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egenvs3000w24 · 3 months

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5. Sustainability!

When I first found out we had no blog post prompt this week my immediate reaction was to panic. I am someone who absolutely loves structure and knowing the subject of the task I have to complete so being able to write about anything was something that kind of threw me for a loop. I ended up deciding that I wanted to talk about sustainability.

Sustainability has been something near and dear to my heart for honestly as long as I can remember. I credit a lot of that to my grandma, who instilled the importance of protecting and preserving our planet from a very young age. I remember her teaching me what could be recycled and how to clean things properly, as well as teaching me how composting was not only great for avoiding throwing food waste in the garbage, but also super helpful for gardening. I’ve also always found sorting and cleaning things quite relaxing which I will say also probably contributed to why I enjoyed it.

Fast forward into high school and I was really starting to get more interested in sustainability. I remember reading into the implications of anthropogenic change on habitat destruction and climate change and being really motivated to change my actions to help reduce this. I became really into avoiding single use items, like plastic bags, saran wrap, and straws, and replacing them with alternatives like beeswax wraps, reusable containers, and metal straws. It was such a simple change yet so gratifying. I was also lucky enough that I lived close enough to walk to and from school every day, avoiding using transportation which would contribute to my carbon footprint. I think the biggest change I made in high school was becoming mostly vegan ( with exceptions to bee products and fish which my family would catch). I also began to engage with sustainability on a political scale, attending a bunch of Fridays for futures! At this point I also really started to realize I had a passion for sharing sustainability with others and thinking of it in a career aspect.

Now fast forward to university. I’ve really made an effort to live my most sustainable life possible. I am vegan diet wise ( I still use bee products like beeswax wraps and lip balm which family friends that own an apiary make, shoutout Honey Pie Hives and Herbals in Prince Edward County). I avoid single use as much as possible. I use reusable containers, my straws, wraps, and reusable grocery/ produce bags all the time, and make an effort to shop at more sustainable stores to get food (mainly the farmers market as much as I can). I use public transport if I go anywhere, I can’t walk to. I also got a job where I can share sustainability with others! I am the RA-LLC for Eco House, which is an on-campus residence community dedicated for students who want to engage with sustainability and environmental related topics/ conversations. I get to help facilitate conversations about environmental and social issues and share knowledge and resources with students on how to engage with and live more sustainable lifestyles! I also volunteer for the sustainable residence committee, which is a committee for students living in residence to have conversations and share knowledge about sustainability with like-minded individuals, whilst planning and running iniatives relating to sustainability for residence students! I find both of these experiences to bring me a lot of joy, and to encourage me to continuously learn more and keep living this lifestyle.

I know I wrote a lot but its because I am genuinely so passionate about it. For those of you who might be interested in checking out your own carbon footprint, theres a really cool tool called carbon-calculator which can tell you, and let you know what you’re doing that’s really good and areas where you can approve! ( mine was 1.3 tons CO2e)

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mamabearwonders · 26 days

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I took a break from my communities in person & Tumblr - just the grief.

But I need the love of my communities right now. So I signed up for EVERYTHING! I'm also job searching for a part-time job that accommodates an undiagnosed shitshow of symptoms. I'm keeping the fire alive to keep my friend family's spirits up.

Hopefully I won't just stay in bed on these days LOL, but I either do one thing or everything at once. So here we go. Signed up for:

*Trans joy event (TODAY) - it's like 6 am haven't slept yet - series of plays

*CPR/First Aid course (for nannying/babysitting/healthcare jobs

*Super cool nanny event/training with progressive beliefs like mine (I missed the lunch option by like a week, but I wanna try a new food spot in the area and branch out)

*Drug harm reduction training at an indigenous center

*Drug harm reduction (with the place I wanna volunteer at) at the library

*Earth Day clothing swap (you bring in a bag of clothes, then pick whatever clothes you want) - trying to also find an Earth Day clean up event

I also signed up for food stamps. Can't get unemployment, but oh well, I tried. Trying to figure out healthcare. Trying to figure out FAFSA- might go back to college for a bit. And my depression room is halfway clean so yay.

Yep. Signed up for all of those tonight. There's plenty more I'm looking into while i have my energy up. i need to go to more than just the thrift store (my second home).

Most of the events are disability friendly, POC friendly, LGBT friendly, neurodivergent friendly- so that makes me feel a LOT safer.

#Youtube

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luxekook · 4 years

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chapter two.

⇥ pairing: namjoon x reader; eventual bts/ot7 x reader

⇥ genre: college au with fluff, smut & angst

⇥ summary: a series in which the reader meets (and falls for) seven members of the Beta Tau Sigma (BTS) fraternity

⇥ word count: 2.3k

⇥ warnings: 18+, cursing, chaotic namjoon, power tools, hints of poly relationships, overall pretty smut free (who AM i???)

Chapter Two

Habitat for Humanity Worksite – 9:26am

When I signed up to volunteer Saturday morning of syllabus week, I should have known I would end up regretting it. I almost punted my alarm clock out of the apartment window this morning, but instead settled a slightly more civil action – punching the shit out of the ‘off’ button.

Don’t get me wrong: I love volunteering. It’s been part of my routine since sophomore year when I was recruited for the all-women’s service society on campus – the Alphites. As a society, us Alphites volunteer around campus and in our local community each week. There’s something about doing service together that really creates bonds, and the girls in the society have quickly become some of my closest friends.

We sign up to volunteer for a variety of different service projects each week, and Habitat is my current favorite project to sign up for. As a nonprofit organization, Habitat for Humanity helps families build and improve places to call home. Currently, our regional Habitat is working on building a house from the ground up for a local family in need.

Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form a very ‘handy’ person. Luckily for me, there are always a couple volunteers with construction or engineering backgrounds who are willing to teach other volunteers with less experience – or none, like me.

Since beginning to volunteer at the site last year, I have learned how to use a power saw, how to fasten siding, and how to mix, pour and level cement. It’s definitely empowering to learn new skills and also to see how my handiwork contributes to someone’s future home. I also feel lowkey badass when I get to use the power drill for anything.

Pulling up to the worksite, I clutch my cherished 24oz. Wawa coffee. I finally feel somewhat human as I park my beat-up Jeep Wrangler and hop out to meet the other volunteers for our task assignments.

The site leader Eddie – a burly retiree with a background in construction management – greets me with a huge grin, “(y/n)-doll, we missed you this summer! I can’t believe you abandoned us during the hottest months of the year.”

I roll my eyes, smiling at his teasing. Eddie’s like a teddy bear disguised as a grizzly – all rough edges and a heart of gold. “Missed you, too, Eddie.”

“Look at our progress now,” he continues, “Pretty impressive, yeah?” Nodding, I greet some regular volunteers I recognize as Eddie leads me around the house. He proceeds to show me what they had done over the summer in my absence – and they had done a lot. The house now had its full foundation and wooden framing with most of the doors and windows installed.

As we walk back to the front of the house to the main area, I sip my coffee and turn to Eddie, “So, what can I work on today, fearless leader?”

Letting out a patented ‘Eddie belly-laugh’, he replies, “I know you worked on the siding at our last site so I'm gonna have you work on where we started the siding on the right side of the house.”

Sweet, I could work with that. “Aye, aye, captain,” I respond with a lazy salute of my coffee cup. Before I can turn to start towards the scaffolding to begin, Eddie stops me.

“Oh, one more thing. I’m gonna need you to orient our new volunteer and let him shadow you today. Kid’s from the same school as you, I think… Mandatory service. Anyway, he should be here any minute.”

Shit, I know what ‘mandatory service’ means. It’s the first form of disciplinary action that the college issues and is usually the only form of disciplinary action for our athletes or for Greek life – a fact I actively resent. During my time in the Alphites, I have had to deal with some of these ‘mandatory service’ characters and they’ve never been much fun to be around.

“Ah, that’s probably him now,” Eddie startles me out of my thoughts of dread and doom as a black gleaming Tesla practically purrs down the block, swinging into the spot next to my Wrangler. Scowling, I cross my arms as I survey the stark contrast between this person’s shiny-ass luxury car and my dirty-ass well-loved Jeep.

The Tesla door opens. A Timberland booted foot emerges followed by a thick leg encased in light jeans, a tanned well-muscled arm…

No. Nope, it couldn’t be— Please, not today, Satan.

He stands with his back to us now, stretching out his large body. In only a cutoff t-shirt, his rippling back muscles might be enough to send me into an early grave.

I sigh in bitter defeat of the inevitable. Seriously, the fucking universe must have it out for me because I can’t seem to shake this stupid fucking fraternity.

As if the boy feels my eyes on him, he turns. His eyes immediately clash with mine as he slams his car door, clicking the lock over his shoulder. Those eyes – golden brown beneath dark brows and a wave of bleached blonde hair. Their focus is absolute – hard – as he strolls towards us. It’s almost as if he knows the maddening effect that he has on me.

I think Eddie is speaking, but my senses are on lockdown, his words muted. My thighs tighten as my pulse picks up. Get a fucking grip, (y/n). I can’t let him know that just one look from him has me thirsty and oxygen-deprived. I can’t look away – that would be succumbing to weakness.

Instead, I hold his heated gaze as best I can as his confident gait brings him closer. God, he’s got to be at least 6 foot...

The goddamn president of BTS Kim Namjoon is getting closer and I can’t help running my eyes over him.

His thighs flex and shift beneath his jeans with every calculated step. His abs are apparent under his tight cutoff shirt emblazoned with his fraternity letters.

