#and you have to account for the metaphorical changes in center of mass when you write a new one | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tamakiamajikistentacles · 3 years

Text

Disappearance 5: The Preparation {Katsuki Bakugo}

A/N: Please be sure to reblog, comment, review, and like if you enjoy! Feedback is what keeps me motivated! Entering the second half of this story already, I’m excited to see what everyone thinks!

Disappearance Masterlist

It was nearly midnight when he returned to his agency but his people were still on standby ready to move at a moment’s notice, even Jiro coming after her underground shift to help in any way she could. So far that was mostly sitting with the little boy humming soft lullabies as he dozed on the small sofa in Katsuki’s office.

The agency had been granted temporary protective custody of him until Shigaraki and the rest of the League were taken to Tartarus and the boy’s mother could be confirmed as fit to parent after the mission was completed. If everything went according to plan then within a day they should be able to hand him over to Chiasa after they were both examined by medical professionals.

When Katsuki reached the doorway of his office he motioned to his ears then pointed towards the conference room next door. Jiro smirked and flashed him a thumbs up, one of her lobes stretching towards the wall they’d be on the other side of.

With a nod to her and a lingering look to the boy, he turned and closed the door before slipping into the conference room where his friends and fellow heroes sat around the table. Sidekicks and interns long gone, he had enlisted the help of several other heroes he knew he could count on for this mission.

“I was able to get information on the League safehouse that Chiasa should be held in,” he started, eyes sweeping over those listening to him. “Even though he was in custody long before Chiasa disappeared, Dabi was forthcoming with details of what their original plans were for. Things changed due to the boy coming into play but they did account for her quirk when planning the kidnapping; she’s likely being held in a concrete room with no access to sunlight to keep her weak.”

“And we can trust the word of a villain?” Todoroki asked, knowing they were all thinking it. This wouldn’t be the first or last time a villain would lie to a hero for their own amusement or to hinder a major mission.

There was reason to believe him, though, specifically when it came to Chiasa’s quirk. Sun Surge allowed her to absorb the sun’s rays and, after building up enough power, discharge the energy into a devastating blast. From a young age she’d tried to control it but it was more powerful than she could handle even with training. Quirk suppressant drugs gave her too many negative side effects, so she was forced to drastically limit her time in the sun with exposed skin. Even with Kaminari’s attempts to help her in later years due to their quirks having a lot of similarities, she simply wasn’t able to keep a firm grasp on it.

“Normally I wouldn’t him, but the information he gave lines up with suspected villain activity in the area centered around Niwata Antiques in Nagoya. Jiro”—he nodded to his left—“should be able to give us more info since she recently had an undercover mission there. Ears?”

It was silent for a moment before his phone went off and he began reading her text out loud.

“Niwata Antiques is a well-known shop run by an elderly couple and their middle-aged son who live above the shop but when I went in as a shopper I could hear additional people in the basement, at least three at the time. This was maybe two weeks ago but nothing I heard then was enough for a search warrant.”

Todoroki lifted his hand from the table in acknowledgement, then refolded his hands in front of him atop the dark wood.

“We got permission to conduct a raid tomorrow morning on the antique shop,” Kirishima said. He’d been with Hikari as she made the necessary phone calls to the right jurisdictions and provided her as much info as he could as Katsuki updated him. “They open two hours earlier than the other shops in that district and the local authorities are willing to evacuate the shopkeepers when we move in. They’ll have plenty of officers on hand to arrest as many League members as we could potentially come into contact with.”

Since the Hero Public Safety Commission was disbanded and the hero ranking system dissolved it was oftentimes harder to coordinate with police in the areas needed and even harder to acquire a search or arrest warrant. Katsuki was luckier than most—he had been the last Number One. His name alone could get Hikari through just about any physical or metaphorical door in Japan.

While the navigating of red tape had become harder, team ups had become easier. Previously a stack of paperwork two meters high was needed before just two agencies could team up but nowadays as long as agency owners agreed and signed off on all case notes at the end of the mission there was no issue.

He and Deku had silent standing agreements to always help when asked (as did most other 1A alums who had their own agencies), which is how Deku, Uraraka, and Todoroki found themselves in the Dynamight Agency so late at night.

“We’re going in with six of us: me, Kirishima, Kaminari, Deku, Uraraka, Todoroki. Mina and Sero, I want you two here with Jiro in case there are any attempts at getting the boy back, plus we’ll have a few others on call if you need back up. It’s doubtful that the League’s gonna try anything since they can’t mobilize as fast as we can and they have a fraction of the resources they used to when we were kids.”

Katsuki looked around the table, the determination in everyone’s eyes something he was happy to see.

As heroes they wanted to save others and to get the villains off the street so they could no longer terrorize the public. As his friends they wanted to save Chiasa and bring her home to him.

“Kacchan?”

Deku’s questioning tone brought him out of his thoughts, and with a single shake of his head, he straightened his spine and rolled his shoulders back. They had work to do.

Tomura Shigaraki had never scared her in all the years she had known him, but Toga could admit that she was nervous at his reaction to the news of what had happened at the mall.

“You’re telling that you lost him to the HEROES?!”

“They had a plan—!”

“I don’t care! Do you realize what this means?!” he bellowed.

She bit her lip.

“We’ve lost what was almost guaranteed to be our own weapon of mass destruction!”

“He’s never even shown any sign of having a quirk, you have no idea what he’s even capable of! None of us do! We never did!” she argued.

Spinner, who had been watching their exchange quietly from his seat at the kitchen table, stood up and stepped in between them. “Both of you need to calm down. We can’t just go after him without a plan, and we have time to make one. The first thing they’re going to do is make sure the kid’s okay, right?”

They both considered this, knowing that heroes were always preoccupied with saving their charges and that likely meant they would have the kid assessed at a hospital and who even knew where else depending on what he said.

“Plus,” he continued, “he’s never been anywhere around here except in the shop upstairs. He can’t exactly tell them where we are so we should be safe for the time being while they search for our location.”

“We’ll need to move our base of operations,” Shigaraki said quietly. He wasn’t usually the one working on the logistics of their safety but in this case their next moves were fairly clear. “We need to have one of the other safehouses fitted for the girl’s quirk. Any sunlight at all and she’ll blow us all up.”

Toga grinned. “Tomura, this will be perfect though! When blasty Bakugo comes to get her you have your chance to kill her! Oh, it’s such a shame that she won’t bleed though…”

A/N: Please be sure to reblog, comment, review, and like if you enjoy! Feedback is what keeps me motivated!

Disappearance Masterlist

5 notes · View notes

gascon-en-exil · 4 years

Note

So I've heard the parley scene in AM is really bad. Can you explain what's wrong with it?

This sounds like a good time to use that handy event gallery feature to transcribe the conversation so we can talk about it. I haven’t done a full line-by-line reading of anything in a very long time.

Incidentally, Hubert is also present in this scene although he has no lines, which is highly unusual for the way this game handles who appears in story cutscenes. I just thought that was worth remarking on.

Dimitri: Professor. Do you think Edelgard will show up?

Byleth: “She will.” or “I doubt it.” Choice leads to...

???: “Well, well. It’s been a long time, Professor. And hello to you too, DImitri.” or “Sorry to disappoint you, Professor.”

This is Byleth’s only line in the scene, and I love how it reinforces that Edelgard is hung up on them even in the route where Byleth matters least. She acknowledges Dimitri, the leader of the army with whom she’s holding a parley, second - and not at all if you doubt her and she gets pouty about it. Also, imagine a Byleth-less AM where it would Dedue at Dimitri’s side instead, and how much better that would have been.

Dimitri: Edelgard. I did not think you would actually accept my request.

Edelgard: Call it a whim. Well then? What did want to talk about?

Call it an OOC whim, because she never so much as suggests any such thing on the other routes even when she’s losing.

Dimitri: I will get straight to the point. Why did you start this war? There had to a way change things in your territory without the need for so many senseless casualties.

Edelgard: It may be hard to believe, but this is the way that leads to the fewest casualties in the end. Don’t you see?

Dimitri: How could I? Countless people have already lost their lives in this conflict.

Edelgard: The longer we took to revolt, the more victims this crooked world would have claimed. I weighed the victims of war against the victims of the world as it is now, and I chose the former. I believe that I have chosen the best path, the only path.

Dimitri: Even after seeing the faces of those who have suffered the ravages of war, you would still force them to throw their lives away for the future? You are obsessively devoted to this war and deaf to the screams of its victims. You cannot change the cycle of the strong dominating the weak with a method like that.

Edelgard: You’re wrong. That very cycle is exactly what I have devoted my life and my power to destroying. If after all of this you believe the weak will still be weak, that is only because they are too used to relying on others instead of on themselves.

This reinforces three concepts central to Edelgard’s character: the ends justify the means, dependence on others makes you weak, and it’s acceptable for her to make life-or-death decisions for an entire continent because she has the power and (allegedly) the understanding to do so.

Dimitri: Yes. Perhaps someone as strong as you are can claim something like that. But you cannot force that belief onto others. People aren’t as strong as you think they are. There are those who cannot live without their faith...and those who cannot go on once they have lost their reason for living. Your path will not be able to save them. It is the path of the strong, and so, it could only benefit the strong.

Dimitri remarks that Edelgard is operating from a place of extreme privilege as emperor, but he also means strength in a different context which he’ll expound upon later. I’ve seen people cherry pick the line about people who can’t live without faith as evidence that Dimitri thinks religion is necessary, but that’s ignoring what he says below.

Edelgard: Heh, so you consider me strong, do you?

Of course, because Edelgard makes a big point of never showing her emotions to anyone but Byleth and projecting an image of strength in place of them. This is markedly in contrast to Dimitri who allows himself to be publicly vulnerable in ugly and unsettling ways. It’s inverted gender coding twice over.

Edelgard: Even if one clings to their faith, the goddess will never answer them. Countless souls will be lost that way. Living without purpose. And I can be counted as those who have died that way as well. But that’s why I must change this world, on behalf of the silent and weak!

So now she claims to speak for the weak. This implies some interesting things about why Edelgard is an atheist (or as much as one can be in a world where your deity is living inside your teacher), although it falls a bit flat when one considers Dimitri’s Goddess Tower event where he essentially admits to being a deist himself. They’re actually about on the same page there, but this conversation doesn’t indicate it.

Dimitri: And do you intend to become a goddess yourself? Will you steal the power to take action from the broken-hearted masses you claim to defend? The ones who can truly change the way of the world are not the rulers, but the people. Pushing your own sense of justice and your own ideals onto even one other person is nothing more than self-righteousness.

Edelgard: Maybe it is self-righteousness, but it doesn’t matter. Someone has to take action and put a stop to this world’s endless, blood-stained history!

Proto-democracy alert, and I don’t mean from Edelgard. I’m a bit shocked that Edelgard is willing to admit that she’s being self-righteous, but she immediately pivots back into her usual spiel and refusal to compromise her beliefs even the slightest.

Dimitri: Do you not believe in the power of the people to join together and rise up? Humans are weak creatures. But they are also creatures who help each other, support each other, and together, find the right path. I have learned that humans are capable of all that from the professor...and from everyone in my life.

I hate that Dimitri singles out Byleth here and not, you know, any of the numerous other people who’ve been at his side supporting and loving him for much longer and with more than just irrelevant dialogue options and vacant smiles. Nevertheless, Dimitri understands the value of community on account of his experiences and his own development. That’s some solid, thematically cohesive writing there. See what the other leaders miss out on by never changing during their stories...and no, having the hots for the self-insert does not constitute changing.

Edelgard: I doubt a highborn person like yourself could know how the poor feel or what motivates them. This is nonsense. Though, I’m finally starting to understand how you feel. But that makes it even clearer to me that we can never fully understand each other.

Dimitri: I feel the same. I finally understand...what you believe is right.

An obnoxious moment of the pot calling the kettle black that also ignores that Dimitri spent most of the timeskip homeless, spending time in the slums of Fòdlan, being hailed as a (frightening) hero of the common people. Dimitri doesn’t argue the point though; he sees that Edelgard is set in her (demonstrably incorrect) beliefs and that further discussion is useless. Do note who shuts down the conversation first though, after sidestepping Dimitri’s point about the value of supporting each other.

Edelgard: Good-bye, DImitri.

Dimitri: Wait, Edelgard. There is something I must give you. This is for you. Use it to cut a path to the future you wish for. And I will rise up to meet you there...El.

Edelgard: ...

I left this bit in for the transition as well as to undercut the irony of what Edelgard ultimately does with this dagger. The future she wishes for is to stand on her own - even if it means killing an old friend and dying herself.

After this the scene cuts to a flashback of Dimitri giving Edelgard the dagger before she left the Kingdom, followed by Edelgard admitting that she had forgotten that memory and the two of them reflecting on it briefly before parting. I’ve cut this part as it’s not relevant to the parley.

Now that I’ve written it all out I have to say that the scripting of this scene is not inherently terrible. It works if you assume that Edelgard is metaphorically sticking her fingers in her ears through the whole thing and spouting her rehearsed, blatantly flawed rhetoric about human nature and assumptions about Dimitri’s character that prove that she doesn’t know him very well at all and doesn’t care to. I’ve read that several lines are markedly different in Japanese, although not necessarily better? Either way this is a scene of two people talking past each other repeatedly that accomplishes nothing except to set the stage for the final cutscene, underscoring that AM was never really about politics so much as people at its narrative center.

#Fire Emblem #FE16 #Fire Emblem Three Houses #Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd #Edelgard von Hresvelg #Azure Moon

142 notes · View notes

wisdomrays · 4 years

Text

TAFAKKUR: Part 190

Can Black Holes Cause an Apocalypse?

The world may not have ended on December 21, 2012, but that does not mean it won’t end at all. So what will be the force that will disperse this robust system of ours, rendering all forces including gravity obsolete, and forcing the sun and planets out of their orbits?

The universe contains billions of heavenly systems that travel interdependently in a perfect and harmonious fashion. What could be the obvious cause or force that could disrupt this great arrangement, deorbit the stars and planets, and make every other force ineffective including gravity? If we ponder upon the verses of the Holy Qur’an, “When the sun is folded up (and darkened). And when the stars fall (losing their luster)” (At-Takwir, 81:1−2), “And when the heaven is torn away (with all the truths becoming manifest)” (At-Takwir, 81:11) with our current cosmological advances, will Black holes be the cause that will likely destroy the Sun and even devour the light of stars so that they are unable to function?

Black holes are considered to have the potential to cause a universal apocalypse. It seems plausible that with such gravitational power of Black holes, mountains would be casted away, and magma displacement via volcanic eruptions could lead to major earthquakes. There are a couple of recent geologic studies pointing out the possibility that the gravity of the sun and moon play a role in development of earthquakes. The 7-8 meter rise in seas and 35-40 cm rise in land caused by lunar and solar eclipses are considered to be a possible factor among many factors that triggers an earthquake. Earthquakes of 12-15 Richter scale magnitude can occur because of the gravitational force of Black holes. The biggest earthquake ever recorded was of 9.2 magnitude; such that if it happens again, it can lead to a major catastrophe in a very short time.

Let’s not forget that we are residing on a globe filled with fire in its center. Gases that make up the atmosphere are held only with help of planetary gravity. One of the forces that will boil all the waters away and let all the gases escape the planet could be Black hole gravitation. The air in our atmosphere and resulting “air pressure” can be destroyed by Black hole gravity. Oceans would start boiling violently and then might evaporate off the planet. In this case, living things would suffer severe structural damages since all life forms are composed mostly of water (~70%). That is why astronauts wear a special space suit filled with air made up of normal atmospheric pressure when they leave the atmosphere. We should also keep in mind that trillions of heavenly bodies (asteroids, meteors, and comets) located in the two asteroid belts (Orion and Kuiper) may be freed from their gravitational control by the vacuum impact of the Black hole, causing colossal cosmic collisions.

The disruption of gravitational balance

There is a sensitive relationship between the elements of the universe, such as electromagnetic, nuclear forces and an apocalypse may result from a disruption of these.

According to the general relativity theory, the time-space plane can be rolled or wrinkled up like a paper. The gravitational force of black holes can cause the displacement of stars which are interconnected through weak web of attractions. As if a piece of net takes a specific shape when loaded with heavy objects, the web of space-time, also known as the cosmos, could be distorted and even torn apart by black holes with their infinite mass “sitting” in it. This is a characteristic of black holes. A possible explanation for this might be that via elimination of common physical laws, the black hole region could become the gateway to metaphysical dimensions. Cosmos of space and time is described as strong-built, fracture-free in the Qur’an; “You do not see any fault or incongruity in the creation of the all Merciful. Look yet again: can you see any rifts?” (Al-Mulk, 67:3). However, in verses about the apocalypse, cosmic fractures that will occur is constantly repeated; “Day will come, land to be transformed into another, skies to be converted into others” (Ibrahim, 14:48)”On the day when the earth is changed into another earth, and the heavens (also)” (Abraham, 14:48), ”And the sky split asunder, and so, on that day it will be most frail” (Al-Haqqah, 69:16), and “The sky will cleft open thereby” (Al-Muzzammil, 73:18). We can conclude from these verses that new heavens would be created from these “fractures.”

The way that doomsday will actually take place is in the knowledge and control of Our Creator who executes these acts and maintains the order of the universe. Approaches and conclusions made with current physical and cosmic sciences will enable a better understanding of the verses related to doomsday.

The Sun rising in the West and the apocalypse

Can a comet or a planet change the direction of the earth’s rotation by colliding with it? Can the earth change direction and start to rotate from East to West instead of West to East? A catastrophic event like this may cause colossal destruction and end the lives of many organisms. As a matter of fact, a comet impact in recent years was detected to slow down the rotational speed of planet Jupiter.

