#context link in the comments

[gen-toon]

[yardsards]

I'm sorry someone is being weird on your post, it's a good dungeon menshi post I agree with you marcille and laios make really amusing friends in that annoying sibling kind of way that i adore

(context: read the replies)

thanks!

and my mistake was spending any of my limited time on this earth arguing with that brainrotted dipshit in the replies lmao. but i had a lot of Thoughts on the matter and fandom amatonormativity and dismissal of the idea that you can genuinely get attached to platonic pairings is something that sets me off and i have a lot to say about.

but yeah i fucking LOVE laios and marcille's friendship like not just because it's such a fun dynamic to watch but like it's so sweet and they support and trust and look up to each other so much it makes me want to want to gnaw wood.

and i love watching the growth from "we'll work together because we both love falin" to "now the two of us genuinely love each other just as much as we love her". it's so fucking good and i cannot wait to see the second half of that growth get animated.

(and as i said in the tags of that post: i think my years in the taz fandom with the taako-lup-barry dynamic primed me to love the laios-falin-marcille dynamic. i love me a good romantic pain + sibling pair + inlaws that are besties triad.)

[arcticdementor]

I think the best line in it comes directly after the headline: “For a Samurai to be brave, he must have a bit of Black blood.” — Japanese Proverb. I had originally thought that this was a reference to Onis, and so my knee-jerk reaction was: Imagine appropriating a Japanese proverb about demon blood to make a point about African representation in ancient Japan.  Then I looked into the origin of the “proverb”, which you might be able to tell from the scare quotes, wasn’t actually a proverb, it is attributed to a relatively obscure French racist, Georges Maget, by M. De Quatrefages in “Bulletins et mémoires” By Société d’anthropologie de Paris in the late 1800’s. Page 53, if you can read French. Maget is described as having written a letter in 1877 that described the Japanese as a mixture of Malay “Negritos” and the Ainu, and using that heritage to paint them as mixed-race sub humans.  A copy of Japan’s Weekly Mail from the same year skewered him, very politely, for not having a fucking clue what he was talking about: “A good deal has been already said and written about the origin of the Japanese race Kaempffer makes them out to be Assyrians. and traces their route from the Tower of Babel with as much minuteness as if he had himself been an eyewitness of their journey, while other writers have in turn identified them with the Chinese, the North-American Indians, the ancient Peruvians, and the lost tribes of Israel. A plausibly written article from the pen of Dr. Maget, of the French man-of-war Cosmao, which has been lately reproduced in two of the Yokohama journals, endeavours to prove that the Japanese are chiefly of Malay origin, and as he refers somewhat contemptuously to the theory of “the peopling of the Nipon Archipelago by emigrations which with too great complacency are fancied to have started no from China, now from Korea, now from Manchuria,” he cannot complain if some of those who with more or less ‘complacency’ hold this view, at least in so far as Korea is concerned, should do their best. to combat his arguments.” So to tie that all up: In order to make the point that there should have been black people in a movie set in ancient Japan, Spivey quoted a 150 year old quote from a French Racist who fabricated the ancestry of Japanese people to make the point that Japanese people were sub-human by relation. Take a fucking bow.

—Humble Talent

[nedsseveredhead]

Thinking about the time a terf took the 'men will see a mouse and eat it' post 100% literally and argued to me that men have an obsession with abusing mice

[super-secret-clown-corner]

i found the lifesteal fanfiction (my ace ass still can't comprehend relationships and how they form lmfao i'm living in some wild qpr fantasy of my own creation)

[dipplinduo]

Dang, I missed the chaos poll. But at least everyone agrees that Poetry Kieran would be interesting. Now, will the poetry tug at our heartstrings, or will it be a classic "everything is meaningless" kind of thing?

