#60s clothes adult men

[mydr3aminvi0let]

i wear a lot of skirts and pink and whatnot as my style has developed with me & my personality but when one of those age regression girlies latch onto me....i do not like that

[honey-minded-hivemind]

💿Reboot AU, Post One, Patient is the Night:

• The breeze is colder than you expected it to be today. It nips at your skin, at your nose, at your cheeks, at your eyes. It stings, as though someone tossed ice on you. But you keep going, taking the old cracked sidewalk to get to your destination.

• It's an old building, with many windows showing off antique tea sets and plates, Christmas trees and baubles, old lamps and costume jewelry, and different paintings and old furniture and knick knacks. The place has been there for as long as you can remember, with its dark green, chipped doors, it's slanted entrance, and it's lack of heating and air conditioning. The old place, the Bay Antique and Flea Market, has three floors: the ground floor, the basement, and the top floor. And inside are booths upon booths, with almost anything imaginable. It also happens happens be where you work.

• Entering the old building causes the bell above the door to ring, and you're greeted by a tired co-worker, who waves you off, letting you go to your section of the antique store. You pass many items, mostly old and vintage, only a few new things sticking out here and there in bright, mismatched colors. There's the large glass display case featuring silver spoons, different large and jeweled rings, mannequin parts displaying necklaces and bracelets on their black velvet shapes, and thimbles and cups and rare toys in protective casing. As you pass that, you slip by the clothing section, full of expensive old fur shawls and coats, old prom dresses as far back as the 60s, feathered and ostentatious hats, pointed heels, and old bows and ribbons and brooches. You turn sharply to the left, wea ing between large oak drawers and stained glass lamps, past the old porcelain cups and mugs and glass goblete and retro kitchen items, further past the fake fruits and oil paintings and old rocking horse, and then you reach the old metal stairs.

• You descend, gripping the middle railing as you go down, reaching the next set of stairs, taking the right set, and then you're in the basement area. Where the ground floor smelled of coffee and leather and old metal, down here smells like mothballs, dust, and old book pages. In the farthest room is a whole book section, with children's books from different decades, science and history and algebra books for homeschooling, ABC and Spanish and hymnals, even old Bibles and trashy romance novels. Next to that section are old costumes and skirts and dresses, donated by older teachers and grandparents and old theaters. You loop through the section, moving quickly past the football team mascot merch and old soda bottles and creepy dolls, and into a section you quite enjoy, amd where you usually stay: the Marvel section.

• You pop your back, then get to work. You start unpacking old comics, each in protective plastic, and categorize them into their appropriate sections. After that you're putting up random T-shirts, with different phrases or characters or motifs on them, from Disney to Deadpool to even chibi Avengers. Once that's over with, you sit down, taking a small break.

• That's when you notice the box

• It's on the display case/desk, worn and dented, with no address or writing, besides being addressed to someone that sounds like some odd hero or villain name. You feel a little put off by it, but with careful hands, you peel back the flaps...

• Huh. There are a few DVD cases, depicting different teenage and adult characters, with some title that includes X-Men. You feel puzzled looking it over, checking the cases and DVDs for damage, but oddly find none, not even a scratch on any of the discs or chipped plastic on the cases. You take a closer look at the title...

• X-Men: Evolution... except when you peer closer, it says by it "the Rebooted Series". Hmmm... You go through your thoughts, trying to think of what you know about any X-Men or Marvek media, but come up short. Huh. So. This could be an old series, one that became lost media. Or could be a fake version. Or it might even just be a prank by some dumb teenager. Well... You're curious, and you could use a good thing, so with that decided, you set up the old TV in your section.

• It takes a few tries, but you figure out the remote, soon turning on the old screen and setting it to AV. You open the case labeled as the first season, and take out the first disc... You shiver, feeling a purckling sensation along your back... but you shake it off, inserting the disc, then press the play button... The screen flickers, a small pop of static, then it sends you to the main menu... You hum lightly, pressing the play all option, and soon it winks out... And then it opens to the first episode, and you breathe out a sigh.

• You watch the first few episodes, enjoying the designs of each character, puzzling over undertones that there are secrets being kept, watching the teams form and dynamics be made, and you grin, a tired, warm tilt of your lips and a settled look in your eyes. It's a comfort, somehow, seeing the adult X-Men and Brotherhood members acting like odd mentors and parents, seeing the teens become friends and teammates, seeing the difference abilities and powers that bring them together... You find yourself feeling calmer somehow, and you soend the next few hours finishing the first season...

• You added a bit of commentary as you watched, and you tilted your head when the characters seemed to pause from time to time, or mentioned they were missing someone, or asked seemingly no one if they were watching, if they heard them, if they could remember what had happened... you feel a deep sadness at that, wondering who they're trying to reach, and what could possibly be wrong...

• Your dream is fuzzy around the edges, dark, as though blurred, but by what you don't know... something is speaking to you, or whoever you're supposed to be... they aren't kind, but your head can't remember what they're saying, it can't focus on what's happening... you feel pain, filling your veins then filling your heart and then filling your mind, drowning you under deep agony... there's a bright light, there's a sharp jolt through your chest, and then everything go numbs, voices settling, darkness swallowing everything whole...

• You jump, waking up. There's no one there... Your head feels weird, thick and groggy, as you struggle back to wakefulness. You can hear the muted voices from the TV, and let out a small breath. You're okay... You're fine... It's just a nightmare, it's just a dream, it can't hurt you...

• You look back at the screen, noting how the characters seemed to stare back for a moment... before resuming their conversation, a few sounding concerned while you started waking up.

• "-not okay, how do we know it's safe-" "-if we don't try now, we won't get another chance-!" "-settle down, please-" "-shhhhh, you woke them up!" "-remind them-" "-miss them-" "-it vill be okay, guys, it has to be-"

• You groan slightly, pulling yourself up to your full height. Your shoulders roll back, firm and strong, amd your legs carry you over to a small mini fridge. You squat down, yawning a little, and pick out a cold coffee. You pop back up, heading back to your seat, and take a minute to down your drink. Your sweater is soft, in a warm shade of brown, and your jeans are a dark gray. Your boots, short bit sporting heels, click together lightly as you bounce your leg a little to help you wake up. You finger your left ear a little, noting your three earrings are still there: a trio of dangling moonstones; a thin silver hoop; and a dark black stud, twinkling like a star. You rub at your eyes, then you're back to being awake.

• You look back at the screen, noting the characters are all getting ready for bed now, and you yawn. They have the right idea... You watch as the episode is finished, and soon the first season is done. You stretch as you get up, then stride over to the TV, popping out the disc, then setting it back in its case. You wander over to the worn box they came in, and sift through the remaining cases...

• There's at least... five, if not six, seasons... And while you really would like to start the second season right away... you think maybe taking a nap would be a good idea...

• "Night, guys... See ya in the morning..."

• As you lay your head back down, pillowing it on your arms, you think you almost hear something... but you're soon winking out, too tired to stay awake a second longer...

• "Night, Reader... we miss you..."

• The screen flickers once, twice... and then it fades out, a quick flash of eyes watching the sleeping teen, before it disappears...

@sugar-soda @vivid-bun @danni1323 @weebwholovesuchihasasuke @thewickedweiner @opossumdaydreamz @ainsellshadewalker @c0ld0utside (Welcome to 💿Reboot AU...)

[ambrosialdesire]

the minotaur

18+ DARK CONTENT BELOW, MINORS AND BLANK BLOGS DNI

𓆩♡𓆪 ACHELOUS "LOUIS" BELLOCK   ↳ nickname: louis (pronouced lewis)

𓆩♡𓆪 AGE   ↳ ~2040 years old (relatively young for minotaurs); 41 years old in human years

𓆩♡𓆪 BIRTHDAY   ↳ april 30th

𓆩♡𓆪 HEIGHT   ↳ 6'10'' (human), 8' (minotaur)

𓆩♡𓆪 SPECIES   ↳ minotaur; currently disguised as a human

𓆩♡𓆪 CAREER   ↳ rancher/farmer: specializes in juice and animal based products (such as cheeses, milk, wool, etc.)

