and sustainable society to the current process of a positive feedback look in our capitalist society, which tends to move towards new standards for stability. As capitalism currently develops, it utilizes the scientific method to improve current technologies and depends on the constant cycle of investing profits into products. Our current society will eventually transform society into something more elevated than what we have now if we address our earth’s environmental issues. In order to preserve our earth, we must recognize its issues, adapt, and collaborate as human beings with an interconnected web of ideas. Currently, we utilize our developing technology to manufacture and advance renewable energy as an attempt to minimize carbon emissions and our fossil fuel usage. Minimizing fossil fuel usage allows the human race to begin its journey towards more sustainable living.

Deepwater Horizon oil spill by BP in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011 (Broder, 2011)

However, minimizing fossil fuel usage is more complicated than we would think. Lewis and Maslin identify geopolitics as a barrier to fully eliminative fossil fuel usage, which is subsidized at about $5 trillion USD per year and most of the oil and gas companies worldwide are “partly or fully nationalized” (Lewis & Maslin, p. 383). Usage of fossil fuels not only has carbon emissions, but also causes land degradation, water pollution from leaks or spills, and wastewater from fracking. A widely recommended idea on minimizing fossil fuel usage that is more attainable than fully eliminating it is to invest in renewable energy and/or to create a carbon tax, which is backed by energy economists like MIT Sloan School of Management’s Christopher Knittel (Dizikes, 2016). Despite all the negatives on fossil fuel usage, we are making progress, with prices of renewable energy technology decreasing over the past decade and making it more accessible. Lewis and Maslin additionally highlight the negative feedback cycles on earth, which affect human supplies like crops. Negative feedback cycles work to stabilize climates, but overcorrect and leave weather patterns to become more unpredictable. Negative feedback cycles also increase the frequency of large climate events like drought, increase extreme weather events like tsunamis, which can disrupt the global food supply, cause rise in food prices, and result in civil unrest and refugee flows between countries to avoid conflict (Lewis & Maslin, p. 385).

To benefit our earth, Lewis and Maslin identify the issue: the Anthropocene conundrum. The Anthropocene conundrum is how to equalize resource consumption across the world within sustainable environmental limits, which the authors believe the solution is primarily with globally coordinated action towards equality between more developed and less developed nations; specifically, more developed nations (high-carbon emitting countries) should be doing more than others to reduce emissions and providing support to less developed nations to transition to renewable energy.

While Lewis and Maslin identify various possibilities surrounding our earth’s and society’s future, they do not propose a definite plan but just suggestions with its possible positive and negative results. E.O Wilson, a biologist and professor emeritus at Harvard University, proposes to devote half of the earth’s surface to nature to avoid mass extinction of species; specifically, Wilson proposes that we devote biological hotspots to protect those species of animals and elaborates on his Half Earth idea in his book, Half Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life. Lewis and Maslin discuss E.O. Wilson’s Half Earth proposal, but determined that it is too large of a step for society and, while it would be effective, it would be more complicated to integrate than how Wilson proposes it.

Andrew Yang in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park during a presidential campaign rally in 2019. (Stevens & Grullon Paz, 2020)

Lastly, Lewis and Maslin discuss implementing a universal basic income to decrease interdependence in society, which would decrease the likelihood of massive societal collapse. Most recently, universal basic income has become a hot topic with former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang making it a central point for his campaign. Yang’s focal point was a universal basic income of $1,000 per month, but Yang pressed for this because he argued that soon there would be increased automation in lieu of jobs and Americans would find themselves out of work. While in the current situation people are not losing their jobs for automation, but they are losing their jobs due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. With the CARES Act passed in March 2020, there has been an increased push for a universal basic income into legislation with unemployment being projected up to 16% later in 2020 (Solender, 2020). The benefits of a universal basic income include bringing many out of extreme poverty and providing a better alternative than the United States’ current unemployment program. I am not personally an Andrew Yang supporter, but he raises an interesting idea that should be considered. Despite not knowing what the future holds for our earth, we can reduce our own created inequality by implementing a universal basic income and allowing some individuals the luxury to begin to worry about something else other than where they will get their next meal from. We can heal our earth, but only by healing the divides between one another first.

Word Count: 1171/1100

Question: How can we begin to implement a universal basic income in the United States with people being so hesitant to embrace Andrew Yang’s platform when initiating the push for a UBI?

Bibliography

Broder, John M. “BP Shortcuts Led to Gulf Oil Spill, Report Says.” The New York Times. The New York Times, September 14, 2011. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/science/earth/15spill.html.

Denchak, Melissa. “Fossil Fuels: The Dirty Facts.” NRDC, July 16, 2019. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fuels-dirty-facts.

Dizikes, Peter. “Will We Ever Stop Using Fossil Fuels?” MIT News. MIT News Office, February 24, 2016. http://news.mit.edu/2016/carbon-tax-stop-using-fossil-fuels-0224.

“Half-Earth: Our Planet's Fight for Life.” EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2020. https://eowilsonfoundation.org/half-earth-our-planet-s-fight-for-life/.

Lewis, Simon, and Mark Maslin. The Human Planet: How We Created the Anthropocene: a Pelican Book. Pelican, 2018.

Solender, Andrew. “Pushing Universal Basic Income, Andrew Yang Supporters Get #CongressPassUBI Trending.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, April 24, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/04/24/pushing-universal-basic-income-andrew-yang-supporters-get-congresspassubi-trending/#a6984925d30c.

Stevens, Matt, and Isabella Grullón Paz. “Andrew Yang's $1,000-a-Month Idea May Have Seemed Absurd Before. Not Now.” The New York Times. The New York Times, March 18, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/politics/universal-basic-income-andrew-yang.html.

[lewigm-blog]

Newsletter 3.5: With just a few loaves and some fish we can all do the Magis

Published August 22, 2019

 “Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied…”

-        Matthew 14: 13-21

 This one goes out to all those who have fed me when they thought they didn’t have much to give. It is because you give, that I am where I am today. Surely those efforts have helped others out as now it is me who is sharing more loaves of bread and fish than I thought I had.

