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esamastation · 7 months

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Part forty-four of Shizuroth, aka, the SOLDIER General's Self Saving Shizun.

Ao3 link.

Previous parts: twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-one, forty-two, forty-three

Observation log, 8th of October, 16:34.

Sephiroth spent most of the day redecorating the house before fixing up the yard to his liking. He's pretty particular about where everything goes. Hewley's fixed up a training field for him, and bedrooms for all of us. No idea who will be cooking. At a guess, it's not going to be either one of the SOLDIERs.

After poking around the house, they set up to practise outside. No sign of any usual energy activity from Sephiroth so far - just normal sword practice. Sephiroth seems to be teaching Hewley how to actually use his huge ass sword.

Seems like a good teacher.

Observation log, 8th of October, 18:45

Sword practice finished, no new developments to report. Sephiroth is teaching Hewley how to meditate. Apparently it's "good for your energies" to meditate after practice.

Rude finally decided to show up with our supplies. No fucking wonder it took him forever - the dumbass hauled the whole load in with a handcart. Still, got everything here alright, so, gotta hand it to him, man doesn't quit easy.

I guess I'm cooking tonight. Hope everyone likes chili!

Observation log, 8th of October, 21:13

Sephiroth is reading through all the writing left behind by the previous owner of the safehouse. I would like to note that there's no mention of him knowing Wutai language anywhere in his file. Hewley is checking the perimeter. Rude passed out after eating.

Chili was universally enjoyed by all! This ends the 8th of October log.

Observation log, 9th of October, 10:05

Well. It's safe to say that energy alignment work has begun.

After breakfast Sephiroth informed us that he'd be going to the training field and that he shouldn't be disturbed for any reason - that we're free to watch, but that's it, and even if his practice runs past dinner time, that was fine. Just let him do his thing.

The implication that if we got in his way, we'd go the way of the SOLDIER training room, was pretty clear.

He's been working on sword forms ever since, going on for three hours now. It doesn't look that different from the usual sword practice he does - but it feels different. Even before he started glowing. It feels like when someone is firing off a spell, that rushing, on fire, kinda electric feeling? It feels like that, like Sephiroth's firing off spells every which way, just, nonstop. But he isn't.

Hewley looks kinda like someone hit him over the head with a crowbar, so whatever he's sensing with his SOLDIER enhancements must be pretty wild.

Observation log, 9th of October, 13:45

Energy alignment is still going, with no change and no visible signs of exhaustion from Sephiroth.

Asked Hewley over lunch what he thought of the whole thing and what the alignment practice felt like to him.

Hewley: "Have you ever seen a natural Mako spring? I'm originally from the Mideel Islands, and there's a bunch of them - and the really old and active ones tend to have a buildup of Materia around them. They feel like nothing else - people use them for all kinds of health benefits."

Rude: "Sephiroth feels like a… healing spring?"

Hewley: "Kind of. One with a whirlpool in the middle… and maybe a thunderstorm looming overhead."

Observation log, 9th of October, 17:30

Sephiroth is still at it. He hasn't even taken a break to piss!

Observation log, 9th of October, 19:15

Sephiroth stopped the sword practice, finally, but it doesn't feel like it's over. He's still glowing, and now he's sitting in the middle of the field, meditating. He has one hand on his stomach, and Hewley is worried about another blood vomiting possibility. Like maybe what he's doing is making physical changes to his insides. Which is just such a lovely thought just before dinner!

We've decided not to disturb him - but Rude's making a plate for him, just in case he'll be done soon.

Observation log, 9th of October, 21:15

Sephiroth is still meditating. Guess that means seconds for the rest of us!

Observation log, 9th of October, 23:50

When is this asshole going to go to bed?!

Observation log, 10th of October, 02:05

Fucking finally! Sephiroth finally stopped, got up, had a wash and went to bed. This concludes the log for the 9th of October. Goddamn.

Observation log, 10th of October, 10:40

It's hard to say what, if anything, the previous day actually achieved. Sephiroth doesn't look or feel different, and he still acts the same. Reno can't tell if there's any difference either. He seems just as weird as before.

Hewley grilled him on the whole thing, but Sephiroth wasn't exactly forthcoming.

Exact transcript of Sephiroth's and Hewley's discussion:

Sephiroth: "Can you feel the MP inside you? I don't mean just when you use it, or when you're running low - everyone becomes more aware of the volume of their blood when they have anaemia, that's not what I mean. I mean right now - can you feel the MP you have? How about the Mako?"

Hewley: "I guess, sort of? I mean, I do feel different than I did before I had any treatments, and I know I have MP, but that's probably not what you mean?"

Sephiroth: "No, not exactly. I guess it doesn't actually matter."

Hewley: "Hey, no, you got me curious now. What does it feel like for you?"

Sephiroth: "It's like I have a concrete lump of… crude energy in my gut."

Hewley: "Crude?"

Sephiroth. "Raw, unprocessed, unrefined."

Hewley: "That's the Mako inside you?"

Sephiroth: "That too."

Hewley: "And with your energy alignment practice, you're… refining that?"

Sephiroth: "Something like it."

Hewley: "That's incredible. What will happen if you succeed?"

Sephiroth: "... Guess we'll see once I do."

Observer's note, I don't know what the hell that means, but the look on his face was fucking scary. Sephiroth knows exactly what it means. And he knows it will have some consequences going forward. And he definitely expects those consequences to be mostly bad. But he's still doing it!

So here's a question; does Sephiroth himself know why he's doing what he's doing? Does he have a plan, is this part of some scheme - or is he blindly following impulses he probably doesn't fully understand?

Sephiroth went back to work immediately after eating breakfast, and it looks like it's going to be another 12 hours of glowy sword swinging.

I should've brought a magazine or something.

Gonna be skipping some time in the next few parts.

