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romirola · 1 year

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Headcanons for the Shaw Pack’s Holiday Volunteer Work

Started by Gabe and preserved by David, the Shaw Pack has a tradition of incorporating extra volunteer work into their schedules as the season of many holidays approaches. It’s not mandatory or something they officially report, but the pack takes their responsibility to continue the tradition seriously.

David: Food Drive Organizer- David organizes a massive food drive that benefits Dahlia’s food pantry. Not only will he organize and promote it all himself (although according to the paperwork, he does so anonymously), but David also gives a huge amount of non-perishable food. Once everything is collected and ready to be distributed, David always ensures to set up distribution so that it is equitable and welcoming for everyone who uses the food pantry.

Angel: Writes Cards for Nursing Home Residents- Beginning as early as September, Angel writes hundreds of cards for nursing home residents who may or may not receive any visitors. They take special care to write different messages on each card, sometimes including little jokes or drawings.

Asher: Arranges a 5K Race/24hrs Caroling Event to Benefit Humanborn Acclimation Services and Programs- Asher’s annual “Holiday 5K/Caroling Extravaganza” has become quite a popular event among the empowered population of Dahlia, even if it is a bit eclectic. Racers in the 5K acquire sponsorships to participate. Groups of carolers do the same and provide some sort of musical entertainment (broadly defined to include all ages, talents, and interpretations) for 24 consecutive hours. All of the proceeds of the event benefit programs that help humanborn empowered people acclimate to their magic, which, as the son of two humanborn wolves, is a cause near and dear to Asher’s heart. The event is always a fun and festive success, with local businesses donating the prizes and restaurants providing food for everyone.

Babe: Gift Wrapper to Benefit a Homeless Shelter- Babe spends a couple weeknights per week at a department store as a gift wrapper. All of the donations go directly to a local homeless shelter. Babe wraps each gift so carefully and precisely that the clients feel compelled to double the donation they were originally planning to give.

Milo: Plays Santa at the Local Library- He schedules weekend visits at the public library and arranges for a photographer to accompany him so that even families who cannot afford a portrait of their child(ren) with Santa have the opportunity to get one at no cost (plus a candy cane!) Milo works hard all year to perfect his “Ho-Ho-Hos!” and listens to every child as they speak with him. If a child does not want to sit on his lap or has sensory difficulties, Milo is always accommodating and makes sure that the visit is friendly and fun.

Sweetheart: Blood Donor- Sweetheart always makes sure to donate blood to ensure that the vampiric community will have sufficient blood bag resources to sustain them during a time of year where Clans often celebrate together and are in need of extra blood. They are proud to help support the vampire community any time of the year, but especially when many are missing their former lives and traditions.

Darling: Shifts to Serve as a Therapy Dog at a Pediatric Hospital- In their wolf form, Darling visits unempowered children who are currently hospitalized and are in need of some holiday cheer since they are fighting to get better and cannot yet return home. Unlike the parents, guardians, and other adult visitors, the children are never afraid of Darling as a wolf. They cheer and clap when they see Darling stroll through the door and jump on their beds. The children eagerly pet them and talk about whatever they want. To be able to do this, Darling proudly forged a “Therapy Dog Certification” document for themselves.

Sam: Secretly Shovels and Salts Sidewalks- Sam will often take his trusty shovel and bag of salt to neighborhoods of Dahlia that seem to be last on the list for shoveling and salting. He works under cover of night, able to make good use of his vampiric strength and speed to clear walkways and keep everyone safe from falling on icy paths.

#redacted asmr #redacted audio #redactedverse #redacted headcanons #redacted shaw pack #shaw pack #redacted david #redacted davey #david shaw #redacted angel #redacted asher #redacted babe #redacted sweetheart #redacted milo #milo greer #redacted sam #sam collins #redacted darling #redacted darlin

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mneiai · 10 months

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Omg saw a post saying that AO3 is anti-capitalism.

An organization that relies on unpaid labor when it has the funds to pay people is not anti-capitalism, that's like the definition of capitalism.

ETA since some weirdos sucking OTW dick on this casual previously two sentence post clearly labeled "anti ao3" can't seem to understand: OTW has had disturbing amounts of surplus funds for multiple years they weren't spending on anything, including on, say, hiring a machine learning engineer to design a better moderation system, or a consultant to offer advice on diminishing the rampant racism issues on AO3, or even a web developer with experience in localization to improve translated versions of the sites.

Their legal fund might as well be pennies in a piggybank, if there were ever a real legal issue they'd have to...you guessed it, rely on unpaid labor (in fact, that's what their "legal partners" are). That money could be put towards lobbying or other preparations for an eventual legal challenge, but they keep it in a useless fund so people can continue pretending like it would totally cover the actual costs of such a battle.

There are a variety of labor experts, of course, who would be more than willing to assist them in getting setup to hire/pay some people, probably regardless of what country those people are in (international non-profits with far smaller profiles do this regularly, people are lying when they say this is some hugely complicated thing a non-profit could never ever do). I literally volunteered for a much smaller one that had exactly one paid employee who was from another country, even, this is not an unusual thing, people who claim it is are blatantly lying to you.

OTW is not run like a normal non-profit. It gets away with doing things that the average well-meaning person would not be okay with from another non-profit (assuming they knew anything about non-profits), because it's something people like, so they're looking the other way.

If you can't criticize it, what does that become? If you don't allow people to point out its flaws, how can you claim to have any moral high ground? You're like weird fanfic extremists or something, attacking anyone who points out something you take personal offense to like they kicked your baby with a bunch of shady arguments designed to obscure the fact that unpaid labor when an organization can afford to pay some people is 100% capitalism.

