#THIS IS YOUR SAFETY BRIEF - PSA

[pathetic-gamer]

me, an hour ago: "fuck, the stove is on! what do we do?" [immediately does all the wrong things]

PSA: What NOT to do when you smell gas

In this situation, we got home to a smell of gas throughout the house and discovered our gas stove was on without a flame. it was only a tiny stream, and everything turned out fine, but here's a brief list of everything we did wrong:

NOTE: this is for if you smell significant amounts of gas, not a blanket list for all possible gas situations. (If you aren't aware, the methane**/natural gas used in houses smells vaguely like sulfer, or rotten eggs - this is an additive, since it has no natural smell. It's a very recognizable smell, once you've smelled it once. It's not the same smell as gasoline.)

1. If your stove has an electrical/spark ignition, do NOT turn it off.

Spark ignitions often spark when turning on *and* off. Spark + Gas = Boom. Boom is bad. Avoid boom.

Instead, turn off the gas at the source, i.e. the physical valve at the meter. There may be a smaller valve near the stove. If you don't know where the shutoff is, the fire department will find it.

2. Do NOT turn on (or off) vents or fans.

In fact, don't flip any electrical switches - that includes lights, plugging in or unplugging appliances, etc. These cause sparks. Spark + Gas = Boom.

Also, don't start your car. obviously.

3. Do NOT open windows

counterintuitive, I know. This is mostly because you want to prioritize your exit, but it's also to keep the fumes from spreading outside, where you should be waiting for the ~professionals~ to come handle it.

4. DO take all people and pets outside.

Do this very first!! (one thing we actually did right - go us!)

This is obviously because you don't want to go boom, but you also don't want to suffocate. Gas is poison!

NOTE: the gas from your stove is probably methane (natural gas); carbon monoxide is what you get when methane burns, which is why your kitchen needs to be well-ventilated and the stove shouldn't be left burning for long periods of time, but the natural gas itself is *also* potentially deadly. Carbon monoxide detectors dont detect natural gas, so that's what the odorous additive is for.

Inhaling natural gas causes nausea, headaches, dizziness, and makes you just generally woozy, and eventually causes you to lose consciousness and potentially suffocate, just like carbon monoxide does. We don't want that.

5. DO call the fire department/emergency line

They'll check for other leaks, shut gas off if needed, then test for air quality and eventually clear your house for reentry. It takes like 1-2 hours for the gas to dissipate, generally.

Yay, you survived! Congrats!!

NOTE: if you find the stove has been left on with a flame, or it's on with no flame but you don't smell gas, then you should be safe to just open windows and turn on vents and fans to air it out.

idk, this was actually pretty scary, especially when we realized how much of our immediate response was wrong and could have turned a dangerous situation into a real disaster.

tl;dr: If you smell gas when you shouldn't be smelling gas, just get all the people and animals outside, shut off the gas line, and call the fire department or gas company. don't fuck around with gas. you're not overreacting, you're taking the proper safety measures.

**CORRECTED FROM ORIGINAL VERSION. Original said propane, but it's very much not propane, it's methane. too much Hank Hill on the brain, clearly.

[pokemoncaretips]

PSA from the Alolan rangers

This year, due to unusual cosmic activity, worm holes are going to be frequent, and this corresponds to a predicted rise in ultra beast sightings. The rangers have released information on how to keep yourself safe during the next 8 months until the wormholes die down:

Travel in groups and keep alert. We recommend keeping your pokemon out of their balls if feasible.

Familiarize yourself with the cries of ultrabeasts. [A link to a government website is attached with a soundbank of recorded ultrabeast noises]

If you are deaf or HOH, all service pokemon trained in Alola recently are trained to recognize these sounds, but if you have an older service pokemon or are from out of the region, the Deaf Society of Alola will be happy to loan you a trained pokemon for the duration.

Download the ranger alert app for your rotom dex or rotom phone in case of an encounter or sighting. Remember, it is a $5000 fine for making a false report.

Avoid unnecessary travel during this event. If you are someone who works with wormholes or has travelled through or been very close to one, we recommend leaving the region for the duration if you can or increasing security if this is not an option, due to the likelihood of ultrabeasts approaching you.

Ultrabeasts are frequently startled and confused by their sudden arrival here, and are much more likely to be aggressive or reactive. Do not engage ANY ultrabeast. Avoid eye contact and remain still.

Avoid picking up litter with your bare hands, particularly paper litter that seems folded.

Keep an eye on the skies.

If you find dead wild pokemon that have been drained of fluids, vacate the area immediately.

If you feel dizzy, confused or sleepy, leave the area. Pheremosa may be present. Wear a good quality n-95 mask to provide decent protection.

Avoid power plants if you aren't an employee there. If you are an employee, pay close attention to safety briefings and wear all provided PPE. If your employer is not providing PPE, anonymous reports can be made to the authorities here [A link is provided]

Avoid large forested areas and remain alert for a long, low rumbling noise. Stay away from unexplained wild fires.

Obey all evacuation alerts sent out, and keep a survival kit packed with clean clothes, important documents other necessities. A comprehensive list of essential items can be found at the Alolan governments website.

Avoid coming unto contact with naganadel toxin. This toxin is purple and slightly bioluminescent, with a sharp, bitter smell. It's powerfully adhesive and can quickly cause breathing difficulties. If accidental contact occurs, vinegar has been shown to begin breaking it down. Apply white vinegar to the area and contact emergency services.

Make note of stone walls in your area, and report if new ones appear with no signs of construction workers.

Stay safe and don't be a hero.

[oliveroctavius]

Doesn't the decision to get involved with Sam Bullit prove Gwen was a bad person?

