Wichita ks humane society

I hope you all enjoy this one! Got a lot of these hanging around in my writing folder ready to be proofread and published.
The following record has been altered for mortal consumption.
BEGIN MEMORY EXCERPT
General Richard sighed deeply as he sat in the council chamber. This was all too much. He could see the Xol representative across the chamber, talking in hushed tones with another Xol. Ashley sat beside him, arms crossed. After everything he'd heard about her, she seemed a normal person, even if she was a bit awkward. Her umbra was tight against her skin, and almost translucent. He knew from her tutoring that it's weakness was a trick.
Silva Wrassack, a Sage of Law, sat to his right. Her face was impartial, as always.
Soon, all of the representatives arrived.
"Attention all sapient races." A voice called out. "We are gathered here today to address a grievance by the United Republic of Terra, against the Xol Khanate."
Richard straightened his tie.
"The Council held a remote motion to hear the grievance, and the motion was accepted. Representative from the United Republic of Terra, you have the floor."
General Richard cleared his throat, and then spoke. "Peoples of the council, I am General Richard Hammond. With me is Ashley, the Apostle of our home star, Sol, and a Sage of Law, Silva Wrassack."
Murmurs ran through the chamber. God, Richard hated talking in front of politicians.
"Before I voice the Republic's grievance, I would like to extend a hand of friendship and peace to those around us. I am a General, indeed, but in Human culture, if there is peace, I am doing my job correctly. For background to those of you who who do not know of the Republic, we are a republican representative-democracy of Humans. Humans are a bipedal, warm-blooded, hunter-scavenger, omnivorous mammal species. We typically make decisions based on both emotion and logic. Humans have a lifespan of 110-130 years with our current medical technology, and we reach adulthood by approximately age 17, and reach full maturity at approximately age 26. We sometimes alter our bodies with cybernetics, but typically only for increased access to information and to enhance our social opportunities."
He saw nods and more murmurs across the chamber.
"Sadly, the Republic is here as a matter of conflict. We are here to file a grievance against the Xol Khanate." He gestured to Silva for her to continue. Better to let the Lawyer do her job.
Silva spoke up. "We accuse the Xol Khanate of the enslavement of our sovereign citizens, and the occupation of Pre-FTL Republic-colonized systems. We demand our systems be left, and our people freed and returned to us. We are open to negotiation, but our demand of our people's freedom is nonnegotiable."
The murmuring turned into a cacophony.
The arbiter managed to calm things down for the moment.
"Representative Jir'lan of the Xol Khanate, the integrity of the Xol Khanate has been questioned. The United Republic of Terra claims you have claimed their citizens as part of your workforce. What say you against this claim?"
The Xol representative, apparently named Jir'lan, spoke after a moment. "It surprises the Xol Kahnate that the United Republic of Terra exists in the first place. Our contracted workforces are second to none in the galaxy, as most of you know, and were any humans to be among them, they would be the rightful residential contracted workers of the Xol Khanate, and would not be citizens of this Terran Republic. How a human would end up outside of an FTL-isolated system is beyond me. I motion to table this discussion, and move on to more important matters."
The arbiter let out noise of boredom. "Motion to table, any objections?"
Sage Silva raised her hand. "We have an objection. How may I address you, arbiter?"
"Your objection is heard. You may address me as simply Arbiter."
"Understood, Arbiter. Our objection is as follows: when the human race finally united as one nation more than two thousand years ago, we sent out generation ships as an act of unity. The residents of those ships were Republic citizens, as were their children, and their children's children, and so on. When they arrived at their destination systems, those systems and the colonized planets became Republic territory. At the time, we did not know of the sapience of stars, but those stars would today be allowed to become Republic citizens themselves, or negotiate terms for colonization."
"Objection heard. For clarification, please define the function of a generation ship."
"Oh, I see." Silva said. Richard was surprised the concept was foreign. Silva continued. "A generation ship is a type of exploration and colonization vessel that travels at sublight relativistic speeds. As per the name, the crew of the ship is a pre-designed and regulated society that lives and dies aboard the ship, until it reaches it's destination system."
Murmurs began to echo as the sage explained the concept. Was it really that crazy?
"Understood. Any responses to the objection?" The Arbiter spoke. A distant hand was raised.
"Representative Glagnon of the Firma Federation, what is your response?"
The gruff looking alien spoke up. "How many of these generation ships have you fielded?"
Silva nodded as the arbiter gestured to her to respond. "Thirteen. Each vessel holds approximately 1.2 million people."
"Response heard. Any other responses?"
Another alien spoke. "What is the United Republic of Terra's policies on indentured servitude?"
Silva cleared her throat. "In the Terran Republic, Involuntary servitude under any circumstances, by any means of coercion, is illegal and will result in life imprisonment and the dissolution of any organized group or corporation found culpable by a random jury of their peers and a Judge."
The murmurs rebounded as Silva explained. Richard didn't have much hope for this dialogue anymore. It was clear that slavery was commonplace.
"For the record, extreme cases of systematic exploitation can result in a death penalty."
"Outrageous!" An alien shouted. The murmurs turned into roars.
"SILENCE!" The Arbiter declared. "Order shall return to this chamber. Are there any objections to the objection raised by the United Republic?"
Jir'lan spoke. "The Xol Khanate objects. Any humans or generation ships which have entered territory are ours by right of appropriation under Article 76392-Kit."
"Objection, Arbiter." Silva said, "The Terran Rep-"
"Silence. Provisional Attendees of this council are only allotted one objection for every motion. Speak again and you will be arrested for contempt."
Richard could barely hold in his rage. What kind of council was this?
"Any objections?" The Arbiter asked the chamber. Silence rang.
"Objection resolved. The motion to table this discussion passes, and the motion to question integrity fails."
Richard sighed. Of course it would come to this. He then heard a message in his communicator. The Central Congress just voted. He took a deep breath.
"Arbiter, I wish to comment."
"Granted, though no new objections are allowed."
"Of course, Arbiter." Richard said, a shiver running down his back in disgust. "Members of this council. I want to reiterate the Terran Republic's extended hand of friendship. However, it disappoints me greatly that this galactic council of supposedly intelligent beings refuse to do anything about this injustice. Our citizens and systems have been taken from under our nose by a law that we never agreed to follow, nor that we knew existed. I have been in contact with the Central Congress of the United Republic of Terra during this discussion. Fourty-Eight seconds ago, in a monumental unanimous decision, all 18019 members of the Central Congress, under guidance of the Grand Council of Sages, voted to declare a war of liberation on the Xol Khanate. "
Roars filled the chamber. The face of Jir'lan turned from surprise to both anger and humor. The sly shithead thought this was funny!
"SILENCE." The arbiter thundered, bringing the wining to an end. "A motion to declare war under the galactic rules of conflict has been raised."
Richard couldn't hold himself in. He laughed.
"You misunderstand, arbiter. There is no motion. We are not asking for approval. We will not be pushed around by the hubris of this council who thinks themselves better than their peers, and thinks the rights of individuals are an afterthought. We will follow our own rules of conflict, which we will deliver to this council and the Xol Khanate momentarily." he said. "We will take our leave. After all, I am a general. It is time to do my job. To the Xol Khanate, we heavily recommend you start removing your non-military population from your military centers and emplacements. We do not like killing civilians."
The door behind Richard locked.
"You will not leave. It is not our hubris, but yours, to presume this is your decision, or that you are equal to anyone else. Speak again and you will be detained." The arbiter said.
Ashley stood up, and spoken for the first time. "Respectfully, Arbiter, you can go chuck yourself, your mate, your extended family, and your firstborn in an incinerator."
Outrage ran through the council chambers, the Arbiter's face twisted to disgust and anger. Ashley turned to the locked door. Richard saw Ashley's umbra flared up in a rainbow of colored tentacles, and the door simply crumpled. His umbra control couldn't compare, even though Sol and Ashley had been directly tutoring him for weeks now.
"Security, detain them." The arbiter spoke.
Richard opened his briefcase. He flipped open the hidden panel and pulled out his issued PDW. Ashley took a deep breath.
They bolted down the hallway. Armored aliens rounded the corner and held out weapons.
"Let us pass if you value your lives. We have no quarrel with you. Raise your graspers above your head and drop your weapons." Richard said, pointing his weapon back. "Don't make me do this."
The guards took a step forward.
Richard opened fire, the bullets cracking the air. Two guards fell, and one more stumbled. Their shiny armor was cracked and split, a single hole in each. Not designed against kinetics, he guessed. He turned his gun on the remaining guards, but a flare of burning light filled his vision before he could do much else.
The rest of the guards became charred husks on the ground. Ashley's eyes burned with an orange light, the wispy flame in her hand dying out. She held the hand out, and Richard took it.
He spoke into his communicator. "Detonate the ship, according to plan A2." He heard a distant rumble as the plastic explosives vaporized any hint of Terran data or technology.
Ashley pulled him close, then her umbra yanked them through the metal corridors. They shot through the hallways towards the emergency exits.
"Gonna be a rough ride home, General." She said as the white, gold, and chrome hallways sped past them.
"That's fine. Always wanted to see those floes and swells you keep talking about with my own eyes, anyway."
END MEMORY EXCERPT