𓆩♡𓆪 AREA OF RESIDENCE   ↳ wicklow ranch on the outerskirts of the neighboring town winterborough (~250 miles away from the city Lunaris)

𓆩♡𓆪 APPEARANCE (i'm bad at describing since i rely on memory + drawings)   ↳ human             — a heavy set, tan male with fluffy dark brown hair             — dark olive green eyes, very tired looking/relaxed             — long scar going down his right eye             — low maintenance: retains a short beard, chest/body hair, arm hair, leg hair, etc. he's just a very hairy dude.             — calloused hands, very work-worn             — back scars from past; mostly healed over but still prominent in sight and touch             — ear piercings on his right ear             — nipple piercings, usually horseshoe shaped (got them when he still was under human ownership and still keeps them on as a reminder)   ↳ partial transformation             — relatively the same, height becomes slightly taller by a few inches             — horns grow in; pale ivory in color and smooth to the touch             — lower canines grow out; left canine is slightly chipped             — tail grows back, still able to be hidden in his pants             — slight more hairier             — nails on hands start turning black (hoof color)   ↳ minotaur             — head turns into a complete bull/cow head; brown fur, floppy ears, horns + canines grow all out to max size             — legs turn into bull/cow legs, feet turn into hooves             — torso + arms stay relatively human in appearance             — height is at full standing length             — long tail is fully grown out             — has to wear a loincloth due to having no clothes at this size             — considered to be an "abnormal" minotaur due to his underbite/outgrown canines and his tail (he's seen depictions of his species and he believes he's abnormal)

𓆩♡𓆪 PERSONALITY (i'm also really bad at explaining this lmfao)   ↳ achelous considers himself a rather isolated man. once scorned and feared by mankind, and used for his immense strength prior to the creation/reliance to machinery, achelous shares no fondness for them at all. most of these feelings hasn't changed even a little as the years went on, and he continues to try and keep contact with the townspeople at a minimum. he's not unnecessarily or outright violent towards the ~30k town population in particular as they're rather peaceful, but when it comes to city folk or outside tourists, his somewhat calm demeanor changes drastically towards them.

  ↳ achelous believes that he is a cruel monster, but the townspeople do not think the same. they genuinely believe that he's rather a sweet gentleman, seeing that he's a big softie towards the children and the elderly. he's actually more indifferent and hostile to adult men and women, having the belief that they are the cruelest when humans are in their 20s-60s.

  ↳ achelous is a particular rule follower, especially on his ranch. break his rules, he'll break you until you follow them correctly.

  ↳ he's stoic and straight to the point, there will never be a day where he sugarcoats his words. lying to him is similar to breaking the rules, so he's not fond of not being honest.

  ↳ achelous has a pretty even temperament unless there's a rule breaker, annoying human from the city/outside, or brats. his punishments are down right cruel, and that's coming from someone that had personally experienced the worst from humanity.

  ↳ achelous can have his flirty moments, but only if he's wasted from the alcohol he makes since normal alcohol isn't strong enough. his attempts are rather poor due to his lack of socializing and picking up cues, so he normally comes off as sleazy with an ego, but he's really trying his best.

  ↳ though it may not seem like it most of the time, achelous is rather possessive and protective over the one he loves. he has pretty conservative views when it comes to having a family, believing that the man must provide for the woman while the woman takes care of the kids and the home. his cruel words and actions make it so his love stays (as that's the only form of affection he learned how to portray), and his last resort is usually harming/threatening/killing the one closest to his love.

  ↳ achelous is a good convincer, it's why his products are usually sought after in the farmer's market every sunday. it's technically not lying when what he says and believes is true.

  ↳ of course, achelous prefers not to socialize unless it's absolutely necessary, but he's so good at fixing things and helping others out accidentally that he's constantly requested around for his assistance. he doesn't really want to do it, but if it gets them off his back and property, he will.

  ↳ achelous is hard-working, he hates bad/lazy workers and prefers to do things his own way. that's why there's no other farmhands/workers besides him, not including his obvious distaste for humans. from 5:30 am to 7:30 pm, he follows his routine to a tee every day. sundays are his breaks, even if he technically doesn't really need it.

  ↳ he's the most fatherly out of all my posted ocs, probably due to the face that he's the one that's completely determined and decently stable enough to start a family. achelous has also been waiting for the same species as him, but since he never seen another minotaur for most of his life, his patience is growing thin and he may have to take to a human mate the longer he waits.

  ↳ achelous has extreme guilt/shame over his true form, it's why he managed to find a witch to help him appear more human (ironic isn't it). to him, it's a protectant from being even more outcasted, despite his consistent insistence to be left alone. his partial/full transformation only comes out when his emotions become extremely high (mostly out of anger, but can come out in states of high arousal). he has quite the steady composure, and is very in-tune with his emotions, giving him that needed control.

𓆩♡𓆪 ABILITIES   ↳ extreme strength             — can lift up multiple logs or hay bales without struggle             — occasionally lifts up his animals to make sure they're right where they need to be   ↳ intelligence/experience             — due to his long-lived life and the experiences he's gone through, he's rather quickly decisive on what to do/say             — this unfortunately makes him the "i-told-you-so"/"this-is-what-you-get" type   ↳ heightened senses             — minotaurs have near perfect vision and heightened senses (taste and scent especially)             — due to this, achelous has quick reflexes and reacts to situations accordingly. this can also make him vulnerable to extremely strong smells or sudden bright lights.   ↳ endurance/speed             — achelous rarely or doesn't even get tired, sometimes his daily routine gets finished earlier if he's at the top of his game. he merely fakes exhaustion to look less suspicious to the townspeople, that's the only time he lies to them since it's for his protection.             — due to his species type, he's rather quick on his feet. not as much as normal minotaurs (if there are) due to his heftier build.

𓆩♡𓆪 BACKGROUND   ↳ around the start of the roman empire years, achelous was born to a lower class family. to their horror, he was born with a calf's head and legs, believing that their gods have spited them even more. rather than killing him to be done with it, they chose to sell their newborn to a higher status family, seeing that he'd be used for their entertainment. there was never such a creature as him, only passing legends and stories, no one truly thought that a minotaur could possibly exist. they were paid a good sum, and achelous' fate was finally sealed. as he grew up, he was tormented with their mockery, forced to work in the fields from day to night with no breaks. achelous was the face of jokes and laughs during their lavish parties, food constantly thrown at his face and being tossed about for their amusement. this so-called family of his abused the poor minotaur, making sure that he knew his place and how disgusting he was to everyone around. even as they dragged him around publicly, he was forced to wear a hood and cloak, but his size was impossible to hide and the people around would tear at his disguise to taunt jeers at him, constantly leaving him filthy and bloody at the end of the day. it's strange though. no matter how much he was hit, how many wounds they left on his back, achelous never fought back. he himself never knew why, even to this day.

  ↳ as the empire finally fell apart, achelous managed to finally escape, not without burning the house down and making sure he saw his abusers' faces contort as they burned alive while he ran off. hiding in a boat traveling to where england is now, he stayed there for years underneath the docks, surviving on whatever he was able to find, until he heard word of travel to "india" and managed to sneak onto the next boat going there. once he reached the americas, he traveled further into the south, around where mississippi, tennessee, alabama, and georgia is currently located. achelous finally found the freedom is wanted for so long, finally building his own home and farm, ensuring that no other human may make their way on his land.

  ↳ this peace didn't last long, well, to him at least it didn't. at this time, he had previously sought out a witch that was able to alter his appearance semi-permanently, so long as he didn't lose control of himself. achelous now is roughly 2000 years old, and a town had begun to be built nearby his ranch. winterborough, from what he's heard from others as he sold his products at the market, a new town for new beginnings. he didn't care, so long as they didn't bother him or figure out he lived there. they figured it out. the first group of townspeople decided to greet him, since they're the ones sorta causing a disturbance as the homes and buildings were still being constructed. to achelous' surprise, they were kind, offering him gifts and words of praise about the work he's done for himself. he's... he's never experience this before, he could tell that they were being genuine from their smiles and expressions. hm... maybe these humans weren't so bad. as the years went on, they never quite questioned his origins or why it seems that he never quite ages the same as them, achelous brought them a good amount of financial stability in their small town and he was overall just a great guy, even if he was a little antisocial.

  ↳ achelous is still not openly fond of humankind in general, but he is rather protective over winterborough and its residents. it had grown into a place where he thought of as a warm home, minus his ranch. he actually knows everyone by name, who's family member belongs to which; achelous cares deeply, even if he doesn't show it. the townspeople all know him as well, they like to say that he's their guardian (which is mostly right since there's barely any crime in their town). they all adore and deeply trust achelous for what he has done for them, but they still don't know his true nature, his true form. all in all, the townspeople and achelous' relationship towards one another is symbiotic.

𓆩♡𓆪 OTHER INFO   ↳ achelous shows up to every town event, to everyone's surprise. they know he's not really fond of interacting with everyone, but his intentions are to ensure that the tourists/city folk isn't causing any trouble for them. he hates crowds, but he hates newcomers even more.

  ↳ the town only knows him as louis bellock, achelous thinks they don't have the ability to pronounce his actual name, so he lets them call him louis. bellock was made up on the spot when he was asked.

