#palatable for society in a way that others find easy-to-deal-with....

[inkskinned]

you wanted to be a good friend, because you loved your friends, but the truth was that everyone else somehow had a pamphlet on being normal that you never received. most of the time you learn by trial-and-error. you are terrified of the next big mistake you make, because it seems like the rules are completely arbitrary.

you've learned to keep the prickly parts of your personality in a stormcloud under your bed - as if they're a second version of you; one that will make your friends hate you. it feels feral, burning, ugly.

instead, you have assembled habits based on the statistical likelihood of pleasing others. you're a good listener, which is to say - if you do speak up, you might end up saying the wrong thing and scaring off someone, but people tend to like someone-who-listens. or you've got no true desires or goals, because people like it when you're passive, mutable. you're "not easy to fluster" which is to say - your emotions are fundamentally uninteresting to others around you; so you've learned to control them to a degree that you can no longer really feel them happening.

you have long suspected something is wrong with you, but most of the time, googling doesn't help. you are so-used to helping-yourself, alone and with no handbook. the reek of your real self feels more like a horrible joke - you wake up, and, despite all your preparations, suddenly the whole house is full of smoke. the real you is someone waiting to ruin your other-life, the one where you're normal and happy. the real-self is unpredictable, angry.

your real self snarls when people infantilize the whole situation. because if you were really suffering, everyone seems to think you'd be completely unable to cope. but you already learned the rules, so you do know how to cope, and you have fucking been coping. it's not black-and-white. it's not that you are healed during the other times - it's just that you're able to fucking try. and honestly, whenever you show symptoms, it's a really fucking bad sign.

because the symptoms you have are ugly and unmanageable for others. your symptoms aren't waifish white girl things. they're annoying and complicated. they will be the subject of so many pretentious instagram reels. if they cared about you, they'd just show up on time. you care, a lot, so deeply it burns you. you like to picture a world where the comments read if they loved you, they'd never need glasses to see. but since that's a rule you've seen repeated - "one must never be late or you are a bad friend" - you constantly worry about being late and leave agonizingly early. there are no words for how you feel when you're still late; no matter how hard you were trying.

so you have to make up for it. you have to make up for that little horrible real you that you keep locked in a cabinet. you are bad at answering emails so every project you make has to be perfect. you are weird and sensitive so you have to learn to be funny and interesting. you are an inconvenience to others, so you become as smooth as possible, buffing out all the rough parts.

all this. all this. so people can pass their hands over you and just tell you just the once -how good you are. you're a good friend. you're loveable.

#spilled ink #woke up at 530 to write this lmafo #me in a cold sweat: #how do i be normal #edit in the tags: #hey so i've seen y'all talk about like ... wondering if ur ''allowed'' to relate #like if this is about X specific diagnosis #and when i first posted it i really almost labelled it ''please don't assume this is about a specific condition'' #because as an artist i am often walking this line of discussing a symptom or discussing my conditions etc #and sometimes yes ! i do want to talk about an experience that is specific to who i am and my condition #but sometimes the effort of the post is about the EXPERIENCE rather than the diagnosis #because yes i am not neurotypical and as a result that influences my work but it is ALSO true that there are many reasons #why someone might experience this particular vague horrible feeling that you are... almost being CHASED by what you ''really'' are. #that you're outrunning your symptoms... that you're not really normal you're just sort of a mockery of a person #.... that's a really isolating and horrible way to feel no matter why you are feeling it. and the nature of this PARTICULAR post is that #it is inherently talking ABOUT that sense of isolation & of feeling not-deserving & of minimizing your own experiences to make urself #palatable for society in a way that others find easy-to-deal-with.... #this post is about a certain experience such that my impression is there's a higher likelihood that those who relate #would have more difficulty thinking they ''deserve'' to relate - that it doesn't REALLY belong to them #bc often we are the kind of people who are SO used to being alienated and set aside and ''different'' that we AUTOMATICALLY assume #that things are not ''for'' us... they never have been why would it start now #we are the kinds of people to be ... ''too normal for X diagnosis but too symptomatic to be normal'' #[or as this post points out... so good at ''coping''/masking/hiding it that we essentially conform to whatever shape we're poured into] #but i have witnessed others already say in the tags ''thought this was about me but it's about X so it can't be'' #and im like ... of course it was about you. #art is not a resource that is diminished by greater appreciation . #you reflect in whatever mirror fits your frame. not just the ones in your bedroom. not just the ones i specifically give you. #there will be - and often are - times that i will talk about my specific conditions... but if you're reading this #regardless of why you're here... we are here together. holding hands through space and time. and i love you for carrying it #and i know you're exhausted. i am too. but i understand. and i see you.

[juniperusashei]

Homer’s Iliad translated by Emily Wilson - 3/5

I think I must have been assigned to read Homer’s Iliad on at least three separate occasions throughout my youth, and Sparknotesed it every time. Which I feel bad about, because I always did want to read it, or maybe I wanted the clout that came with being a person who reads Greek epic poetry. In any case, when Emily Wilson’s new translation was released last year, I finally went for it. I had read selections from her Odyssey and found her approach to translation very accessible and easy to read. There was a lot of media hype about “the first woman to translate Homer” which led to some reviewers claiming this was a feminist reinterpretation of The Iliad. My pet theory is that they had her confused for Maria Dahvana Headley, whose translation of Beowulf was intentionally transformative. In any case, Wilson’s Iliad is meant to be fairly traditional and accurate to the original text, including some metrical craft I could not pick up on. Compared to all the other times I tried to finish the Iliad, I found Wilson’s version a much easier read, so I would recommend it for that reason. The supplemental materials are also way more impressive than most editions and justify the extra cost over just a Project Gutenberg download. Wilson’s introduction is hefty to say the least, at around 75 pages, and was often more moving than the poem itself (She even defends the infamous third chapter, the Catalogue of Ships, imploring the reader to “read them out loud: in mouth and ear, the long list of names become music.” I find comparisons of superhero movies to mythology mostly kind of dumb, but I could see Homer’s audience going crazy each time their guy’s name is called in this chapter the same way people soyface about the Avengers or whatever.) She provides all the context for a beginner like me to understand the poem, but also includes an extensive glossary and notes for each chapter for those who want to dive deeper. The hardcover edition is around $40, so whether or not this masterful editing justifies the high price honestly depends on how much you like reading about guys getting stabbed over and over again. I just got it from the library.

The poem itself was not as impressive. A lot of armchair critics (NOT Wilson) love to claim The Iliad as an anti-war piece to make it palatable to modern audiences. This was not my impression in the slightest. Sure, the epic deals with the horrors of war, often brutally (as I said before, pages upon pages of vivid gory disembowelments) but it seems the product of a society which obsessively fetishized war. I’m not condemning the text based on this, but I do think it’s harder to understand without unpacking the very different set of values that were held back then, so it’s a lot easier to attempt to update the text in a really sloppy way. Wilson does give a really cogent explanation of these ethical differences which helped me understand the text more fully, but that doesn’t mean I agree with it. Every time the equivalent of a Star Trek redshirt got killed off, Homer would expound on his ancestry and life, and then conclude with something like

…Menelaus stabbed his forehead above his nose, right at the bridge, and broke his skull, and popped his eyeballs out.

I literally opened to a random page and found something disgusting on my first try. It’s incessant. But I can see how telling each person’s life story dignifies their death. Still, it is hard to feel any sympathy for men who did not see women as people, but as property, as goes the inciting incident of The Iliad.

#the iliad #Homer #greek #emily wilson #poetry #3 #january 2024 #2024

[aposemetric]

hi! i'm kinda bored these days because i've just been rewatching shows but i've got an itch to start some new ones and expand my media palate; i was told to ask you because a friend of mine said you had really good taste in anime ^_^ any recs? just list off your favorites! thanks and have a happy new year!

OH... ANON <3 you speak words that sound like birdsong to me. happy new year to you, too!

i'll list the ones i find the very best in no particular order, and i'll attempt to give a "short" description of why they might be worth your time! it'll obviously depend on several things like your own tastes and whether you've ever actually seen any anime etc., but it should cover a range of themes/genres at least :)

Hunter x Hunter (2011) 148 eps

hxh is an action-adventure story that starts out deceptively simple, but is structured in a way where each 'arc' has a wildly different theme/genre influences, meaning you really would never guess where it goes from its somewhat slow start. incredible character writing with emotional highpoints that feel like fantastic pay-off. a real journey, and one that pretty much everyone who's ever touched this show (and There Are Many) will vouch for! best of its genre, hands down.

Cardcaptor Sakura (1998) 70 eps + two films

if you're looking for something very sweet and relaxing, then this is the best pick! css is an episodic type of show you'd most enjoy taking slowly; it's a look into the seemingly idyllic daily life of this lovely cast of characters who are dealing with magic and mystery. this show feels like marshmallows, and with its intrigue captures the feeling of childlike wonder supremely well. a great take on light fantasy set in the modern world, with beautiful animation to boot!

Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) 110 eps + two films

if i could force people to watch anything ever, it would be this show. logh is a brilliant epic (in the literary sense) (also in the gamer sense) space opera that at a surface level seems to be about politics and spaceship battles, when it really has character-driven appeal at its core. if you just love wondering why that general looked at his right hand man like that when that other admiral made that clearly philosophically-dubious remark... well. it's genuinely a masterpiece, poses interesting political & philosophical questions about systems of rulership and domestic life and our roles in society, is funny, and has what maybe is the best character of all time. i could not recommend this more!

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (2011)

chances are you know of jjba! it's unlike any other anime in presentation and style, for which it is super well-known. jjba has the rather unique appeal of consisting of 'parts', with different casts & settings for each part, while still being a story that ultimately follows one bloodline. this means you start off enjoying a shakespearean tragedy set in 1880s england at some point, and a mafia storyline set in italy in the 2000s at another. jjba does very ridiculous and flashy things, but does them so convincingly and takes itself so seriously that you end up buying every strange twist it throws at you! jjba is just super fun.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006) 28 eps + 'The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya' film

haruhi is an eccentric show with an equally eccentric cast, refusing loyalty to any genre despite an overfamiliar setting. it's... seriously hard to describe what exactly is going on in this show. it plays into the meta of certain anime tropes, and presents characters as being prime examples of those tropes... before you learn they're acting the part knowingly. it dabbles in philosophy, drama, and sci-fi, and yet saying that doesn't represent its appeal accurately at all. it's very non-traditional, yet very easy to get into. it has the best anime film of all time. this is one where you really should check out the first episode, or a trailer, because words aren't going to do it any justice!

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997) 39 eps + 'Adolescence' film

ourgh... this story. rgu seems like it's going to be a fun story about sword-duels, before hitting you with a genuinely harrowing examination of (gender) roles we're forced to play, systems of control and oppression, and so much dense symbolism you could write fifteen essays after one watch. it's flowery and artistic, and the type of show that requires active input from the viewer in the form of analysis and interpretation. it has a greek chorus! it's not at all hard to care for the (very mentally ill) cast of characters, and you might find yourself fundamentally changed as a person after watching this. especially if you're queer, this show will likely poke hard into your soul.

Berserk (1997) 25 eps

many recommend skipping ep1 for spoiler reasons. i recommend skipping it because it's not interesting. we r not the same. it is a story set in horses-and-knights-and-such era europe, which i generally despise, but this show is SO beautifully atmospheric in its dreamy colours and out-of-this-world soundtrack that it ends up feeling like a hazy and hope-filled memory by the time berserk reveals itself to be... a tragedy. a story that fundamentally is about two people who long for connection with the other so badly, but whose formative experiences were always irrevocably going to contort their fate. additional shout-out to the soundtrack for being completely unlike anything else, and certainly not what you imagine a show set in that era to sound like!

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) 26 eps + 'End of Evangelion' film

another very famous show, nge is all about the psychological profiles of some very disturbed characters! they have SO many issues and the show loves to make them go on introspective little journeys of suffering. packed full with symbolism (again), nge loves invoking biblical themes/symbols especially. this story is about the Human Condition and about the pain of trying to get closer to others, all wrapped up alongside some good old action.

91 Days (2016) 12 eps

finally, this is a relatively underground choice here! a very easy show to enjoy, especially for those who haven't watched anime before, 91 days offers a relatively short but well-bounded mafia revenge story. what this show sets out to do, it does quite perfectly, and so it's probably the most straightforward entry in this list. it nails its narrative well, has a fun setting (1920s america), and is really good at sticking the landing when it comes to delivering on emotions and storylines that build throughout the show!

if anyone reads this far, have a great day/evening! :)

#NOTE: look up both trigger warning lists AND watch guides/watch orders for these !!! #doesthedogdie is a good site for the former. reddit will usually help with the latter. make sure to take care bc some of these shows #contain very heavy topics! #i am so utterly incapable of keeping things short i do apologise anon this isnt what u were bargaining for LMAO 😭 #BUT ALSO. THANK YOU FOR HUMOURING ME LIKE THIS. I LOVE YOU ! AND YOUR FRIEND TOO?? who on earth is this friend im so suspicious #also rapidfire handful of other good anime: mob psycho 100. yuri on ice. sailor moon. promare. 80s devilman ovas.

[ddarker-dreams]

Affliction. Yandere Giorno x Reader [COMM]

a/n: tw for descriptions of injury, and blood. implications of abusive relationships. 

here is the sequel! 

There are many things in life that once you experience it too often, you may come to tire of it. 

However, that could never be said for the initial second you open the creaky doors of your apartment building; the delightful scent of salt water hitting your nose. Rays of sunlight kiss and warm your skin in coordination with the ocean breeze that whirls around your hair. 

For a moment, all you desire to do is stay still, drinking in the environment of fresh air and sounds of bustling city life that surround you. Another time, you think to yourself, as you set out on the comfortingly familiar winding streets of Naples. You whisk by beckoning street vendors, their empty promises of good deals falling on deaf ears. 

A part of you feels pity for the tourists that fall for these coaxing traps, but you can understand the vendors' plight. Not only do they have to maintain their business to feed their families, there are also protection fees that must leave their pockets. Although from the rumors going around town, the new boss of the mafia has a less ruthless streak than the previous one. But the mafia still finds ways to be ruthless, you suppose. 

After walking these paths your entire life, you’ve found yourself discovering new shortcuts. The walk to the market isn’t long enough to warrant a drive on nice days like this one, but it can be tiring to take the main paths. You soon arrive at a familiar alleyway entrance that saves you a few minutes when you take it, confidently walking into it. It’s convenient to have a shortcut so close to your residence. 

Still, it’s a path you’d never think to take once the sun sets in the sky. Alleys do have a reputation in Naples for unsavory exchanges. But with the former drug issue in the area becoming less of a pressing concern, you’ve felt more at ease venturing into areas like this one. As long as you mind your own business and walk briskly, you doubt you’ll encounter any trouble. It’s the silent mantra of your mind to avoid trouble. 

It’s difficult to not feel on edge as you walk through the alley, tall buildings on either side of you looming. The claustrophobic sensation of only having a single place to run away heightens your senses, your eyes desperately searching every visible nook and cranny for trouble. Each step you take echoes within this isolated world, the sounds of comforting society far behind you. 

