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xtruss · 3 months

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Because their ancestors were frequent victims of sky-dwelling predators, modern chickens often fear open spaces. Farmers can make pastures more suitable for hens with trees and brush cover.

Do Happy Hens Chicken🐓 🐓 🐓 Make Better Eggs🥚🥚🥚?

Some Farmers are Betting that Consumers Would Pay More for Eggs If They Knew the Chickens That Made Them Were Healthy and Well-treated. The Hard Part is Figuring Out Where Your Eggs Come From.

— By Rachel Fobar | February 16, 2024 | Photographs By Michael George

On open-pasture farms around the country, egg-laying hens seem to have it made: an open door offers access into fresh air beyond.

But ultimately, “access to pasture” means just that—the barn door is open, says Kestrel Burcham, a policy director at the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group. “It doesn't necessarily mean they're actually using it.”

Many chickens fear open spaces, which leave them vulnerable to predators from above. Unless these open spaces are well-designed with trees, brush cover, or even solar panels, “pasture-raised” hens may never experience the pasture. Still, when it comes to chicken welfare, pasture-raised sets the highest standards, and the label indicates the hens can spend most of their day outside—if they want.

Thanks to tree cover, hens on this farm in Western Kentucky venture further from the coop.

To get the “free range” label, hens must have outdoor access for at least half of their lives, but like “pasture raised,” there are few requirements for what that outdoor space should look like—it could be concrete rather than grass, for example. And “cage-free” means only that hens aren’t in cages, but they may be kept indoors 24 hours a day. If a carton of eggs has none of these labels, the hens likely lived in battery cages, usually all-wire, communal enclosures in which each bird has 67 to 86 square inches.

“Egg cartons are the most confusing of any livestock products,” Burcham says. (Confused at the grocery store? Here’s how to decode your egg label.)

Take “all-natural.” That label can be applied to chickens that were raised in farms that use battery cages, so long as the product was “minimally processed” in a way that doesn’t “fundamentally alter the product,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Typically that means there are no colors or artificial ingredients added. The words “farm fresh” on an egg carton have no specific meaning at all.

Photographer Michael George has spent more than two years capturing images of U.S. farmers who are trying to raise happier, pasture-raised hens. It’s been an eye-opening experience “learning how regulations with good intentions can often outpace science,” he says. But it’s been encouraging to see how farmers “are putting in significant time and money to keep tweaking the system to find what is truly most healthy for the birds,” he says. “There’s also an earnest sense of care the farmers have for their flocks.”

What Does “Pasture-Raised” Mean?

The USDA, which jointly regulates egg production with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, requires that “pasture-raised” animals “had continuous, free access to the out-of-doors for a significant portion of their lives.” The USDA doesn’t inspect facilities to ensure compliance, but farms are required to submit documents proving they provide pasture access.

“There are penalties if you make false labeling claims,” Burcham says. Consumers can file complaints about farms that misrepresent their outdoor access, and farms can be vulnerable to lawsuits. In 2021, PETA filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of consumers around the country against egg company Vital Farms, alleging that the company’s marketing led them to believe the company’s practices were more humane than they are. Vital Farms says it has always been transparent about its practices and that it has been independently audited. The lawsuit is ongoing.

On this farm in Upstate New York, farmer Glenn Zimmerman and his two daughters walk amongst their flock.

Left: Unlike many store-bought eggs, those from pasture-raised hens usually have yolks that are firmer and more orange in color. “If you don't have a good environment for them, they won't produce like they should,” says farmer Vernon Martin. Right: Martin believes consumers are willing to pay more for fresher eggs that come from healthier—and happier—hens.

Separate from the USDA’s “pasture-raised” label, egg producers may choose to seek a “pasture-raised” label from Certified Humane, a voluntary animal welfare certification program run by the nonprofit Humane Farm Animal Care, which independently audits farms to ensure they meet specific welfare standards. Certified Humane’s “pasture-raised” label requires that farms have 2.5 acres for every thousand birds, and hens generally must be outdoors year-round.

