#r chronic lasting longer

[inkskinned]

the thing about art is that it was always supposed to be about us, about the human-ness of us, the impossible and beautiful reality that we (for centuries) have stood still, transfixed by music. that we can close our eyes and cry about the same book passage; the events of which aren't real and never happened. theatre in shakespeare's time was as real as it is now; we all laugh at the same cue (pursued by bear), separated hundreds of years apart.

three years ago my housemates were jamming outdoors, just messing around with their instruments, mostly just making noise. our neighbors - shy, cautious, a little sheepish - sat down and started playing. i don't really know how it happened; i was somehow in charge of dancing, barefoot and laughing - but i looked up, and our yard was full of people. kids stacked on the shoulders of parents. old couples holding hands. someone had brought sidewalk chalk; our front walk became a riot of color. someone ran in with a flute and played the most astounding solo i've ever heard in my life, upright and wiggling, skipping as she did so. she only paused because the violin player was kicking his heels up and she was laughing too hard to continue.

two weeks ago my friend and i met in the basement of her apartment complex so she could work out a piece of choreography. we have a language barrier - i'm not as good at ASL as i'd like to be (i'm still learning!) so we communicate mostly through the notes app and this strange secret language of dancers - we have the same movement vocabulary. the two of us cracking jokes at each other, giggling. there were kids in the basement too, who had been playing soccer until we took up the far corner of the room. one by one they made their slow way over like feral cats - they laid down, belly-flat against the floor, just watching. my friend and i were not in tutus - we were in slouchy shirts and leggings and socks. nothing fancy. but when i asked the kids would you like to dance too? they were immediately on their feet and spinning. i love when people dance with abandon, the wild and leggy fervor of childhood. i think it is gorgeous.

their adults showed up eventually, and a few of them said hey, let's not bother the nice ladies. but they weren't bothering us, they were just having fun - so. a few of the adults started dancing awkwardly along, and then most of the adults. someone brought down a better sound system. someone opened a watermelon and started handing out slices. it was 8 PM on a tuesday and nothing about that day was particularly special; we might as well party.

one time i hosted a free "paint along party" and about 20 adults worked quietly while i taught them how to paint nessie. one time i taught community dance classes and so many people showed up we had to move the whole thing outside. we used chairs and coatracks to balance. one time i showed up to a random band playing in a random location, and the whole thing got packed so quickly we had to open every door and window in the place.

i don't think i can tell you how much people want to be making art and engaging with art. they want to, desperately. so many people would be stunning artists, but they are lied to and told from a very young age that art only matters if it is planned, purposeful, beautiful. that if you have an idea, you need to be able to express it perfectly. this is not true. you don't get only 1 chance to communicate. you can spend a lifetime trying to display exactly 1 thing you can never quite language. you can just express the "!!??!!!"-ing-ness of being alive; that is something none of us really have a full grasp on creating. and even when we can't make what we want - god, it feels fucking good to try. and even just enjoying other artists - art inherently rewards the act of participating.

i wasn't raised wealthy. whenever i make a post about art, someone inevitably says something along the lines of well some of us aren't that lucky. i am not lucky; i am dedicated. i have a chronic condition, my hands are constantly in pain. i am not neurotypical, nor was i raised safe. i worked 5-7 jobs while some of these memories happened. i chose art because it mattered to me more than anything on this fucking planet - i would work 80 hours a week just so i could afford to write in 3 of them.

and i am still telling you - if you are called to make art, you are called to the part of you that is human. you do not have to be good at it. you do not have to have enormous amounts of privilege. you can just... give yourself permission. you can just say i'm going to make something now and then - go out and make it. raquel it won't be good though that is okay, i don't make good things every time either. besides. who decides what good even is?

you weren't called to make something because you wanted it to be good, you were called to make something because it is a basic instinct. you were taught to judge its worth and over-value perfection. you are doing something impossible. a god's ability: from nothing springs creation.

a few months ago i found a piece of sidewalk chalk and started drawing. within an hour i had somehow collected a small classroom of young children. their adults often brought their own chalk. i looked up and about fifteen families had joined me from around the block. we drew scrangly unicorns and messed up flowers and one girl asked me to draw charizard. i am not good at drawing. i basically drew an orb with wings. you would have thought i drew her the mona lisa. she dragged her mother over and pointed and said look! look what she drew for me and, in the moment, i admit i flinched (sorry, i don't -). but the mother just grinned at me. he's beautiful. and then she sat down and started drawing.

someone took a picture of it. it was in the local newspaper. the summary underneath said joyful and spontaneous artwork from local artists springs up in public gallery. in the picture, a little girl covered in chalk dust has her head thrown back, delighted. laughing.

[poisonandpages]

Me: I want specific instructions on how an adult in my country can get an official autism diagnosis

Google: here's 30 articles on the definition of autism and 30 more by parents complaining about having to raise autistic children

[dadbots]

April, huh….

[itomikkk]

Some of my fave shifting tips

Hii, today i wanna share with you some of the best shifting tips that helped me a lot back then, hope this helps to anyone that is struggling!

It’s YOUR shifting journey

i’m sure that if you’re chronically online in the shifting community you have heard this one but it’s not bad to remember that it’s your shifting journey. We all have a different process and you have to understand that; What took 2 months for someone to do maybe takes you 2 years or even more and it’s totally fine. You don’t have to desperate if something takes longer than you expected, i know it’s frustrating sometimes look at all the thousands shifting success stories everywhere but you have to understand that every process it’s different but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to make it one day. Remember you found shifting for a reason and you’re still here FOR A REASON. Don’t give up and enjoy the process, it’s totally worth it at the end of the day i promise

Find what works out for you

stop losing your time with methods that simply don’t work out for you because, why are you trying a method that requires visualization when you struggle at that? it’s stupid. If you don’t like visualization stop losing your time with methods that people swears that will make you finally shift, find what actually works out for you! We all know that methods are not a requirement to shift but if you need one and feel more motivated doing a method then keep doing it, shifting is a very personal experience because what works out for me may not work for you but what works for you may not work for me and that’s it. Take your time to find what you like and what you don’t when it comes to shifting and i promise everything will be easier. Shifting is a skill so stop looking at it like is something supernatural that only some people can do, everyone is able to do it but you have to learn what actually works out for you!

STOP listen to misinformation!!!

this is a very important tip because as a person that has been in the shifting community for years now i would really like that someone told me this. There’s a lot of misinformation around and for beginners i thinks this is something that really ruins everything for you, for example i spend years believing things that looking back then sound stupid and all this because i didn’t really do any research for myself so i really recommend to anyone who is kinda new in shifting to do some research for your own, find what resonates with you and leave what don’t. As i said before shifting is very personal so try to learn about the topic and understand it better, i really recommend reddit and tumblr for research cause in my personal opinion here’s where you can find the best info

Improve your self concept

one of the best tips that is not only gonna help you with shifting but also with improving your life in general. Change the things that you believe of yourself, convince yourself that you’re capable, that you’re limitless, that you’re POWERFUL and trust me once you change your sc you’ll have a different perspective of everything and as i said this not only helps you improving your relationship with shifting but also improves your relationship with yourself! There’s a lot a of videos in youtube that will help you improve your sc, i really recommend do some research on this topic as well cause it’s something very useful.

