#and that all of these labels have a long and complex social history

[pinkcadillaccas]

We need to stop making up random one sentence definitions for sexualities which always end up being wrong, exclusionary and transphobic. We have to return to manifestos.

[lilu787788]

I see something deeply unsettling in the way some young people approach Aleksander. It’s not just that they dislike him, that's fair, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But the level of hatred they express is not only disproportionate to their understanding, it feels like a performance. It’s not rooted in genuine engagement or critique but in sheer emotional outbursts: shouting, mocking, name-calling, and vilifying him in ways that feel more like a show than anything else. What’s most troubling is how loud this condemnation is and how empty it is in terms of actual understanding. We’re living in a time when emotional intelligence, trauma awareness, and social consciousness are celebrated, so why is it so difficult for these young viewers to extend those same values to a character like Aleksander? The speed at which they abandon the very principles they claim to uphold the moment a character challenges their worldview is amazing. Aleksander isn’t some mindless villain or sadistic monster, no matter how often they says he is. His actions are born from years of pain, betrayal, loss, and an overwhelming need to protect his people from history repeating itself. Yet, instead of attempting to understand the deeper layers of his character, the response is pure disdain. These are the same people who claim to care about empathy for trauma survivors, who value moral ambiguity in characters, and yet Aleksander gets nothing but rejection. It’s not just that they don’t like him, it’s that they refuse to understand him. They throw around words like "manipulator", "villain", "monster", "groomer", without even considering whether they apply in his case. They strip away centuries of his personal suffering, the weight of his decisions, the heartbreak and loneliness he carries, and reduce him to nothing more than a one-dimensional bad guy. And here’s the thing: they don’t hate him because he’s evil. They hate him because he’s complex. Because he challenges their understanding of good and evil. He forces them to think and wrestle with moral grey areas. And instead of taking that challenge, they retreat into their comfort zones and shout louder.It’s a kind of intellectual cowardice, really. It’s easier to dismiss a character like Aleksander with a label than to sit with the discomfort of trying to understand his motivations. But here's the thing: Aleksander doesn’t need to be loved by them unconditionally. He doesn’t need to be idolized by them. But he does deserve to be understood. And it seems to me that too many of these young voices, who claim to appreciate complexity, are either unwilling or unable to do that. The more mature readers and viewers, those who’ve lived long enough to understand that life isn’t just black and white don’t shout or blindly condemn. They reflect. They see that Aleksander’s actions were shaped by survival, by war, by love, and by loss. They see the tragedy of a man who has lived for centuries in isolation, carrying the burden of all that pain. They understand that his greatest tragedy wasn’t his downfall, but the fact that no one ever really saw him. Not his mother and not his lover. And, tragically, not those who claim to be his critics. Younger generation claims to be champions of complexity and nuance, and yet, when faced with a character like Aleksander who is drenched in sorrow and burdened with trauma they shrink. They refuse to engage. They diminish him. They condemn him. And all the while, they shout, not to uncover the truth, but to silence it.

It’s frustrating, honestly. Because it’s not about blindly supporting Aleksander, it’s about having the maturity to look beyond the surface, to understand what makes him tick, and to ask yourself: Why does he do what he does? But sadly, the loudest voices seem too focused on proving their moral superiority to take the time to ask that question. And in doing so, they miss the real story. That's why I think that Aleksander would be perfect for a genre intended for an older audience, but more on that next time.

[genderqueerdykes]

i think that certain parts of the community are starting to become more and more exclusionist. like im starting to see a lot more pro-lesboy spaces say "lesboy doesnt mean trans man/cis man! full men cant be lesboys!" or pro-mspec monospec spaces say "mspec monospec doesnt mean being both things for the same attraction! it means being mspec for sex/romance and monospec for the other!! no one is a romantic mspec AND monospec at the same time!" or just. Things like that.

i did not see this ask until now and am i glad you sent it

short answer: yes, agreed, it's petty queer infighting that doesn't need to be happening

so from what i've noticed is most of online queer discourse really at the end of the day is about what an individual person thinks that queer label isn't, and not what it is. people are very nihilistic right now, and really love to take everything in bad faith. we're seeing a rash of reactionary content in general where people take their knee jerk reaction as their stance on an entire complex concept that requires time to digest and process. like literally the most farfetched dogshit take you've ever seen because they just found out about a concept and bullshitted and answer.

certain people wanna think they're experts on queerness overnight because they just realized they're [xyz] or whatever other reason they want to be the expert on queerness. really what it is is people who want to tell other people what it is, but not listen. like it really just is people who want to say "this is how queerness works. shut up because i'm the only one who knows why. don't ask me for a reason". like it's about control. it's about people who have never done any research into queer history in any country on any continent, has not interacted with their local queer community who still want to have a captive audience about what queerness "really is". so instead of learning history and talking to other people they tell you how they feel and spin it as the truth.

other people just send the most bizarre angry posts, asks, DMs, whatever, about how they hate this 1 really specific kind of person that they've never actually met, but hypothetically they would hate. it's mind games. people get caught up in their own thoughts long enough to believe the hypothetical guy they made up isn't real. it's the strawman argument. i don't know what compels humans to do this but for whatever reason, people really love making up a fictional guy to get offended at. it's really bizarre. if cishet men wanted to identify as lesbians, they would literally already be doing it

if you know what logical fallacies are to some extend and have been around internet discussions in general for a long time, you start to recognize the patterns. it's a type of entitled attitude that leads a person to not be in a community for very long. it's a certain kind of person who gets a rise out of being a jackass. like i've tried to word that better. no. that's what it is. like people are aware of the fact that they're being a jackass and continue to do it anyway. people are getting a kick out of this. like. people are chasing the rush you get from fucking with someone. that's all it is. when people say "how can they be so cruel?" they're chasing a mental high that fades extremely quickly, so they have to keep doing it over, and over, and over.

it's like how do i put it. now that social media is so widespread, just about everyone has one on at least a few platforms at this point. people are being exposed to these conversations. and you're gonna have some complete noobs who come in thinking they can define lesbianism because they realized they were a lesbian yesterday and it's like. people will keep fighting the same tired old argument about how trans men can't be lesbians for the 9439030985th time and meanwhile they're ignoring the 50 trans male dykes interacting with one of their mutuals like i think it's literally dumb as hell that there are people on this website mentally abusing strangers on the internet because they refuse to crack open a book, read a zine or open a pdf and read the biographies of real world trans male lesbians, or even just read an article about one. like it's easier and more fun for them to pretend it's not happening it's wild as hell to me

anyway, yes. it's really stupid. people are getting caught up in all the wrong parts of what separates identities. it's the compulsion to draw lines in the sand that is forced upon us in our binary obsessed society. it is likely tied to black and white thinking, and catastrophizing, which both can happen when someone is stressed and looking at a situation in a maladaptive way, either due to perspective or neurotype. sometimes this legitimately can be due to someone's mental health, so it's not an excuse, but it's an explanation for why people get so riled up. those headspaces get you very heated and it's difficult to come down from. it requires a lot of time learning emotional coping skills to walk backwards from those types of episodes

[transmutationisms]

possibly too broad but do you have any thoughts on the discourse around self-pathologizing? seems like there’s weird territory there since there are so many barriers to diagnoses and people should be free to self-report, yet some pathologies are essentially capitalist inventions and it may be more harmful than helpful for people to fixate on them without some kind of external guidance (though i don’t mean to imply they need to consult medical practitioners). i also don’t really think faddishness is the big concern it’s made out to be, but what do you think?

