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hyperlexichypatia · 1 year

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One of the most common criticisms of "housing first" initiatives (programs to provide housing for unhoused people unconditionally without gatekeeping) is that housing first "does not improve mental health." Now, let's set aside for the moment that this criticism is irrelevant -- the purpose of housing is to provide shelter, not to "improve mental health" -- what definition of "mental health" could possibly make this true? As much as I try to critique and deconstruct the social construction of "mental health," how could it possibly be true that having a safe, assured place to live would not result in greater happiness, greater inner peace, less depression, less anxiety, less negative emotions, than living on the street? What possible definition of "mental health" would not be improved by being housed rather than unhoused?

Answering this requires unpacking the wildly different, almost completely unrelated, definitions of "mental health," one applied to relatively privileged people, and one applied to oppressed people.

For relatively privileged people, the concept of "mental health" is centered on emotional well-being, introspection and self-awareness, and the mitigation or management of negative emotions like pain, depression, anxiety, and anger.

For oppressed people, the concept of "mental health" is centered on compliance, obedience, and productivity.

Like most privilege disparities, this isn't binary. For most people who are privileged in some ways and marginalized in other ways, "mental health support" will include some degree of the emotional support given to privileged people, and some degree of the compliance and productivity training given to oppressed people, with the proportions varying on where exactly each person falls on various privilege axes. All children are oppressed by ageism, so all children's "mental health" has some elements promoting compliance, obedience, and productivity. But relatively privileged children may also receive some emotional support mixed in, while children of color, children in poverty, and children with existing neurodivergence labels will receive a much higher ratio of compliance training to emotional support.

One of the clearest illustrations of this disparity is the contrast between the "self-care" recommended to privileged people, and the "meaningful days" imposed on oppressed people.

Relatively privileged people are often told, by therapists, doctors, mental health culture, and self-help books, that they are working too hard and need to rest more. They're told that for the sake of their mental health, they need work-life balance, self-care, walks in the woods, baths with scented candles. Implicit in these recommendations is that the reason these people are working too hard is because of internal factors, like guilt or emotional drive, rather than external factors, like needing to pay the bills and not being able to afford a day off.

By contrast, unhoused people, institutionalized people, people labeled with "severe" or "serious" or "low-functioning" mental disabilities, are literally prescribed labor. Publicly funded "mental health initiatives" require the most marginalized members of society to work tedious jobs for little or no pay, under the premise that loading boxes at a warehouse will make their days "meaningful" and thus improve their "mental health." And unlike the self-care advice given to relatively privileged people, the forced-labor-for-your-own-good approach is not optional. People are either forced into it directly by guardians or institutions, or coerced into it as a precondition to access material needs like housing and food.

The form of "mental health" applied to relatively privileged people has some genuinely useful and beneficial elements. We could all stand to introspect and examine our own feelings more, manage our negative emotions without being overwhelmed by them, have self-confidence. We all need rest and self-care.

Still, privileged mental health culture, even at its best, is deeply flawed. At best, it tends to encourage a degree of self-centeredness and condescension. It's obsessed with classifying experiences as "trauma" or "toxic." It's one of the worst culprits in feeding the "long adolescence" phenomenon and generally perpetuating the idea that treating people as incompetent is doing them a kindness. Even the best therapists serving the most privileged clients have a strong tendency towards gaslighting and "correcting" people about their own feelings and desires.

But perhaps the worst consequence of privileged mental health culture is that it gives cover to the dehumanizing, abusive, compliance-oriented "mental health care" forced upon the most marginalized people. Privileged people are encouraged to universalize their experiences with sentiments like "We all deal with mental health" or assume that the mild, relatively benign "mental health care" they experienced are the norm, so what are those silly mad liberation people complaining about?

Tonight, I listened to a leader from an agency serving unhoused people talk about how "Everyone struggled with mental health during the pandemic"... and then later mention that their shelter categorically excludes people with paranoid schizophrenia diagnoses. So perhaps "everyone struggles with mental health," but only certain people are categorically excluded from services, from shelter, from autonomy, from basic human rights, because of how their brains happen to work.

As always, it seems like so much effort in the mad liberation/ neurodiversity/ antipsychiatry movement is spent holding the hands of relatively privileged people receiving relatively privileged "mental health care" and reassuring them that we're not trying to take it away from them. Fine, it's great that you like your antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication and your nice therapist who listens to you and your support group. Great. Go live your best life. But that has nothing to do with our fight against forced drugging, forced labor, forced institutionalization, forced poverty. It's not even close to the same "mental health."

#mad pride #universal housing #neurodiversity #anti psych #ableism #social services #mental health #poverty

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absolutebl · 2 years

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This Week In BL - The Floodgates Have Opened

Oct 2022 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying the most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Eclipse (Fri YT) 9 of 12 - Aye is such an intense and focused little thing. The eye contact with these 2 is beyond eye fucking into something more like eye soul-mating. The pool kiss was fine, but they looked cold. GMMTV loves a pool kiss.

My Only 12% (Fri iQIYI) 9 of 14 - this show makes me cry. Fee is a wonderful friend. This was a good episode, it was fun to see Eiw come into his own. I look forward to the reunion next week.

Ai Long Nhai (Mon iQIYI) 2 of 10 - I figured it out, this is Make it Right the uni years! That’s why I like it. Nhai Is apparently flirtier and gayer when drunk. I’ve known some British lads like that. OK so sex happened. I like that there was some kind of confused drunken consent. But also serious regrets and bisexual identity crisis. Poor Nhai: You can’t have your friend and eat him too. This plot is moving quickly: it’s ep 2 and they have slept together and confessed, plus a one month trial relationship. I like it. This is messy gay in a way I appreciate.

Ghost Host, Ghost House (Weds YouTube & Gaga) 1 of 8 - I'm enjoying the lead pair, the meet cute, and the combative nature of their relationship. I’m not wild about the premise but I like how different it is from all the previous “my ghost boyfriend” takes on this concept. More “our human pet.” I’m beginning to be weirdly charmed by how bureaucratic the Thai afterlife always seems to be.

Big Dragon (Sat Gaga) 1 of 8 - Basically we have player love-rivals (a girl)/enemies to lovers + a rich/poor pairing: Yai & Mangkorn. It had a good hook but most of the ep was dull; thankfully Gaga has a 1.5x speed. The acting is bad but the sex scene was fine: dominance struggles, lots of switching, and verse stuff. *we likie* This show is using drugging (impaired judgement/dub-con/both men), sexual extortion, and blackmail as a plot device not unlike LITA. But it’s using antiheroes and presenting everything, including the characters, in a negative light. Thus right now in BL we have a great example of how the same plot device can be depicted differently and result in an entirely different perspective and watcher experience. In other words: a narrative I’m hating in LITA doesn’t bother me here, because of characterization.

Work from Heart (Thurs YouTube) 3 of 7 - The agro yet deeply in-crush behavior of our tsundere seme is kinda fun, but the fashion remains truly terrible and the most unpleasant performer in this show. Although it’s got competition.

Love in the Air (Thurs iQIYI) 8 of 13 - the premise and blackmail set up for this couple really fucked with me (because Sky is a broken angel-baby and Pai is an irredeemable pustule). I am not happy about it: DUMPSTER FIRE TRASH WATCH ALONG HERE. That said, there is a GREAT analysis of Sky’s character here (that I totally enjoy and want to be true, but I think gives Mame too much credit).

Fahlanruk (Sun GaGa) 4 of 12 - So Fah’s bf cheated first? Okay, still doesn’t justify his behavior. Honestly, I really can’t stand this show. Now we are playing a game of how long can I go before dropping it.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Takara-kun and Amagi-kun (Japan Thurs GaGa & Viki) 7 of 8 - these two pretty much define awkward. Takara because he is trying desperately to keep his cool reserve (and perform perfect seme) while simultaneously being so in love/lust with Amagi in high school where desire is, by definition and practice, uncool. Amagi is all frenetic movements and angles, like he cannot control his limbs or his emotions, everything is deeply confusing to him including Takara’s affection. Watching them stumble around each other and agonize over every little movement and conversation is an exercise in joy, patience, and agony. It’s all so “teenager” I can hardly stand it. This episode, however, was more about Tanaka coping with learning his friend is 1. not straight and 2. deeply in love with an adorable weirdo. It was a quieter ep than I expected but sweet. “He said something cute and I couldn’t help myself“ is so traditional Japanese seme in one sentence I can’t even.

Kabe Koji (Japan Mon Viki) 1 of 10 - basically this is A Man Who Defies the World of BL + Senpai This Can’t be Love (as @heretherebedork said). Nakao Masaki playing a sunshine bouncy himbo character is a fucking revelation, I didn’t think he had it in him. But our tsundere uke is far too tsundere for me, and despite the premise (AN IDOL LOVE INTEREST!) I do not not really like it. I just hate the stalker photograph obsession thing (My Engineer, SCOY, STCBL, now this) and I can’t support a character that starts out this way, it’s apparently a trigger I didn’t know I had until BL tried to romanticize it. I love Nakao Masaki (in a non stalker, no photos kind of way) so I might muscle through but...

Once Again (Korea Fri GaGa) 7-8fin - Cute date plus hand holding and a mild but sweet moot kiss does not a satisfying ending make. They are great boyfriends even if only for a few days. As expected, like Kissable Lips, this one ends sad. Can’t stop the Koreans when a temporal paradox and death is on the line. They do love their tragedy, not to mention unavoidable fate. 2/10 NOT RECOMMENDED

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

War of Y - 20 eps A spy have reported in on a spoiler assessment of the first 2 installments here. 2 more to go.

Oh My Sunshine Night 16 eps - I’m scared it’s gonna be sad, so I’m waiting for spies to tell me it’s safe, so far reported to be quite the soap opera.

To Sir With Love AKA Khun Chai 10 eps - dito OMSN, so I’m holding until it finishes its run.

My Roommate - 32 eps of 2 minutes each? Terrible production values, worse than the pulps. I not bothering.

In Case You Missed It

180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us had a sad end, or at least, not a happy one, so I will not be watching it. I’m happy to leave it permanently listed dnf. 2022 will be the year I dnf’d the most BL, partly because there’s so much of it. (Thailand is at 108 BLs and counting this year).

I talk a lot on this blog about linguistics (language intersecting with culture) here’s a fun podcast from Hidden Brain on How language shapes our perspective on life.

Gossip

HIStory 5 is coming! Called HIStory5: Love in the Future. Since it’s going to be the only one under the 5 moniker I’ll probably default (like it did with H4) to just calling it H5.

That omegaverse Thai BL got cancelled. Probably because of the fuss being kicked up about it. I am sad. No trash watch for me. Maybe Japan will still do one at some point.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting: Remember Me starts tomorrow, Thai (Sun Gaga)1 of 8. 2 Moons 3 Thai (Mon ??) 1 of 10. Roommates of Poongduck 304 (Korea Thurs Viki) 1 of 8. SELF Thai (Thurs ??). My Tooth Your Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga & Viki) 1 of 12. Hard Love Mission Thai (Sat WeTV & iQiyi?). Wish Me Luck Thai (Sat ??).

