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fozmeadows · 6 months

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the older I get, the more the technological changes I've lived through as a millennial feel bizarre to me. we had computers in my primary school classroom; I first learned to type on a typewriter. I had a cellphone as a teenager, but still needed a physical train timetable. my parents listened to LP records when I was growing up; meanwhile, my childhood cassette tape collection became a CD collection, until I started downloading mp3s on kazaa over our 56k modem internet connection to play in winamp on my desktop computer, and now my laptop doesn't even have a disc tray. I used to save my word documents on floppy discs. I grew up using the rotary phone at my grandparents' house and our wall-connected landline; my mother's first cellphone was so big, we called it The Brick. I once took my desktop computer - monitor, tower and all - on the train to attend a LAN party at a friend's house where we had to connect to the internet with physical cables to play together, and where one friend's massive CRT monitor wouldn't fit on any available table. as kids, we used to make concertina caterpillars in class with the punctured and perforated paper strips that were left over whenever anything was printed on the room's dot matrix printer, which was outdated by the time I was in high school. VHS tapes became DVDs, and you could still rent both at the local video store when I was first married, but those shops all died out within the next six years. my facebook account predates the iphone camera - I used to carry around a separate digital camera and manually upload photos to the computer in order to post them; there are rolls of undeveloped film from my childhood still in envelopes from the chemist's in my childhood photo albums. I have a photo album from my wedding, but no physical albums of my child; by then, we were all posting online, and now that's a decade's worth of pictures I'd have to sort through manually in order to create one. there are video games I tell my son about but can't ever show him because the consoles they used to run on are all obsolete and the games were never remastered for the new ones that don't have the requisite backwards compatibility. I used to have a walkman for car trips as a kid; then I had a discman and a plastic hardshell case of CDs to carry around as a teenager; later, a friend gave my husband and I engraved matching ipods as a wedding present, and we used them both until they stopped working; now they're obsolete. today I texted my mother, who was born in 1950, a tiktok upload of an instructional video for girls from 1956 on how to look after their hair and nails and fold their clothes. my father was born four years after the invention of colour televison; he worked in radio and print journalism, and in the years before his health declined, even though he logically understood that newspapers existed online, he would clip out articles from the physical paper, put them in an envelope and mail them to me overseas if he wanted me to read them. and now I hold the world in a glass-faced rectangle, and I have access to everything and ownership of nothing, and everything I write online can potentially be wiped out at the drop of a hat by the ego of an idiot manchild billionaire. as a child, I wore a watch, but like most of my generation, I stopped when cellphones started telling us the time and they became redundant. now, my son wears a smartwatch so we can call him home from playing in the neighbourhood park, and there's a tanline on his wrist ike the one I haven't had since the age of fifteen. and I wonder: what will 2030 look like?

#millennials #technology #personal #generations #generational change

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femmefatalevibe · 11 months

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Femme Fatale Guide: Tips On How To Be A High-Value Woman

Table of Contents:

Prioritize Your Self-Respect Above All Else

Set & Uphold Clear Boundaries in Every Area of Life

Make A Deliberate Effort To Discover Your Values, Passions, & Boundaries

Build A Strong Personal Brand & Cult of Personality

Center All Aspects of Your Health & Well-Being

Read, Study, & Build A Strong Skillset

Consistently Invest in Your Appearance

Remain Dedicated To Lifelong Learning

Personalize Your Interactions & Learn Proper Etiquette

Master The Art of Engaging Conversation

Become Extremely Discreet Yet Utterly Shameless

Embrace Growth Without Succumbing To Your Perfectionist Expectations

HOW TO BE A HIGH-VALUE WOMAN:

Prioritize Your Self-Respect Above All Else: Get goals and standards that align with your needs in every area of life (career, finances, physical/mental/sexual health, emotional well-being, friends, family, intimate relationships, self-development). Express and act in alignment with your standards and dreams. Don't allow the displeasure of others to dictate your actions or daily activities.

Set & Uphold Clear Boundaries in Every Area of Life: State them calmly and clearly. "No" is a complete sentence. Reciprocate this effort to others. Practice the art of discernment, differentiation, and interdependence. Get to know yourself, and learn how to observe your needs independently of others' expectations and desires.

Make A Deliberate Effort To Discover Your Values, Passions, & Boundaries: Figure out what matters most to you in life. What activities, topics, aesthetics, art, clothing, hobbies, sounds, movements, books, television shows, movies, songs, and types of conversations most light you up inside? Here are some resources to guide your self-discovery journey HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Build A Strong Personal Brand & Cult of Personality: I have more tips on building your personal brand, creating your persona (or ‘Dream Girl archetype’), and an ultimate Femme Fatale playbook linked HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Center All Aspects of Your Health & Well-Being: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Sexual, and Spiritual. Celebrate your needs – they make you human. Eat a healthful, plant-based diet, exercise and walk daily, meditate, read at least 10 pages a day, journal, make to-do lists, declutter your space, self-pleasure, recite your affirmations, lean into shadow and mirror work, create morning and nighttime routines. Feeling in alignment is essential to allowing your magnetic aura to shine through. Find all my tips to cultivate self-regard in every area of life HERE.

Read, Study, & Build A Strong Skillset: Designing the life of your dreams is an inevitable aspect of living in your queen energy. Stay informed, read books and articles on your industry, interests, current events, cultural happenings, history, and any other topic that brings you joy or you would find intriguing if someone brought up the subject at a dinner party. Mastering an evergreen skillset is essential for succeeding in your career or building a business. Living in your queen energy means living in abundance. While queen energy is a mindset, it is impossible to fully live in this dream reality without having passions and your finances in order. Start with my entire Femme Fatale booklist HERE and guide to building your dream career HERE.

Consistently Invest in Your Appearance: Choose between investing time, money, or extra effort into upkeeping a polished style, beauty, grooming, and physique-maintaining routine. Wear clean, wrinkle-free, well-fitting clothes – styled and accessorized in a way that appears thoughtful & put together with impeccable grooming (clean hair, nails, skin, etc.). Stay consistent with your beauty/makeup/skincare routines, smelling nice daily, and maintain a scheduled routine (weekly, monthly, every 6 weeks, etc.) for specific treatments that make your life easier and make all the difference. These practices don't need to cost a lot of money. You choose to spend more money, time, or effort on these practices, depending on your personal preferences and based on your lifestyle and circumstances.

Remain Dedicated To Lifelong Learning: Make it a priority to read a few articles and 10 pages of a book daily. Ensuring keep up with your learning & education on different topics and the world is fulfilling and enables you to enter into a wider pool of conversations. This practice also strengthens your mind, sharpens focus, and helps your brain relax.

Personalize Your Interactions & Learn Proper Etiquette: Address people by name, and offer a firm handshake. Maintain eye contact. Say "please" and "thank you." RSVP promptly. Communicate clearly and compassionately. Make the person feel special and like the only individual in the room while introducing yourself. It’s the secret to leaving a lasting impression,

Master The Art of Engaging Conversation: Prioritizing self-presentation, learning how to listen, holding your own, and encouraging others to feel relaxed are the secrets to becoming magnetic in any social situation. Be mindful of how much you listen (more) and speak (less). Carefully consider your tonality and word choice. Remember and recounter the small details of another person’s anecdote that felt important to them. Acknowledge their emotions and validate them. Read more of my tips HERE.

Become Extremely Discreet Yet Utterly Shameless: Do as you please, but keep your business (or pleasure) to yourself. Privacy is peace, power, bliss, and radiates quiet confidence – the greatest telltale sign that someone is living in her queen energy. Learn to hold your own. You will be guaranteed to earn respect within seconds of gracing anyone's presence.

Embrace Growth Without Succumbing To Your Perfectionist Expectations: Remember that every skill, successful relationship, and goal takes time and experience. No one has it all figured out. It’s okay if you’re not where you expected to be or desire to be at this stage of your life. Stop comparing yourself – we all have our own paths. Choose to do one small thing every day to make your life better – either a step towards reaching a goal or indulging in a deep desire. Ensure there's a healthy (not necessarily equal) balance between the two. Leave your future self better than you found your past self. Express compassion towards yourself and acknowledge that you’re doing your best. Everything starts to make considerably more sense in hindsight.