Affirming

I think that this is very related to the last tip but it’s still really helpful! In my personal experience affirming helped me so much to improve my shifting journey and i’m sure this can help you as well if you feel struggle. I’m sure y’all have heard about this term before and how it’s related to LOA (i recommend to do some research in this if you don’t understand it well 🫶), affirming is basically state something as true and when you affirm that you’re in your DR and that you’re fully capable of shift realities then no power in earth can stop it from becoming a fact. I highly recommend affirming and even more if you feel like you’re struggling with shifting, it’s literally game changer

this are some tips that help me, you can take what resonates with you and leave what don’t, remember shifting is very personal so enjoy your journey and understand what works out for you 🫶

- xo tomie

[hunting4fluff]

Reflex Training

HEY! I'M BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER (maybe) I started college so it came out a little slower but it's also a little longer but who cares here we gooooooo (also I added a single Spanish word in here Idk why it just felt right in the moment)

Lee Reader

Ler Miguel

Miguel/Reader or Miguel + reader (/r or /p is up for reader interpretation) 1694 word count

You would never expect Miguel to be such a physical person.

It would make sense most in combat, when all you really can do is grapple and punch, - Weaponry for you, as many other spiderpeople, was out of the question - however when it came to Miguel, you assumed he would leave touch to fighting.

It wasn't a bad thing, by any metric. It was admittedly nice to get a hand on your shoulder, letting you know his reassurance was available or the occasional flat palmed rub on your upper back when you were noticeably overwhelmed.

Today, however, left a little bit more physical touch than what you were used to.

Miguel had been praising your abilities. Your constitution was 'fairly admirable' your intelligence was 'something to be proud of…' etc. etc. But he hadn't neglected to point out your weaknesses in order to improve. Calling in today was reflex training.

Miguel had prepared a list of possible reasons why your reflexes might be off, ranging from least probable to most probable.

"Spider sense deterioration. Unlikely, though. Older spiderfolks tend to struggle with that and at that point they've already retired."

"Got it." You nodded your head as you listen intently for a cause. Miguel was anything, if not thorough.

"Mental health issues such as chronic anxiety and depression. You had listed last week that you were experiencing little to no symptoms on our new check-in."

"Still accurate." You affirm, noting the slight huff of irritation in his voice. He hadn't originally been planning on conducting mental health surveys- he knew everyone in this society experienced traumatic events and therefore had symptoms surrounding it -but after he had "Spider Therapist", Lyla and Peter all come forth with the not-so-flexible-suggestion, he wasn't exactly going to argue on the matter.

Nonetheless, you had been doing pretty well these past couple weeks. Taking a couple self care days to relax and allow yourself to enjoy things.

"Attention span difficulties." Miguel listed next.

"Attention span has been fine recently." You shrugged. Miguel quirked a brow, giving a half-heartedly disbelieving look. You smiled back and Miguel continued on the list.

"Then last but not least, inconsistent training. Have you been slacking in the training room?"

You opened your mouth to refute but hesitated. The mental health days didn't really count, you didn't think. They were rare and barely ever affected your work. However, you had been focusing more on strength training recently…

Miguel looked you over in your hesitation, a small huff of a chuckle springing from his chest.

"I'll put down 'yes' then…" He shook his head, an amused smirk quirking the corner of his lips as he pulled up a screen and started to type the information in. You shot Miguel a glare, in which he returned your glance with another snicker.

"Tell you what, we can work on it together today, alright?" He offered. It took you by surprise- Miguel never worked personally with any of the other Spider-people. It felt… special. You shrugged your shoulders, attempting to seem more nonchalant than how you actually felt, and nodded your head.

"Sounds good, I guess." Was that too relaxed? Miguel sure seemed to think so.

"What? You're not excited to work one on one? And here I thought we had a good thing goin'." Miguel teased. You rolled your eyes and giggled, crossing your arms as you grinned at Miguel.

"No, no- it sounds very exciting-"

"Ah, now you're just trying to make me feel better!" Miguel waved his hand dismissively, laughing. He was in a pretty good mood today and it was certainly a welcome change.

"C'mon, let's just go do that training thing, alright?" You laughed with him, starting to walk towards the training room. He joined your pace by your second stride, shaking his head again.

"I make the rules around here, contestón."

His taller figure allowed him a further stride, forcing you to jog to keep up with him. Making it to the training room, he opened the door to one of the simulation rooms.

The room was about 380 square feet, panels on the floors and walls used to project images of villains and obstacles that you might need to avoid or utilize in a fight. Typically this room simulated an average living room, even going so far as to materialize furniture to set the scene. Often times, Miguel encouraged this room's use for fighting robbers and inexperienced villains for those starting off, which almost made you feel insulted that he would bring you in here.

The furniture of a living room formed, it's technology akin to Miguel's suit as you would have noticed. Miguel had explained the science behind it before in one of his sleep deprived rants, but you also had been too tired to listen.

You noted the lack of a target in the room, scanning around to find only you and Miguel standing in the scene.

"You're going to be sparring with me." Miguel answered the question budding at your lips, only to provoke a new question.

"But your claws… and you're way bigger than me…" You nervously protested. In all honesty, while his claws were pretty scary, that wasn't your biggest concern. Fighting Miguel meant having to hurt him, and that wasn't something you were willing to do.

"You've fought worse, I'm sure of it." He brushed off the notion, starting to position himself from the opposite side of the couch. "And if you're really worried about my 'claws', then I can avoid using them. I'm not trying to kill you."

You were still hesitant, but the second you moved to comply, Miguel leapt at you. You dodged out of the way, just in the nick of time to feel his pinkie finger brush against your upper arm. The way you pulled out of the way, led you into a somersault and by the time you steadied yourself, Miguel was darting at you again. He reached to grab you as you jumped to the ceiling, just barely grazing your hip and causing a strangled squeak to jump from your throat.

Miguel seemed to hesitate, processing why you make such a noise, giving you more than enough time to leap back at him and tackle him to the ground. You struggled to grapple him, grabbing his wrists before he pulled both yours and his arms apart, twisting his wrist just right as to pull it from your grip.

You were screwed.

He quickly darted his hand towards you, shifting his weight to pin you as his hand clutched- your side?

Before you could question his choice of hand placement, you saw that smug grin on his face and knew you were double screwed. His fingers slowly dragged up your side, causing you to twitch and try to arch away from the touch.

Flustered blush rose to your cheeks, heating up your face once you realized how detail oriented Miguel was.

"You know, I was thinking of adding a penalty to inadequate training sessions. You think this will work fine?"

Miguel's teasing only made it harder to try and at least seem unbothered. You felt a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you yanked at Miguel's hands, your head rolling back as you whined in protest. Verbal protest could mean laughing. You weren't going to be so easy.

"Oh, am I getting the silent treatment? There's a good way to fix that." Miguel moved his fingers towards your ribs, shooting sparks through your skin. He tapped on each individual rib, slow and teasing. Every movement was methodical and well thought out. He was anything if not thorough.

Each light creeping touch built more and more giggles bubbling up in your chest, a full grin spreading across your face as you squirmed. It would be a lie to say this wasn't a little fun. Miguel was grinning down at you, shifting to grab your wrist and holding it above your head. A small giggle slipped out before the entire dam broke, and he wasn't even touching you yet. He wiggled his fingers teasingly above your armpit, relishing in every reaction you made.

"Miguel!" You yelped out, arching away from the impending fingers.

"What? You failed reflex training and now you're gonna learn to get better!" He laughed, a devilish glint lighting up in his eyes. Suddenly, five, firm claws grazed just below your underarm coaxing a scream laugh from you. You weren't expecting his claws, much less for them to tickle so bad. You cackled and writhed, hearing Miguel's laughter mix in with yours.

"YOU SAHAID YOU WOULDN'T-" You were cut off by your own laughter, shrieking as they quickly scritched down to your side and slowly dragged up back to your ribs.

"Wouldn't use my claws? For training I wouldn't. Like I said, I'm not trying to kill you." He chuckled, speeding up the slow scritches to quick scribbles.

It felt like tingly fireworks were shooting through your ribs, causing you to cackle and screech.

"YOU'RE KILLING MEHEHE ANY-" Before you could finish your sentence, a loud squeal followed by a gasp interrupted as you started to thrash.

