#and when it's a productive addition or like we're having an actual discussion i don't mind them. and mutuals get free reign on adding stuff

[angelsdean]

people adding unnecessary comments to a clearly lighthearted fun jokey post, maybe um, don't.

[monstermoviedean]

forgive me if this doesn’t make any sense but… if the “one day” that “something changed” is supposed to be jack being born, then idk if i like the implication that, before then, cas had just always felt lost and purposeless. are we talking since he left heaven, all the way back in s4? like idk but i’d always thought it was pretty clear that even when cas is unsure and making mistakes and misguided, even when he feels lost at times, starting in s4 when he began to help dean, cas had chosen his purpose to be protecting humanity and protecting his family. and he never really stopped trying to do that, that desire never really gets lost, even if he takes a wrong turn at times ie s6. so like that quote is confusing to me cause imo cas’s vision from jack should have just reaffirmed his desire to protect humanity, but the quote implies that he had found a new feeling of purpose with jack? what purpose, if not loving and protecting humanity? which imo was always there?!?

sorry for the word jumble, but your comments on that quote, a quote i’d not really paid much attention to in the past tbh lol, got me thinking 😅

this makes complete sense!!! and you definitely got my brain wheels turning so thank you! no yeah absolutely, it's weird, and the more i think about it the weirder it gets. here is the dialogue we're referencing, btw. i'll give the benefit of the doubt here and say: there are a lot of days cas could be referring to. it could be the day of lucifer rising, for example, or the day he was resurrected from purgatory, or the day he was resurrected from the empty. it could be any number of days. i cannot conclusively state that any one day is "the day."

but here's what led me to assume it was a jack-related day: that since jack has been back, cas has been hitting the "jack's destiny" talking points hard, and that he ends the speech with "i found a family, and i became a father. and in that, i rediscovered my faith. i rediscovered who i am."

on jack's destiny: here are the examples i can find from s15, all from 15x12. there aren't any additional discussions involving cas about jack's destiny in 15x11, 15x13, or 15x14.

so this is what immediately sprang to my mind when i heard cas talk about purpose. that in season 15, at this point, cas believes his purpose is to help jack fulfill his destiny. he is connecting his worth to jack's "success" in terms of jack doing what he's "supposed" to do. he has faith in jack. he has faith jack will be good for the world. without jack he is lost.

and this actually echoes 12x19 the future. this is from the production draft shared by @spnscripthunt-inactive. notice the themes of feeling no longer lost, of having faith, of feeling "normal" "for the first time in a long, long time." it may be worth mentioning that both 12x19 and 15x12 (where the above quotes come from) were written by meredith glynn and robert berens.

all of this together reads to me as: cas is defining himself and his own success by jack's success. and that changed on the day jack showed cas a vision of the future, a vision of "paradise" (according to cas). cas needs to believe his faith and trust in jack are correctly placed, that he is doing the right thing. he needs to believe he has a purpose, and he has decided his purpose is helping jack fulfill his (jack's) purpose.

and to thing #2 that made me believe the speech was about the day cas decided he was tied to jack: the way he closes the speech. "i found a family, and i became a father. and in that, i rediscovered my faith. i rediscovered who i am." finding a family and becoming a father are two separate things. finding a family happened much earlier. becoming a father is necessarily tied to jack (i'm not inclined to count claire here - not because she doesn't matter, but because i don't believe cas OR claire view cas as her father). and the way it reads to me is that when cas says "in that," he's talking about "in becoming a father." because it came later. i read it as "finding a family helped, but what really made me rediscover my faith and who i am was becoming a father." and that aligns pretty closely with what is said in 12x19!

so to your point (oh wow that was a long tangent, sorry). literally everything you're saying is spot-on to me. i think we can trace the roots of cas feeling lost and seeking a purpose all the way back to s4 - definitely! i think it's a huge struggle for him because he wants to have a purpose, he wants to feel like what he does matters, but it is difficult for him because he feels like he doesn't know what's right. prior to season 4 his purpose had been clearly spelled out for him (he's an angel, he does god's will). and while he no longer accepts that purpose as his own, i think he craves something as simple and straightforward as that purpose. it's really difficult for him in those s5-s12 years when he's bouncing around, trying to figure out what he should be doing! but i think you're absolutely right that the underlying theme, the underlying purpose is always protecting humanity, protecting his family. i'd add an element of "doing what's right/stopping evil" too. but yeah, cas DOES care about humanity. he DOES care about the little guy. he DOES want to prevent human suffering and misery, and to help relieve it wherever he can. it matters to me that cas cares about humanity because that's one of the things that makes him so different from the other angels. i think over time his tactics change to achieve the goal of protecting humanity, but the goal itself does not change.

so does being jack's father = protecting humanity? kind of. if we believe that jack will successfully usher in paradise, then yes, cas helping jack fulfill his destiny would make things better for humanity and arguably protect them (or reduce the amount of protection they need). but i don't think this has the same level of attention/care towards humans that cas has previously shown. it's about making sure jack succeeds so he can fix everything. it's not about making things better right now.

and this is where i get into opinion territory: i, like you, don't like the implication that cas has always felt lost and purposeless! lost, yes. unsure of his purpose, yes. but i feel like the framing here is that cas has just been aimlessly drifting about for all these years, totally incapable of finding a purpose. i do not think jack and god are the same but i don't see much of a difference between "i am an angel, i serve god's will" and "i am a father, i serve jack's will." especially because there is a chance, however slight, that jack was manipulating cas. that the vision jack showed cas was not a guarantee.

it feels to me like jack hands cas a purpose the same way god handed cas a purpose. and i thought the beauty of cas choosing free will was that he got to choose his purpose himself. this feels like it was chosen for him and he went along with it because it was easier to have a purpose selected for you by a being of unfathomable power. and i sympathize with that immensely! and i also think there was profound beauty in cas discovering his purpose on his own, even when it was a struggle.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

WIBTA for not promoting a charity play I'm in? TW for discussions of fictional sexual coercion.