 During our misa a few weeks ago, Matthew’s gospel passage had me reflecting on the magis, which for those who don’t know is a Jesuit/Latin comparative adjective meaning “the more.” This is something that Saint Ignatius constantly reflected on and challenged others in. At any time, it is to be and give more of yourself to others, yourself and, by nature, God as well. I have had countless opportunities to live out this magis during my time as a JV. I could always give my students and community more attention, a project more of my energy, and be more present during mass or during “Peruvian” meetings. While these are just a few situations in which the litany and struggles of life have tempted me from performing at 100%, I recognize that it is a completely normal thing to experience from time to time.

In the world of a volunteer and, I imagine, a professional, the temptation to be and do “enough” will happen more than once and can affect other areas of our lives. It can sneak into our routines subtly and casually (as sin usually does), but it can also happen all at once through traumatic events such as the death of a loved one, an accident or any other unexpected tragedy. You may very well be experiencing this difficulty in your lives now as Jesus did upon hearing the news of the death of John the Baptist during this past week’s reading. Like Jesus, we may want to retreat from the world to recover from a difficult moment but sometimes God has other plans for us and puts people in our lives that call for us to be more. In this Gospel reading we see that Jesus still tends to the needs of the people, performing miracles and constantly giving more of himself for others even when he may not be at his best emotionally. It is during these experiences that we are tested and pushed to the limit as people. Sometimes it is the people we give all of ourselves to that are the ones goading us, pushing us closer to the brink of giving up.

The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt…But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.”

*This one does hit home with me literally as the frequency and access to meat was much more readily available back in the states than here in Peru, but I digress…

Oh, how ungrateful the Israelites were! Oftentimes, our service or jobs have us encountering and accompanying people who complain and fail to recognize the love in our labor as Moses experienced. Our children, students or anyone else who depends on us might be crying out for something that we aren’t exactly offering or feel obliged to offer. The hope is that they are seeking the magis, but it usually isn’t phrased or perceived this way. It can present itself as moaning and groaning after the students’ “reward” for finishing their work early is yet another worksheet. It could also be in the form of blank stares of silence and indifference after showing them what you initially thought was interesting or profound. God forbid you try to get your students to think a bit more critically! Maybe it’s just an off day for you and them and they’re not ready to understand why you teach this way. They might not even know what their words or actions are doing to our spirit, but it can be tough to keep moving forward from this. I haven’t had a formal education in teaching so why am I here anyway? All these thoughts have raced through my mind while I’m in school teaching.

“Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD. “Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people?... Where can I get [meat] (insert whatever applies in your vocation) to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, ‘Give us [meat] for our food.’ …If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.”

Well we certainly don’t want to push Mr. Moses, cause he’s close to the edge (for the song reference click here). In the book of Numbers (11: 4b-15), we see an image of a frustrated, on-the-edge Moses (and at times Luis during 6th grade Catechism classes) going through a difficult experience. I remember feeling this way several times after the initial “new teacher” grace period was over. Some of my students wanted to test me and push me and see what would happen. Thankfully, I didn’t let it bother me too much initially, but after some time and external responsibilities piling up, I began to show my inner Moses.

Curiously enough, my session on the Ten Commandments for my 6th graders in June had me wanting to pull my hairs out. We were about about a month away from the mid-year break and the kids were starting to show their readiness for the vacation. This session was supposed to take only one class, but it spanned two, hour and a half sessions across two weeks. The session seemed simple as I asked the students to find the scripture passage on the Commandments, read it as a group (popcorn style) and then identify 10 or so commandments. A few of the commandments weren’t explicitly written out and this threw them for a loop. Once the 30-minute ordeal was over, I grouped them by table and they were to write on papelón, or big paper, their assigned commandment and provide an illustration of one situation in which people followed the commandment and then one example of people disobeying the commandment. The activity dragged on and the students did not want to cooperate. I was growing frustrated as I struggled to maintain order in class, so I asked them to present their illustrations. The results were sad, but hilarious.

The “Best” of the presentations on the Ten Commandments

           Perhaps not the most kind and loving way to teach, but I am still learning and feel that I have a sense of humor to uphold. After this episode, there were constant breaks in our lessons week to week as events would come up that would leave several weeks between religion classes. It is important to note that we teach religion once a week, which only made matters worse. This lack of organization at Fe y Alegria, my waning patience, and an overall lack of commitment to much of anything brought me into a low and apathetic state. I eventually fell into a trap of copy-and-paste lesson planning. I would provide relatively simple lessons that summarized the celebration, origin of a Saint or an image of Mary that was conveniently packaged into a video that I found the night before, or morning of class. The unoriginal and unengaging sessions could be likened to that of a substitute teacher plan that I had always dreamed and hoped for as a middle schooler myself; It was a shortcut way of “teaching” if one could call it that. In hindsight, this period was when my flame and passion for JVC and teaching flickered and grew dim. Utterly disheartened, inexplicably exhausted and seemingly drained of creativity, I found myself in a power save mode of myself.

This change didn’t happen overnight, and I still struggle to pinpoint its origins, but I realized that it wasn’t healthy place to be. It led to a lack of enthusiasm in many aspects of my life, namely with my JVC community, local relationships with coworkers, and then to family and friends from home. The JVC values of simple living, social justice, spirituality and community were also reduced greatly and often neglected. I was, as some of my Spaniard friends say, in la ubi or a critical point in my life. Thankfully I just had to make it until the mid-year break in order to see my girlfriend and lifegiving force Cat. But even with these brief feelings of excitement, I would wakeup exhausted and knew that I just needed a break. When the opportunity to sign up for the Spiritual Exercises came up, I took them seriously in the hope that it would restore me to the gung-ho, high energy JV I knew I was. I was hoping to encounter God and myself, and thankfully I did.

The 3-day experience of the Spiritual Exercises was a refreshing dive into the deep end of spirituality that came at the right time. I had always been in the pool, but I think I wasn’t doing myself any favors by staying in the shallow end for so long. It helped me reset and reassess what was important to me and let go of anything that wasn’t conducive to my growth and wellbeing. I used Dean Brackley’s The Call to Discernment in Troubled Times as a guide through the exercises and what moved me the most was his chapter on forgiveness. I was having a hard time accepting the fact that we are all sinners and have to ask God for the grace to accept ourselves.

