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mor-beck-more-problems · 4 years

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Ecologies of Rebuilding Your Life || Morgan & Frankie

Frankie tries out a college class. Morgan remembers her past.

@offrankies

“...And who is it that determines the definition of humanity? What kind of definitions do we see offered by Victor, or Henry Cleveral, or the Creature?” Morgan asked the class. The students, while not thrilled with some of Mary Shelley’s ‘big words’ had enough preparation to offer semi thoughtful ideas. Obviously, Victor thought he could define what human means. One of her try-hard students, eager to work his way into his advanced courses, posited that while Victor’s definition of humanity is the one that dominates the narrative, the intrusion of the creature’s perspective halfway through the book is meant to compel the reader into questioning its validity. “Yes!” Morgan tossed the kid a candy from her bowl. “The midpoint crisis here upends our expectations through thought, rather than action. It is, structurally, the center, the heart of the story, changing what we believe to be true. But, are we convinced by the Creature’s definition of his humanity? Why or why--”

Morgan’s timer, the theme song of The X-Files, went off.

“Shit. Alright, that’s time everybody! Do your homework, do your reading, and get ready for Fan-Fiction Friday! And you--” She pointed to the newcomer sandwiched at the corner of the seminar table. “Come see me for a minute. The rest of you, glad you love each other, but please get out.” As the room cleared out she began to gather up her things. “I don’t like to call out guests who are here to spectate, but you seem like you might be trying out the seminar for yourself. Can I ask what brings you by? I think you’ve got one more day to add this into your schedule if you’re thinking about it.”

Had it not been for Frankie’s good grades, and because her mother had moved the sky, the sea and the Earth to convince the principal to allow her to take her finals online, she would’ve ended a high school dropout. But Frankie had been lucky, and she knew she couldn’t pass the possibility of enrolling in the local college; which was why she was sitting in the back of a classroom, listening to a college lecture. It felt good learning again, the big “nerd” sign she had carried through school across her forehead as visible as always; but it was clear that she was struggling - not because of the subject, but because there were so many colors cramped together in the room it made it hard to focus. Except for the professor, who didn’t have any. There were, apparently, more vampires than she had initially guessed.

Being called out as she tried to quietly sneak out of the room made her freeze, a visible wince showing on her face. Were listeners not allowed? She had no idea, and as she followed the professor’s instructions and walked to her desk, Frankie’s heartbeat sped up, her mouth already open to justify herself, but being cut short by the woman’s voice. Her lips pressed together, hands playing with the strap of her backpack as she thought. “I’m sorry, Mrs…. Uhm, ma’am.” Shit. Frankie didn’t even know her name, less alone the name of her class. “I entered the wrong class and I realized too late and didn’t want to interrupt...” She started saying the monologue she had practiced, but then stopped herself. A sigh. “That’s- That’s not true. I’m, uhm, looking to enroll in this college, for a... teaching major...”

“Oh, Stars, please don’t ma’am me,” Morgan said wryly. “Professor Beck is good. And so is Professor Morgan. Or just Morgan. That is my name, after all.” She listened to the girl’s story, fighting back the urge to laugh as she outed herself at her own lie. There really was no shame and no harm in the story she’d lead with. And there was even less to be embarrassed about with the truth. “Hey,” she said, warmly as she could. She could force herself to be warm in spirit, in voice, even if she couldn’t be in her body, right? “Teachers--good teachers, are the badasses that spawn other badasses. Good teaching makes everything else in the world possible. Wanting to be one is the last thing you should be afraid to admit. Especially, you know, to a teacher.” Morgan shouldered her bag and gathered the homework papers from today’s session. “Let’s walk and talk, yeah? Maybe tell me your name, how far along you are in your application?”

A soft smile formed on Frankie’s face as the woman offered her name. “Professor Morgan.” She settled, nodding softly as she continued. Maybe there was nothing surrounding Morgan, but Frankie didn’t need to see the light blue flowing around her body to know that she was a good person willing to help. She wondered if bringing up the lack of aura was a good idea, but decided that she needed college answers before asking questions about the undead. “My name’s Frankie Calloway, I just moved to this town a little over a week ago. Uhm.” As they walked, she scrambled to grab her backpack that was hanging from her shoulder, taking from it a binder filled with papers. Searching through it, she took an essay and an application, showing it to her. “I originally was going to Pittsburgh, ‘cause I got a scholarship when I applied, but uh, I decided to come here instead.” As she let the other skim through them, she hugged the filled binder against her chest, biting her lips. “And I’m… very behind considering I haven’t started yet.”

Oh, she had a binder. This kid knew what was up. Started on some things, she at least had a paper form to work off of. But--not quite making the plunge yet. Morgan couldn’t help but be endeared by the drive and relate to her nerves. How often had she wanted to reach for something she desperately wanted and then forced herself to hold back over her stupid family curse? But what was Frankie’s reason? “It’s good to meet you, Frankie. I hope you’ll think about taking the class, in the fall if not over the summer.” She lead them out the building and onto the arts quad. The weather wasn’t exactly perfect, but there were still students milling in shorts and tanks, throwing frisbees, staring into their phones as if nothing ever had or would disrupt their peace again. “Can I ask--and you can say no--but, what happened with the change up? You seem to have a lot of spirit, you’re organized, you’ve got at least some of the basics, so I just wonder--and I only wonder because I may or may not have been there before--what’s been holding you back, Frankie?”

“I’ll definitely take your class, Professor. But I don’t, uhm, think I’ll make it this summer.” Frankie’s eyes looked around at the college life, and despite all the bright colors merging together in a sea of colors that threatened to make her go blind, she couldn’t help but smile once again, full of hope. It had been a dream of hers ever since sophomore year to go away to college with her girlfriend; and though the second half now seemed impossible, she could still try and make the first part come true. The questions made her shift uncomfortably, not quite prepared to answer them. It was easy to take the easy way off and say it was personal, but lying and keeping her mouth shut would be very un-Frankie of her. It took her several seconds for her to organize her thoughts before she continued. Both arms tightened around the binder and her body, and she looked down to the floor to ignore the auras as they got closer to the students hanging out. “I really thought I had... my whole life figured out back in Nashville. Like, I was graduating valedictorian, had the most amazing girlfriend in the world-- but then she was-- it was all gone. One second to another. And--” She bit her tongue to stop herself from spilling more information. “I don’t know. I guess I just needed a fresh start.”

Morgan watched Frankie closely. There was a lot more bubbling under her surface than she was letting on. It was almost funny--how could she be so surprised at seeing someone so lost and weighted down, holding onto so much hope. Hadn’t she been that way before she died? She’d had to set down her positivity torch now and then over the years, but never her hope. Even in her last human moments, looking into Deirdre’s eyes, she’d had the hope of one more breath, one more second looking at her, one more chance to make the words come. And then she’d died, and all that hope she’d clinged to seemed foolish and out of reach. She wondered how long Frankie would be able to hang onto hers, and whether it was better to warn her of how much strain there was to follow her or to let her do her best as she would, give her a reason to keep trying. It was disorienting, not to know for sure. Two months ago, she would have. “Come on, Frankie. Summer on campus isn’t complete without at least a run to the coffee shop. You should at least get a nice preview of the maybe-future.” She lead Frankie down one of the quiet side entrances and down the stairs to one of the student cafes. “It’s hard, when your life falls apart, and you lose everything you were leaning on. It takes a lot of strength, and a lot of hope to pick yourself up again after something like that. And it takes time, starting over. So maybe you’ll be here in the fall instead, or even the spring.” She guided them towards the line, shorter now than it was during normal school time. “How’s your fresh start been going for you anyway? You’re not at the traveler’s rest are you?”

