#Don't read this if you don't want to participate in my current crisis

[supercool-here]

ok so my brother in law couldn't make it in time to come home so now my sister is on her way to see him, and I was upset because I had pictured this weekend being with my sis and my bro in law and now I'm alone with dad (not that I don't like my dad) and so I unconsciously channeled my feelings into cleaning so I washed the dishes and washed some rags and wiped the counters and scraped the scum off the blender and yada yada and as I endeavored in cleaning I kind of broke a faucet and I realized just how dirty our house is, like on a surface level it might seem alright but then you sit on a couch and it's stained, you try to pick up the keys from the table and you notice the stains as well, and then you open the fridge and catch a weird smell, and then you open the microwave and it's dusty and a lil greasy too, and then you wash the dishes and there's scum underneath the frame of the sink and the counters are greasy near the stove and the extraction hood (that the word?) is also greasy and dusty and the blender has some weird scum as well that you have to scrape off, and the patio is a mess and the living room is dusty too and it all just seems fine on the surface because it does work and you can still ignore everything but truly there is disorder everywhere and it feels chaotic in a molecular level, there's tiny things like dust and crumbs and fluff and dog hairs and also hidden things like the grease and the useless things we keep in boxes and bags and I feel overwhelmed because I want to fix it all but I would need the help of my family and I know they wouldn't understand because it's so easy to just keep living as we've been doing since forever so why change anything now and plus they're tired and busy and worried with their adult lives, a hundred little messes is the least thing they would care about. And this is so frustrating because I know it is an extrapolation of our real lives, because I know there is disorder and bad decisions swept under a rug and we just keep having fun as if there weren't things to fix and I hate it and I just want to disappear for a while, and I've been feeling this way since I was six years old (not all the time but on occasions when I would notice a mess and that would lead to another and I would eventually see the whole messy picture and then I would shove it away in a mental closet for ignoring overwhelming stuff and I would do something else to distract me or I would just put it all on the adult's account thinking it was their responsibility to fix everything but now I'm twenty and I can't do that anymore because I should be capable of fixing things myself but I don't have the courage and I don't know what to do and my instinct is to ignore things as always but I can't)

[batsplat]

your top 5 fave motogp races? or alternatively what races you’d show to a newbie to get them into the sport or smth

one of those things where it's painful to pick five, but at least this ask gives me the chance to hedge my bets and pick five different races for each category (most of these races will be featured in the recs lists; 27, 4+93, 46)

laguna '08: works wonders to bring both that season and the rivalry alive. delightfully visceral and vicious, there's few duels that tell you quite so much about both participants. I have lap-by-lap notes for this race. I have points tables assessing how much of a turning point it was in the season. I have read the bit in casey's autobiography about this race about a million times. how their expectations going in influenced the dynamics of the race, how the slower man won the race, what valentino was attempting to do to casey, casey's response... I could quite literally talk about this race forever

phillip island '17: idk I don't think this is objectively 'better' than the other two infamous dogfights of that era (pi '15; assen '18), but sometimes you just notice which one has the most rewatch value for you... I really like races where risk/reward calculation is a big deal, where at least one of the riders is having to actively judge how much they're willing to do to win... with the hard style of racing in this one, those calculations feel particularly present. phillip island is in such a perfect calendar spot for generating maximum drama

misano '17: maybe the quirkiest pick. marc is too good and too successful for me to ever really have been 'stressed' watching him in his prime, but bloody hell did he run me close here. something so satisfying about being so adept in wet/mixed conditions... love the spite element of this race, love the risk/reward calculations, how marc just needs to go for it in the very final lap, his dogged determination... a race where he doesn't have a massive margin over the field but just wants it so so badly that he goes for it. he's making a statement, bouncing back from a low point in the season, super compelling stuff

mugello '04: just love races that are kinda a mess! lots of twists and turns... bunch of riders fighting it out, the sete duel, the rain interruption, bunch of riders fighting it out but now on a way more slippery track... I don't know, there's just something charming about a race that has a bit of everything! of course it's also part of my beloved 2004 season, from which I could have easily included five different races (and if you're ever looking for a full season to watch, 2004 2006 and 2017 are the holy trinity - mix of title fight drama and banger races)

okay listen I'm gonna cheat here because I wrote out the word 'catalunya' and then had a crisis staring at this post. '07 I need to include because it's my favourite casey win and it's how he establishes himself as an all-round threat and is so important in the overall context of the valentino rivalry, but '09 is like... right up there with laguna as season lynchpin races and also somehow jorge has been left out from these picks... I love big momentum-switchers I love races that have so much meaning in the context of a rivalry AND season. I also love how they're connected! that valentino did the same move on casey (just not on the final lap) and had basically already rehearsed his coup de grâce two years in advance, before visualising it the week before the race... casey joking about it in the catalunya '09 presser, jorge knowing he kinda should have seen it coming, casey kinda ragging on jorge for not having seen it coming... idk!! I like this little legacy they built there together

for newbies

phillip island '23: you need to include something a little more current to give new fans a reason to watch now... phillip island races are reliably great - this one introduces you to two of the major protagonists of the current game in a way that kind tells you a lot about both of them, gives you a demonstration of one of the best types of races (the multi-rider dogfight), and it also is the most brute force way imaginable of explaining how tyres work in motogp. pedagogically pleasing! it's the kind of race new viewers will be able to enjoy in the moment, but have a lot of questions about afterwards - the sweet spot

assen '15: easily makes my top five rewatched races too, but I put it under the newbie header because again... tells you a lot! it's very likely this hypothetical newbie will have at least have SOME knowledge of who the two protagonists are and know they've fallen out, though I suppose it'd be funny to go in completely blind. obviously a great duel and a very nice introduction to the two big names plus their respective riding styles... what you really want is some late drama and a controversial finish that you can immediately have a hot take about

donington '05: we need a full wet race, not just mixed but wet wet... this one's got one hell of an attrition rate but also proper tussling between the different riders, rather than everyone just riding out on their own. it really gives you a feeling for how these kinds of races work... lot of riders wobbling around, saving near-falls, trying to get a sense of how much they can risk, riding behind each other to have somebody else test out their conditions... plus, the valentino performance kinda slaps

austria '17: got to be a marc/dovi duel in here, and this one has the clear edge not as much for the race itself but a) the novelty at the time, and b) the significance in the title fight. in dovi you've got somebody who is emerging as a threat and is providing a new flavour of challenge.... there's also that fun tension between how marc logically very much should just be happy to be there as a result of what a ducati circuit it is and he's simply supposed to be limiting the points damage... but he also really, really wants to win... actually either this or motegi 2017, almost want to change my pick. one of those two!!

brno '03: sneaking in an old race as a gateway drug, and I think this one is quite 'accessible' to the uninitiated. I considered other ones like phillip island '01 (valentino's first premier class matchpoint race, classic dogfight) or welkom '04 (first yamaha race and one of the duels) - but I think you don't need much context to get absorbed in this one. the race commentary already gives you the most important information... valentino's struggles that season, the criticisms he was facing from the italian press, how badly he wanted to win, the haircut, all of it... and then you get to see the post-race prisoner's celebrations, a flavour of the proper classic camp dramatics

slightly silly number of honourable mentions, each of which I was extremely tempted to include: motegi '10, jerez 2005, misano '19, laguna '11, jerez '10, assen '04, catalunya '04 '05 '16, mugello '05 '06, sachsenring '06, assen '04, phillip island '04, le mans 2005, qatar 2005, suzuka '01, thailand '19, austria '19, qatar '18, silverstone '19, sachsenring '10, qatar '15, mugello '16, sepang '10, assen '07 (and ones I did already kinda mention above: phillip island '15, assen '18, phillip island '01, welkom '04, motegi '17)

[ask-commander-arild]

OOC Post:

Hi, there! I'm @jnix-2006 and welcome to my ask blog, ask-commander-arild!! I made this blog for @pkmoth's @motherbound-askapalooza, and I plan on participating the entire month of August, but if it does well, I may continue it!! But, bear with me, because I don't use tumblr much, so this is all very new to me, haha. Before we start, I feel I should give a little bit of introduction to what exactly this is. So, firstly, what exactly is an Arild? Well, Arild is an OC I created for the game Mother 3 (Heavy spoilers btw)! He can be seen below!