Hey, I've been looking for an excuse to post about this. The Sam Bullit arc isn't really about Gwen (though it certainly reveals some things about her character). The Sam Bullit arc is about racist dogwhistles and why they work.

ASM #92 pg 19: "I will bring law and order to the people of this great city! I will show no mercy to the anarchists and all others who would destroy our way of life!"

Bullit's platform is not openly white supremacist in the sense that it doesn't overtly mention race. He talks about laws and safety in a way meant to appeal to rich white voters. The true meaning should be clear to anyone with any political awareness (who are those others and what is our way of life?), so why does this rhetoric attract "otherwise rational" people?

ASM #91 pg 6: "I want to volunteer to help you--in your campaign for DA. Because--I want you to bring Spider-Man to justice!" "We need strength--strength to punish those who mock the law! I will use such strength to bring Spider-Man and others like him to justice! I will not betray your trust."

Gwen makes her decision to back Bullit on the way home from her father's funeral. There's a very real phenomenon of tough-on-crime bills named after (white) murder victims. The grief of families who feel like justice hasn't been served is a powerful tool to push harsh laws while smothering any criticism as "disrespectful" to the victims. What’s in a Name? An Empirical Analysis of Apostrophe Laws, 2020.

Bullit showed up at George Stacy's funeral with this exact goal in mind, and when Spider-Man "kidnaps" Gwen later, he leverages the media obsession with white girls in danger for his cause. Gwen is a pawn, but she did offer her help first. Her desire for closure is very human and her short-sighted reactionary faith in "the law" is very white.

Oddly absent from your "proven bad person" takeaway is J. Jonah Jameson. The Bugle lends Bullit a platform to make Gwen's personal tragedy a political talking point. JJJ has the ~Black best friend~ excuse and everything, and he still blows past red flags like crazy.

ASM #91 pg 7: "Maybe they were better days than now! At least we had law and order then." "Yeah--and lynch mobs, and bread lines, and Uncle Toms..." "Come off it, Robbie! What's wrong with a man standing for law and order, anyway?" "Maybe it just depends on whose law--and what kind of order you're talkin' about, man!"

(Another point of this arc: marginalized groups learn to recognize dogwhistles pretty quickly for survival reasons. If they tell you something is a dogwhistle and you don't see it yet, look closer.)

ASM #92 pg 9: "Parker's story just served to open Jameson's eyes--but I've kept a dossier on you. I haven't been city editor all these years for nothing! I know where your support comes from. I know about the lunatic hate groups who are backing you. I know what you really mean by law and order!"

Late in the campaign, the Bugle switches sides. This scene tends to be described as JJJ giving the racists what-for, but the moment is truly Robbie's. (Note that it took Peter getting roughed up for Jameson to take this seriously!) JJJ can yell at Bullit all he likes without consequences, but Robbie is kidnapped and threatened by white supremacists in retaliation. It's Robbie's determination to speak up that eventually puts Bullit out of the running for good.

The Bullit arc isn't there to sort characters by Bad Person and Good Person. Neither Gwen nor JJJ have to personally hate black people for their self-centered sense of safety to be weaponized by a racist agenda. This is a Stan Lee PSA about masked bigotry and how it might appeal to you even if you consider yourself a Good Person.

But for some ~mysterious~ reason, Gwen's brief agreement and Jameson's brief rejection are the only parts of these two issues I ever see brought up, with Robbie's major role not mentioned at all. Some ideas fit more neatly than others into smug ship-war quote tweets and anon asks, it seems.

[neishroom]

very random, but since I’ve received asks, here’s a brief PSA for this blog. If you send me an ask warning me about an account, know I’ve seen it; however, I won’t publicly respond. I’ll use my judgment and act accordingly with whatever evidence is posted.

Additionally, I don’t want to aid in antagonizing anyone; opinions and discourse can change in the blink of an eye. However, if you see me interacting with a problematic blog, still feel free to shoot me an anon about it so I can look into it just know I won’t be broadcasting it to everyone unless it directly impacts the safety of others.

+ If I find a reason to believe you/your blog is racist, homophobic, transphobic, sexist, islamophobic, anti-semitic, xenophobic, exploits minors or has under-age content, ableist, etc I’ll promptly remove myself from any interaction! (Honestly, this also includes if I simply think you’re a creep/weirdo)

[pkmn-boprdop]

PSA to all available hands.

"Good" morning, to all citizens and vagabonds, alike, across the many regions.

Across the past 72 hours, we have recovered many Pokemon that have seen better days. We have skilled physicians and Pokemon experts who have been working around the clock to revive these innocent Pokemon who were caught in the crossfire of a petty war.

To all, whether trainer, caretaker, conservation expert, and many other titles, we would like to extend our hands to provide assistance to all that feel that they may be well-suited to take care of mentally exhausted Pokemon, young and old, alike. Thus, we would like to open this post to all current active members of the wider communities that will be able to take a Pokemon (the type and size of Pokemon is at your discretion.)

The safety of these Pokemon come first, so brief, rigorous background checks will need to be conducted before they are sent your way.

We have multiple pilot programs underway. You may apply for permanent adoption of young and old Pokemon, along with eggs, as well as temporary foster care while we recover from this egregious blow to our peace.

Official statement from BOPRDOP CEO, President E.

[delusionalisted]

Brief PSA since I haven’t made any proper spreadsheet or carrd:

This blog is and will be used as a mean to keep practicing divination and work with different kinds of energies coming from outside my circle/coven. I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity to practice and compose in the English language as well.

My readings are FREE and will remain as such, that said, they will be shorter and less detailed than my usual, in-person readings — for my energy, health and time’s sake, I’ll go straight to the point and core of the matter at hand. (I’m able of answering more questions if I keep them short and direct for your needs. Translating and writing take time, too.)