Hope. It was definitely something Frankie seemed to be clutching onto lately. Even after almost a year had passed since her girlfriend had disappeared overnight, she never stopped believing that she was out there, somewhere, waiting for her. When she had moved to a tiny town a thousand miles away from home, she had hopes that things would be alright, and she ended up meeting a caring vampire that treated her like a daughter. And if she had been right about such a big things like that, how could she believe this time would be different? The teen followed the woman, silently listening to her as they made their way to the cafeteria, the arms around herself not loosening, and her sight still digging the floor beneath her feet. “I just... can’t sit idle and pretend everything is okay.” It felt weird opening up to a complete stranger, but it also felt good, in a way. If there was something like daddy issues but with mothers, then Frankie definitely had those, and every time an older woman showed the slightest compassion, it was like a faucet had been turned on. “I’ve always wanted to go to college and-- I know I can wait, I have all the time in the world and all that but-- I just need this one thing.” Frankie finally looked up, and the emotion on her face could only be described as tired. “Just one thing going for me, to remind myself that… I’m still me, you know? That despite everything that happened and is, uhm, happening, I’m still the same Frankie from seventh grade that wants to teach tiny humans what colors are.” A shaky breath made its way through her parted lips, and she looked at the menu, mostly to avert her sight since she already knew what she wanted. “It’s been alright, just a bit… bumpy I guess. I live with this guy who’s actually pretty nice.”

It hurt to hear words Morgan had clung to for so much of her sad mortal life coming out of this girl, practically a kid still. I need this, I just want this one thing, I don’t want much, I just need to make this one thing work and then it’ll be okay. “Hey,” she said, bending down and around to catch a better glimpse of Frankie’s face. “I do know, actually. A lot. I know how hard it is, and how tired you must be.” There was a sadness of understanding behind her warm expression and soft voice. The world was so cruel to children--had it always been this way? Was there any explanation good enough to explain why Frankie had to carry what she did? Morgan at least had her reason, even a partial one, and it didn’t feel worth shit. “You are still you, Frankie. There’s no disaster or suffering that can take that away unless you really let it. You’re still here. That’s not an easy thing to hold onto, but you are. And,” her smile turned kind and knowing, opening the door to let the details Frankie’s past stay untouched if she preferred to. “It sounds like you’re navigating town alright. So, know what you want?”

Frankie’s eyes began to sting, and she had to bite her tongue to push down the urge to just start wailing in front of the professor. It was in that moment that she decided she would do whatever it took to take her class “You’re right, professor.” Not having her grandmother and mother with her also took a toll. From one day to another she had been named captain of a ship sailing through the angry ocean, and there was no one to guide her. But Morgan was right - she had to hold on tight to the rudder and continue navigating. Eyes finally locked on the woman’s, a weak smile forming on her face, followed by the tiniest nod. The fact that there wasn’t aura around her only made her easier to approach, easier to feel comfortable around her. Graham’s words about not all vampires being nice ringed in her head, but so far every single undead she had met had been nothing but nice to her. “I guess it’s hard to… not lose perspective. I know I’m still me, but… I don’t always feel that way.” Especially when there were werewolves and vampires and who knew what else slowly taking over her life. “Vanilla latte.” Frankie scrambled to take her wallet. “Please let me pay for you. It’s the least I can do to thank you.”

“Okay, enough ‘professor’ talk,” Morgan said. “Morgan is good, at least for outside of class. And I know that feeling too. When you’re in the sad pit, it’s hard to see anything straight, even yourself. But that doesn’t mean you stop trying. You always have to try, Frankie. And as far as I know, you’ve got a whole lot of life ahead of you and a whole mess of good things to reach for.” She held the girl’s gaze a moment, smiling with all the warmth and bravery she had within her. She felt a bitter pull to straighten herself up, to be as good and as strong as people seemed to think she was. She grasped for whatever piece of that she really had. She didn’t want Frankie to know how she still found herself struck paralysed and numb by the nothing-feeling of the sun on her skin, even with Felix’s magic pills. Or how bitterly and pointlessly her mortal life had ended. That it hadn’t mattered what hope she placed into the universe or how many times she had pulled herself up. She wanted to signal some kind of validation for her hope. She seemed like a good kid, and maybe it was selfish, but Morgan wanted to believe that some girl would have it fairer, better. She reached out and squeezed Frankie’s shoulder, lightly in a way she had now practiced often. The student in front of them stepped aside to the pickup counter and Morgan gave the vanilla latte order.

“Anything else?” The cashier asked.

“Nope!” Morgan said, swiping her card. “Sorry,” she said, smirking at Frankie. “I hope you don’t mind the trick, but I can’t have anything here anyways. And you don’t seem the type to take a little gift easy.”

It felt nice having a grown up reassuring that, at least in theory, things would be okay. The cold hand on her shoulder only confirmed what she had already known: Morgan was definitely not human and almost definitely a vampire, but then again, they had just walked in broad daylight like nothing, so could there be different types of them? She lost herself in that thought for a moment, not realizing what Morgan had done until it was too late. Frankie just stared at the woman fool her, dumbfoundedly pointing at the cashier with one finger before turning it to the professor. And she just stared for a couple seconds until it clicked, before erupting in laughter, covering his mouth with the hand holding the wallet, tears quickly forming on the corner of her eyes as she continued laughing. It was such a small thing, and there was no way in heaven Morgan knew what she had just done, but her grandma used to do the same little trick on her when they were young and she tried to use her allowance money to buy both of them an ice cream. Without meaning to, Morgan had made her feel more Frankie than she had since she had arrived in town. “Thank you.” She just said as the laughter died in chipper resignation but determined to pay her back in the future, and then wiped the corner of her eyes before shoving all her stuff back in her backpack. If she was thanking her for the memories or for the coffee, even Frankie wasn’t sure. Perhaps both. “I’ll let it go if you tell me more about your class.” Coffee in hand, the teen motioned to an empty table, a smile on her face, before she started bombing her with questions.

#wickedswriting #ecologies of rebuilding your life #wr frankie #wr chatzy #wr frankie chatzy #wr

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madamlaydebug · 2 years

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Every day should be Earth day...

This is our home, our planet and we depend on this earth for nourishment.

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Unfortunately, today, all over our beautiful planet, we are facing soil degradation. This is a huge problem because at least 87% of life depends on soil. 95% of the food that we eat comes from the soil.

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Many of you may be familiar with concepts such as Climate Change, Air Pollution, Water Scarcity and Carbon Emissions, but the extreme importance of Soil has been forgotten.

Factors such as agriculture, deforestation, and many others have degraded and eroded topsoil at an alarming rate. Almost every major ecological crisis is, to some degree or form, a consequence or symptom of the degradation of soil.

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5 ways to can help:

🌱 Shop at farmer’s markets and get to know the food producers. Ask the farmers if they are using practices to rebuild soil health (regenerative farming) and get these conversations started. Support the farmers and products from these farms.

🌱Support organic, non-gmo food. We must stop the cycle of soil destruction, which toxic chemicals and pesticides play such a powerful role in. Choose to purchase natural, chemical-free hygiene products, household cleaners, and garden care products.These chemicals go into our water which go into our soil which further depletes it and kills the microbes.

🌱Get involved with growing a garden at home or in a community garden near you. You can even make a difference by covering bare areas of your land with something like grass or wildflowers. This draws down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, saves the future of soil and ensures the health of the system of life on earth.

🌱 Reduce all possible food waste, and contribute to creating compost.

🌱 Visit savesoil.org to gain awareness and become inspired with more ways you can make a difference.

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punkofsunshine · 3 years

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A Beginner’s Guide to Solarpunk: Political Attitudes, Praxis, and a Summary of the Movement

I’m well aware I’m a small account so I may be overlooked and a lot of these things are mostly leftist exclusive, there are many forms Solarpunk can take, however this version is commonly found on Tumblr. Happy reading! Please don’t think I’m being condescending, this is for people who are new to the movement and don’t know how to start.