I’m traveling so I may not be able to watch the ones I already have in rotation, let alone track down the new babies. You on your own peeps, best of luck!

Honestly Thailand, too many. You gotta stop now. We saturated.

FULL October 2022 line up is here.

This week’s best moments?

The return of That Staircase in Eclipse!

Tell us something we don’t know, Aye.

Breaking news: Cute bit is very cute.

Work from Heart: I just love the sniff test trope (AKA I like the way he smells) one of my favs.

Although neck kisses are good too, thanks Ai Long Nhai.

Activating seme agressive tendencies.

Bisexual rep, yes please!

And a direct address of drunk one night stand regrets. You’re doing well little pulp.

Such boyfriends.

The most seme line in a BL ever.

(last week)

Current earworm? The Rose’s Sour

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thekingofwinterblog · 2 years

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So "The Beginning Of The End" recontextualizes a lot of Marcy's relationship with Anne and Sasha, and changes our understanding of her, as "peacemaker" of the trio, to the "friend who is just there" who's desires and interests are always ignored by the other two, and who's usually overshadowed and dominated by the much stronger, more forceful, and more direct personalities of her friends, who simply gel better with each other.

However, what's really impressive, is how well this fits in with everything we saw of the trio together before this point, while hiding this fact from the audience at first viewing.

Starting with the very first time Marcy and Anne met Sasha, she immediately begins falling into a background role as she's very shy introducing herself, while both Sasha and Anne are far more direct with each other.

The groundwork for how things would go was already there at this early, tender point in time.

And when the trio is reunited, what happens? Marcy is immediately pushed to the background, and the focus immediatly shifts to Anne and Sasha.

At first viewing, this just seems like the natural result of Sasha and Anme having to deal with the aftermath of "Reunion", but on subsequent watches, it's easy to see that this is just their natural dynamic shining through now that the trio is back together.

All throughout season 2, Anne and Marcy was the only part of the trio together, and so the show cleverly tricks you into thinking that the way they act here, is a good reflection of how it was on Earth, when in reality, Marcy was always pushed to the background in their usual dynamic, and when her friends engaged in her interests, it was always just out of obligation because she was their friend.

And this continues into "The Dinner", where despite supposedly being the first episode where "We're all back together again", the focus is immediately focused on Sasha and Anne.

When they remiss on old stories, it's one where Sasha and Anne was the main players, and Marcy was just... there.

And when Marcy and Anne share an inside joke that does not involve Sasha, the blonde girl gets very uncomfortable, and has no idea how to act. Because it's never happened before. Because Anne and Marcy hasn't had this kind of moment before where Sasha wasn't involved in some way.

And in the end, it's Sasha and Anne who come to an understanding, with minimal influence from Marcy beyond the wasps.

And in "Battle of the Bands", all the focus, conflict, drama and resolution is between Anne and Sasha. Just like always, while Marcy is content to just stand on the sidelines. Because that is how this relationship has always worked.

But the show tricks you to not pay attention to this, because the writers know that we are too focused on Anne and Sasha's relationship to really consider the implications of Marcy always remaining content on the sidelines.

And this goes for Anne's flashbacks too.

Because while we see Anne and Marcy having plenty of positive and negative interaction in the present, you know where we don't see any of that?

There isn't a single flashback(Except them meetin Sasha) where Marcy and Anne interact where Anne is just completely happy to be around Marcy.

Instead, every single one of those flashbacks are about pain, stress, and how Anne would time and again make the choice to sacrifice for Marcy no matter what, and that Marcy did not seem to appreciate her enough for her efforts.

The show knows though, that the viewers are inclined to compare the interaction in the past to the interactions in the present, and so could imagine that their relationship was filled with way more happy times, and less problems than it actually was.

Surely, these moments of stress and pain on Anne's part can't have been the majority of Anne and Marcy interaction without Sasha... Right?

Except it probably was. Even at a sleepover at her house, Anne is still stressful, immediately rubbing her arm in the way she does when she's stressed the moment Marcy gets into "The zone", because she is worried that Mar Mar is gonna accidentally do something that will require her to jump in and save her.

It's not that Anne, Sasha and Marcy didn't love and care for each other, but it's also clear with full context, that while Anne and Sasha naturally gelled well together(at least so long as Sasha's control issues didn't flare up), Marcy was stuck in that unfavorable position of a childhood friend, who was faced with the harsh reality that she had very little in common with her friends anymore, their interests having completely grown apart as they grew older.

It's a relationship held together by inertia, and shared history, that is currently stable, but also under very real threat of breaking apart if something drastic comes along.

Which in turn completely recontextualizes why Marcy had such a massive reaction to being told she had to move.

It wasn't just about having to face the prospect of being alone, but also the very bitter reality that her fears of this separation being a true death knell to her friendships with Anne and Sasha is not ungrounded.

Marcy understood in a way that Anne and Sasha did not, that she had truly begun to drift apart from her friends, in the manner that many childhood friends do as they grow older.

Her dreams, desires, and personality was completely at odds with what her friends grew into, and was becoming clearer and clearer as she sunk deeper and deeper into the role as "The friend who is just there".

A stable role, but also one that could easily break if something happened to change the status quo. Like moving away.

Hence why she goes to such lengths to preserve what remained of those relationships with Anne and Sasha, the only thing she felt gave her life any real meaning.

#amphibia #marcy wu #sasha waybright #anne boonchuy #meta #analysis #character analysis

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visualnovelzombie · 1 year

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Furry Visual Novel Book Club: Echo Week 8 SPOILERS

Hi everyone, here is the SPOILER FREE discussion post for “Echo - Carl’s Route A Ending”

Links: Previous - Next - Original - Spoiler Free Version

Feel free to respond in reblogs/replies/or asks :D

We open with Chase hobbling downstairs to meet Jenna and Raven. The three decide to start searching again for anything that could unlock the door. Chase tries to distract Jenna from thinking about Carl, aware that someone is in her head too. The two talk about Carl’s mental health for a bit, before John leaves Chase with this ominous line.

The player is given direct clues that maybe James Hendricks I isn’t all he seems to be.

My interpretation of this line is Howly going, “Whoopsies, I finally figured out what I want this game to be and this route doesn’t fit into all of that... but it’s to late now so... enjoy!”

......

After searching for a bit, Chase sees Carl standing at the base of the stairs. The two return to the bedroom and Carl hugs Chase tightly as Intimate plays. Carl cries into Chase’s shirt, eventually saying that he had a panic attack. Carl confides in Chase over the whole ordeal, how he feels responsible for it being his family and his house.

We’re starting to see the results of our actions, of telling Carl to fight off the influence digging at his mind. He’s more nervous and less confident than before. The two confide in each other, showing how they’ve grown and bonded with each other over the last few days.

Well that throws a wrench into Chase/Leo unless the two fucking talk about that...

We’re parted with a few lines about only being together for sure in the ghost dimension, hinting at the two’s ultimate fate in the current ending. The two tease each other a bit before Raven calls from downstairs, signaling that him and Jenna have found something. Chase makes his way downstairs, still trying to keep Carl and Jenna separate. Jenna is head first in a stove grabbing for what her and Raven found. As Jenna grabs the item, she is pulled INTO the stove by an unseen force. Just as Chase and Raven begin to lose their grip on Jenna, Carl descends from downstairs and is able to rustle with the entity and pull her back.

I believe this entity is separate from John-Smoke-Monster that attacked Raven and then the group in the kitchen. It’s the same thing that attacked Chase in his dream... an entity that can attack in the metaphysical-scape the group find themselves in as well as something that can affect Chase’s mind.

As we learn in a bit, it is also most likely the creature that creates the slithering sound that stalks Chase and Sam in Brian’s Mass Grave location of the mines. These feeds into two theories I have about Echo’s supernatural goings-on that I’ll describe below:

1. This ‘snake’ entity is a higher level/class of entity above Echoes that serve THE Entity, causing mayhem to sow fear and discord above illusions and the amplification of negative emotions that generally blanket the town. Along the lines of Mirror-Man, 88883, and Bull-Head. The particular significance of this one remains to be seen, however it is particularity prevalent throughout the series. It is either stalking Sam, Sam AND Chase, or Sam and The Player, in a sense. It’s the lurking pit of fear that follows Sam, and pursues Chase through the mines as well as right now. Perhaps its in control of more than we can see, affect more than usual. I’m excited to learn more about it, and hear anyone’s thoughts on what the slithering thing could ‘mean’ for the narrative.

2. Echo, the town, has a ‘main’ entity, some sort of cosmic horror/god, ‘living’ in its mines. The dark force attracts OTHER dark and supernatural forces, that all are trapped in its ‘circle’ of influence. That entity triggers the hysteria, and the other malevolent forces simply act freely during so. And this is just the slithering-things many hunts for what ever constitutes it’s prey.

No matter the ‘reason’ or story significance behind the slithering thing, I will like to point out that it is definitely one of the more ‘Cosmic’ kinds of horrors we have seen so far in the series. Socketman in nature is DEFINITELY cosmic (infinite hell psychological torture), but definitely ‘looks’ like a slender-man/radio-head type of monster. A formless humanoid shape with tentacles is more on the Eldritch scale of things.

As Carl and Chase catch their breath after the incident, Jenna attempts to burn a piece of paper she grabbed from the stove, only for Chase to crash into her in order to stop her. Jenna deflects Chase’s attempted attack, hurting the otter's ankle again in the process. Carl and Chase pin Jenna until she calms down, unable to explain her actions. Raven takes the fox upstairs to relax. Chase and Carl talk about what’s probably going on with her.

We see that Jenna is much more ‘gone’ than Carl, and the two speculate that the wills of the ‘ghosts’ are probably affecting the surrounding events.

The two read the letter aloud as Daze begins to play. It’s a letter from James I to John, asking John to meet him at the mansion about rumors John is spreading. The two discuss the implications but can’t pinpoint what anything could mean. Chase notices that Carl is acting like himself again during this conversation

Chase, how many fucking times did Carl look at his dick in front of you for you to go, ‘ya that’s Carl’, and with that number of times, why didn’t you get ANY hint of queer from him for you?????

More reassurance that our choice has influenced events.

The door unlocks and the group decide to head out into the black void beyond the cabin. Chase is apprehensive about venturing out.

Chase is once again shown to be indecisive, even in circumstances that stand no reason, the otter is trying to keep things the same, to not make things harder for himself.

The group all decide to leave and head towards the only visible point, the bonfire in the distance. Carl and Chase conclude they’re walking outside in the desert somewhere based on how the ground feels beneath them, Chase wondering about what’s happening to the rest of his friends during all of this.

Chase looks back at the house, noticing a dark figure standing in the light of the window. It moves from the window to the doorway, slamming it shut as it rushes into the darkness presumably after the group. Carl and Chase rush to the campfire, Carl now carrying Chase on his back as the thing behind them approaches.

