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biebuli · 17 days

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SOME IDEA TO MASTER SHIFU AND TAI LUNG

ENGLISH VERSION AND CHINESE VERSION

maybe english is not very well, IF YOU DONT MIND, OK READ IT

Master Shifu's relationship pattern largely mirrors his childhood relationship pattern. Because he himself was abandoned in a known state, he doesn't want another child to experience the same abandonment, hence he goes to great lengths to compensate for the lack of paternal love—sometimes to the point of overindulgence. However, overindulgence is essentially lazy and irresponsible love.

In nurturing Tai Lung, Master Shifu faces significant issues: he fails to recognize Tai Lung as an independent individual, rather than just an extension of his own ideals. His excessive love combines both control and indulgence, denying Tai Lung the opportunity for self-exploration and failing to acknowledge his true feelings. This leads to Tai Lung's inability to introspect and reliance on external validation. Despite being a kung fu prodigy, Tai Lung cannot develop his own unique skills, constantly seeking the external validation of becoming the Dragon Warrior. While Master Shifu provides Tai Lung with positive feedback and reinforcement throughout his upbringing, this unwavering overindulgence sets the stage for future resentment between father and son. By ignoring Tai Lung's psychological growth and projecting his own childhood experiences onto him, Master Shifu fails to provide Tai Lung with the necessary limits and guidance.

This dynamic results in Tai Lung's dependence and resentment towards Master Shifu. His inability to achieve the status of Dragon Warrior becomes a major setback in his life, leading to profound disappointment and eventual societal retaliation, followed by retaliation against Master Shifu. These actions reflect Tai Lung's long-standing resentment towards Master Shifu, as he suppresses his true emotions to meet the latter's expectations, only to explode when he fails to meet them. While Master Shifu may have helped Tai Lung navigate setbacks during his upbringing, Tai Lung now seeks his assistance in return.

However, this relationship's destructive outcome is Tai Lung's transformation into a brutal tyrant. His extreme self-centeredness and failure to recognize external realities make him a nightmare for others. His obsession with immediately attaining the title of Dragon Warrior blinds him to the fact that being the Dragon Warrior requires more than just martial prowess.

True responsible love involves respecting a child's independence at different stages of development, guiding them while also allowing for their self-discovery and growth. (Indeed, Mr. Ping and Mr. Li embody this ideal father figure, even if they're idealized versions.)

Despite apologizing to Tai Lung, Master Shifu would never apologize to Tigress. He could never comprehend the emotional violence he inflicted upon her. While Tai Lung received physical violence from Master Shifu, he was emotionally attended to and cherished. Tigress, on the other hand, desires Master Shifu's approval not because he hinted she could become the Dragon Warrior, but because she seeks his validation. For many children, a lifetime is spent chasing this validation.

However, this desire for approval isn't entirely without merit. Tigress's excellence partly stems from this influence. Following the Tai Lung incident, Master Shifu toned down his affection (previously lavished on Tai Lung) realizing that excessive love is pathological. This moderation allowed him to respect objective facts, albeit expressed through subtle emotional coercion. He might express dissatisfaction with Tigress's actions, reminding her of the shadow of her senior, making her aware of her limitations. This prevents Tigress from developing an inflated ego. Personal growth requires acknowledging one's limitations and avoiding undue pressure, leading to a simpler life.

当一个成年人的关系模式很大程度上是他童年关系模式的再现。

师傅因为自己是在已知状态下被抛弃的，他不希望有第二个自己那样被抛弃的孩子，所以竭尽全力去弥补父爱——甚至到了溺爱的程度。然而，溺爱实际上是一种懒惰和不负责任的爱。

师傅在培养大龙时存在着很大的问题：他没有意识到大龙是一个独立的个体，而不仅仅是他理想中的附属品。他的过度关爱是包办和纵容并存的，他没有给大龙自我探索的机会，也没有及时关注大龙的真实感受（比如当大龙的骨头断了或被否定为神龙大侠时），习惯性地把自己的感受投射到大龙身上，错误地认为大龙的感受就是他的感受。这导致了大龙无法从自身内省中认识自己，而是通过他人的话语来寻找自我。尽管大龙是一位功夫天才，掌握了众多武学技能，却无法创造出自己的独特技艺。与此同时，他一直追求着神龙大侠这个外在头衔，他的自我永远无法满足，导致他迷失了自我。大家都知道大龙是什么样的，唯独大龙自己不清楚自己是谁。

在成长过程中，师傅一直给予大龙正面和积极的反馈，进一步强化了父子间的潜意识互动：师傅给予爱，大龙自愿成为师傅理想的儿子并从中获益。然而，师傅这种不变的过度关爱为日后父子之间的仇恨埋下了伏笔。他忽视了大龙的成长心理，把大龙当作另一个自己，满足了自己童年体验的记忆和理想。师傅给予大龙的无限制支持实际上也是在无限制地满足自己。即使在大龙暴力对待师傅之后，他的行为依然是一种过度溺爱——牺牲自己满足孩子。

这使得大龙既依赖又憎恨师傅。不能成为神龙大侠对大龙来说是人生的挫折，他感到巨大的失落，于是他报复了社会，随后又转而报复师傅。这两个行为背后有深层的含义，一般来说，面对挫折时，应该相信还有其他实现目标的途径，但大龙的行为表明，在他成长过程中，早已对师傅产生了怨恨，并为了不断满足师傅的期待，压抑了自己真实的情感，在无法达到目标时彻底爆发出来。与此同时，师傅在大龙成长过程中可能会帮助他度过挫折，所以现在大龙当然也希望师傅能够帮助他。

然而，这种关系的毁灭性结果是，大龙变得残暴无道。他自我中心，自我膨胀，内心只有自己，成为他人的噩梦。他对和平谷的行为表明了极端的自我中心，无法认识外部现实的本质，把自己的期望强加于他人。大龙执着于立刻获得神龙大侠的身份，却忽略了神龙大侠需要的不仅是武学，还有其他的东西。

真正负责任的爱是尊重孩子的独立的爱，在不同的成长阶段直到如何引导以及满足孩子的需求，这样的父母他们知道什么时候该放手，并且乐于接受孩子的自我独立和自我成长。（是的，平先生和李先生都做到了这一点，尽管是一种理想型的父亲）

师傅虽然对大龙道歉了，但永远不会对虎妞道歉。他永远无法意识到自己对虎妞无形中的情绪暴力。尽管大龙曾受到师傅的身体暴力，但在精神上他是被关注和宠爱的。而虎妞则相反，她渴望师傅的肯定，并不是因为师傅透露出她也可以成为神龙大侠，而是因为她想要得到师傅的认可。对于许多孩子来说，一生都在追求这种认可。

这种期待认可也并非毫无好处，虎妞之所以能够如此优秀，部分原因就是这种期待的影响。在大龙事件之后，师傅收敛了自己的爱（之前他将这种爱毫无保留地投射给了大龙），意识到爱的过度是病态的。这种爱的收敛使得师傅开始尊重客观事实，尽管他用隐形的情绪暴力表达。他可能不满意虎妞的行为，告诉她在她之上有一个师兄的阴影，让虎妞意识到自己的局限性。这样也使得虎妞自己没有发展成过度膨胀的状态。人的成长需要意识到自己的局限性，不要对自己施加过多压力，这样才能过上更简单的生活。

#kung fu panda #kfp #tai lung #master shifu #tigress

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shiro41 · 8 months

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⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

A sigh escaped his lips, the awkward silence made him want to get out of this tight space that's escalating each floor while he stood there with strangers that had shamelessly stared at his towering figure, he could hear them gulp saliva and feel them grow timid in his presence.

