#especially considering that 2019-20 training camp

[potteresque-ire]

Here’s my response to @pussyibo, who tagged me on a post about Gg’s Li-Ning brand endorsement. 

First of all, I’d like everyone to please read @accio-victuuri‘s wonderfully written, detailedly researched post on the Li-Ning brand, the Xinjiang cotton support rally on Weibo, and the narrative the state has spun on the issue. I would’ve provided similar information in my response as well—although no way I could’ve laid it out as clearly, as to-the-point as @accio-victuuri did—because this background is critical in explaining my thoughts on this issue.

I haven’t reblogged the Li-Ning ads, but I must confess that the decision had little to do with politics. I’ve always leaned towards re-blogging art than real people.

That said, however, Gg’s Li-Ning ads have, of course, crossed my dash. And I’d be honest and say this as well: I haven’t really found them—or by extension, the idea that Gg was endorsing the brand—offensive, precisely for the reasons @accio-victuuri laid out. Li-Ning is a legend in China; a highly decorated olympic gymnast, he was the national pride chosen to be the final torch-bearer and torch-lighter for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His company, established in 1990, was among the first Chinese brands with name-recognition overseas and has won high-profile international sponsorships—rare achievements among Chinese-owned enterprises, even to this day. 

Based on Li Ning’s identity and his company being a National Brand, I’d be more surprise if the Li-Ning brand doesn’t use homegrown, “patriotic” cotton, before even considering the practical reasons—Xinjiang cotton being a domestic product that eliminates the costs of shipping, tariffs etc; that it’s of such superior quality that international brands touted its use—a reversal of the usual downplaying of their products’ Chinese origin, due to the common associations of “Made in China”=“Bootleg”,“awful quality”; that makes up ~20% of worldwide cotton production—ie. most Chinese families are probably already using products with cotton from the region (blankets, for example). 

From that perspective, therefore, I’ve viewed the endorsement as little more than a case of a high-profile Chinese celebrity endorsing a high-profile Chinese brand, named after a national hero and targeted towards the local market. I breathed a little sigh of relief for Gg, admittedly—imagine if his new endorsement over those same few days had been for a brand under the Better Cotton Initiative; he would’ve been flayed alive, if the antis’ words were knives.

(And who said they aren’t?)

As such, I also haven’t considered the Li-Ning brand as “morally inferior” to Gg or Dd, or, the other way around, that Gg or Dd are “morally superior” to the Li-Ning brand. I haven’t considered drawing a moral ruler along this axis. I either believe they’re all doing what their sociopolitical environment has taught them, guided them, demanded them to do, or I don’t. Li Ning (the person and the brand), Gg, and Dd all have a celebrity status attached to them. They’ve all flourished in that one sociopolitical environment—that one they also call home.  

Ultimately, Gg and Dd belong to China. They’re the product of the country, its all powerful, all controlling regime. No one can be isolated from their backgrounds—my background colours every word I say here; likewise, there’s no place I can draw a line and separate Gg and Dd from the Communist Red behind them. I wouldn’t have posted about China’s sociopolitical environment, researched on it as a GgDd fan otherwise. 

I either walk away from them all, or I don’t. I either stay a fan, or I don’t. The latter is my choice. Every minute.

Have there been instances in which news about Gg and Dd make me especially uncomfortable? Yes. Photos of Gg in PLA (People’s Liberation Army; Chinese army) uniform for AT, or Dd in police uniform for BAH, for TTXS still give me stomach churns every time I see them. A violent squeeze of the heart.

Visceral reactions that come from, I suppose, the amyglada. More organic, primitive than thought. 

I’ve seen those uniforms in RL action—uniforms worn by those who’re truly responsible for the labor camps and mass surveillance, the torture, the unreported deaths, the disappearances; uniforms Gg and Dd have expressed support outside their drama, their host roles:

Translation: #I support Hong Kong Police too# (On red banner) “I support HK police. You can beat me up now.” What a shame for Hong Kong.

(Dd reblogged the same post originated from People’s Daily, the State-Controlled Newspaper).

I’m going to go on a quick detour and provide the backstory of this red little box, this piece of propaganda that is much more blatant than a clothing ad. I’ll explain why in a bit.

Here’s an article that explained the incident from which the quote was drawn, that occurred on 8/13/2019 during the Hong Kong Protest and the airing of The Untamed. Essentially, a Chinese state media reporter was suspected to be a spy among the protestors after taking photos, refusing to show his press pass (he was found to have one but not his own), and possessing a “I love HK Police” shirt; he was tied to the luggage cart and beaten up. The reporter said the quote in the red little box; he suffered mild injuries and was soon discharged by the hospital.  What was the background of this story, however? Why did the protestors beat up someone who could be from the press—who, regardless of their affiliation, protestors know should be protected? The protests began in June, 2019. Hong Kong had had another large scale protest in between September to November, 2014 (aka the “Umbrella Revolution”). Spies had always been an issue. Why didn’t a spy beating happen earlier?

Here’s an English-subbed documentary (warning: violence) that offers insight of the background—the fear and fury of the protestors. The subject is what is now known as 721 Yuen Long incident, or the evening Hong Kongers—even those who had not been involved, who had been unsure about the protests—lost their trust of the Hong Kong Police, once known as “Asia’s finest”.

That evening went like this. On 7/21/2019, the local mafia violently attacked the passengers of a late night train in Yuen Long station—passengers who weren‘t protestors (who wore black)—while the police ignored the multiple emergency calls from locals who’d spotted something suspicious, and didn’t show up on the scene while the beatings occurred. Evidences, which the documentary detailed, pointed to the Hong Kong Police, and the government that backed it, endorsing the beatings, therefore working with the local mafia to deal with the protests. 

By 8/13/2019, therefore, protestors were convinced that their opposition wasn’t beyond using very low blows to get their way. One could argue that they overreacted to the spy-reporter; the Western media, who had long trusted HKers to know what they were doing, expressed its disappointment, and the protestors soon apologised. The Chinese propaganda machine, of course, jumped at the chance of casting the protestors as bad people, and the online rally on Weibo ensued (It lasted for at least three days; Gg and Dd reblogged post about HK between 8/14/2019-8/16/2019).

That was, briefly, the story behind Gg and Dd’s Weibo reblog.

Why did I make a detour and write up this story? Because I’ve actually posted blatant propaganda on my blog—the Weibo post, with its red little box. However, does it still feel like propaganda with the story?

Therefore, I haven’t, and don’t plan on pressuring anyone to stop posting and re-blogging specific pieces of GgDd information—be it an ad as in this scenario, or propaganda material from films, series, government/state-controlled media announcements etc. That I believe everyone should set their own boundaries, be their own judge of what they’d like to share on their own blog aside, I think—and this is where my opinion may deviate from many—“canceling” falsehoods often isn’t the best way to deal with them. 

This opinion is likely, again, coloured by my background.

My observations have been this: “cancelling” is effective only if the cancelling force is, overall, significantly stronger than the force being cancelled. In the scenario that prompted this post, making Gg’s Li-Ning ads disappear from the dash is only possible if there are more fans who ignore the ads than those who post and reblog them. “Canceling” is therefore a competition of headcount, with tactics for sidekick—the side with more people, and people who are good at disseminating information, decides the outcome: whether the intended-to-be-cancelled material go viral within the fandom, or whether they die out.

I’d like to highlight this word: headcount.

This isn’t the most favourable kind of competition to participate in, therefore, if the potential opposition belongs to the populous country in the world, its members, people who may have participated in fan circles, which are essentially fan armies who’ve been used to organising, battling on social media for their idols. I’ve previously set up a hypothetical scenario, in which Dd’s supertopic members were encouraged by their government to scale the Great Firewall to Twitter, spread their support of Xinjiang cotton—a scenario that is not totally unrealistic, given that the Chinese government has previously mobilised fans for propaganda purpose. 

We’ll use this thought experiment again ~ please bear in mind, once more, that this is SJD; a figment of our imagination.

Since we’re talking about Li-Ning brand, let’s add Gg’s supertopic members to the mix. The total supertopics member count is 6.11 + 8.34 = 14.45 million, as of today (2021/04/04). 

Let’s say, only a tiny, tiny percent—0.01% of them are mobilised; that’s 1,400 people.

Is it possible to cancel the voices, the retweets of 1,400 in Gg and Dd’s i-fandom? Cut down another 90%, reduce the opposition headcount to 140. Is it possible?

There are also overseas Chinese who do not intend to spread propaganda, but believe in the story and have no qualms disseminating the information. There are also fans who wish to remove politics from fandom and pass all information along.

Here lies the frustration of those who’ve tried to raise their voice of concerns re: the policies and practices of the Chinese government on social media; and this is why I mentioned that my background informed my opinion. On social media, where headcount and whoever shouts the loudest, retweet etc the most wins the exposure game, it’s nearly impossible to win against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s propaganda machine, if the party chooses to have the machine running. 

Their side has so many people.

One more RL example: here’s a scholarly article detailing how Diba (帝吧), an old, popular online forum in China with 20 million members, mobilised, collectively scaled the Firewall and engaged in a cyberattack of the Facebook page of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen on January 20, 2016 — the day of President Tsai Ing-wen’s first inauguration; they left a total of 26,000 comments against Taiwan independence, using Simplified Chinese (which China uses) for their font instead of Traditional Chinese (which Taiwan and Hong Kong uses)—ie, the commenters didn’t even pretend to be not from China. They were proud and open about their "Expedition”.

(China’s state-controlled tabloid Global Times—yes, the same one involved in the Hong Kong airport incident above—”concluded the campaign was a “fun normal incident” that showcased young people’s passion for politics”)

Is it possible to try to cancel something of that scale? Is it realistic?

Personally, therefore, I’ve always advocated for “immunisation”: rather than protecting a fact by wiping out its associated lies—the idea behind “cancelling” a message, not having it show up on the dash—I prefer to do so by allowing it to be visibly challenged, until observers are no longer easily swayed by falsehoods. I used Gg and Dd’s Weibo reblog re: Hong Kong police as an example—is the red little box propaganda, a challenge to the protests? Yes. Is it information that I deeply disagree with, something I wish I’ll never see again? Also yes. But by providing context to it, I’m hoping to turn it into a vaccine—something mimicking the virus, the potentially viral piece of information, but doesn’t function the same way anymore. 

Hopefully, this vaccine will also encourage stop-and-think moments that boost future immunity; hopefully, with a few more boosters, questions will come automatically with such red little boxes reappear— questions about the context, the purpose, the message. 

Questions like these, for this incident: why did the State media make this incident the “Gotcha” moment in the Hong Kong Protests, important enough for People’s Daily to make a rally-starting meme? Why was the reporter, Fu Guohao hailed as a hero, when he’d just got ... beaten up? 

What did People’s Daily, and the government behind it, want people to find when the red little box popped up everywhere on Weibo, including the Weibo of the fastest rising stars from the hit summer TV series? What belief could be expected to be instilled into the audience with this photo, published by China’s state TV station (CGTN), of the reporter tied up to a luggage cart and surrounded by black-cladded protestors?

Who looked like the strong, evil side? The meek, good side? Why, finally, was the tag about the Hong Kong Police, when the conflict was between the protestors and an alleged Chinese state media reporter?

By then, Hong Kongers were already suspicious that the Hong Kong Police had been infiltrated by China’s law enforcement arm, from hints from the different dialects the police used, how they handled the protestors etc. It was the start the final break down of Hong Kong’s autonomy. Their suspicions were not wrong. Now, with the National Security Law having taken effect since July 2020, Hong Kong’s transformation into a police state is well under way.

What does the tag #I support Hong Kong Police too# mean now?

[Please excuse my using many examples from HK because 1) I’m familiar with the details; and 2) it’s the only instance in recent history in which the outside world can see, with relative clarity, a large-scale protest against the Chinese government and its outcome.]

Here’s my humble wish: next time, when a government-sponsored memes like this get translated and posted, be it originally reblogged by Gg, Dd, or other c-ent stars, be it on Twitter or Tumblr, the vaccinated, immunised will pause and wonder: What’s the story? What’s being told inside the Great Firewall, and outside? 

If this happens, red little boxes on my blog, unpleasant as they are, are 100% worth it.