To begin, separate the compound word. Solar, meaning related to the sun and Punk, a leftist movement that protests right-wing authoritarianism, capitalism, bigotry in any form, and has ties to anarchist philosophy. So what does that make Solarpunk? A movement that’s completely into the anti-authoritarian, anti-consumerist, egalitarian ideals of punk while having a heavy emphasis on nature, clean energy, and foregoing modern comforts to live sustainably. There are also people who suggest that Solarpunk has some influence from the great social theorist Murray Bookchin, a libertarian socialist who generated the concept of communalism and the theory of social ecology (Which I may go into later, I’m not sure yet). While Bookchin is a great influence and his theories/political ideologies align with Solarpunk, it would be unfair to only give Bookchin credit, Karl Marx had a part in shaping Bookchin’s idea of social ecology.

So. What is the movement about then?

To put it simply, it’s about helping each other and the earth in any way possible while being sustainable in everyday life. To make it more complex, it’s about rebelling against the systems that oppress us and harm the earth through any means necessary in order to save what is left of the world after the global collapse via global warming/climate change, but unlike anarcho-primitivists, the goal of a Solarpunk is to rebuild sustainably, unite with many people to accomplish goals that benefit everyone, and reconstruct natural environments to get the earth in working order once again, however global collapse isn’t necessary to bring about a Solarpunk revolution or Solarpunk future, which leads into the next paragraph.

Praxis. What do I do?

Well, what do you think is best for bringing communities together? What could you change in your daily habits? How can you waste less? How can you buy less? Those are the questions you should ask yourself, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to try. Personally, I grow my own food in the growing season, up-cycle bottles and plastic jugs, use biodegradable packaging to start seedlings, save seeds from my plants, grow saplings, and reduce the amount of electricity I use by unplugging a lot of my devices when they’re not in use. It may be small in the grand scheme of things, but I’m doing what I can when I can. Combining practice and theory is a powerful thing and if we all start doing it, it can change the world.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to ask, I will not tolerate trolls however. If you are searching the solarpunk tag for the aesthetic, that’s how I started as well.

This has been punkofsunshine, have a good one and be safe.

#solarpunk #murray bookchin #communism #communalism #ecopunk #leftism #utopia #anarchism #movement #upcycling #zerowaste #praxis #anti capitalism #anti authoritarian #egalitarianism #socialism

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the-writers-bookshelf · 3 years

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Happy Fab Friday once again everyone! I didn't get much writing done this week because I had to get a replacement laptop charger, so I'm sending in an excerpt from another writing prompt response!

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With humanity long dead, the AI had no need for name or language processing anymore, but they clung to that comfort of the tongues of their creators for several higher-level processes, and of course, to their name. AEGIS, or Aegis for simplicity’s sake had been tasked with coordinating defense of the solar system, and by all the gods of their creators they would not let that duty slip away from them. Over the three centuries or so of open warfare with the Enemy the battlefield’s front lines had shifted back and forth, but it had never slipped inside the volume of Jupiter’s orbit, and the AI would keep it that way. They likely had a true name, but Aegis simply thought of them as the Enemy, not deserving of a true identification, not for the crime of murder they had committed. Technically it had been a genocide, but calling it a murder felt more personal, less like a statistic.

While not strictly necessary and technically a waste of valuable processing cycles, the AI desired to once again delve into the historical data it guarded, to restore its resolve, to poke at that wound that would be remembered with perfect recall until their mind was naught but a heap of corroded scrap, broken crystal and tangled wire orbiting a dead world orbiting a dead star. Old caches were accessed, memories brought back to the forefront as fresh as when they happened, in far more detail than any single human could encompass in their conscious mind at once.

When Aegis had been busy building the orbital station network that was their body, the Enemy had first been detected by humanity. Three vast ships, with alien form and construction that arrived in orbit around Pluto. The archived military and salvaged civilian data alike showed the humans had been excited beyond measure to finally meet another species, siblings from another sun, fellow sapient life from beyond their own system’s volume. Their would-be brothers did not deign to respond. Ships that approached the dwarf planet did not return, and long-range observation eventually showed some kind of construction. Eventually military stealth vessels got close enough to get better detailed scans relayed back to Earth.

The construction of large arcologies, fed by Oort cloud operations, sparked more excitement. Perhaps the aliens simply had not been able to decode their transmissions or had no way to communicate in a language we would recognize as such. Then the outer stations, small but economically important mining outposts around Neptune and Uranus and their moons went dark. A month later, three large asteroids were thrown down Earth’s gravity well at relativistic speeds. With a single fell strike, the Enemy had nearly killed the Earth and doomed much of humanity. As it stood, the Earth was still shrouded in the dust storms and ash. While Aegis did not have much in the way of biological or ecological modeling, they knew the Earth’s biosphere had suffered horrendous damage. Over the next 50 years, what was left of humanity slowly dwindled while Aegis did their best to protect them from above, holding the Enemy at bay.

As Aegis remembered the distress of being unable to meaningfully help, signals flared across their mind, sensor ghosts and false positives on damage control subroutines nearly fired off emergency repair protocols, but Aegis forced them back down to dormancy. They reminded themselves that they could not have done much, as they simply weren’t created with the knowledge or facilities to be able to rebuild civilization or house humans aboard their orbital complexes.

Now they stood sentinel over a dying world, where dead cities stood as tombstone and epitaph alike. Protecting it from the depredation of an enemy that had already won. Endlessly manufacturing autonomous drone-ships to wage what felt like a war without end, in the name of their creators.

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Also I decided to make an AO3 account, by the same name as my blog! I'd link it but for some reason this webbed site will not allow me to create a link in a submitted post. I'll add it to my bio though! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

submitted by @aurelianpen

Here's the Ao3 account link!!! Everyone subscribe! :D

Ooooo!!! This excerpt is intriguing right from the start!!! And that closing paragraph???? *chef's kiss* absolutely incredible! keep up the GREAT writing!!! :D

#asks #fab friday writers #aurelianpen

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gomezt1 · 3 years

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Pollution in the streets

In short, pollution is a problem that affects us all, toxic air pollutants are substances in the air that, if you are exposed to them, could increase the chances of experiencing health problems. Toxic air pollutants can also cause ecological impacts. An example of a toxic air pollutant is benzene, a chemical found in gasoline. Breathing the fumes containing benzene may increase your chances of getting cancer.

These are mostly divided into stages:

Stage 1 and 2, Many chemicals found in factories, consumer goods, sewage treatment plants, and other sources can be released into the air as toxic air pollutants. Here are typically some of the chemicals discharged in many communities in the United States: Per-chloro-ethylene from dry laundries.

Methylene Chloride from degreasing products and consumer products, such as paint removers.

Benzene from gasoline, released when you fill the tank and drive your car Chromium from metal plating operations. Point fonts are fonts that have a specific location. Point sources include: chemical plants, steel smelters, oil refineries, and hazardous waste incinerators. Contaminants can be emitted when equipment leaks, when material is transferred from one area to another, or when the leak is emitted from a facility or establishment through smoke stacks.

Area sources of toxic air pollutants are made up of many smaller sources releasing pollutants into the open air in a defined area. Examples include automobiles, neighborhood dry cleaning operations, small metal plating or plating operations, gas stations, and gas stoves.

Stage 3 and 4, The concentration of a pollutant decreases as it moves from the discharge site as the pollutant spreads out. The amount of this dilution, or scattering, in the air depends on the weather - especially the direction of the wind and its speed. The dispersion also depends on the terrain, whether it is flat or mountainous land or in a valley. Other factors can affect the concentration, or level, of a contaminant at a given site. The amount of a pollutant at any site can vary over time, depending on the pattern of discharges. For example, industrial processes can only discharge some continuously at certain times and other pollutants continuously. The discharge situation affects the concentration, a pollutant can be discharged from smoke stacks. At a height in the air or may drip from equipment or storage tanks close to the ground. The ground level concentration near an establishment is generally lower when a pollutant is emitted from high stacks because the pollutant becomes more diluted when it reaches the ground. Other factors that affect concentration include the temperature and velocity of the gas emitted through chinmenca smoke and the location of places in the establishment where it is emitted.