It’s a common sight to see dumpsters against the brick walls of this area, the added blind spot serving only to unease you more. Always leaning on the cautious side, you take care to look for any human life they might hide from your normal line of sight. Holding your breath at the first upcoming one, you discreetly peak your head around to see if the coast is clear.

What you see instead of an awaiting burglar, is a bloodied body of a young man. The sight causes your jaw to go agape, pupils dilating as your mind processes the shocking information. Your years of training overwhelms your desire to run away, not wanting to leave someone in such a sorry state. Leaning forward, you press your middle and pointer finger to the young man’s neck in search of a pulse. 

‘It’s weak, but he’s still alive!’ 

Hands trembling ever so slightly, you quickly mull over your current options. This area doesn’t have a hospital in the close vicinity, and you don’t have your phone on you to call for an ambulance should he need it. However, your apartment building is only a minute away from here at the most. With stored medical supplies that you bought to assist in your studies, maybe it’d be best to treat him there instead…? 

There isn’t any more time to waste, as you glance down at the sprawling wound across his chest. Without a second thought, you bend down to grab a hold of his limp arm, heaving him up with all of your might. Shakily exhaling, you begin to limp forward while being weighed down by his unconscious body. Your stomach churns at the thought of not making it to your apartment in time, but all you can do is throw the thought into the back of your mind. 

It isn’t an easy task, but you find a rhythm of moving forward while ignoring your aching muscles. Gritting your teeth, you eventually come to the familiar alleyway entrance that sits beside your apartment building. Even at the sight you refuse to relax, instead urgently rushing to bring him inside. Balancing his limp body against your own, you struggle but still manage to open the door to your building. 

It’s never been a prospect you felt grateful for in the past, but now you feel immensely thankful for your apartment being on the first floor. You can already feel exhaustion weighing down on you, but there’s still much more work to be done. With deft fingers, you pull your jingling keys out of your pocket. Balancing him against your side once more, you fiddle with the lock before managing to burst inside. 

The reality of the situation now fully dons upon you, as you realize you need to act fast. As gently as you’re capable of, you place his bloodied body onto your cheap couch. With his weight being lifted off you, you take a deep breath; before scurrying around frantically for your medical supplies. In the bathroom cabinet you find your first aid kit, grabbing it in a rush before running back to him in record time.

Hearing nothing but your own hammering heartbeat, your eyes run over the contents of the first aid kit with familiarity. The blood doesn’t appear to be gushing out at an uncontrollable rate. You can safely disinfect the wound without the looming concern of him going into shock. After cleaning the gaping wound to the best of your knowledge, you gingerly apply an antibiotic ointment over it to prevent infection.

Following suit, a series of gauze is wrapped around the affected area of his torso. Letting out a deep sigh after what felt like an eternity, you lean back and consider your handiwork. Even if you’re not officially a doctor yet, you can’t help but feel a sense of pride in the clean addressing of the wound. Bits of blood seep through the white colored gauze, but it’s nothing that won’t clot in time. 

After disposing of your dirtied gloves and washing your hands, you return to your currently occupied couch. Amidst the whirlwind of panic finding a bloodied body brought with it, you never got the opportunity to look at the person you’re treating well. He dons a strange hairstyle you’ve never seen before, bright golden locks tied back into a braid. Along with three, circular like fashioned bangs on his head. 

Tilting your head, you notice the outfit he’s wearing showcases his fit physique. His facial features sharp, but his slightly parted lips appear soft and pink. You get the feeling this individual takes care of himself, seeing how well groomed he is. As embarrassing as it is to admit it, you have to confess he’s attractive. 

‘What do I even do now?’ you think to yourself with a frown. 

His pulse is stronger than it was before, and from your swift treatment you know he’s not in any critical condition. It doesn’t make much sense to you how the wound on his chest incapacitated him. It wasn’t as deep as you expected from a glance at his condition. And from what you could tell there wasn’t any head trauma that’d cause him to pass out. 

So what could’ve occurred to set all this into motion? 

In this area you can’t help but assume some form of foul play. While it might be rude to question him about it, you decide to ask him what happened when he wakes up. It’s always been your personal philosophy to care for others in need, it’s what fueled you to study medicine in the first place. 

As odd as it is having a stranger sleeping on your couch, you carry on for the next hour tending to some chores while monitoring his condition. There are so many things you want to ask him when he wakes up, the anticipation making it difficult to focus on anything for long. 

Time continues on, the sunset on the horizon and microwave beeping to signal your meal is finished warming. All of that physically demanding movement is starting to wear down on you, the painkillers you took an hour ago finally starting to dull the ache. Humming to yourself, you open the microwave to reveal risotto that you had made the day prior.

Plopping yourself on the other side of your occupied couch, you greedily begin to chow down on the leftovers. Hints of basil and garlic intermingle with the fresh tomato you had used, all creating an abundance of flavor on your palate. You find yourself so occupied with savoring your meal, you fail to notice a distant stirring.

A loud squeak leaves your mouth as he shakily sits himself up, his face grimacing. Quickly placing your meal down, you rush over to his side.

“D-don’t move please! If you move too much, the wound might reopen,” you call out hastily, settling down next to his side to check the bloodied gauze’s status. He blinks at the sight of you, understandably befuddled by the situation in front of him. “Actually, it might be a good idea to change this bandage now…” 

Gnawing on your lip, you hover your hands over the bandage on his torso. 

“Please, don’t worry about it.” 

He finally speaks up, bringing your attention to his face. Blinking in surprise, you realize you can’t change it against his will. Sitting back, you fiddle with your hands while you think of how to handle this awkward situation. Your curiosity from before makes a cautious return, but you suppress it for the time being. 

“I should introduce myself. My name’s [First], and uh, this is my apartment. I saw you kinda… passed out and patched you up,” you begin to explain with a sheepish smile. “I’m sure you’re overwhelmed right now, but you’ll be okay. Physically I mean. I cleaned your wound with antibiotics and dressed it a little over an hour ago, but it should be changed soon.” 

The young man in front of you doesn’t flinch at your not so subtle desire to apply a fresh gauze, instead focusing on introducing himself as well.

“I can see you took good care of me. Thank you, [First],” he responds with a soft smile of his own, glancing from his chest to you. “... I’m Giorno.” 

Where most in a situation like this would be panicked, Giorno seems to have a firm grip of himself. Your eyebrows knit together at this, wondering if he may have damaged his head somehow after all. His entire person is well put together, even covered in bloodied bandages in a stranger’s apartment.

Suddenly, he glances towards one of his pockets, seemingly assessing something. 

“You didn’t take my wallet.” Giorno points out, his facial features too controlled to read. You stare at him for a moment, before realizing the implications of his words. 

“O-of course not! I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.” you rush out a small defense, voice raising in pitch. 

“That makes you a rarity then,” Giorno comments with esteem, turquoise eyes taking in your appearance. It feels like he’s trying to get a read on you in the same way you’re trying to understand him. “I hope I didn’t cause you too much trouble.” 

A timid laugh leaves your lips, waving off his concern. “I’m actually used to this stuff. I’ve been training in medicine for what… around four years now? Although I normally don’t do it in my apartment, and it’s always on a dummy,” you ramble, feeling your cheeks warm as Giorno seriously listens to your words. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be talking so much. I’m sure you’re already overwhelmed.” 

Giorno hums quietly, shakes his head once. “I don’t mind. It’s best that it was you who found me rather than anyone else.” 

His words feel well put together, their intention of complimenting you evident. The feeling of someone putting you in high regard is flustering, you only did what you thought was right. Still, you attempt to get a hold of yourself, not wanting to seem like a bumbling fool in front of Giorno.

“Ah, you must be in pain. I have some over the counter painkillers, if you want. It’ll still take a while to kick in though. But it’s better than nothing.” 

“I’d appreciate it.” 

Nodding in affirmation, you scurry off to your kitchen cabinet to find your generic painkillers. Bringing a bottle of water with you, you return to Giorno who is now sitting up. It’s still remarkable to you how he’s not showing any signs of being in pain. Any adrenaline that would’ve dulled the pain earlier should be long gone by now, so why isn’t he so much as flinching when he moves? 

Giorno starts to sit up to meet you, but pauses when your eyes widen in panic.

“It’d really be best to move as little as possible for now.” you plead, bringing the items over to him. Giorno doesn’t object to your request, instead giving a quiet thank you and taking the pill you handed him gratefully. 

“How do you feel?” you inquire, sitting down next to him. You resist the temptation to check his pulse again, certain that now he’s awake he doesn’t want a stranger to touch him. Giorno seems to think about your question for a moment, as if wanting to pick out a good answer.

“I have a high pain tolerance, something like this doesn’t bother me much.” Giorno offers in response, setting the bottle of water down on the coffee table in front of him. The unhesitating movements perplex you further, could anyone have that high of a pain tolerance? It’s certainly possible.

“Giorno… I’m sorry if I’m being presumptuous, but, can I ask what happened?” you ask tentatively, biting your lip to quell any anxiety. Your crushing interest is too much to deny any longer, but you hope the question doesn’t make him uncomfortable. 

Giorno doesn’t show any signs of offense, instead closing his eyes as if he’s recalling the events himself. “It’s difficult to explain.” 

Your shoulders slouching, you find it difficult to mask your disappointment in not learning what happened. Your mind had gone wild with countless possibilities that might explain his injury, but it makes sense he wants to keep it private. 

Sensing your defeat, Giorno decides to indulge you some. “It was something like a fight, if memory serves.” 

‘Aha! Theory number two was right!’

It still doesn’t explain his bizarre indifference to pain, but it’s enough to sate you for the time being. Your eyes light up while a realization dawns on you.

“You must be starving! I don’t have that much in terms of food, but I could order you some take out if you want. Oh, and I have a little bit of tomato risotto that I was experimenting with yesterday,” you offer, clasping your hands together. “Okay, maybe experimenting isn’t a good word for it. I followed the recipe, I promise, if you wanna give it a shot. Otherwise there’s this great pizza place nearby, they should still be open… I think I have a coupon for it somewhere...” 

Cutting yourself short, you realize that you had started rambling again. Most would find it an irritating habit, but Giorno never seems to mind. He looks at you with his full attention, truly taking in every word you’re saying.

“Now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry,” Giorno agrees, eyes glancing to the risotto you put down in haste earlier. “If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to try this risotto of yours.” 

You’ve rarely met anyone as polite as Giorno. There’s something about his character that emanates self confidence, yet remaining courteous. While leaving to warm up the rest of the risotto, you wonder how someone as mild mannered as Giorno got into a fight. 

‘Happens to the best of us, I guess.’

Giorno eyes your risotto with interest, thanking you once more before taking a bite. Leaning in slightly, you try to gauge if he finds your half decent cooking skills impressive. He shoots you a smile, humming lowly.

“Your experiments paid off. It’s delicious, thank you.” 

You can’t help but return his smile, beaming at his praise. No one’s ever complimented your cooking before! It always feels good to be acknowledged, and you feel like he’s being genuine. Before you know it, Giorno finishes the remainder of what’s left. His eyes glance around the room, as if looking for something.

“Do you know what time it is?” 

“Oh!” 

Springing up, you lightly hit your head at having forgotten to mention the time. Of course he wants to know that after waking up, anyone would! Looking down at the phone in your pocket, you read off the time to him.

“It’s currently 7:24,” you tell him, before pausing. “P.M, don’t worry. You weren’t out for that long.” 

Giorno doesn’t respond with the same briskness from before, his eyes remaining on your wrist. Looking down to see what might have caught his attention, your breath hitches as you realize your sleeve had lifted up enough to reveal some bruises. Biting your lip, you swiftly pull your sleeve down and look up to see Giorno looking with an unreadable expression. 

“I-I burnt myself the other day when cooking,” you lie in a quiet murmur, before going to deftly change the conversation. “Anyways, don’t worry about it. I’ve been treating it. Do you have anyone you could contact? Family or something?” 

Giorno parts his lips momentarily, as if wanting to contest you. His facial features relax, eyes closing while he considers your words. “I do have someone, yes.” 

A sense of relief washes over you that he drops the previous subject. Leaping at the chance to put it further behind you, you continue the conversation. 

“You can use my phone if you’d like to call them.” you offer, glancing down towards your pocket once more. 

“There’s no need to trouble yourself,” Giorno responds with a gentle smile. “I can use a payphone.” 

Nodding your head in affirmation, Giorno goes to stand up once more. From your previous interactions with him you realize there’s no point in chastising his lack of rest. He’d have to leave sooner or later anyways. Could the pain killers have kicked in that fast? 

Giorno grabs his empty bowl along with yours, leaving you to blink in minor confusion. 

“Allow me to wash the dishes for you at the very least.”

It doesn’t seem like a question, and if he’s moving this freely without clear signs of pain you might as well let him. Returning his friendly smile, you get up to show him to your humble kitchen. It’s an odd sight to say the least, watching as Giorno meticulously washes the two bowls and corresponding silverware. His gaze briefly flickers to your drying cups, before returning to his task.

His outfit makes you wonder if he’s well off. You’ve never seen any fashion quite like it before, finding the ladybug fashionings to be of particular interest. It’s something to remember him by at least. 

Drying his hands with a towel, Giorno returns his attention to you. You realize that as it grows darker outside he must be feeling more inclined to head home. It’s a bit of a lonely aspect. Even though you haven’t known Giorno for long, he’s pleasant and considerate of you. It sparks a warm feeling within. 

“I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me, [First]. I don’t want to impose on you anymore than I already have though.” Giorno gives a slight bow of the head, to which you laugh airly. You can’t think of anyone that’s ever spoken to you with such formal language, but it seems to suit him well. His voice has a pleasant ring to it as well, low and flowing like a river. 

Pushing aside your personal feelings, you decide to make the parting easier for the both of you. All good things must come to an end. Even if the beginning of your meeting wasn’t good, you still found your time with him quaint. 

“You haven’t imposed! You’re actually really nice to talk to.” you respond, almost surprised by your boldness. Giorno’s eyes widen for a moment, seemingly taken aback by your compliment. Clearing your throat, you go to change the subject as your face warms. 

“I, um, can walk out with you if you want.”

He smiles.

“Please do.” 

---

Your abrupt meeting of Giorno, and subsequent taking care of his wounds, has been on your mind the past few weeks. You often wonder how Giorno is doing as time goes on. Hopefully he’s been changing his gauze and reapplying antibiotics, even if he didn’t admit to being in any pain. Someone as kind as him doesn’t deserve to get an infection, but you doubt he’d let that happen for some reason. 

Life goes on all the same. 

Within the whirlwind that is life, you’ve felt that your waitressing job has been easier to enjoy. While your boss has never been especially cruel to you, any mistakes you make are overlooked as if they never even occurred. Along with that, even tips have been more generous. Karma was never something you thought about much, but maybe you’re being repaid for your caring deed? 

The only misfortune you ran into was noticing one of your cups was missing. But as random as that is, items like that can be easily replaced.

It’s all still weird though, you reason. It’s as if something is off, but you can’t figure out why. There’s been a new regular that you had never seen before appearing in this time as well. You never caught his name, but his outfit made him hard to forget. Donning a light blue sweater crop top, and red hat with a variety of patterns. He always treated you well, and tipped even better. 