I recently tried out for an amateur theater production whose ticket sales will support a local library. I wasn't really expecting much, as I'm not an actor, but I was cast as the lead! I've been enjoying rehearsals, but the issue is, well, I don't really like the script. It's a comedy, but part of the backstory of the play's events is that two of the characters were blackmailed into having regular sexual contact with someone they didn't like for YEARS. And this is repeatedly played for laughs.

No one else in the cast (mostly women) has voiced any issue with this. They all seem to find it funny - in fact, some of them even ad lib additional "jokes" about it. I haven't said anything disapproving because I knew from square one that I was NOT going to find a different script that would fit our needs - and even if I did, this is a very small charity group that can't really afford to license another script, so we're stuck with what we've got. I'm going through with it because it's for a good cause, and at least my character doesn't have to say any of the objectionable lines.

But WIBTA if I didn't tell anyone to come see this play? Obviously I'm pro-fiction, including bad, stupid, and tasteless fiction, but just because I believe this play has a right to exist doesn't mean I want my grandma to come see me perform in it. (When I say "my grandma," I'm using her as a rhetorical device standing in for a much wider social circle including family, friends, and coworkers, but yes, if she finds out about this play's existence, my literal actual grandma WILL come and I will not be able to tell her no.)

Reasons I might not be the asshole: I've been told that in past years, this play has always sold out. They probably don't need my hype.

Reasons I might be the asshole: This play is mostly advertised by word of mouth. And the last time they did this "annual" play, it was pre-COVID, so the fact that plays used to sell out then doesn't necessarily mean they'll sell out now. Also, I told at least one family member I was going to audition for this play, and she said something to the effect of "if you get in, let me know, because I have to come see!" which I agreed to. (At the time, I had no idea what the script was like.)

TL;DR: I'm in a play that supports a good cause but contains material that I find objectionable. I'm a bit embarrassed / ashamed at the thought of people who know me seeing me perform in this. WIBTA for keeping this on the down-low (and thus potentially depriving the charity of word-of-mouth ticket sales?)

What are these acronyms?

[ashleywool]

What would you need from the fans of How To Dance In Ohio for a ProShot to be streamed somewhere like Broadway HD or similar? Would it need to be a Kickstarter or a social media campaign? Is there anyone we can write to? Part of my reason for asking is selfish, since I would love to see the show, but this show is also historic and groundbreaking in a lot of different ways and I also think your amazing performances need to be preserved as a part of Broadway history.

I know this is probably a really sad time for you and the rest of the Ohio cast/creative team and even if a ProShot never happens and nothing ever comes of it, just know that you, all of you, touched more lives and hearts than you could possibly know just by being who you are.

Thanks so much for asking. This is something we have been discussing with the producers, because obviously we'd all love it to happen too.

Warning: incoming info-dump, albeit a grossly oversimplified one:

It would cost about $3M to produce a pro-shot. Here's an incomplete list of where that money would go:

-The regular costs of the venue itself--which, when you include rent, utilities, and staff salaries (security, bartenders, ushers, custodians, all the people who are just in charge of maintaining the Belasco), comes out to about $1K a minute.

-The labor of obtaining necessary permits for filming onsite.

-The labor of the film crew, including load-in, setup, and breakdown of equipment, and coordinating with stage management to make sure their shooting doesn't get in the way of backstage choreography, and making any adjustments accordingly

-The collaboration between the film crew and the in-house sound crew to make sure the audio is captured and balanced properly

-The labor of post-production: editing, color correction, sound adjustment, etc.

-There are also different contracts (and higher pay) for the actors, stage managers, stage crew, sound crew, lighting crew, and wardrobe crew, in addition to our current contracts wherein we're just doing the show as usual. This can get particularly complicated with the actors and stage managers, since our Broadway contracts are through Actors' Equity Association (the union for stage actors and stage managers) but the contract for having our work filmed and distributed in theaters or on streaming platforms is under SAG-AFTRA (the union for film actors).

This is not a complete list, but to give you some context: that's about what it would cost just to make the thing. The costs and logistics of actually distributing it is a different story altogether, and a lot of that would depend on strategizing around future productions and making sure the availability of the pro-shot wouldn't compromise, say, a national tour. I'm not a producer and don't have the numbers and the research, but what I'd love to see happen is, the pro-shot gets a limited theatrical release to coincide with a national tour, and then gets released to streaming platforms when the tour is wrapped. (Of course, as an elder millennial who's genetically incapable of not being financially stressed, I don't care where or how it's released as long as I get those residual checks lol.)

As to your question of crowdfunding: as far as I understand it (and I'm not an entertainment lawyer so I likely have very incomplete information, so don't take my word at total face value): in order to crowdfund for a pro-shot, the producers would likely need to establish a new business entity and it would have to be a nonprofit entity so it could legally solicit donations from the public. Broadway shows are commercially produced, and each iteration of the commercially-produced production has its own business entity. When the show was in workshops and in Syracuse, the business entity was "Amigos in Ohio, LLC." The Broadway entity is "Amigos on Broadway, LLC." The only difference it makes on my end is the name that shows up on my bank statement when I get my direct deposit every week, but the difference it makes from a producer perspective is much more significant and it has a big effect on how productions are legally and ethically allowed to be funded, and again I'm not an entertainment lawyer so explaining what those differences are is beyond me.

I will say, however, Ken Davenport has been a real innovator when it comes to how shows can be produced--in 2010, he launched what eventually became the first crowdfunded Broadway musical with the Godspell revival. I know very little about how all of that actually works, but I do think something like that would be a boon to the industry in the year of our dark Majestic Theater 2024. And it would also give the fans a way to connect with the material and the business on a deeper and more personal level.

Meanwhile, if you want to learn more about how Broadway works from the producers' side, you should check out Sammy Lopez's Producing 101 course on The Business of Broadway. (I'm going to be in an upcoming class myself and it's all virtual, so maybe I'll see you there!)