yeah to me this is a good example of how genuinely epistemologically radical critique of psychiatry can become assimilated into pretty staid liberal discourses of self-empowerment / -care / -improvement. pathologisation, imo, is basically materially meaningless if it's not backed by the sorts of institutions and power relations that characterise the psychiatric establishment. which is to say, if we're only talking about diagnostic labels in a kind of personal-choice framework (as so much of the medium dot com industrial complex seems to be doing lately) then it robs these conversations of a lot of their urgency and impact. i don't think overreliance on the language of the dsm is particularly helpful, as a general matter of seeking to develop political consciousness as well as self-knowledge, but i also don't think it really matters one way or another if someone self-dxes or un-dxes. what makes a difference is things like: is this person being robbed of their autonomy? are these explanatory frameworks being imposed on them by credentialled experts levelling their professional status to claim epistemological authority over the psyche? what social and economic violence is being committed here? some rando online relating to a diagnostic label and using it for themself is not doing these things, and may very well be helpful to that person (it may also not. but again the harm here is p limited).

i have said before, a lot of what puts me personally off dsm labels is the essentialism they're in bed with. ie, it's not just a shorthand descriptor of behaviours or symptoms—these terms are pretty much always being wielded as claims to have identified a biologically based 'neurotype', eg, or some as-yet-unverifiable misery-engendering genetic complex, or whatever else. and to be clear, i think these types of claims do actually carry widespread social harm, because no matter what rhetorical games you play, you're never just saying these things about yourself. it's a claim to certain forms of bio-essentialism that both shores up professional psychiatric authority and applies to people besides yourself (this is just the nature of such universalising claims about human biology). but this is an issue that goes so far beyond use or disuse of diagnostic labels; plenty of people who have embraced superficial principles of anti-psych critique still make all manner of such essentialist claims when it comes down to it, with or without grabbing onto a specific diagnostic label. so i think the kind of panicking we see in certain left-leaning circles about self-dx is not actually about this issue at all, and is certainly not capable of addressing it productively.

without going insanely long here i would just add that this is kind of a general answer because different labels have different histories and functions (eg, compare the social and political function of pathologising a depressive episode, vs autistic traits / behaviours, vs a so-called personality disorder). and also, whenever talking about self-dx i think it's important to add that one of the most important functions of these labels from a patient perspective is they function as means of gatekeeping access to certain accessibility measures, so any kind of anti-self dx position in current political conditions will harm people who need those accommodations. and i have less than zero interest in questioning anybody who wants accessibility measures for literally any reason or uses any method to obtain them.

[lgbtqdefinitions]

Welcome to LGBTQ Definitions!

Queer stuff is a passion of mine. For about half of my life, I've found myself being someone my allocishet friends have come to for clarification on different LGBTQ terms or flags, to learn about identities they want to understand more, or even just to help them source queer perspectives on different social justice issues or whatever diversity discussion comes up. I've also helped LGBTQ questioning friends find labels they didn't even know about previously but that fit them perfectly, and shared resources with them for all sorts of topics related to queerness.

It's one of the things that brings me the most joy and feels the most meaningful and impactful.

Eventually, I began feeling like it could be useful to have one spot to collate resources to be able to quickly share for anyone who wanted to learn more, and this months-long hyperfixation was born.

The intention of this site is to be able to find basic explanations of many terms under various LGBTQ+ umbrellas, under several headings for easier categorisation:

Sexual and Romantic Orientation

Gender

Culture-Specific Identities

Miscellaneous (common terms within LGBTQ+ subcultures or related to transitioning)

Issues and Intersectionality (some of the problems faced within the LGBTQ+ community, as well as the interconnectedness of queerness and other social identities)

Finally, I have a page about the history of the LGBTQ Pride flag, and last but not least, a page of many links to general resources for and about the LGBTQ community.

It's important to note that many of the definitions for identities do not cover the complexity and nuances of those identities.

Queerness is ever-evolving and adapting. The definitions here were meant to be somewhat simplified so as to be less overwhelming for people who are new to all of these concepts. I've included many links to sources with much more in-depth information; this site is just meant to be a starting point for you to begin to branch out yourself - an anchor from which to propel yourself into the (previously) unknown and start your own questioning journey, or learn how to become a more understanding ally, all while absorbing facts about queer history or symbols or what the various Pride flags look like and mean.

I hope this can be a useful resource for people coming in good faith to learn more about the LGBTQ community and/or themselves. I spent more than six months pouring blood, sweat, and tears into this project - and it will still be ongoing - but all I hope for is that this will help someone. If at least one person comes away from this feeling like they've learned something new about themselves or the people around them, then I'll be happy.

If you'd like to reach out to me about anything here, or support me in any way as an autistic queer enby, you can find information on my Carrd!

I'm excited to hear from you! Please feel free to share the link (and this post if you see it) in the hopes it can help someone!

P.S.: This site is best viewed on a computer! The home page formatting will unfortunately not show up on mobile as it defaults to a generic mobile site - though the rest of the pages will be fully formatted on mobile (but still best viewed on PC).

[freeusasocialconstruction]

The term "white" emerged as a descriptor to distinguish Europeans from indigenous peoples and African slaves

The term "white" has long served as a powerful descriptor, shaping social hierarchies and identities across different societies. Originally emerging as a means to distinguish Europeans from indigenous peoples and African slaves, the concept of whiteness has evolved over centuries to become deeply ingrained in colonial structures and societal norms. Understanding the historical origins and implications of this term is crucial in unraveling the complex dynamics of race, power, and privilege in our modern world. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted history of whiteness, exploring its construction, evolution, and impact on colonial societies.

Historical Origins of the Term "White"

Early Usage of "White" in European Context

Back in the day, the term "white" wasn't just a way to describe your favorite paint color. It was used to separate Europeans from other folks like indigenous populations and African slaves. It's like saying, "Hey, we're not like those guys over there."

Introduction of "White" as a Racial Descriptor in Colonized Regions

When Europeans started colonizing new lands, they brought their obsession with labeling people based on skin color with them. Suddenly, being "white" wasn't just about having a light complexion. It became a way to assert dominance over others and justify all sorts of not-so-nice things.

Evolution of Racial Categories in European Colonies

Racial Taxonomies in Colonial Systems

Colonizers were big fans of putting people into neat little boxes based on race. They created elaborate systems to rank folks from "most white" to "least white," with privileges and punishments doled out accordingly.

Legal and Social Ramifications of Racial Classification

Being labeled as "white" could open doors that were firmly shut for others. Laws, policies, and social norms were all shaped by these racial classifications, leading to unequal treatment and opportunities for different groups.

Social Implications of Identifying as "White"

Privileges and Power Dynamics Associated with Whiteness

Let's face it, being seen as "white" often came with a whole bunch of perks. From better jobs to nicer neighborhoods, whiteness brought a whole heap of privilege and power that wasn't accessible to everyone.

Ideological Foundations of White Superiority

The idea of white superiority didn't just pop out of thin air. It was carefully crafted and reinforced through societal norms, education, and even religion. Feeling superior to others based on skin color? Not cool, folks.

Construction of Whiteness in Relation to Indigenous and African Peoples

Comparative Analysis of Racial Hierarchies

In the wacky world of racial hierarchies, whiteness was often placed at the tippy-top. Indigenous and African communities found themselves at the bottom, fighting against a system designed to keep them down.

Interactions and Conflicts between White, Indigenous, and African Communities

Interactions between these groups weren't always sunshine and rainbows. Conflicts, power struggles, and exploitation were all too common as different communities navigated the complexities of race and identity in a world dominated by whiteness.

Impact of White Privilege on Colonial Societies

White privilege in colonial societies granted Europeans economic and political advantages, shaping the power dynamics of the time. The concept of whiteness was used to differentiate Europeans from indigenous peoples and African slaves, establishing a hierarchy that favored those deemed "white."

Economic and Political Advantages of Whiteness

Being considered white opened doors to economic opportunities and political power that were often denied to non-white individuals. Whites had easier access to land, resources, and education, creating a cycle of privilege that reinforced their dominant position in society.