#anti ao3

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andtheirmoonlight · 1 year

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Seeing all of the sad cha chas... Okay... Please look past your emotions, your ingrained competitiveness, the interviews and the veneer and the PR and consider cold hard facts.

Normally, the country that wins Eurovision takes on most of the expenses for hosting the next contest. It's a buttload of money, and very little time. For small countries with low levels of corruption and high levels of accountability, this buttload can eat into the budget.

Most of them do NOT want to win; it's practical and viable not to win. The countries that are actively trying to win *cough*russia *cough cough* are often corrupt and thus are also counting on laundering money *cough* sochiolympics *hacking fit*.

You've probably heard that the contest is 'political'. Thing is, the lion's share of this political part is not things like Greece and Armenia making out in public every year, no. It's the deciding behind the scenes who will pay up next year — and the jury acting accordingly. Sweden has a huge anniversary next year. Half a century ago ABBA happened. I assure you, Sweden agreed to pay. Buckled up, took a deep breath in, and agreed to win. They are already engaged in organizing, and probably have been for some time, which is awesome for all of the regular folk involved, because, you know, there's a lot of them, it's a lot of work and very little time.

As someone who worked as staff during Eurovision, I can confirm that it's daunting and a crazy hassle and the organizational part is pure nightmare. Although mostly it's just friggin' expensive. In the eyes of the organizers, behind the scenes, the country that wins is not so much a winner, but more like someone condemned. Like a guy who lost the bet and has to pay for all of the rounds of all of the drinks while also being the designated driver. The worst part used to be, the winning performer was sometimes blamed instead of being honored and congratulated: they might act jubilant in public, they might then get hugged and honored by regular folk ... and then proceed to endure some of the worst shit behind the scenes. More often than not, this singer then fades into obscurity, if enough moneybags are mad.

While the runner-up, if they actually know what's what, will act sad in public, before the press, sure, but inwardly there will be nothing but relief. This is called diplomacy, and this is called PR, and it's called show business.

By now you know Eurovision as unhinged, bright, queer, full of joy. Thing is, initially the 'insane', as functionaries called them, acts were sent as representatives specifically to lose. Then someone else saw it as a viable tactic, and someone else, and someone else, and, voila, what you know today as Eurovision. I repeat: the aim to NOT win made Eurovision into what it is now.

By being mad about your fav not winning, you are missing the point, one that, incidentally, your fav is not missing at all. The point: winning is not what matters or should matter, especially in this case (you should watch Ted Lasso, by the way). First place is not everything the best result for a performer that you love is losing the overall vote, but winning the audience vote. It's like all of the cake without any of the uuuh paying for the cake. You love the guy? Yes. You feel sad and indignant and will continue supporting the guy and listening to the new stuff? Yes. If anything, even more now, because you feel like he's been done dirty (nope). Is the guy being shamed at home? No, he's being sent love and hugs and gratitude. Do not cry for Finland. Finland will be graciously sending org volunteers to Sweden soon, because Sweden's volunteers are gon' get swamped and will cry on the floor hating everything.

The other point being, capitalism is unfair, yes, but events like that do not spring up in an open field via magic, and involve crazy money, time, and a huge amount of people working their asses off.

*puts on some Mahmood* mmmmmm runner-up.

#eurovision #eurovision 2023 #esc 2023 #finland #Käärijä #Finland wasn't 'robbed'; it's the opposite #Winning this contest is a Responsibility first and an honor second #atmposts

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natasha-in-space · 8 months

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hey! if your requests are still available i would like to request zen(mystic messenger) with a disabled (either wheelchair crutches or deaf )mc please!!

Zen is a musical actor, so he's definitely not completely clueless when it comes to disabled folks. Musical theaters hold all kinds of charity events in collaboration with rehabilitation centres and charity organizations, so he has quite a bit of experience with interacting with them. That's not to mention that he has definitely interacted with many of his disabled fans and received their lovely letters in the mail! He may not or may not have full on cried the first time one of his disabled fans gifted him a bouquet of flowers and told him how much he inspired them. It was just after one of his first performances ended, and it is definitely something he remembers up to this day.

So, when he learns about your disability, I'd imagine the first thing he'd feel is a huge amount of respect for you. After all, it is thanks to you that the RFA is able to host another party, and he's honestly so inspired by what you managed to achieve, both inside their little organization by making them that much closer to one another, and outside of it with this party. He's also kind of enthusiastic for the future of the RFA! Out of them all, only Yoosung actively volunteered in various organizations who provided services to minorities and people in need, including disabled folks. You will surely help to improve the RFA in terms of what kind of help is more effective than the rest, as it can be hard to know that without having a first hand experience. And they will be there to execute your plans into reality.

Now, when it comes to your relationship with Zen, there will be a lot of things for him to learn, and he's more than willing to listen to you! He will definitely make some mistakes at first, be a bit too overbearing in some aspects and fall onto a couple of stereotypes, but none of it is in bad faith. With some good communication, you two will build your shared life together piece by piece. He learns to listen to you and trust you, and you do the same for him. You know your own body and your limits, and he can trust that you will tell him if you need his assistance. It took him a few trials and errors to learn that you don't need him constantly fretting over you. But, once you two establish a working system of communication between each other, there will be no problems at all with your daily life.

First thing to point out is that Zen is someone that is in a very good physical shape, and he's always giddy to play the knight in shining armor for you, when you're in need of it, of course. If you're using a wheelchair, you'll have no problem with getting around whenever you two go out. Especially during the winter when it can get very difficult to roll over the snowy roads, depending on where you are. He'll offer to push your wheelchair for you, and from then on, it is your call on what to do. He'll have no problems helping you get on a bus, pushing your wheelchair through a badly made road, or if you just want to rest your hands from rolling your wheels yourself. He'll carry you around the house, too, if you need to get to something as soon as possible, and using your wheelchair or crutches is not very effective. Will exercise with you for sure! One of his favorite things to do with his partner is practice self-care, so he will definitely be interested in shared exercises, with you two doing your own individual thing and encouraging each other as you go.