After a long yet fulfilling day of work, you had begun the trek back to your apartment. The sky is more overcast than you normally prefer, but the mild weather makes up for it. Spring is always a delightful season, allowing you to walk around more than in other times of the year. The wildlife returning from winter makes you feel at ease, hearing birds chirping on the way home. 

Having finally entered your apartment, you haphazardly throw your keys onto your coffee table. While walking into the kitchen to get a drink, you’re met with the sight of your boyfriend at your small dining room table. You freeze at the sight, taken aback. 

“M-Matteo?” you inquire with a shaky voice, heart racing. The person in question looks up upon your arrival, his head resting on his fist. “How did you get in?” 

“Did you really forget? You gave me keys.”

‘Have I? He’s probably right…’

It’s uncommon for him to come over without notice, the two of you haven’t gotten to see one another much lately. You didn’t want to pester him for the details, but he’d been leaving for large chunks of time without returning your texts or phone calls. He had murmured something about needing to take up an extra job to you, if you remember correctly. Which doesn’t make much sense since he’s a manager at his current one, but you didn’t press on it. 

“It’s nice to see you again.” Matteo greets, getting up to get you a water. You hold your breath as he approaches you, eyeing his hand as he outstretches it towards you. Taking the water, you allow the cold liquid to calm your warming body.

“Not so much as a thank you?” 

You bite your lip. “Ah, I’m sorry. Thank you.” 

Matteo hums at your response, before returning to his former place at the table. You wrack your brain with thoughts of what to say. Maybe you can offer to make dinner? He normally says you should when he comes over, but you haven’t bought groceries for the week yet. 

“--[First]? I was asking about your day. Are you listening?” Matteo interrupts your train of thought, tilting his head at your distracted person. 

“I’m just tired, that’s all,” you offer in response, sheepishly sitting down in the seat across from him. “It’s been good, actually. Work has been I mean. How about you? I’m sure you must be exhausted.” 

Matteo lets out a long sigh. “Exhausted doesn’t begin to cover it. Listen, I don’t want to beat ‘round the bush. I could really use a favor from you.” 

“A favor?” 

He leans back in the chair, steepling his fingers together. It isn’t often you’ve seen him this serious, he normally has more of a carefree air to him. It serves to further put you on edge.

“I’m in deep right now. Passione raised their protection fee for no fucking reason! They want 30% of our revenue now, the pricks. Acting all high and mighty just cause they have some manpower,” Matteo grits his teeth, shaking his head. “I didn’t believe ‘em. Who else pays such a high fee? No one, that’s who. So I didn’t take ‘em seriously. I just paid the amount they wanted before.” 

Matteo runs a hand through his hair and grimaces. “Guess the fuckers were serious. Some asshole in a hat came in the other day and roughed me up, saying I need to come up with 3,000 or I’m dead. Needless to say I need that money now.” 

Processing Mateo’s urgent plight, you find yourself not too concerned for his well being. While it doesn’t make any sense for Passione to have increased their protection rate on only a single business, it was stupid of him to not comply with their new demands. Matteo doesn’t take your silence in kind.

“I don’t have that kind of money. My credit’s still fucked, so loans are a no go,” Matteo grumbles with disdain. “Listen [First]. We’ve been together for what, a year now? I really need you to help me out on this. I know you’ve been saving for your school stuff.” 

Inhaling sharply, you can immediately tell where this is going. Your stomach drops as he continues.

“You’ve gotta have something around that right? Bail me out this once. I’ll pay you back within a few months, I just wasn’t expecting this shit.” 

It doesn’t feel like he’s asking you for your help, rather than demanding it. Pursing your lips, you feel a bead of sweat going down your temple. Aside from Matteo’s agitated tone, he doesn’t look like a man on the brink of death. Confidence still radiates from his person, his posture upright and gaze free of sorrow. 

He already thinks you’ll say yes.

“Well?” he asks with clear impatience. 

“I-I don’t know. That’s… that’s my entire savings. I have rent due on Friday, and my next paycheck isn’t for another week,” you gawk, looking down at your hands as Matteo narrows his eyes. “I can help with some of it. There’s got to be someone else you can ask right? What about some of your friends?” 

Matteo pinches his nose, shaking his head in disbelief as if you had asked something stupid. “You think I haven’t asked? None of ‘em want to give me shit. You’re all I’ve got. Are you really willing to let me die?” 

“No, that’s not what I--”

“I never took you for someone like that,” Matteo interrupts you, his voice lowering. “Really… I’m just… wow.” 

Lips trembling, you ball your hands into a fist by your side. None of this makes sense, the weight of the situation crumbling down on top of you. The thought of all of that money leaving your account for an undisclosed amount of time makes you pale, stomach fluttering with anxiety. You’ve worked so hard, sacrificing so much. And if he doesn’t pay you back...

But Matteo isn’t finished with you yet.

“It makes sense you don’t trust me. I know I haven’t always been the best to you, but know that I try. I’ve tried so damn hard for you,” he begins, looking you dead in the eye. “Just help me out this once. You can stay at my place, to hell with your rent. I don’t have much time.” 

An unwelcome lump forms in your constricting throat, as you avert his gaze. There really isn’t any other option here, is there? All your hard work will have to go to keep him alive. You’re not close with anyone else in Naples aside from Matteo, your family living in the countryside. The entire reason you came here was to have a better college to study medicine under. 

You’re startled by the sound of Matteo slamming his fist on your table, glowering at your indecisiveness. “Does my life really require so much thought from you?!” 

“Some things don’t have much worth.” 

Looking behind you in the direction of the new voice, shock overwhelms you at the familiar source. It distracts you from a small ladybug that lands atop your hand. 

“Giorno...?” 

Your tone is one of disbelief, if not confusion. Giorno looks the same as you last saw him, eyes calculating and ever serene. His outfit reveals his bare chest, yet not showcasing any signs of scarring where he was once wounded. Everything feels so surreal, but you’re brought back to reality at the sound of a chair scraping.

“The fuck? Who is this?” Matteo demands from you, sensing your familiarity. He stands abruptly, clearly looking for a fight with the intruder. 

“I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again.” Giorno speaks only to you, as if you were the only one in the room, seemingly caring less for Matteo. Words escape you entirely as you stare in bewilderment, but you snap back into reality as Matteo stalks over towards him.

“I don’t know who you are, but get out before you regret it.” Matteo growls, lunging for the collar of Giorno’s suit. Giorno steps to his right with ease, dodging the attack as if it were nothing. Matteo stumbles with his movements, snarling in his direction. You feel your heart racing. 

“Matteo, stop it, I know this person!” you exclaim, hoping to avoid any violence. Matteo doesn’t so much as look at you, a part of you wonders if he heard you at all. You know Matteo’s history, and that he’s been involved in scraps often. Even if you weren’t very close to Giorno, the thought of him being hurt by Matteo makes you feel sick. 

“Are you with Passione?” Matteo asks tentatively, a sudden realization dawning on him. His former fighting stance relaxes, stiff muscles replacing it. It’s almost a talent how he changes his demeanor as fast as a finger snap. You can already see his plan shifting, most likely looking to bargain with Giorno should he answers yes.

But Giorno looks at Matteo with apparent disinterest, a visage you’ve never seen him take before. Did they have some kind of history you didn’t know about? It doesn’t look like Matteo even knows who he is. Nothing makes sense. 

“It’s not like it’ll matter if you know the answer.” Giorno responds, voice indifferent. His once lively eyes take a duller tone, causing a shiver to go down your spine. The way he speaks to you is full of warmth in comparison. 

Matteo takes a challenging step forward, Giorno unflinching. “Listen! I’ll have what you want soon. I thought I had more time.” 

Giorno doesn’t even pause to consider Matteo’s words, having already made up his mind. 

“Normally, yes, you would’ve,” Giorno waves his hand dismissively, tone flippant. “Until I learned of your… association with [First].”

Matteo stares in pure confusion, jaw slackening. “My girlfriend? What are you on about--” 

It happens too fast for your eyes to process.

Giorno doesn’t move a single muscle, yet an overwhelming force strikes into Matteo’s torso. He lunges back, eyes widening immensely at the sudden impact. You cry out, watching as his lifeless body hits the wall with a sickening crack. What even attacked him?! If it weren’t for the clear impression of a fist on Matteo’s chest, you’d have thought it was a strong gust of wind. 

Giorno stares at you with a frown as you run over to Matteo’s crippled form. He coughs out globs of blood, barely capable of even lifting his head. Repeating his name, you find Matteo ultimately unresponsive other than wheezing desperately for air. 

Placing a hand on your shoulder, you flinch as you realize Giorno is behind you. Breathing shakily, all you can think to do is ask for mercy. Why is he doing this? What does he gain from this? The way he’s acting strictly contrasts the polite manner he showcased himself as being to you. 

Was he even human...? 

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting you, mio cara. Don’t bother yourself with him, I’m not letting him die anytime soon.”

The affectionate nickname falls on deaf ears, your focus returning to Matteo’s now dulling eyes. Giorno’s assured phrase of prevent Matteo’s death doesn’t make sense. 

“H-he is going to die! We need to do something, please!” 

Giorno lets out a disappointment sigh at your further insistence, his frown deepening further. You get the feeling he’s irritated, which further serves to confuse you. 

“I hate having to repeat myself. I told you, I’m not letting him die yet,” Giorno leans down next to your shivering form, his arms wrapping around you. “It’s a shame you had to see this, but it serves as an important lesson. Ingrain it into your mind.” 

“W-what… what are you talking about…?” your voice is nothing but a whisper, waning in strength. Giorno runs a hand over your back, attempting to soothe you. You flinch at the unwelcome touch, eyes stinging with the threat of tears.

“He’s nothing to cry over.”

Giorno’s close, way too close. His lips next to your ear, warm breath ghosting over your glistening skin. The hand that was rubbing on your back worms its way to your bruised wrist, causing you to wince in pain.

“He did this, didn’t he?” Giorno mutters, thumb caressing the purple and blue skin. Unable to hold your tears back any longer, your face dampens as they fall from your eyes. His disgust is evident at the mere thought of Matteo, for reasons beyond you. 

Giorno’s touch is light as a feather, deliberate. A foreign sensation tingles in the area of your skin that he touches, the sight of the bruises diminishing. Instead, soft new skin takes its place before your very eyes, Giorno seemingly content with the action. 

“I don’t understand… why are you doing this...”

“For us, bella.”  

You feel like you’re floating. Everything is so far away, yet remains too much to understand. Giorno gingerly picks you up, smiling gently as your body goes limp against his own. He never allows his hands to leave you, gladly allowing you to steady yourself against him. Giorno prompts you to walk out of the kitchen, as if nothing that transpired has an effect on him.

“There’s a car waiting for us out front, [First]. Will you be good for me and come along without any difficulty?” 

Words escape you entirely. All you can manage is a weak head nod, afraid of what will happen if you resist. The fear for Matteo’s well being is now replaced for fear of your own, as an unknown future lies ahead of you. 

Fluttering his eyes shut, Giorno presses a chaste kiss to your forehead. His hands gently wipe away the tears leaving your eyes, shushing your sobs. Giorno then slowly leads you to your door, putting care into keeping you steady. 

“I have so much I can give you, amore. Let’s put all of this behind us, and start our new relationship off on a good note,” Giorno runs his hands through your hair, deeply breathing in the scent. “I am Giorno Giovanna, Don of Passione. And I want nothing more than to have you love me.” 

#giorno #Giorno Giovanna #giovanna giorno #giorno x reader #yandere giorno #yandere #yandere x reader #yandere reader insert #giorno giovanna x reader #yandere imagine #yandere scenario #my stuff #commissions #JoJo's Bizzare Adventure #jojo's bizarre adventures #jjba #yandere jjba

[julianwolski]

#35 - Why should you read Our Dreams At Dusk?

One of the biggest questions we face in life is this: where is our place in the world? Sometimes the answer might be right in front of us, or at other times, that answer comes hard-earned. The place where we belong, where we feel safe and protected is not something so easy to achieve, and it might even come with a high price. How do we even know where this place is supposed to be, and when do we know we are in it?

But when you do find that place, when you know you’re finally where you should have been all along, in that place where you can smile and laugh openly, where you can be who you are and no one else, then you can truly feel like you belong. And belonging is such a rewarding emotion, most of the time we don’t even think about it, but when we find that one place where everything makes sense, where we make sense, then it seems like we found the place where our dreams come true.

Shimanami Tasogare, or Our Dreams at Dusk, is a beautiful manga by Yuhki Kamatani. This is someone who has struggled with their identity in life, and throughout their understanding and growing as a person, this story came out, and it’s simply the best depiction of the intricacies of our personalities and the representation of our queerness you’re going to see anywhere. And I don’t say that lightly.

This cast of characters is varied, their experiences are unique but so relatable you’ll feel in their shoes a lot of the time. It’s like a freeze-frame of the struggles we face in society, looked through the lens of someone that really knows what they are talking about--this story never lacks ingenuity, but it’s also genuine and truthful to its own craft. The author exudes authenticity, simply because they know exactly what their characters are feeling, and how their prototypes are real.

In the story we follow Tasuku Kaname, a high-school boy who not long ago moved to the town of Onomichi, and struggles with the fact that his classmates find out he has been looking at gay porn. He was ready to commit suicide because of it, and it’s saddening that this is not an unrelatable incident to many of us.

In his endeavor to take his own life, however, Tasuku finds a woman, Someone-san. She’s an ethereal presence who guides him, inadvertently, to a drop-in center, a place where different people can find others like them, and help out the dying town along the way.

His coming out journey is less about the difficult times gay kids face at school and with their friends or family, and more about helping the people he gets to know and care about. Each one of these characters shows a different facet of the queer community and our struggles, but also how resourceful and helping we are. How the projects we set out to do, most of the time, have more to do with the places we live and the people around us than it has to do with ourselves.

And that’s not even a surprise, because it’s the only way we can hide away from the ghosts that follow us all around.

In this journey, Tasuku has to understand that what he feels about himself is not the same thing that everyone else feels. And the way other people react to their queerness and face it is definitely their own, because no one is the same.

Along with him, we learn how everyone in that group feels about themselves, from Daichi and Saki, a lesbian couple that are trying to navigate adult life as they reconcile with the need to tell other people that they are together. To Utsumi and the way they deal with who they are now compared to who they were before, and how strong they are in this journey they set out to do. To Tchaiko-san and his experience beyond years, and the way he seems to offer a hand to everyone that needs one. And finally, Shuji Misora, who is on a quest to find out the kind of persona he wants to present, and accept that as more than just a burden on himself.

Each and every one of these characters has their path in the story, and we see all of them grow and fall as they learn how to navigate life in a way that can only be personal.

More than a window into the lives of queer people in Japan, and how they have to be a part of society day after day, this is a story about people discovering their own identities and how these identities are ever changing, always evolving like the people they represent. It’s a story about how no one can label you except yourself, and how important it is to let time decide who you want to become.