[crystal-mouse]

I need to ask somebody this question because it's been in my brain for a while and it's driving me nuts. Is spok vegetarian or vegan?

Because we all know he doesn't eat meat, but there wasn't a discussion about other animal products.

The closest we got to spock eating was with zarabeth where he suggested they start a greenhouse so they don't have to eat meat. He still could've suggested they get an animal and milk it (which would naturally lead to the question are Vulcans lactose intolerant but that's for another day)

On the other way when he's stuck with kirk in the 20th century, kirk brings him purely vegetables - no eggs, no cheese, no yoghurt, not even another comically large baguette. Which makes me think spock is actually vegan but I've never seen it addressed anywhere.

Hiya! Thanks for the ask- this is a really interesting question, and I think it generally comes down to three main points, which are:

What we see in the show

Cookbook interpretations/recipes

What replicator food counts as

As you mentioned we don't really see much of Spock's diet in TOS (beyond him saying he does not eat meat, plomeek soup and what Kirk brings him when they're stranded in the great depression)- so we can gather that he does largely eat a vegetarian/vegan diet but lesser the finer details. Many vegetarian dishes can also be vegan- so the fact Spock has eaten food that appears to be vegan, may not confirm one way or the other.

When you start to look at the cookbook's made in addition to the series (which tbh they might be less vegan friendly due to the years they were published) the Vulcan/Spock specific dishes listed in both the 1978 Cooking Manual and Star Trek Cookbook (1999) seem to be more vegetarian leaning and often contain animal products such as eggs, butter, cream, cheese and milk (which may also answer your question about Spock being lactose intolerant, but at the same time, i've never met anyone lactose intolerant who hasn't also consumed lactose intentionally).

Below are some recipes from Spock's section of the 1978 cookbook (there is also a section on Vulcan food, but I chose to focus on Spock as he's the main subject we're talking about):

And here are the Spock/TOS specific recipes from the 1999 cookbook:

I'm yet to read/obtain the 2022 trek cookbook, but based on what I could find online, the plomeek soup recipe in this version also contains animal product (greek yogurt/creme fraiche) in order to create the opaque effect seen on screen.

In all, based on these recipes/interpretations of the food we do see in TOS, I'd say that Spock is more likely vegetarian than vegan.

However! Spock could still be vegan if you wanted him to be- it all depends of whether you consider replicated/synthesised animal products as true 'animal products'. As they are synthesised, they have never interacted or come from the animal in question, and only take on the form and taste/nutritional value of the product. So ig it mainly comes down to your own personal opinion of this- Would synthesised milk, that tastes and has an identical composition as non-synthesised milk, but has not come from a cow, be vegan? Personally, I'd lean to think they don't really count in the same way a veggie/meat-alternative sausage isn't *really* a sausage, more an imitation of varying degrees of success (where in this scenario, a synthesised/replicated sausage would be a very successful imitation as it's near identical).

Although that said- due to the synthesised food being practically identical down to the molecule, I'd doubt many vegetarians or vegans who are so because they dislike meat/animal products (instead or in addition of the ethical consideration) would want to eat it.

Additionally, while the recipes above mention animal products in the ingredients, they are frequently items that have vegan alternatives- while the usual version may contain the animal product, if Spock was vegan by choice, he could also substitute these for his personal food/replicator cards.

It's a bit of a long response, but I hope I managed to answer your question!

[nothorses]

in a queer space i'm in, every time i use the word "transandrophobia" my point gets derailed by other transmascs to talk about why the word is transmisogynstic or misogynistic toward cis women, how the word "distracts" from the part that misogyny plays in transphobia toward transmascs, and how transmascs mainly experience misogyny, as we're being weighed against societal expectations for women

i wanted to ask how you would explain to someone that transandrophobia doesn't distract from the part misogyny plays in transphobia targeted at transmascs, and how we don't just experience misogyny or transmisogyny? because we do experience specific hatred because we're transmasc. social media's been full of it lately. plus, it just feels wrong to say "well, it's just misogyny because they're using women standards to judge transmascs" when the way they attack us and the way it hurts us is still........ specific to us as transmascs?

i hope that makes sense. i'm just kind of at my wit's end with being derailed. love your blog and what you're doin for the transmasc community, ty!

That fucking sucks, I'm sorry! And I have two approaches for you.

First is: if it's causing the conversation to be derailed like that, I would honestly consider picking your battles. How important is the word to the point you're making? Is the conversation as-is productive? Is it going to stay productive if you bring up the word? Is it worth it?

I don't think any and all resistance should be met with just... folding and giving up, but like. I do think that there are better times to have that conversation than others, and sometimes, the point you're making is more important than the words you use to make it. It's not a bad idea at all to have that conversation about language and try to push back, but being strategic about when you have it can be helpful.

You can also look at the trajectory of this conversation on a larger, community-wide scale; a lot of what we started with was just "trans men are also oppressed, and we should be able to talk about that." Where we're at now took years for the community to get to, and while a lot of that was developing and building on each other's ideas, some of it was definitely just the time it took to gain the confidence in ourselves necessary to have those conversations in the first place.

And second is: I've written a fair amount about the word "transandrophobia" & common misconceptions around it here! I think this primer answers the questions you have here, but if not, there might be more in my pinned post somewhere; and feel free to come back here if not!

You might also consider talking more about intersectionality, and what the word means. The idea is not "1 oppression + 1 oppression = 2 oppressions", it was initially coined to discuss the unique experiences black women have at the intersection of blackness and womanhood, and how that intersection produces experiences different from either on their own. Women share certain experiences as women, and black people share certain experiences as black people, but there are experiences black women have that other women, and other black people, do not.

It's not "1 + 1 = 2", it's "1 + 1 = 3". Or more accurately, "[identity] + [identity] = [different, unique identity and experiences, in addition to those of the original parts]".