His azure spheres looked up at the numbers that ascended floor to floor, from 2 to 4 until 5. How he wished you were here with him, your company alone makes the uncomfortable feeling of their gaze go away, he thought the possibility of the both of you snickering like madmen that had just escaped the asylum to the naked stares these strangers gave off until he'll completely forget it

The elevator dinged once again, signalling Satoru that he'll get off this tight space they call elevator and let out a big huff, his head bobbing whilst his shades slightly slipping off his nose.

He was impatient to find a home in your arms, snuggling like a child that's been separated from his mother whilst he complained about your missing presence beside him and how it made him want to find you everywhere.

His time wasn't occupied to dedicate his attention to you for now, although Satoru hated the idea, he was a growing teen that would soon become an adult in this curse invested world and he has to lend his time to others as well.

"I wanna go home."

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

His tufts of white is what made him stand out beside his towering height, Suguru was nowhere to be seen for him to bother right now and had called you for a small trip to ice cream and mochis that he loves. One thing you learned about Gojo is his love for sweets, you always see him munching on candies and other tooth decaying foods that'll leave your mouth in ecstasy with the taste. You'd wonder how he manages to have such pearly white teeth despite his addiction to sugar.

Satoru greeted you with a small fright of his palms on your shoulder as he exclaimed an 'ah' that made you flinch, his teasing chuckles that turned into laughs as he dodged your punches and frustrated words.

Soon enough you'd find yourself laughing with him, a laugh that could almost be compared to a goat and snorts to a pig, mouth completely agape as your breaths shortened with every push of air from your stomach. Your legs kicked the air as your hand lightly slapped his shoulder, the ice cream turning liquid on the cone.

The judging stares the pair received were brushed off as you continued to converse, sometimes almost tripping on the road as you laughed like drunk men from the bar in the middle of the night.

"Satoru, we should quiet down..!"

You commented after fits of laughter with Satoru who tsked three times and waved his index finger at you like a senior teaching his junior about a mischievous activity at school.

"Don't mind their worthless stares, Princess."

The grin that now seemed to turn to a smirk made your protest cease, maybe continuing to be ignorant about the world with Satoru's shining humor and affection was better than dwelling and be aware of your surroundings full of judgement and displeasure of your behavior.

The conversation ended with you agreeing to Satoru's words, the hype dying as your mood glooms with you becoming quiet while Satoru continues to talk about anything that he remembers and sees until your feet carry you to your comfy abode.

The dim light from the inside told you someone was home, the sun was almost dying to be replaced by the moon any minute now; sky turning orange and pink as the hot ball waved good night to the planet it served every day.

"Thanks, Satoru. Sorry you can't come inside.. y'know how dad is."

"Your dad's a fool for rejecting the strongest, Angel." His laugh made you chuckle, the narcissistic personality bubbling up and Ego inflating like a balloon. Your dad had been disliking the fact you've chosen Satoru, spitting insults about his rebellious attitude and nasty comments about the color of his hair.

"I wish they could just...accept you."

Your frown made his joyous mood dissipate, a sigh quietly escaped his nose whilst his hand grabbed yours, squeezing it in a manner full of adoration and affection from the boy. The Azure orbs softened behind those midnight shades, glinting with the intention of loving you despite the displeasure of your parents.

"Any snide remarks from your dad would be ignored because my love is yours, sweetheart."

Surprise was an understatement of what you felt, his words struck a nerve in you in a way that made your heart beat fast with tender and butterflies flutter like a garden full of colorful, healthy flowers.

"Don't you worry your small pretty brain, (Name). Someone will always be against anything and our love is no exception so, "

His warm hands engulfed yours, guiding it to his moisturized lips— his figure leaned in to press a soft kiss on your knuckles, his sunglasses slipping off slightly for you to gain access to those oceanic orbs that pleasantly stunned you.

"Life makes love look hard, but we don't give a fuck right? It's ours anyway, who gives a damn about their opinion?"

Smile formed on your features, the cold, gloomy aura now replaced with warm, bright yellow that seemed to shine as you swallowed his words.

Your teeth appear that made Satoru chuckle and press his lips on your forehead whilst his arms wrapped themselves around your shoulders as your own made home to his waist, enjoying the feeling of his warm pair coming to contact with your skin and be comforted by the words he spoke about your seemingly forbidden connection to your guardians' perspective.

"Right, they can't take what's ours."

#gojo satoru x you #jujutsu gojo #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru

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dadsbongos · 2 years

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why did you ask me out? (1)

chapter 1 - the setup / 2 / 3 / 4/ 5

4.3K words

warnings - brief internalized homophobia, speedrun enemies to friends to lovers trope

summary - You and Chrissy are long-lost best friends that join sides to pull one over on the girls hoping to make you prom queen as a bet. Things don't always go to plan - sometimes you realize you're in love and sometimes the girls shoot back at you.

The 1970s inflation affected each family differently - that was the excuse your father gave, anyway. In March of 1982, your family moved from Cherry Lane to Forest Hills Trailer Park - closer to your soon-to-be best friend Eddie Munson and away from your then-best friend Chrissy Cunningham.

You and Chrissy had known each other since kindergarten of 1972 and you were fast friends.

It became routine for you two to play together both inside and outside of school. Playing quickly turned into “hanging out” as you grew too old for dolls and started wanting people to like you. Hanging out turned into sleepovers turned into her basically living at your house. It was never sisterly, though.

No, there was something that made your face heat up - made your heart pound - made your hands just a little sweatier than usual. Just as you found out what it was, your family moved - and just as you came to accept it, Chrissy stopped hanging out with you.

It was slow at first. You two still saw each other, but her visits slowed and you couldn’t help but feel judged - if not by her, then by her mother. Then the visits stopped once that summer rolled around. By the time you and Chrissy were becoming freshmen in August of ‘82, you were acquaintances. When neither of you spoke that entire year, it was official.

You and Chrissy Cunningham were no longer best friends.

And yeah, for that year, you worried that maybe she somehow knew, then you realized that wasn’t it.

She was just embarrassed to be around you as you both changed.

You hung out more and more with Eddie and slowly, your views were expanded and your tastes grew broader. You started listening to more metal and you started smoking pot and you started playing more with Corroded Coffin and you started rolling your eyes when someone said something idiotic. Chrissy changed, too. You didn’t know how, but it felt different when you two passed each other in the hall.

Like she was a different person.

It wasn’t your business. You were a new freak and she was on her way to becoming prom queen. Things move on.

1986. Senior Year.

“Very funny,” you huff, ripping the paper off your locker and crumpling it, “Super hilarious.”

“Never been a funnier crowd than those at Hawkins,” Eddie leans into the locker beside yours.

The paper, naturally, was a joking invitation to prom - covered in pieces of the owl pellet dissected during that day’s biology lecture.

“You’d think there’d be some level of moving the fuck on,” you can’t help but grumble, honestly bitter about the sudden increase of cruelty from your peers around this time.

Last year, too, when you were a junior and Eddie a senior - people were still lining up to try and embarrass you both by asking you to prom. As if either of you couldn’t see that coming. Even before then, during any homecoming or school dance way back in middle school - you two were the targets of many a hurtful prod. Once again, as if either of you couldn’t see that coming.

“One day, Debbie Harry,” Eddie knocks his heavy boot into yours, “one day.”

“Can you not call me that?” your eyes narrow at the boy, “Some people are really gonna think that’s my name.”