#Fanfiction #ffvii #ff7 #Svsss #reno of the turks #sephiroth #shen qingqiu #shen yuan #angeal hewley #rude of the turks

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transpanda-1 · 8 months

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Birds of Prey might feature Katherine Karlo in the near future

So for those of you not in the know, the new (gorgeously drawn) Birds of Prey is following Black Canary saving her sister from a doomsday scenario, and featuring a breakout role for Maps Mizoguchi, a character who was prominent in Gotham Academy

But, from careful observation (straw grabbing and bias), there might be another from Gotham Academy making an appearance, Katherine

Katherine Karlo is one of Maps' closest friends and her main roommate for the run of Gotham Academy (pretty sure). While not altogether that important in the run, she made a notably important role with Maps in the mainline Batman comics.

Now Maps getting a leading role, even if for one story, in a main Batman comic probably helped keep her on people's minds before her debut as superhero from the future, Meridian.

BUT Katherine being included could be indicative of the same treatment, even if a lesser role!

Furthermore, we'd like to point out one of the characters being included in the new BOP run is Cassandra Cain, who some readers may remember as being one of the very few genuine friends made of Katherine's dad Basil Karlo, AKA Clayface

Intentionally or not, we now have two characters on the team who have had very close ties to a shapeshifting clay Karlo. Bordering on "one of very few friends" territory, too.

(Unsure if Harley should be counted with her show heavily featuring Clayface, but just mentioning that. Clayface is sort of making a surge in relevance lately with The Batman II slated to feature him)

We're getting into stretching territory, but there's a few more things we want to mention that... *could* be something, but might not.

First, this mission involves going to Themyscira, or the islands of the Amazons that Wonder Woman originates from. Who... is made of clay

It's unknown if Wonder Woman will appear, but they do actively talk about her in the second chapter, which may be foreshadowing. But she is a canon clay woman! (We also heard Nubia may be too?)

A lot of clay character hovering around the skirts of this story...

Second is... this specific wording from Big Barda when Maps goes back to the future(?)

"The one from the future was made of dirt?" ...Dirt? Why dirt? She looks more like snow, or potentially electricity or static. And Big Barda is smart, she's royal and uses boom tubes to travel great distances across space. Dirt's, well, brown, Barda knows that.

"Made of dirt" is a small line but it doesn't really make sense to us based both on the visual AND the character's knowledge. Unless it's supposed to mean "We need to allude to clay/mud but can't SAY say clay or mud because that's too obvious." Made of dirt too, there's just a lot to possibly unpack there.

But the weird thing is the only thing we can really pull from that is... could Katherine is pretending to be Maps *right now*?

Unlikely, but it might explain why peppy, hyperexcitable Maps's adult self was... oddly quiet after introducing herself. Not to mention she'd leave right before the part of the mission that involves swimming...

She at least seems to be working with someone, judging by the way her little device goes off (or hit her time travel time limit, idk...!)

(Also we're a bit curious why her superhero name is Meridian specifically. It's a geographical map term to describe lines going upwards from the north to south pole, and there's a prime Meridian, which is cute for Maps' dnd obsession but is there something more?)

We understand if Katherine doesn't make an appearance, but we hope we maybe convinced you how there could be a chance for the character to appear sometime in the story!!

Thank you for reading through this and listening to our rambles about a fellow clay girl...! (-Annie🤎)

#katherine karlo #maps mizoguchi #clayface #batman #birds of prey #cassandra cain #big barda #chirps #🪴Annie🤎

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ksfoxwald · 8 months

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Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Chapter 5

In which Polly trains to be a hero.

There is just so much gender about it, too. Part of it is that Polly is at that age, like ten or twelve, when gender goes from being a sort of background noise to something you actively participate in, but you don't know the rules and they keep shifting and you sort of zigzag back and froth between what you think you want and what you think you should want.

Polly's focus on hero training is atheleticism, resulting in her playing football/soccer with the boys at lunchtime. Her father gives her a dollhouse for Christmas - on the advice of her mother - when Polly really wanted a fort. These are masculine, hero things she wants for herself. But then when Tom invites her over again, she panics over not having a nice dress, and at the prospect of cutting her hair short. Polly moves between genders the way she moves between the real world and the imaginary one. The imaginary world is safe and free, unlike the real world of being pushed and pulled around in her parents' divorce. It is the world where she exists for herself, and gets to be a boy without having to worry about all the complexities of being a girl. The real world is in a way less true, because it's the one where Polly is less perceived as herself; Polly is constantly under scrutiny, but never truly seen; her mother thinks she wants a dollhouse. Her teachers think she is getting into fights because of the divorce. And after beating up the school bully:

The rest of the school regarded her as a heroine. This is nothing like being a hero, which is inside you. This was public.

The use of the gendered hero/heroine here is so fascinating. The heroine is what is seen from the outside. The hero is what is felt within.

So let's talk about trans!Polly.

And while we're at it, let's talk about trans!Tom. no-where-new-hero has some excellent observations about how Tom is coded as feminine, or at least as not-masculine. The other male characters we have met so far are Seb Leroy, Morton Leroy, and Reg who all have a sort of bluster about them, trying to make themselves seem bigger and more important, while Tom is meek and agreeable, to Polly's great annoyance. His relationship with Laurel also places him in a traditionally feminine spouse-as-property arrangement.

Both Tom and Polly identify strongly with each others' heroic counterparts; Polly, in a way, is creating Tan Coul as an avatar of masculine ideal that she wishes she could be, but can't quite imagine herself as, which is why she gives that role to the reluctant Tom and claims the role of assistant for herself. Tom, meanwhile, asks if he can't be the assistant, but she won't let him. Polly wants Tom to be the man she wishes to become - strong and heroic. Meanwhile, Tom wants Polly to be the girl he could have been - happy and protected.

It is true that none of these things need necessarily be gendered or transgendered, but it does show how both of them cross gender boundaries the same way the cross between the real world and the imaginary. Indeed, Polly isn't the only one crossing gender in this chapter, with Nina landing the role of King Herod in the school play for being "better than any of the boys at ranting and roaring and looking kingly." But the thing is, Diana always wrote of gender in such a queer way, as something that was put upon you rather than something that existed within yourself. I think if she had lived a bit longer she might have been one of those old people that say things like "I probably would have been nonbinary if we'd had such things when I was your age." But we'll never know for sure.

