#Sometimes I legitimately forget that I'm in reality

[writingwithcolor]

Depicting Real World Religions Alongside Constructed Religions

Maya asked:

Hi WWC! Thank you so much for this blog, it's an infinitely wonderful resource! Do you have any suggestions for how I can balance representation of real religions with fantasy religions, or should I avoid including these together? Does the fact that certain things bleed over from our world into the fantasy world help legitimize the appearance of real world religions? I feel like I can come up with respectful ways to integrate representation in ways that make sense for the worldbuilding. For instance, no Muslim characters would practice magic, and both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding). I also have some ideas for how these religions came about that fit between handwave and analogous history (though I realize the Qur'an is unchangeable, so I'm guessing Islam would have come about in the same way as IRL). BTW—I'm referring to humans, not other species coded as Muslim or Jewish. I may explore the concept of jinns more (particularly as how Muslims perceive fantastical beings), but I definitely need to do a lot more research before I go down that road! Finally, I saw a post somewhere (*but* it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily  veer into appropriation-territory.  *One of the posts that I'm referring to in case you need a better reference of *my* reference: defining coding and islam-coded-fantasy

[This long ask was redacted to pull out the core questions asked]

"Both Jewish and Muslim characters would conceive of magic in ways that fit their religion (rather than trying to adapt real religions to fit my worldbuilding)."

Just a note that while having religion be part of magic is a legitimate way to write fantasy, I want to remind people that religious characters can also perform secular magic. Sometimes I feel like people forget about that particular worldbuilding option. (I feel this one personally because in my own books I chose to make magic secular so that my nonmagical heroine wouldn’t seem less close to God somehow than her wizard adoptive dad, who is an objectively shadier person.) I’m not saying either way is more or less correct or appropriate, just that they’re both options and I think sometimes people forget about the one I chose. But anyway moving on—

Your decision to make the water spirits not actual deities is a respectful decision given the various IRL monotheistic religions in your story, so, thank you for that choice. I can see why it gets messy though, since some people in-universe treat those powers as divine. I guess as long as your fantasy Jews aren’t being depicted as backwards and wrong and ignoring in-universe reality in favor of in-universe incorrect beliefs, then you’re fine…

"I saw a post somewhere (but it might have been someone else's commentary) suggesting to integrate certain aspects of Judaism (e.g., skullcaps in sacred places/while praying, counting days from sundown instead of sunset) into fantasy religions (monotheistic ones, of course) to normalize these customs, but as a non-Jewish person I feel this could easily veer into appropriation-territory."

That was probably us, as Meir and I both feel that way. What would make it appropriative is if these very Jewish IRL markers were used to represent something other than Judaism. It's not appropriative to show Jewish or Jewish-coded characters wearing yarmulkes or marking one day a week for a special evening with two candles or anything else we do if it's connected to Jewishness! To disconnect the markers of us from us is where appropriation starts to seep in.

–Shira

To bounce off what Shira said above, the source of the magic can be religious or secular--or put another way, it can be explicitly granted be a deity or through engagement with a specific religious practice, or it can be something that can be accessed with or without engaging with a certain set of beliefs or practices. It sounds like you’re proposing the second one: the magic is there for anyone to use, but the people in this specific religion engage with it through a framework of specific ideas and practices.

If you can transform into a “spirit” by engaging with this religion, and I can transform into a “spirit” through an analogous practice through the framework of Kabbalah, for example, and an atheist can transform through a course of secular technical study, then what makes yours a religion is the belief on your part that engaging in the process in your specific way, or choosing to engage in that process over other lifestyle choices, is in some way a spiritual good, not the mechanics of the transformation. If, on the other hand, humans can only access this transformative magic through the grace of the deities that religion worships, while practitioners of other religions lack the relationship with the only gods empowered to make that magic, that’s when I’d say you had crossed into doing more harm than good by seeking to include real-world religions.

Including a link below to a post you might have already seen that included the “religion in fantasy worldbuilding alignment chart.” It sounds like you’re in the center square, which is a fine place to be. The center top and bottom squares are where I typically have warned to leave real-world religions out of it.

More reading:

Jewish characters in a universe with author-created fictional pantheons

–Meir

[ckret2]

I MAY HAVE just had a Ford kin moment reading your latest chapter. I legitimately read Bill saying "magics not real" and my first thought was "huh I wonder why he believes that. Maybe something about the semantics of the definition? or the context?" It SOMEHOW did not occur to me that sometimes Bill lies and is a liar. At this rate I am going to forget he's a triangle next. Great chapter by the way!

SDLHFLK Bill claims to be a trapezoid and everyone wonders which corner is actually a very tiny 4th side before remembering that sometimes he just lies recreationally. Calling that a Ford kin moment is so funny/accurate.

But actually: yeah, you're supposed to think that!! I wanted you to briefly take him at face value, and wonder: what's his definition of "magic" for him to say it's not real, is this an "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" deal, does he know too much about the true inner workings of magic to call it that word anymore? What do we know now about Bill that we didn't know before, that he exists in a world where chanting bad Latin raises corpses into zombies and he can say "what's happening here isn't magic"?

But also he lies. In three days he might say "computers are magic, kid!" and expect you to take him just as seriously.

I think truth is malleable to him. Most of the things he says live in the fuzzy space between honest and dishonest, and even he doesn't settle on which they are unless he says something later on that retroactively establishes the level of (dis)honesty of the thing he said earlier. His idea of reality isn't steel-hard facts but soft mushy clay, and he squishes it around with his words not based on what he thinks is true but based on what feels right.

"Magic isn't real" means "magic isn't the proper mental framework through which to examine the current phenomenon or phenomena like it, therefore right now I am dispensing of it as an option to ensure that we examine the situation exclusively with non-magical tools," and also means "magic literally isn't real, you're mistaking other things for magic," but also magic literally IS real and Bill's just fucking around, unless magic isn't real and I'm the one fucking around by calling Bill's claim into question. The ambiguity goes all the way down, my friend. Magic is subjective; what is magic? Can you define it? Maybe Bill and the invisible narrative voice just have different definitions.

I think that while he said "magic isn't real" Bill believed magic wasn't real, but he probably changed his mind within thirty seconds. It's really easy to sound confident in a lie when you buy your own bull.

[brw]

How would you describe xfans' politics?