Aside from readings, I’m going to treat this blog as a personal journey too. You will find the occasional gratitude post and more, so don’t expect this to be a soulless divination ATM.

Regarding my readings:

1. I expect you to take everything with a grain of salt. Don’t look at divination as an omniscient tool at your disposal. Destiny is not set in stone, and I trust you’re conscious of that.

2. I do not believe we are all meant for every diviner, and my readings are not for everybody. Don’t expect sugarcoating, don’t ask test-questions, don’t ask questions expecting a certain answer and so on.

Remember that not every diviner will look at the same picture. If you feel drawn to my energy or readings, then you’re welcome in this space. If you come from a place of skepticism, trying to prove or cross-test the reading another diviner has given you, then you’re going to be disappointed. Whether it’s mine or their reading that looks more accurate or trustworthy to you, it’s not an invite to be rude or offensive. Any holier-than-thou attitude will meet an immediate block. Don’t be disrespectful towards ANY diviner.

3. I DO NOT believe in lesser-valuable questions. Love readings, within their limits, are welcome, but keep in mind that simple questions require simple answers.

“Did XYZ enjoy our date?” is NOT a question that requires a full dive into channeling, you’re probably going to get a pendulum or tarot reading for that.

No readings about celebrities, doppelgängers, or anything of the sorts. Be honest and realist.

I don’t usually ask for detailed feedback because I don’t feel like pressuring anyone into giving one, especially since my services are free. I’m way more interested in how YOU felt, if YOU resonated with it, and if I provided any clarity or comfort to you. Your well-being is more important to me than skill-based feedback.

LOVE READINGS: I won’t read FOR third parties, that means I won’t tap into their energy nor I will give you private info about them. Giving me wrong initials, zodiac signs, etc. will not work.

LOVE READINGS: My readings are SFW unless stated otherwise, but I doubt strong or sexual language will be necessary for most of my readings.

HEALTH-LEGAL-FINANCIAL: These questions will not be answered, for your safety and well-being. I’m not a professional in any of those areas.

LUCK-FORTUNE-WEALTH: There’s a limit to what I do and don’t answer to. I won’t give numbers, symbols, days or whatnot for you to gamble or invest.

4. I have the right to turn down any question I don’t want to answer if I deem it inappropriate, uncomfortable or nonsensical (AND/OR bigoted, hateful, etc.) at my discretion.

5. I’m more than open to share or talk about my experiences, my craft and my practice. If you want to know anything about that before asking for a reading, feel free to send an ask.

That’s all from me at this moment. Wishing you all a nice weekend. <3

[lasnevadaslaborunion]

Important PSA!

Do not confuse c!Dragonfly and c!Jo!

Understanding how to interact with each is vital to your safety. Below is a guide for telling these two apart:

However, the first and simplest way to distinguish the two is by their environment. c!Dragonfly's primary habitat is on Twitch, YouTube, and other visual media. c!Jo is far more at home in written media, particularly roleplay threads on Tumblr and Discord. Should they be encountered elsewhere, see the above diagram and pay close attention to context clues.

To interact with these characters, heed the following:

Dragonfly is rarely dangerous; they are likely a greater threat to their own survival than to yours. If encountered, a wild Dragonfly can be easily distracted and pacified by shiny objects, a treasure map, or a cool rock. Approach them calmly and offer gentle encouragement, and you will not only escape with your life, but gain a staunch ally who will bring you pumpkin pie and plundered relics.

Jo is rarely openly aggressive, but is highly skittish and sensitive to insult. Moreover, they have a long memory and are known to hide grudges until the moment of revenge. Approach them with extreme caution or, better yet, write a letter to warn them of your presence before engaging. If proper procedure is followed, earning their trust conveys many advantages; they are a people's politician, after all.

Thank you for reading this brief primer. I hope you enjoyed your experience and will use this knowledge wisely.

[kerra-and-company]

can I ask for the OC Music Prompts for Ari?

You absolutely can!! :D

1. backstory

But you're stronger now Can't hold you down You're breaking out Because you were never born to quit You gotta stand up You were made for this So keep on throwing rocks and fists You gotta stand up You were made for this

(Made For This by City Wolf)

Something about Ari being shaped by the legions while also doing her own thing and eventually leaving after everything breaks down. You gotta stand up, and you can and will because of who you are and what you've done and been through. I don't know. Sometimes I look at the lyrics for this and the connection feels a little looser than I thought originally, but it gives me Ari backstory energy regardless. Alternatively, we've got this one, which is a fan-song for ATLA but does have a few bits that strike me as baby!Ari:

Meet my eyes, make assumptions, try Tell me what you think someone like me should be like Call me names I hate, ignore my skill and sake But trust me idiot, oh I can take a real fight

(Real Fight by HalaCG)

2. personality

I've heard If I were tougher Then maybe I'd make it alive I got a tender side I'll need a harder shell to survive

But if seeing is believing I don't know I've seen a thing grow Without an open coat Not without a softness showing

I know, maybe you're not quite ready To loosen your hold On the safety blanket You been keeping around your shoulders But your sums and your pieces Are enough to make you whole You gotta let go

(Soap by The Oh Hellos)

This is one I'd normally put in the romance category (since the song overall falls there and gives me many Emotions), but this particular snippet also works decently well for personality--it can be read as Ari talking to herself.

Next bits under the cut for both length and brief discussion of suicidal ideation.

3. angst

In my own head I'm a prisoner And you're not much of a listener I have always been this way Can't outrun the pouring rain

I'm so sick of waiting on the sun My silver lining never comes So sick of feeling not enough Does hope hurt more than giving up?