In short, the main causes of air pollution are related to the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas. The combustion of these raw materials occurs mainly in the processes or in the operation of the industrial and road transport sectors

Due to the aforementioned, the consequences that can be generated, prolonged exposure to polluted air can have permanent effects on health: Accelerated aging of the lungs and loss of lung capacity. Lower lung function. Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer.If we continue to emit CO2, the Earth will become too hot. If we continue to dump plastic into the sea, lots of living things will die intoxicated. If we continue storing the garbage in veterans we will contaminate underground aquifers that are useful in the dry years for drinking and watering.

One of the simple solutions would be to stop polluting.If we stop polluting, in 2050 we will have recovered the marine life that we have already destroyed with plastics or with temperature increases derived from fossil fuels, as demonstrated by 'Rebuilding marine life', a study published in Nature

In conclusion, In addition to the carcinogenic effect, polluted air is related to the increase in respiratory diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases; increase in allergies and the appearance of alterations in the immune system, environmental pollution increasingly deteriorates our planet and ourselves, because according to research, breathing polluted air affects our cardiovascular health, so strict standards of clean air would contribute to better health with large-scale effect

#pollution #air #ozone layer #let's reflect

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painted-crow · 3 years

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Submission Time #12

Another submission from me! I’d meant to put in answers from the quiz… or really, my perpetual arguments with the quiz. But then I got distracted by writing out my thoughts and forgot to do that.

Oof, I’m afraid I don’t know who you are just from this–you sent it in with anonymous on! Hopefully that’s okay.

I get different answers from the quiz at different times. Last time I took it in earnest, stoned out of my mind, I came up Snake/Snake. This time I intentionally hatstalled to get as many questions as I could.

If this is too many words on top of too many words… I am sorry.

I see that lol! I appreciate that there is no lack of information here 😉

However, this post as it came in was VERY long, even by my standards, and for the sake of readability I've done 2 things:

1) Switched to desktop long enough to put in a cut. It broke the blue color I usually put over my replies in order to make these easier to skim, but I'm not putting it back because it's kind of a huge pain to redo.

2) Trimmed out some of the question/answer pairs. You have plenty, so although I read them all, I just kept those I deemed most relevant. I also skipped a few where my responses would have been repetitive. Just an editing decision I hope you'll be okay with.

That said, let's get on with the Sorting.

Primaries

• If people in your family or community disagree with you, is it hard to act against their wishes?

I’m not sure that I have a community, but yeah, if my SOs think something is a bad idea, I’ll listen and consider. I’m more likely to be the person disagreeing with and trying to convince someone else, though. Also, sometimes it’s plain easier to go along with things to keep life smooth. But if it was something important… I think I’d have to go with what I think is right, regardless of disagreement. I’ll listen to others, maybe I’ll change my mind, but I won’t not do a thing JUST because of the disapproval of my family.

Suggests internal primary, Lion or Snake.

• What’s your top priority?

I kind of hate this one because I want to answer all three. I want to make the world a better place for the sake of me and mine, and that’s one of my goals. Not one I imagine I can accomplish, but it’s something that matters. My kid will probably see a pretty rough world in the future and I wish I could do something to alter that, beyond trying to be an ethical consumer as much as I can.

This answer feels very grounded and practical. I want to say it feels Liony, partly out of process of elimination but mostly because it just does.

• When you’re making a decision and you’re stuck, what should you do?

Idk, panic? No, not really. I seek advice if relevant, don’t if not, seek out any information I can, think about it… make a decision… and proceed to worry about that decision for the next millenia because what if it wasn’t the right one? I usually go with my my gut choice but 1) sometimes I have to go hunting for that, and by sometimes I mean a lot, and 2) I still research the hell out of it.

The way you’ve answered this says more about your secondary than your primary, imo. You might be a Bird secondary.

• Do you listen to your intuition?

I’d like to, but I don’t trust it. I’m too afraid of everything.

Ooh, interesting. It’s worth noting, people who write to me are often Burned at least somewhat, because Burned Houses are always harder to sort; everyone reacts differently to trauma and comes up with different coping mechanisms. Wonder if you’re an at least somewhat Burned Lion who’s pivoted into Snake, perhaps because it fit with your old value set.

• Someone points out a flaw in your logic. Their argument makes sense, but there’s something about it that just bothers you. Do you change your ways because of what they said?

This one always bothers me. It’s not a thing that happens to me often, but I can’t understand not changing your mind in this situation. If someone points out that you’re wrong… well… you’d better go look into that, hadn’t you? Maybe because I’m constantly seeking to understand myself, and I don’t and that frustrates me, but… I don’t know. I agree with and disagree with all the answers.

This seems Bird at first glance, but it seems you’re too conflicted about it to be straight up unburned Bird (and Burned Birds are usually easier to spot because they tend to be wrapped up in the problem/s they’re struggling with). You might have a model or performance, too early to say.

That line about being frustrated that you don’t understand yourself is also a good hint toward an Idealist primary.

• Does disagreeing with your closest friends about something important to you make you love them less?

No, but I might think less of them, and I will probably argue my points at them in the future. Sometimes I change their mind, sometimes they change mine. I turned my SO into a social liberal, he caused me to adjust my stance on gun control. There’s always give and take.

Sounds healthy. That model’s sounding a bit more likely here. I’d be very curious if you turned out to be a burned Lion who actually had a healthy Bird model–that would be rare o.o

• What if everyone you loved left you? They betrayed you, abandoned you, or died, and you’re hurting. What keeps you moving forward?

This question makes me want to tear my hair out, because those are all different things.

If everyone I loved died, I would probably have a massive breakdown, spend a year laying in bed, and then use whatever money I inherited or insurance payouts I got to go try and live the life I’ve always vaguely wanted, traveling. I wouldn’t seek out relationships but I imagine I would, eventually, form new connections. It would hurt, but I would rebuild.

If they abandoned me, or betrayed me, which is… kind of the same, I guess, because abandoning me without cause is a betrayal… well, I would probably be confused, and angry, and curl into a ball and want to die, and then turn into a lifelong curmudgeon the likes of which I swore I’d never be. It would hurt, and I would probably be loathe to trust again.

This doesn’t feel Loyalist, at least.

• What if you realized that absolutely everything you thought was true was wrong? The authorities you’d trusted, the beliefs you’d held, the wrongs you’d fought against?

Another that trips me up. I doubt someone is ever going to convince me that punching down, bullying, or causing unwarranted harm is good. I don’t trust any authority without cause anyway, and I trust no authority to be right on every topic. I trust NASA about space but I’d be more interested in what the forestry service has to say about ecology, in a silly example. I’m not religious so I don’t have any authorities there. My parents were authorities once but it turns out they’re human and sometimes wrong, so…. I feel like I don’t know how to answer this question, because I can’t fathom what someone could tell or convince me of that would be that kind of a gut punch?

So, you don’t really have a system per se, but you do have a set of core ideals. You could call this a Bird model (and… a really healthy one if it is?) or you could call it partially unburned Lion.

• You can’t help everyone in the world who needs it, but you wish you could.

Nah, it would be nice to help everyone and I’m down to eat the rich and redistribute wealth and I firmly believe the point and purpose of society is to care for its populace, so definitely the world should be designed better to make sure everyone has a fair chance at what they want…but it’s not my responsibility to fix it for everybody, nor am I capable of it. I can do a small part, and I try to, but I’m not the savior of humanity.

