#"technical education"

[starlightseraph]

finding out that gillian anderson likes women has been the best part of my week.

[doubleedgemode]

*thinks abt the classic gg quotes where a.b.a calls herself an innocent little girl and has a weird little nobility complex* what does that mean

(Expanded on in this post's tags)

[chucktaylorupset]

For as long as I could remember, whenever I was in pain, whether from a cut or a toothache, Mother would make a tincture of lobelia and skullcap. It had never lessened the pain, not one degree. Because of this, I can come to respect pain, even revere it, as necessary and untouchable. Twenty minutes after I swallowed the red pills, the earache was gone. I couldn't comprehend its absence. I spent the afternoon swinging my head from left to right, trying to jog the pain loose again. I thought if I could shout loudly enough, or move quickly enough, perhaps the earache would return and I would know the medicine had been a sham after all. Charles watched in silence, but he must have found my behavior absurd, especially when I began to pull on my ear, which still ached dully, so I could test the limits of this strange witchcraft.

From Educated by Tara Westover

terribly charmed by my sibling sending me a voice message that just said “i just always take ibuprofen at the wrong time. i had a headache all afternoon, from three to eight pm and then i took an ibuprofen half an hour before the headache went away! i could have just saved an ibuprofen!”

[watkinsglen]

Review: “My Investing Journey and Learning” by Carmen Mundt

Qualifications: I’m a journalist reporting on business, economics, and defense who’s been in the industry for 7 years — the last 3 have been at, debatably, the #1 business publication in the world.

Rating: 2/5 stars

Thoughts: I cannot believe I spent 39 euros on this.

This 39 page ebook provides incredibly basic information that can all be found in this article.

First: while the ebook is about 40 pages, it probably has about 10 pages of actual information in it, interspersed with inspirational quotes from Sheryl Sandberg and Warren Buffet, with some pictures of Carmen in Monaco.

There’s about 1 page of “introduction” from Carmen that talks about her upbringing and journey to university in London. I won’t comment too much on her personal story, but an important thing to note is that she says she came from a “traditional Spanish household” where her father was the breadwinner and her mother had no access to family finances. After the 2008 crash, her family couldn’t afford to send her to college. She moved to London, applied for a student loan, and began studying finance at a university while working part time.

Carmen very, very briefly mentioned her regrets as to her mother’s inability to access higher education, work, and family financial planning; she says she’d never want to be in that position. While literally only one sentence, I think it makes it clear who the audience for this ebook is: someone who has absolutely, positively, no idea about money.

(She also very, very briefly mentions “big changes in her personal life” that made a full-time job in finance “not sustainable,” leading to her move to Monaco. This is her only reference to George.)

The rest of the book very simply explains how to make a budget, set financial goals, invest in the stock market, and mitigate risk. The information was kinda factually correct, and was written in a coherent manner. I think that’s the highest praise I can give it.

Here’s the thing: like other reviewers have called out, I am pretty certain that Carmen didn’t write anything besides the introduction. Whole sections (and indeed the entire format of the ebook) were clearly ripped from the Female Invest introductory courses. (I spent 3 hours clicking through each course so I could find direct wording comparisons to make this claim. I really wouldn’t recommend it.) I do think she edited these sections, and she interjected a few personal sentences; but I believe that’s where her involvement ended.

From an expert perspective, a lot of the information is so simplistic as to be almost incorrect. This isn’t a “first day of Econ 101” ebook — this is a “freshman year of high school home ec class” ebook. (Did anyone else’s home ec classes teach budgeting, or just me?)

Here’s an example. In a section on stocks, Carmen/Female Invest writes: “Investing in stocks allows you to support companies and causes you care about while still making a profit.”

On a basic level, this is correct. Purchasing a stock technically means you’re buying a little bit of a company, and I guess therefore supporting it. But unless a company is IPOing, you’re buying those stocks from another investor — which means your purchase has no effect on the company. So it’s a little disingenuous to claim you’re somehow helping the company. The ebook is rife with this kind of thing.

Carmen pushed in her advertising posts that the Female Invest courses were a key supplement to her book. So obviously, I had to do those too. And holy shit, they were so much worse than the ebook. Some parts were blatantly incorrect on basic information (they claim markets are open 24/7, when most are only open 9am-4:30pm on weekdays) and have some of the most patronizing metaphors I have ever read. (One of the most egregious was comparing your investment portfolio to a pizza because “stocks, bonds, and ETFs” make up different “sizes of slices to make a whole pie”. This isn’t even an accurate equivalent — maybe a calzone, pasta, and pizza make up a whole meal? I don’t even know.)

I would not recommend buying this ebook unless you, too, were barred from even thinking about a stock by your traditional father. Even then, consider free sources.

A Disclaimer on disclosures: So, after @ohblimeygeorge sent me a reddit post also reviewing Carmen’s book that mentioned ad disclosures, I decided to dive into the regulations. In the U.S., influential advertising is regulated by the FTC — in the EU, it’s regulated by the EU Commission, which I believe Carmen would qualify under since she is a Spanish citizen who lives in Monaco. First, I looked at this legal brief on content monetization business models, and concluded that that the ebook likely falls under “affiliate marketing” as Carmen likely receives a percentage of each ebook sold through her link.

(An additional disclaimer: obviously, I don’t know the details of the deal Carmen has with Female Invest, but I’d think it unlikely that she isn’t getting paid for their collaboration. She mentioned in an Instagram story under her Female Invest highlight that she “tried purchasing equity but they were already too big for what I could afford” but “did buy a bit of their crowdfunding.” Since she doesn’t have equity, i.e. doesn’t own a piece of the company, it’d be weird if she was doing this for free.)

Back on topic. I next looked at this legal brief on advertising disclosures. It states that affiliate marketing must be disclosed: “you need to make sure your audiences understand that it’s advertising.” Disclosures can include hashtags and “mentioning” advertising in the caption. Carmen has not disclosed advertising in any of her Female Invest posts, and appears to be violating this regulation. (Interestingly, her only posts that follow disclosure requirements are her Tommy posts.)

It’s apparently not uncommon. An EU Commission study showed 80% of influencers in the EU do not properly disclose ads.

So, there’s that too.

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

this is more a question about sex ed than a sex ed question but do you have a way to describe how the vagina cleans itself other than comparing it to a self cleaning oven?? I don’t know if it’s common, but seeing that comparison icks me out every time, so I was wondering if you had a better one or if I can simply describe it as self cleaning?

hi anon,

you're in luck, because technically speaking my area of "expertise" (emphasis on the air quotes) is studying the teaching of sex ed. knowing the answers to a lot of common sex ed questions is just a cool side perk :)

anyway, let's dispense with the metaphors altogether. who gives a shit about self-cleaning ovens? the vagina is a thriving microbiome rich in flora (read: bacteria) that's kept in check by healthy by carefully balanced levels of acidity that allows the bacteria to grow just enough to be healthy without overgrowing and causing an infection. (this is why you see so many sex educators and healthcare providers cautioning against up setting your vaginal pH balance: if the acidity levels get fucked up, the bacteria levels follow and can cause all manner of complications that nobody will enjoy.)

anything unnecessary and unwanted in the biome (mostly cells, tissues, bacteria, and mucus) is passed out of the vagina as discharge. contrary to what some people will tell you, discharge is normal and healthy, a sign of a functioning vagina! the only time discharge is cause for concern is if it changes colors (green, yellow, and reddish brown are not our friends), textures (look out for cottage cheese!), and/or smell (pungent, unpleasant odors are rarely good).

[theliliesofthevalleies]

I saw this comedy set on TikTok and thought this was perfect for Tim

Tim hasn’t slept in days working on a drug case rambling about stupid bags.

Bruce walking by: what’s going on?

Dick eating popcorn with Dami: this case is about to make Timmy crack.

Tim slamming his coffee mug down: humans don’t know anything about irony!

Bruce: oh. I’m sorry chum anything I can to help?

Tim: February 2020 two men were pulled over by GCPD for speeding on the interstate. Upon inspection of the car officers found a quote “tan bag” with the words quote “bag full of drugs” printed on the outside.

Bruce: right

Tim: now having been trained in the art of law enforcement the officer made an educated assessment that perhaps. This tan bag may not be trying to be ironic and instead actually had drugs in it.

Dick: I can see the logic.

Tim: upon inspection of the bag the officer found that his theory was correct because inside the bag was 70 grams of meth, 1.36 kilograms of GHB, a gram of cocaine, 15 MDMA tablets, 3.6 grams of fentanyl. Thereby rendering the outside of the bag n understatement because that bag was full of EVERY drug!