(Waiting On The Sun by Citizen Soldier)

This one is Ari on her own after losing her 'bandmates. It's...not happy. Also has the allusion to rain and storms, which is doubly appropriate where she's concerned (Ari Stormshield is her name, after all).

(Also, PSA to anyone reading this who might need it: please don't go exploring this song or other works by this artist unless you're in a good enough mental state to do so. A not-insignificant number of their songs are along the same lines as this one.)

4. comfort

Cross my heart and hope to die Taking this one step at a time Got your back if you got mine One foot in front of the other

(One Foot by Walk The Moon)

This is comforting for Ari in a sense, I think. Just to go one step at a time and feel like she's moving forward.

And for something that's a little more comforting-feeling to me when I listen to it:

And all the beats fell in between the silence that we shared And all the trees were swaying softly in the thick, black air If I'm honest, it felt like love

And you said, stay here, darling Don't you worry 'bout a thing, don't you worry 'bout a thing I'm right here, darling Don't you worry 'bout a thing, don't you worry 'bout a thing

It's us against the world It's us against the world It's us against the world

(Don't You Worry by Oh Wonder)

5. love life

I've just settled into the glass half empty, made myself at home And so why now? Oh, please not now I just stopped believing in happy endings, harbors of my own

But you had to come along didn't you Tear down the doors Throw open windows Oh, if you knew just what a fool you have made me So what do I do with this?

(Stray Italian Greyhound by Vienna Teng)

Your heart is beating beside me It's trying to ignite It gives off the heat of a sunbeam Even on the coldest night

It's like I'm burning from inside out and I I think I know who to blame We are the fever that's wild and dangerous And I wanna dance in the flame

(On My Way by Sheppard)

:)

:))))

6. fight scene

Heroes by The Sidh - no lyrics, please listen to get a good idea of the vibes if you're curious!

(and bonus thirst trap: good god I have no idea alsjkdf, probably because that would never be a thing she'd make (not that she couldn't if she wanted to, though!))

[dandeliicnsarchived]

Small PSA -

When it comes to Rosalie and Nathaniel, if yall wanna ship them with your muses ( at least romantic ), I have no issues with it; I'd just like to discuss and plot about it in some detail since for their main verse they are MARRIED, but if you guys wanna do like a Rosalie x ( your muse ) ship or Nathaniel x ( your muse ) ship we can.

Just talk me about it, how you want to go about it, so on and so forth. A good example is @trepidatiionsx 's character Mattheo, he's shipped with Rosalie and the plot is really cute but angsty. So it goes to show that I am comfortable with it, I just want to plot major key points!

[stvtisticsmovedd]

a very gentle/lengthy psa: I’m not calling anyone out or naming names, just something i need to say that applies to all my blogs: @licnheartt and @outcvstt so I don’t I have to reblog it. For future reference if I apply it here, it applies to the Atlas Siblings. It would mean a lot if everyone read this:

When it comes to shipping, everything needs to be plotted in advance before anything happens. I try to keep my rules very relaxed and everything should be self explanatory. But hey, that may not apply to everyone, some are stricter than others but there should at least be an understanding. Anyway, I’ll continue; The Atlas Siblings believe it or not, romantically are hard to ship. And here’s why:

Rose had gone through a very traumatic breakup with an abusive ex boyfriend, also depending on the plot, she hadn’t met Nathaniel yet who was her epic love. She’s not gonna jump into a relationship because she’s still scarred from Christopher who verbally, emotionally and mentally abused her. Now, you might say “my muse won’t do that to her” or “my muse is different”. Listen I get it but Rose’s love life is based on MINE. I loved someone with all my heart only to be cheated on and broken and I’m STILL going through it. So it wouldn’t be right for me to just gloss over that; I am willingly to do slow burns because this gives us a chance to have our characters learn and develop as people and learn to trust. 

Rose does NOT trust people right off the bat, she may do kind deeds and put walls down, but she literally has prompts in her vision that tell her how to react, how to respond how to treat someone. This also applies to her main verse, yes she’s over Christopher but some trauma is still there but she’s not how she was when she was younger but she’s still takes things slow because part of her is NOT over Nathaniel. They didn’t have a bad break up, they broke up mutually but that love is still there she won’t just forget him. For her vampire verse she’s over 100+ years old, she’s had love lives but none like Christopher which lead her to her DEATH, she’s gonna be scared to start anything because her thought it: I loved before and I died because of it, and so did my family so she’s not gonna wanna be in a relationship with someone. She’ll sleep around, yes but not be attached. 

As for Tyler (which I’ll post in a headcanon his blog), he loved before. His first love broke his heart because she didn’t want him, his epic love was Rose’s best friend and they would have gotten together but out of respect for Rose and different personalities they ended things. Tyler can be a little horndog but he takes love seriously and his thought process is: What if I’m not good enough? what if I’m damaged? The boy has ANGER issues and his biggest fear is spazing out on his partner which he swears up and down he’ll never do but wrong time, wrong place does happen and the last thing he wants is to hurt someone he loves.

As for Victoria, the girl is introverted as FUCK she won’t meet someone unless it’s through Rose and Tyler, therefore things need to be plot based. Example being, it’s plotted that Rose is roommates with another muse so she HAS to have conversation, she HAS to break out of her shell in order to live peacefully. Even as a CEO, sure she’s a CEO and has to be social for somethings, but she won’t just be HEY HOW’S IT GOING?? Nah, there needs to be  REASON why she’s talking, otherwise she won’t talk. So she is HEAVILY plotted based. 