Speaking of his house, it'll get renovated! That, or you two will just move into some place that's more accessible to you. Zen wants you to feel as comfy and independent as you can be, so it's very important for him to learn about all the tiny details of your daily routine, and what needs to be changed in order to make it accessible for you in your shared home.

Getting to know you will definitely make him more passionate about charity work as well. Depending on whether or not you become his manager, he'll start participating in various charity events, both outside of his work and within in. His interactions with his disabled fans will grow even more warm and personal in nature, and he may or may not gain a few new close friends as a result! It also helps to broaden his understanding on the many experiences of disabled folks in society, as everyone has their own individual story to share. Needless to say, Zen gives his all to everything he pursues, and this is no exception to that rule.

It does make him irritated whenever a certain reporter or a misguided fan or two will use insensitive wording in an attempt to describe your relationship. He knows that it is not done out of malice but simply ignorance, but it sure does get on his nerves. Still, he'll approach ignorance with patience and dignity, oftentimes letting you speak your mind on the issue, if you're comfortable with it. Really, it all depends on what kind of person you are. Whether you want to create a platform for yourself, or just live a simple quiet life beside him, he'll be there cheering you on.

Will learn sign language if you're deaf, no doubts about that. I'm sure he knows a bit of it already, since, as I already mentioned, he's no stranger to interacting with disabled folks, but not fluently. Time to change that. It's kind of cute, how he fumbles with some things at first, getting embarrassed once you point our his mistakes. It takes practice. But, he's determined, and you're patient. And, after a few months, you two can interact with one another easy as pie. He's so giddy to be all lovey-dovey with you with no barriers in the way! Will practice his acting with you, since he thinks that you can really help him improve on his body language and facial expressions. Does that mean he will pick out romantic scenes for you two to rehearse? Oh, he's very guilty of that.

#mystic messenger #mysmes #mysme #mm #zen ryu #ryu zen #mystic messenger zen #zen x reader #do let me know if some things are inaccurate or should be changed!#i wrote this based on my own experiences in my country so i don't know how accurate this is #i did get to volunteer in a rehabilitation center this winter so the the snowy roads part is honesty based on that lol #i don't know if rehabilitation centres mean the same thing in different countries? so it may be a bit confusing on that part specifically

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max1461 · 2 years

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Ok, so suppose I am Just Some Guy. And suppose that I would like to see certain social and political outcomes. Like, seriously, straight up: what should I even do?

The reformist says vote. Which, yeah, I think is probably worth doing. But 1) you only get to do it very occasionally, and 2) the effect size is absolutely miniscule. So, sure, I vote, but if I really want to see change in the world, that on its own is not going to be satisfying to me.

The revolutionist says, you know, prepare for The Revolution. Raise (class, other) consciousness, or organize a cadre or whatever. And, sure, spreading (class, other) consciousness is something I can do, that probably helps in general, but again, the effect size is tiny. And like it or not, The Revolution is not coming any time soon, if ever. Pretty sure getting involved in an actual militant group would be a waste of my fucking time, in that it would have zero positive effect because the revolution is not fucking happening. And zero positive effect is a net negative effect because of opportunity cost. So, then, raise consciousness. Well I guess that's half of what Posting is, and I'm pretty good at arguing for my positions IRL too. So got that one squared away.

And then there's the... well, they don't really have a name, but the camp who says "do direct action under the current system, even if it doesn't lead directly to revolutionary change". And yeah, they are obviously correct. Unionize. Volunteer at (useful) things. Protest shit. Etc. And I think that's the best shot most people have at making real change in the world, but it still feels so hopelessly inadequate. Like the gears of power are turning, working themselves in various directions far above you, and the best you can do is sort of... very slightly resist their momentum and nudge them in a different direction, even when organizing with lots and lots of other people.

And I've tried to keep this post general so far, but now I'll be specific: how does one most effectively achieve socialist policy aims in the United States at this time? Cause to be honest, when I really think about it, seems like the answer is "just can't, sorry". Like it's just... not going to happen. And voting and direct action and consciousness-raising are still all probably worth it, because when you've got a big bleeding wound, having a band-aid is better than having nothing, but that's not very heartening. And since the pandemic the labor movement seems to have been getting stronger, which is definite cause for hope, but it's been in such a sorry state for so long that things still seem quite dark.

And I'm writing all this in light of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which has got me thinking about what political victory even looks like. I mean, conservatives fought for this for fifty years, and they got it, and for what? Is their dream of a traditionalist monocultural society now realized? No, not even remotely. Have they made any inroads towards the sort of world they want to live in? Barely, I'd say, when it really comes down to it. They've done a huge amount of harm to a huge amount of people, and spent half a century of effort, and they've gotten what I imagine must feel like the hollowest victory possible.

So is that what political change necessarily looks like? You fight for fifty years through the halls of power for one tiny morsel of your ideological program, and then you get it, but the rest of the world has moved on to such a degree that you still feel like it's a losing battle (as, from talking to them, I think conservatives basically do)?

Anyway, just some thoughts.

#society

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galacticism · 5 months

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The Ivy Foundation is an LGBTQI+ organisation in Malawi. One of my really good friends from university, who is currently working in Malawi, has helped them set up a GoFundMe - they currently are struggling to pay rent for the safehouse they run in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe.