He slowed his touch to light tracing up and down your sides after a few moments to allow you to catch your breath, giggles still hitching in your throat before you started to calm down a little bit.

Finally he stopped, releasing your wrists as you coiled in on yourself. You caught your beath and laid there for a few moments, residual giggles slipping out here and there. He reached over and brushed some hair out of your face, laughing before he pulled you closer with one arm.

"You good?" He asked, the smug smile never leaving. You nodded your head, still smiling as you leaned into him.

"You didn't end up killing me, so that's nice." You retorted, earning one more bark of laughter from Miguel.

"Hey- it's motivation. Anyways, let's get you some water. I think we worked out your abs more than your reflexes." He joked, standing up and holding a hand out for you to grab.

Reflex training might not be so bad after all.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Amanda Marcotte at Salon:

MILWAUKEE — As recently as 2021, the newly announced Republican candidate for vice president, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, had harsh words for Americans who divorce, including those who did so to leave abusive marriages. Divorcees, Vance argued, are quitters who ruin their children's lives.  "This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, 'Well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that's going to make people happier in the long term," Vance told the audience at Pacifica Christian High School in Southern California. 

The 39-year-old Vance went on to argue that kids "who grew up in my generation" ended up with "family dysfunction" because couples are no longer "doggedly determined to stick it out." The "Hillbilly Elegy" author held up his grandparents as role models, because they "were together to the end," despite "an incredibly chaotic marriage." But while Vance may sneer at women who prefer safety rather than "’til death do us part," he conveniently has no quarrel with Donald Trump, who has been divorced twice, has children with three women and a lengthy history of chronic adultery. Vance glowed with excitement at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Monday evening as delegates chanted his name. The freshman senator's months of bowing and scraping had paid off, when the thrice-married Trump, famous for bragging about sexual assault, named Vance his running mate. 

[...] But perhaps that's because it's not really hypocrisy that drives the MAGA movement. It's an attachment to traditional hierarchies that allow such appalling double standards to flourish. Violence from Republicans, such as on January 6, is acceptable because it's enforcing the social order they support. But the attempted murder of Trump is beyond the pale because it's an assault on the only leader they accept as legitimate.  [...] In that light, it's not hard to see what holds Vance's seemingly disparate views together. It's not a faith in marriage, but an allegiance to male domination.

While he was carefully gender-neutral in his 2021 comments, the larger context suggests Vance's grievance is with women. No-fault divorce is the result of years of feminist organizing. Women initiate 70% of divorces. And while there are certainly male victims of domestic abuse, the vast majority of people who need to escape violent marriages are women. Vance can play all the word games he likes, but when he's deriding "people" for not having good enough reasons for ending marriages, there's little doubt it's women he's mostly thinking of. It's usually women who are being chastised in these right-wing laments about divorce. Women have always been the ones expected to suffer adultery, abuse, or just plain unhappiness to hold a marriage together. Divorced men like Trump don't get rebuked, especially by the Christian right, even when it's their adulteries and abuses that caused the divorce. Ultimately, the blame is placed on the wives for not working harder to save the marriage.  This sexist double standard explains why Trump's biggest base of support is divorced men, as pollster Daniel Cox demonstrated last week. 

In his slightly jokey response to this report, Jonathan Last of The Bulwark wrote, "There is a particular type of mental break," which he calls "Divorced Dude Energy," which he feels explains "the way some middle-aged men went cuckoo for Trump." Many, even most divorced men are not like this, he hastens to add. Still, we've all seen these cases where "a seemingly normal guy’s marriage breaks up and suddenly he’s a different person. Angry. Resentful. Superior. Kind of agro."

[...] Divorced Dudes of the sort Last describes will not hear Vance's lament about divorce and feel insulted. They will take it in the spirit intended: As an attack on their ex-wives for leaving them. That's also why Trump likely doesn't care. He knows that when Vance criticizes divorced people, he means divorced women. 

In 2021, Trump VP pick J.D. Vance decried those who divorced, because he believes that abusive marriages are better than a person choosing to flee an abusive partner.

[dearestones]

To Resist Human Emotion (Yandere! L x Reader)

Warnings: Yandere character, yandere behavior, implied kidnapping/imprisonment, etc. 

Anonymous Request: Can u do for L with the prompt

" why are you so obsessed with me?"

Btw I live for ur lit !

.

.

.

Your teaspoon clinked against the side of your porcelain cup, the sound reverberating in the empty space. Although you were not as keen on drinking tea at the moment, you decided to humor your host. After a few more cursory stirs, you place your spoon back down onto your saucer—another clink—before bringing the cup to your lips. 

You didn’t drink. 

“I have coffee available if you like.” 

Refusing to look up from the rim of your cup, you gently blew on the steaming liquid, watching as the ripples spread and ricocheted back into each other. Despite the warm heat emanating from your cup of tea, you felt the room’s temperature drop by several degrees the longer you refused to speak. Because you disliked punishment, you reconsidered your vow of silence, but you also didn’t want to give your host the satisfaction of your voice. 

Finally, when it seemed like you would be given the chance to spend the next hour or so stewing in silence, your host set his cup back onto the table that sat between the both of you. The movement was somewhat elegant, but stilted by the man’s inherent robotic nature. Not once in all the time that you have known him did he ever seem human. He was led by desires like any other human, you supposed, but underneath the facade of a genius eccentric, he was a monster that only did things to alleviate his chronic boredom. 

“You don’t wish to speak with me.” 

He sounded understanding. Almost kind. If it were anyone else, maybe it would have fooled them. But you were all too aware of the teacup that lay heavy in your hands, of the surplus of sweets that towered like mini mountains atop the pristine white tablecloth. This was less a gilded cage and more a prison that taunted you with all the delights that your host could ever offer. 

All the delights in the world… except for the one thing that actually mattered. 

You inclined your head, careful not to shift your gaze from the deep, dark color of your tea. At least a quarter of an hour ago, someone had told you what sort of tea you would be served, but the name slipped your mind. Connoisseur or not, you did not feel like exerting too much effort into finding out what it was. It was earthy and aromatic, but there was a distinct floral scent that gave you a sweet aftertaste after simply smelling it. 

“We cannot negotiate if you refuse to communicate.”

That is true. This clandestine meeting between the two of you had been arranged at his behest, but it was you who held the key to maintaining the uneasy balance. If you wanted reparations, you had to tell him what you wanted. 

But first—

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” If you felt ashamed, you dared not show it. Your voice was rough and raspy, shaky like a mishandled instrument. When was the last time you had spoken? Before you had been tortured in isolation? Or after you had woken up alone and blindfolded after the initial kidnapping attempt? 

You heard the man opposite you shuffle in his seat. “The same reason why you are so intent on staring at your tea.”

Biting your lip, you studiously watched as your knuckles whitened and clenched around the handle of the delicate porcelain. How much effort would it take for you to snap the handle? How fast would you fling the teacup into the man’s face? 

How far were you willing to claim your freedom?

Shaky now, your hands placed your cup of tea onto the table. If you watched closely, a single pale brown droplet traveled from the lip of the cup and down onto the snowy white cloth. 

“And what reason is that?” Out of morbid curiosity, you looked up and studied the strange, dangerous man who had taken your life away as if he were simply ordering a cake from the nearby bakery. 

“There is none.” You looked up at him in surprise. “There is no reason to stare into your teacup, for me to obsess over you as you say. No reason. No logic. There is only human emotion clouding your judgment—mine as well.”

He rose steadily onto his feet before shuffling towards you. Even while his shoulders were stooped, he cut a dominating figure as he loomed above you. 

“And try as I might, I find it hard to resist human emotion.”

.

.

.

DISCLAIMER: I do not condone yandere behavior outside of fictional settings. Please don’t mistake the actions of fictional characters displayed in works of fiction to be considered harmless in real life.

