#anyways that's my two cents

[pilots-and-protons]

Niche Hot Take

If you’ve watched Voyager and are making a poll about Tom Paris in any way relating to him being:

1: A good or bad Person/Character

2: A good or bad Father/Husband

I think you shouldn’t be using photos of him from “Caretaker”. The man we see in the pilot episode is at the very beginning of a long character growth. He’s at his lowest, and certainly not the Tom Paris who learned and grew enough to become a loyal friend, loving husband, and someone looking forward to being a father. 

I just feel like using Season 1 photos of Tom seems like it’s going to intentionally bias people towards remembering/thinking of him badly.

I mean come on, this:

And this:

Have completely different vibes. At least play the middle ground and go for a photo from Season 3 or 4. It would be like if someone only ever used Season 1 baby-faced photos of Riker. It just feels like looking at something half-baked.

and if you’re gonna put Tom in the DILF bracket, should’ve at least picked a photo from “Threshold” or Season 7 since that’s when he's actually a father.

[emjaydoubleyou]

this post is fearmongering. the results of this study are concerning and should definitely be a matter of public discussion, but this is certainly not the conclusion the researchers came to.

the point of the study was to assess the risks of exposure to toxic metals- something one of the co-authors notes are “ubiquitous” fwiw- via menstrual products. Their research confirmed that these metals are indeed present in tampons, but no further conclusions are drawn. it is possible the metal entered into the cotton from the soil, which is a well-known phenomenon; cotton is so good at lifting heavy metals that it has actually been suggested as a part of the solution for revitalizing polluted ground.

the authors conclude with an acknowledgement that the study should be repeated- their sample size was 60 tampons- and a suggestion that further testing ought to be done to indicate whether or not these metals can even leech out of the tampon in the first place, let alone whether or not such leeching could occur at levels deleterious to human health.

there is, in fact, a body of research- too small, for sure, but much larger than this single study- indicating that long-term proper tampon use has no observable negative impact on health. i am grateful and thrilled that more research is being done and i hope that this study is the first of many on this line of questioning, but i am really frustrated at this post and the response it got.

obviously, if this study alters your approach to menstrual health, more power to you. consumers should be informed-risk-takers, and menstrual health is double-obviously a very personal choice. but it definitely wasn't the researchers concluding that you ought to “avoid using tampons at all cost," only this tumblr user did. the lead author of the paper, in fact, specifically says that she hopes people do NOT panic about the results.

(the notes of the post were disappointing. people affirming that they knew they were right to be suspicious of tampons all along, or even recommending alternatives that actually have very little to no research regarding the safety of long-term use, etc. it’s a different conversation, but categorical distrust of tampons is old-school misogyny. you certainly shouldn't wear them if you don’t want to, but there is nothing inherently scary or wrong about them, and people who prefer them are not being reckless or crass.)

((if you're really worried about exposure to heavy metals, you may want to turn a critical eye to fast fashion, as an aside))

[jettlawrence]

anyways support writers strikes! support production crew strikes! support any workers strikes!!!

[an-established-butt-dent]

"What have they done to you,

Old friend."

Trapped in the fade, Solas comes face to face with the remnant of his spirit.

The Dread Wolf was his wisdom, mirror to his pride. In the wake of the wrathful Evanuris, it too, has succumbed to their taint.

Or, where I'm making wild plot speculations surrounding Solas trapped in the fade. while turning my brainrot into art pieces and gifs. I'M PACING MY ENCLOSURE. Looking for crumbs and scrabs of Veilguard. Please Bioware I'm begging, feed me. 😭

[cairoscene]

Brian David Gilbert on Sad Boyz

feels fandom relevant.

[ID: A series of screen captures of Brian David Gilbert speaking on a podcast: "The thing that you invest your time in can feel so important to your identity that occasionally you feel, like, you need to close it off from other people in order to keep it safe. And I think that's where a lot of nerd culture, all that gatekeeping stuff, all of the toxicity stems from that thing where it's like, "In high school I didn't have a lot of friends or connect with a lot of people, but I did have this comic book, and now this comic book is super popular, but these people don't like me. That must be because they're not real fans."" End ID]

[coinandcandle]

Thoughts on Offerings

The thing about an offering is that it has to come from you for the being you're offering it to. It is specifically FROM YOU meaning it has to be something within your power to give.

This could be something more easy or more difficult, but gods, spirits, ancestors, etc. aren't stupid--they know what you can and can't do.

