#but in practice... in practical application

[thepolyamorouspolymath]

If you have lighter fluid or alcohol to dip the tip in so much the better, but yes. I recommend practice bc you have to hit the applicator with enough force it flies, but not so much you crumple the cardboard. And cut off any excess string from outside the applicator so it doesn't catch in your palm.

Also Sun Chips make excellent bonfire fuel.

I grew up in a small town, we had to find our own fun.

[resident-idiot-simp]

Thinking about my X-Men rewrite again.

Shot out to my beloved @shy-canadian-snowflake for the amazing starting idea.

Wade and Logan who go around a different cage fighting arenas as a duo to scam people out of their money. The beginning goes the same way except for the guy also getting mad that Logan and Wade were scamming people then when Logan pins the guy to the wall. Instead of turning around and slicing the gun Wade does it.

The then get the hell out of Dodge and instead of Rogue hiding in the back Wade catches her and directs her into the truck. Things go relatively the same except none of them get knocked out and Sabertooth gets run off by them (Logan also has him memories).

They get picked up by Storm and Scott then brought to the mansion. It doesn't go as well because Logan is half feral with the new environment and the short time around and protecting Rogue had already started alternating his brain (despite his best efforts).

Logan is actively hostile to anyone who isn't Wade and all the children, thought some are thin fucking ice. Wade isn't much better with how manic he is.

No one is having a good time because Xavier is explaining sabertooth and Logan is just like yeah that's my creep pervert brother (This information has made everything worse btw). No one knows what to do.

Rogue still gets stabbed and runs off. But this time Wade is also there. Both get their asses handed to them and yada yada yada. Everything is still the same at the end except for Wade being there.

Then when Logan wakes up in the med bay Wade is by his side. They both decided to stay because lord knows no one else teaching the kids practical applicable stuff.

Rogue is now practically their kid and is the only one who who is excited for Wade to stay

That's X1 come back later for more when I figure that out

[sysmedsaresexist]

"Therapists also don’t diagnose you." The fuck? It varies by state? Any therapist should know this?

Should, but i doubt the claim to start with, so I'm not shocked

For anyone confused, therapist isn't actually a title, it's a service

Anyone can offer the service, to varying degrees, EVEN PEOPLE WITHOUT LICENSING, and the title is your education

For example, an MSW can be a therapist, or they can be a civil worker, psychiatrists can offer therapy even though they typically specialize in diagnosis and medication management, there's counsellors, peer support workers, SW and SSW, psychologists-- all of these can be therapists, but not all can diagnose and treat

Titles capable of diagnosing will vary state by state, province by province, country by country, and so will the services they're allowed to provide

Always look up what letters your therapist uses and what they're allowed to do in your city-- this is called their "scope of practice", what they're allowed to do, based on their education and licensing board

Let's look at a random example so you can see what to look for

Pretend we're looking for a trauma therapist in New York

LMSW

The Licensed Master Social Worker has advanced training, a graduate academic degree, has had supervised clinical work experience, and has passed a national- or state-certified licensing exam.

Now back to Google

What about....

PsyD

The Doctor of Psychology, PsyD, is an applied clinical doctorate that emphasizes the application of psychology in a wide range of clinical settings to promote mental health. Training typically lasts between 4 to 7 years and includes 3 to 4 years of supervised clinical work experience. An individual who earns a Psy.D. in clinical psychology from an accredited program may become licensed to diagnose and treat mental disorders, conduct assessment and complete psychological evaluations, present expert testimony, and provide psychotherapy.

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS understand what your "therapist" is legally allowed and not allowed to do

Peer support workers, in most countries, don't even need formal education, let alone any kind of licensing. They assist based on lived experiences in informal settings. In clinical settings, they act more administrative than anything. Due to this, any kind of misconduct is extremely hard to prosecute.

Remember, Google is your friend, use it.

