What is your sexuality headcanon for the 03 boys

Sure! I am always up for exploring other interpretations, but here are a bit of mine at the moment:

To start, my headcanons are most of them are not seriously attracted to humans. Little crushes-that-aren't in some cases, sure - they've grown up on the outskirts of a society that says humans of a certain appearance are attractive, they've probably internalized that somewhat and would be subconsciously trying to conform to perceived expectations of what they're 'supposed' to feel while simultaneously being acutely aware that they are not considered attractive by those same standards - but nothing substantial. Mutants, aliens, anthropomorphic edo-period folk, though: a lot more their type.

Also, this show being made and set in 2003 complicates things! They wouldn't have access to the same level of societal acceptance or even vocabulary that we do now, plus no community support for obvious reasons. They wouldn't have experienced homophobia or cissexism in their own household in the sewers, but they still had TV at some point. And it's hard to talk about things when you don't have the words.

Leonardo - Gay, very much interested in Usagi, very much not sure how to talk about it.

Donatello - Demiromantic or aromantic asexual*, with a small initial queerplatonic crush on April that he grows out of.

Raphael - I'm not 100% on anything with him and I'd be happy to hear someone state their case, but currently I'm at straight. Or bisexual but not thinking about it.** I'm flip-flopping on whether I think he would experience any attraction towards humans, but I think he's either the most likely, or the most solidly sure that he doesn't.***

Mikey - Possibly pansexual or panromantic ace - if they spent more time in space a little older, I could see him chatting up random aliens he finds attractive like the social butterfly he is with no real regard for gender (or, well, not always sure how to tell what genders the aliens may or may not have, which ends up being virtually the same thing.)

*I'm kind of excited because in this particular headcanon, there's a possibility Donny would have found AVEN during its golden years. The philosophies and resources of it would have been very beneficial in finding The Words for not just him but everyone, and discussing it in a healthy way.

**Raph has closer social ties with humans than his brothers, between Casey and Mrs. Morrison, etc. and I think a little more likely to have slightly stronger internalized human-style hangups regarding his own feelings if he's not entirely straight, such as fear of the reactions of his social circle, possibly causing him to be hesitant about looking too closely at that part of himself (not because of anything Casey or Mrs. Morrison do directly wrong, but there are a thousand tiny unintentional ways these things get reinforced especially when we're talking about the early 2000s,) and he's also more of a doer than a thinker, so I can't see him being that introspective without some sort of significant external push.

***My memory sucks (brain fog) so I have no idea if he's directly said anything about this in canon one way or another.

Thank you for asking!

fashión (bucky barnes x reader)

Summary: At one of your best friend’s drag shows, Bucky catches your eye. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the dance pop blaring through the bar’s speakers, but for some reason you’re feeling a little more daring than usual.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 2,536

Trigger Warnings: Blowjobs, shitty flirting, people are drunk and do sex things

Notes/Other: This was done for @propertyofpoeandbucky ‘s mystery writing challenge!! My prompt was “You’re my best friend. How could I put anyone before you?” and has been bolded within the fic! Also, I feel like this is the total opposite of what I’ve written recent but when I got this prompt I knew this wip was perfect for it. 

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

Dating has always been hard for you. Friends and family have always tried to set you up on dates - as has Tindr - but nothing seemed to stick. No one ever seemed to do the trick.

“C’mon, babe…” your friend coos to you. You’re in a dressing room at some fast-fashion establishment, the wide and tall mirror forcing you to stare back at yourself. The too-bright lights burn your eyes, the top radio hits from last year only depress you, and the smell of weed and regret radiating from your skin is making you want a sandwich. “Listen, I know you don’t want to do this-”

Your sigh cuts her off. “Then why are you making me?”

She steps over to you, readjusting the floral jacket before speaking. As you look in the mirror you realize actually kind of…like it. Which is weird. “Because I know better than you, you’re a shut-in, and every moment you’re not being ravished by a muscular hot dude physically kills me.”

God, her brazen personality always catches you off guard. That’s probably why she’s the performer and you just sit alone in the basement of your shared home - sewing and eating and writing all day.

In the end, you don’t buy the jacket. Lucy ends up taking you to her favorite thrift shop and you pick up a deep blue faux-fur coat and some velvet heels in the same shade. Boujie? Maybe. But it’s something you feel confident in, so you don’t grumble too much when you see the total.

You both get to the club early so she can get ready, focus on turning her face into the inside of an elementary schooler’s pencil case – one young enough to understand that there’s never such thing as too much stationary (or too much color) but young enough to constantly be losing caps. As she steps into the threshold of the famous bar, Lucy’s met with jeers from janitors and bartenders and sound techs alike – all people ecstatic to see their favorite person like a dog left alone during a long work day. As she greets them with the same overjoyed smiles, you slip past the jolly merriment to the dressing room in the back of the building – her outfit bag and make up suitcase in your hands, her shoes and wig in your hefty backpack. Despite the outfit you’d picked out earlier you’re donning the same outfit you’d been wearing since the techie days of middle school – black jeans, black t-shirt one size too big, and all black sneakers. All the better to blend in.

Three hours later Lucy has officially turned into Boudoir Z, her drag persona and the username for her long-abandoned Neopets account. The club is packed with people, almost as tight as her dress is with her pads, and some old Kesha song thumps the floor to its beat.

“Are you ready?” you ask, double checking her hands for any loose nails.

She grins as wide as she does right before every show, eyes bright and sparkling like a child on Christmas. “Hell yeah.”

As her intro song starts you scurry away to find your way to the bar, hoping to grab something strong before the show really starts. You don’t really like attending your friend’s (or anyone’s) drag shows, they’re loud and crowded and normally that’s your definition of Hell. Sometimes, though, you can muster up the energy. For whatever reason, today seems to be one of those days. Or nights.

Whatever. Time is an illusion.

The first few beats of the song are long, edited for artificial pauses to build excitement in the crowd. You know the version of Lady Gaga’s Applause well, so it throws your entire brain through a loop when someone pumps into you when you try and grab your rum and coke.

“Sorry,” the guy hisses, immediately moving to make sure he didn’t spill any of his wine cooler on you. You’re about to brush him off, thinking he’s just another guy trying to cop a feel while the main attraction distracts from any protective butches within eye shot. But when you notice he’s carefully avoiding your chest – and pulling away when he notices the lack of dampness on your sternum – you allow yourself to give him a half glance at the brick wall of a man in front of you.

God, you’re so ashamed you noticed that. You’re also ashamed to notice his thick thighs, massive arms, silver hand with black lining, his perfectly mused brown-black hair, and beautiful scruff.

“H-hi,” you stutter, deep exhale one close to dramatic women in movies when they think they’ve seen God. Good luck ladies, I’ve already found him – he’s in the shadiest gay bar in NYC. you think as he shyly smiles at you with cheeks you want to shove between your thighs and lips you want attached to your-

“I’m so sorry,” he tells you, checking again to make sure he didn’t turn your shirt into a bar tap. “I got distracted by-“

You sigh. Of course, he was looking at Lucy. “It’s fine, really, I promise.”

In a brief pause between songs, you two lock eyes. Grey-green ones meet your own and fuck, he’s so dreamy.

“I’m,” he seems hesitant to introduce himself. “Bucky. Name’s Bucky.”

You murmur your own name while looking him up and down again. Black combat boots perfectly shined, black jeans tight enough to rival your own, and black hoodie thick enough for winter in Upstate Main.

“Aren’t you hot?” you blurt, alcohol loosening your brain’s tight grip on your thoughts.

The man, Bucky, shrugs. “I run pretty cold.”

Another few moments of silence dialogue between you two - and judging by his set jaw and the hungry look in his eyes he’s thinking the same thing you are.

But, if you’re anything besides an introverted stylist, seamstress, and occasional therapist for the person up on the stage…it’s a tease.

You lean towards Bucky’s ear, music starting up again. “Wanna come join me close to the stage?”

He smiles, picking his drink back up. “Sure thing.”

Lucy, as always, is dressed to impress. Or scare small children.

Either way one perceives her, she’s killing it.

The large, sheer nightgown’s puffed sleeves make the look even more dramatic. The black contrasts extremely nicely with her large platinum blonde hair, and combined with her large, maroon lips and thick, pointed eyeliner - it’s a nice reminder that drag is both an art and something weird as hell. Watching your best friend to what they love and truly one of the best experiences of your life.

The pair of you are off stage left, Lucy on the other side grinding on some speakers. As some Nicki Minaj song plays, you can feel Bucky bounce to the beat behind you. He’s got a surprising amount of rhythm, and as your hips sync his body presses closer and closer to your own. It doesn’t take long, maybe half a chorus for it to turn into full-on grinding, your ass pressed into his crotch so hard you’re worried he’s going to be bruised when he wakes up tomorrow.

Bucky doesn’t seem to mind, though, nipping at the outer shell of your ear with his lips pressed into the tender skin.

“You do this kind of thing often?” he asks, already deep voice now at a low growl.

You shake your head, moving to take another sip of your drink before answering. “Not really, but Lucy is my best friend so sometimes I get dragged,” you snort a little at your unintentional pun. “To shows and stuff.”

Bucky snickers a little. “That’s totally not what I was asking about, but you also don’t seem like the person who’d be friends with Boudoir Z.”

Your cheeks immediately heat hotter than the Equator as you attempt to backpedal. After a few seconds of stammering, though, the liquid courage surging through your veins comes to a head. “Can I suck your dick?”

You turn to face the man behind you, who seems just as surprised at your inquiry as you are. Still, with his eyebrows raised to his hairlines and his eyes wide, he agrees. “Fuck yeah, lead the way.”

The bathrooms here are surprisingly clean, even if the lock of the door doesn’t quite work. But, judging by the second Pink song of the night, you’ve got awhile before the masses become unoccupied and their bladders realize how much alcohol they’ve consumed.

He shoves you against the tiled wall, lips plush and a stark contrast to his scratchy beard. You want it between your thighs, you sigh into his mouth and a wave of heat rolls through your center. But that’ll have to wait for another time.

Locating his zipper as you kiss him is hard, but not impossible, and soon you’re able to free his cock from its painful confines. Bucky gasps at the rush of cold air, a sound that turns into a deep moan when you wrap an eager hand around him. Maybe some other time, some other night when you’re not fueled purely by endorphins, caffeine, and several glasses of bottom-shelf alcohol, you’d do some foreplay, maybe some dirty talk.

Now, though, your mouth waters at the sign of his hard length, and before Bucky can even get a good grip on your hair you’re spitting on him before taking him as far as your throat permits. He moans deep and guttural, jaw going slack and head leaning against the wall. One of his hands feels cool on your head and it’s nearly sobering, how the freezing material feels against the fire dancing across your skin. You’d question the (seemingly) nonhuman appendage, but the progressive soaking of your underwear and his cursing brings your focus to a pinpoint.

Every single one of his “oh fuck”s and “oh baby that feels so good”s drive you to take him harder, faster, and all too soon Bucky’s getting the message and fucking into your throat. Spit falls from your jaw to between your knees, some slick reminder of how gross this is. That only pushes you, though, to wrap a hand around his base with the other massaging his balls.

“Fuck I’m gonna come,” he moans, eyes rolling to the back of his head as both hands wrap around him. “Gonna fucking come down your throat, fuck.”

Fuck yes he is, you think, shoving him back down your throat one last time before the grip on your scalp gets impossibly tight and his thrusts suddenly still and his lets out the deepest, most erotic noise you’ve ever heard in your entire fucking life. The salty taste of him rolls down your tongue and down your throat, his whole body tense as he shoots his load into your mouth.

The second he releases your hair you fall back against the sink, air you’re gulping tainted with the taste of Bucky’s cum. He seems stunned, a little out of it, but still offers to reciprocate. It’s then you realize that Patti LaBelle is playing, and if you’re remembering the song correctly, you’ve got thirty seconds to be backstage and ready to help your best friend get de-dragged.

“Fuck, I gotta go,” you hiss, splashing cold water on your face and trying to calm your ragged breaths. Just before you can open the bathroom door, though, Bucky stops you.

“Wait, just,” he huffs, digging in his pockets for something. Quickly he produces a phone, and he hands it you with the “new contact screen” on it. “Please, give me your number.”

It’s obvious he’s the stronger of both of you, so you slam your fingers on the cracked screen to string together your phone number. It seems the man’s satisfied, because he releases the ajar door from your grip and lets you flee backstage. Lucy comes off just in time for you to meet her, ready with make up wipes and chapstick. Instead of taking both from you, though, she brushes past you to grab at a bottle of water – a surefire sign she’s not done.

You begin to protest, knowing she’s too drunk to lip sync to choral music, let alone her traditional encore playlist. But she waves you off.

“I’m just going to meet some people at the bar take some pics,” Lucy downs the entire 32 ounces of water in record time, barely getting any lipstick on the mouth of the thing. “Don’t worry, just…I don’t know,” she rolls her eyes at her own inability to speak. “Go kill a Westboro Baptist Church member or something, alright? Just…” she hiccups and starts to lean to the right, but adjusts herself before you can do anything. You steady her with a hand on her shoulder, and she lowers her face to yours and juts her lower lip out to pout. “Just wait up for me, okay. I don’t think I can find my way home alone.”

Before you can respond she pushes past you and into the screaming crowd, her shouts and shrieks almost as loud. A quick scan of the dimly-lit bar reveals no Bucky, and without his number you’re stuck putting her reveals back together and unused the unused supplies.

At the end of the night you meet Lucy back where you left her – only this time in black leggings and a purple NARAL shirt shirt three-sizes too big. As she wipes away at the thick cosmetic mask with a dirty make up wipe, your eyes meet hers in the mirror.

“I saw you with some guy tonight,” a smirk paints her lips as heat paints your cheeks. “Did anything happen?”

You bite at your bottom lip, hoping she won’t press further. Luckily, she remains covert, just giving you a once over before speaking again.

“Are you gonna run off with him and abandon me to do all my drag shit by myself?” She asks. Lucy’s tone is playful, but you can tell there’s a hint of seriousness to it.

You shake your head, tucking a bit of hair behind your ear and tucking your hands into your jean pockets. “C’mon, you know I’d never do that. You’re my best friend. How could I put anyone before you?”

Lucy turns around and smiles, perfectly white teeth especially pearly surrounded by the smudged deep purple lipstick and thick, black eyeshadow, a misplaced lash, and what looks to be a twenty-dollar bill stuck behind her ear due to excess wig glue. “Good, because there’s no way I could do Boudoir Z without you.”

