Latest Posts by arieso226 - Page 4

Where are the black tumblr users that are still active on here at? please REBLOG

That's amazing!

I’m Honestly Fed Up With All The Bad News, So I Illustrated 40 Of The Best Ones From 2021

We need more positive news to acknowledge that the world is actually getting better little by little. Here are some of the top performing positive news illustrations from 2021.

Krampus, the legend!

During the Christmas season, every young boy and girl awaits their presents and gifts with eagerness, hoping for Santa to make their way to their homes. The saying, you better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout is the official song for Santa Claus as he is checking his list for all the good boys and girls. But for those who are naughty children, the invention of the famed horned goat Krampus who works together with St. Nick.

NO. 2

Created in Eastern European folklore, Krampus, meaning ‘claw’, is depicted as a horned, half-demon like monster who terrorizes naughty children, hitting them and beating them with whips, other versions having him with chains, sometimes shaking them to scare the children, equipped with a sack or a basket strapped to his back, to cart off the children chosen to be either eaten or dragged to Hell. He even has a holiday dedicated just to him, celebrated in Germany and now, because of the film, in America as well, called Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, on December 6. In this long and very funny tradition, spectators dressed up as Krampus appears in the streets, visiting homes and business, along with his devilish accomplices, evil elves and imps, the total anthesis of Santa Claus, who help Krampus scare people and onlookers in the streets.

NO. 3

Because of the resurgence of the celebration of Krampus in the late 19th century, including popular greeting cards with his image and funny rhymes and poems, not to mention the many horror movies or TV shows in North America, gaining traction and popularity every time Christmas comes around. Or maybe it’s because of the intense, heavy commercialization around Christmas time, meant for family and friends. So, here’s the question, do you celebrate Krampus, or Christmas as a whole, or do you think he’s just a myth better left to the children?

Humans, all around the world, love to leave some kind of mark, whether with their hands in caves, writing interesting novels, or creating memes, to show that we were here, we existed and we are telling our story.

A video of the castellers (Catalan tradition of climbing to create human "castles") as seen from above.

Old dude came in the shop and when I said "lemme know if you have any questions" he goes "what was the name of Alexander the Great's horse," thinking he was so funny. I told him Bucephalus, and he was so disappointed. Like his whole day was hanging on beating me at trivia. He says "you're only the second person who knew that" and I said "well, probably the third if you count Alexander the Great." He left without buying anything, and did not say goodbye. I think I honestly hurt his weird little feelings! Sorry I'm a bitch, old man!

so I got into grad school today with my shitty 2.8 gpa and the moral of the story is reblog those good luck posts for the love of god

Democracy

NO. 1

The short definition of democracy is the practice of social equality, and a quick Google search says it is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives. Basically, the people are allowed/have the authority to have the to choose and decide legislation, or to choose governing officials. And yet, democracy is not included in the Declaration of Independence, nor the U.S Constitution.

NO. 2

The term ‘democracy’ originated from Athens, Greece, and it appeared in the 5th century BC, meaning the ‘rule of the people.’ The word “democracy” comes from two Greek words that mean people (demos) and rule (kratos). Democracy contrasts with the forms of government where power is either held by an individual, as in autocratic systems like a monarchy or where power is held by a small number of individuals, as in an oligarchy—oppositions inherited from ancient Greek philosophy. Western democracy reflects towards all citizens that they are ‘‘equal before the law, and having equal access to legislative processes. For example, in a representative democracy, every vote has equal weight, no unreasonable restrictions can apply to anyone seeking to become a representative, and the freedom of its eligible citizens is secured by legitimized rights and liberties which are typically protected by a constitution. Other uses of "democracy" include that of direct democracy in which issues are directly voted on by the constituents.’’

NO. 3

The U.S Constitution! A symbol of power, patriotism, nationalism, and freedom which conveys meaning honorable and justified peace for all people, granting its citizens hope, and what everyone wants is freedom. From the beginning, the founders of America emphasized this fact. ‘‘The history of the American democracy is usually presented as a political story tout court. Nineteenth-century scholars pointed to the Declaration of Independence as the fundamental document. Now that the Founding Fathers are seen as actively checking ‘the excess of democracy in the 1780s when they ratified the U.S Constitution’s creation of an energetic federal government, democracy is variously depicted as arriving in the U.S with the election of Thomas Jefferson or Andrew Jefferson.’’ And yet, this very word ‘democracy’ is not in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence. Why? Because America is not a democracy, it is officially known as a ‘‘representative democracy, in which citizens vote for representatives who create and change laws that govern the people rather than getting to vote directly on the laws themselves.’’