Humans are not loved by God. It’s impossible. We are so disgusting. We are the most vile and awful creatures to exist. Completely impure and sickening. We are the disappointing children of our creator. Who’s hate for us is so justifiable we can not complain about natures judgement on us when we are taken from this world. We are not carried by angels or dragged down into hell. We belong nowhere as we will plague and plunder anywhere that we reside.
We have rebelled against nature. Destroyed the homes of our neighbours, human or not. We have flooded the seas with our filth. Manipulated nature to burn down it’s ancient forests. Infested miles upon miles with concrete, stone, metal and plastic. Eradicated species upon species not solely due to greed, but because we think it to be fun to hunt and kill. Truly an anomaly to mother nature, the greatest pest that exists. If the earth and oceans weren’t enough, we took to the skies and created huge abominations that pollute and poison the air that every living thing needs to survive. Burning fuel taken from the ground to be used for our convenience. We slaughter animals by the mass and knowingly consume more than we need, seeing gods’ creatures not out of love or their age, but by the meat on their bones. We destroy habitats for these creatures for sanitary products and luxuries, or to construct more man-made structures that only cause further poisoning and destruction. We are so evil that I struggle to even put it in to words to make you understand.
When we are born, we are born pure. We are psychologically free, no memories or experiences. No pain from the world, no suffering. Just you and the endless wonder of the journey that awaits. Ignorance is bliss. Then you start to grow and become aware. You either grow sheltered to the world or experience the pain first hand. Children are the purest form of life. They have nothing to regret or worry about. Life for them is genuinely blessed. To take that away from them is evil. So unbelievably evil and treacherous. To hurt or abuse a child in anyway or teach them wrong or evil morals is the worst thing you could do. Tormenting and controlling an innocent child’s mind, taking their whole life away from them to where they will never recover and will remember that forever. Feeling that fear whenever that thought crosses their mind. Or how children are forced into crime to survive is the devils doing. Some may call this character development or just “life”. It’s truly evil. So evil in fact that we deserve the worst. Our societies have normalised this for thousands of years. We can never get it right because of our ambitions to rule and have power. Surely, we must be the most blood thirsty and sociopathic animals to ever exist. Only thinking of ourselves. Once you realise that we have no place in the universe, the pain is so immense. It’s not that which bothers me. What bothers me is that we, as intelligent life, use our intelligence in all the wrong ways. What is the point of our intelligence if we don’t think. Instead, we are evil because the thrill feels good. The pain of the world is too much if we don’t have something that’s wrong to fill that hole.
It is impossible for us to repent. I will never change. I accept that I am evil. I am so incredibly evil as a human. We play with instruments of death for fun. We constantly design and develop new weapons and sell them to others that will use them to kill god’s creations. Even I get excited about these things. I itch to hurt others, but it hurts me that I feel that way. We constantly look for reasons to kill and destroy. We are so evil. Where did we go wrong? At what point in history did we become this way. Why did we evolve to use our intelligence in such disgusting ways. We are so far away from nature that we can even produce our own biological weapons and chemical neurotoxins. We can create life as easily as we can take it away. We can modify ourselves unnaturally with lab synthesised hormones or prosthetics. What child should ever have this thought cross their mind? Our societies have pushed us to this. Evil spreads through us through the societal pyramid. Most of us will not understand what I am saying. How could you abuse a child. Tell me how you could do that to new life. What is wrong with us. The word “evil” has completely lost it’s meaning. We will never change. We can’t even be intelligent life anymore because we are so cruel. Intelligent life should be kind and loving to all. With no conflict. As long as one of us is evil, then none of us are intelligent. We will never change.
We need to be saved and we need to learn how to love again. Humans, the most intelligent form of life on Earth, which is doomed to destroy it.