The group reaches the campfire as the entity slithers around them, ‘like a person imitating a snake.’ Chase seizes up and passes out, then finding himself lying on the floor as oppressive heat and sun hits his body. He’s under sleep paralysis and can’t move or open his eyes. The entity is able to make Chase sleep through portions of the day, even cause bouts of paralysis. I believe this has Chase call into question how much he suffers is ‘regular’ amounts of paralysis, and how much supernatural. Coincidentally, he can’t open his eyes this time, which is different from most times he suffers from sleep paralysis. Chase falls back asleep… only to wake once again the mansion.

A repeating timeline of being stuck in circles is brought up in a more literal sense, referenced outright by the text to a similar situation.

Chase wakes to whimpering sounds, stumbling through the hallways to its source. And finds Jenna being hung in the concrete room. Chase tries desperately to lift the fox, trying to loosen the tension on her neck. Just as Chase is about to give out, Carl bursts onto the scene at the last moment again, knife in hand, and both lifts Jenna into the air and starts cutting at the noose. The group argue about the situation they find themselves in again, Chase and Carl even arguing about the Ram’s desire for weed. Through their bickering, Carl and Chase discover that Jenna is completely possessed by John now, only responding to his name.

This is one of the few instances we’ve seen Chase and Carl argue with each other in the game. One of those times is even behind a choice on this route. The situation is wearing down on the group more and more.

Carl and Chase try to reason to Jenna that something isn't right, Even Raven buts in to try and resolve the conflict.

Through the next argument, Jenna concedes, non verbally, to maybe being possessed, and the group determine that they need to find out the truth from both John AND James I perspective. Raven spots a previously sealed door and the group decide to travel through it.

Ya we live in the House of Demons mountain range, I wonder why things are so bad.

Chase wakes up outside and alone, on the mountains to the East of town, overlooking Carl’s mansion. Upon noticing the mine, Sam warning Chase to ignore it.

Okay I know Sam then immeaidtely uses this opporutnity for a scare, ‘showing’ the hysteria to Chase to spook him before he does his full line... but I like to read this as Sam ‘warning’ Chase, even showing him what’s going to happen/what has happened. Deep down, even smudged and stained after so long and so many loops, Sam still has a good heart, and cares for the boy he’s found himself in.

Chase, after moving at impossible speeds up the mountain, notices that there are more buildings than Echo normally has. The town is more spread out with old fashioned buildings dotting the landscape. Carl’s house is bigger and older looking as well… the sound of train horns loops in the background.

The Entity’s ‘weakness’ in its illusion is sound. Loud sounds, like gunshots and train horns from the Prescott Railway that tie this time of day to Sunday night, break through the illusion. Something something hints at the double meaning of Silent Echoes...

Chase then wakes in Carl’s parent’s room with the group. The group celebrates… only to realize that the room is ‘off’, a mix between old and new. The group head outside, noting the extremely odd humidity, as well as noticing the buildings that shouldn’t exist. Chase explains his dream, about a stage and noose surrounding a tree to the group, and Jenna heads off without the rest of them.

The group arrives at a hanging tree, Jenna already there as they arrive. The body of a man hangs from the noose, clothes and body worn from the elements. Carl sees a piece of paper in the body's mouth and the group moves to gather it. As Chase goes to grab the paper, the corpse's eyes shoot open and Chase’s vision goes black.

Two unknown voices, presumably John and James I, argue back and forth in the void Chase finds himself in. The voices notice that Chase can now hear them, and reference that if he can, then ‘it’ is allowing Chase to.

Hey look, one of the main themes of the game. The truth will let you break cycles of pain and loneliness... you just have to ... Reach Out for it

Also the games first real big hint to an ‘Entity’ residing over lesser spirits, in this case Echoes. (Or maybe even actual Ghosts mixed with Echoes?)

...Chase then flashbacks to an event he witnessed while only a child.

We know from other routes that this event happened after Chase killed Sydney, and was the main trigger for his spiral with mental health. After this he started seeing spiders on his walls, started falling more and more out of touch with his personality. I had compltely forgotten, but as we learn a bit later, Carl’s ‘major’ issue was that event we saw in the nightmare sequence, not Sydney’s death. And while the death of a friend didn’t sent the ram and otter up for success (okay murder of a friend), they both had further inciting incidents that set them off fully to declining mental states. I like the way this is framed in retrospect. There isn’t every always one THING that needs/should be fixed to ‘fix’ someone, never any single event that ‘breaks’ people... just one thing after another until we reach a tipping point. I think it’s a good point of view/circumstance to consider.

Chase awakens to Carl and Jenna arguing again. The two tell Chase that the corpse ate the letter after he passed out. Chase spots another letter in the foxe’s chest pocket and Carl retrieves it. The paper turns out to be a newspaper clipping, detailing Trisha Hendrick’s research uncovering that James I and John had a relationship. The paper details that crimes were against the missing children and sexual in nature… Just as Chase finishes the snippet, Jenna, now fully possessed by John, attacks Carl with a knife upon hearing the newspaper.

Jenna grabs ahold of Carl’s horn and readies the knife for a final slash just as Chase hobbles over on his shattered ankle… and we’re met with a choice.

“Grab Jenna”

In Chase’s clumsiness, he misses trying to grapple the fox whose been shown to be agile and stronger than she should be. The track ‘Death’ plays as Chase is stabbed in the chest with the knife on accident. Day turns to night as the shock hits the otter. Chase collapses to the ground as Carl rushes to his side.. Only to lose sight of Chase. Carl cries in agony over Chase as Chase begs for help.

As a side note, this was particularly horrifying to me on a reread, now understanding more of what’s happening.

Chase stumbles to the mansion as Carl argues over what happened to Chase. Chase sees Duke dead on the floor, most of his face missing and a ‘plastic thing’ stuck in his head.

This seems to me where Duke ‘saw’ his wife on Wednesday. It makes sense he ended up here... maybe the Echo of his wife getting some sort of revenge for her fate. That being said... I have aboslutely no idea what the ‘plastic thing’ could be, or if it’s even important.

As then Chase succumbs to his wounds… and falls into nothing.

We’re kicked back onto the main menu as Chase has died with this choice. This is one of the game's few short bad ends. It serves the purpose of informing the player that what the characters see are not necessarily what’s happening in physical space, as Chase is knocked out of the illusion from his mortal wound, the time shifts to night, and others in the illusion can no longer see him.

“Push Jenna” (The ‘correct path)

Chase successfully pushes Jenna out of the way, with Raven coming in a few moments later to hold her down. Raven instructs Carl and Chase to run as Raven and Jenna struggle on the ground together. The two decide to run into town instead of the mansion, and after getting decently far away, Carl begins to have a panic attack. The ram heads off, saying he needs a moment and that he’ll be back. Chase panics, afraid of being by himself and losing Carl… eventually passing out.

Chase wakes to a snow covered Pueblo, all alone at the university.

The track, Drag starts to play, ominous tones and beats over a droning chord. The buildings are different from what Chase remembers, but he follows the sound of Carl’s footsteps through the fog. Carl’s ‘voice’ calls out to Chase.

The first sign that the entity is only ever playing ‘back’ recordings.

Chase notices that the snow doesn’t impede his movement. An unknown voice calls out to him saying, ‘We’re not gonna hurt ya…’, the voice also being mechanical. More voices taunt Chase as he desperately searches for the Ram. The voices replay the dream sequence involving Clint and Jeremy. Chase continues to follow Carl’s ‘clops’ as sounds of violence ring out around him. Chase eventually finds Carl, in a twisted version of their old dorm room.

They talk about their situation as Carl explains how he’s feeling.

Intimate begins to play as Chase questions the statement. Carl explains that the incident with Jeremy and Clint were what caused him to become codependent on Chase initially, and their time at college together didn’t help that.

Chase realizes that the location and nature of what they’ve been seeing is starting to become more and more evident.

One can extrapolate, the location and appearance of the earlier nightmare sequences was from James I and John and that the group had been trapped in THEIR nightmare.

Carl is content with his place in the world, and wants to strive to change it, find his own happiness in life.

Carl says the panic attack from the dance and the stress his parents put on him caused him to finally crack at Pueblo. He also reveals a detail about the side story ‘Crash’... about thinking he had killed chase after dropping acid.

Carl awakens to his Ultimate persona, seeing the truth through the fog shakes off the illusion, and pulls Chase from it as the two find themselves in the diner.

I’m guessing Janice and Dale’s fate aren’t always the same as I feel like that would definitely be something to mention...

The two make their way back to Carl’s house. It’s night time now, a few bodies lie scattered in the road on their trek back. The two find themselves in the mansion, now back to normal. Chase and Carl notice that the surroundings and placements of the room match with the events of the nightmare… drywall on the plates on the kitchen table… among other oddities.

IT WAS FUCKING PISS WHO DID THAT. NO ONE HAD TIME DO THAT UNLESS RAVEN FUCKING DID IT WHEN THEY LEFT FOR THE INTERVIEW! RAVEN COME ON MAN

The two find the ‘burned’ newspaper clipping that blames James I for the kidnappings of the Meseta children. The two hear Raven in the basement and go to investigate. Raven is tied up in a room, unaware of Chase or Carl’s presence as they find him. They’re able to wake him up with a touch as they explain what little they know to the husky. John had brought his letters to Raven, and the group read them together.

Seeing the truth, the group discovers that James I was a serial murdering pedophile, and that John only reported the bodies found at the Hendricks mansion. The three decide to leave, unwilling to ‘finish the game’ now that they are free from the illusion. As the three leave the room...

Jenna is completely possessed, voice and image distorted despite chase being ‘awake’. John chases after Chase, slashing at the otters back and slicing him. John continues his assault. The two eventually tumble down the slope outside Carl’s house. Chase finds himself in front of the hanging tree, where he’s able to read the end of the newspaper clipping before John is able to attack Carl who came to intervene. The letter detail’s Trisha’s report, about how James admitted that it was him in correspondence to John in jail.

The truth sets everyone free...

Chase’s gambit pays off as Jenna returns to her senses, all traces of John apparently leaving her. The scene fades as sirens of emergency vehicles blare into town.

The final scene starts on Chase typing his report, now in his dorm room proper. 18 months have passed since spring break when the game began. He recalls going to therapy after the incident, and that ‘everybody’ except Carl needed it. Jenna returned to school shortly after, now working on her Masters. Chase recalls the rest of the town going through their own nightmare that night, separate from theirs. Chase reflects on his scar and permanent limp. We only glimpse what happened to the other three during the weekend…

…Chase reflects on his relationship with Carl, and while they two are close

Chase wishes to return to Echo during the summer and uncover more mysterious surrounding the town, planning to stay with Carl during the time. (He wants to save his Gay-Uncle trapped in his head 🥺 🥺 🥺 ) just as Carl walks into the dorm, now attending Pueblo with Chase. The game ends with Chase joining Carl on a lunch out as credits roll. The track, ‘Echo’ plays, a remix of the title theme that opens with the tape recording sound effects being played.

CG’s witnessed during the prologue and route appear on the screen as the melancholy infused lofi-remix plays.

(The tape recording and lofi REALLY hits me in the feels for this track, ESPECIALLY with how bittersweet it is... because my god is Carl fucking best boy......)