If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

DEATH NOTE MASTERLIST

[choco-bloop]

HC characters as random quotes from my friends.

Xisuma: So, in trying to get you to pick up a hobby, I was asked to prod at something that interests you.

Mumbo: Pranking everyone

Grian: I SWEAR I AM MORE INTERESTING AND DYNAMIC THAN THAT-

Xisuma: Please elaborate. 

Mumbo: NAME ONE OTHER INTEREST

Etho: *raised eyebrow emojis* 

Etho: ^ 

-

*Talking about a poodle who’s head fur was styled in pigtails*

Grian: I’VE SEEN STONES ROCK PIGTAILS BETTER THAN HIM

-

Gem: Do you guys want to have a barbecue?

Cleo: Do we look like we can bbq without burning the place down?

-

Beef: That was homework?

Beef: was that not optional?

Cleo: MY ARSE IS OPTIONAL

-

*Picture of Impulse’s last listened to song, that being Hermitgang*

Tango: Help, Impulse I see you streaming this every 2-3 business days 

-

Joe: Believe in yourself and that you are prepared 

Joe: Because confidence is the key to bullshitting your way through anything

-

Scar: *forwarded* Hello guys, can y’all help my friend do a survey for her project? I really appreciate it if you can help to fill it in. Thanks! [Link to survey]

Cleo: Ok

Stress: Oki

*A bit later* Cleo: A YOU FCKING ASSHOLE I HATE YOU

Cleo: I AM TRYING TO TEXT PEOPLE AND NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP IS PLAYING ON MY COM

Cleo: YOU BIG ASS MF I HATE YOU WITH EVERY FIBRE OF MY BODY

Cleo: I WAS VERY READY TO HELP SOMEONE IN NEED 

Pearl: Yes I got tricked too but on April fool’s day and I was wondering when my com had a YouTube tab while back reading other chats cuz I just opened any links in my unread chats and then go to them after backreading and was so confused until I realised the survey form wasn’t there.

-

Tango: You know, not all short people are Bdubs and Grian right?

Bdubs: SHUT UP.

Bdubs: I AM IN YOUR WALLS

-

Stress: *picture of food she baked* 

Pearl: OMG I WANT IT 

Stress: Drop by <3 

Pearl: IM IN UR WALLS FEEDME

-

Bdubs: *picture of Doc*

Etho: omg Bdubs why does it look like he’s towering over you is this your perspective when you see us? 

Bdubs: Etho. I am in your walls.

-

Gem: So I’m walking out of my prismarine farm and suddenly I’m like “Oh shit, where’s my hair tie?” Because I realised that my hair was no longer tied

Gem: And then I look to my pickaxe only to see my hair tie right around it.

-

Pearl: Question. If you are standing somewhere and you need to wear socks, what would you do in the situation? Assuming there are no chairs to sit on

Stress: Balance on one foot, fail miserably and fall over

Cleo: Sit on the floor and wear it

False: Balance on one foot and wear it

Pearl: Ah- 

Pearl: I decided to try just shoving my foot into the sock without any supports. But that didn’t work because my hands were full so I leaned against the wall and put on my sock from there.

Pearl: I managed to do one because right afterwards, Gem appears and just s t a r e s before laughing at me because of how STUPID I looked.

-

Impulse: *sends video*

Scar: idk why I can’t hear anything even thought my volume is on

Impulse: It’s ok, I’ll show you tomorrow 

Mumbo: Is your tab muted?

Scar: …

Scar: Haha 

Scar: oops anyway-

Mumbo: Amateur mistake.

Mumbo: I thought you were more chronically online than this

[manonamora-if-reviews]

The Archivist and the Revolution by Autumn Chen

============= Links

Play the game See other reviews of the game See other games by Autumn

============= Synopsis

A woman alone in a dying city, on a dying world. What will be left when it all falls apart? The Archivist and the Revolution is a slice-of-life/romance/history simulator set in a far-future sealed city that has undergone cycles of destruction and revival. You play as Em, a middle-aged woman who is no longer an archivist, as she struggles with rent payments, chronic illness, and the remnants of past relationships.

============= Other Info

The Archivist and the Revolution is a Dendry* game, submitted to the 2022 Edition of the IFComp. It ranked 4th overall. *Autumn is also an unofficial maintainer of the Dendry format.

Status: Completed Genre: Science Fiction, Slice-of-Life, Romance

CW: optional sexual content, illness, death, transphobia, homophobia.

============= Playthrough

First Played: 6-Oct-2022 Last Played: 05-Aug-2023 Playtime: around 2h (multiple endings) Rating: 5 /5 Thoughts: Some glimmer of hope in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future...

============= Review

This is a Post-Comp Version review. Also maybe biased because I really like Autumn's work.

In a far future, after centuries of conflict, the Earth's population has been reduced to small communities stuck inside arcologies (city domes). In one of them, lives Em, an Archivist (sorta), trying to survive the best she can (sorta), and maybe (re)form relationships to better her situation. Throughout the game, you must ensure Em is on top of her duties and health.

Spoilers ahead. It is recommended to play the game first. The review is based on my understanding/reading of the story.

As with her other Dendy games, A&R works in layers. On the surface, it is a resource management game, where your savings, energy level (hidden), mental and physical health (hidden) must be minded when organising one's day or spending. While you have agency in this, how far you can go with the different actions will depend on whether you've unlocked certain storylets, or Em's current health at the time. Since she has chronic issues, you won't be allowed to churn through hundreds of files for your job, or even do anything at times.

Underneath, two other mechanics come to play: the relationship/storylet aspect with Em's old acquaintances, and the archiving loop, Em's job. Both will affect Em's survival (savings/health) and the ending of the game. The first is relatively similar to Autumn's previous Dendry games, in which a side-story will be parsed throughout the game, requiring the player to meet specific characters multiple times to uncover the story at large. In this game, clearing more than one path in a playthrough is quite doable. The latter is a mechanic I had not really seen before in an IF game, but one I enjoyed greatly. Your job entails decrypting and archiving files, each with a specific code (hint hint), requiring to be either placed in a specific slot or discarded (or you can keep it for yourself). Combing through the documents were quite fun.

The first time I played the game, I thought I could survive all on my own, leaving past relationships where they were, focusing only on my job and keeping myself afloat. I remember it being incredibly stressful (I almost cried when Em was on the brink of eviction). Everything felt hopeless, and the almost-clinical-at-times prose, as well as the UI, accentuated that feeling.

This time around, I followed Autumn's advice and shamelessly begged my acquaintances for money. I didn't want to recreate that very anxious feeling I had the last time - and wanted to see what else I had missed. Indeed, it was much less stressful to go through. I didn't really have to worry about money (thanks A-), I didn't have to exhaust myself with work, and I could explore more different facets of Em's life (her past relationships, herself, how she had to navigate the world). The world is still wretched, but there is more hope. You almost believe that surviving through it is... doable.

The storylets manages to offer a bit of levity in this wretched world, in which Em can find a community helping others, rekindle her relationship with a (re)closeted trans person, rekindle her relationship with her ex who you had a child with. In (re)making connections, you can learn more about your past and how you (don't) fit in this world. You can go on a date, cook with someone, spend time with your child... have a "normal" life. I quite enjoyed how grounded and raw these storylets felt. They, at times, seemed like a commentary on our present, with the tribalism of social media, the lack of trust in the news, the grueling life under capitalism, and the treatment of transfolks. Strip away the sci-fi/post-apocalyptic future, and they could could be right at home with our current time. I still hated the news part... its description changing the 'a form of self harm' was on point considering the comments...