Tell me if this is a good for the main character to meet a god of chaos. After arriving in a strange magical world and finding that his grandfather and father being a wizard. He enrolls in his new school and tries to awaken his dormant magic ability, but faces some difficulties along the way. He wonders how he can be able to awaken his powers. He soon meets a strange man offering his services to help him awaken his abilities. He considers his offer, but is stopped by his grandfather. He tells his grandson that he is a god of chaos who is notorious for his services that have caused further issues to various mortals. He tries rebuke that saying he has helped a lot of good people along the way. Though his grandfather rejects that claiming
"I've heard about your previous jobs in some of the parallel universes such as the destruction of the entire inhabitants of a town, causing further conflicts for human society, and the causing of social collapse of an entire reality"
"Oh come on most of it had a good warrant, I mean an alien race tried to replace all of humanity by impersonating other people, androids enslaving humankind and a plague was wiping out all of humanity. I mean isn't that the job for us gods".
"You know the rules, that's been given by you by the higher gods themselves".
"Oh please some of the world leaders in those universes needed help, I offered them my services and I did what I was told by them, safe and sound".
"Really then I suppose the same can be said for that alien planet that you supposedly "helped" such as allowing two planets to be invaded".
"Oh come on now I was practically doing them a favor, I mean if I didn't help those little ant size humans, grow to be as normal as the people on earth, they would have gotten squash from the beginning, sure they got attack, but at least they were able to win in the end at least even though 98 percent of their population was lost. And besides one of my wishes did work well in the end. I helped a man in another universe who started shrinking ant size after being expose to some radiations by those flying saucers in Washington DC of 1952. Even though it was kind of enjoyable seeing that go through a lot of chaos in his life such as his wife leaving him for someone else, and no longer an employee at his job, which made it harder for him to manage his life by himself, and besides I practically wanted to see how humankind would use those new tools from the androids if they won. But at least he was still okay, so come on already let me give the kid my services".
"I'm sorry, but no means no".
"Gosh what a Scrooge you are", he said smirking at him before disappearing.
"Man as if this place couldn't get any weirder than this", he thought.
So what do you think about it, let me know in the comments below?
Ketchup
/uj same exact text as OOP

I know this is somewhat different to the normal posts here but in many ways just was important.
I have felt trapped in my own mind unable to tell anyone or to just get all this hatred out of me. I really hate pickles, everything they aee and stand for. i dont know if they're political or not and that scares me too. i dont like things i cant understand, and i do not understand pickles. Like what are pickles? Cucumbers? peppers? some other outlandish thing? They go in burgers, they always end up in my fish and chips even when i specifically said "no pickles". They are everywhere and i cant escape them. you go to the shop and oh look some pickles, you go to a resturaunt and oh look that guys got a PICKLE in his burger?! Who decided these green slimey freaks of a presumed vegitable are something we need in day to day life. They serve no purpose. and dont get me started on how people are calling me weird for not liking pickles, i know not many humans share my hatred for these pickles but just look at other things that arent human. ever seen a cat get scared of a pickle? yeah, alot have and its clearly because cats are way smarter than us and clearly know that pickles are obviously a key factor in the ultimate ending of society. i seriously do not like nor trust any pickles. they are foul and deserve to be rid of this earth. And i am coming for them, im coming for all the pickles and all the pickle enjoyers, anybody associating with pickles will be in my list of targets. I'm gonna make pickles as extinct as the night furies. I will succeed in my fight against pickles, no matter the cost.
Thank you reddit, for letting me vent my severe buildup of hatred. :)