  ↳ when the first townspeople met achelous, he was a complete rugged mess. all his hair was completely outgrown, his clothes were mostly in rags, and he kinda smelled like dirt and grass. he was pretty frightening as a first appearance, and they also kinda assumed he was a squatter before he clarified that he was the owner of the ranch. it was then achelous decided he had to keep a decent appearance.

  ↳ his voice is on the lower octave, very gruff and rough. achelous almost has a complete southern accent, but still has hints of a greek/roman one that occasionally slips out. he's also very blunt sounding, almost as if he's bored or very uninterested with a conversation, and he'll usually only talk in a few words or less if possible. sometimes it'll come out scratchy or crackly if he hasn't spoke in a while.

  ↳ achelous owns 2 kangal shepherd dogs and 2 bernese mountain dogs, they're all male.             — agre (kangal)             — hyrcanus (kangal)             — nebrophonos (bernese)             — ichnobates (bernese)

  ↳ achelous had to teach himself how to read and write, and thanks to the library and this new-fangle internet, he managed to learn much quicker. his penmanship isn't the best, but it's still legible.

  ↳ achelous's sexual orientation can be considered to be aroace since he never met anyone like him and most humans disgust him anyways. however, due to his conservative values, he's more interested with the female gender. he's also kinda still a virgin, due to the fact that he literally has no experience with romance/sex in general.

  ↳ achelous is skilled at the guitar (he had years to learn and perfect it), and he'll often play it deep into the night in front of the fireplace.

(will continue to update this whenever i get ideas)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[trekmupf]

a.k.a. Psychic puperty in space

Pros:

Yeoman Rand having some focus (altho see cons), trying to be nice and inclusive towards charlie, seeking help when she realizes the danger. She's doing her best here (this whole ordeal from her perspective is just very very real for a lot of people...) also her hair!

Kirk's cunty green top; Also Kirk's amazing gym outfit

Spock and McCoy arguing; Generally the trios dynamic

The rec room scene is again everyday life on board

Uhura singing and making fun of Spock

Charlie on the one hand being a human with barely any human interaction to learn from before this and having huge social difficulties and insecurities

ties in with him being a realistic teenager with teenager problems (wants to be liked, starts being interested in romance, doesn't know how to deal with strong emotions, is annoying)

It's got the right idea about "you need to respect women" on the whole (even though the execution is very... 60's)

The concept of someone whos been alone for most of their life with superpowers who's kinda fucked up

also him being an early version of the „sauvant- antisocial- asshole“ character trope we see lots these days

the episode clearly shows that Charlies behaviour is wrong (creepy, dangerous, obnoxious, even horrific)

Charlies situation as a metaphor for growing up in general: either you learn control and how to behave in society or you can't live in said society (although this is a speedrun from first try to exile)

(to be fair none of the adults explained things well and directly to him, and I'm so glad they don't have to raise a teenager together, it'd be a nightmare)

This picture! Looks like an 80's coming of age - sports - film!

Cons:

Early days inconsistencies (Clothes, rank,character writing flawed)

charlie -- while being genuinely creepy -- is also an annoying wet blanket at times

Robert Walker (charlie) doesn't really have a lot of chemistry with the other actors and can't carry scenes on his own, which makes the wet blanket a bit wetter

the pacing is off, mostly because charlie isn't interesting / charismatic enough to fill this amount of screentime, which makes parts drag

Yeoman Rand doesn't deserve this shit (despite the fact that she behaves corretly she gets treated terribly not only by charlie but the other men, no one takes her seriously, she just suffers and gets no justice)

special callout again of command not taking Rands worries seriously and intervening on time and treating her like shit

Great Moment: Rec Room, Uhura singing and the crew making a lil fun of each other

Counter: Kirk being topless for the first time! Summary: Lenghty episode about teenager struggles with high stakes that further sets up some of the dynamics of the crew Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS Reviews

[milli-moi]

A thought about the Red Room

(So this applies to the marvel comics version of the red room because if you spend any time looking at the MCU version and human hormones you’ll realise there’s a huge plot hole!)

So, these girls were all orphans brought up in the facility that trained them. They would have been incredibly fit for their whole lives right?

But have you noticed how the male gaze views strong and muscular women? It’s not great current day let alone in the 50’s/60’s.

These young girls would not have fit the voluptuous, hourglass figures depicted on the pin ups of men’s fantasies.

But they needed to right? They were the ultimate honey trap, the classic femme fatale that had all the men gawping after them.

So did the Red Room augment that? Did they give the girls additional hormones to try and give them the figure they wanted?

I had a Google and breast augmentation surgery wasn’t invented until 1961, meaning the OG Widow class would have been out doing their jobs in the field as proper adults by the time it came around.

Of course in the world of high tech sci-fi there’s nothing to say they wouldn’t have used surgery on the girls if they didn’t ’make the cut’. It’s not as if they could get away with just accentuating their figure with clothes, the widows also had to look the part naked.

This is the sort of horrible thing I imagine when I add science into fandom…

Thoughts…?

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

“Only 16 per cent of adult women in the UK have numeracy at or above the level of a GCSE minimum pass (grade 4). This compares with 33 per cent of adult men, according to new research from National Numeracy.

There is no big mystery here. The evidence all points to confidence as the single best predictor of numeracy skills. Women are twice as anxious as men about using maths and numbers, even when they are highly skilled. And they are nearly twice as likely as men to say they are “not a numbers person”. These trends are even more pronounced among young women.

The “number confidence gap” has far-reaching effects from home finances and supporting children’s learning to social mobility and careers. Women are 60 per cent more likely than men to be put off applying to a job if the description lists numbers and data as a requirement. Of people without a level 2 maths qualification (equivalent to a GCSE pass), twice as many women as men believe that their earnings, career progression, performance, job applications success and general career choices have been affected.”

The prime minister says the UK has an anti-maths mindset. But could part of it be that the UK has an anti-women-in-maths mindset?

New research provides concerning evidence that women are being left behind when it comes to the most essential component of numeracy: confidence.

As the PM’s advisers start to flesh out plans for his “maths to 18” policy, they might want to take stock of how to engage girls.

The UK has one of the biggest gender gaps in maths skills, according to a March OECD report on the gender gap in skills across the region. The study concludes that gender stereotypes feed into girls’ lack of confidence and fear of failure. This results in an “under-utilisation and misallocation of talent, which limits economic growth”.

Belinda , a Londoner, is a case in point. At school, she was “scared” and “terrified” of maths.

Her anxiety about numbers led to a variety of mishaps from wrong-sized clothing to having her hair chopped instead of trimmed. But some mistakes were more serious than others: she hid her unopened bills in a drawer and ran up huge debts rather than face the numbers in the envelopes.

Later in life she found the motivation to face these fears and study for GCSE maths, with support from the charity National Numeracy and the motivation to fulfil her ambition to become a teacher. She found that when the teaching was more tailored to confidence-building and different learning styles, she was able to do really well.

Belinda is not alone. Only 16 per cent of adult women in the UK have numeracy at or above the level of a GCSE minimum pass (grade 4). This compares with 33 per cent of adult men, according to new research from National Numeracy.

There is no big mystery here. The evidence all points to confidence as the single best predictor of numeracy skills. Women are twice as anxious as men about using maths and numbers, even when they are highly skilled. And they are nearly twice as likely as men to say they are “not a numbers person”. These trends are even more pronounced among young women.

The “number confidence gap” has far-reaching effects from home finances and supporting children’s learning to social mobility and careers. Women are 60 per cent more likely than men to be put off applying to a job if the description lists numbers and data as a requirement. Of people without a level 2 maths qualification (equivalent to a GCSE pass), twice as many women as men believe that their earnings, career progression, performance, job applications success and general career choices have been affected.

The skills gap has been an ongoing priority for policymakers for decades. In 2019 an annual government survey found the lowest participation in adult learning in its 23-year history. Ten years ago, the last OECD-wide skills survey showed that England was storing up a skills deficit, as the only country in the OECD where the older generation had higher basic skills than 16 to 24-year-olds. The next study will be published in 2024.

But there has been little focus so far on the gender gap.

Lower number confidence is holding back millions of people, costing the economy up to £25 billion a year. With National Numeracy Day today, if Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, wants to supercharge the UK’s maths skills and improve productivity, he could do worse than focus on supporting women and girls at every step of the lifelong learning journey.