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abyssalzones · 3 months

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C-PTSD as a diagnosis makes so much sense for Ford because he really does fit almost all of the criteria, ESPECIALLY if you take the stuff in J3 into account in conjunction with his traumatic childhood (bullying, bad dad, etc.). It just makes sense in regards to his motivations and his issues with interpersonal relationships (like with Stan). Also buring yourself in your work (like he does) is a very common 'flight' coping mechanism to trauma in adults

I'm smiling like this right now

ford's whole.... mental health deal is extremely interesting to examine because Oh my god this man is the textbook image for "reacting to ongoing, continuous trauma". intentional or otherwise (I'm inclined to believe it's both).

like. okay hang on I'm about to get very in depth with it

I feel like there's no way this entire guy's life and in some ways his lasting identity haven't been defined by and constructed around various forms of trauma, maybe the most obvious and true-to-canon-intent being peer abuse/bullying from childhood. a lot of people downplay the impact of this type of abuse but it's... responsible for a lot of social ills in shocking ways. (if you're more interested in this topic here is an article my friend mer linked me a while back, it gets into it very deeply)

(a lot of this is going to be sourced from the wikipedia page for CPTSD [and my own experience Living with it] which I realize isn't very professional of me but Whatever this is tumblr)

one of the core tenets of ford's personality is that he's Different. he owns it, sure- his six fingers become a point of pride rather than something to be ashamed of- but they make it extremely clear that from a young age he associated being different with being a social pariah. ford's generation was characterized by notoriously cruel bullying, and anything that remotely made you stand out rendered you a target. ford could've been bullied for being nerdy and jewish (and failing to perform socially, ie dating) alone, having such an obvious mutation definitely was not winning him any points.

so it's honestly no surprise, when from childhood ford feels like he has One person in the world to trust and confide in, that he would go on to form very unhealthy attachment patterns typical of CPTSD. as you elaborated on regarding AvPD (which I know far less about but seems to have comorbidity with CPTSD): if you're hard-wired to believe socializing with others results in failure or betrayal, then you're not going to make an effort. but what does end up happening is that you're going to pour all of your trust and dependency into one person at a time, one person who is "safe".

previously, that was his brother. and it's not really hard to draw the conclusion from there that fiddleford was a subject of ford's attachment style, considering he was his One friend from college, and... one of Maybe two people ford is friends with at all who he isn't related to. he cites him as the only person he can possibly trust to work on the portal project alongside him, and he still can't bring himself to tell him the full truth, because he's terrified of losing him. I love their dynamic (I do think they were mutual best friends, and there was no small amount of trust reciprocated between them. "fiddleford was weird as hell too" is something I keep coming back to) and I don't think it's built on entirely unhealthy terms, but that kind of pressure is... setting things up to crash and burn.

enter bill stage left. back to "continuous yearning to be liked and accepted"- this guy knew that and made every effort to prey on ford's insecurities to reel him in as close as possible. this is what really pisses me off about the idea that bill was just "inflating ford's ego", because it's way, way more insidious than that. throughout the entirety of journal 3 we see ford reintroduce someone to his life he has a very positive relationship with (fiddleford) and how that trust gets gradually broken down by bill's influence "winning out" over their friendship. I think it's safe to say ford was already vulnerable: from the start, he'd been isolated in his research for six years (and it's unclear for how long he'd known bill by 1982), and bill proved time and time again to be someone who wouldn't judge him, someone who would praise him for his hard work, and perhaps most critically, make him feel like being different was something special.

like that's... that's really not good!!!! and that kind of thing works wonders on someone who has already settled with the idea that they're inclined to be alone just by design.

trying to put a cap on this. in relationships like the one he's had with his brother or fiddleford it doesn't even necessarily have to be ""toxic"" (vague term anyway) or outwardly bad to be built on unhealthy attachment patterns, and considering for a good chunk of ford's life his attachment to others can be characterized as "I can only trust ONE person at a time" it feels essential to any discussion of his CPTSD or canon trust issues. That is something that happens a lot in Real cases of CPTSD (hi) and only further snowballs into More trauma by leaving you vulnerable to manipulation and abuse (see: bill.)

I've been going on for way too long now and I feel like I've only scratched the surface of the thing I wanted to elaborate on sorry. that post traumatic stress disorder can complex

#lab notes #I woke up and had to answer this before anything else but I really need to Eat so apologies if this is all over the place. running on empty #edit: this is ok to reblog ! all of my gf theorizing/analysis is unless I clarify it isn't for whatever reason

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nanowrimo · 1 year

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Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: Writing with Chronic Injuries

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Mimi Matthews is here to share her advice on how to set yourself up for noveling success:

Dear Fellow Writers,

In an ideal world, we’d all be starting our manuscripts this November, bright-eyed and clear-headed, limited by nothing but time and the scope of our imaginations. In reality, many of us—myself included—are dealing with physical or mental health issues that impact our productivity. That doesn’t mean we can’t write a novel in a month. It just means we have to prepare a little differently.

I’ve written all of my books while struggling with pain from a cervical spine injury. There’s no secret to it, only a little self-knowledge. Pain is a part of my life I have to manage along with all the rest of my responsibilities. It can be discouraging at times, but it’s never once prevented me from completing a manuscript. With that in mind, here are a few of my personal strategies for starting (and finishing!) a novel.

1. Be prepared.

Before you begin your manuscript, arm yourself with all the implements you’ll need to support pain-free writing. For me, this means a huge collection of neck pillows, ice packs, and a never-ending supply of Aleve. The more supportive I can be of my neck injury, the better success I have in my work.

2. Be flexible.

Get rid of your preconceived ideas about when and where you should write. Instead, write when you can and where you can, in whatever way best supports your health. A story is no less compelling because you wrote it while propped up in bed at 2am instead of sitting at your desk at eight in the morning.

3. Listen to your body.

If writing is hurting you, then stop for a while. Don’t give in to the panic about failing to meet your writing goals. Yes, it’s scary to fall behind, but there’s really no such thing as powering through to reach a daily word count when you’re in pain. You might be able to do it once or twice, but the work always suffers.

4. Write less to write more.

It seems nonsensical, I know, but I’ve found that stopping work for the day when my neck starts to ache is the best way to ensure that I write more later. If I continue working while in pain, it sometimes takes me days or even weeks to recover from the ensuing flareup. Conversely, if I stop for the day, I almost always write double or triple the words at my next writing session.

5. X marks the spot.

I write historical novels, which necessitates a great deal of research. That can mean a lot of stops and starts as I’m writing. I sometimes lose the rhythm of the scene. Even worse, the stress of changing course so often can trigger my pain. To combat this, I use XX to mark things I need to research later. I also use XX in place of character names, locations, or clothing descriptions I haven’t thought up yet. Doing this allows me to get the bones of the story arranged much faster, without those frustrating (and pain triggering) stops and starts.

There’s no one size fits all way to finish a manuscript, especially if you’re struggling with challenges to your physical and mental health. Be mindful of your needs. Be flexible in your habits. And, above all, be kind to yourself. Writing a novel is a huge undertaking at the best of times. A little preparation—and a generous supply of grace and patience with yourself—will make the experience a lot less painful.

xx Mimi Matthews

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.

#nanowrimo #writing #nanowrimo 2022 #chronic injury #writing advice #by nano coach #mimi matthews

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 1 month

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By: Jesse Singal

Published: Mar 22, 2024

Yesterday CNN published an article by senior writer Tara John about the UK National Health Service’s newly skeptical stance toward youth gender medicine. The main takeaway, which is big news to observers of this debate, is that the NHS will no longer provide puberty blockers to young people, other than in research contexts. (As for cross-sex hormones, a relatively strict-seeming regime is set to be implemented, and they will be offered to youth only “from around their 16th birthday.”)

As myself and a number of others pointed out, the article contains a sentence that is, in context, rather wild: John writes that “Gender-affirming care is medically necessary, evidence-based care that uses a multidisciplinary approach to help a person transition from their assigned gender — the one the person was designated at birth — to their affirmed gender — the gender by which one wants to be known.” But of course, whether youth gender medicine is medically necessary and evidence-based is exactly the thing being debated, and anyone who has been following this debate closely knows that every national health system that has examined this question closely, including the NHS, has come to the same conclusion: the evidence is paltry. That’s why so many countries, including Sweden, Finland, the UK, and Norway have significantly scaled back access to these treatments for youth.1 So it’s very strange to see this sentence, which reads as though it comes from an activist press release, published in a news article in CNN, an outlet that generally adheres to the old-school divide between news and opinion.

