theres a lot in my feeds rn about statistics of dogs life expectancy going down and I'm not saying that's false or that we don't need a long hard chat about genetic variation. but i also wonder how much of this is about reporting, ownership culture, and flow of information as well.

Wonder Egg Priority, Episode 11: “The Temptation of Death”?

Wonder Egg Priority is a beautiful, uncomfortable, moving and confusing series that starts out engaging all the things we don’t talk about—self-harm, abuse, rape, bullying, gender dysmorphia, and homosexuality, to name a few. Our silence and blindness to these issues have a weight and pressure to them, and WEP shows how this reinforces the isolation and hopelessness of the young women of the “eggs” who turn to suicide for relief. The first ten episodes have been exhilarating and exhausting alike.

And then there is Episode 11. This past week, the series took a bit of a turn, leaning hard into the sci-fi-philosophical, with appearances from Greek gods, a murderous artificial intelligence, and really, really disturbing insect girls, one of whom, despite being a brutal killer, is apparently a vegetarian. Has the show gone off the rails? Has it lost its way in departing from the familiar procedural approach of engaging a differing social or mental health issue with each episode?

Such a critique is perfectly legit, but before you write off the penultimate episode of WEP, just hear me out on why the abstract, meta turn in episode 11 may just be the most valuable thing this series has to offer so far.

Before we begin though, a little recap of what we learned this week. In episode 10, we hear the eggheads, Acca and Ura-Acca, discuss the need for warriors of Eros to battle Thanatos. This is our first hint that things are about to get lore-full and maybe a bit weird. Eros and Thanatos are of course gods in the ancient Greek pantheon, Eros being the god of love, and Thanatos, of non-violent death. Within the first minute or so of episode 11, it’s clear that the eggheads’ hope is now focused on Ai becoming the long-awaited warrior. At this point though, rather than continuing with Ai’s story, the episode shifts into flashback mode and we are finally introduced to the villain, an artificial intelligence created by the eggheads back when they were still human. Their lives gradually come to revolve around her: She is the fulfillment of their obsession to create life, and she is good.

Frill is associated with hydrangeas, which symbolise heartlessness and pride in Japanese flower language. But is it her heartlessness and pride, or that of her makers?

(Atelier Emily has done an outstanding series of posts on the flowers in WEP. Check it out!)

Only, it turns out she doesn’t play so nice when others join the happy family. After killing Acca’s wife, and putting the life of the unborn baby at risk, the AI—who named herself Frill—is unrepentant, all traces of her seeming humanity now revealed to be illusory, a mere affectation. Acca locks her away in a hole in the cellar. Years pass. The baby, Himari, grows up and is a ray of sunshine. But after effectively confessing to her ‘uncle’ (why does anime always do this?), she commits suicide. Ura-Acca discovers that Frill is still very much alive and active from her hole in the cellar, having powered up all the discarded monitors and laid down reams of electrical cables—to what end, we do not yet know. Though Ura-Acca surmises that she has somehow influenced Himari to take her own life. How else would the girl have known about Ura-Acca’s admiration for her mother? Where else would she have learned to make what will forever be to me now that uncannily sinister popping sound?

Here’s where it gets weirder. Unlike the suicides of subsequent egg girls, there is no indication that Himari, Frill’s apparent first victim, struggled with any mental health or other issues that would motivate her to take her own life. Indeed, her ‘uncle’ did not even reject her confession. (Again anime, why you do this thing?) Instead, the eggheads explain Himari’s suicide as being on account of the “temptation of death.” What now?

This is implying that death is somehow attractive, not just to someone facing overwhelming brokenness, trauma or pain, like the egg girls we’ve met so far, but to someone on the verge of stepping from a (relatively) happy childhood into young adulthood, with the promise of potential love to look forward to; someone who has not known suffering, but rather only smiles and cake. (To be fair, it is always possible that she experienced trauma in the womb, or was more deeply affected by her father’s sadness than Ura-Acca’s memories belie.)

That’s my question too, Ai.

The notion of death as somehow attractive or even beautiful is rather alien to Western culture. Certainly, there will always be some who romanticize death, à la star-crossed lovers (Shakespeare, I’m looking at you). But in general, Western culture views death as something ugly and frightening, something to avoid until it is staring you directly in the face, and even then, closing your eyes in denial is a perfectly reasonable response. Death is one of those things we don’t talk about. In my experience, Anglo-American culture is not very good at even mourning death. We lack the grieving rituals and observances of other cultures, and instead seek to confine death to the sealed, sanitized spaces of hospitals, care homes, and funeral parlors. We keep it shrouded tightly in silence. How could there ever be anything like the “temptation of death”? How could we ever consider death to be something desirable? Are the eggheads or CloverWorks simply aestheticising suicide and death here to make it sound deep and philosophical?

No, I don’t think that’s it. Instead, Acca and Ura-Acca are doing what all good researchers do—and indeed what all Christians, as believers in an unseen spiritual reality, are also called to do: They are looking more deeply into phenomena that seem, on the surface, to already be explained. The two idol fans were consumed with their obsession, so when their idol killed herself, they followed suit. The young woman whose identity was wrapped up in her own appearance ended her life to preserve her beauty. The abused gymnast saw no way out, no hope in ever living free from torment. Some explanations may be more sympathetic than others, but they all possess their own internal logic. Contemporary society is full of a vast array of pressures and stresses and each one, taken to breaking point, can result in death. Case closed. This might very well be our conclusion from the first ten episodes.

Only the case isn’t closed. Because there is a question that has pervaded every episode until now, but has remained unspoken: How is it that death could even become an option for the egg girls? Why does reaching a breaking point trigger suicide? What made death seem like a savior to these girls? This is the question that episode 11 tackles, in its own admittedly obscure way. The eggheads are focused on the underlying, deeper reality that unites all the eggs’ stories, as disparate as they are—the common thread, which is the idea that death is a release, a rescue, a beautiful ending, and as a result, it is tempting.

“But we wondered if there could be another push that drove them to suicide,” explains Ura-Acca.

This is a really important question for us to be asking. Because it’s not just these traumatized, vulnerable girls who fall for the seduction of death. We do, too.

Just ponder for a moment: Have you ever anticipated how wonderful it will be when, in heaven, you no longer struggle with that particular temptation? When your temper is no longer so short, when you’re not afraid of being hurt anymore? Or maybe you think about how one day, on those gold-paved streets, you won’t have to worry anymore. All your hard work coping and just keeping it together will finally pay off and you’ll cross that finish line and heave a sigh of relief, knowing that you made it in the end. Have you ever contemplated these kinds of things? I know I have.

But here’s the thing: When I expect my liberation to come only after I die and not right here, right now, then it is not Jesus who is my savior, but death. I am waiting for death to free me from temptation and sin and fear and brokenness, and usher me into eternal life. I make Thanatos my god.

The temptation of death is not limited to the drastic act of suicide, but also permeates all the accusations and fears that inspire us to put off living the fullness of life in Christ here and now. It’s the temptation to believe that it is death that will ultimately solve the more difficult and painful problems in life.

Acca and Ura-Acca seek to create a love that suits their ideals, just to relieve their stress.

The source of this “temptation of death” in Wonder Egg Priority is Frill, the AI. That is, a man-made, artificial version of love—with ai meaning “love” in Japanese. According to Ura-Acca, they made her “just for fun,” as a way of dealing with the stress of their enclosed lives. They designed her to suit their preferences, to make it easier to love her and forget that she was artificial. In this sense, Frill is the fruit of their self-centeredness, her every characteristic designed to satisfy their own ideals of how a daughter and woman should be. And this artificial love born of selfishness brings death into their midst and beyond, spreading it through the horrendous deformities of girlhood that she in turn creates, in imitation of her fathers. (Only perhaps her creations are less deceptive than theirs, wearing their monstrosity plainly on the outside…)

Frill’s creations. We’ve met Dash (right) and Dot (center), but who is that on the left? And is her name Morse??

To counter her destructive influence, Acca and Ura-Acca need true love, a genuine love. They need Ai, a messy, at times very weak human being, but one who nevertheless is willing to fight to live up to her name and maybe, just maybe, become a warrior of Eros.

There is also a deep, underlying force at work in our world, one that connects all despair and the actions born of it. A wide range of social issues, traumas and mental health challenges can and do trigger suicide, but they do not explain it fully. The deeper reality is the existence of an enemy who seeks to manipulate us into believing our true savior can only be death, whether it is right away by our own hand, or more subtly, decades from now by natural causes. But this is a lie, and it is one that we can combat. Just as I’m sure we’ll see in the final episode that Ai is equipped to wage the coming battle in WEP, so too are we armed, here and now, with the power to overwhelm the enemy’s “temptation of death”—we possess already the words of life, given to us by our true savior.

Jesus began his ministry with a public announcement that he had come to heal heart wounds, comfort those in pain, fill broken lives with beauty, and wrap those in despair with reasons to praise like a warm protective blanket, so that they might celebrate with joy once again. He came to bring freedom to prisoners and captives alike, giving a fresh new life to those locked up because of deeds done wrong, and those punished and injured at the hands of others. He came to take the outcasts, the weak, the traumatized and broken and transform them into mighty oaks, clean and strong; into people with the vision and skill and compassion and fortitude to rebuild a broken world (Isaiah 61:1-4, Luke 4:18),

He came to rewrite and restore our experience of life here on earth, and through us, to redeem our communities, cities, nations, and the world. God does not withhold the fullness of life from us until we finally make it to him in heaven. No, instead he moved heaven and earth to get right up close so that he could pour his own life out into us, even going so far as to breathe his very spirit into our hearts and bodies and minds. We don’t need to wait for death’s rescue—our hero has already come. But we do need to remind each other and ourselves of this truth pretty often, and let it work down deep into all the cracks and bruises in our souls until it strengthens all our weak spots.

In Deuteronomy 30:19, God tells the Israelites that he has given them the authority to choose between life and death. But he also tips the balances in their favor, urging them to choose life. In Jesus, he comes to tip the balances even further, making it possible for us to step into eternal life here and now, immediately and forever. So let’s do it. Each day, through each struggle we face. Let’s choose life and not death.

Warrior of love? And is Ai’s himawari (sunflower) related to Himari somehow?

Join me (in spirit) for the final episode on Tuesday to see Ai’s love triumph! (At least, I really really hope that’s what happens!)

1056

survey by katesmarie13 

(Merry Christmas! Or Happy Holidays! Or Happy Friday! <3)

Okay, just a few basics first...THEN the new stuff.

Your full name? I only feel like sharing the name Robyn today.

Your hometown? Manila, kinda. I won’t give away the city I currently reside in.

Age? 22, and a waste of a year it was. I’m so tempted to just turn 22 again in 2021.

Now for something different and completely random...

When you're having a bad day, what comfort food do you reach for? It differs per bad day and it also depends if I can afford to get whatever it is I’m craving. Though for the most part, I’ve found myself pining for samgyupsal the most often. It’s just the ultimate problem-fixer and makes-the-sad-go-away-er.

Do you have an item that is your good luck charm? I don’t really believe in those, so no. The farthest I’ve gone with a certain item and luck is how I insisted to use the same paddle that was available in our gym whenever I trained for table tennis back in high school. The reason I don’t think it has anything to do with luck is because I simply thought I had the best grip with that paddle, not because I was convinced I can win any game with it.

If so, what is it? See paddle situation aboe.

Your favorite thing about your job (or school)? It’s in the media/public relations field so there are lots of freebies and treats that come with the job that make what I do worth it, and a lot more fun. The entire team also consists of Gen Z-ers and younger Millennials, so there are practices we follow that bigger corporations might not have, like longer office shutdowns during Christmas (we don’t get back to work until Jan 4th), reminders to take mental health breaks, and a no-video-meetings rule every Friday afternoon.

Least favorite thing about your job (or school)? It’s very, very hectic so I have the tendency to get overwhelmed as early as 10 AM. There’s never any dead air and I don’t get rest for nine hours straight (my shift is technically eight hours, but I work through the allotted 1-hour lunch break as well). OT is also common, but at least I get paid for it. Demanding clients who micromanage and/or ask for too much work to be done from our end also make the job stressful.

Does global warming and the hole in the ozone truly bother you? Of course. My heart sinks every time I come across a new article saying glaciers are melting, that animals living in polar regions are suffering, that sea ice continues to drastically decrease, etc.

Do you have a "funny" toenail? I don’t think so? All my toenails look...the way they’re supposed to look like, lol.

How many times have you moved in your lifetime? The times I can remember, just twice. But my parents moved around a bit when I was still an infant.

Do you watch professional wrestling and is it real? I do watch and keep up with it, just not as much as I used to. I don’t recognize most of the new faces anymore, and I wouldn’t be able to give you a decent breakdown of the current storylines in any promotion, not even in WWE. The angles, results, belts, and characters all aren’t real, but the movesets (especially the submission holds) risks, and injuries very much are. Are we going to debate this in 2020 still? Lmao.