[glowettee]

// part 5: the science behind manifestation (because we love being smart girlies) ✨

hey loves! mindy here again~

today i'm diving into the fascinating science that makes manifestation work. as someone who loves both spirituality and science (hello, future doctor energy!), i'm excited to break this down in a way that makes perfect sense.

the scientific principles behind manifestation:

quantum physics basics

everything is energy at its core

observer effect: we influence particles by observing them

quantum entanglement shows everything is connected

the double-slit experiment proves consciousness affects reality

neuroscience of manifestation • reticular activating system (ras)

acts like a filter for your brain

helps you notice opportunities

focuses on what you program it to see

neuroplasticity

your brain physically changes with thoughts

new neural pathways form with repetition

this is why scripting works so well

psychological framework a) cognitive behavioral principles

thoughts create emotions

emotions drive actions

actions determine results

b) self-fulfilling prophecy

your beliefs shape your reality

2. expectations influence outcomes

3. confidence attracts opportunities

4. frequency & vibration science

human thoughts emit measurable frequencies

positive thoughts = higher frequency

higher frequencies attract similar energies

practical application (how i use this):

morning brain programming

meditation to raise frequency

positive affirmations during skincare

visualization while getting ready

study session optimization

setting intentions before starting

creating a high-vibe study space

using binaural beats for focus

daily consciousness practices

mindful observation

energy checking

thought monitoring

frequency adjustments

intentional speaking

the science-backed manifestation formula:

clear intention + elevated emotion + aligned action = manifestation

why this works:

intention activates the ras

emotion creates energetic frequency

action solidifies neural pathways

consistency compounds results

pro tip: i keep a "science of success" section in my manifestation journal where i track:

daily frequency levels (1-10)

manifestation experiments

correlation between thoughts and outcomes

evidence of law of attraction working

note: you're literally a quantum creator! your thoughts are shaping your reality at a subatomic level. isn't that the most powerful thing ever?

homework for my manifestation besties:

notice your ras in action today

journal about 3 manifestations you've already achieved

measure your vibration throughout the day

practice intentional thinking for 24 hours

stay tuned for part 6 where we'll explore advanced scripting methods (my personal fave for manifesting those straight a's!) 🌙

with love, mindy xo

[oneirophasia]

"what's attainable for most people is compartmentalisation rather than anonymity"

Oh good, a practical application for my preexisting skillset

If you’re in the US (or in correspondence with people from there) and you haven’t been paying attention to this issue… it’s time to start.

[sillygoose067]

A Masked Promise

Ch.17

Dick Grayson(Nightwing) x Reader

The scent of freshly brewed coffee and the chatter of regulars filled the small café as you worked behind the counter, moving with practiced efficiency. It was the middle of the afternoon lull, and while the steady rhythm of your job was comforting, your mind was miles away. Between shifts at the café, you’d been scouring job boards and sending out applications to labs and biotech firms, trying to break into a field that matched your degree.

It was exhausting, balancing work and interviews, but you were determined. You’d worked hard for your education, and you weren’t about to let it go to waste—even if the process was slow and riddled with self-doubt.

Your phone buzzed in your apron pocket, and you stole a quick glance as you wiped down the counter. A message from Dick lit up the screen:

“How’s your day going? Don’t work too hard.”

You couldn’t help but smile, your fingers hovering over the keyboard before you typed back: “Only two coffee spills so far. Record-breaking. How’s it going over there?”

The response was almost immediate. “Quiet. For now. But Jason has a big mouth.”

The cryptic message made you pause, but you didn’t have time to dig deeper before a customer approached. As you rang up their order, your thoughts lingered on what he might’ve meant.

…

Meanwhile, at Titans Tower, Dick leaned against the back of the couch in the common area, half-listening to Gar’s latest commentary about a new video game. Rachel sat cross-legged on the floor, flipping through a book, her quiet presence grounding the otherwise lively atmosphere.

The peace didn’t last long.

“So,” Jason drawled, sauntering into the room with his usual cocky grin. “Grayson, when were you planning on telling your little team here about your gala date?”

The room went silent. All eyes turned to Dick, whose jaw tightened as he shot Jason a warning look.

“I was getting to it,” Dick said evenly.

“Oh, come on,” Jason teased, plopping down in an armchair. “She was the highlight of the night. Even Bruce was impressed.”

Gar’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, she?”

