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winns-stuff · 2 years ago

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Hey !I read your "10 pm thoughts" and thought there would be something to add .Ya know it's funny, because when people critique the gender role of women being insanely short/curvey being extremely followed through with in lore olympus, or just the body inclusivity of the characters in general , fans tend to immediately start defending the comic by using athena ,hestia etc as an example, but there's something else that they can't seem to notice, and that's the fact that there is NOT a SINGLULAR ....SIGNIFICANT MALE CHARACTER (comedic one time stand-ins do not count,sorry) that isn't barrel-chested, 8 ft tall with a 600 pack and a jaw line that can cut through the koohinoor diamond,whilst the generally lacking body diversity amongst women can be backed up by a limited number of characters , the diversity for male characters is practically non existent.Where are all the short men? Lanky men?chonky men? Androgynous men? Bearded men?The characters may be gods and therefore expected to fit the "perfect specimen" BUT the artists and sculptors who depicted the gods did portray them differently , Look at apollo ! A queer god(whom rachel also made insanely stereotypically straight ) who's been depicted as feminine/androgynous multiple times!!!! I really wanna see rachel's model sheet reference,because I am CERTAIN she uses the guy from the gigachad meme .

Anyway,Hope life's been treating you well, would like to hear your opinions and take your time while responding:) byyee✌🏻❤

aaaahh!! one of my faves has arrived again <3 but thank you life has been treating me well, I hope it’s the same story for you! I have to agree with you though I hate that there’s no real representation for the guys in this webcomic, I’m tired of them all looking like they hit the gym 24/7 and they’re just copy pastes of each other. I’ve said this before but one thing I absolutely (used to I guess) love about Thanatos was his lanky frame, he stood out so much to me because no one really uses a lot of skinny men or at least the media I consume doesn’t include them at all! but as soon as season 2 came in and they changed him I was so disappointed, I hate that everyone is just fine with the men being changed into a certain way but not the women. can you imagine if someone made Hestia or Athena skinnier and curvier like Persephone?? everyone would be outraged (which is completely understandable cause I would to) but because it’s the guys there isn’t much care for it. after the next season and the seasons after that, all of the mens body types changed and I genuinely felt like it took part of their personality and something that made them so lovable in the first place, they were literally shells of themselves and that upset me greatly. but yeah, we need more representation for all men I’m tired of this weird “the more attractive man has a six pack with a thousand muscles and blah blah blah” because it’s like saying they’re more desirable that way which is a theme for a bunch of characters in this damn comic. but yeah all men are attractive and worthy of being seen so there should be more rep for that. also another thing I’d like to add cause you brought it up briefly is how the fans defend Persephone being short and curvy, a lot of them try and say “short and curvy adults exist” and “i’m short and curvy and I exist” as an argument whenever anyone would critique just how short and over sexualized Persephone was in the early (and still going on now..) seasons and I understand that people like that exist in the world but we’re talking about Rachel making this design so childlike and innocent, “pure” if you will because there’s a bunch of purity culture going on LO, just so she can put that very design that not only resembles a child but acts and thinks like one too in various sexual situations where her boundaries are broken and she’s powerless or not even aware of what’s going on. I feel like the whole thing is really disgusting, mostly because there are times where I see myself in Persephone whether it be mindsets or just casual speaking and interacting and it probably has something to do with her still being 19 which I genuinely believe is barely legal and still scientifically deems you a child, and yet no one bats an eye about it and in fact they encourage it to happen more without any context… the way Rachel decided to make Lore Olympus is more terrifying than what it was supposed to be but there’s never not gonna be a time where I’m not deeply disturbed.

anyways, thank you so much for putting your thoughts I agree with you on everything and I enjoy answering your rants. I hope you enjoyed my take, got a little long there, and I really hope you have a lovely day/night/evening and if you ever want to make more messages and rant you’re completely welcomed to do so <<3

#lo critical #anti lore olympus #anti lo

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padfootdidit · 6 years ago

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a little pretence (pt. i)

Kaz Brekker can pick any lock. Inej Ghafa can scale any roof. They’re powerful, unbeatable, intimidating, talented but - can they handle pretending to be in love?

What’s this?? A six of crows fanfic??? You bet! This is my first fanfic for these characters and this fandom so some of the characterisation might be a little off but please bear with me whilst I find my footing! This fic in particular has not been edited and is also not set in the Grishaverse. More like a limbo between that world and ours. What’s most important to know is that they had to leave Ketterdam for some reason or other and are in a new town where no one knows them. Yet.

For @fleamontpotter because, well, Kayla you’re amazing and also the person I need to thank for getting me into soc in the first place !! You’re so strong, so funny and so genuine. Thank you for introducing me to this bunch of idiots and for persuading me to write a fic. (Also shout out to @zeniik for also supporting me in this endeavour!)

read on ao3!

Saturday, 23:54

The Palace

Never in a million years would Inej had thought that this would be her most difficult job. Breaking Kuwei Yul Bo out of maximum security prison? Strong contender for top spot. Stealing forty million from Jan Van Eck? Sure. A routine heist with Kaz? I don’t think so. Yet, there she was, in the middle of the ballroom, struggling to keep it together because, well, she knew why. She was struggling to keep it together because Kaz had his arm around his waist and was currently telling an earl how they’d fallen in love.