“Not my fault you're a Blondie fan,” he shrugs, acting as if he wasn’t a Blondie fan as well (“It’s just too new wave. Too pop, not my thing.” he lies through his teeth), “You made that choice. Or would you rather I call you Simon Le Bon?” he forced an awful French accent as he said the name.

“He’s English, first of all,” you huff and swat your friend’s arm, “and second: Duran Duran is good, you’re just pretentious,” he gasps dramatically as you finish shoving in the books you don’t need and pulling out what you do, “Wanna change my strings for tomorrow?”

“No,” Eddie takes the books from your hands and follows you to your history class.

“I’ll pay you.”

“No, you won’t,” he shakes his head, “I’ll only change your strings if you pay for gas tomorrow.”

“No fair, you’ve got an empty tank.”

“Not empty.”

As you two come in front of your class, Chrissy watches from her seat at the far right. The desk beside her is barren (except for the phallic drawings on its surface) and soon your body will occupy it. Is it awkward to sit next to you? Yes, but now there’s a whole new reason that lives inside the lump in her throat.

Her eyes avert as soon as you turn into the doorway. Your arms slung with two books - one for history and one that looks straight out of a high fantasy film. You and Chrissy don’t speak, interactions strictly limited to joint school projects.

So when it comes time for her to open up the conversation, all the girl can say is, “Hi.”

You raise a brow at the cheerleader, settling into your seat, “Hi?”

1972. Kindergarten.

The August of ‘72 was pleasantly cool in Hawkins and the teachers had taken to opening the windows and allowing breeze through the classroom. You were seated under one of those windows, back pressed against the wall and two Barbies clutched in your grubby child hands. Child hands invested in clumsily smashing the two plastic women against one another and seeing which ones leg joints made it bend backward first.

Thirty minutes into class and thirty minutes left until snack time, a little blond girl was brought in wailing. Red-faced, scrunched eyes, clenched hands - the whole show. Kids stared and you were no exception. Your teachers are drowning as the tears keep flowing and you’re the first and only one to get up and walk over.

You press one of the Barbies into her arm and when she looks at you, you ask, “Why’re you crying?”

She pouts and huffs and crosses her arms, “My mommy left me…”

“Your mommy’ll be back,” you say it like it’s easy and you wonder why someone would ever assume their mom was leaving forever, “Just play and then she’ll be back even sooner.”

She looks skeptical, “That’s not true.”

“It is,” you insist, jabbing the Barbie into her arm again, “Play with me and she’ll be back soon.”

Her blue eyes shoot to the teacher, who nods and smiles encouragingly. She takes the Barbie and follows you to your corner of the play area.

“What’s your name?” she asks.

You tell her as you sit, “What’s yours?”

“Chrissy!” she beams.

“Chrissy,” you try her name against your tongue and you have no idea how many times you’ll be saying it in the years to come. You nod in approval and hold out your doll, “Wanna play house?”

“Okay,” she leans over and grabs two smaller dolls to be the children, then holding up her Barbie, “I’ll be Mommy,” she looks at yours, lying limp in your lap, “Who will you be?”

You hold up the blond doll and shrug, “Other Mommy.”

“Can there even be two mommies?” Chrissy tilts her head.

“Why not?” you press your doll’s head against her doll’s head, “Two mommies can be fun.”

Looking back on it, you’re glad none of your teachers or peers heard you. Then you might’ve had the idea that two women together was hellish shoved in your head at a young age.

Chrissy came to school early the next day and didn’t shed a tear as she waddled over to you and insisted you two play house again.

1986. Senior Year.

There’s a pregnant pause before Chrissy tilts her head and rubs the back of her neck. A nervous tick that developed in fourth grade when she’d watch your mother do it during stressful phone calls. You hate that you remember that about her.

“You look nice,” Chrissy awkwardly bites.

“I’m sure,” you shake your head, but when Chrissy frowns and begins fiddling with her fingers you feel guilt well in your gut, “Sorry. Thanks.”

“‘s fine,” Chrissy smiles, “Rough day?”

“You could say that,” your eyes dart to the clock hanging above the chalkboard, “I love the day of prom, every jock suddenly thinks I’m dying to go out with them and willing to make a fool of myself for it.”

“Aw,” she pouts but you know her, and you know it's entirely genuine, “I’m sorry, that has to suck.”

“Yeah,” you’re not bitter about the fact you two grew apart. You aren’t.

Before Chrissy can ask her question of the hour, the bell rings and your attention snaps to the notebook laid atop your history textbook. You open it to a page scrawled on with the expeditions of Russia - half coherent and half scribbles about Ivan the Terrible being a douchebag.

It was cruel, and Chrissy doesn’t even know why she’s actually going through with the idea.

Well, deep down, she knows that she’s terrified of being dethroned - not because her popularity is that important to her, but because it’s the only reason she has her friends. Even though she doesn’t really like her friends, it’s easier to be accepted by those you hate than to be alone.

And now Chrissy has to play along to their tune. Hopefully you never find out and it’ll just be some dreamy, coming of age movie moment that you’ll get to reminisce over in a year or two. Though, she can’t deny that the idea of having a good reason to talk to you again sets a fire under her. The good kind, though. A motivating kind.

Yes, she does still like you - but if she doesn’t do this then the others will throw her off the lifeboat without hesitation, and she’d hate nothing more than to drown. For years, you were there with a life vest, but now you’re missing and she’s climbed aboard the wrong ship.

1973. First Grade.

“I learned a new word,” you mumble as the class gathers for lunch.

Chrissy’s eyes are wide and wondering, “What?”

“Fuck,” you grin as you sound it out. It’s clunky and hefty on your tongue.

Instantly, the girl’s face scrunches, she recognizes the word from the many times her mother has said it, “That’s a bad word. You can’t say that.”

“It’s just a word,” you shake your head, and test it again as you open your lunchbox, “Fuck.”

“You’re gonna get in trouble,” Chrissy hisses and opens her lunchbox too. It’s more lavish, though less stocked, than yours, “Be quiet.”

“What?” you grin, “I shouldn’t say ‘fuck’?” she gasps but there’s a smile playing on her lips and your little heart sings at the sight, “Fuck!”

She giggles again but it drops off just as fast. A shadow looms over her face and you turn to see your teacher standing above you. Her arms crossed and her face screwed in disappointment.

Her foot is tapping and she glares down at you, “We don’t use that language, young lady,” before you even get to retort, she points over at her desk, “Come with me to move yourself down the behavior chart; and then we are calling your mother to tell her exactly what you just said.”

Before you hop down from the table, she’s already walking away without looking back. You can sense Chrissy’s mood fading and you decide that making her feel better is more important than your status on the behavior chart.

“I know another word,” you turn to Chrissy.

She tilts her head, blond pigtails falling around her, “What?”

“I said to come here!” your teacher folds her arms with a scowl.

“Bitch!” you cheer before bounding to your teacher’s desk, Chrissy’s giggles being the perfect wind in your sails.

You were grounded for a whole hour after school until your mother decided it was unfair to punish you for doing something her and your father never exactly told you off about. With a “just don’t do it again” and two packs of fruit snacks, you were allowed to run next door and play with Chrissy.

1986. Senior Year.

Chrissy can only watch as you doodle on your history notes. You’re so focused on it that she almost doesn’t register the fact you’re drawing a bushel with cartoonishly long legs. Almost.

She leans to the side, chin resting in the meat of her palm, “What’s that?”

You jump slightly and turn, “An awakened shrub. Sorta,” you murmur as if she has any idea what that is, your eyes move back to the shrub and you start to cover it, “It’s a D&D thing.”

