#I just feel strongly about this

[anxious-alien-overlord]

Ya’ll we need to stop spreading the narrative that Ariel gave up everything for a man, because she didn’t. The whole first sequence of the movie after the beginning credits is dedicated to her forgetting about an event she was supposed to go to because she wanted to swim around in a sunken ship and find human things. Part of your world was a song about her dream to be human, and to learn more about their culture.

She’s a headstrong teenager who dreams of going to the human world because she’s fascinated by it! She initially swims to Eric’s ship because she sees fireworks and she’s never seen fireworks before. When she gets there she spots Eric who just so happens to be human and she saves him, longing now to be part of the human world so she could be with him. Longing being the key word here because I think seeing Eric and interacting with him made up her mind about she wanted to do.

She didn’t even know that becoming human was an option until the eels told her about Ursula, then she made the impulsive decision to go see her. In her mind her dad had wrecked the only things she had to represent the human world and kissing Eric was how she got to fulfill her dream. Sure, she falls in love with him along the way but her whole thing was wanting to be human, which she got in the end.

[shiningstarlight101]

After reading Red Riding Hood I remembered there's a nursery rhyme in my language about it and got nostalgic

And then the first one youtube shows me completely takes away the final line (probably to make it more sanitised). But I'd be lying if I said it didn't annoy me lmao. Because it kinda takes away from the song?

Translated the lyrics are:

Say, Red Riding Hood, where are you going

So alone, so alone?

Say, Red Riding Hood, where are you going

So alone?

I'm bringing cookies to grandma

In the forest, in the forest

I'm bringing cookies to grandma

In the forest

In the forest, wild animals live

In the forest, in the forest

In the forest, wild animals live

In the forest

I'm not scared of the wild animals

I'm not scared, I'm not scared

I'm not scared of the wild animals

I'm not scared

Watch out there comes the wolf

Watch out, watch out

Watch out there comes the wolf

Watch out...

Now with that said, the version I saw on Youtube is by a popular Dutch nursery rhyme channel and she just took the entire final part away. Which kinda destroys the whole song imo?

Red Riding Hood is nothing without her wolf. It makes the story into a girl who just takes a stroll in the forest without a care in the world.

The song is a conversation between Red Riding Hood and a village person. It's supposed to be someone warning her, her ignoring those warnings and the wolf then approaching her for the story of Red riding Hood to take place. It shows that she might not be scared but it doesn't mean there is not danger.

Why would you take it away, it just isn't about Red riding Hood at all anymore

[anxiouslittlecarrot]

I want everybody who’s calling Ken a Trophy Husband to know that he’s actually a Trophy Boyfriend, because when Ruth Handler invented Ken in the 1960s, she was adamant that he would never marry her and instead be her “handsome steady”, so that Barbie remained a figure of independence for the little girls and was never put in the position of housewife.

Her house is hers. She bought it and furnished it with money she made in her own job. In STEM, in politics, in healthcare, in fashion, in academy, in customer service. Her credit card is in her name (women in the US couldn’t have their own regardless of marital status until 1974). And it’s all pink and fashionable because femininity and badassness aren’t mutually exclusive. No matter who you are, you can be anything.

That’s why Barbie’s slogan is “you can be anything”. Teaching these ideals to little girls is why Barbie was created. Empowering women and empowering femininity is the original meaning of the Barbie doll. It’s not that you have to be all this to be a woman, but if you are all or some of this, you too are awesome.

And somehow pop culture deliberately changed that narrative. Sexualised, bimbofied, and villainised her, when she actually isn’t responsible for the impossible beauty standards — people are, she’s just a stylised, not-to-scale toy like most others.

Men are frothing because he’s just Ken and I guess they were expecting her to be just Barbie, but that’s exactly what Ken is. Canonically. A badass woman’s himbo boyfriend.

This movie has the potential to radically change the way we collectively see Barbie into what Ruth Handler originally intended, I’m so very excited

[kittyprincessofcats]

ICJ Ruling

Okay, let's get into this.

First of all, I get the frustration at the court not ordering a ceasefire. I was disappointed and frustrated at first too, since a ceasefire was the biggest and most important preliminary measure South Africa was requesting - and of course we just all want this horror to finally end for the people in Gaza. So I get the frustration and disappointment, I really do.

However, I do think this ruling is still a major win for South Africa, Palestine, and international law as a whole and here's why:

The court acknowledged that it has jurisdiction over this case and completely dismissed Israel's request to throw out the case as a whole. It will now determine at the merits stage (that will probably take years) whether Israel is actually commiting genocide.

The court acknowledged that Palestinians are a "distinct national or ethnic group and therefore deserving of protection under the genocide convention". Pull this out next time someone tells you "there's no such thing as Palestinians, they're all just Arabs".