Three Weeks Earlier

Tuesday, 18:06

The Waffle House

“- no way we’ll be able to get in, it’s basically a prison. You can’t -”

“- as if, you really think -”

“- not your best plan, Brekker, really -”

“What about through the front door?” Matthias’ firm voice cut through the bickering and everyone turned to look at him. Even Kaz raised his eyes, barely a fraction, but that was something.

“Don’t be daft,” Jesper scoffed. “They’re not going to welcome a crew of thieves to their party.”

“They won’t be. They’ll be welcoming two guests on the list,” Matthias said, leaning forwards on his elbows so they all head to crane their necks to hear him. “Specht can forge the invites easily enough.”

“At a cost,” Kaz said, speaking for the first time since they ordered. As everyone else had been arguing about ways in, the security, the risk, he had just been slowly working his way through his pile of waffles, listening. Inej knew he heard everything, whether or not he reacted. If Jesper had Kaz’s poker face, he’d win a lot more games.

“Surely one you’re willing to fit?” asked Wylan. They all knew Kaz would fit any cost for this particular job. It was going to make his name.

“So, me and Matt go through the front door,” Nina butted in. “And then what?”

“It can’t be you and Matthias,” Kaz said.

Nina scoffed and, around a mouthful of waffle and syrup said, “Well who else is it going to be? Jesper and Wylan? Doubtful.”

“Back off, we’d make great inside men,” Jesper said, petulant. It’s a moot point though, and they all know it. Nina swallowed, stabbed another waffle with her fork, and made to add to her point. Kaz was ahead of her. And Inej was ahead of Kaz.

“It has to be me and Inej.” Wylan choked on his milkshake. The others all shared a look and then laughed. Kaz was right though. What would be the point of getting Nina and Matthias in when they didn’t have the skills to carry out the job? It would be tricky enough getting them in through the front door, let alone making a diversion to allow Kaz and Inej to sneak in without invites. It had already been agreed it could only be two people inside anyway. Any more and they’d start to lose track. Kaz was the only one who could pick the locks and Inej was the only one who could cross the distance between the house and the safe house without setting off the alarms. “Unless any of you have suddenly learnt to walk the tightrope?”

Nina looked at Inej across the table, and Inej could tell she was trying hard to keep her eyebrows under control. Inej shrugged in response to the silent question. I’ll do what needs to be done.

“But surely only you’d need an invite, Kaz,” Wylan said. “Inej is the Wraith, she doesn’t need the front door.”

“A couple is far less conspicuous than a man on his own,” Matthias supplied and Inej wouldn’t be surprised if he was enjoying this. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Kaz since he’d first suggested it.

“So what, you guys are brother and sister?” Jesper asked, eyes alight with glee, and Inej frowned. They were all enjoying it. Nina wasn’t bothering to hide her shit-eating grin, the absolute traitor.

Kaz sighed and made to stand up, pushing his now empty plate across the table. “We’ll be distant relatives of the earl. We’re too young to be married so we’ll be betrothed.” His eyes flicked to Inej for a second as he buttoned up his coat. “We can work out a backstory later.” Then he grabbed his cane and marched out, the bell above the door jingling to announce his exit. They all watched him walk across the street in silence and then turned back to press Inej. But she had gone.

18:44

“I know you’re there,” Kaz said to the alley’s shadows. He’d know she’d follow him, had felt her presence join him two roads down from the Waffle House. Usually, he waited for her to talk, if she ever did, but this time his patience had reached the end of its tether. He leant against the wall and waited, suddenly unsure if she’d appear.

“Engaged?” Inej said as she landed softly in front of him. Clearly she’d been tracking him from the roofs, her favourite method. Her face was unreadable. He knew his was just as blank.

“Something tells me we won’t pass for siblings,” he said, tone flat. They might both have dark hair, but that was where their similarities ended. Kaz was the moon and Inej was the canal water it reflected on, although he suspected that that metaphor only worked for their appearances.

“You realise this means we’ll have to act,” she paused, and he could tell she was choosing her next words carefully, “like we’re in love.”

“Never heard of an arranged marriage?”

“Kaz.” Her voice was almost a growl and he wasn’t sure how they’d gotten there so quickly.

“I’m sure you can handle a little pretence.” A dig about The Menagerie would be too far. A dig about The Menagerie would never be on the table, not when Kaz was involved, yet it still hung in the air, the potential of it, and he could guess that’s what she’s thinking about.

“But can you?”

18:50

Inej jumped before he could reply and she forced herself not to think about the flash in his eyes as she pulled herself up the wall. She reached the roof of one of the two buildings that made the alley and looked down to check if Kaz was still there. He was staring up, not at her, he would never be able to spot her, but she knew it was meant to give that impression. She sighed. Or maybe he’s just looking at the moon. Nina’s voice in her head answered, doubtful.

The crescent-moon wasn’t bright enough to guide her across the new city, and she longed for the Barrel’s familiar rooftops so wouldn’t need it. The Barrel and its city was behind them now, and Inej needed to forget it. They couldn’t go back. That’s why they were here, starting fresh, starting small - well in terms of numbers. This job was anything but small. Kaz wanted to make his name quickly, carve his place before anyone could try and threaten them. It was just them though, which was nice. It was a relief not to be second-guessing who to trust.

She swung herself across the last gap of her journey and landed easily inside her window. Though the city was unfamiliar, Inej knew how to travel quickly, whatever the terrain. She was sure to have beaten Kaz back, and possibly the others as well. Which is why she took the chance to wash herself, knowing that soon her room would be crowded with Nina and Matthias. It would have been alright sharing with just Nina. Matthias complicated things though. Well, Nina and Matthias, together, a duo, a package, complicated things. Mainly they complicated things at night when Inej wanted to be sleeping.