(The way she handles sex also struck me as rather ace, but that's a conversation for another time)

This is also the chapter where we are introduced to Tan Coul's friends; Polly can't yet recognize Tan Audel, because she still doesn't quite recognize that a girl can be a hero. We also struggle quite a bit in this chapter with what being a hero really means. Polly is quite certain in her head about what heroes are, but starts to find out that it doesn't quite pan out like that in the real world.

"It's not just strength that heroes need. It's also courage." "Heroes do not fight for themselves, but for other people. "The rest of the school regarded her as a heroine. This is nothing like being a hero, which is inside you."

Adding to the motif, we catch of glimpse of Tom playing Beethoven's Eroica, which, though it is very hard to not read as "erotica," is actually from the root "heroic" rather than "erotic."

Diana wrote of Fire and Hemlock that she specifically wanted a story with a girl hero, but the thing is, when she starts with "why shouldn't a girl be a hero?" she follows it up with "what makes one a hero? why should a hero do things a certain way?" Because while Tan Coul is a very Herculean great deeds kind of hero, Polly herself is the Odysseus type that is heroic through cleverness and tricks. But if you're holding up the ideas of girls and heroes next to each other, and asking what being a hero means and how to become one, you have an unspoken question of "what makes a girl? why must a girl be a certain way?" and makes being a girl a deliberate act as much as being a hero.

And that is very trans.

#fh readalong #fire and hemlock #dwj #this one was very hard to write and i hope my thoughts came out right

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theninthdoor · 7 months

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if op expose idols’ crimes then i would cheer them on but if it is just something a normal human being does like dating, smoking or drinking my sympathy goes to idols who are probably just trying to live a normal life off cam. (koreans are known to be heavy smoker and drinkers so i will not be surprised if idols are too)

+ also i see some ppl shitting on idols for acting innocent when for most of the time those idols dont have much choice since its the companies and fans that demand them to.

++tbh i dont know y theres still a lot of ppl who wanted to be an idol. as a long time kpop fan (since 2nd gen), idols almost never have peaceful lives. even idols who are already jnactive r still dealing with obsessed fans :( i was hoping it would be better for the next generations but it seems like it only getting worse for them.

you made some really good points! 🙏🏻 let me just adds some observations/thoughts of my own:

some would argue that idols must give up those things as soon as they have a confirmed debut date (or even once they become trainees), like it's a legal requirement of the job. I get their desire to have these 100% perfect, well behaved, innocent, gorgeous idols to stan, but it's totally unrealistic - which they should already be aware of, since this industry has been running for like 30 years, and so much shit has happened. for that reason, and because of how much the world has changed, I'd expect them to become just a little more lenient, no? specially with idols who've been active for 4-5 + years.

++ the issue is... this is not just a kpop thing or a 21st century thing. 60s, 70s, 80s western artists dealt with the same stuff - obsessed fans trying to dictate how they should live their lives. I don't know what's the cause of all of this (well, not totally, anyway) and, obviously, I have no idea what the solution could be, if there even is any.

also, people are definitely worrying too much about the wrong kind of thing (such as dating or smoking, I mean). if they payed this much attention to educating them and getting rid of sexism, classism and real bullying in the industry, we'd all be much happier.

#tqq

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juliapark13 · 1 year

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Something that I will never understand in this fandom is how you all fight tooth and nails to prove that the guys are almost perfect, have exactly 0,1 amount of negative personal traits and will never do anything wrong in their lives (and if they evee done then they learned the lesson, changed their mind 180 degrees). First and foremost, they are people. Ordinary people. Yes, hard working, yes, attractive and charismatic. But still people. Flesh and bones and physical needs. I've been an admirer of them since 2016 and during my obsessed era managed to watch EVERY their content since even before and from their debut. Every, every one of them has negative, unattractive, repulsive traits. I could list it all if needed. The idealization of them is insane. The idealization of them by the shippers is even more so.

Just like the fandom idealizes the guys to the max so do you, shippers, ultimately idealize your ship. Love to death, never seen before strongest love, absolute adoration between them, can never do anything wrong to each other, will never look towards another person, can never hurt each other in any way, intended or not, public image or personal, deep feelings. It's always a projection going on. The entertainment industry is basically built on projection. And the love that you claim jikook have is what YOU created, YOU believe they have. You created something that makes your heart flatter and days brighter and more tolerable and went along with it. Because in all honesty and objectivity you and i will never know what happens behind the scenes. Yes, they do have a great chemistry and a romantic fleur flying around them but, unfortunately, it really doesn't mean much. When 2 romantic, passionate, sensual, naturally flirty people meet each other and become closely acquainted, they just happen to radiate this energy. Speaking from many instances I've seen it in real life.

Could I be wrong? Totally. They could be banging each other and saying lovely words to each other. Could you be wrong? Of course. They could be passionately in love with some noncelebrity and we'd never know it. They could be going around courting someone else. Even if you believe they arE nOt LiKe ThIs, jK wOuLd nEvEr ReLeAsE gCfT jusT fOr tHeM tO bE fRiEnDs, hE'd nEvEr pLaY uS lIkE tHiS, you will never know them personally, you never know what goes in their head. Why you all feel so fucking entitled to their personal life, emotions and feelings? Why do you think you know what's in their head? Just recently A LOT of shippers and armys swore death that Jimin doesn't want solo activity, that he doubtly would do something solo but here we are, 7th of february.

tbh, for quite a long period jikook fandom was my safe zone, im a sucker for romance and a lovesick fool, sue me. Your idea of this couple and romance was just my brand and jikook being soft and caring did things to my poor heart. So i have spent some time going around, silently observing. And you know what? Jikookers are slowly becoming taekookers. Yay to the taekookification of jikookers! Maybe some of you all don't notice it but that's a fact. Theories and assumptions all day long, drama, tragedy and dumbassery. I literally saw postS about jk going here and there to spend time with th and others friends to hide his relationship with jm because they'll be gone to serve in the military soon. That's how bad it's become in some of yalls head.