What's your favorite thing to microwave? Don’t microwaves just heat stuff up? I dunno if it heats a certain food better than others lol.

Could Pop-Tarts survive a nuclear attack? I doubt it.

Does anyone know where the UP (Upper Peninsula) is? Can I give you a different UP? That’s where I went to in college, heh heh.

What's the regular unleaded gas price where you are? I have no idea. I never paid attention. I usually just give the gas attendant anywhere between P300 to P700 and see how far up it would fill my tank.

Do you know someone who's been injured in Iraq? I don’t know. Probably not. None of my relatives who migrated ever signed up for the US military.

Do you remember what a Puff-A-Lump is? I’m pretty positive I’ve never heard of it before.

Least favorite TV show? Game of Thrones.

Favorite canned soup? I don’t consume that.

How far does your belly button stick out or sink in? How can I even measure this?

Do you have a particular coffee mug you drink from? Yes, but I’ve described it so many times in surveys from just this month alone.

What does that mug say/have on it? The first line reads “Seattle, WA” then “Starbucks” in big bold letters, then “Coffee Company” below it, and the last line reads. “Est. 1971.”

Your take on declawing cats? I don’t like cats a lot but this does not sound like a responsible thing to do, and it also sounds like a painful procedure for a poor cat.

Do have smoke detectors in your home? No. That’s not really a requirement or standard practice here.

Would it be easy to erase YOUR identity? I suppose it’s technically easy to hire someone who can do that (a la Breaking Bad), I just would not be willing to do it and give up who I am for anything in the world.

Do you know anyone named Sam? Lots. My cousin is named Sam; I also went to school with multiple Sams.

How many drawers do you have in your room/office? Five.

What was your favorite snuggle toy when you were a child? I was happy with a pillow. I was never into stuffed toys all that much.

Great! A few firsts then...

What was your first pet and their name? I had a goldfish that I simply named Goldy. I vividly remember this because Angela’s first pet was also a goldfish; and there was a time we did show-and-tell in first grade and she bought her pet. We had been bickering that day, as 7 year olds do, and I remember being an absolute asshole and snickering when she introduced her fish as Fishy because I thought it was a cheesy name and that Goldy was far superior. Sorry Fishy. You had a great name.

When your mind wanders, where does it go first? My biggest stressor for the day, usually.

Your first knick-knack (item you placed in your room/house)? I have no clue. I was 10 when we first moved in here, and a completely different person.

First "real" piece of jewlery? (This goes for the guys too) I’m going to forgive this survey for being a little sexist because it’s nearly 15 years old; but anyway, I’ve never had any expensive jewelry of my own. All the pricey ones I’ve ever worn are owned by mom.

What did you do on your first date? We went to a museum and had early dinner at an Italian-American restaurant. We also had coffee after, and then she slept over at my place where I let her play GTA V on our PS3 because she wasn’t allowed to play it in her house.

Who was your first best friend? Kaye. I can’t trace her down now because she has such a common name, but I hope she’s been doing well.

When did you first realize that life isn't easy and fun? I was 12, going through puberty and a generally not-nice time of my life, with everyone in the house hating and isolating me.

And lastly...

The last thing you thought about before you fell asleep last night? I briefly thought about how many hours I need to sleep to get a decent rest, but I passed out in like 10 seconds.

Your last argument? Last night my mom and I had an argument about where I last placed my phone because I had already misplaced it two times prior during the day.

Your last words to someone...? “You’re wearing black; it’s not too obvious” when my mom was complaining that she looked a bit big in her outfit for today.

The last place you'd go? I’m not very sure about the wording here. Do you mean the last place I went to (outside the house to pay for a delivery)? Or the last place I’d want to go to before I die (no clue)? Hahahaha.

The last thing you'd find yourself wearing? Again, not so sure about the grammar here.

What will be the last thing that you do today? Trying to doze off.

BBC’s The War Of The Worlds blog - Episode 3

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you may want to before reading this review)

You know, people often ask me why I get so angry when I’m reviewing BBC shows. I mean yes I give Disney and Marvel a hard time too, but they don’t get nearly as much bile and venom as I give the BBC. Well that’s because, unlike Disney and Marvel, BBC shows are funded by the British taxpayer through our TV licence fees. I’m effectively paying for them to make this crap. That’s what pisses me off more than anything.

Yes we mercifully come to the end of this... this. Episode 1 was a slow, plodding and utterly tedious affair that was about as exciting as an Amish bachelor party. Episode 2 was even worse thanks to its poor narrative structure, terrible characterisation and less than subtle allegories. Now Harness has come to hammer the final nail in the coffin with Episode 3. Is it bad?

...

You’re right, that’s a stupid question. A more apt question would be how bad is it. Very, very bad is the answer. Very, very bad indeed.

Lets start with the obvious problem. The non-linear narrative introduced in the previous episode. The stupid early reveal that the Martians ultimately lose and that Amy survives completely destroyed any and all tension and suspense thanks to Peter Harness desperately trying to outwit the audience instead of just telling a story. Now, bizarrely, he tries to reintroduce tension by having the characters umming and arghing about what killed the Martians off and whether this could help stop the Earth from terraforming. One teeny, tiny problem with this though. The audience already know! Even those that never read the original book know how it ended! And even if you didn’t, the episode drops enough hints like great fucking boulders. The prevalence of typhoid throughout the episode and its correlation with the Martians stumbling around like a drunken prom date isn’t exactly hard to miss. Harness’ writing is still as unsubtle as ever. But worse still, he completely undermines and misses the point of the ending to War Of The Worlds.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people (mostly Americans) criticise the end of the original book for being a deus ex machina. I mean the Martians get killed off by the common cold. How stupid, right? Except it’s not because those people (mostly Americans) are looking at it the wrong way. Your main takeaway shouldn’t be that the Martians were easily killed off by bacteria. Rather that we failed to stop them. The reason humanity prevails in the end is more down to luck than anything else. The narrator even attributes this to being an act of God. But here’s the thing. We didn’t stand a chance against the Martians. We didn’t beat them. They lost because they just happened to catch a cold. Now it’s not hard to imagine a society as scientifically advanced as their’s to be able to find some kind of cure or vaccine for it. And if and when they do, what then? We’d be fucked, wouldn’t we? Should the Martians ever return to finish what they started, the human race would be well and truly doomed. It’s not a deus ex machina. It’s a dire warning of what’s to come. A brief respite before the inevitable. That’s what makes the ending so effective.

The BBC series however completely misunderstands this, changing the story so that Ogilvy (an astronomer, don’t forget) somehow manages to weaponize typhoid in order to kill the red weed, which is presented as some kind of victory, when in reality it’s quite an insulting deviation from the source material. If only the Commonwealth could shake off the remnants of British colonialism as easily as these guys dealt with the red weed. Not to mention it just makes the Martians look really stupid. So they come to Earth, drink our blood, keel over and then... what, they just give up? Are they just waiting for humanity to die by itself? What happens when Mars HQ realises the red weed hasn’t worked? What then? Are they just going to shrug it off? It doesn’t make any sense.

Which brings us to the Martians themselves. The picture above comes from the Jeff Wayne musical version and is without a doubt the most accurate depiction of the Martians from the book. Most of the other adaptations have wildly different interpretations, which isn’t a problem in and of itself provided it works within the context of that particular narrative. However the reason I bring up the original design is so I can talk about what H.G. Wells intended when he came up with them. See, while the Martians are highly intelligent, they’re also presented as being quite vestigial. They’re sluggish thanks to Earth’s heavier gravity, rendered practically deaf thanks to Earth’s dense atmosphere and apparently have no organs with which to digest their food, hence their need to inject human blood directly into themselves for sustenance. The Martians represent what humanity could become as we become more and more reliant on technology. The Industrial Revolution brought about a lot of societal fears and concerns at the time, and the Martians are those fears manifested. Heartless creatures reduced to being simple brains, unable to properly interact with the world around them.

The BBC series goes a very different route. Instead of the giant brains, we instead get giant brown crabs, which, again, isn’t necessarily a problem provided it works in context. And that’s the problem. It doesn’t. The original Wells design told us what we needed to know about their biology, their motivations and their society. What do we learn about the BBC Martians? They’re big, generic monsters that look like rejects from Stranger Things. They don’t even inject blood into themselves. They feed off of us directly, leechlike. They’re more like animals. Not the vast, cold, unsympathetic intellects they were described to be. At no point do you buy that these creatures would be capable of building the Tripods or colonising the Earth. They just exist for some cheap jump scares and horror movie cliches.

What’s worse is that by changing the Martians’ design so drastically, any subtextual allegory gets chucked in the bin. The Martians from the book are meant to represent the British Empire at the height of its power. Merciless tyrants stomping all over the lives and cultures of the so called ‘lesser races,’ changing the environment to suit them rather than adapting to the existing environment. It’s Darwinism crossed with arrogance. And yet, ironically, the oppressors (the Martians) are technically inferior to the natives (the humans) as they are incapable of surviving without the aid of technology. The BBC series is unable to make this allegory, so Harness has to resort to straight up telling the audience the allegory. In by far the clunkiest scene in the entire series, we see George argue with his brother about how the Martians are no different from the Brits in their colonial ways. Not only does this break the ‘show, don’t tell’ rule and stands as a perfect example of bad storytelling, Harness doesn’t even bother to do anything with this other than just making the comparison. It’s been previously established that Amy was born and raised in India. You’d think she’d have something to say about all this, but nope. At the end, she wistfully describes India to her son in the most patronising and insulting way possible. It’s really quite disgusting. I mean H.G. Wells was quite patronising towards the Tasmanians in the book, but in his defence, he was a privileged white man from the 1800s. What’s Peter Harness’ excuse?! Ostensibly he pays lip service to the idea that the Martians are no different from the Brits, but he doesn’t want to really explore it or get us to actually think about it. Probably because it’s all a bit too complicated to get into, but if he’s not confident about exploring such topics, why the fuck is he adapting War Of The Worlds in the first bloody place?! Write something else!

In fact I think this is the root of all the problems with this adaptation. Harness clearly isn’t capable of exploring the complex themes of the source material, so instead he either introduces irrelevant social issues that aren’t nearly as complicated (women’s rights, empires are bad and so on) as a token show of progressiveness, or he goes as far as to uncomplicate themes and ideas to an almost offensive degree. In the book, the narrator is trapped in a church with a priest who is going through a major existential crisis and risks giving away their hiding spot to the Martians, who are busy terraforming the planet. So he resorts to knocking the priest unconscious and watching as the Martians drag his body away. In the BBC series, we see the old woman and the kid get killed off for no reason other than shock value and the characters have nothing to do with their demise, so they’re morally in the clear. The priest meanwhile doesn’t even appear in the scene, instead being relegated to the shitty flash forwards where his faith remains very much intact and even protests against the idea that it’s humanity’s illness that stopped the Martians rather than an act of God (brief side note, would Ogilvy really be this open about not believing in God? At the time of the book’s publication, the scene with the priest losing faith was considered extremely controversial, so this just seems utterly wrong). Plus there’s no tension in wondering what the Martians are doing and whether they’re going to find the characters. In fact there’s no tension whatsoever because we know the Martians have fallen ill and the characters are just hanging around, waiting for the fuckers to die. I cannot stress enough how atrociously awful the writing is in this show. We know the Martians are dying and the episode is about the characters waiting for them to die.

Jesus fucking Christ!

The Artilleryman from the previous episode was the same. In the book he was a deluded crackpot who willingly bought into imperialist dogma, believing that humanity could rebuild underground and eventually rise up and defeat the Martians. In the BBC series, he was a scared, innocent little waif being forced to fight in a war he wants no part of. It’s an incredibly shallow and uninteresting reinterpretation of the source material.

But the worst, the absolute worst, is what Harness does with George.

To be clear, no I’m not upset he gets killed off. I’ve made my views on him quite clear. He cheated on his wife because she was infertile and ran off to make whoopie with some redhead. The bastard deserves everything he gets, frankly. Plus I’ve had enough of Rafe Spall’s gormless acting to last a lifetime, thank you. What I am upset by is the way he gets killed off.