Resistance and Challenges to White Dominance

Despite the entrenched nature of white privilege, there were instances of resistance and challenges to white dominance. Indigenous peoples and slaves fought against their subjugation, advocating for their rights and equality. These movements laid the groundwork for future struggles against systemic racism and discrimination.In conclusion, the term "white" stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of racial categorization and hierarchy in societies worldwide. By acknowledging the historical roots and social implications of whiteness, we can strive towards a more equitable and inclusive future where identities are not defined by arbitrary distinctions. It is through critical reflection and active dismantling of systems of privilege that we can move towards a more just and unified society for all.

FAQ

1. Why was the term "white" created to distinguish Europeans from indigenous peoples and African slaves?

2. How has the concept of whiteness evolved over time in colonial societies?

3. What are the social implications of identifying as "white" in modern society?

4. How can understanding the history and impact of white privilege lead to a more inclusive future?

[why-raven]

quiz: tragic play character — yiuno.

Misunderstood Villain.

Prepare for an onslaught of both the most dehumanizing and hateful takes, and flood of thirst comments. You’re chronically misunderstood; whether or not you’re actually evil is debatable. You may be acting out for revenge, to defend someone you love, or even just to protect yourself—you’re a pretty jaded person. You don’t trust or even really like most people—perhaps you did, at one point, but that part of you is gone, and you don’t go a single day without grieving it. You think a lot about what your life could have been. You’re stuck in the past—you’re angry and maybe you don’t even want to be, but this is the only way you can see to survive. You’re open, but less in a trusting way and more like a wound. You don’t like to let people see you, but the hurt spills out of you before you can stop it. You’re impulsive, even as you try hard to plan and prepare. Maybe someday your side of the story will finally be heard. Until then, you can convince yourself that being hated is safer anyway.

link to quiz.

Oh, wow. What an eerily accurate result.

Yiuno embodies many aspects of an anti-hero: be it common tropes (ex. Dark and Troubled Past), or tip the scales further into extremity (ex. Psycho for Hire and Femme Fatale), it’s really fun working on his characterization… as much as I struggle to comprehend his complex, multilayered nature.

I dunno if people see him as a misunderstood villain—guaranteed, this guy literally kills for a living, and he was a war criminal at one point (as a major participant during the Magi War in the Fifth Astral Era). His unique physical condition has twisted his perception of time, like he’s stuck in a psychological limbo akin to a living hell, for eternity. While the idea of eternal life has been explored many times in the game (both the MSQ and mostly the ARR side-quests), to an immortal like Yiuno, only death can bring him true peace.

Oh wait, sounds like Emet-Selch much? Not really—for one, Yiuno does not crave for the past (in fact, he wished he could erase it and start over again), and he doesn’t believe in utopia. While Emet tried to justify his genocidal acts as a “necessary ritual” to reclaim his lost paradise, Yiuno doesn’t even bother to sugar coat the war crimes he’d committed. Though Emet (in Shadowbringers, not Endwalker) did humor the idea of giving the current world a chance as he observed how WoL and the Scions tried to save the First, he never stopped to show outright contempt for the Sundered, calling them lesser beings unworthy of existing. Yiuno, however, never harbors any form of racism or social prejudice towards anyone—on one hand, he sees people as, well, just people; on the other hand, he may appear to be rather apathetic and detached (and hence why he could kill people as willingly as Emet, but for different reasons).

It also didn’t help that his childhood was equally fucked up. Born into a clan with an unconventional (and controversial) family system and societal rules, Yiuno grew up pretending to be a girl for many years just so that he could stay together with his twin sister for as long as possible. This twisted upbringing gave him a rather unique outlook to gender and sexuality—while he identify himself as biologically male and is very much aroace, mentally he feels disconnected and sees them as mere labels. It’s hard for me to explain in a way that people can understand, without radical folks jumping the gun and dissing me about “misrepresentation” and stuff, so I won’t go into details here. (If you want to know more, feel free to ask me in DMs!)

I guess the last line rings true—perhaps it’s easier to hate him for no reason at all. I mean, unless it’s his soulmate Y’shtola or the energetic curious child Sora, very few people have the patience and time to learn more about a walking history like Yiuno.

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: Creepy

[The following review contains MAJOR SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

With the possible exception of The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot, Creepy is probably the most accurate title in the history of cinema. That single six-letter adjective describes the pervasively unsettling atmosphere of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2016 psychological thriller elegantly, economically, and succinctly. Like the director’s own Cure, the film finds horror not in shallow jump scares, grotesque gore effects, or supernatural mischief, but rather in something far more chillingly universal: the nuances of human behavior.

To call the movie’s central antagonist a “serial killer” would be an egregious understatement; that label seems too mundane to apply to his insidious modus operandi. He doesn’t merely butcher his victims’ bodies: he infiltrates their lives, erodes their agency and free will, and unravels their interpersonal relationships. Their minds, spirits, and very identities evaporate long before their flesh expires, reducing them to little more than docile, submissive zombies—obedient (albeit unwitting) accomplices to the psychopath’s sadistic crime spree. Most terrifyingly, it isn't particularly difficult to corrupt them; the oppressive, overwhelming burdens of societal norms and cultural conventions have already irreparably weakened their resolve—their tormentor simply needs to discover and exploit their vulnerabilities, gradually chipping away at their brittle defenses until they finally (inevitably) shatter.

The visual style perfectly complements the story’s underlying themes and conflicts. The protagonist, a former police detective haunted by his catastrophic failure to negotiate a hostage situation in the recent past, copes with his physical and mental trauma by burying himself in his new profession as a college lecturer; beneath his façade of passivity and numb contentment, however, he’s clearly eager to atone for his mistakes—making it relatively easy for an ex-colleague to lure him back into the fold with the promise of an especially baffling missing persons case. As the investigation demands more of his attention (indeed, his “purely academic interest” in the disappearances quickly evolves into an all-consuming obsession), his wife begins to feel increasingly neglected and abandoned; despite her valiant efforts to swallow her misgivings and play the role of a dutiful homemaker and productive member of the local community (though the neighbors tend to be either indifferent or outright hostile, consistently rebuffing her attempts to befriend them), her loneliness, alienation, and isolation remain painfully obvious. Consequently, the couple is frequently framed in claustrophobic, symmetrical, fragmented compositions, the space surrounding them externalizing their repressed anxieties, insecurities, and resentments. The camerawork—which is often so subtle that it borders in subliminal—reinforces this sense of emotional inflexibility; these characters are trapped in private purgatories of their own design—and because the editing implements cuts so sparingly, the audience is forced to suffer alongside them through a series of excruciatingly long, uninterrupted takes, ensnaring subject and viewer alike in an inescapable prison of time.

Ultimately, Creepy closely resembles the murderer around whom its plot revolves: it crawls inside your skull and lingers in your subconscious, refusing to grant you a moment of respite. It’s a deliciously disturbing experience; I savored every unnerving image… but having thus feasted on its rich subtext and complex social commentary, I doubt that I’ll revisit it any time soon.

[in2thenewworld]

Hello! May I request a Final Fantasy VII matchup?

𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀: Transmasc (AFAB) Genderfluid, Biromantic and Pansexual; He/They

𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: 22 years old, 5'1.5", Southeast Asian (Filipino). Chubby with Messy Medium brownish grayish hair [mistakenly thought to be dyed], Chocolate brown eyes, and a Small beauty mark on my forehead.𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲: Feminine Tomboy, Soft Punk/Rocker Chic, Casual Chic, Modernist Chic, and Rustic fashion style (like Malia Tate)

𝗠𝗕𝗧𝗜, 𝗘𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 & 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: ENTP-T, 4w5, Neutral Good

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀: Gentle, Warm, Polite, Supportive, Religious, Unassuming, Creative, Multifaceted, Diplomatic, Nurturing, Booksmart, Fair-minded, Enthusiastic, Insightful, Adventurous, Well-rounded,and Childlike

𝗡𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀: Complex, Sarcastic, Driven, Wary, Reluctant, Loud, Outspoken, Keen, Sensitive, Chatty, Traditionalist, Feisty, Clumsy, Humorous, Stubborn, Hopeless romantic, and Dogmatic

𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀: Volatile, Flighty, Inconsistent, Aloof or Dependent (depending on the mood), Potty-mouthed, Gullible, [a bit] Manipulative, Exasperating, [can be] Possessive [but needs your own space], Restless, Tenacious, Indecisive, Overly dramatic, Moody, Blunt, and Condemning

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: Arts, Literature, Creative writing, History, Old cathedrals, Theology, Catechism, Saints, Choir, Amateur-fact reading, Social commentary, Beauty pageants, Makeup, Cute minimalistic items, Eating, Night sky, Astronomical events, Galaxy color palette, Karaoke, ASMR, Rock bands (Fall Out Boy, MCR, and Evanescence), 2000s-2010s music, Kpop (ATEEZ, Seventeen, TXT, and Enhypen) Cartoons, Memes, and Chilling both Indoors and Outdoors

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: Stereotyping (I hate it when I labeled as sunshiny girly girl), Forced obligation, Being left out, Interrupted plans, Emotional invalidation, Apathy, Judgemental people, Hypocrites, Pressuring, No privacy, Forcing to do I'm against with, Gaslighters, Telenovelas, Dirty bathrooms, blackout, Lightning, Firecrackers, Toads, Snakes, Cockroaches, Toxic Masculinity, Misogyny, Fake wokes, Nitpickers, Trash talkers, Extremists, Colonial Mentality, and Overly girly things

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗶𝗲𝘀: Drawing, Conceptualizing original characters, Writing, Reading random subjects (except math), Singing, Dancing [when nobody's around (I'm very bad at it)], Walking like a so-so called model (if I ever feel so confident), Sharing nerdy or opinionated thoughts, Sleeping, Listening to music, Chatting in social media, Watching videos on YouTube, Watching cartoons, Creating clay charms, Making terrible jokes/puns, and Cooking

absolutely! let’s do this thing!

loading your match! ପ( •̤ᴗ•̤ )੭ु⁾⁾.｡.:✽・ﾟ＋

your match is…

RENO!

* Reno shares your sarcastic humour, loud nature and everything that comes with it. It’s a little bit nightmarish for people who are more composed on the surface like Tseng or even Rude 😅 But you’re a dynamic duo, there’s really no changing the two of you.

* Reno isn’t very traditional in any sense of the word, so whatever that means to you, you may have to compromise every now and again.

* Reno the type of mf to be like “Look! It says gullible on the ceiling!” tbh. He’s always trying to prank you. You’re welcome to try and get him back though.

* I think Reno would adore all of the bands you like (10/10 taste btw OP) and would probably watch a lot of cartoons with you as well. That’s your down time to just relax together. You wanna rock out? He’s so here for it. Always always always. And the music will be blasting as loud as you’ll allow.

* Reno will do his best to be considerate of your emotions. He’s the type to act on impulse at times and has a tough edge, so he understands in a way! If something bothers you let him know. He hates people who aren’t direct and will dance around the truth.

* He’s a very strong individual. He doesn’t like to be tied down, told he’s wrong or what to do. So long as you don’t do it to him, he won’t do it to you. He’ll also very much make fun of people who follow in a flock, sooo…

* You should conceptualise some cool weapons for him if your artistic abilities lend themselves in that avenue! He’ll love anything you make because it’s you, but thats a sure fire way to really pull him in.

* Will try get you to troll on servers or websites with him. He comes up with the most unhinged shit ever. It’s so strange to watch.

* Is casually affectionate, but struggles to open up. He’ll flirt and throw his arms around you, be absentmindedly always making physical contact in a subtle way, but he hates doing big public displays of affection or getting all sappy. If you want to know what he’s really feeling or if he’s struggling, it’s gonna be a bit of work.

hi I hope this is good! :D also as a runner up I would choose aerith it was definitely a close call

[mariacallous]

BRATISLAVA—On Sept. 30, many Slovaks went to sleep having presumed that the country would be led by perhaps the most progressive government in its modern history. The next morning, however, they woke up to an alternate universe with a new winner: a scandal-battered political veteran, who, in a number of ways, has risen like a phoenix from the ashes.

This emotional roller coaster was caused by the dramatic inaccuracy of a local exit poll, which predicted a certain victory for Progressive Slovakia, a liberal and urban elite party led by Michal Simecka. It eventually came second to Robert Fico’s Smer-SD, a social democratic party that has over the last several years turned more nationalistic and populist. With all the votes counted, Smer-SD won 42 of the parliament’s 150 seats. Progressive Slovakia secured 32.

Fico, unlike 39-year-old relative newcomer Simecka, has been shaping Slovak politics since the mid-2000s. Having resigned in early 2018—and with a series of electoral defeats for Smer in European, presidential, and parliamentary races, as well as a split within his party in between—he has made a stunning comeback, boosting his party’s support from just 9 percent in January 2021 to almost 23 percent in 2023.

In many ways, his return was paved by the previous anti-corruption coalition, which due to its chaotic style of governance dampened voters’ enthusiasm. In a time of Russian invasion of Ukraine and galloping inflation, Fico—Slovakia’s longest-serving prime minister (2006-2010 and 2012-2018)—could pitch himself as a guarantor of stability and consistent decision-making.

His triumph is all the more impressive as he has done little to distance himself from his past deeds that pushed not only his party but the entire country to perhaps the darkest place it’s been in its modern history. Almost six years ago, he was swept away by a wave of public anger inspired by the massive protests that erupted after the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova. Now, symbolically, Fico’s close collaborators—Robert Kalinak and Tibor Gaspar, whose behavior as interior minister and police chief, respectively, at the time of Kuciak’s murder was under scrutiny—entered parliament with one of the best results in this election.

This crime—committed on Fico’s watch and ordered by a local millionaire, his former neighbor—shed light on the way he ruled the country. The image of Smer-SD emerged as a hermetic and highly opaque clique that grabbed control of major institutions in the country, including in justice and police, rewarded loyalists by distributing public assets, and was influenced from behind the scenes by shady businessmen (some with ties to organized crime) who operated with impunity.

This is, of course, a recipe that both Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Polish ruling party head Jaroslaw Kaczynski have long been successfully implementing in Hungary and Poland, respectively, on a much larger scale. For instance, Fico never attempted to turn the public broadcaster into a hard-line propaganda mouthpiece or use it to discredit opponents, as his two neighbors have. Nor did he try to create a homogenous nationalist-ideological umbrella for his appetite for power. Nor did he make the West a favorite attack target, being a rather quiet but loyal EU and NATO member. In a nutshell, the main headache for Slovakia under Fico was corruption and clientelism, not authoritarianism.

His attitude toward Russia is also far more complex than Orban’s indiscriminate support. Many international outlets tend to label Fico as “pro-Russian,” but, as usual, they have looked at rhetoric and symbolic gestures. And these rarely match Fico’s deeds. After all, it was he who purchased American weapons, including F-16 fighter aircraft and Black Hawk helicopters, to replace Slovakia’s ageing Soviet-era military equipment. And, although he did not succeed in decreasing the country’s dependence on Russia’s natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuel, it was his governments that introduced far-reaching investments in infrastructure that drastically limited Slovakia’s vulnerability to gas supply disruption.

Also, back in 2014 it was Fico’s Slovakia that, to Russia’s dismay, came to Ukraine’s rescue by opening up reverse flow of gas after Russia annexed Crimea and increased prices for its gas.