“Well, I think it’s cute,” Chrissy shifts even closer, “What’s an awakened shrub?”

“Just an ordinary shrub that’s sentient ‘cuz ‘a’ the Awaken spell,” you look back up at Chrissy, “‘s barely worth the trouble to fight but I think it’s fun.”

“It is,” she agrees. Her heart starts to ache at the realization that you two haven’t had a back and forth in so long, “If you’re not doing anything for prom, would you wanna go with me? And the other cheerleaders?”

All you can do is laugh, your head shakes and you rub the bridge of your nose, “Jesus Christ.”

Before the conversation can continue, you and Chrissy are shot a harsh look by your teacher.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chrissy can see you shaking your head at the proposal. It hurts, but she can’t blame you - especially when her purpose is exactly what you’re thinking.

But it isn’t exactly like that; Chrissy decides then and there that she won’t let you go when prom is finished. She sees you with Hellfire often and you always look so pretty as you laugh and joke. You get so passionate about D&D and your band that she can’t help but wish she was sitting next to you rather than with the girls that made fun of each other to get her attention.

Part of her wishes she could start high school over and take that offer you extended on the very first day. Back when you rode the bus before Eddie could get his van running, Chrissy sat next to you and you offered to sit next to each other at lunch.

But she was swept up by the cheer captain before then. You saw your friends from middle school and she was being educated on cliques. She doesn’t regret becoming a cheerleader, but she wishes she did more to stand up for you. She wishes she didn’t let her mother affect her judgment as much as it had.

You’re more curt than she remembers. More direct. You move like you’re about to get burned and Chrissy hates that she knows exactly why you’re like this.

No, you two didn’t talk, but Chrissy was always there. Watching from the sidelines as people called you names and pulled on your clothes and tripped you and poured drinks over you. She watched the rumor spread throughout the student body last year and didn’t do anything to stop it, no matter how much she knew she should have.

And no matter how much it hurts when you rush out of the room as soon as the bell rings, she can’t blame you. Not at all.

She wishes you two were kids again. When you two could play house all day and there was no pressure to be anything - before she left.

1975. Second Grade.

“Do you two know why you’re in here?”

Chrissy’s already teary-eyed at the harsh face of Mr. Jones, her hands knotting themselves into her long skirt. You’re less susceptible to his furrowed brows and so you’re glaring right back at him as you say, “Tommy H. was sticking a worm in Chris’ face.”

“I know that,” Mr. Jones nods, “but I’m asking why you’re in here.”

“I hit Tommy H.,” you shrug with all the moxie your body is capable of mustering, “He was torturing her, Mr. Jones.”

“We spoke with Tommy,” Mr. Jones removes his glasses and his face softens, he flashes you two a smile, “I appreciate you stepping in for your friend, but violence isn’t the answer.”

You didn’t see it that way. When a third grader was dangling a worm in front of your best friend’s face, you weren’t going to stand by and wait for a teacher. But whatever. Hopefully, he learned his lesson.

“We’ve contacted your parents, you two are out for the day but just come back tomorrow with bright smiles and a new attitude and everything’ll be okay,” Mr. Jones’ face is back to that of the kindly principal everyone loves and he stands, “I hope to have no more talks like this, girls.”

Chrissy promises you won’t. You don’t make such a pact. Because if another older boy thinks he can taunt Chrissy, then your little 7-year-old self won’t let them get away with it.

You didn’t end up getting in trouble because you were defending Chrissy, but Laura Cunningham did give you and your parents a stern scoff when she found out why Chrissy was being sent home. Laura’s opinion never mattered to you then, and in the future, it’ll matter even less - as long as you have Chrissy, you have the world.

You never expected to lose her.

1986. Senior Year.

You catch Dustin and Mike exiting their Home Ec. class, their brows both draw at the sight of you storming down the corridor. Each boy winds themself to either side of you.

“Should I ask what’s bitten you in the ass today?” Mike barely gets the question out before you’re groaning.

“Fuckin’ Cunningham just tried inviting me to prom right after I said how shitty it is that her friends do that,” you feel the stares shot your way as you rant but you can’t bring yourself to care, “Like, I know we’re not friends anymore but does she think I’m stupid?”

“Yeah, that’s real shitty,” Dustin hesitates in patting your back but does so anyway, “Maybe she was being serious, though.”

“Right,” you nod sarcastically, lugging open the heavy theater door, “she suddenly wants to talk to me out of the kindness of her heart.”

“Maybe,” Dustin, ever the ray of sunshine, grins optimistically, “it’s never too late to rekindle a friendship.”

“When the one trying to rekindle it just stood by while literally all her friends and boyfriend spread the rumor that I- “

“Okay, okay,” Dustin relents, “she thinks you’re stupid.”

“Not the point, Henderson,” you glare at the boy’s back as he makes his way to the table.

“That’s all I got from it,” Mike shrugs and you step on the back of his shoe as he walks.

Immature? Yes. Satisfying? Also yes.

“I hope you’re all ready,” Eddie calls out, chin resting on his joined hands and lips stretched into a sinister smile, “I’m ready to beat your asses.”

…

Usually, as Chrissy was at her locker, there would be hands flying to her waist and a quick outburst of “Boo!” and then she’d turn and sigh and bat at her boyfriend’s chest. Not today, though. Probably not for a long while.

A fight occurred right before Jason had to go in for Sunday service and the two haven’t spoken since. She hadn’t told anybody why the fight started and as far as she was concerned, nobody had to know - all they knew was that her and Jason were no longer on speaking terms.

That was part of the reason she was in the predicament she bore like a cross.

She misses you, though, and this is her last chance to make up for everything she’s done - and for all the things she didn’t do.

Chrissy creeps down the winding halls until she’s upon the door to Hellfire and sees it crooked open - laughs and hollers ring through the crack and she feels strangely welcomed before she even enters. Walking in, she sees you first. You’re sitting between the two freshmen that follow you and Eddie around; your pen tap, tap, taps against a dark blue folder. Your eyes are so focused on the tabletop before you that when everyone else turns to her, you’re completely unaffected.

“Am I dead?” Grant whispers.

“If you’re dead, we’re all dead,” Gareth stares, wide-eyed, at Chrissy Cunningham in the doorway.

“Hi,” she shyly waves.

That makes you look up, and Chrissy finds a peculiar pleasure in being the reason your attention breaks away from the game.

“Can I… talk to you?” Chrissy gestures to you and then to the hall, “Please?”

Gareth, Grant, and Jeff all look at you as Eddie makes a teasing ‘ooo’. You kick Eddie in the shin before standing.

“I’ll get the door,” you take the handle and wait for Chrissy to exit.

She can just catch you glaring at the boys before the door shuts and you’re left standing before her, “Look, whatever this is - dare, pity, I don’t care. You don’t wanna go to prom with me, your status will plummet and we barely know each other.”

“It’s nothing like that,” she inhales sharply and her eyes flutter to you.

You’re hardened now, and she wants to soften this armor. She wants to know you again. She wants to dance together under the disco ball and not once does Jason cross her mind when she’s looking at you. Something inside her burns and that’s why she ran away. If she was with you - she’d tell you that she loved you and you’d leave because two girls in love was odd.

But to hell with those feelings, she just wants you back. She can’t have that if she isn’t truthful, so she worries her bottom lip between her teeth and looks away, “Well…”

“Yeah, I get it,” you cross your arms.

“There was a bet,” Chrissy admits and takes a step closer, brows pinching, “but I don’t care about that. I really do wanna go with you, I think it’d be fun.”