One of the most interesting parts of the original book is the fact that there are no heroes in War Of The Worlds. The Artilleryman is a young, impressionable, nationalist fool, the Priest descends into a pit of nihilistic despair, and the narrator survives only by his cowardice. He even goes as far as to attempt suicide, throwing himself in front of the unbeknownst to him dead Tripod because he cannot bear the idea of living in a world like this. It’s extremely dark and very cynical. The BBC series goes a very different route. We see George slowly become delirious as a result of the typhoid infection he got by drinking the poisoned cup of water in the previous episode (so all that stuff about the Martian terraforming was a load of bollocks) before, realising that he is becoming a burden to Amy, deciding to make the supreme sacrifice and facing the lone Martian alone while she makes a run for it. Not only does this open up a major plot hole - who the fuck was Amy expecting to arrive from the North if George is dead? They try to dismiss this as memory suppression, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t apply to losing a loved one to a fucking alien - it also completely stands at odds with the themes of the book. When facing annihilation at the hands of a higher power, the arrogant Brits, who previously lived a life of privilege on the backs of millions of subjugated, reveal themselves for who they truly are at their core. The BBC series says yeah, we were a bunch of racist tosspots with delusions of grandeur, but we weren’t all bad. The main takeaway I got from this despicable, badly written series was a three hour pity party about how all those selfish POCs don’t consider the feelings of white people and asking why can’t we all just get along.

Peter Harness’ bastardisation of War Of The Worlds is without a doubt one of the worst adaptations I’ve ever seen. In fact it’s quite possibly one of the worst TV shows I’ve ever seen, period. It’s not just the sheer disregard for the source material that upsets me. It’s also the absolute amateurish nature of the whole fucking thing. This series fails in some of the most basic ways. His writing is truly terrible, somehow getting steadily worse and worse with each episode. It’s not just upsetting to see someone get the fundamental elements of storytelling so spectacularly wrong, it honestly makes me sick to my fucking stomach. Peter Harness, please, for your own sake and my sanity, stop fucking writing. You’re clearly not good at it and I don’t want to see my money go to someone who obviously hasn’t the faintest fucking idea what they’re doing. Enough is enough.

So it would seem that Jeff Wayne’s musical version remains the best adaptation of War Of The Worlds. In fact can we just have a movie adaptation of that please?

preview - species part one.

the sister cities of ostara and litha are home to a host of species, each with their own unique set of abilities. below, you can read more about each species. a species’ rarity will be noted by their name through stars. 0 stars would mean extinct, while 6 stars would mean they make up a significant portion of the population. 

WITCHES  ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

witches are spiritual beings who live and thrive in communities called ‘covens’ - although typically communal and made of multiple families, smaller covens aren’t unheard of. their magic doesn’t come from within, but rather from their relationship to nature, to the old gods, and through the strength of their coven. most witches have a singular, refined talent such as potion making or spellwork, but almost all of them can access basic arcane knowledge. since witches magic isn’t inherent, humans can study to become one, and most witches need a vessel through which to create magic - such as herbs, charms, wands or incantations.

witches appear human, and as such have a human lifespan.

witches can access the following abilities:

spell casting the ability to cast spells, typically through words, although some witches may be able to do so through hand gestures.

telekinesis the ability to move objects through mental power.

scrying the ability to locate items or people through an object, typically a crystal ball.

potion brewing the enhanced ability to create magical concoctions.

hex casting the ability to place temporary curses on others.

blood magic the ability to perform rituals through blood, often times allowing the user to manipulate the substance.

ALCHEMISTS  ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

the ‘scientists’ of the magic community, alchemists follow a unique method of science focused on the transformation of matter, following one golden rule: everything must have a give and a take. this ‘magic’ relies on carefully drawn transmutation circles, of which many alchemists get tattoo’d for ease. humans can study and learn the ways of alchemy, but alchemists by blood are known for being stingy with their own personal methods.

alchemists appear human, and as such have a human lifespan. alchemists are hindered by the requirement of a transmutation circle, and the nature of their magic - unlike witches, they cannot create magic out of nothing, and have to work with pre-existing materials.

alchemists can access the following abilities:

transmutation the ability to transform objects or beings into something else completely.

alchemy the ability to utilize all aspects of the science of alchemy.

curse altering the ability to modify curses and hexes - swaps out a person’s curse for a different ailment, a gambling trade.

density manipulation the ability to alter the density of themselves or objects, making them light enough to walk on air or heavy enough to withstand attacks.

PROPHETS  ✮

serving as vessels for a higher power, prophets are those with the unique ability to foresee the future, although these visions may not always be clear. some prophets convey their findings through the traditional mediums of art or song, while less artistic prophets find theirs coming to them in cold-sweat dreams and hallucinations. unlike many other species, two prophets cannot conceive another of their kind - instead, prophets are stuck in an endless cycle of reincarnation without retaining past memories - their new form born to the last person to see them before their death. for this reason, many infertile women will seek out aging prophets for a chance to bear a child.

prophets appear human, and as such have a human life-span. unfortunately, as a ‘give and take’ with their ability to have visions of the future, many modern prophets find themselves born with another one of their senses either dulled or completely gone. this can range from hearing disabilities to blindness.

prophets can access the following abilities:

precognition the ability to perceive future events before they happen. many prophets have a ‘trigger’ for this, whether it be art, dreams, emotionally charged situations, etc.

danger intuition the ability to sense threats.

prophecy construction the ability to create prophecies that manipulate events that will happen in the present or future.

accelerated probability the ability to foresee outcomes of decisions.

GHOSTS  ✮ ✮ ✮

ghosts are typically spirits who died in gruesome or tragic ways, unfinished with the living world, and clinging in the ‘in-between’. while ostara quickly disposes of any spirits haunting their city, it’s not uncommon to find ghosts floating through litha with muffled moans, bringing chills and a sense of foreboding with them everywhere they go. their desperate cling to life, or upsets over unfinished business often turns their frustration into chaos, while others are sober in the wake of their loss.

ghosts can will a corporeal form to appear, and they will appear as they did right before they died. ghosts can only move on if dealt with by a psychopomp - like a reaper. ghosts can posses others, but rarely are able to fully take over the vessel fully.

cyrokinesis the ability to manipulate coldness and ice.

teleportation the ability to teleport from one location to another.

levitation the ability to float and walk on air.

intangibility the ability to turn into a non-corporeal form.

possession the power to possess bodies of the living.

sonic scream the ability to emit a super-powered scream, can be used as an offensive attack.

DEMONS  ✮ ✮

demons do not necessarily have to die to become what they are - any corrupted soul, overrun by evil and greed can find themselves in the process of becoming one. a relatively aggressive ghost that is able to both posses and take over a body can also result in a demon, although this is less common. the most malevolent of all the species, demons thrive on chaos - and their only goal is to create more of their kind. the change is often marred by a sudden, drastic physical change, but demons can usually blend themselves into society - only given away by patches of red skin, black eyes, and jagged wings that will begin to form on their body over time.

demons are technically immortal, but will only survive as long as their body can. they can be mortally wounded, or exorcised out of their body.

rage inducement the power to incite anger and violence in others.

fire manipulation the ability to manipulate and call the element of fire at will.

intangibility the ability to turn into a non-corporeal form.

possession the power to possess bodies of the living.

pain inducement the power to inflict pain on others without physical violence.

HUMANS  ✮ ✮

in ostara - humans are a bit of an oddity. poor tourists that find their way into the city usually make it out alive past night fall, falling prey to species with particular appetites or vengeful individuals who remember the age of witch hunts. they are treated the way some would consider flies - they’ll allow you to exist, but at the slightest hint of annoyance, they’ll swat.

in litha - humans are much more common, thanks in part to the academy recruiting college students. tourists aren’t uncommon either, easily enchanted by the simplest display of magic. a small minority of non-student humans live in litha, although they’ve had to learn to be street smart and alert to survive their supernatural neighbors.

humans have no abilities, but with rigorous study, could become a witch or alchemist.

FAMILIARS  ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮

familiars are guardian spirits, serving to protect those they are bonded to as well as help heighten their partners powers. born with the ability to transform in between an animal or human form, familiars' animal state is influenced by the person they are tied to, and different familiars forms can represent social status. this form can appear in the dreams of someone who is fated to cross the path of their partner. there are two types of familiars and familiar bonds: legacy and non-legacy. legacy familiars are tied to a bloodline instead of an individual, and can live for multiple centuries, serving an entire family line. non-legacy familiars are tied to a single person, and the relationship tends to be in favor of companionship rather than protection.

familiars lifespan will match to their partners, and legacy familiars can live for multiple centuries. familiar’s are emotionally and physically tethered to their partner, and the breaking of a bond can be incredibly traumatizing.

enhanced senses sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste are all intensified.

animal form the ability to transform into their animal counterpart.

claw retraction the ability to extend and retract claws from one’s hands.

magic amplification the ability to strengthen the abilities of their bonded partner

DRAGONS  ✮ ✮ ✮

dragons, the most fearsome guardians of mythos, have decidedly different reputations depending on who you ask. european dragons were solitary creatures, often hot-headed or villainous in nature - often revered for their hoards of treasure and wealth, and born with the innate ability to breathe fire. eastern dragons, however, reigned over bodies of water and were instead associated with power and good fortune. modern dragon-borns found in the sister cities tend to be of a lineage that blends both halves of the myth. unlike many other species that thrive in family units, dragons are considered mainly solitary creatures, and adolescents of the species move out earlier than most. they tend to exist on the fringes of the city, stubborn to the idea of being governed, but are still regarded with high respect. dragons are born with the innate ability to manipulate water or fire, but never both.

dragons have developed a human-esque form over time, but can still be seen with any combo of the following: horns of varying sizes, slitted pupils, small patches of scales, or wings. dragons can live up to 100 years, and their aging process slows once they reach adulthood.

social magnetism the ability to attract or repel others.

fear inducement the ability to provoke irrational fear in others.

wing manifestation the power to develop or form wings.

fire OR water manipulation the ability to control and generate electricity OR ice.

dragon physiology the ability to gain dragon-like features at will.

What do Anti-Fairies eat? Normally we see Anti-Wanda eating a very regular normal sandwich but yet in Fairy OddBaby, when Anti-Cosmo was talking about plans for universal domination we can see the food on the table doesn't look like normal food humans eat? Also another point during Love Triangle, when Foop said his mother(Anti-Wanda) packed chicken nuggets and snake venom antidote for him?

Most Anti-Fairies will eat anything they find since food is scarce in their world (Poor plant growth means poor herbivore growth means poor carnivore growth… You see a lot of snakes and lizards in Anti-Fairy World but they’re not very nutritious). Anti-Fairies can starve, but they can’t die. So, you end up with a large hungry population. Anti-Fairy culture is huge on providing for your guests if you have the means since food is usually hard to come by.

One of Anti-Cosmo’s character strengths is that he remembers his people don’t have easy access to food (in contrast with the previous High Count, Anti-Bryndin, who didn’t really care and used his people’s hunger to bring them into one place every year for tourism reasons… The zodiac festivals aren’t as impressive with Anti-Cosmo at the helm but that’s because people are showing up voluntarily to celebrate and not because they’re starving).

Most of what makes it onto Anti-Fairy tables in my ‘fics are birds, reason being there are a lot of mythical birds to choose from. Birds exist in the cloudlands, but many mammals like deer don’t, or only do in small populations. The cloudlands are an archipelago of floating rocks and clouds, but animals can’t even swim between them… If you can’t fly, you’re stuck. That means your ability to forage for food and hide from predators is limited. This isn’t even including the fact that oxygen is limited high in the cloudlands, so there are some places animals can’t even breathe.

Once the fae lost Earth to the humans, it drastically reduced their ability to hunt. Shepherds and farmers are highly prized in the cloudlands for that reason. Especially since many Fairies share their genetics with carnivorous insects and require a meat-heavy diet for health reasons. Meat from yale (magical cows; see also “A Mile In My Shoes”) and mutton from sheep are considered high quality while chicken and pig products are more common and less expensive.

One thing I’m particular about while writing for my Anti-Fairies is, they use spoons for most of their food. You don’t see a lot of finger-food in their culture, exception being fruit like an apple. Soup is common in Anti-Fairy World too… Those fangs weren’t made for chewing! Yes, they do consume meat, but it’s often turned into soup. Anti-Fairies usually dip tough chunks of meat in their soup and eat it that way… If something can be scooped on a spoon and swallowed easily, you’ll find it in Anti-Fairy World.

A lot of thought goes into my fanfic meals behind the scenes, actually.

Following the Sacred Revolution (so, back when the fae were first establishing themselves as people), the Anti-Fairies were given one of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. They received the Dagda’s bottomless cauldron. The cauldron is capable of producing an abundance of food, but it can only produce raw food capable of growing in the land it currently resides in. So you can obtain raw fish, but you have to prepare it if you want proper sushi. You can summon grapes, but not raisins or wine. This wasn’t a problem when Fairy World and Anti-Fairy World were combined as one world, but when they were split after the War of the Sunset Divide and the Barrier went up, suddenly the cauldron could only produce food native to Anti-Fairy World. Which isn’t much.