but anyways, back to idealization. Yeah, you all idealize the shit outta this ship. You think jk and jm could never do anything wrong and bad to each other, do any harm, intentionally or unintentionally. Which erects a question. What is then about the rise of taekookers? I know you all gonna defend jk and th and tell that they are kind, they love jm wholeheartedly, tHeY wOuLd SpIt oN mE/bUrN tO kEeP jm WaRm, it's not their fault taekookers are deranged and unhinged, internet is not reality, jm is okay with it, in reality jm is very loved and nobody would ever try to hurt him, it's not jk and ths fault, they have every right to interact however they wan, what, should brothers/besties not interact anymore at all???? All of aforementioned, every single word would be right if you all said it in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and even 2020. Those years, you would be absolutely right if you replied to me that jk and th have every right to interact. But guess what, the world and the fandom changes. What simply was a ship war years ago is a serious deal now, with serious consequences that have a high probability to be destructive and damaging. People on the internet are real, they are not something that can be shrugged off. Accounts of twitter and yt are not just pictures with a bot behind them, their posts are not AI-generated bunch of random words, it's their mind, real thoughts. They log out of twittr and go shop for food with these thoughts going in their head, they go to work, interact with othrs, consult, service their clients and still have these thoughts in their head. Do you even know how many times my bts-fan friends had gone to fandom meetings and then told me there were hella lot of shippers and many of them claimed jimin to be a tkk homewrecker? Hint: every single time they went to a fandom meeting. Oftentimes there would be other slurs used against jm.

I know you all dont want to hear it and don't want to even consider it because of idealization but the guys do feed ships, do feed some fandom narratives, do some controversial things. And yes, recent taekook live is one of them, either people wanr to admit it or not. Even jikook had some moments to intentionally stirr up the crowd (the famous jimin sitting on jks laps on a concert moment). They are entertainers in the first place. It's their job to keep an audience engaged. But that's okay, that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that you all fight tooth and nails to defend jikook. It's weird how you all claim jk to be a genius, an overly intelligent person (and i believe he probably is), smart and grown up man but turn a blind eye to the fact that his certain desicions do harm jimin's image and potentially his well-being. Jk has greatly graduated with a degree in media. I do believe he's a gentle soul and probably has a nice and kind personality, and is quite smart and creative. But he does involve himself in an activity that does nothing but feed the harmful type of delusion, the one that a potential to become dangerous for the person he claims to be someone he's close to. I myself am getting a degree in a field that involves media, mediaplay and pr and let me tell you, masses are quite easily moved, the mass narrative is changable and flexible. Celebrity like bts have a huge power over people and their minds. They literally can integrate any narrative they want and it wil be successfully integrated, soon or later. Jk literally has an almost flawless image and brand power. He is potentially able to say whatever he wants and people will be on his side. If he wanted, he could end shipping, soon or later, eventhougg there still will be a small percent or highly radicalized shippers. Again, any mass narrative is movable and changeable, ANY.

So here we have, a highly respected artist, with a great public image and brand power, who's claimed to be very smart, intelligent, who graduated with honors with a degree in media. This certain artist has a part in his fandom of people who spend their days and nights to make up theories. These part of the fandom keeps on trying to ruin the artist's bandmate's (close friend/brother/lover/whatever you consider them) image and brand (either you want it or not but public/brand image is important in the industry), and potentially has quite a high probability to be harmful to that bandmate's well-being. The artist doesn't adress the problem, the artist keeps getting himself involved in that deranged part of his fandom, thanks to the artists' decision makings the deranged part keeps thriving on, getting bolder and more vile.

Like, I'm not asking jk or th to say he has a girlfriend/boyfriend/partner, it's their personal life, for god's sake, nobody should ever have word in it. But god, it's not hard to openly and straightforwardly reply to one of the millions' of deranged comments and say that you are not romantically involved with any of your bandmates (which would start an anti-shipping movement in your fandom). There would be left a small percent of the most radical deranged breed, the proccess of purification would probably go slowly, but when an artist is stubborn and he really tries to change a narrative, he would eventually get what he wants.

It's not hard to say that you don't want to be shipped with someone, it's not hard to say that you are not in a relationship with your bandmates. I know, there will be people saying he doesn't have to do it, it's not their fault and he has nothing to do with shipping but man, taekookers have gone too far, have become too bold and harmful. You can't keep your silence forever when you are the center of this fucked up delusional harmful created love triangle and your words are valued by both sides. Can't keep silence at least from the ethical standpoint. Like, dude, your bandmate is literally being targetted here and there, how is it okay?

What a long essay. 😄

Do I think they are perfect? No.

Do I think they’ve never had any fight or difficult time? No. They definitely had.

I still think their relationship is extraordinary and their love is something else, because it’s obvious even from the small fraction of their lives we were able to see. I don’t wish for them to be more than friends. I see what they are trying to show us and I don’t ignore it.

BTS members don’t see everything we see. They know about the hate, but they don’t have to know about the amount and level of toxicity. We don’t know how much of this toxicity they’ve seen. They aren’t invested in it like we are. Like you said we don’t know what’s going on behind the closed door.

You should finally get the fact Jungkook isn’t responsible for that. Try to imagine yourself in his place. Would you calculate all your actions and words? He literally doesn’t have to come online and say ‘Me and V are only friends, get over it finally.’ If you hate him because you think he is obliged to do that, you are toxic. Who are you to judge him anyway? You aren’t one of the most famous people in the world. You have totally different life. You can’t even imagine how different everything is for them.

Just we would never agree on this. It’s not worthy for me to continue.

And don’t ever compare jkkrs to tkkrs. The difference is incomparable.

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fullyphantom · 4 years

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“SU.PER.NO.VA! SU.PER.NO.VA! SU.PER.NO.VA!”

Yes, yes, he knows Betelgeuse’s dimming is probably just a part of its natural cycle, even if it’s a lot dimmer than usual, but let him dream!

#museverse #(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)#(if this doesn't turn out to be a supernova danny's just like #aight #guess imma not let myself move on until it DOES go supernova #even if that's in a hundred thousand years)#(this would be a huge scientific discovery if it does tho cuz we've only ever been able to look back through stars that have gone supernova #after the fact #but this time we'd be actively observing it as it goes #well #if you're being technical then if it goes then it's already went cuz light years and such #but shush)#(two things are able to make danny's muse come out apparently:#clockwork and potential supernovas)

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lokeanwelcomingcommittee · 3 years

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Is there anything i can do toake sure Loki gets his due. On important pagan holidays or moon phases. (The solstices and Full moon for example) I would love to make sure I have stuff ready when I need it. (Clear quarts is on his alter currently as well as my general symbolic statuets)

Hello! We did recently reblog a Halloween post that covered some of this, so hopefully that was of some help to you. That said it is the season when many people have holidays on their mind (whether we'd like to or not), so it's a good time for this sort of question.