For years, Fico has cast himself as an arbitrator between the country’s strong economic rooting in the West and rather pro-Russian public sympathies, which, in political terms, have been utilized mainly by the Slovak National Party (SNS), Fico’s former and now new junior coalition partner. This chaotic group of rather obnoxious individuals, many with far-right views and obscure ties to Russia, has long pushed for halting Ukraine military aid—something that Fico also promised in the campaign to attract radical voters.

Even if he delivers, which is expected, it wouldn’t necessarily mean that Slovakia is turning east, as some warn. It’s still more likely for Fico to continue to play the same game, with the goal of keeping the country close to the EU mainstream (and the flow of money from Brussels) but rhetorically satisfying both the SNS and pro-Russian figures from his own circle, such as Lubos Blaha, Marian Kery, and Juraj Blanar. Back in April, at the meeting with U.S. Ambassador he supported Ukraine’s accession to the EU, while in his first post-election public appearance, he reminded citizens that under his leadership, Slovakia joined the eurozone and Schengen Area, which both could be seen as signs to Brussels that no major turns in the country’s foreign agenda are expected.

Of course, the attempt to take the country into more heavy-handed directions may be too captivating. In many ways, he’s a different man now. The long and toxic campaign has proved that, having had a near-death experience, in both political and human terms (back in 2016, he underwent heart surgery), Fico has become angrier, perhaps more eager to take revenge, and less fussy about the optics of his support base. These were not only older voters from small towns lured by his generous social welfare policy and socially traditional agenda whom he had remobilized that gave him victory, but also anti-vaxxers and other consumers of the far-right playbook.

Still, the hope that Fico will pocket his more radical image from the campaign—despite his personal grudge and a noxious coalition partner—is not based on his good will, but arithmetic. To form a stable government, he needed not only SNS (10 seats), but mainly the Hlas-SD party (27), created by a group of defectors from Smer-SD and led by moderate Peter Pellegrini, who is at odds with some of Smer-SD’s most contentious figures. The three-party coalition now has 79 seats, just three votes above a majority—enough for it to fill major posts and pass laws, but not enough to make constitutional amendments.

This shaky advantage will deny Fico the latitude that both Orban and Kaczynski have enjoyed in their countries. What’s more, relatively collectively ruled Smer-SD is by no means a mass party comparable to Orban’s iron-fisted Fidesz or Kaczynski’s Law and Justice, which both have, year by year, expanded their voter bases so as to depict themselves as the voice of the nation. This year, Smer-SD won with just 681,000 votes. Putting aside the 2020 campaign shaped by Kuciak’s murder, it is the party’s worst result since 2006.

With all these limits in mind, it’s doubtful that Fico will succeed in transforming Slovakia into a Hungary-like single party monolith, at least not in the next four years. What he can do, though, is to attempt to restore his influence over public institutions—especially judicial ones—and among economic actors, verbally antagonize journalists, take control over the narrative provided by the public broadcaster, and further divide and radicalize the society—all of which could serve as solid foundations for more Orbanesque approach in the future.

Whether he succeeds or not will depend on the Slovaks themselves—especially the sensible members of his coalition government and those motivated by the memory of Kuciak and Kusnirova.

[artiists]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 … 𝒸𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝓁𝒾𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓉𝓉𝑒 .

CAMILLE OLIVIETTE the TWENTY SEVEN year old is known as THE ARTIST within the group. they are known to be DAUNTLESS and INTRACTABLE which makes sense when you think about how SHE HAS NEARLY FILLED A SKETCHBOOK WITH DRAWINGS OF HER CRUSH but i guess we’ll find out for ourselves.

FULL NAME : camille evangeline oliviette . LABEL : the artist . AGE : twenty seven . DOB : november nineteenth . STATUS : single . SEXUALITY : bisexual . POSITIVES : altruistic incisive magnanimous steadfast . NEGATIVES : brazen mutinous dupable . AESTHETICS : splashes of paint on a gorgeous white summer dress, glitter highlighter akin to a mirrorball, elegant penmanship in glitter gel pens, the compelling tendency to overshare, daisy chains in the height of summer, the dynamic duo of a sketchpad and takeout coffee, a sweet voice framed by fierce lipliner, the unwavering loyalty of a girls' girl, a denim satchel donned with pins from all over the world, always dotting your letters with hearts .

there was no shortage of love in the oliviette household when camille was growing up. her moms were childhood sweethearts, first loves who stayed together through the complexities of life in the 7O's and 8O's as gay women. it took three rounds of ivf for the pregnancy to carry to term, and she's been doted on ever since .

growing up, there was color everywhere. in her heart and family, metaphorically, but her home never fell victim to the formal black and white furnishings that some of her friends' homes seemed to have. vibrant fluffy rugs and home-painted masterpieces donned the walls, with patterned wallpaper and decor that rotated with the seasons. her genetic mother came from a line of painters who had submitted their work to galleries all across the united states - some even sharing their talent with the world. her other mom came from a creative family who seemed to have creativity sprinkled throughout the family lineage ( see : she's cousins to the director ) .

school was always hard. the academics just weren't for her - not because she wasn't intelligent. camille could be analytical with her reading and crunch her numbers, she could recite her history and point out most countries on a globe by the time she was sixteen. three languages donned her tongue, crafted from travels around the world with her family and an adoration for foreign films and music. she just couldn't sit still for long enough to take a test.

it felt more like a social hub to her, pulled in to this group of friends unexpectedly and suddenly there was a place in her heart for each one of them as she watched them grow and make terrible decisions and craft their teen lives together. there's no one in the group who hasn't at some point become the subject of fascination for a period of time. except ace who she thinks is ugly <3

you'd find her painting on a beautiful summers day, or tracing a quick portrait of one of her friends when she thought the sun was catching them just right, or their expression was too intriguing to let go. she's got hundreds of used canvas' and books in storage back at her home. the creativity extends to poetry, with doodled verses often surrounding the picture she's drawn .

a weekend of fun with her friends sounded like a good time, mostly because her heart ached for reconnection for friends she'd drifted from along the way. honestly, she thought it sucked that it was only going to be a few days ...

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

all of them any gender : someone who has been a constant muse for her, best friend, people she has travelled with, fellow creatives, ex partners, a bad influence, someone who doesn't trust her bc she's too nice, ex friends, hook ups, friends with benefits ( she'd def get too attached we can make it fun lol ), sibling like friendships, first love, fellow dreamers, someone from michigan who looks after her pet bunny while she's on trips for work .

[erigold13261]

I can see there is a tier to who gets put into Nueva York

(Some people just received the watch or a visit to the Go Home Machine)

Tier 1: You hurt someone/caused massive property damage (Miles, Hobie, potentially Peni, Margo)

Tier 2: Your family has a history of powerful elementals or power holders with problems (Pav, potentially Gwen)

Tier 3: You have a problem that needs "fixing" (Noir and Peter Porker)

And yes, this is based on how much damage had been caused to the outside world, not the internal issues anyone could be facing(like the Medical Model of Disability versus the Social Model of Disability) and Miguel's personal trauma

There's definitely more to it, but I can see that being the most basic way to explain it. Everyone probably has to go through some kind of program, but the different tiers dictate how intense and long your program is.

I'm kinda thinking of it as some kind of class similar to the SCP foundation. Keter being extremely hard to contain, Euclid being difficult to contain, and Safe being relatively easy to contain. Except for Nueva York, the tiers would relate to powers.

Top being a very dangerous power or the person with no control of their power (or both). Middle being a relatively dangerous power or the person still needs help controlling their power (or both is the power is on the lower level of threats). Bottom being a basically safe power that is not inherently dangerous without creative and active thinking to hurt someone, or the person is basically completely in control except for small lapses of control. (These names of tiers just being place holders for this ask).

My reasoning for this is that you can have very inherently dangerous powers that you are in completely control of, that would put you in like the middle tier. Those powers could be elemental or just something you have that no one else has.