The Li-Ning ads are therefore worth it too, IMO, if they spark a conversation, a dissemination of facts and perspectives. To me, the latter is especially precious in this fandom, where significant language and cultural barriers exist.  Fans who move Gg and Dd’s news and candies from Weibo are the pillars of this fandom. Sieving through that website is hard, translations harder; it’s unfair and unrealistic to ask them to also be the background knowledge deliverers. 

I’ve tried to do a small part, but I’m ... slow. Very, very slow. However, even if the background isn’t available, I’ve found being careful, skeptical about the information is already a very good thing. At heart, this is no different from the lessons from media literacy here, except there are even more falsehoods and half-truths to wade through given the country of origin of Gg and Dd’s material, and trustworthy sources are not always available. Li-Ning brand is an example that things do not need to be blatant propaganda to carry a pro-CCP message. 

What can i-fans do then about the Xinjiang cotton situation, if competing against the Chinese government propaganda machine on social media appears to be a losing game?

My thoughts are these, at the moment. First, please consider not dwelling on the competition, especially within fandom. Remember: getting several fewer fans to buy Li-Ning brand isn’t going to change the big picture.

Instead, if this is an area of activism you choose to participate in—please consider channeling your effort to watching the companies in your country. Put pressure on sustainability & good practice certification companies like Better Cotton Initiative, make sure they don’t, can’t have it both ways. Xinjiang cotton is either certified or it isn’t. There’re suspicions of forced labor on its production or there aren’t. The answer should be a simple yes or no, not whether the office is in Geneva or in Shanghai.

This is an answer that we, as consumers, have the right to know. Transparency in China isn’t for us to demand; we can, however, demand transparency in our own country. Remember too: it makes a far, far greater difference for one international company to re-consider its cotton source, than for one fandom to do the same. 

Meanwhile, and again, this is my humble opinion—please do whatever you’re comfortable with, that is within your ability, to fortify your stance. Should you choose to speak out online, you’ll likely meet opposition. Responses on current events from the Chinese Foreign Ministry (you can also find the spokespeople on Twitter) can offer a glimpse of the counterarguments you may meet. How will you answer them? Here’s a clip of one of the spokespeople arguing that the US used to use black slavery to pick cotton in the past. If you’re American and this is presented to you—what would you say? (Does mistakes by one country in the past mean mistakes by another country in the present is automatically acceptable?) The opposition may also use vicious words, the most extreme of which is probably “racist”. If someone call you racist—if many Twitter users scream racist!!!!!!!! at you at the same time for your critique—can you stand firm? 

[The pro-CCP camp has been taking advantage of the West’s effort to move forward from its racist past to stop any criticism of the Chinese government. It already knows the easiest way to silence the criticisms is to call whoever makes them racist.]

[If everyone fears the racist allegation, allows the conflation of Chinese government and Chinese people to take root, will there be more or less anti-Asian sentiments in the long run?]

[I’ve been called racist by writing these metas.] 

The last thing I’d like to say is this: please be kind to your fellow fans who’ve kept mum, or been hesitant about making their stance known. Some may be closely connected to China, others may not be in a psychological / health space to deal with the politics. Also, and here’s my default way of looking at this: I disagree with the idea that anyone owes anyone else a declaration of their political beliefs. I can’t imagine this issue to be an easy thing to think about for many Gg and Dd fans, myself most definitely included ~ as a (former) Hong Konger, a uniformed Gg or Dd gives me an unpleasant visceral response, but at the same time, it also means I’m used to accepting, even genuinely liking people on the other side of this political ... Grand Canyon. I can imagine the conflict, the pain this issue may have caused some fans who’re not accustomed to the latter, as being a fan, IMO, is never purely logical ~ and I mean that in the best of ways. 

Passion is the magic ingredient that separates a fan and a consumer. It’s also what makes choices difficult, when conclusions from logic, political stance included, conflict with it. Some make the hard choices quickly; some, slowly. Some make them in one go; some, piece by piece. Some never make them, let time be the decision maker.

As Dd said so famously and wisely, about the conflict between passion and logic: 愛就是這樣，沒有辦法 Love is like that. Nothing can be done.

The only common denominator is this: we’re all made to love.

❤️.💛.💚.

#pie metas #yizhan #bjyx

[eujazmine]

⟨ RYAN DESTINY. CIS FEMALE. SHE/HER. ⟩ though the mist might prevent some from seeing it, JAZMINE HARPER is actually a descendent of H E C A T E. it’s still a question of whether or not the 23 year old BUSINESS MAJOR from HOUSTON, USA has taken after their godly parent completely, but the demigod is still known to be quite PASSIONATE & MISCHIEVOUS.

hi everyone it’s rae #2 again 😔 but allow me to introduce you all to my darling jazmine, who is a revamping of a couple muses i’ve played in the past. as always, like this post and i’ll hit your dms!

History (death tw)

claimed at birth in houston, texas since her father could see through the mist. her father started physically training around the age of three. it wasn’t anything too crazy at first, since she was only a toddler when they began, but her father wanted her to have a head-start athletically. on her 6th birthday, hecate gifted her a spell book and required that she started her magical training.

she started attended camp elektra in california during the summers when she was seven years old. at some point, her father got married and started having more children. when she was twelve, he announced that they would be moving to new york for her new step-mother’s job. that summer, she attended camp half-blood, and leaving for camp was the last time she had seen her texan home.

it was around that time that her and her father’s strong personalities truly began to clash. they had different visions for jazmine’s future, and she started to resent being under his control. it also frustrated her that she couldn’t alter his perception via mist, which led to even more complications whenever she was caught doing so to her step-mother.

she spent nearly two years with her family in new york. after nearly getting expelled from school and having too many issues at home, her father sent her away to year-round camp in greece by the time she was 14.

due to extensive training, she was among the top-ranked during her time at camp athens. she devoted much of her free time, including summer breaks, to questing and rigorous training, and was often recruited through the school for selective quests.

once she graduated, she tried staying with her father in new york again to work and save money, but this only lasted about six months. she went back to europe to travel and she fulfilled quests for money to support this new lifestyle.

at 20, jazmine had another terrible fight with her father. she left and hasn’t seen him since. after this, she started to take questing seriously again. she went on more dangerous and complex quests, knowing there was no one really out there waiting for her safe return.

then came 2019: the zeus incident. she, celeste (daughter of zeus) and adelphie (daughter of apollo) teamed up to retrieve poseidon’s trident from zeus. these three had quested in the past, and were a notoriously powerful trio, but they had never gone against celeste’s own father.

by the time they had defeated the guard monsters and reached the trident, zeus had become aware of what they were up to. he killed adelphie on sight. as jazmine futilely tried to heal adelphie’s lifeless body, celeste used this moment to carry the trident back to the ocean via the wind. soon enough, zeus zapped celeste off the mountain. whether the god of thunder hadn’t seen her hiding in the darkness or he just didn’t care, she’ll never know, but he spared jazmine and left.

after carrying adelphie back down the mountain and presuming that celeste was also dead, she came across rostam, who had prophesied that something would happen at the mountain. he helped her bring her friends back to eonia, where she was allowed to rest and enroll for the following semester.

now, she’s at eonia studying business because 1) she has nowhere else to go and 2) she doesn’t think she wants to fight her whole life anymore. 

Personality

being able to manipulate mortals as a child has made her view people more as vessels of entertainment or stimulation, and it shows. her sense of humor primarily revolves around teasing others, such as mocking them or playing tricks on them, and her blunt remarks can often be perceived as quite insensitive. she is very observant and has no problem using this trait for blackmail or manipulation, but she uses this to provide frank judgment or advice when asked. “0 to 100″ is a pretty accurate way to describe jazmine -- meaning for the most part, she has a calm, cool vibe, but her hot-temperedness can quickly get her in trouble. she can be impatient, vengeful, and petty, refusing to be the bigger person or the “loser” when crossed. stubborn and prideful, she could hold a grudge forever until she serves her own sense of justice or receives external mediation.

her bluntness and outbursts might give off the impression of her being mean, which she kinda is sometimes, but she isn’t that mean. she’s a compassionate person, and she’ll often help others if she feels sorry for them, despite trying to brush off their problems as beneath her. this is especially true when it comes to her friends. although she can be particularly harsh with them, her fierceness also comes with extra love and protection.

Powers

her most powerful ability is mystiokinesis, but it didn’t come easily. like other children of hecate, her magic is strongest at nighttime and very limited during the day. she was given a spellbook once claimed and has been perfecting her craft since. her magic gives her a limited grasp of all kinds of abilities, but she is most skilled in the areas of magic that have helped her the most on quests, such as vitakinesis, offensive spells/curses, and magical tracking. she works hard to improve her mystiokinesis through camps and personal training, but she is prone to overdoing it and negatively affecting her own health.

mist control is her secondary ability. it was the first of her powers to develop. as a child, her suggestions seemed to be a little too convincing to mortals. although it wasn’t fool-proof, she found herself manipulating people’s perceptions in her favor, possibly to get herself out of trouble or solely for entertainment purposes. she mostly uses it to her advantage around mortals or on quests. at eonia, and hasn’t found much use for this skill at eonia.

umbrakinesis is definitely her weakest power, but she would love to be more skilled in it. it has been the most difficult for her to develop, so she can only sometimes use the shadows as a shield or as a method of travel during the night. however, she has been able to levitate since she was a kid, which has been pretty convenient ever since she learned how to control it.

Extras

tl;dr: retired adrenaline junkie prone to moodiness

she has been at eonia since summer/fall 2019. you can get some more details about that last quest on celeste’s intro and self-para, if you haven’t already! feel free to assume that your muse had heard something about it.

she’s very hard-working and puts 110% into the things she cares about. the number of hours she has devoted to magic and academics is endless. neither of these areas come super naturally to her, so she has to work extra hard to develop them to reach her standards.

those 2 years she spent traveling europe and questing for cash?? she was living her best life. she used mist control and mystiokinesis a lot during this time to do things like avoid getting arrested, sneak into fancy masquerade balls, crash weddings, and waive any extra fees she couldn’t afford. she’ll bring up a wild memory from time to time if the conversation calls for it, but it’s rare for her to give out too many other details.

character inspo: think michelle jones (1), jessica huang (1, 2), hotaru imai (1, 2), fallon carrington (1, 2, 3), mal (1), daoming si (meteor garden), jennifer pierce (1, 2, 3), sam puckett (1), rosa diaz (1, 2, 3, 4)

works at the dining hall. she doesn’t care about this job and therefore puts no effort into it, so don’t expect a smile or cheery tone from her when you walk in.

involvements: black student union, gamer’s guild, football (soccer)

a skilled fighter, she is well-versed in swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, but she prefers using magic since it comes from her godly lineage.

she’s been playing soccer since she was a child, a sport her dad forced encouraged all of her siblings to partake in. although her and her father had many other issues, this actually wasn’t one of them, seeing as they both shared a genuine love for the sport. she’s known for being overly aggressive and instigative on the field, so she's at risk of losing her position if she starts any more fights.

Potential Connections

ex: there was probably never any official title tbh so she might even claim that they weren’t exes. jazmine’s a very private person and finds this kind of stuff too vulnerable, so maybe your muse got tired of being treated like a secret.

quest mates: could’ve been for anything tbh, but if your muse was significantly weaker than jazmine, she would’ve for sure let them know.

tutor: she works hard to maintain her grades, but sometimes she needs the extra help. 

people she protects: for whatever reason, jazmine has a soft spot for your muse, so she’ll take care of them when they’re sick, bring them home from a party, put a curse on their ex, you name it.

past hookup: she never called. consider yourself blocked.

friends: self-explanatory! unlikely friends, friends who bond over mutual hatred, frenemies., etc.

enemies: her moral ambiguity and rude remarks probably rub some people the wrong way, so enemies wouldn’t be too surprising.

clients?: i’d imagine that some people have paid her in the past to bring misfortune to their enemies. they probably paid her some money to put a lil curse on them. it’s never anything permanent. if they paid her extra, maybe she did some research and brought them something to blackmail them with.

targets: the people that her clients have paid her to curse. she’s just a third party trying to chase the bag, so no hard feelings, really -- but if your muse somehow found out they got cursed by her, she’d be willing to reverse it for a price.

pawns: maybe she views them as weak. maybe she just finds them funny. either way, she has little respect for your muse and will mess with them for her own entertainment. it’s all in good fun!

people she met while exploring europe: she was up to a lot of shenanigans during those two years, so the possibilities are endless.