Art done by @pinkalliums!!! Go check them out!!

Say hello to Arild Eskildsen! A young Norwegian lad of 15 years old who, through a series of unfortunate events, was once a pigmask. I know his design may look a little... 2015, but the design quite literally came to me in a dream, and I would've been stupid not to use it. Now, as much as I'd love to go into detail about his backstory, I wanna save most of it for the asks. I guess the most basic gist is that he was taken from our time, currently in the 2010's but may change later, from a very young age, and made to be a pigmask. Yippee, child soldier! He goes on to be promoted to captain. But after yet another unfortunate event, he ends up being chimera-ified and he gets promoted to commander, but not of the pigmasks... Of what, you ask? Well, we'll get there. For now, here's him as a captain!

Art also by @pinkalliums!! Seriously, go check them out! >:)

Few things to keep in mind for this blog:

1. I don't have many artistic abilities, unfortunately, so this will be a text only blog. Some friends have kindly made a few pieces for Arild, and I will show them off, but for the most part, there won't be much in the way of visuals. If you feel like making art of him, feel free! I would actually love to see it!!

2. Quite a lot of the stuff here is going to involve my own headcanons for the Mother series, especially post-game Mother 3. For example, in my headcanon, Claus survives and becomes the leader of the army, rebranding it in the name of peace, and that is why Arild is a commander. Basically, since everyone has unique headcanons for the series, you can just consider this an AU.

3. There will be mention of a couple real life places that will have Mother-ified names. With any mention of Norway, the name will changed to Fjordland, on account of its many... fjords. Canada is also an important place within the story, and that I have decided to call Mapleland. Creative, I know. I figured I would bring it up to avoid confusion

4. Feel free to ask whatever! Though, obviously, just make sure it's on topic, of course. Silly questions are easy to answer and will usually be answered quickest! Lore relevant questions are a little trickier and may take me just a bit longer to respond to, but I will be happy to get to them!! Also, RP is okay with me, if you want to!!

5. When it comes to asking questions, please don't be weird or anything. Like... being a former pigmask, Arild is a plus-sized character, so a comment about his weight would not be great. More importantly, absolutely NO NSFW. This character is a minor, and that stuff is not okay to ask. I don't think any of this will be an issue, but it's good to mention just in case

6. I do not speak Norwegian, so if I want to sprinkle it in a little bit, I have only on option. Google Translate. I know, I know... it's not the best, but I will try my best to avoid mistranslations or misuse of phrases. I wouldn't want to be the new version of that one post about the Norwegian Butter Crisis, haha.

If you're still here, thank you for reading until the end!! As said, I've never done something like this before, so this intro is probably super chaotic in comparison to other blogs, haha. I am really excited to get started here! I've always wanted to do an ask blog, and I really needed an excuse to flesh out my OC, so I'd say this is perfect! I'd like to give thanks to all the friends, and my bf, who helped me out on this!! Thank you to Moth for setting this event up! Thank you to Hal and a few others for the art! And also thank you so much to my friend Red who helped me create this character in the first place! He didn't tell me what his tumblr was, but he is @/Doc_Glowstick on Twitter!! Alright, I think I've rambled enough now. I'll probably go through this and change it later, but for now, let the blog begin!!!

[phoenix-is-the-hottest-thing]

This scene from ch38 is both really cute and really ominous so I'm glad it's easily available now... Some analysis below the cut, don't read if you're not up to date with it. No leaks talk.

I'm reminded of that mantra Seele was repeating in the future vision about Seele living a life of sunshine and flowers in the future. There's SOMETHING here with both Vita and Seele talking about this that tickles my brain...

Seele's point is a promise of future eternal happiness like a fairy tale, while Vita seems to assume someone kind like Seele could only have grown up in a "paradise" just like Salt Snow.

Both wish on Seele a perfect world where a kind soul can thrive without being taken advantage of or hurt... and neither of these are realistic or acknowledge that you have to become and stay kind in spite of the world.

The player knows Vita is wrong because we've seen the kind of hell Seele went through, she's even gotten kidnapped by child traffickers before. As sweet as she sounded, Vita assumed Seele was born in a paradisaical place because she thinks Seele is sheltered.

Not quite looking down on her, but not seeing Seele as a warrior who has Been Through It, assuming things like "she must be scared" because "she must come from a paradise where she has never experienced a crisis". I don't think her intentions with the hug are condescending, but they betray what she's really thinking of Seele at this moment: that Seele is a kind child born in a privileged and sheltered place who hasn't been confronted with reality yet.

Vita does not believe a harsh world can produce kind people.

And this? This combined with Vita's perception of Salt Snow as a paradise full of innocent people that let her experience innocent things too? I think this scene is meant to imply Vita isn't as nice as she seems. Perhaps she wants to be, she expresses a wish to protect her current "innocent" way of life... but...

From Vita's perspective, saving her home is simply something that has never happened before, regardless of whether she means Venus or any bubble she might've tried to settle into. Considering she's still survived this entire time with no companion that we can see, whether or not she's saying the whole truth about her identity and abilities (which she probably isn't), she must have done countless unsavory things to survive, whether it's leaving everyone else behind to run away on a spaceship alone (yeah I don't believe one second she just happened to be doing maintenance) or worse.

Earlier on Vita notes that she's also participating for her own selfish reasons: she feels happy here. What she truly wants to protect, she says, isn't just "paradise", but also "what paradise makes her feel", and that's why she basically calls herself selfish. Additionally, she does want to help and fight back, but I really don't think she believes they'll succeed, hence Seele picking up on this and trying to comfort her with confidence.

She says she's used to working for days at a time to survive, while in Salt Snow she just never had to do that. Crisis mode is her usual. Meanwhile, in Salt Snow, she never even got a career from Prometheus, so who knows what she was even doing all day? It's is a peaceful place that demanded nothing of her besides giving back the kindness she received. Her favorite place in thousands and thousands of years...

Vita assumed a peaceful home was why Seele is the way she is, because Vita was projecting the perceived "innocence" of the people of Salt Snow, who are protected from even death by supernatural forces, on Seele.

Surely, such a kind person, who accepts the burden of a world and people foreign to her, can only be an angel, can only have been born and raised in paradise.

Normal people aren't like this.

Her cynicism is hidden underneath and I think that's part of why she has such an odd and anxious reaction to Seele basically saying she's completely wrong and that she's not so naive... that people in the Origin world came together to protect one another and overcame a crisis... that believing in a solution has worked before, and even left Seele with a positive outlook rather than disillusioned.

To that, she feels conflicted. She doesn't know whether to be uneasy or nostalgic. Is this optimism something she used to have and lost? Or could Vita think that Seele will inevitably be broken down by a failure to save the world?

Seele is living proof that anyone can choose to be kind even when they've been through hell, even if she barely talks about it here, we as the player know about it. Hell, Seele's girlfriends both have a past of violence, and both of them have mellowed out because of her kindness rubbing off on them.

Consequently, considering the mixed uneasy and nostalgic feeling the optimism provokes in her, this means that either Vita can hardly believe in this concept, or she used to and may even think Seele hasn't been broken yet.

Either way, she doesn't seem to even want to think about it, so I can only give it a vague guess.

Considering this worldview however, if Seele is "real", then whenever Vita didn't choose to be kind, it was her own decision that she must take responsibility for, without hiding behind a harsh past or circumstances. I wonder if that's something on her mind...