Dami: wow.. talk about the understatement of the year.

Tim: when asked if it was common to come across a bag labeled “bag full of drugs” he was quoted as saying “yeah I’d say that’s rare.”

Dick: so clearly not a public speaker..

Tim: Tuesday July 20th 2024. GCPD pullover a woman just inside of Gotham. And upon inspection of her vehicle found a quote “tan bag” with the words quote “bag of drugs” printed on the outside in her purse. Upon removal of said “bag of drugs” the officer found that it was as advertised unironically containing 3.25 grams of cocaine, 1.75 grams of crack, 1 gram of meth, 1.5 pills of hydromorphone, 2 amphetamines, and 4.5 alprazolams! Again the lettering on the bag a distortion regardless of how technically accurate it is because this bag HAD ALL THE FUCKING DRUGS IN IT!

Bruce: language chum.

Tim: Tuesday October 8th 2024! Blüdhaven police located a stolen car. Inside the found a fully loaded firearm, cash, and a quote “tan bag” labeled quote “definitely not a bag full of drugs” law enforcement no doubt taking pointers from GCPD checked the contents of the bag quote “definitely not a bag full of drugs” and found that it was in fact full of drugs! 79 tabs of fentanyl! 230 grams of meth and 3 fake pills of oxycodone! Which if it was just that would have rendered the front an accurate description and thus a level of situational irony that would have been achieved that would have made Oscar Wilde blast his pants!

Jason being summoned at the mention of Oscar Wilde: what would make Oscar Wilde blast his pants?

Dick: shh he’s not done.

Tim: back in Gotham. January 19th 2025!

Dami: oh. Recent.

Tim: a woman was arrested at a traffic stop. The K-9 unit took an interest in a bunch of bags in the back of the car. When asked if they could search the car the woman said “yeah. There shouldn’t be anything illegal in there.”

Jason: oh. Not smart..

Tim: when the GCPD searched the car they found a quote “tan tote bag” with the words quote “definitely not a bag full of drugs” printed on the front. And upon inspection of the bag, despite her earlier assurance and the bags, law enforcement discovered that there was in fact FUCKING DRUGS IN THE BAG!

Bruce: language!

Tim: meth and Narcan if you’re keeping score! Enough to get the women re-arrested for felony possession with an intent to manufacture and deliver! And I say re-arrested because she had been arrested for the same charges 10! DAYS! EARLIER!

Dami: oh.

Tim pinching the bridge of his nose: which means a woman charged with having drugs was out on bond got caught with drugs again. In a bag that was labeled “definitely not a bag of drugs” which by the way is available online for purchase at lookhuman.com for $18.99 which is a deal considering how much money it’s gonna cost if ya get arrested with a bag full of drugs!

Jason: oh it’s a lot.

Tim: now! Humans. Here’s the news. Irony is not dead it’s everywhere the problem is it seems that no one knows exactly what it is. Is it ironic to have a bag full of drugs labeled “full of drugs”? Is it ironic to have a bag with “definitely not full of drugs” printed on the front and then fill it comically chuffed with a Costco amount of fucking drugs?

Bruce giving up: language…

Tim with eyes twitching: humans I ask you! Is it ironic do you think to have 3 of those stories start with in Gotham and end with “bag full of drugs”?! Because you saw it coming from the beginning?! Or is it the Blüdhaven story that’s ironic because you heard a bag in Blüdhaven labeled “definitely not full of drugs” and figured it wouldn’t be?! It’d be some bottled microbrews and high end cheeses and to find out that bag you thought was full of Blüdhaven artisanal turned out to be fucking jackpot crack and fools-oxy?!

Bruce: okay. I think it’s time for bed.

Tim literally losing his mind: is it ironic that I’m coming in hot when I said I wouldn’t because every day has been a fire hose of historical events coming out of all ends of the media and I didn’t want to give you a panic attack and now I’m having a panic attack because I’m so goddamned on edge all the time because January 2025 came in tweaking in a flaming geo metro wearing a bag labeled “definitely not full of drugs” printed on the front!

Everyone trying to get Tim to calm down while he continues ranting loudly.

Dick: we should really watch him closer..

Tim: and is that news?! Is that irony?! And what should I be panicking about?!

Dami: agreed. Drake needs more sleep.

Bruce pinching the bridge of his nose: who keeps giving him coffee?

More loud ranting can be heard in the background.

[leprosycock]

what’s really cool and awesome and normal is how in spite of artists’ best efforts to offer art to the general public, to people who don’t have art education and aren’t immersed in a particular sect of any given genre or culture, putting their work in low-cost or free galleries or airports or the sides of buildings or in parks or in malls or in outdoor shopping squares or in any public area where their projects can be viewed, people still reject the notion of art as a whole because they consider it entirely secondary to everything valuable in a person’s life. you can’t tell someone you’re an art major without seeing that inherent condescension or repulsion or confusion crossing someone’s face if they haven’t bothered to engage with art on a personal level before. it’s always considered an afterthought and never anything vital to the world we all live in and how art exists in genuinely and literally every single fucking facet of our lives. if you tell someone you understand art and can engage with it on a professional level, you’re considered pretentious and self-aggrandizing/obsessed and stuck-up and snotty and impossible to talk to. if you look down on extremely milquetoast and uninteresting and surface-level pieces of art, like very bad generic music with poor and uninspired poetry or extremely literal portraiture or ai art, you’re a gatekeeper and, again, pretentious and snotty. you are not permitted to engage with your passions outside of fellow artists because the “my kid/little sibling/niece/nephew/a five year old could do that” mindset is so pervasive and unless something is extremely easy to swallow and exceedingly literal, people will not accept it as Real Art because they refuse to understand its history, context, the artist’s technical skill and education, and WHY it exists. this also definitely pivots to subject matter and how only certain kinds are permitted and allowed by many, many others. sure, you as a self-obsessed millennial woman can engage with a coffee table book full of Powerful Feminist Quotes about how your ex-boyfriend wouldn’t go see “it ends with us” with you in theaters and your grandpa made a joke about periods once, but if you’re forced to engage with abstraction or an artist who happens to say a slur or the amount of precision and planning and dedication and adoration that goes into performing 4d design that discusses subject matter that YOU don’t like, you’ll shrivel like a fucking leaf and retreat back to what makes you comfortable. i hate it i hate anti-art and i hate being stuck in anti-art worlds

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

Happy National Zookeeper Week!

I’ll admit, I’m feeling a little spicy about it this year (well, every year) because zoos use the celebration for lots of positive facility PR, yet staff don’t often get the support and respect that is claimed in those posts.

So I want to share this great article written by a zoo industry consulting group last year looking at the reality of what happens when a workforce ends up conflicted between their passion (zoos and animals) and pragmatism (paying rent, existing in a capitalist society). They assessed AZA compensation rates by region against things such as a living wage and rental rates in the area. (All text formatting within quotes, such as bold and italics, is original to the article text.)

I cannot give the Canopy Group enough support for the way they framed this research:

“By observing the economics of keeper compensation, it’s no secret that keepers land on the lower end of the wage spectrum. Like all other wages and salaries, the market value of keeper compensation is driven by several economic factors – including the size of the labor pool, the rigor and danger of the work, the technical ability required, and the educational requirements. However, there is one factor that artificially lowers the market value of keeper compensation more than any other: passion.

In this article, we’ll take a look at why passion lowers the market value of animal care worker wages. More importantly, we’ll consider many factors that have emerged in recent years that are making people reevaluate the value of following their passion – a trend contributing to The Great Resignation, especially as it applies to zoos, aquariums, and similar organizations. (…)

The argument here is passion versus pragmatism: the unknown versus the sure thing. It is a decision all zookeepers and animal care technicians have made. Working with animals is immensely rewarding, but this passion is also very popular. This, historically, has meant that the keeper candidate pool is very large. Therefore, if the wage is livable and working conditions are reasonable, the pool should remain large. In a very real sense, a passion for animals drives down the market value of keeper compensation. Anyone who has been through an Economics 101 course will recognize this as a fundamental market principle: supply vs. demand.

However, many zoos and aquariums are having a more difficult time filling positions than normal and have started to see higher turnover rates in recent years. This begs the question – is the current keeper wage too low?”

Their findings?

Here’s their graph of “the median wage of keepers from organizations in different AZA-defined regions” from an AZA survey done in 2021. (Median is the type of average that looks at the middle of a data set’s range).