Transness adds a unique layer of complexity to this idea. Trans people, as a group, aren't seen or treated by society at large as either cis version of the binary genders. We exist in a sort of "Other" space, and the unique relationships we have to our AGABs, our actual genders, and the genders others perceive us as (which itself can vary moment-to-moment and person-to-person), inform experiences that are unique to us and others like us. That's how being trans works, in different and unique ways, for all of us.

Trans women have unique experiences as well as shared experiences, nonbinary people have unique experiences as well as shared experiences, and trans men do, too. Ignoring that kind of intersectionality can only cause harm.

[spankingwishes2]

Her Working Day

(photo is Lady Samantha Kenworthy, probably by @mr-asa-jones)

As Dean of Students at our nearby women's college, it seems like not a day goes by without Sam having to physically discipline at least one of their many students (above).

It's not as taxing on her as it is on them - I'm sure she sees to that - but each and every one involves an extended, contentious discussion full of excuses to wade through and another load of paperwork - apart from the disruption to her schedule!

When she gets home, she can be pretty stressed - and I've invited her to exorcise that stress by 'showing me' what today's duties entailed. No arguments, no waiting appointments - just a nice, simple, 'I want you like this' and we're off.

Last night I got a thorough spanking delivered by hand and afterward her stress was gone. Actually, the beginning of a hand spanking (the way she does it with me, not her students) can be quite nice. But she has other options available, and is required to employ them from time to time.

A slipper can be surprisingly effective - and saves her hand. Its use is usually due to an unusually recalcitrant student - or a repeat offender. Personally, I prefer receiving it over her knee (but it's not my choice). In her office I imagine it's a bit like this:

One evening she asked if I could stop by 'somewhere around lunchtime'. I asked what I should bring and she just said 'your cute little bottom' so I had a good idea what was up. Apparently she expected a particularly taxing day!

For fun, I wore my own blue knickers and white socks and collected some carry-out lunches for us, showing up just before the agreed time. She asked if I 'would mind' if she used the hairbrush (well, actually, she said, 'You don't mind if I use the hairbrush, do you?') and how could I say no?

From the start I knew this would be challenging...

...and got worse from there. After, I was not up to the challenge of sitting for lunch. She, however, was quite relaxed (unlike when I arrived) and promised a 'merry' evening free of complaints (or additional spanking!), which it was.

Unfortunately, there are times when a student has to be punished sufficiently to avoid suspension. Sam tells me the arguing is considerably less (because of the alternative) though the paperwork is monumental. In these cases she has to use a cane and refers to it as 'this enormous production, as always!'.

She delivers the strokes methodically. Very hard. (Our 'reconstructions' attest to that!). Sam feels that it will seem fairer if she gets done in fewer strokes of greater force, rather than 'running up some ridiculous count'. 'Few' or not, she's quite convincing that the student leaves afterward full of regret.

"How about you?" she asked me once after striping my butt most thoroughly (and forcefully). "Do you ever regret offering your sweet cheeks to provide my stress relief?"

"Sometimes," I admitted, "but it's always worth it. And you're always appreciative," I added.

"Sometimes! You brat! I'm always extremely appreciative!" she complained. "I should spank you right now!"

"Over your knee, please, if you don't mind," I requested.

***

As I said, check out @mr-asa-jones and his newish blog for a lot more on Samantha's adventures!

[adamsvanrhijn]

How do you feel you're going to react if we actually find out that Oscar was abused by his dad? Also missed a couple of your crucial polls, but Ada is definitely on the spectrum and into timetables & weird books. Oscar seems small horizontally and vertically medium at best.

"oscar seems small horizontally and vertically medium at best" is i think the best sentence i have had the pleasure of reading today. thank you.

i think if season 2 """"""Brook Family Trauma"" includes additional, more Vivid details on mr. arnold van rhijn, and those details involve canonical child abuse i'm just going to be like "baby boyyyeeeyyy 🥺🥺🥺" about oscar. like did you see what baby oscar and/or other van rhijn children probably look like. they probably look like this

to be more serious: the gilded age, imo very much in part due to its network, i think is handling more complex and delicate themes than downton abbey did, and doing so Better in terms of what makes it to the screen, and i think an intentional portrayal of domestic abuse and/or the lasting marks from it, both spousal and of a child, is something that fits the theme. i don't think we're quite There with bridget but from what we have heard of s2 i would not be surprised if we do go there with agnes, oscar, ada, and to a lesser extent marian (as the product of henry, whom agnes very vocally faults)

so much of this show is about the socioeconomic status specifically of women and how women are subject to / reliant on the men in their lives, again much more frankly and in a more up front way than downton abbey ever went there

i am curious to learn more about how agnes addresses her marriage when discussion of her marriage more explicitly involves her children. because i am curious to know if it is the same attitude she expresses with ada and likewise with marian, who were not, as far as we are aware wrt ada, directly harmed by her late husband, and are benefiting financially from her marrying him, because that's what gives her the support and security she has now... they owe her. and oscar owes her too, but if oscar cannot be said to have Solely benefited from her relationship to arnold van rhijn, ie, if oscar was harmed by his father and that was something he experienced along his way to the financial security (whatever he thinks) and privileges he has today, if maybe her feelings would be more complex, both about how oscar should view his father and about how she does, or feels she should, view her marriage.

[foodfightnovelization]

Chapter 11: Analysis and Discussion

Chapter 11 is here and yet AGAIN we're starting off with a scene that isn't in the movie at all- Dex is out looking for Dan, and decides to check his aisle to look for clues. All he finds is Dan's plane, covered in streamers and parked on a cookie package. This scene doesn't add a whole lot and I don't think the movie loses anything by not having it, but it DOES make more sense to see him visit Dan's place while looking for him.

Meanwhile, beside the canals of the Italian food aisle, one of Lady X's cronies is paying off Cheazel the Weasel so he'll bring Dex to her. This scene IS in the movie, but it takes place on top of a building instead of by a canal, and Lieutenant X doesn't actually give Cheazel any coupons. These are fairly minor differences, but I DO have a theory as to why the movie changed the location the scene takes place in. (I'll get to it in another post...)