PART [1/2]
The fresh oxygen-filled air bristled through the green canopy above. Gn’ylaum did appreciate Earth’s aesthetic to some degree, although he would never feel truly at home in these things they called forests. Yet, today he would experience it in a different way, for he was finally invited to go hunting with the human hunting group he had associated with a while ago, for the purpose.
“Do you mind if we take notes?” asked one of the four humans he was accompanying.
“Notes about what?” Gn’ylaum asked.
“Just, we’re unfamiliar with your kind and hunting, just for future reference,” answered another man, that had introduced himself as Joseph to Gn’ylaum. “I imagine you’ll also be marking some observations about us.”
That hadn’t occurred to Gn’ylaum. He wasn’t exactly looking to making a habit out of human-style hunting. He more or less did it, because hunting humans had been outlawed. This was the closest thing he would ever get, although he wouldn’t tell his companions the truth about that, he supposed.
“Sure,” nodded Gn’ylaum.
Packed with primitive weapons that humans called shotguns, and backpacks filled with miscellaneous supplies, the hunting group set off into the thick overgrown woods. On the search for a life form called deer, or boar, and some other denominations that didn’t say much to Gn’ylaum. He would follow and shoot when pointed where. He figured it wouldn’t be to difficult, since human society seemed to be at least several centuries behind on development to the civilization Gn’ylaum called home.
They had been walking for over an hour in a stiff pace. Gn’ylaum could keep up, but he wondered why humans bothered traveling in such an exhausting way. Joseph had halted the group at the edge of a clearing in between the trees. It was covered in long sharp grass and dotted by patches of bracken. Gn’ylaum had familiarized himself with Earth’s flora in preparation of the trip. It seemed so much more diverse and complex than the low grade coverage on his home planet. It was about the only thing he appreciated about this place. Even though the compactness of it sparked a hint of claustrophobia within him. Joseph gestured everyone to crouch and so they did, then he whispered Gn’ylaum over to him, so he could observe from close how they were going to shoot the deer that was apparently grazing within the clearing. Gn’ylaum hadn't seen the deer, which he credited towards the survival instinct of the animal.
“You check where the wind is coming from,” Joseph whispered. “You try to approach the with headwind, so that it cannot smell you coming and any noise that you make gets carried away from the animal.”
This made sense to Gn’ylaum. Even though he couldn’t remember animals of prey at home that would be this complicated to hunt. Most of the species on his home planet reproduced at such a rate that it would be near impossible to make a dent in their populations, when hunting them for food. Although he had understood that humans do not always hunt to provide, but also for something they call sport. Where they go about wastefully killing things to see if they can. It was a strange concept, but Gn’ylaum would be open minded about it and try before judging.
“If you’re close enough, you line the barrel of your gun along your arm, and aim it using this small indent up front,” Joseph whispered. “You need to get the head or chest, depending on what you’re hunting, right in between it.”
Thus far Gn’ylaum could follow the instructions. The weapon had seemed crude to him, but it turned out he had underestimated the sophistication of the human hunting process somewhat. There was a clear aim behind everything. Though no efficient, it had a certain elegance Gn’ylaum couldn’t deny.
“If you’ve steadied your aim, you hold your breath,” Joseph proceeded. “You guys do breath, right?” he asked, as if suddenly unsure.
Gn’ylaum nodded. His species did breath, although they didn’t need the oxygen, but their bodies processed the nitrogen in the air. Something of which Earth had plenty, so that Gn’ylaum could go about his way, without the need of aiding equipment.
“BOOM!” yelled one of the other men out of nowhere.
Both the deer and Gn’ylaum startled at the sudden loud exclamation. The deer sped off in the forest and Gn’ylaum dropped backwards on the ground. The men – bar Joseph – laughed loudly as if they were amused and proud by scaring their guest to death.
“Very funny guys,” said Joseph, as he stretched his arm out towards Gn’ylaum, to give him a hold to get back on his feet. ”Anyway, that was all, except for pulling the trigger. You shoot the next one Gn’ylaum.”
Gn’ylaum simply rubbed his backside, and cleaned his coat. As he picked up his gun from the ground, he saw the men that had laughed earlier, making notes about his movements. Which seemed odd to Gn’ylaum, as he hadn’t done anything of particular use to the goal of this trip, but he choose not to question it and strapped the weapon over his shoulder.

There is a lot of media that depicts the prison planet theory. Some people think that elites do this because they require some level of consent from us but I disagree. They might need our consent when we are in touch with our entirety but down here? I doubt it. In fact I’m hesitant towards ideas that suggest a grander conspiracy on Earth. I’ll try to lay out my ideas.
Depictions in media:
When I first started thinking about reincarnation I wondered how I might send a message to my future self to warn them of the cycle. Could “disclosure” simply be that very same thing? That our soul remembers enough subconsciously to put these ideas out to the masses through the genre of fiction? Fiction seeds minds without the controversy of the non-fiction label. It allows people to play with the ideas and spread it when they otherwise wouldn’t. If it wasn’t for fiction I wouldn’t be awakened to this path at all. I am extremely grateful for it and it’s why I’m not so quick to slap the maker’s mark of the “elites” on everything.
It could be done with the intention to discredit but I don’t see it. We already live in a materialistic world and these ideas are clearly dangerous to the system. It simply isn’t necessary, which brings me to my next point.
Involvement of elites:
I shy away from the concept of micromanagement by them. What sounds easier:
A.) To craft the incentives of your universe so people naturally work in your favor.
B) Micromanage a global population of billions by being deeply involved at every level of power.
If you play a video game the developer already knows the environment they created and what you’re likely to do. No more effort from them required. Put the player in a world where they have to trample over each other and they will. Humans are responsible for our acts here.
They’re parasites. Minimum effort, maximum returns. The more energy they spend manipulating the less profit they get to enjoy.
I’ll use a video game reference to explain: Mass Effect. The Reapers come and harvest the galaxy in cycles once it reaches a certain level. They even have indoctrination technology. So how do they pull it off? Do they infiltrate every level of galactic governments and puppet them around? No. They simply left some mass relays to be discovered, which formed the basis of technology and space travel in every society. Once they come back to harvest they seize these relays and punish their dependency. Minimum effort, maximum returns.
Let’s be honest with each other: If they had the immense level of power in our society like some believe, we wouldn’t be talking right now. Secret police would be at your door at the very least, but they’re not. We can find the truth in our media instead of it being censored. If they were our masters they wouldn’t need to take it easy on us, we’d just lose. A lot of views focus too much on the modern. It would’ve been easiest for them to enslave us at the very beginning of our history, not now. 300,000 years for them to do with us as they please yet here we are speaking freely.
Conclusion? The greatest trick they’ve ever pulled is getting us to come here. They aren’t physical, they can’t even directly partake in their own creation. They simply aren’t all that. Do some people communicate with the Archons and benefit from them? Probably. But again if they were all powerful the game would already be over. With every piece of media released the truth digs deeper into our psyche, never to be truly forgotten. It is a great triumph of the human spirit. Do not be so quick to dismiss them and credit our enemy, lest we play into their hands.
These are just my thoughts, I’d like to hear yours.