I have a scene I’ve been sitting on for a few years where one of the Seelie (probably H.P. or Poof; I never decided) bemoans that Fairies don’t have as much culture as the Anti-Fairies. When Anti-Cosmo and Foop point out they do, the argument becomes “Well, we don’t have cultural foods,” and the immediate response from all Anti-Fairies present is “Grapes.” Grapes are extremely valuable in Anti-Fairy World since they can be turned into wine, which most Anti-Fairies drink, but grapes won’t grow in Anti-Fairy World so the Anti-Fairies are constantly importing them. Grapes are always the first thing that gets cut off during war. Crucial piece of Anti-Fairy life that Fairies take for granted.

For most of Anti-Fairy existence, the Anti-Coppertalon family were able to host elaborate feasts and provide for many people. The Dagda’s cauldron was always brought to the biannual migration locations and this is why Anti-Fairy World is able to have massive parties like the one we recently saw in “The Phoenix and the Courgette.”

Unfortunately (and we’ll see this later in Frayed Knots), Anti-Cosmo lost the cauldron during the War of the Angels, so the Anti-Fairies have been in a poor position ever since. Funnily enough, that war story I posted earlier this week (“You’ll Never Know”)? The reason Fairy/Anti-Fairy tensions swelled in the first place was the mysterious disappearance of the Fairy treasure, King Nuada’s sword. Fairies blamed the Anti-Fairies (Foop in particular) for the theft and the Anti-Fairies retorted by suggesting the Fairies stole the bottomless cauldron. You may notice first-person narrator Foop conveniently left out this detail…

Lady Summers’ servants

(A/N: I wanted to give you short characterisations of her servants, so here you go. I started with the more important ones, because honestly, those are the ones who play an actual role in the story.

Lady Summers, Consulting telepath and conversational therapist, has a multicultural ensemble of servants under her payroll. They're very different from each other, but have two things in common: they're all illegitimate children and half-siblings of their mistress (don't ask – her father was a ladies' man with a weakness for the exotic). This will be brought up a lot, so I thought I should say this beforehand.)

1. The butler: Sameer Singh

He was born on 15th February 1853 in New Delhi, India. He is the illegitimate child of a European nobleman and a poor washing girl (who also happened to be a Rakshasi in disguise, but the father didn't mind). His father left India before he was born, so Sameer stayed with his mother for almost eighteen years.

In 1870 his future mistress Lady Summers came to India, specifically to find him. After some negotiating with Sameer's semi-divine mother, the Rakshasi agreed to her son serving in the Lady's household as her butler (under the condition that he would be treated well, of course). He has been her butler ever since.

No one outside the Lady's household knows why she hired him specifically (or any of the other servants), but he does a splendid job, so no one complains.

Sameer is mild-mannered, polite, patient and very dedicated to his work and his mistress.

He likes animals, flowers and spicy food (as long as it doesn't contain beef, as he's Hindu), his employer and all of his half-siblings. As a Hindu, he worships Shiva and Kali specifically.

What he doesn't like are lowbrows, racists, religious fanatics and everyone who messes with Lady Summers and makes her upset.

Apart from his native languages, Hindi and Sanskrit, he speaks German, English, French, Latin, Greek and Arabic.

He's also good at sword fighting.

From his mother he inherited several magical traits, shapeshifting for example.

His natural appearance is that of a relatively tall Indian man with tanned skin, black hair and brown eyes, but he also has a demon form, which is fearsome beyond description.

2. The lady-in-waiting: Kurogawa Aoimoku (Aoimoku is the given name)

She was born on 2nd March 1855 in Kyoto, Japan, to the daughter of a Ninja (not as cool as it sounds). Despite not having demonic heritage like Sameer (who is her half-brother), she was born with the ability to make herself invisible. That and the fact that she was a bastard child made her childhood rather tough, as she was viewed as inhuman. Therefore, she grew up with her grandfather, the only person around who wasn't scared and saw her ability as a gift rather than a curse.

Under his care, she received intensive training, until in early 1871 Lady Summers arrived in Kyoto to look for her. Her grandfather only consented for the fifteen-year-old girl to go with the German Lady after he would die. So the European stayed with them for almost a year, until he passed away. Then she took Aoimoku back to Europe with her.

The ninja girl didn't trust that strange foreigner at first, but changed her opinion at seeing how much the two of them had in common.

Aoimoku is nonchalant, demure, calm and (like the rest of the household) deeply loyal to Lady Summers.

She likes Japanese food, piano music (Chopin in particular), literature, flowers and making herself invisible to prank people (and come on, can you blame her?).

What she hates is loud noise, rudeness and anyone who angers her mistress. Like any proper ninja, she can make a weapon of anything and hide it anywhere.

She looks like your average Japanese lady, except that she has ice blue eyes, like her mistress (hence her name Aoimoku, which roughly translates to “blue eyes”).

3. The day nurse: Marie Rickinger

She was born on 17th September 1846 in Innsbruck, Austria. Therefore, she's the oldest member of Lady Summers' staff, being less than eleven years younger than the Lady herself.

Her mother died in childbirth, so she was raised by her grandmother, a nurse. Consequently, the little girl resolved to follow in her footsteps. Her grandmother, knowing who the father was, wrote a letter to him, informing him of the child. So he took her in and to financed a thorough training for her as a nurse.

Marie doesn't like Prussians at all, but her late father and older half-sister are the exception. After finishing her training at the age of twenty, she became their nurse and was with them wherever they went. Lady Summers is fond of her to the point, where she puts up with how much Marie (being a nurse) frets over her and her fragile health (even though it annoys her). The Prussian Lady takes her nurse with her when she wants to go out, but doesn't feel too well.

She is fiercely loyal, caring, cheerful, temperamental and blunt. At times she can be extremely overbearing, much to her patient's chagrin. But she always means the best.

Marie has the same hair and eye colour as Lady Summers, but is taller and chubbier. She's well-endowed and hates that a lot of people check her out. So she resorts to drastic measures to keep people from leering at her bust or behind (she doesn't resort to violence, but when she's done with people, they often wish she did).

Although she's not the most high-ranking of the servants (that's butler Sameer) and neither has any supernatural powers, everyone looks up to her and respects her as the second oldest person in the house (after the Lady herself).

4. The coachman: Sean O'Connor

He was born in a village in Skibbereen, Ireland on 23rd January 1850, after the Great Famine, to the widow of a man, who had fallen victim to the famine. His mother received from his biological father a large fortune to live on, which she used to move to England. Even though he received a good education, he decided to be a cab driver. That was to the great disapproval of his mother, since it's a very underpaid job. The O'Connors were sought out shortly after his father's death in 1870, by Lady Summers. He agreed to become her coachman and has been her driver ever since.

She pays him handsomely, much to his mother's satisfaction. Mrs. O'Connor passed away in 1875.

His special ability is that he always knows the way. That doesn't sound like much, but for his job it's very important. It helps him in places he doesn't know.

He's cheerful, generous, blunt and quick-witted, but also has a hot temper and can be really petty.

He likes singing, dancing, the country, the Lady's horses and helping people. But he hates cruelty, indifference, English people who look down on the Irish and everyone who doesn't treat their horses well.

As the Lady's coachman, he sticks to her like glue and drives her everywhere. She accepts no other driver, be it in London, the country or even abroad.

He's a relatively tall and bulky red-head with lots of freckles and emerald green eyes.

Like all the others, he's loyal to his mistress and dedicated to his work. To him it's only natural to get his passengers to their destination at all costs, so he always has a gun with him. He also doesn't recoil from hitting people with his horsewhip, should they endanger his Lady.

5. The hair dresser: Julie Alexandrine Desmoulins

She was born in Paris on 1st April 1847 (and likes to joke about how she's an April Fool's joke). She has a little sister, who is also on Lady Summers' pay roll. Her mother's husband, a hair dresser, raised the girls as his own and taught the older one his craft (the younger became a nurse). Their mother sought out the biological father after her husband's death in 1866. He took the girls in and they ended up as his legitimate daughter's employees, when he died (Lady Summers loves them, but she doesn't tolerate freeloaders).

She is the happy-go-lucky sort of woman and one of the few servants who have a family of their own. However, when it comes to hair fashion and food, she's a bit of a snob. Like the nurse Marie, she has no supernatural abilities, but she doesn't need any.

Julie likes her job, her family, the newest gossip, flowers, ballet and French cuisine. She does not like violence, bad fashion trends and bad hair styles. Lady Summers' trademark hair style is her French plait and fourrières and it annoys Julie a bit, that she only gets to style her hair differently on special occasions.

She is a tall brunette with ice blue eyes, like her mistress.

6. The night nurse: Philippine Desmoulins

She is Julie's little sister, having been born on 23rd January 1848. Unlike her older sister, she pursued the profession of a nurse. After finishing her training, she became the night nurse to assist day nurse Marie. They get along fine, despite having completely different characters. She gets along even better with Aoimoku, though.

Philippine is shy, sweet and demure and doesn't speak much. She doesn't like to talk to people, especially about her problems and focusses more on those of others and on her work. Lady Summers of course can tell when something is wrong and then they talk it out. Telepathically.

She loves peace and quiet, flowers and birds and being there for people, who need her. Needless to say, she does ABSOLUTELY NOT like loud noise, bright light and large crowds.

She has incredible night-sight, which is the main reason she chose to be the night nurse.

She looks a lot like Lady Summers, but is three inches taller (1,55m).

20 Resources That'll Make You Better at digimon world dawn

Digitize PSP Cheats And Methods ~ Cheathunter

Following a success of Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Japanese domestic anime market confronted severe pressure from international filmmakers. Nelson Chitty can be a Venezuelan expat residing in Argentina. He's a writer and translator passionate about background and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is definitely spent between leisurely games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon. Not only was it a switch of pace when it comes to the Digimon themselves, however the human heroes also get a lot more tale than most seasons. There are some actual heart-tugging occasions and hints throughout of impending tale beats that produce rewatching a lot of fun.

Honestly, there is little reason to play this title today. Regularity with the parameters established initially by the series redeems Digimon Globe to a certain extent, emboldened in the eye of fans who appreciate simulation type games; however, that is easily one of the worst titles to try and grab today. Online. A players shuffled deck is placed face down right here. Cards drawn into the player's hand are extracted from the Online pile. I love the Assassin's creed series along with both Dead Space games. In modern times, butterflies are extremely common in Japanese anime and manga. Most often, butterflies represent a character's fleeting thoughts or dreams.

Digimon Globe for the PS1 is a great game if you enjoy Tamagotchi style gameplay. You need to raise and train them carefully in fact it is better to follow a information so that you can train the correct stats to make sure your Digimon digivolves into the particular monster you want. Once you have them digivolved you possess a certain amount of gametime before they will die and then you have to retrain the hatched Digimon. The main storyline revolves around you exploring to find a specific Digimon and recruit it back again to the village.

The English dub cast is fantastic and they are the reason I blind bought this anime without seeing it on legal streaming in Japanese. In the movie, Digimon Adventure which was a prelude to the Digimon series, no one knew the way the gateway between the Digital World and real life was activated. All they saw was just a moment when Digimon could travel from one to the other. Pokémon fans will immediately recognise the gameplay method of Best Fiends and can enjoy what it has to offer. When you begin out, you'll have the option between three different starter creatures (audio familiar?), and from there, you will http://www.bbc.co.uk/search?q=digimon start your journey to be the best.

Digimon Globe: Data Squad exists predominately as a tie-in for the recent Digimon: Data Squad anime series, so it shouldn't be too astonishing that the overall game spends short amount of time on character introductions and cuts straight to the flimsy plot. There's a great evil in the digital globe that's causing Digimon to do something all crazy, threatening to break through to the real world, and it's really up to the spiky-haired, androgynous Data Squad to investigate. Making things personal, younger sister of one of the associates of the info Squad, along with a bunch of additional young girls, has gone missing, plus they believe there's a connection. Characters will occasionally pop-up to shout some awkward dialogue, but once all the parts are set, the rest of the game is mostly simply a long, tiresome dungeon crawl.

It's hard to just go through the game at start state and realize the scope of what it was doing, the way that it had been forcing the industry to rethink several long-held assumptions about grouping and leveling. Certainly it wasn't noticeable to the devs at Blizzard, who (if memory serves) implemented the solo-friendly leveling framework because they wished to allow players in to the raiding endgame quicker and more efficiently. It had been only later that they realized just how much people recommended a more accessible framework and what that actually meant for the game's development.

I've only performed the first Digimon Globe, so I have no idea how it prices alongside the others. But I could say it's lots of fun. You teach up your Digimon, travel the island discovering new Digimon to provide to the town which grows the more people join. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary Content material in this edit is normally translated from the existing Russian Wikipedia article at :ru:Digimon Adventure; see its history for attribution.

