#but also i understand this is a public platform and i can't really control the reach. i feel like it's also different if we're friendly

[eddiegettingshot]

i don't know how to say this in a way that doesn't sound ridiculous but it is genuinely insane to me how offended and/or concerned people get over blogs. especially blogs with some amount of reach. having strong opinions over literally anything. like i promise you that if i say something is stupid you are still allowed to write it and enjoy it and do your own thing and as much as i joke i am not usually expecting to change anyone's mind about anything. these are my opinions and i am expressing them in my own space on my own blog. everyone is free to do the same. like please go forth and write your jealous eddie your dom buck your eddie who doesn't want kids your buck who actually liked tommy your chris who lectures eddie about X or Y your shannon who was a perfect mother and so on and so forth. but to act like other people are like infringing on your right to do fandom however you want is soooo... like what is going on here. this is a web site. on the internet. just block and move on...

[kazoo-goddess]

So, I've wanted to make a post like this for some time, but I only just got the motivation because of an ask I got recently. I want to give a piece of advice to everyone, in general, to keep in mind when using any social media platform--advice that I wish someone had given me way back when, that I feel is important to pass on:

Not every post you see is for you. Not every post is about you.

This is not meant to be a negative thing, or a put-down! It is not meant to dismiss anyone. It's really what it says on the tin: When you see a post cross your feed, and you disagree with the post or it upsets you because you disagree with the message it has, try and keep in mind that you may not be the target audience for the post. In particular, take this into account for advice and positivity posts--The OP doesn't have anything against you personally when they share words that are meant to be uplifting that you don't agree with. A post that says "Keep going! You can do it, even if you think you can't!" probably isn't meant to put down people who are in a position where they very literally cannot do it or think their way out of their situations. Like this post, it's more likely that the OP is sharing positivity or advice that they themselves would have liked to hear.

Even this post, the one I'm writing now, might not be for you or about you! If you disagree with my viewpoint, that's okay, and there's nothing wrong with that! But I, personally, am writing this post for people who might need to hear it--people like me, who are easily upset or hurt by things they see or hear in passing, whether on the internet or real life. I'm not writing it because I want to spark an argument, I promise.

Posts aren't always meant to spread outside the OP's original circle of followers and friends. But that's a hazard of posting to public social media websites--a joke originally meant to have an audience of 12 people close to you can suddenly explode, getting thousands and thousands of views and reposts and going completely out of the OP's control overnight! It's no one's fault; it's not done maliciously. Sometimes a post or joke just resonates with others. But maybe it doesn't resonate with you--that really is okay! Just try and remember, if it gets under your skin, that it isn't for you. And if it's not for you, it's okay to just ignore it and move on! It can definitely get annoying when it's something you keep seeing over and over from friends and acquaintances reposting it, and I'd never fault anyone for losing their temper over it--but sometimes, just taking a second to remind yourself that you weren't the audience for something can really help calm you down and help you feel better and move on with your day.

While this goes for advice/positivity posts, it also goes for opinion posts! And in this case, to be completely, perfectly clear: I mean harmless opinions. A ship they like that you don't; a tv show they enjoyed that you didn't; a character they really love that you absolutely cannot stand. The kind of opinion you disagree with so much that makes you feel absolutely steaming mad. (Again: This does NOT extend to these things when they go into a genuinely harmful category. No homophobia, no pedophilia, nothing like that. I am talking about harmless, mundane disagreements.)

Maybe you see a post talking positively about a manga that makes you feel ick. The OP more than likely didn't write that post with the hopes that it would reach you specifically just to make you upset! (And if they did, that's rude, and an entirely different can of worms that this post is not about! >_>;) But the post upsets you anyway, even if it wasn't MEANT to. It's understandable, it happens! But the thing is: You don't need to engage with that post if it makes you feel bad! If you have a post blocker, you can block the post or blacklist the tag; if you don't, you may just have to scroll past. It can be so, so, so tempting to try and get in a biting comment in the replies to snap at the OP and tell them, "No, you're wrong, your opinion makes me mad and I don't want to hear it!" Trust me. I know. I get it, because I've been there! But in the grand scheme of things, it's not worth it or healthy to burn yourself out over it. It wasn't for you, and it wasn't about you! And you're better off doing what you can to take care of yourself, and preserving your health and happiness where you can.

I feel like I'm writing this with sort of childish language, and it might feel like I'm talking down to others. But really, I think I'm just writing it in a way that a younger me would have understood and taken to heart if she'd seen it. I hope that, if you read this, you can see it that way too! There's a part of me that feels scared that this post in itself could explode with notes that will be very upset with me for my thoughts on this, whatever their reasons may be, but I wouldn't be making it if I weren't prepared for that possibility. If the message I intend to get out can reach even one person who it can help, then I think that's worth writing it for. Because, I want to reiterate it one more time, because it can be so easy to forget it and get yourself furious in a self-destructive way, sometimes you have to remember:

Not every post you see is for you! Not every post is about you!

[taylortruther]

I feel like there is a spectrum of engaging with a celebrity. it’s one thing to have conversations offline, another to have conversations online that can be read by everyone (not really including tumblr in this, but thinking more about twitter, TikTok, DM on instagram and her podcast) and then another using those public platforms to make your views about her choices known by pointing your conversation at her. Idk I feel comfortable in my dislike of MH and also don’t really feel like I’ve crossed a line by talking about it amongst my friends or on my blog that she doesn’t see. Maybe I’m being naive or making excuses for myself but I feel like Taylor understands there are so things that just are the reality with celebrities and there are some that are too much?

here's how i see it!

i think taylor likes being seen/understood, and she likes that her music or experiences are relatable. it all makes her feel less alone. she's an artist and that's why we create art!

but she knows she can't have this success and this freedom without the negatives. i think she's done what she can to reduce some of the negativity, like by not consuming it, but also by setting more boundaries, doing less promo, sharing less of her life, and so on. reasserting the boundaries in her music is part of that.

i'm sure she thinks some fans or detractors are "worse" than others. but ultimately, she wants ALL of her listeners and fans and detractors to hear what she's saying (that we have no right to try and control her or shame her into changing her behavior.) and she's right! but she also knows that saying it won't stop people, necessarily.

i'm sure if she did read my blog, she'd be like "bitch, you don't know me, shut up!!!" i accept this. i still feel fine about how i interact with her celebrity and whatnot.

i've personally never thought taylor should change to cater to me. and maybe that's why, even though i think she's calling me (and people like me) out in the song, i don't lose any metaphorical sleep over it. i already felt my interest in her/the fandom was healthy enough. like, for example, would i love it if she was more aligned with me politically? yes, but she's not. i accept this. would i love it if she worked with X, or did less Y? sure. but she probably never will and i accept this. does she probably wish i'd shut down my blog? maybe! i accept this too! and i'm not going to fajsdkl

idk if this explains anything. just saying things!

[bogkeep]

you know what. at this point i feel like i'm circling the topic of my trauma like water around a drain. maybe i'll just talk about it.

this is gonna be a personal one.

i was stalked, harassed, and smeared. it was years ago and i'm doing good now, but it's the worst thing that has ever happened to me. i've been referring to it as The Trauma for a while, but only recently realised i just straight up have PTSD from it.

i hate that that's what it took to finally understand how to set and hold a boundary. i hate how much better my internet habits are now, because of that. i hate that the way to keep myself safe and at peace was to never, ever speak a word of it in public lest it be used against me, and that i'm still scared of it. but what more can they do to me? they've already tried it all, and i'm still here, and the ground can't collapse under my feet anymore.

the long and messy buildup to a break up with a friend was horrible enough, but it probably wouldn't have scarred me as badly if i hadn't been stalked for well over a year afterwards. i say stalking even if it was all online, a whole ocean apart - they made themself present in every space i frequented, and i've become intimately familiar with the blocking and blacklisting systems on every platform i'm on. they tried to get to me through my roommates and my irl friends. it's difficult to fully describe how cornered i felt even in the vast infinity of the fucking internet. i regret nothing, though. cutting them off was my last resort and the best thing i ever did. i'd do it again a million times - i kind of had to, since it was less akin to severing a string and more like having to behead an eel in a bathtub full of oil that also happened to be a hydra.

i had no control over the narrative other than whatever trust my friends had in me, and i lost quite a lot of friends. (i saw one of them block me in real time.) there was this absolute helplessness of it, because what could i possibly do or say to prove that i was not a cruel or unsafe person to be around? i've never held it against them.