Namjoon stops in front of us, hands stuffed into his back pockets, biceps flexing. “Nice to finally meet you, Eddie,” Namjoon takes his eyes off me long enough to greet Eddie and shake his hand, but then they’re right back on me, “Hi, (y/n).”

He drags out my name in a such a sinful way that even old Eddie does a slight doubletake. Clearing his throat unnecessarily loudly, Eddie booms, “You two know each other?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Our differing replies sound at the same time.

“Yes,” Namjoon repeats, lips turning up in an infuriating smile, “We have several mutual friends that she’s met a couple times now. Want me to jog your memory? I’d be more than happy to do so.”

Eddie takes one look at my face and hustles off, mumbling something about support beams. I guess my inner thoughts of ‘kill, maim, slaughter’ could easily be read from my facial expression.

Namjoon opens his mouth to speak again, but I’m faster, “Listen, Kim, I don’t know who you think you are, and, quite frankly, I don’t care. What I do care about is this house and these people working on it. Don’t fuck this up for me, okay? Let’s just get through today and then you can go back to ordering around your brothers and causing general mayhem.”

I’m feeling pretty proud of my little soliloquy until I realize he’s still smiling with those blasted dimples out in full display. No, his smile has grown even wider now as he simply answers, “The semester.”

My nose crinkles in confusion, “What?”

“The semester,” he repeats, “I’m assigned here every Saturday for the rest of the semester.”

I stare at him.

He smirks back.

I stare.

His smirk begins to fade, “Uh, did you hear me?”

I stare.

“Okay, you’re creeping me out now, (y/n),” Namjoon waves his giant paw of a hand in front of my face, “How many fingers?”

I break out of my trance of denial and hiss, “What did you do? Double homicide? Serial arson? Oh my god, you were the one who blew up the science lab!”

His hand covers my mouth – it’s rough and warm and entirely disarming.

“You have quite the imagination, jagi. I’ll keep that in mind,” Namjoon chuckles, “To answer your question, I did none of the above. Now, answer a couple questions of mine: what did you do to get here and – more importantly – why did you distract Jungkook from doing his fucking job on Monday?”

I glare in response, waiting for him to remove his hand from my mouth. He takes too long, and I lick his palm. It works. He removes his hand, but from the look on his face it seems like he liked my tongue on his skin entirely too much.

Thankfully, Eddie chooses the perfect moment to yell across the site, “What are you doing just standing there, (y/n)-doll? I don’t pay you to just loiter around all day!”

“You don’t pay me at all!” I yell back, already moving towards the trailer with all the supplies to get started. Namjoon follows.

“(y/n)-doll?” his eyebrows are raised as I hand him a pair of the biggest gloves I could find, “What’s up with that?”

Taking a pair of smaller gloves for myself, I turn to look for some hammers and nails as I respond, “I’ve been here a while. He’s like my honorary grandfather at this point.”

I spot the hammers and nails tucked away on the highest corner shelf and I huff. Namjoon follows my gaze, “Need a strong, intelligent, tall young man to grab those for you?”

He’s impossible, but for some reason it draws a small smile to my face, “Yes, that’d be great.”

The smile I receive in response is so bright I wonder if it could make flowers grow, “Okay, but only if answer my questions, (y/n).”

I shrug, trying not to notice how his cutoff shirt rises as he stretches to reach the upper shelf. I catch a sudden glimpse of his abs, and I praise every god out there that hot weather can be blamed for my sudden onset of sweat.

Clearing my throat, I laugh lightly, “Fine, first of all, I didn’t ‘distract’ Jeon. I just had a temporary lapse in judgement. Besides, he came to me all on his own.” His back muscles tense up at my words, but I continue, “And second of all, there’s no juicy story of how I got here. I just volunteer here every Saturday for the Alphites.”

The sound of a hammer hitting the floor startles me as he whirls around, “You’re an Alphite?”

Namjoon’s tone is one of disbelief and it’s a tone I do not appreciate, “Yes, why is that so hard to believe?” My arms cross defensively, “I’ve been a sister since my sophomore year...”

I trail off. He’s still gawking at me ridiculously. Narrowing my eyes, I stride across the trailer and grab his chin, closing his mouth for him, “Watch out, Kim, you’re gonna catch flies.”

Spinning on my heels, I sashay out of the trailer, nose held high in the air and satisfaction held even higher. He’ll catch up. After all, he’s basically supposed to be my bitch today.

I climb up the scaffolding next to the house’s right side and assess the siding work that has already been started. It looks pretty solid and level. I should have no issue with continuing without having to make any initial corrections.

The sound of a bucket of nails hitting the top platform I’m sitting on alerts me of Namjoon’s impending presence. Saving the bucket from teetering over the edge – a safety hazard for sure – I watch amusedly as Namjoon struggles stay upright and climb up to where I am on the scaffolding. Finally, he plops down next to me – entirely too close. I can feel his stare on my skin as I steadfastly ignore him.

“Hey, jagi,” he pokes my arm, “(y/n), listen, you just caught me off guard. I mean, you don’t seem like the type to be an Alphite – that’s all.”

Fury curls up inside me for the umpteenth time that morning, as I turn to face Namjoon with a sickly-sweet smile that has him flinching back, “Then do tell, Namjoon, what type I seem to be?”

I pick up the hammer closest to me and dip a hand into the nail bucket. The sooner this siding got done, the sooner I could haul ass out of here.

“I feel like that’s a trick question,” Namjoon sighs, rubbing a hand over his chin, “I didn’t mean anything bad by it, okay? I guess I just have always thought that your society was a bunch of mom-types—”

I cut him off with a swing of my hammer in the air, “What’s wrong with mom-types, you uncultured swine? And is serving your community really such a ‘mom’ thing to do? I’m sorry. I must have missed that memo. Here I was thinking that it was public service but go off I guess.”

He blinks, “Did you just call me an ‘uncultured swine’?”

I sniff in indignation, “Get with the times, Kim. I just roasted your ass. Now hand me that piece of siding and make yourself useful.”

“You’re so weird,” Namjoon mutters, sliding my request over to me.

“So what?” I shrug, “All the best people are weird. Now, do me a solid and explain to me why you and your ‘brothers’ keep suspiciously popping up everywhere I go.”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” he grins, “We’re interested.”

“What does that even mean? That you’re interested?” I wrack my brain, “As in all seven of you fuckers?”

“It means, jagi,” Namjoon pauses, leaning closer, “It means that we’re going to date the shit out of you.”

a/n: i love namjoon. that is all.

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musewrangler · 3 years

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One shot I did a while back in my Empire Reimagined Verse. Commander Fox leads General Veers’ security detail in my work post Jedi. Putting it here in honor of Commander Fox Week.

Prompt: Day 1–Loyalty

“What do you mean ‘nowhere’?” Fox clipped in very frosty tones indeed.

Goolsby visibly gulped as Fox moved the medic’s hand away impatiently while they tried to finish spraying bacta on the head wound.

“Sir, I’ve searched the area personally and deployed our men. I am prepared to go further, Commander, but I’m aware we’re on a time crunch, sir.”

Yes they were, kriff everything in the galaxy.

And here Fox was, as useless a runyip, having utterly no karking clue where his General was.

The action had been largely successful, but this was intended to be a swift strike. In, cause devastation, and out. The enemy would regroup-- and in larger numbers-- if they stayed.

This was the ‘loosening up’ action as Veers referred to it. A series of attacks on the planets and outposts within shouting distance of Nal Hutta. Make the Hutts nervous and unsettled--unsure of where the next attack might come.

What they did not need was to lose a kriffing General in the midst of all this. Fox had been right next to him, damn it! And then the karking denton had gone off and knocked him out.

And apparently in the fifteen minutes that Fox had been unconscious, they lost their General.

“Any of our speeder scouts that are still planetside, send out in the wide perimeter. Tell them they have twenty minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” Goolsby didn’t waste time and Fox was appreciative. The kid was getting there and he knew that the clone commander hated unnecessary dithering.

He rose to his feet over the protests of the medic and made his way to Travis. “Sir,” he saluted. “We are unable to locate General Veers. I have men looking now, sir but….”

Travis’s normally pleasant face became hard.

“What happened?”

“Not sure, sir. I was with him when a deton exploded. I can’t give you more information than that, Colonel.”

“Force damn it,” Travis said softly. “We have to be off planet in…” he consulted his datapad. “...43 minutes, Commander.”

“Yes, sir. I volunteer to lead a party to stay behind, sir.”

“Fox…” Travis rubbed a hand over his sweaty face. The fighting had been intense, and while successful, it had taken a toll. “We can’t leave anyone behind here.”

“Agreed, Colonel,” Fox said stubbornly. “I assume that particularly includes the senior General.”

Travis stared at him, then nodded. “Ok. I have to continue coordinating our efforts to depart. Comm the Admiral and get his permission. And….good luck.”

Fox saluted and ducked into the communications tent for some privacy. This holo call would not be easy.

“Commander.” Piett’s life size blue form flickered into being before him.

Fox took a breath. “Admiral. I am sorry to report that General Veers is missing. We are executing a broad search but so far have not turned up anything useful.”

A beat.

“Was he captured? Or injured?” Piett asked, mask firmly in place, but Fox knew what this news meant to the Admiral.

“Unknown, sir. I think it unlikely he was captured, sir, given where we were on the battlefield and the enemy were in retreat, sir. But given that we cannot raise his commlink or find him I am concerned that he is not conscious.”