“From a gospel point of view, appreciating God’s healing mercy is more important than fixating on our defects. For what frees us is knowing that we are acceptable and accepted, not as a prize for being good, but in spite of being not so good.” (29)

This quote, among others in the book, helped me to understand the way that God sees us as people in need of constant forgiveness. It might be the reason why Jesus helped out those folks who followed Him even when He wanted to be off by Himself. We are certainly imperfect creatures and it isn’t easy to admit that we are flawed and are in need of forgiveness. This self-forgiveness leads into other areas of our lives and helps us to recognize that those we serve also need forgiveness and patience. It works by both offering it whenever possible, but also accepting it whenever we need it. If you think about your own professions, the same might be said about you! I understand and appreciate this now especially as a teacher myself. Along with my own classes in primary school I also assist with the preschool in the mornings. I am more than aware of the amount of energy and patience is necessary to manage 30 children for several hours at a time! Something that the exercises that helped me reflect the goodness in the day was to review one’s day, week or year in this way:

Where was God in my day today? Where was it easy to find Him? Where was it difficult? How have I helped another? How was my energy or mood in that moment? Where do I draw my energy to continue forward when I begin to grow tired? Is this sustainable? Why or why not? This is simply a way of focusing less on the errors in our ways of teaching and more on the goodness of our service and labor. I am all too aware that I have a hyper-sensitivity and criticalness to how I live out my day and this can bog me down easily.

Something that helped me slowdown and be more was being assigned the chore of taking out the garbage. The unfortunate part about having the garbage chore is that the truck comes on Saturdays and you must unload your garbage whenever the truck arrives (between 6:30-8:00am) or else the company doesn’t pick it up. I took the morning and chore silently as I walked through the main plaza of Andahuaylillas and appreciated the stillness and beauty of the surrounding mountains. While I waited for the truck to arrive, I saw a short elderly woman that I had never seen before getting her garbage out onto the street. She came closer to me and advised me through hand gestures that the truck was on the other side of the street. I realized that she was deaf and tried her best to communicate with me. One of the reflection readings for the Exercises and this moment had me thinking about how Jesus healed the deaf man in (Mark 7:31-37). I also thought about how Jesus was reaching out to the poor and marginalized and gave them the opportunity to feel heard and listened to. I decided to sit down with this woman and let her feel heard, even though I couldn’t understand most of what she was saying.

I began to see and appreciate the way God works through people. It was as if He was telling me to stop and listen to others. It didn’t take much effort, it only took some time, patience and presence for me to be fulfilled in that moment. It might not seem like much, but the magis that I speak of is much like this. The magis isn’t only the great moments that transform the world noticeably, but a simple outpouring of self when you don’t have to. I used to think about how people sometimes seem to be “slowing me down” with a hello or how are you, when in reality these are the opportunities to be more for others. It is an opportunity to lean into someone’s life and be there to ask them the same. It is a habit that builds with time and mindful reflection. The Exercises have taught me to pray for God’s grace to be able to encounter Him more whenever the time or opportunity arises. It seemed foreign to me when I first truly heard about praying for grace, but it has improved my ability to find God in all things, large and small.

An example of how kindness imprints on the heart. Ben, a former JV, being embraced with one of his old students from his time here four years ago

This has changed my outlook and attitude on the kind of teacher I want to be. I feel more capable of giving myself over to the lives of the students and other teachers. I have a newfound source of patience with the kids, and it has already made a world of a difference. That isn’t to say that I haven’t slipped here and there, but I am much more mindful of the moments that we do have a productive session or activity. Even looking back before the Exercises, I realized that I did have fantastic moments of learning and discussion. It has happened less than I would like since working with primary school aged students is (roughly) 75% classroom management and whatever is left over is for learning material. I use learning loosely as it isn’t only about knowing concepts, but also the development of the whole person. Although we can build a tolerance for workloads and social obligations, we need these hiatuses from time to time to turn our low battery mode selves into a high-performance version of ourselves as well. When we are able to reach the 110% range and beyond, we can work and function more creatively and spectacularly for and with others.

The preschoolers are learning to cut hair and take on some adult responsibilities such as reading magazines

Ordering the mass by events! I learned a lot myself by planning this activity.

 It takes constant reflection and humility to be able to discern what our hearts are craving, but we must also ask for God’s grace to develop this skill. We may at times feel that we know what we need to be our full selves, and to an extent we do, but this knowledge is slowly revealed to us by God through people and experiences. We might believe that we crave one thing (type of food or drink), but in reality, what we needed was another (appetizer) that reminds us to stop and savor the moment (food) we are chewing now. I want to thank those who have given me exactly what I needed even when I didn’t know I needed it. These folks are the educators in my life who taught me the invaluable lessons of hard work, reflection, and self-empowerment that have kept me going. This is for all those in the counseling/ after school programs, coaches, family, friends and all my mentors in between. A number of you are on this list and know who you are. Keep on with the magis attitude but also give time for yourselves to rediscover or reignite that flame if you are ever feeling exhausted or overwhelmed with work. Even Jesus needed lunch breaks from time to time, so once again thanks for sharing yours.

“Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied…”

  Matthew 14: 13-21

Peace,

Luis

P.S.

I would like to hear you tales and moments of feelings of burnout and being overwhelmed with life, and how you have moved past this. Teachers of mine! I ask that (if possible) to please share your stories, because I am sure that I have likely been the culprit or source of some of that grief at some point or another. (Whether that be sleeping in the front row of class or something from my time as an angsty teenager!) I look forward to hearing from you!

  For more pics click here! https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ay3FwhQEGCoRQ3oj9

(Full reading here)

[ill-will-editions]

QUARANTINE LETTER #2

A second letter in our quarantine series, penned in response to “Destitution, interrupted.”    

