#American feline heritage

[smoochiewallacekitty-blog]

Maine Coon Cats - Majestic Giants of the Feline World

Maine Coon cats, often referred to as the “gentle giants” of the cat kingdom, are renowned for their impressive size, striking appearance, and friendly personalities. Originating from the United States, these felines have captured the hearts of cat enthusiasts worldwide. In this article, we’ll delve into the magnificent world of Maine Coon cats and explore what makes them so unique and…

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Andrew Gilbert

The Lion came into the world Nov. 23, 1893 in Goshen, New York, as William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholf, acquiring the Smith around the age of 3 when his mother remarried. He discovered later in life that his father had Jewish heritage, which deepened the connections he felt for the Jewish people and faith established during his childhood.

His mother took in washing, and on Saturdays he regularly delivered freshly laundered bundles of clothes to a prosperous Jewish family in Newark, the Rothschilds. Enamored by the chanting he heard during their children’s Hebrew lessons, he was invited to join, which led, he said, to him becoming a bar mitzvah at 13.

“It didn’t take much time before I began to learn the meanings of the Hebraic words,” he wrote. “When the rabbi saw how well I was doing, he took special pains to teach me, and it wasn’t long before I was talking Hebrew as well as the Rothschild kids.”

If the Lion had a knack for languages, he had a far more profound gift for music. He was playing professionally around Newark as a teen, while making regular forays into New York City to observe and learn from older pianists. Jazz was still coalescing in the first decade of the 20th century as ragtime and various African-American dance idioms from the South merged with music from the Black church and the bravura piano tradition of late European Romanticism.

The Lion devoured it all.

He acquired his feline nickname due to his prowess as an artillery gunner in France during World War I. After the war, he returned to New York to help usher in the Harlem Renaissance.

[castironpride]

So Gokuluck has a dog theme.

I don’t think I’m bringing you any breaking news by saying this, they do kind of beat you over the head with it. But! What you might not know is that three of the four are based on specific dog breeds! I’d like to talk a little about them and how those breeds relate to their personalities. I’ll even give you a little info about the dogs themselves and their history, because in at least one case it does tie into the character! I don't think I've ever seen anyone specifically talk about this so I wanted to fill that gap in.

A fun detail: all three of them are based on Japanese protected heritage breeds*, their relevant breed shows up in their last name. Almost all of the heritage breeds are some variety of working dog, and to put it delicately they don’t have easy-to-handle personalities. So we’re already starting off entirely on brand.

"hey raz where's yuto" he's busy not having anything in his name that refer to a specific breed (though there's still a reference in there because, you know, Inukai) so we're just assuming he's a generic mutt ok

*This is the closest translation I got in terms of something that has an English equivalent. Basically there's an association in Japan called the Nihon Ken Hozonkai which was formed to promote and protect breeds seen as historically important, and all of these are protected breeds!

Ryoga Tosa: Tosa Inu

While he uses the MC name Pitbull, his actual namesake is not a pitbull-alike but still a molossiform breed! I couldn’t tell you if the Tosa Inu has what would widely be considered the definitive pitbull breed (American Staffordshire Terrier) in its breed lineage but just by looking I would be very surprised if that were the case, they’re much more on the mastiff end of things.

So, while the other two breeds are hunting dogs, the Tosa Inu has a very different purpose. They’re fighting dogs. In fact, dog fighting rings are still active in some parts of Japan, just quite rare, and you can only do dog fighting with a Tosa (important note: this does not make it morally justifiable for obvious reasons, if I even have to say that.) Japanese dogfights have rules against dogs barking or growling so Tosas rarely make vocalizations.

Well, I wouldn’t say a speech disorder is directly comparable to that but I do think it’s a neat little reference of sorts. The rest is kind of obvious, I think. Ryoga was basically used as an attack dog by the gang that he joined.

Shion Kaida: Kai Ken

Kai Ken have the reputation of being the easiest to handle out of the heritage breeds. I should note that’s not saying a lot, these are not breeds intended to be companion dogs.

That aside...this is somewhat unusual for a hunting dog, since they need to be independent on some level in order to range outwards from their handler while doing their job. While Kai Ken still are aloof compared to….say, a Labrador, that’s not an entirely fair comparison. They also were primarily used as pack hunters so they’re much more amiable around other dogs than most of the heritage breeds. Seems appropriate for the most relaxed person in the group!

Kai Ken are very visually striking, because all Kai Ken have the brindle mutation! This gives them the appearance of having tiger stripes, to the point that another name for the Kai Ken is “Tora Ken” (lit. tiger dog.) There’s three colors that occur in the breed: red, brown, and black brindle. As far as I know albinism isn’t any more or less common within the breed than it is any other dogs (for the record, some breeds have disproportionate tendencies towards albinism) but hey, his whole deal is he stands out when he doesn’t necessarily want to, right?

Kenta Mikoshiba: Shiba Inu

Shiba Inu are by a long shot the most famous breed on this, so you might already be aware they have…strong personalities. They’re often described as being almost feline in behavior. They are exceptionally stubborn and have a reputation as being hard to work with.

Well, that sure doesn’t sound like anyone we know. Funny enough what doesn’t fit is like most of the other heritage breeds they aren’t very loud or barky, though this is more a quirk of falling within the general category of “primitive breeds” (sorry for the name, it’s just a term for dogs who are closer to wolves.) Wolves don’t really vocalize much, barking is actually a pup behavior and dogs are in part neotenized wolves, so…yeah! It’s also convenient for humans since it means dogs act as an early warning system for anything they’d see as a threat. Predators, natural disasters, mailmen…

Side note: Shion’s nickname of Shibaken for him is just another name for the breed. I feel like if this came out in 2014 there would be at least one fan translator who would translate it as “Shibe.” I defy you to tell me I’m wrong. Also I can't help but think him being intensely online isn't somehow inspired by Shibas being kind of an internet meme.

Conclusion

And that’s my little mini essay on GokuLuck! I don’t have anything super detailed in me yet on account of the reading Hume that’s taken over my life (help) but I hope that helps you understand them a little better and/or you got a few neat dog facts out of this! :>

[catbreedsblog]

Exploring the Charming Singapura Cat Breed: The World’s Tiniest Pedigree Feline

Welcome to the enchanting world of the Singapura cat, hailing proudly from the lively streets of Singapore. This pedigreed breed has clinched the title of the world's smallest, tipping the scales at less than 8 pounds when fully grown. Despite their petite size, these delightful felines pack a punch with personalities that outshine their stature.

Unveiling the Singapura Cat Breed

Let's delve into the fascinating roots of the Singapura, tracing back to the bustling streets of Singapore where they once thrived as natural landrace cats. In 1975, an American named Tommy Meadow brought home three of these cats, laying the foundation for a new breed. Named after their home country, Singapuras are globally renowned for their small size, distinctive sepia ticked coats, and vivacious, extroverted nature. Surprisingly muscular yet dainty in build, they boast short, fine coats with unique sepia ticking, large expressive eyes, and prominent ears. Despite their diminutive size, these cats are known for their playful, curious, and high-energy personalities, with a lifespan ranging from 9 to 15 years. Singapuras originated as natural landrace cats of Singapore and have no recent deliberately introduced breed mixes.

Nurturing Your Singapura Cat Breed

1. Diet:

Opt for high-protein, meat-focused adult cat foods

Include canned food for hydration

Choose urinary and dental care formulas

2. Habitat:

Provide cat towers and wall-mounted cat shelves

Engage them with interactive feeding puzzles

Allow birdfeeder viewing for added stimulation

3. Grooming:

Implement weekly light brushing

Maintain routine nail trims

Perform periodic ear cleaning

4. Enrichment:

Fuel their curious nature with engaging play sessions and exposure to new sights and sounds.