Silence settles over both of you as she wipes off the rest of her make up (and pulls out the cash stuck in her hair and to her neck). The only sounds are her throwing loose powders and eye shadow into her make up suitcase and, soon, your phone vibrating in your back pocket. On the screen flashes a text from an unknown number, Bucky you think, and then another right after.

wanna see you again

when are you free

You smile at the screen, giddy like a middle schooler being asked out by her crush. “Hey, Luce…” you wait until she’s facing you to continue. “When’s your next show?”

On My Way to Steal Yo...Seat: Ember Island Players & Zutara Shipbaiting

(Or: The best time for a Zutara Rant(TM) is all the time.)

Ah, Zutara, the ship of dreams, technically sunk ten years ago but still afloat in countless shipper hearts. The ways in which the creators of AtLA did the fans dirty on this one could be an entire discussion unto itself, but right now I want to focus on a particular episode, which I think suggests that, when it came to the show’s romantic relationships, the showrunners’ priorities were not where they should have been.

That episode is The Ember Island Players. And the trouble all starts with one little comedic moment.

An extremely awkward moment they went out of the way to include.

Before we dive in, let’s take a step back and establish our priorities here. I’m not going to use this post to make claims about secret Zutara subtext, or even argue the merits of Zutara as a ship, really. Conversely, to the extent that I critique Kataang, it’s going to focus strictly on writing choices and leave aside the question of whether Aang and Katara are romantically suited for each other as characters or not. For the purposes of this post, we will take as granted that Kataang was the intended endgame pairing from the beginning, and romantic Zutara was never intended at all, and look at how the showrunners went about handling that.

(under a cut because woah this got long)

The Ember Island Players is an entire episode built around the show parodying itself and its fandom. In such an episode, it would be almost impossible to avoid at least alluding to the ship wars, which for those of you not part of the fandom back then, were absolutely massive. (And encouraged by the show’s promotion - but that’s another story.) Whatever Bryke’s intentions, the Zutara phenomenon had grown so influential that Zuko was perceived by fans as Aang’s main rival for Katara’s affections - in spite of never being presented as such in the show. That’s begging for a joke or two, isn’t it?

So before the parody play even starts, we get the moment in the gif above, a joke which is painfully dragged out by Aang shyly pointing out that he wanted to sit next to Katara, and Zuko’s utter obliviousness as to why. (Katara herself shows no reaction to any of this fumbling - perhaps unintentionally foreshadowing some of the problems to come.) Aang relents, and sits on the other side of Zuko.

In practical terms, there are two things that justify this gag beyond a bit of awkward humor. The first is that subsequent moments in the episode where the characters comment on the play involve both Katara and Zuko interacting with each other, and Zuko and Aang interacting with each other, making it most effective for Zuko to be seated between Katara and Aang for blocking purposes. 

Aang and Katara don’t interact much during the play. More unintentional foreshadowing? You be the judge.

The other reason is that this moment of making a fuss over seating arrangements sets up early on what is actually going to be a significant theme addressed in the episode - the question of whether Zuko is going to figuratively come between Aang and Katara the way he literally does here. And make no mistake, the episode is very concerned with this question.

After a brief spoof of Jetara that gets only a mild reaction of embarrassment from Katara, the first time the play-within-the-show really dives into shipping is its sendup of ridiculous Zutara expectations of the crystal cave scene in The Crossroads of Destiny. Actress!Katara declares the Avatar to be like a little brother, professes her attraction to actor!Zuko, and the two embrace. This is, of course, absurd for these characters at this point in the story, but to be fair, it’s a pretty accurate rendition of the wildest Zutara fandom predictions for the episode. The silliest of enemies-to-lovers tropes have always had their place in Zutara fandom. Capture!fic was very much a thing. Haha, it’s good for us all to laugh at ourselves sometimes. 

Pictured: Artist’s reconstruction of Zutara fan fic c. December 1, 2006

Aang, however, is not laughing. After growing increasingly frustrated with his own portrayal in the play, this scene makes him so angry that he storms out of the theater. It’s clear that, to Aang, this is no joking matter - and that means it’s quickly going to become more serious for the audience as well, as we soon move into what might be the episode’s most controversial scene, and certainly the one that has the largest dramatic impact on the actual narrative of the show. The tone of this scene is a stark contrast to the majority of the light-hearted, self-referential, tongue-in-cheek episode.

When Katara goes to find Aang, he confronts her about what her actress counterpart said, and we finally, after fifty-six episodes, get a scene where Aang and Katara directly talk about their relationship. This is a big moment, not just because it’s a weighty scene in the middle of a fluff episode, but also because it’s a huge opportunity to push forward the relationship that, remember, we’re accepting as intended endgame all along. The writers know Aang and Katara are going to end up together. They’ve known it for years. After playing coy about Katara’s feelings for nearly three full seasons, they must have been dying to get to this moment. 

This isn’t a shy kiss-or-die scenario. (Let it never be said that Zutara has the monopoly on silly tropes.) This isn’t a heat of the moment, one-sided pre-battle kiss that will be ignored later because of more pressing concerns. This is the chance for these characters to have a frank conversation about where they stand and what the nature of their relationship should be.

Spoiler Alert: It doesn’t go well.

Obviously we can’t have any actual Kataang resolution in this episode - we have to save that for the finale. Fair enough. So what do we do instead? We muddy the waters a bit more, make things even more complicated to resolve in the four episodes we have left, after giving this relationship little to no serious development in the previous fifty-six episodes.

Katara dismisses what her actress counterpart said in the play, but admits she’s confused about her own feelings. When Aang tries to kiss her again, she’s upset by it and storms away. This is the first and last time we ever see Katara address the possibility of her romantic feelings for Aang, until they kiss in the final seconds of the very last episode, her confusion apparently resolved off-screen.

Zuko isn’t mentioned in this scene, but from the perspective of showrunners trying to set up Kataang and unexpectedly confronting a popular rival ship they never intended, in the context of the previous scenes discussed above, this having Katara be dismissive of the play’s portrayal of her also seems like a pretty clear dismissal of Zutara. In fact, arguably this scene is a better casual dismissal of Zutara than it is a setup of the last-minute Kataang endgame.

And then, when the gaang returns to the theater for the final act of the play with the seating arrangements now reshuffled, we get one last awkward reaction shot of Aang and Katara when their stage counterparts declare their platonic affection for each other. And look who’s also in the frame for some reason.

Since they’ve all left the theater and come back, Zuko doesn’t need to be sitting next to Katara at this point. 

So the overall effect of the “shipping” subplot of this episode comes across as the writers assuring us that Zutara is silly, and that in spite of fandom expectations Zuko is not a romantic rival for Aang, while at the same time maintaining enough ambiguity between Katara and Aang so as not to preempt the resolution of them getting together in the finale.

What’s bizarre about it is...they didn’t actually have to do any of that? Within the world of the show, nobody had ever raised the possibility of Zuko and Katara being romantically involved prior to this episode. If it was never going to happen, it wasn’t something that needed to be addressed. Instead of taking this opportunity to give us reasons why Katara is going to get together with Aang - perhaps the review of their past adventures helps her clarify some of her own feelings, while still leaving her reservations about the timing? - this subplot seems more interested in trying to tell us that she’s not going to get together with Zuko. 

This is writing to the fandom, rather than writing to the narrative. From a storytelling perspective, it’s a waste of time. If the Zuko/Katara/Aang triangle is just a product of silly fans and doesn’t actually exist in the show, then there’s no need to make such a big deal of it. Rather than a throwaway gag, the seating shenanigans and dramatic weight given to Aang’s insecurities make the on-stage Zutara romance a central feature of the episode. There was no reason this had to be the case. 

So why was it?

Welcome to the realm of speculation.

One possibillity is that the writers of this episode (or Bryke themselves, directing them) simply got carried away with spoofing the fandom and lost sight of the actual narrative work they should have been doing. This is a case of bad priorities and poor judgement, but it’s fairly innocent.

The other possibility, and the less innocent one, is that it was deliberate shipbaiting. The shipping subplot seems meant to dismiss the possibility of Zutara in hindsight, working under the assumption that Kataang was always intended and Zutara never was - but it obviously wasn’t read that way by Zutara fandom at the time. With Zuko and Katara’s dramatic reconciliation in The Southern Raiders coming immediately prior to this episode, now the question of romantic Zutara is introduced and Katara’s feelings for Aang are less clear than Kataang shippers had assumed? Sounds pretty promising for Zutara when you look at it that way.

Was this actually intentional? As mentioned earlier, promotional material for the show did outright encourage the idea of the love triangle, even though the show itself hadn’t before. If the idea of this subplot wasn’t explicitly to give Zutara shippers false hope and set them up for disappointment, it may yet have been the last effort to throw kerosene on the fire of the ship wars before the show’s finale. 

It’s hard to believe that fan reactions wouldn’t have been considered when writing such a metatextual episode that engaged with the fandom so directly, but I do hate to assign malice as a motive where incompetence is a suitable explanation, so let’s assume that if this was the case, Bryke thought it was all in good fun. It still reflects poor judgement and priorities, because egging on drama among your fans shouldn’t be more important than developing the narrative you’re actually trying to tell.

So whatever the reasoning, in this episode, on the eve of the show’s finale, it seems that dissing Zutara was more important than developing Kataang.

YMMV on whether this is better or worse than the finale itself, where developing Zutara was more important than developing Kataang.

Sage Sticks Tips: Precisely What are The Benefits of Burning Sage or Sage Smudging?

Sage is probably the herbs from your mint loved ones alongside others like oregano, rosemary and basil. One of the more common uses of sage is food preparation, but this natural herb can start to play various other functions as well. Today, most people are thinking about smudging, which is the burning of sage. But precisely what are the advantages of sage Sticks? As smudging continues to obtain reputation around the world, we discuss Spiritual and therapeutic benefits associated with sage Sticks.

Study Some Great Benefits of Smudging & Burning Sage!

8 Sage Sticks Positive Aspects

Help to Dispels Bad Power

One of the many factors why folks smudge is to dispel adverse Power from your room or inside the self. In case you have been experiencing stress, unfavorable Energy from other individuals or terrible recollections, burning sage can be beneficial to you. This plant can help you determine an setting that allows meditation in order to release negative thoughts while setting objectives towards self-improvement.

Therefore, deciding to smudge can be a ritual which can be the start of a change in your state of mind to promote positivity and healing.

Aromatherapy & Wellness

The sage herb can also be useful for its aromatherapy positive aspects. Only the smell of the plant might be grounding for you personally. This herb is associated with mindfulness, and the action of burning sage or smudge stick is ritualistic. Consequently, the outcome of the herb reduces anxiousness, enables a clear train of feelings, and produces calm in your lifetime. For many who will not truly much like the aroma of sage, it can be used alongside other aromatic natural herbs including cedar, lavender, thyme, rosemary and yerba santa. Exactly like sage, these fragrant vegetation have calming fragrances that will help your mind and improve your entire body work right after nerve-racking incidents. It could be the time for the little smudge if lately you may have been feeling stressed from the transform of occasions in your lifetime.

Higher Quality Rest

Thanks to the healing properties of smudge stick, this herbal can enhance your sleep at night. Considering that smudging with sage traditionally helps eliminate negativity which may affect your rest, it can help encourage far better rest. Also, research has revealed that sage might have components that may help simplicity the signs of sleep problems. For example, white sage and timeless backyard garden sage can be burnt to soothe stress and anxiety and boost rest quality. For that reason, when you are being affected by rest and you will have tried distinct cures without success, this may be an outstanding starting point.

Help to Minimizes Indications of Distinct Conditions

Smudging can help clear the environment and make it solution for your lung area. Nevertheless, the potency of the sage spruce is not going to cease there. This plant is known to help counteract good ions while releasing the negative ones. Because of this good ions, which includes family pet pollen, dust particles and mildew can be neutralized with the sage plant. This means that this herb will have a beneficial effect on those struggling with allergic reaction, respiratory disease as well as other respiration problems.

Nonetheless, it may possibly not be smart to smudge when individuals with breathing concerns are in the room. Should they inhale the cigarette smoke, it could aggregate their symptoms as an alternative to reducing them. In these cases, you need to hold off until the smoke cigarettes clears out to enter the space.

Help to Connects One to the Spiritual World or Space

Besides its customer in preparing food, this herbal has been utilized to establish a link on the Spiritual kingdom because time immemorial. In classic ethnicities, folks utilized sage to reflect on their own Spiritual issues and to gain a status conducive for healing.

Technically, some kinds of smudge stick such as salvia and white colored prairie smudge sticks include the substance thujone which can be psychoactive and might help increase intuition. Consequently, smudge sticks also keeps you spiritually health.

Empowers and Cleanses Distinct Objects at Home

Smudging produces fragrant smoke cigarettes that people use for smudging themselves and their spaces. Also, you are able to smudge specific goods such as gift ideas, stuff you bought or whatever you feel has bad Power. By smudging, the items can become sacred to you personally, plus it aids provide you with satisfaction.

Will help Increase Mood and Reduce Anxiety

In Feng Shui some types of sage such as white colored prairie sage (estafiate) were actually traditionally utilized to handle depression, stress and anxiety and disposition ailments. As a result, somebody feels that smudging can elevate their spirits and put a stop to negativity for a better disposition.

Burning sage also helps you launch stress. As an illustration, in accordance with an investigation carried out by the School of Mississippi in 2016, white-colored sage consists of substances that activate brain receptors that are accountable for lowering pressure, elevating feeling and reducing discomfort.

Aids Increase Cognition and Energy Levels

If you need to boost your concentration and memory space, sage is your go-to herb. Research has revealed that this sage herb might be useful in healing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Nevertheless, scientific studies are still being carried out to determine other ways the plant can be used in remedy.

In addition, as sage clear a space of adverse Power, it creates area to get more optimistic Power and also at increased levels. This way, sage can help reenergize you and also rid your body of fatigue.

It is not only the white-colored prairie sage that is useful for its Energy-increasing and anti-tiredness components. Varieties relevant to it do work much the same way.

The Very Best Sage to Burn and How to find It

You will discover a selection of sage types now available. Nonetheless, the most popular 1 among herbalists and healers may be the white colored sage. Other sage include dark sage, wilderness sage, azure sage, lavender sage and typical sage. Each of these types has distinctive qualities. As an illustration, wasteland sage is proper for filtering and defense, and blue sage is perfect for cleaning and healing. If you find yourself defeat with the odor of the natural herb, you are able to turn to other natural herbs like sweetgrass or juniper as these can serve the identical uses as sage.