Vita thinking about an ominous "fate" could also betray that she currently doesn't believe she can choose to be genuinely optimistic and kind and survive it, beyond the act she pulls in Salt Snow as part of blending in with the locals. Perhaps she thinks kindness itself is a fairy tale, and that she can only indulge in it as long as the fairy tale is preserved, that doing otherwise is a pipe dream because she'd just get eaten alive. You need "strength" to be kind and not also taken advantage of, if she's spent a long time largely in a position of weakness for any reason, it's no wonder that'd she'd get hit with a little learned helplessness.

Regardless of the truth of the matter, she readily admits that she's capable of working three days and three nights in a row because it's normal for her, she was the only survivor of multiple worlds, and I don't think it was pure luck that she'd manage to escape all alone on a spaceship.

I think she probably left alone on purpose and abandoned everyone else.

I think Vita's belief that only paradise can birth kind girls strongly implies that she believes she isn't one.

[trans-axolotl]

Hi! Do you know of resources for direct mental health support that 1) aren't part of the psych system (aka no warmlines, hotlines, psych wards, phps, iops, individual therapy, etc) and also 2) aren't support groups?

I have pretty severe CPTSD and I'm noticing that I need support, but because of my trauma groups don't work for me, and I have had so many negative experiences with traditional mental health supports that I just don't trust them. I have been trying for years to form a support network but I currently only have one person, so anything that involves reaching out to an already existing support network is off the table.

Hey anon! Thanks for reaching out.

That makes a lot of sense that you would want support that is outside the mental health system and also doesn't require participating in groups. I know it can be exhausting to try to find support when everyone just suggests traditional mental health resources, so kudos to you for advocating for the type of support that you need. I have a few suggestions, but as always, you're going to know yourself + your needs best!

My first thought is to find an individual peer support advocate. Depending on the organization they work with, they might be able to offer things like weekly meetings for emotional support, help with crisis planning, connecting you to resources, or even coming to your house to help with material needs like meal planning, chores, etc. Project LETS is an abolitionist organization that has a Peer Mental Health Advocate program. I personally am friends with several of the people at this org and can vouch that they will never engage with the mental health system or cops without your consent. This is a database of Abolitionist Care providers, and there are a lot of peer supporters who don't work in the mental health system listed on this database. Peer Support Space also offers some fabulous 1-1 peer support options.

Another way to find direct peer support If you're in the United States, most states have databases with all the people who are certified as peer support specialists in the state. Depending on what organizations they work for, state requirements, etc, there might be different requirements to access peer support services, and more potential entanglement with the mental health system through that option. Searching for mental health services, especially supportive living services in your area, might help you find organizations that also have individual peer support programs that aren't directly connected to things like therapy, IOP, etc. Totally understand if that isn't a desirable option because of the increased association with MH services, but happy to give you more specific info if you want to share what state you're in on another anon ask.

For me, seeking out educational resources, books, workbooks, and seminars, was a super helpful way to build my confidence in my own capabilities to cope with my distress and navigate healing. I'll link a bunch of resources-as always, take what works and leave the rest!

Out Of The Storm: CPTSD community and tons of resource lists, book recommendations, etc

List of resources + books for CPTSD: (Have not read most of these, would def reccomend seeking out content warnings and reviews for any books!)

Madness, Oppression, and Mad Mapping: Self guided workbook for mapping our madness, evaluating how oppression shows up in our life, how distress shows up in our life, what healing and coping might look like.

IDHA has a TON of amazing seminars, self paced courses, trainings, on topics ranging from trauma to anticarceral crisis response. Some cost money and some are free.

I hope some of these resources are helpful, but please feel free to reach out again if you are looking for something different. Followers with relevant experience, please add on your own resources or tips! Truly wishing you the best, anon, and hope that you're able to find the healing + support that you're looking for 💜

[tdp-fandom]

Shipping Poll Update

Click here if you haven't voted yet

Hello friends! As of the writing of this post, I've received 103 responses which is amazing! Thank you all so much! A special thank you goes to those who shared the poll - it is thanks to you guys that I got this many responses and I really appreciate it <3

I would like to share some general statistical data so far (the one that doesn't have an impact on the overall results) and address some feedback that I've received. Some graphs

I'm very happy to see that tumblr users have been the most active! You guys rock! Reddit has also been really active and I'm happy to see discord and twitter catching up!

I don't expect a lot of activity from dreamwidth as it's a different kind of website and I barely have any followers there but I'm curious to see how it goes. I ended up not posting anything on instagram because I would need to make images and I currently don't have the spoons for that :c

The age graph is also really cool! I'm very happy to see so many active 31+ people! Almost a quarter! And I'm very grateful to the young adults, who are the main bulk of the participants! I'm also happy to see teen participants express their votes as well c:

That's its for graphs for now - I can't share the rest just yet without the risk of getting the data skewed.

What I'd like to talk about next is your amazing feedback and how a few early participants saved this poll! Read under cut.

Feedback

People Who Have Saved the Poll

I posted the poll at 2 am my time (I had been working late nights on it the entire week because of real life responsibilities taking most of my free time) but decided to stick around for a bit to check if everything was going smoothly and to finish my conversations with friends on discord.

About 7 votes in, I decided to check on the poll and I saw this message in the feedback field:

"I didn`t see Rayla/Callum anywhere. Am I just blind or?"

This person was a life saver! Because although I know I added Rayllum originally, I must've accidentally deleted it and never noticed T-T it really is super easy to accidentally click on an X and delete a row from a multiple choice grid on google forms. Thanks to that person the crisis was averted. And it really would've been a crisis, because Rayllum is the flagship of TDP and getting lots of answers with no opinion on Rayllum would've really hurt the accuracy of the data.

I had also forgotten to add opinion options for some categories in the controversial ships section, which a friend as well as two poll takers notified me about!

Thank you all for the valuable feedback! I don't know what I would do without you.

Other Feedback

A few people mentioned that they weren't sure if it were ok not to tick every ship and I realized I hadn't been clear on that in my instructions. It is absolutely fine to skip whatever you feel like skipping. If there are ships you don't care about so much you don't even want to choose any option for - that is 100% valid and it tells me important information about the ship - you're not just neutral about it, you really do not care about a ship. And if I want to accurately evaluate our fandom's relationship with various ships, this information is also important.

People also commented that there have been too many ships to go through and that's definitely true. I tried to be as thorough as I could by including every possible ship people would have opinions on but the lists ended up being huge. I am planning to change a few things for the season 5 poll. I will probably exclude certain ships that won't do very well on this poll (unless the events in S5 warrant keeping them) and try to rearrange them in a way that can help people go through them faster.

There was a related comment where a person noted that it's not very convenient to scroll back and forth through the four opinion choices on mobile and suggested using just the numbers 1 to 4. That is a very good idea - I will implement this in the next poll.

One person was asking about Breakfast Guards being included in the canon ships. While I didn't get any official confirmations, they were shown almost kissing in the episode where Zubeia visits Katolis so I think that counts as them having some sort of onscreen not strictly platonic relationship.

While I explained the kinds of ships the poll was dealing with as well as the difference between active and passive shipping, I didn't actually explain what I mean by shipping, as one person rightfully pointed out! It's not an easy thing to define but I will try to come up with something for the season 5 poll! So far we can stick to romantic, queerplatonic or nonromantic sexual dynamics.

I used the wrong ship name for Rex Igneous x Avizandum. It should be Zanrex instead of Rexandum and the wonderful @cometchasr explained to why that particular shipname was chosen! He said that Zan was a nickname for Avizandum used a in few fics featuring the former dragon king and it fit very well with how the nickname Zym works. When I don't know a shipname I often just make one up on the spot as a placeholder but I am always happy to hear feedback from actual shippers and I switch to their preferred shipname.

I got so many nice compliments and words of encouragement too! Thank you guys! It means a lot ;__;

I will try to address feedback roughly once a week and keep you all updated on how things are going!