Bringing Home a Singapura

1. Popularity:

Not just in Singapore, but also in North America, Scandinavia, and the UK

2. Price Range:

Expect to invest between $800 and $1200

3. Adoption/Rescue:

Consider reputable options such as The International Cat Association (TICA) or local general cat rescues

4. Checks Before Adoption:

Assess overall health and energy levels

Review vaccination records

Understand past medical history

Preparing for Your Singapura Companion

1. Tips:

Cat-proof your home to ensure a safe environment

Set up dedicated food/water stations

Stock up on toys that encourage chasing and pouncing

2. Care:

Provide premium nutrition tailored to their size

Schedule annual vet care appointments

Administer necessary preventatives for their well-being

3. Essentials:

Equip yourself with a small collar, bowls, litter box, nail clippers, and interactive wand toys

4. Health Issues:

Stay vigilant for potential concerns such as heart conditions, bladder stones, and skin cancer

5. Key Vaccines:

Ensure your Singapura is protected with vaccinations for feline leukemia, panleukopenia, calicivirus, and rabies

Discovering Common Singapura Names

Embrace the charm of your petite companion with names reflecting their size or Asian heritage:

Examples: Dumpling, Tiny, Littlefoot, Bonsai, Sammy, Jade

[catbreedstips]

The Charming Singapura Cat Breed: Exploring the World’s Tiniest Pedigree Feline

Originating from the vibrant streets of Singapore, the Singapura cat proudly holds the coveted title of the world’s smallest pedigreed breed. Weighing in at less than 8 pounds when fully grown, these diminutive felines boast personalities that far surpass their petite stature.

Introduction to the Singapura Cat Breed

The roots of Singapuras can be traced back to the streets of Singapore, where they thrived as natural landrace cats. In 1975, an American named Tommy Meadow brought three of these cats home, laying the foundation for a new breed. Named after their native country, Singapuras are globally recognized for their small size, distinctive sepia ticked coats, and lively, extroverted nature. Despite their size, these cats exhibit dynamic and entertaining personalities, making them devoted companions.

Very small and dainty build, yet surprisingly muscular

Short, fine coat with distinct sepia ticking

Large, expressive eyes and prominent ears

Playful, curious, high-energy personality

Lifespan of 9-15 years

Ticking color pattern code

Singapuras originated as natural landrace cats of Singapore and do not have any recent deliberately introduced breed mixes.

Caring for Your Singapura Cat Breed

1. Diet:

High-protein, meat-focused adult cat foods

Canned food for hydration

Urinary and dental care formulas

2. Habitat:

Cat towers and wall-mounted cat shelves

Interactive feeding puzzles

Birdfeeder viewing

3. Grooming:

Weekly light brushing

Routine nail trims

Periodic ear cleaning

4. Enrichment:

Engage their curious nature through play sessions, exposure to new sights and sounds.

Acquiring a Singapura

1. Popularity:

North America, Scandinavia, UK

2. Price Range:

$800 – $1200

3. Adoption/Rescue:

The International Cat Association (TICA)

Local general cat rescues

4. Checks Before Adoption:

Overall health/energy

Vaccination records

Past medical history

Preparing for Your Singapura

1. Tips:

Cat-proof your home

Set up food/water stations

Stock toys that encourage chasing/pouncing

2. Care:

Provide premium nutrition tailored for their size

Schedule annual vet care

Administer preventatives

3. Essentials:

Small collar, bowls, litter box, nail clippers, interactive wand toys

4. Health Issues:

Heart conditions, bladder stones, skin cancer

5. Key Vaccines:

Feline leukemia, panleukopenia, calicivirus, rabies

Common Singapura Names

Names reflecting their petite size or Asian heritage suit them nicely.

Examples: Dumpling, Tiny, Littlefoot, Bonsai, Sammy, Jade

[whattolearntoday]

October 27th is...

American Beer Day -  Brewing beer in America begins long before Europeans arrived since Native Americans brewed beer from a variety of ingredients. They used corn, birch sap, and water to ferment their beverage. Then when the first colonists arrived in Virginia, they began combining their brewing traditions with the supplies at hand – that included corn, too. Since then, brewing and brewers became a principal occupation in the colonies.

Black Cat Day - This day celebrates the beauty of these sleek creatures. The day also seeks to raise awareness about the low adoption rates for black cats.This time of year, many black cats may decorate many thresholds for Halloween and windows for spooky decor. However, these felines deserve the love and attention just as much as their tabby equivalents. Old notions have given these furry critters a bad reputation. The day is about turning that reputation around.

Civics Day - Celebrates the importance of civic education all across America. The observance also commemorates the date the Federalist Papers were first published on October 27, 1787. These documents served as a foundation for the United States Constitution.  Civic education is a social science that studies the rights and obligations of citizens in society.

Navy Day -  The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy currently stands as the largest, most powerful navy in the world, with the highest combined battle fleet tonnage. The service engages over 340,000 personnel on active duty and more than 71,000 in the Navy Reserve.

World Day For Audiovisual Heritage - Seeks to raise awareness about the need to preserve important audiovisual material for future generations. In today’s world of technology, we create and find most types of information in digital form. This technology includes music, videos, and audio. Things like cassette tapes, film reels, and VHS tapes are all becoming obsolete. While we still have CDs and DVDs, even these types of media aren’t as popular as they once were. In recognizing this trend, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) knew something had to be done to protect audiovisual material.

World Occupational Therapy Day -  Occupational therapists provide treatment to injured or disabled patients. They also work with children who have special needs or need help in acquiring certain skills. Occupational therapists make recommendations on types of equipment and home modifications necessary for seniors or those with disabilities.

[thatshowthingstarted]

Nazca hills, Perou, 200BC

The new Nazca Lines etching, known as a geoglyph and showing a 120-foot long feline, lay undiscovered for nearly 2,000 years on a hill beside the Pan-American Highway stretching from Alaska to Argentina.

Archeologist Jhonny Isla, in charge of the management system for the Nazca-Palpa Archeological Park, said it had been found during work to improve an access to a visitor look-out point enabling people to view the giant figures that make up the mysterious Nazca Lines.

The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage site, were first 'discovered' by archeologists academically in 1927.

Many are so big they can generally only be identified properly from the air.

It is believed they were created between 500BC and 500AD. They typically measure anywhere from 0.2 milles to 0.7 miles across. Many depict humans, animals and plants.

Experts believe the lines, thought to have been made by the removal of rocky black topsoil to reveal light-coloured sand underneath, were used in ritual ceremonies and may have served as messages to the gods.

The lines of the geoglyph are around 12 to 15 inches wide in some parts. The figure is 121 feet long.

[abbacchiosbelt]

Mobile-Friendly OC Masterpost

Apparently the carrd has been acting up, so here’s a post of my original characters! They can also be found here! ♥

Haru Yamada

Height: 5’8 (177 cm) Pronouns: They/Them

Appearance: Shoulder-blade length black hair that’s prone to frizz. Androgynous. Deep brown eyes. Lithe, but not very fit. Very pale. Age: 27 Birthday: December 5th – Sagittarius Sexuality: Pansexual Personality: While they appear easy-going, Haru is a very observant person and is prone to pick up details others might miss. The info they gain usually isn’t used against others… They just like to know things. A bit irritable after being forced to drop out of grad school due to finances and take over the family coffee shop, “A Coffee or Two.” Haru yearns for knowledge and feels trapped. Haru is very good at regulating their emotions and because of that, they can easily manipulate others. However, they vastly prefer the ‘kill 'em with kindness’ method. They’re very loyal to their friends but prefer to keep their 'circle’ small. A service switch - willing to do whatever it takes to please their partner, though they do get a kick out of teasing. Has a secret 'free use’ kink and wants their partners to use them whenever and however they want.