Now I actually do like your model, but I think that would be better for a labeling on why someone is there and what kind of treatment they need in a specific tier. Someone in the very dangerous top tier might be there because their family has history with that power but they didn't hurt someone yet, meaning they are like Top Tier 2. While someone with very dangerous powers who hurt someone would be Top Tier 1.

A Top Tier 2 person and Top Tier 1 person would have similar programs to go through, but the Top Tier 1 would have more restrictions and less forgiveness for mistakes compared to the a Top Tier 2 person.

Like most Top Tiers are probably super intensive programs that take a long time to get through, while Bottom Tiers are easier and quicker to get through.

Watches go to everyone who joins, and you have to keep it on as long as you are in any of the programs. However, if you keep failing your program, or keep messing up and having to start over/retrace steps, that is probably when you have to go into the "Go Home Machine" as you are not able to naturally finish a program and can't be trusted to just keep the watch on all the time outside of the program (the Go Home Machine is probably also used a lot around holidays and stuff like that so people can go home temporarily).

There are definitely better ways to explain this, and I'm sure I can make one since I love making stupid and complex labeling systems. Nueva York absolutely has a ranking system so it is easier to know what resident is in there for what. Like there is probably another Tier that says a person is there of their own free will vs being sent there by concerned family vs breaking the law.

High-Middle-Low: Danger level. Basically how little control of the power someone has or how inherently dangerous it is.

Teir 1- Tier 2- Tier 3: Issues. What you are struggling with (1-having hurt someone/something, 2-your family is naturally powerful, 3-you have a problem that needs to be fixed).

DET-CON-VOL: Actions. What lead you to being placed in Nueva York (Detained/Detention, Concern/Fear, Volunteer).

Something like this above. So Hobie would be along the lines of High Tier 1-DET while Pav would be Hi-Mid Tier 2-CON. Peter Porker is along the lines of Low Tier 2-VOL and Noir is probably Mid-Low Tier 2.3-VOL.

I don't know if naming them Issues and Actions are the right words, but you can have hurt someone while being a volunteer or you could have been arrested/detained and sent to Nueva York without having hurt someone. Also, having "hurt" someone/something isn't always physical. Like Pav's powers could hurt people's minds or something could have been broken as an indirect cause of your powers.

Definitely don't take this as absolute truth in how I am going to convey powers in Nueva York. I just wanted to have fun making a labeling system. There are definitely problems and outliers that could be made in this system, but I wanted to make a 3 level labeling system and I did lol. Just know, there is definitely some kind of labeling going on in Nueva York.

[moku-youbi]

I just want to start by saying I think gender is stupid and made up, and I fully support people using whatever pronouns and labels THEY choose, or none at all if they prefer not to because they're like me and fucking hate labels (again, personal preference, borne of years of people trying to shove labels like lesbian onto me despite my vehement disagreement, which is why I love queer so much and you'll pry it from my cold, dead, queer hands, but this is getting off topic)

BUT to answer this in a genuine way, I think at least some of it has to do with the history of the usage of the term lesbian by cishet men in the 00s as, like...a joke. Like a woman tells a man that's hitting on her "I'm a lesbian," and he'd be like "hahah, I'm attracted to women, so I'm a lesbian, too." And try to continue to hit on her, and be a gross douche bag about it. And there was a certain degree of fetishistic, male-gazey perception of lesbianism along with it, which understandably, lesbians didn't like. So there was a lot of very vocal backlash with lesbians saying if you're a guy, you don't get to call yourself a lesbian.

It's only recently, with a broader view of gender and sexuality on a spectrum that people are openly identifying as he/him lesbians (or indeed, all manner of mixed pronouns and genders), and I think it's fucking great, like just destroy gender please. One of my least favourite social constructs. Be whoever you are, fuck people who don't accept it...

But maybe have a little more perspective for people who don't *understand* it. Their confusion isn't necessarily from a place of hatred or derision. They might be uncomfortable because they've heard repeatedly "men don't get to call themselves lesbians" and think they're being an ally. Maybe they don't see the inherent terfish potential of that statement. Maybe they don't have the same education regarding/relationship with gender and usage of pronouns that you have. Often times just explaining things, instead of treating people with such disdain, like they're absolute idiots for not getting something that's complex and unfamiliar to them, goes a long way to helping them be a better ally.

And then, if they still wanna be dicks about it, you at least know they're not worth your time.

i dont understand how he/him lesbians and she/her gays are so confusing to people

[nursingwriter]

AUTISM 'CURES' AND TREATMENT CONTROVERSIES Autism Cures and Treatment Controversies Autism 'Cures' and Treatment Controversies Autism 'Cures' and Treatment Controversies Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses classical autism, Asperger syndrome, and progressive developmental disorder -- not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) (Leonard et al., 2010, p. 548-550). Classical or typical autism represents the most severe and common of the ASD disorders, of which the main symptoms are social, attention, and behavioral deficits (Betancur, 2011, p. 43). Intellectual impairment and epilepsy are also common comorbid conditions and are present in 70% and 25% of autistic individuals, respectively. ASD is primarily a genetic disease and approximately 90% of all cases can be thus explained (Holt and Monaco, 2011, p. 438). The risk of both monozygotic twins developing autism, who have a family history, is between 30% and 60%, but for siblings the risk is much smaller and depends on how carefully they are screened for ASD symptoms. The other known causes or risk factors are being male (4-fold), experiencing a difficult/abnormal gestation and/or labor, and spontaneous germline genetic mutations. Although the prevalence of autism is determined to a large extent by genetic susceptibility factors, of which there are many acting in complex and unknown ways, there is evidence to suggest effective interventions do exist. Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention In 1987 it was noticed that incorporating autistic children into regular classes at school resulted in significant improvements in intellectual ability (Dawson et al., 2010, p. e18). Since then there has been considerable effort to both decrease the age at which a reliable diagnosis can be achieved and develop early intervention programs that minimize symptom severity. Retrospective analyses of studies touting the benefits of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) methods have revealed significant deficiencies, thus calling into question whether this approach is as effective as claimed (Warren et al., 2011). However, research continues in this area and study designs are becoming more rigorous. For example, a recent randomized control study comparing the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model and found that 44% of the autistic children enrolled were reclassified as PDD-NOS after two years in the program. By comparison only 29% of the control children receiving more traditional treatments were given a less severe diagnosis after two years. Although EIBI methods are effective, they can hardly be called a cure. Pharmaceutical Interventions Only one prescription medication has been FDA approved for treating ASD and this is the antipsychotic medication risperidone for irritability (Rossignol, 2009, p. 213). The use of any others are generally provided 'off-label' for non-FDA-approved uses and confined to treating the symptoms associated with ASD. What is most troubling about using medications off-label is that the short-term and long-term benefits are usually unknown, especially in children, and the risk of side effects generally high. A retrospective analysis of all known or suspected pharmaceutical treatments for ASD was performed recently and each was graded on the quality of research performed (Rossignol, 2009). The most promising treatments that were supported by well-controlled studies include melatonin, vitamin C, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (rivastigmine, donepezil, galantine), and naltrexone. Melatonin seems to be well tolerated and one study showed improved sleep in 80% of the children studied. Vitamin C significantly reduced repetitive behaviors in a small group of children and had no adverse effects. The advantages of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors were a decrease in the severity of autistic symptoms, but the adverse side effects were sometimes significant and included nausea, diarrhea, irritability, and hyperactivity. Naltrexone also reduced the severity of symptoms and https://www.paperdue.com/customer/paper/autism-cures-and-neurological-disorder-114604#:~:text=Logout-,AutismCuresandNeurologicalDisorder,-Length2pages   Read the full article

[pretty-aud-lady]

Spiderland has been reprinted and celebrated to death, for good reason. My heart was warmed when I finally held a vinyl copy of it.

When I found a copy of this, I cried and shouted and could barely stand. Again shrouded in mystery and mystique of obscurity, but even more so that it feels like mine. I highly doubt anyone feels as deeply about this album as I do, including Imaad Wasif.