Piett compressed his lips. “I could have a shuttle ready…”

Both of them knew he couldn’t. Fox said it for him.

“Sir. You have to withdraw---those are our orders from High Command.”

The Admiral closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them, it was the man, not the officer.

“He wouldn’t leave me, Fox….”

“I am fully aware of that, Admiral. Which is why I’m requesting that I stay to look for him on your behalf.”

And mine, his traitorous brain whispered.

Piett gazed at him for several seconds.

“Very well. Stay in contact, Commander. Anything, the smallest detail…”

“Yes, sir.”

“And the moment you locate him, I’m bringing a shuttle.”

“Sir….”

Piett stared at him challengingly. “The. Moment.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

The image disappeared. Well. It had gone better than he’d anticipated. If the man were a Skywalker he would have just gone off on his own rescue mission. Fox commed Scraps.

“You’re acting head of the security division, Lieutenant Commander. I’ll be here retrieving General Veers.”

He realized he was slapping a lot down on the kid’s plate.

“Ah….yes, sir. What…?”

“Goolsby will fill you in when he returns. And Scraps---you need to keep close to the Admiral. Don’t let him co-opt shuttles.”

“Would he?”

“The man has worked closely with Skywalkers for years. This is his closest friend. What do you think?”

Fox didn’t really think Piett would shirk his broader duties or flout his orders. But he was nothing if not prepared for eventualities.

Scraps sighed. “Right.”

Fox stepped out of the tent and caught Travis’s eye. He nodded and the Colonel returned it. Goolsby hurried up. “Still nothing, sir and….”

“I need a field pack immediately. With as many rations and medical supplies as possible,” Fox snapped. Goolsby raised curious eyebrows but knew that the look on Fox’s face meant no questions.

“Yes, sir.”

In short order he had donned a field uniform rather than his armor, and was shrugging on the pack and making a final check of his DC-17s.

Fox strode toward the edge of the woods where he and Veers had last been together. He found the blast area and began to search.

“Sir. We’re ah, prepping the last shuttle, Commander.”

He straightened, prepared to deal with Goolsby’s protestations. Instead he found that the young lieutenant stood before him with hand outstretched.

“Good luck, sir. Please bring him back to us.”

Well.

Fox grasped the hand. “I will. Report to Scraps once you’re onboard. He’ll be in charge.”

“Yes, sir.” Goolsby paused. “If anyone can find him sir….”

“I do not need a pep talk, Lieutenant.”

The younger man flushed. “Yes. Well. Good bye, Commander.”

“Thank you, Goolsby.”

Fox heard the last ship leave but didn’t bother turning around. He decided the best approach was to stick with his own observations---he knew they had searched this area but he was not a very trusting sort of person when it came to other people’s work. He could count on one hand the amount of people he trusted that far and that was frankly generous.

He had maybe four hours of daylight. He returned his attention to the churned up earth. A denton. They had both thrown themselves away from its shriek….

Veers had been standing there. Fox moved that direction and examined it. Nothing of import. All right. He could think of two options--either the General had been captured, or he was wounded and in hiding. But if the latter, why had he not made himself known once the enemy was clearly in route?

This…..concerned Fox.

And Fox did not like the state of being concerned.

He had a hard time wrapping his head around a way that Veers could have been captured over on this part of the field. Though the enemy had been retreating...Fox suddenly recalled the massive ground treader that had been crushing through the undergrowth fifty yards to their left. It had been covering for numerous troops as they made their way back to their lines…

If Veers had been flung far enough, and if he had been conscious, he would have needed to skirt that.

Fox made his way down the slight incline and followed the path of destruction further into the broken and twisted trees. He stopped and considered the tread tracks.

Here it went north. Veers would have stayed behind it and if there were straggling troops, he would have tried to stay out of sight. So it was possible he had been driven far out of his way to do so….

Fox found it rather helpful that he could reasonably expect the General to do what he himself would do in the same situation. This was of course, presuming he wasn’t dead.

For kark’s sake, Fox...

He mentally berated himself. That sort of thinking got one nowhere.

His comm blinked.

“Fox.”

“Anything yet, Commander?”

“Not yet, Admiral. I assure you, sir, if I had anything, I would contact you first.”

A sigh. “Yes. Be aware Commander that it is very likely the enemy will return to scout the battlefield. Exercise extreme caution.”

“Always, sir.”

“Then…..good hunting, Commander Fox.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

He understood Piett. He would hate to be inactive as well. At least Fox could ease his worry in the search. The Admiral did not have that recourse.

And no. He was not worried. People died in battle---good people. High ranking officers and green recruits alike. It was a fact of life and Fox wasn’t about to get maudlin regarding that now.

So. If he was injured, and far from where he wanted to be, where would he hide?

Fox examined the underbrush carefully. And at last he was rewarded, if he could term it that. A smear of blood. Human no doubt, but he scanned it to be sure.

And it came up positive for one Maximilian Veers.

So he had made it this far.

“Where the kriff are you ,General?” Fox muttered to himself. He was a good mile from the battlefield now.

His stomach twisted in dread. Perhaps….perhaps he should not have been so quick to dismiss the possibility of capture. Wounded and alone---the General would be an easy target for several beings. Especially if they recognized him.

What if he was being tortured right now?

Son of a Hutt was he a Gungan? When had he become so emotionally unhinged?

Veers is far more competent than that, he told himself. Get a kriffing grip.

Fox straightened and considered the terrain. That bloody mark had come from a hand leaning against the trunk. Most likely Veers shoving himself back to his feet. Where would he go?

He looked back and then toward the east. If it was him and he thought enemy troops were still in the area….

Fox headed east. He would then double back to rejoin his troops. After about half a mile, the ground fell away sharply and he had to be cautious with his footing. The sun was low in the sky now and that would triple the difficulty. And he was well aware that Piett was correct--it was very likely the enemy would return to search the battlefield.

He realized that a small mudslide had happened further up the bank as though some unlucky devil had slipped….

He stopped breathing for a moment.

The incline was treacherous for a healthy man, for a wounded one….

Fox sprinted to the place and was rewarded with another substantial clue. An Imperial code cylinder. It was broken and partially covered in the mud, but he lifted it out almost reverently and then got to his knees to study the fallen earth. It was darker and muddier than the dry ground it had reached and... there.

A small trail of it was heading south.

Fox pocketed the cylinder and moved cautiously, not wanting to miss anything.

He rounded a curve in the bank which led back toward the thicker woods--and he could see more disturbed earth and leaves as though someone had clawed their way back up….

He moved swiftly up the embankment himself, flicking on the light of his blaster now, the trees making things much darker.

He nearly missed the shine of the black boot---it was filthy now with mud. But his peripheral vision registered the brief reflection and he was immediately plunging into the brush where Veers had managed to drag himself before passing out.

At least Fox hoped he was only unconscious….

He set the blaster down, allowing the light to illuminate the area and felt for a pulse. There---thready and weak but there.

“General,” Fox tried.

Nothing. He whipped out the scanner---Veers had some severe gashes in his thigh and side---no doubt the work of the denton. The cuirass had protected more vital organs, but his arm was badly lacerated as well. He’d lost significant amounts of blood.

Fox got his hands under the General’s arms and tugged him further into the darkness of the old trees.

*******

Hands. He should be concerned about that. But his brain wasn’t working right….so slow….he was so tired….

“General.”

He knew that voice. But it was dark….

Something hissed near his ear and he felt the cold on his neck. Something else was sliding into his arm with a slight pinch….

And clarity returned to Veers.

He squinted to see the face above him.

Dark and deeply lined, brown eyes looking seriously at his face, brow wrinkled in….worry?

Surely not.

“Fox,” Veers managed.

“That’s right, sir. Lie easy. I’ve got you.”

Strong callused hands cleaning his wounds and applying bacta before winding pressure bandages around his leg. His side protested as Fox unstrapped his cuirass to better get at the gashes there.

“Sorry, General, here.” Another hiss and the pain receded to manageable levels.

Had he known that Fox’s hands could be so gentle?

Veers shifted slightly and realized a drip was connected to his left arm.

“You’re….well equipped. What happened?”

“We were successful,” Fox replied, characteristically blunt. He examined the deep wound in Veers’ upper arm. “But we couldn’t find you. So. I came to do so.”

Veers mused on this.

“Fox are you….AWOL?”

The clone commander gave him a slight curl of the mouth. “No, General. I am here with both permission and orders. The Admiral could not leave the fleet, much as he wished to do so. Thus I am here on his behalf.”

A pause.

“As well as my own.”

“This is a big risk,” Veers said, considering how long they might have before their enemies came looking.

Fox grunted. “Worth it.”

Veers frowned and opened his mouth when Fox interrupted, opening a water bottle and sliding an arm under the General’s head.

“Sir. There is no scenario where I’m just going to leave you. Drink.”

Veers obeyed, marvelling again at the gentle competence of his security lead.

“Now, I have to comm the Admiral before he takes a shuttle on his own.”

Veers snorted lightly, but Fox wasn’t wrong. The clone flicked his commlink.

“Admiral, I have him.”

“And…?” Piett sounded like hell.

“He’s badly wounded sir, but…”

“I’m on my way. I’ll be sure to have the requisite medical staff.”

Veers and Fox exchanged a glance.

“When you say ‘you’ sir….”

“Scraps has already given me grief, Commander. I’m piloting the damn shuttle and we’re coming to get you.”

Judging by his voice, Piett was walking to the hangar bay as he spoke.

“Can I speak with the General?”