As she stood over the cramped room’s basin and used the skinny bar of soap to rid herself of the day’s grime, Inej thought about the job. About what pretending to be Kaz’s betrothed would mean. What ‘a little pretence’ would mean. Holding hands? Smiling at each other? Staring lovingly into each other’s eyes? Kissing? Inej could handle half of those things, and none with ease. Kaz could most likely handle zero off the list, and they both knew it. Maybe, if they were lucky, their pretence would only have to hold for the time it took them to cross the ballroom. Inej didn’t believe in luck though. She believed in her Saints and she wasn’t sure they still believed in her.

A Week Later

The Slat 2.0

Friday, 10:17

“How long have you been together?” Nina looked far too happy to have this job. So far, Inej and Kaz had been performing abysmally at what Jesper had nicknamed their ‘compatibility test’. Inej blamed Kaz. Kaz blamed Inej. They both blamed Matthias for putting them in this position in the first place. For the past week, Inej had fallen asleep thinking of all the different ways she could introduce her knives to Matthias’ stomach, face, throat, legs, really any part of his body that presented itself. Kaz had taken to reminding Matthias that his only real use was for his muscles, despite this being mostly false.

“Three years.”

“A year and a half.”

Nina raised an eyebrow. “They’ll gut you.”

“I’ll have slit their throats before they can try,” Inej said, pointedly sharpening Petyr . She had also taken to bringing her blades to these sessions, as a reminder that she had the ability to kill anyone she wanted to before they could blink. It was unnecessary, totally, but it kept her calm.

“We’ll stick to three years. It’s closest to the truth so it’ll be easier to remember.” Kaz’s suggestion was met with a grin from Nina and Inej imagined cutting both of their throats.

“Excellent thinking, Brekker. So, how long have you been together?”

“Three years.”

“And how long have you been engaged?”

“A month.”

“Inej?”

“A month.”

“Brilliant!” Nina cried, clapping her hands together. “And now from the top.”

Kaz sighed. “Can we take a break?”

“Not if you don’t want to get caught! Now, how did you two meet?”

Inej answered monotonously for the rest of the session. They both knew the answers by now, and she’d hope so considering that they’d been going over the story every day since they came up with it. Most of it was the truth, or at least an adaptation of it. They had been working with each other for three years, so they’d been together for three years. Everything was derived from something in their lives, including how they fell in love. Jesper had come up with it, and Inej had just managed to restrain herself from skinning him. ‘You fell in love working together! Obviously!’ He’d declared, happening upon Kaz and Inej last Wednesday when they were first inventing the story. Kaz’s glare had been enough to shut any coward up, but Jesper was immune to them by now. He’d continued: ‘Every job you got closer and closer until, eventually, the sexual tension was too much and you sealed the -’. He’d only stopped when Kaz had rapped his cane on the floor twice, a warning.

Now Jesper wouldn’t shut up about it. Whenever he caught her without Kaz, he would ask her how the engagement was going, if they were waiting to consummate the marriage. Wylan wasn’t helping either. His favourite question was about Inej’s wedding dress.

She’d be relieved when, in two weeks, the job was over and she’d never have to talk about engagements or falling in love with Kaz again.

Two Weeks Later

Saturday, 20:30

The Palace

“Looking dapper, as always, Brekker,” Jesper said in Kaz’s ear as he and Inej joined the queue having their invites checked outside the palace. He was already regretting agreeing to having communications. It had been Wylan’s idea and, in truth, it was going to help. They wouldn’t have to rely on signals to know when to act, or be worried if someone didn’t show up to the rendezvous. Still, he’d rather not have everyone’s voices in his head when he was trying to focus. It was hard enough with Inej holding his hand. He’d had to buy a new pair of gloves, ones not adapted so he could easily pick locks, because he didn’t want to risk a single brush of her skin against his. His usual ones were tucked safely in his inside pocket, ready for when he faced the safe.

“And I just look like a mess?” Inej asked quietly, facing Kaz so that, to everyone else, it would just like they were chatting to each other.

“You look radiant,” Jesper said.

“Absolutely stunning,” Nina added.

“Positively a blushing bri-”

“If you’re quite finished,” Kaz interrupted, “should we get on with the job?” He refused to look at Inej. If she was blushing, it’s not like he would be able to tell anyway.

“Yessir,” Jesper said and Kaz could almost imagine his mock salute.

“In position Wylan?”

“Check.”

“Matthias?”

“Uhuh.”

“Jesper?”

“Guns at the ready-”

“Nina?”

“Yup. And I’ve got eyes on Rotty. He’s waiting by the exit route for you.”

“Good, then let’s get to work.” He and Inej moved forward with the line and he continued to stare straight ahead. He didn’t need to check she was ready, she was right next to him. Kaz was pretty sure he could feel her pulse flicking in her wrist. That couldn’t be possible though. Rather that than no pulse at all, he reasoned. But it wasn’t the time to start down that path. This was going to be an easy job. All he had to do was pretend to be engaged to Inej to get through the hall, and then they were basically finished. All he had to do was keep away from the memory of piled corpses and rotting flesh and blank eyes and lapping water and the stench and the

Kaz tightened his jaw. Not today, not now. Inej’s pulse was there. Even if he was only imagining that he could feel it. Everyone around him was living breathing beating alive. This job was going to be easy, over before he could think about it, and then his name would be made. All he had to do was pretend to be in love with Inej.