(i wonder, sometimes. do they ever think of me? do they shrug and move on?)

it felt so stupid, really, to feel this anxious about my reputation. oh, no!! not my precious reputation!!!!!!!! but it's

well

how do you recover your reputation? on the internet? it's such an easy thing to ruin, and it was deeply shameful to realise how easily i've swallowed the same bait myself, so many times before. never about friends, i think, but, y'know. can't fault anyone for wanting to stay safe, be it from Supposedly Skeevy Creators or the panopticon.

the worst part was how my own mind felt like wet, crumpled up paper, constantly doubting my own reality of who i am. how do i know i'm not cruel? how do i know i'm safe to be around? what if i was extorting and manipulating the masses, even if that was not my conscious intention? it took a long time to be able to do or say something nice again without intrusive thoughts flooding my brain.

i think i always knew somewhere inside of me that no, of course i'm not an evil mastermind, that's a very silly thought. i don't even believe in evil. but it's like - if i had done something wrong, then at least it would be something i could change about myself. if it was my fault, then it was within my control.

the longer it went on, the easier it was to convince myself that i didn't deserve this. yes, even if i had done... whatever it was i had supposedly done that was so deserving of punishment, i felt like nobody deserved this much punishment. like, it was a truly excessive amount of punishment, going on far beyond the point of contructivity - i wasn't doing anything. i wasn't doing anything to begin with, and whatever it was that i had been doing, i had stopped now! there were only two remaining explanations of my Crimes:

my mere existence was bad, and i would have to completely erase myself from the internet. - no, i was not so far gone as to believe that.

cutting off my friend was the most heinous act of mental violence ever enacted. - no, i did not believe that either. i wasn't super good at boundaries but i've always been a strong believer that relationships are not mandatory. - well i definitely didn't want to be their friend anymore now, and from the sounds of it, i couldn't imagine them wanting to be friends with me anymore either. - should i have ended it differently? could i have ended it differently? i had flattened myself trying to be as kind and understanding and soft and compassionate as i could be, desperately so, but that hadn't saved me. (i remember my mother asking, "but did you make it clear to them that you love them?" when i explained why i wanted to see a therapist again.) maybe if i had just blocked them without preamble on day one.

i had no choice but to accept the sheer injustice of what was being done to me.

regaining my sanity was a bit of a process. i'm very thankful for my friends. (i'm not thankful for the therapy rejection letter telling me i wasn't depressed enough to qualify. it took me a while to get an actual therapist that wasn't a tarot deck.)

i hesitate to call myself lucky, but i was. even with every paranoid prediction and worst fear coming true, i outlasted them. yes sure i sometimes cried uncontrollably to the point i got sent home from work once, yes i lost weight because i was too nauseous from the stress to eat properly, yes i had nightmares about them and yes i would have physical trauma reactions every time i saw their name written anywhere even though it belonged to completely different people, yes, yes - i fucking survived all of that. i had solid foundations to stand on.

even in the forest fire of my social circles i had an incredible, wonderful support network. i feel much more secure in myself and my relationships now. i've learnt so many things - about trauma, about boundaries, about healing, about friendship, about the internet, but at what fucking cost!!!!! my pain shouldn't have been rewarding. it's a cautionary tale about how trying to be soft enough for everyone to step on inevitably leads to hurt, and yet! how fucking dare i come out better for it!

maybe this is no tale and there is no 'better'. it's a painful chapter of my life but i am not a book. i'm a real person of flesh and blood in a confusing reality where people struggle and do their best.

i can't explain why, exactly, i'm sharing this today. it's not all of it, far from it, but i think it explains well enough where i write my blogposts from. maybe i'm hoping it will help someone else. maybe i'm just ready to own my own story loudly. i'm tired of looking over my own shoulder.

thank you for reading, if you did.

[shuquoteunquote]

Shu on internet safety, assumptions, goals and more!

🔗: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-neemAni9Y

3:07:36

(context: Shu talks about means of communication with other livers)

👟: you know we have other means of communication apart from public Twitter

you never know what goes on behind the scenes

💬: damn ok, secrets

👟: obviously there are stuff we can't talk (about)

but like apart from that, sometimes we see Twitter and chat and be like "oh lmao they're so wrong"

there's nothing bad about it

💬: monka

👟: (laughs) it's interesting to see the guesses though!

💬: what do you do when they're so right

👟: I'll just be like, oh they're right

💬: you're looking through the replies?

👟: well, once in a while you see me reply to those, right? Or like quote retweet them?

I don't, like, ignore it

and sometimes it just pops up in my For you page

(laughs) why are you monka-ing? It's a public platform, I'll see it sometimes.

💬: Yeah, but all the replies?

👟: What do you mean, why does it matter tho?

Like at that moment, there's a chance that I see your reply regardless.

But that percentage is like, it depends but like

If anything, you shouldn't be worried if I perceive you, but what the others perceive you.

IMO, on the internet. This is just general internet safety.

3:10:30

👟: I think you shouldn't assume.

If you're public, it's like the same thing as like putting a billboard up of your tweet. And everyone drives by.

💬: thank god I don't use Twitter then lmao

👟: I mean, chat too. Sometimes some people post stuff and I'm just like "oop, not reading that!" (laughs)

But yeah in general,

if you post stuff that's like, against the rules, you could pretty much guarantee that I'm not gonna read it. Out loud, or react to it.

…

yeah, there's a reason why I don't use TTS

💬: pls dont do this to us

👟: well, it's just general internet safety

if anything, I'm making sure y'all are aware, yknow?

(Shu explains what TTS is, which is mainly used by Twitch streamers)

3:12:38

💬: you make us afraid of the internet

👟: Well, it shouldn't be like 'afraid'

its just that, make sure you're safe, yknow

(Shu talks about how some smart devices for homes can be a way for other people to hack into their system)

3:13:43

👟: If I'm being kinda honest, there's other things that are probably more security-flawed with your security that you should be more concerned about

Just saying.

(Shu goes on to talk about passwords)

3:30:46

(context: Chat asked whether Shu has any goals he wants to accomplish by the end of the year)

💬: do your debut goals first maybe?

👟: you know, the thing about that is

when you debut, right? You put goals of things that you want to do. And it's cool to be able to do some of those goals

But also it's sort of sometimes out of your control if you could do some of these goals, yknow?

👟: And I only really had goals on there because I think everybody else had goals.

You know sometimes when you have a goal,

like let's say you're about to bungee jump and then you stand on the bungee jumping board and then you think its a bad idea and then you just dont do it?

Or like, you change your goal from bungee jumping to skydiving instead because you think that's cooler?

I mean, I can't get into details obviously

But I think the goals, sometimes, it's good to have them just so they're like, there

But things change, people change, and all that stuff.

💬: but have you tried hard enough?

👟: That's the thing

People think that some people are lazy when things are just out of their control sometimes

and people get criticized that they're not doing enough work when they don't understand the full picture

Just something to think about.

💬: who, imma slap them

👟: Well, no it's not like a bad entity if anything

it's just the fact that

wherever you go, right? You expect some things come unexpected and that's just life.

But then, unless you really know what's going on, all you could do is assume.

And then, some people tend to assume

that they're not doing enough work, they're not trying hard enough, they're not diligent enough

and they're lazy, yknow?

And sometimes it's not even they're fault that things happen or they're not able to do some things.

3:35:19

👟: I heard this from a YT short recently actually,

"Laziness is just a really bad word to disregard everything that a person is going through. There's no such thing as true laziness unless you fully understand the person's circumstance."

💬: Too real

👟: Yea, it is real

That's what I'm saying

But it would be cool to do some things yknow?

Some things I wanna do

There's a lot of opportunities too

It's just (that) some stuff are more plausible than others.

Some stuff, its like I'm more willing to do given the circumstances than others

👟: Or my priorities changed, what I want to do changes, yknow?

My initial goals for doing such things is not always the thing that you want to do, continue doing later down the line, yknow?

All that stuff

Kinda deep (laughs)

And that was sort of why

the other time I was talking about like

what you expect from a streamer when they first start off

and then how they realize what they initially wanted to do isn't really truly the thing that they enjoy

and they change their streaming style later

but then, to the general public, there's a lot of people who assume that a certain streamer does these kind of things

and then they don't do it anymore

then people are like, "no, why aren't you doing this anymore?"

All that stuff

And then people assume. Like I said earlier, people assume these days. And they're so wrong and it's like "lmao you're wrong"

(laughs) people say stuff.