The court acknowledged very unambiguously that "at least some" of Israel's actions being genocidal in nature is "plausible". South Africa has a case, officially. Israel is accused of genocide, in a way the ICJ deems "plausible", officially. This is huge. (And seriously, how freaking satisfying was it to hear all of those genocidal statements by Israeli politicians read out loud and used as justification for this rulling?)

The court might not have ordered a "ceasefire" in those words, but they did order Israel to "immediately end all genocidal acts" (which includes killing and injuring Palestinians) and submit proof that they actually did. How are they going to comply with this ruling without at least severly reducing or changing what they're doing in Gaza?

In fact, this wording might actually be more appropriate for a genocide (vs a war), as author and journalist Ali Abunimah notes on Twitter:

He's completely right. Israel lost today, by overwhelming majority (I mean, 15 to 2? I heard people predict the rulings would be very close, like 9 judges vs 8, but instead we got 15 to 2 (and even 16 to 1 on the humanitarian aid). Holy shit.) The court disimissed almost everything Israel's side of lawyers said, while acknowledging that South Africa's accusations are "plausible".

And this is important especially because of Mr Abunimah's second tweet there^. Because the question is, where do we go from here?

This ruling means that Israel is officially /possibly/ commiting genocide and that should have huge international consequences. The rest of the world now HAS to take these accusations seriously and stop arming and supporting Israel - and if they won't do it on their own, we, the people, have to make them. This is THE moment to rise up all around the world, especially in the countries most supportive of Israel (the US, the UK, Germany): Protest, call your representatives and demand a ceasefire and an end of arms deliveries to Israel.

We now have a legal case to back our demands: If Israel is, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" commiting genocide, then all of our governments are, according to the ICJ, "plausibly" guiltly of aiding in genocide. And we need to hold that over their heads and demand better. We need to do that right now and in huge numbers. Most politicians only care about themselves and saving their skin. We have to make them realize that they could be accused of aiding in genocide.

(As a German, I'm thinking of Germany here in particular: After South Africa's hearing, our government dismissed their case as having "no basis" - how are they going to keep saying that now that the ICJ officially thinks otherwise? Over the last months, people here have been arrested at protests for calling what's happening in Gaza a genocide. How are the police supposed to legally keep doing that now that the ICJ has officially deemed this accusation "plausible"? I used to be scared to use the word "genocide" at protests or write it on my protest signs - not anymore, have fun trying to arrest me for that when the ICJ literally has my back on this one 🖕🏻.)

So yeah - don't be defeatist about this, don't let Israel's narrative that they "won" (they didn't) take over. This might not be everything we wanted, but it's still a good result. Don't let what the court didn't say ("ceasefire"), distract you from the very important things that they did say. Let this be your motivation to get loud and active, especially if you live in any country that supports Israel. Put pressure on your governments to not be complicit in genocide, you now officially have the highest international court on your side.

[egophiliac]

finally got some time to finish these guys up! which is sort of ironic considering I started these because I wanted to draw Malleus with a Dragapult, and then I just didn't for a million years!

Malleus has the aforementioned Dragapult, except it's a super special non-canon color Dragapult (like an anime-only form that you could get in-game exclusively through some limited-time event where you have to show up in-person at a specific location in Japan) (it has some wacky overpowered exclusive move/form and the OT is listed as Malleus) (so like that kind of ridiculous specialness) (Leona is extremely salty about this). also hoards and hoards of Dreepy. Dreepy LOVE Malleus. they take naps on his horns inbetween begging him to throw them across the island at mach speeds.

Lilia has a Drampa and a bunch of Woobat that he hasn't actually caught, they just follow him around in swarms because they sense a kinship with him. (also breaking my own rule again to say that he had a Mawile in the past, because...I just really wanted to give him a Mawile...)

Sebek has Sandile for obvious reasons, and also a Pikachu that bullies him relentlessly. :(

Silver has a shiny Corvisquire; I really went back-and-forth on also giving him an Aegislash, but...hm. those pokedex entries though. he can stick with just one for now.

(I hadn't planned on the shiny for him, but after I'd decided on the Corvisquire line and was looking it up for reference, I realized that shiny Rookidee is gold and then turns silver when it evolves and I lost my entire goddamn mind)

[questionably-audhd-oracle]

I feel like (some) people DO appreciate small talk, but what they hate is INSINCERE small talk- that coworker sounds very sincere! Asking questions she actually wants the answers to! But usually I can easily tell the difference between people talking out of obligation/to fill silence and people who are genuinely interested in knowing more about you

I know this is the Anti Small Talk Website but small talk is one of the most effective social glues out there for getting to know people and forming friendships with them.

When I was just starting out at a job right after college I had a coworker who I thought was the nicest person alive and after a few weeks I realized this was just because she consistently asked other people things like, "How ya doing? Whatcha having for lunch? Got any weekend plans? Seen any good movies lately?" instead of politely ignoring everyone around her.

