#and the problem has been sold to you in exaggeration

[kirain]

Saw your comment on a post about Sound of Freedom and I came here to say.....shame on you. Shame. On. You. Since when is child trafficking a political issue? Since when is calling pedophilia bad a political issue? If you have a problem with this movie then maybe YOU'RE the problem. No better than the big Disney fat cats who tried to suppress this movie and keep it shelved. Or theaters messing with the ac and saying seats are sold out when they're empty. Shame on you! God's children are not for sale!

I wish people would do a little more research on this topic. If Hollywood and the "powers that be" didn't want this movie being seen, it wouldn't have been released in over 3000 theatres countrywide. It's being shown in major and minor locations all across America and Canada, and the vast majority of those locations aren't having any problems.

Case and point, my own mother and her friend went to see it last week and everything was fine. No issues whatsoever and the seats were packed. The movie isn't being "suppressed". This is all a marketing gimmick from the production company Angel Studios, a Christian streaming service. The movie is jam-packed with lies and only serves to glorify Tim Ballard, the man the movie is based on, and Christianity as a whole. I truly wish this wasn't political, but it is. They made it political.

Tim Ballard has provably exaggerated or fabricated many, if not most of his "rescues", and his organisation, Operation Underground Railroad, has been widely criticised by professional anti-sex trafficking organizations (including other Christian-based ones) for years. He has accumulated millions of dollars for his so-called "non-profit" organisation, and he runs several for profit organisations on the side. Most of this money is presumably pocketed by Ballard and his cohorts, as millions is unaccounted for and only a sliver goes to OUR. It's not about "saving children", it's about money and spreading Ballard's religious ideology.

This is compounded by the fact that Ballard, before he left the CIA, was almost always the last officer to arrive on any scene where child sex trafficking was involved, yet he somehow has hundreds of stories where he's singlehandedly rescued children. In fact, the "true story" the film is based on, where Ballard apparently saved a five year old boy—who, by Ballard's own account, ran up to him, hugged him, and begged to be taken away—didn't even happen. According to court receipts from the arrest and trial of Earl Venton Buchanan (the pedophile in possession of the little boy), Ballard arrived at the scene long after the boy was rescued and taken into custody, and he was barely involved. The documents can easily be found online under the San Diego incident reports.

Ballard was also caught lying about saving one particular girl named Liliana, the literal poster child for OUR. As it turns out, Liliana rescued herself by escaping her captors when she was seventeen and being trafficked in New York. Even more egregious, every time Ballard told her story, he would lower her age to garner more sympathy ... as if her being seventeen wasn't sad enough. In one instance, he claimed she was 14. In another, he claimed she was 11. Ballard also exploited Liliana's story as a reason for needing stricter border patrols and a better wall, despite the fact that she was being abused in America. There is no evidence to suggest OUR had anything to do with her rescue.

Ballard and his "organisation" have even ruined entire legitimate rescue operations in other countries and put children at risk, like in the Dominican Republic, where he endangered the lives of 26 girls by playing vigilante, being followed around by a camera crew, and causing a shootout that effectively traumatised the children he used as a prop to lure in buyers. His response to the mishap and rightful criticism by the Dominican police was basically, "Well ... you win some, you lose some."

The children were released without receiving any therapy or rehabilitative care, and Anne Gallagher, the leading global expert on the international law on human trafficking, said that OUR has an "alarming lack of understanding about how sophisticated criminal trafficking networks must be approached and dismantled" and went on to call the work of OUR "arrogant, unethical, and illegal". Those children easily could've been shot and killed. This occurred in 2014, but Ballard still insists that his "rescues" be filmed, and he even pitched it as a reality TV show. His reasoning for this, he says, is to "spread awareness", but we all know it's because he loves the spotlight.

Entire law enforcement agencies have actually cut ties with or even condemned OUR, such as Washington State Law Enforcement, as a result of Ballard's proclivity to conflate child sex trafficking with consensual adult sex work. Ballard and OUR regularly set up sting operations and lambasted the men who showed up for kink play, publicly branding them as pedophiles, even though the men in question were under the impression that they were meeting for sex with consenting, adult women. This led to several lawsuits against OUR, all of which they rightfully lost.

Ballard's means of gathering intelligence is also questionable, as he, by his own admission, sometimes consults psychic mediums for information on missing children and asks where they're being held captive. I genuinely wish I was joking about that.

The main actor in Sound of Freedom, Jim Caviezel, also has ties to the Qanon movement, and Caviezel himself is a hardcore conspiracy theorist. He believes that Donald Trump is "the new Moses" and that "liberals [literally] drink the blood of children". This is ironic, considering Caviezel and Ballard both met Trump several times, yet never pressed him for information regarding Epstein's client list. Moreover, Caviezel and Ballard both donate to the Catholic Church, which funds the largest child sex trafficking ring on the southern border and has a history of rampant sexual abuse of children. Even more insane, Caviezel admitted to watching child porn, to apparently "get in character" for the movie. He claimed that if Ballard had to watch it, it only "made sense" that he'd have to watch it, too. To "motivate" him to fight child trafficking.

...Alright, bud.

Surprise, surprise, both men are also outspokenly anti-LGBTQ+, despite the fact that children/teens in that community are statistically more likely to be trafficked. The majority of child trafficking is not the result of random kidnappings, as the movie would have you believe. The majority of children are actually recruited into sexual exploitation by a family member or friend/boss. The majority of those children are also not generally passed around in Mexico, like this racist, white savior-oriented movie would have you believe, but they actually either stay in or end up in America. America is, in fact, the largest consumer of child porn and child sex slaves this side of the globe (and nearly the largest producer), yet the movie depicts almost every pedophile as Mexican or some other non-white race.

At the end of the movie, Ballard comes on screen and asks people to donate/buy tickets for others, so that the movie can spread awareness. This is why so many seats in certain theatres are empty, despite websites saying the seats are sold out. Whether or not Angel Studios is also shadow purchasing tickets to boost sales can't be proven, obviously, but I wouldn't put it past them. These "conspiracies" have all served to market the movie and boost ticket sales.

As for Disney trying to keep the movie shelved, that's also a lie. Yes, Disney did technically shelve the movie when they bought Fox, since it didn't exactly correspond with its family-friendly brand, but they had no problem with the movie being released under a different studio. The actual reason Sound of Freedom was in "production hell" for five years was because Tim Ballard kept trying to milk donations. Despite the fact that filming wrapped up in 2018, he kept asking for more and more and more. He used people's faith and understandably emotional response to something as wicked as pedophilia to rake in millions. That's what Ballard is really about, money and stardom. In the movie, there's even a post-credit message where Jim Caviezel says the movie was held back to "maximize its distribution and raise awareness about child sex trafficking".

Translation: Ballard greedy.

Ballard himself admitted the accuracy of this movie "isn't important", and that he just wanted to get the movie out to "spread the word". By that, he of course means the Christian word—but why should fighting child sex trafficking be tied to religion? At the end of the day, Sound of Freedom is a vanity project, and it spreads incredibly dangerous misinformation. Stranger still, Ballard left the OUR just prior to the debut of Sound of Freedom, a fact he's neglected to mention in every interview regarding the movie. It's not clear why he left, but it seems that he fled after an internal investigation into the organisation began. That's not too suspicious or anything. My guess is authorities are trying to find out were all that missing money went, and Ballard doesn't want to be there when they figure it out.

By the way, that final line you hit me with; "God's children are not for sale", the line from the movie that Ballard claims a fellow agent whispered to him while on a case, as well as the title of the movie, which another agent supposedly said to Ballard after a giant rescue operation—those were lies, too. No agents ever said that to him. The police reports for those cases, as well as the agents Ballard supposedly quoted, all said he was the last to arrive on the scene and those conversations never happened.

Ballard cannot be trusted and Sound of Freedom is based on a lie. It's a scam. Everything he does is a scam. All he cares about is spreading his ideology, making money, and looking like a superhero. And this is only the tip of the iceberg. Look into his other companies, and into the ex-military soldiers and police officers who left OUR because of how poorly trained their people are when it comes to rescue operations.

Every sane person knows pedophilia and human trafficking is wrong, but giving your money to Qanon-adjacent, right-wing leaning, LGBTQ+-hating, Catholic Church-sympathising, fame-chasing, money-hungry, perpetual liar Tim Ballard isn't going to help.