[rmhashauthor]

This bugs the hell out of me. "I can't watch this show/read this series because the main character said something mean about someone in the first episode/chapter!" It's like they've never watched a movie or read a book before - if you stick with it for a minute, the story tends to explain things. "Why did X do that?" Shh, sit tight, we'll find out together.

Wikipedia: "In the creation and criticism of fictional works, a character flaw or heroic flaw is a bias, limitation, imperfection, problem, personality disorder, vice, phobia, prejudice, or deficiency present in a character who may be otherwise very functional. The flaw can be a problem that directly affects the character's actions and abilities, such as a violent temper. Alternatively, it can be a simple foible or personality defect, which affects the character's motives and social interactions, but little else.

Flaws can add complexity, depth and humanity to the characters in a narrative. For example, the sheriff with a gambling addiction, the action hero who is afraid of heights, or a lead in a romantic comedy who must overcome his insecurity regarding male pattern baldness are all characters whose flaws help provide dimension. Perhaps the most widely cited and classic of character flaws is Achilles' famous heel."

Something I've come to HATE in contemporary literature is the purity culture that's risen up around fiction, ESPECIALLY fiction by or about LGBTQ+, POC, women and other nonwhitestraightmales. I get the impression that if the characters aren't morally, physically, socially and ideologically pure, then their story is bad and the author should feel bad. First of all, that's bullshit and everyone knows it.

Second, where is the interest? Where is the suspense? If you know Maincharacter McSomeguy will always do the right thing, the right way, every single time, then what's the point? If there is no opportunity for character growth, then there's no internal journey to go with the plot.

Great example I'm currently obsessed with: Miles Quaritch from James Cameron's AVATAR films. In the 2009 film, Quaritch is a scary, bad dude. Stephen Lang made me VERY uncomfortable with this character, and he did a damn good job. He wants to kill all the Na'vi because he's a bastard. Simple enough. So when he dies at the end of the first film, that's great! Down with the bastard! Yay the good guys win! Everyone's happy!

In AVATAR: The Way Of Water he's back! And he's a big blue kitty man like Jake! Except oh no, he STILL wants to kill all the Na'vi and Jake! Death didn't cure him of bastardy, but now we have a meaner, leaner sonovabitch who has to learn how to survive on Pandora, which brings him face-to-face with the space-whaling industry and forces him to acknowledge the slaughter he so gleefully participated in earlier. There's this wonderful cinematic moment where he gets to hold his own skull :) Also, he has a kid now and that kid has only ever known Pandora as home. So now Miles (I guess we're on a first-name basis now) has to confront his original pro-genocide, pro-corporate, pro-colonist ideology (which I think we can all agree is very America-corporate-military-coded, yaaaay) and come to terms with the fact that all of what he used to be - essentially a mercenary lapdog of the RDA - is now in direct opposition to his and his son's survival.

NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS!

The fact that we don't get to see him resolve all of that in the second movie, in my opinion, is what will bring people back for the next installment of 3D Pocahontas In Space. Will Miles have the opportunity to create a better relationship with his estranged, semi-feral son? Will Miles realize that the moment his "side" wins, he'll be put down like a troublesome pet because his purpose has been served? Will he open his eyes to the destruction of the only place he can survive and See, for the first time, how everything he believed pre-death-by-Neytiri is a massive lie fed to him to keep him under RDA's control and therefore useful?

Shh, sit tight, we'll find out together. Because that's how stories work. You take a funny little guy with problems and you put him in situations where his problems can either become solutions or he learns to overcome his problems. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. That's also how LIFE works - you cannot speedrun your own existence to find out if everything will be okay, and you cannot expect everyone (including yourself) to be morally perfect and socially upstanding all the time. You have to take it one day at a time, make lots of mistakes, learn things that challenge your beliefs, fall on your face and try to do and be better. That's the whole point.

Tropes are fun, but they're meaningless in a vacuum. Human beings are inherently flawed, so anything made by us is going to be a reflection of our selves and the related flaws and that's okay. That's reality. To assume or expect otherwise is disingenuous and rigid.

i think some of you dont like narratives or stories or characters i think you just like fanfiction tropes

[inkedandtears]

in the middle of a career crisis

still can't afford therapy so i asked chatgpt for advice:

It sounds like you are at a crossroads, with a mix of stable satisfaction in your current role and a strong desire to pursue other dreams. Here are a few steps and considerations to help you navigate this situation:

Assess Your Current Situation

Current Job Satisfaction: While you mention that you don't want to teach children, consider what aspects of your current job you do enjoy. This can help you identify transferable skills and interests. RE: I do enjoy making the classroom materials. It's tedious but fulfilling. It is a reminder that I am working to ensure my students get enough practice and attention they need to excel in school. Learning/education centers address this certain gap that schoolteachers aren't able to accommodate as they have more than 60 kids to teach in a day. I should remind myself of this value because I love to work in education. The end goal is to teach at a university, but I will stick this job out for the 1-year full-time teaching experience. The content development and editing experience is pretty handy as well!

Teaching in University: Reflect on why you want to be a professor of postcolonial literature. Is it the subject matter, the research opportunities, the adult student interactions, or the academic environment that appeals to you? The academic environment comes first, and my interest in postcolonial issues such as migration comes second. I love to read and discuss books – I want to change the world through literature. I still have my vision of ensuring local schools in Hong Kong have access to a wide variety of literatures from all cultures, to exercise their open-mindedness in a city that boasts its international cultue. That does not reflect well from the kids, so it is imperative we start in their classrooms. Little ways to elimate racism and ignorance, and to build a much more welcoming and safe society.

Exploring Academic Career in Literature

Qualifications and Experience: To teach at the university level, you typically need a Ph.D. in your field. Consider if you are willing to commit to this long-term academic journey, including potential research, publications, and teaching assistantships. Yes! I'm keen. Taking my MA at FSU is the next to achieving this goal. :)

Networking and Mentorship: Reach out to professors or professionals in the field of postcolonial literature. They can provide valuable insights into the realities of an academic career and offer guidance on how to pursue this path. UP Diliman conference on July 10, 2024! I hope to meet people in the Philippines I can stay in contact with.

Exploring Marine Biology

Educational Path: Research what qualifications are needed to become a marine biologist. This usually involves a degree in marine biology or a related field, and possibly a master's or Ph.D. for research positions. Exactly. I can't. The only answer is to work at a local secondary school, or university, and go on lengthy marine adventures on my holidays. That's it. And be a marine biologist when I retire.

Passion and Skills: Reflect on what drew you to marine biology as a child. Consider participating in marine biology courses, workshops, or volunteer opportunities to get a taste of the field and see if it reignites your passion.

Job Opportunities and Lifestyle: Research the job market and lifestyle associated with marine biology. This can include fieldwork, lab work, travel, and possibly relocating. Ensure this aligns with your personal and professional goals.

Making a Decision

Short-Term and Long-Term Goals: Write down your short-term and long-term goals for both career paths. This can help you visualize the steps needed and the time commitment for each option.

Financial and Personal Considerations: Consider the financial implications of switching careers, including the cost of further education and potential changes in income. Also, think about your personal life and how each career aligns with your values and lifestyle preferences.

Professional Advice: Consider speaking with a career counselor. They can provide personalized guidance and help you explore your options in a structured manner.

Experiment and Explore

Side Projects: Start small by engaging in side projects related to your interests. This could be writing research papers on postcolonial literature, taking online courses in marine biology, or volunteering in relevant projects. Volunteering for Marine Conservation Philippines! I get field and lab experience, as well as PADI certifications. So worth it. Just need to save up.

Informational Interviews: Conduct informational interviews with professionals in both fields. This can give you a realistic view of day-to-day responsibilities and future prospects.

Making a career change, especially one as significant as from teaching literature to marine biology, requires careful planning and self-reflection. Taking small steps towards both paths can help you make an informed decision without feeling overwhelmed.