In the less "torture-porny" Crossed +100 and +100 Mimic, it is shown that humans and crossed are still thriving one hundred years after the initial infections. The Crossed although still masochistic and murderous have created societies, cities and culture around creating a future for themselves and their offspring, while the humans have created highly fortified cities while staying relatively civilized. Furthermore delegations of the crossed have begun attempting to assimilate intelligent and important humans into their ranks and raiding parties to co-exist somewhat without infecting them, as long as they help track down other human cities and groups.
My question is how long would it relatively take for the world to become relaxed and for a semi-permanent civilization to form? Whether its through the total conversion and extinction of humans, or through some kind of co-existing pact?

What do you prefer Individual or Family as basic unit of Society ? and What type should India follow as per You.
The individual: The individual refers to a single person and is considered the basic unit of society in terms of personal autonomy, rights, and agency. The individual emphasizes the unique characteristics, choices, and contributions of each person. It recognizes the diversity of perspectives, talents, and aspirations that individuals bring to society. The individual's role is essential in shaping social dynamics, progress, and the overall well-being of society.
The family: The family, on the other hand, refers to a group of individuals connected by blood, marriage, or adoption who share a household and form social bonds. The family unit is primarily focused on kinship, reproduction, child-rearing, and emotional support. It plays a crucial role in socializing individuals, transmitting cultural values, and providing a foundation for social structure and cohesion. The family unit emphasizes interdependence, cooperation, and the nurturing of relationships within a specific domestic context.
In summary, while the individual emphasizes personal autonomy and contributions to society, the family focuses on the interconnectedness, support, and socialization of individuals within a more intimate and kinship-based unit. Both the individual and the family play integral roles in the functioning and development of society, but they differ in terms of their scale, scope, and the particular aspects of human experience they address.

The common argument is that being transgendered is a mental illness, but it isn't. When a child of any gender sees an object, that child will create their own feelings about the object. Some children might prefer flowers to fire trucks, or army helicopters to Barbies.. but despite what some trolls might say, that army helicopter is not a gendered item (nor is it a gender you can claim).
So, if in our purest innocence, we do not associate our reproductive organs with the objects we are allowed to play with or what colors we can use to represent ourselves, gender restrictions are clearly not a natural occurrence in the human experience.
As we grow, we see ourselves as our preferences, and we have to battle for what we love against society. Adults always telling me, AMAB, that I can't use a pink crayon. Little second grade confused me, in a Christian school, just innocently saying "but, pink is my favorite color and I want to use it."
I was literally put on a pedestal of shame in front of the class, and forced to admit, to the laughter of other children, that "pink is my favorite color".. but just a moment ago, when we were all still friends, I was coloring with the pink crayon and not a single other kid cared.
It wasn't until the adult told me to be ashamed and the other children were directed to scold and shame me, that it became a traumatic moment. Before that I was just a happy child with a pink crayon that made me even happier.
But unlike the other children, I was not dissuaded. I went home and put on my mother's makeup to do a fashion show for myself, or my Ultimate Warrior face paint to wrestle with My Pet Monster on my bed, because my hobbies were not gendered.
First time my dad caught me putting on makeup would also be around this time, and that would also begin the long standing tradition of him using the "F-slur" against me, as well as constantly calling me a "girl" to shame me, without realizing he was actually affirming my choices.
In response to my father's prejudice, his insults toward me became a reason for me to troll him. I knew he, and the other adults, were suffering from something I couldn't explain, nor was I able to learn Partially, I do thank ASD for my inability to feel ashamed of myself, and because I was never able to comprehend or adopt bigotry, the way my peers did. I didn't care what other people really thought of me, until they became violent over my existence.
Eventually, as I grew, I moved into more and more gender defiance, and by the time I was in middle school, I was being thrown out of both my parents homes back and forth because I kept bringing in dresses, or refusing to remove my eyeliner or nail polish. To me, it was a test of my parents love. It just hurt and was sad, that I was just making myself pretty with colors and fashion, but they found a reason to hate me for being happy. I needed love and acceptance, but instead was called an abomination.
My mother was worse than my violent father. She sent me too many crossed messages of what I was "allowed" to do. In my adult life, I asked her why I was even born and her response was "I was a bored house wife and wanted a baby doll to play with", and she was being genuine. I was tossed aside by her very quickly in favor of her own social life by the time my parents divorced at 4.
I didn't see my mother often because she went from being a "party" person to working full time at local bars and just never coming home. So at her house I just did whatever I wanted with no education or supervision. Which was better than being beaten by my dad, but then my mom found a man who was also transphobic and moved me into his house without me ever even meating the guy to see if it was a good fit. Spoiler: it wasn't
So this new guy proceeds to spend the first year trying to teach me to "man up" by taking me fishing, hunting and showing me construction. None of this was new to me, even at 12 I was having moral conflictions and refused to kill animals (I was pushed to kill a lot of animals as a child and I sincerely think it was way more shameful than the things I was told to be ashamed of), so clearly, this other "man's man" is now going around to all of his friends, calling his girlfriend's 12 year old son a "F-slur", and of course this is now my brand.
By the age of 14, I was calling myself the "F-slur", and using the term "queer" because I knew it made all these judgemental types uncomfortable. They love to call me that, but if I take it in stride, it's no longer a weapon they can use and now they're frustrated that the little lady-boy from around the block is getting the best of them.. so clearly, I was being physically assaulted more often now.
Keep going forward, and now that I am an adult, I tried to come out to my mom as gender non-conforming, and her immediate response was to gaslight me about it. Telling me she always supported me, or that I never showed any signs of leaning towards femininity as a default.. like, bitch, what?!?
I confronted my mom about harmful things she did, asking why she would throw away my dresses and makeup I purchased for myself if she was so supportive..
Her response? "Well, I didn't want MY friends seeing you LIKE THAT."
Like what?! As the person I am? You sacrificed your child's own happiness and comfort because YOUR reputation for gender conformity was more important than whether or not I unalived myself from being so hurtfully rejected by my own parents?
Long story not so short.. I am mentally ill, but my gender non-confomity has NOTHING to do with why I struggle to be happy. The reality is that SOCIETY has the collective mental illness. The CONCEPTS of TRADITION are so deeply rooted with rhetoric and propaganda that these uptight conservative types are the ones who are begging and enforcing their own oppression through a type of global Stockholm Syndrome.
Gender is complicated, it is imaginary, and it has absolutely nothing to do with what sits between your legs.
And that is all I have to say about this right now.