I read an instagram post that said he intended this to be his final piece of art before suicide. A genuine going away present. Hearing that made everything align and make sense. The desperation pulls on whatever excuse for a soul I claim to have with each note.

This review may be pretty long, but it'll be more freeform, as I have less to say on certain individual songs. I also plan to write reviews on their other albums at some point, and no documentary exists yet, so the history will be lacking here.

It was released in 1999 by punk in my vitamins, Unwound's Vern Rumsey's label. Their first two releases were on amphetamine reptile, a maybe more well known label but much less fitting as far as I can tell. The band was formed by Imaad Wasif on guitar and vocals, and Brian Girgus on drums out of necessity, since drummers were hard to find.

They began as a two piece worshiping nirvana and unwound, but I believe their uniquely melodic single notes and extra slowcore moments made them unique. Their formula of building elements of slowcore brooding into post-hardcore angularity into explosions of screaming drips of slint's influence, but utilizes melody in both vocals and guitars to push it into a world of its own. The drums are much less flashy here, but they do what needs to be done and keep things exciting and interesting when they can. Their sound is also less afraid to sit in a mid-volume dynamic and explore angularity in this post-hardcore space, which lends to that use of melody really well.

Before we go into our song by song dive, here's my tinfoil hat moment (or just squinting at story archetypes til they align) I see the story arch of Slint's spiderland and Lowercase's the going away present as very similar, almost identical. An introduction of dedicated innocent love, poisoned by infidelity, dragged through social anxiety and unrest, leading to a lost life and an abstract exploration of the afterlife. I have songs that I parallel one-to-one, but the going away present has more songs to try and slot into place.

Floodlit is the perfect introduction to this album. The first riff is stripped down with bass emphasis and a few guitar harmonics, which builds into a great single note noodling on top of the rhythms established. The guitars peel back and re-layer while the vocals swoon on top, singing poetry of a love so dedicated and strong our character would die for their love. It mirrors its blind dedication with an eeriness, the passion lulling them into a fearful haze. Imaad Wasif sings some beautiful falsettos "and it might rise slowly but it's always known that it overflows and it subsides only when you let me go" the beautiful vocals, the twisting rhythms, the intoxication of the lyrics - it all fills me with that excitement of a newfound love and all the hesitation that it includes.

Our character needs that love, we require that love to exist. "and the light dies slowly when you let me go in a darkened room and it will shine only when I wake next to you" a favourite person complex so deep it leaves us blind when we're alone. Please wake up I can't stand to be awake with your sleeping body beside me I need your eyes and ears and heart to feel at ease.

The song meditates on the B flat bass while layers add and disappear until it begins to build, the guitars adding more chords and the vocals adding more volume and passion until that final explosion of screams and distortion, not unlike Good morning, captain

I believe in you.

It ends with a mid-dynamic angular jam, with Imaad's guitars playing Egyptian scales with single notes until the rhythm decides to die off and take the guitar with it. "oh can you say what you can't deny?"

Willing to follow you down and the going away present are two songs that I love but don't have as much to say about. The slide in willing to follow you down is great, and Imaad's vocals are great in both, but the songs fit more like post punk-tinged pop songs than anything flashy or unique. Willing to follow you down alludes to marquis de Sade and the mistress (from nosferatu Man perhaps?), a young person begging for a married woman to slide away her ring. The hooks have a nice guitar lead bouncing between two 8th notes while the bass moves between two chords across 4 bars for some counterpoint, while Imaad's singing and that slide guitar ring out. The verses have a nice dynamic low to make the chorus stand out, and the bridge stays louder to brood and fill us with yearning

The going away present opens with a rolling tom beat behind a fun bouncy guitar riff and some classic Imaad vocals. The chorus introduces ride cymbal and heavier bass strumming, but otherwise doesn't move the harmonic structure or guitar around much. Yet again we have a verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge structure, but the bridge is much less interesting. The lyrics are about a lost love, and the sustain of the words their ex lover said. It feels like the aftermath of the previous affair, a failed relationship and the miscommunication as it falls out. A fine song with some catchy parts, but lacks the movement and dynamics of their best songs. I think as time goes on this becomes my least favourite track on the album.

Glisten to the Pink is a great dynamic and interesting song that makes up for the straightforward nature of the previous two. One of the most slowcore-inspired songs on the album, the guitar barely whispers a harmonic and some reverbed notes strummed above the nut. The bass plays a sparse line on top of a quintessential slowcore drum beat, with slow tempo quarter notes on the ride and kick and snare played half time and off by an eighth note every once in a while to form a recognizable rhythm or space. The lyrics are abstract imagery I don't dare to apply much meaning to, I just know it's sinister. I take the glistening pink referenced a couple times throughout the album to be a perspective on sex, seeing sweaty skin as an absurd and strange thing to enjoy.

One verse builds to a false stop and returns to the second verse, which ends with a true build up with a satisfying catharsis when "don't you weigh your light out" finally crescendos into a long clean belted "next time you're out" it's not screamed but it always feels like a satisfying payoff to a great atmosphere.

This song instrumentally calls back to Don, Aman for me with its sparse and spoken word composition. Lyrically it's much more abstract, but to me the next song thematically blends to pull the parallel together.

The open sea is the first song I ever heard by lowercase, and one that my old band used to cover quite frequently. It opens with a ride bell on persistent 8th notes to count us in, which breaks into a full band sprint. An angular single note melody sings from the guitar as the bass chugs away at eight notes defining the chords, and the drums propel thing forward tying the bass and drums together nicely. Imaad's vocals sing along with the guitar melody but with pitch bends that help it stand out against it.

The verses are broken with a pulled back bass and less guitar, creating more dissonant texture than melody or rhythm. After the second post-verse Interlude the drums slink back to a tom beat and the bass drops an octave to creep and brood. Imaad lays down a single spoken word line repeated ad nauseam as he often does, making it lose meaning and regain a new one as we meditate on it. "yet you're alone yes I know" it builds to a sweet climax as you'd expect, guitar adding small licks and melody, drums throwing in one of the sweetest fills I've ever heard, until the vocals erupt into loud held sung notes then finally screams. Lowercase songs often end on a short instrumental jam, centering a cool guitar lead and the band's locked in sound, and this song is no exception.

This song feels like the ending of Don, Aman's ending lyrically in some ways. "kill all your allies and spare me your dissent" feels like the abandoning of Don's friend, and can enlighten the context of "he knew what he had done, he was responsible, in the mirror he saw his friend" it feels like elements of humanity are being sacrificed for this glory and sin, but some hesitation remains with the loneliness.

On a bender used to be my least favourite song instrumentally. It's a little long for its compressed dynamic range, and also lacks an explosive catharsis at the end. I think as I digest the lyrics and the lowercase discography more, I come to appreciate it more as time goes on. Instrumentally it focuses Imaad's single guitar lines with lots of slides and pull offs, between a main riff and a dissonant but ethereal arpeggio chord. The rhythm section plugs away behind it to serve the song, but doesn't do too much to elevate it.

The lyrics seem to be about this stripping of humanity, pushing away those around you to fall deeper into despair and fervor. "a rescue party sent but when it started in I pushed away the hands and turned them over" the darkness our character is turning to is defined by glass eyes, insomnia, and lost dreams.

Stained and walleyed made to wallow in.

That lines sung notes are so high and strained, replacing the distorted guitar and scream catharsis we know with glazed over held out notes.

The song ends with a pretty long instrumental, with some great guitar lines and the closest we get to a guitar solo rather than repeated melodies. It doesn't feel like a shredding show off though, it all feels very meditated and planned, with notes breathing and lines leading into the chords behind it.

Last stand kicks ass. The end.