Some people are more vocal about the stuff they do behind the scenes

Others are less vocal, others prefer to speak, complain.

All that kind of stuff

But yknow, it's the internet.

And to be safe on the internet, I do want to let you all know

Stuff we post, stuff anyone posts, stuff you post- take it with a grain of salt.

(proceeds to talk about Luca's bubble butt, then Doppio's viewers drop in ww)

[voxceleste]

This is cunty of me and also apropos of nothing, but people who make declarations about what you can and can't tag their art with in reblogs often make me roll my eyes a bit already, but when I see "don't tag as inspo, these are MY ocs" or whatever I'm like. Yeah I'm sure you took inspo from absolutely nothing creating this art and it popped up spontaneously in your brain like aphrodite. No one is ~stealing from you~ by putting something in their personal moodboard tumblr archive please get a fucking grip

I think this is related more broadly to how weird I find it when creative people have not come to grips yet with the lack of control you have over the way in which other people engage with your work... And I don't mean minors engaging with nsfw art, or people reposting without permission, or genuinely invasive or otherwise inappropriate contact with creators themselves (and I understand that it gets muddy with stuff like tags now that they show up in activity pages etc but their primary function in reblogs is still as metadata for cataloguing), but just... the way that people feel about/talk about/interpret someone else's work. I get how frustrating it can be when it feels like people are engaging with stuff you made with love and care in a way that feels wrong or superficial/trite, but being able to let that frustration go and develop some equanimity about it is so important in order to make it emotionally sustainable for you to keep sharing creative work

And if there's work that you do feel so sensitive about that you know people engaging with it in ~the wrong ways~ WILL upset you, you can always... Not post it publically on this type of platform? I understand how that can be difficult, b/c most people want our work to be communicative in some way. But I think it's totally valid to be self protective if you don't feel like you can be ok with your lack of control over people's responses over a certain piece. I guess what I'm getting at here is that I think social media can make it really nebulous wrt the line between creators setting reasonable boundaries and offloading/projecting responsibility for their own emotional management onto people who engage with their work... People who read your writing or look at your art etc are not necessarily having a personal interaction with you specifically and accepting the fact that they might recontextualize it into contexts you didn't intend is just, like, what happens, man

[inoppositionflorien]

Here's a thing most people don't understand about US domestic politics: from me, a political scientist.

The parties. No one actually seems to like their party. This is true broadly across the political spectrum.

There also is no real voting market for a third party, but unlike people think, this is not (only) because FPTP voting is pretty bad for choosing between more than two options.

It's because these people who are broadly unhappy with their party are unhappy for extremely different reasons. Now, many of them will self-describe as "Centerists" or "Moderates". They are almost invariably neither. What they actually have are beliefs that neither party contains all of, because they're not nor have they ever really been on the same platform! They're anti abortion, but really like gun control, or anti tax in general but also pro government services, or other such things. No party ever can cater to what they want, not really, because their ideals are so different from each other (well not anti tax pro service but most others) that any party that hits enough of their boxes to be approved of would get almost no votes.

No one's going to vote for the Free North Florida Nationalist Orange Farmers Who Like Guns And Thinks Pork Consumption Should be Outlawed so it can be Sold to Foreigners by the Government to Subsidize Oranges Party except Dr. Amelius Agriculture and Bill H. Unger, and as that specific set of most important beliefs are held exclusively by them, the party's going nowhere in any voting system.

A party almost never moves its voters somewhere. Parties do not guide the voters particularly much, it is the voters who show the parties what face to put forward to attract votes. It is extremely rare that a party changes its position then finds a bloc who likes the position. They take the position once they've found the bloc. It's much like how public services get more funding when they get more use.

The previous is broadly true of people discontent with the two party system on the farther left too, at least currently, who fail to understand the lack of control US parties have over what happens (understandably, after all political science and more general civics is not taught much). We don't elect Anticapitalists for example, (outside of a few cases, mostly federal representatives and sometimes state level people) not because the Establishment Democrats, (an apparently invincible and all-controlling force) say we can't, we don't because anticapitalism is broadly unpopular outside of cities, and fairly unpopular even in them! There are myriad reasons for this, it's much more complicated than "the cold war" or "red scare 1 or 2" and I'll talk about it some other time maybe, but the point ultimately is it's a messaging issue. Voter suppression and gerrymandering in many places certainly doesn't help, but the thing is, cities are not only easy to gerrymander, but also are nearly impossible not to gerrymander even if you're trying to be fair for geometry reasons! There are few communists or indeed anarchists (who know that they're anarchists at least) in the rural areas for numerous reasons. (Put a pin in that bit we'll get back to it.) Rural areas are prioritized heavily in power because of the aproportional constitution parts (which have actually gotten a little better since the start, and needed to be in there for Rhode Island and a few other tiny states that needed to be on board originally) taken advantage of by Benjamin Harrison (boo hiss) and his congress (boo hiss) and their blatant gerrymandering of the American West (those low population rectangles and the Dakotas in particular are their faults. They added them specifically to add a bunch of senators.) Rural areas are also harder to gerrymander against, harder to voter suppress in, cheap to buy enormous amounts of land in (I have a whole spiel about land ownership that I may bring up in the future but let's for now just worry about this part) and crucially the towns rarely have more than one major industry which completely dominates local politics and information. Sometimes they don't even have that.

For example, in Central California, some counties don't have a water district, they have a company that owns pretty much all the infrastructure for water in the region and does whatever they like with it, usually a subsidiary owned by a farming conglomerate. Further, the western state counties tend have an enormous amount of autonomy that their eastern relatives tend to lack, and while this can be good (large unitary republics kind of are not good) it also makes them small enough to easily be bent to corporate influence. This is often compounded by how many there are. Texas doesn't need 212 counties, some with two digit populations. (California has 51 with only a couple below 10,000 people I think, for reference of what a reasonable county count should be for a high population state) those low population counties are among the worst places in the country for corruption and graft.

So remember how I said to put a pin in the rural areas lacking Anticapitalists thing?

Well, the communities are often so small they develop anarchist tendencies, (when they aren't doing Sumerian-Style Religious Kind-Of-Socialism-But-Worse). There's a culture of mutual aid in many of them. Now, I have my own problems with anarchism which I'll address some other time, but for now nearly any anticapitalist will do, and you, people of Tumblr, may be aware of at least one or two anticapitalist forms of anarchism. Maybe you even are one of them! You might also recall that land is cheap in these places as I said earlier. You might also be aware that these places often are almost completely isolated from high speed internet and the news primarily comes from TV and the radio, and perhaps you are also aware that mail campaigns (a relatively inexpensive thing) are more effective in such places for a few reasons.

This is a hypothetical long term project, BUT, it is theoretically doable. The land is cheap. It could be purchased, even a few acres in each small town would do. From there, construction. It's not extremely cheap, but nor is it prohibitively expensive to set up a network of simple community centers and radio stations. Local TV may even be an option if enough money can be brought in to the hypothetical project, though that may be more difficult. Do some mailing campaigns too. A network of anticapitalist community centers in the rural parts of the country could be established. It could be possible to mainstream anarchism in those communities if it's made clear that the centers are anticapitalist. (This may run into the slight issue that it's difficult to make an organization with a clear ideology a non-profit and claim the tax benefits but it's probably doable even if religious protections have to be taken advantage of.) In the more optimistic cases, it may also be possible to use the network to reduce rural food deserts, though that might be harder and not worth the immediate effort.

This project would probably take a few years, maybe over a decade to fully pay off, but these rural regions could become anticapitalist and, if they improve enough that it's not unreasonable and unsafe to migrate there for many people, the small populations could make it easier to mainstream things that aren't widely discussed in public non-online spaces, if the people there already don't start trying things out on their own. (Mostly the currently more "exotic" (probably not a great word for it but I can't immediately think of a better one) forms of queerness and other invisible social minority things).

From there, it should be possible to start taking local elections, and from there, build up to state level relevance, maybe even national relevance!

Now, remember how I said US parties have very little control over their membership and who's acting in their name? If this project is nominally affiliated with the democrats, even if in truth it's not financed by the party, the democrats will experience an influx of anticaptalist voters in regions where they'd previously stood no chance. The national party may even see "wait we could get a senator in like Wyoming or somewhere if we play this right", and suddenly we've got an anticapitalist senator from Wyoming with a D next to their name, and so the democrats would go lefter than the sort of center-left-on-nearly-everything-except-economic-stuff-where-theyre-generally-centerist-or-right-with-some-exceptions thing they've got going on right now, because the voters are suddenly there for anticapitalist causes where they weren't before.