****

INTERRUPTION, SUSPENDED

Dear friends,

I thank you for your reflections on the ongoing pandemic. To respond to your question: Did anything really change? What is the nature of this suspension introduced by the COVID-19? Today is January 93rd, Year 0. The weather reminds me of Spring, there are bees and butterflies, birds, people are outside wandering on the sides of streets, construction workers are still hard at work fixing roads, building new condos, though now more than ever it is unclear who will afford to live in them, and whether they won’t just sit empty for the next 2 to 3 years. Despite the circumstances at hand it is not uncommon to glimpse the sense of relief in the expressions of many of the youth running through the neighborhood with their friends laughing, talking, freed from the burdens of school. How now more than ever such displays of levity seem banished from the world for good. By nightfall the sense of living in total darkness will again prevail, surely, just as before.

Even if in all the political scenarios we’d imagined for ourselves going into 2020 – the elections, the possibility of a wave of revolt beginning to sweep across North America once again, the certainty that some kind of disaster would surely happen, even if we’d never once considered the possibility of a pandemic, we can’t say that we were completely unprepared for something like this to happen. Or, we’re completely unprepared for the situation, but our reflexes have proved adaptable. Some of our friends have gone full prepper – inevitable, really. It’s similar to the surprise we felt after Trump got elected. Our lesson is the same – we continue to find ourselves in situations that are not of our choosing or liking. We are called to respond, which does not mean reacting. This does not mean that we shouldn’t prepare, but that we must bear in mind that, “a force can, through acting, increase another that is acting in the opposite direction” (Benjamin); in other words, we cannot count on the outputs of invariant procedures anymore, including our own. We have to be water.

From my perspective, the virus makes clear two political limits we have continually run into, which some of us wrote about in 2019: firstly, that the democratic party will try to co-opt any popular revolutionary movement (AOC and all manner of politicians endorsing rent suspensions, or UBI etc.); and secondly, that our political ambitions will become essentially no different than providing for people’s basic needs in the face of a situation in which hundreds of thousands of people in this country are going to be left to die at the hands of failing state institutions. In this way, I don’t know that the virus frees us from any traps we were in before.

“Successful revolts do not only undermine existing powers, they also allow their participants a capacity to participate more fully in the world”, you wrote in “Destitution, Interrupted.” I’m wondering what implications this has for the virus. To me it seems like an attempt to set up an analogy between the effects of the contagion of revolt and those of the contagion of the virus. So when you say we are living in a ‘half-destitution’ I wonder if this formulation is the result of an inconsistency between 2 different conceptions of ‘destitution’ : 1. destitution as a natural tendency inherent within constituted powers (and in this sense comparable to crisis tendencies in capital) and 2. a destituent power as the form class war takes when it takes aim at an entire civilization. The latter implies a renewed capacity to act, while this is not the case in the former. There’s been so many takes about the virus – is it humans, or is it capitalism, etc. If neither of these alternatives seem to me satisfactory, this is because the virus shows that neither humans nor capitalism are truly sovereign in this situation. The virus has constructed its own temporality, which immobilizes everything. As our friend the biologist said, only the virus was capable of extending beyond what the insurrections proved incapable of doing, and actually shutting down the economy. 

Our age is significant because the conditions that make life on earth possible are being called into question. That our species evolved within a certain temperature range is significant. That we have reduced the world to a single desert has made us susceptible to the predation of a monstrous entanglement, and that is significant. Confronted with the disaster unfolding both at a planetary scale (the climate catastrophe) and at micro-biological level (the invisible itself), everything we leverage in this situation will be tragic from the outset, incommensurate to the suffering that will follow. This is significant. In a way, we perform our own ban, our own suspension when we conceive of life in the moment of revolt as interruption or suspension of capital or normality (which is death-as-life). In other words, if we think that what happens in revolt is a more authentic experience, that leaves us unprepared for making sense of tragedies like the one we’re in, and this will surely blind us. The fact that there is not enough infrastructure in this country to care for all the people that need it is significant. This is a fissure we cannot cover over with weak conceptions of happiness, or hopes of “participating more fully”. 

It is so clear to me that we have – despite all of this – the chance to reintroduce something like a global proletarian movement. The common ground is there, especially after 2019, but it needs to be distilled into forms that will enable us to truly be resilient in the face of these disasters, and not crumble when the economy does (though this is inevitable given our dependency). This means developing the capacity to coordinate resources trans-regionally, organizing people reliably at a large scale without this ever taking the form of a hegemonic or sovereign power. It is so clear that information is the most valuable thing amidst this crisis, that being a reliable source of information is one of the main tasks our movements will face in the future. This new episteme of information has so far remained neglected. Beyond that, we will continue just as before: trying to effectively produce the things we need outside of the economy while in turn impairing the latter severely, preparing ourselves to catch those who wander away from this world, as so many will have nowhere else to turn. Local struggles will certainly encounter limits in upturning a global problem. Yet they gesture towards each other, this is unmistakable. Their rhythms synchronize, bursting into chorus ever more often. This is why coordination at an international level is key to our moment.

And yet as real as this chance to stop the devastation of the planet and build a more free world feels from inside quarantine, at other times it seems like every other missed opportunity – a mirage. Dreadful panic sets in, the frozen sun goes down. Fear, uncertainty, loss; we live in the darkest of times. Our task is still to introduce a real state of emergency. Wash your hands. Wear a mask.

 „Ich weiß,/ ihr berührt euch so selig, weil die Liebkosung verhält,/ weil die Stelle nicht schwindet, die ihr, Zärtliche,/ zudeckt; weil ihr darunter das reine/ Dauern verspürt“

[I know/ you touch so blissfully because the caress preserves,/ because the place you cover so tenderly/does not vanish; because underneath it/ you feel pure duration]

-Rilke

 -Orion

Atlanta, April 02, 2020

[turntothree]

Ry& Reaction: Wolves & Shepherds

E3 came early this year! ...OK, it didn’t but it certainly felt that way, kind of.

It seems in recent years, game publishers have been tripping over themselves to take up valuable space on that pre-show hype train. I’m talking teasers, press releases, cryptic tweets and anything else they can think of to score some attention before the big three step in and snatch the spotlight. Hell, we’ve seen E3 grow an extra couple days to accommodate more publisher-sponsored events.

Editor’s Note: Really looking forward to that keynote, Devolver Digital!

A few weeks back, Ubisoft decided to do things its own way and steer the train in a slightly different direction with a bombshell announcement most other companies would save for the trade show.