Venus is a mysterious planet on many levels. For example it rotates in the opposite direction compared to other planets. Sun rises in the West on Jupiter. Dense rock and dust layers of Venusian atmosphere is theorized to be formed as a result of a collision, and because of this collision, it is thought to have started spinning in the opposite direction. A day in Venus is longer than a year. In other words Venus revolves around the Sun faster than it rotates around itself.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi explains the sun rising in the West rather metaphorically as follows:

“While God knows best, the Qur’an, which is in effect the intellect of the earth, will disappear from its head at the end of time and, as a result, the earth will go mad. With Divine leave, it will collide with another planet and its rotation will be reversed. Through Divine Will, its journey from west to east will be reversed from east to west, and the sun will start to rise in the west. Truly, if the gravity of the Qur’an, which is the firm rope of God that binds the earth to the sun and the ground to the Divine Supreme Throne, is broken, the tether holding the earth will come unfastened. The earth will consequently become dizzy and deranged: on account of the reversal of its usual motion, the sun will rise in the west. Through its collision with another planet, Doomsday will begin at the Divine command.” (The Rays, p. 365)

Whichever way the earth comes to an end, even if the universe is not destroyed by an external destructive event, an apocalypse is foretold as something that will eventually happen with some mind-blowing descriptions in the Qur’an. What science speaks of black holes and other astrophysical possibilities in the universe seems to confirm these descriptions:

When the sun is folded up, and when the stars fall, and when the mountains are set moving. (At-Takwir, 81:1-3)

When heaven is cleft open, and when the stars fall in disorder and are scattered, and when the seas burst forth. (At-Taqwir, 81:1-3)

1 note · View note

lovehaswonangelnumbers · 4 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/full-moon-lunar-eclipse-in-sagittarius-june-5th-2020/

FULL MOON Lunar ECLIPSE in Sagittarius June 5th 2020

By Mystic Mamma

*FULL MOON* Lunar ECLIPSE in SAGITTARIUS

June 5th 2020 12:12 pm PDT | 7:12 pm GMT

June 6th 2020 6:12 am AEDT

★

With things in the state that they are right now, it should come as no surprise that we are headed into Eclipse season beginning with this FULL MOON Lunar ECLIPSE in Sagittarius on June 5th 2020.

Eclipses usually come sets of 2, but this year they come in sets of 3, so this is the first of these 3 consecutive Eclipses which continue to precipitate life-changing shifts.

Current Gemini energies continue to reflect and communicate the reality that we all experience life through different fractals.

Our collective lens has focalized the experience of our black brothers, sisters and relatives that continue to be subjected to racism rooted in white supremacy and abuse that has been systematically allowed to perpetuate.

Our expanding realizations are transforming into bridges of solidarity and action calls to the ways we can each proactively participate in the active dismantling of the oppressive systems that we consciously or unconsciously maintain.

We are in a time of collective and personal awakening to what has been in the shadows, oppressive and imbalanced across our implemented systems as well as our personal myopic realities.

The process of awakening can be painful, because new realities precipitate trajectory shifts.

In the process of things dismantling, disassembling, and crumbling, we can feel unstable and this is why change is often so dreaded.

But we are the changemakers of this time, and we are here at this time for a reason.

We each carry our own truth, but a universal truth is that we’re all here ultimately to learn to love.

All those who have had crossed over and come back through near-death experiences, and those who are mediums between worlds echo this truth: Life is a school of learning, and we are here to learn to love.

At this time, like Rumi said, that is our task, and not only to love but to seek to dissolve “all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”

It is also a time to have courage and not be afraid to communicate, even as it makes us feel increasingly more vulnerable.

Vulnerability is the straight path of the heart, the direct access point.

Gemini continues to teach us that through communication we can heal our separateness and isolation.

As we’ve heard it said, the more difficult the subject, the more healing is to be gained from talking about it.

In what ways can we speak from our experience like elders, like our grandmothers and grandfathers, with compassion but with strength that illuminates another facet to be taken into account?

Like Einsten said “we cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” Let’s expand our thinking and let’s get massively creative with new ways to implement change.

Let’s use that surge of Sagittarius creative power to launch new Life affirming ways to support our existence and everyone’s right to Liberty. Because we’re in this together.

We are lovers, We are love. That’s what we are here to remember, here to learn, here to BE.

Here are the MYSTIC MAMMA Astral Insights from our beloved featured astrologers:

PAM YOUNGHANS from her NorthPoint Astrology says:

“Our Milky Way galaxy is part of a great river of galaxies that flows through space, being magnetically pulled in the direction of a massive galactic anomaly called Abell 3627, more commonly known as the Great Attractor (GA)…

“Our Lunar Eclipse this Friday is… aligned with the GA… (and) will be activating its influence in our awareness.

“Since the GA continuously draws us toward itself, it represents the inexorable pull of our Higher Destiny.

“When it is activated in our collective awareness through events such as an eclipse, new insights and unexpected viewpoints become possible.

“We can experience a major shift in our perceptions and beliefs, which in turn alters our trajectory.

“Astrologer Philip Sedgwick, who has studied the GA in great depth, explains:

‘The enormous gravity of the GA actually bends light around it.

“It bends the light so much, that a glimpse of what is behind it can be taken.

‘This provides clear behind-the-scenes insights, while simultaneously offering other refractive illusions.’

“Friday’s Eclipse, being conjunct the GA, represents a profound juncture in our evolution.

“As we stand at that crossroads, we must expand our understanding of reality, while also accepting that each person may rightly have their own version of truth.

“Another quote from Sedgwick:

‘A narrow view (or opinionated nature) does not fit with the Great Attractor.

‘There is not one simple answer.

‘Perhaps each point of focus is only a fragment of the hologram of understanding.’

“Sedgwick advises that in order to find our own truth, our own ‘fragment of the hologram,’ each of us must ‘Center the source of your light within the matter of your life. What matters clearly focuses your truth.’

“The last time we had a Lunar Eclipse that aligned with the Great Attractor was on June 4, 1993.

“Events that occurred around that time, and subsequent changes in our perspective, pulled us into a new future, perhaps a different destiny than the one we had thought we were building toward.

“We may have gone willingly toward that new future, but maybe not. And yet, looking back, we can see how essential that trajectory shift was, and how it forever changed the course of our life.

“We are at a similar time now. This Lunar Eclipse conjunct the Great Attractor alters the landscape, requiring us to reroute.

“In time, we will find that our new road is more aligned with that greater destiny we came here to fulfill.”

SARAH VARCAS from Astro-Awakenings.co.uk her says:

“An alliance between Chiron, Uranus and Mercury at the time of this eclipse unlocks fresh perspectives.

“But to benefit from them we must reclaim the fundamental right to honor our own experience and not have it dismissed, ridiculed or silenced if it runs contrary to the received wisdom of the time.

“This takes courage in a world where people are being demonized and discredited for daring to question… and reflect more deeply on the narrative they’re being fed.

“But if ever there was a time for courage it is now!

“Courageous thought, courageous speech, courageous hearts open to a new world in which we’re not told how things are but instead discern, through digesting many perspectives and listening, perhaps most importantly, to the voice within that knows truth..

“As we stand at this juncture in human history there are weighty choices to be made and we must each make them as best we can.

“This eclipse season will both reveal the shadow side of readily accepted sources of information – hidden interests, inaccurate assumptions, covert agendas – as well as illuminate in their wake new sources of knowledge previously eclipsed by the might of received wisdom and unquestioned ‘truths’.

“The path ahead remains scattered with obstacles and the battle for dominion over the collective mind continues unabated.

“This lunar eclipse is just the beginning and there is much to be revealed and digested before we can decide, collectively, the quality of our future.

“Saturn is now retrograding through Aquarius before returning to Capricorn in July. (You can read more about what this means for us in terms of freedom of thought and speech in full here.)

“..Saturn is a key player in the unfolding of events this year. As signifier of the establishment and authorities, its alignment with Pluto speaks to the extension of government powers and the reduction of civil liberties.

“It illuminates who gets to shape a dominant narrative, how they do it, and the use of fear to suppress and control.

“Indeed, the Saturn / Pluto conjunction of January speaks far more deeply to issues of power and control than of health and disease, signifying the imposition of authoritarian power over the masses in ways never before seen on such a vast scale.

“As Saturn completes its shift from Capricorn to its new home in Aquarius during the course of 2020, it illuminates the suppression of free-thought and open debate.

“The silencing of free speech and what happens when those silenced refuse to be so…

“Initially, Saturn in Aquarius can continue to manifest as the metaphorical boot that kicks dissenters back into line, stifles independence and acts contrary to collective well-being.

“It’s the fear of having to think for yourself in a confusing and paradoxical world.

“It wants to be told what to think and believe, who to love, who to hate, how to keep yourself safe…

“As Saturn tiptoes from the familiarity of conventional perception (Capricorn) to the uncharted terrain of independent thought (Aquarius) this year, fear arises: What if I’m wrong? They’re the experts. What would I know? How do I justify gut instinct when what it tells me goes against the grain of accepted belief? What if I’m left standing alone in my beliefs, ridiculed for daring to think differently? What if I’m roundly rejected, left in a group of one?

“But Saturn is nothing if not steadfast!

“Its presence in Aquarius empowers us to think for ourselves whatever it takes.

“To take responsibility for our own well-being. To enjoy maturity of thought and behaviour, not surrender our sovereign view to a surrogate ‘parent’ who tells us what to believe.

“Saturn in Aquarius reminds us that even the oft-uttered refrain ‘everything is happening as it should’ doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done but let it all unfold.

“We don’t download awakening, we cultivate it, nurture it, question those aspects of self that mitigate against it.

“And in doing so we discover that wise action in this moment can change the next.

“That by being present to the full triumph and catastrophe of the human experience we can recalibrate it and shape the course of history rather than simply be shaped by it.

“And we’re currently living at a historical crossroads of monumental proportions.

“To choose well we need to harness the power of Saturn’s journey into Aquarius to engage courageous thought and nurture fresh perspectives.

“Not to stifle debate and feed the fear of dissent.

“Black Moon Lilith and Chiron were conjunct the Sun when Saturn first entered Aquarius in March 2020, highlighting the influence its Aquarian journey would have over our individual and collective sense of self.

“They affirm the healing radiance of the human spirit and the unadulterated power unleashed when we remember who we really are – divine through and through, and equally human. Of this world and all others everywhere.

“This power cannot be diminished by tyranny or lies, by manipulation or fear.

“It is unassailable. Always. And it knows the truth. We know the truth. This is the message of Saturn in Aquarius…

“It’s a long road ahead. Courage will be needed.

“As will a sense of humor and the ability to know when to speak up and when to keep one’s counsel for a more propitious time. No outcome is assured so complacency is best avoided.

“That said we need to know our own limits and take care of ourselves first and foremost.

“Saturn in Aquarius can be a game changer if we let it, opening up debate, revealing hidden truths and endowing each and every one of us with a deep sense of responsibility for what we believe, such that simply accepting what we’re told by anyone will be anathema to our finely tuned moral compass.

“Let the prevailing narrative place its evidence alongside that of alternative views. Let us debate and explore, question and analyze. Let us be convinced of an argument, not receive our beliefs by dictate.

“But most of all, let Saturn in Aquarius cement the sovereignty of our mind and our right to form our own opinion from external evidence and our internal knowing about it…

“For whatever’s going on in this world today, it is we the people, not the privileged elite with vested interests in our obedience to their cause, who can – and must – decide the shape our lives take from here.”

DIVINE HARMONY says:

“The North Node in Gemini is about coming back to beginner’s mind. This is about cultivating the mind of a child- full of openness, curiosity and generosity.

“This is about saying ‘show me where I am wrong’ and ‘hmm I don’t know- what is the Truth here? Show me the Truth Universe.’

“The Highest expression of Gemini is open mindedness.

“The karmic South Node in Sagittarius highlights where we do the opposite of this. This is where we have hubris, self righteousness and dogma.

“This is where we think MY beliefs are the right ones and yours are the wrong ones- you just need to listen to me, I will teach you the RIGHT way of doing things/seeing things/believing.

“In any conflict if anyone is coming from this position I can guarantee you it is a no win situation.

“But cultivating an open mind and willingness to see other perspectives and work to understand other positions WILL open doors in communication rather than close them.

“The thing to remember here is when we listen to another’s perspective it’s not about right or wrong. It’s about understanding where another comes from.

“Understanding another person’s world view and lived experience…

“Vesta is conjunct the North Node – drawing us forward to our Sacred Focus and Greatest Devotion.

“The North Node is in Gemini but Vesta is in Cancer- the sign of the Great Mother.

“One of the great necessities of this time is to honor and reinstate the Divine Feminine…

“The denial of the Mother has had horrific ramifications on our planet.

“The Feminine elements are Earth and Water- body and soul, physical reality and emotion…

“We need to heal our disassociation from our emotions and (Water) and our detachment from and abuse of the body (Earth).

“If we were fully connected to these elements we could NEVER harm another person, dump toxic poison in the water or air, abuse a child, kill, murder or go to war.

“If everyone’s heart chakra was fully open we would FEEL what we do to another and we would never be able to do the horrific things happening on the planet right now.

“Reclaiming and restoring the Divine Feminine to her rightful place is NECESSARY… (and to be clear- this is not about men vs women- as men and masculine identified beings have an inner feminine just as women and feminine identified beings have an inner masculine)

“Use this sacred Eclipse portal to question your assumptions, beliefs, attitudes and ways of perceiving the world around you.

“Use this time to anchor more deeply into your heart, compassion, empathy and love for all beings- human, animal and non-human- everywhere.

“Use this portal to open up to Higher Truths that go beyond ego-mind perspectives. See beyond the veil of delusion/illusion/manipulation so you can get to the Truth.

“Start with yourself (do your shadow work) and then extend that inner work out into the world around you.”

And ELLIAS LONSDALE interpretation of the Chandra symbol for this Full Moon Eclipse is:

SAGITTARIUS 16:A man shearing sheep.

“Practical fortitude. Resiliency to keep finding a way to do it, to keep discovering how to get through the deepest quandaries, the greatest karmic traps. Ingenious and resourceful. Paying attention to the cues, going to get it right.

“You’re involved within a path which requires discipleship or apprenticeship, learning the ropes. Building up fresh capacity in this lifetime to scale the heights. But you remain preoccupied and absorbed within honest tasks.

“A pervasive conviction grows and forms, of how it really is.

“You’re willing to take every step to reach a far goal, and attentive to what is really there. A throwback to the old ways of a rural past.

“Oddly comfortable in adopting forms and moving through phases and taking on the worlds.

“The journeyman learns the ways of the journey and gathers Earth wisdom in small bundles.

“Knowing how to be there when it counts.“

This has been a very tough week. For me personally, I lost one my very best friends and allies on this physical plane. This last line, “Knowing how to be there when it counts,” is what she embodied and reason we all continue to do what we must.

Sending so much love to each of our hearts during this trying passage,

With all my heart~

MM ☾☾☾

Thank you for your kinship! ♥ If you feel moved to offer reciprocity for my work, I extend my gratitude ahead and here are the ways you may do it :::

As a One-time Or Monthly basis HERE, at whatever level feels right for you. Or by making a purchase of my Artwork in my SHOP A Tree is planted with each purchase.

*******

LoveHasWon.org is a Non-Profit Charity, Heartfully Associated with the “World Blessing Church Trust” for the Benefit of Mother Earth

Share Our Messages with Love and Gratitude

LOVE US @ MeWe mewe.com/join/lovehaswon

Visit Our Online Store for Higher Consciousness Products and Tools: LoveHasWon Essentials

http://lovehaswonessentials.org/

Visit Our NEW Sister Site: LoveHasWon Angel Numbers

https://lovehaswonangelnumbers.org/

Commentary from The First Contact Ground Crew 5dSpiritual Healing Team:

Feel Blocked, Drained, Fatigued, Restless, Nausea, Achy, Ready to Give Up? We Can Help! We are preparing everyone for a Full Planetary Ascension, and provide you with the tools and techniques to assist you Home Into The Light. The First Contact Ground Crew Team, Will Help to Get You Ready For Ascension which is Underway. New Spiritual Sessions have now been created for an Entire Family, including the Crystal Children; Group Family Healing & Therapy. We have just began these and they are incredible. Highly recommend for any families struggling together in these times of intense changes. Email: [email protected] for more information or to schedule an emergency spiritual session. We can Assist You into Awakening into 5d Reality, where your experience is one of Constant Joy, Wholeness of Being, Whole Health, Balanced, Happy and Abundant. Lets DO THIS! Schedule Your Session Below by following the Link! Visit: http://www.lovehaswon.org/awaken-to-5d/

Introducing our New LoveHasWon Twin Flame Spiritual Intuitive Ascension Session. Visit the link below:

https://lovehaswon.org/lovehaswon-twin-flame-spiritual-intuitive-ascension-session/

Request an Astonishing Personal Ascension Assessment Report or Astrology Reading, visit the link below for more information:

https://lovehaswon.org/lovehaswon-ascension-assessment-report

https://lovehaswon.org/lovehaswon-astrology/

Experiencing DeAscension Symptoms, Energy Blockages, Disease and more? Book a Holistic Healing Session

https://lovehaswon.org/lovehaswon-holistic-healing-session/

To read our Testimonials you can follow this link: http://www.lovehaswon.org/testimonials

Connect with MotherGod~Mother of All Creation on Skype @ mothergoddess8

Request a copy of our Book: The Tree of Life ~ Light of The Immortals Book

Order a copy of Our LoveHasWon Ascension Guide: https://lovehaswon.org/lovehaswon-ascension-guide/

**If you do not have a Paypal account, click on the button below:

If you wish to donate and receive a Tax Receipt, click the button below:

Donate with Paypal

Use Cash App with Our code and we’ll each get $5! FKMPGLH

Cash App Tag: $lovehaswon1111

Cash App

Donate with Venmo

VENMO

Support Our cause in the creation of the Crystal Schools for Children. Visit our fundraising link below:

LoveHasWon Charity for Crystal Schools

Support Our Charity in Co~Creating the New Earth Together by Helping Mother of All Creation. Visit our fundraising link below:

Support Mother Earth!

Support Us on PATREON

PATREON

Support Us Through Our LoveHasWon Wish List

LoveHasWon Wish List

We also accept Western Union and Moneygram. You may send an email to [email protected] for more information.

***If you wish to send Donations by mail or other methods, email us at [email protected] or [email protected]***

**** We Do Not Refund Donations****

MeWe ~ Youtube ~ Facebook ~ Apple News ~ Linkedin ~ Twitter ~ Tumblr ~ GAB ~ Minds ~ Google+ ~ Medium ~ StumbleUpon ~ Reddit ~ Informed Planet ~ Steemit ~ SocialClub ~ BlogLovin ~ Flipboard ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Snapchat

#5D Astrology #Astrology Updates

1 note · View note

toniwilder · 6 years

Text

Tony Stark and the Myth of Icarus

“Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk,” Tony Stark says before taking his newly designed suit out into the world. It’s the second time he’s harnessed the power of flight. The first time Tony flies is immediately after escaping capture in an Afghanistan cave.