Even if you don't interact with anyone, you can still learn about the world and your place in it through the notes (essentially a Codex page) or DNA files you decode. From old recovered chats between yourself and other characters, science articles, old journal entries, and documents regarding the Arcology's founder - Liana -, you can build together a bleak image about the world, the state of the environment and human condition, filled with disenchantment and conflict. Depending on what you do with your day, you may find some Easter Eggs, like the TV Series you can watch or the Games you can play, little winks to Autumn's other games. Some characters of the game, made obvious by their names, share a resemblance to ones from the Pageantverse.

With the implementation of the Autosave, I was able to reach a lot more endings than the first time around, especially less bleak ones, without having to replay the game. Those endings are highly dependent on the actions you took during the game, some being sweet (especially with K-), some being maybe critical (imo A-'s, Alone), and one specifically blew my mind (Ending 1 - didn't find before). Ending 1 is by far the most interesting one in my book. While it might seem a bit like a Deux Ex Machina or coming from out of nowhere (depending on your playthrough it may feel like a whiplash), it is the one that has not left my brain since I've replayed the game - maybe because of how strikingly different it is from the others. I think this ending might work best if connections with other characters were not made. It also made me wonder whether Em's life would have been that different if her arcology was still in contact with the others, or whether contact was severed between all arcologies. Honestly, it brought a lot of questions about the world after reading through (sequel of Ending 1, when?).

I don't know if there is a point or a moral to the game. If I were to give one to it, it would be that communities are important for people to thrive, maybe even necessary, and that the world can be a very difficult place when you keep to yourself, worse when your situation is dire in the first place. Even if it seems bleak, there is a glimmer of hope and goodness there...

============= Old Review

Can we code DNA to make data storage?

I enjoy Autumn’s games and (re-)played all her other publications this year (after being introduced through A Paradox Between Worlds). So I was excited for her entry this year too!

Although it is supposed to be placed in a bleak almost apocalyptic future, there seems to be references to some sort of post-Covid period, the current inflation (especially housing) and the treatment of transpeople. Or at least this was the vibe I got from it. A strong feeling of almost hopelessness oozes from the prose (though you can end with a more hopeful/positive ending if you play it right). I almost cried when I didn’t make the rent and saw the amount just jump…

Like Autumn other games, there is a focus on the relationship between the different characters and on MC’s conditions (mental and physical). It is a bit hard to go through (the trigger warnings are warranted) but it does offer an interesting exploration on how to survive when your situation looks this dire. The news items are heart-breaking… but I hated the comments even more.

The Archiving mechanic is really interesting. Reading each file (some being contemporary pieces) as if they were bits and pieces from an ancient time is disturbing (but in a good way). The filing section is simple when you get the hang of it, but it does its job as it’s supposed to. I don’t know if this has been mentioned in the other reviews but: the code for the DNA strings are related to which category you are supposed to file it in and or the origin of the document, W being wikipedia. If you ever wanted to make the filing more difficult, you could add subsections to each categories

But, when you take into account the small resource management (you being the resource to take care of), the simplicity of the archiving makes things a bit easier to go through. I think I would have liked some sort of “action points” or “energy level” bar to see how much more I could do that day (but that is almost the only issue I have with the game, and it’s not even an issue really).

The inclusion of a walkthrough is very welcomed, as each ending requires widely different paths to take. I also liked the background changing depending on where the character was physically (outside, in the room, working…) and the way the pictures were edited enhances the feeling of things not being quite right.

I also like the small link between this entry and the previous games (which was made obvious to me by following the progress of this game on the author’s personal blog)

Overall, this was a great entry, and I hope our future is not as bleak as this one.

[tionpeake]

♛ → THE REACH presents TION PEAKE, the RULING LORD of STARPIKE* & MASTER OF COIN. when the dragons danced in the sky they thought THE GREENS would still fly, but in the blink of an eye, they would all die. the THIRTY-TWO year old MALE who was AMBITIOUS & COMPOSED before they saw the first of the flames, is now GREEDY & CONTROLLING after seeing the last. they’re often associated with lush grassy plains as far as the eye can see, the sound of drums in the distance, the scent of perfumed oils ( kofi siriboe. )

*as a side note, though starpike is his main home, the peakes have three keeps to their name at this time - starpike, whitegrove, and dunstonbury

pinterest ✶ playlist ✶ wanted connections ✶ character building ✶ timeline ✶ house peake lore ✶ tasks

history.

part one

gold was ever a sore point for the peakes, whose own house was land poor, rich in stone and soil and pride, yet chronically short of coin, so say the writings of maester gyldayn. this much was true under the lordship of tion’s father, a martial-minded marcher lord, but the father was not the son. the lands of house peake were plentiful and fertile, and yet, the coffers were always empty.

tion’s upbringing was marked by his family’s relative poverty. his house was an ancient one, existing in the reach’s earliest days and said to be descended from florys the fox. many have wondered since the age of heroes if there was summer islander blood in the people of the peake’s lands, but none could say for certain - the husbands of florys were not recorded to history. in his youth, his father had visited the summer isles, curious to see if his origins could be traced. he did not return with answers, but he did return with a bride - tion’s mother.

and yet, despite their three castles they could barely afford to maintain, and an abundance of fertile lands in the marches, the peakes had never found permanent fortune and security. there have been times in their history, such as when the manderlys were driven from the reach, when they had temporarily flourished, but the temporary boosts never lasted more than a few generations.

and so, tion was raised with very little in comparison to the other reach lords, his armour never knew, his family’s keeps always in a state of near disrepair. it was a source of wounded pride for tion, who made it his mission very early on to not only make money, but to make so much of it that it would last for years to come, shattering the peake’s reputation for being poor.

on his sixteenth nameday, his father granted tion dunstonbury, one of the peake’s three castles that were emblazoned on their arms. though young, the lord quickly went to work, a sign of what was to come when he would one day take his father’s own seat. ever-diligent, that tion peake is a hardworking man could never be doubted. his goal, at first, was simple - amass enough money to repair the crumbling keep he was to live in.

the peakes had land to spare, and so, tion practically gave it away to the local small folk. the population of dunstonbury swelled, and agriculture began to flourish, and alongside it, other trade began to spring up. his efforts would bear fruit when the dance broke out, allowing the peakes to continue to make coin while their lords went to war.

the dance would see his father fall, and tion rise to become the lord of the peakes’ three keeps.

part 2

during the dance, he was a fierce supporter of the green faction. it was not just a matter of duty - he genuinely believed in the principles of it, and that aegon ii was the one with the right to rule. this belief only grew the longer the war continued.

he was a fair soldier - better than most, but by no means exceptional. perhaps he could have been, if he had more of a passion for it, but despite his martial upbringing, he was never overjoyed by the feeling of a sword in his hand. no matter where he went or what he was doing, his mind was often on something else, his plans for his home, and what he would do when he returned. 

over time, though, his loyalties began to shift. he did not support the greens, but one particular green - and he began to think that perhaps daeron the daring, a man he came to greatly respect, would be the best choice for westeros’ king, and gathered a contingent of supporters who felt similarly. 

when daeron disappeared, presumed dead, he lost faith in the targaryen dynasty as a whole. as such, tion was a very happy man when the dance ended, and the realm split. he returned to the reach, accepting the decision wholeheartedly, and once again turned his mind to his long-term goals. 

part 3

the next few years were marked by the culmination of tion’s plans for his home, so rudely interrupted by the dance. under his guidance, the peake lands have seen prosperity like no other, booming in trade born from the attention tion put into their agriculture in his youth that became something more in the years since. The castles have been restored, new towns and villages springing up where before there were only grassy plains. 

this should have signalled a time to rest - but not for tion. instead, he simply reassessed what he wanted out of life, and set his new goal - a voice in the reach, a seat on the small council. 

he bided his time, but the death of garland hightower presented an opportunity. tion put his name forward as master of coin - after all, who better to handle the treasury than the man who had spun straw into gold? 

