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KingGustav

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Help!

1 min read
I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Do I stay in the States and save $120,000 (keep in mind, I'm a 19-year-old in community college with no job experience) so I can live comfortably in Norway for 6 years whilst I do my Bachelor's and Master's programs at the University of Oslo and solely focus on my studies? Or do I apply for a work permit, get over there sooner rather than later, and work my way through college?

Someone with knowledge on this subject, please help.
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America has a very long history of xenophobia. It really started in the 1840s, when Irish and Italian immigrants started coming. A legitimate political party, the American Party or "Know-Nothing" Party (so-called because of their secret wing's password) ran on a single-issue platform: keep these immigrants out because they bring (gasp!) Catholicism! We'd all become Vatican pawns in a New World Order if we let them in! They ran candidates in several elections and actually won 13 electoral votes in the 1850 election. Although the Know-Nothing Party would die out in 1860, the feelings became ingrained. In the following decades, we would panic about Germans, Russians, Poles, even effing Scandinavians; in other words, anyone who came from a country with different values, politics, and culture.

Despite what we try to portray through our relations with Israel, we also have a history of fierce anti-Semitism. Up through the 1950s it was considered standard for there to be "Gentile only" country clubs, beaches, and nightclubs. There was even a term for it: "5 o'clock anti-Semitism", which meant that a person would have no issue working with a Jew during the day, but wouldn't dare socialize with them after hours. And, since Arabs are Semitic too, it is worth mentioning that we have probably the most widespread and ingrained form of Islamophobia on the planet.

On the West Coast, discrimination against Asians was our version of Dixie's discrimination against Blacks. Asians would settle into the cheapest residential areas, and the whites would vacate, turning it into a "Chinatown". Most every city on the Pacific coast from Frisco north had one and all of them were treated terribly. Seattle had several deadly race riots between whites and Asians, and San Francisco disenfranchised its Asian population from even becoming U.S citizens, a policy that was corroborated by the Federal government; in fact, Asians were the second to last ethnic group to earn citizenship in the United States. Our horrifically maligned Native Americans were the last, in 1920.

This xenophobia is practically a genetic trait in some regions of this country. We've had several presidents (Wilson, both Roosevelts) who were closet racists- and we regard these men as some of the best presidents we've ever had.

And now we have this movement, this anti-political correctness movement. Now, I understand where these people come from--there are several instances where PC does go too far--but it seems like the vast majority use their hatred of PC to mask racism and xenophobia. It's one thing to be annoyed about semantics and bizarre PC bits in the news, but quite another when you say something blatantly racist or homophobic and then cry out, "You're just too politically correct!"

Rise above, America.
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I'm Baaaaack!

1 min read
And I'm back in Olympia! I have about a month until school starts for me, so I have time to think and create. In the meantime, some updates and news flashes:

- Fire and Ice is, yet again, stuck in the mud. It might be a bit before it's updated. I have to map out the next chapter.

- Adventures in Jotunheim is NOT stuck. Ir's just taking a long time to write the next chapter.

- And some new stuff:
    - Look forward to a non-SatW fic that still has to do with the Nordic countries that I'm working on. It's a serious work that I'm quite proud of.
    - I'm also considering a historical SatW fanfic that's about the life, times, and death of Prussia (featuring Sweden and Poland mostly, but there are others).

So, yeah. An update. I'm still working.
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No, I haven't died. I've just been 150 miles from home, being a summer camp counselor. I only have Internet access for a small amount of time, plus I only have my iPod. I hope this explains why I seem to have fallen off the face of the Earth. I am still writing, don't you worry.
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Thanks

2 min read
Something happened to me in early December of 2014. I had an idea for a Scandinavia and the World fanfic that revolved around countries from the past waging war on countries from the present. This eventually became Fire and Ice.
The early chapters were, in my own words, terrible. They were scatterbrained, clumsy, and left the reader wondering several things, including questions regarding my sanity.
Then along came Karalora, who subjected me to a trial by fire that spanned a week. It was intense, and nearly made me want to scrap the whole deal and start over. But in the end, it was a huge success. I was able to use her criticisms to whittle away excess, add character depth, and make the reader care more. Because of that conversation, I'm still actively writing Fire and Ice. Thanks, Karalora.
MekkaBabble played a role in Frozen Heart, my attempt at a dramatic oneshot. She left a review that has helped me with another fanfic. Thanks, MekkaBabble.
And finally, to the most recent and most active follower of Fire and Ice. Thanks, Adonisa, for your devoted support; it's what keeps me writing.
Thank you, everyone.
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Featured

Help! by KingGustav, journal

Xenophobia and Political Correctness by KingGustav, journal

I'm Baaaaack! by KingGustav, journal

Good News: I'm Not Dead! by KingGustav, journal

Thanks by KingGustav, journal