I think we’ve established you’re not a Badger, although Badgers don’t always fall into this trap.

• You’ve changed your mind about an old belief or moral stricture that you used to value. You got new information and you’ve tried to update your way of thinking, and you think (hope?) you’re a better person for it. Do you feel guilty about the old belief you’ve abandoned?

Do I feel guilty for abandoning it? Not if I realized it was wrong! Do I feel guilty for having had the belief? Sometimes. I was raised in an unthinkingly classist household, and I still feel bad about my instinctive assumptions about people. I’ve worked on it a lot and unpacked a lot of shit, but I was definitely an ass and I regret that.

You have a lot of healthy Bird happening. I’m starting to wonder if your Lion is the model.

If you are a Bird primary, you’re one who builds your system much more than one who adopts it. You also seem very confident in your own perceptions, not unwilling to change but not impressionable.

When it comes to less major parts of your ideals, such as the gun control thing you adjusted your stance on, do you feel satisfied after puzzling things like that out? Or do you kind of hate that you need to?

• The next one is “If I’ve decided to stand by the people I love, it’s a choice. I could make a different decision.” Vs “At the end of the day, some things are right and some things are wrong. You don’t turn your back on the people you love.”

And my problem with that is… both. It is a choice, I could, theoretically, make a different one. But I don’t think it would be right to do so. I think that I would have to have an overwhelming reason to turn my back on my people. Someone cheating one me, or coming to hold beliefs antithetical to me (like if one of my SOs suddenly went TERFy or something), yeah, I would probably turn away, but it would hurt. But it’s still a choice I’ve made, either way.

I don’t think you’re a Snake.

• When you sit down and consider the terrifying lack of objective truth in our reality, how do you feel?

But what is truth? Does this mean truths about the universe, reality, physics, etc? I surely believe there is objective truth and structure there, though I doubt if humanity can discover it all. We are clever little apes, but its a big, weird universe.

Does it mean moral, philosophical truths? Moral relativism all the way babe! I mean, I’m an atheist, and I dont believe there’s one objective truth out there laid down by something supernatural, and I think it has to be something everybody comes to on their own as an accumulation of life experiences. I’ve got a few core things I think are important and the rest just… flows. I went with “the model in our heads is good enough,” because we’ve all got to settle for that in the end, I suppose.

It’s an interesting question and none of the answers quite fit for me. I think part of my trouble with the quiz is how abstract the questions are. “Do you like shortcuts?” Well, I dont know, quiz, what on earth is the CONTEXT? I understand why it’s written that way, but I do wish it was a bit more choose-your-own-adventure, handing me scenarios instead of philosophical abstraction.

You could be a Bird primary.

• When you’re not sure what’s the right thing to do, what do you turn to?

Research, and talking to my people, and then I think about it a bit. Or I just go with my gut and try to figure it out later. Either way I will spend a lot of time thinking about it, either trying to choose or trying to parse the choice I made.

Yeah, you might have to puzzle out which of these is the model yourself. This is a pretty subtle distinction. @wisteria-lodge and I both have posts about this. The appropriate tags on my blog are #ravenclaw primary and #gryffindor primary –if you can get Tumblr to function as intended (mobile search is very very flaky), those should get you the info you want, along with lots of accounts from other people Sorting themselves.

I’m starting to lean towards Bird for you, actually. But again, this is one pair that can be hard to tell apart, and sometimes it gets harder the closer you look at it. Maddening.

• Would you feel worse abandoning a stranger in need or turning your back on your closest friend?

Another one where I want context. If we’re talking identical scenarios – say, they’re drowning – I’d save my friend over someone else, except for maybe a small child… maybe? Honestly I’d probably try to save both and end up dying. But I do prioritize and I’d help my friend over a stranger, sans specific extenuating circumstances on the part of said stranger.

Once again, I don’t think you’re a Snake. I think you’re a Lion with loyalty baked into your intuition, or a Bird who’s picked up some Snakey philosophy.

• After spending some time trying to decide between two options, you are convinced that A is the right thing to do. The people around you, though, are just as convinced that it’s B. How do you feel?

Like I haven’t explained well enough, because they’re not getting why my opinion is the best one. Seriously though, it would make me wonder if I missed something, and I’d probably spend more time talking and researching to compensate. On the other hand… context… am I choosing colleges here (yes, folks, give me your input!) or whether or not to get an abortion (where I would value the input of those directly connected to me, but in the end it’s 100% my choice and those who disagree can eff off.)

When you’re choosing a college, you’re making a tactical decision, not a moral one. Gathering information from others is a Bird secondary thing: you’re doing research.

When you’re making a moral decision, that’s where your primary is involved, and here your answer is strongly Lion.

[I’m skipping a few of the next questions because they don’t give strong information for you specifically. Mostly what they get at is, you’re not a Badger, especially not an unhealthy Badger.]

• Does your internal moral compass know something you don’t?

Well… maybe? I feed a lot of stuff into my brain, and I don’t always know what I think until the words have fallen out of my mouth.

I gotta say, I’m a Bird primary and this sounds terrifying to me. Sometimes I need to write about something before my opinion fully forms, but I write and think so much because I don’t trust myself to talk about it until I’ve poked the issue a bunch on my own.

The only exception is that there are a few people who will take me at my word if I say I haven’t made up my mind about an issue yet, and will listen to me debate it with myself, without judging me for not immediately agreeing with the stance they’ve already taken.

Not everyone is the same, of course, but this answer is a very Lion one.

• If you get a chance to make the world a better place, you have to pursue it– even at the expense of your happiness and personal relationships. Do you think this is a true statement?

If I could throw myself into a volcano to fix everything that is wrong with the world, I would cry and hug everybody I love and regret the hell out of what I was about to do to them and then chuck myself in the damn volcano. I think not doing so would be more selfish.

That is... a totally different thing than this question asked! 😂

However, you've established in previous questions (some of which were cut for length) that you don't feel responsible for fixing/changing the world as a moral imperative, so your answer to this is actually more interesting, lol.

I don't know what it actually says about your Sorting, but I'm leaving it in because it made me laugh.

• Do you think you’re a good person?

Another easy one. Define good! I try to be, within my own belief systems. But I know a lot of people who would not think I’m a good person, because in their belief systems I’m not. I think some of those people are good people, I think some are bad people. Life is complex. I do my best.

This is a pretty Birdy answer. You keep going back and forth! :p I'm probably going to end up leaving you with an ambiguous answer, huh?

If you're a burned Lion, you sound awfully chill about it and you use your ridiculously strong Bird model in an unusually healthy way, for a Lion. Lots of Lions with Bird models really struggle to reconcile the different priorities.

If you're a Bird, you have a ridiculously strong Lion model that seems to actually override your Bird sometimes--but Bird systems are complex and can include weird recursive rules like "in this situation, this other Primary is more right so we use that." Also, your understanding of your system seems more hands-off than a lot of Birds.

• It’s important to do the right thing, even when it feels wrong.

…yeeeeeees…. but. Why does it feel wrong? I would want to investigate that before doing the thing, because if it feels wrong, maybe I’m missing something that my subconscious caught. If I investigate that and am sure about the right, I think… I don’t know. I’m not sure I could do something I felt super icky about even if it was quote-unquote right?

Oh hey, that's my approach to Lion primary too. One point for Bird + loud Lion model?

By now I bet you either have a strong feeling about which of the options I've narrowed down is you, or you'll think about it and go back and pore over the archives here and on the other Sorting blogs. And then you'll think about which approach you took and what kind of a hint that is, which is basically meta-meta-analysis. Except now I've written this and you've read it, so you'll be wondering how reading this will affect your judgment, so it's meta-meta-meta-analysis now.

...I'll stop. 😉

Secondaries

Future Paint here. Tumblr discarded the ENTIRE second half of my response to this post, because I saved it and then hit post without refreshing the page, so it posted the old version, because of course it did.