Perdita Fraser is chairwoman of National Numeracy

[momdusa]

So I was digging into Strawberry Shortcake lore, and though the Strawberry Universe was later created/expanded upon by Muriel Fahrion and AG, I found the original "Strawberry Girl" art by Barbi Sargent (a freelance artist with American Greetings) (Exhibit #3 above) from 1978. It reminded me of Holly Hobby (pic #1 - created in the 60s but was a popular toy line in the 1970s and 80s) and also the Sarah Kay girls (top center), Sarah Kay being an Australian illustrator known for drawing happy little girls in polka dots and pinafores. Very demure. Very cutsey u_u

Got me wondering about WHY these little Prairie Girls were so prevalent in our toys, greeting cards, and clothing in the early 80s. I had a Holly Hobby doll & lunchbox and iirc my mom made a Holly Hobby Halloween costume for me (still looking for pics). My sister and I were gifted lots of little Strawberry Shortcake items (but that was probably due more to the ANIMATION SELLS TOYS form of marketing in the 80s). We had many a ruffled blouse and tiered skirts and lots of calico. One would guess that it came from the very popular Little House on the Prairie series, about a pioneer family, starring the very wholesome Michael Landon and child actor/activist Melissa Gilbert and based on the writings of authentic Prairie Girl Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Sanitized and Romanticized for TV of course).

And it made me wonder- Was this longing to return to "simpler days" a result of, oh I don't know, the rapidly changing world? The conservative push against the Womens Movement? Was this precursor to our current Cottage Core just people wishing we could go back to a time when Men were cowboys MEN and Women kNeW tHeIr PlAcE (and weren't fighting for the right to contraceptives, safe ab**tions, and the right to have their own goddamn credit card?) Were these little Holly Hobbies and Strawberry Shortcakes just... meant to encourage the Trad Wife life??

In this essay I will...

But Wait!

JOKE RUINED !!

!!!!! THEY WERE !!!!

"While the prairie look has its roots in the hippie fascination with all things Victorian and “natural,” I can’t help but think it grew in popularity partly as a response to this labor shift. Looking back at how it was sold, the prairie revival, ironically, appears to be both a conservative fantasy of “traditional” gender roles and a mild resistance to late-capitalism. Advertisements and editorials depict a “frontier” or country life where chores are hobbies and you spend most of your time sitting on wooden fences watching the sunset over a field of daisies."

"And for adult women, when you’re living in a culture that demands your labor but isn’t prepared to offer fair pay or equal opportunities (the Equal Rights Amendment died in Congress in 1982) the daydream of dropping out of a stagnant 9 to 5 job to churn butter and watch sunsets sounds pretty good."

"The prairie fashion revival, then, followed a larger trend of nostalgically romanticizing America’s rural and frontier past. But there was more to prairie’s appeal than whitewashing and nostalgia. In the early 1980s, women were entering the workplace in record numbers. A 1986 Atlantic article about how women earned less because they just didn’t want to work as much reported that “from 1890 to 1985 the participation in the work force [sic] of women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four soared from 15 to 71 percent.” The increased visibility of working women in “traditionally male positions” was both a cause for celebration (1980’s second highest grossing film was the feminist comedy masterpiece 9 to 5) and anxiety (in 1982 that spot went to Tootsie, a movie about an annoying straight white guy who can’t get a job until he disguises himself as a “feisty feminist” woman). "

(some excerpts from the Dismantle Article "What the 1980s Prairie Revival can tell us about Cottage Core" by Sara Tatyana Bernstein)

Anyway, ok, maybe they weren't meant to brainwash us into that lifestyle but still ... >_>

[bandedbulbussnarfblat]

so i was searching for butch actresses over 50, you know looking for my perfect Gabrielle. given how she likes to cut her hair short and dress like a man, I figured she'd look pretty butch in our time.

(though unfortunately she can't have top surgery, or her boobs would just grow back, like her hair.) god, anne could have done so much more with her, and really leaned into the whole vampire/gender stuff she had going on. but i digress.

anyway, the internet does not know what a butch woman is, especially one who isn't young. and i'm looking for someone 50's-60's here. I mean late 50's to mind 60's, given how in the show Lestat is made into a vampire at 34. And he was her youngest, though she had a bunch of other kids. Like Lestat had 2 brothers who lived to be adults and 4 brothers (and maybe a sister, according to some website) who died as children, and/or in childbirth. I can't remember the specifics. What I'm saying is this woman popped out a total of 7/8 babies.

Even if she was married young to the Marquis, (I'm assuming as a teenager, though probably at least 16/17, as she had done some traveling before marriage) it takes 9 months to make a baby, and she was probably in her late 20's-early 30's when Lestat was born. (I've mathed it from different sites, one says 28, another maths to 30, so who knows for sure?)

The point I'm making is she'll be an older lady. If Lestat was 34 when he made her, she'd be like anywhere like 62-64ish. And I wanna see a lady that age cast in the role. But I also think modern Gabrielle would be cutting her hair nearly every night and dressing in men's clothes, and maybe possibly discover what binders are, though I don't know if she'd bother with them.

Ugh, I wanna know so bad who they are going to cast to play her.

[athousandmorningss]

this version of me.

the celibacy thing is a big, intentional and deliberate choice. it’s born of the fact that it could be, and often is, easy to shift all blame on to y for the dynamics of our marriage. what i have begun to really take stock of and consider is who *i* was before i met him. what were the patterns of my life that laid the foundation for me marrying him?

what i am realizing (and it is very painful to admit) is that i’ve spent my entire adult life engaging in all manner of self-harm that outwardly could be perceived as pleasurable activity. i have had *so* many relationships with men--many of them long, all of them unhealthy. i’ve had a lot, a lot, a LOT of casual sex with men. many of them did not like me, or care for me. some of it was fun, but most of it was me putting myself in volitional situations because i needed male attention and because i wanted to hurt myself. i have put myself in situations in which i could have been harmed, or kidnapped, or seriously hurt. i have caused harm to my body because i did not care about my body, and because i’ve spent the entirety of my adult life wanting to die. but because i cannot actively commit suicide (i have cats, after all), i looked for other ways to cause myself harm. i drank. and i drank. and i drank. i had an eating disorder for years and refused myself food. i was a shopaholic: actively choosing to spend my money on clothing before rent. there was a span of a few months when i risked being kicked out and homeless because i was just...so unaware and uncaring about my money. i had no boundaries with friends and would befriend anyone. i so badly wanted to be liked that i would forgo my inner instinct that told me when i was uncomfortable around someone: because to be with anyone was better than to be alone. i have been self-harming my entire adult life and created patterns of chaos in the way i’ve conducted myself. i was not well when i met y, and i knew he had abusive habits, and i named them when we were “dating,” but i still chose to marry him.

--

here’s what i’m also coming to terms with. never in my life have i been given a foundation in which to love, care or respect for myself. my childhood was fraught with abuse, neglect, trauma, death, violence, addiction. i’m going to put some of the details under a cut so those that want to skip over it, can:

my parents were drug and alcohol addicts. i lived with them til i was six. during that time, they would either a) be engaged in serious arguments in front of us or b) leave us alone so that they could go to the bar. for hours at a time. i have a memory of walking barefoot and a stranger pulling glass out of my big toe. i also have a memory of being SA’d as a child by an older adult male who was my babysitter, which my mother later verbalized (in a backhanded way) that she knew was happening.

when i was six (and my sisters seven and eight respectively), the cops picked us up off the street because we were walking alone down it. this spurred the decision that my grandmother would adopt us. she was in her like late 60s or some shit when she adopted us, and i learned recently from my uncle that she was a serious alcoholic but got sober before taking us in. she was very emotionally abusive, particularly to me, and also hugely overprotective: she would swear at me all the time, call me a bitch, yell at me, tell me i’d end up being a stripper because i liked to dance etc etc. but also wouldn’t let me do anything--no outside activities after school. and so i spent a lot of my time alone as a kid: reading, by myself, under trees, taking walks.  a lot of this behavior has continued into adulthood.

other shit happened. one of my uncles was an addict and drove himself into a tree and died. he was my favorite uncle. my other uncle got cancer, had a protruding tumor, and slowly died while we cared for him (eventually taking him into hospice care). one of my cousins murdered someone during christmas, and when his parents got the call, we went to the house and picked him up and drove around with him-while he was blood-covered- trying to figure out what to do (WILD shit, he did go to jail though). ETC etc.

my parents (both of em) are now dead, one of my sisters is addicted to crack, the other is...not well and i can’t have a relationship with her. i have no family that i speak to, except an uncle and a cousin i’ve started to communicate with in the last year.

point is. one doesn’t go through all of that with a well developed sense of self-regard or self-esteem or self-image. i’ve wanted my whole life to have healthy relationships, to be well-regarded and respected by others, and to experience peace. but it has been very difficult to love and care for myself when everyone in my childhood was abusive or neglectful to me, and i have continued that pattern into adulthood.

i think that the best version of myself is an intuitive, kind, gentle, appreciative and thoughtful woman. it takes very little to bring me joy. i notice everything: i talk to the pigeons and leave them nuts; i love deeply; i am trying to be a good friend. i am moved by poetry; i deeply want to believe in human goodness and kindness; i want to help others and do small goods. i want to be self-aware. i do not want to hurt myself anymore. i do not want to die anymore. i want to respect myself and to urge that others respect me. i want to be discerning. all of my ability to enact these changes stems from disrupting the patterns of my past behavior. so yeah, i don’t want to have sex with anyone, because that’s what the old version of me would have done. and it could be so, so easy to resort back to that: to feel the serotonin hit of being desired, and I *have* been desired by others of late but the answer is no. no. no. no, thank you.

so yeah, the celibacy thing is a big deal. it’s about honoring this version of me. and i’m real proud of her.