“Yes, sir.” Fox handed him the commlink and pulled out rations and thermal blankets.Veers half expected a tent.

“Firmus.”

“Max.”

Veers could feel the waves of his friend’s relief.

“I don’t like being on this end of things,” the Admiral said dryly.

Veers managed a small smile. “Yes. Well, I’d prefer if you were on that end more often.”

“I’d prefer for neither of us to be on this end, but that’s not the way our lives work. Regardless---you hold on General. I’m coming for you.”

And that. That was the way their lives worked. One did not leave the other behind.

“We’ll be here, Admiral.”

Fox took the commlink and then shrugged out of his duty jacket to wad it up under Veers’ head before covering him with two thermal blankets.

Veers watched him tiredly. “How did you find me?”

Fox came to settle beside him, holding the blaster currently providing them with illumination. “I... ah. I thought about what I would do, sir, if I were in your situation.”

Veers rather felt there might be a compliment in there.

They were silent for a time. Then Fox spoke.

“I’m sorry, General. I’m sorry that I lost you.”

He was staring at the earth and that wasn’t like the clone commander.

“Hardly your fault, Fox,” Veers murmured. “It was a denton.”

The other man clenched his hands tightly around his blaster. “Should have anticipated an attack of that nature.”

“Fox…”

“I know. I know I can’t do so all the time, sir. But I’m always going to feel responsible.”

Veers pondered the nature of this relationship---he was the General, Fox was his security lead. Both of them were very good at compartmentalizing--at doing the next thing regardless of cost. He recalled Fox’s eyes when he had first woken. The worry and relief…

“I understand that,” Veers managed, feeling so very drained. He closed his eyes and felt a warm hand land on his arm.

“Stay with me, General.”

“After all the... trouble you went to?” Veers said quietly. “Working on it. Just...tired.”

Fox’s hand stayed on his arm, anchoring him, until the hum of the shuttle’s approach sounded.

Piett’s face-- “let’s go, Max. Henley is keen to see you.”

Medics and a gravsled. The familiar hum of the engines in the Admiral’s lamda.

Scraps helping transfer him to the med bunk that had been pulled down in the passenger area. “Good to see you, sir.”

A pat on the shoulder from Firmus as he went by to resume the pilot’s seat. “The princess sends her love by the way.”

Then the pull of gravity as they lifted off the ground.

The medics were taking care of his wounds and Veers opened his eyes briefly when that familiar grip landed on his arm once more.

Fox had seated himself in the seat at Veers’ head. “Thank you, Commander,” Veers told him.

“You’re my officer,” Fox replied simply. But those strong fingers tightened slightly. Veers closed his eyes again and smiled.

Yes he was.

#star wars original trilogy #star wars au #star wars #clones #commander fox #commander fox week #commander Fox week 2021 #general veers #loyalty

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ozarkhealingtraditions · 4 years

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Animism and Environmental Protection

More articles on my website!

Animism lies at the heart of Ozark folk belief, although it’s a modern word you probably won’t hear many of the old timers using. In the mountains, this worldview manifests as a deep connection to the land, in particular the local bioregions that surround the individual and community. Old trees, caverns, natural springs, rivers, etc. are viewed not as lifeless land features, but rather as unique personalities with their own lifecycles and souls. Solitary trees in fields are often said to be protected by the “Little People” or Ozark land spirits, akin to the fairies from across the Celtic world, brought to these lands in the hearts of believers. Old growth trees hold their own roles within the spiritual hierarchy and often go by the names of “grandpa” or “grandma.” Natural springs were at one time fiercely protected by hillfolk because of their life-giving waters, used not only to sustain the body but also as sources of spiritual cleansing and healing. Legends and folktales abound about the invisible owners of certain caverns or large boulders that often stand out against the wash of the forest landscape.

Traditional views toward appeasing the land spirits is often simplified to maintaining a good relationship with these otherworldly inhabitants. Protecting and maintaining springs or allowing certain parts of the forest to remain wild are just a couple examples of this important take on environmental protection. A good balance with the natural world was at one time integral to not only the physical survival of hillfolk, but also a means to ensure good spiritual health for the community. This is an equilibrium lost to many modern inhabitants of the Ozarks with more and more reliance shifting off the land itself and onto local grocery stores, city water, and the pharmacy. For many though, this balance is still seen as a part of the Ozark identity. I myself have encountered many old timers who still give offerings of food, smoke, water, and other traditional items to these places of power in order to keep this tapestry of life intact.

This relationship with the land has birthed many traditions of environmental protection amongst those still living closely with the plants and animals of the mountains. It’s a culture rooted in the views of animism, which sees everything in the natural world as possessing its own unique identity. As opposed to many pantheistic worldviews, animism is deeply connected to the spirits of the local landscape as opposed to “higher” beings like gods and goddesses. The spirit of a mountain spring is then unique amongst other entities that might surround it. These guardians are often said to have had their own births at one time in the ancient past. Likewise, they aren’t always considered immortal. The destruction of these places of power then means the death of the individual spirit itself.

On one of my travels, I met an old man who was still shaken by the removal of a huge boulder near his home to make way for a modern road nearly thirty years before my arrival. His family had been on their land for several generations and recalled to mind many of their folktales about the spirits or Little People who had their villages inside the rock itself. It was common knowledge to the local community that disrespecting the rock would bring a curse not only upon the individual themselves, but also their family. This spiritual affliction would manifest as strange illnesses without any physical cure, and it was said the only remedy was apologizing to the Little People and making amends with certain food offerings. In a particularly sad part of our conversation, the old man said when the road crew removed and destroyed the boulder it sent a shockwave through his family. They themselves didn’t see any curses from the removal but he reckoned anyone who was a part of the work had. I asked him what he thought might have happened to the villages displaced by the act and he just shook his head saying, “When something like that happens, they’re [Little People] killed off…they can’t survive outside their homes.” In his words, this act was akin to genocide. It was almost as if members of his own family had been taken away to a very uncertain future.

This was by no means an isolated story and I’ve encountered many people, old timers and young folk alike across the Ozarks with similar tales of cutting down old growth forests, plugging up springs, and more. One woman I met said her family protected an old patch of ginseng near their family home for many generations. “Probably the last one around these parts,” she told me. Because the patch wasn’t on their land, they were unable to protect it from eventual clearing for new construction as the local town expanded. She still cursed the name of the developer, although he’d been dead for years. According to her, the ginseng had put a curse on his family for their disrespect. She said shortly after the houses were built, they had trouble with fires and power outages limited only to that spot. In addition, she said the developer’s family all became “sickly,” and eventually moved away from the area. Whether this tale was true or not, I don’t know, but there were others in the area with similar anecdotes about the situation.

When viewed in these terms, protecting the local environment takes on a very different life from simple ecology. The land is protected not just because of the vital food, water, and medicine it might provide, but because the spirits of the land become members of the family or clan itself. The same respect is shown to these invisible members of the community as it is to the living. Just like a person wouldn’t bulldozer over someone’s house, rip out a home garden, or poison a well, the land spirits are respected and left to their own lives and communities. Maintaining this equilibrium with the natural world then recognizes the vital importance the land has to offer to all those living there.

This belief has been such an important part of the Ozark worldview not just here on colonized land, but it stretches back to our ancient ancestors who didn’t see themselves as being separate or above the natural world but as just another link in the chain. The spirits of the land are important because they’re seen as being individual entities with their own stories, wisdom, and magic to offer. Just like when we lose our own tales, remedies, and other traditional knowledge with the passing of the older generations, never to regain them again, how much have we lost from ignoring the spirits of the land? How many grandpas and grandmas have been lost to us by being thrown into the gears of materialism and so-called progress?

For many people today, this animistic worldview is foreign to our modern mindset. Protecting the environment is left to those struggling in the Amazon rainforests, or those fighting for their rights to clean sources of water. We somehow see ourselves as too forgone, perhaps, or wholly apart from the problem. And meanwhile, our mountains are being leveled for new cookie-cutter housing subdivisions, forests uprooted to make straighter roads, and native prairies dug up and replaced with invasive ornamental plants not suited to our climate and local wildlife. Working towards healing this equilibrium starts with you and your home. Here are some other ways you can help protect the land.

Instead of planting invasive ornamentals like privet, bush honeysuckle, nandina, or bamboo, consult local nurseries that specialize in native alternatives. In many cases, native varieties of plants have much more to offer. They are usually better suited to our climate, require less water, and provide a plentiful source of food for both pollinators and birds. They also add to the seedbank of the land. Seeds travel across large stretches of land by air or are carried by local wildlife. Planting with natives ensures the spread of these important species that are too often shaded out and killed by invasive varieties. You can even help out if you’re living in an apartment with little access to the land. Several friends of mine living in apartments have started planting native flowers in pots on their balconies to attract local pollinators. Many of these wildflowers are also edible and used in traditional Ozark medicines.

Reconsider removing large trees on your property and instead try and maintain them by trimming properly.

Spay and neuter your outdoor cats and participate in local programs to catch and release feral cats. Along with deforestation, outdoor cats are the number one source of native songbird loss here in the Ozarks.

Consider volunteering with groups who help to return natural areas to a more sustainable system. There are several here in Northwest Arkansas who go out to the local trails at certain times of the year and pull out invasive plant species that are killing out the native varieties. If you don’t have a group around you, consider starting one! Consult your local extension office for guides to invasive plants affecting the area.

Protect springs and other natural water sources by volunteering to clean up trash around the area. If you’re unsure of how to clean and maintain natural springs on your own property, contact your local extension office.