The best way to help out is learning about the signs of child trafficking. Keep an eye out for any children that might be getting abused. If you suspect something, report it, don't be a silent bystander. Volunteer within your community to make sure the children in your area have food and resources, support LGBTQ+ youth, and watch the other adults around you to ensure they're not acting inappropriately. You can also donate to social programs that create safe spaces for children and even apply for jobs that specialise in these fields. Don't go to see a movie just because it aligns with your religious beliefs, feel sad for a little while, then sit on your ass and let Tim Ballard handle everything.

#sound of freedom #tim ballard #jim caviezel #christianity #child trafficking #propaganda #angel studios #I can't believe you made me defend Disney

[madonnamadeofasphalt]

One of my favourite things in fiction is when a type of character that so often turns out to be a twist villain that you expect it turns out to not be villainous at all.

The Celebrity Hero, dude who looks like Superman in shining armor and is adored by everybody, and everyone is telling incredible tales of his exploits? He’s every bit as heroic and capable as people say, even if some of the stories are a bit exaggerated.

The Popular Girl, conventionally beautiful, constantly partying and crushed on by all of her classmates? She’s beloved not just because of her looks, but also because she’s genuinely the nicest person around.

The Royal Spymaster, a shady, queercoded fellow in a black cloak who has their little birds everywhere and probably does some dark magic in their basement? They’re the most idealistic and loyal protector of the people in the capital.

The Village Priest, a severe old man with a posture of a scarecrow, who looks like he’s never told a joke in his whole life? His fancy, Church-assigned residence is empty because he sold all of his furniture to help the local peasants get through a famine.

Bonus points if they turn out to be completely useless to the driving conflict and/or profoundly self-destructive because they don’t have a villainous bone in their body.

The Celebrity Hero is such a pure-hearted himbo that he’s easily tricked into believing the protagonist is a villain.

The Popular Girl, behind a smiling facade, is an absolute dysfunctional mess because she keeps making everyone’s problems her own and never opens up because she doesn’t want people to worry.

The Royal Spymaster outright refuses to believe the evidence that the king, whom they’ve known since he was a baby, has been scheming for years to backstab them because they’re one of the last obstacles on his way to absolute power.

The Village Priest is completely sidelined and a laughing stock of his horrifically corrupt Church, because he seems to be the only guy around who actually treats its tenets seriously.

etc., etc.

#fiction #tropes #writing #creative writing #villain tropes

[julymarte]

Text post cause I'm gonna dive into mermay with a silly/not so silly brainstorming about ✨the fish✨ of course, as the other time this is not a fanfiction or anything it's just me taking notes of events I might draw in a scattered way that I can understand when drawing, it's not a narration of events

Today's prompt was.... Will Pravaal ever talk with his mother again? Would his mom ever send someone looking for him? Etc etc more under the cut

Context for those who might be new:

Pravaal the pink merman boy you can't have missed from my blog is the eldest (illegitimate)son of a high noble woman descending from a mildly discriminated minority (abyssals) and they don't have a good relationship. Pravaal's mother used to care for him for his very first years until her family started pressuring her to mend the mistake she made and reclaim the respect from her family...nobles of abyssal descent are obsessed with being seen well and accepted by pure blood high nobility so a child had outside a marriage with a man from another land that never came back...well, wasn't the best for her situation and instead of clinging to her son she distanced herself giving priority to her status. While his mother married a pure blood noble and had more children with him he was always mistreated,insulted, alienated until he had enough and ran away from home (not before stealing a bunch of precious stuff in retaliation including his signature earring) he was around 12 when he escaped...

Time setting: 2 years before the story circa

Scene: It's night (like night night) in the Silver Capital pravaal is about to exit the twin moons after a nice party night when he finds 4 men with light armor and the sea emblem pointing spears at him

P* startled but trying to keep the cool*: my my~ what do we have here? Did the hag finally decide to look for her lost child?

???: ugh where are your manners? This squalid place sure had left it's influence on you..and look at you what are you wearing?! That's highly improper..tch but what else could I have expected? Of course you would have joined that entourage of criminals like your father

P * genuinely surprised but his mood darkening*: to think you left your pretty perfect mansion to come find me after 10 years... What do I owe the honor of your presence,mother? * He'd do an over exaggerated bow with the hand twirls*

Narissa *annoyed but keeping an air of superiority*: I'm obviously not here for you, but for something you've taken from me *points at his earring* I want that back and if you won't be an obedient boy my guards will take it by force

P *snickering and looking at the guards as someone who would easily take them down*: you even threaten me?! For this earring? If it really mattered that much to you why wait all this time?

N* takes a moment to reply pondering if she should tell him or not*: I need it to complete the set, I will be wearing it at an important ceremony, my daughter has finally been matched with a pure blood high noble for marriage it's an important occasion for my family, it's my crest after all... It matters more to me than to you right?...so now... Hand it over and you won't get hurt

P: my sister is...? She's not even an adult yet and you already sold her out like that?!

N: it's for the greater good of the family, that is none of your business! You never were part of it, you only caused me problems and it's disappointing to see you just keep doing so.... Guards !

Guards:yes ma'am!

N: I want that earring at all costs I don't care if you have to wound him or worse

???: oi! oi! oi! What's with the commotion outside!? I was trying to entertain a small crowd there but if you keep going like this they will all come making bets here *the scruffy but charming man puts a hand on Pravaal's shoulder who recoils annoyed and mildly disgusted*

P: by the ancients if things couldn't get any worse...*grows increasingly irritated by the situation* go back there old man this doesn't concern you

Arvad: sheesh! What a bitter family reunion we have here...I just wanted to land you a hand boy don't give me the cold shoulder like that, ah and you Marissa are just as beautiful as the last time I sa-

Narissa: *she snaps, it runs in the family*YOU!!!! YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL MY MISFORTUNE! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH YOU RUINED MY LIFE!? STARTING WITH* points at pravaal who looks at her coldly*..THAT!? AND ITS NARISSA! you pathetic man don't even remember my name *looks at him disgusted to which in response he just averts the gaze and spaces out*

P* raises his hands and turns around leaving* that's it I'm done I am NOT gonna get involved in this, no way I'm gonna stand here as you argue over how your life was ruined-

N: DO YOU THINK I HAVE FORGOTTEN?! GUARDS!! * Arvad jumps on the side startled by her loud yelling, the guards rush towards pravaal who summons his whip sword and whips it on the ground making them take a step back, serious look on his face he starts to take a few strps towards his mother*

P: I'm not gonna give it to you, you don't really need it do you? This is not an old family heirloom you could have commissioned a copy, I bet you probably already have one, not to mention why boasting the family crest when you aim to be part of another more prestigious house?...*snaps his sword again to keep the guards at bay who are simply pointing their sticks at him unsure of what to do, his mother stares at him coldly but starts sweating* the red moon district is a small place and people talk, especially at the twin moons *Arvad nods nervously sensing the tension* and I would have known if there were a bunch of sea guards buzzing around the capital but no you paid someone to sell my exact location... Why? * She grows a bit uneasy as he uses the earring to appear as his 12yo self and steps closer* Don't Tell me you DID actually come for me~ Aww maybe you still do have a heart deep deep down, did you miss me? Or do I still haunt your dreams?*flashes her a smirk to challenge her to reply to which he freezes in silence for a while,guards looking each other in confusion and Arvad taking the moment to sneak back to his small audience with a new story, noticing him pravaal..still as a baby boi sighs*

So?

N: fine! Keep the earring...I- I'm here cause of my daughter, she was wondering if you still were alive and I wanted to- to check, for her..no way in the pits of the abyss I'll let her taint her reputation before her marriage by setting foot on land!

P:... Wouldn't these guys have been enough? And why lie about the jewels?!...*sighs and releases the illusion turning back to his normal self* listen, whatever,I don't care ,as you see I am still alive that's it...but now don't ever show your face around here again...he ruined your life, I ruined it too by existing I guess, but you ruined mine as well and it's not less important than your pretty sorry story* she twitches a little hearing that, she tries to maintain a superiority look but she's more akin to a dog with it's leg between it's legs now* but.. you are right, my my where are my manners?! * Does the mocking fancy bow again* farewell mother, may I never see you again~

#kos #kingdom of sun #text post #long post #brainstorming #dump #oc #original character

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

I’ve been thinking about the auction for ages, just turning it around in my head constantly. My instant guy reaction was to be horrified, and then people online made me think I was being unreasonable. And I just kept going back and forth unsure, but Brian’s message I think helped clear my head. And I think I’ve figured out what bothers me the most about all this. Because my first initial reaction was mostly just emotion. Mostly just “but that is awful!” Especially hearing about the fucking mustache comb. Like you KNOW what kind of freaks are out there. If Freddie hadn’t been a celeb I’d probably honestly say yeah sure sell it whatever. But he was a celeb, and there’s a plethora of weirdos who would want that. You have to take that kind of thing into account.