You squint at her, lips pressing, “What were the stakes?”

“If you became prom queen then Lily Pham will buy everyone lunch, if you don’t then Anne Mark will ask Eddie out.”

Instantly, you beam and she can’t wholly tell if it’s sarcasm or insanity, “Really?”

“Yeah,” she squeezes her eyes shut, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Whatever,” you sigh, but she can see the gears of your head turning. You’ve always thought things through, always been the head of the operation, and she always loved that about you. You nod to yourself, “I’ll bite. Get Pham to have the same stakes as Mark and I’ll help you.”

“But I don’t- “

“I’m not going unless I get to fuck with people and getting Eddie to publically embarrass one of the girls that harass us is an excellent way to fuck with people.”

Chrissy’s gaze drops to her feet - if she turns you down you two won’t reconnect, but if she accepts then there’s a good chance that you two can turn back before it’s too late. Before college and career opportunities sweep you both away and she’s left to wallow in the ruins of what could have been if she never left in the first place.

“Alright,” she breathes out a sigh and smiles, “Okay. I have a spare ticket for you… Can you come with us after Hellfire? For shopping,” you squint at the girl and she pouts, hands coming up to beg, “Please, it’ll be fun, I swear - we can catch up! You won’t even have to talk to the others, I promise!”

“If I say yes, will you let me go back to the campaign?”

“Yes.”

“Alright,” you nudge the theater room door open with your foot and hold it for Chrissy to enter, “C’mon, I need a pen.”

She follows after you, fidgeting hands and knocking knees, and waves to the boys at the table. A few wave back, but Eddie being Eddie stands up to greet Chrissy, he curtsies and takes her hand, a slow “Cunningham” flowing from his lips.

“Munson,” she copies with a curtsy of her own, grinning broadly, “How’s your new campaign?”

“Stressing this one out,” he drops Chrissy’s hand to pat your back, “Should’ve seen her, girl was almost ripping out her hair.”

“Wish I had,” she mumbles. Nobody has to know how much she means it or what she means by it.

You tear off the strip of paper you’d scribbled on and hold it out for Chrissy, a green chipped-polish nail pointing to the top string of information, “Address,” then the bottom string, “Phone number. When’re we leaving?”

“Six,” she looks up at you with wide, starry eyes and your gaze falls back to the paper in fear that you’d grow too attached to those eyes.

“Pick me up at a quarter till,” you know she hates it when people say that, so you smile as she huffs. You gently push Chrissy towards the door and lean in to murmur in her ear, “5:45, sweetpea.”

“I know what time that is,” she swats your arm, giggling.

“Then don’t be late,” you hang off the door when she’s standing in the hall. You have to remind yourself why she’s there, lest you get accustomed to seeing her again.

It’s just a bet that you’re helping with, but the way Chrissy beams at you makes all the pained memories worth it. Well, almost.

You wave her off and when you sit down, you have to smother down the remains of your stupid smile. You turn to Eddie and before he can tease you, you say, “Remind me on the way home to tell you about a bet.”

#chrissy cunningham #chrissy cunningham x reader #chrissy cunningham x you #chrissy cunningham fic #stranger things x you #stranger things fic #stranger things x reader #cheerleader x freak supremacy #but make it gay #wdyamo fic #chrissy.🍑

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mamathrifty · 9 months

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Does Girl Math Make Sense?

As summer rolls toward autumn and back to school is in full swing, I have been thinking a lot about money and spending.

I was reminded of a trend on TikTok when listening to my local news radio station's Noon Business Report. The trend is termed "Girl Math" and refers to how women can justify an expensive purchase.

I looked up the people mostly behind this trend. They are two men, Carl Fletcher, and Vaughan Smith, and one woman, Hayley Sproull. Their #girlmath episode is on TikTok. They are located in New Zealand, which is sporting a current 6% inflation rate. The USA is currently touting its 3.2% inflation rate.

The concept of Girl Math is simultaneously funny and disturbing. The humorousness of the basics is that it is irreverent in the face that some things are just too expensive for most consumers.

Consumer spending accounts for roughly 70% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Without consumers making purchases at any price level, our economy would devolve into an economic depression from which recovery would likely be impossible.

The term Girl Math is somewhat deprecating to women overall. The term brought to my mind the time when my male high school geometry teacher answered one of my queries with the statement, "Girls have trouble with geometry because they aren't logical." Granted, he would most likely have been reprimanded today, but it was the seventies. I was devastated despite the fact that the class was an Honors class and I had skipped a year of math instruction because I am an intelligent girl.

Women are still earning about 82% of what men earn. This is an overall gain from when I entered the workforce in the early eighties. However, it's mostly unchanged within the last 20 years. Discrimination still exists based on gender and perceived gender roles. Ageism affects women earlier than it does their male counterparts. Although, women may fare better as they become more senior than men.

There was a line from the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street when the character Donnie Azoff states, "I bought this tie for $300. You could have paid $800 for it at Barney’s, but I got a deal from this guy I know. He’s got a whole basement full of them. He’s got ties, he’s got suits, he’s got shoes, he’s got watches. He’s got everything."

Is that "Boy Math?" It's been said that a man will pay whatever the price is listed on something because he wants it. Women will buy two things they don't need but may want because they were on sale. I'm thinking it's because women are typically better at budgeting.

The basic tenets of "Girl Math" entail looking at money and purchases in a manner that can make a lot of sense. The one that makes the most sense is the number of times an item will be used or worn. The more you use things, the cheaper it becomes because you don't need to buy another thing or replace it. Quality is a great expenditure!

I find the concept of having paid for something, such as a concert, ahead of the event makes it essentially free to be blatantly untrue by any math. I still needed to come up with the money to pay for it. That doesn't qualify as free to me. I'm just not paying for it now, but I did pay for it previously.

Likewise, paying cash or from funds already in your Venmo account is equally not free. Plus, the only way you make money when taking advantage of a half-price sale is by putting the money saved into an investment account.

Purchases made with a gift card you received from someone else are 100% free to you. Be sure to thank the giver!

When you make a return or an exchange, you merely reallocate those funds to something else. You are never earning money on that item.

If an item costs less than $5, it is not basically free. I sure do understand that it can feel that way, though! Many things are low-expense items that may become a daily expenditure. You can think about a coffee or breakfast sandwich picked up on the way to work. This expense really adds up over time, though.

On the other hand, how many services are sold to us by corporations breaking down that expense into a cost per day, week, or month? Corporate marketing efforts have been focused on telling us just how affordable something is daily or monthly. It is really worth doing the math on these to determine the annual cost and whether this item provides enough value for us to add it to the budget.

Of course, our dinner tonight is basically free. We're going over to my sister's for pizza. She has a coupon for a free pizza. She'll be adding some toppings to it. We're bringing salad, which I bought for $4 a kit. I made up one bag. Since it's under $5, it's essentially free. I'm also bringing a bag of cookies. The bag of 18 cookies was $4.99; each cookie is $0.28. We will each have one, maybe two. That will make that cost range from $0.84 to $1.68, again free. So, a free dinner courtesy of #girlmath!

What do you think of Girl Math?

#girl math #money

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coochiequeens · 1 year

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Ladies, let’s reclaim cycling.

By Cara Eckholm

In the late 1880s, Victorian women became early adopters of the contemporary bicycle, and began to shed their corsets for bloomers. In 1896, American suffragette Susan B. Anthony wrote:

"I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammeled womanhood."