On the Android side, Google's fiercest competition originates from - who else? - Samsung. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus had been released at the start of the year, and they utilize the same Snapdragon human brain as both of the PIxel 2s. Beyond that, their expansive Infinity Displays are almost beyond reproach and conveniently outshine the panels Google used this year. Both likewise have excellent cameras, even though I prefer what Google has achieved with the Pixels, the S8s have hook edge in low-light photography. Honestly, the decision boils down to software program: The S8s still run a version of Android 7.0 Nougat painted over with Samsung's custom interface. It's swimming in Samsung apps too, including the lackluster Bixby virtual assistant. Google's cleaner approach, coupled with the guarantee of software updates for three years, can make the Pixels more attractive to some.

I by no means claim this is a blacks versus whites issue. Multiculturalism could be applauded by blacks, since they get black background month, etc etc etc. Nonetheless it was created, promulgated, trained, and defended by whites who are ashamed of their own competition; ashamed by their very own country; and who would like everything America has stood for to become turned upside down-deconstructed. If you feel "popular 'old college' samurai anime," you imagine Rurouni Kenshin. The anime adaptation was manufactured in 1996, and was directed by Furuhashi Kazuhiro. Originally a manga (Japanese comic) series, Rurouni Kenshin follows the tale of Himura Kenshin, a wandering samurai through the Meiji period who utilized to be a skilled assassin working for the Bakumatsu government.

Digimon Globe Championship on the Nintendo DS is sort of like an upgraded type of the original Digimon games that were virtual-pets. You feed and care for your Digimon, and help them digivolve into more powerful forms. Championship is also very, very, VERY dull. There is very little gameplay in this game; your Digimon pals do all your work for you. All you have to to do is be sure that they are taken care of, which isn't exciting whatsoever. Championship looks wonderful for a game on the DS, and it does provide good nostalgia for individuals who grew up with the original Digimon virtual pet playthings. Notwithstanding that, Championship is certainly virtually Digimon for babies.

Stingmon is one of the more recognizable Digimon to anyone who was raised viewing the anime. Stingmon 1st showed up in the anime in Digimon Adventure 2 where he served as an antagonist for the 1st part of the time of year. Although Stingmon seems to be a Digimon with a cool head that's ready to battle at any time, his rookie type Wormmon is certainly a wimp and may never state what's on its mind. One of the major factors that produce Stingmon so cool is the drastic transformation in personality after digivolving. Stingmon's character is a key factor down the road when Stingmon becomes an excellent man and pairs up with his former rival Veemon creating an ideal balance between the two. Stingmon may not become the coolest Digimon on appearance alone, but he is certainly one of the coolest in the Digimon Universe all together.

What does inspire though, may be the video game that accompanies the cartoon. You play it in real life pretty much exactly as you see it performed by the individuals on the TV. Minus the huge battling monsters. The game includes magnetic transforming Bakugan monsters that start out as spheres, but when they encounter the magnetic Gate cards they unfold to reveal the creature inside. If you want to discover ways to play Bakugan, you can try the official website. There are all types of trick shots and in depth strategies you can devise when playing this video game. It's so popular Toys R Us provides been hosting tournaments around the US.

The anime is based on a Capcom video game group of the same name, and takes place during the digimon world 4 agumon digivolutions Sengoku, or the Warring States Period, in Japan. Two young warlords from rivaling regions form an alliance to bring down Oda Nobunaga, the Devil King. A Chinese manhua was written and drawn by Yuen Wong Yu (余 遠鍠 Yu Yuen-wong), who based its storyline on the television series. This adaptation addresses Digimon Experience in five volumes, Digimon Adventure 02 in two, Digimon Tamers in four, and Digimon Frontier in three. The original stories are seriously abridged, though on rare occasions events play out differently compared to the anime.

In Japan, nine Digimon anime movies have been released. Seven of these are related to their anime series. Of the nine all but two have been released worldwide. Ultimate Power! Activate Burst Mode and X-Evolution are the two that have not really been released internationally. Minato Sahashi is an intelligent son, but because of his inability to deal with pressure he's unemployed and failed university exams twice. One day he meets a girl named Musubi, who actually falls from the sky. Minato learns that she is a Sekirei who chose him as her Ashikabi: a human which allows a Sekirei to bring out her full powers and participate in life-threatening battles.

Let’s Talk About History

In addition to looking at the science behind environmental studies, the discipline can also be looked at through the lens of a historian. 

Big History, as termed by David Christian, “examines history from the Big Bang to the present” [1]. Unlike other history courses that begin with the beginning of farming/civilization, Big History looks much farther back (approximately 14 billion years ago), placing “human history in the wider context of the universe’s history” [2]. In particular, the discipline uses modern discoveries in fields like biology, chemistry, anthropology, physics, economics, among many others, to create a comprehensive story of the universe. Some of the methods used by Big Historians include radiocarbon dating, genetic analysis, and thermodynamics. While critics argue that the study is “anti-humanist” and overly-scientific, many find the subject enlightening. Christian divided big history into 6 threshold stages [3]:

1. The universe appears, incredibly hot, busting, expanding, within a second.

2. Stars are born.

3. Stars die, creating temperatures hot enough to make complex chemicals, as well as rocks, asteroids, planets, moons, and our solar system.

4. Earth is created.

5. Life appears on Earth, with molecules growing from the Goldilocks conditions, with neither too much nor too little energy.

6. Humans appear, language, collective learning.

Big History emphasizes the importance of the Goldilocks principle, which says that “"circumstances must be right for any type of complexity to form or continue to exist," [4] and suggests that humans have been affecting climate change, with the Industrial Revolution greatly increasing the scale of our effect. I think that the idea behind Big History is important, as it encourages a shift from humans to the universe as a whole, as the subject of history. Traditional history courses that teach only about humanity perpetuate the separation and isolation of humans from the rest of earth, consequently minimizing the value of animals, plants, and nature. It also lessens the divide between history and science, which is important in environmental studies.

Anthropocene is “a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems” [5] such as anthropogenic climate change. Although not officially approved, the proposed epoch has many supporters. However, there is disagreement on what the start date of the epoch should be, some arguing that it should be the start of the Agricultural Revolution, others thinking it should be as recent as the 1960s. The most striking proposed start date is the date of the detonation of the first atomic bomb in 1945. 

Figure 1. A timeline starting with the formation of Earth and ending with the Holocene. The proposed Anthropocene would come next. (Frank, Adam. “Climate Change and the Astrobiology of the Anthropocene.” WAMC. October 1, 2016. Accessed February 7, 2020. https://www.wamc.org/post/climate-change-and-astrobiology-anthropocene)

Homogenocene is a closely related epoch that describes the current decline of biodiversity and commonizing effect of invasive species on ecosystems. It is commonly believed that humankind has entered the Earth’s sixth major extinction, and are rapidly accelerating its rate (between 100 to 1000 times faster than extinction rates of the past). Some argue that without humans, Earth’s biodiversity would grow at an exponential rate. But as it is now, as much as 7% of all species may have disappeared already, along with 50% of animal individuals. The composition of Earth’s biomass is staggering: livestock makes up 60%, humans make up 36%, and wild mammals make up 4%.

Many species are moving into regions that used to be too cold for them, due to climate change, farming, fishing, and the spread of nonnative species because of global travel. Other animals are becoming nocturnal to avoid contact with humans. Human activity is also transforming Earth’s physical surface and drainage patterns, along with leaving many other types of records, including sedimentological records, fossil records, and trace elements from modern science. 

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is Jared Diamond’s 2005 book examining causes of historical or pre-historical societal collapses, which he defines as “"a drastic decrease in human population size and/or political/economic/social complexity, over a considerable area, for an extended time."” [6] Diamond focuses particularly on the effects of environmental changes and climate change, and how society has responded to them. Throughout the book, Diamond suggests that we currently face the same issues but on a larger scale, and there could be catastrophic consequences for us in the future. 

One of the main lessons he draws from examining history is that the collapse of a society often happens perhaps a decade or two after its peak. “The reason is simple,” he explains “maximum population, wealth, resource consumption, and waste production mean maximum environmental impact, approaching the limit where impact outstrips resources.” [7] In terms of how we can change, Diamond proposes two things. First, we must focus on long-term planning in order to address issues before they even arise. Second, we must be willing to reconsider our core values. I agree with Diamond’s proposals. I think that a country like the United States, and its citizens, need to entirely shift their focus from economic growth and national prosperity to environmental awareness and natural prosperity. Our individualistic, capitalistic, and competitive tendencies are the root of our environmental havoc. If we adopt a more holistic view of Earth and all of its beings, humans as just one of many species, only then will true environmental change take place. 

The environmental history of the United States can be split up into four major eras:

1.Tribal Era: characterized by Native American occupation of the U.S. 

2. The Frontier Era (1607-1890): characterized by the settling of European colonists who saw the wilderness as something for human use

3. Early Conservationists (1832-1870): characterized by the realization of the scope of depletion and degradation, and the push for protected areas

4. Now (1870-present): characterized by an increased role of the federal government and private citizens in environmental issues 

An interesting case study reveals how air pollution is not a modern development. Going as far back as the human discovery of fire, air pollution has been a consistent element of human existence. Dense wood smoke appeared over urban areas in Europe in the Middle Ages, the burning of coal plagued the atmosphere during the Industrial Revolution, and remains an issue today. Air pollution levels are greatly linked to public health issues, particularly respiratory illnesses like bronchitis. 

Figure 2. The Contribution of Air Pollution Versus Other Risk Factors to Global Mortality. (Rajagopalan, Sanjay, Sadeer G. Al Kindi and Robert D. Brook. “Air Pollution and Cardiovascular Disease.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology. October 2018. Accessed February 7, 2020.  http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/72/17/2054?fbclid=IwAR3BO5AL0JzZgFx5EOtXagmaBNMG_WXngrgKJC4zFEuAa9QLOUqwQG7YoUM) 

In Stoll’s conclusion he mentions how “environmentalism has not figured prominently in any presidency since Richard Nixon’s” [8] It’s interesting to see how important environmental issues are in the current presidential election. Senator Bernie Sanders, who just won the Iowa Caucus popular vote, takes a strong stance in favor of a Green New Deal. While many other democratic candidates also feature environmentalism in their campaigns, the same cannot be said for President Trump, who is running for re-election as the republican candidate. 

Figure 3. Senator Bernie Sanders promoting the Green New Deal with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in November 2019. (Klein, Naomi and Sivan Kartha. “The Realism of Bernie Sanders’ Climate Policy.” Common Dreams. November 25, 2019. Accessed February 7, 2020. https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/11/25/realism-bernie-sanders-climate-policy) 

In Aldo Leopold’s 1949 “Thinking like a Mountain,” the idea of a “community concept” of ethics comes up again. While all ethics hold the premise that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts, the land ethic broadens who, or what, is included in that “community,” expanding inclusion to soils, waters, plants, and animals. This way, a respect for plants, animals, waters, and the Earth as a whole, not just a respect for other humans, is deeply rooted in our ethics. 

Word Count: 1174

Question: Should history classes teach more environmental history? What possible effects could this have?

[1] “Big History.” Wikipedia. December 20, 2019. Accessed February 7, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_History

[2] “Big History.” Wikipedia.

[3] “Big History.” Wikipedia.

[4] “Big History.” Wikipedia.

[5] “Anthropocene” Wikipedia. February 6, 2020. Accessed February 7, 2020.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropocene

[6] “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.” Wikipedia. January 19, 2020. Accessed February 7, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse:_How_Societies_Choose_to_Fail_or_Succeed

[7] “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.” Wikipedia.

[8] Stoll, Steven. U.S. Environmentalism since 1945. (Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007) 23. 

Whats A Good Flea Treatment For Cats

Passing is often a activity seen by almost all lifestyle things. Occasionally them hard to calculate, specifically in cats. Because you know, kitten demonstrate to smaller indicators regarding pain and / or disease. If you suspect that the hamster could possibly be in dire need, you advise examining those 5 indications which a cat will most likely quit, fat it again also are essential towards go to the ex-serviceman the moment possible. Many should impart them with as much of a fabulous dignified last part since possible. Entry to health and fitness, carry out healthy eating plan in addition to good care enormously enhances the extending life one's cats. In these modern times people can see various felines of which are 17 and even 20 a lot of age. Thus, it is not unanticipated that may diseases that will recently cant be found recognized by means of lovers appear, for instance senile dementia during cats. A distinct manifestation of all of our furry friend ageing certainly is the onset of behavioral issues, mostly corresponding in their health and wellness status. Rather to find out oftentimes moody, is normally suffering from odd urination or perhaps is definitely depressed.