The median wage for AZA keepers in the South/Southeast was just over $15/hr at the low end, and the median wage for AZA keepers in the Far West / PNW was a little under $26/hr. That’s pretty dang low everywhere, especially when you factor in the increased cost of living in places like the West Coast. Also consider that looking at the median wage doesn’t mean this reflects just entry-level compensation - this data indicates the the compensation middle for all keeper positions, including people who have built their careers as keepers in those places long-term.

Then, they compared those wages to the “living wage” in each region - which they defined as “a calculation of what it takes to live in a particular area, without any other income. A living wage calculation takes into consideration how many earners are in a household, how many children are being supported, etc. The living wage includes the costs of all the basic items a household needs to be self-sufficient.”

“If you receive a wage for a job that is below the living wage, then you are essentially taking a negative net income. This is unsustainable for the long term, and essentially defines where wages start to exploit passion.”

Here’s a figure they provided using the MIT Living Wage Calculator showing the average living wage for each of the AZA regions. The chart on the left shows the living wage for a single person with no kids; the second, for two parents with two incomes and one child to support.

“By comparing the two graphs [to the earlier graph of the AZA median compensation rates], we find that median wages in the Southeast/South and Southwest regions are lower than the living wage for each household configuration in those regions. In other words, if you are a single person household or part of a two-income household raising 1 child in the South, a starting keeper salary will likely leave you with a negative net income. While many people work at this level, it increases the risk of accumulating debt, lowers a person’s ability to afford a home, set a much later retirement age, and can lead to many other negative, long-term effects.”

Big yikes, right?

Next, they looked at living wage vs. compensation for single parents.

“The single-parent living wage exceeds the average keeper wage in all AZA regions. In fact, the living wage required as a single parent is double the average AZA keeper wage in some regions.”

And then they did housing, specifically, being able to purchase a home.

“In many places, even a two-income household at an average keeper salary would not purchase a mid-level home. This means that keepers have to wait far longer than their peers to purchase a home. While paying rent in the meantime, this rent will account for a larger portion of their income than their peers. All in, these effects can set hopeful homeowners back years or decades.”

Canopy’s conclusion was something anyone involved in the field knew was coming.

“Companies like Chipotle, McDonalds, Best Buy, FedEx, Home Depot, Publix, and Walmart are all offering similar starting wages near starting keeper wages – plus many fringe benefits (like tuition reimbursement) and ample advancement opportunities. Many potential keepers in younger generations are putting their passion on the shelf so they can meet basic standard-of-living concerns.

To attract and retain quality candidates, an organization must consider the journey each new employee would have to make over their career. If the journey is fraught with massive debt, decreased disposable income, and limited career opportunities, then you are limiting your potential candidate pool to the small group of people who have decided that following their passion is worth significant lifelong financial hardship. There are many potential candidates out there willing to sacrifice and arm and leg for animals and conservation, but they wouldn’t dare jeopardize the financial future of their dependents and families.”

This is something I’ve heard about for years, and seen first hand. The low average wage at zoological facilities has been damaging their ability to hire and retain skilled staff for as long as I’ve been involved in the industry. I know so many zookeepers who still have roommates into their 30’s, or work multiple jobs, just to be able to make ends meet.

There’s a mythology about zookeeping jobs, a narrative that seeps into the field and actively exploits people’s passion for the job: it tells people that they’re so lucky to be able to work with these rare and cool animals; that they’re greedy and ungrateful when they ask for more compensation because they’re privileged to get to have the job at all. It says that most people would give anything to have these opportunities, so current zookeepers are interchangable and easily replaceable. Ask for too much? Push for a living wage? There’s always someone willing to take your spot. Not all facilities perpetuate this mentality - some places do treat their staff well without intentionally manipulating them to stay them in unsustainable jobs, and there can be legitimate financial reasons that limit staff compensation (mostly at smaller facilities, afaik) - but it’s a reality in the field.

For a long time, this type of mentality towards staff was sustainable. There really were always more people wanting to work in the field. But now, after three years of pandemic stressors and inflation, it’s starting to be a problem. A lot of staff left during the last few years, and facilities are having a really hard time hiring people and retaining them for any duration. I think a large part of that is low compensation rates. People are prioritizing long-term financial stability and recognizing when their passion is being exploited.

When I first started on tumblr back in 2011, there was a whole group of us within the United States who were baby zookeepers or volunteering as industry hopefuls. We all became friends, and I’ve stayed in touch with, or at least aware of, most of them as their careers progressed. Of the 10-15 or so people in that cohort? I can think of three who are still employed in the zoo industry. Everyone else has moved on into other fields - often with great grief over the loss - because of the extreme emotional labor, the physical exhaustion, and the lack of appropriate compensation.

But I guess that annual pizza party, being featured on social media, and maybe getting additional snacks all week makes up for it all?

[jackiequick]

—Fearless in Smallville ~ Dc Comics OC

—-

Face Claim: Sophia Bush

-----------

Full Name: Lucille Claire Kent

Nicknames: Lucy, Lucy Lu, Miss Kent, Claire, Clara

Age: 16-29 (spanning different seasons)

Height: 5’3” - 5’4”

Birthdate: August 3 (Leo)

Jobs: High school reporter, photographer, and reporter for Daily Planet/Gotham Gazette

Family: Jonathan Kent (father), Martha Kent (mother), Clark Kent (brother), Lois Lane (sister-in-law)

Extended Family: Kara Zor-El, Chloe Sullivan, Oliver Queen, Lana Lang, Tess Mercer, Jimmy Olsen, Arthur Curry, Cyborg, Wally West, and more

Relationship Status: Single for the most part, dated Oliver Queen, Lex Luthor, and Bruce Wayne

Personality: Lucy is brave, compassionate, and stubborn, with a tenacious streak that helps her achieve her goals. She is down to earth, determined, and often a quick thinker. Her curiosity drives her to uncover the truth, while her politeness and humor make her approachable. However, she can be headstrong and struggles with emotional boundaries. A bit of a chatterbox, she can present herself as a social butterfly when in the mood to be outgoing.

~~~~

Background: Born and raised in Smallville, Lucy grew up alongside her brother Clark, unaware of his alien origins until their teenage years. She attended Smallville High, where she was involved in various clubs and developed a love for journalism and photography. Despite initially disliking school, she found a passion for English, Art, and History, which influenced her hobbies and career choices.

Hobbies and Interests: Lucy enjoys photography, dancing, reading mystery novels, and volunteering at local shelters. She is an avid fan of classic rock music and loves baking, often trying out new recipes on weekends. Her interest in writing and reading extends to specific texts that capture her curiosity.

Goals and Aspirations: Lucy aims to become a renowned investigative journalist, uncovering stories that make a difference. She also hopes to travel the world, documenting different cultures and stories.

Skills:

Combat: Basic self-defense, proficient with guns and crossbows

Languages: Fluent in Spanish, conversational in French

Technical: Advanced photography techniques, basic hacking skills

Physical Description:

Distinctive Features: Small scar on her wrist from an accident in a cornfield, scar behind her shoulder from a bow and arrow incident on a rooftop, and rough hands due to her activities.

Fashion Sense: Casual and practical, often seen in comfortable jeans, flannels, and her favorite hoop earrings. She dresses more professionally when required for her job at the Daily Planet/Gotham Gazette.

Fears and Insecurities: Lucy has a fear of being alone, misjudged, or misunderstood. She also fears being harmed or humiliated by others, which occasionally affects her confidence in social situations.

~~~~

Education: Lucy initially disliked school and learning but grew to enjoy English, Art, and History in high school. These subjects were entertaining and engaging for her, leading to her interest in writing, reading, and photography.

Relationships: Lucy has a close-knit group of friends, including Chloe Sullivan and Lana Lang. She has had complex relationships with Oliver Queen, Lex Luthor, and Bruce Wayne, each shaping her view on trust and love.

Quotes:

“Sometimes, the truth is buried where no one wants to look.”

“Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s the determination to keep going despite it.”

Daily Life: A typical day for Lucy involves early morning runs, followed by a busy day at the Gotham Gazette. Evenings are reserved for spending time with friends and family or working on her latest investigative piece.

~~~

~~~~~

How Lucy met Lex

You know the tale of Superman, but do you know of his beginnings? Smallville. It’s where he grew up with his family, made friends and foes, fell in love, got his education, explored his powers on his own terms, and became the man he is today.