-----------------------------------

And that Concludes the ‘good’ ending to Carl’s Route! We learn more about the route’s titular character, how Chase sees and thinks of himself and others, and we start to understand SOME of the ‘rules’ regarding the hysteria that seems to overtake the town.

The bittersweet ending with Chase injured and scared, and still without his ‘prize’ of a a boyfriend, is atypical of Dating Sims. Echo plays its hand as a Horror Visual Novel, rejecting its origins of a Dating Sim/Horror hybrid. With this being the first route, and that identity not fully decided upon during the writing of this route, there still is remnants of it lingering (such as the many voices with variables never called upon).

We learn that the supernatural events are linked to psychological projects, like in Silent Hill, but that there are definitely physical and supernatural powers outside of pure projection. Themes of truth, perception, self identity, and self acceptance are also explored on this route, with Carl’s ultimate decisions to be better for himself, that he deserves it and is good enough for it, being the truth that sets him free.

-----------------------------------

Next week we’ll be reading Carl’s Route B until the end (a tad shorter than this entry!) On the choice between accepting and refusing James I influence, be sure to now select “Let it help us.”... I’m sure with the full scope of James I deeds you’ll be able to tell why this is the ‘bad’ end for the route.

#zombie book club #furry visual novel book club #echo vn #echovn #echo project #echoproject #echo visual novel #echovisualnovel

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callmebrycelee · 1 year

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9-1-1: LONE STAR REACTION

This reaction is for season 4, sixteenth episode "A House Divided" which originally aired on May 9, 2023. The episode was written by Matt Solik and directed by Tessa Blake. Spoilers ahead!

We begin the episode in the hospital. Thankfully it's not Owen or TK but it is another Strand. Robert Strand (Chad Lowe) has cut his hand while slicing open a bagel. Robert laments the tremor he has in his hand and tells Owen he is running out of excuses for not being able to play catch with his daughter. Robert still hasn't told his daughters about his diagnosis because he doesn't want to blow up their world. Owen admits he kept his lung cancer diagnosis from TK in the beginning. He tells Robert that he thought he was going to die but after several rounds of chemo and surgery he is still alive. Robert says that Huntington's is not cancer. There's no chemo or treatment for it. He describes it as a vicious, unrelenting descent to the end. He then tells Owen he and his wife are already making preparations for what's to come. Robert encourages Owen to check to see if he has the gene.

Title card! Wow! I haven't written that in a while.

Our first emergency of the episode involves a yard sale. Vic (Michael McMilian) and Clara (Ellie Araiza) are a divorced couple who are attempting to sell their things much to the disapproval of their adorable son, Quincy (Lincoln Bodin). We see Quincy talking to a creepy dude and then he is gone. Vic and Clara are freaking out and my first thought was that the creepy dude walked off with him. Clara dials 9-1-1 and Carlos arrives on the scene. Thankfully Quincy is still in the yard, in an old armoire, but due to it being super hot outside, he is unresponsive. Grace coaches Carlos on how to revive Quincy. Carlos goes over to Checkov's lemonade stand and pours a pitcher of ice cold lemonade onto Quincy which wakes him up. Quincy tells his parents he hid in the armoire because he doesn't want to leave.

Owen heads over to TK and Carlos' apartment and tells his son that Robert was diagnosed with Huntington's a month ago. TK says he didn't notice any symptoms when they had dinner together. Owen tells him that Robert hides his tremors and cognitive issues well but they are progressing. TK is confused because Robert drove himself halfway across the country to visit them both in Texas. Owen says he is planning on taking some time off from the firehouse so he can drive Robert back to California. While he is gone, Judd will be in charge of the 126.

TK points out that Huntington's disease is hereditary and asks Owen if Robert knows which of his parents carries the gene. Owen tells TK that the gene was passed down from Owen and Robert's dad - TK's grandfather. TK connects the dots that if Robert has the disease then there's a chance he and Owen may wind up with it. TK is overwhelmed by this news and wonders if he should postpone the wedding. Owen encourages him to keep on living his life. TK tells him there's no way he can marry Carlos with a death sentence hanging over his head. Owen reminds him that everyone has a death sentence hanging over their head. He tells TK that he just got tested and he will have the results in 48 hours. If it turns out he doesn't have the gene then TK will definitely not have it. TK tells Owen he could've waited for a negative result and then never have said anything but Owen says he is done hiding things from him. He tells TK that he needs him just as much as TK needs him.

We head over to the Ryders' residence and see a game of charades already in progress. This reminded me of the scene in season two where Grace and Judd, Tommy and Charles, and Owen and Gwyn were playing charades. This time around we have Grace and Judd, Tommy and Trevor Parks (DB Woodside) and Wyatt (Jackson Pace) and his girlfriend, Leigh Ann (Jessi Case). Trevor asks Wyatt about joining the fire academy and the latter tries to downplay how things are going. Leigh Ann pipes up and tells the room that everything is going well. Judd brags about Wyatt's ladder drill time which is 5 minutes and 29 seconds. He says that when he was in the academy the fastest time was 5 minutes and 50 seconds. Wyatt continues to be modest about his accomplishments but Leigh Ann tells everyone that he's been getting calls from captains in the area trying to recruit him. This scene was so cute because Judd is clearly so proud of Wyatt. Side note: Judd looked hot as hell in the glasses he was wearing. End of side note. Wyatt mentions that when he graduates he's been invited to join the 122 or the 124. Tommy says he should consider working for Captain Ryder at the 126. Judd shrugs off the compliment and says he is only acting captain while Owen is away. Judd admits that every time he is left in charge of the 126, he's always worried things are going to crash and burn. Tommy says the house couldn't be in better hands and reminds him that he's an excellent captain.

Trevor gets a notification on his phone about a table opening up at a really fancy, hard-to-get-into restaurant and asks if he should make a reservation. The others tell him to make a reservation and plans are made to have dinner together the following Thursday. Wyatt and Leigh Ann will babysit Baby Charlie.

Our second emergency of the episode involves a fire at a paper mill. Judd is acting as captain and gives out orders. He sends Marjan, Mateo, and Paul inside the building to search for people. Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive on the scene and set up triage in the parking lot. A woman comes up to TOmmy and tells her that her friend Jimmy is trapped inside of a machine inside the burning building. Tommy radios Judd to tell her she, Nancy, and TK are heading inside to check on the man and Judd tells her to be careful. Tommy, Nancy and TK locate Jimmy and they see that his arm is trapped. Jimmy's heart is racing and he is barely clinging to consciousness. Tommy radios Judd and tells him Jimmy is bleeding internally and asks for an ETA on when additional help arrives. Judd tells her he is still waiting on the 129. Meanwhile, Marjan hears one of the machines inside the mill making noises and radios to Judd. He tells her that it's probably chemicals and commands her, Mateo, and Paul to exit the building. Judd sends out a may day for everyone to evacuate.

Tommy orders Nancy and TK to evacuate. Judd asks them where Tommy is and TK tells him she's still inside with the patient. Nancy tells him that the patient is stuck in a machine and Tommy needs help with extrication. Judd radios Tommy and tells her he gave the evacuation order and she needs to get out of the building. Tommy says she has a pulse on the patient. Judd places Marjan in charge and heads inside the building. Judd takes an axe and uses it to cut off the man's arm and he carries him out of the building with Tommy on his heels. The mill explodes moments later.

Back at the house, things are pretty frosty between both captains. Judd approaches Tommy and asks if she wants to talk about what happened at the paper mill. Tommy says there's nothing to talk about. Yes she lost someone in the field but it's something that happens. Judd clarifies that he's asking her about her disregard for his direct order to evacuate. Tommy says she heard his order but she chose to not follow it because she was trying to save Jimmy's life. Judd informs her that he has an after action report to fill out and he doesn't know what to document. Tommy encourages him to document what actually happened. Judd tells her he feels uncomfortable documenting what really happened due to their friendship. He then says he doesn't want to pull rank but Tommy reminds him they have the same rank. Tommy reminds him that as fire captain he gets to call the shots on how to best put out a fire and as paramedic captain she gets to decide what is the best way to treat an injured patient. Judd says that sometimes those two things don't always align and on their call he was the incident commander, therefore it was his duty to protect everyone in the paper mill. Tommy says it's her duty to protect her patients and she was not going to leave Jimmy to die. Judd reminds her that Jimmy did die and that it's by the grace of God that they didn't die along with him. Tommy tells Judd that she didn't ask for him to come into the paper mill. She then asks if he would like an apology from her. Judd tells her he ain't looking for an apology. What he is looking for is the assurance that something like that isn't going to happen on a future call. Tommy says she cannot predict the future. Judd flips the script and says that he can't predict the future either, however, he would like the confidence to know that the mother of his goddaughters is going to make it home - especially since they just lost their father. Tommy is clearly rattled by hearing this and tells Judd he doesn't get to use that against her. She tells him she is done with their conversation and gets up and leaves.

Carlos gets home from his shift and finds TK still awake. TK tells him that he can't sleep and when Carlos presses him about it, TK tells him that things are not okay. He tells Carlos about his uncle Robert's Huntington disease diagnosis and how it's hereditary. Carlos points out that Robert and Owen are only half-brothers but TK tells him that it comes from his grandfather's side. Carlos takes in this news and asks if there's a way to test for it. TK tells him that Owen is currently waiting for the results. If Owen doesn't have it, TK is in the clear. Carlos asks about the potential symptoms associated with Huntington's and TK says aside from all of the cognitive issues, there will be struggles with walking, eating, talking, and breathing. Everything starts shutting down. Carlos says it's a LOT to process and TK agrees. TK tells Carlos he has zero expectations and he doesn't want this to be a death sentence for both of them. Carlos asks what he means and TK tells him he doesn't expect Carlos to go through with the wedding. He doesn't want to be a burden on Carlos. Carlos reminds about the whole 'in sickness and in health' part of their marriage vows but TK is unconvinced. He is worried that he'll end up forgetting who Carlos is. Carlos says that he'll just have to remind him every day. Carlos tells TK that they are soulmates which is the first time he has said this out loud. Carlos assures TK that he will not run away.

Asha Fulton (Amanda Payton) arrives at the firehouse and Nancy assumes she is there to see Paul. She is actually there to see Captain Vega. Asha goes to Tommy's office and talks to her about the incident at the paper mill fire. She asks Tommy if she recalls an order being given to evacuate the building and Tommy says she does. While Tommy is questioned, she sees Judd and it is very evident things are not good between these two. Trevor arrives at Tommy's house to pick her up for their double dinner date with Judd and Grace. Tommy is not dressed and tells Trevor they should cancel their dinner plans. Trevor insists they cannot cancel their reservation because it was a miracle he got the reservation in the first place. Tommy tells Trevor she can't break bread with a snitch, the snitch being Judd Ryder. She goes on to explain that Judd called HR on her due to the two of them having a difference of opinion. That's the understatement of the century, haha.

Meanwhile, Judd is having a similar conversation with Grace who is looking absolutely stunning. Grace believes her husband may have overreacted when he reported Tommy but he insists he didn't want to get HR involved. Judd says that since he has been trusted with the responsibility of being captain in the absence of Owen, he wants to make sure he is following the rules. Grace tells Judd he needs to get dressed but like Tommy, he is not in the mood to dine out.

