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indiaalphawhiskey · 1 year ago

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Hi, I want to work through something because I want to be able to enjoy my time in this fandom and support Harry and Louis as they are now. Unfortunately, I can't help but be incredibly disappointed in the decisions that HL have made. Let me preface this by saying that I am aware of how entitled and selfish I sound but emotions sometimes override logic.

I had really big and unfair expectations of Harry and Louis. I honestly thought after One Direction they would come out and start their solo careers on an authentic and free foundation. They had the potential to be such an inspiring and important power couple in the industry and society in general. I pictured them being an amazing source of representation, attending charity events and talking about important issues. All the while staying intensely private. It's this wasted potential that I really struggle to accept. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the Harry and Louis from 2014/15 would be a bit disappointed in where they are now, not on the career front but having a fake son and still kissing supermodels.

As someone who doesn't place a great deal of value on things like career and ambition it's disappointed me how they've chosen that above all else. I believe there are more important things in life. Again, I know how all this sounds but no matter how hard I try I can't help how I feel. But I want to change because I want to be able to enjoy the people that HL are now. It's hard because I'm not here for their careers I'm here for them purely as people and as a couple.

Hi! So first, I’d like to say that I really appreciate the openness of your tone, even though we have quite different opinions. I’m going to strive to match that openness in my response, and if I fall short, I apologize in advance. It’s not at all my intention to come off as rude or aggressive, I just want to challenge your way of thinking about activism, authenticity, and the roles their careers play in that.

You say you’re not here for their careers. You’re here for them as people and as a couple. You don’t seem to see those two are directly interlinked.

The only reason we have access to them as people/as a couple, is because they both chose to continue their careers in the public. They both could have easily chosen to take a step back and work in the background (music production, management, etc.), which would mean no drama. Maybe would’ve meant a bigger chance for them to come out publicly.

But that would have also meant no content. No music, no pap pics, no articles (barring maybe one or two about a charity event, if what you imagined came true). That means no safe spaces at their concerts. No flag waving. No speeches about acceptance, and I need you, you need me, about your body, your choice, about helping people come out… No lyrics about all this time, and we could be lucky again, and you can throw a party full of everyone you know, and we’ll be alright…

No input, no… personality. So who would you be loving? Who would you be here for, exactly? Who would you be supporting? A snapshot of who they were as people/as a couple? The idealized fantasy of a power couple? The people you remember they were seven years ago?

Related to that, I understand that explicit activism is important to you. I understand that you understand that you’ve placed a lot of expectations on them that aren’t fair. Why you’ve done that could be for many reasons — maybe that’s how you personally choose to connect with the queer community, maybe you feel like if you had their platform and their resources, that’s what you would do, I don’t know.

But everything you’ve mentioned (“…come out and start their solo careers on an authentic and free foundation. They had the potential to be such an inspiring and important power couple in the industry and society in general. I pictured them being an amazing source of representation, attending charity events and talking about important issues…”)

Well… who’s to say this isn’t “authentically” who they are (while still working to preserve other things that are important to them, like the privacy of their relationship and their opportunity to make art), even without being “out” and “out together”? Who’s to say they aren’t currently an amazing source of representation? Who’s to say they aren’t talking about important issues?

Because, to me, they are. They may not be doing it at the helm of a pride parade in a rainbow mankini making out in front of news cameras.

But isn’t it equally as important to hold spaces for queer people to just gather and experience joy? Isn’t it equally as important to be verbal about challenging adversity and coming out on top? Isn’t it equally as important to make coming out to one’s parents a communal, celebratory fantastic memory instead of something that’s solitary and filled with fear? Isn’t equally important to prop up young musicians and show them someone with power will be kind, will be supportive, will open doors for them?

There’s value in pragmatic, maybe even implicit, forms of “activism”, too. There’s value in championing life and love and kindness and joy and upholding it for the people who can’t uphold it for themselves. (And it’s especially meaningful coming from two people in such a historically abusive, conservative, homophobic industry.) There’s value in using your time in the spotlight for the benefit of your actual fans.

TL;DR I guess what I’m saying is, we all seem to uphold this gold standard of activism to the letter, and assume that anything less than that isn’t activism, isn’t authenticity, isn’t representation. But having such a rigid definition of “doing good” for a community negates the constant and consistent representation and good they’ve both fought to be able to do.

You said a lot more in your anon, but this is really all I have energy to answer. If it doesn’t change your mind, that’s okay. If it’s still not enough for you, that’s okay too. It doesn’t, and won’t ever, negate everything they’ve done for me and for others.

Maybe one day you’ll find your way back, or maybe you’ll find a couple that represents you the way you need to be represented. Until then, all the best. 🤍

#iaw ask #iaw anonymous #larry #activism #queerness #representation #discourse #long post

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solavelyan · 14 days ago

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Just under 27 hours left until 10 years of waiting is over.

I never did get around to doing everything I wanted to do before the next game came out, but none of that stuff is going anywhere. It's just been a really long, weird, often very bad decade.

I've been lucky in this lead up that nothing I've seen in the promo, content-wise, has given me much concern if it didn't excite me. I'm going in with as open of a mind as I can manage and withholding critical judgment until I can see the full picture for myself - admittedly, with a bias toward the benefit of the doubt. The devs who have been on and off of this project in the last decade care about telling a good story as much as I do about hearing one, and the love and care on display from the people who made this thing - even the ones actively fucked over by corpo shit - softens my opinion of some of the more controversial writing choices. They were in the weeds and I wasn't, and I'm more than willing to head them out.

I keep coming up with Rook concepts, feeling settled in them for a few days, and then talking myself out of them and changing my mind. I genuinely have no idea what I'm going to do first - but I'm sure whatever it is will be fun, and I'm excited for it.

Most importantly, I'm going to make more effort to stay off social media. I've tried being on less the last few days and it's been... to mixed results, for somewhat IRL reasons that don't matter here so I won't write them down. My worst fandom trait is that I don't enjoy Disk Horse, but when I see something I'm confused or appalled by, I go digging and then suddenly I know more than I wanted, feel obligated to have a reaction (even if it's internal), and then have to give myself a little talking-to anytime I feel the pull of "should I do X or Y in my game? People on (website) say that Y is fucked up or annoying because...". I know this is a habit of mine, and it is some level of mental "work" to get back to a more reasonable stance of "who gives a fuck, it's fake people, shut up and just do what you want, don't take the opinion of strangers you discovered just in time to disagree with them to heart."

I think some of the emotional weirdness is that the world has changed so much, but fandom is still itself. It's having the same drama and discourse and excitement and bullshit and joy as it ever has. I was here for the DA2 and Inquisition releases, and Veilguard's promo really has in some ways felt like being in 2014 again, for better or worse.

I'm sure I'll functionally disappear for a while for this one, just like I did with DAI. And I'm almost as horribly depressed as I was when DA2 launched and I played it in a 3-day fugue state. We'll see how it goes.

But the biggest thing I'm trying to avoid here is how I felt a couple weeks after BG3. I made the mistake of being on twitter more last year, and that's where all the worst bullshit lives these days (which it then leaks all over the place). It took about 2 weeks for the warm and fuzzies to wear off and for people to start feeling comfortable mocking and bullying random strangers who were doing nothing to anyone for the crime of making "boring" Tavs, or to start breaking off into factions based on favorite love interests and then being real big assholes about it. And it only went downhill after that. It ended up being that going into the general tags meant it was just a countdown before I saw really bitch-ass posts about how people pick (race of my character) and or romance (companion I romanced) are annoying and stupid and ruining fandom and so "boring" that reposting their screenshots for mockery is an acceptable pastime. It wasn't bigotry or anything - although the rampant and aggressive biphobia certainly was, that also sucked - but it quickly soured a lot of my experience, as someone who mostly minds my own business just vibing with my OCs and stuff with my little 4-note posts. I felt like I was constantly catching strays for having the gall to not have developed an "I thought X was cool but realized after a week it was bad and dumb" mentality, as so often crops up when the honeymoon cools and people kind of start to rot in fandom and care way too fucking much about what other people are doing because they're done actually engaging with the material directly.

Unfortunately, I think that shit is inevitable, and I just... don't want to see it. I don't want to fall in love with Companion Y or enjoy Plot Point X, only to check my socials and find people calling anyone who shares my opinion a stupid asshole who's ruining everything for other people just by existing, or basically a bigot for not digitally fucking their favorite or playing a character they find interesting. DA fandom has always been this way, and it sucks ass.

Honestly, I think that's why I'm so open to being charmed by the new game: because my apprehension isn't the game, it's fandom fucking bullshit. I'll always be happy to see more people enjoying things, but I've been here through some ugly shit and DA flavored fandom drama is almost always stupid horrible nonsense, and I'm not looking forward to that shit ramping up.

So I'm doing my very best to cocoon, only talk directly to my friends, and just enjoy this thing I've been waiting for for a decade without giving in to my impulse to care too much about everything all the time. I'll probably post pictures of my Rook or something, but I don't want to be ~around~ until I've finished at least my first playthrough.

The tl;dr of this is that I'm very very excited for the game itself and am ready to be impressed. Gimme the good heartbreak, Weekes.