(Context: Silly poll for The Dichotomy in Our Hearts )

It's an angsty poem about/privately dedicated to Juliana 😏 (although he'd never want her to actually see it)

[cum-villain]

[unhinged-nymph]

It’s all adding up

[mydollsaregay]

i’ve seen a bit of talk around the community about AG making less quality dolls and cutting corners. and like - you’re not imagining things, they absolutely are doing that. but there is a piece of this conversation that I think gets brushed over a lot, and i think it’s important: american girl dolls are cheaper then they used to be.

before you start telling me i’ve lost my mind, let’s look at some numbers. the original pleasant company dolls were manufactured in Germany and released in 1986; for a doll with her softcover book, the price was $68. “WAIT,” i hear you cry, “that’s less expensive!” however:

it’s actually pretty significantly MORE expensive.

even looking at the prices i remember from my own childhood:

not as much, but that’s still a bit more expensive that the ag dolls of today.

now, quite a few things have made this drop in cost possible. ag dolls are now produced in countries where labor markets are less regulated and therefore labor costs are cheaper (aka workers are able to be exploited for greater profits), modern tech has made some production processes faster and automated, and some materials are cheaper to acquire. however, ag has still absolutely lowered production quality as well. it’s hard to tell if they HAD to, but I would assume they did at least a bit, in order to keep the profit per doll at the same amount or increasing (which would be necessary to please investors, not have to do layoffs, etc.).

does that mean we should stop pointing out the flaws with newer dolls? no, absolutely not! what it DOES mean is that when we have discussions about ag’s decrease in quality, we ought to put those discussions in context.

this was prompted by a video on youtube that I just watched about ag’s quality control issues, which claimed the dolls are more expensive now than ever, and they are simply not. yes, they cost more United States Dollars than ever before, but the usd is worth less than what it used to be worth. even with the recent price increase, ag dolls are actually selling for less than they have for most of the brand’s history!

the reality is - ag can increase the price and make better quality dolls, or they can hold steady on the price and make lower quality dolls. they really do have to pick. and like. with the way people reacted when they increased the price recently, I’m pretty sure they’re going to be sticking with shrinkflation for a good few years coming up, whether you and I like it or not.

that does not, of course, mean they should not face criticism! they, like every other company choosing to lower quality rather than increase prices, are likely to try and get away with some nonsense. it is very tempting for companies to try and push lowered production costs as far as they can, but these dolls still cost $115! they should certainly still be high quality!

however, if you want the new dolls to be as high quality as the older dolls, you will likely be disappointed. I can’t think of any company that has willingly reversed course to have LESS of a profit margin without major pushback that would have eaten into their bottom line otherwise (stuff like perma panties).

this is a difficult conversation because the reality is, even with the cost dropping as inflation catches up, AG dolls are still quite expensive, and very inaccessible to most kids, and many adult collectors as well. i personally am happy that they’re slightly more accessible these days to the kids and collectors who love them (though wealth disparities in the us continue to increase, so are they actually accessible to any more people than they were back in the day when they were more expensive? idk), but im also stuck wishing they were a bit higher cost and higher quality, for my own personal enjoyment and collection.

sadly, there is no simple conclusion here. life is complicated. so are economies and the companies that participate in them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ nonetheless, may you go forth and continue to write well-deserved criticisms with just a bit more context behind you.

[didntaskforfrozenyoghurt]

that post progressively enhances

[dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram]

Hi!! I know you always goes to different direction when talking numbers, and I like your interpretations, so, what do you think it’d mean if Louis gets that number 1? But also, if he abandons the list the next week, what would it mean for Louis or his career or the album’s success? Thanks!

So I think it's worth separating out two aspects of the music industry - the first is financial viability and the other is symbols of success. Understanding that these are not the same thing and that some measures of success do not contribute at all to financial viability is key to understanding what any of these figures mean.

It's always been the case that songwriters get paid for radio plays in the US, but performers do not. So a radio hit, while it has lots of flow on effects, has never paid the bills. Streaming has exacerbated this - it's essential for the perception of success, it's not necessarily going to pay the bills.