It’s upon his second lift off that Tony’s able to truly revel in his work. He flies higher, higher, higher still, until his system shorts out and the ice builds on the unpainted metal. Though it’s not the same as fire to feathers, Tony topples towards the Earth in the dead weight of his iron man suit anyway.

Just before he hits the ground, his wit saves him. Tony unpacks the ice, the system restarts, and he bolts back into the air to later, somewhat safely, crash into the garage of his sleek Malibu home. He does not burn. He lives and goes on to create more suits, save more lives, and attempt to shed the skin of his reputation as “The Merchant of Death.”

While most remember the fall of Icarus acutely—the myth is named for him, after all—it’s important to remember that Icarus’ fall came at the hand of his father’s mistakes. The truth is without Deadalus’ hubris, Icarus would never have fallen in the first place, as Icarus wore wings to escape the tower where he was arrested with his father by the fault of his father’s sins.

Deadalus, Icarus’s father, was an impeccable engineer imprisoned for creating a monster. Icarus was imprisoned with him. Like Icarus, Tony is accountable for the nepotistic cruelty of his father’s legacy. Tony is held by others and himself to the complacency of staying within a system that he does not check. He flies high in the money, the lifestyle, and the women until brought down by the attack in Afghanistan. It takes a literal shot to the heart before Tony begins truly addressing the privileged state of existence he has lived in.

To understand the constant reaching of Tony Stark, it’s important to remember the man who raised him. Howard Stark is described by Tony as, “cold, calculating,” and that Howard “never told [Tony] he loved [him], he never even told [Tony] that he liked [him].” Howard’s character is established in a handful of ways: flashbacks, mentions, and the rare instances of time congruent depictions in Steve Roger’s story, for the short time that the two interlocked their timelines.

We meet Howard through the eyes of Steve, pre-serum, first, as a man creating flying cars and helping in engineering the super soldier serum application. Howard would later go on to obsess over the serum, creating the catalyst of movement in Civil War when he meddles with enhancement—trying to recreate Steve’s physical prowess through means of obsession. It ultimately leads to his death, as Howard is killed by The Winter Soldier in the middle of transporting the serums.

Howard Stark, within the canon of the MCU, helped create the atomic bomb. He also meddled in the creation of magical weapons of mass destruction (as seen in Agent Carter). Howard builds the Stark name on the back of war. Other notable accomplishments of Howard include the study of the Tesseract, which Tony later uses to create a new element to sustain his arc reactor, but we’ll get back to that later.

Spoken amid Tony’s risk-taking behaviors revolving around an end of life crisis, a post-humous video of Howard is delivered to Tony while Tony struggles to save his own life. “I built [The Stark Expo] for you. And someday, you'll realize that it represents a whole lot more than people's inventions. It represents my life's work. This is the key to the future. I'm limited by the technology of my time, but one day you'll figure this out. And when you do, you will change the world. What is, and will always be, my greatest creation…is you.”

A short unpacking can illuminate that Howard refers to his son as on level with his other engineering exploits, that he is a creation solely attributes to Howard’s existence and intellect that was made to further establish Howard’s life work and influence on the future. It doesn’t matter that perhaps Tony might not grow up to pursue the same goals as his father. As a connection to Howard, Tony must live up to what Howard has done. That means the good, and also the bad.

Later in the MCU timeline in Captain America: Civil War, Tony creates a virtual reality interface that so aggressively hijacks his hippocampus that he is later seen recovering from what he calls “Electromagnetic headaches”. Howard, in a reality that Tony recreated from memory, tells his son, “They say sarcasm is a metric for potential. If that’s true, you’ll be a great man someday.” Someday being the thing to key in on here, the furthering of a narrative that Tony has based his life upon; that he needs to live up to another man’s metric.

It’s important to note that both of these quotes occur during moments of extreme agitation for Tony. More notable in every adaptation than his performative arrogance is Tony’s lethal guilt complex. The BARF recreation of his memories allows Tony to relive memories and process his trauma… In front of an auditorium filled with people. He then funds the entire school body in their intellectual pursuits. He notes, “It helps ease my conscience.” Tony edges ever further low in his humility, closer to metaphorical drowning.

Tony’s arc in Age of Ultron centers around the idea of making himself obsolete. “Isn’t that the ‘why’ we fight, so we can end the fight?” he asks. He’s constantly fighting against societal and self-imposed limitations. “I don’t want to hear the ‘man is not meant to meddle’ medley,” he snaps. Like Deadalus’ warning, Tony constantly wavers between two extremes—falling into the ocean of not doing enough (leading to the death of his fellow avengers) or burning by his hubris (creating Ultron, signing the accords, and there undoubtedly more examples).

The myth of Icarus constantly focuses on the danger of flying too high, forgetting that the outcome of both flying high and flying low is that ultimate moment of drowning in the ocean. Tony’s high flying, his ability to continue to create and move forward as the Avenger’s futurist, brings him further into the minds’ eye of global (and soon universal) society. Tony takes more and more and more accountability for the grand reach of himself and the behavior of the Avengers. Creating Ultron to keep the world safe resulted in the destruction of Sokovia, and so Tony is forced to correct course from flying too high to crashing too low which leads to the creation of Vision, but also in the signing of the accords.

The accords are an interesting aspect of Tony’s character journey, considering at no time does Tony ever display much confidence in their efficiency/usefulness. Natasha sums it up best by describing the motion as keeping a hand on the wheel, to steer them to the least troublesome outcome available. Tony later echoes this sentiment by discussing addendums and manipulating the accords to keep their heroism freedom in tact (by placing Bucky within a psych floor instead of a prison).

Ironically, Tony’s lack of confidence in the structure and balances within the Avengers facilitates to the destruction of the Avengers just as much as Steve’s unwillingness to sign them. Tony’s guilt (a bastardization of humility) ostracizes and isolates the Avengers from one another. In Age of Ultron, Wanda tells Steve, “Ultron can’t tell the difference between saving the world and destroying it. Where do you think he gets that?” The next scene takes us immediately back to Tony.

Unlike Icarus, Tony begins to take form of his own Deadalus and creates his own legacy with the Iron Man suit. However, the Iron Man suit becomes again associated with Howard’s memory when Tony is forced to use the technology of his father. When poisoned by his first draft of the arc reactor, the one powered by palladium, Tony is forced back to his father’s notes by the suggestion of Nick Fury (who, again, relates to Tony the importance of Howard). The new element replicates the renewable energy of the tesseract, which Howard studied but could not replicate in his own life. Despite the fact Tony is able to replicate an element he did not personally study in less than a week; the action is overshadowed by Howard’s constant call back to the element being his “life’s work”. Tony notes that Howard is still able to “take him to school”.

Howard is mentioned at least once in every film that involves Tony, but our clearest vision into their family dialogue rests in the interactions between Tony and Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tony constantly makes references to “breaking the cycle” and makes active attempts to assist Peter. At the same time, Tony’s actions and his guilt do lead to instances of isolation between the two. It doesn’t take a parenting genius to understand that ignoring a child, even a teenager, and pushing them away is not an apt replacement for open communication. “I just wanted to be like you,” Peter says. Tony counters, “and I wanted you to be better.” A reference to young men being ‘metrics for potential’ is worth making, along with the importance of Peter’s self-establishment of what being Spider-Man means, but that’s another essay for another time.

Now, all of this isn’t to say Tony is somehow at fault for every aspect of every antagonistic plot movement within the MCU, but Steve’s (now ironic in hindsight) statement in Age of Ultron— “Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things.”—does illustrate how Tony tends to push conflict forward. Tony’s guilt and constant struggle with communicating with others leads him to remove systems in place that might check and balance his attempts to better himself. Think of the rest of the Avengers like a committee of supportive players and Tony’s actions of only including some, or none, of them in his grand plans (something that stems from Tony’s inability to believe that the others may support him and his tendency for introverted work practices) only furthers the intensity of his mistakes for the team.

Tony goes to Bruce in creating Ultron because he knows Bruce’s curiosity is stronger than his loyalty to the other Avengers. (Bruce’s lack of interest in limitations versus scientific progress is evident by his very self-experimentation with gamma radiation and is not worth arguing about further.) Add the fact that Tony’s PTSD was irritated by Wanda’s vision; a vision that, when induced for the other Avengers debilitates them to a point that they have to retreat to a safe house; and it’s no wonder that Tony constantly waivers in his ability to differentiate between hubris and humility.

In a quick summation, Tony Stark mirrors the constant struggle between hubris and humility as told in the tale of Icarus. Tony’s journey as a superhero constantly ricochets between the two extremes lends vulnerability to vices like alcoholism, and isolation. He struggles as one of the main progressive forces of the marvel universe, and also as one of its largest handicaps.

“The difference between ‘Iron Man’ and some other movies is that there’s no spider bite; there’s no magic bullet where a hero is born. We had to build him. We wanted people to remember that there’s a person inside that suit, and it will hurt if he falls.”

#tony stark meta #tony stark #marvel #essay #iron man #mcu

178 notes · View notes

octavejohn2-blog · 4 years

Text

verrucas Skin Tag as Well As Mole removal Hounslow From ₤ 80 *.

What Is Fat Freezing?

Content

the Length Of Time Will My Facelift Last For?

Fat Freezing At court House centers.

Going residence After Your face Lift surgical Treatment.

What Is The healing process After getting Rid Of Benign Skin lesion?

Blast With Cold Water.

Why select Cryopen ?

We can wonder what modern-day workplace/organizational functions will certainly see comparable change gradually, as today's specialisms come to be tomorrow's really regular abilities had by every person. The slang 'big cheese' is a fine instance of language from a far-away or entirely international society locating its method into modern life as well as communications, in which the users have very understanding or admiration of its various cultural origins.

for How Long Will My Facelift Last For?

To find out more to contact your local CoLaz clinic today.

Please Get In Touch With the CoLaz Branch as prices for this treatment are tailored.

The convenience levels throughout the session will differ from private to specific, however the experience just lasts a short while.

We urge clients to set up a free consultation with us first to review the size and wanted result of the locations you want to have dealt with to provide you a much better suggestion of expense.

To receive a tailored cost please come in for a FREE price examination by go here.

Among our consultants will call you back shortly to arrange your consultation.

While pregnant scans, low-frequency acoustic wave (between 3 - 7.5 MHz) are sent out by an ultrasound gadget over the mother's bump.

Fat Freezing At court House clinics.

As with slowcoach, slowpoke's rhyming quality enhanced fostering right into typical speech and also proceeding use. People like to claim points that trip off the tongue conveniently and, in a manner, musically or poetically. loose - careless, messy - messy originally meant putting on sandals or loosened footwear, from the earlier expression 'slip-shoe'. The careless/untidy significance of messy is stemmed from 'down-at-heel' or worn shoes, which was the first use of the expression in the feeling or poor quality. The very early reckless definition of loose referred to worn-out appearance. More just recently the expression's meaning has actually prolonged also to reckless activities or initiatives.

The uploading do with the pointer that an old Italian expression 'a tredici' meaning 'at thirteen' could be connected with the beginnings. offer the pip/get the pip - make weak or uneasy or upset - Pip is an illness influencing birds characterised by mucous in the mouth and also throat. The expression seems initially to have shown up in the 1800s, however offered its much older beginnings might quickly have actually been in usage prior to after that. Remarkably while the pip expression refers to the bird condition, the origins of the definition actually take us full-circle back to human health and wellness.

Going residence After Your face Lift surgery.

weak breath/baited breath - anxious, expectant - the previous punctuation was the initial variation of the expression, yet the term is currently typically incorrectly damaged to the last 'baited' in modern-day usage, which mistakenly recommends a different origin. Many individuals appear currently to presume a definition of the breath being metaphorically 'baited' instead of the original non-metaphorical initial meaning, which just defined the breath being shortened, or stopped. The expression appears in Shakespeare's The Vendor Of Venice, which dates its beginning as 16th century or earlier. Words bate is a shortened type of abate, both bring the very same definition, and also initially appeared in the 1300s, before which the previous tense forms were baten and abaten. transform it up - stop it, stopped talking, no chance, quit doing that, I do not believe you, etc - Cassells Vernacular Dictionary recommends the 'transform it up' expression corresponds to 'stop doing that' and that the very first usage was as early as the 1600s.

According to Bartlett's, the expression 'Too try to find as needle in a container of hay' shows up partially III, phase 10. ' Container' is an old word for a bundle of hay, taken from the French word botte, implying bundle. Maker (thesaurus as well as alterations) lists the complete expression - 'seeking a needle in a container of hay' which informs us that the term was first utilized in this type, and also was later on adapted during the 1900s into the modern-day kind. Mum has absolutely nothing to do with mom - it's just a phonetic spelling and metaphorical word to signify shutting one's mouth, so as not to utter a noise. The same logical onomatopoeic derivation almost certainly produced words mumble, murmur and also mumps. Just as in modern-day times, war-time governments after that wasted no opportunity to overemphasize dangers and also dangers, so as to instill respect amongst, and to maintain authority over, the masses. So there you have it - mum's the word - possibly an item of federal government spin.

Can you freeze your fat off at home?

CoolSculpting is known for “freezing” fat cells, but there's much more to the process. During your treatment, your provider uses a small applicator that also sucks out some of the frozen fat cells. However, applying ice at home only freezes your skin and doesn't get rid of any fat cells.

The 'rock pip' would certainly appear to be a distortion/confusion of simply providing or obtaining the pip, probably as a result of misinterpreting the significance of pip in this context. Words pip in this expression has absolutely nothing to perform with stones or fruit. The pituitary gland is located in the mind as well as is accountable for specific physical functions, yet in the late midlifes, around 1500s, it was thought to manage the circulation of mucus or phlegm to the nose. Phlegm had actually long been believed to be just one of the crucial four 'humours' determining life equilibrium as well as character. So while the existing expression was based at first on a bird illness, the origins paradoxically associate with influential ideas of human health. Variants still discovered in NZ and also Australia from the very early 1900s consist of 'half-pie', as well as 'pie' indicating great or expert at something.

What Is The recovery refine After removing Benign Skin lesion?

Sadly this really attractive alternative/additional derivation of 'take the mick/micky' appears not to be supported by any type of main resources or referrals. If anyone can refer me to a reputable referral please let me recognize, until such time the Micky Happiness cockney poetry theory continues to be the most popularly sustained beginning. The loon bird's name came into English from a different root, Scandinavia, in the 1800s, and also arguably had a larger impact in the United States on the expressions insane as a loon, as well as also intoxicated as a crazy. The highly derogatory slang maniacal bin, referring to a mental home, initially showed up around 1910.

Nowadays, regardless of still being practically appropriate according to English dictionaries, resolving a combined group of individuals as 'promiscuous' would certainly not be a really suitable use of the word. pernickety/persnickety/pernickerty/ persnickerty - fussy, particular, fastidious - pernickety seems currently to be one of the most typical contemporary kind of this odd word. hifu Luton happen possibly because no clear derivation exists, providing no obvious reference indicate secure a punctuation or pronunciation.

Are CoolSculpting results permanent?

CoolSculpting is clinically proven to produce permanent results. Once the treated fat cells have been frozen through cryolipolysis, they die. The body's natural reaction is to remove these dead fat cells through its natural elimination process.

Dollar derives from thaler, which is an old German word for a coin, from earlier Reduced German 'dahler', whose vital root word 'dahl' implies valley. Dahler, later ending up being thaler, is a 500-year-old abbreviation of Joachimsthaler, a very early Bohemian/German silver coin. Words Joachimsthaler essentially referred to something from 'Joachim's Thal'. This was Joachim's Valley, which currently corresponds to Jáchymov, a spa community in NW Bohemia in the Czech Republic, near the border to Germany.

Does fat freezing work on stomach?

Share on Pinterest Researchers have found CoolSculpting to be relatively effective. Research generally points towards CoolSculpting being a relatively safe and effective treatment for removing some areas of fat. A 2015 review published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery analyzed 19 previous studies of cryolipolysis.

The word appears initially to have been recorded in between in Jamieson's Dictionary of the Scottish Language, in the type of pernickitie, as an extension of a Scottish word pernicky, which is probably a better clue to its beginnings. This is all conjecture in the lack of trustworthy recorded beginnings.

On which aim a combination of words particular as well as picky may have been an element, specifically when you consider the earlier pernicky type. Odds implying the various chances of challengers, as used in betting, was very first recorded in English in 1574 according to Chambers, so making use of the 'can't probabilities it' expression might conceivably be very old certainly. Cassells and also other credible jargon sources say that 'take the mick' is cockney rhyming vernacular, c. 1950s, from 'Micky Happiness', rhyming with 'take the piss'. No-one appears to know who Micky Happiness was, which maybe shows a little weak point in the derivation. Conversely, and also maybe in addition in the direction of the fostering of the expression, a much less well-known possibility is that 'mick' in this sense is a reducing of the word 'micturation', which is a clinical term for urination.

Partridge states initially recorded regarding 1830, but implies the expression might have been in use from perhaps the 1600s. This is absolutely possible because board meant table in older times, which is the association with card games used a table. It was formerly bord, traceable to Old Saxon, also implying guard, regular with comparable international words dating back to the earliest beginnings of European language.

This table sense of board also gave us the board as related to a board of directors and the boardroom. slowpoke - slow individual or employee - slowpoke is USA jargon initially tape-recorded in print according to Chambers. Probably from cowpoke - words initially used to describe the males that pushed cattle onto slaughterhouse trains. Poke represented the photo of work, being based on an usual work activity of the times, as did punch.

Blast With Cold Water.

youtube

This to a particular level explains why a lot of English words with French beginnings occur in way of living and social language. Incidentally the word French, to define people or points of France and the language itself, has actually existed in English in its modern-day form since concerning 1200, before which it was 'Frensch', and also earlier in Old English 'frencisc'. This stemmed from Old High German frenkisc and also frenqisc, from as well as directly related to the Franks, the very early Germanic individuals that overcame the Romans in Gaul around the 5th century. The name of the Frank people is also the origin of the word France and the Franc currency. The most enticing concept for the ultimate beginning of words Frank is that it comes from a comparable word for a spear or lance, which was the favoured weapon of the Frankish people. whatever drifts your boat - if it makes you happy/it's your decision/it's your choice (although I don't always agree and I uncommitted anyway) - a fairly contemporary expression from the late 20th century with oddly unknown origins.