[imthebadguyyy]

i was tagged by the lovely @querencva to do this tag game, thank you so much for the tag, i loved doing this! 💜

1. Why did you choose your url?

when i was choosing the name, i had an obsession with billie eilish (which i still do ksksk) and bad guy was my jam, and then i never really got to changing it lol, but it's become my name now so it all worked out!! i also never thought i'd actually get to posting so i just picked something random : ))

2. Any side blogs?

yes, but it's all pure bs so i'd rather not mention it 💀

3. How long have you been on tumblr?

I've been on tumblr for a little over a year actively, only started actually using it towards the end of 2020 and started posting in 2021, earlier i just had the app and didn't use it because i didn't know how lol

4. Do you have a queue tag?

no, i never even use my queue, and the one time i tried i messed it up so 💀

5. Why did you start your blog in the first place?

i've always loved reading and writing and exploring new stuff, and one day i randomly stumbled upon this app when i had my peaky blinders obsession, and i fell in lobve with the blogs and people here. then i started to write and reblog and stuff and i just eventually fell in love with how much fun it was, and when i developed an interest in F1, i met a bunch of people who also shared my interest !!

6. Why did you choose your icon/pfp?

it's a picture of lewis on a bike, which was my favourite photo from that photoshoot!!

7. Why did you choose your header?

i edited all the photo's from the WSJ mag photoshoot together because it remains superior 😌

8. What’s your post with the most notes?

hmm, it'd have to be this one and this one, this and this but y'all have shown so much love to so many of them!!

9. How many mutuals do you have?

i have a few but i'm lazy as a guesstimate would be like 20?? there may be more i'm just not counting 😂

10. How many followers do you have?

currently, i have 710 followers (holy guacamole) and i love and every one of em <33

11. How many people do you follow?

i follow 76 people!

12. Have you ever made a shit post?

i don't know??

13. How often do you use tumblr a day?

way too often, i have no social life 🤧

14. Did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

nope, it takes time and energy i just don't have

15. How do you feel about the ‘you need to reblog’ posts?

i think people should have the choice to reblog what they want, but this is a difficult one. if it's about needing help or for a humanitarian crisis i feel the need to reblog it, but once again it depends on personal preferences, but reblogging is just a click of a button and if it makes someone happy or helps them, might as well!

16. Do you like tag games?

i love em!!

17. Do you like ask games?

YES i do but for some reason, i can never get people to participate in ask games lmao

18. Which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

oh lots of em, and as they should be!!

19. Do you have a crush on a mutual?

nope, but i love em all

20. Tags!

tagging @grandestrategia @theonly1outof-a-billion @e44hamilton @lucent-knight @itsallyscorner @heureux4430 @soadoya @quillsink and whoever wants to, as always, only if you want to !! 💜

[therealvinelle]

I've always wondered this, but what do you think the Cullen's political viewpoints would be, given their individual backgrounds? if vampires don't change after they turn, then surely they would all be extremely racist (especially Jasper). would this not come up at some point? they aren't like the Volturi because the Volturi are too old to care, but the Cullens are young enough that they have been brought up with opinions on stuff like sexism, racism, homophobia and the like.

Oh fuck.

You get an early answer because otherwise I'll just chicken out and delete this one, pretend I never saw it.

UMMM.

Since I'm guessing you meant American political viewpoints, we need a disclaimer. I am not American, and not too knowledgeable about your politics. Not just in the sense that I don't follow the day-to-day drama, but as I am not an American citizen there are several things I don't know, can't know because I've never lived in your country and therefore can't know what the effects of living in a country ruled by American policies is like. What I do know is based off of the news in the foreign section, social media (by which I mean tumblr posts), and Trevor Noah's Daily Show.

I am an outsider looking in.

Which is really rather appropriate, since the Cullens are too.

The Cullens go to high school and college, Carlisle works, they pay taxes, they own real estate, and submerge themselves in American culture. Esme, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Bella are young enough that this is in many ways their world, and apart from timeouts they've more or less spent their entire lives, human and vampire, integrated into American society.

Not fully integrated, mind you, they do what they need to to fit in and get to school or, in Carlisle’s case, to work. They go no further. No extra-curriculars for the kids, no book clubs for Esme, no game nights for Carlisle. They walk parallel to humans, not among us.

In addition to this they're obscenely rich, which puts them another thousand miles from the experiences of your average American. They won't deal with the health system, which means healthcare is a non-issue, they're not going to need welfare or other social programs, unemployment is another non-issue. Name your issue, and the Cullens don't have personal stake in it. Even the climate crisis won't be a problem for them the way it will for us.

What I'm trying to say is, American political issues are a concept to them, not a lived reality. Just like they are for me. So hey, you made a great choice of blog to ask.

I'll also add here that you say the Volturi are too old to care, and I agree- from an ancient's point of view, racism is a matter of "which ethnicity are we hating today?", and it all looks rather arbitrary after a while. Same with every other issue - after a while it all just blends together into "what are the humans fighting over today? Which Christian denomination is the correct one? Huh. Good for them, I guess."

I can't put it any better than this post did, really. The Volturi are real people, humans are nerds and tumblr having Loki discourse. Aro thinks it's delightful and knows entirely too much about Watergate (and let's be real, Loki discourse as well), but the point I wanted to get at is that politics really don't matter to vampires.

And I don't think they matter to the Cullens either.

So, moving on to the next point while regretting I didn't put headlines in this post, I'll just state that I don't think vampires' minds are frozen. Their brains are unable to develop further, and they can never forget anything, but... well, this isn't the post for that, but in order for this to be true of vampires they would barely be sentient. They would not be able to process new impressions, to learn new things, nor to have an independent thought process. Yes, we see vampires in-universe (namely, Edward, who romanticizes himself and vampires) believe they're frozen and can never change, but there is no indication that this is a widespread belief, or even true. Quite the contrary - Carlisle went from a preacher's son who wanted to burn all the demons to living in Demon Capital for decades and then becoming a doctor and making a whole family of demons. Clearly, the guy has had a change in attitude over the years. Jasper, in his years as a newborn army general, slowly grew disenchanted with his life and developed depression. James initially meant to kill Victoria and hunted her across the earth, then became fascinated and changed his mind about it.

Had these people been incapable of change, Carlisle would still be hating demons, Jasper would be in Maria's army, and James would still be hunting Victoria.

It goes to follow, then, that they are able to adapt to new things.

The question is, would they?

Here I finally answer your question.

So, we have these people who don't really have any kind of stake in politics, who keep up to date all the same (or are forcibly kept up to date because high school) and are generally opinionated people.

Where do they then fall, politically?

(And this is where you might want to stop reading, anon, because I'm about to eviscerate these people.)

Alice votes for whoever's gonna win. She also makes a fortune off of betting each election. Trump's 1 to 10 victory in 2016 was a great day to be Alice. MAGA!

The actual policies involved are completely irrelevant, she does this because it's fun. Election means she gets to throw parties. Color coded parties for the Republican and Democratic primaries, and US-themed parties for Election Night! (Foreigner moment right here: I at first wrote "Election wake" before realizing that's not what y'all murricans call it.)

Alice loves politics. Doesn't know the issues, but she sure loves politics.

Bella votes Democrat. She actually knows about the issues, and cares about them. This girl is a Democrat through and through.

Carlisle doesn't vote. I can't imagine it feels right. Outside of faked papers he's not a US citizen, this is meddling in human affairs that he knows don't concern him.

More, this guy has never lived in a democracy.

In life, Carlisle lived under an absolute monarchy that, upon civil war, became an absolute theocracy. From there he learned that vampires live under a total dictatorship.

For the first 150 years of his life, democracy was that funky thing the Athenians did in history books thousands of years ago, no more relevant to him than the Ancient Egyptian monarchy is to me. Then the Americans, and later other European countries started doing this.

Good for them.