[beardedmrbean]

It’s the Third World meets Bangkok.

In "Squad" member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district in New York City, those who are described as scantily dressed migrant prostitutes line blocks of a long commercial strip during all hours of the day and night, brazenly soliciting sex to passersby while their pimps strike fear into local business owners, one of whom told Fox News Digital he’s been threatened for speaking out and is on the verge of closing his store.

The trash-filled streets of Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, which encompasses the migrant-heavy communities of Corona, Jackson Heights and Elmhurst, has become a veritable hotbed for one of the world’s oldest professions, and residents say that most elected officials and police are turning a blind eye to the neighborhood nightmare, which looks more like the famed brothel-filled red-light district streets of Bangkok than one of America’s biggest cities.

Illegal vendors also overrun the sidewalks, plying their hustle in what residents have likened to "Third World" conditions, cooking hot food out in the open devoid of any health certifications or inspections as hungry birds swoop down in search of leftovers and leaving their droppings along the way. 

AOC DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD LABELED 'THIRD WORLD' AS MIGRANTS CLOG STREETS AND PROSTITUTES OVERRUN EVERY BLOCK

Known to locals as the "Avenue of the Sweethearts," this epicenter of vice is not some desolate area on the outskirts of a city but rather the heart of the borough of Queens underneath the area’s main subway track that serves as a vital cog connecting Manhattan and its local schools to families, many of whom stream down the subway steps and are then inescapably met by armies of prowling solicitors. 

Fox News Digital even recorded a man pushing his young son in a stroller past a group of five sex workers.

Residents say that students pass prostitutes every day on their way to school or on their way to local taekwondo centers situated along the busy strip and that the situation has become the norm for their youthful eyes with the alleged sex workers, mostly composed of Asian and Hispanic women, filling the sidewalks. 

On Sept. 18, the NYPD raided a brothel just off Roosevelt Avenue and arrested three people. The following evening, Fox News Digital was conducting an interview in front of the raided premises when an alleged sex worker and her reported john casually walked out of the same building. 

On one block along Roosevelt Avenue, Fox News Digital cameras recorded a line of no less than 19 alleged sex workers on the sidewalk. Around the corner, there were at least seven more, and a woman on the next block was witnessed soliciting sex for $60.

Nearby, vendors sell everything from used clothes to pots and pans or tools. More recently, female vendors have begun cutting hair and painting nails under canopies on the cluttered sidewalks, with all of these illegal vendors operating feet from legitimate brick-and-mortar stores whose owners rage they are being undercut in prices while also having to pay taxes, unlike the illegal vendors.

Shoplifting and pick-pocketing is also widespread, business owners say, and there’s a sense here that lawlessness is breeding more lawlessness.

On Sept. 19, the day after the raid, Fox News Digital witnessed a man being arrested for allegedly groping a 17-year-old girl as she walked down the subway steps. 

In police handcuffs, he denied the accusations to onlookers. The girl, who was being comforted by adults, looked visibly shaken.

Ramses Frías, a local resident turned activist, is furious with the deterioration of his neighborhood and says "it feels like Bangkok with women outside locations and pulling men off the street."

"This area has been run rampant with prostitution," he told Fox News Digital outside the raided brothel. "It's just been out of control and the lawlessness continues to happen." 

"This doesn’t feel like my home. I've been here my whole life, and this feels like I'm a tourist in a Third World country. This is not how this is supposed to look, this is not how it's supposed to feel," he insisted. "This is a neighborhood and a community full of hardworking individuals, immigrants and second-generation Americans that worked really hard to be here and are facing all this evil and all these bad things. ... And it's just causing more issues daily and our quality of life just continues to drop."

Seconds later, an alleged sex worker and her client emerged from the brothel.

A neighboring business owner then ushered Fox News Digital into his store, warning that "pimps" were watching via CCTV. The store owner did not want to be named but said he had reported the cathouse to police and had been threatened by those involved with the brothel. 

"I’m so scared, this is my business," he said, adding that his business is suffering because customers are avoiding the area and will likely have to close because of it. 

Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels and a Republican candidate for mayor, says prostitution has exploded in the neighborhood after the pimps and sex workers were driven out of the nearby area of Flushing, well known for its Asian population. 

"It was never like this. It was a family area with a lot of retail," Sliwa told Fox News Digital of Roosevelt Avenue. "The Chinese community pushed it out [of Flushing] and Asian cops were getting busted because they were on the take, so they just decided, the madams, bring the girls over here … and its open prostitution, 24/7. [It's] lawless. Anarchy. You get to do what you want when you want."

Two NYPD officers were busted in 2006 on bribery charges relating to the protection of a brothel in Flushing, and there are similar cases stretching back further. 

Sliwa says the police and New York City Mayor Eric Adams are not doing enough to clamp down on the racket. In January, the NYPD raided six establishments allegedly engaged in prostitution, which were issued closing orders. The raid was well publicized, with Adams and local Democrat City Council member Francisco Moya present. However, it appears to have done little to curb the problem. 

Sliwa slammed it as a "show raid" and said there were no arrests. 

"They didn't arrest the johns, prostitutes, madams; they never went after the landlords, and they were back in business the next day," said Sliwa, who joined Fox News Digital and Frías on a walking tour of the area. 

The Queens District Attorney's Office confirmed that no arrests were made, saying it was strictly carried out to serve court closure orders of nuisance abatement over which the NYPD has jurisdiction. 

"This would never be tolerated in Manhattan. They tolerate it because it's … a poor and impoverished area in the eyes of many New Yorkers, but that doesn't give you a reason to allow this to exist," Sliwa said. "This is so unfair … and the mayor is allowing a culture of corruption to exist. These police officers are on the take. It's the only way they could operate openly. They'll say, ‘We deny that.’ Well, that's what happened in Flushing and that's why they pushed it over here."

Adams' office did not respond to a request for comment. The NYPD confirmed the three arrests after the Sept. 18 raid but did not respond to a request for further comment.

No police officers have been charged for being involved in prostitution in recent years. In 2018, seven NYPD officers — three sergeants, two detectives and two officers — were indicted in connection with an illegal prostitution and gambling ring in Brooklyn and Queens, which encompassed Roosevelt Avenue.

Separately, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told Fox News that it suspects members of the brutal Tren de Aragua are linked to prostitution in the area, trafficking women into the industry to pay off the debts the gang is owed for smuggling them into the country. 

Meanwhile, the Queens District Attorney’s Office says it is working hard to stamp out prostitution and crime in the area, noting the office has "evicted 13 prostitution locations this year being used for illegal activity on or near Roosevelt Avenue." The office says it's in the process of permanently shutting down the raided brothel.

Of Ocasio-Cortez, Frías said the socialist lawmaker has not been seen in the neighborhood since she took part in a rally there in August 2023, where she condemned a city crackdown on illegally operating vendors and called for the city to issue more permits to those vendors. 

"She does not visit this area; this is actually an area where she campaigned the hardest and a lot of people went out [to vote] for her, and she doesn't come over here. She has totally neglected us," Frías said, noting that other local elected officials are rarely seen in the area, which is only represented by Democrats.

"So, we're totally neglected, we're here to fend for ourselves and this is what we have to do now. We're going to organize. We're going to have a rally coming up on Sept. 29, and we're going to let our voices be heard and make sure that the city understands that they need to come over here and do their job," he adds. 

Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment on this story or on a March story in which Fox News Digital brought attention to the neighborhood’s plight, featuring the additional publication of a now-viral video provided by Frías showing an almost endless stream of vendors with piles of clothes stacked along the streets.

Police swept the area days later and Frías – a former Democrat who is running for City Council as a Republican next year – said vendors have simply set up shop there again. 

Rep. Grace Meng, whose district also encompasses Roosevelt Avenue, said in a one-line statement, "Quality of life and safety issues need to always be addressed, and I remain in contact with the 110th precinct, Councilman Moya, our local community board and other local elected officials."