Back at Tommy's place, Trevor is practically begging her to get dressed so they can go out but Tommy is being stubborn. He starts quoting Proverbs to her but Tommy tells him to not get biblical on her. Grace is also quoting scripture to Judd. Neither Grace nor Trevor seem to be getting through to their partners. Eventually Tommy and Judd acquiesce to going to dinner. The scene at the restaurant is one of the funniest scenes of the show. Things between Judd and Tommy get worse when their respective partners try to play mediator. Before long, Grace and Trevor are sniping back and forth at each other while Judd and Tommy watch in horror. Eventually both couples are thrown out of the fancy restaurants and things between our two captains are no better than what they were before they all sat down to break bread together.

The next day at the house, it's the paramedics versus the firefighters. Judd and Tommy's feud has trickled down to their subordinates and now the whole family is at odds. I'd just like to point out that nothing like this has ever happened when Owen Strand was in charge. Just saying. Tommy breaks up the bickering between Nancy, TK, Mateo, Marjan and Paul and reminds them that even though they are two teams, they are one family. Judd goes to talk to Tommy and tells her he appreciates what she said. Tommy tells him that everything she said was true. Judd says that even though there were some things said the night before, the only thing that matters is that they love and respect each other. Tommy tells him that's never changed. Judd asks if he and Tommy are good and she says they've always been good. Tommy tells him she's made arrangements so that her paramedics will work an opposite shift from the firefighters until Owen gets back.

In our final emergency scene of the episode, the 126 paramedics respond to a call where someone has been hit while riding a bicycle. When Tommy, Nancy, and TK arrive at the scene, they discover the victim is Wyatt. Judd arrives at the hospital and asks Tommy where Wyatt is. She tells him that Wyatt is in surgery. She also lets Judd know that Wyatt has some brain swelling and several broken vertebrae but he has the best spinal cord surgeon in Austin working on him. Judd starts to fall apart and Tommy reminds him that Wyatt is alive and that his vitals are strong. Judd asks Tommy to shoot straight with him. He asks her how bad it is and she tells him she doesn't know. She tells him that they will have to wait and see and that she will wait for him.

TK gets a call from his dad who is at the beach with Robert and his family in California. He tells TK that he got the results back from the clinic and he is negative for the Huntington gene which means TK is also in the clear. TK is relieved and Owen tells him he should celebrate. TK tells him he should celebrate as well. Owen tells him that Robert's having a barbecue for him for his last night in California.

In the final scene of the episode, Owen and Robert are sitting on a bench at the beach. Owen notices Robert has a tremor in his left land which means his Huntington's symptoms are getting worse. He asks Robert how long he plans on keeping his diagnosis a secret from his wife and kids and Robert says he will tell him soon. Owen says the problem with soon is that eventually it becomes later. He tells Robert not to do what he did when he kept TK in the dark about his cancer diagnosis. Robert says he will tell them tomorrow after Owen leaves to head back to Texas. He says he promises they will know before TK's wedding. Owen is surprised to hear that Robert is still coming. Robert says he will bring his wife and his daughters because he wants them to meet his family.

Robert says he has a favor to ask of Owen. He says that he plans on staying in Texas after the wedding so he can spend some more time with Owen. Owen says he thinks that will be great but he doesn't think he'll be able to drive him back to California afterwards. Robert says he won't have to drive him back because he doesn't plan on coming back to California. He then asks Owen to help him die. End of episode.

Whoa! This episode was way intense and I enjoyed every moment of it. I love the beef between Judd and Tommy. We've never seen these two be at odds before and it was fun seeing them going toe-to-toe. The interesting part about their disagreement is that I saw both sides. I totally got where Judd was coming from. At the end of the day, he knows what it's like to lose someone on the team and he doesn't want to see that happen to anyone on the 126. However, Tommy's job is to save people, even if it means putting her own life in harm's way. I'm glad these two are back to being friends again. I just hate that it took something bad happening for that to happen.

The plot involving Owen and his brother, Robert, was also well done. It sucks that Owen lost his brother when he was really young and now he's about to lose his other brother. This is all coming so close on the heels of him losing Gwyn. Both Owen and TK have endured so much loss on this show and this seems so unfair but it does make for great storytelling. I truly wonder if Owen is going to be able to help his brother end his life. It's even more messed up when you realize that Owen wasn't able to save his brother Tyler and he won't be able to save his brother Robert and his whole life is dedicated to rescuing people. Ugh! I feel really bad for Owen. Well, I guess we'll have to wait to see what he decides to do. Until next time!

#911 lone star reaction #911 lone star reaction 2023 #tv reaction #tv reaction 2023 #blw reactions #blw reactions 2023 #911 lone star #fox 911 lone star #911 ls 4x16 #911 ls s4 #rob lowe #chad lowe #sierra mcclain #gina torres #jim parrack #jackson pace #db woodside #ronen rubinstein #rafael l silva

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debong29 · 1 year

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“REMEMBER”

BY DAVE AERON D. PILOTIN

A transitive verb that can be used in a variety of contexts. An eight-letter word, a simple word with a profound meaning, has changed the way I think. Many of those things are about the two years I couldn't leave the house to try new things because of the lockdown. I am not yet ready to forget all of the memories, whether positive or negative, that have occurred over the last two years and still remember every significant event that has happened during that time. As a result, I'll be here, taking my time as I go over everything I can remember.

Remember is to keep a piece of information in your memory, a verb. For the first few months, I was in denial; I was scared, alarmed, and upset. I was alarmed because I had no idea how serious COVID-19 was, until the lockdown took place. I was scared because I was concerned about how long the pandemic would last and whether we would survive it or not. Finally, I was upset that the lockdown would prevent me from doing what I enjoy. Basketball is my all-time favorite sport. Basketball is like a safety blanket to me. I treat it as my best friend, whom will never abandon me or judge me. When I'm playing basketball, I feel like I don't have to care about anyone else but just shoot the balls in the ring, as if every ounce of stress coursing through my veins is instantly released.

But I lost hope as a result of the pandemic's lockdowns and restrictions. I assumed that having that feeling while playing basketball would not occur for a long time, and that most people, especially those who are not athletic, would not understand my desire for basketball. Those times when I couldn't walk straight or stand because my legs and body were so tired from playing, or when I was desperate to catch my breath because of all the running and sprinting inside the court, or even when I'd rather play on the court than hang out with my friends. I miss it, I miss being free.

Remembering all of my Basketball memories makes me feel so many different emotions; it's a rollercoaster ride. It makes me happy to remember those days, but it also makes me frustrated. I was at my peak. I worked twice as hard to be a good basketball player, and I was doing well and playing better than everyone else until the pandemic struck. Why did the world have to be so cruel? I was back... to zero once again.

I did a lot of things to keep myself busy because there is nothing I can do to escape the chaos that is happening in the world, and I believe that the least I can do is not be a liability, especially to my parents. I try my hardest to help my parents at home, such as doing every chore they assign me, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't swallowed deep in my mobile phone. I downloaded almost all of the popular online games, such as Mobile Legends and Call of Duty Mobile. I even became addicted to those games because they were the only way I could entertain myself since I couldn't go out and hang out with my friends, which made me remember something, how me and my friends used to spent most of our allowance playing in a computer shop with a keyboard and mouse that weren't really for gaming, headphones that smelled like sweat mixed with rotten eggs, and a laggy monitor, it was indeed the good days before the pandemic.

Looking back on the two years of quarantine due to the pandemic, I realized how much I had grown and how much I had come to enjoy things that I used to find ridiculous. It was loving your own company; I never imagined that having your own business would change everything. It was like a drug; using it can have life-changing effects and is highly addictive. Learning to enjoy your own company can help you recharge your mental and social energy after a long day; it gave me more confidence than ever and made me stop listening to other people's inappropriate comments about myself because I know myself better than anyone else.

When I looked at my girlfriend, I was reminded of something. It's as if I'm in a romantic cringe movie where the guy spends most of his time annoying his crush and his crush is always getting mad at him, which is funny because that's exactly how we are. I used to look forward to going to school because I knew I'd see her, even though she's so annoyed by me that just hearing my name and voice makes her blood boil. Moving on, despite the fact that so many negative things happened in my life during the lockdown, it gave me the opportunity to be closer to her. We began playing online games together and, over time, we became good friends. She was there for me when I needed a shoulder to cry on, a rant buddy, and someone I could go to for help, especially with school activities. Although I hadn't had much experience with girls, I realized that they are like a broken stoplight, where the red light is on but also the orange and green lights are on. My girlfriend is an enigma; the way she thinks and moves has always been a puzzle to me; it's always unexpected, but I don't mind because I love puzzles and her. I know she always has good intentions.

Ala-ala. It's one of my favorite Filipino words, though I'm not sure why; perhaps it's because of how you say it? Or perhaps because of its deep meaning, which meant to remember. I used to dislike remembering, especially memories, because I believe there's no point in going back on something that's already happened because you can't change it anyway, but as I was writing my kabataan essay, an idea just popped in my head. Remembering isn't always a bad thing; it's a part of who you are. Maybe every experience is a lesson, but sometimes if you don't want it to be a lesson, then don't, but never forget because, as I said, it is part of who you are, so laugh, cry, be angry at the memories you could remember, even the memories of you making dumb decisions because we are human, we will always remember things, even the shameful and bad ones, it's not a switch that you can just pick the good ones and forget all your bad ones.

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wildflowers-of-trolberg · 1 year

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I posted 1,541 times in 2022

96 posts created (6%)

1,445 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@arctic-deerfox

@hyperpsychomaniac

@waddles-ex-machina

@remked

@fading-shade

I tagged 271 of my posts in 2022

#hilda the series - 79 posts

#ask pika - 79 posts

#hilda netflix - 73 posts

#hilda (hilda) - 25 posts

#hilda and the mountain king - 22 posts

#johanna hilda - 20 posts

#hilda spoilers - 16 posts

#friends - 13 posts

#frida hilda - 9 posts

#hilda novels - 9 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i will absolutely be coming along at some point but it will either be next week or end of the month depending on how the budget shakes out s

My Top Posts in 2022:

The Runaway Hilda AU

(amazing cover art done for me by @blagzdeath)

The Runaway Hilda AU is an alternate universe, diverging from the end of Hilda Season 2 - in this timeline, Hilda isn't caught by her mum at the start of The Stone Forest, and instead escapes to Frida's, only to come home to Johanna even more upset, causing their biggest argument yet.

As a result, Hilda decides her mum would be better off without her, and runs away from home to live in the wilderness. Johanna, desperate to find her missing daughter, joins the Safety Patrol, and ultimately becomes deputy leader. Hilda finally comes home after a year away, only to find out that a lot has changed in her absence, and things can't go back to how they were before she left.