Cheazel greedily asks for more coupons, and Lieutenant X says "Or I could just crush you". In the movie he says "Or I could just kill you... that would be lots of fun". I'm guessing the word "kill" was just removed as children's media often tries to avoid directly mentioning death- didn't you ever watch those Saturday morning cartoons where the villain tells their henchmen to "destroy" the heroes? Cheazel agrees to bring Dex to Lady X, and is promptly pushed into the canal, splashing to the surface and fearing this won't end well for him. In the movie, he's pushed off the building instead (on account of the movie's version of the scene not taking place by a canal) and we hear cars crashing and screeching in the streets below. Personally, I think a Venice-style area complete with canals is a more interesting location for the scene to take place than a nondescript building, but it seems they DID have their reasons for changing this. (I'll get to it, I promise!)

Cheazel heads back to the Discount Aisle District in search of Dex, offering to tell him where Dan is. This whole scene is basically identical to how it is in the movie, but I always thought the "Tricks are for kids" line was actually Dex saying "Trix are for kids"...you know, like the cereal? It's clearly not here, but that could just be the author once again having to write around copyrighted product names.

Cheazel tells Dex where Dan is, and there's an additional exchange here that isn't in the movie. The weasel says his services aren't voluntary, and Dex forks over a wad of coupons to pay for the info he just gave him. It's minor, but it helps sell the idea that Cheazel is trying to play both sides here so that he always comes out on top. (Even if it never quite works out that way...)

Cheazel accidentally knocks a construction lever while trying to sell more junk to Dex, and is promptly crushed by a giant wrecking ball. The chapter ends, and I hope you're ready because the next one is a LONG one- seriously, it's a real doozy. I think it might even be the longest chapter in the entire book? Find out next time in Chapter 12, when we reach the halfway point of this gripping tale of a cinnamon dog and his chocolate friend!

[mikkeneko]

In addition to the above, the one thing I'd really like to add is that in discussions of overpopulation as a problem, what often gets cited as a problem is a worry about shortage of 'resources'.

So, serious question: What resources do you think we're going to run out of?

Food? We have the capability to produce more food than we currently do, and we already produce more food than we eat. Massive amounts get wasted or destroyed, deliberately, in order to maintain artificial scarcity.

Air? Every human alive on earth today combined is barely using up a fraction of a percent of the oxygen available in our atmosphere. I can't even get a number on how much more oxygen we have than we're currently using, because every thinkpiece that tries to address this question simply starts with "we are not ever going to run out of oxygen" and then has to implement some bizarre hypothetical (what if all the plants vanished tomorrow? what if the atmosphere caught on fire?) to even make it an interesting question to math out.

Water? On a gross level, we're not really in a position to run out of water any more than we are to run out of air; our biosphere is covered with it. A lot of it is locked into saltwater which is not readily available, but we can convert that to freshwater, on a technological level. We simply don't, for a variety of reasons, mostly coming down to the fact that those who have the resources to do so don't see any reason to bother. For freshwater specifically, it's a bit tighter, but we do still have enough water for everyone on earth - its distribution simply isn't controlled by humane concerns. The shortage of freshwater is largely artificial.

Space? We could fit five trillion human beings into the space we have on Earth right now. Go out into the mojave and look around; we've got space. The fact that some population hubs have extreme crowding is a product of social and economic pressures, not absolute numbers. The best places to live (economically or culturally) have always had crowding problems, even when our overall population was a fraction of what it is now.

Housing? I can only speak to my specific instance of it, but in Los Angeles - one of the worst cities for homelessness in my country - there are three times as many houses standing empty than there are people who are homeless. The shortage is, again, artificial.

Money? Money is made up. Humans made it up. We can have as much money as we choose to have. We could choose tomorrow for every human being on earth to have a dollar, or a hundred dollars, or a million. Money is a measure of economic power, and economic power is always relative, not absolute.

And that is, really, the key. It's not about how many resources we have; it's about who has access to them, and who controls access to them, and what they think they can get from people in exchange for that access.

There are a lot of reasons why humans choose to deliberately create scarcity -- political reasons, social reasons, economic reasons. But it is key to understand that the scarcity is artificial. Because once you understand that, you understand it is not a problem of overpopulation at all. Not only are there other measures that we can -- and should, and must -- turn to before we start considering 'get rid of a big chunk of human people' as a solution, do you see how reducing the population wouldn't actually solve the problem? Because those that have reason to maintain artificial scarcity will still have reason to maintain it whether the population is one thousand or one billion.

hey y'all if you're getting freaked over "overpopulation" or have heard of someone who is, watch this beautifully explained video please and thank you

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

For the ask game :] 2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas 9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block) 18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, 20. What is your total AO3 word count 22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it? 

Ah, thank you, thank you for the ask @doubtfulloser!

2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas

Honestly, it varies a lot. Sometimes from dreams, though usually for fic its a thread in some fandom discussion. GoS started with exploring a thread of people who wanted a unified timeline after the original split was announced in 2012, and MoaH was from a discussion on BOTW trial/dungeon design. And then I kept pulling the thread until it became a plot.

9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Habit.

I had to confront this big time this past month recovering from the flu, because here was the double edged sword: if I didn't write, I was kicking myself for not being productive, and if I did write, I was burning my brain out and not actually enjoying the process. Every other time I've been confronted with this problem, I ended up going on hiatus, which I don't like because they would go on so long. And there's a real conversation I'm starting to have with myself about my self-worth and productivity, but we're working on it. But the point was, I made a system to compromise where I'm currently at and people to support me on it (chiefly, my partner, though the Expanding Hyrule community is really building to meet part of this too).

The solution I'm finding now is habit, but it's not the same habit. I'm applying the things I did to keep my Duolingo streak for four years (which I still miss, but they started using AI so fuck that). And that's to have different goals depending on where I'm at.