On that very day, when Clark arrived on Earth, the Kent family were already anticipating another child. However, they couldn’t conceive until the meteor shower fell onto Smallville, nearly crashing down everything within it. In that very ship arrived a toddler not older than 2, naked. Martha, Jonathan, and Lucy were turned upside down in shock at the young boy. Lucille Claire Kent was less than 5 but curiously smiled in her daddy’s arms while her mother gently picked up the boy, wrapping him in a red blanket. Jonathan was confused, looking up at the sky as his wife searched for answers, finding Lionel Luthor and his son Lex Luthor amidst the chaos. Clark became warm and gentle, very much in awe of his newfound world.

Lucille, Clark, and Lex all sat in that truck, never to be seen again until later on in high school.

That same day, they met again, after older Lex, almost fresh out of college, knocked his car across a bridge, hitting Clark as the police, firefighters, and ambulance arrived later on. Along with Lucy and their father to see the damage. 48 hours later, a gift was sent to Kent Farm, a gift from Lex for the accident that happened. A car and a necklace. Their father wasn’t the happiest man alive to be seeing these gifts, knowing Clark is still too young to drive around town and Lucy’s jewelry might not even be real, possibly causing her an allergic reaction or something. But the more pressing matters were how Clark was completely fine after that accident!

Their parents knew the possible reason behind that issue, but the siblings were confused as hell. Even going as far as to test out that theory, noticing that Clark runs rather fast, doesn’t get hurt that easily, and etc. He is an alien! As they found out soon enough by their parents.

Later on that week, Lucy arrived at the mansion to find Lex in his office. They never got an actual chance to properly speak to one another. He was dressed in a navy blue sweater, black pants, and dress shoes in comparison to her green and blue flannel, t-shirt, jeans, and black flats along with her favorite hoop earrings.

She stood in the doorway holding up a basket of fruit, knocking on the door to catch his attention. He looked up with a smile, standing up from his chair to greet the young woman, motioning for her to come inside.

“Hi,” she said with her slight raspy voice and giggly smile, “Oh um, your guard let me in.”

He chuckled, “Hey. And yeah, I was going to ask how you got inside.”

“Charm, I guess?”

“I guess so. So, what brings you by?”

“Uh, I just wanted to thank you for the necklace and the truck. But I don’t know why, because it’s not me you crashed into, it was my brother.”

“Yeah, but you looked rather in bad shape as well. I figured a gift could cheer you up and apologize for the accident I caused.”

“Yeah..Dad’s not too happy about that. He thinks you’re just winning us over or something like that.”

He walked with her around the room, taking the small fruit basket out of her hands and placing it on the desk. Lex asked, “Well am I?”

“I’m afraid to say that you won me over,” she replied with a chuckle.

“That was sort of the plan.”

“Well, it worked.”

“You said Clark is your brother, older brother I’m guessing?”

“Oh no, quite the opposite actually. I’m older by two years. He’s a freshman and I’m almost a junior.”

“Wow, really? You both look rather young.”

“Genetics I guess. But you’re rather young yourself.”

The two smiled and chatted, laughing every so often. Taking a liking to each other rather quickly. Lucy could see what Clark, who had already met up with Lex twice, meant by saying he’s a pretty alright person. Charming, kind, strong-minded, well-mannered, rich, and impressive. Lex found himself taking a great fondness to her. He didn’t know if it was because he hadn’t met that many people in Smallville just yet, or what it was. But he found her sweet, silly, charming, open-minded at times, and a bit of a chatterbox. He didn’t mind it at all.

The two became friends within that week.

Little did they know that friendship would soon turn upside down...

----

How Lucy Met Bruce Wayne Years Later

Meanwhile, while Clark was off training with his powers, Lucy went to Metropolis to start as a young intern for the Daily Planet. Just picking up coffee and donuts for the staff, assisting with actual reports, picking up dry cleaning, and getting things done in general.

Eventually, Perry White gave her the opportunity to start actually doing more writing and photography than just picking up dry cleaning for the staff. She grinned, working with Jimmy Olsen on a few small pieces for the Daily Planet, getting to deal with the morning greetings and nightly specials collection of the paper.

Finding whatever opportunity for what she deemed as interesting subjects that young folk like her and Jimmy would enjoy. Around that same time, Clark returned home, and she hugged her big brother, suggesting that he get a job at the Daily Planet as well. The Kent Siblings at the Daily Planet!

He accepted her request, deciding to take a crack at it and thinking it would be rather helpful for when he gets his real opportunity to save the lives of many. The moment he arrived at the Daily Planet, he met her. Lois Lane. And he was starstruck the second he saw her, fumbling over his words as the pair spoke. He could practically hear his sister coughing down a few giggles from her desk the entire time. Can you blame her? She found it adorable.

But her moment to become starstruck came only a few short days after her meeting with Perry White. He wanted a few reporters from the Planet to fly over to Gotham Bay to get the latest footage and scoop on the Charity Events being hosted there. Lucy was picked out of all the other reporters, being dragged into the mess with people such as Cat Grant and such.

She always heard about Gotham's modern-day elements with that vintage noir style that made it feel classy. Timeless even.

The moment she arrived at Gotham airport in a hurry to reach her hotel and get a feel for the actual city she would be placed into for the next few days, Lucy bumped shoulders with someone, giving a small sorry not realizing she dropped her sunglasses. Thankfully, the person she bumped into did.

He noticed the simple silver dollar glasses that landed on the floor, calling out, “Excuse me, miss?”

She turned around, hummed quietly facing the person who she assumed called her back there. She pointed to herself to make sure, the man noticed jogging up to her.

Once he did, she got a better glimpse of him. Tall, rich bright blue eyes that are as clear as day, and a soft wide smile. Along with a noticeable mark on his upper cheekbone.

“I believe you dropped these,” he said with a smile holding up the statement sunglasses.

“Oh uh-yes I did,” she replied, fumbling with her bag on her shoulder, smiling softly, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. Things happen.”

“Thank you, Mr…”

“Wayne. Bruce Wayne.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne.”

“No problem.”

“Do you need a hand?”

“Uh um, yes please.”

He helped carry the suitcase out the door, as she held her bag. The two smiled, holding up to a 5-minute simple conversation waiting for the taxi to arrive. He opened the door for the lady, placing the suitcase beside her. She closed the door, thanking him once again for the help.

Before the taxi driver could take off, Bruce leaned down facing the window remembering something, “I didn’t get your name.”

“Lucy,” she replied with a smile.

The taxi driver drove off, leaving Bruce Wayne standing there with a smile. He chuckled at the thought, as he heard Alfred call from him saying that his car was ready to take him home. Alfred saw the look on his face, smiling to himself, enjoying the thought of the young man happy for whatever reason.

Two nights later, the Charity Event arrived, Lucy walked in a short gray dress, that had pockets near the front, red pumps, and her hair tied up with pieces hanging out to frame her face. She wasn’t going for anything fancy, just something business casual and professional.

She took tips and quick interviews from people, getting a feel of the Charity Event as well as the people of Gotham. The elite center of men and women asked for photos to be requested in their inboxes, meanwhile other folks gladly spoke to them answering simple questions. Such as Jim Gordon who spoke to her and Cat Grant with such calm intellect that made them feel comfortable during the event.

A few ladies went running around and past them, finding themselves on the other end of the hallway towards the elegant man who walked into the building. Gushing, asking him things, flirting with the man in question, and requesting a few dances on the floorboard. Hell, even Cat Grant rushed over, hoping to snatch him up for a few minutes to herself. All Bruce Wayne could do was laugh and smile, catching a glimpse of the women in the far right corner loudly giggling. They locked eyes, recognizing each other again. She shrugged at the chaos as he mouthed jokingly, ‘help’.

She jokingly mouthed, ‘You’re on your own.’ The woman walked away sipping her drink, grabbing an interview with a few ladies of the jurying party. Some time later, she found herself on the dance floor with a nice blonde billionaire chatting away mid-laugh, until the blue-eyed man from earlier asked if he can cut in.

The pair nodded, as both men switched places. Now her hands were placed securely in his own, as his other gently lay on her waist. Her arm rested above his shoulder with ease.

“So, Mr. Wayne..” She said, being cut off by a smile.

“Bruce. You can call me Bruce.” He replied with a smile.

“Bruce. I see you escaped the attack of the wild she-wolves.”

“Ah, well, you see I’m a master at escaping situations like that one.”

“It’s a gift then, Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce smiled, liking the way it rolled off her tongue, he almost would’ve melted at the sound. His last name came off too sly, tender, and sweetly dressed like a cowboy’s favorite slice of pie on a nice sunny day. She returned the smile, getting lost in his eyes for a moment with a raised eyebrow.

“What? Like what you see?” She teased him with a grin, “Mr. Wayne.”