personality.

basics

for tion, nothing is ever good enough. even when he achieves the goal he has set out for himself, he is always chasing the next achievement, looking for his next victory. he’s always looking for more, to be and have better. over time, he has become greedy in his efforts.  

in every incident, every interaction, every conversation, tion looks for opportunity. he’s a chancer at heart - and thus far, that has worked out for him. 

he’s a patient man. he knows that success comes not simply from action, but when the action is deployed. even when he has a fully formed, concrete plan in mind, he has no issues holding back from making the first move until the most opportune time. 

in terms of personal interactions, tion is a very calm presence. he’s an incredibly difficult man to rile up, whether than be anger or any other sort of passion. he sees this as a source of pride, his cool demeanour and composure something that he maintains at all times. 

tion is a man who cares about his appearance. he is never seen publicly with a hair out of place, and never caught unawares. there’s more than hubris behind this, a strategy he lives by : he goes to extreme efforts to make it known that the peakes no longer lack for coin, and to make it plain that he is a lord, not a glorified farmer. 

rumours

under tion’s lordship, the lands of house peake have gone from the brink of ruin to incredibly prosperous in a very short amount of time. there are some who think he has accomplished this through dubious means. 

his mother was a summer islander, and so it would be natural to assume he has sympathies there.

goals

he’s got the land and the money, and now tion seeks to make a name for himself. it is not necessarily about amassing power - tion is a very goal oriented person, never satisfied with what he has. there is always another step on the ladder to climb, and he wants to make sure he is in the right places, at the right times, making the right steps to get ahead for himself and his legacy. 

his biggest challenge is the delicate balance between upholding the martial traditions of a lord of the marches, and further encouraging economic prosperity. 

fears

he fears that everything is temporary, and all that he has worked for to improve peake lands could go away, and thus not be around for future generations to reap the benefits of. 

he also hates not being in control of any given circumstance. he is constantly looking for the upper hand to avoid this. 

a growing concern is that his mother’s place of birth will come back to haunt him. he works hard to put distance between himself and his heritage, and asking him about his connections to the summer isles is one of the only ways to get a rise out of him. 

other 

during the dance, he was badly burned, and carries the scars of this on his left arm.

for the lands surrounding the peake’s three castles, i am taking inspiration from haitian culture. the food, art, music, language, and community way of life there reflects this (more detailed post to come)

[charms-of-earth]

ok ill bite tell me abt ur autism

omg anon. would you believe you are the first person to ask me about this? ok, here goes. wow, i feel like i'm about to give a speech. ok. so, when i was a kid i had a lot of trouble making eye contact. i even remember one exercise we did in class where we had to practice eye contact with our peers and i (foolishly) proclaimed to the whole class "eye contact is easy! see!" (then i proceeded to look at the teachers chest.) she called me out on it of course, and my bullies in class laughed at me. anyway, when i brought this up to adults, it was always "oh, yeah eye contact is hard" or "you'll get better at it, just keep trying." well anon, i didn't really get better at it. i just got better at *pretending* which i now know is called masking, but i'm getting ahead of myself.

fast forward to my teens because much of my formative years are blocked out bc of trauma (but thats another post) and i've learned little tricks to avoid eye contact. looking at the bridge of someone's nose, their forehead, even just below their eyes or above them. i knew nothing about autism except that there was a nonverbal autistic guy in highschool and i was kinda friends with his sister who took care of him. that was my only exposure to autism so of course that wasn't me, right?

i dont remember if i ever had meltdowns as a child, or even as a teenager, but i know i had chronic migraines and was very sensitive to smells, bright lights, crowds, anything super simulating sensory-wise. maybe i had them, but i just blocked them out like i did so many other things? i don't know, the biggest thing for me was always the eye contact thing and the sensory thing.

i always just felt that *something* was different about me, but could never put my finger on what that was. i experimented with alt culture a bit, but i was already the black sheep of the family so if i became goth or scene that would add fuel to the fire. but i did listen to alt music quite a bit (this seems unrelated but from my research people on the spectrum gravitate towards alt culture and lgbtqa+)

then, in college i finally found out what it was that was different about me! (spoiler alert: it wasn't autism. at least not yet.) i came out as trans and started taking testosterone! well, that didn't last long (only about a year) because i realized i didn't want to be hairy and smelly all the time, and i could no longer sing the way i used to, but it's ok. i'm not a musician or anything. so, i wasn't a girl and i wasn't a guy, so i must be neither! and that's when i came out as nonbinary.

FINALLY, on a whim, my partner and i watched a youtube video by yo samedy sam, who also found out she was autistic later in life (and when i say that i mean like early to mid 30s) and it all fell into place. i've since done a little research and joined a discord server for people on the spectrum, and i understand and respect my autistic friends so much more.

i brought it up with my therapist and she recommended i take a few online tests. ( i think it was on embrace autism, the the tests were the CAT-Q, which is about how well you mask and the AQ and the RAADS-R? really legit tests, easy to understand and well worded.) no surprise i guess, i scored really high on all three tests, especially the masking test.

so, there you have it. if you are questioning whether you might be autistic, i really recommend you samedy sam's videos. autism is her special interest so shes really knowledgeable about it and structures her videos in a way that my brain doesnt wander away to other thoughts or what have you (i have adhd as well, which is a really common comorbidity with autism)

anyway, thats about it! thanks for the ask, and i hope you have a wonderful day/night!

[0firstlast1]

Temporary Street Art:

0firstlast1, 'the sensitive', heeded the call of the 'urban guerrilla' and went there to check out the work. It is possible to visually predict how much longer this attempt to fix the chronic problem of asphalt sinking at the intersections of this street will last, about two or three months.

Currently artist workers are signing works of art on the streets with the prefix 'Provisional' plus the suffix of the patriconator, in the image something like:

Provisional |:street art:| SABE... Yes, i knoW.

Changing the subject? I didn't take a long screenshot to get a sense of how long and narrow this page would look, the 'visual feel' would likely exceed the height of the new WTC, which would be a 'visual feel' smaller than an aircraft falling out of the sky in straight line leaving a trail of dark smoke. The last time I fed a bread crumb to a duck I got a painful duck peck.

What is this post about? About skateboarding and cycling.

( c )  | ' -_- ' |  ( R )

26/08/2023 14:43

[cyarskaren52]

REGULATORS: THE 25 DOPEST G-FUNK SONGS

By Stereo Williams

Published Mon, February 7, 2022 at 12:00 AM EST

West Coast Hip-Hop was already becoming a force. 

In the late 1980s, artists like Ice-T, Too $hort, King Tee and N.W.A. were putting California on the Hip-Hop map and by the dawn of the 1990s, New York City's grip on the rap industry was no longer a given. Producers like Above The Law's Cold 187Um (aka Big Hutch), DJ Quik and most famously, Dr. Dre, began melding their love of the bass-heavy grooves of Parliament/Funkadelic and other bands like Zapp and the Ohio Players, into Hip-Hop beats. The sound that emerged came to be known as G-Funk, and after 1992, it took over the West Coast.

And, in turn, the West Coast would take over Hip-Hop, commercially. After Dr. Dre took G-funk to the mainstream with the success of his solo debut The Chronic, the sound was virtually everywhere. With the Super Bowl Halftime Show putting everyone in a West Coast spirit, we decided to rank the 25 Dopest G-Funk songs. 

#26

"YOUR LOVE IS A 1.8.7." - THE WHITEHEAD BROS [BONUS SONG]

G-Funk was so big in 1993/1994, that it started to influence R&B. One of the most obvious examples was this single from The Whitehead Bros. With its squealing synths and references to murder and automatic weapons, it's a gangstafied love song. 