There’s a strong case to be made that CNN’s sentence, as written, is false. Gender medicine is at best unproven, when it comes to the standards society (and regulatory bodies) expects medical researchers to adhere to. The situation with youth gender medicine is particularly dicey, given that this is a newer area of medicine suffering from an even severer paucity of quality studies.

It would be bad enough for this sentence to have appeared in one article on one of the most important news websites in the world. But here’s the thing: this wasn’t the first time. Rather, this exact sentence, and close variants of it, has been copied and pasted into dozens of CNN.com stories over the last few years, as a Google search quickly reveals.

This sentence, and its close variants, appear over and over and over. I asked my researcher to create a list of all the instances he could find. Here’s what he sent back, in reverse chronological order.

1. England’s health service to stop prescribing puberty blockers to transgender kids by Tara John (March 15, 2024)

2. First on CNN: Major medical society re-examines clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care by Jen Christensen (February 26, 2024)

3. Record number of anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in 2023 by Annette Choi (January 22, 2024)

4. Gender-affirming surgeries in US nearly tripled from 2016 to 2019, study finds by Jen Christensen (August 23, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

5. Trump-appointed judge blocks parts of Indiana ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth by Sydney Kashiwagi (June 17, 2023)

6. The debate on the American right isn’t about classified documents. It’s about fear of transgender rights by Zachary B. Wolf (June 15, 2023)

7. 19 states have laws restricting gender-affirming care, some with the possibility of a felony charge by Annette Choi and Will Mullery (June 6, 2023)

8. Alabama governor signs bill placing limits on transgender athletes in college sports by Rebekah Riess and Dakin Andone (May 31, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

9. Missouri attorney general drops controversial emergency rule that would have banned gender-affirming care for children and many adults by Andy Rose and Nouran Salahieh (May 17, 2023)

10. Maryland governor signs bills protecting abortion rights and gender-affirming care by Liam Reilly and Kaanita Iyer (May 3, 2023)

11. Oklahoma governor signs legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors by Jack Forrest and Joe Sutton (May 2, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

12. Missouri judge pauses enforcement of limits on gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults for 15 days by Devan Cole (May 1, 2023)

13. Transgender health care restrictions hit roadblocks in 3 states as gender-affirming care becomes marquee issue for state GOP leaders by Dakin Andone (April 27, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

14. The clock is ticking in Missouri as health care providers race to establish care regimens for trans patients by Alisha Ebrahimji, Kyung Lah, and Anna-Maja Rappard (April 26, 2023)

15. Missouri judge temporarily blocks limits on gender-affirming care for trans youth and adults from going into effect by Devan Cole (April 26, 2023)

16. Gender-affirming care, a ‘crucial’ process for thousands of young people in America by Jen Christensen (April 25, 2023)

17. Advocacy groups sue to block an emergency rule limiting gender-affirming care that’s expected to go into effect this week in Missouri by Michelle Watson, Claudia Dominguez, Taylor Romine, and Kyung Lah (April 25, 2023)

18. Utah state senator’s home vandalized in possible retaliation for transgender bill, police say by Rebekah Riess and Sara Smart (April 22, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

19. North Dakota governor signs gender-affirming care ban for most minors by Michelle Watson and Jack Forrest (April 20, 2023)

20. Indiana and Idaho enact bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth by Sydney Kashiwagi (April 6, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

21. Kentucky GOP overrides governor’s veto of youth gender-affirming care ban by Jack Forrest (March 29, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

22. Kentucky governor vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for youth by Kaanita Iyer and Paradise Afshar (March 24, 2023)

23. Georgia’s governor signs ban on certain gender-affirming care for minors by Maxime Tamsett, Pamela Kirkland, and Jack Forrest (March 23, 2023) — start slightly modified to fit sentence structure, otherwise identical.

24. Florida sued over bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth by Devan Cole (March 23, 2023) — has a slightly more measured framing, opening with “LGBTQ advocates and many physicians regard. . . ”

25. Missouri AG seeks to restrict gender-affirming care for minors by Raja Razek and Shawna Mizelle (March 21, 2023) — has a slightly more measured framing, opening with “LGBTQ advocates and many physicians, however, regard the treatment as. . . ”

26. New Mexico governor signs bill protecting access to reproductive and gender-affirming care into law by Paradise Afshar and Kaanita Iyer (March 18, 2023)

27. Minnesota governor signs order protecting access to gender-affirming health care by Chris Boyette and Jack Forrest (March 8, 2023)

28. Tennessee governor signs ban on gender-affirming care for minors by Shawna Mizelle (March 3, 2023) — has a slightly more measured framing, opening with “LGBTQ advocates and many physicians regard the treatment as. . . ”

29. Democratic AGs condemn DeSantis administration for asking Florida colleges for information on students receiving gender-affirming care by Devan Cole (March 3, 2023)

30. Mississippi enacts ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors by Devan Cole (February 28, 2023)

31. GOP lawmakers escalate fight against gender-affirming care with bills seeking to expand the scope of bans by Devan Cole (February 13, 2023)

32. South Dakota governor signs bill prohibiting gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors by Sydney Kashiwagi (February 13, 2023)

33. Woman faces federal charge for calling in a false bomb threat to a Boston hospital providing gender-affirming care by Sonia Moghe (September 16, 2022)

34. Boston Children’s Hospital says it’s gotten violent threats over care for transgender children by Jen Christensen (August 17, 2022)

35. Texas can continue investigating families seeking gender-affirming care for their transgender children, state Supreme Court says by Alisha Ebrahimji, Ashley Killough, and Raja Razek (May 13, 2022)

I haven’t triple-checked every single one of these, but it’s undeniable that effectively the same words have appeared in about three dozen CNN articles since May of 2022, which was already years after the present wave of European nations rethinking these treatments had begun.

When I asked CNN about this, I heard back from someone there who explained on background that it’s standard for outlets to provide reporters with guidance about accurate and appropriate language. While that’s true, it doesn’t really answer my question. Sure, it’s not unusual for an outlet to have a house style, sometimes enshrined in a stylebook, that provides rules about how to refer to, for example, individuals in the United States who lack legal status. They used to be called “illegal immigrants,” and now they’re often called “undocumented immigrants,” or language to that effect. This is a fairly normal process by which language changes and, sometimes as a result of a push-pull between outlets and advocacy groups, outlets decide which changes to make and when. So you may or may not agree with the fact that many outlets have switched from “biological sex” to “sex assigned at birth” when discussing trans issues, but the underlying process of switching from one phrase to another is standard and occurs in many areas.

This is quite different. You do not generally see the same complex sentence pasted over and over and over into news stories written by different authors and published in different sections. I asked CNN if it could provide me any other examples of CNN.com publishing the same sentence in multiple stories by different authors, and posed the same question in an email to Virginia Moseley, the CNN executive editor who, according to the website, “oversee[s] international and domestic news operations across platforms.” I didn’t hear back about this.

This copy-paste job is journalistically problematic for a number of reasons. For one thing, it suggests that CNN has decided, at the editorial level, that its institutional stance is that youth gender medicine is “medically necessary” and “evidence-based.” While they’re being used somewhat colloquially in these articles, these terms have fairly specific definitions in certain medical and legal contexts, and treatments only qualify for such designations if they have exceeded a certain evidentiary benchmark based on solid published research. That is not the case here — far from it, actually. As written, this is a deeply misleading sentence.

The language also puts CNN writers in an awkward position. Does each and every bylined author of these stories believe that youth gender medicine is “medically necessary” and “evidence-based”? Maybe they do (which would be disturbing), but the fact is that they didn’t write these sentences — they, or one of their editors, grabbed that language from somewhere else and pasted it in. They are effectively outsourcing their own judgment on a hotly contested controversy to their employer. This is not what journalists are supposed to do, and, at the risk of repeating myself, it’s significantly different from a reporter rolling their eyes when using language like “undocumented immigrant” or “sex assigned at birth,” rather than their own preferred verbiage. Those are rather small-stakes linguistic quibbles, different not only in degree but in kind from the question of whether or not youth gender medicine is medically necessary and evidence-based. And it goes without saying that a CNN reporter who does develop doubts about youth gender medicine is likely to be deterred from investigating further by the fact that their bosses have already decided that this is the way they’re going to cover this subject — say the line, Bart. Why bother?

It’s a pattern, unfortunately. Many outlets dug themselves into a deep hole on this issue by simply acting as stenographers and megaphones for activist groups rather than doing their jobs. And now that there is ever-mounting evidence undercutting the loudest activist claims, climbing out of this hole is going to be awkward. But there’s no other option, really. Because right now there’s absolutely no reason to take CNN.com seriously on this issue — the site has proven, demonstrably, that it doesn’t take itself seriously on this issue.