Frías also took aim at state Sen. Jessica Ramos, a Democrat who represents the area and is running for mayor. She has previously labeled prostitution on the strip as "survival work" and in 2019 co-sponsored a series of bills that would have decriminalized sex work and vacated the records of people arrested or charged with prostitution or related offenses.

Ramos told Fox News Digital she was happy to see the recent raid take place and pitted blame on the mayor for the unsavory situation, saying Adams' office has been sidetracked by scandals rather than addressing the concerns of the community. 

"No one wants to see people selling sex, especially when they’re being coerced by traffickers. It’s unclear what took so long," Ramos said in a statement. 

"The underground economy has spiraled out of control," she added, referencing the illegal vendors. "Without work permits from the ‘feds,’ migrants need honest work to provide for themselves. The fact is the migrants are here, and they want to work."

Meanwhile, Moya, who attended the January raid and has rallied alongside so-called "clean streets" advocates like Frías, said that his fellow Democrats are impeding efforts to shut down the brothels and illegal vendors. 

"I’ve lived my entire life in this district, and I’ve never seen it this bad," Moya said of the prostitution. "After COVID, the situation has worsened significantly. The influx of migrants plays a part in this issue, as many have no other means of survival. The federal government has turned a blind eye to the situation and there’s only so much the city can do, since we don’t have the authority to grant work permits or legal status to those in need."

Moya said other elected officials have been calling up city agencies demanding that all enforcement stop.

"Some elected officials don’t see this as a problem, suggesting that ‘work is work’ and we should let it be. I believe that if a state representative wants to legalize prostitution, it should be done with strict rules and regulations, in designated areas like the city of Amsterdam – not in our community, especially near schools where children pass by and witness these activities daily," he insisted. 

"I’m doing everything in my power to mitigate this issue, as you can see many have been investigated and shutdown – but what I have been doing is being undermined by these leaders who don’t recognize the urgent need for change. Yet, I assure you, I will not stop until significant change is made."

[robbierants]

Homosexuality In The Victorian Era

TW: TALKING ABOUT SEX AND MASTERBATIAN

I was thinking of this while writing chapter 4 for my fanfic today, since Joanne and Mila are very much Queer Coded (Queer older sister and gay little brother)

My short answer is that it makes a huge difference whether one is talking about male/male or female/female love, what class one was in, and which part of the Victorian Era this was taking part in. As I'm sure you know, Queen Victoria's reign covered more than 60 years and was a time of unprecedented economic, political, and social change in Britain. As a sweeping generalization, public response was much worse for men that for women, though both kinds of relationships were tolerated so long as they were kept quiet.

In medical texts, males who slept with other males were referred to as sodomites, Uranians (women in men's bodies), or as being "sexually inverted," all of which also overlapped with those who were transgender (there was little distinction made between the two by most medical texts, though some did distinguish between them). The public trial of author and celebrity Oscar Wilde in 1895 caused a media frenzy, and his sentencing and subsequent ruin is a chilling reminder of what could happen to someone in his position when found guilty of sodomy. It is important to remember, though, that Oscar Wilde wound up in front of a judge because he sued the father of his lover for libel (for calling him "posing somdomite" in a note), and the father, the Marquess of Queensberry, countered with a second trial for sodomy and indecency, for which Wilde was found guilty.

As has been very thoroughly discussed, there was a lively underground gay culture in Victorian England. Starting in the 1700s, men could meet like-minded men in what were called molly-houses, dress in what were considered women's clothes, and (especially starting in the late 18th century) hire male prostitutes. In another generalization, Victorian culture generally frowned on public expressions of male-male desire but looked the other way if it was coded, such as in the case of artwork depicting nude young men or literature hinting at male-male romance but not describing it specifically. It was very different for men actually caught having sex: public outcry was usually swift and caustic, and punishment could be brutal. Only from 1861 was sodomy no longer punishable by hanging in England, and sex between two men was only made legal in 1967.

But with women, and that is another story. As Sharon Marcus shows in her book Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England (2007), the intense expression of love and affection between women was encouraged by society, and women were invited to enjoy looking at the bodies of other women, even in sadistic/masochistic acts--adult women whipping younger girls was a popular topic in pornographic books for women. Reviewers of books that describe female-female desire often made horrified protests against characters they saw as "monstrous" and overcome by horrific sexual desire, but despite such printed protestations the lived reality was very different. Marcus suggests what was shocking to Victorians was not the female-female physical desire in itself but the idea of sexual desire outside of a stable relationship; excessive love of sex was considered deviant and dangerous, and the female desire for another female was thought to be a result of sexual desires overflowing their proper channels. Marcus describes women who exchanged rings and called themselves married. As Marcus writes, "Women who established longterm relationships with other women, by contrast, saw themselves, and were seen by others, as placid embodiments of the middle-class ideal of marriage: a bond defined by sex that also had the power to sanctify sex" (21). Friendship, love, and even physical desire were expressed freely in letters, and hand-holding and kissing were not considered shocking, but the norm for female friends. For two women to sleep in the same bed, even touching and kissing, was not in itself considered problematic, and was even encouraged. (In contrast, two men could sleep in the same bed, but should not touch. The horror at male-male love was connected with a general horror of masturbation. A hysteria about idle boys engaging in masturbation alone and together contributed to things such as the invention of the graham cracker and the founding of the Boy Scouts)

This is not to say that female-female love was embraced wholly by society. In 1810 (before the Victorian era, but telling), there was a trial with echoes of the Wilde trial almost a century later. Two Scottish schoolteachers, Jane Pirie and Marianne Woods, were reported by a pupil as having had sex in her bed while she was in it. The pupil's grandmother, Dame Helen Cumming Gordon, withdrew her girl and contacted the parents of the other pupils so that they, too, were removed. Pirie and Woods went to a judge to sue for libel, and though the judge ruled for them (partly because the judge refused to believe that two middle-class Christian women could do such a thing, and partly because the pupil in question, Jane Cumming, was a mixed-race illegitimate child, and the judge believed rather that she had learned of lesbianism from Indian culture), their careers were ruined. The trial was fictionalized as the play The Children's Hour. Medical texts described such "perverted" women as "Tribades" (women who had sex like men with enlarged clitorises) and Sapphists (from the Greek poet Sappho). They described "digitation" (manual stimulation) as one possible perversion. There was the belief that female masturbation could cause excessive sexual desire or sexual inversion. Some wrote that women sharing a bed together could lead to improper "excitation of desire," but it's important to separate moralist texts from general public perceptions. Contrary to the popular belief, Victorian medical texts describe that female sexual desire, arousal, and orgasm all very much exist.

If the relationship displayed is one that is stable and marriage-like, my research suggests it would have been accepted, though not embraced, so long as the sexual elements were kept discreet.

Further reading: Duberman, Martin, Martha Vicinus and George Chauncey, Jr., eds. 1989. Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past. New York: New American Library. Marcus, Sharon. 2007. Between Women: Friendship, Desire, and Marriage in Victorian England. Princeton: Princeton UP. Rupp, Leila J. 2009. Sapphistries: A Global History of Love Between Women. New York: New York UP.

[unhingedhearties]

Vast Amounts of Copium

I see Lucas fans are already getting triggered about this shirtless Kevin scene.

Disturbed... FFS

Is there anyone on this show Erin isn't friends with? Also, maybe, JUST MAYBE, the reason Erin and Ben go on trips with Kevin and Kayla is because none of them have kids. Am I wrong, or are almost all the other cast members parents and have responsibilities to their kids and can't just hop a plane to Europe?

Is that too big brained of a take for some of you or do you just want to keep seething about dumb shit?

"Emotional cheating doesn't fit Hallmark". You're either lying or you've never watch a Hallmark movie. Almost very Hallmark lady leaves her BIG CITY BUSINESS™ boyfriend for the rugged guy in flannel because he works to much and doesn't love Christmas or dogs.

A HISTORICAL INACCURACY IN WCTH!?

You know what, I agree with Sherisa. They need to make When Calls The Heart more period accurate. Let's start with more racism and wife beating. Rosemary has no place being that bossy and running a business. Kill off some of the kids to. That Spanish Flu never made it's way around, it might be time to rectify that. Hey, the Encephalitis Lethargica epidemic should be starting up to. Let's have a scene of Little Jack losing control of his hands before going into a blank faced coma for 60 years. Erin can really put her acting skills to use in a scene where they take her son away to live in an asylum for the rest of his life. World War 1 never really happened. Maybe they can retcon that and have it happen a few years later. All the men can be sent away for a few episodes before coming back with their limbs blown off and their faces half gone. Maybe while Fiona's gone she can send a letter to Faith telling her she got a job painting radium on watch dials. When she gets back she can have Faith check her oddly sore teeth right before her jaw detaches from her face.