#bog post #datv #bogcrit #fandom critical

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milflewis · 2 years ago

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okay heres the rosquez history™️ im fully copying this from dms i sent my bff so- do not judge how it looks. i am truly sorry for this monstrosity and that you have to read it

okay so vale dominated the mid-2000s, he has 9 world titles, 7 from motogp (or 500cc back then) marc is uhhh 14 years younger i think? and he looked up to vale. like a lot. (he mightve had a poster of vale in his bedroom growing up)

and then marc starts riding in moto3 and moto2 and its like ‘holy shit that kid is so good’ but also he’s insanely aggressive ?? like so aggressive that he essentially develops a new riding style. and around that time there are a bunch of riders in motogp, namely vale and jorge lorenzo (who marc DID ACTUALLY have a poster of i think) telling marc to calm down and ride cleaner.

in 2013 marc moves up to motogp and life is good for him!! so good!! he becomes the youngest race winner ever and then the youngest motogp champion ever and hes like in love with vale and keeps making heart eyes at him but thats ok!! bc vale makes heart eyes at marc all the time too.

so in 2013 and 2014 everything is great 🫶🫶 theyre in love, vale invites marc to the ranch, blablabla theyre gay whatever. but then 2015 it all goes to shit

marc has a bunch of retirements so it becomes pretty clear that hes not winning the title again. but vale is very much in title contention (hes fighting jorge) plus marc and vale have fought like a lot of times on track and uhhh… things arent that great between them? but whatever bc at least its still cordial. until sepang where they’re fighting again and marc crashes and oops!! it looks like vale kicked marcs bike. vale gets a back of the grid penalty for the crash and he cant recover from that so jorge wins the 2015 title! and from that point marc and vale hate. each other. vale thinks that marc fought him so hard bc he didnt want vale to be champion/wanted a spanish rider to be champion and obvi marc is mad about the kick/alleged crash.

in 2016 they seem to make peace for a lil while? but then in 2018 argentine theyre fighting again. and like i said marc is really aggressive so he kind of crashes vale out? ( im biased towards marc he can do no wring sorry) and after the race marc goes over to vales motorhome to apologize but uccio (vales bff/truck driver/idrk hes just always there) sends marc away. vale later says that he did it bc he knew it wasnt a genuine apology ?

yeah and from that point on they just dont talk. they hate each other for a while, sure, but that fades to a dislike, and dislike fades into indifference and they just do not. care anymore

also there are a lot of other moments like the infamous handshake press interview thing, but also they apparently shook hands in private later? and them in 2020 marc crashes, misses a season, comes back in 2021 for like half a season, then vale retired blablabla they just don’t interact anymore but motogp still liked making them sit awkwardly next to each other in press conferences. uhh yeah that’s basically it but marc did talk abt vale recently and he talked abt how vale had a giant impact on the sport and also he said that he wouldnt act differently in 2015 bc vale was the one who lost his temper 💀💀

omg they really are strangers to hero worship to friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant colleagues with history to enemies again to strangers what the fuck. what is in motorsport water that makes men act like this

#anon you have my love for this thank you thank you. this was a rollercoaster of a read and i applaud you for your work #genuinely wheezing tho. like. can they be normal for once. can they #i need to know more. like. his bff sent marc AWAY ?????? insane. the vibe are so awful i am in love. is anyone surprised. no #sitting with this in my brain and seeing what will come out. hmm #rosquez #motogp lore #niamh.asks

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bettyshoweduptotheparty · 11 months ago

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Guys, gals and non-binary pals, I have caught up on my inbox!

Thanks for all the thoughtful messages and interesting asks, unfortunately also had to delete a few from trolls (I think a few of us got these from people who were quite aggressively pushing the idea that Karlie and the girl squad were a PR strategy…🙄)

Reminder that you will never get a response from me if you are trying to force an opinion on others or just want to belittle or hate on people with different beliefs to you. Also, in case I haven’t said it before, I won’t be discussing anything about Taylor’s relationship with her parents, her own parenting, any potential past relationships or anything considered too personal or invasive (by my own judgment). I’m here for kaylor content and anything these two do professionally, as well as other cute and interesting gay shit. And to the sweet lovely person who said they take what I write as gospel, please don’t, I post that stuff to encourage discussion and invite discourse, not be cause I think I have all the answers (I don’t!).

One message I didn’t mean to delete was from an anon who sounded genuinely confused about what some people throw at us with such venom and conviction. Sorry I deleted your message, anon, let me say this to you:

1. Sadly, a lot of people hate kaylors (swifties and gaylors alike) and will express this quite vigorously so if you’re new here, I’m sorry to say this will happen periodically.

2. When it does, remember you don’t need to dignify hate with a response. If anybody calls you stupid or crazy, just walk away. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I AM NOT HERE TO CONVINCE ANYBODY. Believe whatever you like but this is a kaylor safe space.

3. You were asking about the ‘Karlie and the squad were PR’ anons. Honestly, I have no problem with people believing that if that’s what they’re convinced by. I will just have to disagree. In case you were wondering how to react to people presenting ‘facts’ so aggressively, let’s look at them. (Note, none of my trolls presented any actual facts or evidence, just opinions).

4. If anybody presents me any new actual information, I will look at it. That’s how critical discourse works. I have to say that not a lot I see has changed my opinion though. Yes, Tree started working with Taylor in 2014 which was the time of the girl squad. Yes that was a change in public image, possibly to get rid of the ‘serial dater’ image her previous PR team had created. But that’s where the facts end. If the VS fashion show to immediate best friends pipeline looks weird or fabricated, that’s because it was. That I will agree on. But it seems more likely to me that that was because this was a launchpad for the ‘gf as bestie’ story because Taylor was sick of hiding her love away totally and that was a middle ground that worked for a while. If people want to believe that a PR team would hire a gay woman to play another gay woman’s best friend to get rid of the boy-crazy image that said gay woman had because she had too many short-term beards, but also to make her casual gf jealous… sure, believe that if you want but don’t call us crazy next time. And in terms of it ‘working’, no it didn’t work, much the opposite actually. Taylor never lost so much of her ‘relatability appeal’ than when people thought all of her friends are rich white supermodels. She built an image on being the girl next door/ the one on the bleachers/ not the cheerleader/wears jeans and T-shirts and could be your bestie that a lot of other girls could relate to. She lost a lot of that in the girl squad era when people were suddenly shocked that a beautiful rich woman is mostly friends with other beautiful rich people. So, no, it did nothing for her image if that was the plan. And btw, although the squad may have disappeared, Taylor is still friends with all the same people now that she was shamed for hanging out with then. Lily, Cara, Martha, Gigi - she may not walk the streets with them anymore on a daily basis, but she’s very much still friends with a lot of models, almost like her partner works in fashion ;) Hope that answers your question.

#inbox update #sorry it’s long #had to make some points

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orionsangel86 · 1 year ago

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Sincere question, your response to the like-scolding post doesn't make sense to me. I already reblog often, so I don't need convincing, but I also don't feel the need to convince others to and don't understand when people do.

If a blog was empty, you weren't going to follow them anyway. They have zero impact on your dash.

I don't understand why following the tags, following blogs that make stuff in the tags, using tumblr's orbit thing or blog suggestions wouldn't be anymore sufficient than asking strangers that may not even care who follows them to make your personal dashboard more interesting.

I was hesitant to answer this, because I try not to get too involved in general tumblr discourse and I already have had a few passive aggressive remarks about my response to that post. I don't wanna open myself up to hate here so please know that this is just my opinion at the end of the day. I am one person and I have been on tumblr a long time and my reasonings for all of this is simply that I love this stupid website and want it to thrive.

Let me start by clarifying that I have nothing against likes! Likes are great! Likes are exactly what it says on the tin - a way to tell someone that you like their post. So I didn't have an issue with the sentiment of the original post that likes are not meaningless and are instead a way to tell people that you like their stuff! That's great!

But your reasoning here is flawed because of how tumblr works. No matter how many likes someones post gets, if no one reblogs it it will dissapear into a void. Tumblrs tagging system is not great. Tumblr's "in your orbit" section is something that most people ignore and do not use. The userbase on tumblr finds posts by following blogs and relying on the blogs they follow to reblog posts. The posts that circulate far and wide on tumblr are posts that are reblogged by users. Posts that have plenty of likes do not help a post gain any extra traction or help spread it to those that may be interested in it. Posts that are just liked and not reblogged do not get circulated and will get forgotten about and never find their audience.

This isn't about lurker types who never reblog anything and therefore won't ever get followers (nothing against lurkers!), its about this strange mentality nowadays which tumblr never used to have which is that people seem to be more particular about the kind of posts they'll reblog. People seem more hesitant to reblog long posts, or writing posts, or anything that doesn't immediately grab their attention. There is an expectation that for a post to be reblogged it has to be of a higher quality that a post that you may reward a simple like.

I think it is heavily tied to cringe culture. There is a mentality that your blog should be heavily curated and therefore you should only reblog the highest of quality which you feel is worthy for your own blog - rather than just reblogging anything that you may like or find fun or interesting. It is very much an instagram mentality and its been creeping into tumblr over several years - and because of it, fandoms are dying, its far more difficult to find fandom content, and it is becoming much harder to engage and build community. People are hesitant to add comments onto reblogs nowadays - when back in the day that was kinda how tumblr worked! You reblogged with commentary and thats how legendary tumblr shitposts were born! That's how Supernatural fandom "always has a gif for that" started! Because back in 2014 people didn't care about what others on tumblr thought about their blogs, because their blogs were all about the fun, about committing to the bit, about engaging with each other and adding commentary and additions, and speculating about your favourite shows on long posts where you could have an entire community of meta writers each adding a bit of their own analysis so you ended up with a huge post that was absolutely mind blowing. That's how artists on tumblr could have thousands and thousands of notes and gain huge popularity and be able to make a living based on their fanart.

I miss it so. fucking. much.

This place is a graveyard sometimes. Even among my current fandom. I will post something and ask that people add commentary. I will state quite plainly for people to please engage and add their thoughts, let me know your opinions! There are no wrong answers! Lets joke, make fun of the characters we love, write dumb little thoughts and headcanons and engage with them via reblogs, add reaction gifs and images with speech bubbles and just soak up the joy that can be found in engaging with fandom in this way - and stop being scared that your reblogs will be judged by some external source, that you will somehow lose followers or make OP hate you if you dare to add a comment to their post (in which case OP can go fuck themselves as far as I'm concerned because I ADORE comments and additions on MY posts). Just ENGAGE. Because a like, whilst appreciated, is literally the bare minimum, and if all we are doing on this site is the bare minimum, then what is the fucking point anymore? If there is no real engagement and community, if you aren't interesting in actually talking to each other and sharing posts among each other and just interacting with each other, then tumblr will die. I find that so fucking depressing. So yeah, I had a bit of a moan on that post, because I don't think y'all newbies understand how good it used to be here. Quit with the instagram mentality and start actually engaging. Because if y'all actually listened and started doing that, you'll bring this place to life again, and find so much more joy in it.