First of all, you may already be aware of this, but there aren't any holidays historically linked to Loki. Obviously that doesn't mean you can't incorporate him into existing celebrations or come up with festivities of your own, but that does mean that there's not a specific activity, offering, or even a holiday that's traditional or required. This older post is a good kind of intro to this topic that has some useful links (including one to our holidays tag). As mentioned in there, what holidays or occasions one considers important can vary as well: there are some that are more Lokean-centric, but beyond that some people choose to go with a more recon-based calendar, some people use a year wheel or some similar concept, and others do their own celebrations alongside secular holidays-- or sometimes a mix of these and others. You may also come up with personal observances only relevant to you and your practice as time goes on-- but again, there's nothing you have to celebrate. Depending on how much you're planning on doing for or dedicating to him, it might be something where divination is good: if you're just acknowledging/honoring him or sharing some fresh holiday baked goods with him I don't think that requires advance notice, but if you have some sort of more involved ceremony or plans in mind it's reasonable as a good host to check if your guest of honor has any reasonable requests.

With that said, if you are moved to do something, this recent post is on another topic, but the links to basic ritual formats and offering ideas may be helpful, as well as this post. Especially in the case of the latter, while the posts are focused on offerings there are a lot of options that could also be something to incorporate into your holiday activities, and our recipe, crafts, and prayers and poetry tags may provide some inspiration as well.

To end with, one holiday that a lot of Lokeans do celebrate is Spongecake Day, and this is a really good post on it that I think has some good thoughts on offerings and holidays and our approach to them that are worth thinking about. While you should certainly feel free to celebrate as much as you'd like, there's no obligation to have a lot of stuff, and sometimes doing something rather than having something can be a better option. Fortunately, finding out what works for you (and Loki) is something you can always change or add/subtract from, so feel free to try different things.

Best of luck, and I hope some of that was helpful to you!

-Mod V

#holidays #slyviefox

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workersolidarity · 5 years

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Throwaway Culture: A Marxist Perspective

I never imagined I'd be interested in anything a Pope might have to say, but this caught my eye after Googling: Throwaway culture. It was something I had been thinking about all day.

I'm not religious in any way, and there are points of disagreement I have with how Pope Francis has framed Throwaway Culture, but he also gave voice to an aspect of Throwaway Culture I've personally been focusing on, our trained willingness to toss other human beings away like garbage.

So first my disagreement with the quotes above. Throwaway Culture isn't something that rose up out of nowhere from the bottom up. The set of ideas behind the development of the Throwaway Culture was something encouraged and developed from above. It began with the evolution of our Capitalist economy from one based on industrial production, into one driven largely by domestic consumer spending.

Beginning after the Second World War, consumerism began when US mega-corporations, hoping to take advantage of a better educated, wealthier population by encouraging families aspiring to be part of the expansion of the Petty-Bourgeoisie (Lower Middle Class), to buy disposable products that could simoly be thrown away after one use and replaced by subsequent purchases. This made life easier for busy Petty Bourgeois households to focus on their family, rather than the tedious cleaning tasks they were previously accustomed to.

At the same time, this fueled a massive economic expansion as the Resources and other spoils of America's development into an Imperialist Power poured back into the domestic economy. This created millions of stable, well paying jobs, funded further economic development and infrastructure, and further reinforced America's new status on the global stage as the major dominating Super Power.

Following the crises of the mid-70's and into the Reagan years, the Bourgeois politicians, grown fat after years of economic boom, were all too happy to oblige the further Corporate push towards Consumerism and the single use economy. Policy was used, not to discourage single use products and consequently heavy trash producing economy, but instead the State actively encouraged this evolution.

Movies and media began reflecting the turn towards Consumerism, encouraging a new culture, one of post-modern aloofness, cynicism and sarcasm. A brave new society was being built by cultural elites. They were creating a world where people were expected to be disgusted by the sentimentality and emotion of human interaction. It slowly became culturally taboo to feel deeply for anyone else but oneself. Sentimentality was treated as a sign of weakness, and by extension, someone who could never succeed under the Neoliberal Capitalist order. They'd managed to repackage an old idea (Classical Liberalism or laissez faire Capitalism) into a new ideological framework dominated by free markets, deregulation, global free trade and specialization, consumerism and financialization.

Everywhere you look, society tells you the only things worth investing yourself in are economic success and fame. In other words, public acknowledgement of your economic success, thereby enshrining a kind of reality television mindset into the id of the public. Everything else is just an expression of weakness.

Which brings us to today. A time when society seems to be breaking down. Many people are deeply disatisfied with their lives. Instead of being showered with fame and fortune, most people have had to experience extreme economic uncertainty, disappointment with their career, and an inability to accrue enough money to satisfy their habit of trying to buy their way to happiness. Just as we'd been trained since childhood to do.

Unfortunately, even the mountains of cheap plastic crap overflowing from landfills hasn't exactly left very many people feeling fulfilled.

For most people, this brave new world filled with opportunity and free wheeling human interaction, has turned out to be even more alienating than the 19th Century factories Marx once observed. Except today that alienation extends well beyond the workplace.

Despite spending endless hours a day perusing social media and bragging about ones latest good time, people are more likely than ever before to feel lonely and listless. The cool cynicism encapsulated in so many movies and television characters, has swiftly turned into bitter resentment, loneliness, depression, poverty and addiction.

Where once detachment seemed a hallmark of the successful Capitalist, the ironic optimism people once felt from leaving behind human emotions, particularly emotions such as love, simpathy and empathy, has devolved into a society willing to throw families living in poverty onto the streets, only to arrest them the next day for the crime of being homeless and visible.