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BNHA-Verse Extra Quirk: Rapid Heating Quirk Info: Haru has never been much of a fighter, but their quirk is perfect for the business they run. Haru can rapidly heat up their hands without fear of injury, which helps them to brew coffee and tea as well as ensure things are the perfect temperature. They can get a rough read on temperature just by touching something.

Miho Nakajima

Height: 5’9 (180 cm) Pronouns: She/Her Appearance: Long and thick ash blonde hair that’s usually tied back into a bun. Has two fluffy white ears and a fluffy tail. Sharp canines and sharp nails. Piercing red, feline-like eyes that are usually lined with dark makeup. Thick and strong with a lot of leg muscle. Like a real cat, she has a cute pooch on her stomach that acts as her ‘primordial pouch.’ Tans easily. Age: 25 Birthday: March 8th – Pisces Sexuality: Lesbian Personality: Rather optimistic, but prone to making impulse decisions born from high emotions. She wants to help everyone around her. As a child, she faced bullying for her quirk and Miho can sometimes be quick to take the defensive on comments about it, even if they are innocuous. Prone to being overprotective of those around her, but will back off if someone is uncomfortable. She had a string of relationships that ended due to circumstances out of her hands, so she’s reluctant to commit again. Switch leaning top, but is willing to bottom for people she trusts. A pillow princess at heart, but occasionally she gets pent up and will give her partner such a good time they won’t even know what happened. Rope bunny.

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BNHA Verse Extra

Quirk: Cat Quirk Info: Much like Tsuyu’s frog quirk, Miho has all the abilities that a cat would have: fast reflexes, sharp claws, heightened sense of smell and hearing, flexibility… You name it, there’s a chance that Miho’s quirk is able to do it. Unlike cats, she does not have any whiskers. (Though she wishes she did!) She’s incredibly agile and plans to become a teacher once she’s finished with grad school. Her hope is to teach at UA.

Danny (Daniel) Glass

Height: 5’5 (165 cm) Pronouns: He/Him Appearance: Striking violet eyes that are always underlined by dark circles from lack of sleep. Black hair (naturally brown) that’s shaved into an undercut on the right side. Intricate floral tattoo on his neck. Russet skin. Short and fairly strong. Age: 30 Birthday: February 10th – Aquarius Sexuality: Bisexual Personality: Danny comes off as stoic but is a rather emotional guy when you get to know him. He cherishes close friendships and doesn’t make time for acquaintances. He can be lax with his studies, but he’s intelligent. He marches to the beat of his own drum and doesn’t really care what other people think about him, though he often still finds himself seeking approval by dressing fashionably. He’s been trying to kick smoking for a year with no success. Currently in Grad School for Architecture and Design, but is constantly questions academia despite enjoying his studies. Has never really been one for long-term relationships because he’s so unwilling to open up, but he wouldn’t reject one outright. Confident, just very quiet. Was in an open adoption as a child and is close with his parents and bio parents. He’s very proud of his heritage as a Native American, his bio parents hailing from the Kiowa tribe. A sub, almost always. He likes to be told what to do and how to do it - prefers rewards over punishments. Not interested in dominating his partners in any way. Prefers soft and romantic sex. Really into JOI, but from lovers only - the videos do nothing for him.

Alexandre Valentin

Height: 6’3” (193 cm) Pronouns: He/Him Appearance: Long and pale blonde hair, wavy. Deep blue eyes. Lanky with a lot of upper-strength and muscle. (He’s pretty twink-y, though.) Pale skin. Age: 29 Birthday: September 4th — Virgo Sexuality: Demi, Bisexual Personality: A quiet and reserved man. Alexandre prefers to spend time alone and read. He works at a library but does under the table work for extra cash when he feels like buying something nice. Alexandre is extremely morally grey, and has a lot of connections because of it. Flirty when he feels like it, but tends to keep to himself unless someone really interests him. When he does get interested, he falls fast and hard. He’s fairly low-maintenance and doesn’t do well around those who need a lot of attention. A bratty sub and a cruel dom - not picky about which role he takes, though Alexandre prefers lazy morning sex with no real 'roles’ over anything else. Consensual somnophilia kink.

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BNHA Verse Extra Specialty: ??? (Vigilante) (Underground) Hero Name: Bataille Quirk: Blade Limbs Quirk Info: Alexandre can turn his arms into sharp blades that function just as a sword would. They’re quite heavy, so they require an immense amount of stamina to use. He doesn’t care for hero society and prefers to work in the shadows.

Sanguine

Height: 5’4 (152 cm) Appearance: Shoulder-length, curly bubblegum pink hair. Violet eyes. Fat with wide hips and a large bust. (Picrews are not an indication of her body size.) Age: 28 Pronouns: She/Her Birthday: June 6th — Gemini Sexuality: Pan Personality: She loves anything cute and tries to reflect it in her style. She’s a hopeless flirt and romantic, but will respect boundaries if told the back off. Constantly harboring new crushes. She’s almost always tired and can be seen nursing and iced coffee if she’s not napping. She works well in teams and prefers it to solo work. She really loves animals and is a vegan — won’t hesitate to kill anyone who harms an animal in front of her. Her morals are a mystery to those around her, but she knows she’s not exactly a great person when it comes to how she manipulates the people around her. She’s aggressively nosy and likes to know everything she can about her friends and lovers. She has a way of getting people to spill their hearts out to her, only to turn back and use the info on them when she needs something. Somehow, she still has a lot of friends. Very intense in relationships. A true switch. If she’s in charge, she’s a cruel mistress who likes humiliating her partners. Sanguine has no mercy for those who dare to let her dom. A power bottom, for sure. Cream pie kink.

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BNHA Verse Extra Name - ??? – Refuses to reveal her real name and goes by Sanguine, her villain name.

Specialty: Assassinations Quirk: Blood Manipulation Quirk info: Sanguine spent lots of time training her quirk to be used as a weapon. Her quirk is strongest during the full moon and is generally more effective at night. She can control the blood flow of others, essentially rendering them to puppets. During full moons, she can cut off their airway. Her quirk is best used against one person. She has anemia, though if the condition is related to her quirk is unknown. She’s best used for missions that need a quick and quiet takeout, as she gets tired easily. Because of this, she prefers to take weapons (knives, guns) with her for backup.

Ann-Marie Bell

Height: 6'1 (186 cm) Appearance: Tall with an athletic body. Rich, dark brown skin with cool undertones. Wears her hair natural - her hair texture is 4A. She has a nose piercing on the right side of her nose. Age: 155 (Appears to be in her early 30s.) Birthday: April 11th — Aries Pronouns: She/Her, They/Them Sexuality: Bisexual Personality: Very optimistic and easy-going. Despite being a Vampire that is over 100 years old, she still holds onto a zest for life. Ann-Marie is very interested in how people work and what makes people tick. She is fast to form friendships and has a knack for making people feel comfortable, even if they feel a strange aura in her presence. She has only change a few other people in her time as a Vampire - she’s never found anyone willing to stick around with her for that long. Unfortunately, she’s paranoid about her secret getting out, so anyone who knows and doesn’t plan on sticking around is taken care of. (With mercy, but still…) Despite her… interesting method of ending relationships, Ann-Marie doesn’t kill the people she feeds from. A sadistic top, through and through. Can and will use her strap to put her lovers in their place.