“Stop that,” he replied with a grin, twirling her around.

“Stop what?”

“The way you say my name, Ms. Kent.”

“Or what?”

“I might have to show you the town and then take you home.”

“A billionaire’s house? No thank you, hon. Wait—I didn’t tell you my last name..”

She landed mid-twirl into his arms, their chests against one another as she let a blush rise to her cheeks.

“It’s on your name tag,” he said with a smile, it was his turn to make her melt a bit tonight.

“Oh um, right,” she added, swaying in place as her eyes landed on his face.

“Yes?”

“I have a question.”

“Go for it.”

“Did you know about me coming here tonight?”

“No, I had no idea they were sending a Daily Planet reporter to Gotham, darling.”

“Fair, are you here for the Charity or free drinks?”

“Oh not exactly, Wayne Enterprises is offering a huge donation to the orphanage and hospitals nearby.”

Lucy smiled hearing that. She remembered hearing from Lois that Gotham men can be trash sometimes, but that's not what she sees. Especially adoring the fact that he was someone with money giving to the less fortunate, it was sweet and showed that he cared.

She smiled softly, “That’s lovely.”

“Now I have a question to ask you.” He added, returning the smile, “If you knew who I was when we met at the airport, would you have thought differently?”

“Hmm, depending on the situation. If I had to rate it, I would’ve given you a 7 for kindness and generosity towards me.”

“I’ll take it. May I say, you’re a good dancer, Ms. Kent.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wayne.”

“You have a slight change in accent, where are you from?”

“Uh, can you guess?”

“Hmm, Tennessee?”

“Close. It’s the southern part of the country, Kansas.”

“Kansas? Never met anyone from there before.”

“Well now you have!”

“It’s my lucky day.”

The pair kept chatting, Lucy being able to get some insight into Wayne Enterprises and the CEO of the company, but still wanting more about Gotham. Bruce found himself very responsive and liking the fact that she didn’t see him as the billionaire or walk away like the other women at the party. His eyes rushed to meet her face, taking it all in.

The two got to know each other fairly well. But it didn’t stop there, as the next morning he showed up at her hotel doorstep requesting to show her the city for the article she was writing. She agreed, following him to the limousine, where Alfred Pennyworth introduced himself graciously.

Little did the pair know that they would be dating afterwards. Spending visits to Gotham and Metropolis, date nights, and meeting friends. That’s how Bruce actually met Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Superman met Batman during those visits, growing respect for one another.

World’s Finest.

//

That's all folks! I have a short story on how Oliver Queen met Lucy but that would have to be for another time ;) Anyways let me know what you think in the comments below!

Tags: @gaminggirlsstuff @gcthvile @missstrawbs2001 @cherrysft @rickb-chaos @starkleila @infinetlyforgotten @meiramel @sherloquestea @djs8891 @buckysteveloki-me @yetanotherwells @nakiaswg @carellmcu @ximehs @xgoddessoffandomsx

[munchee-academic]

Minnette de Silva is my Roman Empire and here is why.

It’s 1918, Sri Lanka is still known as Ceylon, a British Colony and the last place you’d expect to find feminist ground breaking artistic pioneers. Minnette de Silva is born and concurs.

One of the first modernist architects to come from Sri Lanka AND the first Asian woman to become an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

She was awarded the SLIA Gold Medal for her contribution to architecture “regional modernism for the tropics”

She did not complete her formal education due to family circumstances. Despite not finishing the modern equivalent of her A-Levels, she undertook an apprenticeship and attended lectures at the Ceylon Technical College (Desi kids rejoice at an intellectual icon who had an untraditional path through education). She then joined the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art which allowed her to study under many influential architects.

She was eclectic, intelligent and a force to be reckoned. She was expelled from the Government School of Architecture in India for attending a Free Gandhi March and refusing to write an apology letter to the Head of the School for it (we don’t stan Gandhi but we do stan standing up for your beliefs!)

Her father was extremely opposed to her career path but she went for it anyway. A bad bitch. An unstoppable force.

According to The Guardian “During her time at the Architectural Association (AA) in the UK she cut an elegant figure, draped in silk saris and followed by a train of young male students bearing her bags and instruments.”

This is how I imagine her walking down those halls!

Minnette de Silva returned to a newly independent Sri Lanka in 1949, and established her career in Kandy. She was influenced by Ananda Coomaraswamy, and advocated for the preservation of the traditional methods of craftsmanship, construction, and acquiring materials. She was inspired to create a style that incorporated the newly Western methods of development with the natural style, aesthetic, and landscapes of the tropical island.

The photos below are her designs and they are

e x q u i s i t e ✨

She never married. According to Architectual Record Minette explained to a friend “husbands are only good for carrying one’s bags”

My real life reaction to reading THAT quote🔥

However, Minette was always plagued by financial insecurity, she died penniless in a hospital in Kandy on the 24th of November 1998 at the age of 80. She had fallen from her bathtub at home, and was not found for days. Only a relative few of her building remain standing.

RIP Minette de Silva, you were a pioneer and an inspiration.

[devinwolfi]

Meta: Would He Fucking Say That? On Characterization and Voice in Fanfic

Below is a 2.1k meta essay/opinion piece. I touch on characterization, identify the difference between character voice and writer voice, and address the writing of British-accented characters. I do this primarily through the lens of Ted Lasso with a focus on the character Jamie Tartt. Beyond examples for the sake of argument, this is not a fandom specific piece, and applies to plenty of others I've engaged with in my time.

This can also be read on Dreamwidth.

I’m not an expert. Never will I claim to be an expert. I feel as though most, if not all, metas are largely subjective, but like any other kind of opinion piece, it doesn’t matter how well researched it is, if at all. It may just be off the cuff ramblings, rapid fire thoughts and feelings about something. It may also be as well researched and properly cited as a paper you could find in respected, published journals.

That being said. What follows is entirely my opinion, and my opinion is one of a White, early-twenties American university science student who has been engaging with fan content at an exclusively amateur level since my early teens. Take with that what you will.

What I want to talk about here is my feelings on, as you can see from the title, characterization and voice. Characterization is fairly obvious. How these characters are written, both in the source material and by fans, and how these two compare. Voice pulls back a little bit, it refers to the voice of the character, which is part of the characterization, but also the voice of the writer, and the balance between the two. I have opinions about it that I recognize are not shared by everyone. There is plenty of good fic out there that treats voice differently than I would, or than I would prefer to read. This does not make them incorrect, or poorly written, it is just a matter of taste, style, and training.

Given that my current, primary fandom Is Ted Lasso, the examples I use will be drawn from that series and the associated fandom. I will not address specific fanworks by name or by author. I will try to keep things vague, while also trying to stay true to what I am trying to say. I will always be explicit when I am quoting or paraphrasing from a fic. So I would like to say up front that if I refer to a work that you recognize or that belongs to you, I genuinely, truly, do not mean any harm. Though, I recognize that harm is subjective and that intention very often does not equal impact. But, I do appreciate the work people do, genuinely and with my entire heart. Even when it doesn’t speak to me or I don’t like it. I will never claim to know better, simply because I do not have the credentials, experience, or technical skill to back that up. I just know what I like, which may be different from what you like. It is the varying tastes of fans at the core of fandom that has allowed us to engage with each other and with media in the way we do. It’s what makes fandom so great. If we all thought the same thing, that would just be plain boring.

-

When it comes to characterization and voice, I’m referring to the ways writers choose to present characters and how those characters perceive their world. How a writer chooses to do this depends largely on how they interpret characters themselves. This on its own causes many different versions of what is supposed to be the same character to come to light.

I’m sure we’ve all read a fic before and thought, “What the hell is this writer thinking?” I know I have, I know my mutuals have. That being said, many of us are aware that fic writing these days is predominated by amateurs. Which is fine, there’s nothing wrong with that. Fandom used to be dominated by White, professional, educated, middle-class women. Thanks to the advent of social media and globalization, fandom is more diverse and accessible than ever. This means that many of the people who are creating and engaging with fan content are not necessarily trained in writing, fiction or otherwise. I believe we have to be comfortable making certain allowances for the sake of reading about the blorbos from our shows.

Many of my fandoms, somehow, end up being British. Perhaps it is my genetics, yearning for the rhythmic tones of my western European ancestors… Or it’s more reasonably just coincidence. British media has a habit of attracting large American audiences, which means swathes of American fanwriters trying to approximate British speech patterns, for better or worse. This observation is at the core of this meta. This isn’t a source on how to write British characters better, because I’m not British, and have no point of authority on the matter. This also isn’t a call for “britpicking,” or even insisting that you need to find beta readers or else your work will never be worth reading. Good betas are hard to find, and while finding one is certainly worth it, you can still be a good writer without one. Trust.