I'd certainly take notice if I was a pragmatist democrat of the kind who seems to have a stance of "I'm going to try to sit at the mean average of my party's views and move with it", which is pretty clearly what a lot of the so-called establishment democrats (most notably the current president as of this post) have done for decades if you follow how their stances have shifted over time on social issues. (Economic issues tend to skew a little more rightward for the simple reason most people who can afford to be politically prominent are at least somewhat rich and also they're generally required to spend several hours a day telemarketing to donors in a building to meet a funding goal to maintain good standing for committee seats because the campaign finance law is thoroughly broken for reasons not just limited to the Citizens United Decision, but also other thing like the low public funding cap for campaigns and other stuff so obviously they're heavily incentivized to just get a few rich donors to meet their goal quickly so they can get out of being a telemarketer, which I am reliably informed is miserable work, so fair, if not good for anyone but the rich really.) But anyway, if I was one of them and saw a large amount of anticapitalists in Senator-Rich regions calling themselves reliable democrat voters who would really like some visibility in the national party, I'd happily invite them in. Even if I didn't really like their views, I'd do it, because Senate seats are valuable and they'll caucus with us anyway. And besides, if there are any consequences down the line, Hypothetical Old Establishment Liberal me would be dead or retired before anything came of it, and before then there's court appointments to make with this defensible senate majority.

A major problem with the Republican party was that they invited the fascists in because they thought they'd be a good voting bloc to have. This has been the story before with right wing parties inviting the fascists in and the fascists eventually becoming the real power in the party (or coalition.)

But that could cut both ways if we play our cards right. The democrats would definitely invite anticapitalists in much closer if they thought they could gain from it, and we could come to be the most powerful part of the party from that.

On a final, sort of extra note that doesn't really fit elsewhere here but is important to add, I am aware about the worry of the cooptation and weakening of anticapitalist movements by accepting the invitation in from liberals. I think it's a valid concern, but not a truly justifiable one, and I may talk more about my thoughts on that particular idea in the future.

[tea-with-evan-and-me]

The amazon reviews have spiraled out of control and have reached Twitter and Tiktok so there is no way it's not going to reach Evan at some point. I can't help imagining what it would feel like if thousands of people witnessed a review of my very private purchases. Yes i know these are public reviews and he wants people to read it, but that doesn't mean he also wants to be linked to it. I doubt he wants the world to know that he is using a no makeup look- blush. I really wish that information had only stayed on this blog, not because I want to gate keep it but because i know that Evan fans are unhinged and will go to extreme lengths to make sure that Evan sees what a crazy fandom he has. People are feral they started following his Spotify again. I know people are going to think of me as being too sensitive, maybe I am sensitive. But I can't help putting myself in his position and all i can think of is that I would die of embarassment. Can anyone understand what I'm saying? Ps Please don't delete this. This blog has kind of become a safe place for me and I feel really anxious right now. I would be happy if someone, anyone can relate to what I'm feeling without judging me for my feelings. I am a highly empathetic person and I easily feel distressed for other people. I hope I have a right to express it on your blog without being mocked or attacked.

i understand some people may feel this way and wish that news wouldn’t spread, but unfortunately, that’s just not possible. it’s the nature of this blog to share tidbits of gossip and information without gatekeeping, so there’s no way we can keep information on here from making its way to other platforms. i can certainly understand why you would think the concept of tons of people knowing your amazon reviews would be embarrassing, but quite frankly, almost all of the topics we discuss here would make us uncomfortable if it was about us. evan is a public figure, so for better or worse, this type of curiosity comes with celebrity status and all the perks of fame. i certainly don’t judge anyone who isn’t comfortable partaking in gossip, celebrity or not - though obviously i am not of that mindset, everyone is entitled to feel what they feel!

[potatoes83]

1. Overlay this with a map of population centers, and you understand exactly why we need the Electoral College.

2. It's easy to talk about how the left completely ignores mandates from the people, but no less egregious is the Washington establishment GOP doing the same damn thing. The tea party was voted in on a historic platform of change and reform, and they were squashed like bugs. Thank you John Boehner.

Donald Trump became our 45th president because people were sick to death of the way things were always done. Oh, he's not acting presidential, that's not what people want. No, that's exactly what people wanted, that's why they voted for him. Over, if memory serves, 12 of the best establishment Republicans they could put up against him in the primaries, and they continued to fight him all the way.

We've got control of the house, finally took the gavel away from Nancy Pelosi after a million years. Now we're going to get some stuff done, by God we're going to get some stuff done, the hens are coming home to roost, we're going to drain the swamp... and fuck all happened.

We are told that our voice is at the ballot box. That's how this thing is supposed to work. The people have spoken. Like they have spoken before. Stop ignoring what the people are saying. And don't gaslight us either. Do not promise to do something when we send you to Washington, and then either flat out deny you ever said it, or, and I think this is even worse, say oh well, you can't really expect us to keep those promises. If you can't do, or have no intention of doing something, don't promise us that you're going to do it in exchange for our vote.

I think that people, hell, on both sides of the aisle, have been sending a message loud and clear that they are tired of the establishment. Not that we're all necessarily looking for the next airheaded AOC, or Lurch over there in the gym shorts and hoodie, but overwhelmingly, we're getting sick to death of the same gray-haired old bastards in suits telling us what's good for us.

Sick to death of people who make six figures telling us what is and is not affordable for our families.

Sick to death of an elitist class exempting themselves from the very things they're imposing upon us.

More and more, I support Congressional term limits, because our government is not supposed to be America's nursing home. I would also fully support a part-time legislature, take it back to where we were back in the day, including a modest wage, so that you're not coming to Washington to get rich, but because you are a honest to God, bona fide, sure enough, no fooling, public servant. Imagine how you might vote on things that affect the economy, if you then had to turn around and leave and run your small business. A small business that is directly impacted by the actions of said economy.

The federal government operates in service of the people, not the other way around. And Washington damn well needs to be reminded of that.

The people have spoken. Don't let's fuck it up this time. 🥔

[myimaginarywonderland]

Another long post in coming:

This fandom has gotten so weird.

I do not know what it is but something has definitely shifted and it honestly makes me uncomfortable to see how open some of you will be when it comes to not only invading drivers privacy but also just their general life it almost feels like.

Not only has it become normal that drivers are sexualized and treated like characters from a fucking TV Show but you are also all way too comfortable when it comes to treating them like an almost object. The amount of shit that some of you will post on public platforms where drivers can easily get access to is genuinely baffling. Some of you will have no hesitation telling a driver they should get ride of themselves but then will be not be sure about a fucking driver change?

So many of you will be so open to make posts about drivers ships and then go to said drivers and demand they comment on it and it's like, when did you all get so comfortable? Who gave you the right to demand a person's opinion on a complete non-existent relationship that you created in your fantasy?

Not to mention this weird wag culture, drivers insert like they don't have real girlfriends and this doesn't border on objectifying the drivers.

I know some of you might be young but the way many of you behave is truly not okay and you should maybe take a step back if you can't figure out why your behavior might not be mean.

And I don't mean there is anything wrong with complementing a drivers appearance or mentioning how the friendship of two drivers is sweet or intriguing.

There is a line and then there is going widely beyond.

Not to mention the complete willingness with which you will all blatantly play favorites like all of these drivers haven't done or said fucked up things in the past. They are human , they are bound to make mistakes. Of course you do not have to forgive them for that especially not when their hurtful actions affected you directly but don't act like most of these people would even be able to find a common ground with most of probably very open-minded and colorful folks. I can tell you that most of these man would probably if you actually talked to them one way or another in the way that some of you want to, turn out even shittier than previously assumed because their nothing like us common folks. They life in a compleltly separate and different environment than any normal working class person and they grew up in such a secluded way that ignorance is probably something that is bound to have been taught to most of them. What they do later is compleltly their decision but many are still growing and figuring out their place so maybe stop judging them while some of you are supporting people who are 27 and dating 19-year Olds. There's a German saying "Wer im Glashaus sitzt, soll nicht mit Steinen werfen" which means that someone in a house of glass shouldn't throw stones, translating to maybe don't judge if your position to judge is built on something just as bad.

Secondly this entire Lewis/Max fanbase feud has gotten so out of control that I feel like some of you are genuinely a hivemind that can't use critical thinking. We don't have to use every fucking word those two say and make it about how it could get ride of them or how they clearly are still hung up on etc.