1 The sentence doesn’t specifically mention youth gender medicine, but that’s clearly the context in which it was presented. The sentence wouldn’t be accurate as applied to adult care either, anyway — an independent systematic review commissioned by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health came back with rather dismaying results about the quality of research there as well, more info on which here.

It's nothing but a religious recitation.

#Jesse Singal #CNN #ideological corruption #legacy media #ideological capture #misinformation #gender affirming care #gender affirming healthcare #gender affirmation #gender affirming #queer theory #intersectional feminism #gender identity ideology #gender ideology #copy paste #copypasta #religion is a mental illness

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nyssabong · 7 months

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‘Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram?’

What is a blog? I believe that most of the youngsters now do not know what it is. The word blog is a combined version of the words “web” and ‘log” (Weiner 2023). A blog is like an online diary or online journal, following a blog is like getting to know someone or watching their life just like watching a television series. There are many types of blogs, like food blogs, travel blogs, lifestyles blogs, health and fitness blogs, sports blogs, fashion and beauty blogs, and others.

Back to our topic, is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram? I would say yes, blogging is still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram. Granted that most people now are using TikTok and Instagram, but according to the research (van Dijck 2013) every single day, millions of individuals interact through social media. In December 2011, 1.2 billion users worldwide, 82 percent of the world’s Internet population over age 15 logged on to a social media site, up from 6 percent in 2007 (van Dijck 2013).

Nowadays, many people still use blogs, not only self-publishers, journalists, writers, marketers, and businesspeople also using blogs. Blogs are a powerful tool for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Businesses can post blogs with some keywords to help them grow the flow.

The length of the content we write is one of the most important SEO variables in 2020 for ranking highly. According to Rioja (2020), if we write a blog article that we want to rank, we need to make sure we are going into as much detail as possible. If we did not write at least 1500–2000 words per post, we would not rank. The ability to post long-form content is a benefit of blogging in this situation. The Instagram caption length restriction is 2200 characters, which is roughly 338 to 440 words. Instagram posts short-form information as compared to blogging, thus we are limited in how detailed we can make our captions. Because of the word limit of social media, users do not have enough space to introduce themselves in detail, whereas in blogs, users can present themselves more comprehensively. Therefore, blogs remain an indispensable platform.

The fact that blogging is still important in the era of TikToks and Instagram is also due to the wide range of content. Text, photos, videos, graphics interchange formats, and other types of media can all be included in blogs. We are limited to choosing between posting pictures or videos on Instagram and TikTok, though. Furthermore, we are only allowed to upload ten images in each Instagram post, and videos can only be one minute in duration. We may upload the video as a reel if it lasts longer than one minute, however, only one video can be posted for each reel post. Blogging also can be a digital diary. As we mentioned before, because of the word limit, we cannot express our emotions. In the age of TikToks and Instagram, many people use blogs to record their lives, just like a diary. Furthermore, there are many ways to earn money from our blogs. Some of the most popular ways to monetise include offering content by subscription, display advertisement, affiliate marketing, sponsorship, online courses, and eBooks (Shwake 2023). These monetised ways are quite easy compared to earning money on Instagram and TikToks. Instagrammers and TikTokers earn money in a few ways such as setting up an online shop, partnerships with other businesses, or live streaming. For me, we can earn money from blogs in a cosy and freedom style, as many people also earn money from their blogs, plogs, and vlogs. Instead of using Instagram or TikTok, most of them still choose to blog because it offers multiple monetisation avenues.

Lastly, despite TikTok and Instagram, blogging is still relevant today. Blogging is still vital even if many new social media platforms have grown up and may even be trying to mimic blogs. Additionally, a lot of people say that blogs are the ideal medium for expressing our emotions and making money. Also, I believe the blog is a great place for kids to improve themselves, as there is a lot of unhealthy content on TikTok and Instagram. I would not say there is not any toxic stuff on blogs, but as of right now, I have not seen any.

youtube

List of References

Jill Walker Rettberg 2013, Blogging, 2nd Edition., John Wiley & Sons, viewed 1 October 2023 <https://swinburnesarawak.instructure.com/courses/839/files/73195/download?verifier=7BsJ2Kl9b5O6ujtXzoGnueJ327TJYLfniNv80uSO&wrap=1>. Rioja, A 2020, What is SEO? Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization [2020], alejandrorioja.com, viewed 29 September 2023, <https://alejandrorioja.com/what-is-seo/>. Shwake, E 2023, How To Monetize a Blog in 2023 in 7 Effective Steps, Wix Blog, viewed 30 September 2023, <https://www.wix.com/blog/how-to-monetize-blog#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20ways%20to>. van Dijck, J 2013, Engineering Sociality in a Culture of Connectivity, Oxford University Press, New York, viewed 29 September 2023, <https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=457be821-4029-3b2e-87da-72784dc1f978>. Weiner, A 2023, What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one, Wix Blog, viewed 1 October 2023, <https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog>.

#MDA20009 #week 4 #blogging #instagram #tiktok #Youtube

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study-with-aura · 8 months

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Friday, September 8, 2023

I needed to take the photo with my wite-out because I used it so much this Geometry lesson. For some reason, I kept getting my numbers flipped or confused. I am happy that it is Friday. I think my brain needs a rest. However, I also kept my pen case close to remind me to remain positive despite all the mistakes. Mistakes are not truly mistakes if a lesson is learned; they are a learning experience.

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Reviewed properties of rigid transformations + learned about compositions of rigid transformations + practice

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed Units 1-3 vocabulary + completed writing exercise on passive voice + read Chapters 19 and 20 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Spanish 2 - Reviewed saber and conocer + reviewed preterit -ar verbs + reviewed gustar

Bible I - Read Genesis 34-35

World History - Reviewed terms + prepared a PowerPoint presentation on Homer

Biology with Lab - Completed the structure fits function assignment + took a quiz on the scientific method

PE/Health I - Read a health article

Foundations - Read more about cautiousness + took a quiz on Read Theory + reviewed information on time management and study skills

Practice -Practiced assigned pieces for 30 minutes and worked on memorization

Khan Academy - Completed Unit 1: Lesson 2 of World History + completed Unit 1: Lesson 2 of High School Biology + completed Unit 1: Lesson 2 of High School Geometry

Duolingo - Completed at least one lesson each in Spanish, French, and Chinese

Activities of the Day:

Ballet

Pointe

Journal/Mindfulness

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful that my grandparents are staying a little while longer even if it's due to weather conditions.

Quote of the Day:

Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.

-Aristotle

🎧Aria mit 30 Veränderungen 'Goldberg Variations' BWV 988 - Johann Sebastian Bach

#study community #study blog #study inspiration #study motivation #studyblr #studyblr community #study-with-aura

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patriapplepie · 8 months

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September Goals Ideas

1. Health and Fitness Goals:

Exercise a certain number of times per week, whether it's going to the gym, taking walks, or doing home workouts.

Incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals.

Drink a certain amount of water each day to stay hydrated.

Aim for a specific number of hours of quality sleep each night.

2. Personal Development Goals:

Read a certain number of books or articles that interest you.

Learn a new skill, such as playing a musical instrument, cooking a new recipe, or painting.

Set aside time each day for mindfulness meditation or journaling.

Take a course or workshop to enhance your professional or personal skills.

3. Social and Relationships Goals:

Schedule regular catch-up sessions with friends or family members.

Reach out to someone you haven't spoken to in a while and reconnect.

Plan a fun outing or virtual hangout with friends.

Practice active listening and try to strengthen your communication skills.

4. Career and Professional Goals:

Set specific targets for work-related tasks or projects.

Update your resume or LinkedIn profile.

Network with colleagues or professionals in your industry.

Research opportunities for career advancement or skill development.

5. Financial Goals:

Create or revise your budget to align with your financial goals.

Save a certain amount of money by the end of the month.

Cut back on unnecessary expenses, such as eating out or impulse purchases.

6. Organization and Productivity Goals:

Declutter and organize a specific area of your home.

Implement a time management technique, like the Pomodoro Technique, to boost productivity.

Make a to-do list each day to stay on top of tasks.

Digitize or back up important documents and files.

7. Creative Goals:

Dedicate time to your creative hobbies, such as writing, drawing, photography, or crafting.

Start a new creative project or continue working on an ongoing one.