They know if you're a minimum wage worker, or a broke college student. They know if you're well off financially but maybe you've burnt out and can offer expensive gifts but not much time or energy.

An offering shouldn't be the easiest thing in the world to give, but it never is, because if it was then you could do it without thinking about it. Even offering a prayer or words of veneration is an offering. If you can do more then do it!

The point behind an offering is intention and the means to give the offering. However that manifests for you is almost always gunna be good enough!!

For example: Hunting may be one way you could give offerings to the god Lugh--who I follow. Or taking part in competitive games, but I am asthmatic and trans and organized sports don't tend to like people like me very much.

And he has never asked this of me cuz he knows that's not my vibe!! Nor would it be much of an offering since it's not much within my wheelhouse, lmao. But did I spend 2+ hours painting my nails as perfectly as I could and offer that creative energy and time to him? YES!

TL;DR - Sometimes offerings are like:

"I'd like a coke." "We don't have coke, is pepsi ok?"

[once-upon-the-earth]

Look I think I said it before somewhere but I need to talk about it again.

Aziraphale (in the show - his characterization differs in the book and I’m talking about show Aziraphale here) is a soft character. He started out as a soldier and he made the conscious decision to give the sword away to someone who would use it for protection, instead of keeping it to fight (leaving out the whole thing about War owning it later on cause that’s a different topic and definitely wasn’t what Aziraphale had in mind when giving away the sword). He also makes a conscious decision to look and act as non-threatening as possible, instead deciding to look soft and huggable and gay as hell a tree full of monkeys on nitrogen oxide. We don’t see him fighting anybody even when he gets the sword back - he just holds it and swings it around a little, he doesn’t even lift it when they face Satan (I think. I’d have to go back and watch again but I’m fairly sure he just stands in the background behind Adam with the tip of the sword facing the ground).

We know, or at least suspect from the scene where he fixes the hole in the wall that he’s physically strong and we know he’s still technically a soldier in Heavens eyes (Gabriel going „you’re a lean mean fighting machine“ and him having and possibly leading a platoon in Heaven) but he fully rejects that position in episode five to go back to Earth. He doesn’t want to be a soldier at all. He’s still a protector, we see this in season two with Jimbriel (he literally says „I said I would protect you and I will), but even THEN he doesn’t physically fight the demons entering the bookshop (he lights the circle but it’s Maggie and Nina throwing fire extinguishers and encyclopedias).

I know we as the fandom love badass Aziraphale. I love badass Aziraphale as well. I take a little bit of an issue with how him actually being badass is portrayed in fanfic sometimes because a lot of trying to make him physically fight demons comes across as trying to make him more masculine, more fit, less the campy, soft, kind character that he is and it annoys me. (A part of that is also how people try to make him more like Crowley, which I don’t like the undertones of either but that’s a whole different topic.) Both because I don’t like the implication that to make him badass you have to change that part of his character and because we’ve seen him being badass in the show already and it was either a) trying to protect humans/Crowley/Jimbriel, which involved a lot more threatening that him actually throwing hands or on one occasion b) him being bitchy (Furfur pronouncing his name wrong). It was him being kind and caring about people and their lives! And possibly their reading skills.

And I know there’s a lot of hope for more badass Aziraphale in season three, because hell yeah, Heaven getting obliterated from the inside? Absolutely. But when we get to see BAMF Aziraphale in season three (because I don’t doubt we will, in some form or other) I’d much rather see him be badass by outsmarting Heaven (magic tricks anybody?) and getting away with it or threatening the Metatron or whatever than by punching somebody in the face. And IF he does have to use physical violence, then I want there to be a reason for it and I want it to be portrayed as a bad thing. Like I want I to be the absolutely lowest point of the character because we know how much he detests doing it and he hates having to do it anyways.

In that case also want it to end with the Metatron dead in a ditch.

[sporkberries]

The main thing i hate about dc forcing in a bunch of new biological children as legacies/the second gen is that i feel its saying something about the previous legacies. Characters who weren’t biologically related to their mentors sure but still have JUST AS MUCH a right to that title.

its just really off putting to me, like its saying the previous characters didnt really count as successors just because they weren’t biologically related. Like these new characters are the “real” legacies because of their dna

[baldysgate]

Have been seeing some.. questionable interactions with the BG3 cast on social media and feel like this needs to be said.

Actors (VAs) are not their characters. That line seems to become blurred especially with such an open cast that is actively sharing and commenting with fans and on fan content. These are people who have partners and children at the end of the day. We have to be respectful of that if we want to make the space comfortable for THEM to exist in and want to interact.