Editor’s Note: NO! NO! That wasn’t released, it escaped!

Damn, man. I was just kidding. It’s going to be alright.

Anyway...this is what I’m really talking about.

Yup, the French gaming giant casually name dropped one of its top secret E3 reveals in a nonchalant tweet, a whole month before the show. But it didn’t stop there. One week later, the aforementioned Youtube suite released a...let’s call it “tourism video” for the humble little town of Hope County, Montana.  

Editor’s Note: I have a “MIGHTY” fine feeling about this place.

What? You’ve got crisp country air for breathin’, plenty of wild game for huntin, a nice clean creek for fishin’ and plenty of big ol’ green acres to roam. Of course, you’d have to overlook the constant bear attacks, air strikes, ominously empty streets and the prospect of being randomly murdered, but what town doesn’t have its share of problems?  

Editor’s Note: Wait...wasn’t Far Cry 4’s announcement handled in a similar fashion? Letting the fanbase sneak a peek behind the curtain; then slamming the curtain back down until a good and proper reveal at E3? Isn’t that what’s going on here?

You’d think so, but...

Dateline – May 26, 2017

IGN’s Daemon Hatfield and Marty Silva greeted the California sunrise with a live (and exclusive) reveal of Far Cry 5’s first proper trailer. In it, would-be players are told the sad tale of how a struggling working-class town was taken in by a wealthy con artist who promised the world.

This self-proclaimed “prophet” Joseph Seed and his twisted family of disciples preached of peace and prosperity; instead they delivered onto his flock a life of servitude and unabashed cruelty. He used his good fortune to giveith himself their property. He used his cultish militia to takeith away their free will. The chosen among “his” townsfolk would be baptised into his parish or they would surely perish.

In a town past the edge of civility, a brave few in the community have chosen to fight back against Seed’s ghoulish gospel and reclaim what’s theirs. In this holy war for the soul of America’s heart land, it is up to the player to lead the resistance. 

That’s the story (at least up to that point)...as for gameplay, the trailer didn’t show too much, but it caught fans a quick glimpse at some old and new tricks alike.

As said previously, the hunting mechanics are back, but with a new batch of wildlife to track. Bears, deer, wolves, cows and bulls are among the critters in the mix. In a similar vain, fishing will be implemented into the series for the first time. Catch and fry up some bass for hit points!

Also returning are the conveniently placed vehicles. Fast travel and open road/seas/(and for the first time) sky combat will be a breeze with your choice of motor boats, ATVs, 18 wheelers, muscle cars and fighter planes. 

Of course, the series’ standard first-person gunplay will remain locked and loaded.

Oh and the world-wide release date for Far Cry 5 has been set for February 27, 2018. The platforms in which it will be made available are as follows: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Sorry, Nintendo fans. No Switch port is planned.

Editor’s Note: That’s a fair bit of information. Surely, that’s enough to appease fans for now.

Actually, Ubisoft continued the Youtube rollout with three more trailers; specifically the stories of the three main support characters as told by them in direct conversation with the player.

Meet Nick Rye: A third-generation fighter pilot who had been fortunate enough to have never seen combat, but when “Eden’s Gate” comes knockin’ on his doorstep, Nick is the first to enlist in the resistance.

Meet Mary May Fairgrave: A bartender pushed to the edge after both her brother and mother are kidnapped by Seed’s followers; now her family-owned establishment serves as a home for anyone looking to bust a cap in “Eden’s Ass!”

Meet Jerome Jefferies: The local pastor turned shepherd in wolves clothing; charged with the task of taking back the flock “father” Seed had led astray.

Monologues aside, the folks at UbiBlog also had the chance to catch up with Far Cry 5 Creative Director Dan Hay, who discussed the modern day anxieties, urban legends and Montana road trip that inspired the game’s theme and setting. That interview was also posted to Youtube.  

Editor’s Note: ...Anything else?

Then the press releases rolled out and the media was all over it.

Details of full campaign co-op; a customizable protagonist (who also happens to be the sheriff’s deputy); and so much pending controversy plastered the headlines.

Oh yeah, and there has also been some talk about melee combat specific scenarios being worked into the game. New weapons such as baseball bats, sledgehammers and pitchforks will be implemented as part of the series’ inventory.

image credit - 20th Century Fox

Editor’s Note: Wow! That’s an awful lot to tell so soon. What’s left for the E3 showing?

Actually, there’s still plenty to juicy reveal tidbits to share. Like say, an in-depth look at “Eden’s Gate”. We know so much about the heroes, but we haven’t really seen much of anything concerning the big bads, nor do we know the why or how of their hostile takeover.

There’s also the new feature Ubisoft promised to show off during its presser. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it’s either the campaign’s co-op option or the flight mechanics.

Editor’s Note: Even still, why reveal so much about the game now? Why not leave it all as a major E3 surprise?   

My theory, the publisher wants the press to focus its collective energy on whatever new Ubisoft IPs (and or Assassin’s Creed sequel) premier that fateful day, so it’s trying to answer the more common Far Cry questions ASAP. Also, all this Far Cry hype sure makes for a damn fine centerpiece.

...

Editor’s Note: Thoughts on what you’ve seen and read so far?

 *Sigh* I guess I should start off by addressing the elephant in the room – the story.

For all of the hullabaloo, it’s nothing new. The town overrun with zealot cultists ranks among the classics of horror tropes, and stories (subtly or not) inspired by political unrest are certainly commonplace, even in the world video games.

Editor’s Note: And they’re only going to get more common over the next, let’s say four years?

While these character archetypes and plot devices may seem a tad (or more) over done, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to tell a good story. In fact, I trust Ubisoft Montreal to do just that. That’s not to say I didn’t have any reservations or crack a joke or two at first glance, but the deeper the Youtube showings went, the more invested I got.

Hearing the stories of Nick, Mary and Pastor Jerome gave me Goosebumps, and I instantly wanted to know more about what was going on and how they aimed to deal with it.

Editor’s Note: Forget this customizable protagonist nonsense, Ubisoft. Rip-off Rockstar so I can swap between these three heroes!