Do you poop when you die?

The body may release stool from the rectum, urine from the bladder, or saliva from the mouth. This happens as the body's muscles relax. Rigor mortis , a stiffening of the body muscles, will develop in the hours after death.

In the late 1400s, silver ounce coins were minted from silver extracted at Joachim's Valley, Bohemia, by a regionally powerful household, the Matters of Schlick. These early local European coins, called 'Joachimsthaler', shortened to 'thaler', were basic silver in that area, which would nowadays expand into Germany. The high quality and also online reputation of the 'Joachimsthaler' coins consequently triggered the 'thaler' term to spread and also be made use of for more main generic variations of the coins in Germany, as well as elsewhere also. Later on, from the 1580s, the term was likewise utilized in its adapted 'buck' type as a name for the Spanish peso (also called 'piece of 8'). Clergy and clerics as well as clerks were as a result among one of the most able as well as extremely valued and valued of all 'workers'.

youtube

For such a well-used and also well-known expression the information of origins are oddly thin, as well as an usually not referenced in any way by the common expressions as well as etymology resources. Other recommendations describe feasible links with card video games, in which showing up a card would expose something hidden, or mark completion of a flow of play. It's specifically challenging to hypothesize concerning the origins due to the fact that the word 'turn' has a lot of different significances, specifically when combined with other very versatile words. If you can include anything to assist identfy when and also where as well as exactly how the 'turn it up' expression developed please contact us. The original wording was 'trend nor time tarrieth no male' (' tarrieth' suggesting 'waits on'). taxi/taxicab - fare-charging automobile, although taxi can be a fare-charging boat - taxi and also taxicab are words which we have a tendency to take for granted without thinking what the derivation could be.

areas Of The Body treated With Fat Freezing.

Actually the origin of taxi is the French 'taximetre' and also German comparable 'taxameter', integrating taxi/taxa and also metre/meter. Taximeter appeared in English around 1898, at which time its usage was moving from horse-drawn carriages to automobile. Taxi is an abbreviation of an additional French word cabriolet, which came into English in the 1700s, and also it appears in the complete French taxicab equivalent 'taximetre cabriolet'. Cab appeared in English meaning a steed drawn carriage in 1826, a steam locomotive in 1859, and an electric motor automobile in 1899. Chambers suggests that the French taximetre is really originated from the German taxameter, which surprisingly triggered an earlier similar but short-lived English term taxameter videotaped in 1894, applied to horsedrawn taxicabs. move the board - win everything - based on the metaphor of winning all the cards or money risk in a game of cards.

Mojo probably derives from African-American language, describing an amulet or witchcraft beauty, and also is close to the word 'moco', meaning withccraft, made use of by the Gullah of the United States South Carolina shore and islands. Words as well as the significance were popularised by the 1956 blues track Got My Mojo Working, first made famous by Muddy Seas' 1957 recording, as well as subsequently covered by just about all blues musicians ever since. The term provided the beginning for words mobster, suggesting gangster, which showed up in American English in the early 1900s. Hitch utilized in the feeling is American from the 1880s although the general hitch significance of action by pulling or jerking is Old English from the 1400s hytchen, as well as prior, icchen meaning action from 1200.

0 notes

geopolicraticus · 4 years

Text

The Grill Pill

To the red pill, the blue pill, the black pill, and the white pill, inter alia, we may now add the grill pill. This was brought to my attention by a video from The Distributist (a right-of-center “trad” Catholic—i.e., the kind of person who probably would be identified as the extreme far right by the legacy media), in “The ‘Grill Pill,’ ‘Franklin’s Corollary,’ and the path from left to right.” The Distributist credits the “grill pill” to Matt Christman’s personal seeking after meaning in the wake of the end of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Christman is one of the founders of Chapo Trap House, the bastion of the dirtbag left and a podcast that has brought him considerable fame and fortune (Influence Watch says that Chapo Trap House was grossing $120,000 per month through Patreon).

I enjoyed The Distributist’s concise and articulate description of Matt Christman’s response to the end of the Bernie Sander’s campaign. The Distributist references Love and Solidarity, Matt Christman’s Best Rant, which is a good example of an apparently saddened and on-the-verge-of-tears Matt Christman speaking confessionally of his ideals, but this particular video does not actually mention the “grill pill.” As I do not have the desire to watch all of Christman’s videos, I’m going to take The Distributist at his word, and assume that he is giving an accurate account of the “grill pill.” The idea of the grill pill is sufficiently interesting that, even if I had been misled, it is still worth commenting on.

What is the grill pill? It is the simple idea that, disappointed by the political failure of the Bernie Sanders campaign, leftists and others can still find solidarity, community, and fellowship sharing good food among friends—grilling steaks in the backyard like an oblivious Boomer. A sizeable contingent of Bernie Bros invested a sizeable amount of emotion and energy into the Bernie Sanders campaign, only to find themselves shut out—for the second time—by the institutional Democratic party, which rapidly closed ranks behind an establishment candidate that seemed to offer neither hope nor consolation for Sanders supporters. Of course, many Sanders supporters will hold their nose and vote for Biden in the spirit of “Vote Blue No Matter Who,” but some will not. This distasteful state-of-affairs requires some kind of cope, and one possible cope is the grill pill.

I actually met a young Sanders supporter recently and had an interestingly long political conversation with this young man. Being as isolated as I am, I very rarely have an opportunity to talk to young people, so it was an eye-opening experience for me to speak directly to a Sanders supporter, obviously disappointed by what had happened, but hesitant to say so explicitly to me, as I was someone he didn’t know, and he had no idea how I would respond, whether or not I would be sympathetic to him and his political position, and so on.

As it happened, I was at a cookout with this young man, so it would have been the perfect time to discuss the grill pill, but I had then only recently heard the idea, and I hadn’t yet fully digested it. So we kept to pretty conventional terms of discussing the coming election. My interlocutor was no wild-eyed Antifa supporter hoping for the revolution, but a hard-working young man starting his own business and very much wanting to make a positive contribution to the world. I was impressed by his sincerity and his knowledge; in some ways, he reminded me of my younger self of, say, thirty years ago (except for being much more successful than I ever was).

This brief encounter with a young Sanders supporter really drove home to me a political point that I have often heard, but always been skeptical of: that political parties should make an active effort to bring young people into the fold. This is usually an appeal for youthful energy (which is a valid observation), but also always comes with the implication that young people have a unique contribution to bring due to their perspective on the world and events. Talking to this young man, I could immediately see that an idealistic, hard-working, sincere, and politically-engaged individual like him is exactly what the institutional Democratic Party needs to transform itself from the inside-out to once again become a viable institution. An energetic, solutions-oriented, idealist does not see barriers to progress as a reason to quit or to complain, but as an opportunity to engage and to find a workable way around the barrier — even when, if not especially when, those barriers are being erected by his political allies. It is the sympathetic critic who looks for achieving the same end by more palatable means.

Talking to this young man, I did not seek to challenge his ideas or ideals; mostly I just wanted to hear his perspective, so I kept talking in order to keep him talking, so that I could the more deeply penetrate into an ideological community with which I have virtually nothing in common. Also, it was a friendly cookout, so no place for antagonism or confrontation. And this is, in a sense, definitive of the grill pill. When people gather for the weekend for good times with friends, there is an unspoken rule that, if you have been invited into this group, you don’t insist on your own political or ideological ideals to the point of souring the occasion. Everyone implicitly agrees to keep things as light as possible, as is consistent with the occasion, and if there is someone present who is an unknown, or even a rival, it is part of the social contract of such events that any disagreements be kept friendly, and impasses be broken by a joke that relieves any tension. I’m sure it doesn’t always go like this on a cookout, but ideally this is the case (in so far as my imperfect understanding of social events extends).

In such a context, one does not seek to score ideological points off others, but only to understand, and exchanges are more-or-less kept to the level of “banter,” perhaps friendly rivalry at best. No doubt, if the group that comes together is thoroughly ideological in orientation, the banter takes on a more openly political character, as everyone present can then engage in the ritualistic condemnation of common enemies, and the ritualistic praise of common ideals (which is what toasts among friends are all about).

All of this is very conventional, even, one could say, bourgeois, so why should anyone care about seeking a cope among like-minded friends, and perhaps inviting over a few individuals to join with edgy or indefinable political views? The “grill pill,” such as it is, is potentially powerful because it calls into question a fundamental idea of recent political engagement, and that is the idea that “the personal is the political.” This slogan isn’t necessarily as prominent as other political slogans of our time, but it has done an enormous amount of mischief. If folks can take the grill pill and just enjoy a simple meal with friends that isn’t any kind of political statement, they have broken with the idea that the personal is the political. With the grill pill, the personal is just the personal, and nothing more. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and it should be allowed to remain just a cigar.

Insisting that the personal is always also political has encouraged an angry and resentful outlook on the world in which every personal difficulty is to be interpreted as a direct consequence of larger structural forces that grind down helpless individuals like grain being ground to flour in a mill. The common metaphor of contemporary mass society as rendering the individual as a mere cog in an enormous machine that the individual is powerless to change contributes to a perception of pointless suffering. The potent mixture of cultivated anger and learned helplessness is uniquely conducive to a social atmosphere that poisons even the smallest enjoyments in life, sucking out any genuine feeling from events and reducing them to a political calculation.

While the grill pill could be interpreted in a reactionary sense, it could also be interpreted as the rebellion of the individual against a faceless and unfeeling social context that robs the joy from life and prevents us to enjoying even the most trivial enjoyments that life has to offer, which are also the most authentic enjoyments that life has to offer. When we politicize the authenticity of the small and simple events of life, we render ourselves incapable of appreciating what is most human.

In small groups, mostly composed of individuals whom we know personally, it is possible to experience authentic reciprocity and gratitude for the smallest and simplest things of life, which latter I sometimes refer to as the substance of life, because it is the small things like sharing a meal, enjoying an evening together, and having a good conversation that ultimately constitute the substance from which a life is constructed. In such small groups, we can enjoy doing small things for others, and they can enjoy whatever small favors we do for them. That is how life is supposed to be. In small ways, life can approach the ideal as long as we don’t aim for too much. Basically, just a few people treating each other decently is about all we can hope for.

In this way the grill pill represents the attainable ideal.

#grill pill #Matt Christman #Chapo Trap House #cope #Bernie Sanders #The Personal is Political #The Distributist

0 notes

vinayv224 · 4 years

Text

The controversy over the new immigration novel American Dirt, explained

On January 21, Oprah Winfrey announced that Jeanine Cummins’s novel American Dirt would be her next book club pick. Winfrey is pictured here with Cummins, Gayle King, Anthony Mason, and Tony Dokoupil. | CBS via Getty Images

A non-Mexican author wrote a book about Mexican migrants. Critics are calling it trauma porn.

The new novel American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins, officially released on Tuesday, was anointed the biggest book of the season well before it ever came out.

It sold to Flatiron Books at auction for a reported seven-figure advance. Flatiron announced a first print run of 500,000 copies. (For most authors, a print run of 20,000 is pretty good.) It received glowing blurbs from luminaries like Stephen King, John Grisham, and Sandra Cisneros. Early trade reviews were rapturous. The New York Times had it reviewed twice — once in the daily paper, once in the weekly Book Review — and also interviewed the author and published an excerpt from the novel.

But over the past few days, the narrative around American Dirt has changed. One of those New York Times reviews was a pan, the other was mixed at best. Another critic revealed that she’d written a review panning the book, too, and the magazine that commissioned her review killed it.

All of these negative reviews centered on one major problem: American Dirt is a book about Mexican migrants, and author Jeanine Cummins identified as white “in every practical way,” as recently as 2016. (She has since begun to discuss a Puerto Rican grandmother.) Cummins had written a story that was not hers — and, according to many readers of color, she didn’t do a very good job of it. In fact, she seemed to fetishize the pain of her characters at the expense of treating them as real human beings.

So on Tuesday morning, when Oprah announced that American Dirt would be the next book discussed in her book club, the news was treated not as the crown jewel in the coronation of the novel of the season, but as a slightly awkward development for Oprah.

Oprah, lounging in a silk robe, sipping her morning coffee, copies of Groff's and Seghal's reviews of AMERICAN DIRT on the coffee table. She picks up her phone and thinks: I'll show these literary girls what chaos is

— joshua gutterman tranen (@jdgtranen) January 21, 2020

The story of American Dirt has now become a story about cultural appropriation, and about why publishing as an industry chose this particular tale of Mexican migration to champion. And it revolves around a question that has become fundamental to the way we talk about storytelling today: Who is allowed to tell whose stories?

“I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it”

American Dirt is a social issues thriller. It tells the story of a mother and son, Lydia and Luca, fleeing their home in Acapulco, Mexico, for the US after the rest of their family is murdered by a drug cartel. Lydia is a bookstore owner who never thought of herself as having anything in common with the migrants she sees on the news, but after she comes up with the plan of disguising herself by posing as a migrant, she realizes that it won’t really be a disguise: It’s who she is now.

In her author’s note, Cummins explains that she wrote American Dirt in an attempt to remind readers — presumably white readers — that Mexican migrants are human beings. “At worst, we perceive them [migrants] as an invading mob of resource-draining criminals, and, at best, a sort of helpless, impoverished, faceless brown mass, clamoring for help at our doorstep,” she writes. “We seldom think of them as our fellow human beings.”

Cummins also says in the note that she recognizes that this story may not be hers to tell, while stressing that her husband is an immigrant and that he used to be undocumented. She does not include in the note the fact that her husband immigrated to the US from Ireland, an elision that some observers have taken to be strategic, as though Cummins wishes to give the impression that her husband is Latino and is in just as much danger of being held in a cage at the border as the people she is writing about.

“I worried that, as a nonmigrant and non-Mexican, I had no business writing a book set almost entirely in Mexico, set entirely among migrants. I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it,” Cummins says. (It is worth noting at this juncture that plenty of people who are slightly browner than Cummins have in fact written about Mexican migration.) “But then, I thought, If you’re a person who has the capacity to be a bridge, why not be a bridge?” Cummins continues. And so she spent years working on this book, traveling on both sides of the border and interviewing the people she met there.

American Dirt is explicitly addressed to non-Mexican readers by a non-Mexican author, and it is framed as a story that will remind those readers that Mexican migrants are human beings. And for some readers, including some Latinx readers, Cummins was successful in her aims. In her blurb for the book, the legendary Mexican-American author Sandra Cisneros declared herself a fan, writing, “This book is not simply the great American novel; it’s the great novel of las Americas. It’s the great world novel! This is the international story of our times. Masterful.”

But for other readers, American Dirt is a failure. And it fails specifically in achieving its ostensible goal: to appreciate its characters’ humanity.

“It aspires to be Día de los Muertos but it, instead, embodies Halloween”

The first true pan of American Dirt came out in December, on the academic blog Tropics of Cancer. In it, the Chicana writer Myriam Gurba takes Cummins to task for “(1) appropriating genius works by people of color; (2) slapping a coat of mayonesa on them to make palatable to taste buds estados-unidenses and (3) repackaging them for mass racially ‘colorblind’ consumption.”

Gurba describes American Dirt as “trauma porn that wears a social justice fig leaf,” arguing, “American Dirt fails to convey any Mexican sensibility. It aspires to be Día de los Muertos but it, instead, embodies Halloween.” Most especially, she critiques the way Cummins positions the US as a safe haven for migrants, a utopia waiting for them outside of the bloody crime zone of Mexico. “Mexicanas get raped in the USA too,” she writes. “You know better, you know how dangerous the United States of America is, and you still chose to frame this place as a sanctuary. It’s not.”

Moreover, Gurba notes that American Dirt has received the kind of institutional support and attention that books about Mexico from Chicano authors rarely do. “While we’re forced to contend with impostor syndrome,” she writes, “dilettantes who grab material, style, and even voice are lauded and rewarded.”

Gurba originally wrote her review for Ms. magazine, but it never appeared there. “I had reviewed for them before,” Gurba told Vox over email. But this time, “when they received my review, they rejected it, telling me I’m not famous enough to be so mean. They offered to pay me a kill fee but I told them to keep the money and use it to hire women of color with strong dissenting voices.”

Gurba says she’s had a mostly positive response to her review, “except for the death threats.” She maintains that American Dirt is a very bad book.

“American Dirt is a metaphor for all that’s wrong in Big Lit,” she says: “big money pushing big turds into the hands of readers eager to gobble up pity porn.”

“I was sure I was the wrong person to review this book”

Gurba’s review established the counter narrative on American Dirt, but that new narrative didn’t become the dominant read until last Friday. That’s when the New York Times published a new negative review by Parul Sehgal, one of the paper’s staff book critics.

“Allow me to take this one for the team,” Sehgal wrote. “The motives of the book may be unimpeachable, but novels must be judged on execution, not intention. This peculiar book flounders and fails.”

Sehgal, who is of Indian descent, says that she believes in the author’s right to write about “the other,” which she argues fiction “necessarily, even rather beautifully” requires. But American Dirt, she says, fails because of the ways in which it seems to fetishize its characters’ otherness: “The book feels conspicuously like the work of an outsider,” she writes.

And, putting aside questions of identity and Cummins’s stated objective, Sehgal finds that American Dirt fails to make the argument that its characters are human beings. “What thin creations these characters are — and how distorted they are by the stilted prose and characterizations,” she says. “The heroes grow only more heroic, the villains more villainous.”

Two days after Sehgal’s review came out in the daily New York Times, the paper published another review from the novelist Lauren Groff in its weekly Book Review section. Groff, who is white, was less critical of American Dirt than Sehgal was, but her review was far from an unmitigated rave: It wrestles with a number of questions over whether Cummins had the right to write this book.

But you would not know as much from the Book Review’s Twitter account, which posted a link to Groff’s published review with a quote that appears nowhere within it. “‘American Dirt’ is one of the most wrenching books I have read in the past few years, with the ferocity and political reach of the best of Theodore Dreiser’s novels,” said the now-deleted tweet.

“Please take this down and post my actual review,” Groff responded.