I mean, you ultimately can't make any actual generalisations of someone's politics based on what they read and watch. Media can and often does inform people's thoughts and influences them, but you cannot come to any legitimate conclusion of someone's politics based exclusively on what they read. When I criticise "X-Men fans", it is usually done with the understanding that I'm looking at a particularly small, vocal minority; by definition, I am an X-Men fan, because I read a lot of X-Men books.

Reading X-Men comics is not (no matter how much some people imply otherwise) political action. It is not an indicator of politics. Too often, I see people say "Conservative X-Men fans are crazy, they have no reading comprehension! The X-Men have always been left!!" and to be honest, that's giving a lot of X-Men writers way too much credit.

Claremont, as I've talked about before, is a Zionist who based his Magneto characterisation of a Zionist terrorist. His Charles, too, and had both of them meet for the first time in Occupied Palestine. I believe he has also gone on the record as saying that many of his female X-Men characters were based on female IDF soldiers. He also very much so made Storm a cop.

Grant Morrison, beloved X-Men writer, was horrifically racist to Asian people in their comic, most particularly with the portrayal of Dust, and having Magneto be in yellowface for that whole comic. There are other issues with Talia Al Ghul of DC, but that's out of my remit. There's a lot of criticism to be had about the portrayal of black people in their series, too.

John Byrne's many, many issues are more readily discussed, but he's still a massive part of the X-Men lore and history, and describes himself as a "progressive conservative".

And while I don't believe we know very much about their politics, I also don't think that Hickman or Duggan should be paraded around as bastions of leftist fiction, when they really aren't. I'm not saying these writers haven't written leftist things before, but it it is a mistake to say that the X-Men are inherently leftist and inherently progressive, when a lot of X-Men writers are not those things.

I think some people, by virtue of the X-Men being a series about the minority experience, project their own feelings and politics onto the X-Men, and sometimes forget that isn't reality. That's how we get "Magneto was right" as a fandom rally cry, but if you imply that maybe the character based off a Zionist, who canonically lived in Israel, and has created 3 different mutant ethnostates are two facts that inform each other, then you're crazy and ruining everyone's fun.

Anyway. Point being, I don't think you can meaningfully say "ALL X-Men fans are like this", when comics are ultimately nothing that can be used to make conclusions of people's politics. The only thing unique to the X-Men is that the minority metaphor and experience is the core premise of their stories, unlike the Avengers and FF who, while having characters like Ben Grimm and The Vision who undergo similar treatment, are not about that at their core in the same way the X-Men are. The centralisation of minorities makes it easy for the X-Men to feel radical and cutting edge, but they aren't that much, to be honest. Like, they are ultimately a capitalist venture created by a group of predominantly white Americans (although the current X office is more diverse than it has been since, well, ever, and that shouldn't be ignored), and are never going to be as radical as you want because of that. Cyclops is never going to be right the way you want him to be right, because Brian Michael Bendis is not going to be giving the people radical leftist praxis.

[arcanistvysoren]

So I actually have a personal anecdote about this. cw: discussions of sex / unrealistic and skeevy sex expectations...? idk

When I was in my first year of uni, I still sometimes hung out with my old school classmates. And, you know, high school is that time when plenty of allosexual teenagers start getting horny and having various sexual experiences. Meanwhile, my queer ace ass was like that one tumblr post: The leading man and woman make long, lingering eye contact? They’re thinking about bread. I know I am. No interest in sex, or dating, and no libido to speak of. Which wasn't an unknown fact. It's high school. Everyone's experimenting, bragging, PDAing all over the place. And I wasn't unpopular, I've been asked out a few times, and everyone knew I shot those offers down. So, now we're in college, and to the "horror" of my horny having-sex-all-the-time peers, I'm 19 and still a virgin.

And this one boy. That I've gone to school with for 7 years. That I've been ostensibly friendly with, if not exactly friends. Decided to express his concern to me over the fact. And the argument that he made. Which, you know, the way he put it was that it was "scientifically proven", or something. It was science! It was definitely not something he picked up from watching hours of hentai every day. The argument was that what happens to repressed girl, to girls who are virgins for so long, is that when they finally experience an orgasm brought on by a moderately skillful penis. Is that it is, quite literally, a mind-shattering experience for them. For about ten whole minutes, with an entirely straight face, he tried to convince me that the hentai trope where the shy or stuck-up virgin girl gets deflowered by the hentai protagonist, and then her IQ bottoms out and she goes sex-crazy, forgets everything about her career and starts sucking every dick in the vicinity with a permanent ahegao face. Was in fact reality. And he tried to forewarn me that I should really endeavor to pop my cherry because if I wait too long, then I will just snap after my first orgasm. Which he a 100% believed was a real thing that happened to girls.

I've gone to school with that guy for 7 years, sat with him at the same desk for several years in one class, we did a school play together, and 10+ years later I legitimate don't remember a single other thing I've talked to him about. This is literally the only conversation that I remember.

i wish i could see this picture for the first time again

[arolesbianism]

Shakes like a small dog. Someee au rambles under the cut 👍

Hello. Isat eternal gales au is in my mind and it's making me a bit insane and I'm in a hell of my own creation. Just pretend this isn't eternal gales related and that this isn't missing important context from eternal gales k? Cool let's go

So I decided to fuck with some roles and timeline shenanigans a smidge. Basically, the universe has gone through three iterations, the first with comic frin and their squad, along with the king being their final boss. The island wasn't erased in this original version of reality, but the time loop was like legitimately broken in this version of reality due to the damage the King did to get access to the ability to even slightly manipulate time, as time is supposed to be Siffrin's domain. After the narrator finally noticed this mistake, they rolled back reality and tried to run it again, but wasn't able to fully get rid of comic Siffrin due to, again, time being their domain. This became a massive issue as during the reset, the narrator reworked some things, including changing most of the cast and removing the island from existence. This leads to comic Siffrin and the new Siffrin and King forgetting all about the island, and comic Siffrin being left only barely being able to hold onto any details about their old party.