If I'm not doing well, in whatever way, I have a writing maximum of ~400 words (give or take a finished sentence). The goal of this is not to write a bunch, it's to write at all. It's to prove I can maintain a habit and get back to it when I feel better. And then when I am feeling better, or generally in a good head space, that switches to a 400 word minimum in the day. The 400 word as a metric is specifically based on Terry Pratchett's daily writing goal. And so far, it's working. I'm getting back to my previous pace of a chapter a day.

It's also important for me to engage in other media outside of what I'm working on. Low inspiration usually means there's not enough ideas going in, which means I need to engage with other stories than my own, and outside of whatever fandom that might be in if it's fic. So subbing in other sources of inspiration is a key to restoring my natural sources. Right now, I've finally at a chance to watch Vox Machina and I'm playing through Ghost of Tsushima, very good additions to the rotation of writing sprints.

It's a work in progress, but it's important to be flexible in building answers. And it's ok to accept to yourself that you can write/draw/make uninspired. Just a little bit to flex the muscle helps, but it doesn't have to be groundbreaking every day (and it likely won't be).

18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven,

I have a hard time with this one, but I'm going to say action-driven first because I know I rush my openings. I like to get to the plot. I write at a lower reading level but about more adult topics/lens because I believe we need to be making a better effort to make fiction, particularly fantasy, accessible again. I lean for big plots and bigger casts, and I very rarely know which trope to properly put on shit because I like poking them too much.

20. What is your total AO3 word count

As of the MoaH chapter to going out today (Oct 15), 253,730.

22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?

Oh boy, there's a technical answer to this and there's a real answer this. Also hard, because neither of them are out yet.

There's a scene in book 2 that's the culmination of a character arc that was very important to me to get tonally right, because I don't want Link's influence on it to be about him or to reach as a vein of hero complex on his part, but it was important for me to impress on the readers that most identify with MoaH Link the impact they can have by being good allies to people, about learning how they can protect people the way Link is in the story without centering themselves. I don't know if I got it right, but I hope I got close for the first pass.

Technically though, there's a chapter with an avalanche, also in book 2, and despite being pretty high octane, it took like five days to write because I was dying of the flu.

And thank you again for the ask!

[aboard-ark-4]

Transcript of the Meeting to Reduce Suicide and Depression among Citizens

Day 198 of Year 274 of the Journey

Meeting Members present:

Zisiek, representative of the Entertainment and Recreation Subcommittee

Tistizi, representative of the Park Maintenance Subcommittee

Krit’zit, representative of the Child Education Subcommittee

Zikit, representative of the Food Production Subcommittee

Triek, representative of Production Factory Maintenance Subcommittee

Iei’ik, representative of the Mental Health Subcommittee

Zikit: Alright, I've started the recording. For the sake of record keeping I will restate the purpose of this meeting. We are to discuss ways to reduce the overall suicide rate, which is currently the cause of all but three of the 102 deaths in the last two years. Iei’ik, what has your team found regarding the underlying cause of the issue?

[Iei’ik sighs]

Iei’ik: It's the lack of a goal. The vast majority of people are either clones or the children of clones and almost all of the training we recei-, sorry, the brain scan volunteers received back on Vivis was about actually establishing The Colony. We-, they were expecting to constantly be fighting back against a hostile environment. That adventurous aspect is what appealed to most people who signed up. Being born with the expectation of exciting struggle and instead ending up in a boring, unchanging, ship for the rest of your life is a lot to take in. It was okay at first because the repairs and corpse cleanup gave everyone something to work towards, but now that that's done there's just nothing meaningful to do.

Zikit: Well, any ideas? The only things my team was able to come up with involved cooking competitions or psychedelics, neither of which sound very promising.

Zisiek: We've seen limited success with video games, vr especially is popular, but it's hit a lull. No real motivation to get started on something new.

Iei’ik: Besides, just playing a game or watching something isn't a very healthy or stable way to stave off depression.

Tistizi: I’d like to suggest more public events, especially competitive ones. Gives people something to work towards. Obviously it's not an all purpose bandage but I don't think we're going to find one. Better to focus on lots of little solutions than look for a big one that might not even exist.

Krit’zit: Agreed, though if it's any help I think we don't have to worry too much about the next generation. Children raised onboard seem generally more accepting of ark life.

Iei’ik: Yes, but that was the case even before the Hizt outbreak.

Krit’zit: Fair point.

Triek: Sorry if this is a stupid question, but why wasn't this a problem when we first left Vivis?

Zisiek: Those people were specifically chosen for their ability to acclimate to this lifestyle.

Triek: Ah.

[23 second silence]

Zisiek: We did have one idea, though the ethics of it are questionable at best.

Tistizi: Yes?

Zisiek: We control what people see and hear, at least digitally, we could easily manipulate what people think. It couldn't be too difficult to introduce the concept that suicide is somehow selfish. People won't want to kill themselves if they think it makes them a bad person.

Krit’zit: That's horrible!

Zisiek: It was just a suggestion.

[A further 112 seconds of silence]

Iei’ik: Wouldn't work. All it would do is exacerbate the problem by making people feel guilty in addition to depressed.

Zikit: What we're looking for is a long term project that will remain engaging and gives people small, frequent, bursts of satisfaction. It also has to be something that will get people excited now, before the problem compounds. Constantly hearing about suicide doesn't allow for much happiness on my, or anyone else's, part.

Krit’zit:...The terraforming data banks do contain the DNA for Rietivs. Maybe we could-

Triek: Not a chance.

Krit’zit: Why not? We cloned people just fine and it's not as though we'll be giving a Rietiv to everyone. Besides, pets meet all the requirements we're looking for.

Triek: It's not just the Retivs you would be making. It's their food, grooming equipment, housing, toys, clothing, and everything else they need to live!

Zisiek: Vet training too.