According to Book Review editor Pamela Paul, the tweet used language from an early draft of Groff’s review and was an unintentional error. But for some observers, that tweet, combined with the deluge of coverage the New York Times was offering Cummins, made it appear that the paper had an agenda: Was it actively trying to make American Dirt a success?

The Times’ intentions aside, in her review, Groff treats American Dirt as a mostly successful commercial thriller with a polemic political agenda, as opposed to Sehgal, who treated it as a failed literary novel. (Arguably, Groff is being truer to the aims of American Dirt’s genre than Sehgal was, but given that American Dirt is a book whose front cover contains a blurb calling it “a Grapes of Wrath for our times,” it’s hard to say that Sehgal’s expectations for literary prose were unmerited.) Groff praises the novel’s “very forceful and efficient drive” and its “propulsive” pacing, but she also finds herself “deeply ambivalent” about it.

“I was sure I was the wrong person to review this book” as a white person, she writes, and became even more sure as she learned that Cummins herself was white. Groff spends much of her review wrestling with her responsibility as a white critic of a novel addressed to white people by a white author about the stories of people of color, and ends without arriving at a satisfying answer. “Perhaps this book is an act of cultural imperialism,” she concludes; “at the same time, weeks after finishing it, the novel remains alive in me.”

On Twitter, Groff has called her review “deeply inadequate,” and said she only took the job in the first place because she didn’t think the Times would ask anyone else who was willing to wrestle with the responsibility of criticism in the course of reviewing it. “Fucking nightmare,” she tweeted.

Fucking nightmare.

— Lauren Groff (@legroff) January 19, 2020

In the wake of these reviews, the American Dirt controversy has coalesced around two major questions. The first is an aesthetic question: Does this book fetishize and glory in the trauma of its characters in ways that objectify them, and is that objectification what always follows when people write about marginalized groups to which they do not belong?

The second is a structural question: Why did the publishing industry choose this particular book — about brown characters, written by a white woman for a white audience — to throw its institutional force behind?

“Writing requires you to enter into the lives of other people”

The aesthetic question is more complicated than it might initially appear to be. People sometimes flatten critiques like the one American Dirt is facing into a pat declaration that no one is allowed to write about groups of which they are not themselves a member, which opponents can then declare to be nothing but rank censorship and an existential threat to fiction itself: “If we have permission to write only about our own personal experience,” Lionel Shriver declared in the New York Times in 2016, “there is no fiction, but only memoir.”

But in fact the most prominent voices in this debate have tended to say that it is entirely possible to write about a particular group without belonging to it. You just have to do it well — and part of doing it well involves treating your characters as human beings, and not luxuriating in and fetishizing their trauma.

In another New York Times essay in 2016, Kaitlyn Greenidge described reading a scene written by an Asian American man that described the lynching of a black man. She strongly felt that this Asian American author had the right to write such a scene, she says, “because he wrote it well. Because he was a good writer, a thoughtful writer, and that scene had a reason to exist besides morbid curiosity or a petulant delight in shrugging on and off another’s pain.”

Brandon Taylor made a similar point at LitHub earlier in 2016, arguing that successful writers have to be able to write with empathy. “Writing requires you to enter into the lives of other people, to imagine circumstances as varied, as mundane, as painful, as beautiful, and as alive as your own,” Taylor said. “It means graciously and generously allowing for the existence of other minds as bright as quiet as loud as sullen as vivacious as your own might be, or more so. It means seeing the humanity of your characters. If you’re having a difficult time accessing the lives of people who are unlike you, then your work is not yet done.”

Critics of American Dirt are making the case that Cummins has failed to do the work of empathy. They are arguing that she has the right to write from the point of view of Mexican characters, but that they have the right to critique her in turn, and that what their critiques reveal is that she does not see the humanity of her characters. They are arguing that instead, American Dirt has done the opposite of what Greenidge applauded that lynching scene for accomplishing. That the book has failed to suggest “a reason to exist besides morbid curiosity or a petulant delight in shrugging on and off another’s pain.”

It’s in the spirit of that reading — of American Dirt as a failure in empathy, as trauma porn — that Gurba noted on Twitter Wednesday morning that an early book party that Flatiron Books created for Cummins featured barbed wire centerpieces.

pic.twitter.com/6W8suWpCUD

— Myriam Chingona Gurba de Serrano (@lesbrains) January 22, 2020

Those centerpieces are all about the aesthetic splendor of migrant trauma, about the idea of reveling in the thrill of the danger that actual human beings have to deal with every day, without ever worrying that you personally might be threatened. They’re a fairly good illustration of what the phrase “trauma porn” means.

“I only know one writer of color who got a six-figure advance and that was in the ’90s”

The institutional questions about American Dirt are more quantitative. They progress like this: There are plenty of authors of color writing smart, good stories about their experiences. And yet American Dirt, a novel written by a white woman for a white audience, is the book about people of color that landed the seven-figure advance and a publicity budget that could result in four articles in the New York Times. Why has publishing chosen to allocate its resources in this way?

Flatiron Books has defended its choice. “Whose stories get told and who can tell them are important questions,” says Amy Einhorn, Cummins’s acquiring editor and Flatiron’s founder, in a statement emailed to Vox. “We understand and respect that people are discussing this and that it can spark passionate conversations. In today’s turbulent times, it’s hopeful and important that books still have power. We are thrilled that some of the biggest names in Latinx literature are championing American Dirt.”

It is worth pointing out here that Einhorn, a well-respected industry vet, was also the acquiring editor of the 2009 novel The Help, a novel by a white woman about black women in the 1950s. The Help was a bestseller and a major success, but it was also the subject of a critique similar to the one American Dirt is experiencing now, with readers arguing that The Help gloried in fetishizing the pain of its subjects.

Meanwhile, authors of color say that they rarely see publishers investing the kind of money and support in their own books on the level that The Help and American Dirt received.

“I got sexually assaulted by a serial killer in 1996. I wrote a book about that. Most of the subjects in that book are Mexicans and Chicanx. I got paid $3,000 for my story,” Gurba says. “So yes, the publicity surrounding American Dirt is unfamiliar to say the least.”

“I’ve always had five-figure advances (my fourth book comes out this spring) and many of my friends have gotten four figures — and they are mostly writers of color,” said the novelist Porochista Khakpour in an email to Vox. “I only know one writer of color who got a six-figure advance and that was in the ’90s.”

Khakpour adds that the level of hyperbolic attention American Dirt has received, especially from the New York Times, is deeply unusual for publishing. “I only got a Sunday [New York Times Book Review] review for my first novel and that felt like a miracle,” she says. “Again, most writers of color I know are published by indies or academic presses and it’s hard for them to get the attention of the Times. I write for the NYTBR and I can honestly say I’ve never seen this much attention given to a book — I find it embarrassing.”

Both Khakpour and Gurba argue that American Dirt was appealing to publishers because white people tend to be most comfortable reading about people of color as objects of suffering.

“Certain narratives that flirt with poverty porn make liberal white people feel good about their opinions,” Khakpour says. “They feel like they learn something, like by reading these accounts they are somehow participating in helping the world they usually feel so helpless about.”

Gurba says many white people expect to see her enact such narratives herself and become angry when she doesn’t. “Recently, a white woman got angry at me when she found out that I’m Mexican,” Gurba says. “She insisted that I didn’t look or act Mexican and that I had confused her. But she confused herself. She had a stereotype of what Mexicans are. I defied it. That made her uncomfortable. Now, apply that scenario to the literary equation [American Dirt has] presented.”

The narratives Gurba and Khakpour suggest both assume that the decision makers on American Dirt were white. And there is very good reason for that assumption: Publishing is an extremely white industry.

According to trade magazine Publishers Weekly, white people made up 84 percent of publishing’s workforce in 2019. Publishing is staffed almost entirely by white people — and in large part, that fact can be explained by publishing’s punishingly low entry-level salaries.

A job as an editorial assistant pays around $30,000, and it means living in New York City, where conservative estimates generally say you need an annual salary of about $40,000 before taxes to get by. But landing a position as an editorial assistant is generally a promotion: to get one, you usually have to spend a season or two working as an intern first, for low or no pay.

Such salaries mean that the kind of people who work in publishing tend to be the kind of people who can afford to work in publishing: those who are carrying little student debt and who can rely on their parents to supplement their salaries as necessary. And mostly, those people tend to be white.

As a result, publishing is predominantly staffed with well-meaning white people who, when looking for a book about the stories of people of color, can find themselves drawn toward one addressed specifically toward white people — and who will lack the expertise to question that book’s treatment of its characters. Which means that as long as publishing continues to be overwhelmingly, monolithically white, it will continue to find itself mired in controversies like the one surrounding American Dirt.

from Vox - All https://ift.tt/2vaaciE from Blogger https://ift.tt/2RCGOJy via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

0 notes

ruffoverthinksthings · 7 years

Note

I headcannon that China is more of a cultural influence as it's the only Asian country. They make anime, Chinese Dramas are very popular, and the food is well-known. Fashion is extremely unique as you see a lot of young people trying to look like their favorite C-Pop star (but some fashion trends make the elders raise eyebrows). Music is a special blend of C-pop, J-pop, and K-pop. (I want Lonnie and other girls to dance/sing/listen to the Chinese version of Miss A's I Don't Need A Man).

Hooboy, this is going to be a while, just like the Xiongnu and Youask!

Anyway,some historical parallels and details to establish here first andforemost:

Ibelieve that Mulan takes place during the 15th Century,with some obvious anachronistic elements and historical and regionalinaccuracies, such as the fact that the Xiongnu were actuallyabsorbed into Chinese culture by this point, the invention of thefireworks that feature so prominently in the movie itself, anddetails like the voice actors using the wrong accent when pronouncing“Fa” as they are explicitly in the northern regions.

Inour timeline and our China, this century was a time of greatexploration and expansion of trade deals with foreign countries,along with a fascination in exotic treasures and animals (such asgiraffes) during the former half of the period, with an isolationistperiod and an economic decline in the other half.

It’sreally interesting as it fits really well with the sort of attitudethat you would expect a country to have BGU to even been amenable tothe negotiations and extensive preparations for joining Auradon, andthe resulting reaction when the country doesn’t prove nearly asstable and perfect as it was advertised to be.

Tocompletely and thoroughly discuss all the effects Auradon’s fusionhad on the Chinese people would be a BOOK, not a long tumblr post, soI’m just going to stick with your ask and focus specifically on theculture.

Sowithout further ado,

“Culture in China, Before and After the GreatUniting”:

Tosay that the fusion and the introduction of many foreign, andsometimes temporally advanced, ideals, cultures, andinformation shook China to its very core is an understatement.

Inits own home realm, it was already a mecca for arts and culture,which is why they have indeed become the center for all Asiancultures because of foreign artists, dignitaries, merchants, andex-patriots from countries like Japan, Vietnam, and India, and someEuropean countries like that of Spain and Portugal.

AGU,it became an even bigger focus due to the vastness of its population,the massive growth and spread of wealth to the common man as career,commerce, and education opportunities abounded, and of course, thealready existing and thriving diversity within its own regions.

Thoughthe list of arts, trends, and cultural changes that exploded from theGreat Uniting are VERY, VERY, VERY NUMEROUS, you can verygenerally classify them into two movements:

Oneis the “Mulan” Movement (named after the famous War Hero, LiMulan, nee Fa), featuring themes, philosophies, and attitudesinvolving rebellion, breaking of age-old traditions, challenging thegender and/or societal roles (they were often intertwined, as womengot more freedoms and economic influence), liberal and democraticvalues originating mostly from London and its stores of knowledge,and an emphasis on personal realization and following through onindividual passions no matter what—being “true to your heart,”as it was popularly phrased.

Thoughthe movement was seen as a very valuable period of experimentation,exploration, and empowerment of many of the working class,minorities, and those that never would have stood a chance atpursuing their crafts BGU, it was heavily criticized for what manyaccused as “irreverence for irreverence’s sake,” the cheapeningand blasphemy of sacred traditions and elements of their society suchas the Emperor, the corruption of culture, and an unhealthy affectionand love for foreigners’ culture over that of their own, the lastmostly being attributed to majority of the new artists of this perioddrawing extremely heavy inspiration from the other states, if theyhadn’t copied it outright as is the case with covers and wholestyles like Coronian lute arrangements.

Itdidn’t help that it happened beside and sometimes instigated a HUGEamount of conflict, societal disruption, and even violent run-inswith the law, as many of the performers and fans oftentimes heldtheir events in remote locations in the mountains or seedy (forAuradon’s standards) underground venues, there was quite a lot ofworking class children who tried for stardom and ended up crashingand burning when they got roped up in drugs, too much partying, andthe fickle tastes of the masses, plus a LOT of the people whoidolized Mulan were also incredibly passionate, but WAY more violentand lacking in self control.

Thesecond is was simply known as “China’s Conservationist Period”where majority of the culture-and-future-shocked citizens retreatedback to what was familiar and established in the face of drastic andtoo rapid societal change, and what they sometimes believed was anattack on themselves and everything they held dear, an attempt toerase their very history and what makes them Chinese, to adopt thecultures and attitudes of foreigners and completely become them.

Thisxenophobic attitude was very apparent with critics and punditsreferring to many foreign acts and faces of culture as “invaders,”especially the controversial ones like the “Sex, Drugs, and Rock‘n’ Roll” idols from London.

Itenjoyed its own period of success independent of the Mulan Movement,owing to the fact that there were also plenty of foreigners whowanted to see this brand new culture and were already familiar, orsick of, the twists, new elements, and foreign Chinese artists wereintegrating into their works (“foreign” and “alien” are allrelative, after all).

Thetwo movements began to wane as societal and political tensionssettled, people at large adapted to the brand new reality they had,and gradually became more open to the change and less hostile tointegrating foreign ideals.

Theartists themselves also realized just how incredibly fleeting anddifficult it was to keep an audience’s attention in thishyper-accelerated and connected world, what with its increasinglyshort attention spans and the constant spotlight on both theirpersonal and professional lives, having to keep up a good front andappearance at all times.

Athird and very important factor was that the teenagers of thatgeneration became the “old farts” they were criticizing yearsearlier, and found themselves unable to keep up, or have legitimateinterest in the latest trends and developments, as they no longerrelated to the themes.

Happilymarried individuals rather found they don’t want to hear about thelascivious exploits of a guitarist who swears she will never getattached to any one girl.

Still,they didn’t want to abandon culture, music, and their craftsaltogether, which led to the “New Horizon” movement, generallyfeaturing fusions of traditional and modern instruments and styles,modern techniques for classic arts such as legends being told throughadvanced holograms than puppets, and the integration of “pagodas”and vibrant, Royal Palace style gardens in modern, mostly concreteand glass buildings.

Independentof periods and movements, and focusing on specific styles of cultureand arts:

Theaterand live performances experienced a massive surge given that there’ssuddenly so many avenues for performers to perform in for cheaper andwith less barrier to entry, it’s much more easy to organizethemselves logistically, and they have a willing crowd that can paythrough all manner of means, and “patrons” are not exclusivelylimited to rich merchants and the ruling class.

Recordeddramas also experienced the same popularity due to the demand and theease with which they could be produced and profit, though obviouslythey have their own market, with some overlap to the former.

Literatureexploded now that self-publication and distribution wassuddenly available, and you better believe that fanfiction bloomed assoon as people got wind of it. As with Sturgeon’s Law, though, mostof it was EXTREMELY bad, especially when you consider culturaldifferences and people only getting the appeal of certain memes,jokes, and themes VERY superficially.

Animationwise, I wouldn’t call what China produces “anime,” since Idefine anime as “animation originating from Japan,” though I canunderstand with how foreign countries produce shows clearly inspiredby and mimicking many of the distinct styles and elements from iconicanime shows, you would come to describe South East Asian animation ora certain style originating from there as “anime.”

(IfI missed any specific form of art you’d like, such as that ofpainting, it’s because this is already a lot of work as is, andthey can be answered in a later ask when I’ve had time to rest.)

Backto Movements, some common themes in these works, from both the Mulanand the Conservationist:

Rebellion,evil emperors, and impossible threats being conquered by herofigures, who are frequently outcasts, eccentrics, and vilified bysociety at large until they prove that their strangeness is whatallows them to become great.

Fantasiesinvolving being trapped in heavily restrictive and unimaginativedystopias, and breaking away the metaphorical and sometimesfigurative chains that keep the populations in line, and a sense ofoptimism and idealism despite the uncertainty and chaos that awaitstheir victory.

Loveletters to the Chinese Imperial System, with Emperors often beingcast as Divine Forces of Good, or heavenly beings locked in battlewith Evil, and needing the assistance of the protagonists to bringpeace back to the land.

Idealistic,oftentimes inaccurate, and heavily romanticized accounts of theirhistory, such as that of their legendary heroes being reborn inmodern times to revive the lost traditions and ideals, benevolentfeudal lords fighting back to the invading barbarian hordes and theirradical, dangerous new ideas and ways, oftentimes by discovering orpreserving the artefacts and culture bequeathed onto them, frequentlygiven some form of personification like benevolent spirits (inspiredby Shintoism), or even the souls of their beloved ancestorsthemselves.

Ontofood: you bet your ass the food is popular!

Iactually imagine that Mulan’s China becomes a love-letter to“Cooking Master Boy” (and still is, to this day, complete withsecret techniques, mystical glows of deliciousness, and flyingingredients from the sheer speed and force of chopping) due to howimportant the culinary arts is to their culture, and how they wereall too eager to share it with the rest of the world, both to make aliving, and to make a name for themselves in the world.

Withthe Silk Trade being one of their most enduring legacies and highestpriorities, yes, fashion did explode with China, now that they had amassive audience that are constantly hungering for new designs,incredible ease with which orders could be fulfilled and shipped allover Auradon, and the creative bloom as everyone was constantlyrubbing elbows with foreign influences, citizens, dignitaries,culture, now that physical travel was easier than ever, and massmedia really got a foothold.

(Ona side note, if you thought the current congestion and traffic inmodern day China is bad, Auradon’s unexpected automotive boom wasleagues worse, whichincidentally caused a gigantic boom in services and companiesspecializing in streaming media on the go.)

Yes,China has a massive influence with their music, especially due to themany different styles and regional differences in their country, andhow easily they could experience, sample, mix, distribute, and moreimportantly, profit from them.