NO. 4

But to the minorities of this country, especially black and Indigenous people, the word democracy is not imparted upon them, nor those steady patriotic beliefs in the country to impose freedom for all. Because power was usurped from the ‘Indigenous People’, everyone who was white, Anglo-Saxon, and male was the only ‘people’ to vote, have a business, and be a part of the government, not to mention be respected as a human being. ‘‘The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until 1924. When it was ratified in 1787, the Constitution enshrined the institution of slavery through the so-called "Three-Fifths Compromise," which called for those "bound to service for a term of years" and ‘all other Persons" (meaning slaves) to be counted for representation purposes as three-fifths of free people.’’

Granted, the Constitution has changed and was re-edited to allow everyone common and basic freedoms in this century. But as we go into 2022, does the current culture really embody that? Or is democracy still, and always has been, a white man's game?

Santa Muerte

NO. 1

A skeletal figure dressed in robes or dressed in the virgin’s shroud, Santa Muerte is both the Grim Reap-ress and the Angel of Mercy. She is the personification of death, and her full title, Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte as she is well known as, brings an ambiguous and malleable identity that is associated with healing, protection, and safe delivery to the afterlife by her devotees, as her following, especially in 21st century is being celebrated all over South America, but especially Mexico City to the United States and Canada.

NO. 2

Even though Christian missionaries and leaders condemned the religion, Santa Muerte ‘‘offers hope to a society threatened with hopelessness. In the colorful barrios of Mexican culture, the figure of Death is ubiquitous. With the lure and dangers of narco-culture, the violence among competing youth gangs, the haunting realities of an economy in collapse, and the gravel fight to survive in a Tepito marketplace; Mexicans face the reality of death on a daily basis. Santa Muerte, the image of death, protects them from uncertainties in their everyday lives. When Death is the only guarantee, it seems like Death is the only one to be trusted.’’ The worship of Santa Muerte began in the mid-20th century and was clandestine until the 1990s, were most prayers and other rites have been performed traditionally at home. Now in the 21st century, worship has become a more public thing. Santa Muerte has a male counterpart in the U.S, called the skeletal folk saints San La Muerte of Paraguay and Rey Pascual of Guatemala.

NO. 3

So, what caused the worship of Santa Muerte to become a massive, worldwide following? Drug violence, for one, and loss of faith in Christianity. ‘‘Former Mexican president Felipe Calderon’s declaration of war on the cartels in 2006 was received with praise by North American politicians, as in their view, it seemed that the Mexican government was finally taking a strong stand against the cartels and that there would be a swift resolution to the social problems associated with drug trafficking. This open war declared on the cartels resulted in an escalation of drug violence and forced several dramatic changes in the safety of Mexico and its already chaotic social scene. Military personnel, paramilitary groups, and the cartels have been fighting for control of the country and have created a state of panic in the border towns and beyond. The panic and violence in the north have begun to gradually make it’s way south and reach areas that were once ‘safe’. According to the BBC from 2006 to 2012, more than 50,000 individuals have died from drug-related violence. Amidst the drug-related instability, the once strong and influential Mexican Catholic Church has been losing credibility, support, and members. The loss of faith in the Catholic Church could be caused by many factors: general pessimism, individuals searching for other forms of faith, and the result of the church’s support for governing political parties.’’

NO. 4

Who is Santa Muerte? Anthropologists and historians J. Katia Perdigon Castaneda and R. Andrew Chestnut agree that the veneration of Santa Muerte is a combination of Catholic imagery and rituals from Meso-American pre-Hispanic gods and rituals. There is a common list of names for the goddess, such as Mi Nina, (My little girl), La Nina Bonita (the Pretty Girl), La Madrina (the Godmother), and Mi Amor (My Love)—adoring names that tighten the relationship between devotee and saint. There are darker allegations like Senora de la Sombras (Lady of the Shadows) or La Negra (the Black Lady). There is also La Hermana Blanca (The White Sister) and Hermana de la Luz (Sister of the Light). She is celebrated on the Day of the Dead, November 1st and 2nd. better known as Dia De los Muertos.

A characterization of Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein''

Sometimes you’re just an introverted loser who sits alone in your room with a cup of tea and a book, has fantasies about morally grey fictional characters, is severely touch starved with a completely fucked up sleep schedule and slowly declining mental health.