They do not need a huge amount of money - only the equivalent of €800 to cover the next three months, so any donations would be massively appreciated. Currently they are staffed by volunteers as they do not have the funds available to pay wages for their staff. Any extra money would go towards their programmes to try an improve the safety, security and economic status of LGBTQI people in the country. The economic situation in Malawi is already extremely difficult, having one of the world's lowest average incomes. It also has one of the highest percentages of people living with HIV/AIDS of any country in the world. For LGBTQI individuals in Malawi, the challenges are even worse – from being denied access to health services and education, to facing homelessness and societal ostracization, and in some case even criminal prosecution.

Even if you cannot donate please consider sharing this link to others who may be able to. Thanks!

EDIT: If you want to follow them you can find them on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/people/Ivy-foundation/100076556454298/

#LGBT #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #malawi #LGBT community #LGBT solidarity #LGBT rights in africa

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ryanclaremont · 2 years

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flurry feelings.

For a small sleeper town, the festival is huge.

When Ryan and August arrive, they get handed a map of all the food spots, shops, arts and crafts, performance spaces. This could possibly be a lot more than they anticipated. Luckily for them, Ryan talks her way to the point where they meet with one of the organizers and she’s a very sweet woman named Lorna who has been running the festival since the 90s. She gives Ryan background and all the key spots where they should spend their time. It’s very positive and some volunteers seem eager to talk and help out too, that’s a real bonus.

They get into motion the walk through. There are so many decorations and set ups that it’s hard to take in at first glance. Ryan jokes to August that she hopes he brought an infinite amount of back up memory cards. Ryan’s notebook gets filled with notes and even business cards that she collects from the pop ups as they go, stopping to talk to a few other people. Then at one point, Lorna manages to find them and brings them over to have some food at the volunteer tent where there are heaters.

Ryan sits down with a plate of food, sniffling as she drinks her fourth hot chocolate, loosening her scarf. “What do you think so far?” She asks August. “There’s a lot of work with but I hope not too much.”

#para21: flurry feelings

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tobiasdrake · 1 year

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So, my opinion on Wanda (if you don't mind hearing it)...

If we're going to condemn Wanda and say she needs to be punished for what she did, should we not hold characters like Tony Stark to the same standard for being such a huge part of the global war machine that directly caused a significant part of Wanda's own trauma, or for accidentally causing the Ultron incident due to his own trauma motivating him to try and protect the world through his obviously-a-bad-idea technology? What of Banner, who arguably could have prevented a lot of the damage the Hulk did if he just gave himself up to the military to be experimented on instead of fighting for his right to exist freely? Or Clint's Ronin phase after the Snap? Even Wanda volunteering to be experimented on by Hydra, she was a young traumatized person who was exploited, as is typical of military and terrorist organizations to do. She most certainly had agency in that decision and killing out of revenge isn't exactly good, let alone all the collateral, but if we argue that Wanda deserves punishment for the harm she has done, then is she also not justified in wanting to punish Stark and others complicit in the atrocities she's suffered where she and her family were the collateral?

And complicating matters is that due to her powers, Wanda having a breakdown has a greater impact than say, if I went a little crazy in my grief. Her simply lashing out has huge consequences because she has reality-warping abilities that are downright instinctual for her to use. It's kinda a problem a fantastical world of super-powered people would have to deal with. How do you deal with people in crisis who normally would have a small, undirected impact when they lash out, but now have to actively restrain themselves from causing massive damage with careless use of their laser eyes or magic? Two individuals could have the exact same character, the exact same reaction, and cause vastly different amounts of harm. If Wanda didn't have her powers, she simply would not have been capable of what she did.

(And, more practically, how do you implement our current carceral justice system on someone with powers without breaking several dozen human rights laws like with the RAFT? More than ever, crime reduction, rehabilitation and restorative justice would become the only practical way of dealing with the majority of powered individuals like Wanda long-term because A) restraining them is hard, and B) the most important goal, which is or should already true of most crime but especially when you're dealing with someone who could blow up a city, is to prevent them from re-offending which punitive justice is hardly good at)

Which is basically a long way of saying Wanda did some bad things, but punishing her when she clearly wants to just heal and not hurt people doesn't make much sense, especially in the more fantastical context of the MCU. I also find a lot of the people who want her to "face consequences" to be a little... strange about it? It's one thing to complain about a character being let off the hook for what they did with only a slap on the wrist and seeing them as given undeserved sympathy, but a lot of people seem to really want her to just suffer in a way they don't with other MCU characters who've done similar stuff.

Oh, absolutely, Tony has a lot to answer for that the franchise just lets him skate for. Civil War, the movie that pointedly refuses to talk about Johannesburg, also pointedly refuses to talk about Tony's culpability in making Ultron. It never comes up.

It condemns the Avengers for being too careless with collateral damage while fighting Ultron - A wildly hollow accusation for anyone who actually saw the third act of that film. It accuses them of destroying Sokovia through their careless disregard for civilian lives. But the fact that they, and specifically Tony and Hulk, made Ultron? Never comes up.

And I would be the last person to defend Clint's Ronin phase. The fact that he's a serial mass-murderer who gets to just retire to a happy family is something I find intensely bothersome, which greatly affected my enjoyment of him moving forward. That's going to come up when we get to Hawkeye.

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f1ghtsoftly · 1 year

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Lesbians I love all of you but for the love of god please stop voting for politicians, volunteering for organizations and just generally carrying water for any movement that endorses trans ideology. It is conversion therapy. These people, whether they are manipulated into it or not, all are saying 1.) masculine women should become men and 2.) the lesbians that remain are obligated to have sex with men or “give them a chance”.