#euintro #death tw #violence tw #okay and now i disappear

[the-necessary-unnecessary]

hi its the uswnt-nwsl anon here! its going to be a long ride so buckle up, gays! at the end of 2012, the USWNT's CBA (collective bargaining agreement) expired and around the same time, Gulati (then USSF president) had come to the team to discuss the inception of the NWSL. Gulati was the one who came with the new model of the league; USSF pays club salaries of the USWNT players. this was done to ease the burden on clubs, reduce folding and ensure that the players got decent club compensation. (1)

the players were excited but cautious, given the fact the WPS folded just a year earlier. during this process, the USWNT got Gulati to push and search for proper owners who could answer their concerns; aka how timbers came into the mix. while negotiating their CBA, the team also wanted to make sure the NWSL would work. initially, Gulati said that it wasnt a requirement to play in the NWSL, but the players sought to ensure the sustainability of the league. hence, they agreed to allocation; aka USSF would pay their club salaries if they played in the NWSL. thus, the NWSL became a part of their CBA - the players wanted the league to succeed and USSF needed players to commit to the league. i'll spare the numbers but it came down to either the players get more money/tier or they play in the league and get extra NWSL salary. in the end, it became a contractual obligation that the players had to play in the NWSL (at least 2 of 4 years of their contract). 

fast forward to 2017, while negotiating for the next CBA (after the 2013 one expired), the players were concerned about how their negotiations could affect the NWSL. being USSF-backed, if things went awry, the league could fold and put alot of non-USWNT players out of their jobs. furthermore, the players (in a power move tbh) decided to take back their licensing rights. this stunned the USSF and so in part, the USSF decided to agree to higher wages but drop the number of the core players for the USWNT from 24 to 20, and by 2021, to 16 (players who made the roster would still benefit from the significantly higher bonuses, they just wont have the same guarantee that the core does). 

when the CBA was agreed upon, the USWNT had gotten the USSF to improve conditions/policies of the clubs and facilities in the NWSL and kept their allocation clause in tact. thus, USWNT players are contractually obligated to play in the NWSL. they did it to birth the NWSL and make sure it's not left for dead. Vlatko may have rescinded Ellis' "NWSL player policy" (it's been speculated but never really confirmed if Ellis really didnt bother to look outside of the US) but it remains to be seen if a non-NWSL player can be a regular player in the USWNT since their current CBA mandates that they need to be allocated in the NWSL. 

i think it should be made clear that it isnt a MUST to play in the NWSL, (the allocation mainly refers to the rights and salaries, hence why Press could leave for Sweden when she refused to go to the Dash), but it does put their USWNT contract at risk. with the lawsuit going on and their CBA is expiring soon (i think end 2020 or 2021), this could be changed but i guess time will tell. this is just the tip of the iceberg though, it's way more complicated. in context of the current discussion, going to europe to play for tokyo is entirely possible and honestly smarter imo. but whether USSF will force the core squad to do a camp instead, oh well, we'll see. 

all of this comes from the USWNT book by Caitlin Murray! it's a great read and i highly recommend it for woso fans. i did, however, buy it before she updated it after the 2019 WWC, so i missed out on the new cover and new information. (im intending to get the updated version soon though). you'll really get to understand the journey of the USWNT and the whole book is just full of power moves by the team (the pioneer generation threatened to walk out of a competition, i was laughing on the train when i read that). (8)

hope this helps with the conversation! sorry it's so long though, i tried cutting out as much as possible. also if your anons would like to know which players had big dick energy in all of this, lmk! i'll happily list the committee names and what they did. (9)

well firstly thank you so much for taking the time to put this all together, it’s really appreciated since it’s a pretty complicated topic and you’ve managed to summarise it very well! It seems like Caitlin Murray’s The National Team book is some reading that I should definitely get down to as this all sounds fascinating to explore in even more depth. What I’ll say for now though is that it’s clearly a very complicated situation. Measures were never put in place without there being clear reasoning behind them, and especially at the beginning they were there to keep the nwsl from suffering the same fate previous the leagues had faced. 

However, years on I’m not as certain that they are as necessary to remain. You know those scaffolding poles that are put in place to keep the building stable and secure whilst it’s being properly built? Well this is what I consider some of these measures to be, initially necessary ones that now may do more harm than good. 

One of these measures being the uswnt players not going abroad, and especially what you said about it affecting their negotiations around equal pay. It’s an important distinction to be made between being bound to being allocated to a nwsl club and actually playing for them. So obviously there is this known loophole which has already been used by players such as Press. Vlatko has now said that he will probably be extending his scouting to beyond the nwsl but that doesn’t mean they’re not bound to ussf’s demands with putting their lawsuit at risk and/or being asked to go to a camp instead. 

All in all, something I’m still working at getting my head around but this made things so much clearer so thank you, definitely recommended reading for anyone who wants to know more about this whole situation!

#the asks #uswnt #nwsl #futfem salaries #gold

[allfabri-blog]

Ranking all 32 RB1s heading into 2020: Saquon Barkley at No. 6

Annapolis facilitate from mammal isolated 30+ miles away from two NFL Network Stream Reddit household names in the NFL scene. The two teams in Baltimore and Washington have had differing nimbleness stories through the years, then than Washingotn having won more NFL championships than Baltimore to date. However, the 2020/21 NFL season could be a unintended for Baltimore to attraction level considering Washington in terms of all-era Super Bowl titles.

The Ravens have won two Super Bowls in the accretion-Millennium NFL period, even though Washingtons most full of beans time was in the 1980s and before 90s. Most Annapolis residents will a propos totally money one of these two franchises, especially unmodified that the Ravens hosted training camps in Annapolis. With the option NFL season inching ever closer, set asides make known you will a see at the prospects for these two teams. First and foremost, the Ravens gain from having retained the facilities of its MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. In fact, Baltimore has retained concerning their entire detestable origin, which is certain news for fans gigantic that they contributed to a 14-2 regular-season lp in 2019/20. Their biggest off-season loss was the retirement of guard Marshal Yanda, who quit the sport after 13 years. Theyve been prudent subsequent to the defensive acquisitions of Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe, subsequent to the former an All-Pro star.

The biggest marginal note that Baltimore are adroitly-fancied to make a earsplitting melody in financial report to as soon as-door-door season is their regular-season schedule. Based concerning the records of teams from last season, the Ravens have the easiest schedule of altogether and will begin each regular-season game in 2020 as favorites. Because of the schedule, many put happening taking into account they will come occurring in the sky of the maintenance for the biggest challenge to Kansas City for the Lombardi Trophy in February 2021. According to the latest Super Bowl futures NFL betting lines at FOX Bet, its on the subject of neck-and-neck for the Super Bowl favorites surrounded by Kansas City Chiefs (+600) and Baltimore Ravens (+650).

The carefree aspect just very more or less the Ravens undertaking is that with they avow tummy, its totally hard to entire quantity less them. Thanks to the setting of Lamar Jackson and the dexterity of meting out pro Mark Ingram II, Baltimores run of possession is one of the best in the situation plus than they believe the pro. Jackson is unique in that he can hurry and pass following equal take steps. Last year, he racked happening 1,000 stepping taking place yards approaching the subject of peak of 3,000 passing yards  unheard of in NFL archives. The doer of Washingtons auxiliary head coach Ron Rivera has been met united to a largely flattering tribute by fans. Riveras succession was followed by a string of personnel changes, ushering in a added culture to attempt and right the wrongs of 2019. A 3-13 stamp album was nothing but a industrial accident for Washington last season. Now seems taking into account the ideal opportunity for Rivera to wish and replicate his achievements considering Carolina, which saying him achieve the NFL Playoffs four epoch in five seasons together afterward 2013 and 2017.

Perhaps Washingtons biggest off-season acquisition was Chase Young, using their number-two overall draft park to allegation the defensive confront from Ohio State. Young was deemed by many to be one of the scariest and most dominant defensive ends in hypothetical football last year. Beefing taking place the Washington marginal note is a pleasing launch for Riveras team to ensue from.

Question marks continue to linger not quite speaking the order of Washingtons offense however. Its completely much a battle of last unintentional saloon for the number-one quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Third-year lead Kyle Allen was drafted in as avowal-going on for this coming year in a concern expected to make it resolved to Haskins that he must sham or risk mammal sidelined. Even if Haskins does colleague occurring this year, an even augmented ask mark surrounds the land of the violence parentage. Washington lacks the arsenal of subsidiary franchises for Haskins to utilize, even though Terry McLaurin builds as regards his strong rookie year. The NFC East remains a tough estrangement for Washington but bearing in mind a younger, rejuvenated team below Rivera, they could endorse a invincible step speak to in 2020/21. The road to a additional nickname, from one that has existed for 87 years for Washington's football team, was decades in the making for some.

But for Washington owner Dan Snyder, it was approximately an overnight decision.

While the exploit taking into account opponents of the franchise's pronounce had taking into consideration a propos to the lead the in front 1970s, it wasn't until the when month and a half that the pace misused from light jog to Usain Bolt sprint.

Here's a flavor at what has transpired, ending by now Snyder's monumental decision to retire the make known.

[everydayhybridity]

Ethnic tensions are coming to the fore, but many minorities find solidarity with activists.

Jessie Lau

November 7, 2019, 4:53 PM

A man waves an Indian flag near Chungking Mansions, a popular haunt among minority South Asians and Africans in Hong Kong, as police keep watch at a crosswalk during a pro-democracy rally in Tsim Sha Tsui district on Oct. 27.  Philip Fong/AFP via Getty Images

HONG KONG—For Zab, Hong Kong has always been home. While the 25-year-old has roots in Pakistan, he was born, raised, educated, and now works in the city. This summer, Zab—who gave only his last name out of safety concerns—has been a cautious participant in several Hong Kong protests, standing out as one of the few brown faces among the protesters. After tear gas was fired during one rally, he ran into a police blockade as he attempted to flee. Trapped and struggling to breathe, he was terrified of being interrogated. But the police let him pass—a decision Zab suspects was related to his Pakistani ethnicity. “They probably thought I wasn’t a Hong Kong person,” he said.

This year’s protests are bringing Hong Kong’s ethnic tensions to the fore. After a mob assaulted commuters in Yuen Long train station in July, Nepali men in the neighborhood were abused by locals and accused of attacking civilians. Hong Kong’s railway corporation came under fire for reportedly planning a task force of former Gurkhas to enforce bylaws during the crisis because, in the words of a railway executive, “Nepalese do not understand Cantonese, [and] thus they will be less provoked.” Last month, when an assault on the pro-democracy leader Jimmy Sham left him lying in a pool of his own blood, local media claimed his attackers were South Asian without evidence.

Minority leaders rushed to publicly condemn the violence and support Sham—as well as privately urge community members to lie low in case of retaliations. Most recently, after police doused a mosque using water cannons with blue dye to clear a peaceful protest supporting ethnic minorities, demonstrators helped clean the mess and rallied around the community. In a moving show of solidarity, they organized a Thanksgiving gathering at Chungking Mansions, a local hub for ethnic minority workers and asylum-seekers.

Hong Kong’s identity crisis has been exacerbated in recent years. China’s authoritarian interventions have triggered a localist movement and imagined political community that sees itself as culturally, linguistically, and ideologically separate from mainland China. Since Hong Kong was handed to China by the British in 1997, those who identify as Hong Kongers grew from 35.9 percent to a record 52.9 percent this year, according to statistics from the University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme. Among locals aged 18 to 29, the percentage jumped from 45.6 percent to 75 percent. The trend holds true for ethnic minority families. Older generations are more conservative and wary of politics, Zab explained. “Our families say we are minorities here and don’t have a say. [But] I consider myself a Hong Konger,” Zab said.

Ethnic minorities such as Zab have historically been either tokenized as a symbol of diversity or demonized as scapegoats for Hong Kong’s social problems. But in the current movement, they have become a powerful marker of inclusion—especially in contrast to an increasingly ethnonationalist China, where minority groups are facing linguistic exclusion and mass detention camps.