#tumblr #fandom #reblogs #reblog stuff #tumblr rant

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drawing-way-outside-the-lines · 2 years ago

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➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖

Chapter 31 - Beer & Licorice. Episode 1.

The 20th of August 2014

Andy: Sits and stares a bit at his phone, after ending his sms conversation with A, then suddenly smiles bright as he looks up at Congo, sitting across from him on the ground in Gaby and George's garden

Congo: Smiles softly at Andy What?

Andy: Smiles lovingly I just realized, today is a month since I chose you as my mate…

Congo: Smiles almost shyly as he looks to the ground, blushing softly on his cheeks

Daniel: Observes Congo, then jumps up from the ground, lighting a joint from his pocket OMG! You're fucking blushing! Do you have any idea how much hotter you are making yourself?! I can't stand you two any longer! Watching you kiss, cuddle, hear you two moan in the toilet stall… or in the bushes! Bites bottom lip hard I'm so fucking horny! You can't even imagine! I'm trying so hard to not whore around and show Sebastian (the guy he had a crush on back then, one of Sparkle's younger friends) I'm not as bad as I seem… He groans deeply but this is ridiculous! Moans and sinks back down in the grass, puffing the joint a few times before talking again I mean, I'm happy for you guys… very… but… takes a big drag of the joint you are fucking turning me on, to the extreme… it's getting really hard being around you two!

Congo; Chuckles warmly Pass me that joint will you?

Daniel: Looks a bit questioning at Congo, but then passes on the joint Doesn't this supposedly just make you like really super horny? Andy mentioned something about that in all of his constant bragging about you…

Congo: Takes a big drag and holds the smoke in while talking He brags about me?

Andy: Blushes slightly, chuckling a bit nervously

Daniel: Rolls eyes All the fucking time! Gives me a headache… or a dick ache!

Congo: Chuckles warmly, then pads his chest hard That makes me happy… all the way in here. Winks at Andy and takes another big drag of the joint Any good news from back home?

Andy: Gets a cheeky grin on his face I got a green light.

Daniel: Looks confused at both of them What?

Andy: Shakes head softly Nevermind…

Daniel: Pulls shoulders a bit Home… Andy?

Andy: Smiles warmly at Daniel Yes?

Daniel: Looks a bit hesitant at Congo, then turns to Andy again Where do you feel most at home… I mean, out of the whole world? I mean, you have sorta lived with Congo in periods… you have your own house… and your beach house… but there's also A's house, and now this place looks around the garden isn't it hard knowing where home is by now?

Andy: Blushes deeper red and picks a small twig from the ground he starts breaking into pieces and throwing at the ground That's really not difficult to answer. The place I feel most as my home, is Congo's house… but to break it down to it's very core… home is, wherever I am with him… smiles softly at Congo

Daniel: Sighs softly well aren't you just the perfect couple? Points tongue at them both honestly… I love you guys, and I'm so happy for you both… I think it's absolutely perfect that you two happened to be mates…. and I really hope and believe you will succeed in your journey. And I know both me and Evan will support you and help you the best way possible… you know you can trust him right? That he wont tell M (the girl he was dating at the time)… or anyone else for that matter?

Andy: Nods softly Of course… I trust him with my life!

Daniel: Wait… does Gaby know he's in the picture now as well? I mean… for protection?

Andy: Nods firmly Yeah, don't worry, she had a brief talk with him this morning… he's being kept safe…

Congo: Smiles warmly at both of them and puffs the joint, then passes it on to Andy

Andy: Looks at the joint hesitating

Congo: Gives a quick agreeing nod it's alright, I asked George nicely… he said it works as a nice painkiller winks cheekily at Andy (Andy back then was very troubled, and very aggressive. So he used to take his anger out on fighting, or hurting himself in multiple ways. So he often had bruises, broken bones or cuts)

Andy: Chuckles hoarse and takes a big drag of the joint Pain relief… true… but it also makes ME very horny smiles cheekily at Congo and gazes a bit pensive at Daniel, then takes another big drag, keeping the smoke in his lungs as he speaks so Daniel… you and Sebastian… are you two mates?

Daniel: Bursts out a vague chuckle Nah Andy, those things are still not for me… most of the time I just feel like… I don't know… a big baby that everyone keeps constantly correcting, telling me I can't do shit on my own pulls shoulders and for a brief moment looks rather sad in his eyes, then smiles softly plus, if you are having a hard time being monogamous and sitting still, how the hell do you think I would make it work? chuckles warmly

Andy: Chuckles sheepishly as he feels the joint kick in you are right… but also wrong takes another big drag you aren't a big baby… and I know lots of things you are good at… like playing drums, that's a given… I think you are very smart… funny… caring… you are a very loyal friend… and apparently an awesome personal stylist? He laughs warmly for a bit and takes another big drag, and passes the joint to Daniel No, seriously… I love what you did with Congo yesterday! Those outfits you picked out for him… not to mention, thanks for that kilt winks at Daniel and gently bites his own lip, sighing a bit from pain but those outfits… I love Congo's style as it is…and you really kept that, but still polished him a bit… man… moans softly thank you!

Daniel: Chuckles softly as he feels the joint start buzzing in his body it's alright…. I just thought, now when his soon to be wife is such a hot stud… he should stud up a bit himself… I mean, Congo… your body is waaaay too fucking epic to hide under way too big flannel shirts… looks up and down Congo with a hungry look, then takes a big drag of the joint and looks at Andy with a cheeky grin but you owe me points tongue

Andy: Smiles cheeky at Congo, then at Daniel and how do I repay you? slowly crawls closer to Daniel, licking his own lips to wet them, then presses them gently against Daniels lips, poking his lip with his tongue to make Daniel open his mouth, then he strongly sucks the air and smoke from Daniels lungs leaving him breathless

Daniel: Sinks backwards down into the grass, looking up at Andy with a confused look on his face

Andy: Lowers his head towards Daniels, slowly pressing his lips against Daniels, biting them gently to make Daniel open his mouth, and as he does, Andy slips his tongue into Daniels mouth, quickly fluttering his own tongue over Daniels, before quickly sucking hard, so hard that Daniel feels like all air is being sucked out of his lungs, but in a tickling out of body experience, not uncomfortable at all. Although it takes him by surprise and makes him cough a bit. Andy chuckles happily, sits back in the grass, and blows out a bit of smoke from Daniels lungs, then grabs the joint and passes it to Congo before crawling back to where he came from

Congo: Observes them both with a sheepish smile on his face well… that actually turned me on more than I thought it would…

Daniel: Stares at both of them with open mouth

Andy: Laughs uncontrollably and lets himself fall down on his back, continuing to laugh

Congo: Takes big drag from the joint and observes the confused Daniel are you alright over there?

Daniel: gets up quick and walks fast inside, and as he returns shortly after to the sight of a laughing Congo and laughing Andy he sits down and opens one of the beers from the cold six pack he dragged with him, chucking down about half of it while observing the two of them

Congo: slowly stops laughing and takes a drag of the joint before handing it to Andy now please, tell me… who's the best kisser of us quickly leans towards Daniel, grabbing his back head and pressing his lips against his as he slides his tongue into Daniels wet mouth, poking his tongue against Daniels a few times, but quickly understands Daniel is way too stunned to react, so he pulls back and returns to his seat, chuckling softly

Andy: Takes a big drag of the joint, looking at Daniel curiously ……so?

Daniel: Looks confused at both of them, then quickly chucks down the other half of the beer, opening a new one

Andy: Laughs loudly and takes another drag of the joint then passes the rest on to Daniel here… smoke the rest of this while you get back to your senses winks at him

Congo: chuckles warmly and grabs one of the beers, opening it and chucks down about half of it before grinning cheekily at Andy kiss him again… he tastes like beer and licorice*

Andy: Bites his lips softly and slowly, teasingly crawling closer to Daniel, leaning closer and closer, slowly pushing him back down to lay in the grass, as he leans down and sensually licks Daniels cuts from the fight the night before, on the side of his cheek, slowly licking towards his lips, fluttering his tongue over Daniels lips, sliding it between them and brushing it quickly over Daniels tongue, before quickly pulling back, grabbing one of the beers as he gets up and walks the few steps to sit back down on his spot, licking his mouth as he opens the beer, nodding softly at Congo you are right… I definitely get licorice as well smiles cheekily and it starts to make me hungry…

Congo: Nods at Daniel yeah me too… are you gonna smoke the rest of that one or?

Daniel: Quickly puts the joint to his mouth and takes 3 big drags, then kills the joint bud on the ground without sitting up at any point

Andy: Tilts head and observes Daniel are you okay Daniel?

Daniel: Imagines himself melt into the ground, starting to feel extremely hot in his body as sweat forms on his naked chest and forehead

Andy: Daniel?

Daniel: Sinks further and further into the grass

Andy: Laughs loudly Congo… he's completely spacing out… I guess we wont be able to fuck him tonight after all continues laughing as he rolls around on the ground

Congo: Chuckles deeply then leans over and pads Daniels cheek Daniel?

Daniel: Feels Congo is veeeery far away, and his lips only slightly parts as he moans out a half choked yes

Congo: Are you in there? Daniel… we want to fuck you…

Daniel: feels the sweat from his forehead run down his temples and he swallows hard

Congo: Tilts head and observes Daniels body's reaction man you are hard as a rock…. let me help you with that slowly unzips Daniels pants and smiles anticipating as Daniels hard dick bounces out of his pants my my… looks like I'm almost getting competition here? licks lips hungrily

Daniel: Starts getting back to reality but… wait…. points at Andy still rolling around the ground laughing I… he….

Congo: Smiles at Daniel warmly and plants a leg on both side of Daniels hips, grabbing his dick firmly and leads it behind Congos ass as he lowers himself to sit on Daniels upper groin area I… he… what? Listen… him and I talked about this today… we are both okay with it… the three of us together if you want to? He already got a green card from me, and a green card from A… not on me though, so technically it's only you and him, if you ever mention it somewhere public…. but don't spread it wherever you go, please… he's still very fragile, and I don't want him to get hurt in any way by this… so if you are up for it… I mean…. you wanted us both, right? Only one rule, Daniel… never let anyone know I'm here… and beside that… my ass is mine and Andy's… I only share it if I feel absolutely right about it…. so unless you hear me say I'm ready for you… don't try or even ask… alright? I'm very private in that region… not meaning you can't touch the cheeks…

Daniel: Swallows hard how about Marius?