I don't care who you support on this but maybe just stop fucking judging everything they say based on how you like/dislike them. Just like in the real world someone we might not like will also happen to make good points in an argument and there is literally nothing wrong with admitting that. I know we like to tag the position on this but like it's really not hard to ignore one side if you want to.

I am not asking you all to understand the other side in this because I agree that some of us just can't and won't see eye to eye and that's fine. But I wish some of you would step being so obsessed about a weird rivalry that really wasn't even that when there are so much more important and bigger problems we as a fan base should be talking about.

Another thing that I will never understand is this bitterness towards a driver who get another drivers seat. Yes, it will hurt especially if it's your favourite driver but also, the driver is not responsible for any decisions a team makes when it comes to who drives for them. That decision is either made in mutual agreement or the driver will be kicked out. And this is F1. Contracts really do not mean shit here and aren't a guarantee especially if there's any reason (performance, marketing etc.) that another driver looks more promising. I can guarantee that no driver is a villain in that sense and you should absolutely first and foremost blame the team.

Also I will never understand this weird only hating RedBull thing when it comes to teams. Like listen yes RedBull is an absolute shit hole and has treated their drivers badly but at least they give their drivers a chance to fail. The academies and driver programs for other teams are even worse with people just stuck in a category hoping, waiting to move up and missing out all opportunities to go to any other sport, let alone a different team. The entire way drivers are handled is done badly by so many teams. If you only accuse RedBull you are so off. Just look at Kevin and Stoffel at McLaren, Pascal who was tossed aside although he is clearly now proving his worth in FE, Nyck never being able to go anywhere because he couldn't afford it, etc. The problem is way bigger than just RedBull and to only look at them completely missed any point.

Additionally this is a special shout out to the Seb fandom Listen, I know it might sting that the car is now performing. But Seb willingly made the decision to leave in order to spend time with his family. He looks so much happier and relieved now then I feel like he was for years. Let him enjoy this. If you can't enjoy F1 since he is gone that's fine or even if you need a break. What isn't okay is wishing a driver to be ill so that Seb could come back when it wouldn't even be him as a first choice. Maybe some of you should take a page out of Mike Kracks book because he said it so beautiful in that interview. Sure you consider what ways there are to bring him back but ultimately you should respect his wished and decisions to be there for his family while exploring other passions and continuing to advocate for environmental causes.

Lastly, I wish some of you would realise that in F1 there isn't anything such as a goat unless you are purely using statistics which doesn't work. People have opinions on drivers and that's all fair to prefer one over someone else. What isn't fair is to dismiss a drivers career or results without actually fact checking or providing evidence for it. There's many reason why a driver might be more of a team-mate in a season like 2020 that some drivers missing out on races due to Covid which just means they had less race to prove their worth and get results. You can't compare drivers from different eras because F1 was complelty different in both instances and we couldn't possibly prove which one was the better driver. What I want to say by this is : You can prefer a driver but that doesn't mean he had to be one of the bests. There's no shame in supporting a driver whose results might be lacking. What is not okay is to shit on drivers or other fans while most of you ignore actual facts that determine said drivers points/position in the statistics. Before you engage in why one driver is better than another maybe consider actually looking up said drivers career and when I say this I mean beyond just plain race results or points and actually seeing their starts, development, qualifying etc.

F1 is currently very hard to enjoy but sometimes this fandom makes it so much harder.

So a tip for those of you who struggle with it currently and start to see that it's affecting them negatively: Take a step back and maybe reflect on how you want to enjoy this experience.

I can guarantee there a beautiful and fun communities out there who will welcome anyone that is kind and respectful. I can guarantee that once you actively start to make your own experience and maybe also form your own opinions there will be a revelation that this sport isn't that important and serious.

Breach out. Look for other racing because there is so much more interesting categories out there who actually will give a happy experience.

Racing doesn't end with F1, it merely starts there.

But also, that does not mean we should let some of the treatment that has formed in this fandom especially on here be tolerated.

Like I said the line from drivers being actual people and athletes that you admire to this weird cult like characterization has become way too accepted. Maybe consider not being a part of that or reflecting and questioning why you might be.

[magicsunwheel]

Why You're F#cking Amazing

Pick-a-Card

How to play: pick one of the photos below using your intuition. You can close your eyes and meditate for a bit or just take a few grounding breaths while thinking of the topic. Feeling drawn to more than one is fine! You might have messages in more than one pile

Pile 1 (x) Pile 2 (x) Pile 3 (x)

My pile numbers always go from left to right, then down to the text row (if applicable)

Pile 1

Cards: The High Priestess, Five of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, The Moon Rx, Five of Rods, Ace of Pentacles

You are so intuitive! You're either very in touch with your divine feminine or are working your way there right now. Something about you is severe in the most beautiful way. You can take things seriously when they need to and the way you command a room with just your presence is unmatched. Maybe you're also a tarot reader or involved in spirituality/divination in some way. Maybe you really like Pick-a-Cards.

Something beautiful about you is that you never give up on a fight, especially when you know the end is worth it. Your ambition is strong and you will fight for what you love and what you want. You are not weak-willed by any means.

This also makes you so unique! You work so hard and put so much labor into your love even if you know it will take a long time to come to fruition. The times that you feel discouraged by a lack of results are few and far between. If for some reason you do find yourself wistfully hoping for faster results or an easier path, you can easily remind yourself of why you started in the first place.

You might have moments where you think of yourself as sneaky or like you're hiding a part of yourself from others, like your true self would be too much for them. I'm here to tell you that your intensity is exactly what make you such a beautiful person! You thrive in competition and in adversity. It gives you a chance to show off your quick thinking and survival skills. Others look at you with envy of how you can make an opportunity out of seemingly nothing!

If you need help improving your self-love, Spirit says to stop comparing yourself to others! You are amazing and beautiful and unique all on your own! Throwing yourself into the fray to compete against others who are nothing like you will only fim your inner shine. And you really do shine! When I asked for a card about why you are beautiful, nearly half the damn deck flew out!

Sprit loves you and I love you so please take care of yourself and keep making those amazing opportunities to improve your physical surroundings. (I feel like you have a very clean room/home)

Pile 2

Cards: Nine of Rods, the World, King of Cups, Three of Rods, Ace of Rods, Two of Cups

Ahh the Loona pile!

Similar to Pile 1, but much more fiery! You are resilient! Taking time to collect yourself before pushing forward with a renewed sense of energy and purpose is such an amazing and useful trait. You maybe aren't as commanding of a presence but you have such an inner strength that no one can deny.

You got the World for the reason why you're beautiful! Maybe it's related to physically being very beautiful and possibly exotic-looking. You might have very specific features associated with a certain area of the world that stand out where you live. You also have such a wonderful understanding of the world and where it's currently at. Things can seem negative or like hope is lost but you still seek out the beauty and share it with others. You see opportunity where others do not and feel a sense of peace and connectedness with all of humanity. Wow!

Your uniqueness shines in your emotionality and compassion. You might be a natural born leader who makes sure to understand all under your rule. You lead with kindness and, most importantly, by example. You don't have any desire to use you position for ill-gotten gains. Power to you does not corrupt, it solely provides a tool for you to do good in the world and really make a difference in the lives of others, whether it's on a large or small scale. You are probably the kind of person who makes sure to give money to those who need it when you pass a begging mother and her children, or buying a homeless man a bottle of water on a hot day.

Your card for why you think you are not perfect actually came out quite positive. Maybe you don't have a very low self esteem, but I can see a few possible scenarios here. You might be constantly planning in your head, waiting and watching for the next move to take but never actually getting to the action part. Maybe you're planning for your future and have so much planned out that you're excited for, but haven't made the practical plans on how to actually get there. This could make you feel bad about yourself especially on days where you're reminded of others moving ahead in their lives while you're still planning. Visualisation is very important in manifesting your desired reality! If you are moving slower than others around you, remember that it is okay to not be where "everyone else" is. Life is not a race or a competition. Taking your time to get to where you need to be when you need to be there reminds me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Quick does not necessarily mean better.

You can improve your self-love by creating! Using your creativity and passion to make something! Create art, whether it's physical/digital art, music, writing, inventing, anything that uses those creative muscles of yours. It doesn't have to be good! Just creating something will help burn up that excess energy you have that's trying to rush you somewhere. Self-expression this way can be a wonderful hobby even if you don't consider yourself as a creative person.