This ofc, leads to a massive freak out on comic Sif's part, leading them to becoming the sort of new king figure, desperately lashing out at the universe and causing the new party to be dragged to the universe core to deal with them. This is where we get or sasasa stand in, but with the king actually being a part of the party in this reality since comic Sif got to the job first. You'd think King would be a bit of a problem here, but since comic Sif is destroying reality more than preserving it he is still adamantly opposed to their methods, even if their goals are smth he fully agrees with. Sasasa Siffrin gets stuck looping for a shit ton of time, before eventually giving up and more or less forcing the narrators hand into another reset

Seeing that comic Siffrin had basically already taken over King's domain, the narrator didn't see a need to keep King around as a role anymore. Removing him and relegating Siffrin number two to be contained within the forest that the time flower (aka the being that all three Sif's are connected to and draw their power from) is located in and having them act as a bit of an anchor point for the newest Siffrin to hopefully have a bit more control over the loops for the sake of saving time (aka all the fun quality of life features yay) and this leads into where the actual main story starts, yippee

One last fun fact! Comic Siffrin takes on the title and role of King after he too gets written out of the story, as they can still somewhat cling to the memory of him, and they're desperate to hold onto that memory for as long as they can. Oh also, due to their connection with time being much Much weaker than it used to be due to them mostly taking over King's old domain and their original domain now being stretched across 3 people, they have mostly lost the ability to remember loops, with only the vague awareness that they've been stuck fighting for a very long time. They remember that the loops exist sometimes tho, and they don't take it very well when they do

[windsails]

okay. well that was a lot today. i'm sorry.

but i deserve to get through this and to live the best life I can. Something I realized today is the reason I post so many of my thoughts online is because I was hoping someone would be able to help me, even if it's only indirectly

Although that hasn't really happened, I am still learning to help myself and trust myself. One step forward, two steps back. It's not always easy, there are relapses and I forget sometimes

but the idea that I deserve to be happy, that everyone deserves a good life and to be happy, is really important

I have to fight for it, I have to be willing to stand up against negative energies which want to capture my life and sabotage it. I deserve better than that. I deserve to have positive energy

I think in the past I have sometimes tried to take on energies I wasn't strong enough to stand up to. What I know now is that sometimes one person alone isn't strong enough to take on some negative force in the world. Sometimes you need help, and sometimes you've gotta retreat and get stronger until you're ready

just like with anything else, facing difficult emotions is something you have to know your limits on. it takes legitimate energy, just like running or climbing or anything else, to face negativity. I'm starting to take that reality more seriously now. and just, to remember that i deserve a good life and so does everyone else

[feeshybeach]

It's nice to know I'm not alone, but it's a double-edged sword in a way.

The first time I got COVID, it was in December of 2019. My entire family got sick, and out of everyone, I was the sickest. I had a high fever for a few days, and it was to the point where I was so sick I legitimately couldn't tell you if I was dead or alive. I was Sick to the point I Could Not Tell if I was even on earth or in this reality or whatever the fuck. I would not recommend it. I nearly went to the E.R. and would have if my fever didn't break.

I've likely had it a few more times since then. But not to that level. Regardless of that, though, I am chronically tired, I am always in severe pain, and some days, it is near impossible to force myself out of bed. I have to use a cane, I'm lucky enough not to need it on the farm most days, but I need it often enough.

Due to having COVID, I suddenly have a lot more allergies to food than I have ever had before, I can't eat most seafood, especially salmon, without going into near anaphylaxis. I caught another illness due to a weakened immune system (caused by COVID) that made me go through two surgeries and left me with permanent liver damage.

I have what my partner and I call Fainting Goat syndrome. Where sometimes for seemingly no reason I just. Faint. I have to be exceedingly careful not to overwork, and that's hard for me simply due to my living situation.

Smaller wounds take longer to heal, though for some reason, this didn't apply to top surgery? Those healed faster than normal. Trans win, I guess?

I went septic recently, as well. They never found out the reason in full, but I have to be far, far more careful with everything I do, especially when it comes to any sort of infection BECAUSE of long COVID.

My ability to communicate, take in information, and remember information, all of that jazz has been affected in part due to long COVID. It is also affected by CPTSD, DID, GAD, and depression so I can't really give COVID all the credit there, but.. It's impacted it enough to be an active issue.

It made my quality of life worse, and relatively speaking, I've gotten off light despite the fact that I am likely, permanently disabled. I get sick so much easier, and when I am sick, it lasts for much longer than it used to. I have more intense breathing problems than I had before. Some days, my disabilities are bad enough that I really wish I could use a wheelchair as my legs simply feel. Broken.

My sense of smell and taste are pretty funked up, too. I can still smell, but it's nowhere near the level it used to be. Though sometimes I can smell that well and its.. nice. I can't have most beef without it tasting really. Really off to me. Same with turkey even if it's all safe n normally good. It's weird.

Theres.. likely more, I'm forgetting ironically, I know.

What I Want You To Know About Long COVID

Well lads, I've been suffering from Long COVID for over a year now. My life is at a complete standstill. I'm 25 years old and I'm too sick to go back to school, I can't work, I had to move back in with my parents and I'm still stuck here.

Here are just a few things I wish people knew about Long COVID, including things I didn't know myself until I got it.

COVID destroys your immune system. Yes, even if you don't have Long COVID. Are you getting sick more often now? When you get sick, does it last longer? There are many studies showing that COVID causes t cell depletion, even in mild COVID cases! T cells are how your body remembers how to fight off infections you've had before so losing those cells? Bad news.

Your initial infection can be mild and you can still get Long COVID. Right from Yale Medicine, "Most people with Long COVID had mild acute COVID." (This is also a good link for a basic Long COVID overview).

There can be a gap of time between when you "get better" from the initial COVID infection to the onset of Long COVID symptoms. Some people get sick with an initial COVID infection and never get better. Some get better and then weeks or months later start developing Long COVID symptoms. Long COVID symptoms can even fluctuate over time, can go away for months and then suddenly come back.

So many people have Long COVID and don't realize it. Do you feel more tired lately but no matter how much you sleep, nothing helps? Is it harder to concentrate at work or school? Can you just not think like you used to? You could have Long COVID and not even know it. Even mild post-COVID symptoms are still Long COVID.

COVID can do anything to your body. Long COVID has over 200 recognized symptoms and can affect basically any part or system of your body. There is no one mechanism or cause of Long COVID which unfortunately also means there's no one cure either.

The effects of COVID are cumulative. Each COVID reinfection increases your chances of developing Long COVID. COVID is also affecting your body in other ways, yes, even if you're otherwise young and healthy! "Repeat COVID-19 infections increase risk of organ failure, death".