In Hong Kong, ethnic minorities are defined by the government as people of non-Chinese ethnicity. Yet only those who do not pass as white or Chinese are considered second-class citizens by mainstream society. In 2016, excluding foreign domestic workers, 263,593 people in Hong Kong—3.6 percent of the population—fell into this group. In contrast to the generally aging population and falling birth rate, between 2006 and 2016, the number of ethnic minorities aged 15 to 24 more than doubled, and those born in Hong Kong increased from 24.5 percent to 30.9 percent.

Hong Kong has always been multicultural—not just English and Chinese but an imperial outpost drawing its population from across the British Empire. The South Asian community can be traced to the 1840s, when it defended Hong Kong as soldiers and worked alongside Eurasians as intermediaries between Chinese and Europeans. More than 1,000 Indian soldiers were killed or injured while protecting Hong Kong in the 1941 Japanese invasion. Star Ferry, Hong Kong’s main passenger ferry service, was founded by an Indian Parsi baker.

The British made heavy use of Gurkha soldiers, who helped suppress the 1900 Boxer Rebellion and established today’s Nepali community. Following World War II, inexpensive laborers from the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries began migrating to Hong Kong to work as foreign domestic workers, supporting an emerging Chinese middle class. In the 1970s, Vietnamese refugees joined them.

Despite such crucial contributions, ethnic minorities remain systematically marginalized. Entrenched language barriers, racial profiling, and poverty remain barriers to integration. Many have long condemned the government’s failure to teach local languages to non-Chinese speakers. Until 2004, children who lacked Chinese proficiency but could not afford international schools were directed toward government institutions targeting working-class minorities, which came with social stigma. Local media and conservative groups characterized them as criminals during a sweeping anti-refugee campaignblaming asylum-seekers for stretching local resources.

While such students can now apply to other institutions, schools have independent selection criteria and are not required to provide specialized curriculum for language proficiency. A 2016 study found that less than 20 percent of jobs advertised online catered to non-Chinese speakers. Nearly one-fifth of ethnic minorities also live below the poverty line, and the poverty rate rose from 15.8 percent to 19.4 percent between 2011 and 2016.

The protest movement is hardly free of discrimination itself. When the anti-extradition protests first erupted, 29-year-old Yasir Naveed, who proudly identifies as a Hong Konger, was galvanized. Donning a white shirt with the rest of the crowd, he marched in the first rally with his 72-year-old father and 4-year-old nephew—a move to express multigenerational support. “My father is part of the senior citizens who built this city,” said Naveed, who is ethnically Pakistani. “And the future is our nephew.”

Fixing the crisis will be risky—but worthwhile for both sides.

Early on, there were already rumors that ethnic minorities were being hired to attack protesters. One day, Naveed received a message from Han Chinese protesters asking him to check the grammar on an Urdu text. It was an appeal from demonstrators asking ethnic minorities not to “accept bribes” to “beat up” protesters. Naveed was stunned. “I was so offended,” he said. He responded saying the message was grammatically correct but ethically wrong. “Did they think we are sellouts? That we’re so hungry and needy for money that a party can buy us?”

The simultaneous co-option and rejection of minorities also occurred in the 2014 Umbrella Movement and 2012 anti-national education protests. Minorities were celebrated by protesters as proof of local inclusion, but their interests were subsumed during broader political discussions, which were largely publicized and conducted solely through Cantonese, with excursions into Mandarin.

Paul O’Connor of Lingnan University called the treatment of ethnic minorities a missed opportunity. “They hold true opportunity for Hong Kong to redistinguish itself as this ‘one country, two systems’ territory because China doesn’t have the history that Hong Kong has in terms of this multicultural heritage,” O’Connor said. “Instead, their interests are being co-opted by the broader fight about Hong Kong identity and then dropped.”

In fact, Raees Baig, an assistant professor of social work at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said pro-Beijing parties such as the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong have more successfully engaged and advocated for ethnic minorities, through establishing outreach centers and English-language materials about government services.

That has left many community leaders carefully neutral. Adeel Malik, the chairperson of the Muslim Council of Hong Kong, exercised caution at present. He strongly condemned the recent violence by all parties, which he said has caused some to consider leaving Hong Kong. “If any of our community members get involved and anything turns into a riot, sadly it can be easy to stereotype the whole community,” Malik said. Arief Wahyudi, a 49-year-old local of Indonesian descent who has lived in Hong Kong for two decades, echoed his sentiments. “Violence will only fuel violence,” he said. “That’s what we’re very scared of.”

Yet there’s no denying that the current movement has brought solidarity among different Hong Kongers on a previously unseen scale—albeit somewhat accidentally. Unlike other protest movements, it has effectively used creative and grassroots messaging to target a global audience—inadvertently extending accessibility to local non-Chinese speakers, said Puja Kapai of the University of Hong Kong.

Many people have been empowered by expressions of unity and have experienced political awakenings for the first time. Han Chinese locals are also becoming more aware of the ethnic minority communities. A local journalist of Pakistani descent became a protest icon after fiercely cross-examininggovernment officials in fluent Cantonese. Various ethnic minority protesters have also been embraced as Hong Kongers. “There have been blessings in disguise,” Malik said.

Jeffrey Andrews, a local social worker of Indian descent who organized the Thanksgiving gathering at Chungking Mansions, said many of the Han Chinese guests had never mingled with ethnic minorities before. “For the very first time, we’ve taken ownership,” he said. “We’ve taken a crisis and turned it into an opportunity.”

As the protests spiral into their 22nd week, Zab’s family and friends have warned him against becoming more involved in the crisis. But in Zab’s eyes, the movement has already entangled Hong Kong’s ethnic minorities, whether they like it or not. “If we consider ourselves as part of Hong Kong, we should be involved in political affairs,” said Zab, who is thinking of running for district council in the future. “We can’t just stay behind the scenes.”

Jessie Lau is a journalist in Hong Kong.

#Hong Kong #Hong Kong's ethnic minorities #Sociology #Anthropology #ethnicity

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Many aspects of the Modern Minuteman toolbox apply to preparedness in general, however personal and small-scale or widespread and earth shaking our pet disasters may be. As with overall preparedness, our exact situation and our expectations of disaster scenarios affects what we prioritize for our finite time and attention.

Last time, I concentrated on an “early/now” frame for prioritizing a handful of commonly recommended skills. This time, I’m actually taking the “at all” perspective, be it amped-up community watches, riot control, or some NWO-EROL situation we’re gearing up to oppose.

As always, opposing opinions are welcome. The more perspectives available, the better everyone is able to make their own decisions.

Gauge Community Climate

Absolutely and emphatically, yes.  

Heaven help me, I recently found myself agreeing with Nancy Pelosi. A group of students approached her in her office to express their displeasure in her lack of support for an AOC environmental bill. Her reply was essentially that stupid to waste time on something with absolutely zero chance of passing.

That was a fair enough point on its own, and speaks directly to taking the pulse of a population.

Even more so was a nugget that made fewer news sites in the following days: The belief that trying to push too-extreme an agenda – however much she personally might agree with it – was worse than doing nothing at all. It would only further ruffle feathers, making things harder to achieve the next time around.

I’m no more fan of politicians than the next, but the ability to accurately predict and read the masses is something that we do need to be aware of if we have any interest whatsoever in being a citizen soldier.

What the community will stand and what they won’t is the bedrock of insurgency and resistance movements.

What they will and won’t stand in good times, versus crux moments and tragedy, historically makes or breaks those movements, as well as the hold over a community by a commanding force – whether that’s a large, visible government with policing agents and military, or the behind-the-scenes types large and small. 

It applies to anticipating and either preventing or responding to something like a riot or demonstration, as well as guerrilla actions against occupations and undermining strongholds of loyalists for either/any faction.

Large scale, long-term or single-event short-term, we have to be able to gauge the mood of the mob and the climate of our communities, and our reactions have to come from a complete tool set – not just picking today’s hammer.

If we can’t, our chances of success are downright nil.

Denial & Disruption

Most emphatically, yes.

Riot control on sidewalks or countering the jackboot takeover, we want to be able to deny our enemy intel and assets, and disrupt their way of doing business (and ability to relax).

That can take all sorts of forms – and has, throughout history.

Interdiction and harassment take so many forms, it really rates its own set of articles even to nutshell the tactics and techniques employed by insurgency and resistance in guerrilla operations, community and large-force counters to guerilla operations, and even law enforcement and IT deterrents large and small, and internal policing by law enforcement and militaries and even lowly little small-business operations, as well as force-on-force operations from pre-tech eras to modern times.

On the larger scales, it involves all sorts of supply and travel disruptions, misinformation/counter-intel, harassing fire, false flags, etc.

Many of those can also be applied on the smallest of scales – even interpersonal conflict and self-defense situations – employing different techniques to the same theories, or adapting techniques to fit conditions.

Again, though, we really want to mind the effects on and reactions of our internal and closest-ties allies (family, coworkers, partners), the near neighbors, and the community at large, as well as our opposition and the reactions of their varying rings of influence.

Wilderness & Military Camp Setup

Yes, absolutely – anywhere.

Site development and placement of elements – modern or long past – have a lot of aspects that apply to preparedness in general, even “just” getting through a hurricane and “just” setting up our homes for everyday functional efficiency and security.

The same aspects keep them relevant to a modern minuteman intending to defend storefronts or residential communities from riots as well as the prepper who anticipates infantry-like service defending freedom.  

Positioning for ready communication, rapid responses, protection of key elements, LOS, external observation points, latrines/sanitation, deployment outside the wire and-or green zones, individual safety and incoming-fire cover, fire safety, supply distribution, and awareness of known effective ranges by position and armament all factor in.

They apply equally to both the able-bodied foot soldier and to the physically limited watchman or rear-echelon non-combatant, whatever the situation, however big or small the location.

*Think that one through, and consider our daily nothing-wrong lifestyles – It really does resonate everywhere, from where our smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are, to aggravations or eases when we grocery shop, bathe dogs, do laundry, file and maintain paperwork, coordinate with family and coworkers, get to and from our chores and recreations, etc. We don’t have to be totally paranoid or OCD to start seeing typical trends in non-prepper, non-minuteman sources for safety/protection and efficiency.

Camo & Concealment

Meh.

Really, it’s situationally dependent.

For most of the scenarios we can list off, from protecting our corner of Baltimore or Koreatown to taking our turn as the insurgents – or countering them, or splinter cells of a larger force – unless you’re a sniper operating from the woods, mostly, “meh” leaning “well, nah”.

Flip side: Oh hell yeah, because camo and concealment isn’t always green and tan splotches of paint or fabric.

Camo and concealment is a suit or slacks and a briefcase in a courthouse, yoga pants and a light bag at the park, a “normal” passenger vehicle instead of an off-road rock-climbing mudder or Humvee on the average street, high-vis vests with dirty pants on a road crew with their bucket or tool box/bag, and scuffed up boots on a farm hand.

That camo and concealment extends to mixing up travel patterns to avoid breaking foliage and creating “deer trails”, being able to slip out of a location without observation, and presenting the appearance of following habitual movements and activities while deviating from the norm.

It’s also developing the control to watch our mouths and non-verbals rather than fight every battle that comes our way and picking every hill as our hill to die on. (Return to Nancy Pelosi above to make that an even uglier pill to swallow.)

And, yeah, in a few situations, it’s being able to become a rock on the hill or another tuft of brush, but unless we’re evading birds or sniper hunters, mostly breaking up our outlines isn’t too hard and doesn’t always require paint or cammies.

Hand-to-Hand Combat

Yes and no.

Don’t get me wrong. Self-defense capabilities are great to have, period. It’s not like this world has ever been totally safe, or like it’s getting any crazier.

However you want to apply it, keep in mind how often we see 2-5 cops or foreign militias trying to wrestle a bad guy into cuffs or move them after arrest, and weigh how much training and daily practice they get, versus our ability to invest time and money into training.

Our expectations of the bad guy we’ll be encountering, and how we’re deploying also factor in pretty hugely.

If we’re countering a significant force, whether it’s widespread jackboots and organized invaders or forces that have the benefit of protective gear, our chances of success are much lower.

Similarly, our chances against servicemen from one of the nations that focus significant continuing training time on some pretty gnarly martial arts, knife work, and batons … not so hot.

There are exploits for hand-to-hand combat even against somebody wearing body armor groin to neck, face shields and helmets, and knee pads. We just have to be realistic about whether we’re going to personally stand a chance with our available investment capabilities, or if we want to focus instead on something else.