Auradondidn’t have as much problem with illegal pirating and downloadingas we do, and as I’ve said earlier, the recent interest in fusionof the old and the new has lead to such songs and styles like you’vementioned.

DidI miss anything or did not expound as much as you’d like, If so, Iapologize, and please ask again, I’ll get to it when I have theenergy and interest once more.

5 notes · View notes

agameforgoodchristians · 4 years

Text

A lukewarm, wretched, pitiable, poverty-stricken, blind, and naked loser. (Revelation 3:17)

tl:dr = You should Learn what ‘LUKEWARM’ MEANS AND then Stop being so God-damned ‘lukewarm.’ also,why aren’t you in the streets right now?

This card comes from John of Patmos’ message in the Book of Revelation to the church located in Laodicea. It is the last church addressed of the seven churches of Asia Minor that appear in Revelation 2-3. From the start, let us be clear that we are not going to delve into the end-times, conspiracy theories over these letters. We know they exist. We were weened on them as children. We grew up and read a book or two, including the Bible.

What is important of note at this juncture is that is the only one of the seven churches for which nothing good is said. This is the “lukewarm” church in danger of being spit out of God’s mouth (Rev 3:15-16). But more on that later. Right now we want to show the connection to a figure important to the story of this church: a man named Archippus.

Archippus Who?

While Church tradition names him as possibly one of the 70 disciples Jesus sent out in Luke 10:1-16, Archippus is only mentioned twice in the Bible. At the beginning of Philemon (1:2) he gets a typical, “say ‘h'i’ to that guy” from Paul, but in Colossians 4:15-16, Paul gets a little more personal writing:

Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.

Then in vs 17 he drops:

And say to Archippus, “See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.”

Imagine being Archippus at this moment. A letter from the great apostle Paul is being read among the congregation. You hear your name mentioned. Your head pops up, chest puff out for a second, and then you hear everyone hear Paul tell you to suck less and do the work you’ve been given to do (an admonishment no one else ever got in any of the Pauline letters).

Translations and interpretations of what Paul meant abound. We are a bit partial to how Wuest formulated it: “be ever keeping a watchful eye upon the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you discharge it fully.” The Ye Olde King James Version of the Bible (KJV) employs the phrase “take heed.” We like it, so we’ll be using it as a shorthand from here on out.

At its core, the Greek for “take heed” means to literally or metaphorically turn towards something, and to have intimate empirical knowledge of something because of use; to understand, weigh maturely, and consider in a very specific way. This is born out in its usage in other New Testament Scripture (e.g. Mt 5:28 & Eph. 5:15-21). Thus, Paul is calling to Archippus’ specific attention to complete some task, and Paul has publicly charged the community to push him toward its completion. Cool, but what does this have to do with our card from the Book of Revelation?

According to Tradition, Archippus was the first bishop of Laodicea. He helped start the church there and, by varying accounts, was later martyred during a pagan feast in Colossae where, along with Philemon and Apphia, their home was raided, they were captured, tortured, whipped, stoned, and then stabbed to death by children holding nails. It’s assumed that taking up the call to ministry was what Paul was telling Archippus to do. And even though it had dire consequences, he sacrificed to do the will of God.

So how did his church end up so “lukewarm” and God-damned (not a swear: we mean that literary)?

The Comfort of Laodicea

Laodicea (in modern Turkey) was initially a church-plant from the Christian community in Colossae. The Christians who lived in Laodicea resided in the center of one of the great economic powerhouses in the Roman empire.

Laodicea was a regional hub. The most important thoroughfare for trade and culture of the day—the road running east to west from Ephesus to Syria—ran through Laodicea. Another less-important, but pretty snazzy road also ran from north to south through the city. Laodicea was also an important clothing manufacturing center for the region. Not only did they cultivate and breed a strain of sheep whose wool was highly sought, they were also able to mass produce relatively inexpensive clothing and widely distribute it (they were Versace and Wal-Mart at the same). In addition, Laodicea was an academic and medical center for the region, boasting a prestigious medical school, as well as the production and sale of Phygarian Powder, an eye salve which was exported around the Greek world, and heralded by the likes of Galen and Aristotle.

As a result of these factors and others, Laodicea was the banking and financial center of the region, and one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world. So much so, that emperors were known to cash their checks there. An anecdote illustrates the level of Laodicean wealth: In 61 CE, an earthquake struck the region devastating everything. As a part of the Roman Empire, the Laodiceans were entitled to a government bail-out to help them rebuild this important cog in the economic machinery. The people of Laodicea did not want to be seen as beholden to the central Roman government. They were so rich, and so proud, that they pooled their resources and rebuilt without any assistance, creating a city more fabulous than it was before.

In short, the Christian community living in Laodicea were in very secure and comfortable place. But just like Archippus, they are the only church to receive an admonishment from John of Patmos, with nothing good being said about them (the others that got crapped on at least got a small pat on the back first). The ironic tragedy: the very things that they took pride in are the things that John says are holding them back from doing the work they were given to do.

A Message to the “Lukewarm” Church

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation:

I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.’ You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent.”

~ Revelation 3:14-19

Some Sunday School lessons (and Sunday morning sermons) of this story, import a “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” mentality: Some things are too hot, some things are too cold, but the middle is juuuussssst riiiiiight! Apparently these people can’t read (but they teach our young and our adults. Cool. Cool. Cool.) Just as incorrect, some teach that ON FIRE CHRISTIANS are “good” and COLD-HEARTED CHRISTIANS are bad, again showing a lack of reading comprehension (but a good use of metaphoric thinking, so points for that). However, they fail to see that the metaphors could be changed: “hot” Christians are “backsliders” and “apostates” on their way to HELL! “Cold” Christians will be “chilling” in the clouds above with the Father. Whatever. Our metaphor doesn’t have to work because our point is that this line of thinking completely ignores both the biblical text and the geographic realities that they are based on. In addition to the other historical features mentioned above,

an aqueduct that ran from a hot spring in Hierapolis, cut through Laodicea on the way to Colossae.

This is the source of the famous, though often misunderstood/misinterpreted passage. The hot spring at Hierapolis was healing; the cold waters at Colossae were refreshing. Both are good. Good. Not one good, the other bad. Both are good. However, The lukewarm sludge at Laodicea was pretty damn useless.

Which makes sense:

A critical writer can be effective in communicating her message if she is very hot or very cold to her subject—loves it or hates it—, but not in the middle. Some strong emotion must be felt or it is just a bland restatement of dry facts.

Meat in the freezer, good and safe. Meat, appropriately browned and finished off in the oven, good and safe. Meat, allowed to sit on your counter all day and then snacked on, God bless.

While some people love hot coffee, others iced coffee, but only a freaking monster loves a cup of tepid, room temperature, congealed, decaffeinated garbage. There is a revolting quality to those who are in this position, hence the illustration of being “spit out of the mouth.”

But how does a church community end up in this position? How does an individual? “Because you say I am rich, need nothing . . . blind, poor, wretched, naked, worthy of pity” (vs 17). John of Patmos takes direct aim at the things the city of Laodicea was best known for, the things that they took the most pride, security and comfort in. They are so far from the path that they are pitied by God, and admonished to find true wealth, clothing, and vision (vs 18). They are further admonished to “be earnest and repent,” to take heed, and change, before it is too late (vs 19).

And Here We Are

We write our Card Talks in a (relatively) timeless manner. Meaning, years from now, other than a few topical touchstones and pop culture references, the message should be unambiguous and clear without relying on contemporary tropes, people, events, or issues. At times we purposefully break this rule and write about things completely wrapped up in where we are. Right now we hope that this post is an example of that: a post that will make no sense in the future.

This Card Talk is being written in the midst of racial unrest in the United States. In recent days:

Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, was chased down by two white men and shot to death for jogging through the neighborhood. The prosecuting attorneys refused to act until after the video of the murder was released to the public.

Breonna Taylor, an unarmed Black woman, was murdered in her home, in her own bed, when police executed a no-knock warrant in the middle of the night, without announcing themselves. They then arrested her boyfriend for “attempted murder” for defending them against the intruders. It is doubtful that the officers will face any criminal charges.

Christian Cooper, an unarmed Black man, survived a white woman’s attempt to weaponize the police to intimidate or murder him. He had asked her to leash her dog in a public park. She called the police, screaming in increasing hysterics, saying she was being attacked, while Christian recorded her lies from a safe distance.

George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was crushed to death by four police officers—two kneeling on his back, one on his throat, and one keeping onlookers at bay. After crying out for help, saying he couldn’t breathe, that he was dying, he gave up the ghost. The police continued applying pressure on his dead body for a while after. They had pulled him out of his car for allegedly using a counterfeit $20 bill at a store nearby.

We were going to include a list of the many, many, many others. But figured your eyes would just gloss over them. Just like they glossed over the descriptions we gave above, because you “already know” the stories.

But we hope future Bible nerds and lay people reading this post will look on these descriptions in shock and disgust. Not just at the horrors described, but at the very notion that such atrocities were common place. We hope that they will look at these events the was we (should) look at the (slightly) less government-sanctioned lynchings from only a few decades ago (“officially” ending in 1968). We hope this will be the case. But we have our doubts.

Such a change would require the Church in the United States to actually “take heed” to the ministry given by God to love and care for all of God’s children. The same Church who still (problematically) sings

“…red and yellow, black and white, they’re ALL precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

The same Church which seems happier, more content, when those red, yellow, and black children live in other countries which are not so “rich…prospered, and [in] need [of] nothing” as ours is. he Church, which will do mission-trips to ever corner of the world to spread clean water, the Word, or to simply do it for the ‘gram, seems to forget the people with similar skin tones here.

When will the Church in the United States realize how wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked we are when we deny the dignity of our sisters and brothers?

Look at this scene:

We don't know the full context of this photo. We don't know the people at the table or in the background. They could be you. And that's the point.

This image shows the division

in the Church right now:

On one side, in the streets, you see a racially and socioeconomically diverse group, taking action against injustice.

On the other, at the table, a homogeneous group wondering what all the fuss is about, desperately wanting not to be bothered, and hoping none of this will impact their plans. And, honestly, it makes us fucking sick.

Use your Sunday School training: where would Moses be, at the table or in the streets? What about David and Deborah? Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s crazy ass? John the Baptist, Peter, Paul, Archippus? Jesus?

And let’s be fair to the table sitters: maybe he’s scratching his head because he is genuinely confused or has been living under a rock. Maybe red hat is sympathetic to their cause, but was raised not to make too much noise, so she’s “with them in spirit.” Maybe green shirt is wanting to get up and join them, but is afraid of what arms-folding and giggling will think and say. We can’t know what is in everyone’s head. But we can make a simple request:

Get up from the damn table, OR spit the bread and wine from ouT OF YOUR mouth;

stop pretending you break bread with Jesus or his people.

Stop posting more about “looting” and “rioting” than the murders that presaged them. Stop pretending like you give a damn about the corporate interest of Target or the small business that have been destroyed when you didn’t comment on the families burying actual human beings. Stop defending, once again, a president or pundit because…you know what, screw your reasons. Just stop doing it: you make all of us look bad.

Wipe the excuses and lies from your eyes. Trust less in the comfort and security of your skin (yes, talking to you white people). Be the damn Church. “Take heed” of the ministry we have been given.

Or never open your mouth again in moral outrage ever again.

World without end.

#Revelation 3:17 #Sardis #Lukewarm #Racism #Hypocrites #Faith or Bullshit

0 notes

samuelpboswell · 4 years

Text

Break Free B2B Marketing: Gary Gerber on Scaling ABM without Losing Focus

When people think of account-based marketing (ABM), they tend to think of it as a smaller-scale practice. Since ABM is fundamentally built around focus in the aligned pursuit of high-value accounts, it’s often associated with a significant reduction in target market scope (i.e., “Let’s narrow down to our 20-30 most promising accounts). This itself is a constraint from which B2B marketers need to break free, which is why Gary Gerber stood out as a fitting guest for the first interview in our second season of Break Free B2B. At B2B Marketing Exchange in February, he sat with TopRank Marketing President Susan Misukanis to unpack what’s needed to bring ABM to the next level. Gary and his team at Folloze helped Cisco develop a sophisticated and highly effective ABM program that targeted 20,000 customers through one-on-one, personalized content and messaging. How can other B2B marketers achieve this level of scalability in their ABM efforts, overcoming one of the biggest remaining hurdles holding back this fast-growing approach? In large part it’s about rethinking our tools, Gary suggests, while leaning on a rather literal metaphor. “You have to focus away from blunt instrument tools,” he says. “I’m not bashing blunt instruments, by the way, because a hammer is one of the most useful tools in your toolkit, but you wouldn’t use it to repair a watch. So you need to migrate to tools that let you [achieve] that kind of precision, because that’s the only way you’re going to build trust with your customers.” [bctt tweet="“A hammer is one of the most useful tools in your toolkit, but you wouldn’t use it to repair a watch.” @Gary_Gerber of @Folloze on the need for more precision in #ABM. #BreakFreeB2B" username="toprank"] Solutions like Folloze’s platform, which enables the delivery of personalized experiences at scale, are helping pave the way. But it’s not just about technology. Reaching a state of advanced ABM also requires shifts in organizational mindset, philosophy, and operation. Gary and Susan cover the gamut in their 18-minute conversation. You can watch, listen, or find key excerpts and takeaways below.

Break Free B2B Interview with Gary Gerber

youtube

If you’re interested in checking out a particular portion of the discussion, you can find a quick general outline below, as well as a few excerpts that stood out to us.

1:30 - Recognizing that change is inevitable

2:30 - Where is ABM in terms of market maturity?

4:45 - Helping clients recognize shortcomings and make incremental progress

6:30 - Approaching the marketing funnel from an ABM standpoint

9:30 - Re-centering on the fundamentals of ABM targeting

11:15 - Where are you seeing successes in ABM?

13:15 - Optimizing for the future by taking the right steps right now

16:00 - Gary's personal hobbies and philosophies

17:15 - How can modern digital marketers break free?

Susan: What's your consulting approach? As marketers, we can't just tell our clients, "You're wrong, do it my way." How do you inch them toward making incremental progress? Gary: It's an interesting question because when we talk to people, the tools that people are using are the same ones that worked well 10 or 15 years ago. People built their careers on tools like marketing automation and things like that. So it is challenging to tell them, "Those tools are blunt instruments by today's standards." You have to focus the other way, on what's not working, on the pain. Because there is pain there, especially if they're under the gun for an account-based program, and for pushing things through the funnel, right? We like to talk about the three symptoms that marketers today are subject to: funnel starvation, pipeline constipation, and sales frustration. They can't get stuff into the top of the funnel anymore, whatever they get in the funnel doesn't come out, and they're under the gun there because sales and the entire organization is looking to them to move opportunities and it's not happening. So if you can put it in terms along those lines most marketers will eventually have to concede. 'Cause everyone's feeling that pain in B2B. [bctt tweet="“We like to talk about the three symptoms that marketers today are subject to: funnel starvation, pipeline constipation, and sales frustration.” @Gary_Gerber @Folloze #BreakFreeB2B #ABM" username="toprank"] Susan: Do you counsel equal focus on the top, middle, and bottom of the funnel to try to get things moving? Or is the first thing, you gotta fix the top of the funnel? What's your methodology? Gary: Well, if you think about what ABM is, especially if you're doing it right, it's almost not a funnel mentality at all anymore, right? We refer to it as full cycle personalization, or some people are saying bow tie. If you're approaching it with that funnel mentality, you've almost doomed yourself to failure right from the start in 2020. [bctt tweet="“If you're approaching #ABM with that funnel mentality, you've almost doomed yourself to failure right from the start in 2020.” @Gary_Gerber @Folloze #BreakFreeB2B" username="toprank"] There’s an analogy others are using and I agree with it: it’s like a football team or a soccer team running down the field together. So the focus isn't on top of funnel or middle of funnel, it's on -- by definition -- the accounts themselves. And as sales and marketing are running down the field, they're bringing the account and the individuals together along with them. It's a journey. And so how do you do that? You can't do that by sending them mass emails because everybody's getting that. Ultimately what it's about, and I've said this to other people, it's about building that relationship with them. More importantly, it's about building a relationship that's built on trust, not on hype. Because if you've built that trust and you're adding that value to them that they trust you're interested in their success, and you're providing information and content and messaging and whatever it is, that will help them be successful. They'll happily march down the field with you because you're adding to their success. Susan: So let's talk about what's working in ABM these days. Where are smart modern marketers really experiencing some great progress from your perspective? Gary: Most people think of ABM, as you mentioned before, as, "Well, I'm going to pick my top 20 accounts and I'm going to focus everything I got on them, and the rest of the 88,000 or whatever, oh well too bad, them we'll just spray and pray with a nurture campaign or something like that." And it's interesting because when you stop and think about it logically, limiting it to your 20 or 25 or whatever, that's a technical limitation, right? It's because I can't do what I want to do -- create a deeply personalized, individualized, valuable, trust building experience -- with more than those 20 people because there's me and this person, that's all that we can do. But there is no procedural reason for that. If you could do [personalization] for everybody, then you would, but you can't. And so, Cisco is a really awesome example. What they've been able to do is actually automate a lot of what's manual to create these very individualized experiences where they’re getting content, and imagery, and messaging, and information, and everything that is very salient to them, that they used to have to build by hand, so it took hours for each … it’s automated, so they kind of wind it up once and this goes out. So Cisco is actually doing one of the largest ABM programs in the country. Stay tuned to the TopRank Marketing Blog and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more Break Free B2B interviews. Here are a few interviews to whet your appetite:

Break Free B2B Series: Jon Miller on How ABM Can Help Marketers Keep Their ‘Ship’ Together

Break Free B2B Series: Hal Werner on the Intersection of Marketing Creativity and Analytics

Break Free B2B Series: Adi Bachar-Reske on Taking the Lead in the Evolution of B2B Content Marketing

The post Break Free B2B Marketing: Gary Gerber on Scaling ABM without Losing Focus appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages https://www.toprankblog.com/2020/04/break-free-b2b-marketing-gary-gerber/

0 notes

ralphlayton · 4 years

Text

Break Free B2B Marketing: Gary Gerber on Scaling ABM without Losing Focus

Break Free B2B Interview with Gary Gerber

youtube

If you’re interested in checking out a particular portion of the discussion, you can find a quick general outline below, as well as a few excerpts that stood out to us.