Experiment with a new artistic style or medium.

8. Giving Back Goals:

Volunteer for a local charity or community organization.

Donate to a cause you care about.

Perform random acts of kindness throughout the month.

Remember that setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) can help you create goals that are more likely to be successful. Prioritize what matters most to you, and don't be afraid to adjust your goals as circumstances change. <3

#aesthetic #girlblogging #pink pilates princess #coquette #girl blogger #self care #it girl #pinterest girl #cinnamon girl #bella swan

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superman86to99 · 10 months

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Superman #89 (May 1994)

Superman's in space again... again! This time, because he's getting so big that pretty soon he won't even fit on Earth. Last issue, we left the increasingly grotesque Super-Superman strapped to a giant rocket that was taking him to a space station where Dr. Anthony "Big Words" Rodriguez of Project Cadmus is supposed to cure the condition that's turning him into The Hulk But With More Clothes. In this issue we find out that Superman has improbably gotten even bigger. The only thing of his that has shrunk seems to be his vocabulary.

Dr. Rodriguez' idea is to ask Superman to shoot his heat vision into a somewhat “Weapon X”-looking helmet that will safely channel his excess energy into space. Seven hours later, Superman's heat vision is still going, but he STILL looks like a caveman doing Superman cosplay. Eventually, the helmet gives out and Superman's ultra-potent heat vision destroys the entire space station. (Why, it's so potent, it even seems to be coming out of his mouth and chin!)

Superman has to figure out how to save Dr. Rodriguez from the vacuum of space despite the fact that 1) he can't see (he had to wrap some metal around his eyes like a bandana to stop the heat vision), 2) they can’t hear each other, and 3) Superman can't even touch the guy without crushing every bone in his body. Eventually, Big Words manages to grab onto Superman's cape and hop on top of him like a big space horsey. Then, Superman has to manage to fly back into Earth's atmosphere without turning Dr. Rodriguez into a flaming skeleton. I'd say that Superman was able to do this by extending his special "aura" so it protected Big Words too, but we all know the real explanation for this scene is "it’s comics, shut up."

Once the two have safely landed on Metropolis' bay, there's the small matter of the big, burning space station tumbling down towards Metropolis. That's where Superman's ultra-potent eye lasers finally come in handy, since they allow him to pulverize the whole station with one blast. Hooray! The only problem is that he's still huge and clumsy, and this storyline didn't really progress beyond making him a little bit huge-er. CONTINUED!

Plotline-Watch:

We get a brief update on Lex Luthor Jr.'s health, and it just hit me (almost 30 years after first reading these issues) that his storyline is the complete opposite of Superman's: while Supes gets bigger and stronger, Lex is basically shrinking down and looks like he’ll probably disappear into his Professor X hover chair any second now. I like that, despite the deadly clone virus ravaging his body and the fact that he's at war with a powerful government organization, none of that worries him as much as a pesky reporter snooping into his business...

Speaking of which, we find out that Lex has used his hacking abilities to plant ANOTHER wacky headline into the Daily Planet under Lois Lane's byline, although this one is a little more believable than the alien lovechild one: "LEX LUTHOR II IS REALLY ELVIS PRESLEY". On top of that, he also framed her for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Planet. As a result, publisher Franklin "Frankenstern" Stern forces Perry White to fire Lois. This is a bit of a "You shouldn't have signed it" moment for Lois, as she realizes Lex MUST be behind her misfortunes and she has to "get him" before he gets her.

Regarding this storyline, Don Sparrow says: “Jurgens is generally the most frequent user of the Daily Planet’s articles as a story element, and the results are usually mixed (I remember Perry’s editorial about generosity at Christmastime way back in Adventures #462 being a particularly unrealistically maudlin piece of journalism—though nowhere near as awful as the “articles” in the Joe Kelly/Joe Casey era—the last page of Action #780 being perhaps the very worst it got) but the idea that a newspaper would go to print with obviously fake, wacky headlines twice really strains credulity, even in a comic book about a solar powered god in a cape. One time, mayyyyyybe, but after that, you can guarantee that the editors and publishers would be all over the printing process for the next issue. I quibble, I know, but it sticks out (as does the idea that Lois Lane would somehow suddenly have access or ability to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars). Also, if Lois really had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars, it would be a matter for the police, not merely HR.” I agree that having TWO wacky headlines slip in is completely unrealistic... but they’re pretty funny, so I’ll give them a pass.

Perry seems to be taking Lois' firing even harder than her. He points out that he's known her since she was a girl, which is true, as we found out during the World of Metropolis miniseries. In fact, he's so distraught over having to fire someone who's "like a daughter" to him that he doesn't even seem to notice the space station blowing up right behind him! Then again, this is Metropolis; they probably see a giant explosion go off in the middle of the city about two or three times a day.

Patreon-Watch:

Fun fact: This post was started on a stolen computer! (As in, one that has since been stolen from me, not one I stole myself.) The main reason I’m getting off my butt and retyping/finishing it now is because we promised monthly posts to our awesome patrons, Aaron, Chris “Ace” Hendrix, britneyspearsatemyshorts, Patrick D. Ryall, Bheki Latha, Mark Syp, Ryan Bush, Raphael Fischer, Kit, Sam, and Bol, who read half of this at the end of May over at https://www.patreon.com/superman86to99. If it wasn’t for our patrons we’d probably still be at “Reign of the Supermen,” so shout out to them!

And now: more from the also awesome Don Sparrow, after the jump:

Art-Watch (by @donsparrow):

Another caveman Superman cover, enhanced by some nice rim lighting. It’s interesting that the generally wavy/curly Superman/Fabio hair has become limp and straight for the more Neanderthal Superman. The brush spatter stars here are well done, but the space junk looks a little rushed to me. Kudos for the off-centre UPC, which adds to the chaotic feel of this upside-down cover.

Inside we get another look at the dying clone body of Lex Luthor II, notably completely hairless, which is quite a switch for this lion of a man. This scene gives way to a two page spread of our hulking Superman, which is a transformation, even over the last issue.

Super-Caveman’s eyes are completely white for much of the story, adding to the inhuman feeling established by the oversized body, and pea-sized head. I do have some logistical questions about how Superman’s belt and belt-buckle appear to be stretching proportionately with his body, but—it’s comics—so I shouldn’t probe too deeply. The tiny fingernails are a nice touch, that help indicate this massive growth was sudden.

A little later into the story, Franklin Stern is well-drawn, though I miss the days when artists would hand-draw headlines—this computer text has some perspective issues. The conflict on Perry’s face as Stern demands Lois be terminated is well drawn (even if it would be glaringly obvious to an old journo like Perry that Lois is being framed, but more on that later).

The double page spread as Superman’s heat vision overwhelms the Newsboy Legion’s collection gadget is appropriately explosive. I particularly like the use of grease pencil on the outline of Superman’s heat vision. Though perhaps the dialogue on that page sends something of a mixed message.

Lastly, the bleak, blank expression on Perry as he fires Lois is well-done, though I perhaps might have expected a little more emotion on her face in reaction to the news.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS:

The super-team is dangerously close to risking the ire of the notoriously litigious Disney corporation on the credits page, where three overlapping planets create a distinctive silhouette.

I feel like the Elvis Presley connection of the headline is something of a nod to the King-obsessed Perry White on the then-currently-airing Lois and Clark TV show. [Max: I’ve always felt like it was a callback to that issue they did with all the Elvis-like sightings for the recently “dead” Lex Luthor Sr., Action #668, but it could be both things.]

I absolutely love the character consistency that when a space station suddenly explodes, and he is thrust into the vacuum of space instantaneously, Big Words still takes the time to say “An irreparable breech in the hull? I am at a loss for words.” Classic. It must be both fun and challenging for the writer to come up with improbably tangled ways of saying simple things throughout the story.

#superman #dan jurgens #josef rubinstein #project cadmus #newsboy legion #clone plague #franklin stern #perry white #caveman cosplaying as superman #big words more like at a loss for words #totally rad

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femmefatalevibe · 2 years

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Femme Fatale Playbook: How To Embody Queen Energy

Living in your queen energy requires you to stand in your power and look after yourself to the highest degree in every area of life. When tapping into this higher frequency, you realize that putting yourself first allows you to show up at your best – both for yourself and others. Here are some tips to embody the queen energy you’re meant to live in:

Put Yourself First: Remember – your self-perception becomes your public image. You need to believe in yourself before others will. Believe that you’re worthy of living your dream life which includes achieving your loftiest goals and indulging your deepest desires. Reframe any resistance. Identify as someone who lives a life of abundance where all of your manifestations enter into your orbit with ease.