Learn some basics that fit your physical condition for everyday encounters, but don’t break the bank on this one.

Instead, for minuteman purposes develop awareness, de-escalation, and evasion skills as well as Gray Man presentation.

Also work reflex drills, ankle-knee lateral and start-stop strength (or chair skills), and balance exercises – especially for people who are limited in some way by age, injury, or genetic luck of the draw.

Urban or rural, footing can be iffy. The better able we are to compensate for shifting terrain, curbs, bumps, and slips, and the better able we are to change direction on a dime, the better chance we stand of staying in the fight, whatever the scenario we imagine.

Modern Minuteman Skillsets

Most likely, the term “Modern Minuteman” brings a certain image to our heads. And, most likely, any 2-20 of us would describe very different images – particularly as the most likely and most common potential for a modern minuteman to deploy.

Because we have very different situations and needs, with very different scenarios in mind and very different capabilities due to our physical shape and local environment, the skills we are most likely to need are going to vary.

Some, though, are pretty universal. We can sometimes assign a value across the board, regardless of situation or scenario.

With any luck, somebody disagrees with these, or the matrix I apply at large, and presents points for discussion.

If not and until then, go find somebody who thinks “bah, PC community-pulse nonsense” or “moron, every soldier should fight with sticks”. Weigh the argument presented for those situations, and decide what does actually make sense for you. It’s only having multiple perspectives that really lets us prioritize, whether we’re picking out groceries or putting together our minuteman to-do list.

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The post Modern Minuteman – Yes-No-Maybe Skillsets Vol. 2 appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

#SHTF #TEOTWAWKI #MARTIALLAW #BUGOUT #PREPPERBAG #USAF #USSOCOM #ARMY #NAVY #SurvivalFirestarter #Sur

[centralparkpawsblog]

Labradoodle vs Goldendoodle

https://www.centralparkpaws.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Goldendoodle-Medium-sized-cream-colored-F1-Generation.jpg This past weekend I was camping up north with family and friends.

Our campsite happened to be across from a family with two dogs, Fred and George (think Harry Potter). Of course, I had to go over and say, “Hi,” since I can’t help but to want to pet every dog I see.

The two dogs looked like either a Goldendoodle or a Labradoodle.

It turned out that there was one of each!

And, like all dog parents, they were more than happy to talk to me about their dogs.

They had adopted both dogs from the same breeder at the same time. Both dogs were quite young and energetic.

I’ve had limited exposure to the Doodle breeds, so it was quite interesting to learn more about them.

I learned the two breeds are similar in several ways, yet different in others.

Also, I hadn’t realized the importance of choosing a dog from the right generation.

Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Generations

A medium F1 Goldendoodle Photo by Goodlepups (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The dog’s generation is important because it impacts the dog’s traits, especially regarding their dander and shedding.

F1 – The first generation, resulting from breeding a purebred dog with a purebred poodle.

F2 – The result of breeding two F1 dogs

F3 – The result of breeding two F2

If you see a “B” after the number, it means that the dog was bred back to a purebred poodle.

The two most common types are F1B and F2B.

The purpose of breeding the dog back to a poodle is to reduce shedding.

Many Doodle breeds are 75% poodle and only 25% another breed.

History of the Labradoodle and Goldendoodle

Labradoodle

The original purpose of creating a Labradoodle was to come up with a more hypoallergenic service dog[1].

It is believed that the first doodle was a Labradoodle created by Wally Conron in the 1980s.

He was looking for a service dog, for a blind woman whose husband was allergic to dogs.

Goldendoodle

The Goldendoodle emerged in the 1990s on the heels of the Labradoodle’s success[2].

Golden retrievers have been a well-loved breed over the years, but their shedding can be a deterrent to those interested in getting a dog.

When the Goldendoodle started to gain in popularity, their lack of shedding held great appeal to those reluctant to have dog hair in the house.

Physical Differences Between a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle

Though Labradoodles and Goldendoodles look similar, there are few small differences in their physical appearance.

Most of the differences can be seen in the texture and color of their coats.

Thanks to the poodle, both Labradoodles and Goldendoodles come in three different sizes: small, medium, and large.

Left: Macie the Goldendoodle Right: Dillon the Labradoodle Photo by Roy Niswanger (CC BY 2.0)

Height

These are the average heights to the shoulder.

Goldendoodles are generally taller than Goldens Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers.

  Goldendoodles

Small 12-15 inches

Medium 16-19 inches

Large 19-25 inches

Labradoodles[3]

Small 14-16 inches

Medium 17-20 inches

Large 21-24 inches

Weight

Goldendoodles[4]

Small 18-30 pounds

Medium 30-50 pounds

Large 50-70 pounds

Labradoodles

Small 15-30 pounds

Medium 30-45 pounds

Large 50-85 pounds

Curious about other dog sizes? Click here to learn this info about German Shepherds!

Coats

Goldendoodles

…have longer softer coats compared to the Labradoodle.

Also, some Goldendoodles have a wavy coat that can be red, apricot, cream, or caramel.

Labradoodles

…have shorter more coarse hair than Goldendoodles.

Also, Labradoodles come in a wider variety of colors. They can be chocolate, black, cream, red, yellow, white, and multi-colored.

Things to Know…

When looking for a Doodle or any designer dog breed, the physical and behavioral characteristics can vary greatly.

How Much Exercise Do They Need?

Can you tell which is the lab and which is the Labradoodle?

Both the Goldendoodle and Labradoodle have similar exercise needs.

Though there are always exceptions and, of course, age and size play a role as well.

The two breeds are both originated from the sporting breed group.

Sporting breeds generally require a fair amount of exercise, like walking, playing ball, and swimming.

The good thing about Goldendoodles and Labradoodles are that they don’t need a ton of exercise, like a five-mile run every day. The smaller versions of these two breeds require a little less exercise and space to play.

I’m a strong believer that, big or small, old or young, exercise is a part of dog parenting.

After you exercise them you need to feed them! Click hear to learn which dog foods are best!

Personality Differences Between a Labradoodle and a Goldendoodle

Both breeds are friendly dogs.

However, the Goldendoodle is more social than the Labradoodle.

Also, Goldendoodles tend to be more exuberant when expressing themselves to others.

Though Labradoodles are definitely amiable dogs, they are more reserved than Goldendoodles.

They tend to prefer the company of their family, over greeting everyone they meet.

Both are intelligent dogs and have been used for service and therapy dogs.

Labradoodles excel as service dogs, whereas Goldendoodles are better suited to work as therapy dogs.

Common Health Issues Found in Labradoodles and Goldendoodles

Doodles can develop health issues common to the original breeds[5].

This means that they’re able to inherit health issues from both sides of their family, creating a longer list of health issues.

Goldendoodles Are More Prone to the Following Diseases:

Hip Dysplasia

Sebaceous Adenitis (skin disease common to Poodles)

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (heart disease common to Golden Retrievers)

Addison’s disease

Eye diseases like retinal atrophy, cataracts, and glaucoma

Labradoodles Are More Prone to the Following Diseases:

Hip and elbow dysplasia[6]

Eye diseases like retinal atrophy and Von Willebrand’s Disease

Sebaceous Adenitis (skin disease common to Poodles)

Average Lifespan

Another similarity between the two breeds is their lifespan.

Both breeds’ average life expectancy is 10-15 years old.

Their age is also impacted by the size of the dog, as smaller dogs usually have a longer lifespan.

Labradoodles and Goldendoodle Hypoallergenic Traits

Both dogs are known to be a good breed for those who are allergic to dogs.

Also, both breeds shed less than most other dogs, which they get from their poodle parents.

However, keep in mind though that no dog is entirely free of dander. Both dog breeds may still cause problems for those who suffer from severe allergies.

It is crucial that if you are looking for a hypoallergenic dog that you find a dog that falls into the F1B category.

Ultimately, the dog will have a higher genetic percentage of poodle than of lab or golden.

How Much Do Goldendoodles and Labradoodles Cost?

From a reliable breeder either breed can cost between $1500-$2500[7].

Less expensive dogs can be found; however, less is not always better here. If you are thinking of buying from a breeder, do your research on them first.

Also, be sure that they include a health certification on the puppy’s parents.

Though there is no guarantee that the dog you choose will be healthy, you will reduce the chance if you buy a dog that comes with proper certification.

Final Thoughts

Consider the ball, uh, I mean, breed, carefully!

Both breeds are amazing dogs that carry similar positive traits.

I don’t feel that there is a better breed between the two dogs.

Through my research, the three most significant differences between the two breeds are their people skills, the texture of their coat, and color.

I think both breeds are absolutely adorable and perfect family dogs. I particularly like the different size choices.

That all being said, it is essential to note that these are mixed breeds and relatively new breeds.

The traits that you get in a doodle are less reliable than purebred dogs that have a long and stable history. The lack of reliability also applies to the dog’s overall appearance.

If you decide on getting a Goldendoodle or Labradoodle, I encourage you again to do your research.

There are both excellent and horrible dog breeders out there, and it’s not always apparent which is which.

Alternatively, if you are seeking a more mature dog to avoid the puppy training, rescue groups are great at matching dogs with forever families.

FAQ

Which Shed More, Goldendoodles or Labradoodles?

They both are minimally shedding dogs.

Which Is Better for Allergies, Goldendoodles or Labradoodles?

They are the same. Just be sure the dog is of a generation that has been bred back to the poodle, which decreases shedding and dander.

What is a Teddy Bear Goldendoodle?

In short, it is an English Golden Retriever crossed with a Poodle. They are also known as English Goldendoodles.

Resources

https://www.cobberdogking.com/en/about-labradoodle/how-was-the-labradoodle-created/

https://www.goldendoodleassociation.com/about-the-breed/history-of-the-goldendoodle/

https://rockymtnlabradoodles.com/labradoodle-sizes/

https://www.teddybeargoldendoodles.com/goldendoodles/english-goldendoodle-sizes

https://pets.thenest.com/problems-labradoodles-9759.html

https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/dog-breeds/labradoodle

https://www.westwoodlabradoodles.com/what-does-a-doodle-cost-/

The post Labradoodle vs Goldendoodle appeared first on Central Park Paws.

from https://www.centralparkpaws.net/pet-facts/labradoodle-vs-goldendoodle-comparison/

#dogs #cats #pets #reviews

[alliebruns-blog]

Races, Recces and Adventures for 2019

First off SORRY FOR NOT DOING BLOGS (to the 3 people that read them)

2019 has already been quite the year. Let’s get the excuses in, shall we? I have finally moved out of London to lovely sleepy Somerset – home of the Mendips, hills and lots of cows. The running here is ace and I feel like I have finally shaken off the horror of 23 years in London. But it’s a big change – the first month I felt like I was on a different planet – then I had to find work (you know that thing that actually pays you?) So I took a step back from internets for a bit. 

Another reason for lack of bloggage. It seems I have been writing them for everyone else but me this year. For some reason my inbox went a bit mad and I’ve been asked to write pieces, blogs and interviews for a Bulgarian Travel and Adventure Magazine (apparently I am going to be on the cover?!), Run Deep, Precision Hydration, Lessons in Badassery, Dure, Red Bull and Trail Running Magazine. Plus, I have to do my day job. And look after 4 dogs. And a 9 year-old (not mine but sort of is mine now….) and a man human. Jokes. He’s looking after me. 

 So what’s been going on? EVERYTHING HAS. 2019 started with BBR trotting over the The National Running Show in Birmingham where we had a stand and I gave a couple of talks. I was I the throws of a horrendous depressive episode and had to attempt to put a face on. I still wasn’t over Panama really. I think it took me about 3 months to get over it in the end. I had to do a talk on a panel about mental health and running (oh the irony) and then my own talk about running across deserts, jungles and that.

It was very difficult attempting to inspire people when I actually felt like a piece of shit. The show itself was ace and weirdly we have been asked to come back – but more on that a bit later.

I got out in January and February to do a couple of reccees for White Star Running. The weather was JOKES bad. 60mph winds and rain made for a very interesting trot along the coast.

We were checking the route for Septembers Run Jurassic races which are going to be amazing. Have a look at what’s on offer here - and rest assured that it shouldn’t be weather like this on the day…..

Then came the first race of the year - Larmer Tree Marathon in Dorset. Lest gusty with 40-50 mph winds making for another interesting run, and it was also Pickle the ultra dogs first official marathon – she loved it. Look at her little face! 