I’ll also be honest, I don’t actually give a fuck about the furniture and art being sold. Actually if it was the interior design stuff being auctioned off I probably would have shrugged. Like oh well. It’s just a couch, and a vase or whatever (very nice very expensive furniture and decoration but you know, they don’t represent Freddie imo). The clothes, the piano, the lyrics and photos, the very personal effects (mustache comb which I will never stop harping on) that’s what bothers me. It’s because it shows an utter disregard for Freddie’s legacy. Freddie is not only a famous and legendary musician, but classic and historical. He is one of the biggest musicians there will ever be in human history (and that’s not even an exaggeration in the slightest!), and you’re just selling his handwritten lyrics etc to the highest bidder with no regard for its historical value. I’m reminded of Indiana Jones. “It belongs in a museum!”

I don’t think anybody is saying to turn Garden Lodge into a Graceland. Freddie would have been horrified at that idea with how private he was. But to not offer Queen (the only her legendary musicians in this equation who will also be in/are in the history books) even some of the the lyrics…

I think for literal historical reasons it’s a problem to be selling these lyrics and some of these clothes to randos.

Also there is a way to display this stuff properly. Everybody it seems jumps to “well Freddie wouldn’t want a Graceland.” Like yeah of course not. But there is (maybe was, not sure it’s still up) a Nirvana exhibit, which Kurt Cobain’s family had a big hand in. And it displays some important objects for the public, including some of Kurt’s clothes (which were not nearly as flashy/high fashion as Freddie’s, albeit still iconic). And I also think of again, how gracefully Frances Bean Cobain (Kurt’s daughter) who has the majority of his estate, handles his legacy, and seems on very good terms with the other band members. The literal only hiccup I can think of isn’t even her fault. Kurt’s guitar was auctioned off after being stolen from her by her ex husband, and she fought to get it back.

Anyway, I think there was a way to handle this. To auction off some of Freddie’s goods, like furniture and stuff that isn’t actually important to his legacy, and still get a hefty price. Hell, maybe even sell a shirt or two that is a bit more important. But then handle the placement of the more important materials more delicately. Hell, you could still maybe even make some money depending on how you arrange where it goes.

Yeah, that's pretty much what it comes down to. I don't care much about the furniture and décor, either, and I think most people don't. Those are things that were irrelevant to his work, just things to fill up a house. I've been saying for weeks now that selling the things which directly have to do with Freddie's music, such as his lyrics, instruments, and stage costumes, is indicative of a complete and utter disregard for his life's work, impact, and legacy as a musician. It says a lot when randos who never know Freddie think, "Wow, his lyrics should be in a museum" but the woman who the media has painted as the Only One who ever understood Freddie saw no value in these items outside of dollar signs. It's just very disrespectful.

No one is arguing that the lyrics and costumes of Freddie's that are already on display at the Montreux museum or other exhibitions aren't what he would've wanted, so these people defending the auction with "BuT FrEDDiE WOuLDn'T HavE WanTED--"are just annoying.

And to me, what's equally scummy is how there was zero consideration for Freddie's living loved ones. That was one of my immediate thoughts when I first heard of the auction. Mary clearly doesn't view Freddie's lyrics, instruments, or costumes as part of Queen's larger legacy. It's both disrespectful to the band as individuals, and to Queen as a whole. It's like she really never gave a shit about Queen, Freddie's baby, and of course she certainly never gave a shit about anyone else in his life, no matter how close he was to them (and you could argue the closer they were to Freddie, the more she resented them). And it's the very personal items, too, not just the mustache comb, but the personal photos of the band hanging out in the pool or the photos of Freddie and Anita in kimonos at Garden Lodge which shouldn't be sold without asking those actually in the pictures first. It's shitty that the band and Freddie's other loved ones would even be put in the position of having to purchase photographs that they are in.

Anyway, the whole thing is really shitty to both Freddie's legacy as a musician and his loved ones. Plain and simple.

#replies #Anonymous

[jpt3391]

The Life of Oharu

Dang. That movie was one of the saddest movies I have ever watched. The atmosphere that Mizoguchi created of a lady in the 1600s who had fallen from grace, may be exaggerated a bit, but still holds applicable to how many of the women during that time were treated. Even his own sister, who we talked about the class before, was sold off by her father which I can only imagine the effect that had on him and the future works that he would create. It really puts into perspective the hardships that women had to face throughout their lives and how the patriarchal society functioned. From her father, to her “lovers”, and to the other men that she had to face, every part that brought her problems was because of men and how they viewed women as property, rather than human beings like they should.

The titular character, Oharu, is introduced in the first frames of the movie, but it takes a bit for her to show her face, similar to how she would hide her face throughout the movie when meeting others for the first time. I think that Mizoguchi shot that long scene to put us into the shoes of how other people would see her and long to look at her face. Eventually, the beauty that she tries to hide turns into a beauty that she hides because of the path that she walks now as a nun. I thought that, despite everything that she went through, it was a respectable thing that she did. She was shunned by the nun at first because of the misunderstanding that was caused by Jihei, speaking of which, how terrible was that nun for not being able to forgive her and be the better person to still want to take care of a woman that has been tossed aside so many times. I thought that was so sad, to have Oharu in that position and turning to another lady who is supposed to take care of you, still casts you aside for what a man has done to you. It’s not even her fault, and she has to take the brunt of the punishment. But going back to the chronological story, one of the shots that I found interesting was the slow pan that revealed who I assumed was the priest of the temple, standing above the older ladies as a representation of the social status that men had back then.

The importance of money, not just in their society, but in the modern world as well. The shot where they all turned as the counterfeiter showed off the spoils to the people at the brothel was a really good shot. When they all turned around, it was pretty funny to me

More subtlety in the statues as the women are still below them, but also in the shot of Oharu and the other men looking down at her. It just reminds the audience of the lowly status that women had before.

[foldingfittedsheets]

It’s been several years since I sold mattresses, though I still have friends in that industry. Back then, I bought this wildly expensive set of sheets. They’re made of tencel (like a fancy processed plant fiber), with a quilted top sheet that’s very soft and decadent. The fitted sheet has straps at all four corners to keep it snug on the bed, and the pillowcases are quilted, too.

The problem is that the quilted top has come apart from the bottom, making the luxurious and expensive quilted top sheet a nightmare to wash and use. It’s turned into a vast floppy bag of fabric.

Having grown more frustrated with this situation over the years I finally reached out to the company I’d bought them from to ask if I could buy a single top sheet. To help this process along I claimed I still work in the mattress industry.

To my surprise the regional Vice President of sales gets back to me almost immediately and says he’s sorry to hear it, and what mattress store do I own? Presumptuous, I think. But still, a good sign.

So I text my friend who owns a store. I’ve helped cover his location a few times on a freelance basis, and I know he carries their sheets. I say, “Can I lie to this company that I work for you?”

“Of course,” he says. So I send my little email with its exaggeration that I work for my friends store more often than is really the case. I then text my friend again.

“Wow,” I say, “it’s surprising that the regional VP of sales is the one handling this.”

My friend is upset. “What?! You can’t lie to him! I just had lunch with him, he knows you don’t work for me!”

At which point I say, “What! You told me I could lie!!”

He says he’ll send an email. I feel bad but not that bad because I did ask first. But within ten minutes the VP is back, even more genial than before. He fulfills a warranty claim that gets me two new top sheets for free since I’m a friend of a friend. It felt like I was part of the bedding mob, I swear.

#my life #funny #story #ramblies #bedding #I got to sleep with the new sheet last night and I’m so happy I finally reached out #the soft fitted sheets were never getting used cause they didn’t have a top #sometimes I remember never using top sheets in my youth

[helenadurazzo]

Helena’s Fifiteth

For those who don’t know, Helena’s canonical birthday was on February 23rd 1973, making today her fiftieth irl. In honor of this, I decided to demonstrate what Helena’s life is like in the present

Also I am still debating a name for Vincent’s wife who appears in this story, I am open to suggestions and will edit the story once a name is decided

Erika -> 51-52

Helena -> 49-50

Vincent -> 24-25

Zara -> 22-23

Cato and Brian belong to @catohphm

As spring would be approaching in the next month, Helena knew her number of clients would once again, quickly increase as it did every other year. She had a couple of plants that either bloomed year round or bloomed solely in the winter, but for the most part, the coldest season tended to be the slowest for Helena and her motivation as well.

“You’ve been out here longer than usual for a winter’s day.” A familiar voice commented with a chuckle, “Happy Birthday, love.”