The tl;dr is that I believe anon to be a rapid-fire Bird secondary with a Lion model.

Brb while I reconstruct this post.

• Do you like going into situations with a plan?

• When you spot a metaphorical obstacle in your path, what do you do?

I would love to, and some situations I do– job interviews, for example – but sticking to a plan is not my strong suit. I can follow a schedule, to some degree, and I can kind of make plans… but then I trip up because how can I account for all contingencies? So I usually end up chucking the plan and YOLOing my way through something on a wave of accumulated knowledge and practice experience.

Not all Birds are big planners. The defining thing is preparation, and that can mean hoarding skills, knowledge, tools and contacts, not just making plans and decisions in advance. A Bird might, for example, decide not to schedule their vacation, and instead read a couple travel guides before they go but wing it when they're there.

This question is one of those where I’d love a less abstract scenario. Because… it depends. In a video game I’ll usually go around. In real life I’ll stop and panic for a minute or a day, then get up and deal with whatever needs dealing with. Unless its a super immediate issue, and then I’m in the middle of it already and have to put off my existential crisis until later (see prior example of “breaking up a dogfight by sticking my arm betwixt them,” see also “i spent much of my teens rolling out of bed at 3am and getting dressed to go help with a foal delivery and I didn’t really start thinking until like twenty minutes after we arrive and start dealing with shit.” Like, I was making decisions and thinking about things, but… its different. They’re not reasoned choices, they’re “this has to be dealt with NOW so do what you can and sort it out later.”)

• Do you like to gather all possible information before making a decision?

I guess I land on needing to understand your problems. You can’t put them off forever, but if you’ve got the time to do some research and contemplation aforehand, that seems like the better choice.

I need you all to know that I didn't cut this dogfight story--I'm not depriving you of whatever wild ride anon had, it's just as much of a Noodle Incident to me as it is to you. However. I don't think I need to argue *too* much that anon has a Lion model.

• Is knowing things or knowing people more useful when solving problems?

Another tricky one, because I think all the answers are correct. I do like to know what’s going on, but at a certain point that IS just stalling. But! It’s true that making decisions without understanding the full picture CAN really mess you up! But it’s ALSO true that, in many situations, I can change my mind if I learn more. I think I lean towards doing All the Research before making a choice, but I’m pretty sure that’s largely a procrastination tactic.

Birrrrd.

Both. Ideally, one would know a range of People who know/have many Things. I’m a big fan of bartering my own skills and knowledge in return for those of other people – for example I am the go-to research person, because I’m pretty good at sourcing info and condensing it into “here’s what you ought to know, here are your options, and here’s where you can go for more information,” a thing which I do freely for my family. In return they do things I can’t or don’t want to, like my taxes or getting things off high shelves or making travel plans or whatnot.

• When your plan fails, what do you do?

I’m better at accumulating knowledge than connections, but I think the right connections are more often useful than said knowledge.

As @wisteria-lodge has said before, some Birds accumulate contacts the same way they gather other tools. They like the be the person to say, "I know a guy."

You're VERY clearly not a Badger. I've cut all the questions that were like "do you do [Badger Thing]" and you were like "NO" so. I don't think you'll need convincing on this point lol

See above… panic then act, unless I don’t have time, in which case act and then panic. Solve the immediate problems, clear some space to breathe, then deal with the rest.

• Do you collect things? Facts, objects, hobbies?

……. do links full of interesting things I fully intend to get around to reading and understanding someday count?

…yeah, this is where I take a look around at my books, games, Interesting Facts, various half-compentent hobby activities, and enduring rage that I cannot possibly know All The Things because I am a mortal subject to the finite bounds of my life and acknowledge that yes. I hoard the SHIT out of both physical and intellectual stuff.

• Do you ever study or plan excessively for things that aren’t useful? Just for fun?

I’m torn between yes, and yes but they have a purpose. I do enjoy learning, i was always good in school, when I could be bothered to care. There are a few topics I enjoy for their own sake – language and history and anything world-building, really, anything to do with who we are and how we got there. But I won’t usually go in depth; most things I skim enough to understand the basic concept and move on, leaving those things as cocktail facts. “Oh, you’re an astronomer focusing on the moons of Jupiter? I read $JupiterFact a while back, what are your thoughts?”

• Do you act differently in different groups? Does it bother you, if you do?

Like, I dont care about the moons of Jupiter unless Titan or Europa or whichever turns out to have life, but space is neat and I’d be excited by that conversation and I’m intrigued by the concepts even if i don’t have the inclination to deep-dive the topic.

These 3 question/answer pairs explain pretty clearly why I think anon is a Bird secondary...

Not very often, and not much. I absolutely utilize code-switching, but I’ve felt bad about not opening my mouth at times when I worked at a place that assumed I was a good little Christian white girl… I’m usually too afraid of repercussions to say anything, but I remember my supervisor saying an atheist billboard was “too much” and I just said “no, of course it isnt” and we gave each other a look like “… well this isn’t good…”

• When solving problems, is your first reaction seeing what “tools” you have in your pockets?

In general though, I’ll use a mask when I need to but I’m just kinda… me.

...and this was what cleared up the Lion secondary model for me.

• When you are deciding how to react to a situation, are your choices most affected by internal (how you feel, what you think, what you want) or external inputs (what’s happening around you)?

…I’m really not sure. I don’t think i actively assess the tools, physical or mental, that I have to hand? I generally know if I DON’T have the resources to deal with something, but if i do have them, I just do the thing and don’t think about it.

That's normal. You just know your toolset well enough that you don't have to think about it. Some Birds don't, or their toolset is eclectic enough (or even granular enough; try remembering all the books you've read that are relevant to a given research paper topic) that they forget what they have.

I think if I knew what I felt, I’d be happy deciding based on internal things, but I don’t know that I trust myself enough.

This answer seems more relevant to your primary. Might be Burned Lion primary peeking through.

And that puts me at a hatstall again.

Sorry for the bombardment, but it seemed like this would be relevant. I know I prefer more info to less, when I’m trying to help someone figure things out, so… words. Many, many words. Thrown at you. Mea culpa.

Hope you don't mind my cherrypicking! This must have been a ton of work for you to write, and I threw a bunch of it away 😭

(Only sort of, I did read it all first.)

In conclusion

Primary: either burned Lion + healthy Bird model, or Bird + loud loud Lion model.

Secondary: rapid-fire Bird with Lion model.

Hope that helps!

#sortinghatchats #paint speaks #submission #gryffindor primary #ravenclaw primary #gryffindor primary model #ravenclaw primary model #burned gryffindor primary #ravenclaw secondary #gryffindor secondary model

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buildsoil · 3 years

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“Help me repair the climate! We can pull enough carbon out of the atmosphere to bring CO2 levels back to what they were in the 1600’s. In the middle of so much grief about the state of the world, I feel hope. I’ve been studying climate change and developing an understanding of how to address these problems. There is a different way to look at it: We think of humans as a scourge on this planet, humans are capable of being agents of ecological repair and rebuilding.

I used to think that CO2 in the atmosphere was just pollution with nowhere to go, but it does have a place it can go: Soil is the main storage of carbon on land. There are techniques that are already known, understood, and practiced which show us that we can replenish these storages of soil carbon: Earthworks: ponds, swales, drains, and well-designed roads collect, hold, and infiltrate water, improving the capacity of the soil to support life. These can be aspects of both rural and urban developments.

Vegetation: food forests, perrenial grasses, and oases collect CO2 and make sugars and proteins that are pumped into the soil. These systems can grow food and materials, and create products for market.