Rachel’s head snapped up, her expression somewhere between surprised and intrigued. “Wait, is this about—”

“Yes,” Dick interrupted, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s about her.”

Jason leaned forward, his grin widening. “Yup, the café girl who helped Rae out that one time? Turns out she cleans up really well. Fancy dress, sparkly necklace—she made all those Gotham elites look boring.”

Rachel blinked, her gaze shifting to Dick. “You brought Y/n to the gala?”

Dick sighed, sitting down on the couch and resting his elbows on his knees. “Yeah. Bruce asked me to come, and I didn’t want to go alone. She was nervous, but she handled it pretty well.”

Rachel’s lips twitched into a small smile. “I didn’t know you were that serious about her.”

“I am,” Dick admitted, his voice soft but firm. “She’s… different. Grounding. Someone I can trust.”

Gar grinned, leaning forward from where he was perched on the armrest. “So, when do we get to meet her? Officially, I mean.”

Dick hesitated, glancing between his friends. “She’s busy right now, looking for a job in her field. And she’s got enough on her plate without me dragging her into Titan business.”

Jason scoffed. “Oh, please. She handled Gotham. I’m pretty sure she can handle this crew.”

Rachel tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. “She already helped me once. I think she’d fit in just fine.”

Dick couldn’t suppress the faint smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe. When she’s ready.”

…

Later that evening, you sat at your small kitchen table, a stack of printed resumes in front of you and your laptop open to yet another job board. The café had been hectic toward the end of your shift, and your feet ached, but you pressed on, determined to make progress.

Your phone buzzed again, and this time, Dick’s name lit up the screen.

“Hope you’re not working too hard. Thinking about you.”

You smiled, your heart warming at the simple message.

“Always. Miss you.”

———————————————————————————-

TAGLIST:

@mybones537 @thereeallink @ziziriaa-blog

[anissapierce]

It's kinda funny tht my dad passing his vasovagal reaction down to me means tht despite my love for biology etc I cant go into tht field or be a doctor (also if I went to med school i think I'll have a psychotic break) and bc of my mom pushing me so hard n giving me math related trauma and making me do extra math n my probable dyscalcia i can't get into physics like I wanted to in high school. Nature n nurture

[thatgaywizardoverthere]

Arthur “Disaster Bi” Pendragon learning about true loves kiss as a cure like:

Gwaine: For fuck’s sake, he’s not enchanted every time he smiles at someone else, Arthur! He was literally just laughing at my joke!

Arthur, aggressively frenching Merlin on the council room floor: YOU CAN NEVER BE TOO CAREFUL OKAY-

[voraciouspangolin]

So, I struggle with chronic fatigue. I also struggle with some kind of ailment that makes it so that I have the creative drive of a thousand suns and if I don't express my creativity I feel like I am wilting away. And sometimes drawing would take too much energy to do... so what do I do? I go to picrew dot me and I try and find a character to make that interests me.

Most of the time, I don't find anything, and I remain unsated. And sometimes, I try out random character maker that I think'll be interesting but I end up abandoning it. And I think the reason for this is because... its exactly as you say, it takes away my own autonomy in making art.

There is a puny amount of fulfillment to be found in making silly characters on picrew, but it is absolutely not able to replace the real deal of actually making something.

I've never tried GenAI, and I never will. Not because I think it looks bad, or uncanny. I am of the belief that there will probably come a day where GenAI can flawlessly and perfectly create things that look good- I'd even venture into saying that the current levels of GenAI can make things that look pretty pleasing to the eye. I am against it, and utterly uninterested in it, because it would rob me of the very thing that makes me an artist, that makes me love being an artist, which is the process of making art. I am against it because it is inherently unethical in its unconsensual scraping of millions of other people's works. I am against GenAI because there is a lack of transparency inherent to AI in general- if a GenAI spits out an image, I cannot ask it to tell me exactly what it was inspired by, which images it took to create this new image, it cannot directly trace back the process it went through to create the image. This is antithetical to the practice of studying art. This lack of transparency also applies to how the GenAI model was trained- who exactly did they employ to train the models? Were they paid and treated ethically? I am against GenAI because it is an environmental parasite with no genuinely new or revolutionary applications in the real world.