It’s not only realistic, but also full of hope, because it gives you the idea that, even if you never really find the perfect place for you, there’s still somewhere good that will take you in. There’s still a chance for good things amid the bad ones, and there’s always a way for people to become better than they were before.

Reading Our Dreams at Dusk is not only a recommendation, but also a palate cleanser, and a warm hug at the end of the day. It was brilliant to sit down and enjoy these short four volumes, that are a perfect story in itself. There’s no foot put wrong here, only the possibility of learning to love yourself and the people around you.

#shimanami tasogare #our dreams at dusk #rec

[astrologywithmeghan]

Prediction: Understanding the Nodes in Relation to the next four-five years

1 Corinthians 3:2 “2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.”

Traditionally knowledge has come to us in parts, little by little, and as our ability to digest grew, the dawning of our perception and consciousness allowed us to build upon what we have intuitively and reflexively known. There is little use for knowledge without understanding. The mind develops very similarly to the digestive system, and in fact, we now know that there is a connection between gut microbiota and the health of the brain (we call this the gut-brain-axis).

Our instinctive eating habits followed a similar pattern in earlier societies. Infants were breastfed into early childhood, and solid foods were given sparingly. The human digestive system grew healthy gut microbiota through contact with the soil and prebiotics and probiotics passed through a mother’s milk, and our ability to digest foods grew over time. Humans relied solely on whole foods that were prepared in a loving and palatable way: allowing our digestive systems to work cohesively and intuitively with the foods we consumed through soaking, sprouting, fermenting, and honoring every part of the animals we consumed.  

Today we dishonor our bodies and our planet with ravenous hunger. We steal the intuitive instincts that allow infants and toddlers to regulate their digestion by force feeding, insisting children finish everything on their plates, introducing solids too early, eating processed foods, and encouraging the growth of candida in the body. We are, in effect, robbing our children of a healthy microbiome, and of healthy minds.

As our instincts leave us, so too does our ability to gain understanding in this world. When our guts are unhealthy our minds follow suit. We encounter depression, anxiety, inability to concentrate, learning disabilities – the list goes on. Our minds are so intrinsically tied to our appetites that we must meditate on this further to gain understanding in the current state of affairs. As above, so below – we can look at the rise of Rahu in Western Astrology and liken the old mythology to the current state of misinformation and lack of understanding in primordial truths.

In the Vedic myths, when the world was just beginning, the Devas and Asuras were at war with one another and the Asuras had the upper hand. The Devas pled for Lord Brahma’s aid, and he advised them to pray fervently to Lord Vishnu. When Vishnu appeared to the Devas, he told them that in order to defeat the Asuras they must acquire the nectar of immortality – the Amrita. Obtaining the Amrita, however, was such a feat that the Devas would need the aid of the Asuras – and so Vishnu told the Devas to keep harmony with the Asuras, and to give the Asuras whatever they asked so that the Devas and Asuras could churn the ocean of milk, thus obtaining the Amrita. Lord Vishnu promised the Devas that so long as they gave the Asuras everything that they asked for, he would make sure that they would acquire the nectar of immortality.            In order to churn the ocean of milk, Vishnu brought Mount Mandera to the ocean and tied the serpent Vasuki around it, the Devas and Asuras could then grab hold of the serpent and churn the ocean in pursuit of the Amrita. Their labor was taxing, but eventually the Amrita arose out of the ocean of milk, and the Asuras desperately wanted the nectar of immortality. The Devas prayed to Lord Vishnu again, telling him that they had followed his instructions, but the Asuras felt deserving of their fair share of the Amrita, so they needed Vishnu to deliver his promise that they would receive the Amrita themselves as long as they worked harmoniously with the Asuras, giving them all that they asked for.

Vishnu morphed into the shape of a beautiful woman and distracted the Asuras while the Devas took turns drinking of the Amrita. One of the Asuras, Svarbhanu, noticed the distraction, and pretended to be a Deva so that he could drink of the Amrita himself, thus becoming immortal. Svarbhanu received one drop of the nectar before he was found out, and Lord Vishnu proceeded to cut the head from off of his body, creating Rahu and Ketu.[1]

Rahu came to represent that part of us that wishes to incarnate on this planet, and it is that part of us that shields us from the truth of our inner nature, creating an illusion that we are separated from Ultimate Reality, and that our sole purpose is to ravenously hunger after and obtain the contents of the house that Rahu sits in within the natal chart. Naturally Rahu represents consumerism.

Ketu, on the other hand is the point of moksha in our natal chart. When we learn to let go of the house that Ketu sits in, we can begin to channel our most true nature, and this realization is ultimately what leads us toward obtaining an understanding of Ultimate Reality. However, the obliteration of the individual and the realization of moksha is not an easy path to take in this material world, and so very few follow this path, and very many are quick to condone it.

So, similarly the Western World resembles the ravenous hunger of Rahu. Western astrologers are quick to defend the incessant need to pursue our desires, even if that leads us into a disconnect between body and mind, or body and soul. Our culture has been socialized to value fast food, quick band-aid cures, and a quick rise to success that is not preceded by any amount of patience, preparation, or development of skill. As our world has moved toward embracing the debilitating nature of Rahu, we have become separated from our ability to gain a careful understanding of the world around us. Our physical realities reflect our mental realities, and both of these realities reflect upon our ability to turn inward and realize how Rahu’s illusions lead to further suffering both within us, and within the world.

I am not suggesting that we should not develop our North Nodes in this lifetime, but finding a healthy balance between the North and South Nodes, and spending time in contemplation about the deeper meaning and implications of feeding a ravenous demon that deludes us into believing that we are individuals that must repeatedly incarnate for fulfilment may help us change the face of this planet. Much of the suffering in this world is perpetuated by the nodal axis, and our disconnect from the principles they represent.

It may help to recall the principle of polarity when we discuss the nodes. The principle of polarity deals with dualism, and the apparent paradox that accompany like and unlike. At what point on the axis does something “bad” become good? At what point does something “good” become “bad”? I have found that a good example of the principle of polarity lies within the axis of minimalism vs. the hoarder. One point thinks and talks a lot about living with minimal belongings that “mean” something to them, while the other side thinks and talks a lot about living with many belongings that “mean” something to them. However, if we look at these subjects more closely, despite seeming to be on opposite spectrums, both the minimalist and the hoarder are ultimately spending a lot of time thinking about “things.”

The nodes are like the Buddha, and the Buddha is a reflection of our current world. When Siddhartha Gautama was born, astrologers came to the kingdom and predicted that the young prince would either grow to be a great spiritual guru, or a great king. Siddhartha’s father did not want Siddhartha to go against his dharma as a Kshatriya, and so the astrologers “remedied” Siddhartha’s chart by telling the king to keep Siddhartha in the palace, so that he would not know the suffering of the world – only the pleasures of the palace. However, destiny cannot be remedied forever, and when Siddhartha left the palace, he had the Four Sights: an old man, a sick man, a dead man, and a holy man. When the veil of illusion (rahu) was lifted from Siddhartha’s experience he set off on a spiritual journey of enlightenment (ketu), and thus fulfilled his destiny.            Similarly, in modern times Western society has been shielded from many of the sufferings of the world. Our beloved elders are tucked away in long-term care facilities where only a select few professionals care for them. Death is hidden from view, and we no longer directly cleanse and purify the dead through ancient rituals that infused our ancestors with primordial knowledge and understanding of the process of life and death. Similarly, our sick are tucked away, and although chronic disease infects a high percentage of the developed world, we are still shocked when we learn about the harsh realities of sickness, age, and death. Just like Siddhartha in his early life, we are living in a Rahu-based world, steeped in illusion and veiled from the natural realities of life.

As we ushered in this total solar eclipse in the sign of Sagittarius on December 14th, and as we watch the Great Conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in the sign of Aquarius this December 21st, ask yourself what occurs when the veils of illusion are lifted from the eyes of those blinded by the effects of Rahu. I predict that as Saturn transits the sign of Aquarius the harsh realities of life will become more obvious to the people of the world, and we will see a great movement toward making more socially conscious decisions concerning the realities of life. We are being faced with the universal problems of aging, sickness, death, and moksha – and just like the Gautama Buddha, society will rise to support those individuals in our own localities (Gemini North Node). I see these events as precedents for the future ingress of Pluto in Aquarius. Our compassion, insight, and rituals will lead us to a better understanding of the cycles of death. We will become more aware of how our actions affect the greater collective consciousness, and we will more closely observe the respect and rituals that support our transitions both into and out of this world.

I wish you all the strength and fortitude that you need during this time, the profound amount of healing that the collective consciousness will undergo in the next 4-5 years will not be an easy journey – healing never is, however, the results will manifest a reality much more suitable for our intuitive and instinctual natures, and we will find a peace in this transformation that can only come through the spiritual liberation of Ketu. When you feel ill at ease, study the story of the Buddha, and liken his story to the pattern we are seeing within our greater consciousness. These stories are the milk given to us before the meat. Our mental and spiritual guts are being prepared and strengthened so that we can digest the message and come out of the mental fog that Rahu has put us under for generations. We are more than consumerism, hunger, and illusion. We have the power to move through and above this, and many of us will. Blessings, Meghan

[1] Ernst Wilhelm, Graha Sutras: Planets of Vedic Astrology (Kala Occult Publishers, 2006), 40 – 43.

#astrology #the great conjunction

[journalisticdreams]

The false binary of ambition vs love that plagues female protagonists

As an avid viewer of the Rom-com genre (and of movies in general) I thoroughly enjoy watching movies that feature a headstrong, feminist protagonist navigating her way through high school or her career alongside dealing with potential friendship, familial or relationship issues... and absolutely crushing it. However, too many of these movies start off with a tough, career woman and end with her being ‘tamed’ after finding a man – resulting in her losing her tenacity and essentially becoming more ‘palatable’.

So how is the ambition vs love binary used in movies, and why is it so toxic?

According to theorist Steve Neale’s Repetition and Difference theory, all genres contain examples of repetition and difference – the differences being essential to the economy of the genre. Movies must conform to the genre’s conventions in order to be identified as part of that genre, but they must also subvert these conventions to be considered unique. Therefore according to this theory, individual genres must have similar themes and tropes which allow the audience to determine whether they will enjoy a certain movie. An easy example to identify is in superhero movies, which all contain the genre’s stereotypical dichotomy of good vs evil.

You may be asking: why is this relevant? This is relevant as most Rom-coms tend to conform to the same toxic stereotype which often undermines any feminist messages that they try to put out; the ambition vs love dichotomy.  

The ‘ambition vs love dichotomy’ (well, false dichotomy) refers to the opposition of being successful and determined and being or falling in love, that we see many female protagonists battle with in Rom-coms. According to the genre, being ‘tough’ or ambitious in your career and being in love is mutually exclusive; you’ve got as much chance seeing Ironman and Tony Stark in a room together (get it? Because they’re the same person it’s impossible…)

A prime example of this is the movie ‘The Proposal’. The movie stars Sandra Bullock playing the ‘ruthless’ boss Margaret Tate firing people left, right and centre and taking any and every step to advance in her career. However, the movie portrays this as downright unacceptable (how could a woman possibly act just as her male counterparts do in order to become successful) and proceeds to make finding Margaret’s ‘dream man’ a priority in order to domesticate this harsh woman. Yes, it’s as outdated and misogynistic as that synopsis sounds.

Not only does it promote the convention that women can only have a man or be successful / strong willed and tough, this is one of the many movies that falls into the medieval ideology of ‘the taming of the shrew’. This ideology is based of the Shakespearean play of the same name, which concludes that in the end the unrelenting, stubborn woman needs a man to domesticate her so she can become more accepted by society – now do you see why this dichotomy in mainstream media is harmful?

On the other hand, there are examples out there that debase this false binary successfully, and try to maintain the female empowerment that many Rom-coms lack. An example of this is ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ – which was actually ironically inspired by ‘The Taming Of The Shrew’. Kat Stratford (played by Julia Stiles) is an outspoken, blunt feminist who isn’t afraid to go against social norms and defy what is expected of her. Though some may deem her and the love interest Patrick Verona’s love story as ‘anti-feminist’ (as he originally only dates her as he is being paid to do so; and despite Kat finding this information out, she proceeds to date him after he confesses that he’s fallen for her) by the end of the movie in the ‘new equilibrium’, despite being ‘loved up’ with her man, Kat is still as tenacious and outspoken as she was to begin with – falling in love hasn’t been succeeded in her becoming more docile and demure. As a result, Kat Stratford subverts this ‘ambition vs love’ dichotomy and remains to this day one of my favourite feminist protagonists. 

So to conclude, mainstream media has produced some examples which undermine these outdated and sexist ideals that women cannot be strong willed and maintain a healthy relationship (if desired) yet needs to do more to promote more modern, realistic plots that feature tough, feminist protagonists – similar to the other movie and societal stereotype that women need to be married with children to feel fulfilled. Why is it acceptable for men to be portrayed as harsh and career orientated, yet the women who are in the same situations are ‘broken’ because they don’t have a man to pacify them? All I ask is that movies do more to reverse these gender roles, and stop limiting women to either being the complicit, innocent ‘girl next door’ or the overly sexualised ‘object’.

Have you got any other examples of movies which either conform or subvert these stereotypes? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments!

#movies #movie commentary #media #mainstream media #feminism #10 things i hate about you #the proposal #false binary #dichotomy #ambition vs love #misogyny

[harryseyebrows]

Fine Line - Track-by-track rating

I’m in the mood to start shit. So here it is. My comprehensive album rating list. Rating subcategories should be self-explanatory, but I’m judging based on lyrics, how listen-able the song is overall, how interesting it is in terms of JUST sound, and crafting/production/my perceived idea of how well done the entire song is in terms of all the elements combined. Think about the effort that Liam put into his album vs. the effort Harry put into SOTT. What was written and created with intent and what was created maybe more for the sake of creating. Then, I did ACTUAL MATH and came up with an overall score out of ten. Read with caution and yell at me if you feel the need.

Golden:

Lyrics - 7/10 

“I know that you’re scared because I’m so open” is fantastic and it’s great to see him literally being more open with his songwriting, but he loses some points for the general repetitive nature and more common turns of phrase.  

General listen-ability - 10/10

It’s an easy song to listen to, whether you’re putting it on for background noise, listening while driving, or listening specifically with the intent of paying attention and enjoying.

Sonic intrigue - 8/10 

The slower beginning and then the slam into the guitars and drums is great. It flows nicely and has a good pace/rhythm.

Crafting - 9/10

Overall: 34/40 = 8.5/10

Watermelon Sugar: 

Lyrics - 6/10 

Nothing particularly thrilling. It’s a generally fun song with some lyrics that are suggestive but not overtly so. Good to know that he’s enthusiastic about oral, but again, it’s not his finest lyrical work. 

General listen-ability - 8/10

Another more easy listening track. Good for any time. A fun, sexy little bop.

Sonic intrigue - 7/10

The horns and bass line save this song from otherwise being a bit lackluster in terms of production, and make it interesting in a subtle, understated way that’s very enjoyable.