It really is easy to discover sage in the backyard, but if you do not, there are actually alternative ideas for getting it. You may grow it with your back garden or garden and let it dried out for about a week before making use of it. You already know it can be sufficient whenever it crackles when you press the bundle. Because the herb develops, clip it and never minimize stems or pull out the whole underlying as being the herb may die.

In case you are unable to attain it in the home, you can purchase it from farmer’s markets, health food stores or on the web. Anywhere you discover it, be sure that the herbal was farmed sustainably and this it lacks other herbal treatments within the package. Consequently, getting coming from a trusted seller is very important.

At Crystalis, we understand that you desire only the best quality sage for your pursuits. We help you make that Spiritual vibe by promoting substantial-quality sage Sticks. Our service is topnotch, and our retailer gives hassle-free assistance that you just will enjoy. Our bundles are made of only sage because we recognize that blending these herbs may interfere with the designed final result.

How you can Burn off Sage

So many people are shocked that the aroma of sage is not really as it is when found in filling. Even so, the first thing you will notice is it odours diversely. Sage is herbaceous and smells astringent and woodsy.

Use a sage stick that is certainly 3 to 5 ins extended in your bag when you will need it. This dimension is also just the thing for smudging of a small room and will be perfect for first-timers who truly feel they may be conquer by cigarette smoke because they commence to use sage. Nevertheless, in the event you usually shed incense, you will comfortably fit into burning sage as this provides a good head start.

Make use of a heating-proof container to support the sage and light the conclusion of your pack while you are completely ready. Spread your flame evenly and hold off until the flames quickly scans the blogosphere alone or blow it after a little secs. You are able to recurring your motives through the entire sage smudging process as you may would perform repeatedly a prayer.

If you intend to rid your space of adverse Energy, you may have your sage into diverse rooms in the home with your bowl or carry the bundle within your fingers in a risk-free extended distance. As you may relocate from the areas, picture yourself banishing the adverse Energy since this helps with attention. Ensure that you placed out any smudging of Sticks while you are accomplished instead of to depart the Sticks unattended to protect yourself from any chance of blaze. After all, it will be out of the question to relax if your place attracts flame unexpectedly.

Burning sage is an historical process that has permeated various cultures. This practice could be the starting of a modification of your life, and also the rewards are great should you be looking for positivity or seeking to changeover through a period in your lifetime. Whatever way you perceive it, burning sage can be helpful for your psychological wellbeing as mentioned above. Ensure you purchase your sage from a trustworthy resource like Crystalis and get provision as you smudging it to protect yourself from any unnecessary emergencies like an unintentional flame.

Related Searches

* sage tea spiritual and health benefits  * white sage cleansing prayer  * negative effects of smudging  * sage benefits to health * health risks of burning sage  * is burning sage bad for your lungs  * how to burn sage  * types of sage for smudging

External Links

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_healing|https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/17/healing-crystals-wellness-mining-madagascar|https://time.com/4969680/do-crystals-work/}  * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_healing|https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/sep/17/healing-crystals-wellness-mining-madagascar|https://time.com/4969680/do-crystals-work/}

Q&A Cristina, Kieran, Mark and the politics of trust

"clockwork-artifices said: Hello, Cassie. I<3 Cristina, so i wanted to ask about her. She's been described as someone who's been hurt and betrayed in the past (and recently), therefore she doesn't really trust people that easily now, so with that in mind i couldn't totally understand 

spoilers

her sudden feelings for kieran, like she trust him and feels atraction for him out of nowhere, a guy that barely knows and that is not really "trustworthy", i mean,ik cristina is kind and compassionate, but it still felt kinda odd and sudden?" 

 Of course whether or not events in the book feel sudden is entirely subjective: I plan these books carefully, and hope that the events both surprise readers and follow on naturally for readers, but whether I succeed or not is up to every individual reader to decide! However, of course I have my own view on this, so buckle up . . .

 There are three things to be addressed here: faith, change, and attraction. All are very different things. Let's address attraction first--Cristina is capable of attraction to different people, as many are. Attraction to Mark, attraction to Diego, and attraction to Kieran. Fair enough! We see other people be attracted to each of these boys: they all have attractive qualities. Cristina is not attracted to Kieran “out of nowhere”; she’s noticed he’s attractive before, and the first time she ever sees him, with Mark, she feels desire. Since everything that happens with Cristina, Mark and Kieran has been planned out from the beginning of the series, that was not unintentional. :) 

 I hope we can all agree that Cristina--indeed any woman--has the right to feel sexual, aesthetic and/or romantic attraction toward anyone, and to act on it in any way she wishes. Saying that someone should or should not feel attraction based on someone’s perceived moral fiber is not really how attraction works. That is especially important to stress in the case of Cristina, a woman of color, since women of color have a history of being even more harshly judged for any sexuality they express. For this reason I wanted to show her attraction to several different people, and the different ways she chooses to act upon these attractions with intelligence, morality and faith. 

 Feeling attraction does not always mean you are going to enter a romantic or sexual relationship with someone. Lots of people feel attraction they never act on--sometimes people feel attraction but only act on it so far, sometimes they have no desire to act on it. Cristina may or may not act further on her attraction to Kieran (which is not really the most important part of her relationship/connection with him) than the one single dance she has engaged in (scandal!). We see she has clearly defined standards and boundaries: she makes it clear to Diego that his behavior is unacceptable to her. Also in LADY MIDNIGHT, she says to Mark 'I do not want a body without a heart'-- .i.e. she does not want to be sexually or romantically involved with someone who does not have other feelings for her (romantic feelings, feelings of respect). That does not mean she will never feel attraction or fondness toward someone like that — feelings can be controlled only so much; it is actions are what speak to our convictions. I wanted to show Cristina as someone with an open heart, but who always tries to do what feels right to her.

 Now let’s talk a little about change. Books are, by and large, about people changing. Cristina will not always be untrusting because she was betrayed before Lady Midnight. Kieran need not always be possessive because he was possessive in Lady Midnight (in fact, in Lord of Shadows, he is very clear that he does not feel jealousy or possessiveness toward Mark the way he once did). Kieran will not always be someone Cristina “hardly knows” because over the course of Lord of Shadows, she gets to know him (much as she got to know Mark over the course of LADY MIDNIGHT, so if her attraction to Mark was not “sudden”, her attraction Kieran isn't really any different.) Mark will not always be the person he is in Lady Midnight and his relationship with Kieran is also subject to change — Mark is now capable, for instance, of identifying unhealthy patterns in their behavior (“The problem was that fights with Kieran usually led to kissing, and that, Mark felt, was not helpful. It probably wasn’t all that healthy, either”) which is a sign of growth and in fact healthiness —it is in healthy relationships that people can observe that some habit or behavior is not healthy and work to change it. In unhealthy relationships, those things are neither acknowledged nor addressed. 

 Human beings are not static, and neither are fictional characters: they are capable of growth and change — in Lord of Shadows, when Mark tells Kieran he does not like something and he does not want Kieran to do it again, Kieran listens and respects that. That is a changed Kieran from Lady Midnight.

 Cristina does not in fact immediately trust Kieran. She grows to trust him over time, partly due to their shared experiences, partly due to coming to understand him better, and partly due to the fact that he saved her life. (That usually makes an impression on people.) Kieran has done several other things that induce her to trust him: showing up to save Tavvy and accept responsibility and Mark’s anger, being willing to testify before the Council even though he now knows that everyone who will benefit from his testimony — while he will be in greater danger afterwards — has conspired to lie to his face. He also shows Cristina respect and understanding. He speaks with admiration of her courage and bravery and with clarity of his good intentions toward Mark and his hopes for Mark’s happiness – and since Kieran cannot lie, Cristina has no reason not to believe he is not honest. I would definitely say Kieran is a flawed person — so is Mark, so is Cristina, so is Julian and everyone else in the Dark Artifices — but flawed does not equal worthless, and his good and even noble acts cannot be totally dismissed as they factor in to why Cristina trusts him. 

 Last let us address faith. The way I see it is this: you are totally right, Cristina IS kind and compassionate. However. Cristina is also notably a woman of faith: she believes in Emma, she believes in Raziel and the Shadowhunters and their mission to protect mankind. She believes in Mark. And she believes in the beauty and potential of Downworlders. She is fascinated by faeries, the Downworlders with whom her family have a special relationship, and she offers Mark kindness in LADY MIDNIGHT based on that which sparks a deeper understanding between them. 

But Mark has chosen the path of a Shadowhunter, and though he has to deal with prejudice others can argue (Jace and Julian both do!) that he is a Shadowhunter. Whereas Kieran is definitely a faerie, and by being both a prince of faerie and a member of the Wild Hunt, is representative of faerieland in a way Mark could never be. By embracing Kieran (uh, metaphorically or... otherwise...) Cristina--basically a princess among Shadowhunters, as Mark says--is embracing faeries, who have been demonized as a people during the Cold Peace. Likewise Kieran, by learning to appreciate and care for Cristina, is embracing Shadowhunters, who are now regarded as enemies of faerie. He was able to dismiss Mark's Shadowhunter status by saying Mark was not truly a Shadowhunter, and that he would come back to the Wild Hunt. He cannot do that with Cristina--if he cares for her, he has to see that there is something admirable about being a Shadowhunter. And thus he can both understand Mark's choice to be one, and understand that Shadowhunters and faeries might not be irrevocably divided by their very natures. 

 If Mark is in the middle, and Cristina and Kieran are at opposite extremes--Mark is a person with an important relationship with both Cristina and Kieran, but he is also a bridge between them. And through caring for and understanding each other, Cristina and Kieran can both fully accept the side of Mark which is very different to them (Cristina, of course, was more accepting than Kieran from the start, but then Cristina was not suffering the loss of Mark) and show the possibility of peace between their people. There is a reason Cristina was the one who first saw Mark and Kieran together in Lady Midnight, and that the romantic relationship (with all its attendant pain and longing) is first seen through her sympathetic eyes as something beautiful. 

 Kieran's plotline in LORD OF SHADOWS is very much about Kieran getting a second chance, and what he does with it: and why he chooses to act differently this time: i.e. how he changes. Cristina did not trust Kieran and get betrayed in LADY MIDNIGHT, but she knows of his actions, and also knows--perhaps understands more fully than Emma or Julian can--what inspired that betrayal, especially that we now know that Kieran thought he was possibly saving Mark’s life in dragging him back to the Hunt. Mark was the one betrayed, and he wrestles with the issue of how culpable Kieran is for actions he does not remember. (In a similar way, Will was cruel to Tessa because he thought he was saving her life, and yet both Tessa and Will later had to wrestle with the fact that cruelty for whatever reason is still cruelty.) 

Now that Kieran has an unusual chance for a do-over, Cristina is in a different position, one in which she can choose to put her faith in Kieran for the first time--and trust that this time, with her faith in the balance, Kieran might make a different choice. We do not trust people because they are perfect and will not hurt us. We trust people even though we know they can and perhaps will hurt us--because we see something in the flawed person before us that is worth trusting. 

Mark and Cristina both play essential roles in Kieran's arc--only Mark can forgive Kieran for what he did, but only Cristina can offer him faith, unblemished and unbroken. And in the end, that forgiveness and that faith produce the best thing Kieran has yet done, which is to put aside pride and hurt feelings and agree to testify in front of the Council, despite the danger to himself, simply because it is the right thing to do. 

 To me, in a world where faith is twisted and the Law corrupted to evil, as it is with Zara and her party, Cristina's faith shines. Faith is not faith if it is never tested. In LORD OF SHADOWS Cristina has to deal with the betrayal of someone who by all the standards she's taught should be trustworthy--Perfect Diego, a Shadowhunter close as family to her. It would be understandable if she found it impossible to trust anyone else for a long time. Instead she finds it in herself to extend trust to someone--a faerie, one of the kind Shadowhunters are taught to suspect, and a person who Cristina knows has betrayed someone before, but who Cristina also knows deeply regretted it. While Zara would condemn Kieran out of hand as poisonous and ridicule the idea that he might be redeemed (because Zara and her kind don’t believe people have the capacity to change, either) Cristina chooses to believe in him instead. It is true that Zara would learn from having been let down in the past that she should never extend trust to anyone again. But Cristina, thankfully, is not Zara.

 While Cristina being hurt and wary for a while may be a passing character note, her conviction and belief in the goodness of other people is literally her character: if anyone was going to extend the benefit of trust to Kieran it was always, always going to be Cristina. As once said of another of my other favorite ladies, Isabelle: fire tests gold. If Zara and her cohort are the worst of what faith can make a person, Cristina  is the best. 

 Cristina's relationship with Kieran, however it turns out, is an argument for unity, for caring for people very different from yourself and seeing that difference as something to embrace rather than reject. Forgiveness is not the same thing as ignoring the wrongs someone has done: it is actually the opposite, an acknowledgement that people change, that they can do better, of understanding that hurt people can lash out but can also reach out. I think that's an issue which we can all agree is deeply important in this world, and at this time.

My unpopular opinion is that Ishida is a huge homophobe/transphobe because there's only one canon LGBT character in all of Tokyo Ghoul who's not a fucking pedophile and Mutsuki is good trans representation in the same way that Buffalo Bill from silence of the lambs is

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

I briefly addressed this in this post which mentions that I do think that Ishida isn’t exactly great at handling LGBT characters, but I don’t think that makes him a homophobe or transphobe.

All the LGBT characters I can think of off the top of my head in TG are (correct me if I’m wrong) Nico, Matsuri, Mutsuki, Big Madam, Tsukiyama and arguably Juuzou (some people include Jason too). This range of characters is extremely diverse on its own. Though Tsukiyama and Nico are quite effeminate, Matsuri doesn’t play into the gay stereotype that much and was portrayed as a strong and powerful character for much of the story and Tsukiyama is also held quite highly by Ishida.

I’m not really sure where you got the idea that most of these characters were pedophiles? Nico expressed attraction to Ayato, in which case, I can see where you’re coming from with him, but the rest of them haven’t displayed any behaviour like that (not too sure about Big Madam, admittedly.) If you’re referring to Matsuri, Urie has been 19 years old and above for the entire time he’s been in the series, so he isn’t a minor, nor has he been one for his entire time having any contact with Matsuri.