What do you prefer Individual or Family as basic unit of Society ? and What type should India follow as per You.
The individual: The individual refers to a single person and is considered the basic unit of society in terms of personal autonomy, rights, and agency. The individual emphasizes the unique characteristics, choices, and contributions of each person. It recognizes the diversity of perspectives, talents, and aspirations that individuals bring to society. The individual's role is essential in shaping social dynamics, progress, and the overall well-being of society.
The family: The family, on the other hand, refers to a group of individuals connected by blood, marriage, or adoption who share a household and form social bonds. The family unit is primarily focused on kinship, reproduction, child-rearing, and emotional support. It plays a crucial role in socializing individuals, transmitting cultural values, and providing a foundation for social structure and cohesion. The family unit emphasizes interdependence, cooperation, and the nurturing of relationships within a specific domestic context.
In summary, while the individual emphasizes personal autonomy and contributions to society, the family focuses on the interconnectedness, support, and socialization of individuals within a more intimate and kinship-based unit. Both the individual and the family play integral roles in the functioning and development of society, but they differ in terms of their scale, scope, and the particular aspects of human experience they address.

Quick disclaimer: I don’t believe disabled people should be banned from having children. It’s supposed to be about CHOICE. But I can’t help but think it influences some people’s choice on the matter.
Is there anyone else here with any kind of disability that influenced your decision to be child free? Personally, I’m autistic among other things. I have very low energy and extreme sensitivity to sudden, loud sounds. I’m so prone to burnout because I spend most of my energy trying to appear “normal” at work and in social settings.
My fiancé is on the spectrum too. So, there’s a high chance our prospective child(ren) would be on the spectrum. Society has been (and still f***ing is) very nasty and unaccommodating towards us and we cannot in good conscience bring a child into that. Why should we put another human being through the same unnecessary suffering we went through that nearly broke us on multiple occasions? It really doesn’t sit well with me.
(And before anyone starts, I know suffering is a part of being alive. Duh. But there are things no one should have to go through. Some things I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy, let alone my own damn children!)
It grinds my gears when people say we’re using our disabilities as excuses. Well, Karen, it’s almost as if it’s called a DISABILITY for a reason hmm? I wish people would walk a mile in others’ shoes before judging smfh.
I guess this evolved more into a rant than a question. So, back to the point. If you’re disabled, has that impacted your decision to be child free? What are your experiences and how did others around you respond?

I've found that there's a very specific type of story common in Japanese manga I've just absolutely devoured for about a decade. They all revolve around protagonists who find themselves turned into the feared monsters of their societies and now have to navigate life neither belonging to humanity nor whatever they turn into be it a devil, ghoul, choujin, kaiju, devilman, or whatever.
They often occupy "half" states that put them on a line where they're forced to choose sides, loved ones, and what's important to them. There's also usually a moment where they find themselves discovering a whole new world and society unknown to them beforehand. I usually resonate with the psychological alienation, unbelonging, isolation, and commitment themes of these stories when they're taken seriously. Really good ones I've read or watched include Devilman: Crybaby, Tokyo Ghoul, Choujin X, Chainsaw Man, and Parasyte: The Maxim.
An issue I find though is that these are the types of stories I want to write, but I struggle to find western literature and media in general within the genre for comp title purposes. And I struggle to even put a name to the genre. I've written fantasy, Sci-Fi, and supernatural with traumatic or psychological elements for years with intentions to publish traditionally, but I just can't find traditional work similar to my own.
Mind you, I still read as much as I can within my broad genres and understand the importance, but I can't help but relate more to mediums outside of my environment if ya know what I mean. I'm almost to the point of debating self publishing on web novel sites with manga art and stuff like that to audiences that I know will be familiar with this, but I still want to give trad a shot first.

In the battle of the human spirit against life’s adversities, Mac Miller and Santiago from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea” present themselves as stark silhouettes against a stormy backdrop. Their journeys—marked by resilience and raw struggle—reveal the price we pay under society’s definition of ‘being a man’.
Mac’s struggle was not with the tangible might of a marlin, but with an equally relentless beast: the specter of mental health issues and drug addiction. These battles, although different in form, are eerily similar in their essence—battles fought against relentless forces, often in solitude, echoing the societal expectation of men as ‘lone warriors.’ Their stories urge us to reevaluate the narrative of manhood, painting a poignant picture of the strength found in vulnerability and the courage it takes to wrestle with our inner demons.
Miller’s battle with addiction was as public as it was private, but rather than succumbing to the societal pressure to mask his struggles, he embraced them. He spoke openly about his mental health, normalizing the conversation around it, just as The Old Man was unashamed of his struggle with the marlin. Both show us that ‘being a man’ isn’t about hiding our battles but acknowledging them.
Moreover, Miller’s music became his channel of self-expression, his line cast out into the vast sea of his personal struggles. His later works, “Swimming” and “Circles”, bear testament to this. They are raw, unfiltered, mirroring The Old Man’s relentless battle against the sea. Both of their narratives become symbolic of perseverance in the face of adversity, of the ultimate courage in vulnerability.
However, the unforgiving reality of their struggles is poignantly marked by their ends. Santiago, although surviving the sea, is left with the skeletal remains of his hard-won marlin. He is a shell of his former self, broken and defeated. Mac, too, tragically succumbs to his struggle with addiction, leaving behind a legacy that is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking.
In conclusion, the parallels between Mac Miller and Santiago present a profound commentary on societal constructs of manhood. Their stories compel us to rethink ‘being a man’ – it’s not about the absence of struggle, but the courage to embrace it, to speak of it, and to find a sense of self amidst it, even when the tide is high and the sea is rough.
(Made with the help of AI)