Triek: Yes, exactly! My point is there is no way you could make enough Retivs to satisfy this issue without cutting into either the maintenance supply, the terraforming supply, or materials used in the creation of everyday objects.

Krit’zit: I don't see why that matters, it's not like we're anywhere near using the terraforming stuff. So long as we recycle what we use when we actually need it there's no reason to be conservative with those supplies.

Triek: I suppose you're right, it just feels wasteful.

Tistizi: If we’re seriously considering cloning as an option then there are a few trees that require pollination which would look great in the parks. The insects would also probably add to the ambience.

Triek: Alright, I'll get started on a project proposal to send to the Maintenance Committee. Education Committee too, we'll need vets if this is to work.

Iei’ik: Don't forget the Law Enforcement Committee! There's going to have to be some sort of animal abuse laws put in place.

Triek: Right. I'll send it to all three of the Governing Committees. Not at all stressful. Great.

Zikit: Anyone have any more ideas?

[Zikit looks around, though nobody says anything]

Zikit: Excellent. If this gets approved then I'm sure the committees will assign some more useful people to actually managing the introduction process. If it gets denied let's meet back for a follow up in twelve days, but as of now this meeting is adjourned.

[187days]

Day One Hundred Thirteen

I had a lot of meetings today. Only one of them- the usual Thursday morning PLC meeting- was expected.

That one wasn't a particularly eventful meeting either; I just had a handful of things to go over with the department, and some of the guys had questions about course selection and the program of studies, and then we should have gone to do our curriculum work, but we spent an additional ten minutes or so joking about which one of us should apply to be the next superintendent (the current one is retiring at the end of this year), and what our leadership would mean for the district. While that was going on, The Principal asked to see me to follow-up on a conversation we'd had about leveling and differentiation, so we agreed to meet at 8:15.

When did I actually get to the meeting? 8:19.

I got sucked into answering emails and lost track of the time, then bolted out of my classroom when I realized it. Luckily, The Principal wasn't bothered; he and Dean 1 were still wrapping up a separate discussion anyhow. Once they were done, I stepped into the office, and we had a really productive meeting about our original topic as well as some other things involving my department. As we were wrapping up, he asked how I'm doing and how my teaching year's been going. I told him I'm fine- always am- but I appreciated the check-in.

When I returned to my classroom, I had a message from Mr. N asking if we could meet to discuss some future English and social studies interdisciplinary work, but by that time the block was almost over, so we ended up having a lunch meeting instead. We're going to apply for money to do summer work, but we also want to get the ball rolling during upcoming teacher workshop days, if possible. It's kind of fun that we've gone from being mentor and mentee to both being department heads, and getting to make these kinds of plans together.

And in between all these meetings, I taught my classes!

In APGOV, students smashed a vocab quiz, then some MCQ practice, and we wrapped up my multi-day lesson on the presidency and vice presidency by discussing relevant constitutional amendments (12th, 20th, 22nd, 25th). What's next? All about the bureaucracy; I teased this by asking them to hypothetically order a pizza (they told me all the toppings they wanted) and then guess how many federal agencies were involved in regulating that pizza (something like a dozen). That was amusing.

In Global Studies, students continued reading their books, and then I had them get into groups to share what they're reading, what interesting plot points they've gotten to so far, and what they learned from the background research they did last class. After that, we had a whole class discussion; I asked them to tell. me what their classmates had shared with them, what they'd shared themselves, or both. That went WAY better than I thought it was going to go. Like, I figured it would be decent, but it was actually really cool and some students who don't typically participate in class discussions put their hands up for this one. Hooray for that!

After school, I proctored the citizenship test for any seniors still needing to pass it. Every social studies teacher gives the test monthly during the school day, but it's good to give other opportunities, too, because some students are taking their social studies courses online, or they're not in one of our courses till next quarter, or they've failed previous attempts. It took longer than I'd thought it would because one of the test-takers was a former student, and we got to talking as I graded her test, so I missed track practice. I'd told The Head Coach that was a possibility, though.

The team will be at New England's on Saturday. One last meet for this indoor season!

[luke-the-fish]

This response is frustrating to me, but I'm going to be niceys on the internet and do my best to respond to this in good faith. Firstly, I never said not to vote in my post, voting is fine. However, this type of response in which you seem to preemptively scold people for thinking about abstaining is:

1. Annoying to read. Maybe you don't realize it, but your tone comes off incredibly condescending and that is not a good starting point for a dialogue. This isn't an insult, I'm just letting you know that the refusal to engage with the actual text of my argument, plus phrases like "GUESS WHAT?" and "LITERALLY FREE" make you come across as a holier-than-thou liberal who thinks the person they're talking to is an idiot.

2. Inneffective as a political strategy. Yelling at commies to vote on a small blogging website is, yet again, an incredibly individualized action. If you truly believe in electoralism as a political strategy then canvassing and campaigning to moderates on a large scale is going to be much more productive to your cause. This also indicates to me that your approach to politics has a lot more to do with ideals of what is right and wrong, than with actual material analysis and political effectiveness.

Communists are not against engaging with electoralist politics as a rule, an organized communist party may seek to influence national politics in order to benefit their cause, what my post intended to criticize was the elevation of liberal "vote blue no matter who" rhetoric to the absolute peak of political action, when it is really the bare minimum and often just legitimizes the bourgeois political system.

No matter what happens in this election, the United States is still an Imperialist Capitalist nation. Voting for the liberals won't change that. It also won't meaningfully challenge the shift towards fascism in both the conservative and liberal factions. The only thing that has any chance of achieving meaningful change and putting up a fight is a revolutionary communist party (again, your mention of unspecific "high-level political organizations" shows a refusal to engage with the text of my argument). No political movement in the United States can truly be effective at fighting fascism without marxist principals and a revolutionary attitude. Anything else, no matter the intention, just serves to pacify the fascistic tendencies of this country and preserve the dictatorship of capital under a progressive banner.