Apart from that fact, I don’t think having LGBT characters being antagonists is particularly homophobic/transphobic. If you want good representation, that’s going to mean morally fucked up LGBT characters as well. Especially for a series like Tokyo Ghoul, I think I can safely say that there isn’t really a single character who hasn’t done anything wrong. All the characters are morally grey and have done something fucked up at one point or another, excluding a tiny minority like Yoriko or something. There isn’t really such a thing as good and bad in TG.

As for Mutsuki, I think the handling of his gender identity was partially as a result of a genuine and unintentional lack of understanding on Ishida’s part, but also because Ishida uses Mutsuki’s gender to highlight parts of his personality as well as how he copes with his trauma. I think Mutsuki’s situation is very different in comparison to the average transgender person, and that’s why it’s also portrayed very differently. I wrote a bit about this in this post.

What I see in Ishida’s story is an attempt to have a cast of diverse and interesting characters, and in this way, I think he has succeeded greatly. However, I think he may have trouble accurately portraying some of these characters because he just doesn’t really have a good grasp on how these identities are perceived by the people who have them. I don’t think it’s deliberate or a result of bad intention or estrangement of LGBT people. I think it’s the intention that makes a person homophobic or transphobic, and it’s just not there with Ishida. I, for one, greatly appreciate the huge variation in the cast of characters we’ve been presented with in TG; I think it’s honestly one of the most diverse I’ve come across and that’s pretty fucking cool to me, and just because LGBT characters aren’t handled the way you’d like them to be doesn’t necessarily make Ishida homophobic or transphobic.

Send me unpopular opinions!

Wonder Woman: A Marvel fan's perspective

I've just made it back from the local premiere of DC's Wonder Woman and I want to share my impressions with the internet right away! I'll do my best to keep it spoiler-free, because I really want people to go and see this film.

I don't want to be one of those fans who starts a review with I'm not a fan of her music, but, but I think my perspective is very much influenced by my taste in comics, and I want to disclose that right away. I've read maybe a couple of dozen DC trades in my time, including a healthy dash of Wonder Woman, but I'm nowhere near appreciating the breadth and depth of the canon in the way I do with Marvel. I'm the Marvel fan who sat through the credits getting excited over the special thanks given to Lee, to Rucka, to Wein. I nearly fell out of my goddamned chair when I realised the screenplay was credited to one Allan Heinburg. THAT'S RIGHT, TRUE BELIEVERS, YOUNG AVENGERS ALLAN HEINBURG! (And it shows, so if that's your jam, hie thee to a cinema, stat!) So maybe I've missed some stuff or maybe it's given me some insight. I don't know. All I know is it was a fucking great film and I'm usually a judgemental bitch about this stuff, so take from that what you will.

In a sentence: Wonder Woman is an excellent origin movie which doesn't overly linger on the foundations of its story, and which pays credit to its setting and the history of the character whilst managing to make reasonably meaningful statements about the bigger picture in war, through a decently intersectional feminist lens, and almost devoid of the male gaze.

I don't know very much about the decisions made in changing the setting of Diana's origins from WWII to WWI. I wondered if it was something to do with being less on the nose with Gal Gadot's Israeli heritage, but as it happens, there were some strikingly vivid depictions of the German instruments of biological warfare, perhaps more so than I've even seen in WWII films. Perhaps it was merely to differentiate between Diana and Captain America; perhaps it was to show a global war with more immediate physical impact upon civilians and fighting people. I would say this: it worked, it was fine, and the setting it gave to the world outside Themyscira when we got there was rich and deep.

The Themyscira of Wonder Woman was, oh blessed relief, a Paradise Island filled with women of different races and body types, up to a point – they were presented as very much a warrior people, and unfortunately, there were no fat women in the foreground. The geography felt real and lived in, and the island, cut off as it was, seemed to make sense. The costumes were not something I was thrilled about from promo shots, but in motion seemed to work much better: the desaturation of Diana's costume appeared to be to portray it as colourful leather, and it flexed and moved quite well with her body in motion (and boy, did she get a range of motion!). The Amazons of Themyscira, absent of the male gaze, absolutely did practice the art of fighting in skimpy clothing, and wore makeup – some of them, lots of makeup – but the camerawork rigidly avoided the male gaze. They emoted, they argued, they fought and they loved – the only part which irked was the total absence of body hair. But god, at least some of them weren't white! And her mother had WRINKLES and THIN SKIN AROUND HER COLLARBONE and SCARS. These are things I've never seen in a superhero film before.

The fights were excellent to my untrained eye. The clash between traditional and modern weaponry wasn't as viciously overwhelming as I've seen it in some iterations of the comics, but that was probably to the benefit of the film: the Amazons gained in perceived competence when they were able to use their weapons well even when appearing outgunned. This also allowed for the only obviously gay moment, meta aside – subtle enough to presumably get past censors worldwide, but still very clearly a moment between female lovers to any viewer who regards gay people as human. (Look! This is what happens when you let Heinburg write stuff! He's going to stick gay heroes in it and everyone's going to have a good time.)

Steve Trevor – Chris Pine, didn't know that until today – was pretty decently cast (my main issue being that he looked a bit All American to pass for a German soldier) and genuinely well acted. He swayed between wide-eyed innocence and awkward heroics brilliantly, clearly realising from the outset that he represented all of the wider world to Diana, and as such had a responsibility to her. Unlike the dryer DC films, the cinema where I watched, with a full house, was often shaking with laughter – unlike during the Marvel films I've watched, there wasn't one cheap shot. Instead, the humour came from actual wit, not quips – this was war, there wasn't any time for quipping. The wit was inferred by the audience. Here, a small sample: Diana sees Steve bathing. He is embarrassed and goes to cover himself, but not quickly enough. She stares for a while and asks him if he is considered to be an average member of his sex. His palpable despair at the nature of the question got perhaps the biggest laugh of the entire film (he bluffed that he was “considered an above-average specimen” initially, but that streak of toxic masculinity was soon knocked out of him).

Diana, meanwhile, was genuinely a good fit. Again, having seem promo shots, I was halfway to despair – she really does have a slight figure, and I don't think all the hard training in the world would bulk her up all that much. But oh, how she must have trained – she was no stuntwoman like some of the Amazon actors around her, but her muscles were clear and defined, and she carried a weight through the cinematography. A fall from on high would be met with a camera-shaking THUD into the ground. There were loving close-ups showing a lot of bicep when she hefted great weights above her head. Her thighs wobbled! Again, this shouldn't be news in 2017, but it hasn't happened yet in Marvel. Her accent was great – I presume it's her natural accent, and that the other Amazons were supposed to match to her? Unfortunately, some of them slipped into British English from time to time, to my well-trained ear, but it was really pleasing to hear a non-American American icon sounding... non-American. There was possibly a little unintentional humour to be taken from the fact that her key name 'Steve' didn't sound very natural to her tongue, and tended to come out more as 'Stieff,' but it was kind of sweet, the film didn't linger on it, and it wasn't really an issue. Her portrayal of Diana oozed charm and demanded respect. This was a young Diana, certainly – a Diana whose people are still keeping secrets from her, who wants to charge into battle and take the head of the enemy leader – when the battle is World War One – who believes extremely firmly in her gods even when her countrywomen might doubt – but whose groundings as a great leader are being found throughout the film. Gadot was utterly convincing as the ingénue who knows more than every man in the room put together. A balance was found with disarming ease in the script – she knows nearly every language and outfoxes the British government – but she genuinely doesn't see the point in trousers, and just about screeches with delight the first time she sees a baby.

On sex: my partner, who's ace-spec, said she felt a little alienated by the obvious inclusion of a sex scene. Me, I've read some Wonder Woman, and I think I would have been a bit insulted if there hadn't been any explicit attraction between Diana and Steve at all. In every iteration of the story, it's still the story: the first Man to the Island Of Women brings with him War, and the young Diana flees her mother's rule, falling for him and fighting for justice. I believe that the film could have managed without a sexual attraction between the characters, but I think it's a worthy nod to the history and a decent element of complexity for both characters, especially given the minor character reveal for Steve which takes place just as they're getting close to one another. The film isn't lost to slow gazes into each other's eyes – it's more clever than that; it uses small ideas to represent big ones. Sex is here because war is here. Glory is here but so is pain. And there are other joyful nods to her comic continuity: for those who it would really upset, I feel I must make it clear that her traditional origin story is here, but so is her New 52 origin. (I didn't have to dig to know about the conflict there - the Marvel fans heard DC readers screaming over that one). Despite my misgivings the moment it became clear that the film was going to Go There, it wasn't made into something which wouldn't work outside a feminist reading – more that Diana's people are more emotionally complex than she knows, that even the most loving of mothers can keep secrets. It didn't rankle, and I'd really thought it would. And Etta Candy was there! And the named villain she kept coming up against was Dr. Poison! Honestly, to my untrained eye they both seemed PERFECT. Etta was a fabulous blend of side-eying quirky realness, who got to throw out nice little jabs about corsetry and getting The Vote which kept us very firmly rooted in the time period. Dr. Poison was wide-eyed genius and vulnerability – the perfect locus for the film's musing on whether war is inevitable, whether humans are driven to destroy one another by their own ambition and pride. With incredibly few lines she gave a commanding performance. I won't go further into defining roles played by other actors, because there's a nice few surprises here and there – I'll say this: the casting is great, and some Marvel pitfalls of overly screen-perfect costuming and dehumanising armour were deftly avoided.

Where the film truly shone to me was in its intersectionality. I'm SURE they could have done more, they could always do more. But given that this was a Wonder Woman film, and that we were bound to get a pale Diana and Steve, it did so much within that! From the minister played by David Thewlis, who (without comment) walked with a cane, to Etta's charmingly full-figured portrayal – overlooked and overworked by Steve, a plot thread they didn't pull hard on, but which added depth to the characters and their social networks, and which felt very believable. Crowd shots were incredible for this: a sea of soldiers with white faces, and amongst them, near the centre of the shot, a black soldier, for this was England during the war, and not America, and our forces weren't explicitly segregated. His uniqueness in the image made him the focus, not the novelty. There were older women staffing the medical services, there were soldiers in tam o' shanters, there were even Canary Girls for one very distinct shot, and I had to tell my English girlfriend who they even were. And here's something I'm annoyed with Marvel for again – the ease with which this film handled everything, when Marvel can't even get Carol fucking Danvers on the screen after god knows how many box office crushing successes. I don't know if there's any version of Diana's origin story where she and Steve join forces with a ragtag group of international fighters, but my god, if this is how DC are going to handle characters who seem suspiciously like Marvel's Howling Commandos, they can fucking have them. It was great. It never touted American exceptionalism, and there were some fantastic callouts, like Diana trying to find out who destroyed the way of life of The Chief, played by Eugene Brave Rock, and finding, simply, that he could point to his sleeping ally, Steve, and say “his people.” Yes, yes, yes. Saïd Taghmaoui was outstanding as Sameer – the sort of person who flourishes in historical accounts and novels of the time, but who we never seem to get on screen – a highly educated man who manipulates and fleeces others, because he wanted to be an actor – but he was “the wrong colour.” Ewen Bremner – Spud, from Trainspotting, as Charlie, fell a little flatter for me – there was nothing inherently wrong with his portrayal, but speaking as a Brit, I think the world has enough cowardly drunken Scots characters, even if they're brimming with sadness and complexity in response to a world gone mad. DC Bombshells has a Steve Trevor who explicitly suffers from PTSD, rather than transferring trauma into a more minor character – probably this wouldn't have been something they could manage in a two-hour film, but it was a shame, and it was a little dehumanising, as he was the only Scottish character, even if he was totally believable. Steve certainly had his moments of vulnerability, which I very much appreciated, even so.

Cinematography-wise, I think the film fell into some familiar traps. There was an irritating amount of blue and orange, though it wasn't half so pronounced as other action films of the last decade, and there was a wonderful scene where the colour scheme was used as a fakeout and faded into glorious bright golds. Still, the hyper-colourful ending credits were a tantalising reminder of the richer, more fully-realised world we could have had. The sets, however, were fantastic, and felt grimly realistic throughout the war scenes. The single tiny point I thought seemed historically off to me turns out to be something I was wrong on – pebbledashing for the exterior of buildings, iconically used on 1930s homes in the UK, was actually used in the 1910s for outbuildings. There are probably costuming, accent or set design mistakes somewhere in the film – in a production of this scope, there always are – but I couldn't find them, not once.

Score was fine – it's not what I go to the cinema for, but it seemed like it was used well and in all the right places. A couple of bits were good enough that I briefly wondered if it could be Howard Shore – it wasn't, it seems to have been a bit designed by committee, which I suppose is par for the course with these things and why I liked Shore so much in the first place. The ending theme's composed by Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine, however, and performed by Sia! I have no idea if it was good – as always happens at my local cinema, they brought up the lights straight away and everyone started talking loudly.

Essentially, whether it's a perfect film and whether it will stand the test of time is a different question as to whether it's a good Wonder Woman film, which it absolutely is. Were the themes clever? I would say they were consistent, and not guilty of overreach. Wonder Woman is at its heart a narrative about whether humanity and civilization should be worth the time of a godlike figure from a paradise civilization, and, by association, for ourselves. It wasn't hammered home, if that's not your kind of thing, and it's handled better than your average war film. Was it improved by a screenplay written by a gay writer who usually handles the small screen, and who's written for comics in the past? My god, yes – and was it improved by its direction by a woman – Patty Jenkins – known for her work with intense female actors? Yes! Should you go and see it? If you like films or comics, it's definitely worth it.

For the Emperor, by Sandy Mitchell

Kalinara: So, we had a bit of an unintentional hiatus as real life hit both of us pretty hard. But now we’re back. It was my turn to pick the book this time, so I thought I’d try something a bit different. I chose “For the Emperor”, the first of the Ciaphas Cain novels in the Warhammer 40K series

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Okay, so, disclaimer. I don’t play Warhammer, any version. I only have the vaguest idea of how it works, or who the major players are, or what the hell is even going on. All of my knowledge of the setting comes from the tie-in novels. And I have to admit, as someone used to trudging through Forgotten Realms (I honestly suspect the popularity of the Drizzt books, despite the irritating nature of the main character, comes from the fact that they’re one of a handful of series that are reasonably coherent), the Warhammer 40K novels that I’ve bothered to read are actually, legitimately enjoyable.

Ragnell: I don’t play Warhammer either, but I appreciate being able to google what the aliens look like.