#25

"SUMMERTIME IN THE LBC" - THE DOVE SHACK

One of the most criminally overshadowed groups of the era, The Dove Shack came out swinging with this breezy ode to Long Beach in the summer. 

#24

"GETTIN' IT" - TOO $HORT W/PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC

"We gon' do it like this...on the last album," $hort Dog mournfully announced on this Parliament-assisted banger. Of course, we all know Too $hort was far from finished, but he delivered one of the most prominent latter entries in the G-Funk canon. 

#23

"AIN'T NO FUN" SNOOP DOGGY DOGG FEAT. WARREN G, NATE DOGG AND KURUPT

Yes, it's one of the most problematic songs of all time. But what a banger! Daz ghost-produced this G-funk staple. 

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#22

"DEEZ NUUUTZ" - DR. DRE FEAT. DAT NIGGAZ DAZ, NATE DOGG

Another classic from "The Chronic," and a song that spawned 30 years of eighth grader jokes, the Nate Dogg outro is just perfection. 

#21

"ALWAYZ INTO SOMETHIN'" - N.W.A.

Probably the clearest indicator on N.W.A.'s notorious sophomore album "Niggaz4Life" of where Dr. Dre was about to take things with "The Chronic" a year later. 

#20

"REAL MUTHAPHUCKKIN G'S" - EAZY-E FEAT. B.G. KNOCC OUT AND DRESTA

Eazy-E's diss aimed squarely at Dr. Dre and Death Row, this track was one of the best examples of Ruthless Records' brand of G-Funk, a sound the label rarely gets acknowledgment for. 

#19

"INDO SMOKE" - MISTA GRIMM

A weed theme song for stoners circa 1993, this banger from the "Poetic Justice" soundtrack gave an indication of where Warren G was going to go production-wise. It also memorably provided an intro snippet on Snoop's "Doggy Style" a few months later.

#18

"DUSTED 'N' DISGUSTED" - E-40 FEAT. MAC MALL, SPICE 1, ANT BANKS, 2PAC

E-40 pulls together a who's-who of Bay Area legends for one of the most beloved singles in his catalog. 

#17

"BLACK SUPERMAN" - ABOVE THE LAW

ATL's G-Funk legacy has always been overshadowed by the behemoth that is Death Row, but know that Cold 187um got there first and Ruthless sustained the sound alongside more high-profile camps. 

#16

"LET'S PLAY HOUSE" - THA DOGG POUND FEAT. MICHEL'LE AND NATE DOGG

A song that would become a West Coast backyard boogie staple for years to come, it's Daz in top form, production-wise. But everyone brings their A game here. 

#15

"DOLLAZ & SENSE" - DJ QUIK

Quik takes no prisoners on this infamous MC Eiht diss. Their feud would be one of West Coast Hip-Hop's most notorious, and this track is a classic entry. 

#14

"AFRO PUFFS" - LADY OF RAGE FEAT. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

The First Lady of Death Row came with it on this hit single from "Above The Rim," an ode to natural hair, gangsta shit and keepin' it funky. 

#13

"DOGGY DOGG WORLD" - SNOOP DOGGY DOGG FEAT. THA DOGG POUND, THE DRAMATICS AND WARREN G

The pimptastic video is one of the most memorable of the 90s; and the groove is pure 70s funk, highlighting how deeply indebted to that era G-funk had been. 

#12

"YOU KNOW HOW WE DO IT" - ICE CUBE

Cube's first album was Bomb Squad bombast and his second outing was looser, but still hard. After enjoying mainstream success with singles like "It Was A Good Day" and "Check Yo' Self," Cube dropped his most obviously G-Funk-leaning single in this West Coast classic. 

#11

"LET ME RIDE" - DR. DRE FEAT. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG AND JEWELL

Dre's love of P-Funk was never more evident than on this Sunday driving anthem. The flip of "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" is perfect and it gave "The Chronic" another hit single. 

#10

"THIS D.J."

Sure, the Nate Dogg-assisted "Regulate" is way more famous. But this follow-up single best sums up the sunny vibe of Warren G's particular brand of G-Funk. He kept it street, but also gave a more laid-back alternative to what was coming out of Death Row at the time. And this is a great summer song.

#9

"CALIFORNIA LOVE" [REMIX] - 2PAC W/DR. DRE FEAT. ROGER TROUTMAN

The original may be more famous, but it's the remix that's pure G-Funk. From that wobbly bassline to those squealy synths and the presence of an electro-funk legend in Roger Troutman himself. 

#8

"WHO AM I? (WHAT'S MY NAME)" - SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

It's so P-Funk-like, it's like you can hear George Clinton sitting in the room. Nobody would ever have trouble remembering his name again. Shoutout to "Atomic Dog." 

#7

"CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT" - ABOVE THE LAW FEAT. 2PAC AND MONEY B

Big Hutch (Cold 187Um) is one of the most underrated producers of all time. It's so funky and Pac and Money B bring some of that freewheeling D.U. energy to the proceedings. 

#6

"BIG PIMPIN'" - THA DOGG POUND FEAT. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

Daz's spin on G-Funk is so distinct. He goes deep into those bass grooves and this is one of his rubbery best. From the classic "Above The Rim" soundtrack, it helped announce that Tha Dogg Pound was up next. 

#5

"DRE DAY" - DR. DRE W/SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

From that opening thump; you can feel Parliament's influence. This hit from "The Chronic" was the culmination of his sound up that point--and yes, a scorching diss of Dre's former bandmate Eazy-E (and Luke and Tim Dog). 

#4

"REGULATE" - WARREN G FEAT. NATE DOGG

Where the G-Child proved to any late comers that he was more than just Dre's brother. The Long Beach product crafted his own uniquely melodic brand of G-Funk, and this classic epitomized it. 

#3

"TONITE" - DJ QUIK

Another example of G-Funk before Death Row and "The Chronic," DJ Quik's breakout hit wasn't necessarily called "G-Funk" at the time, but when you listen to it now, it's clear that he's pointing towards where so much mainstream West Coast Hip-Hop was headed. 

#2

"GIN AND JUICE" - SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

Another ode to getting drunk as hell, Snoop's second single cemented him as the most unique new voice in the game back in 1994. All these years later, it's a staple of the sound and era, a true G-Funk classic. 

#1

"NUTHIN' BUT A 'G' THANG" DR. DRE FEAT. SNOOP DOGGY DOGG

"Deep Cover" obviously came first, but this was Death Row's first smash and the song that pushed G Funk into the mainstream. Snoop and Dre's chemistry was on fire, and the groove launched a thousand imitators.

Sent from my iPhone

[ausetkmt]

Racism and economic inequality have predisposed black workers to be most hurt by coronavirus pandemic | Economic Policy Institute

A new report by director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy Valerie Wilson and senior economist Elise Gould explores how racial and economic inequality have left many black workers with few good options for protecting both their health and economic well-being during the coronavirus pandemic. Persistent racial disparities in health status, access to health care, wealth, employment, wages, housing, income, and poverty all contribute to greater susceptibility to the virus—both economically and physically.

The authors explain there are three main groups of workers in the COVID-19 economy: those who have lost their jobs and face economic insecurity, those who are essential and face health insecurity, and those who are able to continue working from the safety of their homes. Black workers are least likely to be in that last group, with more economic and health security.

As of April, less than half of the adult black population was employed. The black unemployment rate, even in the tightest of labor markets, remains significantly higher than the white unemployment rate. As of the latest data, the black unemployment rate is 16.7%, compared with a white unemployment rate of 14.2%.

While black workers make up about one in nine workers overall, they make up about one in six of all front-line industry workers. They are disproportionately represented in employment in grocery, convenience, and drug stores, public transit, trucking, warehouse, and postal service, health care, and child care and social services. While, in the near-term, this protects them from job loss, it exposes them to greater likelihood of contracting COVID-19 while performing their jobs. Fewer than one in five black workers in the pre-pandemic economy were able to work from home.