Once you have Long COVID, repeat COVID infections will make your symptoms worse. "80% [of Long COVID patients] saw their symptoms worsen [from reinfection]. In 60% of people who were in recovery or remission from Long COVID, reinfection caused a recurrence of Long COVID."

There is a lot more I want to say about Long COVID but I want to keep this post at least somewhat manageable to read. Like how when COVID is contracted during pregnancy, those COVID-exposed fetuses have a 6.3-fold increased risk of motor developmental delays, or that another study found 50% of babies exposed to COVID in utero had developmental delays.

You need to keep caring about COVID, for others around you and also for yourself even if you're "healthy". Everyone is at risk. And don't forget 40-60% of COVID infections are asymptomatic, which is why masking even if you feel fine is crucial. The only way right now to not get Long COVID is to not get COVID in the first place. It's not too late, if you've stopped masking it's never too late to start again! I know it's easy to get distracted by things in your life that seem more real than the possibility of getting sick some time in the future, and the peer pressure to not mask can be intense. But it only feels less real or less important until your entire life is having Long COVID. Trust me.

I know this is a complicated issue, many people can't afford to stay home when sick even if they want to because of their jobs, there are disgusting policies trying to ban wearing masks, but please if you can. Keep masking. Masking works, masking saves lives.

This post got a bit longer than I wanted so below the cut is a non-exhaustive list of my Long COVID symptoms and some of my experiences as one of the "healthy young people" who got "unlucky". cw brief mention of suicidal ideation.

Welcome to the Thunderdome that is my body with Long COVID. Keep in mind these are just my experiences and symptoms, Long COVID can cause any range of symptoms at varying severities.

Dysautonomia: Exercise intolerance, Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM), fatigue, and heat intolerance. What do those things mean? Here's some specific examples. Absolutely terrible circulation I am so cold all the time but also, if I get a little too warm I will pass out. Eating hot food makes my heart rate spike, I sweat, my body feels heavy. Blood pooling and pins and needles in my feet when I walk. Don't even think about exercising past walking, it's impossible. I used to work out an hour a day 4 times a week and now walking up one flight of stairs makes my heart pound and I can't breathe. Can't take even just warm showers anymore or I will pass out. Heat rashes from being in the sun for 10 minutes.

Digestive issues: Honestly too many to name but: constant bloating, extreme nausea, constipation, slow motility, lack of appetite, just so much cramping and pain. I lost 18 pounds from Long COVID, as someone who was already considered underweight their entire life, and almost had to get a shunt put into my chest to deliver nutrients because I was nearly completely unable to eat. For the first 6 months of Long COVID, if I could manage 600 calories a day, that was a good day.

Histamine intolerance: Oh boy. My worst symptoms, I don't even know where to start with it. If you know Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) it's very similar. I can only eat 19 foods. If i eat a single bite of something not on that list, it's 48 hours of absolute hell. Coughing, migraines, itchy eyes, such extreme nausea I cannot even describe it, panic/feeling of doom, racing heart rate, derealization, rash, uncontrollable muscle tremors. I only learned about histamine intolerance 5 months into having Long COVID so before that, I was experiencing these symptoms nearly every single day. Terrifying isn't even a strong enough word to describe how it felt to experience all this and have no idea what it was, how to stop it, or if it would ever stop. Really dark times.

Neurological issues: More of that derealization. Inability to concentrate. Anxiety. OCD-like symptoms such as thoughts getting "stuck" in my head, repeating 24/7 completely unable to stop them, genuinely felt like my brain had cracked open and I had lost my mind. Constant dizziness like I'm on a boat.

Sleep issues: I sleep like garbage. I have insomnia, I wake up dozens of times every night and every single time I sleep I have intensely vivid dreams. I can't sleep longer than 7 hours total no matter how exhausted I am. It is exhausting. I'm exhausted, I'm so so tired.

And finally. Just. Really intense suicidal ideation. My body, my health, my entire life has been stolen from me because someone else decided my life was worth less to them than wearing a mask or staying home if they feel sick. Before I got Long COVID, I was preparing to go to South Korea to teach English, then on to a PhD in neurolinguistics, I was supposed to meet my long distance partner and had already booked plane tickets when I got sick. All of that has been destroyed.

Most of us with Long COVID are stuck in a cycle of being extremely sick, then if you're lucky you'll slowly get better over months, just to get reinfected and go right back where you started or worse. Honestly, I'm not scared of dying from COVID. I'm scared of living for a long time, suffering from Long COVID the entire time. This isn't living.

I don't know how to end this now. I'm still fighting, I'm trying experimental treatments, I'm not giving up yet. I hope everyone reading this stays healthy and well.

[adhd-queer-paralysis]

Why do I always feel like I'm faking my mental health issues?

I mean, I just spent 3+ hours having a mental breakdown and crying, even tho I don't really habe anything to be upset about.

But as soon as i stop crying and feel a little better, I'm sure that im a fucking liar, and making it all up for attention or something

(you dont have to answer. I know shouldn't be droping tjese things into people's asks, but i didn't know who else to go to)

Hi !

You're not faking your mental health issues. Impostor syndrome is a sneaky bitch but just because it's here doesn't mean it's right.

Having a breakdown is not something you "fake". It just happens. It's okay.

Maybe you feel like you're faking it because you can't identify the cause(s) of the mental breakdowns ? But guess what, sometimes the causes are not easy to identify, or they can be a mix of multiple things that become overwhelming, or it can even seem like it has no cause at all. And that doesn't make it "less real".

Also usually you know people who do that for attention won't bother to question the legitimity/reality of the breakdowns they might fake experiencing like you do ; also why fake a mental breakdown anyway ?? What would it bring ?

I don't think things such as "faking mental breakdowns in order to get attention" are things some people will do as a matter of fact. Maybe a few, few, but idk. Seems weird to me.

I think the way society educates us by saying things such as "sometimes people just want attention" in a bad way, and showing off the people who struggle as freaks, or think you do things on purpose when you don't, can actually make us think that everything we do that can seem "weird" or "off" to some neurotypical/average person's view is done by us on purpose.

When actually most of the time not at all. Why even do those on purpose ? To get judged for it ? To get bad looks ? Why ?

It would make no sense, but the connection between our "toxic positivity culture" (for example "good vibes only" ideals...) and our ways to observe the behaviors we experience is inevitable.