Also I think a lot of young people on the left are growing up without understanding "you can and will make mistakes in life and who you are is defined by how you move forward from them" and instead are doing things like "I must always be up the latest social justice language and must always avoid mistakes lest i be ostracized and cancelled for it so here is everything I support just so you don't think I don't support it, and I'll just feel bad and guilty for every mistake when I do make them and all this makes me a good person". It's like congrats you made Catholic guilt but woke

Reblog

Farewell online privacy

What to do if you are facing eviction

Eviction protections are expiring across the United States and Canada right now, and millions of people are suddenly finding themselves facing eviction with a pandemic still raging and the start of winter just around the corner. 

Not knowing where you’re going to live next month is an unbelievably scary position to be in, and there are a lot of people out there who are facing this for the first time in their lives. It’s okay to be scared. But it’s also important to start taking steps to deal with this as soon as you realize that might be at risk of eviction. 

As someone who has worked in homelessness and housing advocacy my whole career, here’s what I recommend you do:

Do not leave your home. Many landlords count on their tenants not knowing or understanding their rights, and take advantage of that to try to illegally evict them without following proper procedure. I have seen landlords attempt some flagrantly illegal things during my time working with vulnerable people. Many landlords have been ignoring and violating eviction moratoriums during this pandemic. Don’t fall for it. There is a legal process that has to be followed to evict you, even if your name isn’t on the lease - your landlord cannot simply slip a note under your door ordering you out by the end of the week, no matter what they tell you. Do not leave your home until a judge orders you to do so. You may have a better shot in court than you think you do, and seeing the court process to the very end buys you valuable time to figure out your next move. 

Get a lawyer. Many legal aid societies and law school legal clinics offer free legal assistance for people facing eviction. Having a lawyer can make an enormous difference - one study found that people without lawyers were evicted 65% of the time, compared to just 15% of people who had legal representation. Start calling and contacting legal aid services as soon as your landlord threatens or files eviction - these services often only do intake for new clients on certain days, so it’s a good idea to research these services ahead of time. 

Understand your rights. The protections you have under the law depend on where you live - it’s critical that you take the time to educate yourself about what those protections are. Your area will likely have a Residential Tenancies Act, a Tenant Act, or something along those lines. Look online for information specific to your area. There may also be special protections and procedures in place because of the pandemic. If you live in NYC, for instance, you have a right to free legal counsel if you are facing eviction. Find out what protections you have in your area.

Contact resources in your area. Again, depending on where you live, there are different resources available. There may be a tenant support agency that can connect you to free legal resources directly. You might be eligible for unemployment benefits or emergency income. Your state or city might also have emergency funding or eviction prevention programs in place. NYC, for instance, offers “one shot deal” emergency grants that cover rental arrears for people who are facing eviction due to unexpected crises. You should also look at emergency housing options, community food banks, or other resources that can help you survive this situation. In many cities you can call 211 or 311 to learn more or about resources, or you can go online. 

Attend your eviction hearing. Once you are given a date and time for your eviction hearing, it is critical that you attend. Even if you have not paid rent in several months and you think your case is hopeless, you absolutely must show up for this hearing. If you don’t attend, you will lose by default - if you attend, you may be successful in winning leniency, the opportunity to pay back rent with a payment plan and avoid eviction, or even just a few weeks’ extension on the eviction date so you have more time to come up with a plan. Attend your hearing. 

Have a back-up plan. Even with legal aid resources on your side, you have to prepare for the possibility that you might not be able to fight your eviction. Buy yourself as much time as you can, and use that time to start researching possible options. Is there a cheaper room for rent that you can afford with your unemployment benefits? Do you know anyone you can stay with? Are there any housing non-profits in your area that can help? Do you have any leads on employment in the future? Explore your options, and remember that it’s okay to ask for help right now - people in your life can’t help you unless you tell them that you’re struggling. 

Call your representatives. You are not the only person suffering as a result of expiring COVID protections - your elected officials need to know that letting these programs expire is having serious, dire consequences for real people that they represent. Call everyone. Call the office of your congressman, call your MP, call your state senator, your MLA, your local city counsellors. Tell your story, and make as much noise as you can. It doesn’t guarantee that anything will be done, of course, but it makes the problem harder for your elected officials to ignore.