Oh wait, you just want the cutesy, fluffy parts of history to be accurate, not the harsh reality. Not the actual history that shaped the modern day rights we take for granted. Ew, gross. Icky.

Guys! One of the actors is going to sing. On When Calls The Heart. Literally never been done before. Disgusting nepotism is what it is.

I bet it's totally going to be a real show stopping scene. The whole town will stop what they're doing to stare at Kevin while he sings for 10 minutes Disney Princess style and makes it all about him. It's totally not going to be some minor, brief scene that's over in 20 seconds.

So you just pulled that out of your ass? Hush child, the adults will do the talking now.

"Different lifestyles"

And there's the dogwhistle. So was it the Gays, the interracial couples or the Hanukkah celebrating Jewish families that raised your blood pressure?

They really have a bug up their ass about Nathan singing. Almost everyone on that show sings. I really doubt they're going to make this a big deal like when Mei was self conscious about singing.

And I'm just going to say it. If Lucas was going to have a shirtless scene these same people wouldn't be shutting up about how excited they were. If Lucas spilled tea on his clothes and went to his office to clean it up and Elizabeth accidentally walked in on him topless scrubbing his clothes they'd be going ~*~UWU SOOOOOO CUTE ~*~ and making 20 different gifs of it.

"Disturbed" again. They really do just latch on to one word and drive it into the ground.

Life Rivers asking the real questions. Of course no one responds because then they might have to walk it back and admit "mention in a few interviews" ≠ "promote".

What the hell does Lucas owning a saloon have to do with Nathan not wearing a shirt? These two things have nothing to do with each other.

They're acting like Nathan's going to rip his shirt off and sell himself or go skinny dipping in front of the tourists and not like it's going to be some mundane action.

Personally I'm hoping he wrestles a grizzly bear and uses his shirt as a tourniquet.

Say the people who get in heat over their hoarded stash of photos of a grown man drinking from a china tea cup.

[applemccartney]

👗for the OC ask game thing ... I am not familiar with all of your OCs so this is kind of just a general question instead of one directed to a single character if that makes sense

so, a large amount of my ocs i write about live in the gardenia township, which is a small religious town controlled by a cult. the stories primarily take place in the late 70s and early 80s, but the characters mostly dress in fashion from the 60s.

The women wear a lot of colorful clothing, but after they’re married they can’t wear gaudy jewelry because it’s considered promicious.

This is common to see around, especially in teen girls. Adult women aren’t supposed to wear as much bright clothing, they wear mostly muted clothes with minimal patterns. Clothes they can also wear to church, y’know.

Married women often wear this! Not pants though, women are not permitted to wear pants.

The men wear a lot of bright colors. Unlike women, they can continue to wear these colors after marriage. Men aren’t considered really sexual beings, so there’s not many rules regarding colors they wear unless they’re transsexual. They also often have long hair, but typically they cut it after marriage. This is not required, it’s just a personal choice.

Transsexuals aren’t against God, but they have to wear clothes according to specific rules. Transsexual women cannot wear bright clothes with lots of patterns, they usually are restricted to wearing dresses with patterns like pinstripes or polka dots. They usually can’t wear heels. Transsexual men can only wear plain men’s clothing in dark colors.

Some teenagers aren’t allowed to wear bright colors because of their role as a sacrifical lamb, meant to be killed in a ceremony on their 18th birthday. They are often restricted to wearing only black, white, navy blue, and red, as well as only white or silver religious jewelry. These teenagers are usually girls, but they are boys sometimes as well. They all have to wear modest, patternless clothing no matter what and they all wear the same black leather dress shoes, male or female. Boys wear their hair long and braided, girls wear their hair in bobs and headbands. Girls cannot have hair longer than chin length, boys cannot have hair shorter than chin length.

[karin-ko]

Cruel Story of Youth by Nagisa Oshima

In 1960, Nagisa Oshima directed "Cruel Story of Youth," depicting the youth of two young men and women. It was the first color film we watched in this class, and its visuals were remarkably clear even though it was taken more than 60 years ago, with red elements like umbrellas, clothes, and telephones vividly standing out. The content, in a word, was shocking.

This movie tells us that youth, throughout time, must surely be fleeting, beautiful, and cruel. Youths overestimate themselves, misunderstand themselves as special, and rush towards their dreams without a plan. They indulge in desires, believing fervently that intense romantic feelings will last forever. They struggle desperately to obtain something, yet looking back, even that struggle seems beautiful and dazzling. In the movie, the elder sister, seeing the struggles of Makoto and Kiyoshi, feels this way, portrayed as striving. Perhaps even adults today have trodden similar paths, and when they look back, they might nostalgically think how childish but beautiful they were at that time. Youth must surely be like that. But honestly, my impression of this movie was that it depicted a woman seriously involved with a casual lover and a self-assured man who treats her casually and selfishly. Did such men really attract women back then? To be honest, I do not understand the appeal at all. He resorts to violence, sleeps with other women, plays the badger game by using his girlfriend, and manipulates situations to his advantage under the guise of doing it for her sake. Where is Makoto drawn to such a guy? Ultimately, he chooses to break up (presumably) to protect her, and he was beaten to death, so he must have grown, and his feelings for her must have become genuine. But honestly, I could not see the appeal until the end. She is responsible too. I cannot empathize at all with expecting something from such a man, being emotionally manipulated, sleeping with an older man who she does not like to catch Kiyoshi's attention, having an abortion, being sent to a reformatory, and still loving him. Also, if she really wants to give birth, she should not drink, engage in sexual intercourse, or be with someone who smokes… Basically, I could not relate much because all the characters seemed either too childish or weird.

However, it was very nice to see many depictions that evoke the time. The retro American-like feel of the characters' clothing, hairstyles, cars, etc., was very cute. Riding a motorcycle recklessly on a deserted road at night and plunging into the sea, though stupid, felt like Showa-era romance, which was kind of nice. Also, something I have noticed in other movies too, that there were a lot of depictions of smoking cigarettes. Everyone smokes everywhere, even at school. In today's Japan, you cannot see that which made watching it feel enjoyable, sensing the era.

In terms of direction, there were many long shots used throughout, with the camera following the characters' movements or changing the characters being filmed, which was interesting to watch. There were several other intriguing directing choices. For example, deliberately capturing the blurred faces of the people at the bar while Makoto is dancing, or focusing only on the hands during sexual scenes. Particularly memorable scenes include the shot from the back seat of a car, capturing two people and the scenery, and the scene at the hospital where despite the camera focusing on Kiyoshi and Mokoto, the story progresses through the voices of the doctor and her sister through the door. Also, the transition from the lights in Kiyoshi's room going out to depicting the corridor, leading to the scene with Mokoto's sister and a friend, was nice. Additionally, the sound of heels during Makoto's walking scene towards the end, alternating between her sensing Kiyoshi's danger and his situation, was effective. However, I cannot understand jumping out of a moving car, and the scene at the end with the two bodies captured together seemed to evoke laughter rather than any other emotion.

[siren-ej-exe]

Mods: The Progressives

Background on the 1960′s fashion world:

When you think of the 1960′s you most likely think of the fashion associated with Mods like shift dresses, mini skirts or go go boots as well as fashion icons like Twiggy, Jane Birkin or Nancy Sinatra. Between  the 1950′s and 1960′s there was a transition in fashion as in the 50′s fashion was focused on French designers and was controlled around the wealthy elite. But with the new decade there was the creation of youth fashion where designers focused more on what young people were wearing. The cycle of fashion changed. It went from designers being copied by retailers to sell to consumers but they were taking inspiration from people on the streets and basing their design off of them. We also saw a shift in fashion capitals, London was fashions new muse, in particular Carnaby Street and in the Soho area in general.

Notable designers of the decade would be Mary Quant, Ossie Clark, Paco Rabanne, YSL, Givenchy and Andre Courreges to name just a few. Designers worked with man made materials to create their clothes and experimented with synthetics such as PVC and Polyester. Boutiques were made popular by Mary Quant setting up her first boutique in 1955. This was so that customers could combine items whilst still being accessible in urban environments like London. 

Their seems to be a debate on who first created the mini skirt between Mary Quant and Andre Courreges when I was researching but some come to the conclusion that Andre created it whilst Quant popularised it. Breakfast at Tiffany’s was known for the black dress designed by Givenchy and created what we now know as “The Little Black Dress.” Now the most popular 60′s icons would be twiggy, Audrey Hepburn, Jean Shrimpton and Peggy Moffitt. However, people fail to mention Donyale Luna in that list, even though her impact has been important to the culture we know today. She was the first black women to appear on the cover of British Vogue and coined the first black supermodel. She also was reported as Andy Warhol’s and Salvador Dali’s muse. I recommend looking into her story.