The villains on the other hand, I have no real opinion of, yet. Sure, Ubi is more than capable of creating the type of sinisterly charismatic baddies this plot calls for (shout out to Vaas and Pagan Min), so I feel “Eden’s Gate” has plenty of potential. However, I can’t judge Seed or his siblings sight unseen.

...Promo images excluded, of course.

Editor’s Note: Speaking of elephants, Far Cry 4 let me wreck shit on elephant back. Surely, Ubisoft can’t just expect me to go back to primitive man power.

I don’t believe the southern United States is an elephant’s natural habitat.  

Editor’s Note: i dOn’T bEliEVe tHE SoUtHERn UnITeD StATeS iS aN eLePHaNT’s nAtURal hAbITat.

...

OK, so Montana isn’t normally thought of alongside the exotic locales the series is known for, but the more I’ve thought it over, the more I’ve come to realize it’s the perfect setting for a Far Cry game.

It’s beautiful and serene territory hosts some gorgeous natural splendour...it also has some hidden and very real dangers entrenched deep within its forestry and rocky domains. The ravenous wolves, perilous coyote packs, rabid dogs, wild bulls and massive grizzlies will be just as, if not more formidable than the tigers and honey badgers of previous games.

If you’re luckily enough to be the hunter, as opposed to the hunted, you’ll be able to score some prime cuts of meat for health boosts, and some fine pelts for crafting items.

Of course, there’s also the option to fish for some grub. That could be fun for a bit.

Editor’s Note: As long as it’s SEGA Bass Fishing quality and not Sonic Adventure quality, I’m totally up to do a little fishin’.

Not to mention the prospect of being hunted down by a bunch of gun-toting manics does compliment itself rather terrifyingly well to the whole outdoor survivalist angle, much like the militants and royal guardsmen of entries 1-4.

Yeah, the setting might be a little different and the enemies might be a little different but this is still very much Far Cry, with all the fun DIY M-A-Y-H-E-M that comes with it.

Speaking of what makes Far Cry - Far Cry, let’s talk vehicles. This pitched selection is cool as frig!

Tarring through the countryside in a muscle car or big rig, and the promise of delivering some cathartic death from above sounds absolutely sick!

Editor’s Note: Hopefully, the air battles can match stuff like Ace Combat or Battlefield 1. Now that would be sick.

Anything else...oh, right; campaign co-op. It’s a great idea!

I can’t recall the number of times I played through a mission in Far Cry 4 only to find myself completely surrounded and desperately wishing I had back-up. The ability to call in a buddy should certainly make breaking through those impenetrable compounds at least a little bit more bearable.

Editor’s Note: This all sounds rad...still wish I had my elephant though.

...

I honestly don’t quite know how to cap this off. I guess I could say:

Far Cry 5 has all the potential in the world to be a great action game, as its pedigree can attest. The guns, explosions, fast rides, deadly beasts, and vast destructible set pieces are all on lock. It has all it needs to kick ass and take names. But its creative direction is taking the series into some unknown and fairly risky territory.

There’s certainly plenty of potential in the characters and setting presented, as I’ve said earlier. However, the direction the game seems to be heading could cause a drastic tonal shift that throws the entire thing off kilter. This building sense of horror, sorrow and despair, and to have it all inspired by today’s political climate could put a major damper on the aforementioned ass-kicking and taking of names.

It’s going to be tough and sadly, it might even get a little ugly, but Ubisoft has a rock solid creative team and I do believe they can make these pieces fit into something truly great. At least I hope so.

...

...

Boy that sure was some dark stuff. Let’s lighten things up next time by battling it out Poké-Style!

[savetopnow]

2018-03-16 07 VIDEO now

VIDEO

Bad Lip Reading

"IT'S NOT A MOON" — A Bad Lip Reading of Star Wars

"NFL 2018" — A Bad Lip Reading of the NFL

"TRUMP ANTHEM" — A Bad Lip Reading of Donald Trump

"[KARAOKE] Seagulls! (Stop It Now!)" — A Bad Lip Reading of The Empire Strikes Back

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String Theory Explained – What is The True Nature of Reality?

Homeopathy Explained – Gentle Healing or Reckless Fraud?

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The genius of the London Tube Map | Michael Bierut on "Small Thing Big Idea"

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The Loneliest Anime – The Philosophy of Neon Genesis Evangelion – Wisecrack Edition

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[troygrudin]