Important Resources for Americans: LawHelp.org - website for learning more about local laws and finding free legal aid in your area  JustShelter - a database of community resources available to people facing eviction (might not include all emergency pandemic programs) Eviction Moratorium Database - a database showing where evictions have been legally paused or restricted because of the pandemic National Evictions Database - a database where you can look up what the legal eviction process is supposed to look like in your state  Tenant’s Union Resources - a website where you can find information for the tenant’s union or pro-tenant organizations in your area  Legal Services - a federal non-profit that helps connect low-income households to legal resources for fighting eviction 

Fannie Mae Renters Resource Finder - a database that will tell you if your rental unit is federally financed, and show you resources to fight eviction accordingly  Freddie Mac Renters Resource Finder - another website to show you if your rental property is federally backed and connect you to resources

Eviction Lab - a website that outlines information about pandemic eviction moratoriums and restrictions currently in place in your state The National Housing Law Project - a comprehensive database of resources for people facing eviction or foreclosure  Important Resources for Canadians: The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - up-to-date information about eviction moratoriums in each province and territory  Affordable Housing Programs Across Canada - information on affordable housing programs in each province and territory Western Law Eviction Information - a website outlining the eviction process in Ontario and what you need to do to fight it Community Legal Education Ontario - a website that shows the proper procedure for eviction in detail and outlines steps that can be taken to fight it  Nova Scotia Legal Residential Tenancy Law Resources - detailed information about the eviction process in Nova Scotia and how to fight it Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta - resources and information for renters facing eviction in Alberta  BC Housing - information and resources for tenants facing difficulties in British Columbia  Saskatchewan Office of Residential Tenancies - information for tenants facing difficulties in Saskatchewan  Tribunal Administratif du Logement - resources and information for tenants living in Quebec. Available in both English and French. 

if you start a post with "why isnt anyone talking about this" or "while yall are doing x y and z this atrocious thing happened and if u dont know about it the second it happens ur part of the problem actually" im not gonna read it until u change ur tone u know damn fucking well how news gets spread and how the media works in 2021 to be acting like everyone knows everything at every second when theyre being bombarded with news 24/7. stop guilt tripping people its fucking gross

Eugenics, and how it leads to gender

NO.1

What is eugenics? Better yet, what was the eugenics movement about? Wikipedia states that ‘'it’s a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population, historically by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or promoting those judged to be superior. In recent years, the term has seen a revival in bioethical discussions on the usage of new technologies such as CRISPR and genetic screening, with a heated debate on whether these technologies should be called eugenics or not.’’

NO.2

The concept was created by Plato, where he suggested the concept of selective breeding; but the term was invented by a cousin of Darwin, Francis Galton, who launched the movement to ‘improve the human race, or at least, to halt its perceived decline. His ideas spread quickly, and by the 1920s eugenics movements existed all over the world. Eugenics, a movement for social betterment clothed in the mantle of modern science, claimed the allegiance of most genetic scientists and drew supporters from the political right, left, and center. The movement was embraced by Hitler and the rise of Nazism, which thankfully lost most of its power at the fall of the Third Reich in Europe and America, but some of its ideas still linger in the States. Like the notion of gender and marriage; strictly speaking, of white heterosexual couples.

NO.3

In the 1920’s eugenicist, Paul Popenoe brought marriage counseling to the U.S, where he sought to protect ‘family values’ since there was widespread concern over the declining white birth rates and created the American Institute of Family Relations (AIFR) where they popularized pseudoscientific sexual differences to the masses. Back then, everything in pop culture had little trails leading back to eugenics, including in schools, taught to their children, plastered as ads to their buildings, like pamphlets and books, all on advocating for the white female students to produce more children. Popenoe argued that the ‘male-female difference transcended all other human differences and was the ‘greatest that can exist between the two normal human beings.’ He felt that was this sex binary was essential to the survival of the family, nation, and western civilization, and therefore must be protected from the decadence of modern society.

NO.4

Post-war eugenicists were threatened by the higher education women which they felt decreased ‘natural birthrates and called for traditional marriage with defined sex-gender roles arguing that ‘men and women were made for marriage, biologically and psychologically.’ Patricia Hill Collins explains in her book, “It’s All in the Family: Intersections of Gender, Race, and Nation that ‘‘stationed in the center of ‘family values’ debates is an imagined traditional family ideal. Formed through a combination of marital and bloody ties, ideal families consist of heterosexual couples that produce their own biological family. Defined as a natural or biological arrangement based on heterosexual attraction, this monolithic family type articulates with governmental structures. Because family constitutes a fundamental principle of social organization, the significance of the traditional family ideal transcends ideology. In the United States, understandings of social institutions and social policies are often constructed through family rhetoric. Families constitute primary sites of belonging to various groups: to the family as an assumed biological entity; to geographically identifiable, racially segregated neighborhoods conceptualized as imagined families; to so-called racial families codified in science and law, and to the U.S nation-state conceptualized as a national family.’’