Helena turned around and smiled at her wife and welcomed her with an embrace and a gentle, yet loving, kiss. “I didn’t think you’d be back this quick, Eri.” Helena mentioned in a surprised but delighted tone. “You acted like that emergency at work was going to take you all day to handle.”

“It was just an exaggeration, I figured you would have guessed that by now.” Erika admitted. “I was a member of the Harpies before I became their manager, I’ve learned how to solve most problems pretty easily overtime. Plus leaving at the break of dawn certainly helped.”

She supposed Erika had a point since it was nearly noon now. “Well, your team is certainly having an excellent season.”

“Glad to know you are still rooting for us.”

“Your team still has many quidditch teams to beat before you can confidently claim victory.” Helena reminded her, “Including the Tornadoes.”

Helena watched as Erika only laughed at this, “The Tornadoes are only doing good this year because they are using Vincent to their advantage, after all, he certainly learned from the best.”

Helena chuckled “Whatever you say love.”

“That reminds me, I ran into Penny when I arrived.” Erika revealed. “She was saying something about how she was head to pick up an order of some ingredient she needed for her potions, can’t remember what it was on the top of my head so I figured I would ask you before I gave her the wrong thing.”

“I completely forgot!” She exclaimed as she pulled her wand out of her pocket and summoned a jar, “Luckily it’s a pretty easy fix.” She informed confidently Erika as she kneeled down in front of some icy blue flowers, gently using a spell to remove the petals and place them within the jar.

“What did she want?” Erika asked curiously, seemingly struggling to identify the flower petals her wife was gathering.

“These are permafrostine petals.” Helena explained, not taking her eyes off of her diligent work. “They are used in many advanced potions however they must be picked carefully. If even one of these petals would happen to touch a human’s skin, it would cause a severe case of frostbite.”

“How delightful.” Erika sarcastically commented. “Are you sure these petals are used in potions and not deadly poisons instead?”

Helena chuckled at her wife’s statement, “You’d be surprised by how many ingredients that go into potions can be considered poison if they are just by themselves. However, in combination with the accurate number of other non-poisonous ingredients, the elements of poison will cancel out, I don’t know much about the appropriate ratios.” Helena admitted, “that’s Penny’s expertise.”

Helena had learned from her mother to not advertise products that bloomed in such a limited timeframe. As her mother would say, there would always be one person rushing in with a desperate need for a material that so many other herbologists would have already sold out of. If Helena had waited even a week more to harvest the petals of these last few permafrostine flowers, they would have shriveled up and deemed useless. However, she did make an exception for a few of her clients such as Penny, although the two weren’t close as kids, she certainly always had a friendly relationship with her husband, as the two had known each other since they were young.

“There.” Helena confidently announced, mainly to herself, as she stood back up, securely holding the jar with careful hands. The glass was freezing yet not to a dangerous level and was simply that way due to the material within it. “That should be enough to last her for many months, if not the rest of the year.”

“Let’s head back to the house then.” Erika suggested, “We shouldn’t keep Mrs. Reese waiting forever.”

“You do have a point there.” Helena lightly chuckled as she linked her arm with Erika’s, looking into her eyes, and the two walked back side by side.

Helena smiled at the large, yet comforting cottage that she and Erika moved into a couple of years after Helena herself graduated from Hogwarts and the two decided to move to the next level in their relationship. It was also the home where they raised their two children in, although they had both since left to start lives and careers of their own, they were in their twenties after all. However, Helena made sure to always keep their rooms ready for whenever they decided to visit, although it became more sparse.

Her son was often traveling around from arena to arena ever since he officially became one of the three main chasers for the Tutshill Tornadoes, with his wife, traveling alongside him, eagerly attending all of his matches. Meanwhile, her daughter traveled, representing the ministry of magic to the governments of other countries, gaining recognition as an ambassador. She was immensely proud of both of them, however she did wish for them to be closer to home, even though she knew their traveling was part of the reason why they were successful.

Erika led the way into the house, Helena spotted Penny right away with her unmistakable golden blonde hair in a French braid, however she was pleasantly surprised when she saw her husband with her. “You didn’t tell me Cato was here.” Helena commented to Erika.

She listened as her wife chuckled mischievously, “I figured it was obvious.”

“Me and Penny got you a little something for your birthday.” Cato happily informed as he handed her a small, box that looked like it was carefully wrapped however Helena could tell by the appearance it was simply an illusion, something she enjoyed as she hated seeing wrapping paper all over the floor whenever her kids were young and opening up presents as much as she hated wrapping them.

“You shouldn’t have.” Helena smiled thankfully as she took the lid off and carefully pulled out what the box contained. Inside was a hand painted figurine of a flower, “It’s beautiful.”

“Glad you like it.” Cato replied with a smile before turning to Erika, “How have the Harpies been?”

“Good.” Erika replied with a smile, “the ladies are in a great position to win this season, although so are the Tornadoes who we face soon.”

As if on cue, the sound of travel by floo powder came from the nearby fireplace. Helena turned to see her son, dressed in a casual outfit and a light blue jacket, matching the Tutshill Tornadoes’ signature color. His hair was as curly as it was when he was a kid and his green eyes shone just as brightly. His wife appeared with the help of floo powder not to long after him.

“I thought you were going to be busy with quidditch practice!” Helena exclaimed as she embraced him, “It’s so good to see you!” She added once she took a few steps back following the embrace.

“I could not miss your birthday.” He assured her with a warm smile, before leaning over and whispering in her ear mischievously, “I’d say you were the best mother in the world, but I wouldn’t want to make mum jealous.” A statement which, Helena could not help but chuckle at in response.

“So the Tornadoes and playing the Harpies soon?” Cato asked Vincent as Helena exchanged a few words of greeting with her daughter in law.

“That’s right!” He cheerfully confirmed before turning to Erika, “I will make sure me and my teammates go easy on your ladies.”

“Trust me Vin.” She playfully replied, messing up his hair with her hand as if he was a kid, “I should be telling my ladies to go easy on your team.”

“Good to see you again Vincent.” Brian greeted him with a pat on the shoulder, “Good to hear you have been doing well, how is your sister?”

“Busy as always I am sure.” Vincent informed him, “As you can see, I am my mothers favorite as Zara did not make time out of her extensive itinerary to come make even a brief visit.”

“I’d hold my tongue if I were you.” Helena noticed Brian say as he motioned to something going on behind both her and Vincent.

Helena turned and to her surprise, there stood three familiar faces, her daughter was in front and in center while her parents were a few steps behind. Helena assumed they had to have Apparates in, with her mother assisting her father. Zara quickly came to embrace Helena, looking as beautiful as ever with her curly dirty blonde locks and green eyes that matched her brother’s. She then walked over to Vincent.

“Are you still sure you are the favorite now?” She smirked at him.

“H-How?” Vincent stuttered as Brian chuckled at his loss of words.

“Just a little planning on my part with our grandparents helping me out when it came to finding out the time and place of the festivities.” She informed him and playfully threatened, “Do not underestimate me again.”

“Alright alright you win.” Vincent gave in before giving a glance at his wife who gave a nod in response to their seemingly silent conversation, then he turned back to look at his sister, “or, at least that is what you think my dearest sister.”

“Vincent and I just found out we our expecting our first child.” She revealed, as Vincent put a comforting arm around her.

“That’s wonderful news!” Helena exclaimed happily.

“I figured so.” Vincent replied before smirking at his sister, “Especially since Zara is not anywhere near close to even considering starting a family of her own.” He teased

“Whatever, I’ll just be cool aunt Zara.” She informed him with a smile showing that she had not lost their rivalry yet.

“Define Cool.” He asked her.

As Helena watched her two children continue to banter as if they were young and not adults with their own careers, she looked over at Erika, Penny, and Cato, the last of which was the first to speak.

“You both are going to be fantastic grandmothers.” He informed her and Erika.

“I hope so.” Helena informed him

“Well I know so.” Erika assured her, as she put her arm around her. “Now how about that for a birthday present? Quite something isn’t it?”

Helena smiled, “It has certainly been a birthday I do not see forgetting in the foreseeable future.”

“I hope so.” Helena informed him.

“Well I know so.” Erika assured her, as she put her arm around her. “Now how about that for a birthday present? Quite something isn’t it?”

Helena smiled, “It has certainly been a birthday I do not see forgetting in the foreseeable future.”