Honor the spirits of old trees, springs, and mountains with traditional Ozark offerings of loose tobacco, cornmeal, beans, milk, and water.

Many of these suggestions are doable not only for people who own land but even for those living in apartments or on small lots. Whether you’re someone interested in animism as a worldview, an environmental protection advocate, or even someone who doesn’t really like going outside, it’s important to reconsider your own relationship to the land and help out where you feel comfortable. Extreme actions like chaining yourself to an old growth tree about to be removed aren’t required for caring about the natural world around you.

#ozarks #folk magic #traditional witchcraft #witchcraft #herbalism #ozark folk medicine #Ozark Folklore #ozark magic #ozark folk magic #traditional medicine #traditional healing #ecology #animism #ozark healing traditions

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bethanydevos · 3 years

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“Seize the Opportunities” by Justin March

“Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.” H. Jackson Brown

I was early to the construction site Saturday morning. As usual, when I make a commitment to be somewhere, I always give myself plenty of time so that unforeseen delays or events don't stop me from being on time. I cannot stand to be late, and I have learned to take those extra moments to relax and get grounded instead of putting myself in a state of stress as I scramble to meet some deadline. Sometimes those extra minutes are wasted, but sometimes they allow me to free my mind and keep my eyes open to what God is trying to show me. This would be a day I was thankful for the extra time.

I decided to turn around and go back to a Winchell's Donut House I had passed on Federal Boulevard. I pulled into an open parking space, exited my vehicle, and opened the door to the aroma of freshly baked pastries. Within a matter of seconds, I had ordered my breakfast and found a table I could relax at and enjoy my meal. It was an uneventful morning, and as I watched a few customers come and go, my presence at this place seemed insignificant. It was just another meal, and in a few minutes, I would be on my way to see what the good people at Habitat had in store for us. But God was not ready for me to leave this establishment yet. No, there was somebody He needed me to meet. And before I had a chance to pick up my belongings and head to the door, a man named Dakota came in to order his donut.

Dakota looked like sleep had escaped him the last few days. Dakota looked like his clothes could use a good washing, his face a clean shave, and his body a long shower. I would not say he looked down and out, but my first impression was this stage in life was probably not his best. But just like my presence at this donut house seemed insignificant, his did too as he ordered his donut, stepped outside, and devoured it. I was not sure why I was so distracted by Dakota's brief time at the restaurant, but it did not take long for God to show me there was a reason.

After finishing his breakfast, Dakota decided to come back into the establishment. I had not risen from my table yet, and before I knew it, this gentleman took the table beside me and struck up a conversation. He looked at the t-shirt I was wearing, "Bison Pride", and asked me if it symbolized the Bison from North Dakota State. I told him it did indeed, and that was all it took for the two of us to engage in a delightful conversation. I learned that Dakota's grandfather had helped build much of the NDSU campus during his life in Fargo. I learned that his uncle helped design the Fargodome where the Bison play their games. And I learned that his family was so proud of their heritage and so intertwined in their community, that he was named Dakota after the state they so dearly loved. It was a fairly meaningless conversation, but as Dakota said his goodbyes so he could catch the arriving bus, I knew there was a reason God had put him into my life.

Sometimes the free minutes we have are wasted, but sometimes God uses them so our perspective on life can be altered. My Saturday ended up being a day full of blessings and good fortune. I spent time with my brother and friends building walls for the Habitat home we had volunteered to support. We worked hard, we had great conversations, and I left that jobsite with a good feeling that God had used us to be his hands and feet in our community. Yet, as we packed up the tools and cleaned up our work area, I could not stop thinking about my encounter with Dakota and what it meant for this fine Saturday. It was insignificant and seemed like nothing, but at the same time, it was a lasting impression and stayed with me throughout the day. I wondered where that bus was taking Dakota, what his next adventure would be, and How God was going to use him to bring light to the people he encountered in his journey. Maybe nothing else happened in Dakota's day, but I can tell you this, he made mine special.

Are we seizing the opportunities God puts before us? Are we open to what He wants to show us and making the most of the free moments we are gifted? Sometimes it feels like we are overcommitted, burnt out, and buried under the schedules and deadlines. Sometimes we fail to slow down and take those few precious moments to engage with one another. And sometimes we go to bed without the slightest recollection of God's presence in the day or how He used others to spread His light into our lives.

Friends, I know it becomes easy for the days to get past us when we are constantly bombarded with notifications and distractions. But I can promise you this. There are a lot of "Dakota's" in each and every one of our lives. We may not notice them all. We may not realize that God has sent them to make an impression on our day. But if we keep our eyes open and are willing to embrace the people He sends our way, it is amazing the impact they can have in just a few moments. I keep thinking about Dakota and how in just a few short minutes, he placed a stamp on my heart. His simple conversation stays fresh in my mind, and even 24 hours later, I am feeling blessed that God allowed me to spend just a few moments with this person I will most likely never see again. I am thankful for my encounter with Dakota, I am thankful for the day spent with family and friends, and I am thankful for a life where God blesses me when I am willing to let Him in. Hopefully, somewhere in this world, there is a man named Dakota who is feeling the same!

#bethanydevotionalwritings #presence of God #following Jesus

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shanessa-mae · 4 years

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So this is one of the stories um working on 🤔

USF. United Space Forces. The Forces for short, was created to find another livable planet. Us humans have destroyed our mother earth. In able to go outside you have to wear a special mask to help turn carbon dioxide into oxygen. We have lost most of our plant life outside. Dead trees still stand and some species still strive, though not nearly enough to make oxygen. The plant life we do have are in green houses. They still are having major issues growing successfully. The trees that grow are stunted in growth and don't even reach a few feet. We have lost the ability to grow much farm life outside, we have a few small indoor farms. Though only the rich have access to fresh vegetables and fruits. scientists have made synthetic food to eat, it tastes disgusting though. I myself have not had the opportunity to eat fresh foods. Only canned processed foods. I did steal an apple off of a truck when I was 8 years old and was starving from not eating for 2 days. I was only able to get one bite out of the apple before i was spotted and striked for stealing and eating fresh food. Since that day I have vowed to make it into USF.

The program I have been training my ass off to get into. Its a program where you get selected for your talents and sometimes for your genetics and personality, which is more rare than being picked for talents. I guess they want to keep a diverse team together. Which makes sense to a certain extent, you don't want multiple people with the same leader attitude. It would lead to chaos and fights. Everyone trying to be the boss and push their ideas and ways off onto everyone. Sometimes being a follower comes in handy in some cases. Myself i have been training from day one to be the caption of a future team.

The USF sends out a new team every 10 years giving enough time for the other teams to report back on their status. The first 5 years are them traveling in cryosleep to their destination. The other 5 years are for them to find a Liveable planet in their designated solar system or galaxy. They run multiple tests on the planets to check for oxygen levels, Checking the ecosystems, as well as the wildlife, and if there is an alien race living on there or not. So far there have been 5 teams that have been chosen and sent out. Only 2 have returned, the other three we lost any signals and communication with them once they landed on their potential planet. The 2 teams who have returned weren't able to find any livable planets in their systems and were able to come back safely.

I trained since I was 8 years old and I will be on the next launch. Perks come with being on the team. Your loved ones and family will be instantly higher up in class. No longer wondering where their next meal will come from and will be given no housing. A salary will be paid to them yearly, no matter if your mission is successful or not. You are risking your life for the earth and will be rewarded as well as your family. If you come back from the mission you will be made into an advisor for future teams. If you find a livable planet and are able to successfully make it our new home you will be a founder of the planet and will be close to royalty. I Strive to give my family a better life. No longer starving when we run out of our monthly rations. No longer having to wait a week to take a shower or wash clothes once a month due to our limited water use. I will be the next captain of Team 6.

The good thing about the testing is no matter your class you are given the same opurinites. They implanted that so they didn't miss a diamond in the rough. Which i am. I was at my last session of Advanced Gun training. I was the top in my class followed by my best friend. She was from a class A family. The looks, the skills and the money.

Though she is different from the others, she's humble and she knows she isn't different from anyone else because of her daddy's money. She has earned her own spot in this world. I hide my true self from her for the first few years we were friends. I told her my family just moved to the area and were not well known but were successful in the farming industry. Which now days was a very very well respected career. She called me on my bullshit when she saw me at the food collection center. Food collection centers are where low class get their monthly rations. She was volunteering there handing out food, i tried to play it off but all she did was stand there with her hands on her hips calling out all my bullshit and once she was done she hugged me and explained my class has nothing to due with out friendship then proceed to help me carry my rations home.

I swivlied on my toes and brought my shaft down on the back of his knees. He dropped to one knee and started to swirl his shaft around but before he got it up i slammed mine down into his. It slammed down on the ground with a thunderous bang. I whipped the shaft up and held it under his chin forcing him to submit. I made eye contact with his dark brown eyes. The colors of dark chocolate with a light brown swirled into them. He held his own for the whole match but he made one mistake and turned his back on me. I smiled down and reach down to help him up. As he grabbed my hand and went to stand he used his weight to pull me down into him and then rolled us down and pinned me to the floor.

He leaned down and whispered “I never submit Frecks” calling me by the common nickname I was given.

I ground my teeth and stealthed out “ Its Theadora” and wiggled out from his grasp. He just shrugged while smirking this smug ass grin and left to change.