Instead of Liberating society from life's ills, Throwaway Culture has led to a society willing to tolerate even the most offensive of injustices, stripping away the humanity for those who's fortunes never rose alongside Neoliberal Capitalism.

Consumerism, as encouraged by the newly reformed ideology of Neoliberalism, manifested itself most obviously in the 90's culture of Post-Modernism. Post-Modernism soon devolved into today's Throwaway Culture. Today, workers tolerate some of the most horrific conditions under Capitalism since the end of the Guilded Age.

A society with a high tolerance for extreme exploitation, oppression and abuse at the hands of both employers and the Bourgeois State was always a critical goal of the ruling elite. The Neoliberal ideology was built on, and driven into the minds of the masses as the tool with which to train the workforce into developing this tolerance, and it has largely succeeded. Workers today are more willing to blame themselves for their economic failures, as opposed to recognizing a system specifically designed to create the illusion of opportunity, while nearly always leading to economic mediocrity at best, and brutal destitution at worst.

That same Neoliberal alienating logic even extends to those around us. When someone loses a job,or can't pay their bills, or goes to jail for minor unpaid fines, we tell ourselves that they must not have worked hard enough. Why should we help these people when they won't help themselves? Yet, when we experience these same conditions for ourselves, instead of waking up to the reality of the inherent inequalities of Capitalism, we are trained to blame ourselves. Every economic failure we live through, no matter how absurd, how unavoidable, we see it as a failure on our part. We must have done something wrong right?

Neoliberal ideology has so infected the public mindset, that we fault ourselves for even the cruelest of outcomes, despite knowing we did everything we could, worked as hard as possible, and still we often suffer severe economic distress despite doing everything right.

It's been drilled into us from the time we are toddlers, that Capitalism offers success to anyone willing to work hard and make good decisions. (Good decisions as determined by Capitalist interests). Yet, even when this idea proves to be false, we blame ourselves rather than question Capitalism.

All of these markers of today's society are a direct result of unfettered Capitalism run amok. The Bourgeoisie and their Bourgeois State have so thoroughly manipulated the public consiousness, that we find ourselves steadfastly clinging to the assumptions of Neoliberal ideology. Capitalism has become indistinguishable in the public consiousness from ideas like "freedom", "democracy" and "the pursuit of happiness".

These buzzwords have served to make the Capitalist System omnipotent in the mind of the public. It has effectively taken the Capitalism out of the arena of politics. No longer is Capitalism something to be debated. It has officially become sacrosanct, scientific fact, and essential to personal freedom.

Taking all these assumptions of Neoliberalism to their logical conclusion brings us to today's cutting edge of Capital expansion and reproduction.

Anything can be a product to be sold on the market, even you and your most personal information, and the market is infallible. So if cruelty is a side effect of Markets, well than cruelty must be acceptable too.

As Marx once said, it's either Socialism or Barbarism. Well, the results are in and Barbarism is now a dominant feature within the frame of this Throwaway Culture and Neoliberal Capitalism.

So when Pope Francis talks about people individually taking responsibility to change their behavior, it's not that he's wrong. But he's purposely avoiding looking at the cause of today's culture. He is, like it or not, part of the elite. And the elite cannot effectively criticise, or criticise at all, other sections of the elite. That's why it has always been up to the Working Class to lead the Proletarian Revolution to Socialism. The Petty-Bourgeois reformers in Organizations such as the DSA cannot be depended on to challenge the basic tenets of Capitalism.

As much as I admire our DSA Comrades for their hard work, they seem incapable of acknowledging the Nature of Capitalism and the Bourgeois State. To understand Capitalism would mean to understand why Reformism and Electoralism within the context of the Bourgeois State can never succeed.

In much the same way, Pope Francis is incapable of confronting the threat Capitalism poses to his own Church. He neglects to see (or just ignores) the way the Church as been deeply intertwined with the fortunes of the Bourgeoisie, depending on wealthy benefactors to pay for the day to day operations of the Church.

Taking individual responsibility is something that must happen after we've cast aside the Bourgeoisie. It's something that must be confronted eventually, but only after we've begun to build a new Revolutionary Socialist society. A Socialist society must be built on empathy, collective success, collective liberation, collective wellbeing and collective responsibility. Only then is it warranted to even mention personal responsibility, which has always been another buzzword for the Capitalist Class.

Throwaway Culture has been so incredibly successful at raising the individual above all else (think the "rugged individualism" of the American ideal pushed upon us all our lives).

This is, of course, a necessary feature of Capitalist domination and exploitation. To control the masses, the Bourgeoisie must divide the masses, and the easiest way of sustaining and normalizing a divided society is by creating a culture centered around the individual while minimizing into insignificance the importance of the collective, the importance of community, and even minimizing the importance of family and friends.

This has been so successful that most human relationships have become so shallow as to be practically meaningless. This of course making it easier to allow Throwaway Culture to move from an attitude towards society generally, into an attitude towards even the most important relationships a person can experience in life.

After all, in order for someone to find it acceptable to throwaway even those closest to her, then her relationships with them must be reduced to simple, meaningless economic transactions between herself and those around her. (think of our holiday "traditions" that always seem to require consuming large amounts of disposable products, overcooking massive meals and giving of gifts. All of which require prolific spending that is treated as a competition)

This is essentially where we've arrived today. All relationships are being reduced to simple and meaningless economic transactions. And after all, as we've been trained to do all our lives, our economic interactions are always disposable.

Pope Francis is right to bring these issues into the fore for the world. The Church, just as Communities and families do, requires a certain degree of importance placed on human relationships. The Church brings people together under one roof on a weekly basis, and must convince them all that this religious Community is at least equal in importance to their economic concerns.

This where the analysis by, and strategies of, Historical Materialists and those employed by the Church for its own survival meet. Generally, throughout the history of Capitalism, the needs of the Bourgeoisie have run parallel with the needs of the Religious elites. But Throwaway Culture, Consumerism, and Neoliberal Capitalism are becoming antithetical to the very survival of the Church.

And I'm not necessarily calling the Pope an Opportunist. For all I know he may truly believe that Throwaway Culture and Neoliberal Capitalism go against the teachings of the Church. Still, we have yet to see either Pope Francis or the Church more generally turn against Capitalist ideology.