These early women cyclists helped cultivate the image of the “New Woman” — able to ride away from her household chores and oppression. Bike culture spawned a whole sartorial movement, chronicled through attractive ads of women in slick cycling gear.

But in today’s US cities, men cyclists vastly outnumber women. To fix the biking gender gap, we not only need better bike lane infrastructure but also to cultivate a new, aspirational image of the 21st century woman cyclist. On an e-bike, she carries her kids to school and rides on to work — and it’s cool, not an anomaly, that she’s doing it.

When it comes to biking, women are known as an “indicator species,” meaning the share of women cyclists is an indicator of whether a city is bike-friendly. In Copenhagen, where I spent my early twenties, women cyclists outnumber male cyclists, helping to popularize the term “cycle chic” to describe the local fashion aesthetic. I biked to work each morning in my suit and heels, and would pass mothers ferrying their toddlers to preschool in front-loaded cargo bikes. “The right to wind in your hair” became a calling card for an initiative to promote senior cycling.

By contrast, in US cities, male cyclists typically outnumber women cyclists two-to-one. That figure is even worse in my hometown, New York City: While biking to work has doubled in popularity over the last 10 years, the share of male-to-female commuters is stuck at a 3:1 ratio. These numbers are particularly striking given the affection many American women have for indoor cycling (women outnumber men on indoor bike trainers like Peloton.)

Why are US cities failing their female cyclists?

The answer is safety and social norms. After moving back to New York, I remember my first harrowing attempt to bike from Williamsburg to the Financial District, where I was working. I was berated by a driver who had parked in a bike lane, and had multiple near-death-by-car-door experiences. I was one of only a few women on the road as I dodged between cars and speeding men. When I finally arrived, I chained up my bike next to the Charging Bull, only to find it stolen by the evening.

Of course, safety concerns impact all genders, but research has found that women are more risk-averse in their decision of whether to bike. They have a right to be worried, according to Laura Fox, the former general manager of Citi Bike, the nation’s largest bike share program: One study showed that drivers are three times more likely to encroach on a female cyclist’s space than a male’s.

A key part of the solution is protected bike lanes, which are separated from cars by a physical barrier. A recent analysis of Citi Bike data found the installation of dedicated cycling infrastructure increased women’s cycling participation by an additional 4% to 6%. An even larger increase was observed on routes for which more than 80% of the mileage can be ridden on a protected path.

The good news is that there is finally funding for bike lane improvements. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the federal government has dedicated $5 billion for the “Safe Streets and Roads for All” program, which is accepting grant applications until July 10. Now cities need to do the work of applying for funds and convincing neighborhoods to give up parking spaces for protected lanes. With cash in hand, cities should accelerate their bike lane roll-outs, concentrating those lanes along clear commuting paths.

The installation of new infrastructure should have a catalytic safety effect: Women tend to be slower bikers, and the more women bike, the more other diverse groups feel comfortable taking to the road. An effective and inclusive bike program has more clunky frames than 21-gear models, more riders donning work clothing than spandex.

Still, infrastructure alone won’t solve biking’s gender gap. Research has found that women tend to make more trips for household support activities than men — and that many women feel it is impossible to transport children or groceries by bike. (Cities like Portland have tried to address the issue by offering things like a “Shopping by Bike class.”) Women also tend to harbor concerns about how biking to work might impact workplace appearance.

The e-bike revolution could help in that process. The US e-bike market blossomed by 240% between 2020 and 2021, and is expected to keep growing as states pass e-bike tax rebates, similar to the federal rebate offered for electric vehicles. E-bikes eliminate much of the physical stress associated with biking, making it possible to carry cargo like children, and travel long distances without getting drenched in sweat. Even the Amish have caught on, with some choosing solar-powered e-bikes instead of horse-drawn-buggies for shopping trips.

E-bike companies have started to make sexy ads rivaling those in the car industry, but they still largely focus on selling to men, who today comprise the majority of e-bike ridership. Instead of a chiseled man in a suit weaving through traffic, I want to see a woman in a shift dress, riding calmly and carefully, removing her helmet to reveal alluring, tousled hair, as she steps into the store or the office. More “road models” like Beyoncé, who made headlines in 2013 when she commuted by bike to the Barclays Center for one of her performances.

Some 150 years ago, bikes freed the suffragettes from the hoop skirt. Earlier this month, David Byrne — the former frontman of the Talking Heads and a staunch bike lane advocate — arrived on a titanium bike at the Met Gala in a crisp white jacket. Meanwhile, a motorcade of luxury vehicles was caught behind a line of climate protesters, delaying celebrities like Paris Hilton, with their bedazzled outfits. Perhaps next year, some women will consider biking. I am willing to bike in heels and haute couture, if anyone wants to offer me a spare ticket.

Cara Eckholm is a Fellow at the Jacobs Urban Technology Hub at Cornell Tech. She is a bike commuter, formerly in Copenhagen, and now in New York City.

#Women and cycling #Safe Streets and Roads for All #The right to wind in your hair

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mostlysignssomeportents · 2 years

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A dark money group is lying about Medicare cuts

The “American Prosperity Alliance” does not exist, except as an anonymously controlled bank account that has paid for the production and dissemination of a slick ad that spreads the falsehood that the Democrats have cut $300b from Medicare:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xCep6NvbhE

Let me repeat: this is a lie. What “American Prosperity Alliance” is talking about here is a provision in the bill that allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices, rather than simply paying whatever Big Pharma wants to charge. This practice is why Americans pay more for their drugs than, say, Canadians:

https://personalimportation.org/dramatic-drug-price-differences-canada-vs-us/

To be clear: the new bill will curb the eye-water public price-gouging that Big Pharma enjoys, and halt the transfer of $300b in public money to pharma companies’ shareholders, by allowing Medicare to bargain to get prices similar to those paid by other governments in countries like Australia, Canada, and the UK.

There is no universe in which this a $300b cut to Medicare. It’s like the Dems have pledged to halt $300b in fraud and the American Prosperity Alliance went to the country’s elderly and sick and screamed: “They’re cutting your benefits!” In fact, it’s not like that — it is that.

Who the fuck are the American Prosperity Alliance? No one knows. They’re a dark money group. Their website consists of a link to their deceptive ad, a form to sign up for their mailing list…and nothing else.

https://prosperityalliance.org/

As Lou Jacobson writes for Politifact/Kaiser Health News, this is just the latest version of a torrent of dark money disinformation that makes this claim.

https://khn.org/news/article/senate-reconciliation-bill-300-billion-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-fact-check/

For example, the West Virginia TV ad from the Center for Innovation and Free Enterprise (CIFE) in which an elderly woman was literally condemned to die by her doctor, who explained that it was all because the Democrats were going to negotiate drug prices:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/drug-companies-trying-to-scare-seniors-democratic-economic-plan_n_62ec6823e4b09fecea4c8dbb?9t

(CIFE claims to be for “free markets,” which, apparently, is a system whereby a cartel of multinationals who rely on government-issued monopolies — AKA ‘patents’ — get to demand literally any sum from the federal government and are assured of receiving it.)

As Kevin Robillard and Jonathan Cohn wrote for Huffpost, similar claims came from “America Next,” “American Commitment,” and “The 60-Plus Association” (which is like a far-right prepper version of the AARP). All of them have historically taken money from Phrma, the lobby group for Big Pharma.

The disinformation would be laughable if it wasn’t so depraved. Telling old people that giving Medicare an extra $300b to spend on patients is a $300b cut to care is straight-up lying — and thanks to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, the dark money cowards funding the American Prosperity Alliance get to lurk in the shadows. If they’re so committed to “American Prosperity,” why do they need to disguise their identities? Is it that they are planning a big reveal later that we’ll all be delighted by and they just don’t want to spoil the surprise?