Your kindness really shines through. You care so deeply about the people around you and your spiritual team cares just as deeply about you. You are loved and watched over and protected by Spirit. Others around you also see your sparkle and appreciate and admire you, even if they don't show it. Know you are beautiful and amazing and bringing a light into this world that needs to be here.

Pile 3

Cards: Six of Rods, the Hierophant, Four of Rods, Six of Cups, Ten of Swords, the Hermit Rx

Damn, who are y'all!? You've got some mighty power and pull in this world. Maybe you're a public figure or have some kind of platform, like a social media with many followers. You could also be well-recognized within your field of study/work. Whoever you are, people see you and look up to you. They celebrate you and how amazing you are! Spirit loves this about you and you really shine in the spotlight. Your achievements deserve all this pomp and celebration!

You are naturally authoritative. People listen when you speak and take your words to heart. You might also be a religious person or someone who enjoys organization and the comfort of hierarchy. People will willingly follow you wherever you lead them because they trust you with all their hearts. "A merciful ruler" (lol) You hold your position with grace and dignity befitting a king or queen.

You are unique in ways the public recognizes, but we knew that already! You might be someone who likes to entertain and you throw the greatest parties and get-togethers. Maybe you've planned a wedding and everyone had such an amazing time! You know how to relax and have fun when the time for celebrating arrives. You can out down your guard and bit and let loose. Not many people with such responsibility can let go of the reigns like that, but you don't seem to hold on to control too tightly.

Your past might be a source of anxiety for you. Maybe you're worried that what you've done when you were younger will catch up to you and ruin what you've got going on now, but it's important to remember that the past is the past. It cannot be undone or wished away. Taking time to accept what happened and recognizing that you've moved on to bigger and better things is important here. Whatever happened, take time to heal your childhood wounds and forgive past actions.

Ending this cycle will bring much more self-love to your life. Old habits and patterns being out to rest is the way forward. It might be a painful ending and something you don't necessarily look forward to, but it is something that needs to happen to clear out old energy and welcome in everything new. You can't expect to move on if you're still repeating old actions or ways of thinking. It's time to set these things to rest and evolve. Leave behind what no longer serves you.

Your understanding of yourself knows no bounds. You've taken the time to inquisit yourself and learn all of the shadows that lie there. Self-reflection might be a favored pastime for you. Through this knowledge of yourself you are able to see truths that many struggle to see all their lives. Your light can cut through the fog if bullshit and see the true source of something. Use this knowledge of yourself to become the best version of yourself that you can be! I know you're already on your way there and it's amazing to see! Spirit is so proud of you and loves you so much!

[system-of-a-feather]

On the topic of empathy, I dunno why but it kinda seems weird to me that like, people think you need to be able to put yourself in someone’s shoes or whatever to be a good person when like, why should being able to feel someone else’s pain be a required motivator to do good? It almost seems kinda shallow to be motivated by empathy than actively choosing to do good.

I agree, however I try to - at least on public platforms - refrain from calling it "shallow" on the account that someone with empathy might take that as me stating that they are bad / wrong for being motivated by an experience they can't control and / or that their good behavior is no longer "good" or worse is now "bad" because its motivated by a desire for relief. I don't necessarily think it is healthy, but I will never genuinely be mad at someone doing the correct thing for reasons that are as simple as "I felt REALLY bad and couldn't not do something". Can that be a slippery slope to some really dangerous self sacrificial behavior that I personally find annoying? Yeah. Is it missing the entire point (in my opinion)? Yeah. Is it wrong or the problem to address here more than, you know, the actual problem? Nah.

Like ask me this on my personal blog or if you knew me irl to my face and I'd probably go raging on about it cause I bitch much more openly on those areas with an understanding that I say much more extreme and un-nuanced takes than I actually mean cause it takes too much effort and energy for me to curate and acknowledge that my opinion and view on things are probably inherently skewed and all.

Do I think its better to do things because you understand the system is broken and just on sole principle of thinking that shouldn't be a thing? Yeah, but of course I do - thats how I exist and I have a huge fucking ego. So of course I think that and of course that is my genuine opinion. And me acknowledging that "of course I do" doesn't lessen that that is my genuine opinion.

But I also think its entirely dysfunctional to actually pit people who are doing good motivated by empathy against people who are doing good just because of principle / an understanding of the broken system. We're both doing the same thing, does the drive really matter? Plus honestly, if my very very limited experiences of empathy tell me anything, people who are cursed with chronic empathy honestly probably are chronically struggling to cope with that, so I don't think it is wrong or bad to be motivated by your own needs and ability to cope.

Like HONESTLY, I'd be a huge fucking hypocrite if I knocked doing things for "selfish reasons" or people having "shallow reasons" for doing things cause *motions to self in NPD and ASPD* I do a lot of things for shallow reasons and selfish reasons.

There's nothing wrong with looking out for yourself, and theres nothing wrong with looking out for yourself more than others (to an extent, looking at any billionaires there) cause not everyone has the resources and ability - mentally, physically, or financially - to be motivated for the "right reasons".

To each as they can give, to all as they need. If all someone can give currently is a HEALTHY amount of assistance driven by a need to cope with their empathy themselves? Thats fine. Thats respectable.

That said, anyone tearing their arms off to "do the right thing" and parading around like a hero, those people piss me off. They need help and are mentally ill and struggling, but quite frankly, being nice to people like that and having functional coping and communication with them is far far far far far above my emotional self restraint and control and entirely a job for Riku or a protector in our system.

I really fucking hate overt performative behavior and my hate is not "functional", but ya know.

Anyways, usually I'd just go "lol yeah honestly" or "lol right" because thats my opinion on the matter, but due to the following we have on here and respect for this being a little more (not super) serious of a platform than people in my casual circle irl and my blog, I try to keep and voice my more nuanced thoughts on a topic than what I feel out of principle of dedication to my goals and responsibility as someone with anything of a platform.

I recognize that posts like this will reach much more people than my personal blog and that some people on here value what I have to say, so I have an inherent responsibility to at least try to leave room for nuance and not perpetuate inter-community discourse that would just slow down the core purpose of - ya know, the shit I actually want.

-XIV

[deepdarkdelights]

To the anon who felt the need to rant,

I understand you and your frustrations. But as a asian poc who has been living in America, I think I need to let you know how much it mattered to me to see BTS there.

To address the important thing. BTS weren't there for anything other than to talk about Asian representation. And we have had a wonderful month with so many asian poc speakers who raised voices agaonst our issues.

But you had mentioned it in you post that it didn't matter to you. But it matters to me and people who look like me. It matters because these past two years have been hell for my family and me.

Because the slurs have worsened, the attacks have too. In the beginning of the pandemic, I very clearly recall being sprayed with disinfectant on the street. How my little brother still to this day has to eat his lunch alone in the break. How we all were afraid to be shot or jumped at the street.

The dread reaks you know. When my father helds my hand tighter and pulledcme close. There is something very grave about the feeling when you realise the man you always know will protect you is in danger himself. Isn't safe himself.

You haven't seen people changing aisles when they see you or walk further away. The employee disinfect the area you were at justoments ago. The accusations on the streets. Being shout at, being called a viral freak.

It hurts. The xenophobia and the violent behaviour hurts.

All of this matters to me. And the fact that BTS voiced against it and gave it a global platform to be seen also matters to me.

Everyone, in this world I am afraid suffers differently. But just because you weren't in main doesn't mean it isn't important to me. America has a lot of problems. Increasing prices, property and rent inflation the list is endless.

Addressing one doesn't make the other less important. Doesn't make the other less severe. I don't know if you will see this or not. I'd ask you to be emphatic. Watch BTS at white house was a very special moment for us Asians.

We were represented, in a where we were not objects of desire, mockery or that side geeky character reduced to only knowing numbers and stuttering skills.

Even if you don't care. And you don't have to. You have your own fair share of problems to.

Because I don't think people really understand why BTS were there. It was to represent the Asian hate crimes and voice up against them. They spoken on what mattered to them and our community. They weren't there to solve all of America's problems. They were there to let it be known that on America, there is a fraction of people like them who are in pain. They used their platform to amplify our voices.

Even if you don't care. And you don't have to. You have your own fair share of problems to.

I'd request you to not be dismissive of our suffering too.

And to add on to that previous ask. BTS can't control the structural problems USA has, our government has to take measures against it. It is not their job to. But I'd be damned if I have a platform as large as theirs and still not use it to voice for our community.

It is not that different from Black artists speaking up against racism against them, using their voices proudly to fight against the prejudices. Not that different from women with a public playform to support the Metoo movement. Not that different from Queer artists spreading awarness and fighting back against lgtbq+ attacks. No one aks them about the economic problems then right? Because that isn't what they are talking about.