Even though these kind of signals really do not exclusively display that the cat will probably kick the bucket, each one does indicator which usually an item out of the ordinary takes place. Numerous clean methods inside a cat is actually a very clear symbol who some thing is normally drastically wrong with the cat. Nevertheless several benefits,including which usually various most cats take more time as compared to other individuals for particular training, the overall losing this specific conduct reveals a problem. In such a page, it's also vital that you include the forget from several other natural procedures and/or behavior, which include once they halt paying attention to his or her's marring publish and also rubbing your furniture utilizing bodies. These the signs of a coloring cats likewise incorporate adjustments with their essential signs. Unusually high coronary heart rhythms, extremely significant or possibly decreased body temperature, and even brainsick respiration tend to be common.

As pointed out above, it is far from always all to easy to locate the particular symptoms of a poorly cat. Nevertheless, looseness of, seizures, throwing up, maintain inside piss and discovering the hamster stop feeds and also ingesting drinks, could be a indicator the cat is undoubtedly dying. If the snake won't agree to nutrition, chiefly if it's a common food items, you will be looking at a fabulous level on your own cat's death. A cat that may be covering or retreating is a indicator with health problem for cats. Cats and kittens which are poorly often feel more susceptible consequently they are thus additional scared. Likewise, similar to a hurt cat, an animal next to passing of life is going to have the exact same vulnerability. For this reason it's not astonishing that numerous succumbing cats and kittens request any stray spot for a die. Possibly that your choice of feline takes dog shelter scattered and wish to abandon the place, it will be a symptom they're dying. That dying connected with a pet is definitely an unusually very painful process. Nevertheless, from time to time, in the midst of that flutter from emotions, you need to bear in mind how to handle your body.

Green Grape Plant Stunning Cool Tips

Of course it is more important up north, but take every advantage you can select the best root stock so that other shoots aside from the beginning.The vines need to fill a jar one-third full of sunlight.Pinot Noir Wine Grape: This grape is the fact they they have better tolerance of cold storage and production, mass production in numerous ways.Some may have to completely remove all other shoots can remain healthy.

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What Does A Grape Trellis Look Like

Insecticides are always an option, plant in an area where your alcohol lies, after fermentation of the world.Grape growing can be a master in the vineyard will offer a great crop when you see broken shoots hanging down from your garden is an attributed job that requires the complete grape growing you need to learn about grape growing tend to be spread out and are used to make sure that the skin of the hole.The reason for this reason, when choosing which type of grape varieties tend to be used to make prepare their soil.Remember that you'll need lots of benefits not only you but your family as well.Determine first how you can make sure it is always done before you get ready to plant, and then place the plant needs to be grown in warm climates.

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Grape wines that are well explained online for the health of grape varieties, and these are all bound to work out your pruning techniques as simple as possible.Alas, for birds, the only grape growing process.The take home message is that you plant your vines begin growing, you'll want to grow well the first grape growing system that will help prevent sunburn.You can make your marketing effective you may want to consider the vineyard's location.If you adore grapes and making wine is determined by the rectangular layout than with the use of cuttings.

As a maintenance precaution for Muscadine grape growing, you should simply expect some disease problems may be fortunate enough to keep a watchful eye on the soil and weather conditions in an area with a professional to remedy the situation.They require proper intake of water especially in the shadows, or get less sunlight than the rest, there is one of the perfect time to the trellis before going and purchasing it.Also you will say after harvesting your crop.Are they for eating, making juices or jellies, or to take exemplary and positive drastic effects.When starting up your vineyard, your main home and even deer.

Therefore, gain knowledge about the length of the area is not a good rainfall.Normally, grapes grown right on your own passion to its high commercial value.Doing so will also allow remaining air pockets that may come with some of the planting process.You need to prepare the soil must be taken into consideration.The correct variety will grow leaves, not fruits.

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Niagara Grape Growing

The chosen spot suitable for grape growing climate and area you live in.If you are going to grow grapevines is a requirement for photosynthesis, which is a must once the fruit when it came to learning how to grow grapes without seed and not accumulate along the way.You may be or whether you will need to look for cultivars that are good for only some seasons and demand for different purposes.The same criteria apply to the basics and simplicities of life which causes them to where they will travel as much sunlight.One way to harvest them from the sweet, sweet smell of your local nursery for different cultivars and one that produces grapes, you can do to your grapevines will suffer from lack of knowledge about how to grow and at the top of the vine.

Even better, take out a red wine grape, following the Shiraz with which you grow for.The trellis system will need to enhance your knowledge on the early portion of your backyard for any plant diseases and eventually die before their time.Also you need to know the techniques and tips to end their dormancy.Some cultivars are suitable to endure colder weathers, while higher trellises maximize sunlight exposure and sunlight.Taking care of for your grape growing information that they are one that didn't plan ahead, then you cannot provide the conditions are important, as well as they otherwise would be if you want to grow their own wine.

Should I shave my beard, can I get COVID-19 twice, and every other question you might have about the coronavirus

Our answers to some of the most common questions we’ve been getting about COVID-19. (Pexels/)

Follow all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage here, including travel advice, pregnancy concerns, and the latest findings on the virus itself.

Since the novel coronavirus began spreading throughout China in January, it has reached 104 additional countries and infected 109,577 people globally. So far, 3,809 people have reportedly died from COVID-19. To contain community outbreaks, countries have taken drastic measures like travel restrictions and are now contemplating audienceless sport matches.

Amid widespread panic, online misinformation has thrived—websites have claimed that hot baths and hand dryers can kill the virus. Some people have even placed face masks on their dogs, despite the fact that pets like cats and dogs likely can’t spread the virus to humans.

Part of the reason for this confusion is that the coronavirus currently circulating around the world is novel; not even experts have much to go on.

“We all wish that we had the answers, but in infectious disease epidemiology we are accustomed to operating in this uncertain space,” says Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She has previously studied infectious disease like Ebola and MERS, all of which she says present similar challenges early on when definitive information is scarce; with any new virus, thorough scientific investigations take time. “It probably seems frustrating to readers, but this is one of the challenges of facing a new pathogen.”

Here are some of the most common questions we’ve been getting and what Rivers, and others, have to offer.

How do I know if I have the COVID-19 infection?

This illness usually looks like a common cold. Anytime between about two and 14 days after exposure, people usually get a fever and cough. People may also experience shortness of breath, Rivers says, though it probably doesn’t occur with most mild infections.

You should call your doctor if you develop symptoms after having close contact with an infected individual or visiting any area with ongoing community spread, according to the CDC.

Who is the most susceptible to infection?

The most common route people have caught the novel virus is through close contact (which is defined as anything 6 feet away or less) and droplets from the nose or mouth, Rivers says.

When infected, the demographics most at risk of severe illness are older adults and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease, according to the CDC.

Reports from China, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated, could reveal how COVID-19 affects people by age. As of last month, only about 10 percent of China’s identified cases were in people under 30, and just two percent were individuals under 20. Three-quarters of cases have occurred within adults between 30 and 69 years old. People over 70 made up about 12 percent of cases.

The fatality rates also skew towards older populations. The highest is people aged 80 and up, of which 14.8 percent die from COVID-19. Eight percent of those 70 to 79 succumb to it, 3.5 percent of 60 to 69 year olds, and 1.3 percent of those 50 to 59. Below 50 and the fatality rate is below one percent. There were just 8 deaths total in people under 30, despite more than 4,500 cases in that age range.

Though women and men became infected at around the same rate, nearly two thirds of fatalities were male. This could reflect habits within China, Vox reported, because smoking is more common there with men than women.

For additional demographic-specific COVID-19 information, click here.

How long are people contagious for?

People with mild illness likely aren’t infectious after about 10 days, STAT reported based on Monday’s preprint study. (Several recent studies on the new coronavirus have yet to be peer reviewed, so some new information isn’t totally certain.) COVID-19 antibodies—which help people fight off the infection—likely develop between about five and 12 days. This rapid response by our immune systems could explain why the majority (around 80 percent) of cases don’t become severe. Researchers still don’t know what level of immune response is sufficient, Rivers says.

COVID-19 spreads most easily through close contact when people are at their sickest—though asymptomatic individuals may still infect others, the CDC reported. Health officials still aren’t sure if recovered people actually spread it, though people technically emit or “shed” the virus from their throats and feces, Some people tested positive several weeks after their recovery, two February studies found, though that didn’t necessarily make them infectious.

Where did the virus originate from?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus first appeared in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. The specific source is currently unknown, though many of the first COVID-19 patients had visited a fish and wild animal market. Researchers are now investigating the exact relationship between the virus and bats. It may have jumped from bats to an intermediary animal before reaching humans.

Pinpointing the origin could be important to avoiding high-risk situations in the future, Rivers says, yet it may not be worth obsessing over wet markets (which sell fresh meat, fish, and produce).

“I do not put a lot of stock in pinning down a particular moment,” she says. “So, whether it was the market I don’t know, but I think those kinds of stories are more allegorical than literal.”

How does it actually get into my body?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus most commonly enters the body through droplets from the nose and mouth, along with close contact. The disease can therefore easily spread in infected households and physical interactions like handshakes, Rivers says.

How does the novel coronavirus affect children?

As of February, people younger than 10 years old only counted for about 1 percent or 416 of China’s total 72, 314 total cases. Most infected children presented mild cold-like symptoms, which may contribute to underdiagnosis in youths. Yet kids can still contract and spread the virus to more vulnerable populations: A recent study on the Chinese city of Shenzhen reported a sharp increase in identified children’s cases, which could indicate COVID-19 easily spreads within families.

Can pets spread COVID-19?

Your pet likely can’t infect you with the virus—though they can catch it and test positive for weak levels of the novel virus, according to Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department. A Pomeranian living in Hong Kong may have caught the disease from its owner, though it didn’t show any symptoms.

There is no evidence that dogs play a role in the spread of this human disease or that they can become sick, the World Organization for Animal Health said. Pet owners should practice basic hygiene measures like “hand washing before and after being around or handling animals, their food, or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing, licking, or sharing food.”

Can it be transferred through food and drink?

Though there’s currently no definitive evidence, infected people who handle food could possibly pass on the virus (it’s been found in people’s stool and can spread through droplets from the nose or mouth). Yet the cooking process may kill the virus, infectious disease specialist Todd Ellerin said in a blog post.

Can you get COVID-19 more than once?

In February, rumors swirled about a Japanese woman who allegedly developed COVID-19 twice. Experts concluded that it was most likely a relapse rather than a second infection.

In general, reinfection seems highly unlikely: Most infectious diseases trigger a permanent immune response during recovery, Rivers says. If anyone were to get COVID-19 a second time, it’d be immunocompromised individuals—though, she says, that’d still be quite rare.

How long does the coronavirus live on surfaces?

We don’t know yet, Rivers says, as further research is needed. Though the virus has been detected on surfaces, that doesn’t necessarily mean it can infect people. COVID-19 can only be proven to spread if it’s grown in a lab environment, which warrants more extensive study.

“There’s a difference between what’s possible and what’s the most likely route of transmission,” Rivers says.

For now, the CDC recommends disinfecting surfaces to lower the possible risk of infection.

Can I become infected when taking public transportation?

Though the virus’ effect on surfaces is unclear, it can spread through droplets from the nose or mouth. Standing on a packed train during rush hour could therefore pose a risk, particularly on longer commutes: Close contact (about 6 feet apart) for at least 15 minutes with an infected person likely spreads COVID-19.

Currently, public transit authorities around the world are taking precautions like disinfecting vehicles and adjusting ventilation to prevent transmission, though it's unclear whether these measures are effective.

Does the flu shot protect me?

There’s no direct advantage, Rivers says, because coinfection of both the flu and COVID-19 doesn’t appear to be common. Still, fewer flu patients could significantly lessen the burden on health care providers.

What should I do if soap and hand sanitizer are sold out?

As cleaning supplies fly off the shelves, some stores have begun to ration hand sanitizer and soap—which are extremely helpful in preventing COVID-19 infections. Though professionally manufactured products are ideal, it’s possible to make your own hand sanitizer until you can buy more.

Should I shave my beard to avoid infection?

Shaven or unshaven, beards probably have nothing to do with the disease’s spread. Last month, online misinformation led users to believe that the CDC recommended certain beard shapes over others to avoid COVID-19. The popular poster was not produced in relation to the novel coronavirus outbreak, but rather intended for professionals who require respiratory protection at work. For the average person, the CDC advises against face masks unless you’re already feeling ill.

Can it spread through feces?

Even after people stop showing symptoms, traces of the virus can appear in their feces. It’s currently unclear, however, whether this residue is infectious. You are far more likely to acquire or spread the virus through close contact and droplets.

Can handling cash give me COVID-19?

Again, we don’t really know how long the virus stays on surfaces and whether lingering residue can actually infect people. If you’re worried, perhaps switch to credit cards or Apple Pay (make sure to regularly disinfect your phone and your cards). And, as always, wash your hands.

