Hey Everyone. I Remember Reading An HTTYD Fanfic Titled "My Hiccup," And One Of The Plots Was Alvin Enslaving

It works on dragons, too. 

i’m a little anxious to send this not on anon but i saw one of your posts where a comment mentioned jewish conversion and you seemed to support it. my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism but a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion. i know everyone has different beliefs about this but i worry i won’t be accepted

Hello tyblackthornsheadphones, welcome!

"my boyfriend is jewish and i would like to convert to judaism"

Oooh! Mozel tov! I'm always so happy to meet new people who want to join the Jewish community! <3

"a lot of the research i’ve done says that you can’t convert, you have to be born into it since it’s an ethno-religion"

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear that! D: There's so much misinformation being passed around online. :( Thankfully, I'm happy to report that those sources are incorrect: It IS possible to convert to Judaism. ^_^

Like any group, though, how friendly any given Jew is to potential Jewish converts depends on the individual and/or the group they belong in. Just as there's elitism and gatekeeping in every group of people ever (like high school cliques and video game circles--"you're not a REAL gamer unless X"), unfortunately you'll also find some snobbery, elitism, and gatekeeping in Judaism. :(

Though I think Rabbi Friedman has a very loving and accepting view of Jews by conversion. ^_^

The way I see it, the differing experiences of a "Jew-by-birth vs a Jew-by-conversion" can be comparable to an American citizen who was just born on American soil vs an American immigrant who had to go through a long and rigorous bureaucratic process to become an American citizen--they have to learn everything there is to know about American history, presidents, laws, customs, the legal system; spend a "probational period" living in America to become a naturalized citizen, etc.

(The Jewish religion used to be very conversion friendly, but that came to an end when Christianity and Islam became huge world powers who outlawed the Jewish community "tempting" good Christians or Muslims away from the One True Faith.

Jewish identity also used to be passed down from father to children in ancient times--as you'll see in the Torah--but that was changed by Hillel the Elder during the tyrannical reign of King Herod--yes, THAT King Herod! Hillel did this partly to give the children of Jewish mothers who were abandoned by their non-Jewish fathers a place in Jewish society, and he did this partly as a big old political "fuck you!" to King Herod, whose father was only nominally Jewish and his mother was a foreign gentile woman.)

Chabad is an Orthodox Jewish organization.

chabad.org

How to Convert to Judaism - What to Expect at a Conversion

I’m planning to convert to Judaism. This has been something I’ve been considering and mulling over for years, and I’ve made my decision. Wha

Reform Judaism

Choosing Judaism: Learn the Basics

People convert to Judaism for many reasons. Learn the basic facts about converting to Judaism, and how to take the first steps.

And here's a link from a Reform Judaism POV. ^_^

In my experience, Reform Jewish synagogues and organizations tend to be more accepting of and friendly to Jewish converts. (Though it's not universal! Sadly, there are snobs everywhere. D:)

So if I were you, I would just start with checking out some books on Judaism from your local library, attend Friday night or Saturday morning Shabbat services with your boyfriend (that's usually a time when non-Jewish guests attend).

If your local college has a Hillel or Chabad Jewish student organization, I would visit that too! They usually host fun events that are free and open to to all, especially students who're just interested in connecting with other Jewish students, and learning about Jewish identity. ^_^

In the meantime, I'd just take time to study and learn about Jewish history and culture just for fun.

I think Sam Aranow's "Jewish History" Youtube series is a very entertaining way to learn about Jewish history, from ancient to modern.

Unfortunately I have to go to work now, but if you have ANY other questions, please reach out to me! I LOVE sharing knowledge and resources about Judaism, especially to potential converts who show a genuine interest and curiosity.

(Jewish culture can be, in my opinion, not as accepting and welcoming of potential Jewish converts as they should be, and I want to make up the difference. ^_^ )

All these are not functional anymore

For those of you with anxiety

here’s a website that translates the time into hexidecimal colours,

here is a website where you can create your own galaxies

here is a website where you can play flow

here you can interact with organisms in different environments to see how to music changes

here you can play silk which is an interactive generative art designing website.

Here is a website where you can travel along a 3D line into the infinite unkown

here is a website where you can listen to rain with or without music

There is now a part two!

Info about Sudan- please share

UNRWA gets decimated by community notes, how long can they keep their mask on?

Links:

Reuters

Gaza headmaster was Islamic Jihad "rocket-maker"

By day, Awad al-Qiq was a respected science teacher and headmaster at a United Nations school in the Gaza Strip. By night, Palestinian milit

UN Watch

Report: U.N. Teachers Celebrated Hamas Massacre - UN Watch

Report PDF: UNRWA: Hate Starts Here WASHINGTON, November 6, 2023 — As war wages on between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, a watchdog group is rel

Washington Examiner

UN Palestinian agency looking into claim teacher held Israeli hostage in attic

The United Nations's agency in the Palestinian territories is aware of and attempting to get to the bottom of a claim that one of its teache

WTF do you know how many gluten-free foods have soy in them. Like little over half, they're taking that much away from people who need to be gluten-free.

MAJOR GLUTEN-FREE FOOD RECALL 5/4/23

There has been a massive (literally millions of pounds) recall on Prosante (owned by Cargill) soy flour used in manufacturing gluten free foods due to the potential to contain more than 20ppm of gluten. This recall affects several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, and Guatemela.

This recall is relatively new information, and the FDA hasn't listed a press release for this event yet (for now it only shows up on their weekly enforcement report, probably because it was a firm-initiated recall), but if the figures are accurate, this could have far-reaching effects across gluten free food products. A glance at Cargill's website shows this flour is mostly used in meat alternatives, but be wary of products with soy flour included until we know more.

I’ll never forget when someone I considered to be a close friend said I was racist for stating that Palestinian children are brainwashed into hating Jews at very young ages.

And, yknow what, I think it’s time I address that because it’s been making my blood boil for that past few months. 

What about Tomorrow’s Pioneers?

What about this puzzle right here?

What about the fact that Hamas uses child soldiers to kill Israelis and Jews?

What about Hamas’s ‘summer camps’?

What about the fact that a large majority of Palestinian adults hold antisemitic values, meaning they are bound to teach those same ideologies to their children?

What about the fact that Hamas openly supports the Nazi Party while also being extremely involved and tyrannical in their civilian’s lives, meaning they very much could have, oh, I don’t know, taught it to their civilians? HELL, KIDS IN PALESTINE AREN’T EVEN TAUGHT ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST IN SCHOOLS.

It’s not ‘racism’, it’s fact. Stop infantilizing Palestinians. 

Condemn Hamas while also acknowledging that their civilians hold many of their ideologies. It’s ok to feel bad for the citizens, but it is not ok to purposely stay in the dark because you don’t like the truth.

My entire life, my mother has taught me about my honor. How I should never let anyone besmirch my name, including myself. One time my mom was accused of doing something inappropriate in work when she had not. 

My mom was upset because her honor had been violated by lies about her character. And I thought my best friend would know me better than that. She lied about my character and who I am as a person.

I’d never really gotten a chance to look before, but I had the urge to look at the AIDS quilt after remembering Duane Puryear, and I was just browsing around when one caught my eye in particular on block #2336.

I’m a sucker for the night sky, and upon further inspection…

Greg Kyper would have been 70 years old today, February 2nd 2024, if not for AIDS, and ohhhhh I’m gonna cry. I can't believe the chances of me stumbling upon his name today of all days. I'm going to try finding out more information about him and his life if possible.

I never met you Greg, but I love your quilt design. It's beautiful.