I stalked over to Alice and took the water bottle she handed to me. That was Jeptha the dick who has been the only one to be equal in sparring with me, and it pisses me off. I shook my head and looked over at alice who was currently checking out Lucy the girl who is magically good with tech. She is someone id want on my team. I’d make her head technologist of the craft. I knew I could trust her to handle the tech on the spacecraft, she new all the latest systems and also loopholes. Though she doesn't publicly share that.

“ you know you could just go talk to her and shoot your shot.” I nudged her side and smiled at her. She had this sound look on her face, “I don't need distractions while im gone” She replied and then plucked at her sweat towel. She was just as confident as I was that she was making the cut.

“You know she might make the cut to, and I think she has similar feelings for you sooo.” I suggested to her. She sighed and just shook her head giving me the signal not to press it.

She has never been able to fully express herself and how she is attracted to females. She knew her family would go ballistic. I never pressed her on coming out because i knew once we started our mission it wouldn't matter. Since the next 10 years of our life would be simply focussed on the mission. I bent down and scooped up my bag and and drank the last of the water and handed it back to Alice. It was time to go home and wait for the results of the tests and for the choice to be made. I hugged Alice and went towards my house.

It took me about 2 hours to walk to my house, normally Alice would have had her driver drop me off on her way through into the upper class sector. Though today she had an appointment with her father at his business. She was signing her right away from the company. Her father threatened her with losing her stability with her family's money if she went through with the tests. He did not think someone of his name and class belong on the USF. He thought it was below them. He knew his family would get a home on the new planet and thought why waste the time and potinaly death it brings. Though Alice has always planned on signing her rights away. She wanted nothing to do with him or his company.

#space #shortstory #captain #training #love #selfmadewriter

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drivelikeaminister · 5 years

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Get Good at Being You

I just celebrated a big year anniversary - for exercising regularly! Ten years ago I started attending a CrossFit gym in Ann Arbor, MI and I have averaged 3-5 times a week at different CrossFit locations since then. FYI - CrossFit is a fitness regime which stresses variation, intensity and functionality. It started small and grew fast, as so many other exercise companies (I’m thinking Curves, Orange Theory, Tae Bo, Savage Race, P90X, Zumba, Insanity, SoulCycle...) Some of these companies are still around, others have faded or gone away completely.

I was going to let my anniversary day pass without notice, but a fortune cookie got me thinking about how my experiences could be a good life example. My fortune read, “The best thing you can do is get good at being you.” And this got me thinking about my gym and why I have stuck with the same thing for so long. To be truthful, I haven’t always been committed to exercise. About 11 years ago I was a member of a community gym, paid my fees and probably came once or twice a month. I knew that I “should” go to the gym, exercise and stay fit... but I was not motivated or interested.

Then a friend of mine introduced me to CrossFit and I was hooked. For me, the combination of a variety of workouts, a supportive & challenging community, someone telling me what to do and a trained professional keeping me safe was what I needed. I no longer felt that going to the gym was a burden, but rather it has become the highlight of my day!

The goal is finding what one is passionate or excited about and following it. CrossFit isn’t for everyone, but it works for me. I have also worked as a personal trainer at a more “traditional” gym with machines and treadmills, and that worked well for some people. The best way to get into regular exercise is to find something that is enjoyable and exciting for the individual. Personal training might be your thing, going for group runs (or solo runs) might be it, cycling, getting a gym buddy, online tracking... there are many, many, many different exercise communities, regimes, ideas and movements - and none is the best or most correct. The important thing is finding what works for you.

Which brings me to the fortune cookie and taking this lesson larger into other areas of life. “The best thing you can do is get good at being you.” This phrase can be generalized or specialized for any area of our lives. “The best exercise regime you can do is the one you want to do.” “The best job you will have is the one you want to have.” The fortune is a reminder that if we want to be good at or enjoy something, if we want to excel in any area of our lives, that area of our lives should be aligned with who we are as much as possible. Sometimes this isn’t entirely possible, with the need to earn money balanced with finding employment that is what we want/are good at.

The more we are able to take our exercise routine, our vocation, our schoolwork, our free time, our time with friends, our volunteering... and align that with who we are, the better off we will be and the better off the world will be. What would an exercise routine look like for you that was enjoyable? What would your job look like if you were paid to be the best you? Where would you volunteer or spend your free time to be truly yourself?

I end with a quote from Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

#howard thurman #crossfit #exercise #gym #motivation #fortune cookie #job #vocation

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askjeeveshypno-blog · 5 years

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What I know about consent violations from having seen a lot of them

Crossposted to Fetlife.

*TLDR: This stuff is complicated, memories and stories are often flawed, and outside of a few sharp lines there is no consensus on what IS a consent violation to say nothing of what is the correct punishment for one. *

Hi, I’m AskJeeves. I’m a “community leader” but please don’t blame my communities for what I’m about to say. I literally ran this past nobody but my wife so the responsibility for my words would be entirely mine and indeed, it’s possible some folks I work with running organizations will be unhappy with me for my directness here. FWIW, I also have never been the head consent person in any organization. I’m just a board member of three different kink groups who has also been in the community for a really long time.

But anyway, in various kink positions of responsibility in hypnokink, regular kink and a kinky arts organization, I’ve seen quite a few complaints. And here are some general impressions. I’ve messed with some details for privacy but kept the spirit of the complaints intact.

1. Most of the scene likes to gossip and the drama around consent violations is pretty sweet gossip. The chain of secrecy is almost never intact. I’m good at keeping secrets. When I hear about a consent complaint, I treat it as confidential and don’t talk about it. But people who know I’m in a position to know VERY FREQUENTLY talk to me. This puts me in this wacky position of “A complained about B, and everyone seems to know that. A is talking about it and B is talking about it, and people want to talk to me about it, but I don’t 100 percent know WHAT A and B are saying and if one of them is leaving a detail or two out on purpose and I reveal it, I’ve seriously breached my responsibilities,” so I do a lot of smiling and nodding about consent complaints. Also, “B and I are at the same party and B is recounting a romanticized version of what they did that leaves out a lot of facts and if I’m quiet it looks like I agree but I’m really not in a position to speak up,” which also sucks, but they way.

2. The vast majority of complaints we get are in gray areas, and it’s almost impossible to nail down what a “consent violation” actually is outside of what’s actually illegal or specific enough to be spelled out in rules we already had:

a. A guy wrote about kink stuff on his public facebook on the regular. Somebody who was mad at him got drunk and posted something on the same facebook page about how much he sucked for not coming to her play party. Said guy got drunk person banned from a dungeon for “outing her” in a place he’d already outed himself.

b. I’m pretty judgy about JK Rowling retweeting TERFS, but should a con punish someone for retweeting a post that outs somebody?

c. If someone steals someone else’s money without permission, is that a consent violation?

d. If C and D make plans to play, and then C loses interest but never actually says “actually, I changed my mind,” and just puts off or ghosts D, how many times can D follow up, in what ways and getting what responses, without it becoming harassment? (Soft nos are VERY complicated from a “trying to enforce consent rules” perspective. In this situation, C almost always says that D is ignoring a “no” and D almost always says that C seems really busy so D thought D would keep trying and they were eager to do the play C had earlier said they wanted.)

e. If E made a promise to follow a bunch of rules set by a group, and then broke one of them, and F, a member of the other group, complains to a my group that E consented to follow the rules and broke them and the complain to MY group, which has different rules, is that violating the first group’s consent?

f. Hypno-specifically, what counts as non-negotiated use of persuasive language and where?

g. The above complexities quadruple for trying to ban someone from an event or organization for something they did online. Does this happen in rare circumstances? Yes. But the bar is quite high.

h. Some of y’all who are black and white thinkers or just very decisive will feel like you can go down this list going “Yes, no, yes, yes, no” but suffice to say, even if one of these seems straightforward to you, it hasn’t to me in the past, perhaps because of further details I’ve left out for brevity or something I changed to make the situations less specific..

3. If you’ve been banned or whatever, threatening to bring in a lawyer never helps you. Kink organizations are private. We mostly have our own lawyers and know very well how incredibly legal it is to exclude someone from a private organization for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all unless it’s a discriminatory reason. Proving “discrimination” is very difficult, proving “defamation” is too. Suing a kink organization for not letting you in requires money up front that almost none of us have, so it’s an empty threat anyway unless the person making the threat is independently wealthy. I write this under the assumption that if you ARE independently wealthy and are willing to sue us into the ground if you don’t get what you want, these words won’t stop us anyway.

a. Suffice to say that when you threaten to sue it indicates to me as a person in a position of responsibility is that “bringing in a lawyer to make threats” is something you’re willing to do when you don’t get what you want, and if my organization continues to deal with you, this will almost certainly happen again. So why would we want you in our private organization? Do you really provide so much benefit to the organization that this constant threat is worth it to us?

b. Caveat: If someone has sexually assaulted you, by all means, call the cops or a lawyer if you feel comfortable doing so. I’m not at all saying that legal mechanisms have no place in kink when directed at the person who hurt you. But as fair as organizations are concerned threatening to sue, or coy letters about how you might threaten to sue if you don’t get your way, are counterproductive and have a strong whiff of bullshit, which is never a good thing if you’re trying to convince us you’re not lying about anything else.

4. Long relationships that end in one or both parties accusing one another of consent violations the moment they break up are a nightmare to deal with on the consent side. Because abuse REALLY DOES happen in long term relationships. But there are many ways of being a shitty partner that are consent violations. People who have just broken up last week can almost never tell the difference.