Crafting - 8/10

Overall: 29/40 = 7.3/10 

Adore You:

Lyrics - 7/10

Kinda cliche and corny; “I get so lost inside your eyes”. Otherwise, very fun and leans heavily into a more pop lens. Makes up for it with “You don’t have to say you love me / You don’t have to say nothing / You don’t have to say you’re mine” and the “Oh honey”s.

General listen-ability - 10/10

I want to listen to this song all day every day. There has to be something in the soundwaves that’s brainwashing me. Can’t stop won’t stop.

Sonic intrigue - 9/10

At first glance (listen) it’s a very basic sort of pop song. But the more you listen, you realize that it’s rooted in a more funk-style guitar lick and utilizes synths in a way that doesn’t come off as too manufactured or ‘fake’. It’s layered; you find more and more complexity with each spin.

Crafting - 9/10

Overall: 35/40 = 8.8/10

Lights Up:

Lyrics - 8/10

The lyrical structure, if you look at it on paper, could easily be read as some type of poetry. The song opens with a question: ‘What do you mean?’ and then proceeds to offer fragments of sentences that aren’t necessarily connected, but somehow offer a cohesive picture — a message that’s still a little unclear but offers multiple interpretations in meaning. 

General listen-ability - 9/10 

It’s fun and boppy but also surprisingly mellow. For me personally, the tempo and bass mean that it can be hit or miss in terms of how/when I want to listen to it, but for the most part, I don’t skip it. This might also have to do with it being the first song we heard from him since HS1, and I might have overkilled it a bit.

Sonic intrigue - 8/10 

It’s hard to not compare this song to his work on HS1, for the reasons above. HS1 was definitely more rock-oriented; more bare bones production and an ode to the more classic methods of music making ie singer, guitar, bass, and drums. Whereas with this song, it was essentially a complete 180 in style and production, with a little flair of R&B style music while maintaining his classic air of whimsy in both the lyrics and his less-frequently-used breathy head voice. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that it’s a Harry Styles song.

Crafting - 8/10 

Overall: 33/40 = 8.3/10 

Cherry: 

Lyrics - 8/10

One of Harry’s many talents is his ability to project tone with the combination of how he sings/emotes with his voice with the lyrics he’s singing. This song is no exception. It’s a sadder, more melancholic song, where he’s expressing some less-than-pleasant feelings, and you’re not only getting that from the words he’s singing, but HOW he’s singing it. It allows the listening to feel and empathize. It’s something he’s very masterful at. (See: the opposite would be something like Adore You, which under the guise of a more upbeat song, the lyrics are actually kind of sad and grovel-y)

General listen-ability - 7/10 

I respect his artistic vision and the choice to include the voice note but as part of a general playlist, it can come off a little odd and out of place. Otherwise it’s very palatable. It just makes me sad, so I don’t often intentionally put it on to listen.

Sonic intrigue - 7/10 

I liken this to a FTDT style song. Very raw. More singer-songwriter than pop. Some very lovely guitar playing and it’s nice hearing him sing in a register that’s been essentially neglected up until this album. But for the most part, I don’t think it’s his most interesting work. Very typical singer-songwriter guitar type song. 

Crafting - 8/10 

Overall: 30/40 = 7.5/10 

Falling: 

Lyrics - 7/10 

I enjoy and appreciate his honesty, and perhaps there’s something to be said about the lack of flowery turns of phrase, but I just don’t feel like this is his most clever work. Again, great to see him being so honest, but it sounds like the extended version of If I Could Fly. 

General listen-ability - 6/10 

I can’t allow this to randomly come on shuffle without putting myself at risk of a depressive spiral. That’s where he loses points. 

Sonic intrigue - 7/10 

Every album has one, and this is it. The Basic Song. So widely palatable that it’s...boring. Shoot me, I know.

Crafting - 8/10 

Overall: 28/40 = 7/10

To Be So Lonely: 

Lyrics - 9/10 

Currently, with just HS1 and Fine Line under his belt, THIS song is his lyrical Magnum Opus. It’s honest. It showcases an intriguing narrative. It’s clever. It’s fun. It’s a little sad. This is Harry and his amalgamation of musical influences mixed up in a bowl, poured into a pan, and baked into a perfect cake with frosting flowers. 

General listen-ability - 8/10 

This is another one of those songs that you can have on in the background and it fits into whatever you’re doing, or you put it on specifically to scream ‘arrogant son of a bitch’ back at him. It’s versatile.

Sonic intrigue - 10/10 

The production on this song is clean but also a little rough around the edges, and I think it was done intentionally. You can hear the buzz of guitar and bass strings. There are peaks and troughs of volume. It has a sneaky little swinging beat that makes it impossible to not bop your head along with it. Again, it’s INTERESTING.

Crafting - 10/10 

Overall: 37/40 = 9.3/10 

She: 

Lyrics - 8/10 

I’m afraid to say anything negative about this song because I don’t want to be executed, but here goes. I think it offers a fun, interesting narrative on the first few listens. It’s a story; a little fantastical and sultry. But for me, it feels a bit like Woman 2.0

General listen-ability - 7/10

I have to be in the right mood to put it on specifically, so otherwise, it’s one that I won’t necessarily skip, but I prefer to have it on when I want to listen to slower music. Also kudos to Mitchell but the guitar wank at the end is just a little on the long side. 

Sonic intrigue - 8/10 

This is definitely a stylistic callback to the overall sound of HS1, and for that reason, I think it offers a nice bit of continuity. 

Crafting - 8/10 

Overall: 31/40 = 7.8/10 

Sunflower Vol. 6:

Lyrics - 9/10 

The story! The atmosphere! The pure, unbridled joy it offers! KISS IN THE KITCHEN LIKE IT’S A DANCEFLOOR!!!! I’m offended at how cute this song is. More men need to write songs like this.

General listen-ability - 9/10

This song instantly puts me in a happier mood. I don’t feel like a car ride is complete without listening to it at least once. It’s textural. I love it.

Sonic intrigue - 9/10 

The backwards audio in the beginning. The weird bass. The vocal layering. The nonsense ad libs at the end!!!! FUN!!!!

Crafting - 10/10

Overall: 37/40 = 9.3/10 

Canyon Moon: 

Lyrics - 8/10 

This song is deceptive — underneath the cheery, more jovial sound, it actually has some more echo-y melancholy notes — the ‘So hard to leave it / that’s what I always do’ and ‘I’m going home’s. It’s about reminiscing but still moving forward. Reflecting!! 

General listen-ability - 9/10 

Could easily fit in on a romcom soundtrack, and I mean that in the best way. 

Sonic intrigue - 7/10 

If I didn’t know that he specifically sought out Joni Mitchell’s dulcimers for this, it would feel just like any other upbeat guitar song, but I DO know his process behind it, so his score gets bumped a bit.

Crafting - 9/10

Overall: 33/40 = 8.3/10

Treat People With Kindness: 

Lyrics - 7/10 

Ohhh Harry Styles. He just wants people to be nice to each other! And maybe be a utopian society cult leader. It’s okay. We love him anyway. This song is full of idealisms; perhaps it’s a toe-dip into social commentary. Perhaps it’s a reflection of his own life, on dealing with friendships and loss and the overall nature of being a person. Who knows! It’s a batshit extravaganza in the best way.

General listen-ability - 8/10 

If you can listen to this song without wanting to dance...you have a problem. 

Sonic intrigue - 9/10 

This song is all over the place but in a very thoughtful, cohesive way. It would not be the same if he sang the chorus; half of what makes it so charming is that he doesn’t, and instead, he sounds like some sort of unhinged ring-leader at the end, demanding ‘one more time’ and screaming. UNHINGED BUT MAKE IT JOYFUL.

Crafting - 9/10

Overall: 33/40 = 8.3/10

Fine Line: 

Lyrics - 9/10 

This song doesn’t have many lines, but the ones that do exist, are all purposeful and pack an incredible punch. It would be a disservice to him to try and pick a ‘best’ one, but ‘Put a price on emotion / I’m looking for something to buy’ and ‘my hand’s at risk / I’ll fold’ are up there as two of my favorite things he’s ever written. The repetitiveness of ‘we’ll be a fine line’ can be a little grating, but I find that to be entirely dependent on my mood, and not any fault of his own. 

General listen-ability - 8/10 

I put this on when I want to disassociate. Not ideal for when I’m driving down the highway, but what can you do.

Sonic intrigue - 10/10

One of the most, if not THE most, beautiful pieces of music he’s ever put out. Nothing more or less can be said. 

Crafting - 10/10 

Overall: 37/40 = 9.3/10 

#this took me a long time to finish so you better appreciate it

[tanstaaflaos]

A rant from Trump supporters

The following is a cut and paste from someone I know on Facebook.  In short, they don’t particularly like Trump but like liberals and progressive ideas even less.  They justify their vote for Trump as giving a finger to liberals and the media, rather than supporting Trump.  In short, a very selfish and short-sighted mentality that is unfortunately prevalent in today’s world.  These folks will continue to vote against their own interests if it means they can “win” while sticking it to the liberals.  Here’s the rant:

🛑 STOP! 🛑 EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS ⬇️ If you are a liberal who can’t stand Trump, and cannot possibly fathom why anyone would ever vote for him, let me fill you in. It’s not that we love Donald Trump so much. It’s that we can’t stand you. And we will do whatever it takes — even if that means electing a rude, obnoxious, unpredictable, narcissist (your words not ours) to the office of President of the United States — because the thing we find more dangerous to this nation than Donald Trump is YOU. How is that possible you might ask? Well, you have done everything in your power to destroy our country. From tearing down the police, to tearing down our history, to tearing down our borders. From systematically destroying our schools and brainwashing our kids into believing socialism is the answer to anything (despite being an unmitigated failure everywhere), while demonizing religion and faith, and glorifying abortion, violence, and thug culture. From calling us racists every time we expect everyone of any skin color to follow our laws equally, to telling us that our “tolerance” of lifestyles we don’t agree with isn’t nearly enough — no we must “celebrate” any lifestyle choice or gender option (forget science) you throw our direction or you think it’s fine to calls us homophobic or some other degrading slur you decide is okay to call us — ironically all while lecturing us on hate speech. While you gaslight us about 52 genders, polyamory, grown men in dresses sharing public locker rooms with little girls, and normalize the sexualization of young children, you simultaneously ridicule us for having the audacity to wish someone a “Merry Christmas” or hang a flag on the 4th of July, stand for the national anthem, or (horror of horrors) don a MAGA hat in public. So much for your “tolerance.” (See why we think you are just hypocrites??) We’re also not interested in the fact that you think you can unilaterally decide that 250 years of the right-to-bear-arms against a tyrannical or ineffective government should be abolished because you can’t get the violence in the cities you manage under control. That free-speech should be tossed out the window, and that those who disagree with your opinions are fair game for public harassment or doxing. That spoiled children with nose-rings and tats who still live off their parent’s dime should be allowed to destroy cities and peoples livelihoods without repercussions. That chaos, and lawlessness, and disrespect for authority should be the norm. This is your agenda. And you wonder why we find you more dangerous than Donald Trump? Your narrative is a constant drone of oppressor/oppressed race-baiting intended to divide the country in as many ways as you possibly can. You love to sell “victim-hood” to people of color every chance you get because it’s such an easy sell, compared to actually teaching people to stand on their own two feet and take personal responsibility for their own lives and their own communities and their own futures. But you won’t do that, you will never do that, because then you will lose control over people of color. They might actually start thinking for themselves, God forbid! This is why we will vote for Donald Trump. Not because he is the most charming character on the block. Not because he is the most polite politician to have ever graced the oval office. Not because he is the most palatable choice, or because we love his moral character or because the man never lies, but because we are sick to death of you and all of the destructive crap you are doing to this once beautiful and relatively safe country. Your ineffective and completely dysfunctional liberal “leadership”(?) has literally destroyed our most beautiful cities, our public education system, and done it’s damndest to rip faith out of people’s lives. However bad Donald Trump may be, and he is far from perfect, every day we look at you and feel that no matter what Donald Trump says or does there is no possible way he could be any worse for our country than you people are. We are sick to death of your stupid, destructive, ignorant, and intolerant behavior and beliefs — parading as “wokeness.” We are beyond sick of your hypocrisy and B.S. We are fed up with your disrespectful divisiveness and constant unrelenting harping and whining and complaining (while you live in the most privileged nation in the world), while making literally zero contributions of anything positive to our society. Your entire focus is on ripping things down, never ever building anything up. Think about that as there is something fundamentally very wrong in the psychology of people who choose destruction as their primary modus operandi. When Donald J Trump is reelected, don’t blame us, look in the mirror and blame yourselves. Because you are the ones that are responsible for the rise of Donald Trump. You are the ones who have created this "monster" that you so despise, by your very actions. By your refusal to respect your fellow Americans, and the things that are important to us. You have made fun of the “fly-over states,” the people who “cling to their guns and religion,” the middle class factory workers and coal miners and underprivileged rural populations that you dismissively call “yahoos” and “deplorables.” You have mocked our faith and our religion. You have mocked our values and our patriotism. You have trampled our flag and insulted our veterans and treated our first responders with contempt and hatred. You have made environmentalism your religion, while trashing every city you have taken responsibility for. You scream from the rooftops about “global warming” and a “green new deal” while allowing tens of thousands of homeless people to cover your streets in literal sh!t and garbage and needles and plastic waste without doing a single thing to help them or solve the environmental crisis your failed social policies are creating. But we’re supposed to put YOU in charge of the environment while gutting our entire economy to institute this plan when you can’t even clean up a single city?? You complain — endlessly — yet have failed to solve a single social problem anywhere. In fact, all you have done is create more of them. We’ve had enough. We are tired of quietly sitting by and being the “silent” majority. So don’t be surprised when the day comes when we finally respond. And trust me it’s coming, sooner than you might think. And also trust me when I say it won’t be pretty. Get ready. When Donald Trump is reelected it will be because you and your “comrades” have chosen to trash the police, harass law-abiding citizens, and go on rampages destroying public property that we have all paid for and you have zero respect for. When Donald Trump is reelected it will be because we are sick of your complete and utter nonsense and destruction. How does it feel to know that half of this country finds you FAR more despicable than Donald J. Trump, the man you consider to be the anti-Christ? Let that sink in. We consider you to be more despicable, more dangerous, more stupid, and more narcissistic than Donald Trump. Maybe allow yourself a few seconds of self-reflection to let that sink in. This election isn’t about Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden. This is about Donald Trump vs YOU. So if on the morning of November 4 (or more likely January 19, by the time the Supreme Court will weigh in on the mail-in ballot fiasco that we are headed towards), and Donald J. Trump is reelected? The only people you have to blame is the left-wing media drones and yourselves. You did this. Yep you. I copied and shared this and if you give a shit about your country then you should too.

[ethenell]

Best Films of 2018, Part II

5. The Favourite (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)

“I dreamt I stabbed you in the eye ...”

Dogtooth was as bold as debut features come ... It’s fiendishly clever conceit and distinctively muted delivery heralded an auspicious new voice in international cinema.

But even Dogtooth’s most ardent supporters would have been hard-pressed to imagine that, a decade down the line, Yorgos Lanthimos would find himself at the helm of a film with no less than ten Academy Award nominations to its name. In that sense, The Favourite is a perfect demonstration of both how far Lanthimos has come since his inimitable debut, and how fiercely true he has stayed to his idiosyncratic vision.