#Helena Durazzo #hphm #hogwarts mystery #harry potter hogwarts mystery #future #hphm mc #Erika Rath #Cato Reese #Penny Haywood #Olivia Hearst #Alessandro Durazzo #Vincent Durazzo-Rath #Zara Durazzo-Rath #Brian Haywood-Reese

[tammyfeabakker]

It's been a rough week... My Chloe's bf is pissing me off. He was up here now he is down here. He isn't an asshole or anything I definitely rip him up. Jus a loser... He mimics Chloe.. Chloe had a nervous break down from work... She was over worked during COVID. Months no days off. People took advantage of this over exaggerating covid affair. She took sometime off. He was suppose to back her up. He got demoted because he couldn't do his duties at work. He clearly has his priorities screwed up. Mother's day we sat in the hospital parking lot.. because he couldn't get out of work. Complaining his chest hurt. The only way he could get out. Was to call an ambulance. And he fucking did. I don't think he has done a full month of work. There was nothing wrong with him. When he got in the car. Oh this isn't the only problem back problems too. Which is a fucking lie. I can spot a fucking liar from 50 miles away... His new job same place. He hasn't looked for another job. If he is working at all. Because he been home for a week an a half now. I barely have spoken to Chloe because I think she's trying to hide it from me. Which I already knew since the day I met him. Red flags. With employment.. so his new job is a floater.goes from store to store to fix them up. He is definitely heading to getting a leave of absence because he can't seem to get out of Chloe's ass. So since the hospital thing and work. I'm pretty sure they want him to quit. Because they ain't giving him hours. They know he is full of shit. But Chloe doesn't see this. Gaslighting her. He is weak male. Chloe got a job her job couldn't afford to pay her until he sold some cars she left. Been pounding out apps like crazy because this loser obviously can't work or wants too. She got a job thank God! I'm fighting with myself because I want him out. But Chloe probably feels sorry for him. Because low and behold heart problems run in his family lie right there. If your unhappy in your job you find a new one he has absolutely no goals. She knows I find out he ain't working I will loose it on him. It's really hard to watch her have to find this out for herself. Because if I do the right thing by her she will cut me off anyway. He is causing a break down in my relationship with my daughter. Because she's hiding him. He lives in fantasy being home with her is more important then paying bills. My Katy is irked by him. Because she asks Chloe something he answers for her. Like he knows her better then we do. Been together for 8 months. Katy told him to shut up I'm talking to my sister not you. Chloe is putting a wedge between us me and Katy. Because we don't hold back. Protect and serve. That's what's going on in my neck of the woods. Nothing like waiting to pounce on him. I'm probably going to stay there next week she can't keep me from coming I have a key. Then I'll make my decision then. He ain't living off my baby. He ain't hot neither he skinner then me looks like where's waldo. Looks ain't everything but he ain't got anything. I could understand if he was hot I'd still kick him to the curve. I see her future working taking care of him the house the pets. And that's gonna happen. His looser ass better be on a schedule next week. Or I'm going to loose it on him. Chow for now

[fugitoidkry]

*peers at tags on rush edited books post* publishing industry essay? im very interested in what you have to say esp. iron widow

Long rant below (there are spoilers as well)

I think the problem basically lies in an imbalance between aesthetics vs. understanding that is seen in the transition from 'I have an idea' to 'OK, now let's give that idea a body'.

This can be seen, for example, in the trite formula in which this type of books is recommended nowadays, but which is only a natural response to the fact that, if you stop to think about it for a sec, it is difficult for you to separate the aesthetic of the story (the labels with which the book has been sold to you; which is an easier and faster way to stand out in the market and sell too) from how this story has been constructed and what the story has been trying to tell you.

When I speak of 'understanding', what I mean is that, speaking of Iron Widow, if the publicity for your book sells me the expectation that I am facing a story that drinks a cocktail between The Handmaid's Tale and Pacific Rim, then I'm hoping to read and see how you innovate and develop it beyond the aesthetic, the appetizing. Because whether you like it or not, by describing your book and selling it in this way, you are creating in the reader ideas of what can be expected in this story if they know the sources from which you have been inspired.

The problem tho is that there is a significant lack of understanding in what made those books work in the first place (the books you are taking inspiration from). The problem is that you gotta do a work of critical analysis on what influenced you and in how you will translate and subvert those themes on your own story. Meaning: you take the basic concept of The Handmaid's Tale of having a world ruled by an oppressive patriarchy view in all its forms and you frame it in a sci-fi genre which by choosing this specific genre you are gonna find yourself, as the author, in a demand situation bc sci-fi by itself deals a lot with questioning the system, it demands to work on your worldbuilding and how it is gonna get affected by the ideas and morals you develop.

You need to get how the mechanics/the roots of the narrative elements (the plot, the narrative voice, the characters, the pacing, the idea) of The Handmaid's Tale were presented, how they were developed and how all those elements combine in a way that feels natural. But Iron Widow doesn't do that. If The Handmaid's Tale works well is because the protagonist comes from a world where she was free and her rights were respected vs to the completely opposite of that that is her current world, so of course there is gonna be a cognitive conflict and a moral one from the very beginning because the context of the book itself presents it in a way that makes sense for the protagonist to be against it. Another example of this would be The Hunger Games where the plot is the opposite from Atwood's: the protagonist already lives in an oppresive world and has known nothing else beyond this. So there is an evolution that is built slowly across three books on the perspective of the protagonist from a 'i only care about my family and surviving myself, and not so much if the world is shit' to the fighting and revolution.

Iron Widow from the very beginning has a protagonist that even tho has lived her whole life in an oppresive world, in a extremely poor village and has barely resources to get to know the outside world and/or get to know other people's perspective, is in any case 100% feminist and ready to fight the world. There is no conflict between how she was raised and how the world works vs a change on her perspective*, and when there is some conflict is resolved in one paragraph (and i am not exaggerating on this). This is makes you feel and think that is because of what i have said above: because when suddenly working on your own book after taking inspiration from another, you didn't think how to develop that world bc you didn't understand in the first place how it worked for the other books (and how it works in real life, for the matter) and how the protagonist responded to the conflict themselves because there is not a formula that summarizes how all of us react to trauma and pain and oppresive systems (but there is definitely a coherent way your character reacts based on the developing of the narration).

*in part it is because this progress is made off screen but we never actually get how she worked her prev mindset which I find interesting bc there are many instances in the book where other characters (like the protag mom and grandma or the other female pilots) are hinted to have problems with the world views and might be willing to give a step to changing (just like the protag at some point in her life was I suppose) but bc the only characters that matter in this book are the main trio and the rest are.... Awful characters I guess, that challenging prejudices never happens

It then makes you have a more aesthetic vision (where you tik all the boxes: oppresive world, badass queer protagonist, etc) of the book rather than giving the narrative space to grow and deal with crisis.

Another thing of lack of this understanding, is that sometimes it also gives you the feeling that the author has a plan for certain elements to happen in the book, but they are either not well developed or forgotten (and this makes you think of the 'where are the editors? didn't they like ask them about it?'). For example, the prologue of the book: i like the prologue of the book or at least 'the idea' of the prologue. I've read reviews where people have criticized the prologue in a bad way, and i honestly can understand why they do and i will explain now. The thing about the prologue is that is narrated by the person who killed the protagonist's sister. Which, by itself, i think it is a cool idea if there was a follow up to that.

There are books like The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold or Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin (still reading this one) where they have multiple narrators and some of them are from the perspective of extremely awful person (in one case a ped*phile, and in the other a TERF). The thing about those books is that they are trying to make a point on how dehumanization works. Which, once again, is not the case for Iron Widow.

In its case, the perspective of the murderer only comes into the prologue, but it becomes ineffective and it shows a lack of planning by the author not only because of that, but because the narration frames the death of the protagonist sister in an objectified way. The sister is not a person, is not a character with agency, a character we get to know and empathize bc a) when the book starts she is already dead and b) we don't even get flashbacks or smth about her with the protagonist or smth. It is a motivation for the protagonist to go in a revenge arc, but nothing else. In the end, if you pretended to show how aberrant the behaviour of the murder was in the prologue, it should have then be showed by the protagonist and the narration themselves, there should have been a coherent frame between voice narrator and narration when portraying the sister and this whole situation to make a point. But there is no point.

There is a disconnection from what it seems the author is trying to cover, what the narration is leading to and then not doing so, and the motivation of the protagonist (whom to make matters worse is in first person so this lack of harmony between elements seems even bigger. For example, how the poly relationship is developed in this story, which feels underwhelmed and rushed after all the promotion and stuff about it, because part of that relationship building is happening in the background where Zetian, the protagonist, is unaware of it occurring. We also just needed more actual interactions between the main trio that felt more personal than based on the action for that to click better. I also think, and this is more of a personal thing, that I would have liked more if this was a slow burn that happened across the following books rather than happening in the first book).