[jorenilee]

good ace attorns

[moonhze]

anadius has made it so so easy and safe for people to obtain ts4 and all of its packs without paying for them and i really wish more people knew about this bc the only way to get EA to pay attention to the terrible state of the game is to literally stop giving them money, 🏴‍☠️ the packs to keep playing the game u enjoy but know they only care about appeasing their shareholders/investors/whatever they are and they're all driven by money and have very little interest in the playable state of the game in terms of bugs and features unless the game is so broken that people are actively demanding refunds in mass or just not buying the packs at all.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Bonus 8: How met your mother (CSSR design by @qourmet!)

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[smorgasbort]

Clocks which just zoom around are just measuring time out into one long, hard-to-process noodle, which is how I already experience it automatically by way of being alive.

By tick-tocking, the clock helpfully severs time into manageable little chunks and cuts away the past from the present.

The tick-tock configuration is far superior.

[tobercat]

aro/ace themed valentine's day teddy bears ^^ because i just recently found out i might be arospec but also just cuz like..... why not

[limbel]

🏳️‍🌈 day 1 ~ figuring out

young dean scribbling notes and little hearts around cutout pictures of shirtless cowboys in his secret notebook. he doesn't know what it is, or how to name it, but one thing for sure is that he knows it's always been there

[timetravelingtoamess]

Sorry i just have to comment on this cuz this is (was) my job and i hear all the time that "game design is easy and anyone can do it"

But like, its not easy at all. We're in charge of making so many aspects of a game. From flows to feelings to challenges just like this

And its such a delicate balance of challenging a huge demographic of diverse players while making sure they have enough material to encourage them. You have to let them believe they can face everything the game throws at them, which may include the smallest adjustments so they don't potentially quit for it being "unfair"

Every choice SHOULD be made with players in mind, so when gamers say dev don't care, its bogus. We do, and we try to make things for both us and them to enjoy

Does that mean that every game is for everyone? Not at all. There are genre preferences. But it should be open to everyone

Anyways, i was laid off because the company i was at figured that marketing (people who make choices so that metrics are good and people are addicted to coming back) was better at making these choices in design than their actual designers

Please just trust that most designers want games to be like this post. Fun, engaging, and capable of making you believe you can overcome challenges, no matter how big the boss is

Ick, rant over

[buggachat]

(random s5 finale musings) tbh I don't think Marinette chose to keep The Secrets™ from Adrien because Gabriel asked her to. I feel like Marinette keeping secrets like that is so consistent with her character; she hates giving people bad news, she hates rocking the boat, she hates upsetting people, she always chooses to keep any 'controversial' information to herself for as long as she can get away with (examples: bubbler scarf, telling Queen Bee she was benched, confessing to Adrien, warning Chat Noir about Scarabella or Rena Furtive, never told Chat Noir about Chat Blanc, etc) that I just totally believe she would've done it either way. She was even already having nightmares about Adrien hating her for finding out she defeated his father, so I feel like Gabriel's request was moreso giving her a go-ahead than it was a primary deciding factor, yknow?

[bamboorocket]

IDK y'all I just think Okami portrays a very interesting mutual relationship between the gods of its world and the people who believe in them. It's all but outright said that a god is only as strong as the worship it receives, and when the people's belief in the gods starts to wane, they start growing weaker. It's even reflected in the mechanics: the resource you use to make your health/ink/etc stronger is praise. When you arrive in mortal Nippon, worship is at a low, and you are nowhere near the glory you used to be, and only through spending the Praise you get along the way do you start to actually level up and feel like the god you're meant to be.

But it's not all on the people to be worshipping the gods. The relationship is mutual: when people feel the gods don't show themselves in things not 'big enough' to warrant their presence, they start regulating them to things of fairy tale and legend, only praying to them in times of strife and when they're 'needed', and not often in between. And sure, the main quests give you enough praise to get you up from ground zero and get you over the proverbial finish line. But the only way you can max out your stats--reach that level of godhood you know you can be-- is to put in the effort to do some of the sidequests too.

Errands as nothing more than that Weird Dog running around town. Blooming trees and plants with no one around to watch you. Hell, even feeding animals that don't once speak back in your tongue. Praise no one is giving you because a favor was asked first. Praise out of gratitude for making the world just a little bit better, even when it's outside of what's expected from a god of your station.

If you find ways to show that you love the world you look after, the world will show that it loves you back.

And that is what makes you truly powerful.

[notebooks-and-laptops]

I am once again imploring people to stop claiming that the companions and factions needed to be sanded down compared to previous games because otherwise there would have been Discourse. I am imploring you to stop thinking that any world (real or fictional) needs to be smoothed down and made simple to make others comfortable. I am asking you to think about what that implies when the 'softening' relates to things like characters cultural heritage, systematic oppression they've experienced, their trauma or even their anger. Demand better from your stories; do NOT fall into the trap of thinking that fan Discourse and Bad Reactions should be avoided at all costs. This is Not something we want to be encouraging or a direction we want all our mainstream media to head in.