Then it was off to Bulgaria to do some talking about running. Myself and David from the Bad Boy Running Podcast were asked to go and do a talk at a running expo they had there and it was MEGA fun – defo returning nest year to do the 100KM ultra they are organising – it’s BEAUTIFUL in Sofia.

Back home and it was off to Rat Race’s Ultra Tour of Arran for the second year. 62 miles over 2 days with “some” elevation (A LOT) and some demons to slay. As you know I did NOT enjoy this last year - my fear of heights and ledges almost got the better of me, but this year was different. We had about 10 Do-Badders with us and some of them were first time ultra runners, so I felt a bit like I had a duty of care to them.

As part of my role with Rat Race, I did a little talk to people about the Bucket List which was great and I managed to get round the course with the whole squad without crying. Only issue was I ended up with an eye infection that meant I couldn’t wear my contacts. This is not recommended on mountainous trails. I fell over 3 times - my knee looked like someone had gone at it with a rifle. It really knocked my confidence for trails and I have been super careful ever since. I really hate falling over.  

Arran was beautiful and epic as always. I cannot recommend this race enough. Its otherworldly out there. Here are some pictures – the weather was so kind to us. If you get booking it now it’s pretty cheap – or even better register for a rat race season ticket and it sort of pays for itself! 

Next up was London marathon. It was my sixth year and I wasn’t looking forward to it having only just really moved away. I used to love this race, but I had done so little in the form of road running I was dreading it a bit. So I decided to spice it up by running it in reverse to the start and then running it the right way round.I need some night running experience for later I the year so why not?  I also wanted to raise money for my old friend Scott who we lost to suicide last year. If you want to give a few quid, the charity has been set up now and you can find it here.

We got up at 12am after 3 hours sleep and got our stuff together – we were running with a couple of friends starting at Birdcage walk. We decided on a 5-6 hour time as I had the real thing later on, and this was a training run ultimately. That didn’t go to plan and we ended up smashing out 20 miles in about 3 hours – meaning as we came into Greenwich everything was shut. ARGH! I need coffee! I’ve never waited for a Macdonalds to open, but that day I did! We decided to march out the last 6 miles as we had the time and my legs were already staging a protest about the relentless road pounding they were getting. Once we reached the start we headed over to a hotel on Blackheath where my amazing friend and Head of Crew™ was staying.

We had the BEST BREAKFAST EVER and got I got changed into fresh kit and then it was time to do it all over again. I forgot how much waiting about there was at London. I think I stood in the pen for about an hour, little legs seizing up, feeling cold for once. London is usually boiling. I took a minute to look around at the people running. Lots of them were doing their first and only marathon. Some of them made me want to cry. I saw a guy dressed in a bin bag looking nervous, fiddling with his headphones. He has  a message scrawled on his arm in sharpie – obviously written buy one of his kids. It said “I love you daddy and I am proud of you”. He kept looking at it. It made me want to cry. Sometimes humans can be wonderful. I bumped into the legend that is Anna Mcnuff in my start pen. She wasn’t wearing any shoes. Brilliant. She’s running the length of Britain barefoot so was a training run. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS but she seemed very cool about the whole thing. She really is relentlessly cheerful, that woman. 

 Then we were off. I felt pretty good considering the fact I had already done it once that day. As always there were huge crowds and bottlenecks and I was running a lot faster than I had done in a while. You can’t help it at London. You kind of get swept along. I was very wary of eating and drinking – I hadn’t eaten much during the night run and I am used to picnics on ultras now. I tried to take it easy but it felt easier to run at pace so I did what felt good. For once I wasn’t wearing a pack and it’s amazing how much that frees you to go a bit faster. I was relying on the water stops for all my hydration and that worked. 

One of the things I really noticed about the marathon this year is the aggro. I am so used to the chilled nature of trail runners that I totally forgot about what happened in New York. Road runners can be total arseholes. There were points when I ran over to the water station, signalling I was doing so, only to be physically bashed on the shoulder by other runners and told to “move out of the fucking way”. When I take water I tend to slow down, walk at pace, finish the water and then run on. It’s pretty obvious. I walk close to the edge so people can pass me. I’m sorry but people need to have a bit more patience. Fucking idiots. ANYWAY I managed to finish in a pretty OK 4 hours 10 mins. Getting out of the mental finish area was awful as always, and I had to meet up with a couple of people because my personal hell wasn’t ending there. I had signed up to help out on a Rat Race private event for the next two days and needed to get to Richmond to drive up to Cirencester. No boozy celebrations for me! So off I went to work with 300 bankers who were out on a jolly for 3 days running, cycling and kayaking 165 miles along the Thames. Wednesday came and I had never been happier to see my bed! 

Turns out road running smashed your body up a lot – especially 53 odd miles of it. My back was killing me, my legs hurt. So I did something I am not very good at – I had a bit or a rest. A few days off, runs at the weekend, went to physio. And then, two weeks later, it was time for The Ox Epic.

This is one of my favourite races of the year. Set on the Rushmore Estate in Wiltshire, its a whole weekend of camping and running courtesy of White Star Running. You can choose what race you do. Theres a 10km in the dark, a 10km in the morning, a half marathon and a 50 miler. So what did I choose? I CHOSE THEM ALL. Last year I managed to accidentally win the Epic - this year was a different story. This was a training run for something much bigger.

Once again White Star pulled it out the bag - a beautiful weekend and everything went like clockwork for me and him indoors, despite the fact we had all four dogs on site plus a 9 year old to look after. I managed to keep the same pace for all the races and not feel broken, plus I had a really nice weekend! We ran some laps with the dogs, some without, took out time at the aid stations, walked the hills and ran the flats. All in, we managed to get 76 miles in the bag over the weekend and finished knowing that we could do more. It was a chance to practice fuelling and hydration and catch up with old and new pals. Highly recommended and I will definitely be back next year - perhaps with my eyes on the prize again.

Pretty much everything that I have done in the first part of this year has been pointing towards my one A game race of the year which is happening this weekend (18-19 May). The Climb South West Devon Coast to Coast Ultra. I signed up last year on a whim. It’s 117 miles from the south coast to the north coast of Devon non-stop. This is the furthest I have run without a break, so it really is a huge deal to me to get through it. We’ve been out and about doing a couple of back to back weekend recees to see what the route is like. It’s self nav and we will run a lot of it in the dark. It runs along the Two Moors Way, across Dartmoor and Exmoor, through some horrendous terrain. There are a lot of muddy bridleways, fields and hardly any markings.

Elevation is mental – it literally feels like your going up hill all the time. It’s a really important race for me because it’s one I am not sure I can do. I have a plan A. B. C and D in place but I can’t see myself finishing in under 39 hours. Will I finish at all? Dunno. Stay tuned I guess….

So yeah, a lot has gone on so far this year, and there are some awesome plans in the pipeline for the rest of the year. 

Adventure time! AGAIN! 

I am resurrecting my position as Rat Race Test Pilot for 2019-2020 and doing 4 big recees this year, as well as pretty much all the events.  

June sees me travel to Spain for the Sea to Summit test pilot outing. The highest mountain in mainland Spain is 80km from the coast. Our route connects a start line on a beautiful beach on the Costa Tropical to the summit of Mulhacen (3482m) via a tough 2 day running route, giving 2 marathons back to back and nearly 4000m vertical height gain. No biggie. Plus it’s going to be BOILING and we start at 2am to try and avoid the sun. This is Ben Nevis twice in a day. Fun. 

August sees me trotting off to Malta for The Maltese Falcom. There are 3 islands that make up Malta. This ia a full traverse of the island chain. 3 disciplines. Run across Gozo. Kayak to Comino. Swim from Comino to Malta. Run across Malta. Hot. Historic. Warm sea. An island totally geared up for Endurance sport.  And all in one day. Another world first. 

In September I am off to Scotland to do something I have always dreamt off. A full coast to coast traverse of Scotland on foot. This is a west-coast-to-east-coast outing, n foot, over 6 days. The difference here is that Rat Race have devised a route that encompasses crossings of water and the use of some rivers and lochs, for which we will carry and use pack-rafts. This very unique route means we will hike or run, get to a body of water, use the raft to cross it or traverse it and then carry on by foot. An insane format in a simply stunning setting and incredibly remote area. The route goes from a starting location at Mallaig to finish just north of Inverness. This is the wildest country in the British Isles. We will be vehicle supported for some of the outing; and then self-contained (pack on back) for a significant portion of the rest. Almost 100% off-road. And in September. Be kind, weather! 

October I will return to Scotland for a multi day traverse of the Outer Hebrides. Another dream event. It is around 150 miles from the bottom to top of this rugged island archipelago off the West Coast of Scotland. We will attempt this journey over 6 days. We’ve not quite worked out the logistics on this (have I not learnt anything from Panama??) But I am SO EXCITED TO DO IT! 

In November I am travelling back to Namibia to crew for the Race to the Wreck event. That means I get to see the beauty of the desrt from the crew vehicle with a bit of running, but most importantly, it means I get to encourage, help and inspire people to complete the crossing. I would like to thank Rat Race for constantly believing me and allowing me to do these awesome things. I am one lucky piglet.  

Also here’s a thing – if you fancy joining me on any of these funtime recees then you can – just drop me an email here for more details. 

I am also doing a few other things in between mega adventures to keep up the training and fly the flag for Rat Race and White Star. There’s the Dorset Invader Marathon, the Man Vs Series, the Run Jurassic Series, Ultra Tour of Edinburgh, not to mention my first Threshold event at Race To the King. Basically it’s BUSY. But I am happy. And that’s the most important thing. 

Finally – big announcement – Bad Boy Running are thrilled to have been asked to curate a new section at The National Running Show 2020. We have been given the honour of curating the Ultra Zone – a brand new zone that focuses completely on Ultras. We have our own stage, our own guests and our own talks and panels, We are in charge. We will be announcing out line up in the next month or so but if I were you I would get your tickets NOW because you DO NOT want to miss this. You can get your free ones here using my code AMB18. We have some of the biggest names in Ultra running confirmed and it’s going to be mega. You can register for your free ticket here. Massive thank to Mike for believing in us (and trusting us – he may regret this….)

I’m also going to try and bet better at this blogging thing – I have a lot to write about so not short on material – it’s just the time. Having said that I am happy to write for anyone else that fancies it. Just drop me a line and I will take a look at it. So yeah. That’s it. Whirlwind update done. See you next week. If I survive.

[lake14willadsen-blog]

Running.