This is a call for paying attention. For identifying speech patterns and perspectives of the character you want to write about, and using them effectively in your own writing.

Effective use being the key phrase here. Plenty of authors can identify quirks, buzzy catchphrases, and all the other little idiosyncrasies that make a character unique, but using them properly is where writers tend to stumble. The key is selectivity. For example, Ted Lasso’s Jamie Tartt, born and raised in North Manchester, known for his iconic turns and miss-turns of phrase. He’s got regionally specific, youthful slang as well as a habit of misusing common words and phrases. It’s all part of his charm! But it can be hard to get right.

Two things often happen to our friend Jamie. First, they underwrite him. Homogenize him, making him just vaguely English enough to pass, I guess. Though I see this most often in conjunction with other characters, who have their own distinctive speech patterns. All of them rendered down into a pile of identical and vaguely British-sounding pieces of wood. The second, they overwrite him. They use slang excessively. Which isn’t wrong per se, but the key point is you must know what it means, and the context in which to use it.

Overwriting is, very possibly, the bane of my fan existence. Few things turn me off a fic faster than egregious mishandling of slang and dependence on popular, canonical one-liners, because I know that the author is trying for realism. I recall very clearly a writer using “well mint (correction),” which to this day makes me physically recoil every time I think about it. Sorry. This also includes the overabundance of “sexy little baby;” an iconic Jamie line. Called back by his mother in her first appearance. Now it’s everywhere. What should have been sweet, cutesy even, has been over-handled, the dough of your story is falling apart. There can, in fact, be too much of a good thing. God help us.

In or adjacent to this vein, there is a misattribution of dialectal patterns. While many of these characters are from the UK, they’re from different places, were raised in different cultures, and use different words. Mixing these up, such as our preppy resident Welshman saying “bruv,” a word with multicultural cockney roots in London's East End (and Scotland), draws attention to the writer as someone who is not paying very good attention to the characters they’re writing about.

Another gripe, and this is one just for me, is phonetic dialogue. I get it, okay? You want to make sure that your readers are reading this in the exact way you want it to sound. This happens in all writing. So many novelists, notably those in the fantasy genre, do this. They shun standardized and comfortable spelling and sentence structure to try and give their characters a little more oomph. However, if you’ll allow me to be blunt, I hate this so bad. This may be great for all the lovely voice actors who record audiobooks, the screen and stage actors and the like. Those who’ve been tasked with turning the written word into an audio experience. Personally, I’ve always found reading it very taxing and distracting.

People especially love to do this for Jamie. Hell, my own dad does it about Roy, and I haven’t had the guts to tell him that he’s doing it wrong. Or maybe he’s doing it wrong on purpose to make me suffer, possible. Jamie, with his charming Mancunian way of going about things, gets this treatment excessively. While I appreciate when it dulls the crude edge of “poop-eh,” I find that it can be overdone and hard to read. That dastardly too much of a good thing again.

The fic that inspired this meta did this. Every other word of dialogue spelled phonetically, and worse? Incorrectly. I don’t know how to say, in a normal way, that Roy Kent would not say words like that. He’s just not doing vowels like that, what can I say? My only assumption is that the writer got so caught up in Jamie’s accent that they accidentally went and gave South Londoner Roy the same one. It was just a lot.

When it comes to voice, there are two kinds: There’s the character’s, which we’ve already touched on above, and yours, the writer’s. It’s important to be able to identify and express how a character views and responds to the world they’re in. It makes your characters feel true. It gives them a sense of identity that can help a reader feel invested in their circumstances. Your voice is how you chose to tell the story. The way you like to structure your sentences and stories, describe things, themes and motifs you enjoy.

There is a balance between these things. This balance is different for every person and every work. Some writers are confident in their own voice and express more of that than a particular character’s. Other writers, those who feel really in touch with their characters of choice, may choose to emulate a character’s thought process in favor of their own. It doesn’t really matter which you choose, both are effective, and both can make for a good story. One is not better than the other. Do what feels right for you and your story, and switch it up sometimes! It’s good for you and your craft.

Your voice does not exist in a vacuum. It comes from everything you’ve ever read, watched, conversations you’ve had, things you’ve learned. It is a concentration of self. It can be refined, nurtured into something you can be proud of knowing you not only got your point across, but sounded damn good doing it.

It’s important to be able to determine the difference between your voice and the character’s. Sometimes, as awful as it is to admit, that delightful little phrase you cooked up sometimes isn’t what they would say. Are these characters actually that emotionally (un)intelligent? Would they really get caught up in sexuality labels and drop their hot new therapy buzzwords in casual conversation? Do whatever you want, make them say whatever you want, it’s fiction about fiction. But if you catch yourself projecting a little, or a lot, determine if you want to do it with your whole chest and double down, or if you want to reevaluate and revisit the source.

Like character voice, author voice can also lead to homogeneous characters and stories that all sound the same. Plenty of writers write the way they do because they enjoy it. They consider themselves, as they are, to be good, and they very well may be. The writer, first and foremost, writes for themselves. Why shouldn’t they try to write something that speaks to them? There’s nothing wrong with this either. All of us know those fics that have us wishing there were a hundred more just like it. But watch out for if all your characters just sound like you, unless that’s what you’re going for. A little self insert never hurt anybody.

Can you still write a good fic even if you do these things? I don’t see why not. You can plot well, introduce conflict with a deft hand, and write satisfying endings all while your characters talk like a bunch of dialects bundled into a trenchcoat and thrown in a blender. But it can distract or drive readers away from all the good bits of your story because you’ve accidentally gone and fumbled the voices of the characters that they wanted to read about.

All of that being said, there’s no need to write up extensive linguistic bios or do fandom wiki deep dives before you write a character, not unless you want to. It’s just a matter of engaging critically and consciously with the source material. Listening to the things characters say, how they say them, and why. It will make your characters feel more real, closer to canon, rather than leaving your readers raising their eyebrows and thinking about how much he would not fucking say that.

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

GIL Schedule + Masterpost 2024

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This year marks an exciting phase for the Institute as we welcome aboard new members of staff. We are particularly thrilled to introduce Noraxoekodurosugofbyn of Prydon, who will be assuming the role of Translation Officer for Mutter's Spiral, following that rather regrettable incident. Additionally, we are delighted to announce that Myishu 'the Fryer' of Scendeles will be leading our catering team.

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[safety-pin-punk]

Bit of a tough one, but got any ideas for adding punk style to office/business clothes? I love my job - and still wear my beat-up, ladder-laced docs and safety pin earrings - but some days I really miss my patch pants, deathhawk, and jacket :(

Uuuuuuhhhhhhhhgggggggggg I HATE professional attire SO FUCKING MUCH

I was an chemistry/education double major for almost a full 4 years before I switched to straight chemistry. Not because I hated teaching, I actually loved it. My students were my kids. But the environment was horrendous. Administration was horrific. The ‘ethos’ you are supposed to follow as a teacher is just dehumanizing and toxic.

But during those 4 years, I had a very strict dress code that I had to follow. Stricter than the dress code of the actual schools I was working in. I ended up wearing pretty much the same outfit every day in a different color. Sweater with a collar underneath, khakis, and boots that looked enough like dress shoes to get by. And technically I wasn’t even allowed to wear that because it was a ‘mens outfit’ but my supervisor didn’t snitch on me for it soo. But yeah, I felt this ask to my core

Now I don’t know what type of job you have anon, but here are my best ideas for you.

Wear a jacket to work, not while you work, but to work. And not just a jacket, but a battle jacket. Take it off when you’re there, put it on when you leave. (Bonus points if you theme one to your actual job)

Leave your old patch pants for after work and more fun occasions. BUT, theres no reason that you cant wear a pair of jeans with a *few* patches on them during a casual friday or office party. Especially if there is nothing ‘offensive’ on them

Add chains. Just say they are wallet chains. They are all wallet chains. Yes you just have that many wallets. No they can not see them.

Im sorry. I wish I was more help here. I hate professionalism rules. The only reason jeans are considered unprofessional are because they were popular among the poor when they were first made in like the 1800s (dont quote be for the year)

[sophieinwonderland]

Episode 4 of Responding to the "Sophie is Dangerous Doc": On Genders and Slurs

If you haven't seen my other posts on this:

Episode 1 (Block Evasion Allegations) Episode 2 (All Tibetan Buddhists are Monks) Episode 3 (Survivor's Network) Episode 3.5 (Hate Groups)

Let's just get right into this!