A Livable Universal Basic Income Is Necessary Not A Luxury

I’m not saying that Universal Basic Income is a magic bullet that will solve all our problems, but I think it will go further than any other form of economic stimulus.   While we deal with the virus that’s causing the crisis. I also want to be clear that I believe that a livable UBI should be permanent and not just a temporary stimulus. I’d like to point out that. People with money tend in one way or another to spend money. Rather its through consumer spending or even investing.   On way or another. People with money tend to spend money. Which helps keep our economy healthy. In other words. Putting money unrestrictedly into our hands. Will go back into the economy. Allowing it to be and stay healthy. I’ve been wanting to dedicate time to this channel to talk about Universal Basic Income or UBI for short. I was super motivated back in February but Andrew Yang who was the most vocal advocate of UBI. Suspended his Presidential campaign. That kind of took the wind out of my sails While UBI remains an excellent idea. I just wasn’t able to find a way of fitting it onto this channel. Due to the virus is causing the crisis. The concept of UBI has gained momentum However if you’re still unaware of what UBI is. It’s a set amount of money that everyone receives. Regardless of income, ability, or any status. By getting rid of means testing an income threshold. Money can be efficiently distributed to people who need it. I personally feel that making sure that people who need help get help. Is more important than making sure people who don’t need it are denied anything I feel that in an ideal world and economy. a UBI of $500-$1000 a month would raise the bottom. However, we are no longer and might not ever return to an ideal economy.  From this point on UBI will have to do more than just raise the bottom. I feel there’s nothing wrong with some people having more than others. I do feel that a responsible society makes sure everyone is taken care of though. What about price gouging?   Won’t greedy business people just raise prices?   This is also an argument used against making a livable minimum wage. I feel it’s a very poor argument against both of them. By the way UBI, Living Wage, and even the so-called Social Nets are not mutually exclusive to each other, but to answer the question. I feel that by including everyone which UBI does. It takes the incentive to price gouge away. You can’t say that about a higher minimum wage. We can also set a price ceiling to combat pricing abuse. I  don’t want to go down a rabbit hole, but I believe in limited regulations. One of which could be a Price ceiling. We no longer live in an ideal world or economy. We are moving rapidly toward a workplace dominated by automation. Therefore Universal Basic Income now needs to be a livable amount. Not just enough to get by. I believe that when Andrew Yang wrote his book “The War On Normal People” and ran for The democratic party nomination for president.  He saw that domination been about a decade away. His at the time proposed $1000 a month “Freedom Dividend” would have been able to buy us enough time to prepare. Things have changed very quickly. I believe that under the guise of safety and social distancing.   Businesses are going to accelerate automation.   Not for safety reasons but Because it will cut costs. I think this might be challenging for some of us to understand,  but work as we know it. It is no longer going to be an option. There are not a lot of jobs that a machine can’t do better, faster, more efficiently, longer, and of course cheaper than a person can. This isn’t just about blue-collar service jobs either. So don’t think getting that advanced education is going to protect you. I’ll give you an example. When I add links to my videos. Some of them are referral links for automated investing sites.  Which automates the services of both the broker and advisor. I don’t mean to deviate too far off-topic, but starting accounts with those links   Get $25 off your first rental with Lens Rentals https://share.lensrentals.com/x/qjTzuo  Wealthfront Your first  $5000 managed for free! https://wlth.fr/2wabeGK Robinhood out! Get free stock share! https://join.robinhood.com/troyg211 $10 in Bitcoin when you buy or sell $100 or more on Coinbase! https://www.coinbase.com/join/grudin_o subscribing to this channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wK... and to my Sports Talk With Troy channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Dn... and fallowing my social media https://www.instagram.com/tfgrudin/ https://www.facebook.com/big72media/ https://www.facebook.com/Sports-Talk-... https://troygrudinmediaarts.com/ does help and is deeply appreciated. #universalbasicincome #ubi #UBI #freedomdividend #andrewyang #AndrewYang #yanggang #humanityfirst  #humanityfoward #ubiisnecessarynotaluxury

[organiclifestylemagazine]

Economic Recession Will Likely Kill More Children Than Total Coronavirus Deathtoll

The pandemic is real, but the puppet masters of the world are using this situation for abhorrent and frightening power grabs, leaving people seemingly helpless to do anything about it while we are told to “shelter in place” as our rights get stripped away. It’s very convenient for those in power, and it’s frightening what they’re getting away with.

We are addressing this pandemic all wrong.

People with compromised immune systems should be taking precautions while the rest of the world builds immunity. The government should be pushing for the population to make healthier, safer lifestyle choices and this should be a huge reminder to us all that both how we take care of our environment and how we talk care of our bodies is paramount. And on that note, as necessary as they may be in some situations, wearing a face mask for long periods of time really isn’t good for you. This whole face-mask obsession could end up causing a lot of illness as well as environmental problems. I’m not recommending wearing face masks. I’m not recommending not to wear them. It’s complicated.

On the other hand, it’s fascinating to see what’s happening, and there’s lots of good news resulting from the way we are “sheltering in place.” The environment is showing signs of remarkable resiliency, people are generally eating much better (restaurant food is really bad for you), homeschooling is the new normal, we’re finally taking a serious look at how we’ve set up “capitalism” and what it means for us in such dire times, and it’s really just a fascinating experiment at a time when we need to look hard at these issues.

But this perspective comes from a place of immense privilege. All across the world business and schools and daycares are closed, incomes have stopped, people are hungry, family members are stuck with abusive family members at such incredibly stressful times, and so much more. The reaction to the pandemic is ruining a lot of lives right now. Even if everything were to get better from today on and just go back to normal, the reverberations would still last a very long time. And this is mostly due to how poorly the U.S. and many other governments are handling the situation.

Hundreds of thousands of children could die this year due to the global economic downturn sparked by the coronavirus pandemic and tens of millions more could fall into extreme poverty as a result of the crisis, the United Nations warned on Thursday.”

Reuters

It’s likely that more people will die from the economic collapse of our financial system than from the virus itself. That’s not to say that the measures taken are pointless. It’s hard to know for sure, but it’s possible that if we had gone about business-as-usual we likely would have endured far more deaths and economic destruction than we’re dealing with now. Also, you never know how seriously a novel pathogen can impact us until it does. So it’s pretty hard to justify lax measures.

The estimate could be low. The risk report included that nearly 369 million children who normally rely on school meals for daily nutrition no longer have this as an option. According to the UN, malnutrition is still the leading cause of death in the world today. The foreseen is being considered, but there’s also going to be a heck of a lot of unforeseen in this very novel, globally-connected situation we’re in now.

The potential losses that may accrue in learning for today’s young generation, and for the development of their human capital, are hard to fathom. More than two-thirds of countries have introduced a national distance learning platform, but among low-income countries, the share is only 30 percent.

United Nations

We Are Doing It All Wrong

We’re radically underestimating the number of coronavirus cases but with that, we’re also radically underestimating the numbers of people who have gotten the virus, recovered, and developed antibodies.

A coronavirus vaccine is not going to work any better than the flu vaccine works, which is to say it will make pharmaceutical companies a lot of money only to damage a lot of people. There are multiple reports of people getting the virus more than once and we now know the virus has mutated at least twice. Whether or not the virus was made in a lab or is a result of environmental destruction, more is sure to come. We need a totally different approach for the economy, the environment, and our health. Allopathic medicine, our profit-driven pharmaceutical system, and our economic system are showing everyone around the world that there needs to be a better way, for our health and the environment.

What We Should Be Doing

Under the current system, if I ruled the world, but if I only had a conventional understanding of health, I would implement free healthcare to everyone, a UBI of 80% of everyone’s income up to 100,000 a year, paid weekly via direct deposit or debit card or cash (no restrictions that disproportionately affect poor or minorities).

Small businesses should be able to apply for loans and grants should be available for the ones that are trying to do the work that most needs to be done (like medical and environmental for instance).

Side note: If you wondering “how are we going to pay for all of this?” then please check out this YouTube channel called Economics Explained.