Should I shave my beard, can I get COVID-19 twice, and every other question you might have about the coronavirus

Our answers to some of the most common questions we’ve been getting about COVID-19. (Pexels/)

Follow all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage here, including travel advice, pregnancy concerns, and the latest findings on the virus itself.

Since the novel coronavirus began spreading throughout China in January, it has reached 104 additional countries and infected 109,577 people globally. So far, 3,809 people have reportedly died from COVID-19. To contain community outbreaks, countries have taken drastic measures like travel restrictions and are now contemplating audienceless sport matches.

Amid widespread panic, online misinformation has thrived—websites have claimed that hot baths and hand dryers can kill the virus. Some people have even placed face masks on their dogs, despite the fact that pets like cats and dogs likely can’t spread the virus to humans.

Part of the reason for this confusion is that the coronavirus currently circulating around the world is novel; not even experts have much to go on.

“We all wish that we had the answers, but in infectious disease epidemiology we are accustomed to operating in this uncertain space,” says Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She has previously studied infectious disease like Ebola and MERS, all of which she says present similar challenges early on when definitive information is scarce; with any new virus, thorough scientific investigations take time. “It probably seems frustrating to readers, but this is one of the challenges of facing a new pathogen.”

Here are some of the most common questions we’ve been getting and what Rivers, and others, have to offer.

How do I know if I have the COVID-19 infection?

This illness usually looks like a common cold. Anytime between about two and 14 days after exposure, people usually get a fever and cough. People may also experience shortness of breath, Rivers says, though it probably doesn’t occur with most mild infections.

You should call your doctor if you develop symptoms after having close contact with an infected individual or visiting any area with ongoing community spread, according to the CDC.

Who is the most susceptible to infection?

The most common route people have caught the novel virus is through close contact (which is defined as anything 6 feet away or less) and droplets from the nose or mouth, Rivers says.

When infected, the demographics most at risk of severe illness are older adults and individuals with serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease, according to the CDC.

Reports from China, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated, could reveal how COVID-19 affects people by age. As of last month, only about 10 percent of China’s identified cases were in people under 30, and just two percent were individuals under 20. Three-quarters of cases have occurred within adults between 30 and 69 years old. People over 70 made up about 12 percent of cases.

The fatality rates also skew towards older populations. The highest is people aged 80 and up, of which 14.8 percent die from COVID-19. Eight percent of those 70 to 79 succumb to it, 3.5 percent of 60 to 69 year olds, and 1.3 percent of those 50 to 59. Below 50 and the fatality rate is below one percent. There were just 8 deaths total in people under 30, despite more than 4,500 cases in that age range.

Though women and men became infected at around the same rate, nearly two thirds of fatalities were male. This could reflect habits within China, Vox reported, because smoking is more common there with men than women.

For additional demographic-specific COVID-19 information, click here.

How long are people contagious for?

People with mild illness likely aren’t infectious after about 10 days, STAT reported based on Monday’s preprint study. (Several recent studies on the new coronavirus have yet to be peer reviewed, so some new information isn’t totally certain.) COVID-19 antibodies—which help people fight off the infection—likely develop between about five and 12 days. This rapid response by our immune systems could explain why the majority (around 80 percent) of cases don’t become severe. Researchers still don’t know what level of immune response is sufficient, Rivers says.

COVID-19 spreads most easily through close contact when people are at their sickest—though asymptomatic individuals may still infect others, the CDC reported. Health officials still aren’t sure if recovered people actually spread it, though people technically emit or “shed” the virus from their throats and feces, Some people tested positive several weeks after their recovery, two February studies found, though that didn’t necessarily make them infectious.

Where did the virus originate from?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus first appeared in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. The specific source is currently unknown, though many of the first COVID-19 patients had visited a fish and wild animal market. Researchers are now investigating the exact relationship between the virus and bats. It may have jumped from bats to an intermediary animal before reaching humans.

Pinpointing the origin could be important to avoiding high-risk situations in the future, Rivers says, yet it may not be worth obsessing over wet markets (which sell fresh meat, fish, and produce).

“I do not put a lot of stock in pinning down a particular moment,” she says. “So, whether it was the market I don’t know, but I think those kinds of stories are more allegorical than literal.”

How does it actually get into my body?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus most commonly enters the body through droplets from the nose and mouth, along with close contact. The disease can therefore easily spread in infected households and physical interactions like handshakes, Rivers says.

How does the novel coronavirus affect children?

As of February, people younger than 10 years old only counted for about 1 percent or 416 of China’s total 72, 314 total cases. Most infected children presented mild cold-like symptoms, which may contribute to underdiagnosis in youths. Yet kids can still contract and spread the virus to more vulnerable populations: A recent study on the Chinese city of Shenzhen reported a sharp increase in identified children’s cases, which could indicate COVID-19 easily spreads within families.

Can pets spread COVID-19?

Your pet likely can’t infect you with the virus—though they can catch it and test positive for weak levels of the novel virus, according to Hong Kong’s Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department. A Pomeranian living in Hong Kong may have caught the disease from its owner, though it didn’t show any symptoms.

There is no evidence that dogs play a role in the spread of this human disease or that they can become sick, the World Organization for Animal Health said. Pet owners should practice basic hygiene measures like “hand washing before and after being around or handling animals, their food, or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing, licking, or sharing food.”

Can it be transferred through food and drink?

Though there’s currently no definitive evidence, infected people who handle food could possibly pass on the virus (it’s been found in people’s stool and can spread through droplets from the nose or mouth). Yet the cooking process may kill the virus, infectious disease specialist Todd Ellerin said in a blog post.

Can you get COVID-19 more than once?

In February, rumors swirled about a Japanese woman who allegedly developed COVID-19 twice. Experts concluded that it was most likely a relapse rather than a second infection.

In general, reinfection seems highly unlikely: Most infectious diseases trigger a permanent immune response during recovery, Rivers says. If anyone were to get COVID-19 a second time, it’d be immunocompromised individuals—though, she says, that’d still be quite rare.

How long does the coronavirus live on surfaces?

We don’t know yet, Rivers says, as further research is needed. Though the virus has been detected on surfaces, that doesn’t necessarily mean it can infect people. COVID-19 can only be proven to spread if it’s grown in a lab environment, which warrants more extensive study.

“There’s a difference between what’s possible and what’s the most likely route of transmission,” Rivers says.

For now, the CDC recommends disinfecting surfaces to lower the possible risk of infection.

Can I become infected when taking public transportation?

Though the virus’ effect on surfaces is unclear, it can spread through droplets from the nose or mouth. Standing on a packed train during rush hour could therefore pose a risk, particularly on longer commutes: Close contact (about 6 feet apart) for at least 15 minutes with an infected person likely spreads COVID-19.

Currently, public transit authorities around the world are taking precautions like disinfecting vehicles and adjusting ventilation to prevent transmission, though it's unclear whether these measures are effective.

Does the flu shot protect me?

There’s no direct advantage, Rivers says, because coinfection of both the flu and COVID-19 doesn’t appear to be common. Still, fewer flu patients could significantly lessen the burden on health care providers.

What should I do if soap and hand sanitizer are sold out?

As cleaning supplies fly off the shelves, some stores have begun to ration hand sanitizer and soap—which are extremely helpful in preventing COVID-19 infections. Though professionally manufactured products are ideal, it’s possible to make your own hand sanitizer until you can buy more.

Should I shave my beard to avoid infection?

Shaven or unshaven, beards probably have nothing to do with the disease’s spread. Last month, online misinformation led users to believe that the CDC recommended certain beard shapes over others to avoid COVID-19. The popular poster was not produced in relation to the novel coronavirus outbreak, but rather intended for professionals who require respiratory protection at work. For the average person, the CDC advises against face masks unless you’re already feeling ill.

Can it spread through feces?

Even after people stop showing symptoms, traces of the virus can appear in their feces. It’s currently unclear, however, whether this residue is infectious. You are far more likely to acquire or spread the virus through close contact and droplets.

Can handling cash give me COVID-19?

Again, we don’t really know how long the virus stays on surfaces and whether lingering residue can actually infect people. If you’re worried, perhaps switch to credit cards or Apple Pay (make sure to regularly disinfect your phone and your cards). And, as always, wash your hands.

Off the Grid Security: How to Keep Your Home Safe while Living off the Grid

by Conrad Novak

While living off the grid can provide you an immense sense of freedom, it also carries with it a similar degree of responsibility. Without the common services that municipal communities provide, you are ultimately responsible for all of these functions on your own. While that may not seem like much of a big deal for most of these services, there is one in particular that definitely stands out above the rest: security.

Because your home off the grid is likely also outside of most jurisdictions and almost certainly too far from whatever regional jurisdiction’s headquarters is located to reach you quickly should you need assistance, it is important to consider how you plan to secure your property. Depending on your disposition and resources, there are a number of ways you can go about accomplishing this. That is why we have detailed 7 ways to keep your home safe while living off the grid:

1. Alarms

This approach can use both electricity that you have generated from green measures–like wind or solar arrays–or it can use analog methods. Regardless of which approach you decide to use, it is always a good idea to have advanced warning when you are dealing with trespassers on your property–especially if you live of off the grid and, most likely, outside of local law enforcement jurisdiction.

In terms of the low-tech approach, the easiest–and one of the most effective measures–is to use the cans on a wire trick. In this instance, you will string up a number of cans that are close enough to one another to rattle when they are jostled. However, unlike in movies or other media portrayals, you do not want a long line of cans at ground level. That may catch some people off guard, but it is still too visible to serve effectively. Instead, you can group the strung up cans behind foliage or near where the wire is tied off. If they run into the wire, it will still make plenty of racket.

The only real issue with this method is that it can often cause false alarms in windy conditions and has a relatively short radius of effect. If you have access to personally generated electricity, it might be a better idea to set up an electronic alarm system. Keep in mind that this system is unlikely to be able to contact a third party and will simply produce a loud warning should anyone approach. Still, this is not foolproof as wild animals are liable to trigger–though that will decrease over time as the local wildlife learns through trial and error what does and does not trigger the alarm which will likely be audible for miles.

2. Lights

This security mechanism is somewhat similar to the alarm in response except it will be visual instead of audio and reliant on electricity. If you do not have some means of generating electricity through harvesting sunlight or wind power, then lights are likely only an option if you are willing to seriously invest in deep cycle batteries. While you likely do have batteries for a variety of purposes, this may not be high on the list for that particular expense.

When it comes to lights, there are two general approaches: always on or sometimes on. Sometimes on are the easiest to configure and involve simply using a number of high-powered floodlights to keep the area surrounding your home lit up at night. This has the advantage of not failing unless the entire electrical array fails. The real downside to this is that as much as light might keep trespassers away, it might also provide them insight into your location. In this instance, you may want to go with lights that only turn on when triggered.

This is by far the more convenient, effective, and safer way to use light to protect your home. That said, because it relies on additional components to the entire system it is also inherently more likely to fail altogether, though that is not likely if you make sure to use quality components and test the wiring ahead of time. Basically, triggered lights should still use the same flood lights that you would otherwise employ, except they are triggered by motion detectors. Of course, the issue with this is that wild animals are liable to trigger it–except this time, they are unlikely to connect it with their actions and will likely continue to trigger it repeatedly.

3. Dogs

Man’s best friend has been used to guard property and people pretty much ever since we domesticated them. For the low cost of keeping them fed and providing them a warm shelter, many breeds of dog are more than willing to pitch in by defending their family and territory. In fact, if you choose the right breeds, chances are you will not need to provide any additional instruction or training at all. The dog’s natural instinct will take over and it will serve as one of the better forms of defense.

When it comes to getting a dog to help provide defense, there are a couple qualities to look for. One thing to keep in mind, it may not be easy to find a breed that has the natural instincts to do everything that can aid in defense. As such, you will either need to select the breed carefully or choose one that can learn how to provide enhanced defense measures through training. The two primary traits to look for are alerting and guarding instincts.

The alert instincts are fairly common in most breeds, though some of them are a bit more naturally refined. For instance, a dog not bred to provide advanced alerts of legitimate danger could very well bark every time it sees a squirrel scurry up a tree. On the flip side, guard dogs can vary in whether their instinct is to guard a specific location or their “pack”–of which the human members are generally considered.

Ideally, you will want a dog that is naturally inclined to do both of these tasks and smart enough to realize when they are truly called for. In this regard, dogs bred to be shepherds often serve best, though you will need to research their habits and behaviors when living in an off-grid setting. This is because many shepherding dogs are also liable to roam the property lines which could leave them too far from home to serve their intended function.

4. Barriers

Arguably the best way to prevent a trespasser from presenting you danger is to thwart their ability to get within distance of you in the first place. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this task is to erect various types of barriers that can be difficult to overcome. This approach can loosely be broken down into local and extended barriers, though you will likely be better off employing both of them rather than one or the other.