But seriously, it's possibly my favourite song on the album. The bass line takes front and center stage, the drums roll around it and form a song that feels great to bang your head or stomp your feet to. The guitars artfully add movement and texture to the rhythms, pulling the bass up to a new chord then dropping it back to its main riff, and the drums follow. The verse builds into the chorus with a sung "I was born to wait" that raises pitch three times before leading into the chorus that hooks you in and kicks ass.

The bridge is fine, again adding to the lowercase vibe with a more held back section that let's the flashy moments breathe more, with a great vocal delivery to bring us home. It ends with a dwindling song that falls to a whisper bit by bit, that leads seamlessly into the final (?) song.

But before that, the lyrics! I think between on a bender and last stand we get a different resolution than washer. Our character isn't committing physical suicide, but instead is having parts of their humanity lost through the self torture and ruminations. This song is salty, with near incel vibes of anger and resentment. The character hates the loneliness that they've felt was handed to them, feeling they're forced to manipulate and be manipulated. Seeking a false love, being deceived, and prolonging suffering as a performance. It's a death of hope more than a death of self.

I uploaded thistrainwillnotstop to YouTube in high school. It's a tapestry of a song, more of a soundscape and novel colliding. It's the softest of slowcore moments on the album, with thin bass and sparse drums. The guitar shimmers a spine chilling whale in between verses of creepy spoken word. I'm sure you could see why it's easy to see this and think of good morning, captain.

The lyrics are as vague and suggesting as the instrumentation. "the little darling was dead like an angelfish ballooning forth over a parade" "the city light with rows of burning beds" "passengers awaiting a train suddenly dove from the platform in the approaching mass of steel" "their secrets settling then into a fine crimson spray" "the Graves were soaking in their latitudes" "a pink glistening procession arising from the submergence, their flesh slick by the moonlight above"

Any meaning I gleam from it is vague senses and images of dread. A woman sacrificed by a mob of delusional ghouls, a vague man introduced as a demon of sorts. Then before the much needed explosion, we learn that his body is soiled and his hands are withdrawn, and the music has halted.

The end isn't the heaviest part of the album but the guitar strums full chords with distortion that feels satisfying along with the drum beat. Wasif sings long melodic notes that define themselves as a catharsis throughout the album, giving us screams only when we deserve them - or need them.

The lyrics clearly paint a guilty man and an abused or otherwise harmed woman running away so he never harms her again. "hey your wide and lovely stare gave away what you did with him" and "you want so to slit your rest in peace while you can" are frankly just great lyrics, especially the slit your rest/wrist in peace. "your skin is also his" along with the wide and lovely stare maybe indicate that the guilt is even across both people. The bottom line is our story started with loving obsession to some vague anger, fear, and avoidance of love.... Or sex? I've held this album so close for so long, through dysphoria and sexual abuse, and it's impossible to see objectively. These songs vent my frustrations about wanting, no NEEDING passionate love, and the way my life has told me that it doesn't exist. The desire to shed these desires, to become less than human so as to avoid pain and love altogether. Since transitioning, I have struggled to actually face these feelings fears and emotions. Part of me buries it in a pursuit of heated kinky sex still, but I hope some day I can find these meditations to be false and find a relatively painless love that makes the heartache worth it.

While I descend into a diary entry, I'll also say that floodlit is what happens when I give into the desire. If a partner asked me to slit my wrists and bleed for them and I could see a material or emotional gain for them from it, I'd do it. This has not changed. I am obsessive, lack self worth, and desire to dedicate my whole heart and soul to someone for their benefit. I don't even want this to change in a fundamental level. I want to learn limits to my sacrifice, and I want to learn my worth so I give this to more worthy people, but I want to serve someone. I always will. It's what humanity was meant for. Compassion and love.

Embedded in the ice is a hidden track at the end of the album, the perfect piano driven instrumental to end on so I can think about all these emotions that I've dragged out to analyze throughout the album. It's beautiful and melancholic. The album ends with Imaad and Brian bickering at each other, and my heart yearns for love and friendship and companionship as they are cut short.

The album art is mid, but the albums sounds own my heart.

[juliedowling]

The ripples of Scientific racism creating Communism & Prime Minister Billy Hughes of Oz using the White Australia Policy on the world at the Treaty of Versailles and its impact on today’s world.

Yeah, communism is colonialism because First Nations aren't 'primitive communists'. Marx & Engels culturally appropriated everything we did because women have equal authority & they were & still are a bunch of misogynists to us women here.

Criticism of the idea of primitive communism relates to definitions of property, where anthropologists such as Margaret Mead argue that private property exists in hunter-gatherer and other "primitive societies" but provide examples that Marx and subsequent theorists label as personal property, not private property. Similar arguments have been made by other academics, such as the economist Richard Pipes. The idea has also been critiqued by other anthropologists for being based on Morgan's evolutionary model of society and for romanticising non‐Western societies.

Western and non-Western scholars have criticised applying models that are too ethnocentrically European to non-European societies. Western scholars, including Leacock, have also criticised the ethnocentric point of view and biases in previous ethnographic research into hunter-gatherer societies.This is similar to criticism of adhering to stadialism in analysing cultures. Feminist scholars have criticised the idea of the lack of subjugation of women as suggested from the works of Engels, while Marxist feminists have been critical of and have reassessed Engels' ideas in The Origin of the Family related to the development of women's subjugation in the transition from primitive communism to class society.

The Marxian economist Ernest Mandel criticised the research of Soviet scholars on primitive communism due to the influence of "Soviet-Marxist ideology" in their social sciences work.

David Graeber and David Wengrow's The Dawn of Everything challenges the notion that humans ever lived in precarious, small-scale societies with little surplus. While they provide examples of sharing egalitarian societies in pre-history, they claim that a huge variety of complex societies (some with large cities) existed long before the supposed agricultural and then urban revolutions proposed by V. Gordon Childe. Graeber and Wengrow's understanding of hunter-gatherer societies has, however, been questioned by other anthropologists.

Anthropologist Manvir Singh argued that while some indigenous groups, such as the Aché of Paraguay, exemplified primitive communism, this did not apply to all indigenous groups, such as the Hiwi, using the example of the unequal distribution of meat from hunting. Singh asserts that many hunter gatherers, including the Andaman Islanders and Northern Paiute, recognized private ownership over land and trees, and claims that all hunter gatherers had private property, but provides examples that Marx and subsequent theorists label as personal property, not private property, such as personal "bows, arrows, axes and cooking implements".

The use of the term "communism" to describe these societies has been questioned when put in comparison with a future post-industrial communism, particularly in relation to the difference in scale from small communal groups to the size of modern nation-states.

Use of the term "primitive"

The term "primitive" in recent anthropological and social studies has begun to fall out of use due to racial stereotypes surrounding the ideas of what is primitive.Such a move has been supported by indigenous peoples who have faced racial stereotyping and violence due to being viewed as "primitive". Due to this, the term "primitive communism" may be replaced by terms such as Pre-Marxist communism.

Alain Testart and others have said that anthropologists should be careful when using research on current hunter-gatherer societies to determine the structure of societies in the paleolithic, where viewing current hunter-gatherer communities as "the most ancient of so-called primitive societies" is likely due to appearances and perceptions and does not reflect the progress and development that such societies have undergone in the past 10,000 years.

There have been Marxist historians criticised for their comments on the "primitivism" and "barbarism" of societies prior to their contact with European empires, such as the comments of Endre Sík. Such views on "primitivism" and "barbarism" are also prevalent in the works of their non-Marxist contemporaries. Marxist anthropologists have criticised and denounced Soviet anthropologists and historians for declaring indigenous communities they were studying for primitive communism as "degenerate".

Anarchist, Communist & Socialist colonials must stop & see that First Nations are the 1st anti-fascists. Us Mob in Oz endured genocidal policies imported to fascist Germany using the 1905 Act & Billy Hughes (WW1) turned Japan into Hitler's flying monkey.