The tale of Lilith

There are a lot of accounts about the ‘demon-ness Lilith’, and her origin story leads a lot to be desired. Apparently, she was the first wife of Adam in Sumerian folklore, and because she did not want to be under Adam’s control any longer, and became, depending on which account you read, a vampire, a demon-ess, or a harlot, or all three, for not wanting to be apart of ‘God’s plan.’ The Sumerian accounts, taken from the 3rd millennium, were the first accounts of what happened to her before the biblical Hebrews surmised of her.

She is described as a ‘beautiful maiden’ but was believed to be a harlot, who once took a lover, offered no satisfaction to him, nor would she ever let him go. According to the Sumerian epic, dating from around 2000 B.C, ‘Gilgamesh and the Huluppu Tree’ and was ‘‘believed to appear to have human eyes. She is slender, well-shaped, beautiful, and nude, with wings, and owl feet. She stands erect on two reclining lions which are turned away from each other and are flanked by owls. On her head, she wears a cap embellished by several pairs of horns. In her hand, she holds a ring-and-rod combination. Evidently, this is no longer a lowly she-demon, but a goddess who tames wild beasts, and as shown by the owls on the reliefs, rules by night.’’

Apparently, the earliest mention of the ‘she-demon, whose name is similar to that of Lilith is found in the Sumerian king list which dates from around 2400 B.C. ‘‘It states, that the father of the great Gilgamesh was a Lilu-demon. The Lilu was one of four demons belonging to an incubi-succubae class. The other three were Lilitu (Lilith), a she-demon; Ardat Lili, or her handmaiden, who visited men in the night and bore them ghostly children. There is also the tale of the Irdu Lili, who was her male counterpart and would visit women and beget children by them. Originally these were storm demons, but because of a mistaken etymology, they came to be regarded as night demons. On one brief reference to Lilith in the Bible, Isaiah 34:14, in describing Yahweh’s (God) day of vengeance, says: The wild cat shall meet with the jackals, And the satyr shall cry to to his fellow, Yea, Lilith shall repose there, And find her a place of rest.’’

Unfortunately

The Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the people affected

NO.1

20 years ago, the U.S took action and invaded Afghanistan after the events of 9/11. No Afghan person was involved in such events, and have been victims themselves to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda prior to 9/11; for 20 long years, innocent Afghan civilians have been suffering, displaced, and killed in a war the U.S incited. Now, as reports came in two weeks ago, President Biden has finally pulled the U.S troops out of the country, the Taliban, now stronger than ever, stormed the capitol of Kabul, declaring it under Taliban rule now.

NO. 2

How was the Taliban and Al-Queda created? Who formed them? By the U.S, during the Cold War Era! The C.I.A, at the time, entered the country to fight against Russia/communism. Once the Russians left that side of the country, so too did the U.S, leaving heavily armed militants with American weapons with nothing to fight against except civilians. ‘‘The CIA gave birth to Osama Bin Laden and breastfed his organization during the 1980′s. Former British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, told the House of Commons that Al Qaeda was unquestionably a product of Western intelligence agencies. Mr. Cook explained that Al Qaeda, which literally means an abbreviation of “the database” in Arabic, was originally the computer database of the thousands of Islamist extremists, who were trained by the CIA and funded by the Saudis, in order to defeat the Russians in Afghanistan. America’s relationship with Al Qaeda has always been a love-hate affair. Depending on whether a particular Al Qaeda terrorist group in a given region furthers American interests or not, the U.S. State Department either funds or aggressively targets that terrorist group. Even as American foreign policy makers claim to oppose Muslim extremism, they knowingly foment it as a weapon of foreign policy.’’

NO. 3

‘‘Pashtana Durrani, the founder and executive director of LEARN, a nonprofit focused on education and women's rights, said she had run out of tears for her country. "I have cried so much there are no more tears left in my eyes to mourn. We have been in mourning the fall of Afghanistan for now quite some time. So I'm not feeling very well. On the contrary, I'm feeling very hopeless," she said. Durrani said she'd received text messages from boys as well as girls, who despaired that years of study were "all for nothing." She said the Taliban kept talking about girls' education, but they hadn't defined what that meant. Islamic studies are assumed, but "what about gender education? What about professional education?" she asked. "If you think about it, it makes you hopeless because there's no answer for it."

NO. 4

In fact, in the 1990’s, the Taliban had a strong hold on the country, forcing women to into arranged marriages, banning them from school, and executing those who were not wearing their full-face veils, not to mention banning women from professional careers. The Taliban supported Al-Qaeda to plan terrorist attacks on Western nations. Now that the U.S has left, ‘‘some Taliban members want to address local grievances, others wants to return to the brief period prior to 9/11 when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan in the late 90’s, and the establishment of a caliphate.’’