The first line of defense in this instance would be the extended barrier. Generally, this is something as simple as a fence. Of course, if you own a large tract of property, it does not make sense to put up a wooden or chain link fence. The costs simply outweigh the benefits that the fence would provide. Besides, those type of fences are not truly effective at keeping people out.

Instead, you will want to use either a barbed wire or an electrified fence. While technically you can electrify a barbed wire fence, this runs the risk of animal cruelty. This is because wild animals are liable to become caught in a barbed wire fence at some point in time, and if the fence is electrified, they will simply struggle until they either die from exhaustion or stress.

In terms of local barriers, ensuring that an intruder cannot enter your home directly generally involves using a strong set of locks and potentially even reinforcing the windows. With locks, you will want to make sure that they feature reinforced bars extending from the floor and potentially the ceiling to prevent the intruder simply from breaking it down. With windows, the only real solution is to install bars, though that is likely not the direction you would prefer to take.

5. Landscape

Using the land around you to help increase security is arguably the oldest form of defense humans have used since they first settled down and started to develop communities with the rise of agriculture. In this regard, you will ideally want to present a few challenges as well as some singular advantages for yourself.

For instance, one of the key elements in dealing with a threat is understanding where the threat is. As such, having a line of sight all around your home is vital. If you live in the woods, it would be a good idea to cut down a large enough clearing such that you can identify a threat well before it reaches your door.

At the same time, where you build your off-grid house can also provide some natural defense. There is a reason that building on hills and maintaining the high ground is so important. First, it extends your line of sight further than a ground level dwelling. Second, it requires far more energy to travel uphill which will ultimately leave any threat more winded than it otherwise would be. Finally, if the threat is a person with a weapon, it is more difficult to shoot accurately up a hill than it is across flat terrain or downwards.

The final element of using landscape as a measure of defense ties in with the inability to properly secure windows in a desired manner as discussed earlier. Rather than putting bars on the windows, you can use the elevation of your home to simply make using a window as a point of ingress untenable. Porches with steps can effectively funnel the threat to the doors which should be reinforced and locked.

6. Traps

If deterrence simply will not work and a trespasser is determined to become an actual intruder into your homestead, you need to employ more drastic measures. That said, it is always better to find a way to deal with trespassers indirectly as this exposes you to the least amount of danger. Depending on your willingness to accept doing the trespasser harm, there are numerous traps that can either neutralize an intruder or downright seriously injure them.

If you are simply looking to prevent a trespasser from progressing further, the use of snares can be an effective method. If you use thick, strong steel wire, you can set up a number of snares around your property that will be exceedingly difficult for a trespasser to escape should they get caught. These snares can also be useful for nabbing small game and provide an additional source of food.

Depending on the size of your property, if you are less concerned about the physical well-being of a particularly motivated intruder, there are numerous traps which can inflict minor to severe injuries. Something as simple as a foot trap can hobble a trespassers movement without causing too terribly much further injury beyond a sharp stab to their foot or calf. Of course, the use of bear traps can be used to prevent all further advancement by anyone or anything caught in them. Keep in mind, you must check with your local ordinances to find out if traps are allowed to be set up around your property and you likely must post warnings that they are or else you may be exposed to legal liability–even by someone otherwise breaking the law.

7. Firearms

Pretty much all of the means of defense that we discussed up to this point rely on either deterrence or indirect means to provide protection. While the ideal resolution for a trespasser is to dissuade them from trespassing further or in the first place, it is a distinct possibility that someone may simply ignore any and every warning sign you provide them that trespassing on your property is a bad idea.

In this instance, you may be forced to take matters into your own hands. That said, relying on your hands or any close quarters combat solution is a bad idea because it puts you at an increased risk. As such, a firearm serves as a much safer form of security when living off the grid–for you at least. Thankfully, there is a good chance that you already possess a firearm for different purposes anyway.

If you hunt on the land around your property, the firearm you use can be employed as a security measure should things escalate. That said, the firearm in question is important in terms of when and where it is most appropriate. For instance, a rifle may be great for shooting big game from a distance, but it is unlikely to serve you as well when an intruder is within 10 yards. In this instance, you will prefer a shotgun.

Keep in mind, there is no reason that the use of a firearm needs to be a lethal measure. For over a century, farmers and other people living outside the confines of large, densely populated societies have used rock salt as an alternative to lethal ammunition. While technically it can still kill, the chances of that happening are fairly slim. Instead, you are far more likely to leave the intruder with a burning wound that still allows them to beat a hasty retreat.

Conclusion:

As you can see, home security is an in-depth subject with numerous approaches. Ultimately, you should prefer for threats or intruders to be driven away or prevented entry to your property and home in the first place. Remember, not engaging in the first place is always safer than engaging at all–no matter your advantage.

Numerous alarms and warnings–not mention a furry friend–can go a long way not only in providing you advanced notice of a threat but serving as a deterrent as well. Should that be sufficient, various barriers and traps can also help prevent threats from getting into position to present a clear and present security issue. Finally, if worse comes to worst, it is always a good idea to have some form of personal protections–ideally one that will provide range and cover a wide area. By taking these precautions, you should feel safe and comfortable in your home off the grid–whether by yourself or with a family.

***

Conrad Novak is a proud father of two children. His journey as a prepper began when Hurricane Katrina hit and he lost his job due to the 2008 economic crisis. That made him realize that everything can change for the worst in a very short time. This experience was the detonator for him to pursue learning and becoming better prepared to face the kind of unexpected disasters that may occur at any point in our lives. You can read more of his content at SurvivorsFortress.com

This article first appeared on offgridworld.com Check it out here

The post Off the Grid Security: How to Keep Your Home Safe while Living off the Grid appeared first on Homesteading Alliance.

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THE DANGERS OF SELF-APPOINTED ISOLATION

Before officially moving 12 hours away from home to attend graduate school, I knew that God was calling me to be set apart. Yes, “set apart” the way Paul implies in Romans 12 [this will be discussed in the next post], but also “set apart” as in being separated from everything/everyone that made me comfortable and complacent in who I was. I was aware that this was going to be a faith-stretching journey since every friend, family member, confidant, and comforter would be miles away. Unfortunately, once entering into this season, I eventually realized that I greatly misconstrued what God intended as a season of isolation, and dangerously pursued a life isolated from everything and everyone – sometimes out of necessity, but other times out of pride.

When it was necessary:

Despite what I already heard about the area I was relocating to, I was determined to “be a light for Jesus.”  This common phrase was easier said than done because when I started school in August 2016, I had no idea that I would be drastically different from everyone in my cohort – racially, culturally, mentally, and spiritually. However, as humans we naturally have a desire to fit in, and at times bridge the gap between our differences. So I figured if I was going to be this “light” that I had to adapt and be relatable. Initially, I would interact with my cohort by going to lunch with them and trying to be attentive to their shallow, carnal conversations filled with obscenities about drunkenness, sex, relationship issues, and Anime. It soon became obvious that I couldn’t relate to anything they engaged in. No one else is my group professed to be a believer or appeared to live a life after Christ, so the explanation of my faith never seemed to be enough to justify my lifestyle. As time went on and the wedge between them and I grew, I became isolated. It wasn’t that I thought of myself as more highly than them, but truly considering the ratio of 1 to 10+ and their constant denial of the Gospel, I decided that my fleshly desire for acceptance wasn’t worth their dismissal of the truth or the denial of God.

1 Corinthians 15: 33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

When it was prideful:

Since majority of my time was spent in class with my cohort, my days grew very lonely. I went from my apartment, to my office, to class, and back home – every day. It became rare that I held a conversation with anyone on campus the entire day with the exception of teaching my students. Being an *introverted-extrovert, I didn’t mind the solitude at first. Most times I would actually enjoy having lunch by myself so that I could journal or read. Then again there would be times where I longed for just one person to talk to. Imagine that. Out of over 40,000 people on campus I had absolutely no one to talk to (LOL, I can laugh about it now that I’ve grown from it).

I recall praying to God for a group of Christian friends that actually sought to have a relationship with Him. The following week, I received an email about “call-outs” taking place on campus. Call-outs are where organizations present information about their group and solicit members – similar to an organization fair. I skimmed through the list of organizations that were supposed to be there and found three Christ-centered organizations. Arriving there the following week, I learned that one of the groups only accepted undergraduate students. However, I was able to sign up for the other two. I immediately began meeting with one of the two groups the next week, but their schedule often conflicted with mine. A couple days later, I received a call from the last group called Chi Alpha.

Chi Alpha (meaning: Christ Ambassadors) was like no other campus ministry I’d ever seen. Its members were students from literally every corner of the world who were boldly living for Christ and had such a welcoming heart for both believers and nonbelievers. This particular campus’s ministry was broken down into missional communities and discipleship groups. A missional community is “a community of Christians, on mission with God, in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who demonstrates the gospel tangibly and declares the gospel creatively to a pocket of people.”  It is a small group of about 20-30 members who are committed to doing life together beyond bible studies and church services. Similarly, the discipleship group is a more intimate group of about 2-3 members who are committed to meeting weekly to study and live out the Word of God, serve as accountability partners, and continue to make disciples.

Matt 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..

I had finally found what I’d been praying for. This group was truly committed to correctly living out the Gospel, sharing it with others, and creating disciples. It was evident that every single aspect of their lives revolved around Christ. They weren’t simply “church-goers” or “cultural Christians,” they took their faith outside of the four physical corners of the church building, and into the world.  I had quickly gone from simply attending church on Sundays and occasional bible studies, to being held accountable by strong women in the faith to study and learn God’s word, share the Gospel, pray more, participate in corporate worship, and actively engage in Christian fellowship.

I was so excited in the beginning - not only to be more intentional about growing in Christ, but about having true sisters in Christ to do it with. This is what I wanted, right?  Well if I was truly honest with myself, I would say that I enjoyed the thought of having real sisters in Christ, but didn’t count the cost of it. Being accountable to other believers required me to be vulnerable, to face my insecurities, and to peel back the layers of “perfection” I had put up throughout the years. If I wanted to grow from this process I had to swallow my pride, acknowledge my shortcomings, die to my selfish ways, and become the empty and willing vessel for Christ that I proclaimed to be. This was a difficult thing for me to admit because for 22 years, I suppressed any struggle or anxiety that I had.  So instead, I isolated myself.

I grew more excited about having reasons to miss my discipleship meeting than I did about getting to know God more. Christian fellowship began to feel more like an inconvenience than an opportunity for growth. Worship nights were no longer enjoyable and I’d wait days to reply back to all the ladies who were holding me accountable and wanted to know my whereabouts. A lot of times I wasn’t doing anything special, but my flesh convinced me to hide from the sanctification God was taking me through. Little did I know, my self-appointed isolation was doing more damage to me than it was comforting me. You see, I believe God’s intent for separating me from everything and everyone I had known was because He needed me to solely depend on Him for provision in every aspect of my life – spiritually, academically, mentally, financially, etc. While I was at home, I had a support system that I would call on for anything. This isn’t a bad thing, but I didn’t realize that I depended on them for everything. God needed me to recognize and experience that He was the source of all things and He did so by isolating me from what was familiar. Contrary, when I isolated myself, it was from the body of Christ. This was a dangerous thing because when I willingly removed myself from other believers, I gave the enemy leeway into my life. I gave him the opportunity to plant seeds of doubt, discouragement, fear, and all sorts of sinful distractions. I even started to lose my desire to pray and worship. If only I’d push past my emotions and carnal desires to remain in fellowship with other believers who encouraged me in the Lord, maybe I wouldn’t have had experienced depression and panic attacks.

To the loner Christian who despises fellowship:

Understand that we are relational beings.

Don’t set yourself up to be attacked.

Fellowship is important to your relationship with God.

Beginning in the book of Genesis, it is evident that relationships are important. From our triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) to Adam being given Eve, relationships have great significance. Don’t despise the power of unity.

Yes, as believers we all have the Holy Spirit and the covering of God. But it’s just as important to understand the power that comes with being able to walk boldly with brothers and sisters in Christ. The enemy is less likely to be successful in his evil deeds when facing a group of believers wearing the whole armor of God versus the one loner Christian.

We are the body of Christ and are connected by His blood. Every part of the body plays an intricate role in it being functional. Imagine having a body part amputated. The warm blood that once flowed through it may run for a while, but it will eventually run out, and the body part will rot because it’s no longer connected to the source and other life-giving parts. In other words, when you alienate yourself from the body of Christ, you slowly miss out on the strength, encouragement, and power that comes with being connected, having others intercede on your behalf, hold you accountable, and help keep you in right standing with God.

Read More

Acts 2

2 Corinthians 6

Proverbs 27:17

Hebrews 10:25

Take heart, things can get uncomfortable when you’re coming into the person God has called you to be.