#six of crows #crooked kingdom #soc #soc fic #rhiannonwritesdrabbles #fleamontpotter #zeniik #steeveharrington #kaz x inej #the dregs #two of a kind #hope you all like this #am v nervous abt posting this #but ive done it now #so #NO GOING BACK #let me know if u want to be tagged in the second part

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spacecharr · 5 years ago

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Why I’m Not Threatened By Old Men

A (high) treatise on why young women shouldn't be afraid of all old men.

Written by a (high) young bi woman of colour.

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Lemme start by saying I wrote that title because I thought it would be clickbaity. And I wrote the subtitle like that because I'm being "funny" and I anticipate it will generate trolling. My popcorn is getting cold, and I want a show.

And incidentally, it's all true.

Because this is SpaceCharr pontificating on #authenticity and weed, son!

My local Starbucks is small, has a tiny little patio, limited seating and serves a wildly diverse customer base. From your Basic Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte Bitch(TM) to uniformed police, from sharply dressed businessmen to soccer moms with three kids and a Burberry purse, from punk-rock loud and proud visibly LGBTQ folks to button-down sweater-vest old-schoolers, and from local college kids to retired old men.

It’s fascinating to see the crazy range of people and it makes for eavesdropping lazily on some hilarious (and sometimes very serious) conversations ranging all over the place.

And for some reason, I have a really really easy time getting old white men to talk to me.

Lemme lay some context: I’m a friendly gal. I’m sociable, (I’ve been told) charming, easy going, and very casual. I remember in elementary being given feedback by my teachers that I was “unapproachable”, and they were worried I would have difficulty making friends. From junior high on, I purposefully (after much coaching from my parents and my mom especially) sought out opportunities to learn better social skills. As an only kid, I didn’t have any siblings to be guaranteed friends with, and my relationship with my extended family was spotty at best.

So if I wanted friends, I knew I’d have to get them on my own. (Troll Note: I know some dipshit’s gonna be all “omg sure #thathappened. Like a grade schooler can know that” - and you’re right! Grade like, 3-6 me had no fuckin’ clue. But 20s me? Who’s gone through a bunch of psychotherapy? Now she knows a bit more)

I learned interpersonal skills. I did drama, I joined clubs, I did Toastmasters (fuckin’ fantastic, btw, look for your local chapter), and I even did the Dale Carnegie Interpersonal Skills course that’s based off How to Win Friends and Influence People (1000% recommend, A+ on how to be a decent human despite its manipulative-sounding title which is brilliant). I learned how to be a more approachable person - and I learned why people find it approachable.

I saw the difference in how people received me when I spoke formally versus when I spoke in a very familiar tone (”hello” vs “hey, hey!”). I noticed that I could easily put the people I was dealing with off-balance in a good way (relieved surprise) with humour and well-meant self-deprecation. I learned through trial and error what body language and touch cues elicited in terms of responses across various types of people. It became second nature for me to analyse and act on these, and my knowledge of these techniques helps me daily in my work as a consultant.

So now, after several years in the workforce, multiple significant life events (aka I’m relatively old), and more overall life experience, I’m often described by my coworkers and friends as “very friendly and often happy”. Of course, according my sibling-like co-scoundrels in my cube farm, I am “disgustingly upbeat” - but they say it with love because they know I’ll tease them relentlessly, too.

I have found over the years that I have actually changed down to the core of that grade school girl. I’ve gone from a kid who struggled to make friends and who was seen as unapproachable, to a person who can very quickly establish good rapport.

(side note: holy fuck I just realized I went from Dandere to Deredere... I’m a fuckin’ anime side character, shit)

Kind of the best example of what I mean is an interaction I had with a new massage therapist at this place I had a gift card for. That is to say, a complete and total stranger whom I had never interacted with or seen in the past. The shop I was at had you wait in the reception area with the receptionist until the RMT came to get you. So this dude came out to meet me, introduced himself and we chatted easily for a bit. After not even a minute of us chatting, he and I were laughing together and shared an easy chemistry. The receptionist - remember, who’d been there when the RMT and I introduced ourselves for the first time - then asked me “oh, are you two old friends?” to which he and I laughed and said “no, we’re just friendly”.

Anyways - that’s the context.

I’m a friendly gal. Sociable, a bit charming, easy going, and easily able to manipulate her own behaviours in order to make the other person feel more comfortable.

In Harry Potter-code: I’m a Slytherin who can play a Hufflepuff, but only because it gets me what I want - your cooperation and rapport - more easily. However, I also do genuinely mean those nice Hufflepuff-like actions - just, there’s an ulterior motive attached.

I’m also young, and obviously with South Pacific Islander blood in me (exotic features - I’ve been told I’d be cast in Miss Saigon if they ever did a musical in my city - I took it as as compliment, since I’m friends with the old white dude who told me that and he did mean it as a compliment).

Let’s put this together:

Exotic, tan-skinned young woman

Chatty, friendly, skilled at making people feel comfortable

Can make someone feel like an old friend

Easily self-deprecating and humourous

In a Starbucks with chatty retired old dudes and a lot of shared seating

Can anyone else see why my title makes more sense? (Legit, I am high, so if it doesn’t make sense, that makes sense)

Lemme spell it out for you bois: I’m an old perverted white man’s wet dream.