5. People who talk about consent ALL THE TIME have a bad habit of setting their own rules about it in ways that benefit their own bullshit. Such people are often so excited to talk about other people’s consent violations that they make a big deal without having investigated or otherwise gotten the full story. So people who make a big public deal about rumors of other people’s problems have raised a red flag about themselves. This is completely irrelevant if they never have a consent complaint raised about them. But if they do, the red flag is there. A red flag doesn’t decide anything, but people are going to notice it.

6. I get that Jeff Mach got paid. Just about nobody else in kink does and if you’re looking to get paid, running a con is a terrible way to do it. We’re volunteers throwing parties/events for the community. We want people to be safe but we also hang out at our own parties/cons and we don’t want to hang with jerks. Nobody gets banned for being a jerk alone, but if you’ve yelled at us, been an asshole when you dumped our friend, been accused of minor things many times before, or otherwise caused a lot of problems, that’s not going to help you get what you want. Again, if I personally think you’re a jerk but no one ever complains about you, that’s fine. Some of you ARE jerks and I demonstrably haven’t. But if you’ve got what feels like a long history of being difficult or causing problems, that’s a strike against you. My kid brother has a long history of cussing out cops and has been told he has the worst driving record in the county where we live. Most of the judges and cops in our county have met him and he was unpleasant every time. If you think every new time he’s a defendant there is a clean slate and none of that prior stuff matters, you’ve been sold of a vision of our justice system, and possibly humanity, that doesn’t exist. We are trying to be fair but it would be weird to expect a bunch of volunteer kinksters to be less susceptible to their own perceptions.

7. Rumors people have heard about bad behavior, complaints from unverifiable and likely fake scene names, or a friend making a complaint on behalf of an anonymous friend are simply impossible to investigate or do anything about.

8. Two years ago, a group of people got together to lie about an innocent person assaulting someone. They were people the consent folks at the event liked and trusted. And then the truth came out. It is never impossible that this is happening. And it ruined what seemed like a pretty solid kink organization. There are mitigating factors here and there but the bones of it are an organization people put thousands of dollars and untold hours into that brought a lot of people joy was ruined, because like eight people didn’t get what they want on something incredibly minor and broke the consent system, and the con, on purpose. Again, the consent folks didn’t handle things optimally either, but when eight people are willing to tell the same lie it’s tough to imagine that ending well for them, their victim or the organization. Consent organizers never want that to happen to us, but it’s unrealistic not to accept that it could.

This stuff is complicated. And again, I’m only writing on behalf of myself. But these kinds of issues are what folks who seriously work on consent face. I'm happy to talk about them. But if you think you have an iron-clad, one-size-fits-all solution, you probably don't?

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diningpageantry · 5 years

Text

All That Matters

Archive Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15909690/chapters/40386200

Chapter 15/16 of Love You All, Die For This

Word Count: 2331

Summary: In hopes to connect Oliver to his somewhat estranged family, Baz invites Daphne and his siblings over for lunch.

Tag: @fight-surrender

BAZ

Napkins, tablecloth, place settings… where’s the glasses? Oh god, oh fuck, where are the placement glasses?

“Simon!” I call, rushing into the kitchen area as he’s taking out our lovely porcelain teapot. “Where’s our glasses?”

Blinking, he stares up at me for a second. “I… In the china cabinet. Why? Didn’t you put some out already?”

“I put out the wine glasses, not the water glasses,” I whine, rushing over to the cabinet and throwing it open, eyes searching urgently. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck…”

A warm hand rests against the bottom curve of my back, smoothing back the fabric of my quite uptight button down. It only takes a few seconds before I relax back, exhaling and focusing on the slow dragging of his palm. It’s grounding; resting all heavy and light at the same time. Comforting. It’s all I could have ever asked for in life.

“I’m sorry,” I exhale, eyes slowly falling shut. “It’s just… nerve wracking.”

“I know,” he whispers back as his fingers push up my spine, weaving between each dip. “It’s just your step mum and siblings. It isn’t like it’s the Prime Minister or something.”

My hand reaches for the glasses, starting to stack them in my hands. “They might as well be,” I mumble, shifting my weight before heading off into the dining room to set them up. With trembling hands, I settle them up nearly in line with the plates, trying to calm myself. It doesn’t quite work.

Simon stands in the doorway, shoulder leaned up against the frame as he smiles the saddest smile I’ve ever seen on him.

Each step he takes forward creaks against the newly done floorboards.

It’s such an odd housewarming; having your somewhat estranged family coming into your new house right off your old school’s campus to meet your somewhat newly adopted son is… a lot, to say the least. It’s a nice house now, and it’s quite pretty since it’s done up properly, but Crowley, is it driving me off the deep end.

“Baz, my love,” Simon coaxes, his hands reaching out and taking hold of mine, “just take a second away from all this. Remember what we used to do? Center in, focus, breathe.”

My eyes search his as I shakily inhale, gripping onto him as we keep each other’s gaze. With an encouraging smile and soothing rubs of his thumbs, Simon leads me in careful deep breaths.

“I love you,” I say after a minute or two. “I’m sorry. It just matters. A lot.”

“I know it does, love,” he interlocks our fingers, “but we’re in this together. We’ve faced an awful lot of shit, so how bad could this be?”

“A chimera worth.”

He laughs, which finally lets me exhale as I watch him smile. “Not quite a chimera worth.”

I try to open my mouth in protest, but he leans in and kisses me before I get to speak.

After pulling off, he grins and kisses my knuckles. “I need to finish lunch, if you ever want something to serve. Will you check on Ollie?”

My head nods before the rest of my body follows, lips pulling into a tight line as I swallow back my anxieties. I take a fast-footed walk to the playroom, knocking lightly before pushing it open. On the floor, laying out with a few books, sits Oliver. He scans over pages, flipping through after reading them quickly and moving on. There’s music playing from the small stereo; one of the classical playlists I’d put together (no son of mine won’t have class).

His head lifts up, smiling a little at me before waving me over. “Mummies,” he says softly, pointing at his book. “Mummies.”

Kneeling down, I ruffle his hair and smile. “You’re right, darling, they are mummies.” I lean in, whispering, “They used to use magick in mage's tombs to protect from robbers. There was a family seal in some caskets belonging to powerful families, like ours.”

There's a bright sparkle in his eyes as he grins up at me. “Can we see them?”

Something catches in my throat, choking me up and nearly bringing me to tears as I let myself smile. “Of course we can, little puff. We can absolutely see the family over there.” My head bows, kissing his hair. “But now, we have to get ready to see the family coming here, alright? Ready to see grandnan?”

He nods quickly and pops up onto his feet, taking hold of my hand and tugging me out of the room. “Daddy says nice clothes.”

My heart swells as I nod, pulling myself back up to my feet before following his lead to his bedroom, to where he points to his closet. Compliantly, I pick out a proper outfit and help him dress (although, he does most of it; stubborn five year old, this one). Once he’s awfully proud of how he looks, he gives me a confirmation nod before I pick him up and carry him to the dining room.

“There he is, the shining star,” Simon jokes, popping out of the kitchen. “Will you help me finish pulling the hand pies out of the oven, love.”

“I’ll do it!” Oliver volunteers, but Simon just rolls his eyes, hands him a biscuit, and sends him off (ever his father’s son, needing a food bribe to go away).

As I’m sliding the baking tray off the rack, I hear my husband’s voice beside me. “So when are we expecting the Grimm brigade?”

“Quarter to noon,” I say, carefully setting the hot tray down. “How long’ve we got?”

“Ten minutes.”

“Well, fuck,” I mumble, nose turning up as I try to exhale.

Simon drops his head against my shoulder and curls a hand around my bicep as his wings spread like a blanket on top of us. “You’re such a fucking downer,” he whispers teasingly. “Lighten up, angst god.”

“Fuck off, you idiotic twat,” I whisper endearingly back, closing my eyes as my head rests on top of his. He hums softly in contentment, hands finding mine and holding them securely as the ends of his curls tickle my face.

It isn't long before there’s a heavy, two hit knock at the door, causing me to peel myself back from the comforting embrace. Before I can say a word, Snow rocks onto the balls of his feet to give me a soft kiss of encouragement. The twinkle in his eyes and the spread of his smile makes me feel like I could own the world.

The door swings open to Daphne, Mordelia, the twins, and Benjamin, waiting with intrigue and welcome baskets. Immediately, Benjamin latches to my legs in a hug before saying a quick hello, which is followed by a chorus of them. I hug them each, waving them inside and politely taking the gifts.

“Oh this is awfully lovely,” Daphne says, an air of sophistication in her voice that I've heard myself distance from over the years. It’s somewhat grounding to hear, like life’s reminder that some things never change.

“We just moved in a month ago.” I take their light coats, hanging them in the side closet. “Since I don't start teaching until fall, we're just spending time getting settled through the rest of spring. If the children want, they can go see the goats later.”

“Is it clean--”

“As clean as can be,” I say softly, smiling.

Her head nods tightly, hands resting together in a delicate and poised fashion. “So long as it's safe.” Scanning the room, she seems to trail in thought before bringing it back. “Where's Oliver?”

“Most likely in the playroom; excuse me. Perhaps Simon will show you to the dining room..?”

As if on command, he pops into the room with a smile. “Follow me,” he nods, waving them off to the table. I find Oliver back to his books and lift him into my arms, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“There's other kids here, okay, my dear? They're nice.”

He glances around the room, peering over my shoulder as he speaks. “Grandnan?”

“Grandnan's in there too. Are you ready?”