“As workers across the country lose their jobs in record numbers, the devastation of those job losses is magnified for black workers and their families,” said Gould. “Furthermore, black workers are more likely to be found on the front lines. They are doing essential work every day, while being at risk of being exposed to the virus. They deserve to be paid adequately, provided personal protective equipment, paid sick days, and health care, a safe workplace, and a union to advocate for them.”

The report explains that black workers are less able to weather such a storm because a long history of racial exclusion, discrimination, and inequality have resulted in fewer earners in their families, lower incomes, and lower liquid wealth than white workers. Overall, white families hold, on average more than five times as much liquid assets as black families do ($49,529 vs. $8,762.) In 2018, median household income for white households was 70% higher than for black households ($70,642 vs. $41,692).

Black Americans’ share of those who have died from COVID-19 nationally is nearly double their share of the U.S. population. They also experience preexisting health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma, and diabetes, which are associated with greater risk of death from the coronavirus at higher rates than white Americans. Black workers are also 60% more likely to be uninsured than white workers. This is likely an additional contributing factor to the disparity in chronic illnesses, and it also might result in uninsured workers waiting longer to seek care for suspected coronavirus symptoms.

“The global impact of COVID-19, both in lives lost and economic devastation, is likely to leave a lasting mark for years to come,” said Wilson. “The best path forward requires that the painful lessons learned during this crisis better prepare us for the next one. If we are to avoid the needlessly heavy burden born by African Americans during the next economic or public health crisis, preparation must include plans to address long-standing underlying racial disparities in economic and health outcomes.”

[byneddiedingo]

Hail the Conquering Hero (Preston Sturges, 1944)

Cast: Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines, William Demarest, Raymond Walburn, Franklin Pangborn, Elizabeth Patterson, Georgia Caine, Al Bridge, Freddie Steele, Bill Edwards, Harry Hayden, Jimmy Conlin, Jimmie Dundee. Screenplay: Preston Sturges. Cinematography: John F. Seitz. Art direction: Haldane Douglas, Hans Dreier. Film editing: Stuart Gilmore. Music: Werner R. Heymann.

It must have taken real nerve to make a film that pokes fun at patriotism, mother love, small towns, political campaigns, and the Marines in the middle of World War II. Preston Sturges's film begins in a small nightclub, where a singer (Julie Gibson) and her backup group of singing waiters launch into a stickily sentimental song, "Home to the Arms of Mother" (music and lyrics by Sturges), during which we see Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) drowning his sorrows. When a group of six Marines on leave after having fought at Guadalcanal enters the bar, Woodrow buys a round for them, and is prodded into telling them his sad story: He joined the Marines, trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, a Marine who died in World War I, but was discharged because of chronic hay fever. Instead of returning home to the arms of mother, he went to work in a shipyard and arranged for a friend to send his letters to her from overseas, disguising the fact that he was no longer a Marine. One of the men, Sgt. Heppelfinger (William Demarest), learns that Woodrow's father was his old buddy who fought with him at Belleau Wood, while another, Bugsy (Freddie Steele), is appalled that Woodrow hasn't been home to see his mother since the start of the war. So the Marines collude to take an extremely reluctant Woodrow back to his hometown and pretend that he's a war hero who has just been discharged. Naturally, the plan backfires spectacularly when the whole town joins in the celebration and even railroads Woodrow into running against the corrupt mayor (Raymond Walburn). Speed is of the essence in a farce like this, because if anyone ever gave Woodrow a moment to talk, the whole thing would collapse like a soufflé. On the other hand, too much fast talk can be wearying, so Sturges introduces a romantic subplot: Feeling that he can never return home, Woodrow has written his girlfriend, Libby (Ella Raines), that he has met someone else, so Libby is now engaged to Forrest Noble (Bill Edwards), the son of the town's corrupt mayor. Sturges gives them a long walk-and-talk tracking scene in which Libby, confused by her revived feelings for Woodrow, tries to sort things out with Forrest, but to no avail. It's a funny, beautifully written scene, but it doesn't quite work because neither Raines nor Edwards is up to the acting demands it puts on them. Bracken, however, is wonderful, as are Demarest, Steele, Walburn, and other members of Sturges's usual crew of brilliant character actors, including Franklin Pangborn as the harried planner of the celebration and Jimmy Conlin as the town judge. This was the last film Sturges made under his Paramount contract, which he ended because the studio interfered: It objected, perhaps rightly, to Ella Raines's lack of star power, and took the film out of Sturges's hands and edited it. After a couple of disastrous previews of the studio version, however, Sturges was called back in for rewrites and some new scenes. The revised Sturges version was a hit, and earned him an Oscar nomination for best screenplay.

[chronic-gastro-illness-culture]

I'm unable to go anywhere or do anything because of my stomach/bowel problems, and I feel so alone. doctors and hospitals don't help or know what's wrong, and i don't know what to do. I feel like I'll never get to go anywhere or do anything. (I get symptoms like stomach ache, nausea, acid reflux, diarrhoea, or constipation after I eat anything), so I'm unable to go anywhere where I'd have to eat. (so anywhere longer than a few hours.)

do you or anyone else have any experience in this or any advice?

i have been exactly where u r

i developed gerd in the spring of 2023

i made changes to my diet only to find out i have ibs n food allergies - i cant eat a lot of raw vegetables n fruits n nuts bc im allergic to them but i cant eat processed foods bc of my gerd either

so i have a limited diet n take magnesium capsules everyday bc i cant eat leafy green vegetables

but i definitely lived in fear for months n had a lot of anxiety abt eating n also my proximity to a bathroom. i was taking zofran around the clock n would keep a handful of tums in my pocket in case i started to have reflux

i felt like i wouldnt ever be able to enjoy food or the act of eating again. n so much of hanging out w ppl involves eating. i dont think ppl realize how much culture n socialization revolves around food until ur suddenly hyper vigilant abt what ur eating. also how hard life is when each n every meal brings w it the fear n anxiety of experiencing symptoms.

anyways my doc prescribed me anti anxiety meds n a ppi to get the reflux symptoms under control. n she told me to go to therapy. At first that rlly upset me being told my stomach problems were anxiety related n basically feeling like my doc was telling me its “all in my head” bc i knew it was psychosomatic i knew what i was going thru was real

but i started therapy n my therapist suggested i read a book called the body keeps the score by bessel van der kolk n it changed my perspective on the whole thing.

things like pills diets n exercise can definitely help get things under control- n idk what all u have tried n what all the docs n hospital have given u in terms of tools to work w ur undiagnosed conditions -but understanding the mind-body connection n how ur body holds n manages stress can rlly rlly help when it comes to actually managing chronic illness. bc chronic illness is tied to chronic childhood trauma which is often a pattern thats repeated in adulthood too. doctors can only do so much when it comes to treating the body but they have have no idea how to treat the mind. while i hated my doc telling me take anti anxiety meds n go to therapy initially now im very very thankful she knew that was smth that was behind her scope n so she sent to someone who knew how to give me the help i needed. bc if i hadnt gone to therapy id still be stuck at home locked in a prison of fear.

i go out to eat now. i had movie theater popcorn for the first time in 2 yrs last month. i can eat a greasy fast food cheeseburger. these things i only indulge in once a month bc i dont want my gerd symptoms to come back again but they r things i can do.

n bc ik n understand my own stressors ik how to prepare for things like that to keep my gerd n ibs managed. ik to make sure i only eat a gerd safe diet during times of stress n to avoid the greasy processed foods bc ill be more likely to have reflux then.

recovery rlly is a long journey n the medical field rlly is incompetent when it come to chronic illness. i wish u the best of luck on ur journey n i hope u get some relief soon 🙏