K::One of the most interesting aspects of these books, to me, is seeing how the writers tackle the innate ridiculousness of the setting. I mean, don’t get me started on the thousands of people sacrificed a day to keep the undead Emperor alive so that chaos doesn’t consume all of humanity thing. The setting uses the word “grimdark” unironically. Enough said.

R: This setting is like the world/universal version of Ash from the Evil Dead sequels. And now I think I’ll picture Ciaphas Cain as 90s Bruce Campbell forever.

K: And I can see why the setting works great for the game, but it’s got to be a challenge for any writer to dreg up human stories out of that mess. And it’s interesting to see how different writers handle that.

Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts series seems to downplay the most ridiculous aspects of the setting to focus on trench warfare in space. Sandy Mitchell, on the other hand, seems to be embracing the over-the-top aspects of the setting and matching them with an equally over-the-top protagonist: Ciaphas Cain.

According to history, Ciaphas Cain is a legendary hero, a paragon of heroic virtue whose courage and honor are unparalleled. However according to his secret memoirs (as compiled and annotated by Inquisitor Amberley Vail), Cain has a different point of view of the events. Ciaphas Cain, according to Ciaphas Cain, isn’t a hero at all, but a selfish coward who obtained his heroic reputation through a mixture of luck, good timing, and a really good facade.

The plot of the novel is pretty straightforward: it represents an extract from Cain’s memoirs about his first mission with the 597th Valhallan Regiment. But it’s the characters, not the plot, that make the story interesting.

The Valhallan 597th has an interesting backstory in its own right. It’s made up of what had been two separate companies that were devastated during a recent battle. One of the companies was an all-male front-line regiment, the other an all-female rear echelon group. This required a bit of an adjustment period, especially since the new senior officer was one of the latter.

One thing I liked about the conflict was that while sexism was a part of it, it wasn’t simply a matter of “ew, girls” so much as the fact that these were two very different companies with very different ways of doing things. And there really wasn’t any doubt that the women were as capable as the men in actual combat.

It was however a nice set up to ensure that we had about as many prominent female characters as male characters in the story.

R: Yeah, I appreciated that too. This is an extremely macho space fantasy, and it would have been easy to have one female character for the love interest for the whole thing but this writer went out of his way to give us a mix. That was really cool.

K: We also get to witness the first meeting of Cain and his annotator in person, which is a rather nice touch. Inquisitor Vail is a fun character in her own right, and she and Cain have a lot of chemistry. One thing that I stands out for me, on reread, is how much is said and not said about the relationship between the two characters. Neither of them ever use the word “love”, but Cain himself states that she made “half a lifetime of running, shooting, and bowel-clenching terror” worth it. From Cain, that’s saying something. Vail is less effusive, but in a footnote notes that she and Cain felt “more at ease in one another’s company” than either were used to. In a way, it’s possible to read the entire Cain series as a declaration of Vail’s feelings for Cain: she’s presenting us not with the legend, but with the man that she knew. Warts and all.

R: She seems to prefer him to the legend. I like that they have a kind of stock action hero-love interest thing on paper, where she’s a spy who surprises him and she relies on his combat prowess, but there is something really fresh about it. She never gets taken out specifically to prop him up, for example. They have their own strengths and weaknesses, and some social abilities in common. And they bond over the fact that she can see through him. In fact, this consummate liar seems pretty attracted to the fact that she perceives the true him and likes him.

K: It’s probably fair to note that his initial knee-jerk fear of being discovered is not as neurotic as it might seem. His personality foibles might well be an executable offense in this universe.

The fun of this particular series is in the unreliable narrator aspect. We actually get layers of unreliable narrator here. Since the stories are presented as parts of Cain’s memoirs, we’re getting Cain’s in character version of events, decades after the fact. Assuming, of course, that Cain is telling us the truth. And assuming, of course, that Cain’s recollections aren’t clouded with self-doubt, hindsight, or foggy memory.

Vail is another layer of unreliable narrator. She claims to be impartial, supplementing Cain’s account with outside sources when needed, and adding her own footnotes to provide contextual explanations (a good way to deal with the minutia of the Warhammer universe for those of us without the patience or attention span to read through the source books), but every so often her footnotes end up with a little more personal color than necessary.

We know that Cain’s heroic deeds happened. It’s documented clearly and reinforced. But the “how” and “why” is an interesting question. Is Cain the selfish coward that he thinks he is? Is he a hero suffering from imposter syndrome who doesn’t give himself enough credit? Or is he just a normal man dealing with a batshit insane society that has no comprehension or recognition of human weakness?

R: I have to say, whatever it is results in Cain having an extremely practical and grounded focus. The setting is so overblown, so masculine, so honestly scary in how the Imperium is set up and works and how brainwashed all these conscripts are that it’s helpful to have a guy like Cain as your narrator.

K: Other notable characters include Jurgen, Cain’s aide, and probably the person that Cain values most in the entire universe (though he wouldn’t/couldn’t admit it. But his reaction when he thought Jurgen might be dead was pretty telling), and Sulla, one of members of the 597th who annoys Cain the most.

I think I like Sulla because she’s a character who absolutely did not have to be female. Her major traits: a gung ho attitude that annoys the hell out of Cain, a tendency to purple prose, and a steller career in her own right, do not require Sulla to be female. She’s a comedic foil, not a romantic option, and is never discussed in terms of physical attractiveness. In most stories, she’d be a male character. And she could have been a male character here, as the Valhallan Regiment is co-ed. But instead, the future retired General Jenit Sulla is female. And I like that a lot.

R: Sulla’s great. I’m more a fan of Kasteen though, who did pretty much have to be female to balance out the co-ed thing, but has that practical side I like. Sulla’s more gung-ho “For the Emperor!” Kasteen and Broklaw are more down to earth like Cain, focusing on the immediate goal and how to obtain it without getting the regiment killed.

K: It’s probably worth talking about Cain’s role for a moment. He’s a Commissar, which, for people who aren’t familiar with the setting, operates something like an advisor, morale officer, and secret police. As near as I can tell, with my own limited exposure to the setting, their job primarily consists of shooting people for cowardice and heresy.

They’re generally not popular, for fairly understandable reasons. (It’s a warning sign as to how bad the situation was that Kasteen was actually glad to see him.) And represent one of the more mundane horrors of the setting, when you stop and think about it.

But that’s where Cain’s pragmatism and self-centeredness serves him well. Cain knows that Commissars are generally unpopular, and that the worst often meet with friendly fire accidents as often as they’re killed by the enemy, and he has no intention of allowing that to happen to him. Besides, he has a vested interest in keeping as many of his troops alive as possible so they can stand between him and the enemy.

R: Which is another great bit, a book where the intelligent survival choice is to actually build relationships with others and keep them alive. It stands out again, against the culture Cain’s immersed in.

K: Ultimately, what appeals to me the most about this book, and this series beyond it, is that it takes a premise that ought to be cynical: the legendary hero is nowhere near the paragon of virtue that he’s reputed to be, and makes it strangely optimistic. Even if we take Cain completely at his word that he’s the selfish, cowardly phony that he labels himself as, the end result is that he has had a legitimately positive influence on a lot of people. He’s saved worlds and he’s saved lives. And when you look at it like that, it’s hard to say that he doesn’t deserve to be called a “hero” after all, even if he’d never meant to be.

In the end, instead of a story in which a hero is exposed as a scoundrel, we have a story about how a scoundrel accidentally becomes a hero.

Yes, My Hair Is My Culture

Imagine being told your entire life that your hair was something that you should be ashamed of. Then suddenly in your 20s, it was acceptable,  because some random celebrity who was was not apart of your culture started wearing hairstyles to mimic the hair your were naturally born with. That is what it is like growing up as a black woman in America. What many Americans do not seem to understand, especially White Americans, is that they have the privilege to wear their hair in any style they want to, without it hindering how they are perceived by others. It is the complete opposite for black women. Your hair dictates your life. Black hair is constantly targeted as something that is “inappropriate” and “unprofessional”. From day one, black women are told and shown that their hair is something that they should hide and be ashamed of, and then when they find ways to make it “more acceptable”–such as wearing wigs, weaves, box braids, etc.–they are still faced with negativity in the form of comments like “ghetto” and “ratchet”.

We live in a very frustrating society in when it comes to culture. America is a melting pot made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds and cultures. It is what makes us such a unique country. However, this in a way is a double edged sword when it comes to pop culture. There is a fine line between appropriation and appreciation that has been created in American media and society. Many may try to turn a blind eye to it and claim that cultural appropriation is “not a thing” but it very much is so. One of the most common instances of cultural appropriation found in American media is the hairstyles of black women. Now I know what some of you are probably thinking. “You can’t claim a hairstyle as a culture”. But the thing is, we can. Let me explain.

The most hated kind of hair type in America is that of a black women. The most derogatory kinds of hairstyles in America are those that are associated with black women. And yet, both of these things are two of the most uncredited “inspirations” in American pop culture. Now, I personally believe this is due to the fact that our hair holds a part of history that is consistently swept under a rug because, like most minorities in America, it has a harsh past that White America wants us to forget. Thus, the hairstyle will be put on the whitest model they can find, renamed, and labeled the “new hottest trend” leading to unintentional backhand comments like “I love your hair! It’s so (insert non-black celebrity name)-esque.” The best example of this would be the Vogue article¹ about how Lupita Nyong’o’s hairstyle for last year’s Met Gala was inspired by Audrey Hepburn when actually is was inspired by that of the hairstyles of various African tribes and Nina Simone².  This is a common practice, especially in the fashion world.

For decades now, black women have been routinely told to hide their natural hair. Natural black hair is very unique and unlike any in the world. Not only does it grow naturally curly, it also grows coarsely and upward. Some black people will have more coarse hair than others, some will have more curly.Basically, our hair does not grow straight down and silky like the ideal American standard of beauty. (Keyword: ‘silky’; because, contrary to popular belief, black hair is actually very soft.) To comply with American standards, black women would straighten their hair by any means necessary. For some, something as simple as a straightener would be enough. For others, more drastic and damaging chemical methods were needed. Both methods are harmful and both were meant to hide the natural state of our hair.

For black women, our natural state of hair is an afro, but according to Allure Magazine in 2015, the afro is a “ballsy” style. The significance of the afro dates back to the Civil Rights Movement where the birth of another movement occurred for black culture. Around the 1960’s, Africans began to (willingly) immigrate to America more frequently. With this exposure to African people, American-born black people were finally seeing firsthand the beauty that was their hair. Thus, the first wave of the Natural hair movement was born. Women stopped straightening their hair and started wearing their natural afros. It was a statement of growing comfortable with the hair they were in and as a means of trying to remain connected to the roots that were taken from them. The afro had become so powerful that at one point, women began hiding their afros in public to avoid arrest, as it was seen as a form of protest.¹ Despite it's significance, none of this information was even mentioned when Allure published their article. Sure, the author said it was a “confident style” which, in America, it is; even today, black women wearing afros are considered bold. Imagine that. Being considered bold and confident simply for wearing your hair how it looks naturally. And instead of using a model that, you know, is black and does not have to go through extreme lengths to rock an Afro, they used the article to show white girls how they can be apart of the fun too.

Another black hairstyle that is constantly appropriated is, dreadlocks (better knowns as “locs” amongst black people). Yes, dreadlocks are black culture. I do not care if you are a Bob Marley fan, saw Kylie Jenner do it, or witnessed it during Marc Jacobs’ show for Fashion Week last year. If you are not black and you are wearing dreadlocks, you are appropriating black culture.

Let us start with where the word “dreadlock” comes from. Remember slavery and how the slaves actually got from Africa to America? Let me refresh your memory a little bit:  Africans were stored in a boat like sardines with little to no movement and no form of hygiene. Because of that, their hair would grow and knot up. The knots would lock up the hair, making it virtually impossible to run through. The word “dreadlock” was formed because it was a style that originated from a dreadful time in black history.

Let us jump to today with the double standard when it comes to locs being worn by black people. Firstly, black people with locs are automatically assumed to be dirty. This is because of the kind of regimen to maintain them. When black people make the decision to loc their hair, they only need to wash their hair once a month. This is because you need to give the hair time to grow and actually loc together. This, however, does not mean black people with locs have dirty hair. Black people in general do not need to wash their hair that often for it to be clean. Most black people do it once or twice a week or even once every two weeks. Frequent washing can actually damage our hair and dry it out. Our hair produces natural oils that protect it.

Now here is where the double standard comes in: when white people are seen with locs they are not automatically perceived as dirty. They will usually  “attractive”, “chill”, “artistic”, “alternative”, or even “goth” for some. In actuality, their hair is significantly dirtier compared to that of a black person with locs. In fact, when you first get locs you are not supposed to touch your hair for the first month more or so, so that the hair can lock. But the difference is black people can go a lot longer without washing their hair than others without it being damaging or even dirty for that matter. Even Zendaya got hate for her locs in the media and they were not even real.

But because she is a black girl, she was ridiculed for probably smelling like weed. Meanwhile, you had Kylie Jenner, Lady Gaga, and Miley Cyrus who all wore faux locs at some point, and were considered “edgy”. Are you noticing a pattern yet? Because I definitely am.

Now there are several accounts of protective styles being appropriated over the years. If you do not know what that is,  you have definitely seen these styles on a some random white girl, under a “new name” or considered a “hairspiration”. A protective style is a hairstyle which black people will wear in order to protect their hair. Right now, we are in the second wave of the Natural Hair Movement so many black women are using protective styles to promote natural hair growth. Prior to that, however, most black women would wear these styles as a means of conforming so that they would be taken more seriously not only in their professional lives, but in their daily lives as well. Unfortunately, even with that intent, protective styles are consistently appropriated, and when they are not, black women seen wearing them are easily associated as being “ghetto”.

Protective styles can be with or without hair extensions. Cornrows, two strand twists, and bantu knots are a few examples of protective styles that can be done with and without extensions. Weaves, box braids, marley twists, and goddess braids are the more commonly known styles are the ones that do use hair extensions. All of these styles are great ways which black women use to promote the growth of their hair. Like I mentioned earlier, black hair grows naturally curly. This means black hair also grows slower, especially when it is constantly touched and manipulated. The beauty of protective styles is that it allows black women to grow their hair faster and healthy whilst still looking “presentable” to the rest of the world.