First, just noting that I absolutely H*TE the culture online around censoring sl*rs where this is a t*rrible word nobody should say, BUT it's totally okay if you replace ONE vowel with an asterisk. Mostly because, when reading it in their heads, I'm certain most everyone is going to instantly read the slur as the slur, and it should be just as triggering to those who would be triggered by it. This isn't specifically an issue with the author but more collective st*pidity of the internet.

Here I went through the trouble of, after realizing I had messed up, to at least replace the whole word with "the T-slur" when all I needed to do was write "tr*nny." Silly me. (This is the only time I'll be writing it that way in this post. I just really need to illustrate how stupid I find this whole thing.)

This bare-minimum censorship while being outraged over saying a slur is just a tad too ridiculous to me to take seriously.

Context...

This came about during an argument with someone over the word endogenic. They were arguing, in essence, that because the word "endogenous" may have had vague ties to Freud fakeclaiming trauma, the word "endogenic" was bad because it's the same word.

My point was to illustrate how even if this was true and endogenous was offensive, two words can sound similar and have the same roots with similar literal meanings with one still being offensive and the other not. The example I gave was how trans/transgender are perfectly fine terms while the t-slur is bad despite both having the same roots and literal meanings. Connotations of specific words matter. Not just their roots.

I apologized after seeing how that affected people because I wasn't aware of the severity of the term.

Derogatory terms aren't all equal, and while there are certain pejoratives that you never should say, ever... others are generally acceptable in neutral contexts when not using them as an insult.

My mistake here was not being educated in which category this particular pejorative fell under.

On our gender...

A huge part of this narrative is the idea that I just suddenly for the first time ever decided to identify as genderfluid because I was under fire.

This is, like much of what is said in this document, completely false.

I had previously posted about how being a system with multiple genders makes our system's body more accurately described as genderfluid.

This post was back in August of 2022. Well before the slur discourse in May of 2023.

I believe there were other posts but they're hard to find because Tumblr searches are bad. (I used google to find this one.)

The idea that the body/system is technically genderfluid isn't something I invented out of thin air for that one discussion, but is something that had been on my mind for a long time, and something I had talked about before.

While I won't blame the author for not having an encyclopedic knowledge of every post I ever made. This is yet another instance of accusations and assertions without ever even bothering to confirm if they were true.

This lack of due diligence is a massive theme in the "Sophie is dangerous" document.

If anyone had asked me if I had made public statements referring to our body being genderfluid, I could have answered and provided a source.

In fact, the author quotes me saying that I've always considered the body genderfluid, even highlighting it...

But didn't once think, as any reasonable person would have in this situation, that there may be evidence of this out there.

Instead, the author lazily repeats the lie that this was something new I just suddenly decided for the sake of this one argument.

Transness...

There are a couple problems.

First, let's start with the point near the end about being queer. Because my point was more than that.

It was that genderfluidity is not merely queer, but specifically on the transgender spectrum as seen below:

My position is actually that any system with fronting headmates of a different gender than their AGAB is genderfluid to an extent. And because of this, is on the transgender spectrum. (Regardless of whether they identify as transgender or not.)

Slipper Slopes and Bad Precedents.

This is a ridiculous take meant to try to villainize me. And is a bit of revisionist history at that.

I initially apologized and did explain that the intent was not to reclaim the term, and that I didn't feel comfortable reclaiming it. I stand by that.

I didn't cast myself as a victim over people being upset by it.

After my apology, I listened to numerous transgender systems who were uncomfortable with the topic that arose from that, and uncomfortable with the people taking issue with a girl in an AMAB body using the T-slur.

There is a lot of underlying complexity here that I believe needed to be addressed.

Because simply apologizing without addressing these other issues sets a precedent that I didn't want to be setting.

I wasn't going to let the takeaway from that conversation be "individual headmates can't reclaim slurs, even ones they could be called, unless they directly identify by the specific term for the experiences they have."

I've never been called the T-slur. But as more systems are out publicly and headmates of different genders are expressing their gender, it's likely that they'll be victims of transphobia.

Systems with multiple genders are, as a whole, genderfluid.

Genderfluidity is on the transgender spectrum. Regardless of whether they identify as transgender or not.

And it's pretty weird to try to police the language people on the transgender spectrum use based on whether they specifically call themselves transgender or not.

My biggest problem with the whole discourse around that topic is that it ultimately presents an intrusive ideology that is super concerned with policing the specific terms GNC people use and identify by. And worse, it presents the gender of systems as less important than those who have varying genders for other reasons.

The precedents you set don't exist in a vacuum. The fact is that you are arguing this at the same time that sysmeds have resorted to maliciously misgendering endogenic systems, justifying it under the basis that it's not actual misgendering because the headmate with those genders aren't real.

Something which, if you remember from the previous episode, the OP of the "Sophie is dangerous document" doesn't believes counts as real misgendering.

In the end, it's a very slippery slope from "female headmates in AMAB bodies with gender dysphoria can't reclaim transgender slurs" to "gender discrimination against headmates is totally separate to that faced by trans people and misgendering headmates isn't as bad as misgendering real transgender people."

And this is a slippery slope the author of the document appears to have fallen straight down and crashed face-first on.

[bre1995]

Fellow Travelers Quotes

Now some of these are my favorite quotes/interactions, but also these are some that just get me no matter how many times I watch the show.

(And yes I did watch all 8 episodes again just for this 🤭🩷)

Hawk: May I ask you a personal question? is this uh.. is this milk drinking a habit of yours?

Hawk: Down, boy, I'm no Red.

Hawk: I'll spend the afternoon picturing you kneeling in prayer.

Tim: Hawkins Z. Fuller. I'd love to know what the "Z' stands for.

H: Zebadiah.

Tim: Zedbadiah?

Hawk: Don't start

Tim: I'm your boy, right? Hmm?

Hawk: Well, well.

Tim: And your boy wants to go to the party.

Hawk: How much does he want to go?

Hawk: Now, show me what my boy really wants.

Tim: I committed mortal sins for you.

Hawk: Oh, here we go.

Tim: I could go to hell.

Hawk: Hell's a fantasy, Skippy. So is heaven, the Trinity, democracy, and the holy war against communism.

H: Here comes the sermon. You let me know when I should genuflect.

Tim: You're the coward, not me!

Tim: Unfortunately, the lock is broken.

Hawk: That's top secret, by the way.

Tim: I'll take it to my grave.

Hawk: I'm sorry, that you're dying. That not a single fucking soul gives a shit. And that you didn't knock first.

Tim: What are you - -

Hawk: Your lock's still broken downstairs.

Tim: Where have you been?

Hawk: Doesn't matter. I'm home now.

Hawk: I fell for you the first moment I laid eyes on you. Right away, I was taken by your beauty, but I was won over by your mind. To touch you, to feel your body against mine brought me more happiness than you could ever know. I know you love me. And my feelings for you are deep. But I've always known that we have no real future together...... I don't mean to hurt you. But I think it's better for both of us to part ways.

(Yes I know this is technically the letter, but you can not convince me that these were words towards Tim 100%)

Tim: And that is the last dirty thing I'm ever going to do for you.

Tim: Well, we both know my eyesight is terrible. And maybe the dementia is setting in, but I think Hawkins Fuller is standing in my apartment.

Hawk: Hi, Skippy

Tim: Yeah, it's you.

Tim: Twenty-four hours. That's a long way to travel for Chinese takeout.

Hawk: I've decided to forgive you.

Tim: Forgive me?

Hawk: You haven't called in three weeks.

Tim: Four

Hawk: How do I love thee? Let me count the weeks.

Hawk: Liste, Skippy. I wanna spend the weekend with you. Go back to the office, tell Dragon Lady you don't feel well.

Tim: Is this my birthday present?

Hawk: It's more like an education.

Tim; Educate me.

Hawk: Tim, what do you want?

Tim: I wanna be with you.

Hawk: Ok. Let's go inside.

Tim: No! No. I wanna be with you. Sleep in the same bed with you all night. Not get kicked out at midnight so the neighbors won't see me leaving in the morning! I wanna eat a meal with you like other couples. We've never eaten in a restaurant! Men do eat in restaurants! I could be your cousin.

Hawk: Nephew.

Tim: From the poor side of the family.

Hawk: Obviously.

Hawk: I needed to see you, Skippy. That's all I know.

Tim: Maybe you should give me some lessons.