So the first thing to say is that this is making good money, both for Louis and BMG. Even with the discounts and incentives - selling something is a good path to financial viability. There are caveats - when it comes to finances absolute numbers matter more than position, and while it's good to sell albums, touring is more important.

As far as symbols of success - a number one album is definitely up there. The charts are an institution within music so it means a lot to people just on its own terms. In addition, it brings legitimacy. All those things that some fans like to complain that Louis isn't on? It's hard to tell how much that's about timing and priorities (he's in an awkward position when it comes to BBC radio - he's not of the moment enough for Radio `1, or cool enough for Radio 6, but he probably doesn't want to consign himself to Radio 2 at this point of his career). But a number 1 does make things easier, it makes it easier for bookers to say yes and it helps loosen spending money.

I think there are probably specific impacts for Louis Tomlinson, former boyband member, having a second album that does better than the first and reaches number 1. The expectation for boyband members is that they're a flash in a pan. Having a strong first album doesn't counter that narrative - and can be attributed to left over fans. Having a second album that does better than the first bring him out of the vortex of assumptions about boyband members.

As for the fact that Faith in the Future will not hold its position - I think to ask what impact it would have on Louis' career sort of ignores the nature of his career. Louis' support is deep rather than wide and everyone knows that. Having a dedicated fanbase is a really important part of a sustainable career. Would there be advantages to being big on streaming - sure there would. But there'd also be costs, in terms of the implications

[crankydevon]

Someone else probably posted this, but here it is again:

Helen Mirren thinks it's "magical" that dancing in orbit around the earth are a hundred robots singing (at 1575Mhz, one eternal note held halfway between B♭ and B, 21 octaves above middle C), and any time you can hear four of them sing at once you know exactly where in the universe you are

Please go read the whole thread! It is amazing!

[arcticdementor]

"I normally don’t do this multiple posting but the “just stick it out” moment got me. I ran a whole damn department, taught myself to code, saved the company thousands of dollars, played by the rules for TEN YEARS. Ten years!!!! I didn’t make enough to even remotely come close to being able to own a home and then was fired. This is the out of touch view even gen x has. I Work my ass off just for myself just to barely scrape by. I was richer in purchasing power working min wage in high school than I am now."

—@vasilysidorenko

[curlicuecal]

playing science telephone

Hi folks. Let's play a fun game today called "unravelling bad science communication back to its source."

Journey with me.

Saw a comment going around on a tumblr thread that "sometimes the life expectancy of autism is cited in the 30s"

That number seemed..... strange. The commenter DID go on to say that that was "situational on people being awful and not… anything autism actually does", but you know what? Still a strange number. I feel compelled to fact check.

Quick Google "autism life expectancy" pulls up quite a few websites bandying around the number 39. Which is ~technically~ within the 30s, but already higher than the tumblr factoid would suggest. But, guess what. This number still sounds strange to me.

Most of the websites presenting this factoid present themselves as official autism resources and organizations (for parents, etc), and most of them vaguely wave towards "studies."

Ex: "Above And Beyond Therapy" has a whole article on "Does Autism Affect Life Expectancy" and states:

The link implies that it will take you to the "research studies" being referenced, but it in fact takes you to another random autism resource group called.... Songbird Care?

And on that website we find the factoid again:

Ooh, look. Now they've added the word "some". The average lifespan for SOME autistic people. Which the next group erased from the fact. The message shifts further.

And we have slightly more information about the study! (Which has also shifted from "studies" to a singular "study"). And we have another link!

Wonderfully, this link actually takes us to the actual peer-reviewed 2020 study being discussed. [x]

And here, just by reading the abstract, we find the most important information of all.

This study followed a cohort of adolescent and adult autistic people across a 20 year time period. Within that time period, 6.4% of the cohort died. Within that 6.4%, the average age of death was 39 years.

So this number is VERY MUCH not the average age of death for autistic people, or even the average age of death for the cohort of autistic people in that study. It is the average age of death IF you died young and within the 20 year period of the study (n=26), and also we don't even know the average starting age of participants without digging into earlier papers, except that it was 10 or older. (If you're curious, the researchers in the study suggested reduced self-sufficiency to be among the biggest risk factors for the early mortality group.)