What happened to Haiti?

I wrote an earlier piece on Haiti, mostly on the revolution and its leading founders Toussaint L’Overture. But the missing parts, like what happened after the revolution, who became president after L’Overture’s capture, and why Haiti still looks and is, impoverished must be answered.

So, independence day for Haiti from French rule is January 1st, 1804, when General Jean-Jacques Dessalines led his forces against Napoleon’s colonial army. Upon achieving liberation, Haiti became the first independent black republic and the first leading state to abolish slavery altogether. Except, in 1825, France’s government, alongside the U.S and other Western powers placed an embargo on Haiti unless they paid the French government $36 billion dollars as reparations to end slavery and keep their independence, and ever since, Haiti has been exploited for its natural resources and has fallen victim to international trade crimes by European and American ‘world powers’, putting the country in extreme economic decline.

‘‘Haiti has had a long volatile relationship with the United States and other foreign countries. For the past century or more, reforms have been imposed largely by outsiders, leaving the country with little ownership of the development of economic and political systems. Haitians were left with a ‘prickly nationalism’ distrust of foreigners, and an economy largely dependent on foreign assistance.’’

Haiti, last weekend, has had another major earthquake, this one’s magnitude at least 7.2, which destroyed ‘more than 7,000 homes and damaged 5,000 leaving about 30,000 families homeless, not to mention the death toll was up to 1,200, and over 6000 plus injured. Hospitals, schools, offices, and churches were decimated and badly damaged.’ The tropical storm that came before battered the southwestern side of the country and the earthquake made it worse. The country sits on a fault line between two tectonic plates, the North American and the Caribbean plates, which slide past each other over time. There are two other major faults along the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the southern one is known as the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system., which the U.S Geological Survey says caused this one and the January 2010 earthquake.’’

Because the country has been in economic decline, and with the recent political unrest (the recent assassination of their former president, Jovenel Moise) its people have been unable to bounce back from the damages of previous earthquakes and are currently living through extreme humanitarian crises. There are thousands of people who are now homeless, in desperate need of aid, food, fresh drinking water, clothes, and socks. It is our responsibility to help, as the privileged who benefit from the exploitation of Haiti, to help and give back what we can.

P.S. Do not donate to the Red Cross. Instead, find and donate to trusted organizations whom you know your money is going directly to the Haitian citizens who will hopefully get basic needs and funding. If you cannot donate, then volunteer at organizations that are sourcing those basic needs. Read and research and spread the word to help.

1) https://batischool.org

2) About Us - Sow A Seed (sowaseedonline.org)

3) Responding to the Major Earthquake in Southern Haiti - Hope for Haiti

Midsommar: Horror redefined

NO. 1

So, technically Midsommar is a horror movie, written and directed by the great Ari Aster, debuted in 2019 and got raving reviews, and the film centers around Dani, played by Florence Pugh, who goes through an incredible, traumatic journey that ends in an equally incredible and yet extremely disturbing note. So, why are we talking about this film instead of the ‘myths’ or folklore stories? Well, because this is a film that isn’t like generic horror; it doesn’t include supernatural, it doesn’t have goblins, demons, fairies, but humans. Humans, in this film, is the scariest monster. In this instance, the Harga cult, who shows Dani love and acceptance she was denied the whole movie.

NO.2

Spoilers, for anyone who hasn’t seen Midsommar: So, what makes this movie horrifying? By how bright everything is. In the beginning, of course, it’s dark. Dani has lost her whole family, unfortunately, to a murder-suicide. She is stuck in a toxic relationship with her boyfriend, Christian, who longs to break up with her but is too cowardly to do so. The horror aspects happen when they and their friends go on a, funnily enough, anthropological research trip to Sweden, at the height of the Midsommar festival where they meet the Harga community, (cult). Many of what the Harga community does, like watching the elder’s die by suicide over a mountain, a tactic of eugenics, the disappearances of Christian’s friends, which he later finds out were gruesomely murdered, and then was tricked, and subsequently, raped, while Dany is having panic attack after panic attack was all planned. The use of light, for instance, is used oppressively for all of the visitors, and the isolation of language and traditions is used to ‘differ’ everyone. The cult is mostly open to Dani, for they chose her to join. A cult seeks to have more members, to grow within their own traditions, and not to question anything that occurs, no matter how horrific.