I am not saying you can’t interact/ship with the Atlas’s but there needs to be a base as to why there in the situations they are. I’m not against plotting and then skipping to pre-estbalished because for ME personally, for M, I don’t like first meetings because it dies quick and then it’s a waste of threads. Therefore, I’ll do memes, I’ll do plotting calls and even starter calls but I’ll hit you up before I do anything for a thread. Plotting for the Atlas’s is IMPORTANT to me because I worked HARD on my kids. They are extensions of myself but overdramatic for the sake of RP, they are the best and worse parts of myself. So it needs to be understood that I’m not gonna throw away all the work I put into them just for the sake of a ship. 

AS STATED BEFORE: I’M NOT CALLING ANYONE OUT, I just want an understanding for my characters and that it be respected. It is assumed that EVERYONE reads my rules AND about pages. But if I pick up that you’re NOT doing that, I’m sorry it’s gonna result in a hard block on ALL blogs. 

[k2ntwo]

They were also one of the very first airlines to do the comedy sketch version of the safety briefing. I remember the first time I ever heard “There are 50 ways to leave your lover but only 6 ways to leave this aircraft” was on a PSA flight.

pacific southwest airlines lockheed l-1011 tristar, which had a cute little mouth

[zhongwans]

Hello everyone. It's been a month and a half. I just want to post a not so brief PSA:

Since August 15, cfans have stopped posting anything related to what happened, and have stopped defending him publicly on social media. Any attempt to defend him or clarify the situation can be seen as whitewashing, or him leading unpatriotic feelings amongst his fans which is incredibly dangerous and can backfire on him, making his already horrific situation even worse. So fans have been very, very quiet.

Since then, certain parties have been trying to actively lure fans to speak out, and cfans have been actively resisting. But now it seems that international fans are also getting baited.

Please remember that if you meet fans who are actively trying to get you to speak out for him regarding the incident on August, those people are either:

Idiots

Antis/fans of other actors with agendas of their own

Paid shit stirrers from the other side

Selfish "fans" who prioritize their own feelings over his safety

Also remember that whatever you have to say as an international fan cannot help him, but it can be used to destroy him. So just stay quiet.

What's even more sinister is that this sudden spike of accounts encouraging fans to speak out is coincidentally right before National Day, which is on October 1st. At worst, we could be expecting a repeat of August. These innocent messages from interfans could be used to twist the narrative once again on this very important national holiday where patriotic feelings are at their highest. I don't have twitter, but I've been told that there are certain people there asking fans to leave messages and videos defending him. Uhm. Please don't fall for that ⚠️

WHAT'S HAPPENING:

Sudden spike of people encouraging fans to speak up on behalf of him just before a very sensitive national holiday.

Recently, a chart of 29 rumours have been circulating on social media, even making its way to international platforms. It's a chart detailing all the false statements made about him, and at first glance seems like a well-intentioned project. But c-fans dug into the person who made this and found out that they're actually a fan of another person and is just pretending to be a fan of "him". This fake fan also tried to incite fans to speak out in his defense.

WHAT TO DO:

Do not make posts defending him or talking about the issue. And ignore the people, no matter how well-intentioned and sincere they seem to be, who are encouraging you to speak out for him or to make videos etc showing your support.

Ignore and do not spread "clarifications" like the 29 rumours chart I mentioned above. Antis and shit stirrers are spreading those for a reason.

Sensitive dates stretch from October 1 to 7. Best lock your twitter accounts if you have one, or just avoid talking about him at all on those days. Antis/heizis from the other side often take screenshots on twitter and IG. If you're on those platforms, be extra careful. Your rants could easily be translated and reposted on weibo and used against him.

Just STFU basically.

⚠️ Again, remember that whatever you have to say as an international fan means nothing and cannot help him, but it can be used to destroy him. Anyone who encourages you to speak out for him is either an idiot or has ulterior motives.

(You can screenshot this post and share, but please don't include my username thnkx)!

I still feel like shit orz I'm back to my coffin now

[sincerelyreidburke]

please tell me more about boy scout dex

My friend, let me firstly apologize because I know I did sit on your ask for a little while. I think it’s been a month (?) since I posted that original random text-post about Boy Scout Dex, but as I mentioned in this brief PSA, I haven’t forgotten about him. I come to you today with a bullet-list!

As an FYI, I am definitely going to write actual prose fic about this in the future, so stay tuned. For now: let’s talk about Dex’s Boy Scout backstory.

- The first thing we should establish is that this is in the CCU. If you don’t know what the CCU is, it’s just my understanding of the canon universe. CCU stands for Cromwell Cinematic Universe, named for a stuffed lobster Dex has named Cromwell. Given that canon has never directly contradicted the idea of Dex having a stuffed lobster, I elect that this is the closest I’ll come to being canon-compliant. Prove me wrong. :D

- Anyway, the CCU is a series on ao3; you can read it here. Boy Scout Dex is simply another part of Dex’s colorful history.

- It’s really not that colorful, actually. I mean, he’s Dex. He comes to college afraid of baking.

- Anyway. Let’s talk, shall we? (This is going to get long, so under the cut we go.)

- In the CCU, Dex lives in Bar Harbor, which is one of Maine’s more famous towns, tucked into the east side of Mount Desert Island, which is just off the coast, and is the largest island in Maine. This is not a geography lesson, but since we’re here, here’s a visual. The little marked location is MDI, and then Samwell would be in the center-left bottom of the map.

- Anyways, with that digression aside, I’m bringing up Dex’s hometown/home island for two reasons: one, because I went and looked it up, and there is a Boy Scout troop there (Troop 89, though I was prepared to invent one if there wasn’t one on-island), and two, because the natural world around the island will become important later for Scout reasons.