Elestren

Height: 5'6 (167 cm) Appearance: Average height. Fairly built and stocky. Natural blonde but dyes his hair lavender. (Very meticulous about his appearance.) No piercings or tattoos. Freckly shoulders and legs. Age: 31

Pronouns: He/Him Birthday — January 25th (Aquarius) Sexuality: Pansexual Personality: An evil pseudo-himbo, if you will. Elestren acts very air headed and kind as a front, using his good looks to make the act seem charming. Underneath the surface, Elestren is an extreme manipulator and has always used his looks to get whatever he wanted in life - he doesn’t care how his actions impact the people around him as long as his goals are achieved. Works in the business field but has no real love for it except for the money he makes. Elestren is an extrovert and cycles through groups of friends almost monthly. He doesn’t often find someone he finds worthy of his friendship, and doesn’t care enough to hold the things people tell him in confidence against them. It’s one of the few positives of him - he’ll never tell your secrets because he doesn’t find them interesting enough to talk about. Elestren is, however, a hopeless 'romantic’ when it comes to his darling. His dedication is troubling and he is likely to be manipulative, reverent, and obsessive. He doesn’t let his darlings go easily and will do anything to keep them on his side. A switch that prefers to top. Surprisingly, enjoys being on the receiving end of degradation and humiliation, but doesn’t get to experience it unless he’s with a long-term darling.

[hrh-selene-r]

Get to know me Game!!

So I saw this on @ellelaconiwrites blog and I thought why not, I’d love to get to know people. :)

rules: answer 20 questions, then tag 20 some bloggers you want to get to know better.

Name: Ok.....here’s the big secret.....are you ready? ............it’s Ashley 🤓

Nickname: it depends on the person. I have different nick names but mostly it’s Ash

Height: 5’ 3”....well it’s 3 1/2 inches 😬

Languages: Spanish, English, and a bit of French.

Nationality: Puerto Rican...so I’m an American citizen. As for my heritage....well it’s everywhere, lol, but mostly Spanish and some moor, African and Taino; Jewish too. I have to get a DNA test done!

favorite season: Spring or Fall. Not to hot and not too cold :)

Favorite Flower: Peonies, Hydrangeas, Sunflowers, Roses, Birds of Paradise, Carnations...it all the depends on the ocasion and mood

Favorite Scent: laundry detergent, lemons, or freshly baked bread? I also like sweet smells like cranberries.

Favorite Color: ALL of them

Favorite Animal: I love all animals, but I find that I have an affinity for felines.

Favorite Fictional Characters: I like complex characters or characters that give you just enough to fill in the blanks. You know Loki’s my boy in the MCU. I also love Draco Malfoy from the Wizarding world. Kylo Ren is a definite fave, and arguably my favorite character in the Star Wars universe. I adore camp as well so do with that what you will. Anime wise, I love L, Alucard, Vegeta....real anti heroes. 🤣

coffee, tea, or hot chocolate: All 3! 😬

Average hours of sleep: Around 6 on a weekday, 10 or 11 on weekends

Dog or Cat Person: I’m an animal lover and I have a dog...I’ve had several dogs actually. But I have to say I’m a cat lady. We just mesh well, cats tend to like me and I like them back. We’re chill; when we need space, we like to be alone, and when we want love, we’re lovey dovey.

Bonus: here’s a picture of my babies, cause I’m that type of mama. ☺️

number of blankets you sleep with: One or two if I’m REALLY cold. 🥶

Dream Trip: I have so many!! I want to spend a month in Japan, I wanna go to Morocco, India, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Spain. Let’s just throw a dart on the map!

Blog Established: umm....was it 2019? Or 2020? Idk. I’m horrible keeping track of time.

Tagging: @adumbdryer @kowalskibro-adamdriverblog @wayward-rose @babbushka @mariesackler I wanna get to know you guys better. and frankly anyone that wants to do it. This was in my drafts for so long🤣 SORRY!

[anhed-nia]

CATTOBER #2 10/20/2019: CAT PEOPLE (1942)

When RKO released Jacques Tourneur’s classic CAT PEOPLE in 1942, it was about a decade after DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN had roughly co-created the monster movie, and a year after THE WOLFMAN joined Universal’s creature canon. It is hard not to see their influence on Tourneur’s feline-themed effort--a half-human paranormal being, generally bearing a curse from a foreign land, is torn between its craving for love and its urge to kill, effectively symbolizing the loneliness and frustration of the average ticket buyer. There’s nothing wrong with an extra dose of that now and again, as history has proven, but we are lucky that DeWitt Bodeen’s script goes above and beyond the call of those familiar gothic romances. CAT PEOPLE provides a detailed and even confrontational analysis of alienated sexuality and clinical depression that is startling for its era, or perhaps any era.

Serbian fashion illustrator Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon) innocently initiates the ruination of her own life when she casually litters at the Central Park Zoo. Her carelessness attracts the attention of all-American male Oliver Reed (?! Kent Smith), who promptly sets about trying to tame the eccentric and exotic artist. Having penetrated her apartment (but nothing more) and chided her for her unusual decor, she explains Serbia’s history of witch hunts--specifically, the purging of satanic cultists who could transform into cats. Oliver’s bemused condescension will be a constant presence in their evolving relationship, which somehow escalates to marriage in spite of Irena’s unwillingness to consummate. Irena is open with Oliver about her emotional troubles, claiming that there is something wrong with her that can be catalyzed by sexual stimulation. Irena is a lonely creature who is painfully aware of the difference between herself and ordinary, non-pathological women who are free to do as they please without serious physical and emotional consequences. Oliver, the perennial skeptic, moves from making fun of his wife’s neuroses, to thrusting a shrink upon her. Following in Freud’s footsteps, Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) is an intellectual predator who believes that he can “cure” Irena’s frigidity himself by forcing himself on her. While she tries to navigate this terrible experience, Oliver grows closer and closer to a coworker who has been waiting patiently in the wings for him. Once Irena determines that she has been betrayed by her supposed loved ones and caretakers, more than one of these characters will be doomed.

CAT PEOPLE is just as astute about depression and anxiety as it is about abuse. Irena’s feelings of being sick and unworthy are sadly standard responses to one’s own inability to be happy and uncomplicated--those blithe qualities that define the concept of normality for many. Unfortunately, when this kind of alienation is your problem, it can beget other problems, as it often activates dangerous individuals in your midst. Oliver is a particularly dangerous sort of person, as he fully believes himself to be healthy, happy, and normal. He shoves his way into Irena’s life, in spite of her consistent resistance, because he is incapable of self-doubt. Instead, he focuses all of his critical energies on Irena, scoffing at her ancestral belief system, and glibly dismissing her frank and open discussion of her distress. He thinks he “loves” his wife, but shows her no respect to her face, and shares all of her confidential thoughts and feelings with his friends and acquaintances, to her total mortification. Though he seems incapable of speaking with his wife as equals, he shares a disturbing moment of truth with his colleague Alice (Jane Randolph). “I don’t really know what love is,” he says, just as Alice is bravely confessing her own feelings for him. Alice, a stable and self-confident person, gives him a reasonable definition of a healthy relationship: “It’s understanding...no self-torture, no doubt.” Bypassing Alice’s profession of love, Oliver counters, “That isn’t the way I feel about Irena...I’m drawn to her...I have to watch her when she’s in the room, I have to touch her when she’s near. But I don’t really know her.” He is only really attracted to primitive sexual tension, mystery and vulnerability--an inaccessible woman, the conquest of whom feeds his ego--and Alice, a person of substance and honesty, has neither.

Eventually, Alice will win out, though. Oliver amuses himself with Irena on a grand scale, even paying the price of a wedding to enjoy the drama of trying to undermining her. Just as he is gaining the upper hand, convincing her to revisit the psychiatrist who tries to molest her, Oliver loses interest. He awakens to Alice’s good-natured steadiness, to which she replies ironically, “That’s what makes me dangerous, I’m the new kind of other woman.” This remark identifies the hitch at the center of any relationship with a shallow, gaslighting abuser like Oliver. They make women who are compassionate and emotionally available feel “boring” and sexually worthless, but their seeming preference for “crazy girls” is really just a preference for the opportunity to abuse someone. They don’t take their excitingly volatile and often traumatized lovers seriously, and will eventually turn to the temporarily greener-looking grass of a more socially acceptable female who has her proverbial shit together. Oliver openly flaunts his growing intimacy with Alice, sending Irena away in public so they can be alone, and chastising her for failing to work on herself, for refusing to be honest about her “real” problems. These insults are all too familiar to people battling mental illnesses. The allegedly Healthy will say that the Sick aren’t sick, they’re lazy, and if the Sick try to tell the inconvenient truth about their feelings, they are dismissed as liars. Any other concession would entitle someone like Irena to a little more compassion, which is more work than Oliver is willing to put in.