NO. 3

Now, Midsommar is a horror movie, and quite different from the actual Midsommar festival! So, what is the Midsommar festival? It is a holiday to celebrate the arrival of summer because Sweden, where the holiday is commensurate, is known for its long winters. It predates Christianity and is primarily held close to the summer festival. ‘‘The maypole or Midsummer pole is decorated with greenery and flowers. As it turns out, the maypole is a comparatively new part of Swedish Midsummer tradition. It came to Sweden in the late Middle Ages from Germany, where the pole was decorated with leaves and raised on May 1 (hence the name). Since spring comes later to Sweden it was hard to find the greenery to decorate the pole on May 1, so the tradition was moved to Midsummer. Some sources also attribute the perpetuation of the term majstång, or maypole, to the archaic Swedish word Maja, meaning ‘to decorate with green leaves.’ The traditional dance around the pole has changed around the centuries though, and it involves all sorts of folk dancing in traditional costumes, as well as all games for all ages to join in.’’

In conclusion, Midsommar is a movie that explains that not all bad things can be done in the dark. In fact, most evil and horrific acts are especially done in the light. One of the main themes of this movie is loss, and how grief affects people. Unfortunately for Dani, she is driven insane by the cult’s doings and has been accepted into the Harga cult unknowingly.

The Federal Reserve

NO. 1

Today, we’re going to asking some questions all focused on the Federal Reserve. Who created the Federal Reserve? What is its purpose? And how does it continue to control us, poor and middle-class folks, today? The Federal Reserve Act was signed by President Woodrow Wilson on December 23, 1913. Generally speaking, it has five general functions, ‘‘like conducts the nation's monetary policy to promote maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates in the U.S. economy; promotes the stability of the financial system; promotes the safety and soundness of individual financial institutions; fosters payment and settlement system safety and efficiency and promoting consumer protection and community development.

NO. 2

The first myth about the Federal Reserve, is that it is controlled by the federal government, hence the name. But in actuality, it is a private institution whose shareholders are commercial banks, hence the term, ‘bankers bank’. The word ‘federal’ is designed deliberately to create the impression that it is a public entity. Indeed, misrepresentation of its ownership is not merely by implication or impression created by its name. More importantly, it is also officially and explicitly stated on its website: ‘The Federal Reserve System fulfills its public mission as an independent entity within government. It is not owned by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution” [1]. To unmask this blatant misrepresentation, the late Congressman Louis McFadden, Chairman of the House Banking and Currency Committee in the 1930s, described the Fed in the following words: ‘Some people think that the Federal Reserve Banks are United States Government institutions. They are private monopolies which prey upon the people of these United States for the benefit of themselves and their foreign customers; foreign and domestic speculators and swindlers; and rich and predatory money lenders.”

NO. 3

Henry Ford quoted, ‘It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.” In simplistic terms, the Federal Reserve basically controls the money supply, and average citizens, like you and me, work for any valuable company, and in order to receive those paychecks, you used where only a fraction of bank deposits are backed by actual cash on hand and available for withdrawal. This is called fractional reserve banking, and it is done to theoretically expand the economy by freeing capital for lending. Every single person on this planet is working under the Federal Reserve.

For more information, please watch the documentary ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’, based on Thomas Piketty's best-selling book, on Netflix. They give a widespread selling of how far back the plans to implement the Federal Reserve goes.

https://www.change.org/p/department-of-land-and-natural-resources-protect-pololu-valley

I saw this on Tiktok and thought it needed to be passed on. Pololū Valley is sacred land currently at risk of being developed into yet another "scenic tourist attraction" for profit. Activists like @/melemaikalanimakalapua on Tiktok are fighting to have this petition seen by as many people as possible in order to prevent the senseless destruction of this land.

Note that the petition says not to donate to change.org--donations to change.org do NOT protect Pololū Valley.

I hope that by spreading this to tumblr, I can help it reach more people. Please sign this and reblog it if you can!

https://www.change.org/p/department-of-land-and-natural-resources-protect-pololu-valley

Homelessness in America

Homelessness in America is rampantly occurring, and we could all blame it on the recent COVID-19 disease, but we could all agree it is because of poverty. In New York City, and other huge cities all over the world, the gap between extreme wealth and extreme poor have always co-existed. Politicians have wholly ignored such issues, in favor of giving attention to other social issues.

The recent poll, taken in January 2020, ‘‘New York had an estimated 91,271 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Of that total, 15,151 were family households, 1,251 were Veterans, 3,072 were unaccompanied young adults (aged 18-24), and 7,515 were individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Public school data reported to the U.S. Department of Education during the 2017-2018 school year shows that an estimated 153,209 public school students experienced homelessness over the course of the year. Of that total, 5,939 students were unsheltered, 44,678 were in shelters, 3,157 were in hotels/motels, and 99,435 were doubled up.’’