If Pope Francis and the Church really wants to challenge the Culture of Consumerism, just like Socialists he must name the enemy of the Collective: Capitalism, Imperialism and the International Bourgeoisie.

Additionally, no amount of idealism, religious or otherwise, will help us to defeat the Reactionary forces of Imperialism. Only a deep Materialist analysis and understanding of how we got here can open the eyes of the masses, and help us to develop the strategies and tactics we will need to defeat Capitalism on an international scale.

We didn't arrive at this point when Throw Away Culture dominates the ideological underpinnings of society overnight. Nor can we expect to sweep generations worth of manipulation, historical lies, and Bourgeois propaganda under the rug.

Opening the eyes of the masses will take time, and unfortunately time isn't on our side. A multitude of crises are converging more quickly than anyone could have predicted. Yet, for those of us living in the heart of the Imperialist world, we are vexed by the least developed Proletariat in nearly two centuries.

How we can develop and educate the Proletariat of the Western world fast enough to avoid complete disaster on a planetery scale? This is something we must organize around and work through.

The time for Academic Marxist papers and years of drawn out debates are over. Climate Change and sea level rise are occuring many times faster than anyone predicted just a couple decades ago. Capital, instead of working to solve this Global problem, is actively making things worse. Meanwhile our Throwaway Culture is corrupting the very souls of the masses. If change must occur quickly to save the planet, then the human race is headed in completely the opposite direction.

We must unite as Workers and begin the hard work of educating and organizing the Proletariat. We have to find a way of uniting and organizing behind a single Vanguard Party, and developing our Praxis without delay.

Capitalism is sucking the very humanity out of us all. Unless we act quickly with an urgency that matches the scale of the problems we face, and unless we put aside our differences and our final visions for the Socialist society to come, instead working together to develop the fledgeling Socialist Movement, than it may soon be too late to change course.

I want to live in a Society that values empathy. A Society that embraces the human condition and our human emotions. Not a culture that ignores the trashing of our planet, embraces greed and detachment, and assumes the consequences of our actions can be solved by idealistic notions of just moving to another planet once we've trashed and exhausted the resources of this one.

A want a world where those living in the Global South aren't starving while Americans throw away tens of thousands of tons of food a day, just to keep the homeless and hungry from getting a free meal out of our trash cans. How disgusting a society are we willing to live with?

And so even though I am motivated by objectively Idealistic notions of Community. I turn to Historical Materialism to understand how we got here, and how we may fix it.

Socialism offers the only way out.

I'm not so naive as to think simply appealing to our humanity is going to change anything. Even if suddenly the great masses of workers agreed with those appeals tomorrow, we would still be at the mercy of Capitalist exploitation, oppression and a Bourgeoisie ready and willing to use any destructive and violent means to enforce it's will. A simple look at the Middle East shows Imperialism is alive and well, and what it looks like when Western Bourgeois interests are threatened.

A strategy and set of tactics must be developed. Theory is only as good as the praxis it's used for. We must also provide for the development, education, and organization of the Working Class.

Lastly, we must be ready for massive resistance by the Bourgeoisie. They will almost certainly react with violence to any major challenges to their power and the system they've spent more than three centuries building. Potentially a violent Revolution and even civil war on a massive scale must be prepared for. Socialists cannot expect to passively win this war. One look back on Proletarian Revolutionary History should tell us all we need to know about what we must be ready for.

But NEVER forget Comrades, there's many many times more of us than their are of them! We will win the Revolution to come!

Solidarity Comrades

Workers of the world unite!

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centurionmovingtaot177-blog · 4 years

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17 Superstars We'd Love to Recruit for Our Local Movers Team

Top 7 traits you should understand about moving in to a rental residential or commercial property

When it involves the world of relocating, relocates into a rental home like an apartment or condo or condo unit offers a various collection of difficulties from what you would certainly experience when accomplishing a residence action.

Although the same parts like moving your possessions, preparing, and packaging are actually still prevalent-- there are actually several needed as well as significant actions entailed to guarantee you're preparing yourself up for results when you move right into a rental home. From figuring out utilities to move-in dates, rental payment prices as well as payment choices, locating a roommate if important, and also even more-- you intend to be actually properly prepared prior to you enter this globe.

Our experts've seen every thing that can easily possess moving right into rental residential or commercial properties over the final 3 many years as well as determined to craft a handful of important pointers to make moving into a rental as trouble-free as possible.

Study the very best location for you

The final thing you would like to carry out is lock your own self in to a rental building at a rate you can not afford, or in a scenario that doesn't accommodate your requirements.

Analysis the most ideal options in your cost variation, and also go through on the web assessments about the property to create an informed decision about where you are actually relocating. It is actually certainly not a bad suggestion to drive to the area and take a tour, either.

Complete the details

Typically, a rental residential property is going to have a checklist of charges that are demanded of the occupant prior to move-in time. Every thing coming from a security deposit to a move-in expense, and paying off the initial month's lease earlier is actually generally in play.

Consult with your proprietor to review these details as well as see to it you comprehend all essential repayments before move-in time to steer clear of any overdue expenses.

Sign your rental lease

Be sure to review this lease document extensively and see to it it's up-to-date with what jobs best for you. Below, you may locate vital information like the last rent price as well as your move-in time, as well as likewise any kind of specific stipulations the rental residential property could possess.

If you have inquiries, make sure to ask as well as clarify just before transferring!

Put together energies

First and foremost-- make certain to take care of the energies at your outdated home as well as change your deal with. After that, make certain to work with your lessor to figure out what energies you require to establish just before moving right into your rental residential or commercial property if any.

Some apartment complexes and condo unit units possess specific energies consisted of.

Investment tenant's insurance policy

This is actually an absolute have to if you are actually moving right into a rental home. Occupant's insurance coverage protects your possessions in the event that something unfavorable takes place, like a burglary, flooding, or even fire.

Tap the services of expert movers

Everyone thinks they intend to take care of the obstacle of relocating right into a rental ... till the time is really there. From navigating via tough areas with heavy home furniture to climbing air travels of steps, it may take a bodily cost on someone-- fortunately, there are actually folks who can easily aid!