There is a saturation of ideas; in one book, and because of how they sold the book, there is this feeling that they have to cover all those things they promised the readers (the badass protagonist, the queer + poly relationship, etc) or otherwise it would be fake advertising; instead of leaving the book to take its time to develop these characters rather than showing them like an already final product and developing ideas slowly instead of rushing in the big plot points. There needs to be a harmony between the voice of your narrator, the pacing, the way you present your characters and the world, the structure and the ideas you want to tell and the ideas you've drunk from, or otherwise your book just stays in a nice concept in theory.

(imma say tho that this is also the first book that the author published so maybe things will improve in the future. But then again there are books in the YA genre who fall into these same problems even when the authors have had previous writing experience)

#i don't know if i made sense or this is like all over the place because my brain is now in exams mode but i try #i could have like criticized many other things but i didn't want this to be too long #i tried* fuck i am dying

[unamericannazidemocratparty]

Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks. Like a tick, liberalism latches onto a victim and sucks him dry. Of course, a single tick can’t gorge itself on so much blood that it does to a dog what liberalism did to Detroit. It doesn’t turn the different parts of the dog against each other. The tick doesn’t tell everyone he’s a victim and that the dog is greedy if he tries to scratch it off.

You can’t be both a good Christian and a good liberal because they’re incompatible and liberalism makes no exceptions for religious beliefs. It demands to be placed first in a person’s life, even above God; a liberal who stands up for his Christian beliefs or who merely asks that Christians not be demeaned will be ostracized for it by other liberals. Churches that adopt liberal beliefs inevitably become such pale imitations of the truth that missionaries should be sent in to convert them to Christianity.

Liberalism is an ideology of tribalism and hatred. It works incessantly to undermine anything that truly brings America together -- like Christianity, the culture and love of country -- so it can try to rebind people together as liberal drones. Relatively minor differences of opinion between liberals and those who disagree with them are habitually elevated to encourage hated.

For example, there’s no logical, rational reason that…

…If you oppose illegal immigration, you must hate Hispanics.

….If you oppose Affirmative Action, you must hate blacks.

….If you oppose free birth control, you must hate women.

….If you’re concerned about radical Islam, you must hate all Muslims.

….If you oppose gay marriage, you must hate gays.

Yet, liberalism promotes those lies incessantly to keep people at each other’s throats. Liberals have to convince their supporters that they’re hated for who they are to keep them from asking uncomfortable questions about why liberalism fails and conservatism works. As long as you’re brainwashed into believing that you’re universally hated by everyone except liberals for something you can’t control, you have nowhere else to turn.

Turning people against each other, lying about your opponents and adopting an ends justifies the means mentality are all interwoven into liberalism. Most liberals aren’t evil, but liberalism is a darkness of the soul and the more fully a person adopts it, the more of an awful human being he becomes.

Liberalism encourages a habitual hatred of people who aren’t liberal. It exaggerates grievances, elevates victimhood, excuses laziness and immoral behavior, undermines success and it pours acid on the pillars that hold up our entire society. To paraphrase Thomas Sowell,

Civilization has been aptly called a ‘thin crust over a volcano’. (Liberalism is) constantly picking at that crust.

Liberalism seems to begin with the assumption that there’s an infinite amount of money, goodness, cultural resiliency and goodwill -- and that nothing people do can have a negative impact on it. We’ll have plenty of money no matter how much liberals spend. People will be good no matter how much evil liberalism condones. Our culture will remain strong no matter how much liberals denigrate it and discourage people from embracing it. There will be no long term consequences of pushing division and hatred, no matter how often liberals do it.

If only they were right about that or if their policies worked. Want to know the consummate liberal policy? It’s Obamacare. It was passed with all Democrat votes and sold to the public almost entirely with lies. Almost every problem with the law was predicted by the law’s opponents beforehand and was vigorously denied by liberals. The law hasn’t worked as intended, it has had disastrous consequences and is extremely unpopular. Yet, liberals STILL support it wholeheartedly and blame the people who begged them not to pass the law for the difficulties it has.

As Talleyrand would say, “They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.”

That would be tolerable if liberalism confined its hatred, wickedness, stupidity and incompetence to liberal enclaves, but on top of all its other faults, liberalism is an ideology for control freaks. It’s not enough for liberals to bankrupt California and destroy Detroit; they have to centralize their policies to force the people who know better to suffer for their sins. After all, if people are given a choice, they may not choose liberalism and worse yet, they may prove to be bad examples by prospering BECAUSE they didn’t choose liberalism and that can’t be allowed.

However, the most unforgivable thing about liberalism is the sickening way it deceives people to destroy human potential. Liberalism comes in the guise of a friend offering “help” to desperate people. It’s the same sort of “help” a fisherman gives his catch; it just comes with a different sort of hook through the mouth. Liberals get people hooked on welfare and food stamps instead of teaching them to take care of themselves. They encourage people to think of themselves as helpless victims who can’t deal with the world without liberal help. Instead of helping the weak to become strong, they encourage them to be ever more sensitive and to look for new reasons to be offended. There are whole communities of people who’ve been voting for liberal policies for decades with nothing to show for it except poverty, crime, and decay. There are people on welfare today who would have had happy, productive lives if they had been pushed to take care of themselves. There are people who’ve been so convinced by liberalism that the deck is stacked against them that they’ve never tried to get their piece of the American dream. It’s wrong to do that to people. It’s sickening. It’s immoral.

Liberalism empties treasuries, blackens souls, and decimates everything it touches over the long haul. One day, unless the American people wise up to the damage liberalism is causing, it will eventually ruin this nation beyond repair. 🇺🇸John Hawkins 🇺🇸

[usagreatagain]

Liberalism is an ideology of parasites, hypocrites, grievance mongers, victims, and control freaks. Like a tick, liberalism latches onto a victim and sucks him dry. Of course, a single tick can’t gorge itself on so much blood that it does to a dog what liberalism did to Detroit. It doesn’t turn the different parts of the dog against each other. The tick doesn’t tell everyone he’s a victim and that the dog is greedy if he tries to scratch it off.

You can’t be both a good Christian and a good liberal because they’re incompatible and liberalism makes no exceptions for religious beliefs. It demands to be placed first in a person’s life, even above God; a liberal who stands up for his Christian beliefs or who merely asks that Christians not be demeaned will be ostracized for it by other liberals. Churches that adopt liberal beliefs inevitably become such pale imitations of the truth that missionaries should be sent in to convert them to Christianity.

Liberalism is an ideology of tribalism and hatred. It works incessantly to undermine anything that truly brings America together -- like Christianity, the culture and love of country -- so it can try to rebind people together as liberal drones. Relatively minor differences of opinion between liberals and those who disagree with them are habitually elevated to encourage hated.

For example, there’s no logical, rational reason that…

…If you oppose illegal immigration, you must hate Hispanics.

….If you oppose Affirmative Action, you must hate blacks.

….If you oppose free birth control, you must hate women.

….If you’re concerned about radical Islam, you must hate all Muslims.

….If you oppose gay marriage, you must hate gays.

Yet, liberalism promotes those lies incessantly to keep people at each other’s throats. Liberals have to convince their supporters that they’re hated for who they are to keep them from asking uncomfortable questions about why liberalism fails and conservatism works. As long as you’re brainwashed into believing that you’re universally hated by everyone except liberals for something you can’t control, you have nowhere else to turn.

Turning people against each other, lying about your opponents and adopting an ends justifies the means mentality are all interwoven into liberalism. Most liberals aren’t evil, but liberalism is a darkness of the soul and the more fully a person adopts it, the more of an awful human being he becomes.

Liberalism encourages a habitual hatred of people who aren’t liberal. It exaggerates grievances, elevates victimhood, excuses laziness and immoral behavior, undermines success and it pours acid on the pillars that hold up our entire society. To paraphrase Thomas Sowell,

Civilization has been aptly called a ‘thin crust over a volcano’. (Liberalism is) constantly picking at that crust.

Liberalism seems to begin with the assumption that there’s an infinite amount of money, goodness, cultural resiliency and goodwill -- and that nothing people do can have a negative impact on it. We’ll have plenty of money no matter how much liberals spend. People will be good no matter how much evil liberalism condones. Our culture will remain strong no matter how much liberals denigrate it and discourage people from embracing it. There will be no long term consequences of pushing division and hatred, no matter how often liberals do it.