Congo: That's why I tell you, I'm not here. It's very important you remember this fact. I'm already on a very slippery slope with Andy… so it's not like I'm not already cheating. But just keep in mind, A will make sure my life will be hell, or even over if he finds out… so do all of us the favor to keep it inside… I trust you… so does Andy…

Daniel: Nods sheepishly, then gazes at the still chuckling Andy You're sure he wants? Points at Andy

Congo: Grabs Daniels hand I'm sure he wants… but what do you want? Places Daniels hand on his stomach, slowly running it down to the bulge in his pants, pressing it firmly against it, rubbing himself a bit with Daniels hand

Daniel: Whimpers I want both of you so god damn much!

Congo: Nods and grins wide good…

Daniel: But he's completely spacing out now…

Congo: Leans forwards a bit, leaning on one of his palms, locking his other hand around Daniels dick don't worry, he will snap out of it soon enough… everything will be alright…

Daniel: Moans softly I'm so fucking horny…

Congo: Grins wide and tightens his grip as he starts slowly stroking Daniels dick I know… I feel you… you're pulsating… don't worry… you'll both give and take tonight….

Daniel: Bites lips hard promise me I wont be able to walk afterwards?

Congo: Grins even wider oh, I fucking promise you Daniel… leans down and licks a drop of sweat of Daniels throat, making Daniel moan deep and longing.

#unicornmanes #Congo Shaw #Daniel Chase Hartwig #Andycorn #Andy Shaw-Thompson

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metalsongoftheday · 2 years ago

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Monday, March 6: Slayer, “Expendable Youth” [ENCORE]

The Today’s Metal Tune tumblr launched March 3, 2014. To celebrate 9 years of METAL, this week we are revisiting some past favorites, showcasing memorable deep cuts from legendary and semi-legendary acts. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who’s followed, liked, reblogged and commented over the years, there is still a lot more metal to come…

R.I.P. Jeff Hanneman (1964-2013)

Seasons in the Abyss closed out Slayer’s golden age, in part because tracks like “Expendable Youth” felt like one of the last times Kerry King stretched himself as a writer. As a song, “Expendable Youth” could have fit on South of Heaven: its mid-paced groove (with typically fantastic double-bass drumming from Dave Lombardo) and lyrical content would have meshed in seamlessly with that album. On Seasons, the song told its own (thankfully real-world) story while still feeling of a piece with the rest of the record. Perhaps he was spurred on by his lack of contribution to South of Heaven, or maybe he felt needed to keep up with Jeff Hanneman, but King’s writing on Seasons in the Abyss was complex and varied: unlike on later efforts that felt like he was desperately trying to recapture the brutality and relentlessness of Reign in Blood, here he wasn’t only writing in fast-faster-fastest mode, and ”Expendable Youth” stood out all the more because of that. This was a headbanger that pounded to submission through persistence, as opposed to King’s usual naked aggression, and offered yet another example of why Slayer was untouchable going into the ‘90s.

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kmagsy-moved · 2 years ago

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psc secret santa here again! 🎅

thanks for your answer earlier! will duly keep all that in mind...

if you feel up to it, here are some more Qs--no pressure to answer!

why do you like kevin?

any favourite moments in particular?

how would you rate/rank his eras from fav to least fav? (mclaren, renault, haas pre-2022, sportscar, haas 2022?)

when i think of kmag, i think of aus 2014 and other insane drives--are there any #iconique moments you always come back to?

opinion on dts footage?

i tried to not talk to much but like... if im given the chance to talk about kev by god i will. tucking under the cut <3

oh fuck. where do i even begin. i really just feel like- as far as it goes in f1- he's just pretty grounded. like everything u see in his interviews is just 'this guy is here to race'. he is just some guy who wants to go fast !! and that means that he really feels so much more nonchalant and straightforward to me than other drivers. he does not give a shit just give him a car and let him go. also he's just so. ugh loving towards the people in his life. like he's pretty private but when he talks about his family it just is so <3 also just him being a wet cat introvert is so personal. he's just very contained and keeps to himself and idk its very endearing AND it makes the whole narrative of him being misunderstood and portrayed as this extremely aggressive driver compelling to me. do i get he was a little bitchboy yes however the whole people (esp in dts) acting like he's some bad boy is hilarious when hes just some lil guy. on a more shallow note: he is extremely hot and im so obsessed with his smile (the EYE crinkles!)

there are... way too many but i will try to keep it short and specific. i do love his stanley cup kegstand and the bit in truth or lie where a) romain says kev used pick up lines on him and b) kev talks about lying to his teammate all the time lmao. like.... 1:31 into the spanish test vid where romain is peeking at kev's board. suck my balls incident. fred vasseur giving lil laura a flower and kev playing with laura in his car after bahrain are also <33

favorite to least favorite: haas pre 2022 (romain and him <3), haas 2022, renault, sportscar, mclaren (minus his podium)

some obvious picks from this year: brazil pole, his fight with vettel in the usgp, and bahrain. 2017 singapore battle with ocon and massa is also super super sexy and honestly and his races in 2018 are also <3 but i really cant think of anything that matches the same level of Insanity as his pole and podium.

totally fine! its a treasure trove for kev content

sorry that was so rambling LMAO i hope u have a great week <33

#kevposting #psc anon #inbox

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news365timesindia · 19 days ago

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[ad_1] Team India. Source: BCCI No team have dominated India at home in the last decade in the manner that New Zealand have in these two Test matches. In that sense, credit to Tom Latham and his boys. But when we cast an eye on the Indian batting, there is far more than pitches and conditions behind the dismal failures in back-to-back matches. It is as if India are fighting some inner demons, and trying to be aggressive every third ball. No one is willing to grind it out, and look ugly. No one is keen on batting like you would in conventional Test cricket. The result? Horrendous shots, which handed the game to New Zealand on a platter. While it started with Rohit Sharma playing inside the line to Tim Southee on the first evening – not for the first time in his career – it continued with Virat Kohli on the second morning. Kohli had just come in to bat after Shubman Gill’s dismissal, and India needed him to stay there and play himself in. Instead, he played over a full toss and saw the ball crash into his stumps. It was as bad a shot as you could possibly see, and it put the pressure squarely on India. Kohli, with an average of 34 against spin at home in the last four years, is clearly not the batsman he was between 2014-2019. However, you still expect better from him, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – where he first showed off his red-ball quality – could well be a huge test for him over the next few months. Rishabh Pant, India’s best batter in Tests, played an equally poor shot. He missed a half-tracker and was off-balance to execute the shot he attempted. Yet again, the middle stump was rattled and so were India. Pant was India’s best bet in these conditions, and his wicket was a massive moment in the game. Sarfaraz Khan, preferred over KL Rahul after his Bengaluru heroics, got out to the third bad shot of the innings. He had started to look confident but his over-aggressive intent made him play the lofted shot despite the presence of a deep mid-off fielder. It was a nothing shot, and an act of irresponsibility under the circumstances. When three of your premier batters fall to poor shots, the result is always going to be dire. New Zealand were handed complete control of the match and India looked well off the pace all day. For the first time in 12 years, they are staring at a series loss at home, and it will be an upset of humungous proportions. For More Sports Related Content Click Here Pujara caught in the moment. Source (Pujara Insta) With Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane – both of whom have played huge roles in past victories in Australia – consigned to the history books, there are no obvious replacements either. The only uncapped specialist batter in the 18-man squad for Australia is Abhimanyu Easwaran, and there is little in his resume in big matches to inspire great confidence that he would be an upgrade on those in the current squad. To their credit, New Zealand haven’t let slip any of the opportunities gifted to them, in Bengaluru or Pune. With a Test left and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to follow, Rohit and Gautam Gambhir will start to feel the heat. After the toss fiasco and the 46 all out in Bengaluru to the meek surrender on day two in Pune, the mantle of invincibility is fast slipping. The WTC final is also on the line. More than the pitch or anything else, India’s batters are to blame for the predicament they find themselves in. Is there a way for India from here? While you never say never in sport, the truth is that India will need a real miracle, like Kolkata 2001, to stage a fightback. It won’t be a surprise if the game gets over today, with New Zealand celebrating one of their greatest-ever series wins. Also Read: Even in heartbreaking defeat, Rani Rampal was a winner The post India’s inability to grind out runs could cost them much more than this New Zealand series appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

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news365times · 19 days ago

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cryptidsurveys · 3 months ago

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Wednesday, August 21st, 2024.

How has covid affected you? Like the whole ordeal or the illness specifically? Because 2020 felt like an emotional/political roller coaster. Staying home wasn't a big deal because I was already practically a shut-in, but the world as seen through my computer screen was a dumpster fire. As for the illness itself, I finally caught it in February of 2023. It hit me hard the first night, the next three days or so were like a bad cold or a mild flu, and the remainder - approximately a week and a half - was just like a common cold. I was sniffly and exhausted, but nothing serious.

What is a comfort show of yours? I don't watch television, so I'm going to go with YT videos instead: Essential Salts, Where Did The Road Go? Radio, Belief Hole, Fall Of Civilizations, Event Horizon, Science & Futurism With Isaac Arthur, French Whisperer, and various Japan vloggers such as Toki Doki Traveller, Abroad In Japan, Seerasan, Sharmeleon, etc.

Are you open about your past or do you not let anyone in? I am really only open about my past with a few people (and two of those people are my parents lol - because they were literally there for it). Even with surveys, I'm somewhat reserved. I'll speak fairly openly about my present and relatively recent past, but I tend to be vague when referencing my deep past.

Favourite fast food joint? Hmm, I don't think I have one at the moment. I don't eat fast food all that frequently.

Do you think we were put on this earth for a reason? No. I guess not. I think the reason is something you create for yourself.