Honesty is an embattled concept in CAT PEOPLE. Irena goes out on a very unstable limb when she explains herself to Oliver and Dr. Judd, and they use her shocking statements to invalidate anything she has to say. ”I have never lied to you,” she pleads pitifully, as the men build up her reputation as a liar. Judd may or may not fully believe that Irena is convinced of her satanic heritage, but he is happy to paper it over with broad psychoanalytic concepts. “There is in some cases a psychic need to loose evil upon the world,” he says, suggesting that her fixation on wild cats is just a reflection of her destructive nature. “All of us carry within us the desire for death,” he adds, identifying her thanatropic drive as at fault for her perceived refusal to simply *be happy*. This all makes him sound pretty bright, but as the audience can plainly tell, he will pay for his inability to acknowledge that Irena is genuinely trapped between two worlds. Her story ends in tragedy when the bestial impulses that she has fought to contain are finally set free by all of these attacks from those who begged her to trust them. In the film’s final moments, Oliver and Alice look down at the feline corpse of the friend they betrayed, as he infuriatingly remarks, “She never lied to us.” Even at the end, CAT PEOPLE presents a painful reflection of real life, in which those vulnerable people who are disbelieved are rarely around to hear it when they are finally validated.

[tlbodine]

1940s Double Creature Feature

Rounding out our journey through the 1940s in horror cinema, a “his and her” bookended pair of shapeshifter movies: Cat People (1942) and The Wolf-Man (1941). 

Cat People was first: 

As Wikipedia puts it:  Cat People is a 1942 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, produced by Val Lewton, and starring Simone Simon, Kent Smith, Jane Randolph and Tom Conway. The plot focuses on a Serbian fashion illustrator in New York City who believes herself to be descended from a race of people who shape shift into panthers when sexually aroused or angered. 

The story swiftly introduces us to Irena and her love interest, Oliver, whose meet-cute at a zoo turns into a whirlwind romance. It’s a bit hard to tell just how much time is supposed to have passed between scenes, but the impression is certainly one of rushing headlong into a doomed relationship. Irena tries several times to express her anxiety about her heritage and what it might mean for them -- being afraid, for example, to kiss him lest it unleash the demonic feline within -- and Oliver repeatedly ignores and downplays her concerns.

He attempts several strategies to cope with her intimacy issues: making light of them, changing the subject, sending her to a psychiatrist. Things he does not try include: actually listening, taking her seriously, or thinking that maybe this relationship isn’t going to work out. After a period of marriage (wherein perhaps it finally occurs to Oliver that he’s never going to get laid), his attentions turn to a female coworker who confesses her long-harbored feelings toward him. Why, you may ask, did it never occur to him until that moment how wonderfully compatible he was with this other woman who he had known a long time and who desired him in the way he wanted to be desired? Why, indeed. 

Cat People is a quite good movie. There are moments of genuine tension, and the relationship is just muddy enough to be interesting. Oliver certainly shoulders plenty of blame -- and the “let’s get my wife declared insane so I can annul this marriage” plan is despicable -- but Irena isn’t exactly passive, either. She loves Oliver, against her better judgment and despite her anxiety, and at one point she obliquely threatens him: So long as he keeps her happy, she can keep her inner monster from coming out. It’s an unhealthy dynamic all around, and it’s an excellent film to study for its gender politics and social commentary. I hope to come back to it to write more soon as there’s quite a bit to chew on. 

The Wolf-Man, directed by  George Waggner, is of course the better-known film:

Lon Chaney, Jr. stars as the titular wolf-man, turned werewolf after being bitten by a fortune-telling-gypsy-who-moonlights-as-a-wolf. (get it? moonlights?) That’s basically the whole movie: Rich guy’s son comes to town, engages in some light stalking, has his date ruined by a werewolf, has some ‘oh no what did I do last night’ experiences, gets hunted in the night. 

I...remembered this movie being better. I will grant that, if I could watch it with fresh eyes and an utter ignorance of its Problematic(tm) elements, I would have spent less time roasting it. Alas. 

Some unfortunate highlights: 

Conversations that threaten to collapse under the weight of their own exposition

An entire cast of characters who are too stupid to live 

Stalking Is Love(tm) 

Seriously girl wtf why did you agree to hang out with him why are you trying to run away with him why are you kissing him wtf are you doing 

Mystical Gypsies Being Exotic 

As in Cat People, a big takeaway here is: When somebody is freaking out, maybe try to fucking listen to them. Although it is a bit comforting that Chaney’s character gets written off as essentially hysterical by the Reasonable Men of Science. Some experiences cross all class and gender boundaries. 

I do however have to give it a special effects shout-out. The wolf-man makeup and transformation sequence seems cheesy as hell to modern audiences, but that shit was groundbreaking at the time. A 10-second transformation scene is indicative of about 10 hours of painstaking filming, and it’s easy to ignore that altogether in our post-CGI world. On a technical basis, the film absolutely deserves a place in the canon. 

[rwdestuffs]

Done dirty: The White Fang.

Y’know, finding interesting ways to showcase the subject at hand is getting difficult…

You want to know something?- I’d say that the humans were pretty damn fortunate that all the faunus wanted was equality. They could have easily had enslaved their would-be-racist asses after they had won that war (actually, this sounds like a kickass ‘what-if’ story, if someone wants to make that, send a link my way please).

But really, the narrative seems to be really split on how we’re supposed to treat the WF. If we’re supposed to sympathize with them, then making them a terrorist group that Blake has to reform makes that hard. If we’re supposed to hate them, then making it so that they were retaliating against oppression and racists was a poor choice.

To clarify before I go any further: I side with the White Fang. Not with Adam. The WF is a civil rights group made to ensure the equality of Faunus (And is for some reason the only civil rights group to do so), and defend them. Adam, on the other hand, is a white kid who kills people in schools because he got rejected by a girl he liked (arguably the most accurate thing about the racism plot). This is the main point of the image used.

On it’s own, the idea of Faunus isn’t necessarily a bad one. Taking inspiration from racism in America isn’t a stupid choice. But they didn’t take inspiration from racism in America, they based it on the struggle of African Americans in the US. And when you just copy/paste that onto your fantasy minorities that are supposed to be a stand-in for all racial minorities, it creates a problem.

See, there are reasons as to why people would be afraid of faunus outside of them looking different. They hold inherent advantages like superior hearing, and night vision.

An easy fix for this would be to make it so that different faunus types are treated differently.

For example: Velvet. She’s got bunny ears. That means that she’s one of the “non-feared (Read: ‘good’)” faunus because all her trait does is give her better hearing. She’s ‘cool’ because she poses very little threat. Blake could also be in this category because she also only gets better hearing, but she might be trusted a little bit less because she gets better night vision thanks to her feline heritage. She is also ‘cool’ because she poses very little threat.

Now we go to the other side of the spectrum and go to Tyrian. He would be one of the “Feared” faunus. Scorpions on their own already freak me out, so making one human-sized and still letting him keep his venom is terrifying to me. Tyrian is ‘uncool’ because he poses a very clear and dangerous threat.

Faunus could have been used to showcase multiple forms of fear. In fact, these natural weapons and abilities would be an easy reason to justify humans hating them (again: Jealousy is right there).

See, if it were jealousy that fueled the hatred, then a lot of things would make sense. Humans are mad that they can’t have the advantages that faunus have, so they attack and belittle them. Not only would this make sense, but it would be a far better idea than what’s going on right now (though, to be fair, it’s not that hard to be better than the canon story for faunus discrimination).