There's this mistake often made by those who view history from a... for lack of a better term, a solipsistic standpoint. A belief that the present day is the culmination of all of history. “My society is the best society, the most reasonable society; all the others had it backwards. Thank god we’re living in this enlightened age!”

The faith in our current system of government is one such belief. We (pardon me if this doesn’t apply to everybody reading this post) have grown up in democracies, being told this is the ultimate form of rule, and perhaps that is true - but remember the kings who have told their subjects they had were divine and the best possible ruler based on that. Remember also that most modern democracies haven’t actually been democracies for very long at all, America is the longest standing at some 230 years (not long at all in the grand scope of things) and they have a fracturing two-party system to show for it.

Every society, ever, has been told they’re the greatest, and their system of government the most just. Democracy is only the latest hit.

This is relevant to Carlisle because he’s immortal and decidedly not modern. Democracy has not been installed in him the way it was the rest of the Cullens, Jasper included. To him- well, it’s just not his world. He has no stakes in our human politics, and as he is older than every current democracy and has seen quite a few of them fall, he’s not going to internalize the democratic form of rule the way a modern human has.

I think the concept of voting is foreign to him.

It requires a level of participation in human society that he’s simply not at. He does the bare minimum to appear human so he do the work he loves, but nothing more, and I find that telling.

As it is I think he'd be iffy about his family doing it. He won’t stop them, but in voting they’re... well it’s kind of cheating. They’re not really citizens, none of this will affect them, and by voting they’re drowning out the votes of real human voters. He does not approve.

Edward votes Democrat. He's... well he’s the kind of guy who will oil a girl’s bedroom window so he can more easily watch her sleep without being discovered, justifying it to himself as being okay because if she were to tell him to get lost he’d stop immediately. Same guy is so sure that he’d leave and never return again if she wanted him to, except this is the man who returned to Forks to hang around his singer, knowing there was a significant chance he might kill her. To say nothing of his Madonna/Whore complex, or of the fact that he tried to pimp out his wife twice, and was willing to forcibly abort her child.

This guy is very much in love with chivalry, with being an enlightened and feminist man who supports and respects women, while not understanding the entire point of feminism, which is female liberation.

He votes Democrat because he’s such an enlightened feminist who cares about women’s rights.

Emmett doesn’t care to vote, but if he has to he votes Republican. The guy is from the 1930′s, and has major would-be-the-uncle-who-cracks-racist-jokes-if-he-was-older vibes.

Esme doesn’t vote, that would require getting out of the house.

More, I just... can’t see it. I can’t see her being one to read up on politics and The Issues, period, but if she has to then I doubt she’d be able to decide.

Jasper doesn’t vote. Alice can have her fun, he does not care.

There’s also the whole can of worms regarding the last time he went to bat for American politics.

I imagine he stays out of this.

Renesmée doesn't vote. She has no stock in the human affairs. Who would she vote for, on what grounds? When Bella tries to pull her to the urns, she points out that she's three years old.

Rosalie, guys, I’m sorry, but that girl is definitely gonna vote Republican. Perhaps not right now as it’s become the Trump party of insanity, but the Mitt Romney type of Republicans? Oh yes.

And for the record, yes I imagine she does vote. To step back from politics would be another way she was relinquishing her humanity, and that’s not allowed to happen. So, yes, she goes to the urns, less for the sake of the politics involved and more because like this, she’s still a part of society in some way.

Now, onto why I think she’s Republican, I think it’s both fiscal and social.

This girl was the daughter of a banker who somehow profited off of the Depression, and who then became part of a family with no material needs that would soon become billionaires thanks to Alice. Poverty to Rosalie is a non-issue, as it is I imagine she views it as a much lesser issue than what she’s had to deal with. The humans can pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Rosalie’s infertility is forever.

Rosalie’s empathy is strongest when she’s able to project onto others, and she won’t be able to project onto the less fortunate at all.

Then there’s the fact that the Republican party is all about traditional family values, and pro-life.

Rosalie, a woman from the 1930′s who idolizes her human life and who‘d love nothing more than to get to live out this fantasy, is down for that. And as of Breaking Dawn she’s vocally pro-life, so there’s that.

This all being said I don’t think Rosalie cares to sit down and fully understand these politics she’s voting for, the possible impact they’ll have- that’s not important. What’s important is what voting does for her.

TL;DR: I bet anon regrets asking.

[undercover-bro]

So sorry this took me so long! A bad storm knocked out the power yesterday, so no internet. I'm going to format this a little wonky because my answer for #2 is a long story, so I'm putting it at the bottom

(1) #1 is the lie! Something similar happened recently, but not quite how I described. It's been long enough since my knee surgery that I don't use the scooter anymore, but it was a child with dog who knocked me over and caused me to trip over my cane. Nothing happened to my wrist (inspired by Angela), but I currently have a gigantic black eye from smacking my face into a metal shelf.

(3) True! I have bought several books Shayne has said he's enjoyed. I have the advantage of a super-discounted used bookstore in my town. The only one I paid more than $5 for was Song of Achilles. If you're a new fan like me, googling "Shayne Topp, book recs" pulls up his old reading update tweets. Song of Achilles, This is How You Lose a Time War, Sapiens, Brave New World, and a couple Stephen Graham Jones books have a home on my bookshelf thanks to Mr. Topp.

(2) This still feels like a fever dream, but it absolutely happened. Long one, buckle up.

I never set out to be a romance writer, but in high school and college, I wrote some shippy fanfic for a couple girlfriends & their friends. Turns out I didn't suck. When not writing fic or trying to finish a fantasy novel, I've taken the occasional commission to write original romantic short stories, especially of the smutty variety. During the holiday season, I received a request for a explicit piece, with a very detailed list of requests.

When I called the commission "unhinged," I don't mean the kink requested. There was repeated derogatory trashtalk of the male LI's ex that felt gross, and I was going to turn it down. The requester was weirdly insistent they wanted me to be the one to write it, and agreed to tone down the sections I didn't feel comfortable with.

I knew of Smosh's existence, but I didn't really watch, but I'd watched some shorts and TNTLs related to other content creators, and was familar enough with Shayne. It hit me one day that I was being paid to write a thinly veiled Shayne/YN smut story. Same physical description, actor, even the name was spelled the same.

I'd gotten the explicit scenes out of the way and was working on the domestic padding when I watched a couple Smosh vids and was introduced to the others, including Courtney, who I realized was meant to be blonde co-worker ex in the original story request. Felt sick about that and finished the things as quick as I could, closing commissions. (*Important note: there is nothing wrong with reader insert or OC fanworks, this was skeezy because of the derogatory attitude toward Courtney)

Rough drafts and previews were sent along the way, but the final product required a 25% downpayment I never got. Washed my hands of them after a month of no response, kept watching Smosh. Fell in love with Smosh. Had an existential crisis when I started RPF shipping for the first time, got over it quickly enough.

This was fun, everyone! Thanks for participating!

Hey @unknownteapot, I hesitated too long to join the game, but I thought I'd put this out for the hell of it. I'm so new to the fandom no one really knows me, but since we're mutuals now, maybe you'd wanna take a shot (first time creating a poll, hope this works)

[boethiah]

i want to preface this by saying that absolutely, 100%, the lifestyle of western countries is the cause of the climate crisis. yes, the corporations and highly highly wealthy are the main "cause", but the life the average american leads is supported by the actions of those corporations. i agree, and people should be aware of this and understand the privilege they have. but genuinely like. for americans who ARE aware of what the world is, they didn't ask to be born in these cities where in order to survive they have to participate in these structures. in addition, your attitude towards anons who ARE feeling attacked comes off as very holier-than-thou for someone who owns a car and lives in a western country. like, you are very much acting with moral superiority because, what, you know the exact stats and exact impact the current state of the world is having on the climate? i just don't understand why you're acting like you're better than them when you're exactly like everyone else. people, especially people on The Progressive Side Of Tumblr, are fucking aware of the western worlds impact on the climate. i just really don't, like, understand your goal. i think that's also probably why people think you're attacking them, because most people Do Know about the effect of cars etc on the environment, but your wording makes it seem like you're delivering some sort of new message to The People. they think you're providing them with an answer of what to do. which you're not, you're repeating what people already know LOL

my goal is that the IPCC6 working group 3 report came out with a quite dire assessment of what must be done to prevent a ghastly future, and i got quite emotional reading it and decided to vent about it on my blog because this is a topic that i have invested a large part of my life on and care a lot about. you think i'm acting "holier-than-thou" because i'm not apologising for my opinion or rushing to shower people in platitudes to make them feel better. i'm really not. i have repeatedly said, multiple times, that i am a westerner and profiting just as much as any american. does me having privilege mean i shouldn't talk about that privilege? just because "everyone's already aware" of the climate catastrophe do we need to stop thinking about it and talking about it and processing it? i'm going to keep talking about it even if you dont think the tone i'm using is soft enough or my branding isn't on point or whatever. it deserves to be talked about. it has to be talked about. it's the least we can do

[omni-scient-pan-da]

Welcome to my blog!