What is something you have done this year you’re proud of? Started volunteering full-time at the animal shelter (prior to that, I was only part-time). I think it's been about 5 weeks now. The other day, I was in the big room gathering the nightly trash to take to the dumpster, and Leslie (manager) was like, "Talk to me if you ever want a job here…" And I said my usual, "Oh, one day…one day…" with a twinkle in my eye. ;D

Do u ever feel like surveys are usually the same questions? Yeah. Especially after taking them for nearly 20 years. However, even though many of the questions are similar or repetitive, my life circumstances have changed, so the answers have gradually changed as well.

What were you doing 10 years ago? I think I was working at PDI, and I think my dad and I were still into backpacking, but not as much as in previous years. Other than that, I really don't remember a whole lot about 2014. I was still very firmly in hermit mode, struggling with mental illness, etc.

Do you call out Karen’s when they’re harassing a cashier? Nooo. Sorry, but if someone is behaving aggressively in public, then my most likely course of action is to avoid the situation as much as possible.

Animal crossing, yay or nay? I haven't played it since I was in middle school/early high school. It seems like a cute game and I would probably enjoy it if I could actually stick with it, but I'm just not much of a gamer.

Why do you like to do surveys? They're like a journal to me. They help me document my life in a way I probably - well, undoubtedly - wouldn't do without the added prompts.

Did you ever have a MySpace? Yeah. I still miss it. The way it was originally, anyway. Not whatever it became. I loved messing around with my layouts, etc.

Do you think breaks are toxic in a relationship? I think it depends on the situation. I can think of a few scenarios in which a break could be a potentially healthy choice.

Do you have a YouTube channel? If no, would you create one? If yes what’s your content? I have one, but I only use it for watching videos. I don't create anything, nor do I have any plans to do so.

Are you a math person? Not at all.

What’s the worse thing someone has said to you? Idk.

Have you ever befriended someone because you felt bad? I don't think so.

Would you ever date someone online? I have in the past (we eventually met in person). At this point in my life…I'm not sure. My instinct is to say no because I'm not all that interested in the long-distance dynamic. Plus, when it came time for one of us to relocate…I'm pretty stubborn about the fact that it's not going to be me. I'm rooted in my life here and I don't want to leave it behind to start over somewhere else. If someone was okay with that, then idk. I guess I would be willing to see where things went.

Have you been ghosted before? Would you ghost someone? I've never been ghosted. Idk if I would do it to someone else or not.

When do you think things will be normal again? When has anything ever been normal? ;D …But you're probably talking about Covid stuff since that's how the survey started. Things around here are basically back to pre-Covid days. No one even talks about it anymore.

Do you watch anime? I watched it a lot when I was younger, but not in recent years.

Biggest goal you wanna reach before 2024 is over? Find a good work/life balance. At the moment, I'm struggling to fit everything in while still having space to breathe. My therapist wants me to do this group therapy thing with others around my age + in similar circumstances, but I feel like I'm going to scream if I have to do even one more thing. :') I think I'm going to have to tell her today that I just can't do it.

How old did/do you turn this year? I turned 35 in March.

Do you like tiktok? I don't use it.

Do you ever miss vine? Not really.

How are you doing, seriously? Oh, you know…just casually walking along a tightrope over a yawning abyss. No biggie.

Is there someone you want to talk to but you know you can’t? No.

Do you make jokes to cope with your problems? Definitely. I have a very morbid, irreverent, even PrObLeMaTiC sense of humor.

Have you ever had someone call you their best friend but you didn’t even consider them a close friend? No.

Have you ever dealt with a pathological liar? I guess you could call him that. One of my sibling's ex-partners was an all-around horrible person.

Long or short surveys? Medium. 30-40 questions is probably ideal.

If ur in school, are you doing it on zoom or in class? I'm not in school.

Would you ever have a pet rat? No. Rats are cool, but I'm not interested in having one as a pet. I already have three kitties.

Favourite memory with your best friend? I'm not sure.

Favourite type of content to watch on YouTube? History, outer space, paranormal, tarot, reaction channel trash, Japan vlogs, etc.

Are you allergic to anything serious? No.

Dream job? I basically already have it. I'm just not being paid to do it, lmao.

Do you think dreams mean anything? They're probably just the burbling of an unconscious/subconscious mind attempting to make sense of things.

Fav clothing brand? I don't have one.

Do you miss anyone? Yeah.

#survey #surveys #personal survey #random survey #survey blog

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mineofilms · 6 months ago

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Training with Exacerbated Type-II Diabetes

“Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” ~Albert Einstein

The journey of my diabetic related issues span over a decade now, starting with the mysterious circumstances of hyperglycemia back in 2012. Despite my suspicions, it wasn't until 2014 that I received an official diagnosis, accompanied by a slew of bizarre complications. From aggressive cataract in both eyes to cellulitis, torn back muscles, skin boils, and even a bout with Covid-19, 4 years ago this July. My health has been a rollercoaster ride through hell and back to purgatory. But the strangest part? None of the standard treatments seem to have worked for me. Metformin left me sick, regular insulin caused sugar crashes, and even the so-called experts were stumped. My medical journey feels like a never-ending puzzle with pieces that just won't fit, NASA-Chimp-Style. Shove that triangle into a space for a square Monkey. Come on little buddy, it’ll fit, just keep pluggin’ away at it. It's not just my physical health that's suffering. My mental and emotional well-being have taken a beating too. Anxiety, blindness, depression, and the silent agony of PTSD weigh heavy on my shoulders, dragging me further into the darkness of the singularity, where no information can return intact. Despite this constant war for my life, I soldier on, steering my ship through the stormy seas of uncertainty. With each passing day, I cling to the hope that someday, somehow, I'll find a glimmer of stability amidst the chaos. Or NOT… But for now, I'll keep bracing the sails and laughing in the face of the storm, knowing that behind those dark clouds, the sun still shines, patiently waiting until it doesn’t.

My digestive issues really take precedence right now. They call it ‘Gastroparesis.’ The slowing down of digestion, emptying of the stomach contents into the small intestine. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, cramping, muscle fatigue and feeling full quickly after eating. It can be caused by damage to the vagus nerve, which controls the muscles of the stomach, by sustained high blood sugar or hyperglycemia. This nerve damage leads to delayed gastric emptying, exacerbating blood sugar control issues by causing unpredictable spikes and dips in glucose levels.

Needless to say I am in a near constant state of being uncomfortable or in pain.

Diabetes is described as a catabolic condition, leading to undernutrition and hyperglycemia, resulting in reduced protein synthesis, muscle mass, strength, and basal metabolic rate. While insulin is necessary for individuals with type 1 or extreme type 2 diabetes, such as myself, it merely compensates for a deficiency… Putting a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. This is all important because I don’t have typical symptoms. I have all of the above, plus more that I am not going to get into here. This doesn’t just affect all of the stuff above but also my mood, energy levels, mobility, sleep, mental focus and all around decent quality of life.

Attempted Exercise Through This Has Been Very Difficult…

I often feel nauseated while trying to lift in the gym now. I have to train at a gym because of the Air Condition. I cannot train at my home gym as much due to the heat in there. It’s May now. By 11 AM it’s over 100 degrees in there. Sure I got fans just pushing hot air all around. So I go to a gym to get some lifting in. I can no longer handle the heat and humidity of southwest Florida in a physical way. Especially in summer. At the air conditioned gym I will be fine for a few sets and then all the sudden I get super light-headed, vision starts to go. My blood sugars start to drop, fast. I have almost blacked out in the gym a few times, not even working very hard by what I deem is hard work by my own standard. This was getting worse by the week. Finally after a horrible few days with digestion, I was sick in bed for 2 days and spent another 2 days just feeling super weak and dehydrated. I didn’t eat much so I didn’t need much insulin. I lost 6 pounds in 3 days. I decided that changes need to be made. I went ahead and began to jot down what I do in the gym and how it relates to diabetics. I looked into what actually happens to the muscle fibers, the metabolism. With training, the workout is only a 4th of what you need to be doing.

Diet, Rest, Exercise and Repeat…

Repeat is the one most either forget or straight-up ignore. If you do not make a thing, anything habitual, one will never be elite at it. You wanna be fit? Make the process habit-forming so that it is part of you. This also works in other areas of life. I also epically fail at self-identifying this at times and it isn’t something someone else, any one person or even group, can force upon me with the expectation that will solve the learning curve. I need to see it for myself in my own way. That is what life is really all about.

Self-Identifying on Your Own Reflection in the River Bed…

I don’t grow, muscle mass-wise. I also do not shred weight easily. I cannot handle the heat well. My blood sugar plummets in an environment like an uninsulated garage-gym in southwest Florida summer. Sugars are always all over the place but when at rest my body is semi-stable. It’s these shocks of the body that throw me off to wear I will have issues. My flexibility and dexterity is really bad. I used to be flexible but over the course of a couple of years I started having all sorts of issues. Along with neuropathy there are other aliments related to flexibility and dexterity.

Glycation of joints refers to a process where sugar molecules in the bloodstream bind to proteins within the joints, forming harmful compounds known as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). This process can contribute to inflammation, stiffness, and damage to joint tissues over time, leading to conditions such as osteoarthritis. Glycation of joints can really affect joint flexibility, dexterity and there is research to back this up. The worse your control of your blood sugars are the more potential for joint mobility issues increase dramatically. For full range of motion for fill contractile force of all the muscle fibers throughout and exercise is going to be compromised moving forward… For athletes managing type 2 diabetes, incorporating strength training alongside aerobic exercises is crucial for controlling blood sugar levels. Strength training engages the body's glycolytic system. Promotes weight loss, reduces visceral fat, and increases insulin sensitivity. Benefits heart health, bone density, and muscle mass. Helps control hypertension. Can improve complications from neuropathy and vision loss. Strength training plays a role in glycemic control and quality of life for type 2 diabetics, especially when combined with cardiovascular exercises. You may notice your blood glucose rise for up to an hour with intense activity, such as weight lifting—but don’t worry. It’s due to the initial stress of pushing your body hard, and it’s more than offset by the improvements in insulin sensitivity and other benefits derived from anaerobic exercise…

The stress of managing diabetes, compounded by fluctuations in blood glucose levels during training, can hinder progress.