I hope this helps, I rambled a LOT, I'm sorry. This was interesting to think about though. Yeah I went a bit too far but I hope you see my point here anon : you're not faking and fuck the people who say you're an attention-seeker.

Take care of your mental health and don't forget to rest <3

[kazik-bitch-ass-motherfucker]

Sometimes, I forget I exist. So, it genuinely surprises me when someone else acknowledges my existence. Sometimes, even with friends and family. Like, I barely exist to me, what do you mean I had an impact on you? You remember that about me? I was told I’m easy to forget about so, why did you bother to think about me? It’s especially weird when neighbors think about me. Like, yeah, I’ve passed by you a couple of times on walks, but you formed an opinion of me? What? You want to talk to me? Get to know me? Nobody’s wanted to do that since high school! The most interesting thing about me is my shirts! I’m boring! What do you mean you care about my opinion of you!? We don’t have mutual friends, why do I matter to you!? Like, I’m genuinely shocked at the amount of neighbors that have said to me on my walks, “You’re doing/looking really good,” and I’m like, “???!?!” Like, who are you?? I exist to other people?!? What????? What do you mean I’ve inspired you??? I know I’ve lost a lot of weight since I started walking regularly, but???? You noticed???? Whaaaa???? I didn’t think my existence had any impact on people!! I didn’t think anyone cared!! What is this!?!?

[jyndor]

I'm gonna need to sit with my feelings about how bix's story is basically just suffering for a man, versus the reality of women in particularly woc getting the brunt of consequences for the actions of men, even if those actions are not even necessarily wrong (cassian did nothing wrong lbr). frankly it seems like there's nothing for bix except suffering for cassian.

but that interrogation scene was eerie for so many reasons - the obvious doctor of death torture stuff aside, I think it is an interesting juxtaposition to both syril's interrogation that was so comfortable for him that he thought it was a meet cute as well as cassian's interrogation of jyn in rogue one - "when was the last time you saw x" had to have been deliberate to show both the brutality of the empire in comparison to how cassian treated jyn with much more dignity and respect. we are going to forget the bor gullet scene because lmfao as an anarchist saw would know that torture is fallible and stupid, and also it is a ridiculous scene and I hate it. I cannot believe they kept that in and didn't idk show us jyn with saw.

I think it's important to note that torture actually doesn't work super well. people tell torturers what they want to hear. sometimes that's going to be actual information, but other times it's just whatever. I hope the show touches on that because I am definitely a little tired of torture being treated as a legitimate (if evil) source of real, useful information instead of a crapshoot.

[morrigan-sims]

People view ADHD as the "can't focus disorder" or "can't sit still disorder" but in reality, that's far from the only symptom. Personally, focus is not a huge problem for me. I can sit down and read a 500 page book in one sitting if I'm enjoying it. I can watch a shit ton of episodes of CR in a row. I can even plow through homework sometimes. (But, that's not the case for everyone!!! For some people, the focus is a HUGE issue. Remember that not everyone's experience with a condition are going to be the same, and that's normal!)

What does impact my life in massive ways is my executive dysfunction and forgetfulness. I can't start a task unless I'm basically being held at gunpoint, staring down a deadline. I'll spend absurd amounts of time doing literally nothing because I can't force myself to start doing things, even things I really want to do, and know that I'll enjoy. (Making poses, working on a sims edit, etc.)

And yes, I do forget things. Constantly. In high school I lost my water bottle almost daily, and arrived at school without my lunch box or even on one occasion my entire backpack. Just last month I drove the entire 1hr 15 minutes to my uni from home, only to realize I had forgotten my lanyard, which contains both my student ID and my key to my dorm room. (Not to mention my state ID and debit card.)

I forget I have homework due, even if it is homework that occurs weekly. That is the biggest tank to my grades. Just not doing the homework, simply because I forget about it.

And before someone says it in the replies, planners don't work. I've tried. They just don't work. In fact, for a large portion, if not the majority of ADHD folks, planners don't do shit. So please, stop telling every ADHD person to "get a planner".

ADHD is a legitimate disability, and I think that a lot of people forget that, or refuse to believe it's true. But it is. ADHD is a disability and it has a huge impact on people's lives. In lots of ways. It's not just "can't sit still disorder" or "forgot my keys disorder".

Just thinking about how people dismiss ADHD and how the "you just need to work harder" mindset seems to be in the back of non-ADHDers' minds whenever I talk to them about my support needs.

A teacher at my church growing up once said he thought all these new diagnoses were just fancy excuses for being ornery and spoiled. I nodded along, because I didn't know what ADHD actually was. I got diagnosed ~5 years later, at 19 years old.

Even though she's pretty understanding, my mom sometimes gets frustrated when I complain about how hard my ADHD makes things. "Everyone has trouble with that," she says. I have to refrain from asking her, again, if she's sure she doesn't have ADHD, too.

Does everyone feel like finals week may *actually* kill them? Does sitting to write a ten-page research paper feel like psychological torture for everyone else? Does every other person sit in classes or meetings having to constantly drag their train of thought, kicking and screaming, back to whatever mind-numbing topic the presenter is discussing?

I don't know how to end this. It's frustrating and upsetting to have ADHD and I wish people would see that, even for a minute.

[mythicalcoolkid]

I've seen a lot of posts discussing the "helpless husband" issue where husbands will insist they can't do household tasks or purposely do a bad job to get out of them - and I'm glad it's getting discussed! This is a problem that hasn't gotten much recognition and I'm glad it's rightfully coming to awareness. But I also see a lot of comments about how certain tasks are things that "everyone knows by that point"

I'm 20+ and learning basic food safety. I learned things like "put things in the fridge when they've cooled off" and "check the temperature of your meat is okay," but things like "if the Jello has melted it's no longer good to eat," "that sandwich will still go bad by the next day even in the fridge," "drinks cannot sit out indefinitely and still be good," or "there is a limit to how long that food can sit out before it becomes unsafe" are things I've had to actively learn with the help of my (very concerned) friends. My reality testing center is broken, so my brain tends to wildly over- or underestimate the likelihood of events or can't process the idea of certain outcomes going poorly. My sense of direction, time, and size are extremely bad, to my own constant frustration. I know a lot about a lot of things and am generally pretty successful. But I end up struggling a lot with things that "everyone knows"