Cabbage is actually a hearty, dark-green leafy vegetbale that, until just recently, had not been considered an one thing fir for human beings to eat. If you're going the minimal shoe route, start by using them for brief periods around your house and also for only quick runs till you see how your body responds to the change. Body system numbering and also decrease bag set up were both exciting rituals, considerably in due to 5,000+ volunteers that present as a lot enthusiasm for this occasion as the racers. Additionally, those distance runners who have actually mastered the' 100-Up' can easily additionally add this mechanism to that practice: pulling the foot and also leg beneath the body system with the easy jump switch. And I found that, specifically for on my own, the much older I acquire and the additional years I've been running for, you learn more about your body better as well as you're bit even more harmonic with your body system as well as those little bit of niggles that you obtain. The very first essential idea to understand is actually that photo voltaic as well as wind power may never substitute greater than 20 percent of the globe's overall power necessities because they are not reliable resources for any type of offered hr of the time. As a 43 year old, quite stringent desk jockey I deal with keeping my body tough for longer jogs. While carbo-loading" might seem like the best method to prep your physical body for competition time, whether to carbo-load depend upon a variety of elements: featuring what activity your race includes, your diet before the activity, and how much attempt you are going to use up on race time. Just before running with First Stamina, I only utilized gels on tromp 2hrs as well as at that point one 100 calorie gel each hr on long terms, given that I was (am) low-cost and my body might perform that. My body picture nose-dived, and I found myself progressively resorting to meals to numbed how I miserable and unhappy I thought. Integrate exercise along with other points, like spending time with friends or family or even driving to function. Relating to barefoot or minimalism must be actually sluggish, modern to make it possible for the physical body in order to get comfortable. At the early help stations, joggers clamor for Gatorade or Hammer Gels, a syrup-like electricity gel. On long ultra's/ problems, you could quickly become tired of the flavor of a particular food or even beverage, yet over 2 days I never experienced that way along with sour & delicious Mango ... as well as I've acquired in this way bunches with various other desserts, jaffa birthday cakes or energy beverages (which mainly make an effort and also stay away from right now). I locate that when I eat excessive PBJ at one time I get slow-moving until I totally digest that and after that that offers me a great zing from electricity. His physical body is his laboratory, and also his excitement and also sound judgment turn him in to an impressive teacher. Your breathing would be out of rhythm and your muscles would be denied from the frequent or even air source necessary for cardiovascular energy creation. We began at the Fish Breeding ground in Brevard and also treked simply approximately 2 miles to our very first camping site. I could track the majority of my running relevant traumas to significant spikes in intensity everyday, week to full week, month to month that were actually abnormalities when examining the entire full week, month or year specifically, where as when I have actually moderated both the highs and lows (much shorter long runs as well as longer quick and easy runs in the every week and much more steady weekly gas mileage in the exact same as well as month-to-month for annually in regular monthly usage), yet been extremely steady along with the stimulation, my body reacts in a a lot more expected method. This possibly additionally helps that healthy-lookin males are most likely to produce well-balanced little ones, which in itself makes a mother safer as the youngsters age as well as can easily assist. Supporters from Asics road footwears will be desired that the fit from the Fuji Racer maintains that sensation of a tight heel that expands into an accommodating ball ofthe foot. These ones are my casual" jeans, and these ones are just how I spruce up now, because I wear them out with shoes rather than to sweaty physical fitness points. And that's going to come from fantastic sporting activities medication that's mosting likely to arise from fantastic physio as well as simply basic expertise concerning how you can keep the physical body. The greatest analogy I could think of is this: if you have actually trained your body effectively with the right mix from cardio degree instruction and some up beat things in the full weeks preceeding your occasion, you have actually constructed your efficient combination motor ready to race the marathon. So http://sanatoasa-metamorfoza.info/prostect-dieta-picaturi-prezentare-generala-2019/ hope the misanthropes and also the judgers don't produce any sort of comments right here, as well as make use of everything additional electricity to earn one thing scrumptious for Thanksgiving holiday. When you possess a notion as well as your body responds quickly, the component from ether is at work, guided by your thoughts to move your body system. This summer months I went on a physical and psychological trip as well as have actually learned to accept my physical body especially. She went for that speed consistently, as well as over the course of the next many full weeks, that pace progressively raised as she ended up being more dependable and also in good condition. Likewise, individuals don't understand that the interpretation of disordered consuming is actually a mis-match between cost and also consumption and there is a great pipes between disordered eating and consuming ailments among sportsmens in terms of the physiologic impact. There is wasted power as well as possibly unnecessary stress on the physical body if there are parts of your body relocating coming from edge to side. For instance, I have discovered cardio threshold surge paces to be a remarkable exercise in organizing a marathon, particularly due to the psychological durability as well as capacity to keep in the moment it educates. Improving your core stamina and also enhancing your cardio/aerobic conditioning to ready your physical body for improving velocity or range. This sensory input promptly informs the remainder of the body system effective ways to move effectively with lightweight steps, a high lower leg tempo, a relaxed but consistent upper arm swing, an upright pose as well as a minor onward lean from the ankles. In reality, the appreciation from the guys may be much more vital in comparison to the effectiveness from the purpose on its own.

[donnasaufley-blog]

Public Accountability For Donna Saufley; Or, Why I Quit Working At Hiker Heaven (2019)

In March of last year, I was sitting in the southern California desert trying to find direction after years of travel and exhaustion from studying communal spaces. I decided I would take on a simpler spiritual pursuit of walking across the country and rather than walking on the shoulder of highways, I decided it would likely be more scenic to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I had about $20 in my pocket, an ILBE marine bag, and had a sharpie made sign up in a public counter-culture tourist location known as Slab City seeking donated gear for a PCT attempt. The hike in itself is a different story of its own and I invite you to follow me on social media if travel for greater meaning without allowing money to prevent it interests you, but the contents of this article surrounds how I ended up working at a famous hiker spot known as Hiker Heaven during the last couple seasons.

Hiking the PCT without finances took a great deal of creativity and ethical approaches in being honest with trail angels as I made my way up the trail. I tripled my money working at Carmen’s Garden, did worktrade for StillHouse Hostel, moved firewood for Trail Angels in Big Bear, etc. I dumpster dived and hiker boxed scored most of my calories. I had written an email and planned to stay a week volunteering at Hiker Heaven, in order to rest before continuing on was the original plan. When I finally did reach Agua Dulce, my perspective of the trail had changed a great deal. I found the rugged desolate nature I once read about on the trail was nowhere to be found in this new boom of thru-hiking popularity where every 15 minutes another person in a puffy is passing by asking how many miles you walked so far for the day. Being someone who decided to hike for solitude and ecological connection, I found the time alone rare and felt more like I was contributing to a form of unsustainable eco-tourism that made me feel ashamed. When Donna Saufley invited me to stay and offered to pay me for my help, I saw my safest route to exit the thru-hike attempt. I ended up staying for a month and a half, which turned out to be profitable to me at a rate of $100 a week for more than full-time work and access to lots of hiking gear.

I decided as Hiker Heaven closed its doors to northbound hikers on the 30th, I would take a train to Portland to work with radicals at OccupyICEPDX protesting the recent family separations and militarization of the border. When that ended, I combined my skills of frugal travel mixed with the endurance of long distance hiking to attempt bike touring down the coast. At the end of my trip, I went a route that put me through Agua Dulce on my way to visit friends in Tucson. While there I was invited to return for hiker season. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to work out as well as the year before, but had nothing better to do and no other prospects for replenishing my supplies. I kinda went out of my way to get a train ticket back from Tucson a month later, but had high hopes the season would make up for the loss.

It turned out upon returning the Pacific Crest Trail was facing very high snow levels at elevation in southern California due to the polar vortex, which pushed back the arrival of hikers by over a month. This is an uncontrollable thing for all parties involved, but meant for me I had a whole month of draining resources to take care of myself in the expensive nowhere mountain town of Agua Dulce. By the time the first groups of hikers began to show up, I’d already drained more resources than Donna was going to pay for the whole season. In a way, it began to feel like an entrapment to work anywhere from 30-60 hours a week just to make up for the net loss of getting into the situation in the first place. I began to notice more details than my short time at Hiker Heaven the year before. Suddenly the comments by Donna about supposedly “barely scraping by financially” became entangled (sometimes within hours) with talk of selling their house at a market value of $500k to move to the pacific northwest, increasing the workers’ of Saufley Electric’s pay, the possible $10-30k in donations from PCT hikers that would be flowing in, and their incessant shopping began to grate. Especially when said to someone who has been living out of backpacks (and now a bike) for nearly a decade of their life. It would be nothing for her to pay all their volunteers a stipend, but she chooses not to for her own benefit. It’s also not hard to imagine when draining resources just for the chance to listen to Donna’s opinions and finally learning some semblance of the economy behind everything, how my bohemian work gig I once thought great to avoid contributing to military violence by doing “volunteer work” for a possible $100 a week “gift” began to feel more like exploitation than the cheat code to avoid taxes to a murderous government it once was.

To make matters worse, those endless opinions from Donna were more politically fueled this year. As last year they had a “no talking politics” rule, most likely because they were an employing a hiker at the time with anti-Muslim and transphobic prejudices than for herself. An example of new frustrations began when Donna started to interrupt and point out my using gender neutral terms for everyone as “wrong.” When explained to her grammatically they/them has existed longer than he or she as a pronoun, with suggestions to learn this by googling some things her response was, “Well, at least I’m only going to be doing this one more year.” This alongside my constantly being referenced as a he/him was one of many annoyances (though it was something I was expecting to suffer for a couple months in exchange for the resources I thought I would get). It seemed I was just nodding my head at whatever the daily opinions were to get it over with, rather than debate a business owning white lady in a $500k house who gets all her news from nightly viewings of MSNBC that she might not have any clue what is happening in the streets or around the world (let alone gender theory).

Things finally came to a head when a group of rightwing hikers came through. Prior to this season you should know, I had discovered a great organization known as Indigenous Women Hike who had a campaign to bring the racism of John Muir into conversations among outdoors culture and industry. I had even been sponsored a Rethink The Wild shirt from them via an individual to wear for hiker season in order to start the conversation with people hiking across indigenous lands via the Pacific Crest Trail. Indigenous sovereignty is a very important issue for me is the reason why I would quit. I quickly began to feel uncomfortable by this group of hikers as they camped by the RV I was staying in and had late night campfire discussions where I overhead bits of Fox News-like dialogue-isms such as: “It’s not racist if it’s a fact, man” in reference to some statistics they were claiming about black people.

“I was never called a Nazi until Trump was in office and I told people I voted for him.”

And references to, “those antifa fucks” and “race wars.”

Originally I thought I would just wait out their leaving, as in all traveling it is a common occurrence to just have to put up with someone repeating Fox News rhetoric. The following day, however, Donna was taking one of them grocery shopping and I had to go along to get my own groceries. On the way back I was in the backseat listening to their discussion. It turned out this hiker (with a name I cannot recall) was an ex-military white South African and he began talking about his country/ politics. This began by Donna mentioning their liberal centrist views of not being proud of Donald Trump, in which he responded that in his country Donald Trump is considered an international hero. This he said was because he demanded white farmers stop being murdered in South Africa or the USA would intervene. The white genocide myth in South Africa is statistically inaccurate and is a story being spun by white nationalist groups around the world. He began talking about how in South Africa white people are the minority and black people would like to kill him just for his skin color. An example he had of this is how in America people consider Nelson Mandela to be a great leader, but his people call Nelson Mandela a terrorist. He lauded Fox News as the only accurate news representation, said journalists could never be trusted anywhere else and how in growing up surrounded by race wars he had a better understanding of what was happening in the world. Donna didn’t have much to say or counter any of this, other than a statement of maybe she would see things differently if she had lived his life and that, “maybe the South Africa stuff is like how everyone gets upset when Israel fires at Palestine, but never when Palestine shoots at Israel.”

The talk about all this dissipated as he spoke of his bodyguard work for figures such as Sean Connery, which seemed to delight Donna.

Back at Hiker Heaven the discussions with the rightwing hikers didn’t cease, and they seemed to get wide-eyed or talk of preparation for the future in the face of the race war stories this man had to tell them. The moment I knew I could no longer work for Donna Saufley was later that evening, while standing in the garage doing laundry. I described the kinds of things I heard these people talking about and called them white nationalists, with which Donna responded, “it makes my stomach churn to know there are people with those opinions here, but there is nothing I can do to change them.” She then followed this by describing how there are “some people” in this world who want to remove monuments or change the names of things, but they can’t change the past. Much like she can’t change their so-called opinions on race. This struck my last chord and so I brought up John Muir directly as a historical figure on the PCT and his anti-indigenous work with the Indian Removal Act that led to countless deaths. When she told me this was just the way things are and it’s silly to change it, I asked how returning the name to something as it was for thousands of years before Europeans invaded and put the name of someone responsible for their relatives' deaths as little as a couple hundred years ago was wrong? She became flustered and said it’s just the way it is, “and there’s nothing anyone can do to change it other than accept it.”