If the past 10 years have taught us anything it’s that the only people who have our backs is us and the rare militant bi or straight woman. Put them before anything and don’t compromise for shit. You will never, ever get that energy back. Especially from any organization that men are in.

The amount of compliance that this movement has found among women’s studies academics, feminist organizations, gay male communities, socialist and communist organizations (even if trans ideology contradicts materialism like directly), anti racist organizations etc etc…is LITERALLY sickening. When it came time, everyone fell in line. And it will hit lesbians hardest for the longest. And nobody gives a fuck.

A huge swath of lesbians my age will have transitioned at least partially. How will that affect us in 10 years? 20 years? Do you think those organizations will apologize once it becomes undeniable taking T is actually dangerous for female bodies? They won’t. They’ll hop onto the next homophobic trend and they will still expect lesbians to do the dirty work.

I think it’s easy for us to live in denial that this has really happened, especially if we are stealth in our waking lives, and believe that the left still has our interests at heart but this is…I think a really naïve perspective. Established adults in the early 2000s and 2010s knew on some level what they were doing. A small group of predatory activists, doctors and academics manipulated an entire generation of teenage lesbians into hurting themselves in ways that are irreparable, and will get worse as they age and *plenty* of older LGBT and feminist adults not only understood the consequences but *allowed* us to be collateral damage so they can keep their wealth and power. They knew stopping this would be a big fight, they knew they would lose ground if they stood with gays and lesbians and they knew this was conversion therapy. They fell in line anyways.

When I say separatism is an imperative for this generation this is ^ these events that I think about most strongly. The more we give our time and energy to organizations that are not women aligned the more power they have to control us and to hurt us. Many academics and cultural leaders made a choice to sell out the young people who identified as trans because they felt their lives work were on the line and they knew that the power structure demanded their submission.

It is clear lesbians as a group are not protected by male society. Not by their families, their friends, not by educational or intellectual leaders, not by businesses, not in the arts or in any aspect of public life. Our only viable shot for creating a world where this cannot happen again is to focus on supporting each other and building our own power and institutions, as independent as possible from men because this hatred will take new forms yes, but as long as males dominate society we will be persecuted, erased and hurt, merely for the crime of being ourselves.

We need to do this quickly and aggressively because things are set to continue to get worse and we are very, very easy scapegoats for social problems. The more actual unconditional power we can grab for ourselves the better we as a community will be able to withstand the challenges now and in the future. The less likely another generation of young lesbians will grow up hating themselves, feeling victimized and with no one to turn to.

#radblr #radical feminism #radical feminist #char on char #radical feminist theory #radical feminists do touch #radfems #gender critical #radfem safe #radfem

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turtlesandfrogs · 2 years

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hi sorry if this is a bad question but i really want to start planting my own food, but i live in one room that i share with 2 cats, a dog, and my bf and the yard is REALLY small, i want to move but all i can do is rent and im worried that i wont have enough space then either, or that if i do and i establish a garden, that ill just have to move again, super worried about food systems collapsing and having no room to feed me and my bf, do you have any tips/advice??

I don't think that's a bad question at all, and it's a situation many folks find themselves in.

I think this is really two questions (if not more). First, how to garden when you're renting, and secondly how to deal with worries about food system collapse. The first one is a bit easier.

When I was renting, I planted in pots or bins that were big enough support plants but still small enough that I could move them. I think this is a fairly common solution to the gardening-while-renting challenge- there'san apartment complex near me, and many of them have pretty impressive potted gardens. With the space limitations, you're going to want to focus on plants that can make a lot in a small amount of time or space. Realistically, you're not going to be providing a lot of calories this way, but you can grow things that either are too expensive in the store, or have much higher quality when home grown. Things like basil, raspberries, tomatoes, kale, your-favorite-vegetable/fruit, etc. Those can make a huge difference in how enjoyable your food is.

Second is the food systems collapse, and that's definitely more difficult to address & predict. I'm not sure how much we, as people living on small amounts of land in the city, can do. My food bank runs volunteer gardens that supply the food bank with fresh food, so I volunteer there when I can. There's a few high school and middle school garden programs along with a few tribal farms/ gardens that ask for community volunteers, so I'm going to try to help out there more as well. I've also seen older folks with large gardens reach out to the community, trying to find someone with energy to help out and share the harvest, so that seems like a good potential.

I'm also working on building community & networks around gardening, skill shares, plant & seed swaps, etc. More people growing more food, people finding out what grows well for them and sharing the harvest, these are steps in a good direction, I think.

Right now I'm eyeballing a couple vacant peices of land and thinking about the process of creating new community gardens.

This could probably be more organized, but hopefully it helps.

#gardening #grow your own food #food system collapse #don't know what to tag honestly #asks #collapse #solarpunk gardening

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renee-writer · 1 year

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The Contractor

A/N Started by @omgbarbiegurl a bit ago. She and I decided to take it back up. I was hooked from the first few paragraphs. Y'all will be also.

A03

Claire had not expected her life to turn out this way.

She had always assumed that she would live her life in a quiet, unassuming way.

Just an ordinary doctor, living an ordinary life.

Until three things, seemingly completely unconnected, happened.

First, she was fired from her job at the Hospital.

It had not been her fault, not really.

Yes, she had directly disregarded an order given to her by a superior.

But said superior had been drunk, and was trying to administer the incorrect medication to a patient.

A pregnant mother no less!

So of course, she had grabbed the syringe from his hand and called him an utter moron.

Not her fault that the superior had been a highly decorated and revered doctor.

Fucking Frank Randall ruining her life with his idiotic whining.