They address what is close to them, what they themselves have felt. So why look down or cynically at the event? Why are we not extending the same understanding when it comes to BTS for us? (2/2)

Hello anon,

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts in regards to the previous ask. You made so many good points as to why BTS' visit to the white house was important.

Firstly, I would like to express my empathy for you. After reading about the clear acts of xenophobia against not only you but your family as well I am so heartbroken. I can't believe this is still going on today and it enrages me that people continue to suffer because of ignorant individuals who believe in such harmful and disgusting ideas.

I want to thank you for sharing your experiences with me because it can be so difficult to relive horrible events such as the ones you described.

I think you honestly said it best "Addressing one doesn't make the other less important. Doesn't make the other less severe."

Although I am not particularly religious, I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and I wish happiness and above all safety for you and your loved ones.

Once again, thank you for voicing your thoughts - you have a powerful voice and it shows in your writing.

If you ever need to talk please know that you are welcome here and always take care of your mental health and well being 💜

[potteresque-ire]

Hello! I have a question related to your answer for your previous anon's question (WQ and WWX backup plan).

So the book fans knew about the backup plan and the actress who played W/Q got cyberbullied. I wanna ask why did that happened (sry if this is a dumb question), because even though she's the one who's playing W/Q, wasn't she just went with the script? I mean she wasn't the one who get to decide wether to film a backup or not.

I can understand the displeasure of the book fans, but is it 'normal' (I can't find the right word for it, English isn't my first language, sry) to get to the point where she was bullied for that? Is there any similar incidents occured to other actor(s)/actress(es) in the past because of the change of script/story?

Hello Anons! I apologise for the especially long wait for one of you. I was debating for a while whether I’d like to get into the old rumours surrounding The Untamed that weren’t immediately related to the genre of its source material. 

I’m not really a follower of the finer details of c-ent—my interest in it wanes rapidly with the subject’s distance from Gg, Dd and BL/Dangai as a genre. I’m also a very late comer into the BJYX fandom, and I’m never quite in The Untamed fandom to begin with. 

The more important reason, however, is this: it’s very difficult to pull out facts. There are just so many rumours, so many lies told about … everything and everyone. All for the sake of profit.

So this is likely the last time I’ll address rumours concerning the actors of the show. I’m answering these asks as you two reached me before I make this statement.

First of all, I’d like to kindly ask everyone to please consider disregarding the negative things said about The Untamed’s development and its participants. The series is about to reach its 2 years old birthday by airing date, and 3 years old by its start-of-filming date. Many things ... don’t really matter anymore. The Untamed has become an international success, and whatever was told about anyone has very likely changed.

(People change.)

To answer these asks, it’s important to understand that despite being a Communist country by name, China is at heart a highly capitalistic society, and money REALLY talks in the major industries including c-ent. Corruption is also rampant and is often associated with families with political power; anti-corruption laws are inconsistently and selectively enforced. Both the acts of corruption and the acts against corruption are therefore intimately tied to politics and related to politics, something that I haven’t talked about largely because it’s highly complex and my knowledge of it is limited — the infighting between the different factions of the Chinese Communist Party. Supporters and beneficiaries of one leader—a faction—competing for power, for money and resources with the supporters and beneficiaries of another, often equally powerful leader.

The main point of mentioning Chinese factional politics here is this: what seems to be a regular business war in c-ent, a simple competition for viewership and profit by different media companies, can actually be a battlefront of top political factions fighting for power, or more accurately, for the money that comes from with the power—not only the profit, but the bribes paid to different departments to make things happen, to bypass different laws and regulations. 

Facts about the cash flow in c-ent are therefore very difficult to track down, as both the powers-that-be and the media they control make sure the political ties and conflicts, the under-the-table negotiations and the money changing hands, are kept well away from the public eye. Example: c-ent used to be an even more lucrative industry than it is now, before President Xi began an anti-corruption campaign around 2018. There have been whispers that while corruption was indeed a major issue in the industry, the campaign was also a ploy to funnel c-ent’s profit, a significant fraction of which was once held in the hands of the Jiang faction (supporters of former President Jiang Zemin), into the hands of Xi faction (supporters of President Xi). (Here’s a good article about the once top actress Fan Bing Bing, who was made an example in the anti-corruption campaign, and how the campaign affected the people who actually worked in the industry). 

What this also means is this: c-ent is an industry where rumours and lies can REALLY thrive, their spread propagated by powerful commercial interests that are often (secretly) backed by even more powerful government interests. These are people who can afford to pay, who often have the right connections to not have to worry about the legal consequences. 

With these two factors alone, they can make almost any rumour sound true. 

I’ve looked more closely into c-ent in the recent months, and as of today, the lesson I’ve learned is this—I can’t believe in almost any of its so-called “entertainment news”. For every article that sells a viewpoint, a set of facts, there’s another one that sells exactly the opposite, and the pair of articles happily sit beside each other, waiting for their readers to pick the one they wish to read—the one praising the show and actors they like; the one dissing the shows and actors they don’t. 

Yxh, water armies...c-ent is an industry where “facts” are often constructed by money.

Entertainers are often swept into the whirlpool of falsehoods just because they happen to work on a project / for a company another side or faction wants to take down. With the exception of a very few, they don’t have much of a way to defend themselves. There have also been longstanding whispers that beautiful actors and actresses are often forced to … service, for lack of a better word, the higher-ups in the government / commercial forces (and their families) in exchange for opportunities or even survival in the industry. While such “unspoken rule” (潛規則) is, to a certain extent, true in many entertainment industries around the world, that the higher-ups in China hold very concentrated power makes it much more difficult for the entertainers to refuse to cooperate, or ask for help.

That entertainers are traditionally held in very low regard—their “career ancestors”, 戲子 (roughly, “showperson”), being one of the “lowest 9 professions” (下九流) that included prostitutes—doesn’t help their case.

Back to your questions, Anons: the consequence of c-ent money flow often being hush-hush and potentially politically sensitive is that, when a production team receives money, it doesn’t always try to look very hard at where the money comes from. Because of this, it’s easy for Yxh and Antis to make up rumours about participants of a project bringing in cash in exchange for making themselves more at the centre of the spotlight—increase the screen time for an actor / actress, for example. And when it’s pointed out that a starlet, in particular, cannot possibly have that kind of money to bring into a project, the rumour mill can conveniently explain away this lapse in logic by implying that the starlet is sleeping with someone.

This was essentially what happened to the actress who played WQ, despite her denying the rumour with a public statement and no evidences existed to suggest any truth in the rumour — that she‘d brought in money into The Untamed’s production team in exchange for a romantic plot w/ WWX as the female lead. She wasn’t paired with WWX in final version of The Untamed; WQ died pretty early on in the show. Nonetheless, the rumour (and the poor reputation it brought) has stuck with her since. It can still be found on the internet.

About the actor who played Wen Ning… I haven’t really paid much attention to him (sorry!). A quick search online shows that at some point, he said something that was interpreted to be not as friendly towards Gg, compared to how much he seemed to like Dd. After 227, however, he spoke out for Gg and personally, I think that’s what really counts because anyone who spoke out for Gg at the time also risked being harassed and boycotted. I don’t know of any successful effort in creating a popular cp between him and Dd. Since all that is required to create a supertopic on Weibo, including a cp supertopic, is sufficient seed membership (10 people) plus a moderator with demonstrated familiarity and popularity in the platform, however, is it possible that this cp, if it existed at some point, was simply because some fans wanted to explore this rare pair? I don’t know (if anyone would like to jump in with more info, please do!). But I think it doesn’t have to translate into judgement of the actor’s character at all.

[snifflesthemouse]

I'm still rather new to Tumblr. While I've clearly displayed my ability to post my ramblings, I'm still figuring out the other various features of this platform. For the sake of reference, I have posted a screenshot below.

While I completely agree with @youhavebeenmarkled that it's grossly inappropriate to suggest Catherine, the future Queen Consort, is a drug addict... I want to add to the discussion and further develop why the concept of Catherine microdosing heroin is entirely ignorant.

@youhavebeenmarkled mentions several excellent points as to why the concept is ridiculous; from genetics to muscle tone and more. But there's deeper reasons why this idea of Catherine being on heroin is so far from the truth and reality, it's out of this world. Some could even argue it sounds like a page from a Hollywood script.