You can call me Sammi, I'm a Major (18+) and I use they/she pronouns

Don't be afraid to leave a like or reblog something, assume all original posts are okay to reblog unless tagged otherwise, I end up seeing a new person's blog, scrolling through it for hours and liking half the things on their blog and rbing anything that I find interesting, so seriously, don't be afraid to like/reblog too much

Also feel free to reblog and participate in tag games even if I haven't tagged you, tag me in things you think I would find interesting, even if we've never spoken, send me an ask about literally anything, or add a million asks whenever I reblog an ask list

I post about literally anything, mostly funky little children's cartoons, and have been known to spam reblog whatever my current interest is

For Bungo Stray Dogs content find me on @sammis-bsd-brainrot

For Scum Villain's Self Saving System content find me on @sammis-svsss-brainrot

For Hellaverse content find me on @sammis-hellaverse-brainrot

My asks tag is #the all knowing panda answers questions

I also have a pining tag (#panda pines) if you want to hear me yearn for a lover in the middle of the night and scroll through me venting about how much I love whatever crush I have at the time

Most (but not all) of my original posts are tagged with #panda posts

I now have a queue tag as well!! It's #panda practices patience (are you seeing an alliteration theme yet?) Idk why anyone would care about my queue tag but if you want it, there it is

I sometimes tag reblogs I talk a lot in the tags in with #panda rambles ? I don't remember to do it all the time but it happens occasionally

I'm writing a musical that's going to be produced in November/December 2024! Everything related to that is tagged #me when i write a musical if you'd like to hear more about that!

You will find no consistency here and I have no clue why people follow me

Currently Ranting About:

COTL my beloved... I've had this game for like two or three weeks and it is all my mind can think about ever

CHECK OUT THE QUEER CRISIS DISCORD SERVER!

Posts I'm Proud Of

These are basically posts that I spent more time on than others and want to have them easily displayed

I wrote a fic about the gay oars from Puppet History so.... If you wanna read it click this link....

And please follow my writing sideblog (@omni-scient-ramblings )/check out my writing Master List here!

If you've got a bio test on genetics coming up and want to read by helpful post on Punnet Squares and the difference between genotypes and phenotypes and all that fun stuff, you can click this link

ROTT rewrite!!!

Saved Posts (Please Ignore)

Saved Posts 2 (Please Ignore)

[bopinion]

2021 / 28

Aperçu of the Week:

"For some reason, the climate issue has suddenly become a global issue."

(Armin Laschet, current Minister President of, of all places, North Rhine-Westphalia, who apparently lacks both foresight and perspective. Yet he leads in the polls to become Germany's next chancellor).

Bad News of the Week:

Last week I wrote: "Who still doubts the man-made climate change: look out of the damn window!" And now it is really here, the climate change. Or rather its effects. On our doorstep. No more threatened islands in the South Pacific, no more melting polar ice caps far away, no more fires in North America, no more sinking groundwater in the Middle East - here, in our neighborhood, immediately, now.

It doesn't take a tsunami, a tornado, an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption. It just needs rain. Much rain. Lots of rain. Former small streams burst their banks as torrents, mountain slopes slide down, floods rush through inhabited areas, sweeping everything away. Entire towns are under water, houses collapse, cars are thrown around like tennis balls, complete infrastructures are destroyed, people drown - almost 200 so far.

In parts of Bavaria and Saxony, but especially in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, the pictures look like a war zone. Not only because military recovery vehicles are often the only vehicles that can even pass the roads full of rubble and mud. The suffering of fellow citizens who have lost a loved one or simply their entire possessions from one moment to the next seems incomprehensible. Overcoming the consequences is a joint task. Politicians are putting together aid packages, while the solidarity of individuals and the commitment of many volunteers are setting standards.

One of the hardest hit places is called "Schuld", literally "Guilt". And this brings a bizarre realization: yes, we are guilty for what is happening. Not an unexpected phenomenon that comes out of nowhere. But the concrete result of what we have done and are doing. Or rather, what we have not done or are not doing.

It is always said that a crisis is the hour of the executive. Because it can decide, take concrete measures, send help, make money available. Normally, this is done - yes, we are currently campaigning for the federal elections in September - at the expense of the opposition, which, in the absence of government responsibility, can really only show concern. In this case, the Greens, the strongest challenger to the current governing coalition of conservatives and social democrats. But they are the ones who have always warned about the consequences of ignoring nature, who have declared sustainability to be the guiding principle and who are the only ones with concrete environmental and climate protection plans in their party program. Let's see how this realistic far-sightedness and this credible commitment will carry the day when the voters have to put their crosses. Hopefully in the right place...

Good News of the Week:

At the Eurovision Song Contest, many are always surprised by the hardly known countries in Europe (okay, we'll leave out the questionable participations of Israel or Australia). This includes for example the Republica Moldova. A small country between Romania and Ukraine, (almost) on the Black Sea, one of the many former Soviet republics. It shares the same classic fate of autocratic structures, corruption, an ailing economy, isolation from the West, and dependence on big brother Russia. In Transnistria, there were already pro-Russian independence efforts supported by Moscow before there were more high-profile ones in the Ukrainian Donbas region.

But just as in Ukraine, a democratic spring is dawning. Back in the 2014 parliamentary elections, pro-EU parties won a clear majority of 55 seats to the pro-Russian 46, but then failed due to cronyism, dubious entanglements and sabotage. But then came Maia Sandu. Coming from the World Bank as a lateral entrant, she first gained a reputation as a fearless fighter against corruption as education minister in the Liberal Democratic Party before failing as prime minister due to a lack of support for her radical judicial reform. In 2020, however, as the candidate of the "Partidul Acțiune și Solidaritate" ("Action and Solidarity Party" / PAS), which she co-founded, she finally won the presidential election with 58% in the runoff against incumbent Igor Dodon.

In last week's parliamentary elections, PAS was now the clear winner, winning a clear absolute majority in parliament with 63 of 101 seats. Memories of Emanuel Macron and "En marche" are awakening. PAS and Sandu now have the power to shape the government, freed from coalition concessions or multiparty dependencies. And their objectives were unambiguously defined as democratization and turning toward Europe. Sandu: "The people here have been lied to and disappointed so many times". The election results express "the desire of our people that order be established in this country and that corruption be fought. People want law and justice."

The great challenge will be to rid the country's institutions of the felt, to clean up and reorganize the administrative apparatus. For only on this basis can an economic perspective emerge for one of the poorest countries in Europe. It is precisely this lack of prospects that has caused an exodus of those willing and able to perform: one-third of Moldova's population now lives abroad. Sandu's first priority is therefore to modernize the education system and infrastructure and to develop a healthy sector of small and medium-sized enterprises. Only then would positive outlooks for the future have been created for the population - by their own efforts and they could then seek cooperative support from the EU. That this is not a foregone conclusion can be seen by looking across the border to neighboring Romania: a member of the EU for 14 years, the country is still struggling with economic misery and fundamental structural reforms. One can only wish the Republic of Moldova all the best and Maia Sandu a lucky hand.