Mods in the 1960′s:

Mods derived from the word modernists were teenagers from the baby boomer generation who’s families had benefited from the economic boom after WW2 in Britain. It was also a way to escape from the political issues that were going on at the time as they were seen as “adult problems” as it is reflected in the emphasis on being or dressing childlike as a divergence from adults. There were 3 stages of 60′s fashion. The early 60′s was the introduction of the ‘new look’ showing the new boxy silhouette that contrasts with the hourglass body type of the 50′s. Then there was the mid 60′s when the mini skirt and shift dress is introduced. In the late 60′s garments were more flowy, often associated with the hippies movement. This style was also influenced by south Asian clothing with pieces such as the Afghan coat coming from it as well as many patterns inspired from Indian clothing. 

 Bands like The Who, The Beatles and The Small Faces were influenced by this style as The Beatles were known for wearing skinny ties which were popular at the time. They were commonly associated with vespas as they were sleek and clean but also fast. A lot of teenagers preferred to go to coffee shops that opened late or jazz clubs. The style had evolved from their ancestors of the Teddy boys and ‘50s Betniks. Men’s style was influenced by suits from the Edwardian era as well as those of the French and Italian kind which were sharp and tailored. They also wore turtle necks and heavy jackets to survive UK winters.  The women also wore clean lines and bright colours and controversial above the knee hemlines (Knees! How scandalous, How horrifying!)  At the time they were seen as progressive which on reflection can seem quiet shocking for how far we have come today, even though today is far from perfect. The style to some extent was seen as quiet androgynous with women adopting short hair styles and were becoming more independent as the second wave of feminism influenced ideas of women in the 1960′s as women believed that they should build a life outside of the home. This style was quiet popular to say it was a subculture but it did also clash with the equally popular rocker crowd of the time in England.

When writing this I thought back to trends have realised that the 60′s in fashion has forever impacted culture but the mods can still be seen today in terms of trends with bright pastel colours and mini skirts being a forever staple. Although now I believe that there has grown to be subcultures but also an emphasis on personal style. There are so many icons from this decade that I wish I could all mention and explore. Not only in fashion but in music as well.

Hey guys, sorry it’s been a while, been focusing on school. I hope you are all doing well. Thank you for the love on my last post, I really appreciate it!!! Hopefully I will post more soon. 

Lots of Love,

~Siren~ <3

[c19library]

Affordable High-Quality Masks

Last Updated September 4, 2023 (Note: Some products on this list occasionally change prices, and I may not have updated the price yet.)

KN95

WWDOLL KN95

Color Options: Yes Size Options: Yes GB 2626-2019: Yes Manufacturer: Chengde Technology Co. Filtration Test (Adults): 98.63% (Mask Nerd) Filtration Test (Kids): 98.50% (Armbrust)

Adults

Amazon: $17.77 for 25, $13.02 - $22.27 for 50

Amazon.com: WWDOLL KN95 Face Mask 25 Pack, 5-Layers Mask Protection, Breathable KN95 Masks White : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Amazon.com: KN95 Face Mask 50 Pack, WWDOLL KN95 Masks 5-Layer Breathable Mask with Elastic Earloop and Nose Bridge Clip, Disposable Respirator Protection Against PM2.5 Black : Tools & Home Improvement

Kids

Amazon: $17.77 - $24.74 for 50

Amazon.com: WWDOLL Kids KN95 Face Mask 50 Pack, 5-Layers Breathable KN95 Masks for Children, Black : Tools & Home Improvement

WWDOLL Kid KN95 Face Mask 50 Pack, 5-Layers Breathable KN95 Masks, Multicolored - Amazon.com

Hotodeal KN95

Color Options: Yes Size Options: No GB 2626-2019: Yes Manufacturer: Chengde Technology Co. Filtration Test: 99.67% (Armbrust)

Amazon: $34.19 for 60, $43.69 for 120

Amazon.com: Hotodeal KN95 Face Mask 20 PCS,5 Layers Cup Dust Mask Against PM2.5 from Fire Smoke, Dust, for Men, Women, Essential Workers(White) : Tools & Home Improvement

HUHETA KN95

Color Options: Yes Size Options: Yes GB 2626-2019: Uncertain (Assume No) Manufacturer: Guangdong Nuokang Medical Technology CO., Ltd Filtration Test (Adults): 99.70% (Armbrust) Filtration Test (Kids): No data

Adults

Amazon: $11.39 - $14.25 for 30, $14.39 - $21.84 for 60

HUHETA KN95 Face Masks, Packs of 30 Individually Wrapped, 5-Ply Breathable and Comfortable Safety Mask, Filter Efficiency Over 95%, Protective Cup Dust Masks Against PM2.5 (Black Mask): Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

HUHETA KN95 Face Mask 60 PCs, 5-Ply Safety Masks for Men & Women, Filter Efficiency>=95% (Black Mask): Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

Kids

Amazon: $11.39 - $14.24 for 30

Kids KN95 Face Masks for Children, Packs of 30 KN95 Mask for Kids, KN95 Black Mask for Girls Boys with Breathable 5-Layers Protection and Adjustable Earloop for School, Park, Indoor, Outdoor Use: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

NOTE: If a KN95 mask is too big for you, or you can feel air leaks when worn, there are products that can bring the ear loops further behind your head or tighten the front for a better seal. N95s are recommended first for an improved fit/seal if you can access them.

Examples:

Fix the Mask: https://www.fixthemask.com

Lanyard: Amazon.com: ZASIE Face Mask Holder, Face Mask Lanyard for Kids and Adults, Face Mask Extender Strap Holder, Face Mask Tightener, 5 Pack : Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry

Silicone Buttons: Amazon.com: 4 PCS Extended Silicone Bands Anti-Tightening Strap for Masks to Prevent Ear Pain,Adjustable Comfort mask Grips Extension Buckle Holder Hook Ear Strap,4 Color : Health & Household

Velcro: Amazon.com: Maskie Face Mask Holder, Ultra-Light and Breathable Mask Ear Saver with Adjustable Gripper, Comfortable Mask Strap, Wear It in Multiple Ways, Reusable Mask Extenders/Ear Savers, 2.9 g - URSA Straps : Health & Household

N95

Blox Duckbill N95

Color Options: No Size Options: No NIOSH: Yes Manufacturer: ivWatch

Blox Direct: $12.50 for 50 (~$28 after shipping + tax)

blox N95 (part BLX-9501, medical use) | BloxDirect.com

Project N95: $15 for 50 (~$30 after shipping + tax)

Duckbill Blox N95 Masks Universal (projectn95.org)

3M Aura 9205

Color Options: No Size Options: No NIOSH: Yes Manufacturer: 3M

Amazon: $12 for 20, $129.99 for 440

Amazon.com: 3M Aura Particulate Respirator 9205+, N95, Pack of 20 Disposable Respirators, Individually Wrapped, 3 Panel Flat Fold Design Allows for Facial Movements, Comfortable, NIOSH Approved : Tools & Home Improvement

3M VFlex 9105

Color Options: No Size Options: Yes NIOSH: Yes Manufacturer: 3M

Office Depot: $28.59 - $30.39 for 50

Standard: 3M VFlex Particulate Respirators 9105 N95 White Pack Of 50 Respirators - Office Depot

Small: 3M VFlex Particulate Respirators 9105S N95 White Pack Of 50 Respirators - Office Depot

Honeywell DF300

Color Options: No Size Options: No NIOSH: Yes Manufacturer: Honeywell

Amazon: $34.24 for 50

Amazon.com: Honeywell Safety DF300 N95 Flatfold Disposable Respirator- Box of 50, White,One Size : Tools & Home Improvement

Donations (Free)

Project N95 has a free mask program for those in need. https://www.projectn95.org/free-masks/

—————————————————————

Certification Type

GB 2626-2019 (KN95)

95% or higher filtration. Other specific standards set by China. Usually manufactured and certified in China.

https://www.projectn95.org/kn95-mask-guide/

https://research.hktdc.com/en/article/NDA4MTMxMzYz

NIOSH (N95)

95% or higher filtration. Other specific standards set by the United States. Manufactured and certified in the United States.

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2021-124/pdfs/2021-124.pdf

Other

Labels that indicate set standards, manufacture, and certification in other countries.

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20200403-2

https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2020-04-03-0

Filtration Test Results

CDC Testing

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/NonNIOSHresults.html

Third-Party Testing

Mask Nerd: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1M0mdNLpTWEGcluK6hh5LjjcFixwmOG853Ff45d3O-L0/htmlview#gid=1976839763

Armbrust: Comprehensive Mask Testing – Armbrust American (armbrustusa.com)