You can view voting as "harm reduction", engaging in bourgeois elections to preserve the standards of living in the Imperial Core, but if you don't also engage in revolutionary politics, then you're telling on yourself that you care more about preserving your privileged standing as a citizen of the United States than you do about achieving meaningful change, especially for those in the periphery. And you also have to understand that for some people who are directly affected by the imperialism of the United States, under Joe Biden, this makes you come across as callous and ignorant at best, and a political enemy at worst.

Like my original post even said, vote if you want, participate in campaign movements if you think it's important, but learning marxist principles and building a party of the working class are 1000x more important and more productive than votescolding online. Get some perspective.

Maybe I misread your post, and we're really on the same page, and if that's the case I apologize. But the fact you felt the need to make this addition in the first place tells me that's likely not the case, and that you have little actual engagement with revolutionary politics.

My DMs are open if you'd like to continue this discussion further.

[ferrotone]

A guide for women to choose the right iron supplement.

In today's fast-paced world, it's essential to prioritize our well-being, but in reality, it is often overlooked, causing low iron levels. You wake up feeling exhausted, struggling to find the energy to conquer the day ahead. Your focus wanes, and even the simplest tasks feel like impossible challenges. Does this seem like an everyday thing to you? If yes, then you have come to the right place.

As a woman, you understand that life can be demanding, from juggling careers to managing households and caring for loved ones. But what if there was a simple solution that could help restore your vitality? The answer is iron supplements.

Red blood cells carry oxygen throughout our bodies, so iron plays a vital role in their production. Maintaining healthy iron levels becomes even more crucial for women, as they are more prone to developing iron deficiency. This is due to factors such as menstruation, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. 

The market is filled with countless options for iron supplements, so selecting the right one can seem complicated. You may have questions like, "Which one is the most effective? Which will be gentle on my stomach? Should I opt for capsules, tablets, or liquid forms?" Don't worry; we're here to simplify the process and equip you with the knowledge to make an informed decision.

In this article, we're here to guide you through selecting the right iron supplement that suits your needs and helps you regain your strength.

When choosing the right iron supplement, several essential factors must be considered. Here's a breakdown of these factors:

Check how much iron you need

Before taking iron supplements, it's crucial to determine your iron needs. This can be done through a blood test that measures your iron levels. Your healthcare professional will help interpret the results and recommend the appropriate iron supplementation.

Check how much iron the supplement can provide

Look at the label or packaging of the supplement to determine the amount of iron it contains. It is typically listed as "elemental iron," representing the amount of iron available for absorption.

Different forms of iron supplement

Supplements with iron come in different forms, such as ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, and ferrous fumarate. These differ in how much elemental iron they provide and how well the body absorbs them. There are also other forms like iron tablets and syrups. However, the liquid form is most easily absorbed by the body. 

Check for side effects

Iron supplements can sometimes cause digestive issues such as constipation, nausea, or stomach discomfort. Be aware of any potential side effects and discuss them with your healthcare professional. They may recommend adjusting the dosage or trying a different iron supplement to minimize these effects.

Elemental iron

Pay attention to the amount of elemental iron in the supplement. This is the actual quantity of iron available for absorption. Different forms of iron contain varying levels of elemental iron, so it's crucial to compare supplements based on this measure. The supplements which have at least 30% elemental iron are considered best iron supplement for anemia.

Convenient dosage

Consider the dosage form and frequency that suits your lifestyle. Some supplements may require multiple capsules or tablets per day, while others offer once-daily dosing. Choose a dosage schedule that is convenient for you and promotes consistency in taking the supplement.

Have an iron-rich diet

While supplements can be helpful, it's essential to incorporate iron-rich foods into your diet. In addition to lean meats, seafood, beans, lentils, and dark leafy greens, fortified cereals also contain good amounts of dietary iron. Combining a balanced diet with supplementation can increase iron levels effectively.

Final thoughts

By considering factors such as your iron needs, the amount of iron provided by the supplement, the form of the supplement, incorporating an iron-rich diet, checking for side effects, evaluating the elemental iron content, and ensuring a convenient dosage, you can make an informed decision.

Ferrotone is the best iron supplement on the market. Ferrotone contains 30% elemental iron, providing a potent dose to support healthy iron levels. Its vanilla fragrance ensures a non-nauseating experience, and the chocolate-flavored liquid iron makes it a tasty and enjoyable part of your daily routine. 

Consult with your healthcare provider to understand the right iron supplement for you. Remember, your health is a priority, and choosing the right iron supplement is a step toward ensuring your well-being.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

It’s good to be able to name tendencies that we have when discussing human behavior. If someone just blindly barreled away with what people are capable of and didn’t address our tendencies, that probably wouldn’t be productive.

Oh yeah, we're all familiar with tendencies that say "don't put stuff in people's heads without their knowledge and consent," and they're important, but when I say "I don't think that's enough," I don't mean they should never be discussed at all.

Actually there are a lot of other tendencies that people seem to have, which I don't think get discussed as much:

- If people are going to spend time learning about A, they tend to learn about A from people they trust

- If people suspect that they may have had a bad experience with A, they don't really want to ask the people who gave them the experience why it happened

- If people are critical of A, they don't really want to learn more about A from people with very positive feelings about A

- If someone thinks they're "supposed" to like A, they tend to feel guilty for not liking A

- On average, if someone has ever thought seriously that they dislike A, they dislike A

- In addition to that, if someone has ever formed strong negative impressions of A, they tend to have them. In fact, these negative impressions tend to be a lot more long-lasting than the positive ones, and are more likely to stay if there is little interaction with A itself

- People are very sensitive to the appearance that they don't like A

- People are not generally aware of these tendencies. This may explain why they tend to do things counter to these tendencies without meaning to, and why it can be difficult to talk to people about these tendencies

- In the case of disliking A, people tend to make up rationalizations for why it makes sense to dislike A, or why they should like A, or why their negative impressions aren't justified, or whatever. This can make people feel bad about themselves for feeling the way they do