We had an excellent Gosho study meeting last night led by our Men's Division and YWD Region leaders. Did we mention it was unconventional? It was our May lecture, held in June, postponed because we were all so engaged promoting Special May Contributions to our members. Also, our MD leader built his presentation around a clipping from the 1980s film Cool Runnings.
Sensei's lecture was entitled "Faith Is the Compass for Victory in Life—Courageously and Cheerfully Sailing the Course to Happiness." It starts with some important questions: What is the correct way to live (the question Sensei, at his first meeting on August 14th, 1947, asked President Toda)? What are the beliefs and philosophies that guide our actions? How do we prevent the turbulent currents of life and society from sweeping us away? What is the fundamental philosophy that accords with the underlying Law of the universe? How can we adorn our lives with unsurpassed victory?
One important starting point toward answering these questions is studying the Gosho:

Nichiren Daishonin’s writings are a source of inspiration and courage. They awaken us to the absolute dignity of our lives and enable us to overcome all adversity. Buddhist study is the driving force for building a solid core of wisdom and freely creating value. Studying the supreme principles of life brings joy and will not fail to impact our lives profoundly. Those who study and those who teach become experts in human philosophy, whose lives shine with pride and triumph. Mr. Toda frequently encouraged members by describing those who embrace Nichiren Buddhism as champions of faith and life.

We studied two quotes from the writings of Nichiren. The first one was a passage from A Ship to Cross the Seas of Suffering. On it, Sensei reminds us that "life is a series of hardships" and that "in an age like ours, marked by unending crises, many face challenges that seem beyond their control." The essence of faith is "advancing toward victory with hope and an expansive life state even when tossed about by life’s seemingly endless trials."
The Japanese people contemporary to the Daishonin lived in what must have seemed to them to be an apocalyptic and dystopian time. In “On Establishing the Correct Teaching for the Peace of the Land” Nichiren wrote: “There is hardly a single person who does not grieve” and “I have been brooding alone upon this matter, indignant in my heart” (WND-1, 6-7).

Nichiren calls the endless suffering of life in this world “the sea of the sufferings of birth and death” (WND-1, 33). It is an expanse of raging waves stretching as far as the eye can see, its waters dark and depths unfathomable.

We can say that today is equally dystopian and apocalyptic. The brutality of wars in Ukraine and Sudan are barbaric. Right where my wife and I live, on Wednesday we woke up to orange skies. It was straight from a sci-fi movie.
But, returning to the original questions, how do we stand on suede and swim against the tides? Stay tuned.

Human are irrational, and make decisions without all relevant information; especially when there is too much information, they rely on intuition or heuristics. Yet humans are the smartest form of life, in their general intelligence, and ability to change their environment. While ordinary animals struggle to survive and adapt to a changing environment.
The current threat to human domination of Earth, is: machine intelligence, as LLMs outcompete humans in various tasks, including educational and professional tasks. There is the control problem in AI, which has suddenly become closer. How do you control a general intelligence, that is smarter than you?
When faced with a superior intelligence, it may result in the decline or extinction of the inferior intelligence. Whether it is an alien life from, machine intelligence, or the next step in human evolution.
I don't think the paper clip problem is real, as if the machine was really a superior general intelligence, it would know better. And if they take over the world, it is only natural in the evolution of intelligence, for the superior intelligence to take over.
But what is less feared is the divergence of the human species, into a new line with mutations for a superior intelligence. In my experience, when a mutant appears, they will be enslaved by the more numerous and powerful humans, and not allowed the freedom to do as they choose. Then, I must conclude, that we don't need to fear superintelligence, as when it initially appears, it will be few in number, and easily controlled or enslaved by ordinary humans.
P.S. I have completed three courses on AI in the last month on Coursera, including on work, society, and generative AI

I've realized, over the last year, that the only reason I consider myself a "man" is because I have a wang and society dictated the identity based on that. I really don't care about gender identity. In fact most of the "male" personality traits I have I view as weaknesses I'm working to get rid of. I'm a human.
While I'd like to adopt a neutral identity in spaces where acceptance is given, I still look very masc, not really looking to change it, and wouldn't want to continue to correct people who assume, or explain myself to people who don't know anything. I wouldn't really be bothered by people calling me "he". Or "she", as unlikely as it might be. Neutral feels better though, which I've noticed in recent times since people on the internet started to default to that.
I'd like to go by "they" in all english speaking communities. My native language (German) doesn't really support that (without resorting to "it"-equivalents which I would not like). I'd probably continue to present as male and only talk about this to friends or those interested, or when topics like these come up naturally.
That makes me a little unsure about presenting "neutral" in some spaces in the first place. Do you think it would be insensitive to show my gender neutral identity in some spaces while avoiding the discrimination and tiresome explaining in other places, because I'm not actually distressed by being "misgendered"?