Even if art is hard, even if I struggle so much with actually doing it. Even if it feels like I'm suffering the whole way through... I do it because it fulfills me. GenAI can never replace that

As gen-AI becomes more normalized (Chappell Roan encouraging it, grifters on the rise, young artists using it), I wanna express how I will never turn to it because it fundamentally bores me to my core. There is no reason for me to want to use gen-AI because I will never want to give up my autonomy in creating art. I never want to become reliant on an inhuman object for expression, least of all if that object is created and controlled by tech companies. I draw not because I want a drawing but because I love the process of drawing. So even in a future where everyone’s accepted it, I’m never gonna sway on this.

[rathonk]

serpentine!

[thebramblewood]

The Full Moon Revelry wasn't as rowdy as promised, but it was still illuminating.

Beginning / Previous / Next

You can read more about Naomi and Micah's grandmother's sacrifice (and their mother's quest to revive her) here!

Naomi: It's not too late to turn around. I can already tell this thing will be full of freaks and weirdos.

Micah: No one forced you to join me, you know.

Olive: Spellcaster! Welcome!

Micah: Magic may run in the family, but I've never really called myself a-

Olive: Let us bask in each other's presence.

Micah: Oof. Um. Okay.

Naomi: Awfully touchy-feely for a stranger.

Olive: Your grandmother always spoke so highly of you both.

Naomi: [snorts] Yeah, right.

Micah: Wait, you know Grandma?

Olive: The dead and the living of Ravenwood owe her a great deal. If the Magic Realm had fallen all those years ago, the Netherworld would have shortly followed.

Naomi: Right. She sacrificed herself for the good of all Simkind, blah, blah, blah. You know what else runs in our family? Tall tales. Now, who the fuck is this ugly hunk of granite?

Olive: Why, naturally, that’s the Ancestor!

-

Ekade: Oh, yeah, I’ve got one of those cards. It’s yours for a small favor. Attend Afterlife Anonymous and report back to me. I’m doing a PhD on what makes ghosts choose to stay or leave. My working hypothesis: love.

-

Naomi: Can we go yet? This crowd is fucking lame.

Micah: We have to stay for the swim, at least.

Naomi: Oh, right, the exhibitionist parade. Yippee.

-

Naomi: Hellooooo! I thought we were all getting naked.

God, it’s freezing in there. Someone could have died!

Olive: Indeed. It’s rather a shame no one did.

Naomi: Lady, what’s wrong with you?

-

Micah: [softly] Another one of Alice's.

-

Micah: Naomi, wait! There's something buried here!

[dravencore]

philosophical debates and fights to the death won't fix him but @carrionkid and I agree that gardening would

[nebula1734]

Shit man, I played halo reach, I understand the desire to drive forklifts even in the distant future!

This gives me an idea for a new stratagem: Forklift. What are the practical applications of this? Fuck if I know, but imagine this:

You are a bot, you hear a loud revving noise. You expect an FRV to come flying over the hill, but instead, it’s a forklift. One helldiver sits behind the wheel, two more hang off the side of the cage and one helldiver lays on a pallet being carried by the forks. (What the Ministry of Occupational Safety and Health doesn’t know won’t hurt them.) They crush bots surrounding them with ease. Some spill oil as they are impaled upon the forks. The automaton force is laid to ruin by a simple machine of Super Industry:

The Forklift.

Something interesting in regards to the Voteless in Helldivers 2 on the ship broadcast has been stuck in my mind for the past while.

According to this specimen's brain scan, the brain activity seems to trigger the most in regards to the forklift, which can lead to a few conclusions. Maybe this guy was formerly a forklift operator? Did they work in construction? Is the brainwashing the Illuminate put the Voteless affecting their brainwaves, so they react to construction more as a means of labour? But the more funnier way of interpeting it, is that this Voteless was forklift certified before being transformed.. Or regardless of past certification or not - wants to drive the forklift.

Even after transformation into a mindless zombie, the forklift fantasy remains.

[ilikeit-art]

Putting out fire using Bernoulli's principle.