Many non-black celebrities will wear these styles, and pop culture outlets will claim that they are something brand new and will not credit where the styles actually come from. Bantu knots become “mini buns”, goddess braids and cornrows become “boxer braids”, and Senegalese twists will finally be shown on a fashion magazine but only on the whitest girl they can find. What this turns into is black women being accused of finding the inspiration to do styles by non-black celebrities, when it’s really the other way around. But no, we do not know what we are talking about, right?

I think what white America really needs to start understanding is this: when it comes to hair, they have the privilege and the freedom not to be bound by their hair. They need to become aware and accepting that black hair is black culture. They should not deem these hairstyles unacceptable because it is something they literally cannot achieve and should not make them acceptable just because they are under a new name on a white face. The fact that even our military has created standards for black women’s hair (in that they banned protective hairstyles and specifically used mainly black women as visual examples of unacceptable hairstyles) should really put things into perspective.²

It is 2017 you guys. My hair is beautiful. My hair is appropriate. My hair is my culture.

  Sources:

¹http://blackgirllonghair.com/2015/01/the-natural-hair-movement-in-the-60s-and-70s-how-it-began-and-why-it-ended/

²http://time.com/3107647/military-black-hairstyles/

I need to write about this. I've noticed this since a little while ago.  I've finally found a cliche trope that I'm tired of. Or maybe, it's found me.  Me, who will watch the same movie 5 times in 1 day or loop the same song, all night.  There's finally a cliche I'm sick of.  

I think it's my old age by now, but I'm noticing more and more how often all the media I'm exposed to is all about boobs and sexualized girls.  I used to just ignore all this and it was invisible to me.  The majority of anime I watched used to be from the "harem genre".  Hetero-male-wish-fulfillment portrayal of every curve of skin, and I was like, "Well, that's pretty".  But now it bothers me.  And I don't know if I'm more bothered by the fact that now I'm annoyed all the time, or the fact that I used to just accept this status quo.  ~.~;;;;;  

I mean, I'm all about sexual positivity stuff and I try really hard to become aware of any of my perceptions that need to curb towards that correction.  But I watched Barbarella when I was little, I've seen the discussions of comic book artists trying to pass off sexualized portrayals for no story reason as just "defying censorship", etc.  I've lived enough years to have seen women's freedom of sexual expression get co-opted by hetero guys who just want an excuse to have boobs everywhere.  Because respecting the sexuality of a real life person who is in a room with you is easy, but seeing them on a screen or as just an image automatically turns them into an object that's much easier to objectify.  They are literally an object now.  Even while they're accepting and expressing their sexual autonomy.  

For example, I was really surprised when I heard that the music artist of that "Anaconda" song meant the music video as an expression of her own sexual identity and expression.  Because without that context, a music video is just another image in your screen, an object.  And it objectified her.  To me, without intended context, it was just all the usual "male gaze" cliches and tropes that media had done for decades.  It wasn't until I heard from the artist, what she felt her work was about, that I then considered the point of view of the female "character" in the music video.  And yeah, from that position, it's an empowering, assertive control over own's own sexuality.  But without the artist standing beside the artwork to explain that, there were no cues for me to counter the usual "male gaze" presupposition that media usually expects the audience to have as their groundwork perception.  I once had an art teacher tell me that your work needs to stand in and of itself, because you're not going to be standing beside (each and every one of) your artworks, explaining to each person who sees it, what it is about.  It should be able to do that on its own.  And I'm sorry, but centuries of preconceived expectations that the audience takes the hetero male position perspective, when going into seeing an artwork, is something that I don't like, but it's been established and we have to work from there (until things change to a majority degree).

Sure, that opening sequence of Barbarella and all those 1970's movies of women without bras (I had to watch Michael Mann's "Thief" for film class) was a blow against censorship even allowing the *idea* that women have sexuality, but the "male gaze" was all over that stuff.  Those scenes weren't about women enjoying their own sexuality.  They were about hetero guys watching while women do non-sexual stuff, like changing clothes or standing, and turning it into a sexual thing for voyeurs (attracted to females) to get off on.  

Even Persona 5's Panther, for whom I wrote an entire essay defending her sexual expression having actual STORY REASONS and her latex, purposefully sexual costume being okay, still had moments in that game that made you think it was being written by 2 separate teams.  1 team said, "Ann has spent all of high school either shamed for her perceived sexuality or dominated by others for her sexual appeal, and therefore her taking control of her own sexuality as not just a dominatrix in her costume, but also as a confident, unrepressed girl able to incorporate sex appeal into her modelling job and express it with confidence, as just another part of her identity, is her character arc."  While another team said, "Hey, let's make her battle stance (the pose players are going to see the most often) shove her butt into the player's face, in a back-breaking pose, so the game player can have something sexy to look at, while she waits for what action you'll pick for her".  

Sex is a tricky thing.  I can see why the Victorians choose to never talk about it instead.  But I don't want to go back to people repressed and self-medicating with alcohol, and emotionally betraying supposed close emotional bonds, on a wide societal scale.  

Hell, as horribly romanticizing of emotional abuse as "50 Shades of Grey" is, I still have to give it some thanks for normalizing the idea that women can enjoy sex for their own sexual pleasure.  History, and unknowingly the present, is still full of Victorian notions of "women not enjoying sex" or "only men can enjoy sex".  I mean, the demographic enjoying this book series is so sexually repressed that they're naive. They don't recognize emotional abuse, they don't know boundaries, they don't know how to enjoy sex, or even when a partner is being selfish about sex.  And when wives who have gotten pregnant and had babies are more sexually naive than an asexual who consciously gets myself educated about sex, any little bit of sexual open-mindedness for them is something I'll be thankful for.  

After all this, after all my many years on this earth, I think that's why when I check out new figure announcements and the majority are ecchi figures that portray overly-vulnerable expressions on the female figures' faces, I get exasperated.  "This again, huh?"  I mean, to me, consent is sexy.  But there are so many figures that portray clearly accidental states of undress that turn the figures' appeal voyeuristic.  When you see this enough, it pushes this idea that dub-con or non-con is what sexy is.  And then there are the figures which are "sexy for no reason".  The character is clearly not purposefully posing.  They're often looking off into an inconsequential direction, as if they struck this pose without thinking.  No one expressing their sexuality so purposefully has an unintentional gaze!  Go watch the Victoria Secret fashion shows!  I love those because the models exemplify how to act with confidence in your sexuality/sexual expression!  But when the majority of Code Geass figures for my beloved C.C. have her popping her butt out with the facial expression of waiting for a bus to arrive (never mind her impassive personality, she's also known for her defiance, damn it!), it just screams of her not having autonomy over her sexual expression. She needs to be conscious of the sexuality that she's exuding for her sexual expression to be an expression of her, and not some unintentional, compromising position that some voyeur caught her in.  

But I do admit that with all the nuances in sexuality, part of the enjoyment of sex is opening one's vulnerabilities to another person and being accepted, and/or seeing a partner trust you enough to open _their_ vulnerabilities to you.  I think that's where the appeal of the vulnerable facial expression in ecchi, hentai, yaoi, and BL comes from.  But sex is complicated and you have to have consent.  That's why I think such vulnerable facial expressions on anifigures and anime/manga characters is only sexy AFTER the story has established consent and enough trust between the characters that such expressions of vulnerability are _earned_. But how do you get that story/character background with just a figurine? Or a poster?  Maybe most media producers assume that most (hetero male) audiences _assume_ the trust and consent of characters who are making vulnerable facial expressions while in ecchi poses.  But I'm a tougher sell than that.  Please don't just assume with me.  I want to see the purposeful consent and intentional sexual expression coming from the character in control of their choosing to express their sexuality, and enjoying it themselves---not just doing it reluctantly to please the onlooker.  That's sexy.  Then again, if the figure/poster is of a character that I already know the background of, and I CAN assume consent for enthusiasm and/or trust for open vulnerability, then I'm ok with a vulnerable ecchi portrayal.  

Another example:  Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash.  I like white bikinis.  Cute girls are cute.  I heard this game has good game mechanics and play control; it's a good game.  But does every victory screen for the player have to be closeups of the girls pouting displeasure, while the camera slides back and forth over their bodies?  Now, I get that they're supposed to be all "tsundere and pouty" and upset over losing a shooter match.  But it's a water-gun fight.  There are plenty of girls in the cast that reasonably, at least SOME of them would still enjoy playing, even if they "lost".  I want to see some girls in the victory screen, still laughing and playing at you winning a water-gun fight, even if they lost.  I want to see them eager to play again.  I want to see everyone having fun!  And if I happen to find happiness paired with bikinis sexy, then it'd feel a lot more in the consensual category, than dub-con.  Dub-con is going through with sexual activities even when the character is upset and not fully comfortable.  Unfortuantely, that's exactly what these repeated victory screens of upset girls in bikinis while the camera documents their failure, say to me.  

Then on the other hand, we get ecchi figures that actually do portray enthusiastic consent, but don't have any subtlety.  Wanting subtlety can't be just my tastes.  I can't be the only one who thinks that enthusiastic consent doesn't _always_ have to be raunchy.  So why do almost all figures/manga/hentai portray it that way?  For example, Aquamarine's recent "Chiyo: demon style" static scale figure has that nice consensual, enthusiastic, "I'm in control of my own actions and I choose to do this for my own enjoyment" expression on the character's face, but thighs wide spread, with hair-tentacles pulling up her underwear at the crotch, at center-frame of the intended composition, is too blunt.  And yes, I'm allowed to be picky about sexuality.  It has many nuances and subtleties.  Anyone who doesn't want to respect other people's boundaries is just lazy.  

So all that being said, I think that I'd be less bothered by all the sexualized female portrayals I see in anime figurines, anime, manga, etc., if the majority of it didn't fetishize non-consent.  And I'd like it even more if the vast majority of female portrayals weren't defined by sexuality.  After decades of seeing this everywhere, it's like media thinks sexuality is all females are good for.  Like when people got upset when the manga-ka for Naruto didn't understand why people didn't like Sakura because he had already done his job of making her pretty (in his opinion), as if that was the only thing a female character needed to be.  Hell, even female Byleth inexplicably has a gap in her leather armor, just to show her bellybutton and a low neckline in her breastplate, even though a warrior really should be protecting all the vital arteries/veins there.  I'm sorry to harp on about the "over sexulaiztion of female portrayals in media", especially when I do believe there's enjoyment to be had in expressing one's own sexuality.  But if old geeks are allowed to complain about cliches and hackneyed tropes in media, like Mary Sues and Deus Ex Machina, then let me introduce you to the one that's finally worn me down to this point, after 30+ years.  It's cliche, and I'm tired of seeing it everywhere.  (Personally, I think Mary Sues/Gary Stus are fine, but everywhere?  In EVERYthing?  No.)  

What are the Advantages of Using Disposable Latex Gloves?

The Advantages of Using Disposable Latex Gloves

  Death House.

No, it's not the title of Stephen King's latest blockbuster. And it's not the name of America's scariest haunted attraction. It's what hospitals were called back in the 1800s. Yikes!

They received the morbid label due to the prevalence of infection and spread of disease. The death rate during that time was over 50 percent. And the majority of those deaths weren't due to the original wound.

Without realizing it, the inventor of the first rubber gloves played an influential role in creating a more sterile environment.

Keep reading to discover the unintentional development of sterile surgery. And why the advantages of using disposable latex gloves haven't changed in centuries.

The Background of Latex Gloves

The development of a glove to protect hands finds it's beginnings in the medical industry.

William Stewart Halsted was the first chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins hospital. Many accounts list Dr. Halsted as the first to wear rubber gloves during an operation. Although Halsted is the inventor, it was Caroline Hampton -- Halsted's scrub nurse, soon-to-be wife -- who was the first to use gloves during surgery.

Halsted devised the idea after Nurse Hampton complained about certain disinfectants. The chemicals the hospital used were harsh. The mercuric chloride and carbolic acid caused a severe rash on the nurse's hands. This was later referred to as contact dermatitis.

It soon became common practice for nurses and assistants to wear the protective gloves during medical procedures.

It wasn't until 1899 that Halsted himself began wearing gloves during surgery. What changed Halsted's mind was a report published by his protege, Dr. Joseph Bloodgood.

After performing over 450 hernia operations, Bloodgood had some very significant findings. The use of gloves resulted in a near 100% drop in the infection rate during the procedures.

Halsted reportedly said, "Why was I so blind not to have perceived the necessity for wearing them all the time?" Dr. Bloodgood later became the director of surgical pathology at Johns Hopkins.

Now they are the most common device used in industries requiring hand protection.

Uses for Disposable Latex Gloves

The tight, secure fit of disposable latex gloves offers users a more sensitive feel and touch. Of course, the most basic purpose hasn't changed since the 1800s -- protection for the hands. Here are some of the industries that make latex glove use a part of normal operating procedures.

Health Care

Healthcare professionals across the globe rely on disposable gloves. The gloves provide a barrier between skin and biohazardous material. This includes blood, urine, feces, and saliva. They serve the dual purpose of protecting patients from cross-contamination.

Contact with blood and body fluids is not exclusive to health care providers. Many other professions take advantage of the protective nature of latex. These include EMTs, firefighters, first responders, and police officers.

Dental

There are over 700 different types of bacteria inside the typical human mouth. This natural microflora is essential for a healthy oral cavity.

At any one time, there can be 20-100 billion bacteria inside a typical human mouth. (That's more than the entire Earth's population!) These bacteria are relatively harmless. Yet the possibility of infection still exists if a cut or opening in the skin is present.

Why do dentists and hygienists don latex gloves when examining pearly whites? We just gave you 50 billion reasons.

Veterinary

Unlike (most) humans, a scared or stressed animal has the tendency to piddle right where they stand. That is reason enough for veterinary clinics to provide safety gloves to employees. But there are more serious considerations.

Ever heard of "cat scratch fever?" Besides being a classic Ted Nugent song, it's a real thing. Bartonellosis (catch scratch disease) is a mild human disease. It's caused by the bacterium found in feral cats, rescued strays, and young kittens. The bacterial transfer comes from bites and scratches.

Our furry friends are just as susceptible to contagions as their human counterparts. Ringworm is a very contagious fungal infection. Disposable latex gloves are key to preventing the spread of this common condition.

Tattoo Shops

The job of a tattoo artist is to make you bleed. Some tattoos take hours to design and perfect. This environment opens up the possibilities for exposure.

Tattoo artists are masterful with their ink. They can enjoy the flexibility and natural feel of latex gloves. Yet the gloves do not impede their artistry while offering protection.