When you hire specialist moving companies like Centurion Moving and Storage, you're removing a fair bit of stress and anxiety coming from your life. Our moving crews work with rental residential properties to understand all the regulations as well as policies of relocating into the area, and also they're ready to deal with all the difficult moving associated with an apartment or condo or even condo.

Full the move-in to-do list

Typically at a rental residential or commercial property, a property owner will definitely present you along with a relocating day checklist that you are actually called for to complete and also return to all of them. This record requires you to look at the building and also make sure everything is in operating order and also there are no damages prior to you transferring.

If you find everything that is out of area or requires to become corrected, ensure to write it down to ensure you may not be demanded for the repair service in the future.

5 practical ideas to receive a Have a peek here get on downsizing your house

There are many moving instances on the market, but one our team've observed increasingly more is actually downsizing from a large residence to a much smaller space.

While you're still going through the typical difficulties of finishing a technique, you are actually additionally identifying what possessions you no longer demand as you shift to the next action in your lifestyle-- an activity that is actually surely difficult. Whether you are actually giving items to a charity, offering them, or even simply tossing them away, there is actually a whole lot to consider.

Having a reliable intend on just how you want to downsize may relieve the tension of accomplishing this kind of technique. For those that are actually retiring and also looking for much less to care for or those that are simply wanting to spare a little bit of amount of money, downsizing can be an incredibly useful choice.

Adhere to these specialist Centurion Moving and Storage Tips for downsizing and also receive your step began on the best feet!

Program ahead.

It appears noticeable, but creating a consider how you are actually mosting likely to scale down may often make a large difference in how properly the entire method goes. Look at your home, room by area, and make a listing of what is keeping as well as what is actually going.

This preparation procedure likewise consists of organizing a relocate the moment structure that works for you, tapping the services of expert movers, starting the packaging procedure, as well as a lot more.

Does it keep or even does it go?

Maybe the hardest aspect of the whole downsizing process is creating the call about what you'll keep and what you yearn for.

Analyze the products you're uncertain concerning and also figure out whether there is actually a sensible requirement or spot for it at your brand new property. If there isn't one right off the best of your head, it is actually possibly best to do away with it. Moving one thing you're doubtful about will simply occupy area at your brand-new residence.

How usually is this being utilized?

Playing off the idea coming from above, another excellent physical exercise when scaling down is figuring out using a specific things.

If the answer to just how much you'll use something is actually "not that typically", get rid of it! Particularly if it's something that is actually been actually held away as well as hasn't been actually used in the in 2013. Taking something you'll simply conserve are going to only end up being an additional waste of space in your new property.

Be patient.

Downsizing isn't something that could be finished within a hr or even a time-- it requires time. As component of your scaling down strategies, begin working properly ahead of when you would like to relocate and also ensure to deal with a bit per day.

Be flexible.

The relocating method may be complicated, and that's why keeping pliable and also restful throughout the process is crucial. Plans can modify, last-second decisions can easily arise, and also opinions may differ as you pursue accomplishing your relocation.

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Tips as well as secrets for moving along with children

Improvement could be complicated for any person, and also particularly hard for kids because they might have trouble comprehending the situation Moving is a lifestyle event that can be hard, confusing, and mind-boggling. Despite the proximity or the factor for your move, right here are many pointers and tricks to make the change to your brand new property less complicated for the entire loved ones.

Describe the condition.

Present the concept-- Delicately offer the tip of transferring to your youngsters in advance. This will provide time to refine what it indicates to relocate and also why. Not providing sufficient time between telling them and also the relocation may result in a stressful circumstance.

Motivate concerns-- If this is actually the very first time your kid is relocating, they might certainly not entirely know the procedure Provide the setting to feel like they can easily talk to inquiries freely. This will create the scenario less daunting as you will certainly be lowering great beyond element of the experience.

Assure all of them-- Great beyond can be scary and also while your life is changing, your children will require that peace of mind. If your little ones have worries, make sure to repeat to them that points will certainly be actually okay.

Explore the new residence-- If you are relocating to an area close by, take your children to the brand new property for a check out. Explore its local area parks as well as fun landmarks. This will certainly help them come to be comfy and perhaps even excited about their new property and also community as they are seeing it earlier.

Include them at the same time.

Offer small activities-- Letting them belong of the procedure will make it less complicated for them to become relaxed along with the idea of moving. Some activities feature:

Packing their toys and possessions

Labeling and also adorning boxes

Inspecting small areas around your home to ensure whatever is stuffed

Generating thank you memory cards for the movers

Disruptive household pets in various other spaces when movers exist

Introductions-- When the moving companies arrive on the time of your action, introduce your kids to who will be assisting and also exactly how they perform their job. Make them relaxed along with the condition as well as the agents so it is certainly not as frightening.

Create the encounter enjoyable

Help make packing an activity-- This are going to assist youngsters come to be comfy along with the thought and feelings of packing their personal belongings, while likewise making it fun! Doing so will also leave you with a lot less to stuff yourself.

Adorn a brand-new area-- Permit your youngster select exactly how they wish to embellish their brand new space. This might consist of the paint on the walls, new bed linens, or wall ornaments. The customization of the new space will certainly get them excited regarding their new area as well as make it experience extra comfy.

Have a celebration-- Whether it is actually with neighbors, loved one, or just people in your household, trying away celebration is actually another way to create moving interesting. Creating the experience as enjoyable as well as positive as feasible will definitely make it easier for everyone in your family members.

Make it an adventure-- On your adventure to your new residence, make it an experience. Creating brief stop to acquire treats or even to carry out a little taking in the sights along the road will definitely help in creating the take in favorable.

Be a vacationer-- If you are moving to a new town, be actually a tourist in the place at first. This will certainly assist your little ones come to be relaxed with the brand new city and its own environment, while also having a good time checking out brand-new points.

Develop with containers-- When you are made with the relocating containers, your children may use all of them to develop a wide array of points. This exciting task is a fantastic technique to complete a technique.

Last-Minute Suggestions

Load a time of the action package

Youngsters preferred playthings

Snacks and Water

Maintain the kids active

Remain favorable

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