The irony here is that the Medicare spending curbs in the Inflation Reduction Act are incredibly weaksauce, barely denting pharma’s profiteering. As Thomas Neuburger writes, this only kicks in as of 2026, and it only affects ten drugs.

https://neuburger.substack.com/p/the-ira-drug-price-victory

Neuburger is citing a summary from The Hill, which adds that this provision only applies to drugs that are have been around for at least nine years (13 years for biologics):

https://thehill.com/homenews/3592694-heres-whats-in-the-inflation-reduction-act-the-sweeping-health-and-climate-bill-passed-sunday/

The number of affected drugs climbs to 20 after another five years. That means that, starting in a decade, Medicare will be able to negotiate prices on 20 drugs — out of 20,000. This plan won’t bring down the prices of the most notoriously jacked-up medicine, including insulin, Eliquis, and Humira, a drug that was repeatedly re-patented through useless “formulation changes” that were designed by McKinsey, who designed a program that gave away Iphones to Abbvie scientists who came up with useless molecular changes as part of a perpetual patent scheme:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/11/25/strikesgiving/#cool-story-pharma-bro

In other words, Big Pharma has given up almost nothing in this bill, and they are still running around, lying their heads off like they had just been nationalized by Party Secretary Biden and had all their top scientists sent north to work on re-education farms.

Image: Grumpy Puddin (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/grumpy-puddin/5161819684

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

[Image ID: A cigar-chomping plutocrat in a tuxedo and tophat is wielding a marionette; he is wearing a domino mask; the marionette's head is a television; the television is displaying a framegrab from the American Prosperity Alliance's deceptive ad, falsely claiming that $300b will be cut from Medicare, superimposed over the heads of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. There is a purple 'supernova' flare effect behind the television. The figure is posed against a background of white pills.]

#pluralistic

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nodynasty4us · 6 months

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Why Do People Say the Economy Sucks?

From the November 23, 2023 item:

Wages are way up but people remember what eggs used to cost and what they cost now. They don't remember what they were earning in 2019 back when eggs were "cheap." In recent months, wage gains have been more than inflation, but only government labor statisticians know this. It is a closely held state secret. ... Another issue is interest rates. They are way up as a result of the Fed's program for trying to curb inflation. This affects different people differently. Borrowers don't like it. Savers and seniors living on the interest from their bank accounts do. But there are more borrowers than savers, so high interest rates are not popular. ... People's actual spending habits belie what they are telling pollsters about the economy. When people are actually pessimistic about the future, they spend less and save more. Data show that people are spending like crazy, not saving. This says that they are largely optimistic in their outlook about the future, despite what they say.

#economy #everybody

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myjunkisyuzuruhanyu · 1 year

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So I guess this is more for after US Nats are over and not just post-SP and I saw your tweets on twitter on how Nats scores are always inflated (all Nats not just US, though that means Shoma still has highest international SP score of the season!) but can affect things internationally but I might forget if I wait so... thoughts on how Worlds will go? Shoma still wins assuming he doesn't completely bomb, right?

Sorry for being late with a reply...

Shoma should win based on his technical content and PCS and experience. He posted the highest international SP, FS and total scores with quite a margin and not even the full BV content he is capable of. If he doesn't make huge mistakes he should win. If he performs clean no matter what other skaters deliver he is unbeatable, but ice is slippery we should not forget that. Only Ilia has the technical ability to surpass Shoma, but he doesn't have the PCS yet to win on his technical content alone. If Shoma however makes mistakes ofc the door for Ilia is wide open. I don't think though that even with mistakes Shoma would fall off podium, the competition is not as strong technically with Yuzu, Yuma and Nathan not competing.

I think Shoma and Ilia for Gold and Silver, with Shoma being more in favor for Gold than Ilia. Barring major mistakes from both of them they should be place 1 and 2. The Bronze is up for grabs. Could be Sota or Kazuki if they perform well. Could be Adam Siao Him Fa if he can keep his momentum and skates two good programs. I would not count out chances for Junhwan Cha or even Jason Brown depending on how clean the quadsters will perform. In the end competitions hardly go the way past results showed. The Bronze medal really can be anyone's depending on how the competition goes. These are all speculations based on the technical abilities of the skaters and the season...let's wait and see. I personally would love to see Jun or/and Kazuki medal, but who knows...

Even if I think that everything is in Shoma's favor, Ilia is not to be underestimated. He may not receive the same kind of inflation he got at US Nats but there is still politicking and USFS is not to be underestimated in the political game either. However the way Ilia was judged throughout the season internationally it gives me hope that the PCS between Shoma and Ilia will show a significant gap especially in the free skate. (I am not even sure if having Jason Brown at the competition is a favor for Ilia as Jason should and will get better PCS than Ilia and as they are from the same country it might affect how things are judged.)

Shoma has also one thing what is beneficial to him. His experience at high stake competitions. Ilia as we could see at last Worlds or at GPF and especially at US Nationals showed that he may falter if expectations are too high. It's not to be underestimated how pressure can affect a skater. Shoma experienced this himself but he is beyond that point, Ilia however is just at the start of his senior career. Let's see how he can handle the pressure. Btw I also think Ilia's free skate at US Nats did more harm than helped him to gain momentum as this last performance is what is on the mind of ppl judging and Ilia himself. It did not tell the tale "this is your next world champ". But ofc maybe Ilia surprises us all with a clean 7 quad free program and wins. I just doubt it...

I get carried away...not sure if this is helpful or confusing....

#shoma uno #ilia malinin #figure skating #worlds 2023 #saitama 2023 #replies

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mariacallous · 2 years

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Senators Chuck Schumer and Joe Manchin shocked Washington on July 27 by announcing that they had reached a deal on a climate bill. Dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the bill includes $369 billion in spending on climate action. If passed, it would be the most important climate legislation in U.S. history and would be a key step toward the United States achieving the emissions reduction goal that U.S. President Joe Biden presented at the Glasgow climate summit in November 2021.

As you would expect, the bill has been getting a ton of attention, some of it frustratingly misleading. It represents a compromise designed to get all 50 Democratic senators on board and includes some provisions intended to be helpful to fossil fuel producers. Most notably, it requires the U.S. Department of the Interior to lease 2 million acres in federal lands onshore and 60 million acres offshore each year for oil and gas development (or whatever acreage the industry requests, whichever is smaller). These quotas must be met to allow federal leasing for onshore and offshore renewables development, respectively.

Climate benefits vastly outweigh oil and gas leasing

There is a certain irony in pairing new oil and gas development – a key cause of climate change – with development of renewable energy – a key solution. And as you might expect, some in the environmental movement are howling. “It’s self-defeating to handcuff renewable energy development to massive new oil and gas extraction,” said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, also calling the bill “a climate suicide pact.” In an online statement, a senior scientist at 350.org called the bill a “sham” and said that it “contained so many giveaways to the fossil fuel industry” that it “turns all of the gains in addressing the climate crisis into a moot point.”

But many other environmentalists and clean energy proponents are praising the bill, and the numbers support their praise. Analysis from Energy Innovation shows that for every one ton of expected emissions from the bill’s fossil fuel provisions, the bill will result in 24 tons of emissions reductions. That’s a huge net positive! A reason for the large reduction in emissions is that the bill contains provisions affecting every major emitting sector in the economy – transportation, electricity generation, industry, homes and buildings, and agriculture. There’s something for everyone, and the broad scope of the bill brings large emissions reductions.