Lanthimos’s great leap has been to take his vision out of the arthouses and into the cinematic mainstream without losing one iota of his edge. The Favourite, anchored by a trio of extraordinary performances by Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, is easily Lanthimos’ most palatable offering yet. With all due respect to Dogtooth and Alps, it may also be his flat-out best.

Lacking the high-concept foundation of his previous work, Lanthimos’ latest more than makes up for it by playing up the absurdities of its setting. In the cutthroat world of social climbers and hangers-on in the lavish royal court of Victorian England, Lanthimos' wickedly comedic voice has found it’s perfect canvas, and his trio of actresses sell every bizarre beat to perfection.

Lanthimos’ films has always explored the ways that the societal convention clashes with our most basic, instinctual behavior, and The Favourite is no exception. Victorian England is simply a (fish-eye) lens through which he strikes at humanity’s propensity for self-interested cruelty, manipulation, and deception. Unsurprisingly, Lanthimos’ diagnosis on the topic remains characteristically bleak. But if The Favourite teaches us anything about Lanthimos as a storyteller, it’s that he’s uniquely capable of delivering bad news with a smile and a wink.

 4. Eighth Grade (dir. Bo Burnham)

“Gucci!”

Bo Burnham, who first gained fame through YouTube videos of self-proclaimed "pubescent musical comedy", would strike most offhand as an unlikely source for the most pure-heartedly empathetic film of the year. But Eighth Grade, Burnham's debut feature, is exactly that. 

Centering around the painfully shy Kayla as she goes through her final week of middle school, Burnham and star Elsie Fisher bring to the screen a keen sense for what it means to be a child in the age of social media, not to mention the most genuinely rewarding actor-director connection of any film in 2018. 

Burnham has said repeatedly that the casting process for the role of Kayla was extensive, and that he nearly considered shelving the project before auditioning Fisher for the role. Seeing her on screen, it's easy to see both why Burnham was so particular in casting this part, and why he struck gold discovering Fisher. 

As written by Burnham and played by Fisher, Kayla is a ball of anxieties whose struggles in IRL social scenarios are presented in direct contrast to the version of herself presented on her YouTube channel, through which she shares motivational videos with messages about, among other things, courage and being yourself. It's this juxtaposition that forms the thesis of Burnham's beautiful film, but not quite in the way you might expect. 

This may not come as too much of a surprise, given his background, but Burnham categorically rejects lazy criticisms of the social media generation, or of social media itself. In fact, Eighth Grade feels more in tune with the detailed realities of a life dominated by interaction and engagement through social media than any other film in recent memory. 

But, in spite of the broad cultural transformation that has followed in social media's wake, Eighth Grade's greatest achievement is to remind it's viewers that the vulnerabilities and angst of childhood remain largely unchanged. 

3. Roma (dir. Alfonso Cuaron)

“We are alone. No matter what they tell you, we women are always alone.“

Alfonso Cuaron is one of the world’s most treasured filmmakers – this much is not really up for debate. His unerringly brilliant filmography showcases a directorial range unmatched in modern cinema. So, the transition from the space epic Gravity to an intimate family drama set in an upscale suburb of 1970s Mexico City should have surprised no one familiar with the director’s previous work. His new film’s reported autobiographical elements should also have come as no surprise, as he had previously dabbled in stories loosely based on his own life with his celebrated debut, Y Tu Mama Tambien.

But even this thorough setting of the stage could not have been adequate to prepare audiences for what Cuaron had in store. Among a filmography already replete with masterpieces, Roma may well be the most important (and personal) film Cuaron has ever made.

Unlike Y Tu Mama Tambien, Roma draws inspiration not from Curaon’s own adolescent exploits, but from the experiences of Libo, the domestic worker who helped to raise him, along with his own mother, as they deal with a series of upheavals within their upper-middle class home.

Where Roma and Y Tu Mama find common ground is in their uncanny ability to ground their intimate stories within the broader sociopolitical landscape in which they are set. Perhaps the most notable achievement of Cuaron’s work than his unparalleled ability take us to a time and place, set us inside an experience that’s unlike our own, and drive home with uncanny precision how that experience fits within our world at large.

The miracle of Roma is the grandeur and power it imbues in the banal details of domestic life. Even with Cuaron having largely abandoned the formal flashiness of Children of Men and Gravity, his images elevate a traditionally marginalized figure to almost mythical significance. Today’s world being what it is, Roma serves as a powerful and timely reminder – every life, even those most easily overlooked, spill over with love and tragedy and moments of genuine wonder.

 2. Burning (dir. Lee-Chang Dong)

“There is no right and wrong ... Just the morals of nature.”

There’s a mystery at the heart of Burning that never resolves itself -- at least, not in the way you might want it to. And though it casts an unmistakable pall over the film from the moment that it comes into focus, there’s a sneaking suspicion that writer-director Lee Chang Dong’s real focus is lingering just behind this shroud.

Indeed, peeling away this outermost layer of intrigue reveals a thorny, tangled treatise on the divisions of modern society. Burning functions exceptionally well as a pure, slow-burn mystery, but it’s deliberately composed subtext provides contextual space for it to blossom into something far more complex and significant. No doubt in my mind, this film is a masterpiece.

On paper, Burning’s first act seems well-worn – Jongsu (Yoo Ah-In) reconnects by chance with Haemi (Jeon Jong-seo), a friend from his home village, whom he initially does not recognize. He agrees to feed her cat while she travels in Africa. When she returns with a mysteriously wealthy sophisticate named Ben (a slyly terrific Steven Yeun) Jongsu immediately feels threatened. But as his petty jealousies pile up, deeper suspicions begin to take root, and small, seemingly innocuous details begin to point towards sinister possibilities. 

Rather than focus on the things that connect us, Burning probes the divides between us that – as modern discourse reaches ever closer to a fever pitch – threaten to become unbridgeable.

In this state of disconnection, what can we be convinced to believe about one another? What (or who) is disposable?  Burning asks provocative questions about our cultural shortcomings and paints a chilling picture of the alienation that can fester as a result. It’s a patient, masterful film that pays off with an absolute wallop of a conclusion.

As we see our cinemas filled with more and more tired remakes and obvious retreads, Burning represents something truly indispensable and increasingly rare – an assured, original masterpiece from a vanguard of international cinema.

1. First Reformed (dir. Paul Schrader)

“Can God forgive us? For what we’ve done to this world?”

Decades after penning the script for Scorsese’s searing take on the explosive blend of toxic masculinity and moral righteousness, Paul Schrader is back with his own twisted take on Taxi Driver  this time sprinkled with elements of Winter Light, Bergman’s austere study of faith in crisis.

Like Bergman’s enduring chamber play, First Reformed focuses on a pastor, Ernst Tollet (an earth-shakingly great terrific Ethan Hawke), who offers to counsel the troubled husband of one of his parishioners (Amanda Seyfried), only to find himself slipping into a spiritual crisis of his own. 

In the wake of their conversation - which plays out as a debate over the morality of bringing a child into a world on the brink of unavoidable ecological catastrophe - Tollet is forced to reckon with his own deeply repressed guilt, along with his rapidly deteriorating health, and quickly finds himself buried under the spiritual weight of his own sins, and those of humanity, writ large. 

In his search for answers, Tollet whispers into the void, and in return comes nothing but silence. This profound absence drives Tollet deeper and deeper into the clutches of despair until, in the film’s breathless final moments, the void finally shouts back. It’s one of the more profoundly, beautifully surprising conclusions in recent memory - one that suggests that our only hope for true salvation is not in blind faith, but in transcendental human connection

First Reformed takes on a wide range of themes over its 90 minute run-time, but Schrader is most directly concerned with this eternal and fundamentally human struggle between faith and despair. 

At its psychological foundation, faith is a willful confrontation between the human capacity for hope and a cold and uncaring universe - it’s sold to us as the only true antidote to existential despair. But First Reformed – driven to the knife’s edge by Hawke’s powerhouse lead performance – argues convincingly that the line between bravely confronting the abyss, and being wholly consumed by it, is perilously thin.

#first reformed #paul schrader #ethan hawke #burning #lee chang-dong #steven yeun #roma #alfonso cuaron #eighth grade #bo burnham #elsie fisher #the favourite #yorgos lanthimos #olivia colman #rachel weisz #emma stone

[carnalsociety-rpg]

HEY UPPER EAST SIDER, WELCOME TO CARNAL SOCIETY

Cleo, you’ve been accepted as Talia Bellini-Hamill with Benedetta Porcaroli as your faceclaim. Congrats! Please read through our checklist and turn in your account within 24 hours.

                    THIS I KNOW, THE BEST IS YET TO COME.

WHO AM I?

OOC Information.

Name/Alias: Cleo Preferred pronouns: She/her Age: 21 Timezone: EST Triggers: N/a

THAT’S ONE SECRET I’LL NEVER TELL.

IC Information.

Name: Talia Bellini-Hamill Age: 23 Gender: Cis-Female Pronouns: She/her Sexuality: Pansexual Faceclaim: Benedetta Porcaroli Occupation: Senior at Columbia for creative writing, socialite/social media influencer Headcanons:     - When reflecting on their time in Italy, Talia’s mother Angelica ‘til this day, will claim that “they lived in squalor,” and that she “did what she had to do to keep them fed.”  Mamma thought that Talia didn’t remember, and Talia just let her think whatever it was that helped her sleep easier at night.  Talia was born and raised in Italy, living with her mother and her aunt Valentina, until their departure for America when Talia was thirteen.  Valentina was only six years older than Talia, and even as a child, it was Valentina that mostly raised and was responsible for Talia.  They lived comfortably; they had food in their bellies and made ends meet every month.  Her mother worked as the maître-d’ of an elegant restaurant in Parioli, one of the wealthier quarters of Rome, where she garnered plenty of attention from the men that dined there and as a result, plenty of tips.  Valentina would attempt to put young Talia to bed early so as to not confuse her with the varying men that Angelica would bring home, but Talia was always a curious girl; she’d peek her head out at night to sneak a glance at the men, creep around in the morning to search the contents of their wallets (and maybe snatch a couple of euros, if her mother did take them all). - On Christmas Day 2006, Talia learned that her mother was engaged to a man she didn’t recognize; Gregory Hamill. She had never seen him in their apartment before, and neither her mother nor Valentina hadn’t mentioned anything about this strange, older man.  He spoke little Italian, and often said words in English v e r y slowly with very dramatic hand gestures. Talia was always observant; she watched the way her mother’s body would stiffen in response to his affection—cold to his warm, blind love.  She saw her mother’s swift hand move to her mouth, dainty fingers wiping the corners of her lips after a kiss before gleefully swiping his credit card. After watching Gregory and her mother, she quickly learned a very important lesson: love has no language barriers if enough money is involved. Shortly after the extravagant wedding, Gregory Hamill had passports made and the paperwork handled for the girls before they moved to New York.  This was when she learned who Gregory Hamill was (and why her mother was so keen on marrying him): the Commissioner of Commerce in New York City.     - Talia didn’t know her father, and after hearing everything her mother had told her about him, she didn’t care to.  She told Talia that he packed up and left one night shortly after they had taken Valentina in, when Talia was around two years old, and left her mother to pick up after his seemingly endless gambling debts. He never called or wrote, never sent her anything for her birthdays—nothing.  He wasn’t there to walk her to school in the mornings or to teach her how to ride a bike; he wasn’t there to catch her sneaking her first kiss in her living room, or to help her with her first heartbreak.  He wasn’t even there for her to resent him, so when Gregory Hamill stepped up to play the ‘Papa’ role, Talia threw her unsettled anger toward Gregory.  She initially refused his extravagant gifts, giving him the cold treatment whenever they spent time together, but she eventually warmed up to him upon seeing how much he loved her mother.  He was nice and loyal, and he took care of her and her family—he was like all the dads in the American TV shows she watched.  Talia was smart enough to know that her mom didn’t really love him, but as he grew on Talia, she loved and appreciated him enough for the both of them.     - Talia knew a bit of English from watching American TV shows with Valentina back home in Italy, but overcoming strange the object-verb placement and suffixes that are spelled the same but pronounced completely differently took some time. Despite being a very promising student in Italy, she took a year off of schooling to fully learn and perfect her English with a tutor before beginning her American education Constance Billard. Even to this day, Talia speaks with a slight Italian lilt and often mixes Italian into her speech when she’s angry or nervous, or just speaking quickly.        - During her time at Constance, she was a pretty decent student; maintaining a 3.8 GPA throughout her high school education—not too shabby for a girl who had just learned English a year prior. Talia thanked her time in Italy for her strong multi-tasking abilities; maintaining a solid social life amongst the elite while securing a spot on the Dean’s list at the same time was not too common in her peers.  They weren’t dumb, per se… but most of these wealthy American kids simply weren’t disciplined enough to even want to care about success beyond just their ostentatious social lives. Talia knew she had a certain edge that they didn’t, and she knew they could feel it—some were intimidated by the “Italian girl’s” mysterious persona, and others were drawn to it. She didn’t say much, but she found that she didn’t always have to; it only takes a hint of her accent and some bella paroles for them to be charmed—if she cared to play the part.  She loved the endless possibilities that the combination of the city and her step-father’s money gave her, and Talia is quite indulgent in her vices (she could be quite the life of the party if there’s enough tequila and weed), but la ragazza è come una farfalla, neither here nor there and yet everywhere.  The whole bit grew tiring at times for Talia, often finding herself bored at the same events with the same people—she wasn’t like her mother, enchanted solely by opulence.     - Call it what you want—a disconnect between a girl and her peers, daddy issues masquerading as an “inherent coquettish nature,” an overinflated sense of self that calls for the need to acquire the attention of everyone in any room she steps foot in.  Talia calls it a craving for more substance, more flavor.  That’s why, since she was about fifteen, she found herself feeling the most comfortable within older crowds—elite or not.  She didn’t have to deal with the underage anxiety of “getting into clubs or bars” with her step-father’s name and credit in her back pocket, and her precocious European charm made up for her baby face.  She was also a hit at the events her parents dragged her to; you know, the ones with the ridiculously expensive dress codes and seemingly bottomless h’or dœuvres and cocktails where the attendees try to one-up each other with their charity donations? Talia was a charming feat as per the newly-debuted Hamills; her parents paraded her around to their cohorts and colleagues, and she thrived in the attention.     - Talia’s not necessarily promiscuous, but it’d be easy to assume as much if you didn’t quite understand.  There’s a certain thrill in the chase, as she’s discovered in her 22 years of life.  She first noticed it as a freshman at Constance Billard—she was freshly imported meat, and there was a particular power that came with baiting the sharks of St. Jude’s.  Unchartered territory, unclaimed by man (or at least any man with influence in New York City)—a challenge.  There were boys pretending to be suitors for a quick one-and-done, boys that were actually attempting to court her and claim her as their own, and then there were the ones with the lewd comments that thought their money and last name would ensure a warm spot in her bed.  As she got older, her male peers ditched the uniforms for suits, trading their alumnus rings for family heirlooms, but their game stayed the same, and so did hers.  She was a tease—especially to those that would never stand a chance, and it was all a game to her.  People want what they can’t have, and the undying desire is the ultimate prize.  Perhaps she learned it from her mother; she saw how quickly men tossed her to the side once they got what they wanted, and she saw just how quickly she’d seek out the next man to get what she wanted.  She didn’t want to be like that—gripping all the power in her hands and then watching it slip through the cracks of her fingers  to first man that uttered something remotely palatable that evening.  Never forget; the power is all in the bait.     - After moving to America, Valentina and Talia’s relationship only strengthened; they were the two Italian girls that were learning English and the “American way of life” (or at least, the 1% way of life).  If they didn’t have anyone else, they certainly had each other’s backs and when Talia turned eighteen and began attending Columbia University, it was only right that the two move in together.  In an Upper East Side apartment funded by Mr. Gregory Hamill, the pair coexist peacefully and maintain their strong sisterly bond.  Though sometimes she can get annoyed by her ever-present motherly role, Valentina offers Talia the motherly advice and structure that her own mother never really enforced—like waking her up with a smack of a pillow to the face for her 8 a.m class after a weekend of hard clubbing.  In return, Talia insists on bringing that gioia di vivere—having all the fun and enjoying all the beautiful things of life that they didn’t necessarily have the time or money to enjoy in Italy.     - Technically Talia doesn’t have to work, nor does she have responsibilities to tend to, she still feels the need to do something more than being an insipid debutante.  She doesn’t quite know where her destiny lies, but she knows she’s always had a strong passion for writing, which is why her major is Creative Writing at Columbia.  It began with simple journal keeping back in Italy, and that habit followed her to America—but her writings remained in Italian. She wrote the way she spoke; sometimes wrapping her words in pretty little packages like prose, and sometimes her words were raw and stark on the white parchment paper—but every time she wrote she wrote with authentic feeling.  Writing was something she never grew bored of, and she only writes when she’s truly inspired to keep it that way; her words will only be written down if they have meaning.  Talia’s too harsh on herself to ever write “just to write,” and she never re-works thoughts or ideas because if it has to be re-thought, then it’s not worth the commitment to the page.  She also only hand-writes—with the only exception being for classwork for pain-in-the-ass teachers that are too lazy to decipher her slanted handwriting.  Keeping it in her handwriting means keeping her work hers—no one can claim it or try to tame it, just as no one can claim nor tame her.