The actual rude behavior also tends to get lumped in with genuine mistakes. I now know that my father was likely autistic, and it explained a lot of his behaviors that we'd thought were baseless rudeness - overreacting to "small" things, not noticing certain issues, convenient "selective hearing." But he also willingly did things that were legitimately rude (going out of his way to ignore a problem he caused, lying about us, refusing to do things out of spite). When I personally "ignore" things, most of the time it's because I didn't see them at all and didn't know there was a problem, or I said I'd do it, didn't write it down fast enough, and genuinely forgot about it. This stuff isn't all in the same category. Some is honest difficulty, some is intentional cruelty

Basically, don't excuse men who are intentionally putting the burden of household chores on their partner, because it's a very normalized kind of manipulation and needs to be called out. If someone is not willing to learn ("no you just always do it so much better"), seems to be purposely messing up and is unwilling to actually try to improve (making it easier for you to just do it yourself than to teach them, again), or hides behind "complimentary" stereotypes ("women are just better at that stuff, I wouldn't even know where to start"), that's manipulative and needs to stop. But a person not noticing or forgetting things, needing clear instructions, not knowing something "basic," or being legitimately unable to do something is not the same thing. If they understand and are willing to contribute, open to finding ways they can help ("I can't wash dishes, but I can dry and put away or vacuum") or workarounds for issues ("I can try washing dishes with gloves on," "we can make a list of chores to check every day and keep it somewhere clear and visible," "I can set another reminder about trash day every week"), this is not automatically manipulative behavior. A lot of issues that come with neuro or mental disabilities get read as intentional or malicious, and it's understandable that, from the outside, they can sometimes look the same. This is not excusing men who exploit this issue and make these conversations necessary to begin with. It's just a small request to keep folks with neuro issues in mind when you generalize this type of thing or rush to judge

[hatteymcstache]

Another callout post in the air.

I've been told about this post going around when someone was asking me if I was okay; so I've given into a lot of thought and I'm here explain. again. I will not display this person's name because I know the toxic part of my community will go ballistic and I hate that so much. Please don't.

The callout post in question:

Firstly, those who have tried went from being calm to immediately hostile when I tried to explain myself in dms. And the very rare few who reached out to me apologized for jumping to conclusions. You on the other hand, never tried reaching out to me once. If it's a confrontation in the discord server, then I'm not active in it and most likely forget. If it's a personal dm, I didn't get anything recent from you at all.

1. I did not defend C0nji. yes I do look at the whole anti/proshipping issue on both sides, doesn't mean I condone malicious creepy intent and doxxing/death threats. I'm just saying this artist is not a despicable person as far as I know, nor did they go out of their way of legitimately hurting others. With that being said, their whole idea of 'fiction doesn't affect reality' is very shallow-minded and gross considering how much it has put minors in danger, and they should learn to think about it but that's their choice, and problem. I'm not here to babysit.

2. The same claim I already debunked many times but will say again: I carelessly copy pasted old info and had no idea that word was still there but I removed the term 'Asperger's' and have stopped using it since, I was made aware of this years ago already. At the time I wasn't aware that in a deep negative history, and I've been around a few autistic mutuals who used that term as a scientific term.

3. Another of the same claim: Yes I do see Chihiro as a boy (or sometimes non-binary) cause as a trans man, it brings me comfort to see guys in a skirt with confidence. I'm not the most feminine guy but i'd like to have the freedom to explore without being misgendered. And if people do not like trans Sakura that's understandable, I just want to shed some light where trans woman can look buff, especially those who are as athletic as Sakura. The trans post you showed is meant to be a body positive for pre-op and post-op trans folk but you decided to flip it around and call it something else.

4. Me being genuinely upset of people making claims towards me doesn't automatically mean I've brushed off every transfem's concerns. Some of them who came forward to me, the conversations went from civil to being aggressive because they wouldn't listen or even consider my explanation that my intentions weren't malicious at all. Then the only trans woman who was civil came to me with fair criticism, told me I should be more specific with my content warnings when it comes to drawing pre-op bodies cause it would cause dysphoria for certain trans people, especially to trans women. That was where I listened and assured to be more cautious with how I portray my work.

5. The rest about me woobifying Taka and Gundham which I've addressed many times; characters dressing up in oversized sweaters or acting childlike/naïve doesn't automatically make them incapable or infant. That is never what I intend. And Gundham 'not knowing what sex is'- yes I know he's a breeder, human intercourse is a similar but different thing. He's asking Mondo in his own way because he has lacked connection with people for a long time; that's how I'm portraying, this also has been implied many times in his free time events and with how he talks to people. This is something where I relate to Gundham cause all I had was my art and imagination as a kid, so learning to interact with others is overwhelming.

I also don't understand that apparently Gundham needing people like Taka and Mondo (as dad-like figures) is so terrible- I'll say this now that yes I do portray Gundham as someone who is headstrong but he can feel very lonesome, he just doesn't how to express it. It's okay to need someone who truly accepts you or is that so wrong? Also it was never portrayed that Gundham or Taka need to reply on someone 24/7. so I really don't understand that argument you're trying to make. To me, It just sounds like autistic people shouldn't rely or need anyone at all cause it's offensive. If that's not what you mean I'm sorry, but that's what I'm perceiving cause all your statements are vague.

I not only do research but have talked to autistic mutuals/followers when developing my character Timmy; a lot of the valid criticism comes from how I should write his symptoms, showing both his mature and child-like sides etc, they even share their own experiences so I can illustrate them in a realistic and positive light. The way he's portrayed and capable of many things has made him relatable to a lot of people, which is something I'm trying to strive for; especially when some autistic people (who shared their experiences in my dms) behave like Timmy get ridiculed for ''''acting like 9 year olds'''' in my comment section which is something I never condone in my community I even made a comic post regarding that ableism.

No one is ever obligated to agree with the way I portray my stories and opinions; if someone doesn't like what I'm doing they are free to unfollow, block me and look for any other artist that does a better job in their art. My biggest issue with callout posts like this, is that people have different opinions of what makes a character a good or bad rep. It's very subjective and it depends on every person. Half of them including you do not like my representation, meanwhile the other half does enjoy my work, even find comfort in it. I'm not here to please every single person who didn't get everything they need from my work, I'm one man.

But the most painful part is not debunking these claims over and over; it's when my followers believe them right away without even asking me if they were true. It always leaves me unsurprised but disappointed. And yeah I'm not a good person, yes people tend to get scared of me that's fair, but I'm not as despicable as so many of these callout posts claim. I have talked to certain followers who have the decency to ask me what's going on; followers who actually listened to my explanation, and I listened to them back when they have questions. You don't even have to agree or like me after my explanation, just have the courtesy to ask before jumping to conclusions.