Before I get started, though, I want (and need) to stress a few things. I am in no way shaming anyone. As I've shared in the past, I am the last person in the universe qualified to pass judgement on anything or anyone. My posts are simply my perspectives, my opinions. I look at facts in the public domain, and with my own knowledge and life experience, I form my thoughts.

Please remember while you read this, I am not looking down on anyone. I am not bragging about knowing what drug addiction is or is not. I am only sharing some insights with you, the reader, on what real life heroin addiction is like. My only goal is giving insight.

I am not proud of my past, and I am not condoning it. Nor should you. Accountability is how I stay clean. Please do not feel like I am suggesting non-addicts are ignorant or "square". Not knowing or understanding heroin addiction is a blessing. It's a good thing to be in the dark about certain things because it means you're smarter than people like me.

Be proud of the fact you don't automatically see why these blind items are total nonsense from the start. And if you aren't proud of yourself, just know I am proud AF of you. For those of you like myself who have been through the hell of addiction, remember we do recover. With all that being said, let's get going.

You see, anyone with firsthand experience or knowledge of true heroin addiction would automatically know these rumors are absolutely ridiculous. Why? Because heroin addiction doesn't work that way.

Now don't get me wrong. The world is filled with functioning closet addicts. I myself was a functioning closet addict for years before the world was any the wiser. The key point, though, is the world did eventually get wiser.

Heroin addiction usually starts out in one of a few ways. Most Americans addicted to heroin became that way because of prescription painkillers. For example, I first got addicted to pain pills. When the pain pills became impossible to get, I took what I could get that was the closest equivalent. That was heroin.

But some people start using heroin because they did some at a party with friends. Or they have a loved one addicted and wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Some people are hooked on other drugs, like cocaine or ecstasy, and their usual dealer offers a free sample of the latest batch of heroin. There's a saying among addicts; "The first one's free."

Dealers know they can increase their profitability if they can get established clients addicted to other products they traffic. But these are just a few examples of how people get started using heroin. Very rarely does anyone start out on heroin simply because they want to stay thin. Contrary to the popular belief known to many as "heroin chic" that came from supermodels in the mid 80s and 90s.

Heroin is what addicts refer to as a euphoria narcotic. It has a euphoric effect, and it is sometimes called a "downer". Cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, or amphetamines are called "uppers" or "speeders" because they stimulate the brain and give energy. While heroin can have that affect on people, it is not the traditional go-to for illicit weight management.

In other words, if Catherine really did use microdosing (a concept I will debunk in a moment), her first, best choice would be a stimulant like cocaine because it's much more effective at appetite suppression and providing energy. Heroin wouldn't be the first, best choice for many reasons.

Because of its nature, heroin is highly addictive. Most users begin snorting the drug in powder form. Within seconds to a minute, the substance enters the bloodstream and hits the brain. The brain then releases endorphins that travel the rewards pathway in the brain. The first time one uses heroin is the highest they will ever feel from using. Every subsequent dose releases less and less endorphins in the brain. This is why recovering addicts talk about chasing their sobriety like they chased their first high. This is also why microdosing is an almost-impossible behavior.

Microdosing means taking tiny, small amounts over time. Meaning that you only use the minimum amount to achieve the effect you desire. But the problem is, your brain becomes physically dependent on the substance over time. Every time an addict uses, the brain gets more dependent on that substance to function. So, while a non-addict's brain has no issues with their brain producing endorphins, an addict's brain does. This is why heroin is so addictive.

Eventually, a heroin addict's brain will become so reliant on heroin to produce endorphins, the addict will become entirely dependent. This is also known as becoming hooked. When the addict doesn't have the minimum amount of heroin the body is accustomed to, or depending upon, the addict will start withdrawal. This is often called being "dope sick" or "detoxing".

Detoxing or being dope sick is the driving force behind addicts staying addicts. Being dope sick is the biggest fear of an addict. So much so, the fear of detoxing is enough to drive otherwise good, decent human beings to doing absolutely whatever it takes to avoid detoxing. Stealing from loved ones, manipulating innocent bystanders, lying, cheating, robbing, selling your body... are the half of it.

Being dope sick is like having the worst flu of your life times a million. You will vomit, have uncontrollable diarrhea, and your body will hurt worse than anything you could ever imagine. If you detox for more than a day, you will begin to feel like your insides are shaking, burning, and pulling apart inside. You can't sleep. You can't eat. You can't get out of bed. You miss work and lose your job (if you still have one at this point). You get desperate before this point, and you get carnal after this point.

Your brain and entire body becomes dependent on this substance to function subpar. Without this substance, everything begins to stop working properly. Depending on exactly how much you use normally, your withdrawal can become life threatening. You can have seizures, strokes, or even go into cardiac arrest. Hopefully you can see by now why I say the concept of microdosing is ridiculous.

To be able to micro dose would require the self control and willpower of a super human. This reminds me of an article I once read about a college professor who advocated for drug use. He claimed he wasn't addicted, had control of his drug use, and was a productive member of society. He said he'd use heroin like others drink after a long day of work. Yet, he's been using it for over a decade. Yet, he experienced detoxing. That professor is a prime example of an addict in denial. But I digress...

My points are this:

1. Heroin wouldn't be the first choice for weight control or appetite suppression; cocaine or stimulants like meth or ritalin would be.

2. Microdosing is an almost-impossible method of drug use because the body gets hooked quickly. Which means the dose will only increase in amount in order to have the same effects over time.

3. Heroin causes an addiction that results in serious, life threatening withdrawal that drives even the nicest person to doing the worst of the worst.

4. Heroin addiction, even in small amounts, takes no time to invade and overtake one's life. It literally only takes one time to get hooked. It literally takes no time to destroy everything.

Oh, and one more thing before I put a sock in it... at the height of my active addiction, I was using around 2 grams a day to feel normal. I spent at minimum $200 a day on heroin. Sometimes even more. When I started out, I was only using a tenth or less. It takes 10 of those to make a gram. So within two months of starting, I went from doing one tenth to needing 20 of those tenths just to feel normal and function. All the while, I never got smaller than 150 pounds.

I know it sounds terrible, but I would lament over how unfair it was. I was doing all this heroin, and I was still thick AF. I would literally joke to fellow addicts I would use with how it was total bullshit. How was it I was using 2 grams a day and still a size 12 or 14? That's how sick I was in my disease. Which is my final point.

Not everyone on heroin is "heroin chic" skinny. The effort, will power, and self control it would take to "microdose" would be far greater than what it would take to control one's diet and exercise. Plus it would be much cheaper to hire a trainer than employ a drug dealer.

I hope this very long, detailed, winded post gives better insight to the deeper reasons the blind item is so dumb. I also hope it gives insight to the real life of heroin addiction. My goal was, and is, to provide real examples to the blind item's absurdity. If I can help people better understand heroin addiction, potentially deterring someone from ever touching it or even a loved one learning something that could help someone they know struggling with addiction... well that would be a bonus.

P.S. If you or a loved one you know is struggling with addiction, there is help out there. If you have any questions or just need someone to listen, please feel free to message me. I will do my best to help. I've been there. They say the only way to keep your sobriety is by giving it away... I have plenty to give. Be forewarned, though, I am unapologetically blunt and honest to a fault. I mean no harm, but I will not sugar coat anything.

[bookofmirth]

Do you have any thoughts on how toxic the ACOTAR fandom has become lately? I remember back in like 2018, it wasn't as bad as it is now. So many of my mutuals are taking a step back, and I feel like doing the same :(

I have so many thoughts. I got a lot of them out here, but the tl;dr is that I think people ended up in the fandom without understanding what a fandom actually is or how it functions. Even back in 2017-2018, we were able to talk with one another about things we agreed on, despite things we disagreed about. Fan artists weren't treated like commodities or points "won" in the ship war.

There also wasn't nearly as much cross-platform stuff. I never thought about the fandom on Twitter (did it even really exist?) or Instagram, and Tiktok wasn't a thing yet. I think the multiple platforms make it easier for people to be dicks because they take things from one place and share them elsewhere, thinking they've done something really clever and behind people's backs, as if the internet isn't a public space.

Also jfc what is with the post editor this past week, I can't even get a gd link to work correctly!!!!! Anyway here is the post I was referring to above:

I think if we remember why we are here, it will help! And remember that ultimately, we are in control of the content we consume, and so there is no harm in blocking people, and for the love of all that is holy, stop checking people's content if you know you dislike those people. It's a weird form of digital self-flagellation and then screaming that you've been harmed.