Of course, the Medical Director Joe Abernathy, had been very kind. He explained that he tried to mitigate the situation, but that Dr. Randall was having none of it.

A very generous severance package was offered, and with the amount, she was able to take her time to find a new job if she wanted.

Second, a premature baby was born and placed in the NICU.

The mother had abandoned him and no one could soothe him.

Gellis Duncan, (Director of Maternity and Claire’s best friend), told her as much when they went out to lunch together.

“Saddest thing ever. Little tyke just cries like we are sticking pins in him.”

Claire hmm’d softly as she took a bite of her salad.

“Say! You’re not working right now thanks to that drunk rat bastard, and we could really use some Rockers.”

Claire looked up confused. “You need Rockers? Is the budget so small you can’t afford them?”

Gellis rolled her eyes. “Not Rocking Chairs, Claire, Rockers. It’s a volunteer program through the hospital. People come in and volunteer their time to rock NICU babies that have been abandoned.”

Claire felt something warm settle in her stomach.

“Really?”

“Yes, no one can settle this fine little lad though.”

Gellis pulled out her phone and showed Claire a picture of the dark eyed baby, covered with wires and tubes.

“Poor little lamb.” She said softly, staring at the baby. “But look at those curls!”

“Oh yes, he’s got a whole mop.”

“Well, I suppose I could see if I can find time to stop by and see what it is all about.”

And that was how Claire found herself sitting in a rocking chair, in a smock, rocking the tiny baby whose name was disgustingly Baby Doe.

“He can’t have that name Gellis, it’s horrible, and he doesn’t respond to it at all!” Claire stated over the phone to Gellis one night as she poured herself a glass of wine.

“Well, unfortunately Claire, we can’t just plunk a name on him. That’s for the Family Welfare blokes to figure out.”

“I refuse to continue to call him Baby Doe.”

“Well fine, but don’t come crying to me when someone catches you and kicks you out of the program.”

“Having a name, my lad, is something very special. So I am going to start saying some, and if you like them, you just let me know.”

The baby blinked his huge dark eyes and shifted as the feeding tube in his nose caught.

Claire adjusted it and cleared her throat.

“Lambert?”

The baby didn’t even blink.

“Well I thought it would work, alright. Uh, Henry?”

Still nothing.

“You are making this horribly difficult.”

Claire prattled off a few names here and there, but nothing seemed to grab the baby’s attention.

She finally sighed and stroked his hair lightly as he drifted off to sleep.

“You look like you have a mop of fur on your head.”

She almost gasped when the baby’s eyes shot open and he cooed at her.

“What? Fur?”

The baby started to jerk his arms around. Claire thought he was having a seizure, but she realized he was showing happiness and excitement.

“Your name can’t be Fur my lad. That is silly. What about Ferguson?”

The baby stopped moving instantly.

“Okay, you don’t like that. Um, what about just Fergus?”

There was a moment of stillness, but little Fergus opened his eyes wide and smiled at Claire.

Who immediately burst into tears.

Claire had decided to adopt Fergus.

Yes, she technically didn’t have a job; but she was a Doctor for heaven’s sake, it wasn’t like the King George Hospital was the only hospital in all of bloody England!

And yes, okay she did live in a tiny little flat that could barely fit her on a good day, but still! She could move, she did have a very generous severance package.

All of which she said.

The Director of the Abandoned Baby Program, (named Dianna), was not budging though.

“Claire, you have to understand our position. Of course we want to see Baby Doe-”

“Fergus.”

“Uh, Fergus go to a loving and wonderful home. But you just lost your position with the hospital due to gross incompetence, which will make obtaining a new one extremely difficult.”

“That was a lie on my record to smear my good name, which I am now fighting.”

“And once it is abolished from your record, and you have settled yourself into a steady job. Find a new home, and perhaps we can look into it.”

“And until then, Fergus gets shifted around in the system like little bits of flotsam and jetsam.”

Dianna looked pained.

“You must understand, there are so many little ones, and so few homes.”

“And yet, a perfectly good home is sitting right in front of you, and you are ignoring it!”

“I am terribly sorry Madame.”

The third, and final thing that happened? Well, Claire received a letter from someone that said she was a friend of a distant relative of Claire’s who was inviting her to tea.

In Scotland.

But, she figured life couldn’t get any stranger at this point.

She bought a train ticket for the appointed day, and set out for Scotland.

What was the worst that could happen?

“Excuse me?”

“Oh aye. This was settled long ago, ye ken?”

“So let me get this straight. Uncle Lamb had two brothers that basically wrote him off. But now, because there are really no more direct heirs, I am getting a house with land?”

“Aye.”

Mary MacNab was a small, fine-boned woman with dark brown hair. She had soft brown eyes, and lips that were full and gently curving.

“But I don’t understand this at all!”

“Oh weel, that is for the Barrister to discuss with ye. I have his number here.”

Claire looked at the tiny card. “Ned Gowan, Barrister.”

“Aye. The MacKenzie’s have always held a Gowan as a Barrister since Clan MacKenzie was roaming the Highlands.”

“Oh.”

“He’ll give ye all the details.”

“Do you know where the house and land are?”

“Aye. I can take ye to see it if ye want.”

“Please.”

Mary stood up and grabbed some keys from the table.

“Ronald! I am taking Claire to see the house. Mind Rabbie!”

“Aye!”

Mary shook her head.

“I ken when I come back, I will find them both with wide eyes and drool dripping down their chins as they play video games. Do ye have children Claire?”

“Not at the moment, but I hope to soon.”

“Ah, ye ken weans are a blessing.”

Claire smiled; glad someone understood what she wanted.

The two women got into a small sedan and drove down the road.

Mary kept up a constant stream of chatter, pointing out sights and talking about who lived where.