- In order to proceed, let me introduce you to a few members of the CCU Poindexter-family expanded universe. MDI isn’t so small that everybody on the island knows everybody— the population is 10,000, which is just around the same as my own hometown, and I definitely don’t know everybody here. But what is true about my hometown is that there are certain families who have prominent roles in the community, and I would absolutely say that the Poindexter family is well-known on the island.

- They’re a very blue-collar, Irish Catholic, patriotic American family. Dex has cousins, aunts, uncles, and extended relatives galore. Dex’s uncles are notable enough in canon for him to mention them multiple times; in the CCU, he has 6 uncles on his pa’s side and another 3 on his ma’s. We’ll focus mostly on the Poindexter side for the purposes of Scout Dex.

- I have a feeling that the 7 Poindexter brothers (aka Pa and the 6 uncles) were probably all involved in one way or another with Scouts or at least some other community-building activity as kids. The one who rose to the top was Uncle Ronny, who is now the Scout Master for the troop on the island.

- Yes, I learned a copious amount of Boy Scout terms to make this post.

- Anyway, Uncle Ronny is a carpenter by day, and he takes the scouting stuff seriously; he sees it as a sort of civic duty. He has one son and three daughters (the female Poindexter cousins probably do Girl Scouts, but that’s a discussion for another time), and all his kids participate.

- Dex’s Pa, Will Sr., definitely also was super into this growing up. (In the historical AU I’m writing, Pa was in the Navy, and I cry every day thinking about how he can’t be in it in the CCU. This, as well as his general nautical lifestyle, is my consolation to myself.)

- Okay, so what do they actually do?

- Dex and his cousins grow up in the program. I feel like tiny redheads make up a solid fifty percent of the MDI Cub Scout troop in the late 90s and early 2000s. Dex is extremely outdoorsy even from a young age, and he loves Scouting, through and through— from the camps in the summer to earning badges and working his way up in ranks to even just spending time with his cousins. Cub Scout-era Dex sort of comes before all the repression, self-deprecation, and regression into the hardened, temperamental person he shows up at Samwell as. So in other words, Cub Scout Dex is a generally happy kid.

- Cub Scouts are from around kindergarten to fourth grade, or ages 5-10. Once you’re about 10 and a half, you move to general Boy Scouting, aaaaand this is where the fun begins, because in my research, I discovered…

- Sea Scouting.

- Sea Scouting is essentially a subdivision of the general Boy Scout program, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: Boy Scouts but with more nautical themes. Look… you guys… they wear fucking sailor suits… I’m physically deceased… I don’t think you understand how much I need this in Dex’s life.

- Has you or a loved one ever thought, hey, Mel, (that’s yours truly), do you by any chance have a thing about sailor suits? You may be entitled to the knowledge that you’re right… 

- Pretty much every Poindexter who did Boy Scouts was also involved in the Sea Scout program. Why? Uhhhhh… they live on the ocean and have a fishery and also just think about all that sweet sweet oceanic Dex symbolism—

- Right, okay, so things that are important to Dex during his time as a Scout: oceanic conservation, also conservation on land because Acadia National Park is right on MDI, boating safety, actual sailing. Fun fact: they have sailing competitions.

- Through the entirety of his Scouting life, Dex is really close with Uncle Ronny. He’s one of probably three cousins who are the most active in the program, and I’m jumping the gun a little on myself here, but he definitely does get Quartermaster. This is the highest rank you can get in the program, and it’s taken very seriously by everyone involved. It’s the Sea Scouting equivalent of Eagle Scout, which is probably much more familiar to most of you.

- Uncle Ronny is his go-to uncle for all things Scouting and also probably all things outdoorsy.

- Some time later, when Dex comes out to his family, Uncle Ronny will take it very, very hard. Although other uncles will come around, his relationship with Ronny will never really recover.

- Anyway! We are not going down that road at this moment in time. Let’s move on.

- By the way, the entire troop is definitely really closely tied with the island’s Catholic church. They very likely wear religious emblems on their uniforms. There’s a lot about God in the general guidelines of being a Boy Scout, and the troop is all over this. Because New England Irish Catholics.

- Okay, Dex gets Quartermaster. It’s the highest honor a Sea Scout can have. The core tenets/skills, fun fact, include: swimming, safety, marlinspike seamanship (???), boat handling, ground tackle, navigation, weather, and environment. He’d be getting this right around the same time he’s graduating high school. To get Quartermaster, you have to physically take control of a boat for like 40 hours, with other Scouts as witness. That is super badass.

- Also, I need you guys to see these uniforms. If someone drew Dex in this, I’d die.

- This is getting so long; I’m so sorry. Okay, some other time, remind me to talk about Dex’s internal struggle in response to the Boy Scouts homosexuality controversy. (I won’t go super into this right now, but essentially, until recently, gay men couldn’t be troop leaders. Gay youth membership has also been… generally discouraged, without being directly prohibited. There’s a lot to unpack there.)

- But, y’know! Poindexter family tradition, right???

- Aside from all the nautical skills, Dex’s Scout background translates to this at Samwell: he’s always prepared. The Boy Scout motto is literally Be Prepared. I think it’s easy to see, from all our canon knowledge of Dex, how this kind of background could factor into his character.

- I mean, the boy is constantly volunteering himself to fix things.

- Okay!!!! At the risk of making my longest text post ever, I will stop here for now. But please know: my ask box is open. There will be fic about this, and probably more of these bullet-list text posts. Ask or send me anything you’d like.

Thank you very much for the ask, and thank you for your patience while I put this together!