Be Honest With Who You Want To Be: Sit down with yourself (and some writing utensils – whether it’s pen and paper or a keyboard) and journal to describe your ideal self. Don’t hold back. Indulge in your wildest dreams, goals, and fantasies. Become conscious of any limiting beliefs that come to mind as you write out these aspirations. Jot them down – they’ll give you some insight into what’s holding you back, so you can bridge the gap between who you show up as today and who you’re going to be once you put in the inner work.

Prioritize All Aspects of Your Health: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Sexual, Spiritual. Celebrate your needs – they make you human. Eat a healthful, plant-based diet, exercise and walk daily, meditate, read at least 10 pages a day, journal, make to-do lists, declutter your space, self-pleasure, recite your affirmations, lean into shadow and mirror work, create morning and nighttime routines. Feeling in alignment is essential to allowing your magnetic aura to shine through. Find all of my tips to cultivate self-regard in every area of life HERE.

Learn The Art of Detachment: Acknowledge what's out of your control. Living in your queen energy means you understand that it's important to work your hardest and smartest to determine the outcome of anything you can control. Otherwise, you have to let it go – people, professional opportunities, possessions. Projection, misalignment, or an undesirable fit does not deter you from striving toward your goals and relishing in satisfaction. Others' contempt and rejection serve as a cue for self-reflection and redirection.

Maintain Proper Posture: Shoulder back, chest open, back straight. Don’t be shy about taking up space.

Accept Compliments With Grace: A smile and ‘thank you’ pairing is the most confident and elegant response. Some more confidence and social skill tips are linked HERE and HERE.

Live Unapologetically While Displaying Radical Empathy: Uphold your boundaries. Live your truth. Never beg or settle for less.

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mediamonarchy · 2 months

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https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20240228_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Food costs, covert gardening and deep fried toothpicks + this day in history w/cyber lettuce and our song of the day by The Lethargics on your #MorningMonarchy for February 28, 2024. Notes/Links: Apple Kills Its Electric Car Project; The car, which Apple spent billions of dollars researching, had been intended as a rival to Tesla’s E.V.s, which include autonomous driving features. https://archive.is/7UaAG Bill Gates Partner GAVI Vaccine Alliance Targets Online Memes https://reclaimthenet.org/bill-gates-partner-gavi-vaccine-alliance-targets-online-memes How memes became health disinformation super-spreaders https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-memes-transformed-pics-cute-cats-health-disinformation-super-spreaders “Memes Save Lives”: Stigma and the Production of Antivaccination Memes During the COVID-19 Pandemic https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051231224729 Image: The guy who discovered milk trying to explain what he was doing https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/601835364159586344/1211245925352341564/image.png?ex=65ed7fac&is=65db0aac&hm=50f6ab7342ee84e85d97077cb2e0b1a1223063e1832a509998038bb2a59efcc8& Image: Bill Gates Partner GAVI Vaccine Alliance Targets Online Memes – Graffiti Version https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/601835364159586344/1211117025137524817/bill-gates-targets-memes.jpg?ex=65ed07a0&is=65da92a0&hm=9488fdf585ce8fe0fc2d67a0ea78b06f309aa5da7e85f759becaa0d037e3670b& New York Times writer says he was chided during staff orientation for liking Chick-Fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich 🤣 https://vxtwitter.com/Not_the_Bee/status/1762165629652766910 // https://notthebee.com/article/just-in-case-you-were-wondering-how-insane-the-new-york-times-is Image: @Hybrid’s Cover Art – The Spicy Scoop’s ‘Red Hot Regret’ https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/983208466481029191/1212263370842050600/20240228_MorningMonarchy.jpg?ex=65f1333e&is=65debe3e&hm=f30fb9f29fb6c3326bf0950f05ad0528c7a78b48495751b4b4dd1a604203ff70& Wendy’s planning Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ where burger prices fluctuate based on demand https://nypost.com/2024/02/26/business/wendys-planning-surge-prices-based-on-fluctuating-demand/ Biden makes unexpected trip to Walter Reed for ‘physical’ as mental fitness speculation mounts https://nypost.com/2024/02/28/us-news/biden-heads-to-annual-physical-as-hunter-arrives-for-impeachment-deposition/ Farm Income Expected to Continue Steep Decline in 2024 https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming-news/ag-business/farm-income-expected-to-continue-steep-decline-in-2024/article_bab62d90-cf5c-11ee-b20d-ab0e4a64a9c1.html Video: Farm Journal – AgDay Minute: Food costs hit 30-yr high (Audio) https://youtu.be/mvGxTT2eqlg X admits to taking down India farmers’ protest posts https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-68366859 Amish farmer Amos miller update: upcoming hearing Feb 29th Lancaster co., pa https://x.com/freewill_farmer/status/1760999470387372490 #MounseyMinute: The first segment of the “Mounsey Minute” series on Media Monarchy aired recently! https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/the-first-segment-of-the-mounsey #MounseyMinute/#MorningMonarchy: January 24, 2024 – First installment of the Mounsey Minute @ 40:48 https://mediamonarchy.com/20240124morningmonarchy/ MP3: #MounseyMinute – Covert Food Gardening In the Age of Front Lawn Fanaticism (Audio) https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/597898944584089623/1212243255668768808/20240228_MounseyMinute.mp3?ex=65f12082&is=65deab82&hm=290efc2dc4904cc5cf2629ae3e58b1d45e99bcc15b002a6b8083fbb6886be7d9& #MounseyMinute: Covert Food Gardening In The Era Of The Lawn Nazis https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/covert-food-gardening-in-the-era #MounseyMinute: The Future of Food (Is Ours to Decide) https://corbettreport.com/the-future-of-food-is-ours-to-decide/ #MounseyMinute: Buy Gavin’s Book ‘Recipes For Reciprocity’ https://recipesforreciprocity.com/ Why is the ONS suddenly changing the “excess deaths” numbers? https...

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#alternative news #food world order #media monarchy #Morning Monarchy #mp3 #podcast #Songs Of The Day #The Lethargics #This Day In History

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freckleslikestars · 2 years

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Chromatic Symphony

Scully surprises Mulder with colour blindness correcting glasses

1817 words, read here on AO3

She’d read an article on the potential option of gene therapy as a treatment in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine first. It had only focused on achromatopsia and had suggested therapy would need to start early on in childhood to be effective, and the thought went out of her mind almost as quickly as it had entered.

She caught the tail-end of a fluff story on the radio whilst she was driving into work about a group of students fundraising to provide their teacher with a pair of $300 glasses and his wonder at seeing colour for the first time, and for the second time in as many years she considered her partner’s colour blindness. But he rarely mentioned it – never complained – and $300 was a lot: particularly for someone she wasn’t even in a relationship with anymore. By the time she’d arrived at the Hoover building, she’d been distracted by the news story about the four-car pile-up on the I-395 and the tightness that pulled at her chest until the moment she saw his car in the parking structure, right where he always left it.

A video popped up on her Facebook whilst she was scrolling through it one lunchbreak, waiting for Mulder to come back from the deli with their sandwiches, of a kid borrowing his principal’s glasses, tearing up in front of his classmates at the new experience. The colleague from Our Lady of Sorrows who’d shared it had also added a link to the fundraiser the kid’s parents had set up to get him his own pair. She liked the video and kept scrolling, dropping her phone to the desk when Mulder barged in with their lunch and a passing kiss to her forehead as he went to sit opposite.

She was updating her address in her personnel file at the hospital, for the first time in her life putting Farrs Corner as her official place of residence – rather than using her mother’s address like she used to, or the bungalow she’d moved into when she left him – when it occurred to her that his personnel file would have the information she needed. She wouldn’t even need to get on the FBI system – after deleting the digital files, Skinner had taken both of the hardcopies and hidden them in the storage locker that held the contents of her Georgetown apartment when they went on the run, just in case anybody went looking for information on them. Those same files, untouched since the early noughties, sat in the bottom drawer of one of the filing cabinets in their home office.

On the occasional times he’d brought it up, she’d wondered just how the FBI accepted him with his colour blindness. Everyone had to take the test as part of the physical: couldn’t have less than those in peak physical health and fitness running around doing the government’s bidding. She’d assumed, wrongly, that it was only mild, that they’d given him a pass. But there was a note, attached to the results of the test, noting that Fox Mulder had been greenlit by higher authorities regardless of his performance in any of the physical assessments. A tingle went up her spine and she had to remind herself that He was dead, that Mulder had shot him and they’d made sure he wasn’t coming back: she’d autopsied him herself, run numerous DNA tests to confirm it.