1:30 - Recognizing that change is inevitable

2:30 - Where is ABM in terms of market maturity?

4:45 - Helping clients recognize shortcomings and make incremental progress

6:30 - Approaching the marketing funnel from an ABM standpoint

9:30 - Re-centering on the fundamentals of ABM targeting

11:15 - Where are you seeing successes in ABM?

13:15 - Optimizing for the future by taking the right steps right now

16:00 - Gary's personal hobbies and philosophies

17:15 - How can modern digital marketers break free?

Break Free B2B Series: Jon Miller on How ABM Can Help Marketers Keep Their ‘Ship’ Together

Break Free B2B Series: Hal Werner on the Intersection of Marketing Creativity and Analytics

Break Free B2B Series: Adi Bachar-Reske on Taking the Lead in the Evolution of B2B Content Marketing

The post Break Free B2B Marketing: Gary Gerber on Scaling ABM without Losing Focus appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Break Free B2B Marketing: Gary Gerber on Scaling ABM without Losing Focus published first on yhttps://improfitninja.blogspot.com/

0 notes

weightlossfitness2 · 4 years

Text

January 2020. We simply shocked our newest winners with greater than $125,000 in prizes!

Bernie and Paul spent the previous 12 months remodeling their consuming habits, well being, our bodies, and lives with private assist from a PN coach. And now? They’re our newest Grand Prize winners. See how we shocked them with $25,000 every, and meet the remainder of our January 2020 Precision Nutrition Coaching winners.

++++

Every six months, in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program, we give away greater than $125,000 to the women and men who’ve essentially the most unbelievable, inspiring physique transformations.

Yep, that’s greater than $250,000 a yr.

And at the moment, you’ll meet our newest wonderful winners.

These people began working with us in January 2019 and—over the course of the previous yr—fully remodeled how they eat, transfer, look, and really feel.

They misplaced weight, gained energy, boosted their well being, and impressed their pals and households.

What’s extra, they did all of this with out excessive diets or loopy exercise routines. There have been no meal plans or off-limit meals. No unbreakable guidelines. No deprivation. And maybe better of all, no guilt.

Each particular person merely dedicated to creating a change, stayed constant, and used the accountability and assist of one in all our devoted coaches.

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Bernie

Lost 45 lbs and 42 whole inches!

Age: 46 years

Weight Lost: 45 lbs (from 165 lbs to 120 lbs)

Total Inches Lost: 42 inches (from 228 inches to 186 inches)

Bernie Stewart simply couldn’t bear to point out her arms.

That fairly, strappy prime she’d so optimistically purchased throughout a match section?

She felt she needed to cowl it up with a bolero cardigan.

She was additionally sporting what she calls her “Ali Baba” pants—voluminous and drapey sufficient to disguise the lumps and bumps beneath.

Hunched over a espresso, she stared at her pill, desperately on the lookout for one thing, something to take her away from the countless spherical of diets.

After 35 years of fluctuating weight, 35 years of binge consuming and emotional consuming, 35 years of feeling responsible and ashamed, Bernie was fed up.

Now 46 years previous and with two younger youngsters watching her each transfer, Bernie knew this wasn’t nearly her any extra.

Sure, she needed to look nice. She needed to really feel match and wholesome. But greater than that, she needed to set a constructive instance.

She needed to alter her attitudes to meals and to herself. Precision Nutrition Coaching confirmed her how.

“My issues with food and self-hatred were shocking.”

“At the start, I was still working with old conditioning,” Bernie says. She was the form of one that might eat a complete pizza with a big facet of chips, comply with up with some cheesecake, and wash all of it down with pints of sherry.

She favored the sensation of fullness, the way in which that wealthy and fatty meals might numb her. Overeating was a pleasure and a consolation.

But it was additionally a form of curse, dooming her to a continuing and nasty inside refrain. “I was self-berating, guilt-ridden, self-flagellating,” she says.

Bernie knew she wanted assist to make a long-lasting change. From the second she signed up for teaching, Bernie gave it her greatest.

Every time she clicked on a brand new day’s lesson or behavior, she thought-about it a present, and her ardour and focus by no means wavered. By staying constant and trusting the method, she misplaced some weight within the first month.

But the following few months examined her persistence. The scale appeared to plateau and enhancements weren’t as seen. Yet Bernie stayed the course.

In retrospect, Bernie sees she wasn’t actually stagnating—she was laying the groundwork for deeper change.

Precision Nutrition didn’t promise a fast repair, like diets she’d tried prior to now. Instead, it gave her the instruments for a complete transformation.

Among these instruments was self-forgiveness.

For the primary time in her grownup life, Bernie didn’t interpret errors as indicators of failure. Instead, she noticed them as steps in a studying course of.

“With this one change, I felt like a new person,” Bernie says.

She stopped blaming herself. Her guilt started to fade. A metaphorical weight had lifted, and with it, the bodily weight started to soften away.

She began to really feel extra energetic. She had extra enjoyable along with her youngsters. They observed she was happier. Her pals observed she was happier.

“I was more confident, clothes were fitting better, I was starting to see muscles, I was gaining strength.”

What shocked her most was how straightforward all of it felt.

“Just one small step at a time, no pressure and no strain or stress!” Bernie says.

Watch the video beneath to see Bernie’s priceless response to successful our $25,000 grand prize.

vimeo

Want to get outcomes like Bernie? Learn extra concerning the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Women.

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner: Paul

Lost 22 lbs and 13 whole inches!

Age: 37 years

Weight Lost: 22 lbs (from 172 lbs to 150 lbs)

Total Inches Lost: 13 inches (from 230 inches to 217 inches)

There was a time in his life when Paul LeTourneau discovered it tough to achieve weight.

Eventually, he bought so pissed off that, to be able to beef up, he joined Scrawny to Brawny, a predecessor to Precision Nutrition Coaching.

It labored, too. Paul gained 22 kilos, turned a finalist in that program, and was happier together with his physique and his health than he’d ever been.

But simply as this system ended, Paul damage his again. He needed to go simpler on his exercises. And then, over time, life bought difficult. Work, extra work, household stuff—the standard. Meanwhile, his metabolism was beginning to decelerate.

Bit by bit, his physique composition was morphing from muscle to fats—nearly with out his information.

Paul was consuming the way in which you must eat whenever you’re a thin man who needs to bulk up.

But he wasn’t that skinny man any extra.

Now, he was well-known amongst his pals for gorging himself at buffets–these all-you-can-eat smorgasbords appeared made for him.

Meals all the time concerned seconds. Sometimes even thirds. And when it got here to snacks, he might swallow a big bag of chips with out blinking.

At 37, Paul seemed within the mirror and noticed a stomach for the primary time in his life.

He was additionally waking up with throbbing complications. He knew he needed to make a change, so he signed up for Precision Nutrition Coaching.

By the tip of his first month in vitamin teaching, Paul was seeing enhancements. He liked the way in which this system helped him monitor and measure his progress.

He began getting compliments from folks at work. The morning complications quickly disappeared.

Then he injured his neck on the fitness center. The downside wasn’t severe, but it surely meant he needed to reduce on his exercises for some time.

“In the past when I hit a roadblock, I’d probably give up. I’d figure, if I can’t go full out, why bother?”

This time, together with his coach, Craig Weller’s assist, he discovered methods to adapt his exercises and keep lively. Instead of indulging in “all or nothing” pondering, Paul saved his purpose in thoughts and seemed for what he might do.

And with that one small change, he inaugurated a complete new mindset.

Paul’s purpose, from the beginning, was to enhance his relationship with meals. But this meant a shift in his identification.

For years, overeating had been a form of gimmick for him. It was the standard that pals knew him for, and one they appeared loved him about him. Fifty-two wings in a sitting. Fifty rooster nuggets. It turned a sport to maintain monitor of all of it.

So, when he began to eat slowly and have smaller parts, he confronted some ribbing and pushback from the group.

Where did the previous Paul go? Who was this new model? Maybe he wouldn’t have as a lot enjoyable. Maybe he wouldn’t be as a lot enjoyable.

Maybe he wouldn’t be as manly.

Those have been the ideas that percolated in his thoughts (and his pals’ minds) as he began to alter his behaviors.

It took willpower and braveness to remain true to his targets.

Especially when the little voice in his head was telling him that losing a few pounds would additionally imply dropping muscle mass.

“Heavier can seem better for a guy,” he explains. When “big” and “strong” all the time go collectively, it doesn’t really feel good when the size begins to drop—even when it’s essential lose some fats.

But together with his coach’s steerage, Paul started to know that in making an attempt to keep up a really excessive weight together with seen muscle, he was really ignoring his pure physique sort and doing himself a disservice.

“My bones are small. My frame isn’t made to carry a lot of weight.”

Now, as an alternative of aiming to be heavy and robust, Paul goals to be the strongest he might be—on the lightest he might be.

It’s a query of emphasis and stability.

Today, Paul is targeted on reaching his personal private greatest—not another person’s.

These days, he will not be packing in as many wings on the buffet desk, however he’s having fun with his meals a complete lot extra.

And at 22 kilos leaner, he’s additionally stronger and fitter than he’s ever been.

“Everyone can be successful in this program,” Paul says.

“It’s like that proverb about the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching a man to fish,” he provides. “This program gives you the tools to stay fit and healthy for life.”

Watch the video to see Paul’s superior response to listening to he gained our $25,000 grand prize.

vimeo

Want to get outcomes like Paul? Learn extra concerning the Precision Nutrition Coaching Program for Men.

Meet our different Women’s winners

Elizabeth

$10,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 53 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (158 lbs to 114 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 37″ (220″ to 183″)

PN taught me the facility of small, constant efforts. This strategy enabled me to realize larger bodily transformation than I dreamed potential—step-by-step. It additionally helped me acknowledge how I would been limiting myself, and inspired me to think about the particular person I needed to turn out to be.

– Elizabeth

Claire

$10,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 25 years

Weight Lost: 32 lbs (199 lbs to 167 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 24″ (236″ to 212″)

I joined PN Coaching as a result of I needed to eat wholesome, transfer extra, and keep that method for all times. This yr I’ve achieved these targets and rather more. I’ve discovered to prioritize my bodily and psychological well being, which has given me extra vitality and confidence in my every day life than I ever thought potential!

– Claire

Alison

$2,500 Women’s Winner

Age: 65 years

Weight Lost: 20 lbs (147 lbs to 127 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 18″ (204″ to 186″)

Precision Nutrition’s distinctive teaching program remodeled me from a burnt-out, unmotivated, wannabe competitor into an energized, engaged, lean, never-quit athlete. I can not communicate extremely sufficient of the evidenced-based content material, excellent teaching employees, and vibrant on-line group.

– Alison

Sarah

$2,500 Women’s Winner

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (187 lbs to 160 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 25″ (216″ to 191″)

I’m proud of the modifications I’ve made bodily and mentally. Most importantly, it was the teachings discovered and the method of taking good care of myself that made my journey successful. Am I excellent? No. Am I proud of not being excellent? Yes. Is the journey accomplished? Never!

– Sarah

Lacey

$2,500 Women’s Winner

Age: 37 years

Weight Lost: 34 lbs (159 lbs to 125 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 29″ (229″ to 200″)

PN is just not a race, it’s a journey. It has taught me how you can calm down, get pleasure from, and settle for myself. If you let go and belief this system, huge modifications and nice issues will occur.

– Lacey

Lindsay

$2,500 Women’s Winner

Age: 40 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (173 lbs to 146 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 11″ (221″ to 210″)

When I began viewing changes to my train routine and habits as experiments, I lastly bought in tune with my physique and began seeing modifications. I now think about a cohesive view of my well being, together with sleep, my assist system, and managing stress—not simply energy and cardio.

– Lindsay

Melinda

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 37 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (145 lbs to 121 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 21″ (204″ to 183″)

PN Coaching is the proper mix of accountability, encouragement, and schooling. My stability and energy has improved, not simply bodily, however mentally and emotionally too.

– Melinda

Faith

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 39 years

Weight Lost: 21 lbs (154 lbs to 133 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 20″ (219″ to 199″)

My major purpose this previous yr with Precision Nutrition was to be extra constant. By planning and making higher decisions month after month, I slowly began seeing outcomes. I’m engaged on ditching my all-or-nothing mindset and have made health part of my life as an alternative of being on a strict weight loss plan and doing tremendous excessive depth exercises for a brief time period. Now, I present up day after day as a result of it’s simply who I’m!

– Faith

Laurel

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 55 years

Weight Lost: 18 lbs (154 lbs to 136 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 20″ (222″ to 202″)

Overworked, overtired, obese, and over-care-taking; the thought of a coach in my nook sounded great. I made a decision to comply with PN’s program as sincerely as I might every day. The every day habits and classes steered me gently by way of many challenges to a way more resilient, playful, and better high quality of life. A newfound sense of ease was the largest shock. Priceless.

– Laurel

Katherine

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 27 lbs (175 lbs to 148 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 30″ (224″ to 194″)

The Precision Nutrition program and workforce supported me and challenged me to turn out to be one of the best model of myself. Over the course of a yr, I modified the way in which I strategy consuming and train. And most likely for the primary time ever, I can embrace and have fun the limitless potentialities of what it means to be me.

– Katherine

Jen

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 57 years

Weight Lost: 40 lbs (227 lbs to 187 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 36″ (267″ to 231″)

My yr with PN is mirrored within the opening line of 1 my favourite poems: ‘Finally on my way to yes, I bump(ed) into all the places where I said no to my life’. In these moments, PN was there to assist if I wanted it, and YES is an incredible place to be.

– Jen

Cherie

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 59 years

Weight Lost: 12 lbs (126 lbs to 114 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 14″ (207″ to 193″)

Before PN, I labored very laborious at exercising and cooking wholesome meals, however my look didn’t mirror my efforts and intentions. I felt frumpy and matronly. Now, as I full my PN journey, I really feel like my look displays my values of health, energy, wholesome consuming, and hope for the longer term!

– Cherie

Alexandra

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 47 years

Weight Lost: 15 lbs (141 lbs to 126 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 16″ (216″ to 200″)

This has been a yr of main, unanticipated modifications for me in all areas of my life. PN was not solely the constant rudder all year long, but additionally a supply of pleasant prods, considerate workshops, concepts to think about, and vital accountability. I’m stronger and leaner mentally and bodily, and enthusiastic about what lies forward.

– Alexandra

Julie

$1,000 Women’s Winner

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 20 lbs (190 lbs to 170 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 40″ (244″ to 204″)

This is not only a life-style. It’s a self-discipline, and most significantly, a journey.

– Julie

Meet our different Men’s winners

Jacob

$10,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 40 years

Weight Lost: 120 lbs (359 lbs to 239 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 77″ (331″ to 254″)

In some ways, I really feel like I am a completely completely different particular person now. PN helped me be accountable to myself and shift my mindset about consuming, exercising, and life normally. By engaged on one behavior at a time, I’ve been capable of make sustainable life modifications. The classes have been all the time actually related and relevant to my life.

– Jacob

Nick

$10,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 33 years

Weight Lost: 18 lbs (153 lbs to 135 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 11″ (206″ to 195″)

It’s been an unbelievable yr with PN. At the tip of it I’m actually in one of the best form of my life. I’ve eaten fairly nicely and labored out since highschool, but it surely’s solely been since studying to be constant that I appear and feel like an athlete. Just as superior although have been the interior modifications: I am higher privileging my very own wants and letting go of chasing ‘excellent.’

– Nick

Paul

$2,500 Men’s Winner

Age: 57 years

Weight Lost: 33 lbs (229 lbs to 196 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 23″ (257″ to 234″)

A lean life-style? I by no means knew such a factor existed. With PN by my facet, I’m now planning on dying younger at coronary heart at a ripe previous age!

– Paul

Daniel

$2,500 Men’s Winner

Age: 36 years

Weight Lost: 46 lbs (209 lbs to 163 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 37″ (246″ to 209″)

This yr has been wonderful! PN has modified the way in which I take a look at life and its challenges. They are not tough or unimaginable. Now, they’re simpler to understand, take cost of, and attain.

– Daniel

John

$2,500 Men’s Winner

Age: 39 years

Weight Lost: 47 lbs (263 lbs to 216 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 28″ (265″ to 237″)

Come for the health, keep for the life classes. PN taught me how you can acknowledge my underlying health targets (past the superficial ones) and how you can stability these targets in opposition to the remainder of the commitments in my life with elementary, long-term methods.

– John

Ted

$2,500 Men’s Winner

Age: 69 years

Weight Lost: 22 lbs (200 lbs to 178 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 10″ (233″ to 223″)

The PN program has given me the chance to enhance my health to a stage I might have solely dreamed of earlier than. It additionally gave me consuming habits which can be lifelike and never unimaginable to comply with. If you comply with this system, you will notice outcomes.

– Ted

Venkatraghavan

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 42 years

Weight Lost: 24 lbs (160 lbs to 136 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 15″ (220″ to 205″)

This yr I discovered it is nearly all the time by no means concerning the meals. I’ve formed my life to be extra centered, handled deep-rooted patterns that have been holding me again, and constructed deep self-awareness. The care, kindness, and compassion I acquired from the PN workforce translated into me in permitting myself these courtesies. I am now dedicated to supporting others as they find out about and form their lives by way of meals.

– Venkatraghavan

Jeff

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 49 years

Weight Lost: 25 lbs (228 lbs to 203 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 14″ (246″ to 232″)

Along with losing a few pounds and reaching a stage of health that I’ve by no means obtained earlier than got here an surprising byproduct: psychological energy. I’ve changed nervousness and self-consciousness with a calmer extra relaxed mindset and confidence. Not continually interested by my weight, what I seem like, or anticipating perfection of myself appears like freedom from my previous self. Thank you PN!

– Jeff

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 40 years

Weight Lost: 41 lbs (319 lbs to 278 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 35″ (298″ to 263″)

As a small enterprise proprietor, I’ve had a crazy-stressful yr. But with the assistance and fixed assist of PN Coaching, I used to be capable of higher perceive and overcome obstacles that will have knocked me off monitor prior to now.