(yes, I’ve been told such to my face; yes, I believe from experience that most of the people who won’t believe me are straight young men - not out of malice, I think, but out of a belief that people aren’t that bad [not that old men finding young women attractive is bad - acting on it in certain ways however, can be]).

I’ve worked out of the Starbucks I mentioned several times in the past. As a consultant, I have a measure of flexibility in my schedule and I find I work best on some of my problem solving and documentation work when I’m out of the office. The change of scenery and the need to shut out the environment to “see” my work helps me - plus I don’t get drawn into the co-scoundrel shenanigans.

And I’m not kidding you - 8/10 times that I go there, I make a new old white man friend. Even the bi dude I met (srsly, it feels like since I made the decision to be openly out, I’m meeting more and more bi people everywhere when before there was nobody) was an old white dude.

I fuckin’ love it.

I am a young, bi woman of colour who loves having old white man friends.

Because they’re just as chill, non-judgemental, self-deprecating, sociable, and easy-going as I am. And they appreciate my dad jokes and bi puns. Seriously. Dads everywhere - we all secretly love your jokes.

And, y’know what? I think more young women - LGBTQ or not, PoC or not - should want to have old white dudes as friends.

INB4 tumblrinas: I don’t mean resurrect Hitler and be his gal pal. I mean don’t dismiss a possible friend just because they’re old, white, and have a dick. Use your brain - not every human is good, but likewise, not every human is bad. We come in shades in all ways.

I won’t tell you what to do, because I don’t know. What I want to share with you is why I feel the way I do. And let you do what you will with it - because I’m not interested in changing your mind. I’m interesting in trading stories and adventures - and understanding more about each other through that exchange.

Here’s why I love being open to talking to old white dudes:

Dad jokes. I’m not kidding. I love Dad Jokes.

They’re often past the point of giving a shit about society, so if you have a genuine, good-natured conversation about your point of view, chances as they won’t give a shit as long as you’re happy and no one’s dying.

They have amazing stories. I can’t tell you the number of times a new friend of mine has launched into crazy tales of things they got up to when they were younger.

They have great advice. Often, they’ve made some pretty bad mistakes. And they’re all too happy to share their lessons and spare someone else the trouble.

They often just want a chat. They don’t need a new friend, they don’t want your number, they just want a lively conversation with someone who isn’t gonna call the cops on them.

It’s so freakin’ easy to make their day and make them smile. And the genuine surprise when they find a young chickie they’ve no doubt had to weigh the pros-and-cons of talking to, who is easy-going and as happy to make their acquaintance as they are hers? It’s so cute. Old man smiles are so cute.

They respect you for being unapologetically who you are. They know that they’ve invited themselves into a talk with you - and they’re willing to carry and/or exit that talk if they find you being openly yourself. (which means if “yourself” is a fuckwit, they’ll just drop you if they know what’s good for ‘em; but then you’re just a fuckwit in Starbucks)

I guess for more location context, I should add that I live in Canada; it’s not an uncommon occurrence here for spontaneous conversations to happen. It might be more rare in other places, though. My city is also quite progressive and has a fairly active and supported LGBTQ scene.

All this said, it’s just a really nice experience in my mind to have good relationships (passing conversations, spontaneous coffee clubs, casual friendships, or more serious friendships) with old dudes as a young woman.

It’s like having a legion of second father figures, or uncles, more accurately fun drunkles, and older brothers.

I enjoy several significant friendships with old dudes:

I go for coffee almost every week with two white old dudes and a dudette (I’d say “old” but she’d punch me out): our conversations range from politics to wood relationships to name calling to sibling-like teasing.

I have three co-scoundrels at work that I’m close friends with, all are old men. None are in a position to help me with anything at work, but damn are they hilarious and they’re a ready Friday-afternoon morale boost with their antics.

I have a very close old Japanese-Canadian friend. We have a complicated and somewhat tense relationship, but ultimately I think it can be said that we have a certain platonic love for each other. Though we don’t speak frequently, we’re both very significant to the other. He was my taiko instructor.

I have another very close relationship with one of my long-standing old dude friends. He’s known me since I was 9. A single hug from this man can stop an anxiety attack in its tracks. We kiss each other on the cheek and like to weird out the ladies at Starbucks when we go there with each other by holding hands - we’re both Slytherin trolls.

Don’t forget the OG Old Guy: my proper Old Man. My papa. Our relationship was strained by my mother’s unhealthy approach to all her familial relations during my early years. But as I’ve moved out, gotten older, and gained more life experience, it feels like my dad is finally realizing I’m not a little girl anymore - that I’m a woman, with woman needs, woman wants, and woman expectations and behaviours. We don’t talk about all things, naturally, he’s still my dad. But I can’t tell you how great it feels to have a dad who I know has my back no matter what.

I feel like there’s a certain conditioning for young women to “fear” the “old white man”. Certainly for me in particular it feels like there’s lots of factors in play: my “tropical” ethnicity, my youth, my LGBTQ nature (still haven’t been asked for a threesome as a bi woman - I’m impressed with my city), and, naturally, my gender.

While I do know that those are all things that certainly do warrant a certain amount of wariness around strangers (old in my neighborhoods usually means highly conservative about, depending on the age of said person, “the immigrants” or “the non-whites”. Age from young-old to old-ass-old. They’re a product of their time.), I also think it’s vital not to let that wariness get in the way of making a possible new friend.

Anyways, I need to wrap this up.