So yeah, the callout post is vague, and blown a lot of things I drew out of proportion and turned them into malicious intent which was never my approach. I was going to personally dm you about this but you have lost it the moment you made an 'awareness' post instead that does more damage than good. Feel free to keep your post up, feel free to think what you will. I just want to say all this to people who are genuinely confused. Whatever you plan to do, go ahead. I'm exhausted and have more in life to worry about. Unless followers genuinely want to ask questions to know more, this will be last time I confront the same. claims.

[lovely--lover]

I'm legitimately in love with a fictional character. I sit and miss him and reading about him is the closest I can get to spend time with him. I tried distancing myself bc it isn't helping and even making it worse at least I get fanfiction

I feel that for sure sometimes it can be difficult when you relate a love a character so much but they're not real😣 . Sometimes when I do everyday tasks I imagine my favorite characters with me and then I have to stop myself because the daydreaming starts and I forget where I actually am.

I think fan-fiction can be a good break from reality. It is entertaining and allows for more content with your fav because sometimes there is just not enough!!!

I think it is okay to have a comfort character I have a lot just remember to have separation from fake and real which can be difficult especially when reality sucks for most people right now.

If you feel comfortable who is your character?

[sugar-petals]

I'm a BTS fan since 2017 and this is not the first comeback I witnessed but girrll.. this is the first time I watch every video they released and now I understand what they mean when they say that their videos are heavily scripted and edited. There's a clue for almost every song in the videos they've previously released! Are they even comfortable being this much under control? I can't help but feel sorry for them seeing the way they can't act as freely as they used to do in hyyh era and backwar

Phew, you opened pandora’s box with this. I didn’t quite understand the clue part, what I do know is that they indicated their discontent earlier in their career. Look at Yoongi who long resented Bang PD for making him an idol against his wish. BTS have talked about sacrificing a lot and the way Joon tries to influence any content so heavily as the leader who has more leverage and can act for the interest of the group is very telling. 

Going by the new lyrics they still haven’t settled into the system. It’s all not as apocalyptical as we make it out to be in our emotional attachment, but the company pulling the strings maybe more than they should is the usual reality. We as bystanders — particulary in the west— can’t wholly see what’s going on, thought to some extent going by what the hyungs sometimes let slip, it’s not the most comfortable position for a creative free spirit indeed. This takes a toll on someone who is creative but legitimately dislikes the restriction.

Huge respect to idols who surrender themselves to that, especially the manager-idol dynamic, although it’s not something to glamorize. It churns out the music, but it’s not easy, and stifles full expression, quite obviously. It’s the same old debate and we’re left with being both the onlookers and also those who keep parts of the system running with our money, never forget that. Blame game much, but it’s the deal with the devil we made.

As fans, and this is the bitter pill, by our mere existence we give idols life but also hell. That asks us to be responsible which is easier said than done. But also an opportunity to change, starting with ourselves instead of climbing the soap box demanding companies to lean back which, by virtue of profit and giving idols a sometimes needed structure, they sure won’t do no matter how loud complaints are. 

If we want free spirit idols, we have to support independent k-artists more, it’s the only way to change the demand to the supply. Otherwise, there’s no incentive for companies to lessen their control. Mind you, this is for the pragmatic cases. E.g., supporting Seventeen who exercise a decent amount of creative freedom. When it comes to the harcore stuff like managers assaulting or beating up trainees and starving them, the soapbox is the only thing that gets things to change. A ruined reputation still means no or at least less profit.

[beatriceeagle]

I think my TV meta ask reported an error so I'm going to repeat my questions, feel free to ignore any of them! 1) I love Looking for Alaska the book, and whilst I'm not worried about the TV show as an adaptation, I am worried about it being good... should I watch it? 2) Are you excited for Bojack Season 6? 3) How do you feel about Agents of Shield as a TV show that's constantly changing? I'll never forget their pivot in season 1! 4) SPORTS NIGHT! Why do I love Dan Rydell so much?

I don’t think I could love a meta ask more unless it included Farscape. This is phenomenal.

1

The highlight is that the Looking for Alaska adaptation is good and you should watch it. To get deeper, without getting spoilery, I’ve heard a lot of people say that it improves upon the book, which I don’t exactly agree with. What Looking for Alaska is is a very smart adaptation.

Basically, Looking for Alaska, the book, pulls off a thematic trick using its limited point of view. Miles spends the first two-thirds of the book wildly idealizing Alaska, and often very much in the dark about the exact specifics of her relationship with Jake, but also with Takumi and even the Colonel. Then when the turn comes, that becomes the point: Miles might have loved Alaska, but the Alaska in his head was never the real Alaska, and that means that he can never really understand what happened.

We spend a lot of time hearing Miles’ very precocious, pretentious narration, and also Alaska’s precocious, pretentious dialogue, and a lot of that has seeped into the culture as being the book, as if there’s no deconstruction happening. But there is! Miles is a little bit self-deluding, and Alaska is almost always putting on a front, and neither of their words can ever be fully trusted. This is a book about a guy who never really knew a girl.

The writers of the series, I think, wisely realized that that dynamic was going to be incredibly difficult to replicate on-screen. No matter what they did, viewers were going to get an objective look at Alaska, and the time constraints of television (ironically, the fact that they had to fill out more time) meant that they would have to go outside of Miles’ perspective. So they ditched that idea entirely, and instead dedicated themselves to expanding wherever they possibly could. We get so much more Alaska than the book gives us. She is more real than she possibly could have been in the pages, because we get to see her, not Miles’ view of her. But we also get much, much more of the Colonel, more of Sara, more of Takumi and Lara, more of the Eagle and the Old Man. And it’s wonderful! Some of the show’s most incredible scenes are between characters who are neither Miles nor Alaska.

But it does undercut the theme, somewhat. (Especially when combined with some other adaptation decisions that I won’t get into, because they are spoilery.) Looking for Alaska, the series, gives up some thematic impact in favor of a great deal of character richness, and it’s absolutely the right call for the series, given its format, and given the context in which it was released. But it was a trade, and I think it should be acknowledged.