Food Service

On the consumer side, we thank Dr. Halsted, who had no idea how popular and useful his invention would become. Food preparation is much safer operation since the adoption of disposable latex gloves.

They also benefit food service workers from chapped and dry skin- a result of the need for constant hand washing when gloves are not used regularly.

Auto Repair

Auto technicians risk exposure to a wide variety of toxic chemicals daily. From carb cleaner to engine additives and antifreeze, the chemicals used to keep a vehicle running are harsh on the skin.

Oil and grease covered technicians hands before using disposable gloves became popular. They had to use abrasive materials to remove oil from their hands and under the fingernails.

The protection is beneficial and they do not sacrifice the fine motor skills required to manipulate engine parts.

The Allergy Issue

Disposable latex gloves are made from the natural materials harvested from rubber trees. This biodegradable material contains proteins which carry antigens (or allergy-inducing toxins).

Manufacturers developed chemical procedures to leach out the majority of these antigenic proteins. But allergic reactions still occur. Especially for those constantly exposed to the material.

For that reason, several non-latex gloves exist today. The alternative materials include:

  Nitrile: A material created from the bonding of two substances - acrylonitrile and butadiene. The scientific name is acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber. Nitrile is a latex-free synthetic compound.

Vinyl: Made from the same material used to design pipes -- polyvinyl chloride (PVC). A plasticizing chemical, added to give the material, gives it greater flexibility.

Chloroprene: Commonly referred to by its trademark name, Neoprene. A synthetic material with a chemical structure similar to natural rubber latex. Chloroprene does not trigger allergic reactions.

Form, Fit and Feel

Despite the potential for allergic reactions, disposable latex gloves still remain a top choice. When it comes to hand protection, nothing beats latex for its flexibility and durability.

In fact, non-latex gloves have yet to meet their match in the operating room. Replacing the touch-sensitivity and fine motor control allowed by latex is difficult. Other materials cannot compete.

With more than thirty choices of disposable latex gloves at My Glove Depot, you're bound to find the right glove to fit your needs and your style.

We've got your hands covered.

Relajo, Apretado & Their Influence on Politics in the Digital Age

The following is an excerpt from an an assignment I wrote today:

I consider myself a very analytical thinker. I think out multiple different outcomes for the situations I’m presented with. I measure the effects of those decisions like a chemist combining a variety of different compounds in a science experiment in order to measure the effects of a reaction or a chef mixing many different ingredients while seeking the perfect taste for their dish to ensure their guests are satisfied. At the end of the day you never know exactly how others are going to react to your cooking but, with experience, you can begin to make very strong predictions. In my mind, everything in the world can be explained, in some part, by an equation.  Some equations more expansive and difficult than others.  I also find value in community building and in creating environments where everyone can grow and develop skills they didn’t even know they could realize.  Much like an architect, I’ll find myself doing the math and layout out the blueprint to create and build these experiences for myself and for others.  But perhaps the most important piece of community building and inspiring growth and development is to establish an anchor; a value or goal by which you and those you’re working with can intrinsically share.  It’s from here by which you can slowly build a foundation of similar values and beliefs that drive everyone to become architects themselves and then begin to build themselves, the people around them and entire communities and organizations upward. They now have a stake in the success of this structure because they’re contributing to its success and also reaping the reward.  However, any building can fall when the base begins to crumble or when a value goes unfulfilled or forgotten.  Every structure needs routine maintenance in order to adapt to a changing climate.  It can begin to collapse when its ability to sustain is not taken seriously.  When you work with larger groups, these foundational values are easier to lose sight of if people begin to stray too far from those original values. They become unintentionally less important and more out of focus than ever before. Before you know it, everyone has not only stayed too far from the foundation and spread too thin but they’ve become far too distant from one another. Disorganized, they all begin to question why they’re here in the first place.  All this work for a glimpse of chaos?  If the building goes unmaintained it will then crumble and fall to the ground from whence it came.

It's in this metaphor that I personally find Portilla’s concept of relajo important. Many leaders find it difficult to maintain order not because they push their peers too hard, but because they find it difficult to remind their peers why they are here in the first place.  Or, perhaps, the environment changes and values upholding the base of your organizations structures are no longer viable. This lack of communication and dedication to the universal undertaking of building something larger than oneself is lost. We lose all reinforcement. This can lead to apathy or resentment which can lead to intentional or unintentional ignorance which can lead to more destructive forms of humor, satire, sarcasm; the concept of rejalo. They chip away at the value of an idea that was once held to the highest degree.

The concept of Relajo can be found in The Suspension of Seriousness by Carlos Alberto Sanchez, who translates the work of Jorge Portilla’s “Phenomenology of Relajo”.  Here relajo can be explained through an expression of values. Portilla explains, “The acts that tend to provoke the transformation of a serious situation into relajo necessarily imply that adoption of a position (regarding the value) and that lack of attention.” (132) In this sense, relajo happens to make light of or relieve a value of its importance.  In many instances this phenomenon can ease a high stress situation, however, it can also serve as a roadblock to a conversation that absolutely needs to happen either to improve quality of life or perhaps prevent significant loss of life or a value.  Given this context I am proposing that, in this day and age, relajo can be of major detriment to society when discussing politics, particularly through social media.

To fully grasp my position it’s incredibly important to fully grasp the concept of relajo. Although he is more neutral than I am on the net positive or negative influence of relajo, Jorge Portilla, in particular, is very clear in his evaluation of relajo and its function. He goes on to explain relajo as something that cannot happen in solitude because, “in solitude there is nowhere to throw it.” (133)[1]  Relajo is always experienced in a group, but in order to have a visible impact there, “are bodily attitudes, words, chants, noises that imply a call to others to adopt the negation of a proposed value.” (131)[2] This phenomenon manifests itself in an attitude that still requires a sense of seriousness. Portilla continues, “…when, in an immediate and direct way, I pronounce that “yes” inside myself, when I give an adequate resource to the demand for actualization inherent to the value, I tactically commit myself to a behavior, I mortgage my future behavior, making it agree beforehand with that demand; I take the value seriously.” (129)[3]. It is in this climate that opportunities for relajo increase.

Many consider and perceive the battlefield of politics as a brutalist mud-slinging affair between human beings who are far too self-absorbed into the position. And yet, many still acknowledge the weight in the decisions politicians have to make on a daily basis and the scale of impact those decisions can have on its people and its institutions.  But, no matter which side you fall on in that debate, neither piece sounds all that attractive at first glance.  Either way, it’s a lot of pressure.  In this regard, an environment of taking things seriously for the cause of seriousness itself is already sowing the seeds for the infiltration of relajo.  We can see it in the popularity of satirical news sites like The Onion or late night shows like The Daily Show.  Both rely heavily on particular styles of writing that take real life situations and extract bits and pieces of them to form comedic narratives to relieve us of the pressure of current events and major global issues.  Relajo can find itself embedded in the delivery of the humor found in these examples because they can often displace the concern for poor political decision-making in the name of humor for humor’s sake.  It takes your mind off the issue and relieves you of the stress you feel from your concern but no real solution is created.  The result is a deflation in your concern and the deflation in the values you hold in particular favor that created an environment for your initial concern.  In other words, if a political leader makes a mistake then we develop a concern.  We would mostly likely agree that in order to relieve that concern the next logical step is to correct the mistake and establish measures to prevent it from happening again.  However, we’ve grown accustomed to indulging in these forms of entertainment because they take our concern, acknowledge that it’s a problem but then draw comparisons to something we consider below us.  Perhaps we elaborately compare a Bush-era government decision to a barrel of monkeys.  Monkeys are statistically less intelligent than the average human being. But monkeys are also very child-like in their presentation through mass media so we can empathize with their spirit in trying.  It makes us feel better than the politicians of the era but it doesn’t give credit to the values we expect in our leadership.  The 2000’s found this form of writing so popular and consumable that competition opened the door to more and more public acceptance of the phenomenon. This sort of narrative in political-satire is so consistent across mass media today that we’re often conditioned to solve our concern in comedic relief of some sort.  Websites, blogs, social media, and entertainment have only continued to blur the line between satire and reality because it keeps people tuned in and, well, entertained.  But in the same fell swoop, we find our stock in values somewhat compromised in the popular political discourse.  Politics shouldn’t be nearly as entertaining.  I can certainly agree with intellectuals who are vocal in criticizing the politicians and business men and women making poor decisions on our behalf but we also have to place the blame in the third estate (journalism/media) who should be keeping our institutions of power in check but by informing society but would rather pinch pennies for the sake of getting more views, and as a result making money. All this informed by the way we consume information in the social media age.  We want instant gratification and, therefore, we need a good headline to captivate our attention or a notification pushed to our phone that provides an answer for a void in your heart.  We’re losing faith in institutions not simply because of poor decision-making but because we’re too busy consuming entertainment and a false sense of security to actively participate.  Now, more than ever, we need to take seriously our inability to take politics seriously.  Rather than share a spicy political internet meme that we find, “so true” perhaps we act on it. Otherwise we may lose our voice entirely.  Relajo cannot be left unattended. If we cannot at least educate ourselves on how it impacts our political discourse, alongside forms of comedic relief, that we lose sight of ourselves.

And all this brings me to Portilla’s explanation of another concept, apretado. Translated to, “tight one”, the apretado is processed by the spirit of seriousness. “The apretado/a is a person who we, observers, think takes things way too seriously. But this is not because things are serious or demand to be taken seriously; rather, it is because these are the kinds of things that the apretado/a believes should be taken seriously.” (60)[4]  In asking the reader to consider my aforementioned concerns about the dangers of relajo in political discourse one might attempt to label me an apretado.  “In apretado/a being and value are welded together and become a personality.” (60)[5]  There may be an argument to be made for my unrealistic expectations of others to see beyond what could be considered an exploited and possibly conditioned indulgence in the entertainment market of political satire.

However, I must acknowledge that I do ultimately believe that both relajo and apretado can be used together to create a balanced approach to political discourse.  In an ideal word, a leader with the tact to utilize and know how to respond to both would preserve a balance in personality that could bring people together.  A measured approach to both could have a significant effect on bringing personalities from the entire spectrum of seriousness together.  But I must advise that, when you consider the trends in political discourse towards an uneasy indulgence in relajo that seems to prevent us from reaching the root of major political and global issues than maybe, just maybe, we have to temporarily tip the scales towards a more serious values-based approach.  Otherwise, it is my fear that our institutions will only lose sight of their already foggy values that established a foundation for them to exist in the first place.  By revisiting these founding principles through a spirit of seriousness we can return to a more sobering middle ground to allow for a measured balance in the critical thinking of the collective consciousness of society.

I speak of my concern because I’ve experienced relajo and apretado in my work with others and how I measure the importance of particular values in my interactions with others.  I’ve began to see the world open up through another lens as a means to understand another dichotomy that supports another structure of humanity and society itself.  In this regard I do believe that Portilla’s concepts have a place in understanding society and, political discourse in particular.  When all is said and done my understanding of these concepts can provide me and hopefully anyone else with a better grasp on how to continue our efforts to build communities in the future.  My understanding of these concepts and their effects can also assist in measuring my ethical impact as I begin to enter the field of advertising - a major influencer on how media is consumed.  Portilla finds both relajo and apretado important in the discourse between individuals. They both can contribute a positive and negative impact on creating solutions to major issues that we, as human beings, must overcome in order to move our society forward.  Where we go from here will take a conscious effort from all of us, to establish how seriously we hold particular values.  And that’s a good lesson learned in relajo and apretado.

Computer Locks for the Security of Computer Systems

New Post has been published on https://extraupdate.com/computer-locks-for-the-security-of-computer-systems/

Computer Locks for the Security of Computer Systems

Computer protection locks offer complete safety to the computer system from any sort of unintended harm or intentional theft. There are various protection locks to be had such as tower laptop locks, laptop security cables, and computer pc locks.

While going for walks common applications and Windows, your PC additionally silently operates a big quantity of tasks, behind the scenes in addition to within the heritage. These silent or the invisible methods or responsibilities frequently trim down the processing electricity of you PC consuming big amounts of memory. The booting time turns into lengthier and the overall performance diminishes to the extent where your PC gets extraordinarily slow.

Various other background processes create an instantaneous safety threat, which interrupts or cause decisive damage on your pc. Destructive history methods like the viruses, worms and spy ware infect nearly 90 percent of the laptop with the Internet connection.

On the opposite hand, the hardware of your gadget can also get damaged along with scratches at the computer and robbery of the device. Thus, laptop locks or laptop protection locks are very critical so that you can hold your machine away from any form of damage each internally and externally.

Tower computer-locker: The tower pc lock is made from superior quality steel, covered with the powder coat and if you want to provide it a professional yet attractive look and preferred pc protection locks. The tower computer locker is locked via two chrome plated zinc alloy cam security. The legal private ought to without difficulty access with the important thing inside a fraction of seconds. This locker is to be had in 3 sizes small, large and further massive.

Desktop laptop-locker: The desktop laptop-locker is crafted from an excessive nice of 16-gauge steel. This locker for a computing device is lined with a powder coat end for an attractive as well as an expert look. The stable creation of this pc protection lock ensures that the computer security lock will face up to even the most indomitable efforts of the thieves and protects your PC from damage. This laptop locker protects your device from unintended harm by using the personnel and the upkeep personnel. This locker is to be had in 4 sizes which include small, medium, large and additional large.

Mac-mini enclosure: It offers one of the finest degrees of external theft preventions available. It locks the Mac-mini to an inflexible object with out restricting capability. For a formal and stylish appearance, this locker is coated with a powder coat end. The two-piece unit includes a cover and a base. The base safeguards the table alongside the running surface, internally located and flat-head screws. Once the Mac-mini is positioned into the base, the quilt is placed over the base. This cover is made with an 18 gauge steel.

Laptop locks: The computer laptop lock is locked with the only chrome-plated alloy of zinc cam lock. This pc lock is available in one unmarried preferred size and is made from 16-gauge high first-class metal. The strong layout of this lock ensures prevention from any sort of unintentional harm and intentional robbery.

In addition, numerous sorts of computer cable locks are to be had along with mixture protection cable 1, computer cable lock X2, pc cable lock X1, laptop cable lock X5, computer cable lock 3, keyed PC Case Lock. Each computer cable lock offers perfect pc cable protection be it a traditional display computer or a flat display screen gadget. These security cables are an ideal solution for those PC possessors who want to comfy their systems, yet keeping their finances.