If only they were right about that or if their policies worked. Want to know the consummate liberal policy? It’s Obamacare. It was passed with all Democrat votes and sold to the public almost entirely with lies. Almost every problem with the law was predicted by the law’s opponents beforehand and was vigorously denied by liberals. The law hasn’t worked as intended, it has had disastrous consequences and is extremely unpopular. Yet, liberals STILL support it wholeheartedly and blame the people who begged them not to pass the law for the difficulties it has.

As Talleyrand would say, “They have learned nothing and forgotten nothing.”

That would be tolerable if liberalism confined its hatred, wickedness, stupidity and incompetence to liberal enclaves, but on top of all its other faults, liberalism is an ideology for control freaks. It’s not enough for liberals to bankrupt California and destroy Detroit; they have to centralize their policies to force the people who know better to suffer for their sins. After all, if people are given a choice, they may not choose liberalism and worse yet, they may prove to be bad examples by prospering BECAUSE they didn’t choose liberalism and that can’t be allowed.

However, the most unforgivable thing about liberalism is the sickening way it deceives people to destroy human potential. Liberalism comes in the guise of a friend offering “help” to desperate people. It’s the same sort of “help” a fisherman gives his catch; it just comes with a different sort of hook through the mouth. Liberals get people hooked on welfare and food stamps instead of teaching them to take care of themselves. They encourage people to think of themselves as helpless victims who can’t deal with the world without liberal help. Instead of helping the weak to become strong, they encourage them to be ever more sensitive and to look for new reasons to be offended. There are whole communities of people who’ve been voting for liberal policies for decades with nothing to show for it except poverty, crime, and decay. There are people on welfare today who would have had happy, productive lives if they had been pushed to take care of themselves. There are people who’ve been so convinced by liberalism that the deck is stacked against them that they’ve never tried to get their piece of the American dream. It’s wrong to do that to people. It’s sickening. It’s immoral.

Liberalism empties treasuries, blackens souls, and decimates everything it touches over the long haul. One day, unless the American people wise up to the damage liberalism is causing, it will eventually ruin this nation beyond repair. 🇺🇸John Hawkins🇺🇸

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I like to read your opinions about music and you mostly seem like a chill reasonable person but when it comes to charts discussions I just can't take you seriously? What do you mean “what was given to Seven” like it’s something that even not worth being mentioned? Ask yourself for a second if versions, covers, playlisting, remixes etc don’t mean much why the company keeps releasing them? Why Jungkook is the only one who’s getting all of this? What’s the problem of giving others some of this if it’s not that serious? Why are they giving more cds to SNTY even though it’s not sold out but can never restock LC cds? Why Seven is the first one to get RIAA platinum certification even though LC has 1M units since August and company simply doesn’t give a fuck to submit it? Jungkook is popular no doubts, probably the most popular music wise right now but the gap isn’t even close to what it seems thankfully to all the promo effort

Anons need to stop giving me backhanded compliments. Like "oh, you're so smart but then I remember you're a Jikooker!"... Or in this case, I'm unreasonable when it comes to charts... I'm not a chart expert nor did I ever deny that Seven had plenty of advantages compared to LC, but LC isn't being purposely sabotaged by Hybe and Jimin clearly never wanted the kind of promo Seven had.

LC also has plenty of remixes. That's a company standard. Even Slow Dancing has remixes. The clean and explicit versions being combined helped Seven, of course, but it's not like they doubled the streams - casual fans will probably only listen to one version and many stans have multiple accounts to avoid streams being filtered anyway. LC's versions not being combined doesn't seem like Hybe's fault? I doubt they wanted that. They were counted as one at first before Spotify separated them. LC was also on TTH, so Seven, which came out after, being there isn't surprising. And since Seven took off so well, it sort of deserved to be there?? Jungkook being granted basic stuff they do for other less popular artists shouldn't make you mad at Jungkook. And hopefully Hybe is improving with each release.

Like, what others? You think the rap line wants remixes? Playlisting mostly works for pop tracks, not the rap line's genres? Hybe was never good at playlisting, right? I never really heard of Seven getting major playlisting? I mean, after it blew up it made sense for it to be included in pop playlists?

Didn't Hybe take a long time to restock Seven? Fans complained about that too. Now they're doing better for SNTY, I guess. Hybe isn't perfect, at all, but the company also has no interest in sabotaging Jimin, and isn't it Geffen that's handling the CDs distribution? I don't know. Don't quote me on that.

Point is, I don't trust Armys when they start with this narrative either. It's often greatly exaggerated.

As for RIAA platinum, dunno why Jimin hasn't been certified yet. Maybe it was Geffen? I don't know what kind of dynamic BH and Geffen have.

#ask #bts #jimin #jungkook #text

[mynewjerseycaraccident]

How To Choose Supplements For Nutrition Supplements

As more people become health-conscious and more aware of their health, nutritional supplements are becoming increasingly sought-after. Supplements to your diet can fill in deficiencies in our diets as well as offer nutrients we might not be getting enough of through food. It can be challenging to pick the best supplement from the many available that are available. In this post, we will provide guidance on how to choose nutritional supplements that are secure, efficient and suit your specific requirements.

Understanding the importance of nutritional supplements

Supplements for nutrition are items which supplement your diet with essential nutrients. They can come in a variety of types, such as pills, powders, capsules and liquids. Supplements may contain one or more nutrients, or a mix of both, including vitamins, minerals amino acid, herbs and vitamins.

Assessing your Nutritional Needs

It is crucial to evaluate your nutritional needs before you purchase a Cognizin supplement. Be aware of factors such as gender, age, lifestyle, and the state of your health. To find out the extent to which you're lacking certain nutrients, you might be able to track your food intake over the course of a few days.

How to Select the Best Nutritional Supplement

There are numerous kinds of nutritional supplements, each of which has their own advantages. For example, multivitamins can offer a variety of nutrients, while individual supplements like iron or calcium can be more targeted. Echinacea and ginseng are just two examples of herbal supplements that bring health benefits.

Evaluation of the quality of nutritional supplements

There are many nutritional supplements that aren't created equal. It is important to ensure that you select safe, high-quality and effective supplements. You should look for supplements that have been evaluated independently by third parties such as the United States Pharmacopeia. Also, avoid products with unrealistic claims.

Dosage and Safety Aspects

It is important to follow the guidelines for safety and dosage in the use of nutritional supplements. In excess of certain nutrients may cause health problems and also interact with medication. If you have any questions be sure to read the labels.

Side Effects and Interactions

Although ProHydrolase supplements generally are safe when taken in the prescribed manner, they can occasionally cause adverse reactions or interact with other medicines. For instance, high dosages of vitamin C could cause stomach upset or diarrhea, and St. John's wort can be a drug interaction with antidepressants. Always consult your physician prior to taking any new supplement.

Making Informed Purchases

When purchasing Cognizin supplements, it is important to conduct your own research and make informed decisions. Look for products that make clear their ingredients and sourcing as well as avoid products that make exaggerated claims. Be cautious about supplements that are sold via social media or online platforms. They may be fake, or low quality.

Importance of Consulting a Healthcare Professional

Before taking any nutritional supplement, it's important that you consult your healthcare professional. They can assist you in assessing your personal needs and decide whether a particular supplement is suitable for you. They can guide you to choose the most effective, safe product and track any adverse effects.

Common Misconceptions about Nutritional Supplements

It is often difficult to determine the truth about nutrition supplements due to a variety of misconceptions. A lot of people believe that supplements are a substitute for an wholesome diet. Others believe that more is better. However, it is important to remember that supplements are not meant to substitute for a healthy lifestyle, and that excessive intake of certain nutrients could cause harm. It is also crucial to keep in mind that supplements aren't controlled in the same manner as prescription medications, and that certain supplements may not be safe or effective.

Conclusion

Selecting the best nutritional supplements can be a tense process, but with the proper information, it can also be a rewarding one. When you evaluate your personal needs, selecting the best supplements, and speaking with a health professional, you can find supplements that are safe, effective and specifically tailored to your needs.

[benessere25]

Is Herbalife Really Changing Lives?

Let me first say that I am not, have never been, and will never become a mineral complex herbalife distributor. However, I will admit that I was "sold" into trying Herbal Life products by a stranger who introduced me to it a few years back. Although I knew about it, I never stopped to look at the Herbalife Kiosks in the mall. Either I am a sucker for products that use a MLM model to make a living, or I am open-minded. You can call me whatever you like! I also bought $5 water, because it's sexy!