Harnessing the power of consumer demand

Another reason for the large net positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions is less obvious, but very important. The bill aims to reduce fossil fuel demand by providing tax credits and rebates for consumers that purchase electric vehicles and energy efficient appliances, for utilities and developers that build renewable electricity and electricity storage, and for companies that build efficient factories or efficient products. Reducing fossil fuel demand is the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What about the fossil fuel production that the bill also seems to encourage? Well, there’s no guarantee that those acres will actually be leased if the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want them, nor that leased acres will ever actually deliver oil and gas. The oil and gas companies will make those decisions based on… wait for it… consumer demand.

The fossil fuel demand-reducing portions of the bill work at cross purposes with the fossil fuel leasing provisions. It’s an odd way to write legislation, but if that’s what it takes to pass the most important climate bill ever, so be it. As I’ve written before, ending U.S. oil and gas production is not the way to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The world has plenty of oil and gas (even though it doesn’t feel that way right now) and the United States will import whatever it doesn’t produce, perhaps from countries with lower environmental standards and higher greenhouse gas emissions profiles than our own. Fighting fossil fuel demand is the way to lower emissions, and this bill does just that.

Not perfect, but a good step

The bill is not perfect — legislation never is. Without Republican votes, the bill must be passed through the budget reconciliation process, which means that the bill cannot make substantive changes in law that do not have a budgetary affect. Thus, the provisions are all tax credits, fees, rebates, and the like — financial incentives to reduce emissions. The reconciliation process does not allow for direct regulation of emissions, since such regulation would not significantly involve the federal budget. And the bill entirely avoids the idea of a fee or tax for carbon dioxide emissions, a policy that prominent economists agree would be the most economically efficient way to achieve emissions reductions.

Nevertheless, we can’t let perfect be the enemy of good, and this bill is unquestionably good. I believe the fossil fuel demand reductions that the bill would bring about vastly outweigh the provisions encouraging production, and that the industry may never drill much of the land that might be leased. (Remember that there are more than 9,000 drilling permits on public lands today that are not being used, representing nearly 12 million onshore acres.) Passing this bill would be a huge win for our climate.

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bighermie · 1 year

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1 in 7 Seniors Skipped Meals Due to Inflation Burden: Survey

1 in 7 Seniors Skipped Meals Due to Inflation Burden: Survey https://link.theepochtimes.com/mkt_app/1-in-7-seniors-skipped-meals-due-to-inflation-burden-survey_4903955.html?utm_source=andshare

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thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai · 1 year

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Four Continents 2023 recap

I was super hyped for 4CC this year as many of my faves were competing there throughout the disciplines, and as so often, I discovered a bunch of new athletes to follow. As the events took place while it was night in my timezone, I watched the entire competition over the course of last week.

It was also the toughest competition I've seen so far since I started watching figure skating in the 2021/2022 season, but more of this at the end of this post.

Men

The men are always a bit chaotic, but this time, the high altitude was an additional wild card in their event.

Seeing Keegan on the podium was one of my personal highlights! He did so well, and I love how his programmes reflect his joyful personality. The free skating tugged at my heartstrings, not only the programme itself but also the interaction with the audience. That this season is his farewell tour has never been so obvious to me than at 4CC (I couldn't watch Canadian Nationals, but from what I heard it was super emotional).

Also very happy for Kao and Shun to make it to the podium as they continued the success they had so far this season. The height and length of Kao's jumps never cease to amaze me.

I was so happy that Jin Boyang and Jimmy Ma participated as they're always a joy to watch, and so I was super annoyed I missed their free programmes as by the time I got to watch the final group, the live stream was geoblocked and my VPN failed me. I consider myself lucky that I found videos of the other four skaters in that group.

I had wished for cleaner performances for Jun-hwan and Koshiro, but apart from skaters having good and bad days, they seemed to struggle because of the altitude (like so many others).

Some skaters I liked but haven't seen before/didn't pay attention to:

Mikhail Shaidorov: That Carmina Burana free programme was a blast. Hope to see more of him in the future!

Si-hyeong Lee: beautiful skating. So far, his gala programme was more present in my mind than his competitive programmes, but this won't happen again.

That Kazakh skater with the Otabek cosplay

Douglas Gerber of New Zealand: He clearly fought his way through his performances, and I blame this on the altitude, but it was refreshing to see him giving a shit and just being happy to be there and being silly on the kiss & cry. And gosh, those fingernails!

Women

I really felt for Isabeau because she had to withdraw from the free skating. Same for Sofia. I enjoyed her short programme.

Amber Glenn's short programme was exciting (and the costume is just wow). I felt for her when she couldn't keep this up in the free. I loved that she went for the 3A and didn't let the mistakes affect the quality of her skating.

Bradie Tennell continued her comeback with a season's best (Nationals not included as those scores were inflated). Her skating has so much power and her fighting spirit continues to impress me. Although she made a few mistakes, her Climate Change programmes once more gave me goosebumps in the most positive way.

I loved Tzu-Han Ting! She's just lovely to watch. And Tara, oh boy! She improved so much since the last 4CC! And she has so much strength! I hope to see more of her in the future.

Madeline didn't have her best skate here, but that said, I'm a fan of her Black Swan programme. She is just so good at portraying it with all the drama and bitch energy I attribute to the role. I was impressed with how she kept herself together despite the mistakes and stayed in the role. (I secretly hope she keeps the programme for next season.)

The Japanese and the Korean ladies all were magnificent. I'm absolutely in love with Hana's Star Wars programme and I can't wait to see her compete fully in seniors. Mone's skating enchanted me. It's the second time I've seen her skating at all, and I hope to see more of her in the future. She has the most beautiful step sequences, and I was happy to see her on the podium!

Also, I was super happy for Yelim and Haein. Their podium spots were well deserved. To me, they had their best skates of the season here at 4CC and their beautiful skating was sublime.

Pairs

Miura/Kihara are the reason I watch pairs as they are the only team I connect with emotionally. They looked nervous and I was worried as Riuichi collapsed at the end of the free programme, but I'm glad they continued their winning streak despite mistakes.

That said, I also started rooting for Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps, mostly as I regard Deanna as a great inspiration for women of my age. And her portrayal of Cleopatra has so much queen energy, I love it!

Ice Dance

I mostly watched ice dance because of Chock/Bates and the Japanese teams. While C/B's short preparation time for the season still shines through in their rhythm dance, their free dance was superb. I almost enjoyed it more than their alien free dance from last season.

There were unusually many falls this time, at least I haven't seen so many ice dancers struggle before, and I blame it on the altitude. I felt particularly for Kanadai. Their free dance started off so amazing and to me, it looked as if they worked hard to improve their performance, but somewhere in the second half things went downhill as the mountain air took its toll, and, oh dear, this was tough to watch.

As much as I enjoyed seeing so many skaters debuting, achieving new personal bests, or just skating beautifully, I wasn't happy with the event being held at a high-altitude venue as it puts the athletes' health in jeopardy. It was like I was watching Hunger Games on Ice. Watching physically fit athletes struggle through their programmes and/or collapse on the ice at the end was hard. Knowing that some had to withdraw because the altitude made them sick when they had been preparing and looking forward to competing angered me. The same goes for losing points due to running out of energy halfway through the programme. The results would have looked different when the competition had been held at a reasonable altitude. I hope the ISU takes these things into consideration in the future and chooses other venues or makes arrangements for the athletes to arrive earlier to get used to the altitude.

#figure skating #four continents 2023 #hunger games on ice #4cc 2023

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