It is a truth that computers are highly-priced, this is why while managing computers, you need to be honestly cautious to now not download malicious software with a view to corrupt your computing device computer or your computer. But every now and then injuries do happen, with out your understanding, computers will all of sudden stop functioning. When this can happen, you should are searching for the help of an expert laptop technician who will assist you perceive and resolve your troubles. There are many computer technicians that you could lease to do the job, you continue to want to don’t forget some of their qualifications earlier than you entrust your computer to them.

First of all, your pc technician has to be a graduate of pc technical path and has a certificate. Look for a pc technician on the way to not just ask you immediately to shop for a brand new computer but he needs to look into your device and come up with sincere opinions on which he thinks is incorrect along with your computer and make some methods on a way to repair it with out doing any main repair. He has to also have enough expertise to make your computer function again. More so, he must also have the pure aim of fixing your machine because of a few computer technicians simply restoration computers for the sake of cash. And most of all, he needs to have the right gadget and equipment which assist them in diagnosing your gadget’s hassle mainly if the problem is within the CPU.

You can also rent a technician from an employer. If you want the service of an independent repairman, it’s miles critical that you do not forget how a great deal you have to pay him. It is likewise crucial that he has connections with a few laptop stores if you need to buy a few parts which you will want inside the destiny.

If you do not know wherein to look for a terrific repairman, you could always ask for some pointers out of your friends. Search the World Wide Web due to the fact their many unbiased pc technicians who’re inclined to fix your computer. Go the nearest computer store as properly and ask in the event that they have a pc technician on responsibility.

Look for a pc repairman who will restore your computer without any bad goal. This may be very vital because your laptop is very crucial and your private tool isn’t always cheap as well. For you to store money from shopping for a brand new one, you need to discover the proper individual who’s professional and could make you comfortable to work with.

Fix Slow Computer Problem with Remote PC Support

Computer troubles are of various sorts, but the maximum common one is gradual PC trouble. Almost all of the laptop customers come upon slow PC troubles. Regardless of configuration, pc slows down through the years. There are a number of motives behind this like registry mistakes, unwanted junk documents, and programs, pointless folders, etc. Many instances pc slows down because of viruses, malware, and different malicious gadgets. If you enjoy surprising slow down of your pc, it is probably the result of viruses. Sometimes, running machine issues also make the laptop run sluggishly.

Now the question is how to make your computer free from this problem and run like a brand new one? Well, there are masses of reasons and to repair the difficulty, one must visit the foundation of the problem. So, first and the most important proper prognosis is needed. For a pc user, it’s far very daunting challenge. More importantly, if he/she does not have the know-how, it’s going to in no way be viable to restore sluggish laptop hassle.

Typically, to remedy those kinds of problems, you first want to check the computer Registry for mistakes, and a complete virus scan of your laptop is needed. In addition, you must also take a look at for different mistakes as nicely. It is real that there are numerous registry repair software program applications in the marketplace (some of them are available without spending a dime) which will be used. To address viruses and different malicious gadgets, you could use a terrific antivirus software application.

Most of the computer users find problems to repair registry troubles and virus troubles. Sometimes, it’s miles visible that a vital document of the running device is infected by viruses, now deleting those documents may purpose system malfunctioning. Here comes the significance of a web computer support service provider. Popularly called remote pc help this mode of services are without difficulty available, affordable, and reliable.

Once you get in contact with a web registry repair agency, it takes manage of your PC with your computer and runs a full registry test. Then they fix all of the registry troubles and make your laptop perform like a brand new one. They use the identical methodology for detecting and deleting viruses. They run an entire virus experiment and delete all the viruses.

The fundamental advantage of remote PC help is that you don’t want to take your laptop to a PC restore store to get it fixed. This calls for a lot of time, effort, and money. Instead, those far flung computer carrier carriers use a display sharing software program and clear up the difficulty proper in front of you. You don’t need to attend days for a computer restore technician. Just select up the smartphone and dial the quantity of a dependable online tech help provider company and make your antique pc perform like a new.

Fruits of the “Straight”-”Gay” Dichotomy: A Guy’s Guilt Over What’s Natural

For the past few weeks and months, this blog has studied how modern sexual concepts are affecting our society. It has studied how the “Straight”-”Gay” dichotomy is instituting a form of human sexuality that has never been seen before. This website has also studied how that dichotomy - and the ideas it pushes - causes certain modern trends, like the stigmatization of everyday nudity and briefs.

However, in saying all of that, it’s one thing to read about overall trends and how they affect larger society. It’s quite another to see how it affects individual lives, especially those you know.

That is the purpose of this post: to study the real emotional toll that modern sexual concepts cause, as seen in regular people. This is part of a new series called “Fruits of the ‘Straight’-’Gay’ Dichotomy”. This series will analyze how that dichotomy manifests itself in complex, subtle ways we don’t think about. This will be done by analyzing certain mundane phenomena (like forum posts), and seeing how the dichotomy influences attitudes displayed therein. It will point out how much the dichotomy (and its ideas) rule our lives, how much damage it causes, and exactly why this system must be destroyed at once.

For this post, we will analyze a forum post from Virtual Teen, entitled “Feel regretful or bad after I do stuff with guys”. In looking through this page, it might provide a case study into how modern ideas are affecting teens and young adults.

Since replies are continuously being added, please note that the content here applies to the page as it appeared on February 17th, 2017.

Concerning the Original Poster

The opening post from user “Nicm15” starts off quite simply. Basically, he expresses that he feels guilty after he erotically interacts with other guys. What’s interesting is that he says he’s “only done a bit with other guys”, which means he’s had relatively little experience. Nevertheless, even that is too much for him, because after such experiences, he “felt really bad, and like regretted it kinda [sic]”. He then asks if others feel the same way.

He soon gets two replies from sympathetic posters. One of them is a reply from user “john1999”, who has likewise engaged in same-sex activity. To be specific, he has masturbated with his male friend on several occasions. However, this is not an activity that ends in satisfaction. Instead, he says that every time he and his friend finish masturbating, he always thinks the following: "Why did I do this...this was a bad idea". He then swears each time to never do it again. However, that guilt apparently isn’t a very strong deterrent, because every time he says he’ll never do it again, “I end up doing it again anyway”.

Another reply comes from user “DocMcLovins”, who has significantly less experience than the first two. In fact, he’s never sexually interacted with guys.  Instead, guys are merely the focus of his erotic fantasies: he feels compelled to masturbate after watching well-endowed guys showering at school. However, even this small manifestation of homoeroticism is too much. He says that he “sorta felt bad about that”. Thus, he limited himself to masturbate only to girls.

Now, before going any further, there’s a point I want to stress. Through many blog posts and links, this blog has repeatedly said that general same-sex activity is natural and normal, and had been viewed as such until very recently. Indeed, it becomes very clear that same-sex attraction and behavior is a universal trait of humans. It’s only certain forms of it - like anal play - that have been consistently taboo, and thus minority practices. As a result, these boys are doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. There is nothing they are doing that is widely unprecedented. Indeed, it is a reality that’s inescapable, as evidenced by the reply of “john1999”: even with immense guilt, he can’t help but do what he’s made to do.

However, it’s here that the tragedy of this comes into clear focus. The message of the domineering “Straight”-”Gay” dichotomy is the very opposite - that same-sex activity is abnormal and “queer”. It is that message that is enforcing itself on these posters, and thus affecting their thinking. Thus, because of the environment they are living in, these boys are being made to feel guilty over what is natural. They are feeling shame about something that merits none. They are being forced into conflict with something that should be embraced and enjoyed, as it was in Ancient Greece, where boys freely and constantly gave each other hours of pleasure.

What’s interesting is that religion is never mentioned in the entire thread. Thus, this is mainly a societal conflict, which by extension means conflict with the socially constructed “Straight”-”Gay” dichotomy.

However, the influence of the dichotomy doesn’t end there.

Regarding the posts of other users

When looking at the posts of other users, we see that the influence of the dichotomy is extremely strong. However, its power is enforced in more subtle ways than what we’ve just seen.

Within the “Straight”-”Gay” dichotomy, sexual contact is viewed as something inherently dirty and base. This might have to do with the highly capitalistic way it views sex - as a business transaction between buyer and seller, and not an equal exchange of love. Thus, a theme reverberating through the posts is that it’s perfectly normal to feel guilty after sex, because apparently it’s a base activity humans can’t avoid.

This is shown in a reply from “Straya”, who agrees with the original poster that feeling guilty is a “pretty standard after sex feeling.” A reply from “Ska8er” agrees: “When we masturbate it is like a high and then after we orgaz [sic] it becomes a downer. That is y [sic] some of us feel bad after doing it-experimenting or by ourselves.” Meanwhile, “jordand” says simply, “I felt depressed aftee [sic] doing stuff with a guy.”

As it turns out, some of the users do perceive that such guilt is socially motivated. User “pjones” says the following: “we are taught by society that it's wrong to be either ‘under age’ or to have any type of same sex experience. so feeling guilty is natural, wish is [sic] wasn't”. User “ilc.69” goes into more detail: “I've had two sexual encounters without actual intercourse with two guys and yeah, after them I kinda feel bad, but I think that's just because of social rules that makes you think it's bad.” Of course, both of these users are completely right. However, they might not realize exactly what is generating that guilt.

This leads to a related trend seen in the comments: the need to explain or excuse same-sex activity as “experimentation” or extreme horniness. This is something that reverberates constantly. An example is a comment by user “Jamie_n”, who says same-sex activity is just “normal puberty related curiosity”. Other comments explain it as just being experimentation, an extreme manifestation of overactive arousal, or just curiosity. In saying this, I’m not trying to castigate them. They are merely living what they learned, and that’s the problem.

These comments might seem benign, but in reality, they are reinforcing the main idea of the dichotomy - that same-sex activity is abnormal. Because of that, there’s a need to explain same-sex activity as a “curiosity”, “experimentation”, or as something unintentional or extreme. Under the ideas of the dichotomy, no one in their right mind should want to engage in same-sex activity, because that’s supposedly a weird thing to do.

There is one more point I’d like to stress. Some of the comments expressing those negative thoughts come from LGBT-identified users. When the LGBT movement purportedly supports the practice of all same-sex activity, it’s noteworthy that some community members still feel so insecure about their everyday actions. However, when one realizes the place the LGBT movement occupies in the dichotomy, it’s not surprising. Indeed, the “gay” side of the dichotomy has internalized homophobia as one of its pillars, because it uses that homophobic central idea to guide its own philosophies on same-sex activity. Thus, the movement and label that’s supposed to boost self-esteem actually undermines it.

It’s here that we consider the especially tragic effects of the dichotomy, as told in personal accounts.

The Effects of The Dichotomy As Told In Personal Stories

Besides giving one’s thoughts on the topic at hand, some users gave stories about their own lives, as it relates to the discussion. As it turns out, the effects of the dichotomy are found even there.

One comes from user “mick01”, who gives a short but disheartening account. He says that he regularly fellates one of his older friends. However, the friend never reciprocates. Because of that inequality, the user sometimes feels guilty about doing such. However, he says that it’s hard to say no, apparently because he enjoys it too much.

This is what makes the situation so sad: it’s quite obvious that the older friend enjoys it too. He wouldn’t ask regularly for fellatio if he didn’t find pleasure in it. He must also realize that it’s a guy who is fellating him. However, he won’t allow himself to reciprocate and give his friend the same pleasure. This might be for several reasons, but in my opinion, a prime one probably relates to the dichotomy. It’s quite possible that the older friend identifies as “straight”, even if he engages in same-sex activity. If he reciprocates, he might reason that it’ll be harder to retain his “straight” status, and the social “freedom of movement” it allows. Thus, even if he enjoys being fellated and wants to do more, he must restrain himself from doing so. Thus, the tragedy and absurdity of the dichotomy is exposed once again.

This tragedy is compounded upon by another story, as told by user “Scott2002”. I will quote his account, since I can’t improve on it: “Last year in 8th grade I was developing a friendship with a guy in my class and I invited him to watch a big game at my house and then sleep over. Once in bed, one thing led to another, then we both admitted we had boners and showed them to each other, we touched each other's boners, and then we jerked ourselves off together and watched each other cum. The next morning he seemed really awkward and hardly even wanted to talk to me. After that, in school he avoided me and would barely even say hi. So, doing this together totally destroyed a budding friendship for me.”

It’s hard to describe how sad I was when I first read that. It really sounds like the user really liked his friend, and still likes him to this day. Once again, there’s a range of reasons as to why the friend distanced himself. Perhaps their activities conflicted with his friend’s religious beliefs, and the messages he was getting from his church. Perhaps he recognized that his activities could have him marked as “gay”, which evokes images he might not like, and stigmas he doesn’t want. As a result, he distanced himself from his friend completely, whose presence constantly reminded him about what happened that night.

We’ll probably never know the exact reason. All that we know is that the dichotomy has something to do with it, and one more friendship is destroyed. Within that dichotomy, activities that would otherwise make a friendship closer do the exact opposite. This is because the dichotomy doesn’t encourage intimacy, but instead encourages isolation and separation.

Conclusion

It has become clear that the tentacles of the dichotomy stretch everywhere. You have just seen how the dichotomy shapes thinking and perceptions concerning same-sex activity. You’ve also just seen the emotional turmoil that the dichotomy can generate in people’s lives.

Thus, with all the current discussion about adolescence being difficult, I think our society makes it much more difficult than it should. That’s the only way that something natural and normal - general same-sex activity - can be the source of so much confusion, angst, and heartbreak.

If you’re a teenager or young adult reading this, I stress to you that you are reading the agonies and turbulence of your generation. Your friends. Your neighbors. Your classmates. This might even be you.

My question to you is this: Are you okay with letting this continue? Is this any way to live?

The truth is the dichotomy, and its associated ideas, only has so much power because people submit themselves to it. It has no power if it can’t get it from the people.

Because of this, I urge you to read “The ‘Straight’-’Gay’ Dichotomy: How It Works”, to fully understand how that system functions. I also urge any who read this to go to “For Straight People (though not exclusively)”, which will point to philosophies and forms of same-sex behavior that don’t hinge on demonstratively false concepts. Don’t be afraid of talking about what you learn to others, because that’s the only way progress will be made.

The dichotomy is socially constructed, and thus can be socially deconstructed. With education, you can help to hasten its deconstruction, and we all will be better for it.