I walked back to the RV I was staying in and didn’t leave it for the night. I halfway packed my stuff up in the realization I had to leave. The next afternoon, Donna came by and asked if I was ready to start working for the day. I told her I planned to leave in a couple days and no longer wished to work for her due to her racist views toward indigenous people and her centrism to (the money of) white nationalists/ supremacists. She then got angry and told me I had ONE HOUR to get off her property. This caught me off guard, as I expected her to at least give me the couple days to get my things in order and be civil about it. I told her no, I’ll leave in a couple days. She demanded I leave or she would call the sheriff. I told her to call the sheriff, as they would have to give me an eviction notice. She stomped off and I began packing to leave within an hour anyways, expecting her to escalate the situation. Within ten minutes she had cut off the power to the RV and turned off the Hiker Heaven WiFi. I’d began separating what could be carried on my bike and tossing useless/ trash items out the door due to the space being small. She then stood in front of the RV and called all the male hikers to gather around, where she then asked them to remove me from the property. Gaslighting and twisting the things I’d said around, such as saying I referred to ALL hikers as “white supremacists” (which thankfully the actual white supremacist and white nationalists had hiked out that morning) and how I had become anti-hiker (in reference to discussions I had with her about the environmental strain of thru-hiking culture over the last years). This is when I pulled out my phone and began to record in case it took a violent direction, as I knew my legal right to be there and how they didn’t have any right to lay a hand on me. I was honestly prepared to defend myself with mace in one pocket and a knife in the other. I hoped making them understand my position in some fashion, my legal right to defend myself in the scenario, warning them of my intention to do so, and the presence of a camera would deescalate the situation. Which thankfully, at some level it did! A few of them asked me if they could help me pack and I said no, plus demanded they not come near me. As I had no idea who these people were or what they might be preparing to do. One became aggressive (older man in back of photo below) demanding I be gone within an hour or he’d make me, alongside the oldest of the men being the most hostile. He even sat in a chair outside the RV while I packed my things telling me how I should be ashamed to insult such a “well-respected” lady of the hiking community. Only one of the hikers (wearing sunglasses in picture below) came up to me before I left and apologized for what was happening, then handed me $15. The rest made themselves scarce. Donna informed me as I was leaving if I shared what happened she would leave a “bad review” of me on my WarmShowers account (an app for cyclists to host bike tourists for free) so I would never have places to stay during my bike tours. As there doesn’t seem to be a depth Donna Saufley isn’t willing to sink to.

After leaving Hiker Heaven, I had to pedal two days to the nearest REI to return some hiking bags I got in order to have some money on the road. All in all, I am traveling again with several hundred dollars less than expected, lost $90 in groceries purchased the day before, and hundreds in equipment I wasn’t given the time to mail off. Not only did Donna prove to be their own kind of racist in the end, exploited labor out of people like me for years, but also ripped off someone with very little in the world for nearly half they own. I’m writing this about a month from the incident, because it’s the first time I’ve had enough of a break to do so. As pedaling 40-80 miles a day and trying to figure out what direction to go in takes up a great deal of time. My hope in sharing this is to encourage people not to support Hiker Heaven if they have any trace of ethics in their decisions, and simply not let such a privileged person get away with doing what they did without it following her legacy.

In the future, I intend to write more about my observations over two years around the thru-hiking industry and subsequent culture. My time spent interacting with such large amounts of hikers and history I learned while working at Hiker Heaven will be used, as well as this event. This article is more to have this specific incident out in the public to warn others ASAP.

#Donna Saufley #Hiker Heaven #Saufley Electric #Pacific Crest Trail #PCT2019 #PCTClassOF2019 #racist #racistbusiness #racism #fascist #antifa

[jveleno]

Brayden Point & Brett Howden

(Brayden Point during the 2017-2018 Lightning season - source)

(Brett Howden during the 2017 World Junior Summer Showcase - source)

Brayden has been an NHL player since the 2016-2017 season, and he’s currently one of the core players for the Lightning. Brett made his NHL debut this season. They both played major junior on the Moose Jaw Warriors and were both drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Unfortunately for the story but fortunately if you’re a Rangers fan, Brett is now a Ranger. I’m sad.)

In Moose Jaw, they played on the same power play, but were not always on the ice together since they’re both centers. They sat next to each other in the locker room though, a fact they’ve brought up numerous times when talking about how close they are.

(Left: Brayden. Right: Brett. During the 2015-2016 Moose Jaw season)

Timeline

Note: the WHL drafts players the year they turn 15. Most don’t become rookies until they’re 16.

2010-2011: Brayden – drafted to the Moose Jaw Warriors during the 2011 WHL Draft.

2011-2012: Brayden – makes his Warriors debut during the playoffs as an underage player, leads the team in playoff scoring and plays on a line with Quinton Howden, Brett’s then 20-year-old brother.

2012-2013: Brayden – rookie season, already a sensation because of the 2012 playoffs. Brett – drafted to the Warriors during the 2013 WHL Draft.

2013-2014: Brayden – gets an A, drafted to the Lightning during the 2014 NHL Draft. Brett – plays five games with the Warriors but is sent back to midget.

2014-2015: Brayden – gets the C, plays for Team Canada during WJCs and wins gold. Brett – rookie season.

2015-2016: Brayden – captains Team Canada during WJCs and finishes sixth, completes his four years and graduates from the WHL and turns pro. Brett – gets an A, drafted to the Lightning during the 2016 NHL Draft.

2016-2017: Brayden – rookie season with the Lightning, plays for Team Canada during World Championships and wins silver. Brett – gets the C.

2017-2018: Brayden – second season with the Lightning, NHL All-Star. Brett – plays for Team Canada during WJCs and wins gold. At the end of the season, he graduates and turns pro. During the NHL trade deadline in Feb, the Lightning GM trades Brett as part of a package to the Rangers.

2018-2019: Brayden – third season, considered one of the best young centers in the league and one of the Lightning’s best players. Brett – makes the Rangers out of training camp, rookie season.

(2015-2016 leadership group. Brett is furthest on the left, Brayden next to him)

Size

Brayden’s size has always been a sort of “problem area” for people first meeting him. He had the skill to be ranked as high as a late first rounder in the 2014 draft (TSN had him at 17th overall, Central Scouting at 31st for North American skaters), but he was like 5’9” at the time. He ended up surprisingly dropping to the third round 79th overall, with the Lightning trading up one spot to grab him. And it was pretty much all because he’s small.

Sometimes he’s listed as 5’11”, but that is a LIE he’s like, 5’10” at most.

Brett is either 6’2” or 6’3” depending on if you’re looking at EliteProspects or the Warriors roster.

(Brayden at 5’10” hugging Victor Hedman at 6’6”)

(Fun fact: When he joined the Warriors as a 16-year-old, Brayden was 5’8” 125 lb. His then-captain thought he must be a team member’s little brother and tried to kick him out of the locker room. Brett was 6’2” 185 lb when he joined the Warriors, so no problems there.)

(Brett is tallest and Brayden is next to him. That’s 4 inches, right? - source)

The Coveted #21

Brayden wore #19 in Moose Jaw, and Brett wore #21. Those are the numbers they wore throughout their junior careers and on Team Canada in various tournaments.

When Brayden made the opening night roster for the Lightning in 2016, it was announced that he would wear #21 (which he presumably chose). I’m not entirely sure why Brayden didn’t wear #19 in Tampa, because there was no one on the team wearing that number at the time, unless there was a Crunch player wearing it.

But anyway, Brayden stole Brett’s number. Brett was cool with it :) It was cute.

Now they’re both wearing #21, Brayden in Tampa and Brett in New York.

Social Media

We have to do most of this primer without visuals (no cute pictures of them together!), because neither of these boys is big on social media. Neither use Instagram or twitter much, and there’s barely any personal stuff. Private boys.

BUT! I peeked at their twitters anyway, mostly for original tweets (i.e. not retweets).

(Warning: both of these boys are the most boring tweeters ever.)

Brayden first. He doesn’t tweet much about anyone or anything. His most recent original tweet was him golfing. (I’m pretty sure he’s a bad golfer.) His second most recent tweet is:

Thanks Brayden for the once-a-year update. At least he deemed Brett getting drafted to be important enough for his once-a-year original tweet? His third most recent tweet is wishing the Warriors luck in the 2015-2016 season, and then his fourth most recent is:

Which is about the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Canadian team that Brett captained to gold. We’re only four tweets in and Brayden’s already congratulated Brett twice for existing and insulted his singing.

Summary for Brayden: that boy doesn’t tweet at all unless he’s shitposting randomly in 2013 or wishing the Warriors luck. The fact that he tweeted twice about Brett is pretty sweet.

Brett has a few more original tweets. He seems to write original tweets about Brayden more than he does just about anyone else besides his brother Quinton. Brett congratulates Brayden on getting drafted to the NHL, despite only playing with Brayden for 5 games at that point.

Also congratulates Brayden on the 2015 World Juniors. And retweets his goals for Canada.

And then Brett got drafted! More on that later.

Opening night in 2016, Brayden was on the roster wearing 21, and Brett tweeted that thing about Brett wearing the best number. He also retweeted like every fucking announcement about Brayden making opening night. And tweeted Brayden about his first NHL goal.

He then proceeded to retweet multiple gifs of Brayden’s first goal. Cute.

Summary for Brett: He likes to retweet Brayden hype a lot. Brayden scoring in Moose Jaw, Brayden’s first NHL goal, Brayden making the roster for World Championships, etc. Also Brett writes a good number of original tweets about Brayden, making Brayden #2 in his twitter heart after Quinton Howden. Love a boy who supports Brayden Point.

Brett came back seven weeks later to harass Brayden again when he saw that Brayden didn’t post a new pic. Also...Brett sweetie you sit next to him in the locker room just tell him to his face.

We love a boy who complains that Brayden doesn’t post enough pictures on insta. Like. Constantly. He commented on one of Brayden’s pictures SIX times. SIX. And not in a row either, like the comments were spaced several weeks apart. This one is particularly, ah. Hurtful.

Also this. Like I have to laugh.

Leadership

As a rookie, Brayden talked a lot about everything he learned from the older vets, especially from Quinton Howden. Quinton graduated from the WHL before Brayden’s rookie season, but they did play together for those 10 playoff games in 2012 when Brayden was an underager.

After Brayden graduated to the pros, Brett was given the C, and Brett’s spoken multiple times about how he learned how to be a leader from Brayden.

There’s actually…a lot of comparison between Brayden and Brett like, all the time. They did a lot of charity work in Moose Jaw together, and got their jerseys hung on the wall together at one of these places. Their names sort of come up hand-in-hand in Moose Jaw.

Also, when Brayden left, Brett was fucking emo.

(Brett attempting to put a hat on Brayden. He learned from the best - source)

The Draft & Tampa Bay

Heading into the 2016 NHL Draft, the Lightning reached out to Brayden and asked him about Brett. Brayden encouraged the Lightning to consider drafting Brett (he didn’t say it, but we know he was thinking it). Apparently he gave a “glowing” scouting report. The Lightning took his recommendation to heart and drafted Brett using their first round pick.

Bryan Burns wrote a nice article about it. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ARTICLE. The best parts:

Also this piece, which is. wow.

They hung out together (every day!) during the 2016 Lightning training camp:

It’s kind of cute how Brett says they got closer even though by that point they were already talking about how close they were like how much closer can you get. And then they hung out again during the 2017 Lightning training camp. This is so fucking cute:

I’d like to thank Brett Howden personally for that quote about them smiling at each other.

Misc.

Brayden is a cat person. He has been seen with a siamese cat, which is also presumably the cat on his twitter header. I don’t have any pics of this, sadly, so have a gif of him smiling instead (it’s a very good smile).

(Brayden celebrating his goal with teammate Ondrej Palat - source)

Brett is a dog person. Here he is with his pal Oliver, whom he loves.

Brayden keeps track of how Brett is doing even while he’s busy in the NHL. During one random interview in Tampa during the 2016-2017 season, the interviewer just happened to bring up Brett. I tried to transcribe as much as I could understand.

Interviewer: How fun is it playing with Brett Howden, our first round draft pick this season?

Brayden: Yeah he was—We were pretty close in Moose Jaw. We sat beside each other in our stalls so we got pretty close, but I was pretty happy when he was picked and hopefully…[mumbling something about "our future"].

Interviewer: He had a hat trick recently, didn't he?

Brayden: Yeah, and then last night he had a four-point night, so he's rolling. The Warriors are actually doing really well so [more mumbling].

He keeps tabs! What a Brett Howden stan.

Here’s a little sneak peek of the 2016 prospect camp. You can see Brett first on the bus, sitting one row ahead of Brayden and turned back to talk to him. We love bus buddies! I would give my left arm to anyone who can give me the full video because I suspect they were roommates too.

Okay that’s all. They were so excited to play together. Let’s ignore the tragic end of their story.

(Left to right: Brayden Point, Brett Howden, James Wisniewski)

We Could Have Had This For Years, Fuck.

Oh and Brett’s wearing 21 now btw. I love crying whenever the Rangers twitter posts about him breathing.

(Brett Howden during the 2018-2019 season - source)

#okay i'm done this is so LONG #brayden/brett #i'm like. not even sorry? #like we really could've had this but stevie had to play me #primer