Starting in 2025, the USDA also will require new welfare standards for livestock products labeled “organic,” which include minimum outdoor space criteria, requirements that the outdoor space be at least 75 percent soil, and preventative health care such as sufficient nutrition and parasite prevention programs. Current organic standards require organic feed, no “unnecessary” antibiotics, and living conditions that accommodate an animal’s natural behaviors.

‘Pretty Smart Birds’

Modern domestic chickens are thought to be descendants of the Southeast Asian red junglefowl, which were preyed upon by sky-dwelling predators like raptors. Fearing open spaces, these wild ancestors evolved to seek sheltered habitats, including shrubs and vegetation, forests, and mangroves.

Studies suggest that today’s domesticated chickens show the same preferences. In environments dense with sorghum plants or olive trees, birds were more likely to explore and use the pasture available to them, according to one study. The same was true for chickens in habitats with human-made cover, including netting and straw huts. Even indoors, studies have shown that chickens prefer to hang out under painted Plexiglas panels in their pens, where they were more likely to preen and rest.

A good pasture setting consists of space, grass and vegetation, and, inside the coop, nesting boxes rather than battery cages for hens to lay their eggs, says Lewis Bollard, director for Open Philanthropy's farm animal welfare program.

Handsome Brook Farms, a network of small, organic farms that sells eggs from pasture-raised hens to supermarkets like Safeway and Sprouts, requires that farms have at least 108 square feet per chicken, half of which is covered by vegetation, and that they provide enrichment for the animals. (Handsome Brook, too, was the defendant in a 2016 lawsuit alleging some of its “pasture raised” eggs didn’t meet criteria for the label. An out-of-court settlement in 2018 required third-party audits of the company’s egg purchases and farm practices for 18 months.)

Ultimately, “Access to Pasture” means just that—the barn door is open, says Kestrel Burcham, a policy director at the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group. “It doesn't necessarily mean they're actually using it.”

Allie Haggarty and Aubrey Thompson are flock supervisors with Handsome Brook Farms, a network of small, organic farms. They visit the farms every week to ensure the hens are healthy and farmers are supported.

On Vernon Martin's farm in New York, an agroforestry technician looks at a young black locust tree that was planted the previous fall. Since Martin has planted more than 400 trees around his chicken barn, he's noticed the chickens will venture out more often.

Vernon Martin, owner of Crystal Spring Farm in New York, sells eggs through Handsome Brook. When he first built his chicken barn, there were no trees within a hundred feet of it. To encourage his chickens to go outside, he planted about 350 saplings, and a year later, he replanted some 10-foot trees. Gradually, as the trees have grown, he’s noticed the chickens venturing out more and more. They’re “pretty smart birds,” he says.

At Red Hen Roost, a 73-acre corn farm in New York that also sells through Handsome Brook, some hens are waiting at the barn doors first thing in the morning, owner Luke Nolt says. On his pasture, hens can wander in the shade of pines, willows, flowering pears, and crabapple trees. Thousands of hens follow him as he performs his daily checks, he says, and one white hen was particularly friendly, sometimes hopping up on his shoulder as he walked.

Better Treatment, Better Business?

Higher welfare standards don’t only benefit the hens. They may also be beneficial for farm owners. In one 2008 study, giving hens access to cover panels boosted egg production by two percent and provided an estimated $3 million in revenue the participating poultry company.

In New York, Martin checks on his 15,000 birds twice a day, making sure the barns have proper ventilation and that it’s at a comfortable temperature, between 65 and 70 degrees.

When one of his flocks was sick, he noticed the yolks were pale and yellow rather than their usual orange color. “If you don't have a good environment for them, they won't produce like they should,” he says.

He believes consumers are willing to pay more for fresher eggs that come from healthier—and happier—hens.

That’s true, Bollard says, except for one problem: “A lot of consumers have no idea where their eggs come from.”