[jaejoontrashpanda]

Going through the "Wandee Goodday" tag today makes me increasingly convinced that some people literally take no joy in anything.

This show was a sweet, fun, rom-com (and was always pitched that way from the start) not a twelve episode psychological study on grief, trauma and the human condition. Maybe don't take everything so damn seriously?

And as others have pointed out all GMMTV shows have a very distinctive flavour. They have a way of doing things that they stick to and they are not going to change that any time soon. Clearly it's not going to be for everyone. Not liking it and having criticisms is fine but don't act shocked and write lengthy, angry diatribes picking holes in every single plot point and script choice when you absolutely knew what this series was going to be like.

For my part I absolutely loved this show. Was it perfect? No. Were there things I wish had been done differently? Yes. But personally I'm willing to overlook minor flaws in comparison to how much joy, happiness and quite frankly giddy enjoyment Yak, Dee, Oyei, Cher and all the other characters have brought me over the past 12 weeks.

[aceforwhatevenisthis]

inspired by @trashworldblog’s post

i think people put art on this moral high ground that has to be above the forces of capitalism or some of other hyperbole and that’s just not?? true??

people forget watcher is a business, it’s the livelihood of PEOPLE, this is something they’re gonna explore, see if it works out, and adjust

should they try to do regional pricing for international fans? absolutely

but too many people seem to be up in arms about the streaming platform in a way that is simply just not healthy and is reflective of the way a lot of people seem to consume media now

i understand being sad but swearing off everything watcher because you’ve created this strange idolization of the company is just. not good for you.

[o0o0thorn0o0o]

Karma: But why act so smug? You won by only 1.8% :P

Gakushuu: Shut it—a win is a win.

———

Some doodles based on this very hectic poll. I know I’m a little late, but I’m also on a trip up north rn.

A hint of AsaKanza because I haven’t drawn AC in a while, and I’d like to include the gal. That, and I got some encouragement from Luna to include Yukiko.

That, and because I be hella biased towards my favorites, as y’all should know by now :P

[dreamboyhalo]

How are you all omega dream truthers but mpreg george enthusiasts at the same time. Unrelated image but

[passionfruitbowls]

“evil marinette’s design is ugly-” “claw noir’s design is ugly-” hey hey listen to me. let the emo 14 year olds do what they want, ok? they can look a little wacky as a treat

[tiredbired]

Okay I'm gonna be posting one thing and one thing only about Epic: The Musical because my guy Eurylochus is getting done Fucking Dirty by a misunderstanding in the fandom. This will be long, but to make it short:

Eurylochus knows his Captain is going to sacrifice him and their men for himself. "But we'll die." is a last shred of hope for his friend Ody to reconsider.

Like listen to his voice in that part of the song. It's not surprised, it's not upset, it's not pleading, it's just.....broken. Empty almost.

Fuck, that bit in Mutiny basically confirmed that he knows they're not making it home. The man has accepted his death. He just....didn't want it to be like this. With his FRIEND showing so plainly that he'd betray them if it meant getting home. With or without them. (the man just saw a side of his friend he never thought possible he's processing some things leave him alone)

After the Scylla fight, he realized Odysseus was no longer above sacrificing his men, but seeing him try to rally them out of the Land of the Sun God before the consequences caught up to them showed that he still cared to protect them out of battle (I can't think of a better way to phrase this atm but you get it).

But once Zeus said "You or your crew", Eurylochus probably already knew the answer.

He's a broken and defeated man who tells his Captain, his friend, Ody that he's condemning them to their deaths. And Eurylochus knew the response before he even said a word.

But hey, I can't blame y'all for not getting it. After all, the line between naïveté and hopefulness is almost invisible lmao /j

[formulaonedirection]

The article that the Athletic just put out about Lewis is so lovely but it's also definitely made me think more about why Lewis would go to Ferrari and what a partnership between them would look like

Like Lewis has stated multiple times that he's trying to build something bigger than himself and that his legacy will be making Formula 1 a better, more diverse, more inclusive space. Getting SCUDERIA FERRARI, a company synonymous with F1 and a company who at the height of the BLM movement was literally CRICKETS, getting THEM involved in Mission 44 is such a HUGE get in making that goal happen.

I know it's unfair that it's always only on him to drive change in this sport but I think about this quote from his Guardian interview a lot. If anyone can make the world a better, kinder, more thoughtful place I genuinely believe in Lewis Hamilton. He doesn't fail at a lot of things.