(The other thing the show does that I think is necessary from an adaptation standpoint, but makes for a kind of weird viewing experience, is that it adds a whole plotline to the middle of the series that doesn’t exist in the book. I do think that this was necessary, because there’s not a lot of structure to the middle of Looking for Alaska, and while that’s fine for a book, a series needs a plot with some kind of forward momentum to hang itself on. But the problem is that the inevitable arc of the book means that this new plotline has nowhere to go, and it ends up just sort of fizzling out, once the book plot takes over.)

Anyway: Looking for Alaska. Very good show, very good music, exceptional performance from Denny Love. Definitely check it out if you loved the book.

2

I am very excited for BoJack season 6! I’m just waiting to watch it with my sister. I have hope that, since this is a planned final season, it’ll give the writers space to move the characters forward, and actually give people like Diane some measure of peace, and people like BoJack some measure of atonement.

3

I think that being the kind of show that was a different show every season was the smartest choice that Agents of SHIELD ever made. (The least smartest choice that Agents of SHIELD ever made was “Fitz and Simmons can never be together for more than six episodes at a time,” even if it has led to several individually successful story arcs.) It makes the show infinitely adaptable, so for instance, if they kill off their lead character thinking that the show is ending, and then suddenly get renewed for two (!!!) more seasons, it’s very easy for them to bring the actor back without walking back the story they’ve told; the show is capable of going to almost any place or time, and pulling on almost any trope of sci-fi or fantasy.

It also makes the show really interesting. One of the problems with season one of Agents of SHIELD was that the MCU is this giant world, full of lots of different settings and genres, and in comparison, AoS felt bland. The genre it was taking on (sci-fi procedural) isn’t inherently boring, but it wasn’t a particularly fresh take on the idea, and the visual trappings of the setting were incredibly sterile. But post-Hydra reveal—and especially post-season four—AoS is like the MCU in a microcosm. It can be anything! It can do a season in the future, a season in space, a season in a computer simulation. It can do pulpy action and messy comedy and gorgeous, lyrical sci-fi.

And also, it manages to do something that’s incredibly difficult (even The Good Place didn’t quite manage to get the hang of it until literally just this last episode) which is to rewrite the characters’ realities over and over without losing track of their character progressions. So, for instance, Fitz has been regular Fitz, and then he’s had his entire reality rewritten by the Framework and become the Doctor, and then he married Jemma and died, and then we reset to cryo!Fitz. And throughout all of that, the show has always been very clear about where the current Fitz is emotionally, and how all of the past and alternate versions of him affect his mental state—but also how he is distinct from any past or alternate versions of himself. And they do this while carrying on actual physical trauma from season 2; if you pay attention, Fitz still briefly loses words when he gets stressed. (As someone who takes a medication that makes me forget words easily, this is my ACTUAL FAVORITE THING on television.) The end result is that you actually know more about Fitz from seeing his reality rewritten so many times—and he still has a coherent character arc.

Of course the downside of this constant shifting is that sometimes AoS will find something that really works for it, and then leave it behind. Like, over the course of seasons three to six, they built up a lot of texture and a deep bench of characters to the space setting, and I would probably say, at this point, that Space AoS is my favorite version of AoS. But the latter half of season six ditched that setting almost entirely, and it’s not clear to what extent we’ll be going back there at all for season seven. Similarly, Fitz’s character arc remains coherent, but I’m not sure the current version of it is my favorite version of it.

But at the end of the day, I think that’s a fair trade for a show that’ll change Daisy’s name halfway through and stick with it, you know?

4

Well, I don’t know why you love Dan Rydell, but after putting a great deal of thought into this over many years, I can tell you why I love Dan Rydell: He is, setting aside some baseline Sorkin patronization, a legitimately great guy, going through a legitimately tough time.

Like, in the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of people who have it a lot worse than Dan Rydell, but one of the cool things about Sports Night is that the narrative is genuinely engaged with that fact: It’s aware of Dan’s privilege, and it makes Dan aware of his privilege, in a way that future Sorkin properties never really manage to do. Think of “The Apology”: “No rich white guy ever got anywhere with me comparing himself to Rosa Parks.” Think of Bobbi Bernstein, a woman who Dan calls crazy until she proves that she was right. Think of “The Quality of Mercy at 29K,” an episode that’s basically all about turning Dan’s privilege inside out.

What makes Dan likeable is that the show is aware of his privilege, it points his privilege out to him, and he learns. When Isaac calls him out, he’s immediately contrite. When he sees someone in need in his office, he overcomes his immediate reaction and tries to help. And when he realizes his error with Bobbi, he grants her an immediate, complete, and sincere apology.

The thing is, Dan wants so desperately to be a good guy, and it’s just really hard not to like someone who is trying so hard. He’s incredibly good to his friends, and honestly, I think the turning point is “Mary Pat Shelby.” You give Dan and Natalie’s scene in “Mary Pat Shelby” to a halfway decent actor, and how do you not come out of that scene loving Dan? This incredibly unselfish, incredibly well-pitched moment where, while everyone else is freaking out and trying to get something out of Natalie, Dan just says, “No, I’m not going to tell you what to do, I’m just going to tell you that I am behind you a million percent.” How do you not love that person?

But the other thing is that Josh Charles is not a halfway decent actor, Josh Charles is a phenomenal actor, so actually the turning point isn’t “Mary Pat Shelby.” It’s the speech in “The Apology.” The speech in “The Apology” isn’t  Sorkin’s best writing—“high as a paper kite” is a choice—and honestly, that scene is a lot to ask any actor to take on. Performed competently, it would be kind of embarrassing.

Charles fucking impales himself on that monologue. He leaves blood and guts on the anchor desk. And he somehow does it without overacting? It is a very subtle, precisely-balanced act of self-dismemberment.

What I’m saying is that right from the very beginning, Dan opens himself up to the viewer, and we see all his vulnerabilities, all the ugly, painful pieces of him that make him. And because Charles is a really, really good actor, it’s all very believable, and it’s all very magnetic—you’re drawn to it. And he does it all while being so likeable, and so good.

So of course people love Dan Rydell. He’s generous, he learns and apologizes, he tries incredibly hard, he’s got level 25 charisma, and he’s an open book of emotion—not to the people in his life, but to the viewer.

(Hey, while you’re here, have a link to an amazing Dan Rydell vid!)

Send me meta prompts to distract me from my migraine! (Yes, I still have a migraine.)