Claire could imagine at one point that the land had been vast and open, but now it was filled with a hodge podge of houses and yards.

The effect was very beautiful though, like an eccentric tapestry laid out for all to see.

They drove for about 20 minutes before Mary turned off the main road and onto a dirt one.

The road was bumpy, and Claire held the safety bar almost for dear life, but Mary seemed unaffected by the drive.

As they crested the small hill and came down on the other side, Claire’s breath left her.

“So here it is.

It wasn’t a lot of land, but it had a large house.

And that was about it.

There were a few scraggly shrubs, and the yard was weed choked.

The roof awning was sagging over an equally aged porch; and there was a large crack in the big picture window.

Claire was enraptured though.

“The property used to be larger.” Mary said as she climbed out of the car and dug into her bag for the keys.

“Back in the 1700s, this land was part of Castle Leoch. Colum MacKenzie was Laird then, and owned everything. When he died, his son Hamish took over as Laird. This land had been in a MacKenzie's hands for generations. Up until the 1930’s. Government stepped in to make use of the land for farming and such. This is all that’s left.”

As Mary climbed the splintering stairs, the porch seemed to shift, and give a little under her feet. Claire hung back in case she had to assist Mary if she fell through the wood.

But, Mary made it to the large door just fine.

And, after dealing with a cranky lock, they were inside.

If Claire thought the outside was bad, but the inside was worse.

The carpet was the first thing she noticed. It seemed to be an indiscriminate color, washed out almost.

It was only when she got a closer look that she realized that the carpet was covered in mildew.

The kitchen was just as ancient as the rest of the house, with scarred and cracked linoleum.

Mary said nothing as they climbed the mildew carpet covered stairs to the second floor. The stairs ominously creaked and groaned as they climbed.

There were several bedrooms, with faded wallpaper and patchy carpets, not mildewed though, which was good.

The Master bedroom was tucked into a corner, large and clearly fit for a king with an en suite bathroom.

Which apparently a family of raccoons was using as a den.

All of which hissed at Claire and Mary, before both women ran down the stairs in fear for their lives.

As Mary caught her breath, she pressed her hand to her chest and looked at Claire.

“I ken you will probably not be moving in.”

“No, actually, I think I will be moving in.”

Mary’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“Yes, this is not anything a little renovating won’t fix. Plus…”

She pulled a tissue out of her purse and lifted a corner of multi-colored carpet that was not very firmly attached to the floor.

“Solid wood underneath. Mary, this house is going to be amazing when I am done, it will be a home fit for my son.”

Of course, just moving in was not really an option. And moving in with Fergus was not absolute.

But once she talked to Ned Gowan, he told her that he knew an amazing contractor team, one of the finest around Inverness.

“I also know a very good Home Inspector; he will make sure everything is perfect.”

“I would love to live in the home while they are doing it.”

Ned frowned.

“The logistics might be a little tricky. But I will talk to the Lead Contractor and see what he says. When would you like the renovations to start?”

“As soon as possible.”

“I will contact Jamie and see what his schedule looks like.”

“Jamie?”

“James Fraser, the Lead Contractor. It’s actually his company.”

“Oh.”

Ned smiled. “Is there anything else I can help you with Dr. Beauchamp?”

Claire felt a very devious smile spread across her face.

“Actually Ned, there is a little detail I would love to get your assistance with.”

Later when Claire boarded the train to go home to sort out her affairs, she couldn’t help but think, ‘What kind of name is Jamie for a contractor?’

The minute Claire returned to England, she went straight to King George Hospital. She called Gellis on the way to have her meet Claire in the lobby so Gellis’s badge could be used to buzz her up to the 9th floor where Hospital Administration was housed.

Claire had only been slightly worried about the request, but Gellis had laughed at her.

“Let those arses try and fire me, I have enough dirt on everyone to make them bow to me.”

Claire laughed, and as the doors closed, Gellis winked at her.

When she got to the 9th floor, she didn’t stand on ceremony, or even pause to talk to Joe’s secretary.

She just barged into his office.

And she would assume later she had a bad look on her face because Joe was on the phone, but told the person he would call them back and hung up fast.

“Claire-”

“Shove it Joe. There is currently a smear on my record, and I want it off.”

Joe sighed softly. “Claire, I already told you that these things take time.”

“No Joe, these things do not take time. I know this because I have spoken to a lawyer, a very good lawyer. This is the letter he has drafted for you.”

She tossed the letter onto Joe’s desk, giving him enough time to start reading before she spoke again.

“The lawyer had decided that getting the smear off my record should be a simple matter. So, you can look like a damn fool while I sue this hospital and take it apart brick by brick as the letter states. Or you can deal with me and make this go away. What’s your pleasure?”

20 minutes later she was holding an official letter in her hand declaring her record clean.

She took that, as well as the house deed straight to Dianna’s office.

Where once again, she didn’t stand on ceremony.

Dianna was not on the phone, but Claire must have had the same look because the woman jumped to her feet in shock, upsetting her teacup.

“Madame Beauchamp!”

“Doctor! I didn’t spend 8 years in Medical School just to be called ‘Ma’am!’

Dianna started to speak, but Claire stopped her by tossing the letter and deed onto the desk.

“My record has been cleared by Medical Director Joe Abernathy. I have a house in my possession where there is plenty of room for a growing boy. And, I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon with Raigmore Hospital in Scotland. I do believe I have met all your specifications.”

Dianna looked at the items in front of her, mouth hanging open.

“Well this is…I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, that would be simple! ‘We will start the paperwork so you can adopt your son as soon as possible, Dr. Beauchamp.’ That’s what you can say.”