[housesghastlymenhaunted]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released a Global Call to Creatives, asking for those who can to help their communities adopt public health precautions, act in solidarity, and prevent the spread of misinformation. They are also specifically seeking to preemptively communicate with communities who can still avoid or minimize an outbreak. To that end, they are asking for creatives to help translate critical public health messages, not just into different languages but into different cultures, communities, and platforms—reaching everyone, everywhere. Right now, they are prioritizing the following languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Portuguese, German, Hindi, Bengali, Malay, Thai, Japanese, Indonesian, Urdu, Swahili, Nigerian Pidgin, Yoruba, and Turkish. 

Most essentially right now, they are looking for content creators to help create “mini briefs” in these languages on the following topics: personal hygiene, social distancing, knowing the symptoms, kindness contagion, myth busting, and “do more, donate.”

I live in NYC, at the center of one of the worst outbreaks yet. I am really writing this post because I don’t want to see what happened here, happen elsewhere. I feel prepared and informed, but only because my boss had the good sense to communicate with us and require us to work remotely early on. The messaging from the government, on the other hand, has been disorganized and confusing (when it has not been outright false.) 

So let’s look out for each other. @staff

-Imagine the slow-burn fan fiction you could write that involves responsible social distancing measures—the tension of wanting so badly to touch someone, but being unable, being afraid to spread the disease to them. 

-Imagine the sweet fluff of your OTP performing balcony concerts for one another—serenading each other from a distance. 

-Imagine how much more attractive all those COVID-19 PSAs would be if you had your favorite Marvel/SW/DW/etc. character demonstrating safety measures for you instead of a wall of text.

These are challenging times, but they will not last forever. Let’s come together as a community to make sure we are being kind to one another, and doing everything we can to protect each other by practicing caution and keeping one another informed. 

[waitingtoexhale]

Queer Media One Tragic at a Time Has Reprogrammed My Brain

I find myself continually lowering my standards for the type of media I consume. Queer character? Check. Limited tragedy? Check. At least once instance of happiness? Check. Alright, that’s good enough for me. I LOVE THIS *insert media type here* SHOW, MOVIE, SONG! But, along with the good comes the bad and the ugly. Along with the brief instances of happy, complex, characters come the violence, the stereotypes, the woe. At this point, simply having a queer character that doesn’t die is the best I can hope for and that truly stresses me out. On a regular basis.

In Queer Youth Cultures, Karen said it perfectly, “I think there's a lack of homosexual characters who are presented in a positive and uplifting, or not even positive and uplifting but just represented on the screen or in the media in general. I guess it's a desire to have a voice. I know this sounds like pure shit, but it's a desire to have a voice, to feel that l'm being spoken for or even just represented. But that there's a voice up there that's representing, or at least trying to represent my own experience. I want to have a say in what's going on and I'm not willing to just accept the images that are represented in front of me as being the only possibility. I take it maybe beyond its limitations of what's there. I try to expand, try to just open it up to possible choices that exist for me that might not exist for the creators for that particular film or TV show. But I will be heard” (2008, p.175-176).

Shameless acceptance of the toxic gay dynamic:

While sexuality is particular to each individual, the social constructions of heterosexuality and homosexuality are cultural categories humans use to make sense of their sexuality (Queer Analysis, 2010, p.198). Shameless, an American comedy-drama television series based on a British show of the same name, stars Cameron Monaghan as Ian, a closeted teenage boy who realizes he is gay and navigates the complexities of his queerness as a social identity and Noel Fisher as Mickey, a closeted homophobic thug who upon realizing he is gay engages in a sexual relationship with the one other queer person he knows who also happens to be the kid he violently bullied. Ian and Mickey start as a toxic portrayal of settling and acceptability in its truest form. Ian is in a predatory relationship with an adult and still possess a great deal of internalized homophobia when he is essentially propositioned by Mickey and their turbulent relationship begins. Mickey is struggling between his desires as a closeted gay teen and his need to match the criminal ideals expected of his father and family name. They are an explosive pair that seem to cause each other physical pain and mental anguish, yet the fans are wholly supportive. Even when healthy potential partners are introduced, the toxic couple of Ian and Mickey are reunited time and time again because media has established a trope where queer characters are only allowed complicated togetherness. Queer characters are punished for choosing their queerness and therefore not allowed true love and happiness. Despite having this knowledge and nothing in common personally with these characters, I love this couple and I love this pairing, so I am part of the problem. I am a product of this generation of idolizing toxic behaviors between characters because unfortunately those are the only “happy” queer characters I have seen continually produced. I have settled into a pattern of accepting negative stereotypes as simply good enough. I have traded the simple fact that the queer character doesn’t die for the harsh reality of their lives.

Another sad queer lacking Glee:

When queer characters are introduced, there are a set number of personality types and lived experiences they are allowed to have. Take Dave Kurofsky from Glee who serves as the closeted homophobic bully who after being outed in the “On My Way” episode attempts suicide and is comforted by the out-and-proud effeminate Kurt, a previous victim of Kurofsky’s wrath. We get to observe the pointed shift in Kurofsky’s personality from homophobic bully to repentant closeted queer, but the lack of character development unfortunately makes it difficult to feel sorry for him as a character. Instead, as an audience, we are forced to revel in “media representations of queer culture as essentialist, marking out the dichotomies between male and female, heterosexual versus homosexual (Queer Youth Cultures, 2008, p.175). Kurofsky is unable to learn what it means to be a queer man and grow from his internalized homophobia because he is coming his existence and framing his life experiences through that of Kurt; this is apparent when Kurofsky is unable to dance with Kurt at prom because of the perception of gayness. We accept Kurofsky’s story as powerful and real and heartbreaking because it is, but at what point do content creators have an obligation to tell the story a different way, in a positive uplifting light?