Making Modifications:

First things first… The workout… Switched from 4 times a week at the gym to 3. More stretching and other non-weight training on rest days. Consuming a protein shake of at least 30g, 30-minutes before a workout regardless if I ate before I trained or not. No more super sets. As much as I love super sets and drop sets I just cannot do them as a sustained form of training. I have to train smarter, not harder. One of the things about diabetics, they do not heal fast. This also includes muscle fiber breakdown and rebuild. Just making each set count, ample rest between sets, capped the workout when the number of sets is reached. Not much is working right now. I am lucky to look decent and still have some decent physical strength. I go through spurts where I can train hard and other days/weeks where my body just won’t let me. My diet isn’t terrible for someone in my condition but not exactly on point for someone trying to make gains in the gym with my server limitations. Simply trying to be Rocky Balboa and just keep getting up when you get knocked down doesn’t really work in real life when your body is literally broken. This isn’t a mental block. This is a body block that hinders the mind once the body begins to fail.

So Much Fun…

Below is my old gym workout and below that is the new routine. Tighten up the diet. Exercise smarter not harder. Rocky isn’t real-life. Rest, deeply and repeat the process. This isn’t really radical what I am doing here but for me, personally, it sort of is. This isn’t what I am used to. I am used to doing things at a high level. This is the first time I have looked at my fitness with my issues in mind rather than something I can outright beat in a fist fight.

“The enormous mental resilience, without which no Chess player can exist, was so much taken up by Chess that he could never free his mind of this game.” ~Albert Einstein

Old Workout:

My old routine consisted of a four day split:

Monday – Chest/Lats/Back:

– 2 sets of chest flies or chest machine (stretch).

– Flat bench, start with 155 on the bar for 8 reps going up 20 lbs each set and dropping the rep range by 2 reps every increase till I hit a one max rep.

– 2 sets of flat dumbbell chest press 8-10 reps.

– 3 sets of incline bench press of 10-12 reps.

– 3 sets of front lateral pull down, super set with wide grip body building type pull ups. 12-15 reps on the pull down and as many as I can do for pullups with good form.

– 2-3 sets of another back/lat exercise of my choice, 12-15 reps.

Tuesday – Legs:

I can only use a special squat bar due to my shoulder flexibility.

– Squats, 3 sets, 8-12 reps with the bar (warm-up)

– Squats, 3 sets, 8 reps, 135 on the bar.

– Squats, 1 set, 4 reps, 185 on the bar.

– Leg extensions, 3 sets, 10-15.

– Hack squats, 2 sets, 8-10 reps.

Wednesday - Rest Day:

Thursday - Arms:

I usually do 6 sets for biceps and 6 sets for triceps. 6 sets equal 6 super sets which is actually 2 exercises per set. I will do assorted exercises for each biceps and triceps.

– Biceps – 6 sets, 12-15 reps, super set, w/ another bicep exercise, 12-15 reps.

– Triceps – 6 sets, 12-15 reps, super set, w/ another bicep exercise, 12-15 reps.

Friday - Shoulders:

Limited due to flexibility issues.

– 2 sets, 10-15 reps, front deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-15 reps, side deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-15 reps, rear deltoids.

– 2-3 sets, 10-15 reps, shoulder presses of some kind.

Light-Cardio:

– Each workout day has a 2.5 mile walk, usually 4-6x/wk.

New Workout:

My new routine consists of a 3 day split (Monday/Wednesday/Friday):

Monday - Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders:

– Warm-up, 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching and mobility exercises.

– Chest – dumbbell flies – 2 sets of chest flies or chest machine (stretch).

– Flat bench press - 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

– Dumbbell press - 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Back – Lat pulldowns, 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

– Assisted pull-ups, 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Legs – Squats w/ special bar, leg press or hack squat machine, 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

– Leg extensions - 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Shoulders – 2 sets, 10-12 reps, front deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-12 reps, side deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-12 reps, rear deltoids.

– 2-3 sets, 8-10 reps, shoulder presses of some kind.

– Cool down – 5-10 minutes of light cardio or stretching.

Tuesday - Rest Day:

Wednesday - Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders:

– Warm-up, 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching and mobility exercises.

– Chest – Dumbbell flies – 2 sets of chest flies or chest machine (stretch).

– Incline bench press - 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

– Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Back – Lat pulldowns, 3 sets, 8-10 reps.

– Assisted pull-ups, 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Legs – Squats w/ special bar, leg press or hack squat machine, 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

– Leg extensions - 3 sets, 10-12 reps.

– Shoulders – 2 sets, 10-12 reps, front deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-12 reps, side deltoids.

– 2 sets, 10-12 reps, rear deltoids.

– 2-3 sets, 8-10 reps, shoulder presses of some kind.

– Cool down – 5-10 minutes of light cardio or stretching.

Thursday - Rest Day:

Friday – Arms/Core:

– Warm-up, 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching and light cardio.

– Biceps – 4 exercises, 2 sets, 10-12 reps each exercise.

– Triceps – 4 exercises, 2 sets, 10-12 reps each exercise.

– Core – Planks, 3 sets, 30-60 seconds.

– Russian twists, 3 sets, 15-20 reps.

– Cool down – 5-10 minutes of light stretching.

Saturday/Sunday - Rest Day(s) or Light Cardio:

– Each workout day has a 2.5 mile walk, usually 4-6x/wk.

Training with Exacerbated Type-II Diabetes by David-Angelo Mineo 5/14/2024 2,194 Words

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digitalcommunitiesphamphuonglinh · 8 months ago

Text

// Week 10: Social Media Governance //

Navigating the Intersection: Online Harassment, Social Media Governance, and Digital Citizenship

Hey, Tumblr fam! Today, let's dive into a crucial topic that impacts all of us who roam the digital realm: online harassment. 🌐💻 From rude comments to outright threats, online harassment comes in various forms and affects a staggering number of internet users worldwide. But here's the kicker: it's not just a fringe issue anymore. Nope, a recent survey found that a whopping 41% of Americans have personally experienced some form of online harassment. Yikes, right? So, buckle up as we explore the ins and outs of this pervasive problem and its implications for social media governance.

An Examination of Online Harassment and Its Consequences for the Regulation of Social Media

Harassment of any kind, whether verbal or physical, occurs frequently on the internet and affects a large percentage of the population. Consciously targeting specific people or groups with nasty, threatening, or insulting content is a common component (Wolak, Mitchell & Finkelhor, 2007). Abusive behaviour on the internet has traditionally been associated with extreme individuals—"narcissists, psychopaths, and sadists" (Buckels, Trapnell & Paulhus, 2014)—who are either unique or inhabit unusual areas of the web. But now, according to a September study by the Pew Research Centre (PRC) of adults in the US, 41% of those people have been victims of online abuse at least once (Vogels, 2021).

According to Duggan (2017), there are five main forms of harassment: sexual harassment, persistent harassment, physical threats, embarrassing others on purpose, and harsh name-calling. In a similar vein, Lenhart et al. (2016) classify harassment as a whole, including specific behaviours like physical threats and insults. By extension, "cyberbullying" is often used to describe forms of harassment that mostly target young people (Kowalski et al. 2014).

Gender bias is a common feature of cyberbullying. Gender-based harassment disproportionately affects women, non-binary individuals, and other gender minorities. Such harassment manifests in diverse ways, including abusive digital dating practices, non-consensual image sharing, and intimate partner violence (Bailey 2021; Rocha-Silva, Nogueira & Rodrigues 2021). Due to its prevalence in private contacts and the normalisation of gender-based violence, gendered harassment is frequently a reflection of larger societal imbalances and can be difficult to eradicate (World Health Organisation 2021). Furthermore, power imbalances and perseverance might be traits of cyberbullying (Kazerooni et al. 2018). Online harassment takes many forms, including but not limited to flaming, trolling, impersonation, and public shaming (Blackwell et al. 2018). As a group, these actions are aggressive, harmful, and intentionally hurtful; as a result, victims experience mental, emotional, and even bodily suffering (Langos 2014).

Effective measures for social media governance can only be developed by first gaining a thorough understanding of the perceived damages linked to various forms of online harassment. The negative effects of cyberbullying on victims' mental and physical health can be devastating, and in some cases, permanent (Harms 2015). Although the effects of harassment could differ depending on the specific form it takes, the nature of the harassment itself can also have an impact. Persistent harassment can have devastating effects; many victims, particularly women, have spoken out about the constant barrage of unwanted attention they've received while using the internet (Massanari 2017). Harassment, whether individual or perpetrated in groups, can have a multiplicative effect on victims' perceptions of harm (Marwick 2021).

Also, how people experience and perceive the harm caused by cyberbullying depends on their intersecting identities. Disabled people, Black people, and LGBTQ+ persons are disproportionately likely to experience severe and persistent harassment, according to studies (Grey 2011; Fitzgerald et al. 2019). The adverse effects endured by these communities are compounded by misogynoir, online racism, and discrimination, which manifest in the form of violence, stigma, and other detrimental consequences (Lirri 2015; Pskowski 2017).

Given these findings, combating cyberbullying calls for concerted efforts across technology, law, and society. The safety of users, especially those whose identities make them easy targets for harassment, should be the top priority of social media policymakers. Responsible social media administration's essential components include effective moderation regulations, robust reporting procedures, and proactive steps to counteract abuse. Another important step in reducing the frequency and severity of cyberbullying is encouraging positive online behaviours such as empathy, respect, and inclusivity.

Due to the multifaceted character of cyberbullying, social media regulation must extend beyond the realm of content management. Online safety can be improved if lawmakers and social media companies take the time to learn about the complex interplay between digital citizenship and the nuances of cyberbullying. Next, we'll discuss how online harassment affects social media governance and look at some possible solutions to this widespread problem.

Social Media Governance: Why It Matters

An essential part of creating a positive online environment is content moderation, which is how platforms handle infractions of community guidelines and other rules. To sort through the massive amount of user-generated content, content moderation uses a mix of human involvement and algorithmic detection, as pointed out by Gillespie (2018) and Roberts (2019). Although considerable effort has been put into enhancing policies, reporting mechanisms, and moderation approaches (Schoenebeck, Lampe & Triệu 2023), the majority of online platforms continue to struggle to effectively mitigate harassing conduct (Rainie, Anderson & Albright 2017). In addition, according to Vogels (2021), the problem seems to be worsening, since 79% of people who took part in the PRC survey think that social media businesses are only doing a fair or bad job of dealing with cyberbullying and harassment.