The fics of the Runaway AU are written to stand alone, and can be read on their own or in any order. But, here is the timeline as it stands, covering every fic written by me and my amazing little sibling @ultimate-kaisa-simp for this series:

To The Hills (the night Hilda ran away - replaces The Stone Forest)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapter 1 (1 week after Hilda ran away)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapter 2 (3 months after Hilda ran away)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapter 3 (Sonstansil Eve - 6 months after Hilda ran away)

Room For One More, Chapter 1 (Sonstansil Eve - immediately after #4)

Full Disclosure (3 days after Sonstansil Eve)

Room For One More, Chapter 2 (1 week after Sonstansil Eve)

Room For One More, Chapters 3 & 4 (~3 weeks after Sonstansil Eve)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapter 4 (8 months after Hilda ran away)

Two Girls In A Bus Stop Shelter (8 months after Hilda ran away)

Everything’s Changed & Nothing’s The Same (concurrent - Hilda’s 11th Birthday - 9 months after Hilda ran away)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapter 5 (11 months after Hilda ran away)

The House On The Sand (12 months after Hilda ran away)

One Runaway To Another (~4 days after #13)

The 5 + 1 Runaway Hilda AU, Chapters 6 & 7 (1 day after #14)

The Ones Left Behind (1 day after #15)

57 notes - Posted November 17, 2022

A completely random thing that sets me off about novel!Johanna is her choice to make the walls completely white. Who does that.

My family? XD My house has white walls (Arctic White specifically, IIRC), and most of the walls in my dad's house were white too. I think that's the least worrying thing about her, sorry XD

64 notes - Posted January 7, 2022

The Hilda Novels, Revisited

I didn't plan on making this. Anyone who's read my previous post on this subject will know that I didn't have a good time with the first three of the Hilda tie-in novels, and they put me off reading the Season 2 tie-ins. But, eventually, I couldn't help myself; I have now read all 6 books, and I wanted to go back in light of that and put all of my thoughts in one place.

So, I'm going to re-cover my thoughts on the first three books, and go over my opinions on the second set and what changed between them. I still have plenty I want to say, and a lot of it is still very negative, so a warning in advance; I am still not a big fan of this series.

See the full post

70 notes - Posted February 3, 2022

84 notes - Posted January 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Tag yourself, AU Hildas edition!

116 notes - Posted January 21, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #elf paperwork #hilda the series #hilda netflix

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mariacallous · 2 years

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The American Rescue Plan Act set aside $800 million to support the identification, enrollment, and participation in schools of students experiencing homelessness. This influx of funding has created a historic opportunity to strengthen services for one of the most underserved groups of students in U.S. schools.

We draw on several recently published studies to, first, describe why it is important to focus on students experiencing homelessness, and second, to share ways that state and local education agencies might improve the identification and support they provide to this vulnerable group.

Homelessness is detrimental for educational outcomes

More than a decade of research has shown that students experiencing homelessness lag behind their peers in key educational outcomes, including academic achievement in math and reading, attendance, and high school graduation. A recently published study adds to the preponderance of evidence that homelessness is detrimental, and it provides new evidence on how the duration and timing of homelessness matter for outcomes. In that study, the two of us—along with our co-authors Ann Owens and Gary Painter—focus on students in the Los Angeles Unified School district (LAUSD). We find that experiencing homelessness is associated with lower achievement and attendance. These negative relationships persist even in years after students become housed, with students who were previously homeless scoring lower on state tests and missing more days of school than students who never experienced homelessness.

Interestingly, we see that students’ academic performance and attendance stabilize after they are identified as homeless and eligible for services for multiple years. This suggests to us that being identified as homeless is itself helpful for students. That is, while homelessness harms children’s educational outcomes, those harms are mitigated by the resources and supports that schools and districts provide the homeless students they identify.

These results highlight both why we should be concerned with students experiencing housing loss and why it’s important to identify these students and provide support.

Using mobility to proactively identify students

If identifying homeless students is important for mitigating the negative impacts of homelessness, then it stands to reason that early identification would be especially valuable.

In another recent study focused on students in LAUSD, our research team finds that students who eventually become homeless change schools and addresses frequently in the years before being identified. This suggests a window of opportunity to proactively identify students who are experiencing homelessness. Asking families to update their housing status each time they change addresses or schools—while informing them of the rights and resources associated with homeless identification—could help to find homeless families who qualify for services but have not yet been identified.

Additionally, federal law allows students experiencing homelessness to remain in the same school even if they move outside the attendance boundary, and it mandates that schools provide transportation. Still, our study finds that school changes increase sharply after students are identified as homeless. To reduce student mobility, which is associated with worse educational outcomes, schools should consider information campaigns to ensure that families are aware of their rights. Some families might opt to stay in the same school if made aware of the option.

Improving identification with email “nudges” for homeless liaisons

District and school homeless liaisons are responsible for coordinating homeless student identification and support efforts. Often, homeless liaisons have other responsibilities, including being administrators, counselors, or clerical staff. This means they must balance liaison duties—including the identification of homeless students, connecting students with services and providing referrals to other programs, educating students and families of the rights of homeless children and youth, and training school personnel that provide services to homeless students—with other competing job responsibilities.'

A recently published study by Daniel Shephard and co-authors, covered by Schoolhouse Connection, offers a low-cost strategy to improve homeless student identification by sending email reminders to liaisons. Drawing on insights from the behavioral sciences, the research team sent emails to district homeless liaisons that were designed to motivate action and share helpful information to improve identification. For example, these emails strategically used goals (e.g., “The year we resolved to reach out to every student experiencing homelessness”), collective language (e.g., “We are all in this together and every student identified stands to benefit”), and loss aversion (e.g., “Make sure students in your district don’t miss out on their rights”) to nudge liaisons to prioritize identification. A series of simple emails had a meaningful impact on identification: Districts that received emails identified 12% more homeless students. The authors have made their email templates available here so that states and districts can run similar email campaigns.

Scaling email nudges like these could help boost identification and ensure more supports for kids who need them. More broadly, the study shows that paying greater attention to the process of identification results in more homeless students being identified and supported. Other strategies might also help districts and schools prioritize identification, like more emphasis from district leaders, more time/people allocated to working on student homelessness, or more training in identification.

Taking advantage of best practices

The COVID-19 pandemic created unique challenges that were often met with swift and creative responses from schools. Innovative practices that were implemented during the pandemic should continue to be scaled moving forward. For example, Alexandra Pavlakis and co-authors suggest incorporating multiple modalities (e.g., phone calls and virtual communication) and more proactive communication efforts even as the pandemic ends.

Other strategies proposed by SchoolHouse Connection include: following up with students identified as experiencing homelessness in prior years; having non-threatening conversations about identification of homelessness and the rights of students and families; translating materials and having bilingual staff available; engaging with community partners and posting information at highly visited sites, such as laundromats, libraries, motels, grocery stores, and campgrounds; and connecting with local eviction courts and sheriff’s offices so they can provide information to evicted families.

What lies ahead

Now that the national eviction moratorium has expired and state and local rental-assistance programs have starting closing or being put on hold, homelessness among families and school-aged children may rise. Evictions and homeless experiences have cascading negative effects that can become long term, including more frequent moves, school changes, and a sense of general instability and stress. This can result in negative effects on mental health, academic outcomes, and social development.

It is imperative that we improve the identification of students experiencing homelessness and housing instability to support them more swiftly as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. This is especially the case if, as our data from Los Angeles suggest, homeless identification is associated with stabilization in student outcomes. The research-informed strategies described above should be added to homeless liaisons’ and local education agencies’ toolkits.

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vayalda · 2 years

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I take it you didn't like JW-Dominion too much?

Yeah no, I belong to the group of people who think Dominion is a mess, but for a slightly different reason than everyone else. Saying that, it’s great how everyone can enjoy different things so don’t let yourself be discouraged by negative reviews and simply like what you like.

Spoilers under the cut for Jurassic World Dominion, Jurassic Park and the entire Jurassic Franchise in case you haven’t seen the movies yet.

Alright, there are two main reasons why I dislike Dominion. It’s because the dinosaurs are too dangerous and because the dinosaurs are not dangerous enough (yes, please bear with my rant, it might make sense eventually. Lol)

The dinosaurs are too dangerous:

In Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs were so dangerous that the human characters had only two choices once the dinos got out of their enclosures. To either flee the island and get to safety elsewhere or to stay there and be eaten. It had these horror elements of the dinos being highly aggressive monsters who took over the top of the food chain and reduced humans (and animals) to mere meals. Was that biologically accurate? Nope, at least not entirely. Dinosaurs were simply different breeds of animals, so chances are high that they acted similar to “our animals today”, too. Meaning that they didn’t care about potential food walking by if they’d already eaten.

Now, did we care about that? No. Because Jurassic Park wasn’t a nature’s documentary but an action flick from Hollywood and we wanted humans to be eaten… Besides, the dinosaurs weren’t animals made by nature but in a lab and who knows what genes were added or tweaked. BUT the thing is that they were made too dangerous for humans (and animals) to co-exist beside them. When they were stuck on some islands that was manageable. Humans and most animals simply didn’t live there, maybe aside from some birds and critters. (I mean, the only bigger animals we saw in the first movies like the famous goat in Jurassic Park was brought there by humans). There’s a good reason, after all, that most animals we know today only thrived once the dinos went extinct.

Of course, then that stupid decision in Fallen Kingdom happened and the dinosaurs were let loose on the mainland, which was the worst decision in the franchise since creating them in the first place. I remember reading back then how many fans said that so many humans would die as a result of that decision. But I also remember that I thought “who cares about the humans, what about the animals?” And I was right to some extent because you don’t see the carnivorous dinos eat the herbivorous dinos in Dominion. You only see them chewing on humans and deer and foxes and rabbits and so on – which are much easier prey because they lack the armor but also a tiny snack compared to a Triceratops. Not to mention that “our animals” in Dominion acted so stupid. Why would a deer (a flight animal) just stand there while a dinosaur is stomping around and slashing it open? And I guess some animals like dogs don’t exist at all anymore? Cause just think about taking your puppy for a walk and seeing a raptor in the woods – yep, that’s gonna end well… And saying that, why isn’t every human in Dominion carrying a gun on them as soon as they leave the house? You know, to kill the dinosaurs who want to eat them at a distance instead of using tasers and knifes which would bring them into chomping-range?

The dinosaurs are not dangerous enough:

Saying all that, the dinosaurs of the Jurassic World movies are way too tame now. To explain what I mean with this, let’s all remember the greatness that was the original Jurassic Park (which is still in my personal top three of the best movies ever made). It was suspenseful, atmospheric and had you at the edge of your seat the whole time because it wasn’t just one random action scene and one random dinosaur after the other.

First there was the T-Rex, which was built up so great with the vibrating water in the cup and the “where’s the goat-line” and the knowledge of ‘it’s coming’ before Rexie actually appeared. The fear was ramped up so masterfully and you had this sense of ‘it can’t get any worse than this’. But then it DID get worse with the Velociraptors who were not only hella smart but working together in a group.