Associations: Sultry eyes catching yours from across the crowded room, a cloud of smoke following accented words.  Warm musk and sandalwood lingering on your shirt, and you digging your nose in it for reminders of the night before.  The smooth flow of a fountain pen on journal pages, slanted letters curling into doodles.  Following the music until it leads to a temporary paradise. Secret:

REDACTED. 

Would you be willing to have your character be Gossip Girl? REDACTED. Would you be willing for your character to be the killer? REDACTED. 

YOU KNOW YOU LOVE ME.

Here’s a link to the mockblog I made for Talia where you’ll find all the extra posts I’ll be linking below!

    - A general aesthetic (x)     - A home aesthetic (x)     - A playlist (x)     - More information about Talia (x)

#accepted

[dietsauthority]

25 Indulgent Dairy-Free Recipes You Need To Try

Whether you are just one of the approximated 30-50 million Americans that experiences lactose intolerance or you're attempting to prevent milk as a method to boost your overall health and wellness, the adhering to 25 indulgent dairy-free recipes will certainly make you eagerly anticipate meal time!

Why Would Someone Ditch Dairy?

Along with far better digestion wellness, dropping milk has been connected to a variety of health and wellness advantages, such as improved sinuses, clearer skin, and also enhanced energy levels. Some researches also reveal going dairy-free could strengthen your bones. I recognize that violates every little thing you probably discovered as a young kid since milk is referred to as a wonderful source of calcium. According to a 2014 study published in the British Medical Journal, scientists who complied with more than 100,000 people in Sweden over a duration of 20 to 30 years discovered milk drinkers really experienced extra total bone fractures and also hip cracks. This isn't the only research study to reach these findings.

What Is Dairy Exactly?

By interpretation, dairy products are foods and drinks that are made from the milk of mammals, such as cows and goats. Popular dairy items consist of milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as butter.

So what about eggs?

For some reason, individuals enjoy to glob eggs into the 'dairy' category. Eggs are not a dairy item and could most certainly be included in a dairy-free diet. That's terrific information given that eggs are a remarkable resource of healthy protein, healthy fats, and various other nutrients that benefit the body.

Recipes

Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes

1) Healthy Yogurt and Granola Parfait - As I just mentioned, yogurt is normally a no-go when you're eating dairy-free. However, much like exactly how there are dairy-free milk alternatives, there are additionally dairy-free yogurt choices. A few of them consist of soy yogurt, almond yogurt, and also coconut yogurt. In this dish, the developer layers coconut yogurt in between fruit, hemp seeds, as well as chia seeds! It takes just minutes to toss together and is an easy grab-and-go breakfast.

2) Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats - Overnight oats are incredibly simple to prepare, you can consume them on the move, and also they're loaded with healthy components. To make your own, all you have to do is load a Mason container with oats, fluid, some add-ins, and garnishes. Pop it in the fridge overnight as well as the flavors will fuse together by the morning. No cooking required. This specific recipe is loaded with healthy protein and also fiber that will certainly assist maintain you really feeling full for longer. And also, making use of either almond or coconut milk maintains this recipe dairy-free approved!

3) Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins - Are you someone who delights in baked goods for morning meal? If so, these cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins are a must-try. They're bursting with flavor and also are extremely damp, many thanks to the coconut oil and pumpkin puree. If you're viewing your sugar consumption, you could constantly avoid the outer covering of cinnamon sugar!

4) Banana Muffins - These banana muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free, and also refined sugar-free. Bananas and coconut flour include the mass, chia seeds work as the binder, and numerous various other active ingredients (like honey, vanilla, and also cinnamon) develop a durable flavor.

5) Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Pancakes - No issue what age you are, pancakes are constantly an enjoyable breakfast food. Since they're normally full of gluten-laden flour, milk, and butter, it's rather fair to claim that pancakes can make your palate desire to do a little dance. However, the same can not be stated for your midsection. With a few straightforward component swaps, pancakes are in fact simple to healthify. Take this gluten-free as well as dairy-free dish. Utilizing bananas, oat flour, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and also a couple of other components, a tiny stack of these pancakes is really a guilt-free breakfast!

6) 3-Ingredient No-Bake Cereal Bars - Are your mornings typically as well frantic to appreciate a sit-down breakfast with the family members? No concerns! Whip up a batch of these no-bake cereal bars on Sunday night so you have a nourishing on-the-go option during the job week. With simply three ingredients - a grain of your choice, peanut butter, and also a liquid sugar of your option - it does not obtain any simpler compared to this!

7) No-Bake Cranberry Coconut Energy Bites - Cranberries, walnuts, oats, coconut shreds, as well as flaxseed are all held together by almond butter and also pure maple syrup. Simply roll the ingredients into little spheres, pop them in the fridge to establish, and appreciate them on the move. Each bite offers a strike of healthy protein, vitamins, minerals, and also craveable flavor.

8) Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt - Yogurt is a terrific morning meal or snack choice given that it's packed with real-time societies, Also Known As probiotics, that benefit the gut. Did you recognize that researchers connect the gut to nearly every function in the human body?

9) Dairy-Free Frittata With Spinach and Tomatoes - Many times, frittatas are made with some dairy products to develop that light and also cosy structure. It's really not required. This dish uses eggs, coconut milk, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and also some type of meat (if you comply with a vegan or vegan diet regimen then simply leave the meat out). Pop your mixture in the oven for a few mins and dig in.

10) Environment-friendly Vegan Healthy protein Healthy smoothie - Green smoothie mixes are loaded with nutrients that sustain general health. When you throw some plant-based healthy protein into the mix, also much better! This dish asks for a range of superfoods - spinach, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almond butter, and banana. And also, maintaining with the dairy-free motif, the maker used bitter almond milk instead than lactose-filled cow's milk. A few days add natural sweetness to the drink, but if you need more you could constantly press in a little bit of raw honey.

Dairy-Free Lunch/Dinner Recipes

11) Cauliflower Fettuccine 'Alfredo' - This super light vegan alfredo pasta sauce is made with cooked cauliflower, olive oil, and spices! A little dietary yeast gives it a nice cheesy flavor. It's a win on taste and also win on texture. If you do not desire to offer it over pasta, pour it over a bed of rice or use it as a veggie dip.

12) Dairy-Free Mac N Cheese - It is feasible to ditch dairy products and enjoy mac n cheese, you just need to obtain creative. The 'cheese' sauce in this dish freezes well so you can conveniently double the recipe and also place fifty percent in a freezer-safe container. Simply heat it up when you prepare to dig in again.

13) Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Potatoes, carrots, onions, cashews, coconut milk, and also dietary yeast typically aren't normal 'grilled cheese' ingredients, yet the end result really tastes a great deal like your childhood years preferred grilled cheese sandwich.

14) Mushroom as well as Kale Pasta - Cashews are used as the base of a creamy sauce that will make you absolutely ignore celebrity in standard lasagna. With just 30 minutes to prep and also an additional HALF AN HOUR to cook, it's most definitely worth a try.

15) Avocado Quesadillas - Cheese quesadillas are fantastic. Pass on. But so are avocado quesadillas. Along with the remarkable preference, this Mexican-inspired meal is actually quite healthy and balanced. Avocados are filled with healthy and balanced fats and healthy proteins that nurture the body in more ways compared to one.

16) Dairy-Free Pesto - While pesto isn't really normally considered as a 'milk food,' lots of dishes do ask for parmesan cheese. While dairy products pesto is excellent, it actually doesn't require celebrity to please your palate. This dish celebrates simplicity with cilantro (you can likewise use basil), olive oil, garlic, want nuts, lemon juice, as well as a little salt and pepper. Once you work up a bowl of this delicious pesto, use it as a dip, spread, pasta sauce, or dressing.

Dairy-Free Dessert Recipes

17) Raw Chocolate Cake - Most of the times, abundant and also indulgent cakes include full-fat milk and also butter. Of program, I can not fail to remember the frosting, which typically has, even much more, milk or cream and also butter. But it doesn't need to be in this way, and this cake verifies it! One bite of this Raw Delicious chocolate Cake by the famous Jamie Oliver and also you could be misleaded right into thinking it's the actual deal. Sweetened with Medjool dates, honey, as well as raw cacao, it's extremely wonderful without using any refined sugar. For the frosting, coconut oil, agave, honey, and even more cacao are placed on display.

18) Delicious chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake - Making a dairy-free milkshake is way less complicated compared to you might even recognize. All you need to do is exchange out the routine cow's milk for a nut milk. In this dish, the designer used almond milk, however you can use hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and even rice milk if you choose. Given that numerous refined chocolate items do contain dairy, this dish makes use of chocolate powder.

19) Healthier Dairy-Free Cheesecake - This dish is a lightened-up variation of standard cheesecake with a 3rd of the calories as well as sugar ... and no dairy. It combines dairy-free lotion cheese with coconut yogurt, vanilla remove, a sugar, lemon juice, as well as a little corn starch. You will certainly need to cook this set, but it's still very simple to whip up!

20) Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake - This recipe is excellent during Fall as well as the colder winter season months. Something about the combination of pumpkin as well as cinnamon simply makes this much healthier dairy-free cheesecake taste like comfort.

21) Yellow Cake Donuts - I'm not going to sugar layer this - there is a great deal of sugar in this dish. While donuts aren't something you'll want to consist of in your day-to-day diet regimen, they're definitely an enjoyable reward from time-to-time. If you're trying to find a dairy-free version of your favorite yellow cake donut after that this dish is perfect for you. Instead of milk, the dish requires unsweetened coconut milk, instead of butter, it includes healthy and balanced avocado oil.

22) 3-Ingredient Double Delicious chocolate Mousse - The structure of whipped coconut lotion is absolutely amazing. So it's not surprising that by adding a little powdered sugar as well as cocoa powder you would develop an outstanding dairy-free mousse.

23) 3-Ingredient Dairy Free Fudge - This is the ideal no-bake reward. Utilizing coconut milk, confectioner's sugar, as well as dairy-free chocolate chips, this treat will take you about 10 mins to make and it's sure to excite a crowd.

24) Edible Cookie Dough - Is it just me or is there something addictive concerning cookie dough? It's a lot more lip-smacking great compared to a baked cookie! The only problem is - given that many cookie recipes require eggs, the raw dough isn't all that safe to eat. Enter this edible cookie dough dish. Simply make sure to use dairy-free delicious chocolate to maintain this recipe entirely devoid of dairy.

25) No-Churn Dairy-Free Ice Lotion - I yell, you shout, all of us shout for dairy-free-ice-cream! A bowl of this smooth and also creamy treat is made from coconut milk, sugar, as well as simply a touch of powdered gelatin. A few doses as well as you could be fooled right into assuming it's the actual deal!

#diet #diets that work #grapefruit diet #health and wellness #high fiber diet #lemonade diet #low glycemic diet #low sodium diet #scarsdale diet #soup diet #vegan diet #wellness

[dondake]

[nicoyuki] Success is the sum of small efforts

rating: t summary: Yuki comes up with a weight loss plan that isn’t exactly foolproof. AO3 Link

[=]

Jocks and gym rats were pretty terrifying. Yukihiko was no slouch when it came to maintaining his body, because the girls liked that and part of being a court lawyer had to do with theatrics and looking perfect and intimidating, but the people who played sports were a whole different beast. Watching the twins guzzle flavored protein powder and then loudly psyche each other up in the kitchen every morning was a horrifying reminder that the youth and their fitness culture was a scourge to modest society. Kurahara’s posture was straight and unwavering, no doubt thanks to the abs hiding beneath his shirt that kept his torso upright to maximize lung capacity. But most alarming was Akihiro’s insistence to cut down his weight class to trim the fat and improve his speed. This was Nico, who had smoked for fun and always came along for a beer or two after a major exam or tedious assignment. It was out of character, off-brand, and further confirmation that he needed to step in before things really got out of hand.

“I know that you’re trying to lose weight,” Yuki announced, after barging into 104 and making a big show to prompt Akihiro into turning away from his freelancing. “Everyone knows that a sudden reduction in calorie consumption and increasing cardio is a big shock to the body, so you’re literally going to fall apart if you don’t take it easy, old man.”

“Yes, yes, trainer,” Akihiro laughed. “Then what do you propose?”

“It is a well known fact that sex burns a lot of calories. So, to keep you from injuring yourself, let’s sleep together.”

Akihiro blinked. A tender silence fell between them, before he said, “Are you propositioning me, Yuki?”

“Yes, what of it?”

“Well...I just never thought I was your type.”

“You weren’t, when you smelled like smoke and acted like an old man living off his pension. But now you think you’re eighteen again, with all your muscles and joints in peak condition. You’re not so bad, when you change out of your sweats and into a suit. Your stubble’s even part of your character now.”

“Oh, I’m so flattered. But what if I said I wasn’t interested?”