Personal happy moment of the week:

I don't really know...

How pleased am I that Japan will not succumb to the commercial temptation to allow the same spectator madness at the Summer Olympics starting next week as England and Hungary did at the European soccer championships?

How satisfied am I to have found a solid solution to a complex challenge in weekend work that I can present to colleagues in the office tomorrow?

How relieved am I to live neither on a riverbank nor in a valley and therefore to be exposed to flood hazards only in underground garages and underpasses?

How happy am I that my wife will be standing in the kitchen tonight while I open the red wine, listen to the spherical sounds of Tangerine Dream and comfortably read the newspaper?

In some weeks you just have to be satisfied with the little pleasures in between. All good.

I couldn't care less...

...that insurance companies fear being confronted with claims arising from the flood disaster. After all, their business model should be to provide support in the event of an emergency. And not to look for backdoors and exclusion clauses in the fine print of their cryptic contracts.

As I write this...

...I'm tasting delicious olives my daughter brought back from her graduation trip in Tuscany.

[navree]

unless you’ve amassed an entire army to overthrow the government and implement your revolution, voting is all we’ve fucking got katniss and if you’re in a position to freely do it and decide “eh not gonna bother” without looking at the privilege that allows you to do so you’re a moron and not a good person

i really just saw a post saying not to shame nonvoters and counterpoint, absolutely shame nonvoters. if someone had the ability vote in this election and chose not to then i personally believe that they are fundamentally a bad person and should be shamed, sorry

[yourmomwatchesskam]

This is hilarious. TharnType and Effect are NOT for teenagers! They have stereotypes that are DANGEROUS for lgbt+ community! I don't know much about both this series but for example tharntype this is serie where not gay man was raped and then he's living with gay man in one room and they started war. And you know what this gay roommate do? He kissed him when he was drunk and touched him. And this is only beginning (i don't know what next and i don't wanna know). You can watch it but be aware

I’m thinking that we have pretty different definitions of ‘hilarious.’

CW/TW (sexual assault)

My teen group consists of 16-19 y/o, which the u18 y/o need permission slips from their parents for anything rated M. 

With that being said, the common theme in both of these series is sexual assault. There is absolutely nothing hilarious about censoring this information from teenage viewers (which are the majority of their viewers) especially LGBT+ youth. 

We watched The Effect & had some very important discussions following the series.. Discussions we wouldn’t have had without watching it. 

The LGBT+ Community is already full of stereotypes, & it’s important that young people are aware of them.. whether they are participating in that behavior, witnessing it from others, or experiencing it themselves. Awareness is key, & by shielding them from the harsh realities that exist, doesn’t make it go magically away.

It’s long, but here’s the article I just published about it: (TRIGGER WARNING)

How Culture Crosses Over in International LGBT+ Films

*trigger warning/content warning

I facilitate a LGBT+ Support Group for teens, parents, & teachers integrating the use of film & media to focus on current & relevant topics that youth are facing in today’s society. Society variables change across cultures in how they affect LGBT people, but there are a few major things that don’t get lost in translation. So when the teen group asked that we watch & discuss these international shows, I agreed.

In the United States, the suicide rate for boys & girls remains the same until 10 years old, but after that, the suicide rate doubled for 10–14 year old boys. At 15–19, they’re 4 times more likely to die by suicide & 5 times more likely by age 20–25. (Although, the highest rate for men is middle-age.) Also in the United States, at least 1 in 6 boys under 18 years old are victims of sexual assault or rape.

I don’t know Thailand’s stats, & I’m not going to attempt to speak on behalf of their culture when it comes to such sensitive subjects, but this is a prime example of when LGBT films around the world, & across many different cultures, provides accurate & relatable representation for a large variety of different audiences. With stats like these, if you haven’t experienced something like this yourself, chances are you know someone that has.

These are the significantly complex, yet very necessary conversations we need to be having. Especially on behalf of those who are unable to have them because they’re too afraid or ashamed to. From what I know, the themes of these shows are unlike a lot of other plots that these drama series normally have- which is why so many people (that haven’t read the novels) have been surprised by them. There are, however, many people & reviews showing support for highlighting such issues. The thing is, people know all too well that these issues exist. That’s why some people watch shows like this to begin with, because it provides an escape from the everyday world. But, no matter how true that may be, it’s also important to make room for the other side of LGBT experiences & allow them to be brought to attention as well.

The Effect was a prime example of:

Kind behavior getting misinterpreted as flirting.

“Flirting” getting misinterpreted as consent for sex.

Sex being rejected but still getting disregarded.

Rape, followed by victim-blaming & shaming because “they were the one that started it.”

Followed by fear, shame, guilt, obligation, confusion, regret, a decline in mental health in some cases & at worst, the inability to feel safe within one’s own mind/body, that the only option believed to be available for escape from the inevitable pain, is death.

It’s important to note that we weren’t told the sexual orientation of the main character in The Effect. & I think this highlights the prominent question of, “Does it matter?” Because what we absolutely do know is that he said no.

There is a quote from a scene in CMBYN where Mrs. Pearlman is reading an excerpt from a book with the quote, “Is it better to speak or to die?” & although it sounds fictitious in nature, the truth behind that is people believe some things are best left unsaid when it comes to their own irreconcilable feelings. In some cases, that can be helpful. But, in other cases, it can be harmful. Men are taught to be strong, to not appear weak, to toughen up, to put yourself last, to let bygones be bygones, to not show emotion (aside from anger), & to not talk about uncomfortable things to help prevent others from feeling uncomfortable as well. As a result, what’s also taught is to quickly move past those feelings, but what happens to those that can’t?

How are people supposed to move past pain that they’re not allowed to have, but are forced to keep? That’s not strength, that’s suppression.

Depending on culture & other circumstances, mental health therapy might not even be (considered) an option. Depending on the individual, there might not be any reporting of the crime, as we saw on The Effect. Many cases don’t ever get reported, & some that do, an arrest is never made. This is something every country can relate to, but not everyone country is talking about. & with the stigma attached to it with the way that trauma affects the mind & the body, who could blame anyone for not wanting to draw even more attention to their experience by bringing it in the spotlight?

If you’re also watching the show TharnType, you know that we get direct insight into a person’s trauma response, as well as what can sometimes happen as a result of when it does get reported. Not that anyone’s trying to condone Type’s homophobia & his personal struggle with his own sexuality, but if we are to condemn it, at least we understand it. We know a few things: Type being attracted to Tharn is not a result of the childhood assault that occurred. Just because Type is attracted to Tharn doesn’t have to necessarily mean he’s exclusively gay (although he very well could be). & if he were gay, it doesn’t make him an offender. (Even though a lot of society tends to think this way.) There is a common misconception that all gay/bi men are pedophiles & rapists, often stemming from men who have been the victims of abuse/rape as children, to older predatory men. Sex offenders exist within all categories of: age, race, class, nationality, religion, sexuality, profession, income, political party etc.. nothing is exempt.

We need to be able to communicate clearly that sexual abuse/rape is not a sexual orientation. & that suicide does not only affect people with mental illness.

These are both emotionally involved/intense shows with such deeper meaning, that are definitely worth the watch. If you are sensitive to these topics than proceed with caution for The Effect because it is very graphic. However, with such prevalent topics, they are necessary conversations to have that we can no longer afford to avoid.

*To watch The Effect with English subs: https://tv.line.me/embed/10372516

*To watch TharnType with English subs: https://tv.line.me/embed/10255603

If you are in crisis, call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to anyone. All calls are confidential. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Or The Trevor Lifeline at 1–866–488–7386 or via text by texting START to 678678

If you were the victim of sexual abuse/assault & are seeking support: 1in6.org