Hawk: Senator Smith is a good man, Skippy.

Like you.

Hawk: Skippy, everybody lies about somethin'. You and me, we lie about who we sleep with.

Tim: Not "who we sleep with."

Hawk: What?

Tim: It'n not.... who we sleep with. It's who we love.

Hawk: Skippy, just.... Will you give me a chance?

Tim: A chance to do what?

Hawk: To.... To fuck it up again.

Tim: Are you sure?

Hawk: No. I'm not sure of anything anymore.

Tim: If he makes the appointment, we can.

Hawk: What appointment am I making?

Tim: We're going to talk about it later.

Hawk: You're right, Miss Addison. I am wonderful. So why don't you just suffer?

Hawk: Peanut butter.

Tim: They didn't have crunchy?

Hawk: No, I looked.

Tim: What, he's straight? The way that you're straight?

Tim: I can't bear being this happy.

Tim: You know, you've been rather sweet lately.

Hawk: Your Honor, I stand before you accused of being sweet.

Hawk: You trust me?

Don't answer that.

Hawk: Skippy. I didn't raise my boy to be a soldier.

Tim: Hawk. Promise you won't write.

Hawk: I won't.

Hawk: I've never gotten used to this.

Tim: My prison tattoo.

Did you forget that I'm a convicted felon?

Hawk: Nice to see you, Skippy.

Or is it Father Skippy now?

Hawk: So no vow of celibacy then?

Tim: Not yet, but I practice it.

Or try to.

I slip now and then.

Not with somebody.

Hawk: Man's second- best friend.

Tim: I'm in love with someone I can't have.

I can't stop thinking about him.

Father Lawrence: Am I to understand that you have feelings for another man?

Tim: Yes

Father Lawrence: Are you aware that the Church views this as a mortal sin?

Tim: I am. But I don't know how love can be a sin.

Tim: He'll be fine by morning.

Hawk: And you know this how?

Tim: I've experimented.

Tim: Beyond measure.

Frankie: The tragedy is you holding on to him.

Hawk: Pay no attention to these hyenas.

They don't bite.

Berry: Yes, we do.

Hawk: Hi, Skippy

Tim: Hi.

Hawk: A few years.

Tim: Eleven.

Tim: Maybe.... Maybe we should go.

Hawk: No, no, no. Look, no talking. Just like church.

Hawk: Completely?

Tim: Out of the closet. Even to my family.

Hawk: Did they call in an exorcist?

Hawk: They don't need this place.

Tim: Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, you want to hide this house from them.

Because it's on gay Fire Island.

Oh, my God.

Hawk: You are nothing but judgement. You always were. Saint Tim, the fucking holy.

Hawk: Skippy.

Tim: What?

Hawk: Skippy.

Stay with me.

Will you stay with me?

Stay with me.

Tim: Okay.

Okay, you lied.

But you didn't lie about everything.

Did you love him?

Hawk: So much,

Tim: And that love was real.

Tim: You family needs you.

Hawk: Don't you need me, Skippy?

Tim: I have you.

Tim: Maybe I shouldn't care so much.

Rafael: My darling.

There will be people that will say, "You must get over him if you want to be happy," and they will be right.

But it will also be the stupidest thing anyone ever says to you.

Hawk: Tim.

Tim: I woke up last night, and I didn't know where I was.

I knew I was in a hospital, but I couldn't remember.

I didn't know who I was.

Hawk: Timothy David Laughlin.

That adorable Catholic boy from Staten Island.

Tim: Mr. Fuller.

Hawk: Corporal Laughlin.

Tim. You broke your promise.

"Promise you won't write." You wrote.

Hawk: You sent a telegram. Very succinct.

"Hawk. The Hungarian refugees. Do something."

If the Soviets hadn't invaded Hungary, I might never have heard from you.

Tim: The epitome of marital fidelity.

Hawk: I try.

Tim: You bring men here?

Hawk: You'd be the first.

Tim: Don't believe you.

Hawk: Shut up and drink your milk.

The Army made a man out of my Skippy.

Tim: Yeah, it did.

Hawk: Yeah.

He's all grown up now.

Tim: I am.

Hawk: I want you to fuck me.

Tim: Is that a bribe?

To get me to come back?

Hawk: Do I have to bribe you to come back?

Tim: No.

I knew this was going to happen the minute I opened your letter.

Tim: I feel like im fading away.

I'm disappearing a little every day.

Hawk: No, I'm here.

I've got you.

I've got you.

Hawk: Skippy.

I don't suppose you happen to own a tuxedo.

Hawk: What?

Tim: It feels like we're on a date.

Hawk: I should warn you, I may make a pass.

Tim: A girl can hope, can't she?

Hawk: Just to be clear....

Tim isn't Lucy's friend. He's my friend. He just got out of the hospital. I was there with him the whole time. I climbed into his bed and held him.

Hawk: Skippy.

A long time ago, I did something to hurt you. And I think, even being in your life hurt you in some way.

Tim: Hawk.

You don't have....

I spent my whole life, waiting for God to love me. And then I realized the only thing that matters is I love God. It's the same with you. I have loved you my whole life. I've never loved anyone, but you. You were my great, consuming love. And most people don't get one of those.

I did.

I have no regrets.

Tim: Mm. Would you look at that?

Hmm?

In public, and the world didn't come to an end.

Hawk: I want to stay.

Tim: I have to fight this fight.

That means letting go of everything else.

And if you're around, I will not be able to let go.

Hawk: But I wanna show up for you.

Tim: Make it easy for me.

Hawk: Hey, Skippy.

Promise you won't write.

Tim: I won't.

Hawk: Sweetheart.

Kimberly: Hmm?

Hawk: He wasn't my friend.

He was the man I loved.

[ruenvs3000w25]

Blog 3: Privilege in Nature Interpretation

After reading the content in unit 3, I think of privilege as the advantages or benefits afforded to individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, gender, or socioeconomic status. These advantages often shape one’s experiences and opportunities, not from their abilities, competencies, decisions, or actions but rather from their position or social identity. In the context of nature interpretation, privilege may impact who has access to natural spaces and education, whose stories are told, and how these stories are framed.

Nature interpreters often reflect the dominant culture’s perspectives, privileging certain voices over others. For example, Indigenous peoples often find their knowledge overshadowed by Western scientific narratives. Privilege influences which stories are amplified, and this may result in a misrepresented interpretation of historic and cultural relationships with nature.

I have experienced this firsthand as a Wildlife Biology and Conservation major, where most classes focus solely on technical aspects and new research. While these are important, they often fail to incorporate Indigenous perspectives and knowledge. Why would this be important? I think incorporating Indigenous knowledge is essential for fostering a more holistic understanding of ecosystems, ensuring that our education is inclusive, teaches us about the history of our land, and is respectful of traditional ecological wisdom.

I worked at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, Ontario for two summers as a visitor experience representative. I had the privilege of having access to all the gardens, trails and visitor centres within the property. One of my favourite trails is called “Enji naagdowing Anishinaabe waadiziwin”, which translates to “The Journey to Anishinaabe Knowledge”. This trail, developed in partnership with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, invites hikers to explore the connections between plants and Anishinaabe culture. Informative signs placed along the trail provide insight into how the Anishinaabe people traditionally used various plants for medicine, food, and cultural practices.

I admire the RBG’s commitment to incorporating Indigenous history, stories and ways of living into their interpretation. This approach goes beyond simply showcasing the beauty of the area, it helps to give a voice to the often overshadowed Indigenous peoples, and a meaningful platform for their important stories to be told.

The RBG website captures this idea by sharing the words of Joseph Pitawanakwat, a plant educator from Wikwemikong Unceded Nation: 

“In my Anishinaabe culture and tradition, we teach that every plant is telling you a story, and in that story, the plant is teaching why it is here, its purpose — all we have to do is listen... Scientists are also testing Indigenous medicine plants and discovering active compounds that legitimize their use. As you walk this trail, you’ll see examples of how this works, some easy to spot, and some hidden in the plants.” 

This quote highlights the importance of listening to not only plants, but also the wisdom of Indigenous communities, in order to deepen our understanding of the natural world and progress modern science.

Recognizing privilege in nature interpretation is important for ensuring equitable and accessible education for all. I encourage readers to reflect and answer the question: How can you actively work to dismantle privilege and ensure an equal platform for all in your nature interpretation career?

Royal Botanical Gardens. (n.d.). Indigenous plant medicines trail. Retrieved January 21, 2025, from https://www.rbg.ca/gardens-trails/by-attraction/trails/indigenous-trail/