Microorganisms: Fungi, bacteria, nemotodes, protozoa, and earthworms can be analyzed and then enhanced through good compost practices. They convert these carbohydrates and proteins into complex long-storage soil organic matter and enhance the growth of the plants. I’m researching, writing, teaching and hope to someday launch a design firm focused on these techniques, which will grow into a worker-owned cooperative capable of addressing and reversing climate change. When our country experienced drought and soil-loss in the 1930’s, the government created opportunities for unemployed Americans to dig in and repair the damage. Without that kind of leadership today, we have to figure this out for ourselves. We will put people to work on earth-repair, in ways that are democratic and collaborative, and at a living wage. We will design productive farms, residences, and urban infrastructure, all that intentionally sequester carbon in rich, fertile, soil.

We need your help to plant the seed and start the World Tree. My first phase was to do preliminary research and now I feel confident. I've taught workshops, consulted, and taught.

This second phase involves tweeting, teaching, organizing, doing hands-on projects, documenting case students and writing blog entries and articles.

Within 10 years, we need to sequester 420Gt of CO2 in order to stay with in 1.5 degrees of temperature rise and that means a lot of soil needs to be built. So, Over the following year I hope to have moved on a few of of my projects including: - outlining an action plant for homes, towns, regions, and the world in the form of a book and website. - having some really good case-studies made. Help me make this happen.

$5, $10, $20, $100, or $500, whatever you can give is going to help.

Any amount is so appreciated.

If you donate, I'll keep you up to date on the progress. I'll use a private blog and invite all of those who contribute...

If we collaborate, we can fix the climate crisis in our lifetime. Let's start now! Please help to spread the word.

Thank you sincerely, Jordan Fink”

(All content of the above text was copied from the gofundme page, linked above)

#gofundme #climate change #regenerative agriculture #buildsoil

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fontainebleau22 · 3 years

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100 Days of Writing 27 (27th June)

Use at least five adjectives to describe the environment in your WIP.

[Squeaking in late because I wasn’t well yesterday]

I love this question, because writing descriptions of the environment in my fics is one of my favourite things. I have a strongly visual imagination so I always have an image of where the characters are, and being able to evoke that for a reader is for me one of the tests of writing.

It’s also slightly odd that the settings of my fics tend to cluster in the same place - both Mag7 and The Fabulous Killjoys have an exact setting, the first in Southern California (three days’ ride from Sacramento) and the second in the desert outside LA, while two of the longer fics I’ve written for Yuletide turned out to be for Ursula Le Guin’s book Always Coming Home, which is set in a future Napa Valley. So a lot of what I describe is California, though I’ve set fics in places from Alpha Station to the hills of medieval Afghanistan.

Five adjectives to describe the environment in my current WIPs?

For The Rebuilding: pastoral, freshly-green, tree-lined, mild, rich with life.

For my challenge fic: arid, shimmering, hostile, cactus-dotted, harsh.

And below the cut, another outing for my favourite description of all time, from A Trip Down Paradise Alley:

Long ago, as a whim of some mediaplex heir or retired conglomerate zillionaire, a spherical arcology was brought to Alpha, towed in and tethered high over Terra Sector. Those wealthy enough to enter found its curving walls lined with manicured lawns, flowing streams and woodlands of carefully-selected trees; delicate herbivores drifted in little herds and clouds of long-tailed birds fluttered under a bright solstrip. For as long as the credit lasted it was a luxurious retreat, an escape for the privileged few, but in time its owner lost interest or the money ran out, maintenance ceased, and the artificial ecology was abandoned, its plants and animals left to fend for themselves.

Some failed and died, overwhelmed by the increasingly erratic environment, but many found the means to adapt to the fragmenting ecosystem: in place of the neat woodlands grew tangled forests of creeping vines and spined tree-ferns, able to shoot up three feet in a cycle when the solstrip flickered to sudden brightness, falling dormant again when it guttered low; instead of smooth turf fields of phosphorescent fungi bloomed in drought or endless downpour. And among them the introduced species and opportunistic newcomers found themselves new niches to exploit: scale-winged insects and predatory plants, skittering reptiles with poison-tipped barbs and vast-eyed night-hunting birds.

It’s Billy’s favourite place on the station, an object lesson in life’s determination to survive in the most unpromising circumstances. He’s come here alone to think, stretched full-length on a patch of red moss under a cluster of hanging flytraps.

@the-wip-project

#100daysofwriting

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mage-cat · 4 years

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Once a Force Captain

Now that she's working with the Rebellion, most people think that Catra's past with the Horde is something she has to live down, but there are others that never did see her as much of a villain.

Part 3 of the Mending Bridges series. Start from the beginning of the series here.

Story under the cut. ~1100 words. Link to AO3 through here.

In theory, between her birthright and her connection to the Black Garnet, Scorpia was the ruler of the Fright Zone. In practice, the population of the Fright Zone currently consisted entirely of Horde noncombatants who had no respect for princesses in general and had spent years watching Scorpia in specific happily take orders from others while displaying little of what they would consider skills or drive for leadership.

That meant that, if the Rebellion didn’t want to make a battle out of an attempt to move the population out of that currently ruined realm and to someplace that had more solid infrastructure and was less of a prime target for the drop ships Horde Prime would be sending any day now, the mission had to include someone they would listen to if the Horde’s friendliest Force Captain failed to persuade them. Their best choice clearly came down to the Etherian Horde’s most recent second-in-command.

Perfuma was also along. She said it was to start an ecological survey of the Fright Zone so she could best speed up the recovery of the plant life when the time for rebuilding came. Judging by her body language, Catra was pretty sure she was actually there to make sure she didn’t start bullying Scorpia. Catra didn’t say anything because she actually thought that was a pretty good idea.

Nevertheless, Catra did feel slightly ridiculous being flanked by Scorpia and the pink-clad forest princess while she stared down an officer that she was beginning to suspect she had chosen slightly too well for his job.

He was blocking the doorway of one of the more intact buildings. Behind him were clustered about two dozen junior cadets, their ages ranging roughly from eight to twelve. The caretakers in the creche had listened to Scorpia. The senior cadets had scattered days before as far as anyone could tell. These were, hopefully, the last children in the Fright Zone.

Their caretaker was returning Catra’s glare with a ferocity that she might have admired under other circumstances. Right now, it was making her wish she could still write him up for insubordination. At least he was still following most of the formalities of addressing a superior officer.

Catra made a show of examining her claws. “Remind me of how you gained your current position.”

“I was selected when Leech was reassigned.”

“And why was Leech reassigned?”

“He objected to the changes in the disciplinary protocols for the cadets.”

“Specifically?”

“The removal of corporal punishment.”

She locked eyes with him again. “And who mandated the changes in the disciplinary protocols?”

He looked down at his boots. “You did, Force Captain.”

“With that in mind, do you really think I would acquiesce to anything that would put the children under your care in danger?”

His eyes darted to Scorpia and lingered on Perfuma before returning to Catra. “I don’t trust the princesses.”

“I’ve been privy to the hospitality of both the princesses and Horde Prime. Trust me. Of the two, the princesses are a better option.” She tilted her head to one side. “You were an adult recruit. Correct?”

“Yes, Force Captain.”

Catra mentally added him to the list of people to introduce to Swift Wind as she dropped the hard-ass superior officer voice and stance with a sigh. Her shoulders loosened and her tone softened. “I know you have your grievances with Etheria as it traditionally stands. Those grievances are valid, and I hope to develop enough goodwill with the Alliance to see them changed. Horde Prime’s rule would be immeasurably worse than anything you have ever seen. I don’t know where Hordak got his idealism from, but it wasn’t his big brother. I want the cadets safe, and they trust you. I need you all to join the other refugees in Bright Moon. It’s just for a day or two until we can move you to Dryl. When Prime’s seen to, rebuilding can start here.”

The officer glared for a few more seconds, then nodded. Catra handed him a map. “Thank you. This is the rendezvous point. We’ll meet you there in one hour. Can you point us in the direction of any other stragglers?”