The Background

Mark Hughes founded Herbalife International in 1980 as a nutrition and weight management company. Hughes founded the company after his mother's death. He believed that poor eating habits and a unhealthy approach to weight loss and dieting led to Hughes's death. His business would grow into an empire by him "petaling protein drinks out of his car trunk"! That's pretty sexy! Wow! Mark had a vision. He wanted people to be able to make extra money while introducing the product to others. So he created the company with a direct-selling model. This allows people to become distributors to earn income by selling the products door to door and through word of mouth advertising.

Herbalife's slogan was "Lose weight now, ask me how" and in 1982, only 2 years after it launched from a car trunk, Herbalife had reached $2 million in sales. It also expanded into Canada.

The Products

Herbalife products offer weight management, energy, nutrition, and personal care products.

Juicy SCAM Fact Background

The California Attorney General filed a lawsuit against Herbalife in 1985 for false or exaggerated claims regarding the effectiveness of Herbalife's products. The lawsuit was settled for $850,000 by Herbalife without admitting any wrongdoing. Herbalife used ingredients that contained the appetite suppressant Ephedra in its original formulation. However, the FDA banned this ingredient in 2002.

Fraud Discovery Institute made a claim in May 2008 that Herbalife products had lead levels higher than the California law allowed. Barry Minkow founded the Fraud Discovery Institute. Continue reading, this is where the real fun begins! According to the Los Angeles Business Journal Online report, Barry Minkow was sentenced to seven years for stock fraud and would then reveal that his company had profited from the allegations by selling Herbalife stock. Herbalife responded by stating that their products meet federal FDA requirements. Independent lab tests also proved that the products didn't exceed the limits set forth in the original lawsuit.

A suit was filed for a woman who claimed she had lead-related liver problems. She said it was due to Herbalife products. Christopher Grell, a Barry Minkow associate filed the suit. The suit was amended to include distributors who supplied the woman Herbalife Products. Grell launched a website that offered people who felt they had been hurt by Herbalife Products the opportunity to seek redress. Minkow retracts all allegations against Herbalife in August 2008 and removes any mention of the company on his website.

Wow! These are the things people will do to make money!

Needless to mention, the company has been the subject of many lawsuits and claims. These include claims that the company is a pyramid scheme, causes liver disease, heart attachment, is too costly, and that it destroys families.

The Compensation Plan

According to the company, 73% of revenue is paid out. There are many ways to make money.

Selling the products to consumers generates a profit between 25-50%

Distributors to wholesalers can make up to 25% profit

Monthly Bonus: An additional 2% to 7% on your overall sales volume

A monthly override payment up to 5% on your personal sales volume for your "supervisors", in your first three generations.

Herbalife has been in business for 32 years and continues to be a viable business opportunity. They continue to make and sell products that customers actually want, and they continue to attract distributors.

[bciwasinlove]

Stan twitter (I'll call it stan twitter but they're on other platforms too, especially Tiktok) is full of sociopaths and I'm not exaggerating. Those people are mentally unwell. We all have mental issues but they're beyond help, are so out of touch with the world, are so angry and insecure and have victim complexes. They hate anyone who is popular. They turned on Harry when he beat Taylor Swift's vinyl record for most albums sold. They hate him because he is a threat to their faves and are desperately trying to cancel him. All of this hate started when he started breaking music records. They did the same with Olivia Rodrigo (they turned on her). Ed Sheeran. Justin Bieber. With Olivia Rodrigo they were struggling to come up with reasons to cancel her so they started painting her as a racist and using photoshop to fake tweets she made. Nicki Minaj stans are one of the worst, along with Kayne fans and pop girl stans like Swifties. Nicki fans have been harassing the woman who spoke up about Nicki's husband sexually assaulting her. They're just awful.

Hi anon as someone who has been on most major SM apps besides IG I can say yeah people are toxic and hypocritical. I wouldn't go as far as saying their mental don't feel like that's something we should call others but yes I do understand why you are at such a high level of anger towards twitter and tiktok users.

There's the regular non fan accs who hate Harry based on misinformation and shit that's just not true and those are the people that for no reason hate Harry and want any excuse to justify their hate even tho he is probably one of the better celebs to like. These are also the people who don't get fandom culture and have made fun of those in fandom culture since the 2000s. Just bc you don't understand how a singer, youtuber ect. can make someone's life better doesn't mean you need to shit on those who get it and the people they like.

There's the hypocritical ones are those who act like that hating Harry for ??? reasons but ARE fan accs and for people like K**ye, Blondie and N*kki who have proven time and time again they are not even remotely close to a good person so why tf are talking about Harry and his fans? Also I noticed they all have the same thing in common with the notion of always being the victim and never the problem. N*kki as you mentioned bullies actual victims.

And there's the Harry fans who clearly just like Harry bc they feel they need to and or have a following in his fandom so they don't want to leave it even tho they dont give af about him fans are just as bad. These are the ones who care more about being "fandom famous" than actually caring for the artist they stan. They just stan whoever is hot in the moment and probably change their stan list often.

I see this often with OT4/5 stans who say they stan Harry but any chance they get they will throw Harry under the bus to help uplift other members usually Liam or Zayn. Also what you said happens a lot people claim to stan Harry but then get mad when he beats records other singers they stan held. If you actually liked Harry you would be happy for him. If you're mad he "beat you're other fav" clearly the other is the only one you actually like.

#toxic SM stans #toxic twitter stans #toxic tiktok stans #harry hate #hate on harry #hypoctical stans #fake stans

[vitaminlong]

Ps4 zombie chronicles edition front and bacvk

#Ps4 zombie chronicles edition front and bacvk full

Origins was one of the first zombie maps players could actually finish without dying by freeing a young girl from her interdimensional prison. In Moon, Richtofen can betray his teammates to take command of the zombie hordes. In Shangri La, the heroes can travel through time to obtain a rare artifact. Surviving as long as possible is the obvious goal, but some maps also have story-focused Easter eggs. Each map also contains Perk Bottle machines which boost your stats, and a Mystery Box which could give you the most powerful weapon in the game - or a meagre replacement pistol. Along the way, players earn points from killing zombies and repairing barricades, which can be used to obtain weapons, activate traps, and open doors to new areas of the map. If you’ve never played Zombies before, the basics are still easy to grasp: up to four players are trapped in a ruined location during a zombie outbreak, and must survive as long as possible before an inevitable death. In the end, Zombies Chronicles is best for players who never played the original versions, while long-time fans may want to consider waiting for a sale. That being said, these remastered maps barely change from the originals - not living up to previous efforts like Treyarch’s 2015 “The Giant” remake, which offered a fresh context with new dialogue and cinematics. Is that worth the $29.99 price tag? To its credit, all the heart-pumping action which made zombie mode so thrilling is as strong as ever, complete with small mechanical tweaks which allow for new strategies. If purchased alongside the pre-existing Season Pass, it raises the number of Black Ops 3 zombies maps to 14, the largest collection in the entire franchise. This downloadable pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 remasters several classic Zombies maps from World at War, Black Ops, and Black Ops 2 for modern console owners. Yet with 23 maps scattered across four games and multiple DLC packs, playing every Treyarch map is an expensive prospect.Įnter Zombies Chronicles. Today, Zombies is a staple of all Call of Duty releases, with most of Treyarch’s contributions standing well above the rest. First introduced as a hidden mode in World at War, Treyarch’s side project quickly took the gaming world by storm. It’s no exaggeration to say Zombies is one of Call of Duty’s most popular features. The only problem is that experience is a little too familiar to be worth half the price of a brand-new, triple-A game Pricing may vary by platform.Black Ops 3 Zombies Chronicles gathers together some of the best Call of Duty experiences to date - but how much will you pay to play them again? Season Pass and DLC content may not be available in all territories. If you purchase the Season Pass, do not also purchase the standalone map packs, as you will be charged for them. All Season Pass content has been released. The Zombies Chronicles content expansion which delivers 8 remastered classic maps from Call of Duty®: World at War, Call of Duty®: Black Ops and Call of Duty®: Black Ops II.ĭLC content in the Season Pass may be sold separately. Each pack comes with a weapon camo, reticles, and calling card. Re-live the chaos of Treyarch's classic "Der Riese" Zombies map, picking up the Zombies story with Dempsey, Nikolai, Richtofen, and Takeo where Origins left off.ģ Personalization Packs: Fan favorite Cyborg & Weaponized 115 packs along with a new Black Ops 3 pack. The Giant Bonus Map: Zombies returns in all of its undead glory with "The Giant".

#Ps4 zombie chronicles edition front and bacvk full

Call of Duty®: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles Deluxe includes the full base game, Season Pass, Zombies Chronicles & additional bonus digital content including:

#Ps4 zombie chronicles edition front and bacvk