Now, what’s left from that in the newer movies? The raptors were basically turned into trained dogs in Jurassic World, who would obey Owen because of a treat as well as the magical hand. (And don’t even get me started on that ridiculous magical hand!) Also, back in the days of good movies there were actually some characters eaten and hurt and you never knew who it would be. Meanwhile, in the World movies you just sit back relaxed and are like “yeah, whatever, you’re all gonna survive anyway” when the characters are hunted by another apex predator. The plot armor is so thick by now that it really takes away all the excitement. And not only aren’t the characters not dying, they aren’t even injured. I mean, let’s take away the dinos for a moment. In Dominion, there was a plane crash (and why did Claire have to eject herself from it to save herself when all three were just fine in the end?), there was a car rolling over and over and Owen was taking a dip in an icy lake (and how did he get out so fast cause that isn’t humanly possible – is he turning into Frog-Man or something?) People die in these sorts of situations or are grievously wounded. Add to that a few dinosaurs intend on eating human flesh and it’s actually laughable that all the main characters are standing around at the end and chatting with not even a scratch on their bodies. Come on, you somehow managed to make the dinosaurs less dangerous than a tiger or crocodile…

The writers could have gone either way with this movie:

They could have made it go back to its roots were the dinos were actually scary and would take over the top of the food chain on the mainland, with people only surviving in little groups in bunkers or on remote islands (kinda a reverse Jurassic Park situation). The main story line could have been one of these groups needing to get somewhere else to safety or needing to rescue another group. And they even had the right dinosaur to make that interesting!! And no, I don’t mean the Giganotosaurus, who did nothing for me or the movie. Dear writers, we don’t always want bigger (and it wasn’t even that much bigger than Rexie?) cause that’s a very one-dimensional way of thinking and ultimately lazy writing. But there was the Pyroraptor right there, that feathery raptor at the ice lake, and it had SO MUCH potential to star as the main threat in this movie which just wasn’t used. Cause they didn’t only give it feathers but wings! Scientists aren’t actually sure if (or how well) it could fly, soar, climb, swim and dive, but Hollywood never much cared about accuracy (they already made it much bigger than it actually was anyway). So just imagine this group of people escaping this Pyroraptor which could do it all and every time they thought it couldn’t follow them, it surprised them again and they’d be like “alright, we’re officially dead now…”

Or the writers could have made the dinos tame and portrayed them like any animal. Which would mean that the characters could just walk by a T-Rex that had just eaten and be like “hey, what’s up buddy” and he would just blink and take a nap. In that case, the end sequence might even make sense. But then again, no, it wouldn’t. Because why would horses and elephants and birds and whales and so on agree for dinosaurs to walk/fly/swim amongst them - dinosaurs that could easily trample them to death or eat them?!

In the end, neither of the two happened and we got this weird middle thing where the writers didn’t know what they wanted. And it just didn’t work for me. The only good thing was to see Ian Malcolm again who is hands-down the best character of the whole franchise. But then again, he's also in Jurassic Park, which is a much better movie all around, so I’ll just go back and enjoy that one for the hundreds time…

#jurassic world dominion #jurassic park #ask

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veganchar · 2 months

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I tried to establish a relationship with you, expressing my desire for a family and children. However, you blocked me on Facebook due to allegations of racism, causing you to monitor my online activity. In an attempt to reconnect, I reached out to you on Instagram, only to be met with disappointment as you expressed hurt over my lack of interest and made accusations of racism, stalking, and theft. You requested pictures, webcam interactions, and sexual engagement, but I was left in the dark for four months without any explanation for my perceived wrongdoings. When I finally reached out to you, you responded with insults and further blocked me. It became clear that your interest in me was solely sexual, leading to a loss of interest on your end and ultimately blocking me across all platforms.

Your behavior and demands made me feel disrespected, objectified, and dehumanized. The focus on sexual interactions and lack of interest in anything deeper or meaningful made me realize that you are not truly interested in me as a person. The insults and blocking only reinforced this negative perception. Ultimately, you decided to cut off communication with me because I expressed wanting to be treated with respect and not just seen as a means for sexual gratification.

After you blocked me, you invited other women to your house, slept with them, followed them on all platforms, liked all their photos, commented, and complimented them while monitoring me online. This resulted in me feeling threatened and having to remove myself from social media. Additionally, you read about my grandmother's Azorean heritage on my blog and used it against me by profiting off my culture for revenge, despite being a stranger.

You have a private Instagram account and continue to communicate with multiple women on the platform while keeping me blocked, seemingly due to my race, nationality, and ethnicity. You mentioned not wanting a pen pal because of our different countries, yet you follow women from various backgrounds, specifically focusing on white women.

Despite being more attractive, initiating all contact, showing you affection, attention, and compliments, and taking the time to get to know you, you still consistently showed more interest in other women by following them, liking their posts, and treating them better than me.

I don't believe in one-night stands because it goes against my religious and personal beliefs. Additionally, as someone of a different race, I don't feel comfortable engaging in sexual activities with individuals who only have a sexual interest in me. They don't take time to get to know me, build intimacy, or take me on proper dates.

I have always been respectful of your race, country, and nationality, and I have never asked you personal questions. The only thing I know about you is what you have shared, such as your grandpa being a painter. I have never said anything mean to you. I simply asked you to stop monitoring me online due to my health issues.

I am unaware of your age, country, name, job, family, or any details about your personal life. Despite this lack of information, I still hold a positive view of you. My knowledge of you is solely based on what I have observed online.

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the-firebird69 · 2 months

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It's a couple things going on there's still sitting here chastising after the results of what they're doing and everybody knows they're doing it and they'll understand that they're being wise asses and issues snide remarks and posturing like assholes and riding in on Tesla who wants to injure our son to catch room a great great crowd phones are morons and you're going to get your asses handed to you we do see what's going on here you're losing power rapidly and we'll explain what's going on today.

-first thing in the morning John remillard was up harassing from behind the house and started in on our son and he started walking out back and being a menace saying he was there watching spying into the window all sorts of evil things and being annoying on purpose and he then started to portal then he said the roof won't get done any pointed out the paperwork is just sitting there and he knows about it and if they weren't there and he started going into it to harass our son and son looked over and said look it's dried in what do I care and you guys fight over the permit to the death or whatever you're doing and who gives a s*** about you so went on like that for about 20 minutes then the stupid a****** sticks his head outside and you start saying dumb s*** and he's going over and over stuff and almost fell over like three times on the ground because he's ill and sick and he has a few TBI and the neighbors started calling people in to get him out now he's stuck to him again at the laundromat and it happens every single week he is a disgusting loser we have to take all the stuff in order to get him off him and he's a weakling and other people are forcing it to happen so we have to go after them we have to take all of their stuff too it is a huge day that we can clean them all out due to this moron. We're going ahead and doing it and we have a lot of progress already today we don't lose anybody we keep track of everyone and we know that he's an imposter and we know it's gross and we have that done all the time we use the multitude of things to do it and he's our cover and we ripped him off completely in areas he is no longer in about 75% of the area he was in and today New Zealand is under attack and he's going to lose the whole island whether he cares about it or not he'll have no access.

-so we're going to go on the attack today really soon I'm going to start striking those stupid son of a b**** it stands already listens to the whole last paragraph doesn't react says it's nothing to care less any stress trying to do stuff cuz he's a little b**** and he's passive aggressive he acts like a four year old child who's demented I want him out we have a lot of stuff going on to announce

-today we have about 50 things happening that are positive for us one of them is John remillard is losing everything this is huge a****** to our son there's a massive number of things that are stupid and we can do without him completely and he's been paying rent but he's forcing himself to stay there and he's forcing others to allow it yesterday our son said if he's dislodged he wouldn't mind it and other people could dislodge him and he'll blame our son and they think that's great and then got on and said he's talking around it but he did figure out that there's an angle he said that's going to happen but other people want to be blamed for dislodging him and they've gone the other route and he didn't really get that but he got it later and he started saying this we're all negative and he's not going to go along with it and he shouldn't and he's going to crucify us he said it's just a natural crucifixion it's natural law you're falling for all sorts of tricks and you're going along with negative stuff is a trick and you're not holding your head up and most of these idiots heads are buried in the sand or dirt really or mud it's really mud and he said that and Ben said you're probably arrived we're doomed what can we do but nothing and just wait for them to destroy each other and then it'll be over I said good so he started off that way but there are some things to point out and we're going to publish

Thor Freya

Olympus

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ancestorsofjudah · 2 months

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2 Kings 25: 18-21. "The Dish."

The Constitution put in place by Nebuchadnezzar proclaimed the temple can operate only at the sufferance of the state. The Temple should still insist men must endeavor to please God by growing out of certain behaviors and into the new, but at the end of the day, the State alone has standing on the enforcement of the conduct of the organizations and persons within its purview.

The role of the government with respect to Israel and the Covenant as it turns out is not just for the purposes of regulation or standardization.

The Melachim states the Commander of the Guard took Seraiah, "what is learned from osmosis, including poor politics", the chief priest, Zephaniah, "the floater, what floats up OR remains static" aka our memories and traditions, and the three doorkeepers called a Mezuzah, which are defined below. This means the government is supposed to provide a protective cover for the tenets of the faith even if it manages its affairs via secular laws:

"A kosher Mezuzah is a small parchment scroll, hand-written by an expert scribe, which contains two Biblical passages, one of them the Shema Yisrael. On the reverse side of the parchment are written the three Hebrew letters, Shin (ש), Dalet (ד), Yud (י). This is an acronym for the Hebrew words, שומר דלתות ישראל, meaning, “Guardian of the doors of Israel”.

A Mezuzah is affixed on the right side of every door of the home (except the bathroom) and it protects the inhabitants while in and out of the house."

Seraiah=

Root שרר (sharar) has to do with rigidity resulting from the absorption and retention of liquids (called turgor in plants), liquidity in economy, or data in IT and so on — and the ultimate effects thereof.

The promise of Jesus', that streams of living water would emerge from within (John 7:38), tells of a curing of social lymphedema, when pools of stagnant wealth (whether fat, cash or data) are re-released into society to benefit all (for more on this, see our article on the noun δουλος, doulos).

Noun שר (sar) means chief or ruler (someone in whom a society's wealth is concentrated). Its feminine form, שרה (sara), denotes a princess, noble lady or perhaps a ruling class collectively. The denominative verb שרר (sarar) means to be a chief.

Noun שרירות (sherirut) describes firmness in a negative sense: stubbornness. Noun שר (shor) refers to the umbilical cord and noun שרה (shera) to a bracelet of some sort. Noun שריר (sharir) apparently denotes a sinew or muscle.

Mystery verb שרה (sara) is used only to describe what Jacob did with the Angel (Genesis 32:29 and Hosea 12:4). It's traditionally been translated as "to wrestle," but it obviously metaphorizes Israel's formation into a political unity based on the retention of knowledge and skills.

Derived noun משרה (misra) literally means "place or agent of שרה (sara)." It occurs only in the famous prediction that "the misra will be upon his shoulders" (Isaiah 9:6).

Verb שרה (shara) means to fill and release. Noun משרה (mishra) denotes the juice of grapes. Noun שריה (shirya) denotes a kind of weapon and noun שריון (shiryon) or שרין (shiryan) describes body armor — the link between physical, political and intellectual rigidity is obvious (see Ephesians 6:14).

Zephaniah= stored up hope or static wealth.