– RJ

Nick

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 41 years

Weight Lost: 31 lbs (190 lbs to 159 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 22″ (242″ to 220″)

One of the largest issues I bought from my PN journey is that consistency actually does beat perfection. There have been a great deal of instances that I needed to reduce the exercises or eat less-than-perfect meals, however I all the time tried to make constructive decisions given the choices or time obtainable. My coach helped me to see these cases as successes—extra so, really, than when every little thing felt straightforward.

– Nick

Michael

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 38 years

Weight Lost: 44 lbs (253 lbs to 209 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 23″ (269″ to 246″)

Precision Nutrition advised me to decelerate, breathe, and simply concentrate on the following rep, set, chew, or meal. And to let go of the previous, welcome every new day, and have fun each victory, irrespective of how small. It would not sound like lots, however this has helped me reclaim my life and be who I need to be.

– Michael

Craig

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: 42 years

Weight Lost: 48 lbs (242 lbs to 194 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 36″ (268″ to 232″)

The greatest impression this system had was growing my shallowness and confidence. I would all the time talked myself out of long-term bodily health, however I spotted I should not hand over on something till I give it a shot. Numerous the teachings helped change my mindset, not nearly health, however in life. Questioning damaging thought patterns and being conscious in all components of my life have paid HUGE dividends for me. I additionally discovered that you do not want an ideal plan to begin one thing. Always take motion as an alternative of ready for the ‘right time’ to do one thing.

– Craig

Michael

$1,000 Men’s Winner

Age: years

Weight Lost: 57 lbs (362 lbs to 305 lbs)

Total inches misplaced: 20″ (306″ to 286″)

PN has supplied me with the power to free myself from worry of starvation, nervousness about hitting a particular exercise schedule, and an all-or-nothing angle. My progress really accelerated after I slowed down, which compelled me to concentrate on and benefit from the course of.

– Michael

Jonny

$1,000 Men’s Winner:

Age: 25 years

Weight Gained: 10 lbs (from 187 lbs to 197 lbs)

Total inches gained: 11″ (224″ to 235″)

My year-long expertise with PN has taught me the methodology and self-discipline it requires to be able to naturally construct muscle. PN supplied me with wonderful instruments, great instructional supplies, and assist as wanted in my efforts to realize this finish. The setup of the system, full with the net platform, permits anybody who’s prepared to place within the work to succeed.

– Jonny

Meet a couple of hundred extra Precision Nutrition purchasers.

To view all the boys’s and girls’s finalists from the January 2020 Coaching Program, click on the hyperlinks beneath.

To view all the boys’s and girls’s finalists from all of our Precision Nutrition Coaching applications, click on one of many hyperlinks beneath.

Of course, in the event you’re all for working towards a physique or well being transformation of your individual, think about becoming a member of our subsequent Precision Nutrition Coaching group. We’re opening up a couple of spots within the coming weeks.

Want to rework your physique and well being?

As you most likely know, you gained’t overhaul your physique��this dramatically by simply logging time on a treadmill or studying well being tips about Twitter.

Awesome, lasting, wow-what-happened-to-you transformations often require private consideration from an professional coach.

And right here’s the excellent news: Precision Nutrition Coaching will probably be accepting new purchasers very quickly, at our lowest, most accessible value ever.

If you’re and need to discover out extra, I’d encourage you to hitch our presale listing.

Being on the presale listing provides you two particular benefits.

You’ll pay lower than everybody else. At Precision Nutrition we wish to reward essentially the most and motivated folks as a result of they all the time make one of the best purchasers. Join the presale listing and also you’ll save as much as 54% off most of the people value, which is the bottom value we’ve ever supplied.

You’re extra prone to get a spot. To give purchasers the non-public care and a focus they deserve, we solely open up this system twice a yr. Last time we opened registration, we offered out inside minutes. By becoming a member of the presale listing you’ll get the chance to register 24 hours earlier than everybody else, growing your probabilities of getting in.

[Note: If your health and fitness are already sorted out, but you’re interested in helping others, check out our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program].

If you’re prepared to alter your physique, and your life, with assist from the world’s greatest coaches, that is your likelihood.

The post January 2020. We simply shocked our newest winners with greater than $125,000 in prizes! appeared first on Weight Loss Fitness.

from Weight Loss Fitness https://weightlossfitnesss.info/january-2020-we-simply-shocked-our-newest-winners-with-greater-than-125000-in-prizes/

0 notes

rolandfontana · 5 years

Text

Why Tackling Urban Violence Should Be First on America’s Domestic Agenda

“Agree or disagree with him, but by all means read him.”

That’s The New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb’s take on Thomas Abt, whose just-published book, “Bleeding Out: The Devastating Consequences of Urban Violence—And a Bold New Plan for Peace in the Streets, offers a blueprint to cut homicides in half in the United States in just eight years.

Abt, a senior research fellow with the Center for International Development, a former Deputy Secretary for Public Safety to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and a former Obama-era Department of Justice administrator and Manhattan prosecutor, flips liberal conventional wisdom about the relationship between violence and entrenched poverty on its head.

He argues that urban violence is often a driver, rather than an outgrowth, of structural disadvantage. He does this while shutting down racist cultural finger-pointing from the right.

Whereas strong emotion has tended to dominate the public dialogue on criminal justice, Abt’s book leans into impact evaluations, interviews, and systematic reviews to build a framework for violence reduction that is at once non-ideological and internally coherent.

Given the swirling debates among politicians, criminal justice practitioners, advocates, and the public about the appropriate role and size of the justice system, Abt’s work is a thoughtful, research-driven examination of some of the thorniest, most painful issues in American public and private life.

The Crime Report sat down with him at the National Network for Safe Communities 5th biennial conference on violence prevention at John Jay College last week to discuss the substance of his book and its place in the broader national criminal justice reform movement.

Below is the transcript of the conversation, which has been edited for clarity and lightly abridged.

The Crime Report: America’s urban landscape is seeing transformational, generationally significant changes. Yet many have come to view urban violence as intractable. In your book, you identify violence as the urban problem with the most urgency, placing it ahead of other problems such as housing unaffordability and homelessness or educational equity. Why is urban violence the most urgent of these issues?

Thomas Abt: That is a very important question, and it’s important to get right. I’m not arguing that affordable housing, quality education, or any other structural challenge facing America’s poorest communities is less important than urban violence. I’m just making an argument about the order in which you might address them. I’m not arguing that urban violence is the only way to address issues of economic and social equity. I’m not even arguing that it’s the most important way.

Thomas Abt

I’m simply arguing that, as a matter of sequence, if you tackle urban violence first, or at least alongside these other issues, it will make all those struggles easier, and it will make those other important equity outcomes more achievable.

I’m committed to pursuing economic and social justice. I wouldn’t be happy with an America that is poor and unequal but safe. That said, in terms of how we get there, I don’t think we’re fully accounting for the salience and urgency of urban violence.

TCR: You also state that by addressing the problem of urban violence, you are also unlocking the ability to address these other problems. Say, when you address urban violence specifically, you then pave the way for economic mobility. Do you think that’s a fair assessment?

Abt: Yes. When you look at concentrated poverty, i.e. the intersection of poor-quality education and housing, environmental health hazards, food deserts, and so on, one of the key forces holding these things together and [that] keeps them in place are high levels of serious and potentially lethal violence. If concentrated poverty is a knot and all these different problems are threads, then urban violence is the hand that pulls the strings tighter, making them harder to tease out.

Public safety can and should do some of the essential blocking and tackling for other revitalization efforts in order to make them more successful.

When I was in the Obama administration, I was one of the founding members of the Neighborhood Revitalization Working Group, a multi-agency group working on ways to transform the nation’s most distressed communities. As the Department of Justice representative, I would argue that public safety can and should do some of the essential blocking and tackling for other revitalization efforts in order to make them more successful.

It’s important to understand that all these outcomes are linked and that public safety should not be placed in competition with these other outcomes. Having a more peaceful community is going to make our other goals easier to accomplish.

TCR: When looking to address urban violence, we must first define what we count as violence. You’re not including structural violence, such as the collateral or direct harm caused by economic systems or institutions, but that aren’t they the same as the tip of a blade or the barrel of a gun? You’re not denying that these harms exist, but that we should tailor our approach to this one, somewhat narrow, definition of violence. Is that right?

Abt: Yes. I didn’t set out to write a book about American social and economic justice and then conclude that the only thing we needed to do was reduce homicides. I intended to write a book about reducing homicide and learned along the way that preventing murders has many other important benefits. Reducing homicide is one of the most important, direct, and obvious ways to help our poorest and least powerful fellow citizens. I’m not making an argument against broader political, economic and social movements. I’m just saying they’re not substitutes for targeted anti-violence policies.

In terms of definitions, the book focuses on physical violence, and then I narrow that definition further because I’m not focusing on family violence or violence committed by organized crime. It’s only one book, so you have to be selective and write what you know.

‘Hot Spots’

TCR: You point to ample research suggesting that violence is clustered around “sticky” people, places, and things. You argue that we should focus not on those things specifically, but on the violent behaviors that flow from them. Can you elaborate?

Abt: I use the framing of people, places, and things because it is easy for people to quickly understand. That said, in terms of policy, when talking about people, I am referring to social networks of the highest-risk potential perpetrators and victims. By places, I am referring to micro-concentrations of crime known as hot spots. And by things, I am referring to certain behaviors that are closely associated with violence.

For example, to reduce urban violence, you don’t need to focus on all guns, although that can be helpful in preventing other forms of gun violence. You should focus on illegal gun-carrying by hot people in hot spots. Similarly, with gangs, you don’t need to focus on gangs generally; you should focus on group conflicts among hot people in hot spots.

TCR: And more particularly, the most violent individuals of those gangs, rather than, say, loosely affiliated people who might know them.

Abt: Exactly. When you scratch the surface of actual gangs and speak to actual gang members, the diversity within gangs is vast. Even in a very dangerous gang, the idea that everyone is uniformly culpable and violent is just not the case, which means that these ‘Make America Scared Again’ anti-gang policies are not productive in terms of reducing violence. I’d actually prefer that we use the term “network” instead of “gang,” because that’s closer to what these problems look like in reality.

TCR: The focus on people, places, and things is one pillar, or fundamental, that you identify for violence reduction. But applied in isolation, you could get a situation like the Bronx 120 that many people have been talking about in New York, where the NYPD did a series of sweeping raids—the largest mass arrests in New York City history. The result was that many people were swept up based on their social connections. It was sloppy and not procedural, lacking balance or fairness—those are the next two pillars that you identify. How do they couple with the idea of focusing on people, places, and things?

Abt: I’m not all that familiar with that specific effort, so let’s take a different example in New York, which is stop-and-frisk. What you saw there was a massive hot-spot policing effort that went too far. Police were focused geographically on where crime and violence concentrated, but it still wasn’t focused enough. They should also have been focused in terms of people, not just places.

You can’t go to an area with a lot of shootings and killings and stop every young man in that neighborhood, which is roughly what happened.

*Given that crime is so hyper-concentrated, stigmatizing entire groups of people or neighborhoods as uniformly violent is not only morally wrong, it’s factually inaccurate. Even in the most dangerous neighborhoods, most of the people there are not dangerous, and there are many parts of that neighborhood that are not dangerous.

Police should be more proactive in crime hot spots, but they need to still know the community and be looking out for specific people and behaviors. If hot spot policing is practiced with zero-tolerance, it’s not just unfocused, it’s unfair.

TCR: You use a carrot-and-stick analogy as a symbol or metaphor for balance in addressing people who might be more prone to acts of violence. Say more about that.

Abt: Yes. I’m not advocating for one silver-bullet strategy. I’m arguing for a small portfolio of strategies that, together, follow these three fundamental principles: focus, balance, and fairness. Within a portfolio, you need mechanisms to deter people from violent behavior, but also to support them and help them improve their lives. If you look at the most rigorous evidence and also talk to people in the community—because this book is about where science and the community come together—they say the same thing. We see anti-crime strategies that use aggressive enforcement that work. We also see anti-crime strategies deliver support, treatment, and assistance that work. And we see that no city has ever been successful just doing one or the other. You need a balance between the two.

This is one of the things that makes focused deterrence, or the Group Violence Reduction Strategy, successful. It gives people autonomy, telling them, “Look, we’re here to help you. If you won’t stop shooting, then we’re here to stop you. You choose.” It’s seen as fair because it’s not just the police and it explains consequences ahead of time. “We, the community—police, community, service providers—are telling you that violence is unacceptable. Here is your choice. You make the choice, and we will follow up.”

TCR: Your book sits at the intersection of many debates of the national criminal justice movement. There are advocates and activists, who tend to be more progressive, calling for sweeping abolition—whether of the prison system, or police, or I.C.E. in the immigration system. There are also those who do see a place for incremental change, but they want to bring that change from the community itself, cutting out criminal justice administrators.

Despite the deep-rooted cynicism that many harbor toward the criminal justice system because of the racism, classism, or other forms of discrimination embedded in the policy or outcomes, you say that abolition is a form of “extremism [that] hurts, not helps, poor communities of color.” Why do you say that?

Abt: The poorest and most disadvantaged rely heavily on the services that law enforcement provides. They need those services, but they also need them to be improved and more closely connected to their interests.

The most extreme advocates in this area do not acknowledge that people who live in areas plagued by high rates of violence are simultaneously overburdened and under-protected by law enforcement. In these communities, the state is both too aggressive and too unresponsive. Taking the police away only addresses half the equation.

There’s simply no evidence for the idea that you can promote safety by pulling the police out of distressed communities.

Also, there’s simply no evidence for the idea that you can promote safety by pulling the police out of distressed communities. Bleeding Out is a book based on evidence of “what works” – hundreds of rigorous impact evaluations. When lives are on the line, I don’t believe in speculating. I am not going to embrace such a radical policy without first seeing some strong evidence.

Now, if abolitionists are simply using the term as a rhetorical technique to say, “We need radical change,” that might not be the language I would use, but we can certainly have the conversation. But if you are literally an abolitionist, and you are literally saying, “no police, no prisons,” then I simply don’t agree and that’s fine.

Race, Violence and Justice

TCR: How does systemic and historical racism factor into the framing of your work?

Abt: The issue of race is everywhere in this work. You have to acknowledge that, but some of the rhetoric around race is so inflammatory that I worry it will delay or prevent the reconciliation that needs to happen between impacted communities and the criminal justice system. I worry that when we demonize immigrants, Muslims, poor people of color, talking about “American carnage,” that we are preventing reconciliation.

I also worry when we call all cops and prosecutors racists, or say that this system is so infected with racial bias that it has to be discarded entirely, that those statements will also prevent reconciliation. To reform the system, I don’t believe you can reject it entirely.

I also wish progressives would recognize that these differences are really arguments about strategy. We all want the same things, but we may disagree about how to get there. I wish we were a bit more careful about questioning each other’s motives and creating litmus tests. In future conversations, I hope we can limit the scope of our disagreements.

TCR: You argue that to reduce violence we should avoid leaning on ideological or partisan tropes. When people do that, they selectively listen to community concerns, and then only take the points that suit their political agenda. It seems that you are trying to forge a non-aligned position. You explain that propelling change in the field of violence reduction will require a small but powerful and committed new constituency. What do you mean?

Abt: It’s common in books like these to identify a problem and then say that the way to solve it is to go big. ‘Give me all your attention, support, and resources, and I will solve this problem for you.” That’s not a realistic request to make of policymakers, or the public for that matter. Do I believe there should be a new narrative on urban violence in the United States? Absolutely, but I’m not waiting on that to happen before getting to work. In any city, the constituency needed to make these changes is not that big, as long as people stay disciplined and committed.

Look what’s happened in Oakland. That city reduced their homicides by 50 percent over five years. Rigorous research has connected the reduction back to Oakland Ceasefire, which uses the focused deterrence or GRVS strategy. Who brought that strategy to Oakland and demanded that it be done right? Community members. Michael and Ben McBride of Faith in Action and others pushed for this and insisted on it until finally the city agreed.

That’s the model that we need to look at. They didn’t wait until everybody in Oakland agreed; they got a few people with a very clear vision together and pushed. Oakland was a dangerous, violent city with lots of tension between politicians, police, and communities. It was not the easiest place to do this work, in other words. If it can happen in Oakland, it can happen in other places.

TCR: When cities conceive their programs, they have a wide toolbox to choose from. Returning to our earlier discussion about those are at the highest risk to perpetrate violence, you argue that there are some people we should “put away” through the prison system. There are others, particularly among progressives, pushing for an alternative model to incarceration emphasizing restorative justice over incarceration.

You did not mention restorative justice in the scope of your book. Should it be incorporated into this conversation?

Abt: Restorative justice is an important piece of the overall criminal justice reform puzzle, but it’s not a viable alternative to prison when it comes to murder. I’m also skeptical that it can be applied to the other serious violent offenses—attempted murder, firearm assault, etc. – that the book focuses on. It’s an important strategy, but to my knowledge nobody is suggesting that when one person kills or seriously hurts another that the remedy should be conversation rather than incarceration.

In many of the most violent communities, we are also dealing with a crisis relating to extremely low homicide clearance rates.

You need different tools for different problems. In many of the most violent communities, we are also dealing with a crisis relating to extremely low homicide clearance rates. In these communities, victims deserve justice just like they do anywhere else. And remember that for crimes like these, if the state doesn’t punish the perpetrator, someone else will. Solving more murders can also prevent retaliatory violence from people close to the victim.

TCR: The subtitle of your book describes it as “a bold new plan for peace in the streets.” Much of the research you cite has been around for decades. Can you explain the novelty of your plan?

Abt: The plan is new and the evidence is certainly up to date. That said, a book based on rigorous evidence is, by definition, going to rely on strategies that have studied carefully, so it’s really the way the evidence is compiled and presented that is new. Nobody else has, to my knowledge, made such a comprehensive effort to gather all the evidence and then boiled it down to three fundamental anti-violence principles: focus, balance, and fairness.

Roman Gressier

Similarly, no one I know of has examined this massively complicated social phenomenon and broken it into three simple pieces: people, places, and behaviors. Finally, only a few people have told the public that they don’t need to wait for a revolution in society, the economy, or government to save lives in urban America. So that is what’s new, and what’s bold, in my opinion.

Roman Gressier is a TCR contributing writer and news intern. Readers’ comments are welcome.

Why Tackling Urban Violence Should Be First on America’s Domestic Agenda syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

0 notes