Usually, “consumers assume that the regular eggs on the shelf came from hens outside,” he says. And because pasture-raised eggs tend to cost more, customers might avoid them. Part of the problem is that supermarkets tend to mark up free-range and pasture-raised eggs more than conventional eggs, Bollard says.

On their farm in western Kentucky, Rhoda and Dave Zimmerman collect eggs and place them into pallets. As the eggs come down the conveyor belt, they pick out feathers, check for damaged shells, and do quality control.

Kentucky farmer Jeremy Schlabach, who sells his eggs through Handsome Brook, shows off one of his pasture-raised hens.

Glenn Zimmerman's daughter embraces two hens on their farm in upstate New York. “There’s an odd perception that birds are not as complex or sentient as mammals, which isn't accurate,” Burcham says. In reality, chickens are smart, often friendly animals.

Some grocery stores have recently made commitments to phase out caged eggs by 2025. Stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, Costco, and Target are either entirely cage-free or well on their way. “When chickens behave naturally, they naturally lay great eggs,” Whole Foods says on its website.

The Animal Welfare Act, the federal law that regulates the treatment of animals in research, exhibition, and transport, doesn’t cover livestock, which means it’s often up to farmers and consumers to demand better welfare, Burcham says.

“There’s an odd perception that birds are not as complex or sentient as mammals, which isn't accurate,” Burcham says. “They're a very dynamic species and I wish people paid more attention to what makes birds special.”

#Chickens 🐓🐓🐓#Happy Chickens 🐓🐓🐓#Better & Health Eggs 🥚🥚🥚#Farmers #Consumers #Rachel Fobar #Pasture-Raised #Smart Birds 🐓🐓🐓#Better Treatment #Better Business #National Geographic

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moodyrain1 · 5 months

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Please note that positive affirmations have more impact when spoken by someone else, accompanied by binaural audio.

Come to my channel to hear more about this:

#positive affirmations #positive thinking #peace and tranquility #better business #big love #better love #financial freedom #better car #big leap #breakthrough #better home #better job #more money #better health

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reasonsforhope · 8 days

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Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said.

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings.

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes.

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reinbouxsworld · 6 months

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chapter 7 doodles + a quick thought of levan?

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marthajonesurastar · 2 months

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I know we've talked about who's going to hold the umbrella in S3, so here's my pitch, hear me out

#good omens #aziraphale #crowley #i know it's just for the posters but idc #Someone's gotta hold that umbrella #and they're not talking #(because they're busy making out)#ineffable husbands #aziracrow #i hate the aziracrow tag they already have a better ship name

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c728 · 1 year

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Google Workspace: It's Just Better Business

My company keeps things running smoothly and efficiently with the convenience of cloud-based Google Workspace programs. Google Docs lets you work and save on Google Drive, Hangouts lets you video chat, Gmail gives you a professional email, and Calendar lets you organise – from anywhere, at any time. You should try it and see how it can help your business, too. Google Workspace is offering a 14-day trial. Sign up using my link here and I can give you a discount.

What is Google Workspace?

Google Workspace is a cloud-based productivity suite that helps teams communicate, collaborate and get things done from anywhere and on any device. It's simple to set up, use and manage, so your business can focus on what really matters.

Watch a video or find out more here.

Here are some highlights:

Business email for your domain

Look professional and communicate as [email protected]. Gmail's simple features help you build your brand while getting more done.

Access from any location or device

Check emails, share files, edit documents, hold video meetings and more, whether you're at work, at home or on the move. You can pick up where you left off from a computer, tablet or phone.

Enterprise-level management tools

Robust admin settings give you total command over users, devices, security and more.

Sign up using my link here and get a 14-day trial, and message me to get an exclusive discount when you try Google Workspace for your business.