Verb צפה (sapa) speaks of covering, whether a literal covering of an item with an overlay like gold or the figurative covering of watchman's surroundings by his watchful gaze. In cognate languages this verb also means to hope.

Noun צפיה (sippiya) means lookout post and noun מצפה (mispeh) means watchtower. Noun צפוי (sippuy) means plating, noun צפית (sapit) means rug or carpet, and noun צפת (sepet) refers to the plated capital of a pillar.

Verb צוף (sup) means to flow or float on top of something else. Noun צוף (sup) describes a honeycomb, or rather the structure of hexagonal cells upon which honey floats. Verb צפה (sapa) means outflow.

Verb צפן (sapan) means to hide or store up. Nouns צפין (sapin) and מצפון (maspon) describe a mass of predominantly static wealth. Noun צפון (sapon) means north, as for unexplained reasons the Bible considers the north a place of gathering. Noun or adjective צפוני (seponi) means northern or northern one.

The Commander of the Guard is Moses, and the Give Royal Advisors are the Hand of God, the Five Books of the Torah.

18 The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers.

19 Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city.

20 Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

21 There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.

Moses was self-determined and destined to end the tradition of slavery in the Jewish culture. This he did with the direct assistance of the Most High, the God of Israel and left behind the Torah so future generations would grow out of slavery before they ever allowed one length of chain to be fastened around their wrists or ankles.

The first part of the passage from the Melachim explains this process must graduate from childhood to adulthood and play a role in how secular government executes on its objectives. This we do not do very well. Slavery, violence, corruption,oppression and strife are rife on this planet. These things are expressly forbidden, so why are we engaging in them? Does anyone know or care?

The reason is we do not have what is called a Secretary, a person who creates an agenda for the people through the teaching of the religion. The Jewish pilgrim is naturally the most important member of the religion, after this person comes the Kohen, then the High Priest, then the King, but the person who holds it all together is the Secretary.

The text says Nebuzaradan "who protects the prophets" brought them all into the fold of the State, tried them and had them executed. In Judaism this means their approach to the law and the government was threatening rather than protective of the people and we know this can happen. So their confiscation was a way of ensuring what is beneficial about the Laws of the Prophets, ie what is most consistent with Constitutional Law held standing instead of provoking a challenge.

The term Riblah "causing contention or strife" confirms this, and Hamath means to protect. So the state has to protect the tenets of faith and it also has to protect us from the tenets of faith should there be an issue that contradicts Constitutional Law. It doesn't matter if it seems traditional for one way or the other, or it's just how we remember things going, the Constitution which protects human rights, free trade, interventions in time of crisis, and provides clear structure for the rules of government must always be inviolate, and further, these must always become more expansive, investing more and more in the happiness of an independent free people.

The Values in Gematria are:

v. 18: The Commander of the Guard took prisoners. The Value in Gematria is 4813, דחא‎ג, dhaag, "an abundance of grain."

v. 19: He took charge of the Fighting Men. The Value in Gematria is 9238, טב‎גח‎‎, "a dish."

v. 20: He brought them to the King. The Value in Gematria is 3380, גגח‎אֶפֶס, "Zero."

v. 21a: He had them executed. The Value in Gematria is 1807, א‎ח אֶפֶסז‎, "A brother of Ephesus."

v. 21b Judah went into captivity. The Value in Gematria is 5205, הבאֶפֶסה, "the bafesa." "in phase."

A dish refers to the Seder plate which the Melachim says must be emptied in phases. This means all of the bitter herbs and shitty ass soup of the past must be eaten, swallowed, digested and purged before one can start the journey over in a Constituted State.

There is no point in eating a plate of rancid nasty disgusting food twice, only an idiot would do that. This the entire point of the first note, "an abundance of grain" should be able to feed a community and keep it going, this is the entire point of civilization, this ability to produce food, to feed, and happily carry on.

If this is not happening then the process has to be halted, faults in its abilities to perform have to be fixed, and then the engine of society will have to turn over once again.

This is not desirable, a fact we are to remind ourselves about during Pesach, more often if needed, but regardless of what happens with regards to tradition or culture, we are never to go back and swallow the bitterness of Egypt again. Our ancestors made the decision to leave and be distant from the place and its conditions, and far away we must remain but not at all from the logic that drove their departure.

Fortunately, circumstances are different now. The State cannot collect taxes from taxpayers and then legislate against them. This is abuse of power and violates the principals of Constitution. While it has felt like a luxury lately, everyone on this world is protected from relapses of the slave trade and all of its causes including the staunch followers of religion. It certainly must protect the right to practice faith, but by no means can it overindulge it.

#chabad

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rncareergroup · 3 months

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There are numerous reasons that make RN Defence Academy stand out among the Best AFCAT coaching centres in Chandigarh. ● Classes backed by retired officers : The institute has hundreds of options for both Jawan and officer categories and provides the best academic facilities available. With locations across India, RN aims to give each student the best education possible in addition to the following amenities.

● Crash Courses : The 100-day crash course offered by RN Defence Academy provides students with last-minute training for various defence exams.Crash Courses are succinct and direct.More Instruction That Is Goal-Oriented ● Both Online and Offline Classes : If a student is unable to attend classes in person, they can still prepare for the AFCAT by enrolling in online classes offered by RN Defence Academy.

● Own Publications : The RN Defence Academy is a publishing house unto itself. It has developed several multiple-choice questions covering the subject of multiple tests, along with the top books for defence exams. Books are bilingual and publications are focused on results, especially for AFCAT applicants.

● Personality Development : The Personality Development Programme at RN Defence Academy prioritises the improvement of students' communication abilities and persona.It focuses on improving English, which gives candidates more confidence.

● SSB Interview Classes : SSB Interview Courses are Offered by RN Defence Academy to AFCAT Written Qualified Candidates.Assessors who have stayed on SSB Boards are teaching SSB Interview Classes.Former GTOs, interviewing officers, and psychologists teach the classes.

AFCAT Exam Selection Process 2024

The online exam is conducted by the Indian Air Force. The selection process for the AFCAT Exam comprises the following stages:

The AFCAT Written Exam is the only criterion for clearing the first stage for the Non-Technical candidates

Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) Interview

Medical Test

AFCAT Exam Marking Scheme 2024:

Total Time Duration: 2 hours

Number of Questions: 100

Marking Criteria: +3 for each correct answer

Negative Marking: -1 for each incorrect answer

#afcat coaching in chandigarh #TOP 5 AFCAT Coaching Institute In Chandigarh #AFCAT written Exam Coaching Centre In Chandigarh #Best AFCAT written Exam Coaching Institute In Chandigarh

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dawgsvacantpropertysecurity · 6 months

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New Post has been published on https://www.dawgsinc.com/steel-vs-plywood-why-take-the-financial-risk-on-plywood-board-up/

Steel vs Plywood: Why take the financial risk on plywood board-up?

COMPARISON

Steel vs Plywood: Why take the financial risk on plywood board-up?

DAWGS Vacant Property Security’s steel door and window guards provide a more cost-effective alternative to plywood board-up.

There is no comparison. DAWGS is more secure than plywood board-up at a similar price. Plus, steel delivers superior security and adds curb appeal to vacant investment properties.

DAWGS VACANT PROPERTY SECURITY

Steel Door and Window Guards

Plywood Board Up



Strength and Durability

DAWGS steel door and window guards are stronger and more durable than plywood board-up. Steel windows are designed to withstand forced entry attempts.

Plywood is susceptible to damage and rot. Anyone with a few tools can easily breach plywood board-up.



Security

Steel doors and window guards provide a higher security level than plywood board-ups. Steel door and window guards are designed to prevent break-ins and have security features like multiple locking points and reinforced structures. Unlike board-up, coded steel security doors enable secure, managed access to vacant properties.

Although plywood board-up can deter casual trespassers, it is not effective in preventing determined intruders.



Curb Appeal

DAWGS rents attractive steel panels to cover door and window openings on vacant buildings.

With NATIONAL COVERAGE, DAWGS’ steel door and window guard solutions come directly from one of our regional distribution centers.

Property investors, property managers, housing authorities, rehabbers, and real estate professionals trust DAWGS to keep their vacant properties secure, looking sharp, and ready for showing or resale.

The problem with boarding up a vacant property is that the boards make the property stand out in the wrong way. Whenever you throw plywood up on a vacant property, regardless of the community it’s in, plywood puts a big red X on that property. It immediately becomes a beacon for squatters, drug users, and thieves who break in to steal appliances or copper wiring.

Plywood makes it very obvious that no one is home and no one will be for a long time, and aesthetically, plywood just doesn’t look very good – even when you put it up brand new, it still looks cheap.



Theft Deterrent

Compared to plywood board-up, DAWGS steel window and door panels are an effective theft deterrent. Intruders see it and know to move on to the next place (which is probably boarded up with plywood).

Plywood board-up makes the building look run-down and vulnerable, which can attract theft, squatters, and trespassers.



Better Aesthetics

Steel door and window guards provide a more aesthetically pleasing and permanent solution than plywood.

Plywood board-up can give a transient and unattractive appearance to a building or window. It is an eyesore and may negatively impact the overall aesthetics of the property and the neighborhood.



Superior Installation and Maintenance

Steel door and window guards provide a long-lasting solution with minimal maintenance requirements.

Plywood board-up is relatively easy and quick to install, requiring basic tools and materials. However, it needs to be replaced periodically due to wear and tear. It is also easily removed by criminals seeking access to a property.



Cost

Products from DAWGS (steel door and window guards) are a better value than one-time use of plywood. Steel offers additional security features such as security-coded doors, better aesthetics, and peace-of-mind from professional installation.

Plywood board-up is generally less expensive but far less secure than steel security windows. Breached board-up can result in additional costs of repairs resulting from break-ins, stolen contractor tools, and theft of construction materials.



Remote Management

With steel door and window guards, the DAWGS installation crew provides remote management, allowing owners, investors, and lenders to avoid unnecessary travel – saving time and money.

Security-coded doors allow remote management, giving realtors and contractors easy access to the property.

Plywood is usually temporary and must be replaced due to rot and vandalism. Once installed, plywood board-up monitoring is the responsibility of the property owner or manager.



Reusable and Sustainable

Not only is steel more cost-effective over time, but DAWGS’ steel door and window guards are sustainable and reusable. Steel security door and window guards are rented, not purchased, allowing the assets to be redeployed quickly to new projects.

Plywood board-up is only good for one-time use, creating waste and burdening the environment.



Installation Quality

Steel window and door panel installation is performed by a professionally trained and insured crew.

The DAWGS professionals installing steel on every door and window do it efficiently and promptly – without damaging the property.

With DAWGS, you get the peace of mind that comes with our unparalleled strength, enabling you to repair and sell your property faster and without worry.

Plywood is screwed directly into the window and door frames, damaging the property and creating additional repair costs.

In addition, anyone with a crowbar can easily circumvent plywood.

DAWGS is more secure than board-up at a similar price

Compared to plywood, DAWGS steel security windows and doors offer a more robust and permanent solution for short or long-term security needs.

In short, if you have anything of value you want to protect, plywood is a poor substitute for steel.

Want more information about DAWGS? Request a quote today.

Request a Quote

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