How does this loop back into #authenticity and weed? Well, it’s been my experience that the old (white + some Asians, in my case) dude friends that I’ve made are some of the best people to help you be yourself.

They have anecdotes to illustrate benefits, cons, risks, and rewards; they have dad jokes and puns to bring some much-needed levity; they don’t give a fuck about the other Starbucks goers - for better or for worse; and they - just like you - just wanna have a good day and be able to be themselves.

Does this apply to every old man? No. Does it not apply to every old man? No.

If you’ve read this far, you have the brain capacity necessary to give someone a chance. Now, you’ll wanna do some preparation if this is nearing your max capacity, because you wanna make sure you’re not letting the wrong old man come talk to you all friendly-like.

But once you find one who’s just a swell dude? Cut ‘im some slack, maybe remember that he’s struggling to speak your vocabulary as much as you’re struggling to understand his.

Sit back, drink some coffee, smoke a joint, and share a story once in a while.

Anyways. That’s been SpaceCharr Pontificating.

Cheers, buds.

Stoner note: My hand rolling’s gotten so much better. And the weed I have doesn’t seem to smell as strongly as the pre-roll I had that one time, so I might sesh in the park at some point. I have my inaugural shroom trip this weekend - bestie agreed to tripsit! Yay! And she’s bringing the whole Planet Earth HD collection! - so it might not be for a while. I want to give the experience the attention it deserves, plus I need to establish a clean baseline to experiment accurately with microdosing.

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haarute · 7 years ago

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A message to the Overwatch fanbase:

You can have ideas and character designs that are just made for fun. It’s a non-serious fictional videogame, it doesn’t have to be anything above “silly and fun.”

But that’s the thing, it is. And because it is, there’s a massive number of people expecting more and more every time.

Remember that at its core, it’s just a videogame. And hell, it’s one of the most inclusive videogames we’ve had in forever too, which is why I get how you feel. They’re not afraid to be inclusive, and that’s kind of the idea behind the universe they created. They could have just not done that like so many other games, and instead they decided to go with that set of ideals because it just felt right and it brings so much life and personality into the game itself.

However, that doesn’t mean that literally everything they add to the game has to follow a pattern of diversity. Sometimes, people just do things for fun, and I can’t think of many things more fun than someone randomly going “hey, what if we made a character that was a hamster who fights in a mech. wouldn’t that be funny.”

So far, the new heroes we’ve gotten have been an Egyptian woman, a Mexican woman, a Numbanian-made centaur lady robot, a Nigerian man, an Irish woman, and a Swedish woman, all of varying ages. Yes, there are things you can complain about (body types, samefaces, etc), but ultimately, when you write all of those down, it becomes very clear that they are making huge attempts to bring everyone together, to make everyone feel like they can also be heroes.

We could just have a cast of skinny doofy-looking white guys, but we don’t. Hell, many people would complain to see this many women if this were a different game. But we don’t. And it’s because Overwatch has made clear what it’s about, and we know this, and that’s why we like it.

So yes, what I’m getting at is, complaining about Hammond specifically because he’s not a diverse human design is:

1º: Rude to one of the only videogame developers that actually makes a conscious effort to listen to your feedback and shape a really great universe around the idea of inclusiveness.

2º: A reminder that sometimes all a videogame needs to be is silly and goofy and fun. Fighting for what’s good and right is important, but this is just a game, and it’s okay to just have fun every now and then.

We’ll go back to the regularly scheduled diversity release of new heroes later, but for now, let’s just enjoy playing as a hamster-controlled mech.

#overwatch #wrecking ball #hammond #blizzard entertainment #am i going to get executed on tumblr dot com for saying things? maybe #but i will say them regardless #long post

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fatlier1-blog · 5 years ago

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Everything a Paralympic Gold Medalist Does (and Eats) in a Week to Stay Fit

Sweat Diaries

Paralympic athlete Michelle Konkoly shares her Sweat Diary.

A class at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

Welcome to Sweat Diaries, Be Well Philly’s look at the time, energy, and money people invest in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle in Philly. For each Sweat Diary, we ask one Philadelphian to spend a week tracking everything they eat, all the exercise they get, and the money they spend on both. Want to submit a Sweat Diary? Email [email protected] with details.

Who: Michelle Konkoly (@michellekonkoly), 26, from Midtown Village

What I do: Second year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University

What role healthy living plays in my life: Healthy living means taking care of my body by buying, preparing, and eating nourishing foods; getting plenty of sleep; and keeping my body strong, flexible, and conditioned by doing a diverse array of exercises. In 2011, I suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury that left me with a spine and heel fusion, and permanent weakness in my legs. Since my injury, I have learned never to take anything my body can do for granted — I had to start from scratch to learn to walk again, and lost 30 pounds of muscle during my recovery. After re-learning how to walk, I got involved in the Paralympics and won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in sprint freestyle swimming events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Paralympics! I’m proud of my muscle because I know how far I had to come to get where I am today. Now, I’m focusing primarily on school, but I still go to swim meets when I can.

Health memberships: I purchased the “New Client Special” at Bar Method Rittenhouse, which 30 days unlimited for $99. I also have a membership at the Jefferson Recreation & Fitness Center, which was included with tuition.

Monday

Michelle Konkoly trains in the Jefferson pool. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off, and I wake up and am out the door within five minutes to head to the pool at Jefferson. Fortunately, it’s only a three-minute walk!