Among the many complex issues with content moderation, contextual subtleties must be carefully considered. According to Douek (2020), different cultural and linguistic contexts may have different definitions of harassment. Furthermore, human moderators must review massive amounts of content quickly, which raises ethical questions regarding the safety of these employees who may be exposed to disturbing content (Roberts 2019). Furthermore, concerns about censorship and responsibility arise from the authority that social media platforms have in deciding what kinds of content are acceptable to share (Kaye 2019).

On top of that, there is a wide variety and ever-changing character of online harassment. Vulnerable individuals or groups can be targeted through a variety of tactics, such as hate speech and doxxing (Grey 2020; Marwick 2021). The moderating process is made more difficult when such harassment occurs both publicly in news feeds and privately in direct messages.

Current solutions to online harassment, such as removing content and banning users, are being evaluated for their effectiveness. Despite their effectiveness in responding immediately to flagrant infractions, these methods may fail to tackle systemic problems with conduct or open doors to fairness and responsibility (Goldman 2021). As a result, victims are frequently left out and unable to seek justice or have their harm addressed (Blackwell et al. 2017). The nature of the harassment and the identity of those affected may also affect how effective remedies are (Schoenebeck et al. 2021).

Hence, it is critical to address cyberbullying with more than just taking down content and fining offenders. Goldman (2021) argues for a more complex strategy that takes into account aspects of responsibility, equity, and community engagement by drawing on legal research. Proposed solutions include public apologies and admissions of guilt, although there are questions about the sincerity and efficacy of these measures (Battistella 2014).

Not only does it help with enforcement, but it also validates victims' stories and educates the community (Matias 2019). Nevertheless, the preferred methods of addressing harassment can differ based on the specific kind of harassment experienced and the identities at play. Apologies, for instance, may not be preferred as solutions by certain marginalised groups if they believe that they are not genuine. According to Schoenebeck, Haimson, and Nakamura (2021), this further proves the importance of customised strategies.

Fundamentally, establishing efficient social media governance is critical for cultivating an online environment that promotes constructive interaction and courteous dialogue. Platforms may work towards making the internet a safer and more welcoming place for everyone by tackling the multifaceted problem of cyberbullying and giving a voice to those who have been harassed or victimised.

Social Media Governance, Online Harassment, and the Intersection of Digital Citizenship

Accounting for Harassment Types and Harm in Design and Policy

One of the biggest problems with digital citizenship is the prevalence of harassment and other forms of cyberbullying, which make it difficult to build safe and welcoming communities online. But to solve this problem, we need a sophisticated knowledge of the many kinds of harassment and the many degrees of damage they cause. According to Schoenebeck, Lampe, and Triệu (2023), different sorts of online harassment might lead to different perceptions of harm, thus it is important to categorise these talks accordingly. As an example, while verbal abuse may not seem as terrible as, say, sexually explicit images sent without consent might have serious consequences.

Furthermore, these danger judgements do not hold across all demographic categories. Despite bearing a disproportionate share of the burden of harm, marginalised groups, including women, the elderly, and people of colour, are grossly underrepresented in the halls of power that make tech policy. That is why it is crucial to listen to the people who have been most impacted by cyberbullying (e.g., Benjamin 2019; Noble 2018) before responding effectively. Social media governance practices can be enhanced by adopting victim-centred approaches rather than punitive measures, by incorporating principles of trauma-informed practice and affirmative consent (Im et al. 2021; Tseng et al. 2022).

Expanding Remedies for Reputational Harm

To effectively manage social media platforms, we need more tools to combat the complex kinds of online harassment. A more thorough consideration of reputational injury is being increasingly acknowledged, even though traditional remedies like content removal and user bans are still widely used (Schoenebeck, Lampe & Triệu 2023) In cultures that hold honour in high regard, the effects of relational and reputational forms of harassment—which are frequently disregarded by policy and legal frameworks—can be devastating. Harassment victims may face public shaming or even death for an alleged online violation, which can have a significant impact on their reputations in societies and cultures where honour is highly valued (Maher 2020).

On the other hand, solutions are not necessarily more effective in cases when harassment is more severe. Existing remedies may not be sufficient to offer meaningful redress in circumstances of extreme harm, such as doxxing or non-consensual distribution of sexual images. The trauma experienced by victims may be worsened by the difficulty they encounter in obtaining assistance and navigating the judicial system. Persistent traumatic experiences, also known as re-traumatisation or secondary trauma, can result from being the target of persistent harassment (Levenson 2017). Consequently, to better safeguard users from the most severe types of harassment, social media platforms should investigate novel ways, such as enhanced blocking capabilities and automated reporting systems.

Towards Holistic Social Media Governance

In the end, a comprehensive strategy that recognises the complex interplay between digital citizenship and online abuse is necessary for effective social media regulation. To address the wide variety of ways in which users have been harmed, platforms must move beyond generalisations about harassment. Blackwell et al. (2018) argued that social media sites can help create more secure and equitable online environments by giving a voice to underrepresented groups and giving priority to answers that centre on victims. Systems can be built to assist users in preventing harassment, for instance, by implementing automated reporting systems, elevating blocking methods, and making it easier for users to seek support when needed.

But to do this, present methods of government must be drastically rethought, shifting focus from punitive actions to proactive interventions that tackle systemic inequities. Social media sites can't do their part to prevent cyberbullying and promote good digital citizenship unless they take this comprehensive strategy.

Conclusion

Alright, fellow Tumblr aficionados, we've unpacked the complexities of online harassment and its tangled relationship with social media governance. This isn't just a matter of deleting nasty comments or hitting the block button. No, it's about fostering a culture of empathy, respect, and inclusivity in our digital spaces. By amplifying marginalised voices, prioritising victim-centred responses, and reimagining our approach to governance, we can pave the way for safer, more inclusive online communities. So, let's roll up our sleeves, demand accountability, and work towards a brighter, harassment-free digital future together. 💪✨

Additional Resources:

Towards Digital Platforms and Public Purpose: Final Report of the Democracy and Internet Governance Initiative | Shorenstein Center

Social media companies should stop normalising neo-fascism | Media@LSE

UNESCO brings together stakeholders to discuss the role of social media in promoting peace

References

Bailey, M 2021, Misogynoir Transformed, NYU Press.

Battistella, EL 2014, Sorry about that, Oxford University Press, USA.

Benjamin, R 2019, Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code, John Wiley & Sons.

Blackwell, L, Chen, T, Schoenebeck, S & Lampe, C 2018, ‘When Online Harassment Is Perceived as Justified’, Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media.

Blackwell, L, Dimond, J, Schoenebeck, S & Lampe, C 2017, ‘Classification and Its Consequences for Online Harassment: Design Insights from HeartMob’, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, p. 19.

Buckels, EE, Trapnell, PD & Paulhus, DL 2014, ‘Trolls Just Want to Have Fun’, Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 67, Elsevier BV, pp. 97–102.

Douek, E 2020, ‘The Limits of International Law in Content Moderation (SSRN Scholarly Paper ID 3709566)’, SSRN Electronic Journal, viewed <http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3709566>.

Duggan, M 2017, ‘Online Harassment 2017’, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/>.

Fitzgerald, HE, Johnson, DJ, Qin, DB, Villarruel, FA & Norder, J 2019, Handbook of Children and Prejudice, Springer, Cham.

Gillespie, T 2018, Custodians of the Internet, Yale University Press.

Goldman, E 2021, ‘Content Moderation Remedies’, Michigan Technology Law Review, vol. 28, RELX Group (Netherlands), viewed 17 March 2024, <10.2139/ssrn.3810580>.

Gray, KL 2011, ‘Intersecting Oppressions and Online Communities’, Information, Communication & Society, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 411–428.

Gray, KL 2020, ‘Race and Media’, in LK Lopez (ed.), Race and Media, New York University Press, New York, USA, pp. 241–251.

Harms, L 2015, Understanding Trauma and Resilience, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Im, J, Dimond, J, Berton, M, Lee, U, Mustelier, K, Ackerman, MS & Gilbert, E 2021, ‘Yes: Affirmative Consent as a Theoretical Framework for Understanding and Imagining Social Platforms’, Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.

Kaye, D 2019, Speech Police, Columbia Global Reports.

Kazerooni, F, Taylor, SH, Bazarova, NN & Whitlock, J 2018, ‘Cyberbullying Bystander Intervention: The Number of Offenders and Retweeting Predict Likelihood of Helping a Cyberbullying Victim’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, vol. 23, no. 3, Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 146–162.

Kowalski, RM, Giumetti, GW, Schroeder, AN & Lattanner, MR 2014, ‘Bullying in the Digital Age: A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis of Cyberbullying Research among Youth’, Psychological Bulletin, vol. 140, no. 4, pp. 1073–1137.

Langos, C 2014, ‘Cyberbullying: The Shades of Harm’, Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 106–123.

Lenhart, A, Ybarra, M, Zickuhr, K & Myeshia Price-Feeney 2016, ‘Online Harassment, Digital Abuse, and Cyberstalking in America’, Data & Society, Data & Society Research Institute, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://datasociety.net/library/online-harassment-digital-abuse-cyberstalking/>.

Levenson, JS 2017, ‘Trauma-Informed Social Work Practice’, Social Work, vol. 62, no. 2, Oxford University Press, pp. 105–113.

Lirri, E 2015, ‘The Challenge of Tackling Online Violence against Women in Africa’, OpenNet Africa, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://www.opennetafrica.org/the-challenge-of-tackling-online-violence-against-women-in-africa/>.

Maher, S 2020, A woman like her: The story behind the honor killing of a social media star, Melville House.

Marwick, AE 2021, ‘Morally Motivated Networked Harassment as Normative Reinforcement’, Social Media + Society, vol. 7, no. 2.

Massanari, A 2017, ‘#Gamergate and the Fappening: How Reddit’s algorithm, governance, and Culture Support Toxic Technocultures’, New Media & Society, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 329–346.