She ordered a pair with frames similar to his reading glasses, checked the mail each day after they had been dispatched, waiting impatiently for them to arrive. She didn’t think she’d been this excited for mail since her acceptance into med school had come through.

They arrived after a week, the box set carefully, square and centre, in the mailbox at the end of the drive. It was a sunny Saturday, a clear blue sky, the flowers in the meadow blooming; a day he’d planned to spend in the garden, maintaining his little vegetable patch, and she couldn’t think of a better day for them to have arrived. She couldn’t keep the giddy smile from her face as she darted past him on the porch, ran upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom with the package so he wouldn’t peek and ruin the surprise as she unboxed them and read the information leaflet. They came with a small pack of colourful balloons and she wished she’d had the foresight to buy a bigger pack and a mini helium tank, though she figured he’d hardly mind. She perched on the rim of the bath as she blew them up, moving them through to their bedroom as she peered out of the window to see him already starting his gardening. He had a transistor radio sat on the back deck playing crackly oldies and he was singing along to them as one of his chickens pecked around his feet. After taking one look at the balloons that clung to one another with static around the foot of the bed, she pursed her lips and shook her head, knowing there were more colours out in the world that he’d be able to see than in the six balloons. She tucked the case carefully into her back pocket and, with a bounce to her step, jogged down into the garden to greet him.

He looked up at her when she hopped down the steps outside, perplexed as she beamed at him, ‘what are you up to?’

‘I have something for you,’ she grinned, stepping up to him and taking both his hands in her own, reaching up for a soft kiss.

‘What sort of something?’

‘A surprise. Close your eyes.’

He did as he was told, an amused smile pulling at his lips. He stumbled slightly when she placed her hands on his shoulders and turned him around slightly, but when he reached out to take hold of her hips in order to stabilise himself, she quickly removed them. ‘Scully, what-?’

‘Keep your eyes closed until I tell you, Mulder,’ he heard a snap and what sounded like something brushing against fabric, and squeezed his eyes tighter when she told him softly, ‘no peeking.’

‘I’m not. Scouts honour.’

‘Mulder, we’ve been through this before, you were never a scout.’

‘Yeah, but I could have been. I’m very resourceful.’

She snorted, ‘keep your eyes closed and stay very, very still.’

He did as he was told, seizing his muscles tightly whilst he waited with bated breath, jumping slightly when she put what felt like glasses on his nose and over his ears. He felt, more than heard, as she stepped to the side of him, and with a smile in her voice said, very softly, ‘okay, now you can open them.’

He couldn’t understand it, not at first. The whole world had...changed. No, not the whole world: the sky looked more or less the same as ever. But everything else... the muddy greens and yellows he was used to were...clear. The poppies in the meadow stood out against the rolling sea of green, the yellow of the daisies' centres glowed in the sunshine. He turned to Scully and gasped.

Her hair.

It was so...bright. So different to how he’d always seen it. He combed his fingers through it, marvelling at the way the sunlight reflected off it, rippling the colours. Even her eyes looked brighter, her lips pinker.

She reached up, wiped a tear from his cheek, ‘hey.’ He couldn’t stop staring at her, like seeing her for the first time all over again. ‘Do you wanna take a walk? They’ll get more effective as your brain adjusts.’ He nodded - still dumbstruck, still unable to take his eyes off her - and so she took his hand and led him through his vegetable patch, smiling as he paused to bend down and pluck a strawberry from his little gathering of strawberry vines. He rolled it over in his hands, rubbed gently at the colour of the soft flesh, stroked the dark leaves. They moved on, stopping again as they crossed the shorter grass for him to pluck a dandelion, a pink clover flower, a stem of selfheal. They maintained a comfortable silence as they walked, Scully happy to bask in his wonder as he gathered his interesting discoveries.

When they reached the swaying rustle of the meadow he snapped off a poppy and held it to her hair, frowning, ‘I...’

‘What?’

‘I always thought your hair was the colour of the poppies.’

‘Oh,’ she felt her smile falter, not entirely certain if he was disappointed, but then his face cleared and the amazement was back in his eyes.

‘I’m glad that they’re different. It means I can do this-‘ he tucked it behind her ear, ‘-and see them both still.’

‘What’s it like?’

‘It’s...’ he struggled to grasp onto the words he needed as he looked around, only growing more and more confused until his gaze returned to her. He caught a strand of her hair between his fingers again, ‘can I say I don’t know? I mean, it’s different, and I like it, but I don’t know the words for it. It’s like the colours are in focus. You know when you put glasses on for the first time and suddenly you can read the page that moments before was fuzzy? It’s like that but with colours.’

‘That makes sense. They help increase the contrast between greens and reds, help your eyes process that contrast.’

He nodded, frowned again, ‘I don’t think I ever want to take them off. I don’t want to stop seeing the world like this.’

She hummed, took the hand that wasn’t holding his collection of things he’d picked up, ‘sadly, your eyes are probably going to want to build up to not taking them off. They’ll get tired of all the new processing they’re having to do.’

He nodded, turning back out to look at the world, ‘well, there’s more I want to see right now. I’ll rest them later.’

‘Okay,’ she laughed, letting him take the lead. They explored the meadow, Mulder building a bouquet of flowers to sit on the dining room table, and made a salad for lunch with tomatoes and nasturtium and basil from the garden, accompanied by the crusty bread Scully had picked up from the bakery on her way home the night before. They spent the afternoon sitting on the porch watching the birds fly to and from the bird feeder that hung from the tree nearest them, Mulder pointing out each one’s flashes of colour.

And then, in the evening, with a bowl of buttery popcorn carefully cradled in her arms, they climbed out of the dormer window onto the roof, sat with their legs hanging down as they watched the sky light up with reds and pinks and purples and oranges, slowly mellowing into the dusky grey.

Tagging @today-in-fic

#my writing #the x files #xf fanfic #txf #msr #colour blind fox mulder #theres a whole disclaimer in the A/N on ao3 but I'll put a brief one here #colour blindness glasses don't work instantaneously: they take 5-15 minutes minimum #and they don't work for everyone #but this is fiction so suspend your disbelief for a few moments won't you

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milllkyyy · 5 months

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Why the next Pandemic terrifies me

This is something I've been pondering about for a few months now, and no matter what I read to try to rationalise my fears, instead, they are exacerbated. Like you all, I watched with caution here in the UK during late February or early March as COVID-19 swept through Italy and other neighbouring countries. The scenes of overcrowded hospitals and grieving families plastered the news day in and day out. Ironically, around the same time, 'The Tab' released an article titled something like, 'Why this thing in China won't be a big issue' - I'd love to know if the author continued majoring in journalism. Fast forward to the 23rd of March, 332,924 people were confirmed worldwide to have the virus, and our then shitty prime minister declared a complete lockdown to come into effect at 1pm on the 26th of March. As the pandemic progressed, the virus dipped and spiked up as advisors tried to advise in order to break the spread. By the end of 2020, it was clear that COVID-19 was not bubonic plague or Spanish flu. Luckily, COVID-19 had a low morbidity rate and tended to kill the old, unhealthy and those with autoimmune disorders. It was rare, but still tragic, to see a young fit adult die with it. I raise this point for an important reason: the mortality rate was low, with a(1.4%) estimate, but with even such a low rate, the World Health Organisation reports that almost 7 million people have died from it. This has left us in a precarious position. Why? For one, distrust of the government is at an all-time high. The mishandling of the pandemic is fresh in everyone's minds, and the general public won't be quick to forget. Secondly, If a harsher disease somehow manifested in the Western world, many would be sceptical about lockdowns. And the last deserves its own article. The misinformation about vaccines is wild. We have communities where 'anti-vaxxers' gather and spread their shite among the next gullible stay-at-mum. On the upside, despite COVID-19 still claiming lives around the world, especially among poorer countries where the medical treatment is just not robust enough, it appears that COVID-19 is not the threat I feared it to be, and after all, what are the chances of two pandemics in one life-time?.. Right?