7:30 a.m. — Swim at the Jefferson pool. It’s a 20-yard pool, which is shorter than most pools, but we make it work! One of my classmates swims with me and we do a tough 4000 yard aerobic workout. I swim faster than when we did the set last week so I am pumped!

8:45 a.m. — Showered, I walk back home and take my corgi, Ollie, out for a walk.

9:40 a.m. — Walk back to Jefferson’s campus for class and stop at dry cleaners on the way.

10 a.m. — Small group class. I eat my breakfast of papaya, pineapple, Greek yogurt, and chia seeds with a homemade latte (two shots and soymilk). Someone brought in Isgro’s cannolis so I have to eat half of a cannoli as well!

11 a.m. — Facilitate a group for the first year medical students, and have another cup of coffee. Swimming in the morning makes you a special kind of tired.

12 p.m. — Walk to the University Health Center to get the PPD shot I need for volunteering. While I’m waiting, I snack on two leftover paleo chocolate chip cookies I made over the weekend.

2 p.m. — I finally get home, and eat lunch of a kale salad with avocado, carrots, tomatoes, and homemade carrot ginger dressing, plus slice of whole grain bread and some chocolate-covered almonds.

3 p.m. — I head to the Jefferson Library to overview the material for the week. I have three clementines and half a bottle of kombucha I got from the new Sprouts Market last week.

5:45 p.m. — I get home and walk Ollie to Washington Square Park. I finish an almost-empty bag of Skinny Pop kettle corn before I head to barre.

6:45 p.m. — Barre class at Bar Method Rittenhouse.

8 p.m. — Barre doesn’t make me nearly as hungry as swimming, but I’m still excited for my dinner that I prepped yesterday: sushi bowls! I top some sushi rice with calamari salad my roommate didn’t want, plus some broccoli, edamame, pickled ginger, and nori strips. I also have some almonds and dates.

9 p.m. — Ok, the hunger caught up with me. I go a little overboard on after dinner snacks tonight and have a sundae of tahini squares with an Enlightened fudgesicle, half a banana and coconut whip, and a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread. I went on a baking spree over the weekend and now have all these goodies sitting around tempting me.

10:30 p.m. — Finish studying and head to bed.

Daily total: $0

Tuesday

Weight lifting to work on fast-twitch muscles. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

8:14 a.m. — Woke up without an alarm. I try to give myself one day a week to sleep in. Once out of bed, I take Ollie for a walk and then eat half a banana and half a slice of chocolate pumpkin bread.

9:15 a.m. — At the Jefferson gym, and I do a one-hour lift, focusing on upper body explosiveness. I have a swim meet coming up in December, and since I swim sprint freestyle, power and fast-twitch muscle work is so important!

10:30 a.m. — Come home, shower, and make a latte to drink as I listen to this morning’s recorded lectures.

A smoothie bowl for lunch. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

12:15 p.m. – Make a smoothie bowl for lunch! I’m obsessed with my Vitamix blender. I make a smoothie out of frozen bananas, peaches, and spinach, almond milk, and Orgain vegan peanut butter protein powder, topped with homemade granola, cacao nibs, chia seeds, coconut, and fruit. I finish off lunch with some chocolate covered almonds and salted almonds.

1 p.m. — I spend most of the afternoon continuing to work though this morning’s lecture material on dermatology. I walk into to Walgreens as a study break and buy tweezers and a pack of gum ($5.20).

2:45 p.m. — Finish the Sprouts kombucha, along with some more tahini bars (they’re so good!) and some fresh pineapple.

5 p.m. — I get ready for a Jefferson Gala event tonight at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel. I Uber over with some friends and the venue is gorgeous!

Cake for dessert. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

6 p.m. — At the reception, I have three pieces sushi and a glass of Champagne. For dinner, we’re served bread and salad, and I request the vegetarian entrée of risotto, carrots, and broccoli rabe. I’m not strictly vegetarian, but try to eat less meat whenever possible! Dessert is a beautiful chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries.

9:30 p.m. — Uber back home and walk the dog. I’m craving something crunchy, so I grab a few handfuls of Special K out of the box before getting into bed.

11 p.m. — Bed!

Daily total: $5.20

Wednesday

Michelle Konkoly has an unlimited membership at The Bar Method. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I’m off to the pool.

7:30 a.m. — Swim a 3200-yard workout by myself. Today I used parachutes that are tied to my waist to add extra resistance. It’s tough but really helps me increase my sprint speed and power. I shower at the pool and then come home to walk Ollie.

10 a.m. — Grab my backpack and head to class. I eat my yogurt with fruit and chia seeds and a latte — I make this breakfast the night before so I can just grab it and go.

12 p.m. — Class ends and I come home. I’ll never get over how hungry swimming makes me in comparison to other workouts! I grab a couple almonds and pieces of caramel corn before taking Ollie out.

12:45 p.m. — Lunch is a bowl of kale, sushi rice, tofu, carrots, broccoli, and pickled ginger, plus a bit of spicy mayo on top! I also have an apple from when I went apple picking with my mom and sister last week.

2 p.m. — I head to the library and have three clementines as a snack.

3 p.m. — Every Wednesday we have “Cookie Hour” with the applicants interviewing at Jefferson. Current students can come to mingle and of course grab a cookie! Today they have strawberries and mini cheesecakes too, so during my break from the library I head over and have one of each!

5 p.m. — Come back home and have a snack before walking Ollie: a small bowl of Special K with cashew milk and freeze-dried strawberries and almonds.