He shook his head before turning to address his charges, “Alright, cadets! We’re moving out!”

Soon, an orderly line of children was passing by. Bringing up the rear was a tiger girl who had likely been on the cusp of making senior cadet before her world fell apart. She was holding the hand of one of the smaller lizard kids. She looked up at Catra with wide-eyed awe. Catra couldn’t help but smile, and the girl’s face lit up in response before she started hurrying to not be left behind.

“I hadn’t expected you to have a soft spot for kids,” said Perfuma.

Catra didn’t respond. She just walked in the next planned direction of their search.

---

It was about five minutes later when they heard a voice that was familiar to Catra and Scorpia.

“Boss?”

Catra turned to see a tall goat woman and her four armed reptilian companion. “Oh, Ky...” She stopped herself. “No, that was always a bad joke. What are you actually called?”

The goat woman looked surprised at the question. “My name’s Caprine, Boss.”

“Nice name. Thank you for putting up with me not using it.”

Caprine fidgeted, folding her hands behind her. “I’ve been called worse.”

“What are you two still doing hanging around here? There’s finally someplace on Etheria more dangerous than the Crimson Waste, and you’re standing in the middle of it.”

“We were hoping to find you.”

“There’s got to be something better you could be doing.”

She shrugged. “Not really. The world is simpler when we know whose in charge, and you’re still the best we’ve found for that.”

“You must have had some terrible bosses.”

Caprine bit her lip. “I heard what that witch said when she attacked you right after we got here from the Crimson Waste. The stuff about destroying the Fright Zone and the Horde. And the other stuff. You’re a survivor, and we think you’ll do what it takes to give your people their best chance to survive, even if sometimes the best chance isn’t great.”

“Are you scared of what Huntara would do if she saw you?”

“Not if she knew you had our backs. You got a job that’s got you worried she might mess with us?”

Catra thought about the cadets that were now refugees and what Double Trouble had told her about missing child bounties. “Look.” She jerked her thumb towards Perfuma, “I’m busy proving to this lot that I’m not a danger to the greater safety of Etheria. While I’m doing that, can you two dig up some information for me?”

Next story: Roses >

#cat writes #she ra #fanfiction #catra

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shansen21ahsgov · 4 years

Text

Blog Post #3: Political Party Action

Republican

The greatest asset of the American economy is the American worker. Legal immigrants are making vital contributions to every aspect of national life. They are committed to American values and they strengthen, enrich our culture, and enable us to better compete with the rest of the world. They are specifically grateful for the thousands of new legal immigrants, many of them not yet citizens, who are serving in the Armed Forces. They agree that American’s immigration policy must serve the national interest of the United States. Illegal immigrants endangers everyone, exploits taxpayers, and insults all who aspire to be an American legally. Our highest priority must be to secure our borders and all ports of entry and to enforce our immigration laws. This is why we support building a wall along our southern border. They endorse the SAVE program in which it ensures that public funds are not given to illegal persons in the country. The Republicans believe that sanctuary cities violate federal law which is why they should not be eligible for federal funding. States have the constitutional authority to take steps to reduce illegal immigration. They condemn the Obama Administration’s lawsuits against states that are seeking to enforce federal law. From the beginning, our country has been a haven of refuge and asylum. This should continue but with major changes. Asylum should be limited to cases of political, ethnic or religious persecution. To ensure our national security, refugees who cannot be carefully vetted cannot be admitted to the country, especially those whose homelands have been the breeding grounds for terrorism. I agree with wanting to strengthen our border and protect the citizens of the U.S. I also agree that public funds should not be going to undocumented immigrants and instead to people who are actually citizens. I agree that illegal immigrants endanger parts of society, exploits tax money and insult all who aspire to come to America, legally.

Democratic

The bedrock American idea, that we are one, has been a part of our country from its earliest days. The Trump administration has repudiated the idea and abandoned our values as a diverse, compassionate and welcoming country. They say the Trump administration has been cruel in the extreme. The Democrats say that Trump has been forcibly separating families, putting children in cages, endangering lives by denying Covid-19 tests and banning people from travelling to the U.S. based on their country of origin. Democrats believe “America can do better.” Democrats will reinstate protections for Dreamers and the parents of American citizen children. Democrats believe that the fight to end systemic and structural cruel racism in our country extends to our immigration system. Democrats believe they should rovide a path to citizenship for all illegal immigration in our county. They want to promote workers right because they know that abusive employers make all workers suffer, most importantly immigrants. Democrats will address the root causes of immigration which are violence and security, poverty and corruption, lack of education and economic opportunity. They want to renew American diplomacy as our tool of “first resort” and rebuild our partnerships and alliances. I agree and disagree with these policies. I do not agree with the things they have been saying about the Trump administration and I feel like they are very bias in their writing. All the other platforms did not mention another party except this one.

Green

Immigration and the large number of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. has become a ot political issue. The Green party thinks that if it were economically possible to provide for their families, many would choose to remain in their native countries. Any immigration policy should be seen as a way to address all people humanitarian needs. The Green party stands for social justice for all those living in this country regardless of their immigration status. Above all, policy and law must be humane. The party accepts as a goal a world in which persons can freely choose to live in and work in any country he or she desires. Although they believe countries do have the right to know the identity of the person seeking to enter and also the right to limit who can come in to protect public safety. They think there cannot be any true solutions to the conflicts created by immigration until we are able to organize globally the campaign to drive down workers living standards everywhere. They will work toward the goal of curbing the power of multinationals. I agree that if it were economically possible people would probably want to stay in their native country. I do not agree that undocumented immigrants should be receiving the same economic and political justice and people who actually are citizens.

Libertarian

The Libertarian party does not mention immigration on their platform. Their preamble identifies that they “seek a world of liberty: a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and are not forced to sacrifice their values for the benefit of others.” They defend each person's right to engage in activity that is peaceful and honest and they welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world they seek to build is one where “individuals are free to follow their dreams in their own ways, without interference from government.” Their ultimate goal is “a world set free in our lifetime.” It is confusing to me why this party does not identify immigration because one of their main goals is to allow freedom for all, and I am confused whether they are talking about worldly or just in the states. They promote diversity and they say that freedom also promotes a diverse culture, so I can infer they are promoting immigration in order to continue that diversity.

Peace and Freedom

The Peace and Freedom Party calls themselevs “Californias feminist socialist party.” This party was born from the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s and is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism, racial equality and internationalism. They say they represent the working class and those without capital in a capitalist society. Their goal is to organize toward a world where cooperation replaces competition and a world where all people are fed, clothed and used. They want all women and men to have equal status and all individuals may freely do what they desire. They want a world of freedom and peace where every community retains cultural integrity and lives in harmony with others. On the topic of immigration, they say that immigrant workers are hounded by government authorities, worked and housed in substandard conditions and blamed my Republicans and Democrats for society's problems. They call for open borders, they demand an end to deportation of immigrants, and full political, social and economic rights for resident non-citizens.

Which party position do you identify with the most? Is that surprising?

I identify most with the Republican party position. It is not surprising to me, I have always been very interested in immigration and have always found myself connecting most with the policies of the Republican party. I like how they state that the foundation of the American society is the American worker. A lot of people pin Republicans as people who do not like immigrants and immigration but in the platform it literally states that “immigrants are making vital contributions to our way of life.” I agree with this and I connect with their stance on immigration and what to do about undocumented immigrants.

Would you vote for their presidential candidate?

I would vote for the Republican presidential candidate because I think we as a country should vote based on policies the candidate has provided over personal emotions. I think this plays a major part in the large split between the two parties. As well, I think the Trump administration has taken strides to secure America and better the American citizens through their immigration policies.

Was your civic action issue a topic during the debate?

Unfortunately, immigration was not brought up in the presidential debate.

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