#covid19 #long covid #covid isn't over #covid pandemic #mask up #2020s #worry

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killed-by-choice · 1 year

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“Emmeline Roe”, 23 (UK 1967)

A case report detailing two cases of maternal death by saline abortion was published in the British Medical Journal. In both cases, the hypertonic saline caused oddly symmetrical brain damage including cerebral necrotic lesions, a Y-shaped pons infarction and brain bleed. Shortly after the case report was submitted, one of the doctors who wrote the report treated yet another patient dying from a legal saline abortion whose autopsy showed a nearly identical cause of death.

Emmeline was 23. Before the abortion, she was very healthy. She was a secretary and was pregnant for the first time. Even though she was perfectly healthy, she was told to have an abortion for unspecified “psychiatric indications”. It is unclear why she was told this, because abortion is consistently associated with worse mental health outcomes.

At about 17 weeks pregnant, Emmeline underwent a legal saline abortion in a hospital. While she was under anesthesia, the abortionist made multiple unsuccessful attempts to insert a needle before finally removing bloodstained amniotic fluid and replacing it with hypertonic saline. 3 hours later, Emmeline still had not regained consciousness. The anesthesia should have long worn off by then.

6 hours after the start of the abortion, Emmeline was obviously in danger. Her temperature was 104.7 F, her blood pressure was at 110/70, bpm 108 and was rigid and pale.

Things went from bad to worse. Emmeline experienced multiple fits of violent convulsions. In between the convulsions, she was comatose and only responded to pain. She was aggressively treated but continued to deteriorate. 16 hours after the start of the abortion, she was deeply comatose with fixed dilated pupils. Only 54 hours after the start of the abortion, Emmeline died.

Emmeline’s autopsy was horrifying. Her uterus had been repeatedly punctured and still had her dead baby inside. 800ml of lightly bloodstained fluid was in her peritoneal cavity along with 30 ml of pericardial effusion.

The brain damage inflicted by the abortion was severe. The brain was overall swollen and deeply congested. Emmelin had haemorrhagic infarction of grossly herniated cerebellar tonsils. Her amygdaloid nuclei and hippocampus was stippled with petechial hemorrhage. Necrotic patches with a strange symmetrical pattern and a Y-shaped infarction of the pons were found, just like in the other cases.

Even after doctors warned about the deadly danger, a healthy woman was told to have an abortion and died because of it. Emmeline and her baby deserved better.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002580246700700207

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1844440/?page=6

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6045232/

#pro life #death from legal abortion #unsafe yet legal #tw abortion

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peachel-ayam · 7 months

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my first post on this personal blog

on being ridiculously skinny — I’m not proud of it

All I want to do is gain weight

Disclaimer: This post was initially published on my Medium account under the "Bitchy" publication, and received hundred readers per week. Given that this is my personal journaling blog, I wanted to share it here as well. You can find the original post here.

(image by me)

Toxic body positivity doesn’t only apply to those who are overweight; I’ve experienced it too — an underweight individual.

People would tell me, “You should be grateful for God’s gift,” or “Being thin is a favor,” or even claim, “All women want a body like yours.”

But at the same time, I also received tons of, “Whoa, you look like you haven’t eaten in months,” or “You are thinner than paper,” or the worst of all, “If there’s a windstorm, it can be strong enough to push and float you.”

These words echoed through my mind, causing me to question my self-worth and validity.

“You MUST accept your body or you will never be happy”

I don’t want to invalidate all the words they say because I do feel concerned about my weight. I’ve noticed that I’m significantly underweight compared to others around me.

My clothes seem to hang loosely on my frame, and I feel self-conscious about my appearance. While some people may think being thin is a blessing, I can’t help but worry about my health and well-being.

I’m not proud of it. There, I said it. The truth can be hard to face, but I can’t keep denying it any longer.

Yes, I may have a naturally slender figure, but that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with body image issues. The pressure to fit into society’s narrow definition of beauty is relentless, and it affects all body types, including mine.

My self-esteem plummeted, leading me to avoid social interactions and feeling too insecure to wear certain clothes that I feared wouldn’t flatter my thin frame, making me look like a walking pencil in strange costumes.

I’ve been doing some research about being underweight, and it appears that there could be various factors contributing to my situation.

Stress and anxiety could be affecting my appetite, and I may not be consuming enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. Moreover, my busy lifestyle has led to irregular eating habits, often skipping meals or opting for quick, unhealthy snacks.

I realize that I need to make some changes to my daily routine. Eating a balanced diet and incorporating more nutritious meals will be essential in healthily gaining weight.

I was once confused about whether to see a therapist — for a possibility of anxiety — or go straight to a doctor for my weight problem. In my confusion, I turned to the internet for answers and unfortunately fell for weight-gain ads instead, purchasing a high-priced honey-like product that had no effect.

I also tried making smoothies from various online recipes, but they yielded the same disappointing results. It was a valuable lesson not to trust random ads or articles on the internet.

Then, I decided to talk to a nutritionist who suggested meal plans and specific foods to increase my caloric intake healthily. I started a little food journal on my phone to keep track of my eating habits.

This will help me identify any patterns or deficiencies in my diet. I'm not going to lie, it was challenging to break old habits and adopt a new diet, but I’m determined to give it my best effort.

Weeks and months have passed, and I’m starting to see some positive changes in my weight since I’ve been following the meal plan prescribed by the nutritionist. However, I won’t lie; it’s still a struggle.

Some days, I feel bloated and uncomfortable after eating more than I’m used to. My self-esteem is also taking a hit when I think about how much effort — and money — I have to put in to reach a healthy weight.

I remind myself that this journey is about my health and not just my physical appearance. It’s essential to stay focused on the bigger picture and continue working towards a better, healthier version of myself.

A year later, I got sick. Stomach problem. My busy schedule in the new office has interfered with my good and healthy eating habits. Forgetting to take lunch and eating unhealthy foods late in the evening became a common occurrence.

The long commute to work with an empty stomach and sleepy eyes only worsened the situation. Months of unhealthy behavior led to my hospitalization, resulting in further weight loss.

I was devastated, knowing that I had to start my healthy behavior from the beginning and endure all the struggles again. However, I realized it was necessary for the sake of my health.

As a first step, I made the difficult decision to resign from that office, prioritizing my well-being.

I started keeping a food journal again and attempted some exercises to gain weight — though I must admit, due to my 9–5 daily schedule, finding time to exercise is hard, resulting in rare opportunities to do it. To compensate, I maximize my efforts by consuming more weight-gaining foods.

I understand that this is a slow and gradual process, but I’m determined to continue. My new eating habits are becoming more natural, and I don’t feel as overwhelmed by the calorie intake as I did initially.

It’s essential to clarify that my decision to focus on gaining weight is not influenced by others’ judgments of my appearance, but rather driven by my genuine concern for my body’s health.

People often assume that because I’m thin, I must have it all — that my life is perfect and carefree.

But they don’t see the battles I fight with myself or the times I avoid social situations because I fear judgment based on my appearance.

Back to the first topic: toxic body positivity doesn’t discriminate. It affects us all, regardless of our size or shape. Society’s obsession with body ideals has created an environment where any deviation from the norm is met with criticism and scrutiny.

I want to embrace body positivity just as much as anyone else, but it’s hard when the world constantly sends mixed messages. On the one hand, I’m told to love my body and be confident, but on the other hand, I’m bombarded with comments that make me feel inadequate and ashamed.

“You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin, you have to say you want to be healthy. But also, you have to be thin — — It’s too hard, it’s too contradictory, and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you!”

The monologue lasts longer than that and serves as a reminder of the importance of embracing authenticity and acknowledging the complexities of our emotions and experiences.

Body positivity should be about celebrating all bodies, not just those that fit a specific mold. It’s about recognizing that every person is unique and deserving of love and respect, regardless of their appearance.

To anyone who has experienced similar comments or struggles with body image, know that you are not alone. We must challenge society’s unrealistic beauty standards and foster an environment of acceptance and understanding.

Despite still being underweight and facing the challenge of regaining it, I refuse to give up on loving my body and striving to be the best version of myself, as evidenced by finding and wearing more suitable clothes for my current weight and not shying away from social interactions, as embracing self-love means giving my body and appearance the best care.

My worth is not determined by my size, and I refuse to let toxic body positivity bring me down. I will continue to work on loving myself for who I am, and I hope others will do the same.

Let’s strive for a world where body positivity is truly inclusive and where everyone can feel valued and appreciated, regardless of how they look. It’s time to break free from the shackles of judgment.

I am more than just my body, and so are you. People who say otherwise can f themselves.

#self love #toxic positivity #body posititivity #body image #underweight #social issues

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