6:45 p.m. — Barre at The Bar Method. It’s been fun to have the flexibility to try new workouts, rather than having to focus 100% on swimming, like I was during the time leading up to Rio.

Homemade sushi for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

8 p.m. — Finally time for dinner! I use my sushi bowl meal prep ingredients to make two homemade rolls and have a glass of wine with them.

9 p.m. — As I’m sending emails and studying, I make a bag of light natural popcorn and mix in a few pieces of caramel corn.

10 p.m. — We still have Halloween candy lying around, so I have a couple pieces (Reese’s are my favorite!) before walking Ollie and heading to bed.

Daily total: $0

Thursday

Enlightened ice cream from Sprouts. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

7:10 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I snoozed it for eight minutes. I almost never hit snooze, but I knew no one was joining me for my swim this morning, so I wouldn’t be holding anyone up if I was a few minutes late!

7:35 a.m. — Swim a 2,900-yard workout. It’s certainly on the shorter end, yardage wise, but today I used a bungee tether that attaches me to the wall so I can swim continuously against the resistance for the length of my 50 free race (about 30 seconds). It’s a great way to simulate an Olympic length (50m) pool in our 20 yard pool! The tether is no joke — my arms are always burning by the end!

9 a.m. — Showered and walked home, then walked Ollie.

9:35 a.m. — Made my favorite smoothie bowl again.

10 a.m. — Head back to campus for class, and drink my latte. One of my classmates brought in candy, so I have two mini Kit Kats.

12 p.m. — Come back home and have a piece of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter while watching lectures.

12:30 p.m. — Eat half of a GIANT apple, plus a kati roll from Masala Kitchen — one of my friends had some extras after an event.

2:30 p.m. — Spend most of the afternoon studying at home, and eat the other half of the giant apple.

4:15 p.m. — Have a pre-dinner snack of bowl of Special K with half a banana, freeze dried strawberries, dates, golden raisins, and soy milk. I also have a cup of pineapple spirulina kombucha.

6:15 p.m. — I take Ollie on a long walk, then have dinner: a kale salad with the rest of my sushi rice, tofu, bit of edamame, and a quarter avocado, plus a bowl of defrosted frozen mangoes, strawberries, and pineapple with coconut flakes.

7 p.m. — I have another event for the first-year med students on campus, so I walk back over. For some reason there’s so much candy around this week! I have two mini packs of gummy worms as I catch up with my friends at the event.

8:30 p.m. — Come back home and have a true dessert: chocolate! I love Enlightened ice cream, and found a new flavor — black cherry chocolate chip — at Sprouts last week. I eat the whole pint happily as I’m studying, along with a piece of chocolate and two more tahini squares.

10:30 p.m. — Bed!

Daily total: $0

Friday

Spaghetti squash pasta for dinner. Photograph courtesy Michelle Konkoly.

6:38 a.m. — Alarm goes off and I grab a squeezable applesauce packet to eat on my walk to barre.

7 a.m. — Barre. It’s great to get my workout out of the way so early on Friday. I always feel like my posture is so great after barre, too!

8 a.m. — I walk Ollie and make my smoothie bowl. Today I use up some frozen strawberries instead of peaches, and get in some last minute studying as I eat it.

9 a.m. — We have short quizzes every Friday — this week was all about various skin conditions.

10 a.m. — Head back home and have two and a half slices of chocolate pumpkin bread with pumpkin butter as I do some chores and cleaning in my apartment.

11:30 a.m. — I make a homemade iced latte, and have a ThinkThin protein bar and a mini Rice Krispie treat as I do laundry. I’m heading out of town for a wedding this weekend so I’m trying to get ahead on my normal weekend chores!

12:15 p.m. — I walk Ollie to Washington Square Park and call my dad to catch up as we walk.

1 p.m. — I get a pedicure and gel manicure in preparation for the wedding ($42 with a coupon).

2:30 p.m. — When I get back home, I have a little bit of leftover tofu with a quarter avocado, kale, and edamame, plus the rest of the pineapple spirulina kombucha. I also finish up the final crumbs of a container of homemade granola, mixed with cacao nibs and golden raisins.

4 p.m. — I spend the afternoon prepping my study schedule for our exam week next week, and have a tiny apple and half a container of Greek yogurt with cinnamon and chia seeds.

6:45 p.m. — I start making dinner, which is really meal prepping for next week! I have four little breadsticks and a bit of olive tapenade while I roast a spaghetti squash. I make a chickpea/nutritional yeast “cheese sauce” for the squash, and mix it all together with some sun dried tomatoes and Kalamata olives. I also roast up some leftover veggies from a veggie tray.

7:30 p.m. — I pour myself a glass of white wine as I eat my spaghetti squash creation. The sauce turned out so creamy!

8:30 p.m. — My roommate offers me some of the red wine she brought back from Italy, so of course I have to try it.

9:30 p.m. — I finish up packing for the wedding and have an Enlightened fudgesicle and three pieces of candy for dessert.

10 p.m. — Bed! I have an early train to DC tomorrow, so I’m calling it a night!

Daily total: $42

Weekly Totals

Money spent: $47.20

Swim workouts: 3

Barre classes: 3

Strength workouts: 1

Smoothie bowls: 3

Glasses of kombucha: 4

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Source: https://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2018/11/29/michelle-konkoly-swimmer-food-diary/

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boymale2-blog · 6 years ago