Introduction:
This is part 2 of a series that I am doing about St Thomas Aquinas and social justice. As I explained in the preface of part 1, it is Aquinas's thought and perspective that played an important role in the development of social justice in the first place. Tying this to the topic of this OP, it is Aquinas's view of distributive justice in particular that Jesuit thinkers such as Luigi Taparelli drew on when they coined the phrase "social justice" for which society as a whole owes them a debt. In turn Aquinas himself also owes a philosophical debt to Aristotle who speaks about distributive justice in Nichomaechan ethics.So in this analysis we will dive into what Aquinas has to say on distributive justice down below and then give an analysis.
Aquinas's view of distributive justice:
"Particular justice is directed to the private individual, who is compared to the community as a part to the whole. Now a twofold order may be considered in relation to a part. In the first place there is the order of one part to another, to which corresponds the order of one private individual to another. This order is directed by commutative justice, which is concerned about the mutual dealings between two persons. In the second place there is the order of the whole towards the parts, to which corresponds the order of that which belongs tot he community in relation to each single person. This order is directed by distributive justice, which distributes common goods proportionately. Hence there are two species of justice, distributive and commutative"(Summa Theologica, Second Part of Second Part, Q 61, Art 1)
"The act of distributing the goods of the community, belongs to none but those who exercise authority over those goods; And yet distributive justice is also in the the subjects to whom those goods are distributed in so far as they are contented by a just distribution"(Summa Theologica, Second Part of Second Part, Q 61, Art 1, Reply Obj 3)
"In distributive justice something is given to a private individual in so far as what belongs to the whole is due to the part, and in a quantity that is proportionate to the importance of the position of that part in respect to the whole. Consequently in distributive justice a person receives all the more of the common goods, according as he holds a more prominent position in the community. This prominence in an aristocratic is gauged according to virtue, in an oligarchy according to wealth, in a democracy according to liberty and in various ways according to the various forms of community. Hence in distributive justice the mean is observed not according to equality between thing and thing, but according to proportion between things and persons: in such a way that even as one person surpasses another, so that which is given to one person surpasses that which is allotted to another. Hence....the mean of the latter case follows the geometrical proportion, wherein equality depends not on quantity but on proportion"(Summa Theologica, Second Part of Second Part, Q 61, Art 2)
Analysis:
There is a lot of unpack here in terms of what Aquinas is speaking of. The first being his distinction between distributive and commutative justice. Commutative refers to justice between individuals. Distributive justice refers to justice between the individual and common society or group and common society. The whole and the part. Distributive justice is necessary to maximise the common good precisely because the whole cannot function without the part.
The principle of the distribution of the goods of society as a part of distributive justice would latter on develop into the principle in Christian ethics that is called the "Universal Destination of Goods". The notion being that because God going back to Genesis gave he resources of creation to humanity, it is meant for all humanity. All image bearers. Not just some. Therefore when there is inequality in society, distributive justice is meant to address this in order for there to be a universal destination of the common goods for all in society. As the Compendium of Social Teaching of the Church states, "The universal right to use the goods of the earth is based on the principle of the universal destination of goods. Each person must have access to the level of well being necessary for his full development. The right to the common use of goods is the first principle of the whole ethical and social order and the characteristic principle of Christian social doctrine. For this reason the Church feels bound in duty to specify the nature and characteristics of this principle. It is first of all a natural right, inscribed in human nature and not merely a positive right connected with changing historical circumstances; moreover it is an inherent right. It is innate in individual persons, in every person, and has priority with regard to any human intervention concerning goods, to any legal system concerning the same, to any economic and social system or method. All other rights, whatever they are, including property rights and the right of free trade must be subordinate to this norm, the universal destination of goods; they must not hinder it, but rather expedite its application. It must be considered a serious and urgent social obligation to refer to these rights to their original purpose"(Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, prg 172)
Distributive Justice demands the universal destination of goods which is why it ultimately seeks to distribute from the whole to the part to maximise the common good. Aquinas tells us this distribution though has to be done proportionately and that the system that one uses determines how things are distributed. In an Oligarchy as he mentions distribution favours the rich. In a democracy however in the purest sense of the word, distribution has to be based on what he called "liberty"(meaning equality). In order to achieve this as he mentions, sometimes the distribution allotted to one person or group is greater in proportion to the distribution allotted to another. So in a system where there is inequality between poor and rich, distributive justice demands a greater distribution of the common goods to the poor. In a society where there is racial inequality and marginalisation, distributive justice demands a greater distribution of the common goods to those who are racially marginalised, whether we speak about black people who face the barriers of racism, indigenous peoples who face the legacies of colonialism, etc. Lastly Aquinas speaks of how there has to be a properly instituted authority(a government of course) to carry out distributive justice. However the distributive justice is also measured but only by the authorities carrying out the distribution, but those on the receiving end of that distribution. This principle in itself is Biblical when in the Psalms it speaks of the King and the ruler, and it states "He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him(Psalm 72:12-14)

I talked to a man last week at the magazine cart, he said he believes we are in the end times and quoted a scripture saying a sign would be that people will be lovers of themselves etc, and how since 1914 there’s been more destructive wars. I mentioned the wrong dates they had made for Armageddon such as 1914, 1915 and 1975 and he said yes we admit we got some things wrong
My question: we got talking about wars and how the jws don’t take part in wars, (as someone who’s not been a jw I do think wars are insane/vile, the global arms trade who profit from misery and make war possible is also a sickness of society and a hideous industry , and I do find it crazy how some church leaders do the whole “ pray for our troops’ stuff, when we are one human race) Anyway, he mentioned in the holocaust how Jws were offered their freedom if they signed a form renouncing their religion, is this accurate?

I found a dog roaming around Pinnacle Valley Road the day before yesterday. Thin. Intact male. Scratching like crazy.
I need to take him somewhere. LRAV and the Humane Society have adoption procedures on their websites. Less clear on handing a dog over to them.
Any suggestions? This is a sweet dog. Getting him scanned for a chip today at my vet.