[randomx123]

One problem with Hindus (especially conservative ones) is that they support various gender expressions and identities as long as it's related to mythology

Like we see girls in drag cosplaying Krishna and that's widely accepted. They do drag for other mythological characters as well. We see men in drag in mythological theatrical productions but if a man is in drag that's NOT related to mythology, he'd get shamed. Same thing with men being and acting feminine (no doubt, positively in this case) as long as it's related to a mythological act, or scene. Graceful male traditional dancers for example, are fine. But if that same man dances "femininely" to a Western song, he gets called slurs.

And then the trans topic is an entirely different topic.

Ykwim?

Yeah, IKR?

Vishnu turns into Mohini to get the Amrit from the Asurs? A-OK

Lakshmi having feelings for Her Narayan even in that form? *Le gasp* Paap! Anuchit! Dandaniya!

Men acting/looking feminine? *Insert all the hu mofo bian insults you can think of*

Ardhanarishvar being partly both Male and Female at once, and hence neither as a whole? *BrIlLiAnCe Of SaNaTaN dHaRmA!! Rahhh!! InInIn!! 🦚🦚🦚*

Non-binary people? Intersex people? *ThEy ArE (r-slur) pEoPlE wItH bRaInRoT fRoM pRoPaGaNdA!!!*

Don't these people love yapping about their favourite scriptures? Don't they read them? Don't they know that Para Brahman (I'd have said Debi, but not everyone is open to accepting anything besides what they've stuffed in their craniums for so long, so generalising...) is in everything in this Universe?

I don't mean only humans, or even living beings. Every atom is supposed to hold Para Brahman, the same way They hold the Universe within Themself

[serpentface]

Question about Couya! Since she is a bastard what are the reasons about her being brought into the main family by her father. Was it genuine care for his child or a way to save face politically/socially? Is her birth mother alive? Do you think she would have had a better life growing up anywhere else?

This is in large part due to how cultural perceptions and legal punishment of adultery varies between male and female citizens, looped into the very strictly patrilineal kinship system.

By legal definition, the word for 'adultery' applies only to situations where a man has an affair with a married woman, or a married woman has an affair with any man. Other forms of affairs (eg a married man having an affair with an unmarried woman) are wrapped into a broader set of sexual misdemeanors and aren't often charged or punished in practice, and the punishments are comparatively minor (if an unwed woman's father pursues charges, the man in the affair is likely to just pay a fine). On a social level, extramaritial affairs in general are certainly not Approved of and seen as lowly and dishonorable, but the average response is significantly less harsh/more willing to entertain Nuance with men than with women.

In this society there's differentiated shades of bastardry depending on the contexts of the child's birth, as well as a distinction for 'nameless bastards' (has not been claimed by their biological father or maternal grandfather, or claimed in adoption).

a) A child born to an unmarried woman via an unmarried man: non-issue for father, potentially serious social harm for the woman (especially if she has never been married and expected virginal, much less severe as a widow or divorcee). The child will not be notably disadvantaged in of themselves (their status will depend more on whether they are claimed and thus provided the social security of a family patriarch), the father will experience no hard disadvantages in claiming them.

b) A child born to an unmarried woman via a married man: mild sexual misdemeanor for the father carrying levels of social shame, even more serious social harm for the woman (often framed as not just loose but a manipulative Seductress of a married man). The child might experience minor to moderate social disadvantages, the consequences of the father claiming them are purely social and will not typically be severe. (Couya is this)

c) A child born to a married woman via an unmarried or married man: both man and woman have committed a crime and can be severely punished. The biological father can technically claim the child but will be disincentivized from doing so. This is the form of bastardry most comparable to the conventional definition, in that it is heavily stigmatized and has effects on concerns of kinship and inheritance.

In addendum to this, if the adulterous wife's legal husband claims the child, this may be punishable if determined to be active concealment of adultery (which is also a crime), and has EXTREME social consequences either way. (Either you're a cuckold too stupid to notice that your wife has been skipping out on you, or you're a MEGAcuckold adultery-accessory willingly rearing another man's child after being horribly shamed by him).