The numbers continue to grow because legislation is slow, and most shelters are up to their capacity. Most people who have little to no income cannot survive only on government benefits and as it limits to nothing, homelessness increases. ‘‘There is a general consensus that, while not necessarily preventing homeless, the generosity and comprehensiveness of welfare systems of welfare systems shape the degree to which households will experience homelessness and housing exclusion, as well as the characteristics of those households (Allen et al, 2002.) The basic pattern, developed by Stephens and Fitzpatrick, (2007), is that the more generous and comprehensive a welfare system, the fewer the number households who experience homelessness will be largely single-person households and will have experienced other forms of exclusions, substance misuse, and various disabilities. On the other hand, more miserly and constrained welfare systems will generate a much higher number of households experiencing homelessness due to poverty, and housing affordability, rather than individual-level disabilities.’’

My name is Arielle, I am a social scientist, and I am a New Yorker speaking about homelessness in my state because I feel that, especially now, everyone should speak up and give their voice as a show of solidarity. I will continue to write and post about social issues impacting my community, state, and the world. There are links to help and donate to all these shelters down below.

1) Hoboken Homeless Shelter (hobokenshelter.org)

2) Urban Pathways

3) DonateNYC

4) Siena House - Siena House (weebly.com)

The Legend of the Holy Grail

The Grail legend is one of the most popular and reiterated myths told around the world. The legend is basically connected to the King Arthur tales as well, as the king and his noble knights embark on a heroic quest in search for the ‘Grail’, a shining cup claimed to be the sustainer of all life or a mysterious vessel that provides sustenance, which is guarded in a castle that is difficult to find.

The first Grail legend first appears in an unfinished romance called Perceval ou Le conte du Graal by Chretien de Troyes dated to about 1190. The basic outline would be the mysterious vessel being guarded in the castle, and the owner of that castle is sickly or unable to care for it; the surrounding land would almost always be barren, and the owner can only be restored if a brave knight finds the castle, and after seeing a ‘mysterious procession’, asks a certain question. If he fails at this task, everything will remain as before, and the search must begin again. After many adventures, the hero knight returns to the castle and asks the correct question which, hereby cures the king and restores the land. After, the knight succeeds the wounded monarch and becomes king instead, and becomes the guardian of the castle and its contents. The Crusades were the backdrop of this awesome tale, and the fall of Jerusalem occurred in 1187 just before the legend appeared as a literary motif, and Chretien’s romance was written at the behest of his patron, the crusader knight, Count Philip of Flanders.

‘‘In Chretien’s romance, the knight Perceval sees the grail during a feast at a mysterious castle controlled by the Fisher King, a lame man whom he had met before. Chretien calls the object simply ‘un graal’, and its appearance is just one of the unusual events which take place during the feast. Indeed at this time, Perceval is also shown a broken sword that must be mended. The two objects together, sword and grail, are symbols of Perceval’s development as a true knight. Chretien died before he could finish the romance, but the story was completed by other writers. The Continuations, as they are referred to in critical literature, expand several themes and the grail gradually acquires a more ‘sacramental’ character. The First Continuation is also incomplete and the author is unknown, but it can be dated before the year 1200. Besides Perceval, Gawain also has a grail adventure (the womanizing Gawain is the type of the perfect worldly knight and regularly forms a contrast to Perceval in these romances). During a procession which Gwain sees, ‘the rich grail’ (as it is now called) floats about the hall and provides food for all; the bleeding lance is later identified as the Lance of Longinus (the spear used by Longinus to pierce Christ’s side at the Crucifixion) and the broken sword belonging to a dead knight who is laid out of the bier. He who mends the sword will know the secrets of the grail castle (thereby strengthening the link between sword and grail.) Other medieval writers took up this theme; Burgandian poet, Robert de Boron, also wrote, at the behest of a crusader patron, the Lord of Montfacon, produced three romances, Joseph d’ Arimathie, Merlin, and Perceval. All these romances treat the grail theme, even into the context of Christ’ passion.’’

The Holy Grail legends are not only entertaining, with valiant heroes and dangerous but awesome quests, but they also speak of patience and knowledge that these heroes gain along the way. Perceval and Lancelot aren’t heroes because they are searching for a beguiled, golden chalice, but for greater understanding of themselves. These legends have been written and re-written for ages, and even in the modern years, people are still fascinated by the great quest for the Holy Grail. I know I am.