Yuki blinked. “You aren’t?” He got up from the futon and Akihiro watched, transfixed, as he crossed the narrow space between them and straddled his lap as natural as you please. “I could have sworn that you were eying me since we both moved in.” That wasn’t really true, because Akihiro had not been after Yuki’s body since the beginning - only, he did wonder once or twice what the rest of his skin looked like after a few beers got Yuki’s face pink down to his neck, and he did contemplate on a quiet night about how Yuki’s tongue, skilled enough as it was to analyzing cases and cutting straight into a matter with unrelenting sharpness, might feel on his. He had chalked it up to nothing more than a momentary lapse in judgement, but he supposed it wasn’t unusual that Yuki, with eyes trained to find all sorts of loopholes, had spotted it for what it was.

In any case, he had been looking at black screens and text for so long it was a welcome reprieve to have something solid and tangible in his hands. Akihiro caught a whiff of something good as he pulled Yuki closer, his nose following a trail down below Yuki’s collar. “Did you put on cologne before you came here?”

“I figured you might be hesitant to take me up on my offer, so I thought it would help to sweeten the deal. Make me more palatable.” His voice hitched as Akihiro slipped a hand up the back of his shirt, tracing lazy shapes with the tips of his fingers on an expanse of smooth skin.

“You’re plenty palatable,” Akihiro said, his breath hot through Yuki’s shirt as he mouthed over it.

The door to the room burst open. “Old man upperclassman sir!” Joji announced, thundering in shamelessly with Jota right on his heels. “So my brother and I have been arguing about this and we thought that someone with track experience could help settle it. Do spikes make a major difference in times? I say it’s minor, if any, but Jota says that the grip helps propel you forward. I mean, our cleats were kind of spiked but also we were running on a field, so I think it’s different! What are your thoughts!” They spilled into the room with such focus on Akihiro that they blinked when they noticed Yuki practically sprawled on Akihiro’s futon, having flung himself across the room at the sudden interruption. “Oh. Didn’t see you there, Yuki.”

“You guys don’t knock?” Yuki yelled.

“Everyone knows Nico’s room is a hangout room,” Jota said, cocking his head. “I mean, what else are you doing here for too? It’s kind of too early for a wank session, right? It’s still light outside!”

“Well, you never know with Nico…”

The next time Yuki snuck into Akihiro’s room, the Prince came in to check the delivery status for a set of manga anthologies he had ordered because his phone wasn’t loading properly. His eyes glazed over everything else in the room, Akihiro’s textbooks and wire figures and Yuki scrambling to pull a shirt down his front in the corner. The time after that, Musa had only stopped by and stayed in the doorway to ask Akihiro about whether it was a good time to go over some class materials for a project because it was unclear to him, and Akihiro said it wasn’t as Yuki stayed stock still out of sight, his pants and underwear on the other side of the room. And perhaps in the most harrowing of times, as Yuki was giving Akihiro probably one of the best blowjobs of his life (self proclaimed, though Akihiro would resentfully agree), Kurahara threw open the door and sat down and had a long discussion with Akihiro about a proper training regimen, per Haiji’s insistence, and said absolutely nothing about how Akihiro was sitting on his futon, comforter thrown over his lap and a very large, human-shaped lump.

“Haiji,” Yuki said, with Akihiro lingering behind him uncomfortably, “we need to talk about locks on our room doors. I know we have them, but they open with a jiggle and that’s a problem.”

“Is it?” Haiji said. He was mending a tear in his tracksuit jacket in the kitchen quite cheerfully for someone managing an unsecured home. “Wouldn’t everything be solved if you just put a sock on the doorknob? I think that’s pretty clear!” When Yuki gaped at him, Haiji pointed a needle at him.”You just about scarred Kakeru for life! He came to me afterwards, all frustration forgotten, and said he really needed to learn how to excuse himself in the middle of uncomfortable situations. How can you call yourselves upperclassmen!”

“Maybe we should cut this weight loss strategy short,” Yuki muttered, ragged after Haiji’s relentless and unabashed scolding.

“There are other ways to tone,” Akihiro agreed. But as they reached their rooms and after a moment of contemplation, Yuki pulled him into his room and closed the door and everyone knew that Yuki’s room was explicitly off limits - Akihiro decided that it would be wrong to just give up without first trying and seeing the results.

#kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru #run with the wind #iwakura yukihiko #akihiko hirata #nicoyuki #canadino fic #here we go again folks

[suseca98-blog]

Plastic Surgery

Nowadays, every person is searching for 10/10 beauty. To obtain that perfect look, beauty-conscious people really do not mind to endure the surgeon's knife to be able to correct or enhance their looks. For more information on Botox Dominican Republic, visit our website today!

Around the world, aesthetic or cosmetic surgery is becoming common, with increasing numbers of people obsessive about their looks are actually choosing cosmetic plastic surgery procedures with an ideal feature.

Teenage and aged persons, especially women and ladies particularly happen to be drawn to the entire process of beautifying, with many of them are undergoing different types of aesthetic surgeries to be able to enhance their body image and appears.

The most recent statistics through the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reveal that 13.8 million surgical and non-invasive cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed within the United States this year, that is a five percent increase on the prior year. Additionally, the amount of rebuilding plastic surgeries elevated by five percent, with 5.5 million surgeries carried out this past year.

Cosmetic Surgery- a summary

Cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the greatest-known type of plastic surgery. This surgery is conducted to boost the look of otherwise perfect parts of the body of the individual's body past the average level toward some aesthetic ideal.

As pointed out above, cosmetic plastic surgery procedures can be carried out in 2 ways- surgically or non-invasive procedures.

ASPS recognizes about 27 different types of cosmetic plastic surgery procedures that you can do to some person's facial or part of the body. A few of the surgical aesthetic/cosmetic procedures include:

Breast enhancement (also known as "breast implant" or "boob job")

Mastopexy or breast lift

Nose reshaping or nose job

Abdominoplasty or abdominoplasty

Liposuction (Also referred to as suction lipectomy)

Blepharoplasty or eye lid surgery

Rhytidectomy or facelift

Lip enhancement

Face augmentation

Ear surgery (otoplasty)

These cosmetic surgeries are carried out to shape any feature of you based on the way they would like it to be. These procedures aim not just to get people to look great from outdoors, but additionally feel great from the inside.

The most typical non-invasive cosmetic plastic surgery procedures are Botulinum contaminant type A or just known as Botox treatment, soft tissue fillers, deep chemical peel, laser treatment and Microdermabrasion.

Rebuilding plastic surgery is conducted to enhance function and search to abnormal structures from the body impaired by hereditary defects, for example cleft palates or cleft lips developmental abnormalities, traumatic injuries, for example facial bone fractures and breaks burn, infection, cancers, tumors or disease.

Tumor removal, laceration repair, maxillofacial surgery, scar revision and hands surgery are the generally used rebuilding plastic surgery procedures.

People may either have surgery on particular part of the body, for example Lip augmentations and reduction, Nose job, Breast enhancement or Face lifts, or can go for multiple procedure packages like Breast enhancementOrTummy tuck Breast lift with implant Abdominoplasty Breast reduction/Breast enlargementsOrTummy tuck Breast enhancement with Liposuction - sides & abdomen Breast enhancementOr Nipple reduction or Areola reduction and Brow lift/ Facelift together with Neck lift.

However, with regards to aesthetic cosmetic surgeries, finance matters a great deal. Like every other surgeries, cosmetic surgeries too have a hefty cost tag. The very very high cost cosmetic plastic surgery measures in several civilized world around the globe frequently be major obstacles when it comes to people who wish to alter their looks.

Fortunately, easy-on-the-pocket cosmetic plastic surgery procedures can be found in another regions around the globe. Several healthcare providers in third world countries are utilizing condition-of-the-art instrumentation to supply individuals with the greatest possible quality standard of aesthetic cosmetic surgeries at prices reduced than what these would cost home. Want to know more about Breast Lift Dominican Republic? Visit our website for more information.

So people, don't let that abnormal or misshapen part of the body ruin your beauty and confidence when you will find low-cost, high-quality aesthetic cosmetic procedures obtainable in another country. All that you should research extensively to find the best, best place to obtain your beautification surgery abroad.

[woonybin]

Freebandz Feleki Friday

so uhmmmm in honor of November 20th, the birth date of our founding father almighty author of the Bible of Misogyny, I‘m taking you to a trip we call

✨Freebandz Feleki Friday ✨

Let it be known that should the circumstance arise in which the musical production technician of the hip hop genre known as "Prepubescent Metropolis" lacks the confidence to comfortably instill a sense of trustworthiness into you due to past dispositions regarding the nature of your character, you have my certainty that I will be arming myself with one of many various caliber ballistic combat firearm weapons and after loading a magazine which contains the ammunition on which the projectile lethality is based, and loading a single unit of this ammunition into the capacity chamber of the weaponized warfare mechanism after disengaging the safety locking unit located on the firearm, I will be acquiring the physical space which your biological presence encapsulates into the appropriate sighting contraptions affixed to my caliber combat gadget, so that I may then exert force form my index finger onto the trigger mechanism of the weapon system and set forth a ballistics reaction which will launch a bullet-like projectile into the general direction of which you are present, with the ambition that said bullet will penetrate your epidermis and burrow deeply into your vital organ systems, leading to the internal flowing of crimson life liquids, external spillage of said liquids, and severe damage of biological tissues deemed only repairable by an appropriately trained surgeon. One of the ways we can thank uncle Future for keeping us from ending it all is to take 20 minutes of the day on enlightening our little hollow selves and have a little bit of reading and skim a lil bit onto an essay about humor titled Keeping Up With Science by Hungarian writer László Feleki, that was included in the 1973 anthology A Random Walk In Science, a collection of the wit & intellect of the scientific mind, a compendium of comments both lighthearted and serious by scientists that reveal their intensely human ambitions frustrations and elation. In Keeping Up With Science, Feleki explores the roles of humor (specifically scientific humor) as a sort of cultural defense mechanism against the incomprehensibly fast-paced technological progress of modern society. He said: “Our life has become so mechanized and electronified that one needs some kind of an elixir to make it bearable at all. And what is this elixir if not humor?”

▫️what exactly makes a joke funny? ▫️how does an intelligent joke remain a joke without diluting the intellectual and remain intelligent without compromising the funny? Feleki answers.. ▫️to laugh at a joke without analyzing it is work half done ▫️humor as a fluid serves to dilute the hard facts of life, making it possible to swallow and digest them ▫️humor eludes definition ▫️humor is not “light” literature ▫️parody is a humorous genre of literature

László Feleki writes:

With the invention of the steam engine, the hell of science broke loose. Since then one admirable discovery has followed the other. Today no human brain is capable of comprehending the whole of science. Today there are part-sciences with part-scientists. [Hu]man has hopelessly surpassed himself. He[/she/they/it] can be proud of this, but he[/she/they/it] is no longer able to keep track of his[/her/they/its] own achievements.

Our life has become so mechanized and electronified that one needs some kind of an elixir to make it bearable at all. And what is this elixir if not humor? It is decisive for the present and future of mankind whether humor and science can keep in step…

Considering the question of humor to be one of “extraordinary importance,” Feleki notes that “to laugh at a joke without analyzing it, is work half done” and dude sets out to explore what humor actually is:

The term “humor” itself means fluid or moisture, indicating that already the ancient Greeks must have known both moisture and humor. Humor as a fluid probably served to dilute the hard facts of life making it possible to swallow and digest them. Humor is, of course, palatable even without moisture; in such cases we are dealing with dry humor.

But still, this budapest mf Feleki concedes that one of the hallmarks of humor is how it eludes definition. Instead, he outlines “some partial truths about humor”:

It is evident that humor is difficult to write and therefore is certainly not “light” literature.

Parody is a humorous genre of literature. A really good parody or take-off is better than the original.

The basis of acid humor is ulcers. Many humorists have ulcers.

Truth is often humorous simply because it is so unusual that it makes people laugh.

The greatest blessing of humor is that it relaxes tension. It is really indispensable in situations when there is nothing left but a big laugh.

Feleki goes on to demonstrate the tenets of the science of humorology through a single joke, which he himself told to an acquaintance at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences:

Two geologists converse in a cafe. One of them says: “Yes, unfortunately fifteen years from now the Sun will cool, and then all life on Earth will perish.” A card-player nearby has been half listening to the joke, and turns in terror to the geologist: “What did you say? In how many years will the Sun cool?” “Fifteen billion years,” the scientist replies. The card-player lets out a sigh of relief: “Oh, I was afraid you said fifteen million!”

But as my guy Feleki awaits an outburst of laughter, or at the very least an amused smile from the professor, he is faced with nothing but “brown study, rock-bottom humiliation for a teller of jokes.”

Just as he began to wonder whether his companion had understood the joke, the professor gave an appreciative nod, which he substantiated with a romp through the history of philosophical theories explaining humor: aight let the trip begin.

The joke is good… If we accept Aristotle’s definition according to which the comic, the ridiculous is some fault, deficiency or ugliness which nonetheless causes no pain or trouble, we will find the joke just heard meets these criteria. The cooling of the Sun is certainly a deficiency, or more accurately heat deficiency, although it is not ugliness, for even a chill celestial object can be a very pleasing sight as there are several examples in the universe to demonstrate. 

And, then, what about Hobbes’s hypothesis? In his treatise on the causes of laughter this mf said that laughter is the feeling of pride, as seeing the weakness of others, we experience our own intellectual superiority.

The joke also satisfies the contrast theory. For (according to Kunt) contrast is the essence of the comic. And in fact it would be difficult to imagine a sharper contrast than that existing between the ephemeral life of man and cosmic time.

In Schopenhauer’s terms, this can also be taken as the disharmony of a concept with some realistic object with which it is associated. Indeed, the card-player who sighs with relief at the idea that he can calmly continue his card-playing until the 14 millionth year of his life, for it will remain warm enough, entertains a most unrealistic thought within the context of a most realistic idea that men like to live as long as possible and dislike the cold. :s

Nor is Bergson’s theory of automatism left out of account, because the protagonist is jolted out of the mathematically induced natural time sense that measures human life.

To sum it up, I repeat that the joke is funny. Hence I am fully justified in laughing at it.

With this, the professor burst into uncontrollable laughter “so hard that tears flowed and he held his sides.” Feleki returns to the heart of the matter:

It was easy to laugh in the past at the modest jokes which involved the Little Idiot, the two traveling salesmen, someone’s mother-in-law, the drunk, or the Scotsman. Only a small surprise element had to be provided for the listener. A proper appreciation of scientific humor requires the proper scientific qualifications. The vital need to future generations is for a scientific education so they can have the incomparable surcease of humor in order to endure the state of perfection to which man and life will have been reduced by the process of science.

Just consider what degree of culture and education is required to understand the joke which is said to have practically drawn tears of laughter from Einstein and Oppenheimer.

One photon asks the other photon weaving about in space:

“Can’t you move straight? You must be drunk again!”

The other photon protests vehemently: “What do you expect? Can’t you see that I am getting soaked in a gravitational field?”

Yes, this is coming, this is what we have to get prepared for.

#future #happybirthdayfuture #freebandz #youngmetro #educashun #LITerary #gang #Feleki