Big businesses should be left to file for bankruptcy and have to restructure and get more component CEOs who like to save money for such instances instead of continually relying on government bailouts.

We should be making sure everyone has access to raw, fresh, healthy, organic produce. People should start growing as much of their own food as they can, and the government should be helping to facilitate this as well as helping get the food we currently have to the people who need it.

There should be educational campaigns about how people should take care of themselves.

But none of this would really be necessary if we already knew how to take care of ourselves. The virus is rarely if ever killing healthy people. If it did, it would exhaust it’s host supply too quickly and be far less likely to be an epidemic. Ideally, the immunocompromised would be told to shelter in place, wear masks for short periods of time if they must go out, wash their hands obsessively while out, etc. Grocery stores would know how to reduce transmission and would be disinfecting properly. Then we wouldn’t need an economic shutdown.

What Am I doing?

My family and I are fortunate, so far, due to the nature of the businesses we are involved in, and the fact that we were already growing our own food and homeschooling our kids.

We have to take certain sanitization measures with our businesses, with which we are using a spray of 65% alcohol and 35% industrial strength vinegar. But other than that, we’re doing our normal thing of eating salads and drinking cranberry lemonade every day. We are sure to have on stock Echinacea, Shillington’s Blood Detox, reishi mushroom, and our favorite root cider. If we were to feel a tickle in the through or a snuffy sinus we’d take them all until symptoms are gone, but we haven’t had any such issues. Our gut health is as good as it gets, and this is absolutely paramount when it comes to staying healthy. For more on supplements for coronavirus, click here.

Economic Recession Will Likely Kill More Children Than Total Coronavirus Deathtoll was originally published on Organic Lifestyle Magazine

[therichmondpapers]

Fiscal monetarism- a deliberate contradiction in terms. (part 2)

So now we get to the fiscal part of fiscal monetarism. The last two tools I would propose for central banks would normally be considered the purview of government and not the central bank. However if the aim of an independent central bank really is to separate macroeconomic stability from day to day government spending choices then I think the 2008 crash and great recession remind us of some important lessons.

As I’ve discussed in previous blog posts I think it’s reasonable to argue that the reason quantitative easing didn’t work, with inflation staying flat and the recovery (such as it is) being stunningly sluggish is because the prices of financial assets can rise either by a growing economy OR a lower interest rate. A commonly used phrase in the post crash financial world has been “the search for yield” i.e. as money was pumped into the financial sector average yield on financial assets simply fell. This didn’t actually result in a recovery and the money injected into the system simply circulated buying ever more expensive financial assets. I believe this problem can only be solved through fiscal rather than monetary actions and so if the central bank is to be responsible for macroeconomic stability it must, therefore, have access to fiscal policy tools. So how could that work?

First let’s consider whether my first two tools alone would solve the problem that current monetarism experiences. What would happen under the equivalent scenario? Well yields can’t drop below 3% because the central bank will always issue risk free assets yielding 3%. That doesn’t solve the problem though, it just displays it more clearly. Instead of the cash circulating to buy ever more expensive financial assets the cash simply gets deposited back with the central bank in exchange for the 3% annuities/bonds. So we need a way for the central bank to get cash directly to consumers in the economy. The obvious solution, therefore, is a ‘helicopter money’ drop. The last two tools are designed to create a clear and transparent system that achieves this without causing excess inflation.

So before we talk about getting the money into the economy I want to talk about the tool for removing any excess. Obviously the reserve requirements already exist but this is a little bit akin to financing all government spending via debt. What we need is a tax. The obvious choice is land value tax. Land values already fluctuate with the economic cycle so the tax will be relatively easy to sync up with macroeconomic policy and LVT targets rentier income and so shouldn’t create deadweight losses or be passed onto consumers. Further it is very difficult to avoid and can be raised to whatever level is required to achieve the objectives. All good characteristics.

My proposal would be to have a LVT that the central bank would set with a target of 1% to 2% land value inflation year on year.

Why 1% - 2%? It means land values should rise at close to but below inflation meaning that any real economic value would have to come from productive use of the land but, vitally, land values would tend upwards reducing the likelihood of negative equity and thus more secure mortgages. During economic booms land values would rise faster and so the tax would rise twice- both because the percentage of land value called for in tax would rise, as the central bank seeks to curb land value price rises, and also because the land value itself is rising and thus any given percentage of that, now higher, value is a larger nominal amount. During recessions the reverse is true, land values will tend to fall and so LVT rates would have to be lowered to halt the loses.

To put it another way- austerity during the boom and stimulus during the bust. A classic Keynesian response.

Ok so now we have the bonds with reserve ratios pushing them towards a 3% yield and an LVT pushing land value inflation towards 1% - 2%. This sets us up so that we can have helicopter money with more than enough tools to fight inflation if necessary. My proposal therefore is for a basic income level payment paid to every citizen (perhaps with less for registered non-citizen residents). This provides a consistent safety net both for the individual and for demand stability during recessions even with sticky wages. I would argue that if inflation is in the 2% to 3% band then the UBI should be allowed to rise at 4% a year so that living standards consistently rise. If inflation is running too hot even with the bonds and LVT then the central bank should be allowed to lower the rate of increase for the UBI with the aim of keeping the rate of increase above inflation, if possible, and if not to never have a rate of increase below 2%. This gives flexibility but errs on the side of every citizen getting a share of economic growth. The way this is “financed” is really the tools that ensure excess cash is removed to fight inflation. With LVT being a core part of this you can quite legitimately argue that the basic income is coming not from “other people’s hard work” but from unearned rentier income. All that’s really happening is that unearned income is spread more fairly in society, that’s surely a positive thing?

None of these four tools enforce a particular style or size of government and should be flexible enough to cope with a very wide range of situations both economically and constitutionally. I hope to show in the future how a set up like this could help solve problems in the Euro area, for example, while also working just as well in the US, the UK or in less wealthy nations like India or Brazil. I believe it can make it much easier for us to combat something like the ‘08 financial crisis or 1929 crash without having to bail out the bankers but it should be equally applicable to high inflation scenarios like the 1970s. It’s an evolution of monetarism that reincorporates some of the insights of Keynes… or at least that’s my aim!