But it’s not just the Fang as a whole that’s been done dirty, there are also several members that have been dirtied too. Like Sienna Khan.

The woman is a skilled fighter, has an interesting motivation, and managed to take over the White Fang.

And then she goes down like a bitch.

The writers tried to fix this by showing her off in the trailer, but that makes the situation far far worse.

- Sienna fights like that, and she gets defeated so easily?

Look, it’s possible to have a character show off how badass they are  even if they’re already dead. Take a look at Episode of Bardok from Dragonball. We, as the audience, know that Bardok is going to die, but seeing Freeza using his deadly technique after Bardok gives it his all in one final attack against the tyrant is one hell of a way to go out.

But Sienna just gets stabbed after less than five minutes of screentime.

For a show that got known for it’s fight scenes, it really lacked in the fighting to justify why Adam managed to beat her.

And to preemptively shut down any argument that “Sienna didn’t have her aura up,” I have to ask you why you wouldn’t have your own guard up if the people around you were pointing their weapons at you, and had very clearly betrayed you.

Sienna not having her aura up seems a lot more stupid now, doesn’t it?

Adam is also a character that was ruined. Not because he’s a terrorist, mind you (see comment about him being rejected above), but because they decided to make him a bitter ex.

Adam being a mentor figure and only a mentor figure should be enough to justify his relationship with Blake. There’s more relationships out there other than romantic and friendships. There’s student-teacher relationships, familial relationships, co-worker relationships, etc.

Adam being Blake’s mentor that fell from grace is really the only relationship we need for those two. It establishes a real fear, and it doesn’t add……… the problematic complications of an 18-year-old dating a 13-year-old.

Not only could this be a means of mirroring the relationship that Jaune had with his dead prop Pyrrha dead prop, but it would serve as a really cool moment of Blake surpassing her teacher when she inevitably defeats him. While I will acknowledge the fact that standing up to an abuser takes a lot of courage, it also takes courage to stand up to a mentor that you looked up to and admired- and finally tell them off or defeat them. That abuse story could have gone to Weiss, and her standing up to her abusive father- which she did. That was an awesome moment for Weiss.

But I guess Blake dodging into Adam’s sword and Adam somehow forgetting about Blake’s semblance was a higher priority. As was a priority for the writers to make sure that Adam goes down like a bitch.

Adam Taurus?- More like Ad-DUMB Taurus!

Anyone?

Okay…

I’d like to reiterate that as a surface-level idea, faunus racism isn’t a bad one. I’m sure that when we were younger, we all slapped animal parts onto a human, called it a new race, then called it a day. But it’s the poor implementation that makes it hard to sympathize with either side.

Apparently, when fighting against the grimm, you can only resort to violence. And the grimm are a force with no mercy.

But when fighting against inequality, you can’t use violence at all. Because the racists will obviously learn the error of their way if they see their targets sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya.

And the fact that there are no humans pushing for equality is also a historical mistake. For a bunch of writers who basically copy/pasted the struggle of minorities in America onto their animal people, they seemed to have missed the part where even people in the majority were on the side of the minorities. Sympathy is a great start, but that has yet to go anywhere. There was no mention of any humans at the protests siding with the Faunus, there were no mentions of humans boycotting restaurants alongside them- It’s just the faunus struggle. And it would be great if the writers would think this through a lot more than they have.

Because all a lot of us want, is some freaking nuance for the racism arc.

……… Yeah. I know.

[knightofbalance-13]

https://rwdestuffs.tumblr.com/post/178357985392/done-dirty-the-white-fang

Too bad both are technically terrorists because both use fear to achieve their political goals and both ultimately are failures because both are just inferior versions of Ghira’s philosophy who, mind you, is the only ACTUAL civil rights leader the White Fang had.

Yeah, I maybe getting into my own political beliefs here but at least I can explain myself better.

Y’know, finding interesting ways to showcase the subject at hand is getting difficult…

How, you’ve just used common as fuck memes. These aren’t even your ideas, they’re the ideas of others you’re using.

You want to know something?- I’d say that the humans were pretty damn fortunate that all the faunus wanted was equality. They could have easily had enslaved their would-be-racist asses after they had won that war (actually, this sounds like a kickass ‘what-if’ story, if someone wants to make that, send a link my way please).

1. That is racist Dudeblade. Ruby, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, Coco, Yatashuri, Neptune, Ozpin, Oobleck, Glynda, Port and so many more have not display racism at all. Hell, most of these have actually displayed the EXACT OPPOSITE by just treating as normal people. Anything else would be racist.

For fuck’s sake, weve seen four racist characters in RWBY. One of which is reformed, one of which is a jackass bully, one of which was an attempted TERRORIST and the last is Snowy Satan.

2. Dudeblade, mind explaining to me how the people of Remnant today are responsible for the actions of PEOPLE THEY’VE NEVER MET? Especially since, by your logic, every single Fanaus is responsible for the actions of the WF. Meaning they have more blood on their hands due to the Fall Of Beacon than humanity as a whole.

And 3. Goes to show your mindset for this doesn’t it? Goes to show you have a political bias to make things look bad.

But really, the narrative seems to be really split on how we’re supposed to treat the WF. If we’re supposed to sympathize with them, then making them a terrorist group that Blake has to reform makes that hard. If we’re supposed to hate them, then making it so that they were retaliating against oppression and racists was a poor choice.

Yeah-

You know you can sympathize with people while also condemning their actions right? I mean, that is literally the only thing that stops me from feeling completely detached from you people. After everything you’ve done with LESS justification, I can still see you all have your issues.

Or can you only see the world in monochrome?

To clarify before I go any further: I side with the White Fang. Not with Adam. The WF is a civil rights group made to ensure the equality of Faunus (And is for some reason the only civil rights group to do so), and defend them. Adam, on the other hand, is a white kid who kills people in schools because he got rejected by a girl he liked (arguably the most accurate thing about the racism plot). This is the main point of the image used.

Too bad Dudeblade, that’s not how that works.

When you side with one side, you side with everyone in control of that side. That includes Adam. And thing is: you just displayed the exact same thought process as Adam with your opening paragraph.

That’s like if a Nazi said “Oh, I just side with the idea of rebuilding Germany. I don’t with the Furher.” The people charge DEFINE the meaning of the group. And the last two were terrorists.

Also, as BLM shows, you can’t get equality through fear. You just devolve yourself to your enemies’ point.

On it’s own, the idea of Faunus isn’t necessarily a bad one. Taking inspiration from racism in America isn’t a stupid choice. But they didn’t take inspiration from racism in America, they based it on the struggle of African Americans in the US. And when you just copy/paste that onto your fantasy minorities that are supposed to be a stand-in for all racial minorities, it creates a problem.

A. The Fanaus were never enslaved. That alone disproves the ‘copy paste’ bullshit.

And B. You’re using American sensibilities to argue about the Fanaus so by your own logic, your arguments don’t work.

See, there are reasons as to why people would be afraid of faunus outside of them looking different. They hold inherent advantages like superior hearing, and night vision.

An easy fix for this would be to make it so that different faunus types are treated differently.

Dudeblade-

Name me one advantage an African man has over a Caucasian man.

The moment you make this about genetics, the moment the racists have a point.

Racism is petty, nonsensical, destructive and superficial. Your way would just justify that.

For example: Velvet. She’s got bunny ears. That means that she’s one of the “non-feared (Read: ‘good’)” faunus because all her trait does is give her better hearing. She’s ‘cool’ because she poses very little threat. Blake could also be in this category because she also only gets better hearing, but she might be trusted a little bit less because she gets better night vision thanks to her feline heritage. She is also ‘cool’ because she poses very little threat.

Except ALL fanaus have those traits. So there’s no difference.