He nods his head surely, pulling at the sleeves of his jumper before holding onto my shirt.

Walking down the hall and stepping into the room feels like a gamble. I don't doubt he'll be loved by her, but Crowley, what if not enough? He doesn't really have any biological grandparents who'll be here for him, and I'd rather not have him living so separated from any sort of family. Of course, he's met Dev and Niall before and loves Fiona, but that’s the only family he knows of. Simply put, he deserves a normal fucking life. Not that he'll ever get a Normal life, but a typical, full-familied life.

The moment we step in, my worries melt away. Daphne grins and offers out her arms to him, cooing motherly in greeting as she takes his hands and shakes them. Even through lunch, she insists on him sitting next to her. To her credit, she tries countlessly to make conversation, but, Ollie being Ollie, gives his typical word or few before going back to eating. She sends me a look or two of somewhat concern, but I shrug in response. I'd warned her of his Simon-like nonverbal tendencies, but I suppose she anticipated a little more communication anyway.

He does seem to warm up to her, though, in his own way. As Simon offers to show the group the goats, Oliver gives Daphne a hug before running off to the new barn.

She and I stay back, pouring each other in a brief silent exchange of glances. “So…” I begin.

“He’s quite quiet,” she says softly, cautious to not offend, “but he’s awfully sweet.”

With a loose smile, I nod my head and take a glance at his finished plate. “He's a brilliant listener, just not the best talker. He is a doll, though. Excited every time he gets something new, as if he didn't expect to ever get anything at all. Makes my chest tug a little.” Lifting the teacup to my lips, I hesitate to continue my thought. I do anyway. “I simply wished he could interact with more people. Simon and I don't have a lot of friends together, besides each other and Mitali Bunce's daughter, so it's hard to get Oliver used to new people when we barely have anyone we see ourselves.”

We're silent for a few beats, my attention locked to my porcelain cup as it tips towards my mouth and lowers back to the plate.

I find Daphne's eyes searching mine; studying my features in hopes to pull out an answer. “You know, your father doesn't hate who you are. He just… doesn't like who you married. He takes it out on class without thought to compassion.”

“He never quite put thought to compassion,” I bite, voice steadily quiet. Daphne just looks apologetic.

“He does sometimes, it's just difficult to find those moments.”

With pursed lips and a fearful gaze, I meet her eyes. “I don’t mean to hate him for how he is, I’m just upset with how he chooses not to change it.”

She gives me a motherly smile, reaching out to settle a hand on top of mine. “He's the product of his upbringing, and the upbringing before that, and the upbringing before that. Sometimes it’s hard to break what we train ourselves for, isn't that true?” Her fingertip runs along my wedding band. “Everyone has a crack in their mask. It’s just taking longer for his to chip away.”

I exhale, lowering my gaze down to the tablecloth and letting us sit in silence as I mull it over. I won't expect anything, of course, but it's somewhat comforting to know that someone's on my side. Our side; my family's side.

“Thank you for coming to lunch,” I say at last, letting her have a smile. “It means a lot for him to have this.”

“Of course,” she waves, “don’t be such a stranger, and we won't be either. Has Mordelia visited before today? I know classes are over in a week, but you're still so close...”

“No, but I know how classes go. She doesn't want to spend time with a five year old and two adults.”

Daphne wrinkles her nose to that. “I'll see if I can talk her into some afternoon teas. She is a young teen, after all.”

“That she is,” I smile, exhaling slowly before standing. “I'm going to tidy up, if you don't mind. Feel free to go out back and check on the kids.”

She does so, leaving me a short bit of time to think (and think, and think) about what was said.

They don't stay for too much longer, leading to everyone exchanging hugs. To my delight, it seems like Oliver gets along with Benjamin quite well.

Their departure is sweet, a waving send off before Oliver yawns and proclaims that his nap time is now. Simon graciously volunteers to put him off, joining me back in the living room once he’s done.

“So… what was the talk about?”

I settle back onto the couch, sinking into the fibers as I get myself relax. “My father. Oliver. Nothing much else.” His head falls to my shoulder, settling there as his hand drops to my thigh and traces shapes onto my skin.

“Not bad talking, right?”

“Not at all,” I murmur, turning my head to settle on his. ”I'm not entirely sure my father will ever truly come around, not that it really matters.”

Our palms settle together, light hitting my wedding band as his fingers thread through mine. He doesn’t push me to say anything, just settles his head against my shoulder and lets me finish my thoughts on my own time.

“We have Daphne, though. And Bunce, and Fiona. And he’s happy, so I think that’s all that does truly matter, after all.”

#snowbaz #carry on #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #mine #love you all die for this #lyadft #simon snow #tyrannus basilton grimm-pitch #tyrannus basilton grimm pitch #baz pitch #simon #baz #oliver pitch #oliver

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berry89berry-blog · 5 years

Text

Stratis Core wallet

The Stratis Central wallet is an on the internet finances which allows a person to send in addition to be given STRAT coins. This implies a person can pay for goods and services making use of STRAT as well as obtaining repayments in STRAT. well known The particular Stratis Core pocket book is an on the internet wallet which in turn allows one to send and be given STRAT coins. This particular means you can purchase goods and services using STRAT and also receiving repayments in STRAT. The Stratis blockchain uses a Proof of Stake (PoS) algorithm for you to validate transactions, so users of STRAT can certainly come to a decision to stake their STRAT. After you are staking STRAT, you can create blocks towards the blockchain and even earn STRAT doing this particular. Importantly, Stratis Core Wallet is sewing-embroidery; this enables you to risk your current STRAT in improvement to making transactions. 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Some sort of turnkey ICO solution on this point appears to be to journey in this face of the adverse see of ICOs plus the growing government scrutiny. Stratis Remains a Valuable Blockchain Even though the launch of an ICO program causes it to become seem like if Stratis is out of feel with the rest regarding the cryptocurrency industry, it remains the strong plus impressive blockchain project. And even while the value regarding typically the STRAT coin provides lowered all over 2018, honestly, that is a lot more a good feature regarding the general decline inside cryptocurrency market segments. A $1. 57 price now is still the a lot more than 25, 000% gain through the $0. 007 ICO price of typically the coin. That�s a new pretty hefty return within over 2 years. Stratis comes with also not too long ago been classified by the Microsoft Azure Current market, which was a massive win intended for Stratis owner and CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Chris Trew. The listing isnt automatically the endorsement regarding Stratis as a project, but rather because the tableau can be written in C# for any. NET framework. Typically the. NET framework was designed by Microsoft, and because of Windows organization utilization the. NET construction together with C# programming language are both embedded in every industry. As the designer on the. NET system Microsoft provides a huge stake around the success and growth of the system and the C# language, making acceptance of Stratis by means of Microsoft almost a presented result. Microsoft Azure Announcement by simply Stratis on 'microsoft' Glowing blue Company�s using heritage devices built on C# and. NET will locate the transition to a blockchain option will be simplest together with most cost-effective when applying the Stratis solution. Almost all of these companies presently have C# developers that may be reassigned to a blockchain task, and they�ll produce easy progress thanks for you to their expertise with C#. Unfortunately with regard to Stratis typically the blockchain universe evolves incredibly quickly. Their C# package was vaporware till May well 2018, meaning there initially were some sort of number of projects of which ensnared up to in addition to overtaken Stratis. And the particular Breeze wallet, which sounded so innovative throughout summer involving 2016, wasn�t all of that revolutionary when the idea had been launch as the beta mainnet product in The fall of 2017. It�s unfortunate, even so the Stratis team seems to always be operating at a a lot slower schedule than brand new projects, in particular those from Japan. The early enjoyment over Stratis hasn�t translated for you to early adoption. Throughout fact, other than the acknowledgement into the Azure Current market, the most important partnership so significantly is with Earth String, an unknown startup company that is definitely looking to disrupt typically the sea food logistics business together with a blockchain solution. One particular hopeful growth is the particular newest collaboration using UNITED KINGDOM Meds, the speediest developing online chemist in the united kingdom, simply announced on September 5 various. UK Meds plans on using the technology to increase patient safety and in order to improve the BRITISH Meds supply chain. Bottom line Startis has the distinction penalized the first successful ICO, and remains impressive to help this working day, but several say this would need to action up its game in the event that the idea doesn�t want this distinction of first effective ICO to be the particular biggest difference the venture possibly extends to. While this has solid technology and even the strong joint venture having Microsoft, it is not visiting the type of use the idea needs. If it can leveraging its advantages there is even now trust for growth within the particular blockchain industry as this offers a number of viable in addition to beneficial use-cases. The inclusion of the Stratis program in the Microsoft Azure marketplace is a huge earn, and investors include to be happy with this 22, 000% return given that the ICO, even in case the associated with the coin has been falling inside 2018. Investor belief could be falling, yet there is still plenty of good to be said for STRAT. This launch of a good ICO program doesn�t seem to be the ideal move around in 2018 as authorities regulators have been using aim at ICOs, yet the good news is Stratis offers a few other platform innovations together with partners. Doubtless a good company blockchain solution in C# may well not sound because highly advanced or maybe captivating as other blockchain plans, however it�s only these kind of nuts-and-bolts type apps that will are often the nearly all valuable and profitable. Throughout point, the use regarding C# makes Stratis even more desirable to conventional tech companies with musical legacy techniques, since they won�t must start from scratch for you to migrate or integrate their very own devices with blockchain technologies. The particular Stratis solution indicates genuine promise, but we all have to delay together with see if they could genuinely deliver.

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