That was indeed what Dianna decided to say.

A few days later, Claire finally got to meet the elusive James Fraser.

She had called him several times, and left messages, but heard nothing from him.

But, then again, she had been busy with getting Fergus transferred to Raigmore Hospital.

She did indeed have an interview there, but it was more of a long-standing interview, akin to when she felt like it.

However, the director, Margaret Campbell, told her that there was always a spot for her there whenever the mood took her.

She had also gotten to meet the head of the Maternity Ward, Marsali Claudel. She was a very sweet faced woman, who looked years younger than she was. And who apparently had 4 children of her own already.

So, when she said to Claire, ‘Dinna Fash Dr. Beauchamp, this little lad will get all the care in the world.’ Claire was inclined to believe her.

“Thank you Marsali. I was worried something would happen to him on the way over here.”

“Och, nah. He is a stout little lad with a will to live, I ken it.”

She gave her son a little tap on the hand through the side opening since she couldn’t kiss him in the incubator.

“I will be back to see him tomorrow, I have an appointment with the Home Inspector this afternoon.”

“Ah Murtagh Fitzgibbons.”

“You know him?”

“Oh aye, everyone knows Murtagh. And his godson, Jamie.”

“Jamie is his godson? I have been trying to reach him to talk about the house. Maybe he can tell me how to get a hold of him properly.”

That afternoon, Claire pulled her car into the driveway and was surprised to see a pair of men waiting for her in front of the house that appeared to be deep in conversation.

They both looked up as she approached, the man with bushy eyebrows and beard spoke first.

“Miss Beauchamp?”

“Mr. Fitzgibbons, nice to meet you.”

He firmly shook her hand and smiled at her under all that hair. “Nice to meet ye as well. This is my Godson Jamie, he will be the contractor for ye.”

Claire turned her gaze to the red headed giant. “I have been trying to contact you Mr. Contractor.”

Jamie smirked a little. He had been listening to that prim, proper, ENGLISH voice leave him messages all over the place requesting that he call her. Over the phone, it had made his stomach twist, in person, it made his whole body go warm.

“Been busy.” He muttered.

“Well, since you are here now, we can kill two birds with one stone.” She said crisply.

She pulled the keys to the house out of her bag.

“Shall we gentleman?”

An hour and a half later, Murtagh left Claire with a huge stack of papers of things that needed to be done.

And he had stated before he left, (which Jamie concurred), that everything needed to be done for the house to be livable, let alone habitable. Claire was sure a huge chunk of her severance pay, and some of her inheritance was going to be sunk into the house.

But Jamie had said the house had good bones, which she guessed was a good thing.

Now she was alone with Jamie while he checked his schedule.

“So how long do you think this will take?”

“Och, well…” He looked up at the house, and then back to his phone.

“Figure I can get a crew of at least 4 others, if they don’t take too many tea breaks, we can have it done in about 6 weeks’ time, 4 if we really try.”

Claire blew out a breath. Fergus was nowhere close to being released from the hospital, so that was fine but still…

“Could I stay in the house while you’re working?”

Jamie’s face went a little flat. “Do ye not trust me and my crew Miss Beauchamp?”

Claire felt herself flush a little. “I am not saying that all Mr. Fraser. This is my home, and I want to be here.”

He gave her a long look, something akin to a prisoner appraising his governor.

“I am not sure I appreciate you sullying my Honor Miss Beauchamp. You are in the wilds of Scotland, Honor is still a verra important thing here.”

Claire smiled a little. “Well how shall I make amends? Pistols at dawn?”

“I can think of something much more satisfying.”

“And what is that?”

“Dinner.”

Claire’s mouth dropped open. “Dinner? Like a date?”

“Aye, as a means to repair my bruised Honor after all.”

“I-alright. Tomorrow night?”

“Tis a date then.”

He turned to walk back to his truck, a small strut in his step.

She waited until he was almost to the truck and called out. “Does this mean I can stay in the house during the renovation?”

Jamie stopped, stood still for 10 seconds, and then started walking.

“No.”

Claire wanted to scream, but instead waited until he drove away and kicked the loose gravel at her feet.

“Stubborn Scot!”

Later as she sat in her Airbnb drinking a glass of wine and talking to Gellis.

“So then! He asks me out on a date to heal his bruised Honor, and then when I ask if I can be at the house during the renovations, he says no. No Gellis!”

“Well, did you ask him why he doesn’t want you there, maybe it will be dangerous, or you will be in the way.”

“I just planned to sequester myself in a room and go over appliances, paint, and furniture. How is that being in the way?”

Gellis chuckled. “Knowing you Beauchamp, you would start off sequestered, but soon be in the man’s face about how a stair doesn’t look straight. I love you Hen, but you have Anal Retentive issues, with perfectionist tendencies.”

Claire said nothing, just sipped her wine.

“I suppose there is some, maybe a little truth to what you say.”

“A little? Love, you scolded that very nice intern named Lloyd because the stitches he did were off slightly.”

“Well, if you are going to be a surgeon, you have to be careful.”

“There is careful, and then there is you. The last time I checked, we don’t have sewing teachers measuring our sutures.”

Claire said nothing, but blew out a breath.

“Hen, let me tell you this. You are getting ready to have a baby, and unless you want him saying down the road, ‘My mum became a stark raving lunatic because I colored outside the lines,’ you are going to have to learn to unclench a little. And maybe, if you do, Jamie will meet you halfway hmm?”

Claire blew out a breath and downed the rest of her wine.

“Maybe.”

#my writing #outlander fanfic #omgbarbiegurl's and i's #the Contractor #chapter one three things #new story #jamie and claire #cannon divergence #outlander fandom #modern au

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