Matias, JN 2019, ‘Preventing Harassment and Increasing Group Participation through Social Norms in 2,190 Online Science Discussions’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences, pp. 9785–9789.

Noble, SU 2018, Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism, NYU Press.

Pskowski, M 2017, ‘Mexican Women Stand up to Cyberattacks and Vicious Digital Violence’, The World, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://theworld.org/stories/2017-08-24/mexican-women-stand-cyberattacks-and-vicious-digital-violence>.

Rainie, L, Anderson, J & Albright, J 2017, ‘The Future of Free Speech, Trolls, Anonymity and Fake News Online’, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2017/03/29/the-future-of-free-speech-trolls-anonymity-and-fake-news-online/>.

Roberts, ST 2019, Behind the Screen, Yale University Press.

Rocha-Silva, T, Nogueira, C & Rodrigues, L 2021, ‘Intimate Abuse through technology: a Systematic Review of Scientific Constructs and Behavioral Dimensions’, Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 122, Elsevier BV, p. 106861.

Schoenebeck, S, Haimson, OL & Nakamura, L 2021, ‘Drawing from Justice Theories to Support Targets of Online Harassment’, New Media & Society, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 1278–1300.

Schoenebeck, S, Lampe, C & Triệu, P 2023, ‘Online Harassment: Assessing Harms and Remedies’, Social Media + Society, vol. 9, no. 1.

Schoenebeck, S, Scott, CF, Hurley, EG, Chang, T & Selkie, E 2021, ‘Youth Trust in Social Media Companies and Expectations of Justice’, Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, pp. 1–18.

Stewart, A, Schuschke, J & Tynes, B 2019, ‘Online Racism: Adjustment and Protective Factors Among Adolescents of Color’, Springer eBooks, Springer Nature, pp. 501–513, viewed 17 March 2024, <https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-12228-7_28>.

Tseng, E, Sabet, M, Bellini, R, Harkiran Kaur Sodhi, Ristenpart, T & Dell, N 2022, ‘Care Infrastructures for Digital Security in Intimate Partner Violence’, CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’22).

Vogels, EA 2021, ‘The State of Online Harassment’, Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech, viewed 15 March 2024, <https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/>.

Wolak, J, Mitchell, KJ & Finkelhor, D 2007, ‘Does Online Harassment Constitute Bullying? an Exploration of Online Harassment by Known Peers and Online-Only Contacts’, Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 41, no. 6, Elsevier BV, pp. S51–S58.

World Health Organization 2021, ‘Violence against Women’, Who.int, World Health Organization: WHO, viewed 16 March 2024, <https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women>.

#digital communities #mda20009 #week 10 #social media governance #social media apps #policies #social media strategy #online harassment #cyber bullying

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mikeo56 · 1 year ago

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“I am here today to ask the world to witness the situation in Okinawa,” Tamaki told a session of the world body’s Human Rights Council, arguing that the concentration of the military bases there threatens peace.

Tamaki, the first Okinawa governor in eight years to address the council, said, “The reclamation work proceeds despite the fact that it was clearly opposed by Okinawan voters in a democratically held referendum."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silicon Valley, the mass media and the British government seem to be doing everything they can to delegitimize the very serious allegations against Russell Brand by making it abundantly clear to everyone that what they actually care about is his online content, not his accusers. The Google-owned platform YouTube has demonetized Brand’s account, empire propagandists like James Ball of “The only barrier to Julian Assange leaving Ecuador’s embassy is pride” fame are writing screeds attacking Brand’s content, and a British MP with ties to the British army’s psychological warfare division has been writing letters to other social media platforms demanding that Brand be demonetized.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It should be more widely understood that denying the “Uyghur genocide” propaganda narrative is not the same as denying that there was an authoritarian crackdown in Xinjiang. Empire apologists tend to conflate these two points in a motte-and-bailey fallacy wherein the much harder claim to defend (Uyghur genocide) is misrepresented as one and the same as a much easier claim to defend (authoritarian actions in Xinjiang).

That Beijing began implementing a giant police action in Xinjiang in 2014 involving large-scale detention of certain Uyghurs in reeducation camps is not seriously debated, and is not denied by Beijing. What’s denied is that any of this was done with the intention — or the effect of — eliminating or diminishing the Uyghur people or their culture. There is simply no basis for that claim, and mountains of evidence to the contrary.

These reeducation camps have been spun by western propagandists as concentration camps and extermination camps in a ham-fisted effort to frame Xi Jinping as another Adolf Hitler, when in reality they really were re-education camps in the literal sense of the term. They were facilities designed to indoctrinate/de-indoctrinate Uyghurs believed to have become radicalized into an ideology that had plunged Xinjiang into violence and chaos and threatened to tear apart the PRC. By all accounts — including by the western press — these facilities were decommissioned around 2019–2020.

This was all covered in a recent report by two prominent German sinologists which didn’t get enough attention. Were there abuses in Xinjiang? It’s hard to imagine how there wouldn’t have been in a sweeping police action involving large-scale involuntary detainment. You can criticize Beijing for those abuses all you want, but what you can’t do is legitimately call it anything like genocide.

When Uyghur separatist groups began inflicting acts of terror with the goal of driving the Chinese government out of Xinjiang and creating their own state, Beijing had essentially three choices:

To engage in a US-style campaign of mass military slaughter against these groups until they were defeated,

To allow a violent uprising of what would inevitably become western-backed jihadists as they had just seen happen in Libya and Syria carve away a massive and geostrategically crucial part of China to be exploited by the US and its allies, or

To find some alternative to 1 and 2.

Beijing went with option number three, and the alternative it found was the aggressive deradicalization campaign it ended up implementing and the re-education facilities it has been so widely criticized for.

#us military bases #russel brand #China Uyghur

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exo-archivist · 27 days ago

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Thank you for taking the time to answer. If you don't mind I do have a few follow up questions for clarification. If you have the time to answer I'd appreciate it, if not then I understand.

When you say you started in 2014 but did not use it, were you on Tumblr at all and just not reblogging anything or did you create it and leave for other sites?

After you came back in 2020, around when did you become inactive in the fandom? And when you say inactive, do you mean lurking instead of active reblogging? Or just rarely on the site? Otherwise I'm uncertain how you found this post.

Do you only read suho×fem!oc? Or are you including reader insert in that category as well? I ask because some people do.

You mention a few paragraphs worth of your complaints with Tumblrs tagging system, nudity and content of posts. Is this part of why you're inactive?

Now, onto the bulk of your answer, when you say mostly aff, how would you say your interactions on Tumblr have mostly been? Does your assertion of authors only replying to “big name” members of the fandom apply here as well in your opinion?

I've also seen how exo authors ridicule, get angry and make fun of those who ask them genuine questions related to character's actions. If readers are genuinely curious about something, it's because they're invested in it. But authors consider it as insulting. There's a difference between hating a character and genuinely trying to understand why a character is doing something they are doing.

Are you applying this statement to our fandom writers as a whole or was this another case of it was mostly on aff? Or is it mostly here on Tumblr?

Honestly I want authors to clarify exactly what they're looking forward to when they post their content. Is it really feedback, comments, criticism or its only mindless praise they're looking forward to.

This is in my opinion not a bad idea, since, as I mentioned to another replier who's had bad experiences as well, common etiquette is that criticism and critiquing when unsolicited is a huge no-no. This is because most fandom creators are doing this for free in their spare time and is just supposed to be a fun hobby.

If authors were to implement something along these lines, do you think it would have an impact on how you'd interact with fic going forward?

Then other thing is hypocrite authors and jealous authors. A lot of authors who themselves never post comments on other people's work, aggressively demand for comments and upvotes. There are also a lot of shameless authors who would copy an idea written in a fiction by fandom authors and re-write it in their own ffs.

Is this something that prevents you from interacting?

Also, you mention copying ideas….do you mean the instances of outright theft? For instance when an author takes a fic and simply reposts it and claims it as thiers? Or are you referring to when tropes get used by different authors? If it's the latter that may be a matter of misunderstanding rather than an act of theft. The borrowing of ideas and headcanons is something that fanfic is built off of and is how fanon and popular tropes get created.

Or is it something else you mean?

Thank you again for answering, and for the record you didn't come across as rude or hostile with your opinions, and I very much appreciate that.

I Have a (few) question(s) for Exol.

I'm genuinely curious as to the answers, so if you see this could you please do me the favour of signal boosting this so it reaches more people?

I see posts circulating now and again about lack of interaction on fandom creation posts. No one reblogs. No one comments. But I never see anyone asking why. Is it simply a matter of being in the middle of an etiquette shift? Is it crossplanted members of social media communities having different social norms? Has the way people use Tumblr shifted? Speculation only goes so far so to better understand what I'd like to know is the following:

How long have you been on Tumblr? Any fandom not just Exo.

What is your take on fan created works on Tumblr and interacting with them?

Do you have a process for what goes on your blog? How do you find most of the posts you reblog? Through the dash? Through the tags?

Do you spend time on other platforms? Have you in the past?

How do you interact with fan creations on these other platforms? Do you like comment or share? Do you re-tweet? Etc.

When was the last fic of any length (drabble and blurbs and headcanons/reactions included) you read? Last time you saw fanart (including edits and moodboards and graphics) you enjoyed?

Did you reblog it?

If yes you did reblog did you say anything about it? Simple or otherwise? Leave a gif underneath that expressed how you felt? Put a comment in the tags? Left an emoji? Etc.

If you didn't leave commentary was there a reason? Do you feel like you start to repeat yourself when commenting? Do you think there's nothing to say? Were you following the adage if you cant say something nice dont say anything at all? Other reasons?

If no you did not reblog why? Is there a specific reason? Did you not like it and not want to say? Does it not fit your blog? Was it not a length or level of skill you felt warranted a reblog? Have your friends already seen it? Do you only post your own creations? Other reasons?

For our fan creators I have an extra question. Do you reply to your comments? Even if they're in the tags?

If no is there a reason?

Please take a moment and share your answers cause I'm trying to understand where things shifted from what they were before to now.

#important conversations

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