But the number in the study has been removed from it's context, gradually modified and spread around the web, and modified some more, until it is pretty much a nonsense number that everyone is citing from everyone else.

There ARE two other numbers that pop up semi-frequently:

One cites the life expectancy at 58. I will leave finding the context for that number as an exercise for the audience, since none of the places I saw it gave a direct citation for where they were getting it.

And then, probably the best and most relevant number floating around out there (and the least frequently cited) draws from a 2023 study of over 17,000 UK people with an autism diagnosis, across 30 years. [x] This study estimated life expectancies between 70 and 77 years, varying with sex and presence/absence of a learning disability. (As compared to the UK 80-83 average for the population as a whole.)

This is a set of numbers that makes way more sense and is backed by way better data, but isn't quite as snappy a soundbite to pass around the internet. I'm gonna pass it around anyway, because I feel bad about how many scared internet people I stumbled across while doing this search.

People on quora like "I'm autistic, can I live past 38"-- honey, YES. omg.

---

tl;dr, when someone gives you a number out of context, consider that the context is probably important

also, make an amateur fact checker's life easier and CITE YOUR SOURCES

[unhinged-nymph]

Ok soooo I'm just gonna start posting my thoughts lol. I'm going to organize them by segment so it's not one big massive post. So let's get into it shall we?

The Opening

I still don't love Charles but that opening segment was pretty funny and I loved the raunchy pics. And seeing Link on his back with those slutty bellbottoms bunched around his feet with his legs in the air? Tongue out, head lolled back?? Insane imagery so thank you for that.

I think one of my favorite parts of gme is always how drunk Link spends so much time looking at/whispering to/touching Rhett and trying to get his and only his attention.

And of course the “Do you want me to bury my face in Rhett’s… juicy ass?” followed by Rhett’s “yeah yeah yeah yeah”... I think that one just stands for itself.

I will say that right off the bat and then throughout the entire show. I was a liiiiiil bummed by how almost reluctant Rhett was to seem too drunk. Like there was no way he didn't feel anything with the amount of shots they had in the pre-show and then in the will it chaser segment, but he definitely held back in a way they he didn't do last year (and last year he specifically said he didn't want to hold back, while this year he specifically said "someone needs to be captain of this ship") and I think that just caused a weird vibe that I noticed a few times throughout the night.

But anyway. hell yeah to ass eating and let's get into the rest of the show!!!

[cheapshrimpysheep]

Meaningful Kiss

SUMMARY: Would they make Public Displays of Affection? If not, are they protective instead? And how do they show you how much they truly love you through their kisses?

CHARACTERS: OB students (Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, Idia & Malleus)

TAGS: Bullet Points; Fluff; GN Reader; Established Relationship, Kissing, Flirting, Slightly Suggestive(?)

WORD COUNT: An average of 300 words per character.

COMMENTS: This has been a WIP for so long that I don't even remember how I got the idea to write it. And in my case, being a WIP for a long time means that I wrote one part and then went on to write something else and ended up forgetting about this one for a long time. 😅 But now I've finished it.

I hope you enjoy 💋

Meaningful Kiss 2 (Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Sebek)

Meaningful Kiss 3 (Ruggie, Jade, Kalim, Silver, Lilia)

Meaningful Kiss 4 (Cater, Trey, Floyd, Rook)

CONTEXT: You two are in an established relationship already.

Riddle is not really the PDA type. The most he would do with you in public could be walk arm in arm like you were royalty. In terms of kisses, a kiss on the back of your hand or, at the most, on your cheek.

When the two of you are alone on a normal day, he will probably be working on his student and Housewarden duties. But whenever you tell him he should take a break, he'll get up, sit next to you and hug you, like you're a charger.

If you're relaxing together, he’ll be reading a book with one arm around you. Either around your shoulders or around your waist, which you told him you like the most. He’ll also laying his head on your shoulder.