Degrassi: The Next Generation of bury your gays tropes:

Degrassi: The Next Generation, a Canadian teen drama television series, made history for tackling the tough social issues affecting teens, but frequently not talked about. They embraced diversity in their casting and range of topics covered while spearheading a progressive movement of introducing characters traditionally absent from popular media. Adam, a trans male character played by a cis female actress is a well-rounded first introduction to many into the lives of trans youth. The audience is familiarized with concepts such as passing and outing as well as the complexities involved in sexuality vs gender. Adam, besides being inaccurately portrayed by a cis woman, which is damaging to the idea that trans folks are the gender they have identified with rather than their gender assigned at birth, provides a much needed avenue of representation for queer youth in popular media. Continuing with our previously identified tropes, as a result of Adam being happy, relatively healthy, and well-liked he has to die. Queer characters are not afforded regular happiness in media they are given a taste then sacrificed as tools of writing via violence, sacrifice, or martyrdom. Adam is not gay bashed or driven to suicide as other queer characters are, but instead tragically killed as a texting while driving PSA. This death is particularly hard felt because Adam was truly shaping out to be a normal high school kid facing the complexities of life and surviving, but the creators, once again, took a queer character as the source for a lesson in some predetermined idea that queer happiness is short lived and tragic regardless of circumstance. There is a need for punishment of their queerness.

Queer punishment, a Supernatural concept:

What do shipping, fandoms, and heteronormative dominant culture have in common? Queerbaiting. Queerbaiting, “a term employed by media fans to criticize homoerotic suggestiveness in contemporary television when this suggestiveness is not actualized in the program narrative” (Brennan, 2016, p.1). A concept typically negatively connoted is a primary tool of heteronormative culture ensuring queer culture remains as a subculture rather than its own, established independent source of media. Audiences, particularly queer individuals, are forced to imagine scenarios and worlds where their identities are represented and dominant. “By creating a fantasy space, queer youth have an environment where they are free to explore many possibilities” (Queer Youth Culture, 2008, p.174). From these creative worlds come the likes of couples like Dean and Castiel (#Destiel) from Supernatural. The creators introduce intimacy and connectedness; the couple is ideal and non-stereotypical or superficial. Unfortunately, our trend of no happy endings for queer media continues because despite the fan observations and urging this couple is never acknowledged or confirmed as such. They instead give several seasons of romantic teasing culminating in a teary subversive confession immediately preceded by death and not just any death, a death where Castiel, an angel character is drug to hell. The sub context is overwhelming in deciding queerness is so offensive that any acknowledgement to the sort should result in punishment akin to biblical reckoning.

Lingua Franca, the road to universal language and communication:

Even as queer media continually evolves becoming evermore accurate and inclusive the conditioning I have been subjected to, as a consumer of queer media, completely reprogram my brain. While watching something as relevant and present as Lingua Franca I am unable to completely enjoy the film as I am waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop. Lingua Franca is a progressive film about a trans Filipina woman seeking a path to legal immigration in Trump’s America. The film is written, directed, and stars Isabel Sandoval an actual trans woman of color and therefore the portrayal is very real. As a film about a trans woman, the pace is melodic and light while the subject matter is focused on the life of Olivia rather than her transition or identity as a trans woman. While watching the film, I found it beyond refreshing that there were no invasive surgery questions or blatant misgendering by supposed loved ones. That being said, as a first watch through, it was anxiety inducing; the lack of discussion regarding Olivia’s trans identity led me to worry for her safety in a cis-heteropatriarchal world. When Olivia is engaging in her relationship with Alex I see the natural connections, simplicity, sensuality, and beauty, but I also worry about the potential for the violence I have come to expect when viewing true queer happiness. The scene where Olivia is outed by Alex’s friend shifted the entire tone of the film for me as I watched Alex spiral and truly cringed at the thought of watching another film showing an act of physical violence against a trans woman of color. While that thankfully did not happen, the fact that I remained restless throughout the entirety of the film waiting for it alludes to this reprogramming of sorts that has occurred. Creators show queer characters as poor unfortunate souls brought down by their queer identities therefore, I have come to expect and root for in some regards, a victim. There are limited instances when I can truly enjoy a queer film without a sinking feeling in my stomach waiting for the catch, waiting to exhale and simply experience queer joy.

[lavellanlove]

I’M BACK!

Also, a PSA about Tumblr Account Safety

Hello again, loves! What a wild ride. Wanted to share a warning with you all about sharing links. Tl;dr check every link before you reblog or make a post. Even if it is not obvious spam, if it does not go to a major, reputable site, DO NOT reblog, or even create a new post with attribution to that link.

For those who didn’t notice my brief, dramatic absence or see @saphyremelodies post (thanks for that, btw <3), I reblogged one of those posts with a bunch of tshirts on it, and was immediately locked out of my blog, my account flagged as spam and automatically terminated. I reached out via two email addresses to Tumblr support straight away to explain what happened, and just now got everything back.

Shoutout to @catsglade for the tutorial on account restoration that saved me, as Tumblr’s system was indeed still blocking emails from my primary address.

As an FYI, here is the email I got from Tumblr support:

I've restored your account but it looks like you had reblogged at least a spam post with a deceptive redirection in the click-through link or a deceptive link in the caption. This post has been deleted but please be really careful when reblogging in the future. Deceptive links usually send you outside of Tumblr to adult paying sites or fake dating apps but they can take many forms so we can't give you a comprehensive list of them unfortunately. If they don't redirect you outside of Tumblr some of these links can also open ads or pop-up windows on your screen. As a general rule, be careful of any link inside a post caption, especially if it wasn't added by the original poster. And in case of doubt, err on the side of caution and don't reblog the post for the safety of your blog & your account. If you're using the Queue to publish on your blog, review the posts for this type of links & remove them from your Queue or your account might be automatically terminated when those posts are published.

Glad to be back. Stay safe out there!