#google workspace #google #better business #business #business tools #referral #referrals #referrals are the best compliment

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wasyago · 4 months

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pearly :)

#i love drawing her hair so much 😩😩😩 and her eyes... and hat. and those little antennas. and everything else tbh ough #strugglebussed with this art for a very long time but it's been a couple weeks now and i think it turned out well #its a bit busy maybe but its fiiine #pearlescentmoon #my art #yago but better

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alpacacare-archive · 8 months

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day twoe ah haha

#repostober #alphys #gaster #undertale #sorry i was busy the last few days and missed day 2&3 #but i love her so #unpopular opinion but i like it better when alphys and gasters dynamic is more like this than alphys has a crush on another person that #everyone thinks is out of her league and will never choose her #cus you never see people genuinely shipping them its always just her pining and him being cold and stoic. like why. isnt them being silly #stupid work buddies so much better #isnt him taking one look at her and being like. ALRIGHT NEW CHILD. PAPYRUS. SANS. YOU NOW HAVE A SISTER. so much better than tormenting her #anyway #i love this animal. the ah fees.#i love drawing her like a real lizard i think thats cool i think she deserves it #hug an alphys and tell her you love her today

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kingfuc · 21 days

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My favorite hobby is making Yosuke uncomfortable

#souyo #my art #comic #im BACK IN BUSINESS #even tho this plot is so stupid #yosuke hanamura #souji seta #yu narukami #persona 4 fanart #chie satonaka #rise kujikawa #yukiko amagi #sorry for spamming the souyo tag so much #as you maybe can tell i rarely draw women lol #i split it up so the quality is a bit better :')

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radifemsara · 4 months

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I don't give a damn about men's mental health since little girls are offing themselves because boys post deep fakes of them and post their naked pics online. I really could not care less about male mental health when they destroy ours daily.

#radical feminism #radblr #female separatism #male mental health is not my business #men ruin everything #teenage girls deserve so much better

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shirecorn · 1 year

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Prodigal Daughter of the Sun

Requested via ko-fi

#sunset shimmer #shire draws mlp #mlp #mlp eq #equestria girls #sunset shimmer redesign #sunset shimmer fanart #this drawing had NO BUSINESS going that hard #like that pose is one of the best things ive done!!! its so sick #she deserves it tho #Despite my whining I did enjoy watching the shorts for EQ!#they were better than the movies imo

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endermagpieart · 4 months

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What do you mean I’m a bit late for Janus’ big day? Of course not, how could you say such a thing! I definitely didn’t forget all about it in my absence and only get reminded in the incorrect quotes video live chat; that’s not like me at all ;]

Anyways I decided to dress our sassy snake in some different outfits I think he’d like. He seems like the type to get all dolled up on his birthday and it goes with Thomas posting pics in outfits inspired by the sides on their appreciation days!

@thatsthat24

#sanders sides #janus sanders #ts janus #thomas sanders #sanders sides fanart #my hoard #I’ve returned!#the newest asides came out and I remembered how much I love it #so I’m hyperfixated again and I’ve not now peace since #it is nice to actually finish something again tho #I’ve been pretty busy working lately and now I’m starting to pack to move into my first apartment!#so not much time to really sit down and draw #and when I do have time I can’t get the motivation to actually draw anything #I want to get better about posting stuff on here #(even though it feels like I’m just dreaming into the void a lot)#even just silly little things or rough sketches I’ll never finish #I hope it’ll help me continue to draw and make things again #I forgot how nice it is #anyways if you’ve read this far thanks #have a cookie :] 🍪

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inkskinned · 1 year

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she says he won't let her get a dog, which is fine, because they're in an apartment, and that's the kind of thing people say about their partners. he won't let me get a dog. and you're at a dinner party and you tilt your head a little to the side just like that dog he won't let her get, because is this the thing that's going to upset you? you don't know every corner of their relationship, she could be joking, they could have had so many healthy conversations about the dog, right, and maybe she's not letting herself get the dog because of money and time and whatever. but, like, she did say let

and she wants to move away from his hometown and he wants to stay and then he tells you with a wink and a conspiratorial stage whisper don't worry i'll convince her and she laughs about it - so clearly this is something they laugh about. but you do just stand there and stare at him like what the fuck, man. you can't say what you want to say which is why do you get the final say on everything because they're both obviously aware of the other person's stance on this and have obviously had private conversations about it and what are you going to do about it except make a scene and then he'll be mad at you and call you one of those bitches behind your back and she'll cut you off, which is a loss that doesn't feel worth it just because he makes you a little skeeved out every 3rd comment