The most meaningful kisses are, of course, the kisses on your lips. He's not the type to kiss you on the lips just like a "good morning" thing. These kisses are always sweet and lovely. His hands would be on your cheeks to caress them.

He needs you, but his kisses aren't needy. They are the caring type. You are his precious rose. In contrast to his strict self, the way he shows you that he loves you is through soft affection and care.

A relationship with Leona Kingscholar comes with your rights and duties. Some of your rights: He will buy you things; you’re allowed to pet his ears; he will be your protector and you can sleep with him in his comfy bed and have breakfast in bed (he ordered someone to bring it to you two)

Some of your duties: let him use you as a pillow (be it your thighs in the greenhouse or your chest in bed.); don't be too annoying to him; dealing with his “smugness” on a daily basis and being his and his alone, the same way he's yours.

He's kinda into PDA, but more in the sense of telling anyone who might look at you with interest that you're his. Or anyone who looks down on you that if they do the slightest thing against you they will have to suffer at his claws. If the other person is a friend of yours, he'll let it go.

He has at least two types of kisses. The first is the “make out” kisses. When you're alone and he wants you (if you want him at the time too of course), he would give you deep kisses, kiss your neck and run his hands over you. Either he would make you sit on his lap our make you lie down with him.

His real meaningful kisses are the second ones. The "lazy" kisses. The first ones are linked to his pride. These second ones are much more affectionate. Usually happen when he's still sleepy, like when he just woke up from a good nap. He may lazily put his arms around you and kiss your cheek, neck, or shoulder gently. This is perhaps the most vulnerable state he will let you see. And so it will only happen in private.

Azul is also not very adept at PDA, but he is still capable of putting an arm around you and kissing your cheek to show how well he takes care of you.

He's already quite charming and pleasant with his potential clients, so with you it's not much different in public. The only difference is that with you it's genuine.

Do I need to say that dating him is like dating a Mafia Boss? AKA: Nobody disrespects my loved ones, unless they want a certain head in their beds when they wake up. (reference to The Godfather)

Being alone with him on a normal day would probably be being with him in his VIP room at Mostro Lounge. You're sitting on one of the couches while he's dealing with his paperwork. He’s probably the type that likes to be teased a little. So, when you see that he is no longer that attentive to the papers, go up to him, play with his hair, kiss his cheek, that will put him in the mood for you.

He’s the opposite of Leona. The kisses he usually gives you are sweet and charming like him. Because that's the side of him he want to show you the most. He'll kiss your cheek and lips affectionately. Let you sit on his lap. The side he most wants to show you is the confident and caring side. The one who shows you that you can trust him and that he will take care of you.

His most meaningful kiss is the opposite. The one related to his needy side. He shows you his most vulnerable side when he is the one who needs you. And that's what everything he does shows you. His kisses, his hugs, his begging look, all screaming “I need you! Please don’t leave me.”

Jamil is completely against PDA! He doesn't like to stand out or draw attention and PDA always do that to the people involved. He won't hold your hand or kiss you. To the point where no one knows if you're even dating or not.

The only way he would show his affection for you in public is if that is a way to protect you. If someone looks down on you and he feels that that persons can be a threat to you, he will show that he is an even greater threat to them. In these moments, his protective side is stronger. He is Kalim's protector by obligation, but yours by free will.

It's when you're alone that he'll make up for his lack of affection of the day. On a normal day, you would be alone in the kitchen. He would probably be cooking for Kalim, but making something for you two as well. He’ll let you taste things as he cooks. He feels more relaxed when he's with you and even more so when you hug him.

When you're relaxing together, he would spoil you. Give you soft and sweet kisses. Pet your head and play with your hair. Give you massages and feed you things like grapes or small snacks. Or even taking the first mouthful of food he made for you to your mouth and seeing your delighted face.