Also people are racist against Asian people despite being genetically shorter than Cauasians. How are you gonna justify that? Easy answer: there is no justification. You just don’t understand racism.

Now we go to the other side of the spectrum and go to Tyrian. He would be one of the “Feared” faunus. Scorpions on their own already freak me out, so making one human-sized and still letting him keep his venom is terrifying to me. Tyrian is ‘uncool’ because he poses a very clear and dangerous threat.

Again, no one cares about ‘safety’ or whatever. Doing that would JUSTIFY the racism as natural paranoia. It’s the same reason why the X-Men don’t work as racism standins-because the bias against the mutants is JUSTIFIED since mutants have abilities that grant them a distinct advantage over normal people AND they can kill so many people so easily.

Faunus could have been used to showcase multiple forms of fear. In fact, these natural weapons and abilities would be an easy reason to justify humans hating them (again: Jealousy is right there). 

THAT. IS NOT. THE POINT.

How do you NOT understand that doesn’t work because it sends the message of ‘racism is okay so long as the race is a threat to you!’ God, are you TRYING to make RT look racist? Or are you THAT blind?

See, if it were jealousy that fueled the hatred, then a lot of things would make sense. Humans are mad that they can’t have the advantages that faunus have, so they attack and belittle them. Not only would this make sense, but it would be a far better idea than what’s going on right now (though, to be fair, it’s not that hard to be better than the canon story for faunus discrimination).

And yet somehow, you made a plotline where Jacques Schnee’s abuse of the Fanaus and Cardin’s racism would be JUSTIFIED and make THEM the good guys. 

People in the real world do not fear races because of genetics. That implies an idea like racism could exist in an intelligent world. People are racist because they were either taught that and never taught that was bad, they have a fear of what is different (an irrational holdover from our primitive days) or they had a bad experience and irrationally connect that to all people of that race. Racism is NOT justified. It is completely and utterly IRRATIONAL.

And this would miss the entire point of the WF plotline and just make Remnant so far removed from our world that no one could relate or care about the characters. You bitch about the fucking plotline and yet make the WORST POSSIBLE VERSION of it.

But it’s not just the Fang as a whole that’s been done dirty, there are also several members that have been dirtied too. Like Sienna Khan.

Oh goody, we can watch Dudeblade fail to understand individual character purposes as well as entire fictional race purposes.

The woman is a skilled fighter, has an interesting motivation, and managed to take over the White Fang.

And then she goes down like a bitch.

The writers tried to fix this by showing her off in the trailer, but that makes the situation far far worse.

- Sienna fights like that, and she gets defeated so easily?

Speaking of the trailer, it shows exactly WHY Sienna went down so easily.

Namely, Sienna TRUSTED Adam. Adam was her golden hero, her shinning example, her prepared successor/second in command in waiting. Adam was suppose to be the pinnacle of what Sienna’s ideals were. So even when he was within killing range, she never thought Adam would harm her.

Same thing with Batman and Miranda Tate in The Dark Knight Rises. Batman never considered the idea that Miranda was a threat to him because he trusted her.

Look, it’s possible to have a character show off how badass they are  even if they’re already dead. Take a look at Episode of Bardok from Dragonball. We, as the audience, know that Bardok is going to die, but seeing Freeza using his deadly technique after Bardok gives it his all in one final attack against the tyrant is one hell of a way to go out.

But Sienna just gets stabbed after less than five minutes of screentime.

A. That’s Bardock, Father Of Goku you idiot. Episode of Bardock is the one with time travel and him becoming the Super Saiyan that Freeza’s family feared.

And B. So are we gonna just ignore how Freeza negated that attack by simply POWERING UP an attack of his own, in his first form no less, thus suffering from the same issues that you bitch about here?

For a show that got known for it’s fight scenes, it really lacked in the fighting to justify why Adam managed to beat her.

And to preemptively shut down any argument that “Sienna didn’t have her aura up,” I have to ask you why you wouldn’t have your own guard up if the people around you were pointing their weapons at you, and had very clearly betrayed you.

Because Adam was still a trusted lieutenant in her eyes as well as the reason why Sienna was able to become High Leader in the first place.

Do yourself a favor and never play a Danganronpa game. You wouldn’t make it past the first trial.

Sienna not having her aura up seems a lot more stupid now, doesn’t it?

Maybe if I smoked a bunch of weed, drank a bunch of beer and smashed each bottle against my forehead.

Adam is also a character that was ruined. Not because he’s a terrorist, mind you (see comment about him being rejected above), but because they decided to make him a bitter ex.

A. So was Sienna. She literally said she wanted respect through fear, which is the same as being feared.

And B. He was always gonna be an abusive lover. The evidence was always there. The disconnect between what Blake described and Adam’s actions, her irrational fear of Adam, the worry and fear she has of people becoming like Adam. Not the show’s fault you reject reality.

Adam being a mentor figure and only a mentor figure should be enough to justify his relationship with Blake. There’s more relationships out there other than romantic and friendships. There’s student-teacher relationships, familial relationships, co-worker relationships, etc. 

Except it always had romantic undertones and it makes the pain of Blake leaving even more poignant-

Oh wait, you don’t understand writing. What was I thinking?

Adam being Blake’s mentor that fell from grace is really the only relationship we need for those two. It establishes a real fear, and it doesn’t add……… the problematic complications of an 18-year-old dating a 13-year-old.

Adam is a mass murdering, genocidal, racial supremist douchebag.

Adding Edhepophila isn’t even worth discussing.

Not only could this be a means of mirroring the relationship that Jaune had with his dead prop Pyrrha dead prop, but it would serve as a really cool moment of Blake surpassing her teacher when she inevitably defeats him. While I will acknowledge the fact that standing up to an abuser takes a lot of courage, it also takes courage to stand up to a mentor that you looked up to and admired- and finally tell them off or defeat them. That abuse story could have gone to Weiss, and her standing up to her abusive father- which she did. That was an awesome moment for Weiss.

A. That’s sexist dudeblade. You never call Jaune a prop to Ruby.

B. But it DOES seal the idea of fear and Adam’s sheer madness and evil. Just because a character wasn’t what you thought doesn’t make them bad.

But I guess Blake dodging into Adam’s sword and Adam somehow forgetting about Blake’s semblance was a higher priority. As was a priority for the writers to make sure that Adam goes down like a bitch. 

You know, kind of like how Yang forgot ‘Gee, swords are kind of a bad thing for me?’

Not like Adam and Yang have direct paralells to each oth-

Oh wait, they do.

... Don’t you look stupid?

I’d like to reiterate that as a surface-level idea, faunus racism isn’t a bad one.

Well your version is.

I’m sure that when we were younger, we all slapped animal parts onto a human, called it a new race, then called it a day. But it’s the poor implementation that makes it hard to sympathize with either side. 

Despite the fact that you don’t argue against the Fanaus side AT ALL and in fact side with them (well, superficially since you side with the terrorist group that uses them as a shield.)

Yeah I call bullshit.

Apparently, when fighting against the grimm, you can only resort to violence. And the grimm are a force with no mercy.

But when fighting against inequality, you can’t use violence at all. Because the racists will obviously learn the error of their way if they see their targets sitting around a campfire singing Kumbaya.

Dudeblade-

The Grimm DO NOT have the intelligence for discussion. They have animalistic intelligence AT BEST. You cannot reason with a wild animal, you can only run. But even worse, the Grimm DON’T WANT to stop. They WANT to kill. They WANT to destroy. You cannot reason with something that not only cannot understand you but doesn’t want to stop.

Let me give you an example of this. In Persona 3-5 games, there is an entity called the Reaper. Under certain circumstances, the Reaper will seek out and attempt to fight you. In Persona 5, you can actually communicate with the Reaper. You can ask it for an item, or for money or even to join you. But no matter what you try, it will always say this:

This is the Grimm.