and they both agree he just isn't the type to get flowers which is fine because everyone shows love differently, and are you really gonna judge someone based on their sense of individual relationship responsibility? maybe he's constantly cleaning her car and writing her poems and making her furniture or something. maybe she doesn't even like flowers and this is perfect, actually. and no you couldn't date him, obviously, ew; but like, she tells you she's happy. you almost send her a tiktok that says don't be 25 and the cool girl that doesn't need anything, you'll hate not getting flowers at 30, but that's like, starting drama & you shouldn't start drama needlessly.

and you're a little older than her but not so much older you can pull the whole trust me on this one babe thing and besides that wouldn't have worked anyway (when does it ever) and besides you have trauma so you and your therapist both agree that you're always looking for a problem even when there isn't one. and you tell yourself that just because you see them for 15 minutes every month does not mean you can identify every single red flag based on a single shitty half-joking(?) comment

and besides, what are you going to do? she says i actually wanted another stand mixer but thankfully he stops me when i'm about to spend too much money and you're standing there like are you okay? is this normal? is this just something people say? and again - what are you going to do?

to your therapist you try to language it - it's not, like, any of my business. but sometimes, doesn't it feel like - you should do something. there's got to be something, right? you've tried dropping little hints but they sail right through and you've tried having a single serious conversation and she got upset because why does it matter to you, yes it's different but we're happy, it doesn't need to make sense to you and you're like. really unwilling to push a boundary about it anymore; because the truth is that you know logically it shouldn't matter to you, as long as both parties are happy.

and besides, you've been wrong before. it's just... like, every time you see them both, something else happens, some kind of shiver down your spine like do you even hear each other when you talk. it's their strange, bickering orbit. just the way he's on his phone through dinner or watching sports instead of helping in the kitchen or, fuck, another one of these little throwaway comments he makes about we'll see about that, babe. she laughs when he calls her passions stupid shit and meanwhile she gets him tickets to see the knicks and he tells you well at least she's smart about something and still! it's none of your business.

you say get the dog anyway and she laughs. like, this is is you being funny. and not you saying - no really. get the dog. get the dog and get out of here. pack up and start running.

#this btw is not including toxic friendships this is legit just something ive experienced MANY times now #writeblr #you ever have a friend in one of those relationships where ur like #u don't HATE their partner explicitly #but ur like. what the fuck y'all #like the weird part of being an adult is that you can't be like . CERTAIN their relationship is toxic #and also if u move too fast or push too hard u can hurt someone who is already in a scary situation so you just are like #frozen there. laughing awkwardly. saying ''haha..... yeah..... couldn't be me....''#and like u can't tell - is this banter or does he actually think like. he's better than her.#all you can do is be there for your friend and hope they wake up to it #or ... that it really IS good #and it's just odd to you #tbh btw id rather have my friends feel safe coming to me if they have a concern about my relationship #like yes it's not ur business but it also IS bc im making u hang out with them and also ur my friend #it's a weird thing to experience as an adult bc it is such a blurry line and when u spend time #around couples that aren't like ACTUALLY ur friends but instead ''extended friend circle'' ur like #.... i don't know y'all well enough and he just called you a cow. and ur okay with that . and i don't know how to respond.#so ur like :) okay. um. go to couple's counselling i think #but also you are NOT supposed to pass judgement so it's like.... this weird limbo of feeling like you SHOULD say something #but knowing you CANNOT #idk that there's a way to resolve it!!!!!!!! it's probably a different approach person to person #edited my tags bc tumblr's new system fucked em up #PS EDIT: btw i should have said:#the pronouns in this can work in any and every direction. every gender and every sexuality and every #type of relationship tbh. even non-romantic relationships where ur like ''what do u mean ur bff calls u stupid''

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