(This is separate from adoption- a man who marries a woman with an unclaimed child after the fact (whether it was a product of adultery or just a general out of wedlock birth) and claims the child is an adoptive father, he is not concealing adultery or being cuckolded.)

A child born in an affair can be considered an heir to their biological fathers (descent and kinship is fully patrilineal and on a Basic level it doesn't matter who the mother is), and can very smoothly and legally be claimed when the affair was not considered criminal adultery. The concern on that front is social perception rather than material legal consequences or kinship issues.

Couya's birth mother was an unwed servant working as a housekeeper for her father Saizen, so the Crime of adultery did not take place. It would be considered a minor sexual misdemeanor, and the woman's father was not about to pursue charges against a nobleman who could Ruin him (and had also formally expressed that he would claim the child, which meant he would not be saddled with a nameless bastard granddaughter). So the concerns here were entirely social.

The affair might have started beforehand but the pregnancy that produced Couya occurred after his wife's third viable pregnancy ended in the premature birth of a underdeveloped boy deemed necessary to euthanize (and tbr would Not have survived either way). This was after Livya Haidamane had a couple early term miscarriages, two viable but very difficult pregnancies wherein one child was very weak and sickly for the first several years of life, and struggled to conceive every time. A lot of people are going to be at least a little sympathetic to a married man having an affair and claiming a bastard in this context. It's definitely ideal and practical to have more than two children, and his wife (while not outright infertile) clearly could not reliably bear healthy children. (The average response is going to be "Well he shouldn't have done it but like, I get it")

Couya being claimed by her father was a mix of genuine care and saving face. Initially it was MUCH more the latter than the former. Saizen made attempts to hide the servant's pregnancy and to keep his own wife out of sight during the late term (to prevent the baby appearing after his wife had been seen Extremely not pregnant). But there's some levels of care involved, he could very easily have fired the pregnant servant and had nothing to do with his bastard and she would have no recompense whatsoever. The choice to keep and claim the baby and ensure its entrance into the world bore as little social scrutiny as possible is an act of care for his own progeny.

This was Not an act of care for Couya's birth mother (beyond the fact that concealing her pregnancy would benefit her in hiding that she is not only Not a virgin prior to marriage but had a child). She probably would have been about 17-19 at the time and was fired a few months after giving birth, and most likely never saw Couya again after this point (if she did, it would most likely be in the context of seeing her as an adult Odonii in public and noting her to look Scarily familiar). She has an Okayish chance at still being alive, she'd be around 50 (and a person who survives the high infant mortality and birth casualty rates stands a good chance of hitting their 60s), though she could very well be a casualty of the drought+famine.

Whether or not Couya's life would have been better is kind of a mixed bag. She had an awful fucking childhood in large part because her adoptive mother Livya Haidamane hated her. (Livya was ultimately a pretty horrible person but not just like. An Evil Bitch. She had A Lot going on and Couya was a living breathing insult to her and reminder of like, every one of her dashed hopes and dreams). Couya is also autistic and presented very intense symptoms as a child in a society that is Not equipped for a mass-understanding and support of cognitive differences. But she still did have an immensely privileged life with profound physical/economic levels of security inaccessible to the vast majority of people in this region, including her birth mother. Saizen also actually Liked her and cared about her, he just wasn't a routine physical presence in any of his children's lives.

Had she been left with her biological mother, she would be in a very disadvantaged situation as a nameless bastard to an unwed mother. Her biological grandfather may or may not have been willing to claim her, and her mother would have great difficulties in finding a husband (which is ultimately necessary for the security of women in this society). I think her mother was a relatively kind person but not like, a perfect angel. She would probably have complicated feelings about her bastard daughter, especially one whose very existence materially disadvantages her and was very, very difficult as a child. So this probably would not have been a good situation for Couya either.

If you broaden the question to ANY other family completely divorced from the circumstances of her birth, yeah it definitely could have been better. But in her case it's like either "Life of grotesque socioeconomic privilege but in an abusive household" or "Life of profound socioeconomic disadvantages in a household that Probably wouldn't have been this abusive but certainly wouldn't be healthy". There wasn't really a good option for her.