You are trying to compare the complexities of racism in individuals to this, a creature with no desires other than your demise.

That is how stupid you look.

Also: I don’t wanna here this shit from a guy who, in this same post, tried to portray racism as something that could be rational.

And the fact that there are no humans pushing for equality is also a historical mistake. For a bunch of writers who basically copy/pasted the struggle of minorities in America onto their animal people, they seemed to have missed the part where even people in the majority were on the side of the minorities.

Proof?

Because no shit no human would join the White Fang, they’d probably just kill him. They’re racists.

As for actual equality: Ozpin, Ironwood and Leo all accept Fanaus without question, even former White Fang members. That is a push for equality.

Sympathy is a great start, but that has yet to go anywhere.

Aside from Vale letting fanaus own stores and not showing an ounce of racism aside from one asshole who could be from mistral for all we know and a convicted criminal?

There was no mention of any humans at the protests siding with the Faunus, there were no mentions of humans boycotting restaurants alongside them- It’s just the faunus struggle. 

Maybe that’s because the only protest we’ve ever seen was interrupted by the White Fang, meaning that if humans DID try to protest they’d actually be at MORE risk than anyone else because they run the risk of being murdered by the White Fang AND human racists unlike the Fanaus. Kind of like you usually don’t see BLM members who are white.

And it would be great if the writers would think this through a lot more than they have

A. Excet you know, anytime they do you just ignore it so why even bother,

And B. *throws him a shovel* the guy you want to talk to is over there, six feet under. You had your chance, you never said it. Now you get to pay for it.

Because all a lot of us want, is some freaking nuance for the racism arc.

Except you know:

Not only have most of the people who bitch about it shown they don't want nuance, they want their side to be seen as absolute good and everyone else as absolute evil.

Not only have you suggested a version that would make the racists JUSTIFIED in their actions, thus making the fanaus the bad guys here. 

But there is nuance. You just ignore it.

I would say that I want you assholes to acknowledge your bullshit but-

Yeah we all know how you’d react...

[catbreedsblog]

Discovering the Allure of the Spotted Serengeti Cat Breed: Your Guide to Their Playful Charm

Unraveling the Enchantment of the Spotted Serengeti Cat Breed

In the 1990s, a visionary American breeder pioneered the Spotted Serengeti cat, a mesmerizing hybrid feline designed to emulate the grace of wild cats roaming the expansive African savannah. Infused with the distinctive traits of the Bengal and Oriental Shorthair, these cats flaunt solid ears, round heads, and eye-catching spotted markings, reminiscent of their African grassland counterparts. Despite their hybrid beginnings, Serengetis now consistently produce true-breeding kittens and form profound connections with their human families.

Exploring Key Characteristics:

Medium-sized muscular build

Short dense coat adorned with captivating spotted markings

Distinctive solid-colored ears

Active, social, and highly energetic temperament

Average lifespan of 10-12 years

Coat colors ranging from black and brown to shimmering gold spots

Nurturing Your Serengeti Companion

Customizing Their Diet: Serengetis thrive on high-protein, meat-centric cat foods, complemented by wet food to boost hydration. Treats supporting dental health are a delightful addition.

Crafting the Ideal Environment: Fulfill their spirited nature with cat towers, climbing shelves, puzzle feeders, interactive toys, and a birdfeeder view for continuous entertainment.

Grooming Rituals: Regular grooming involves weekly brushing, nail trims every 2-3 weeks, and routine checks of ears and teeth to maintain their well-being.

Encouraging Enrichment: Tap into their lively disposition through daily active playtime and opportunities for environmental exploration.

Acquiring Your Serengeti Companion

Preferred Regions: The Serengeti breed finds favor in North America and Europe.

Budgetary Considerations: Prices typically range from $800 to $1200.

Adoption Avenues: Explore adoption possibilities through esteemed organizations such as The International Cat Association (TICA) or dedicated rare breed cat rescues.

Pre-Adoption Checks: Ensure the overall health and vitality of your potential furry friend by examining vaccination records and past medical history.

Essential Preparations:

Creating a Cat-Friendly Haven: Implement safety measures to ensure your home is secure for your Serengeti, including tall cat trees or shelves.

Stimulating Enrichment: Incorporate interactive feeding puzzles and toys to keep your feline companion mentally engaged and happy.

Routine Care Tasks:

Provide a nutritious diet

Engage in daily active playtime

Schedule annual vet exams for their well-being

Must-Have Supplies:

Premium cat food

Tempting treats

Vertical scratching posts for their comfort

Wand toys to stimulate play

Health Considerations:

Stay vigilant about potential health issues like heart disease, hip dysplasia, and patellar luxation. Ensure key vaccinations, including feline panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, rabies, and feline leukemia.

Names That Echo Their Essence:

Consider endearing names such as Pumba, Sahara, Mateo, Amari, or Zuri, reflecting their wild aesthetics and African heritage.

Embark on an exciting journey with your Spotted Serengeti companion, a feline friend that seamlessly blends the untamed spirit of the wild with a loyal and affectionate demeanor.

[catbreedstips]

Exploring the Spotted Serengeti Cat Breed: A Guide to Their Affectionate and Lively Nature

Unveiling the Charms of the Spotted Serengeti Cat Breed

Originating in the 1990s through the ingenious efforts of an American breeder, the Spotted Serengeti cat is a captivating hybrid feline designed to mirror the allure of wild cats traversing the vast African savannah. Infused with the traits of the Bengal and Oriental Shorthair, these cats boast solid ears, round heads, and distinctive spotted markings, reminiscent of their African grassland counterparts. Despite their hybrid origins, Serengetis now consistently produce true-breeding kittens and forge deep connections with their human families.

Key Characteristics:

Medium-sized muscular build

Short dense coat adorned with striking spotted markings

Distinctive solid-colored ears

Active, social, and highly energetic temperament

Average lifespan of 10-12 years

Coat colors ranging from black and brown to gold spots

Caring for Your Serengeti Companion

Tailoring Their Diet: Serengetis thrive on high-protein, meat-focused cat foods, complemented by wet food for enhanced hydration. Treats supporting dental health are also recommended.

Creating the Ideal Environment: Facilitate their energetic nature with cat towers, shelves for climbing, puzzle feeders, interactive toys, and a birdfeeder view to keep them entertained.

Grooming Rituals: Regular grooming involves weekly brushing, nail trims every 2-3 weeks, and routine checks of ears and teeth.

Enrichment Activities: Harness their lively disposition through active playtime and opportunities for environmental exploration.

Acquiring a Serengeti Companion

Popular Regions: The Serengeti breed is particularly favored in North America and Europe.

Cost Considerations: Prices typically range from $800 to $1200.

Adoption Options: Explore adoption possibilities through organizations like The International Cat Association (TICA) or rare breed cat rescues.

Pre-Adoption Checks: Ensure the overall health and energy levels of your potential furry friend, scrutinizing vaccination records and past medical history.

Preparation Essentials:

Creating a Cat-Proof Home: Implement measures to ensure your home is safe for your Serengeti, including tall cat trees or shelves.

Interactive Enrichment: Incorporate interactive feeding puzzles and toys to keep your feline companion mentally stimulated.

Routine Care Tasks:

Provide a nutritious diet

Engage in daily active playtime

Schedule annual vet exams

Essential Supplies:

Premium cat food

Treats

Vertical scratching posts

Wand toys

Health Considerations:

Be aware of potential health issues such as heart disease, hip dysplasia, and patellar luxation, and ensure key vaccinations, including feline panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, rabies, and feline leukemia.

Names That Capture Their Essence:

Consider names like Pumba, Sahara, Mateo, Amari, or Zuri, reflecting their wild looks and African heritage.

Embark on a journey with your Spotted Serengeti companion, a feline friend that combines the untamed spirit of the wild with a devoted and affectionate demeanor.