The most meaningful gestures of affection he shows you are related to his most lustful side (lust for power) when you are the one spoiling him. The one moment in his life where he is no longer the servant, but the master. This time, he kisses your lips, your neck and everything he's entitled to. He tends not to show his feelings but with you he will show how much he loves you and how much he wants you.

In reality, Vil neither likes nor dislikes PDA. He's kind of indifferent to it. The only reason he doesn't do it with you is because it would have bad consequences for both of you for his work as an actor and model. The most he can do is walk hand in hand with you.

Even though he doesn't show it much in public, everyone will know that you two are dating. He'll make sure of it, even if it's just information on the internet or him straight out saying it. On the one hand to protect you, because only an idiot would try to mess with Vil Schoenheit's partner. On the other hand to discourage anyone who has the slightest interest in you. “Honey, they’re with me. Do you really think you can even get to my heels? So, don't bother them.”

The only possible problem for you is that he's going to be more strict now that you're dating. From the outside it looks like he can be mean and demanding with you. But the truth is, he wants you to look your best so people know why he fell in love with you. He wants others to see on the outside how beautiful you are on the inside.

But of course, sometimes it's too much and you'll challenge him. Be stubborn and carefree. The best part? He's so into it! Your way of teasing each other.

He kisses you every now and then when you're alone. But when you put him on this mood, all his affection mix with boldness intensifies. Oh, of course, you wanted him to remind you what the reward is for listening to him. The answer is: appreciating you with the rest of his senses, sensual kisses on your lips, jaw, neck and shoulders; his hands running over your body, him delighting in your wearing the perfume he made for you. He'll show you how beautiful you are to him.

PDA is not even an option! There is no way! Na-a! Listen, Idia loves you, really, he promises BUT going with you to places where couples usually go is already a lot and holding hands is the absolute most he can do. IF that even happens.

He wouldn’t be the jealous type. If someone shows an interest in you, at least they have good taste. But if someone looks down on you or goes so far as to disrespect you, then he goes from 0 to 100. Do these worms know he can hack them? exposing things that can completely ruin their lives until the day they pass through the gates of the underworld? Ortho can help protect you in the meantime.

Since he is a 0 to 100 guy, his kisses are the same. His "0" kisses are lazy. Mainly light, on your shoulder and neck, because you would be sitting on his lap, chest to chest, while he plays on his PC and you on your phone on his back. He also gives you casual "hi" and "bye" kisses on the lips.

Then there is his "100" kisses. Those are the real meaningful kisses, the "I love you" kisses. They are passionate but kind. Because loving you is different for loving a game, it's like he found his balance. they are not needy, but appreciative, the real embodiment of "OMG, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" He also becomes bolder as he feels comfortable with you. He loves to tease you until he makes you shut him up with a kiss. The stronger your relationship is, the more daring and smug he will be.

Malleus is quite indifferent to PDA. However, he is not the type to initiate the exchange of affection, but he is the type to reciprocate it. He won't kiss or hug you out of nowhere. But if you kiss or hug him, he will definitely reciprocate.

And he's going to be extremely casual about it. I mean, it's two lovers interacting with each other. As young humans would say: What's the big deal? However, he still distinguishes between the affection he gives you in public and the affection he gives you in private.

In public, his hugs are polite, and his kisses are light but loving.

In private, what he wants most is simply to be with you. He loves it when you sit on his lap and he cuddles you, and he likes it even more when you cuddle him back. He maintains his composure quite well, but you know that just your kisses on his checks already melt him inside.

His regular kisses in privet are sweet, loving, showing you that you are the most precious thing in his life. And very recurrent. He may not be the type to initiate the exchange of affection in public, but he certainly is in private.

All his kisses are meaningful, but the most meaningful of all are the one he gives you on your lips while smiling. The kind of kiss he can't stop himself from giving you. You may not even notice when they happen, because you are simply being yourself.

He feels the need to kiss you passionately when you do something that reminds him of why he fell in love with you. The moments when you do something that may seem simple, but for him it is something extraordinary. And if you don't realize at first how incredible that small gesture can be for him, it only makes you more charming.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX