#i am studying systematics

[cryptotheism]

After enough study and overview of all these variably-bugshit philosophical traditions, does it all start to make its own sort of sense to you? Not in the sense of starting to subscribe to any particular esoteric beliefs, but as being able to intuitively systematize things. I'm imagining something as simple as automatically getting what W and X are on about, why that is a consequence of the beliefs of Y, how both of these were a natural consequence of Z, and how it has nothing to do with G despite fascinating parallels.

[cw fake placeholder jargon] I doubt it can ever be as clean-cut as being able to read a manifesto and saying "oh, this one is cthonic type-A pseudoplatonism with principally millenarian rhetoric and aesthetics mostly informed by 20th century Orientalism", but I do like to imagine that you have Religious Studies superpowers.

I don't want to frame it as "I literally understand everything and the occult is the key to understanding all ideology" that's way too much.

But, you do get a good set of tools for describing the shape of complex and strange belief systems. I can find a random conspiracist on tiktok and I get can get a good sense of their idealogical genealogy from hearing the words they use.

Occult ideologies like weird new age shit and conspiracism are still just ideologies and mythologies, but the way they interact is much more chaotic than most other ideologies. Which is to say yeah, circumstances like the one you described do happen to me. There have been times when I've come across strange occult conversations that are incomprehensible to most people, but make complete sense to me. But in the sense that I am baffled by people talking about like, how a car works. My knowledge isn't "more special" than a car mechanics just because I learn about wizards and a mechanic learns about engines.

[sammaggs]

🚨🚨 This is one of the first M/M gay kisses on scripted North American television 🚨🚨

and I frankly am of the opinion that this should be studied in queer theory classes in schools!!

due South’s Mountie on the Bounty Part 2 aired March 22, 1998 and includes the infamous “Buddy Breathing” scene, featuring THIS underwater kiss between Paul Gross’s Benton Fraser and Callum Keith Rennie’s Ray Kowalski. And it’s one of the first times anybody—ANYBODY—got away with it.

8min 20sec in and yes it’s that dark for a reason baby

For date- and network-specific relevancy, the commonly-accepted first M/M gay kisses on network TV are usually listed as

Dec. 6 1998 on That 70’s Show, where a gay Joseph Gordon-Levitt forces himself on Topher Grace (here at 2:24),

with the first popular and passionate gay M/M kiss between canonically queer characters on network TV not airing until Dawson’s Creek in 2000.

There were a few others before this in ‘94: two straight men as a joke on Friends, an unscripted kiss on The Real World (cable), and a real scripted gay kiss on (Paul Gross-starring) Tales of the City which aired on public broadcaster PBS, nearly getting them defunded. But prime time network TV, we’re usually looking at December of ‘98.

Which is why t’s definitely worth noting that Mountie on the Bounty Pt. 2 aired over 8 months before the episode of That ‘70s Show in March 1998!

So why can’t we count it as THE first? Well, it’s complicated. In the U.S., seasons 3 and 4 of due South were relegated to syndication on basic cable network TNT (typically at, like, 1 P.M. on weekdays).

But this absolutely DID air on CANADIAN prime time network television on CTV, and it DID still air on syndicated U.S. TV (important enough to warrant a TV Guide write-up!), so that’s why I’ve classified it the way I have.

Imagine the absolute balls it took to write, get network approval for, shoot, and air without censorship, an M/M slash LIFE-GIVING KISS on TELEVISION (cable or not) in the year 1998. HUGE. (And, of course—spoiler warning for a 30-year-old television show—Fraser and Kowalski ride off into the sunrise together at the end of the series, and they got away with that, too.)

Paul Gross, the man that you are,

(Also huge thank you to @systematic-and-somehow-tragic who tracked down the 1997 TV Guide from whence I drew this snippet. Set ‘em up, knock ‘em down!)

[amateurvoltaire]

For the past six years or so, this graph has been making its rounds on social media, always reappearing at conveniently timed moments…

The insinuation is loud and clear: parallels abound between 18th-century France and 21st-century USA. Cue the alarm bells—revolution is imminent! The 10% should panic, and ordinary folk should stock up on non-perishables and, of course, toilet paper, because it wouldn’t be a proper crisis without that particular frenzy. You know the drill.

Well, unfortunately, I have zero interest in commenting on the political implications or the parallels this graph is trying to make with today’s world. I have precisely zero interest in discussing modern-day politics here. And I also have zero interest in addressing the bottom graph.

This is not going to be one of those "the [insert random group of people] à la lanterne” (1) kind of posts.  If you’re here for that, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.

What I am interested in is something much less click-worthy but far more useful: how historical data gets used and abused and why the illusion of historical parallels can be so seductive—and so misleading. It’s not glamorous, I’ll admit, but digging into this stuff teaches us a lot more than mindless rage.

So, let’s get into it. Step by step, we’ll examine the top graph, unpick its assumptions, and see whether its alarmist undertones hold any historical weight.

Step 1: Actually Look at the Picture and Use Your Brain

When I saw this graph, my first thought was, “That’s odd.” Not because it’s hard to believe the top 10% in 18th-century France controlled 60% of the wealth—that could very well be true. But because, in 15 years of studying the French Revolution, I’ve never encountered reliable data on wealth distribution from that period.

Why? Because to the best of my knowledge, no one was systematically tracking income or wealth across the population in the 18th century. There were no comprehensive records, no centralised statistics, and certainly no detailed breakdowns of who owned what across different classes. Graphs like this imply data, and data means either someone tracked it or someone made assumptions to reconstruct it. That’s not inherently bad,  but it did get my spider senses tingling.

Then there’s the timeframe: 1760–1790. Thirty years is a long time— especially when discussing a period that included wars, failed financial policies, growing debt, and shifting social dynamics. Wealth distribution wouldn’t have stayed static during that time. Nobles who were at the top in 1760 could be destitute by 1790, while merchants starting out in 1760 could be climbing into the upper tiers by the end of the period. Economic mobility wasn’t common, but over three decades, it wasn’t unheard of either.

All of this raises questions about how this graph was created. Where’s the data coming from? How was it measured? And can we really trust it to represent such a complex period?

Step 2: Check the Fine Print

Since the graph seemed questionable, the obvious next step was to ask: Where does this thing come from? Luckily, the source is clearly cited at the bottom: “The Income Inequality of France in Historical Perspective” by Christian Morrisson and Wayne Snyder, published in the European Review of Economic History, Vol. 4, No. 1 (2000).

Great! A proper academic source. But, before diving into the article, there’s a crucial detail tucked into the fine print:

“Data for the bottom 40% in France is extrapolated given a single data point.”

What does that mean?

Extrapolation is a statistical method used to estimate unknown values by extending patterns or trends from a small sample of data. In this case, the graph’s creator used one single piece of data—one solitary data point—about the wealth of the bottom 40% of the French population. They then scaled or applied that one value to represent the entire group across the 30-year period (1760–1790).

Put simply, this means someone found one record—maybe a tax ledger, an income statement, or some financial data—pertaining to one specific year, region, or subset of the bottom 40%, and decided it was representative of the entire demographic for three decades.

Let’s be honest: you don’t need a degree in statistics to know that’s problematic. Using a single data point to make sweeping generalisations about a large, diverse population (let alone across an era of wars, famines, and economic shifts) is a massive leap. In fact, it’s about as reliable as guessing how the internet feels about a topic from a single tweet.

This immediately tells me that whatever numbers they claim for the bottom 40% of the population are, at best, speculative. At worst? Utterly meaningless.

It also raises another question: What kind of serious journal would let something like this slide? So, time to pull up the actual article and see what’s going on.

Step 3: Check the Sources

As I mentioned earlier, the source for this graph is conveniently listed at the bottom of the image. Three clicks later, I had downloaded the actual article: “The Income Inequality of France in Historical Perspective” by Morrisson and Snyder.

The first thing I noticed while skimming through the article? The graph itself is nowhere to be found in the publication.

This is important. It means the person who created the graph didn’t just lift it straight from the article—they derived it from the data in the publication. Now, that’s not necessarily a problem; secondary analysis of published data is common. But here’s the kicker: there’s no explanation in the screenshot of the graph about which dataset or calculations were used to make it. We’re left to guess.

So, to figure this out, I guess I’ll have to dive into the article itself, trying to identify where they might have pulled the numbers from. Translation: I signed myself up to read 20+ pages of economic history. Thrilling stuff.

But hey, someone has to do it. The things I endure to fight disinformation...

Step 4: Actually Assess the Sources Critically

It doesn’t take long, once you start reading the article, to realise that regardless of what the graph is based on, it’s bound to be somewhat unreliable. Right from the first paragraph, the authors of the paper point out the core issue with calculating income for 18th-century French households: THERE IS NO DATA.

The article is refreshingly honest about this. It states multiple times that there were no reliable income distribution estimates in France before World War II. To fill this gap, Morrisson and Snyder used a variety of proxy sources like the Capitation Tax Records (2), historical socio-professional tables, and Isnard’s income distribution estimates (3).

After reading the whole paper, I can say their methodology is intriguing and very reasonable. They’ve pieced together what they could by using available evidence, and their process is quite well thought-out. I won’t rehash their entire argument here, but if you’re curious, I’d genuinely recommend giving it a read.

Most importantly, the authors are painfully aware of the limitations of their approach. They make it very clear that their estimates are a form of educated guesswork—evidence-based, yes, but still guesswork.   At no point do they overstate their findings or present their conclusions as definitive

As such,  instead of concluding with a single, definitive version of the income distribution, they offer multiple possible scenarios.

It’s not as flashy as a bold, tidy graph, is it? But it’s far more honest—and far more reflective of the complexities involved in reconstructing historical economic data.

Step 5: Run the numbers

Now that we’ve established the authors of the paper don’t actually propose a definitive income distribution, the question remains: where did the creators of the graph get their data? More specifically, which of the proposed distributions did they use?

Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to locate the original article or post containing the graph. Admittedly, I haven’t tried very hard, but the first few pages of Google results just link back to Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, and Tumblr posts. In short, all I have to go on is this screenshot.

I’ll give the graph creators the benefit of the doubt and assume that, in the full article, they explain where they sourced their data. I really hope they do—because they absolutely should.

That being said, based on the information in Morrisson and Snyder’s paper, I’d make an educated guess that the data came from Table 6 or Table 10, as these are the sections where the authors attempt to provide income distribution estimates.

Now, which dataset does the graph use? Spoiler: None of them.

How can we tell? Since I don’t have access to the raw data or the article where this graph might have been originally posted, I resorted to a rather unscientific method: I used a graphical design program to divide each bar of the chart into 2.5% increments and measure the approximate percentage for each income group.

Here’s what I found:

Now, take a moment to spot the issue. Do you see it?

The problem is glaring: NONE of the datasets from the paper fit the graph. Granted, my measurements are just estimates, so there might be some rounding errors. But the discrepancies are impossible to ignore, particularly for the bottom 40% and the top 10%.

In Morrisson and Snyder’s paper, the lowest estimate for the bottom 40% (1st and 2nd quintiles) is 10%. Even if we use the most conservative proxy, the Capitation Tax estimate, it’s 9%. But the graph claims the bottom 40% held only 6%.

For the top 10% (10th decile), the highest estimate in the paper is 53%. Yet the graph inflates this to 60%.

Step 6: For fun, I made my own bar charts

Because I enjoy this sort of thing (yes, this is what I consider fun—I’m a very fun person), I decided to use the data from the paper to create my own bar charts. Here’s what came out:

What do you notice?

While the results don’t exactly scream “healthy economy,” they look much less dramatic than the graph we started with. The creators of the graph have clearly exaggerated the disparities, making inequality seem worse.

Step 7: Understand the context before drawing conclusions

Numbers, by themselves, mean nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I could tell you right now that 47% of people admit to arguing with inanimate objects when they don’t work, with printers being the most common offender, and you’d probably believe it. Why? Because it sounds plausible—printers are frustrating, I’ve used a percentage, and I’ve phrased it in a way that sounds “academic.”

You likely wouldn’t even pause to consider that I’m claiming 3.8 billion people argue with inanimate objects. And let’s be real: 3.8 billion is such an incomprehensibly large number that our brains tend to gloss over it.

If, instead, I said, “Half of your friends probably argue with their printers,” you might stop and think, “Wait, that seems a bit unlikely.” (For the record, I completely made that up—I have no clue how many people yell at their stoves or complain to their toasters.)

The point? Numbers mean nothing unless we put them into context.

The original paper does this well by contextualising its estimates, primarily through the calculation of the Gini coefficient (4).

The authors estimate France’s Gini coefficient in the late 18th century to be 0.59, indicating significant income inequality. However, they compare this figure to other regions and periods to provide a clearer picture:

Amsterdam (1742): Much higher inequality, with a Gini of 0.69.

Britain (1759): Lower inequality, with a Gini of 0.52, which rose to 0.59 by 1801.

Prussia (mid-19th century): Far less inequality, with a Gini of 0.34–0.36.

This comparison shows that income inequality wasn’t unique to France. Other regions experienced similar or even higher levels of inequality without spontaneously erupting into revolution.

Accounting for Variations

The authors also recalculated the Gini coefficient to account for potential variations. They assumed that the income of the top quintile (the wealthiest 20%) could vary by ±10%. Here’s what they found:

If the top quintile earned 10% more, the Gini coefficient rose to 0.66, placing France significantly above other European countries of the time.

If the top quintile earned 10% less, the Gini dropped to 0.55, bringing France closer to Britain’s level.

Ultimately, the authors admit there’s uncertainty about the exact level of inequality in France. Their best guess is that it was comparable to other countries or somewhat worse.

Step 8: Drawing Some Conclusions

Saying that most people in the 18th century were poor and miserable—perhaps the French more so than others—isn’t exactly a compelling statement if your goal is to gather clicks or make a dramatic political point.

It’s incredibly tempting to look at the past and find exactly what we want to see in it. History often acts as a mirror, reflecting our own expectations unless we challenge ourselves to think critically. Whether you call it wishful thinking or confirmation bias, it’s easy to project the future onto the past.

Looking at the initial graph, I understand why someone might fall into this trap. Simple, tidy narratives are appealing to everyone. But if you’ve studied history, you’ll know that such narratives are a myth. Human nature may not have changed in thousands of years, but the contexts we inhabit are so vastly different that direct parallels are meaningless.

So, is revolution imminent? Well, that’s up to you—not some random graph on the internet.

Notes

(1) A la lanterne was a  revolutionary cry during the French Revolution, symbolising mob justice where individuals were sometimes hanged from lampposts as a form of public execution

(2) The capitation tax was a fixed head tax implemented in France during the Ancien Régime. It was levied on individuals, with the amount owed determined by their social and professional status. Unlike a proportional income tax, it was based on pre-assigned categories rather than actual earnings, meaning nobles, clergy, and commoners paid different rates regardless of their actual wealth or income.

(3) Jean-Baptiste Isnard was an 18th-century economist. These estimates attempted to describe the theoretical distribution of income among different social classes in pre-revolutionary France. Isnard’s work aimed to categorise income across groups like nobles, clergy, and commoners, providing a broad picture of economic disparity during the period.

(4) The Gini coefficient (or Gini index) is a widely used statistical measure of inequality within a population, specifically in terms of income or wealth distribution. It ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 indicates perfect equality (everyone has the same income or wealth), and 1 represents maximum inequality (one person or household holds all the wealth).

[directdogman]

Dialtown is the most USA-core game I've ever played. It's so fucking American that it's scary, and I've lived there my entire life! Like, this feels fundamentally tied with the game's themes and narrative, that's how extreme it is. And it's not even alienating OR nationalist?? It makes such genuine commentary? And then there's so much other shit to think about too; Dialtown has a very real identity outside this that anyone could love?

One: I am VERY impressed that you have done the USA and its people this well. I am actually astounded, bewildered, and chuffed. I've never felt so seen by a video game, culturally-speaking. I didn't even know there was a culture to see.

Two: WHY did you do that. Dialtown is like USA Culture Absurdified: The Visual Novel. What drove you to make a game this rich with American culture and ideas???

Hello!

It would've been odd for an outsider (non American) who enjoys reading up on history to make my setting nationalist or alienating. America is a country with a lot of serious issues. You can't really study how America is (and has been) internally run without facing glaring and obvious systematic issues. DT's setting is one of scarcity and most of the main characters you follow in DT are kinda just scraping by without much hope for true mobility/advancement. A lot of Americans (especially younger generations) would agree this sorta encapsulates the national mood of the country right now.

Of course, the systems that run a country don't define its citizens - many of the finest people I've ever known are American and are victims of the whims of those with power, not willing participants in this system. I could be wrong, but that's why I think the setting connected with a lot of people. We all know Randys, Olivers + Karens, people who've fallen through the cracks in some way. To them, America's spirit of self-determination isn't about individual identity - it's more "you're on your own."

Why I chose to set DT in America would be a novel length answer in of itself, but it mainly came down to history + narrative opportunity. I wanted to set the game in the epicenter of where the phone-revolution came from and Crown likely couldn't have pulled his plan off anywhere else and probably not during any other time. It had to be 1960's America.

Of course, some parts of DT are sorta universal and were inspired by the the Great Recession and what followed. I remember there was an area not that far from my house that was full of green fields when I was born and when I was a kid (and when real estate boomed), stuff started being built there. Parts of it looked really nice, not quite like anything nearby. Like the future was coming. Then the economy crashed and stuff was left sitting there, half-built for like a decade. Skeletal, unfinished buildings. DT is much the same.

There's a feeling that the city could've been something better and while things could be more equal, it does feel like there are no easy solutions to fix everything - unless someone very smart and determined somehow bypassed every safeguard that was set up to halt radical change and enacted a genius plan to somehow eliminate scarcity. It happened once and might never again.

I don't think most people understand the intricacies of stuff like global commerce all that well (myself included), but when you're sitting looking at a half built neighbourhood mere hours after speaking to a friend who just kicked out of rented accommodation and doesn't have a stable family unit to fall back on, you'd have to be a real dolt not to understand that things aren't great right now. Most people are scraping by and feel if they could just get affordable housing locked down, if they had maybe one good opportunity - maybe there's hope that things could change for the better.

The end of DT isn't really utopian, things don't massively change for the better and indeed, the town has a lot of rebuilding to do. But, a collection of lonely people are now looking out for each other and through the relationships they have, now feel like they have a place in this world. That no matter how bad things really get - they aren't truly by themselves anymore. Most individuals don't have the means to significantly advance change on their own - but you can live your life, love those around you and support others and plan for when the opportunity to affect change comes about.

I guess that's what life is, in America or anywhere else. Sorry I rambled for so long. Hope this answered the question!

[fromchaostocosmos]

Why Are Goyim Obsessed With Bad People Being The Fault of The Jews?

How many times have we seen the speculation that certain truly horrific historical people must Jewish based the stringing of threads. Or the that said horrific people are horrific because of the Jews.

How many times have seen Hitler was actually a Jew conspiracy or that Hitler only became the way he did because he denied entry to art school by Jews conspiracy?

Not just with historical figures we all have seen how often it gets mentioned that Roy Cohen, Jew, and they sure do make a point to highlight that Jew part was behind Donald Trump being who he is.

Think about Henry Kissinger and how much him Jewish gets highlighted when talking his influence on Presidents Ford and Nixon, even though he hated being Jewish.

And of course we can not forget the all time go to Christopher Columbus as the secret Jew.

And now that is being reported to be in fact true. Just look at how everyone is reporting it.

Only that is not the case.

The documentary Columbus DNA. His True Origin, broadcast on Spain’s National Holiday suggests that the explorer was not Genoese and Christian but Spanish and Jewish. The absolute protagonist of the documentary, forensic scientist José Antonio Lorente, has not yet published any scientific study to back his claims. The documentary is presented in the style of a reality show in which Lorente systematically discounts other theories, including that Columbus was Castilian, Portuguese, Galician, Mallorcan or a Cagot. It culminates with a scene in which only one possibility remains, the one put forward by architect Francesc Albardaner, author of the book La catalanitat de Colom (or, The Catalonian Origins of Columbus).

But geneticist Antonio Alonso, former chief of the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, is not convinced: “Unfortunately, from the scientific point of view, no assessment can be made after watching the documentary, since it does not provide any data on what has been analyzed. My conclusion is that the documentary Columbus DNA does not show the DNA of Columbus at any given moment and scientists do not know what analysis has been undertaken.”

Forensic anthropologist Miguel Botella, also from the University of Granada, remembers that day in 2003 when he waited for the box containing the supposed bones of Christopher Columbus to be opened. “Everyone expected to be greeted by an intact Columbus, but there were only 150 grams of bone fragments,” he says with a smile. The largest would have been about four centimeters in length.

Lorente then said that he was going to analyze the DNA of the three alleged members of the Columbus family with the help of prestigious geneticists, such as Ángel Carracedo from the University of Santiago de Compostela; and Mark Stoneking, from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, in Leipzig, Germany, one of the world’s most prestigious centers for the analysis of ancient DNA. Carracedo recalls that the DNA that reached him was tremendously degraded, and he too distanced himself from the project. Moreover, he refuses to comment on Lorente’s new results until there is a serious scientific study published in a specialized journal. The response of the Max Planck Institute geneticist to questions from EL PAÍS were similar: “I am sorry, my group stopped working on this in 2005 and I have not heard anything about the most recent results,” said Stoneking.

According to geneticist Antonio Alonso, “It is not the done thing for data that the scientific community has not yet endorsed to be presented to society, as it puts the data itself at risk as well as the proposed theory.” Alonso is also surprised by the absence of experts from the U.S. and Australia in the film whose contribution Lorente describes as essential. “Here there is too much protagonism from only one scientist. Neither the Granada team nor the collaborating ancient DNA laboratories in California and Adelaide, which are said to be of great importance in the success of the analyses, appear in the film,” he points out. Recently retired, Alonso is one of Spain’s leading experts in forensic genetics. He worked on the identification of the victims of Madrid’s 11-M terror attacks; on the investigation of dozens of reports of alleged baby thefts; on the recognition of Spanish Civil War victims and even on the attempts to find the remains of the writer Miguel de Cervantes. He claims that the documentary Columbus DNA does not speak to him as a scientist. “We do not know which DNA regions were analyzed, nor the technology used in the analysis, nor the results obtained, which makes it impossible to make a correct assessment of the findings,” he says.

Alonso explains that there are clusters of genetic variants called haplotypes or haplogroups that tend to be inherited together and may be characteristic of certain family lineages, but he adds that they often coincide with those of other groups in historically Jewish or non-Jewish populations. “In any case, having a genealogy, a haplogroup or a haplotype of Jewish or Sephardic ancestry does not call into question Columbus’ birthplace in Genoa as stated by historical sources, nor does it tell us anything about the religious beliefs professed by the generations of relatives close to Columbus,” he says.

Rodrigo Barquera is a Mexican expert in archeogenetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Barquera has conducted DNA studies of human remains prior to the arrival of Europeans in America, such as those of children sacrificed by the Maya at Chichén-Itzá in Mexico. The researcher is very critical of the fact the data have been presented via a documentary, and without the backing of a serious scientific article reviewed by independent experts, especially given the enormous interest in the figure of Christopher Columbus and his origins. “Normally, the article is sent to a scientific journal,” he says. “The journal assigns an editor and at least three independent reviewers who rate the paper and decide if it is scientifically valid. If it is, it is published, and then the rest of the scientific community can say whether they agree or not. Putting it on a screen, removed from this process and with all the media focus on it, makes it difficult for the scientific community to say anything about it.”

Antonio Salas heads the Population Genetics in Biomedicine team at Santiago de Compostela’s Health Investigation Institute. “The documentary promised to focus on DNA analysis, as suggested by its title Columbus DNA: His True Origins,” he says. “However, the genetic information it offers is very limited. Only at the end is it mentioned that the only thing that was recovered from the presumed remains of Christopher Columbus was a partial profile of the Y chromosome. The problem is that the Y chromosome represents only a tiny fraction of our DNA and our ancestry.” “The documentary rushes to a conclusion that Christopher Columbus was a Sephardic Jew originally from the Spanish Levant. This hypothesis is, to say the least, surprising: there is no Y chromosome that can be uniquely defined as Sephardic-Jewish,” argues Salas. “Even if all of an individual’s DNA were recovered, it would still be impossible to reach definitive conclusions about his or her exact geographic origin.

So when science seems to much more aligned with Columbus not being why then is everyone reporting him as Jewish. And why do goyim keep blaming every evil deed, every action, every evil choice and every evil person on Jews?

[cevansbrat0007]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMr8fYuj5/

I can see so clear Bird putting Ari in the dog house again and later in the day he arrives at her home with a bag full of her favorites snacks, heat pads, painkillers and a note for his sweet wild woman

Summary: Somehow, Ari always seems to know all the right ways to take care of you...

Warnings: Mature Themes, Fluff, Ari Being A Menace, Bickering, Brat!Reader, References to Menstrual Cycles & PMS, Cuddles, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Part of my Sweet Renegade Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

You automatically perk up from your place on the couch when you hear the slam of your front door. Ari had left the house hours ago, muttering something under his breath that you hadn’t quite been able to make out. 

“Beast?” You call when he doesn’t immediately appear. “Whatcha doin’?” 

“Is that my Bird in there?” He quickly fires back. “Is that who I’m talkin’ to?”

His unexpected dramatics immediately set your teeth on edge. Just what the hell did he mean by all that?

“Who the hell else would it be?” Your question comes out sounding more like a growl. 

Instead of answering you’re treated to the sound of footsteps as Ari finally makes his way to you. But instead of coming all the way into the room, you’re confused when he chooses to poke his head around the corner. 

“Just checking.” His wary blue eyes are sparkling with a hint of mirth. 

“Are you trying to be funny?”

“Nah, baby. Just bein’ careful.” Ari steps out hiding then, his brawny arms laden with several brown grocery bags.

“Why the hell would you have to be careful?”

“Because when I walked out the house earlier I did so under the impression that my woman had been replaced by one of those she-demons you only read about in books.” He offers you an unrepentant shrug before setting his purchases on the opposite sofa. “Aww, c’mon now. Don’t make that face."

“I’m not makin’ any kinda face, you Beast.” You huff, doing your damndest not to pout. “I just don’t know what the hell you’re goin’ on about.”

“Then how come you’re over there looking like you’ve been suckin’ on a lemon?” The handsome bastard has the nerve to smile at you as begins digging items out of one of the bags. 

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not, you –” Your petty retort is interrupted when your bounty hunter suddenly chucks an orange bag at your head. Thankfully, you manage to catch it before it makes contact with your face. “Jalapeño cheetos?”

“Yep.” He grunts, giving you a knowing look. “I also got you the regular ones too in case you decide those are suddenly too spicy for you.”

“Oh.” Is all you can muster, turning the bag over in your hands. These were your favorites whenever you allowed yourself to indulge. “Thanks.” 

“Yeah. Not done yet, baby.” 

You watch as he systematically begins pulling items out of the bags. He also makes a point of showing you each one, much to your overall chagrin. 

“Let’s see…” Ari moves the bags to the floor, which allows you to get a good, long look at all of the treats and treasures he procured while he was out. “We’ve got us another bag of Cheetos, plus a bag of white cheddar cheese popcorn. Next up, we’ve got two hefty slices of strawberry cheesecake. I got my own, so you don’t have to share,”

Smart man.

“I mean…” You quietly hedge, your teeth going to nibble at your bottom lip. “I don’t know why you felt compelled to buy all this stuff.” 

“Oh you don’t, huh?” His eyes go wide as he cocks his head to the side.

“Nope.” The word tumbles out of your mouth with a soft pop.

Instead of responding he chooses to simply ignore you. “Here we have a variety of chocolate bars – milk chocolate, milk chocolate with fuckin’ caramel, milk chocolate with some kinda weird nougaty shit, you get the idea.” He spares a glance in your direction long enough to study your face. “We’ve also got dark chocolate with both sea salt and some kind of intense orange peel somethin’. Do any of these work for you?”

“Why, yes, all of them but–”

“Moving on, I’ve got a box of cocoa, peppermint tea, and oh! Nearly forgot the fuckin’ heating pad.” Ari holds up the box so that you can see it. “If this isn’t the right one I will go back out and buy another.” 

The seriousness of his features makes it plain that he’s not kidding. He gingerly hands the box to you, giving you a moment to peruse the information included on the box.

How the hell could he have known that yours had only just gone out? Oh. Because you’d mentioned it the night before last. It always seemed to surprise you just how much this man seemed to listen to you. 

“This is...this is good.” You tell him, hugging the box to your chest. “It’s great, actually.”

“Thank Christ.” He breathes, relief evident in his tone. 

“Ari, did you do all this because I was feeling a little snippy this morning?” While his intentions were sweet, they also felt like a little over the top 

“Snippy? Is that what we’re calling it?” His tawny brows shoot up high enough to reach his hairline. “Because this morning you threatened to beat me with a sack of oranges for snoring too loud.”

Oh. Right. Oops.

“And when I made the mistake of walking on the carpet in my work boots, you literally threatened to unman me.”

“I was worried about the mud.” You mumble with a wince. 

“And the fact that you just so happened to be aggressively chopping vegetables at the time? Pure coincidence?”

“Yep.” Your voice comes out so small you almost surprise yourself.

“And then, when I tried to apologize and take ‘em off, you told me you were gonna throw me and them into the nearest lake. And then fly in a pack of gators to make sure that we were never seen or heard from again.” 

“A joke.” You try once more. “That’s all.”

“Yeah well, I’m not the type of man to make jokes about a woman’s monthly bein’ on the horizon.” Ari picks up a small box of what looks to be medication. “But even so, I also know how to count.” He adds with a shrug before taking a step towards you. “My sisters swear up and down that this Midol shit works wonders with demon feelings.”

“Thank you.” Your bottom lip begins to tremble when your man reaches out to gently cup your chin.

“Do you need anything else?”

“No.” You reassure him, your hand going to gently grip his wrist so you can stroke your thumb over his pulse “I’m sorry.”

Ari stares you at you for a beat, before finally leaning down to tenderly brush his mouth over yours. “S’alright, sweet Bird.” He repeats the action, smiling into the kiss when he feels you relax against him. “I reckon it ain’t all your fault.” 

“You’re too good to me, baby.” You try to pull him down on the couch with you, only to pout when he resists.  “C’mere…” You whine. “I wanna make it up to you.”

“Let me go put this stuff away first.” He rises to his full height before politely taking the box from your hands. “Unless you want some of it now.”

You take a minute to think. “Just some chocolate please.”

“Any preference?”

“Dealer’s choice.” 

Ari tosses you a random bar, which you eagerly accept without so much as a second look. You tear into it, barely removing the foil before taking a bite. It goes down so good you can’t help but have another.

“Now, I won’t be gone but a minute.” Just in case, he decides to leave you with the box of Midol as well. 

Meanwhile, you decide that it’s in your best interest to remain quiet. Because unbeknownst to this man, you had actually gotten your period today sometime after he’d left the house.

“And if those demon feelings start to come back, you just pop a couple of those, alright?” He’s still so incredibly serious about this that all you can do is nod.. 

“Yes, Sir.”

“Thank you.” You’re rewarded with a flash of teeth posing as a grin. “And when I get back, do you, uh…” He rolls his broad shoulders. “You think you got any room for me on that couch?”

Instead of responding, you choose to offer him a bite of your chocolate. You’re secretly more than a little giddy when he accepts. It was a sign that all was forgiven. 

“Why don’t you hurry back and find out?”

Still grinning, you watch as Ari hastily gathers up all of your goodies before taking off in the direction of the kitchen. “Go on and turn on one of those horror movies you like, little Bird. I’m gonna need you to snuggle close to make up for how you treated me today.” 

With that he’s gone, leaving you with just enough time to retrieve extra blankets and pillows from a nearby closet. Forget a heating pad. Having you man this close was practically like having a human furnace at your beck and call. 

Jesus Christ, how did you get so lucky?

“Beast?” You let your voice ring out as soon as you’ve found yourself a good movie. It’s been ages since you’ve watched Paranormal Activity, and you had it on good authority that Ari had never seen it.

“Yeah?” He bellows from the next room.

“Bring us a slice of cheesecake to share. I wanna enjoy it with you before we get too scared.”

“Whatever you want, Duchess.” You don’t have to see his face to know that he's laughing at you in the sweetest way possible.

And quite honestly, in this moment, you wouldn't have it any other way. 

END

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[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

A list of Sherlock Holmes's Hyperfixations Monographs

"Yes, I have been guilty of several monographs. They are all upon technical subjects." (The Sign of Four)

Tobacco ash: Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes - "I have, as you know, devoted some attention to this, and written a little monograph on the ashes of 140 different varieties of pipe, cigar, and cigarette tobacco." (The Boscombe Valley Mystery) / "I have made a special study of cigar ashes—in fact, I have written a monograph upon the subject. I flatter myself that I can distinguish at a glance the ash of any known brand, either of cigar or of tobacco." (A Study in Scarlet) / "Here, for example, is one ‘Upon the Distinction between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccoes.’ In it I enumerate a hundred and forty forms of cigar-, cigarette-, and pipe-tobacco, with colored plates illustrating the difference in the ash." (The Sign of the Four)

Trailing/Tracking - "Here is my monograph upon the tracing of footsteps, with some remarks upon the uses of plaster of Paris as a preserver of impresses." (The Sign of the Four)

Hands and occupations- "Here, too, is a curious little work upon the influence of a trade upon the form of the hand, with lithotypes of the hands of slaters, sailors, corkcutters, compositors, weavers, and diamond-polishers." (The Sign of the Four)

Ciphers - "I am fairly familiar with all forms of secret writings, and am myself the author of a trifling monograph upon the subject, in which I analyze one hundred and sixty separate ciphers [...]." (The Adventure of the Dancing Men)

18th century?/historical manuscipts - "It would be a poor expert who could not give the date of a document within a decade or so. You may possibly have read my little monograph upon the subject." (The Hound of the Baskervilles)

Bees/beekeeping: Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, with Some Observations upon the Segregation of the Queen - "Alone I did it. Behold the fruit of pensive nights and laborious days when I watched the little working gangs as once I watched the criminal world of London.”

Articles:

Theory of criminology: The Book of Life - "Its somewhat ambitious title was “The Book of Life,” and it attempted to show how much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examiniation of all that came his way."

To be written:

Malingering - "Malingering is a subject upon which I have sometimes thought of writing a monograph. A little occasional talk about half-crowns, oysters, or any other extraneous subject produces a pleasing effect of delirium.” (The Adventure of the Dying Detective)

Dogs - "I have serious thoughts of writing a small monograph upon the uses of dogs in the work of the detective.” (The Adventure of the Creeping Man)

Typewriters/Typewriting- "I think of writing another little monograph some of these days on the typewriter and its relation to crime." (A Case of Identity)

Please feel free to add what I missed!

[a-very-tired-jew]

Conversations with a younger colleague about I/P conflict

In my department there is a grad student who is friendly with myself and a few others of the openly nerdy ecologists. We actively talk about anime, video games, TTRPGs, etc... We've also all collaborated on research together because we generally study the same thing, and being a grad student we are also letting them helm their own research to carve their own path. The research topic that links all of us is decomposition ecology.

Meaning, we study death, how it effects the environment, and all the things having to do with it. Often we have our own terms that we define and use, but we also work within the framework of various medical and legal definitions nationally and internationally. Recently this student has been talking to me about the I/P conflict because it has dominated their social media feed. Like many young adults, this is their first I/P conflict and their first exposure to anything regarding that region. As such, they have come to me to talk about things knowing that I am Jewish. Not out of maliciousness, but because I am the only person they talk to that has any sort of connection to it. Over these past months they have repeated the "genocide/Holocaust" rhetoric that we have seen Western Activists use to make the conflict the Worst Thing Ever. Our conversation went as follows: GS: I can't believe they're committing a Holocaust on them after what they went through. Me: How is it a Holocaust? GS: They're committing a genocide against the Palestinians. Me: They're not doing either one, but let's touch upon the first thing you said. How? GS: They're killing them in large numbers! Me: Oh...oh...that's not what made the Holocaust the Holocaust, you know that right? It was years of systematic dehumanization that culminated in what we know. There were death camps, torture, experimentation, and so much more than simple "killing in large numbers". GS: Damn public school education... Me: You didn't really go over it too much did you? GS: WWII was, like, a week I want to say. Me: *sigh* yeah, not surprised at all. GS: Okay, so a genocide then? Me: GS, what do we study? GS: Decomp Me: and that involves? GS: Death Me: One avenue of which is mass casualty events which a number of our friends have published on. GS: Yeah! I read those papers, they were really good. Me: They were, but do you remember conversations we had about them and what differentiates mass casualty events from one another? GS: Cause? Me: And...? GS: Shit. Intent. Me: Exactly. Has their been an official stated intent to commit any genocide? I mean, you've got the bigots in the government like Ben Givir and the shit they say, I'll give you that. But has the official stance been genocidal? GS: No. I don't think so. Me: What has it been? GS: To get the hostages back and get rid of Hamas. Me: Uh huh, and what has been Hamas's stated intent? GS: To kill Zionists. Me: And before 2017 when they changed the wording in their charter? GS: ah fuck...it's Jews isn't it? Me: Ding ding ding. GS: So that's why no one in the group has said it's a genocide... Me: Correct. Humanitarian crisis brought about by war? Yes. Mass casualty event? Certainly. But genocide? Well, there's a reason no one in our circle has endorsed the term. And remember, we're considered experts on death. GS: I got puppeted didn't I? Me: Yep. GS: Shit. The only reason this went so well is due to our friendship and mentor/mentee dynamic. They already trust me to not lead them astray, be informed, and address the holes in their knowledge. Hell, they help me be a better scientist as well with how they bring in new and novel techniques that I didn't know. But they're still getting a lot of their info from TikTok and IG, and they've talked about a lot of BS from those two particular apps these past few years. This is just the latest (they had a TikTok induced anti-GMO trend for a while, it was bad).

[potterheadlovespotter]

Potions, Misfortune, and Flying

pairing : Harry Potter x reader (subtle)

summary : Harry thought his first Potions class will be perfect.

warnings : Harry is kinda rude to the reader, mild injuries, could be boring, mild bullying (Draco bullying Neville) Please let me know if I missed any.

author's note : English is not my first language, so please forgive me for any grammatical errors or spelling errors.

Word Count : 2.5k words.

Banners by @cafekitsune

main master list.

full work on Ao3.

Over the course of the week, Harry found it difficult to settle in the gentle rhythm of classes and studies. By the time Friday came, Harry was tired as hell. Being an Auror was easier than pretending to learn everything again.

"What have we got today?" He asked Ron while adding sugar to his porridge.

"Double Potions with Slytherins." Ron said with a grimace. Before he could continue, however, YN, who was sitting near them, piped in. Why? Harry wondered.

"Honestly, I am very excited!" She said. "I am looking forward to a class with the Slytherins. I talked to them on the train and in the passing and they seemed fun."

Harry, Ron, and Jessica Moons (who had just joined the table) stared at her.

"And honestly, Potions can't be that bad!" Hermione said from beside YN. "It's like Chemistry."

"Ke— what?" Ron asked, slightly confused.

"Chemistry." Harry said. "A branch of Science."

"What now exactly?"

Seriously? Did wizards not know about the basic laws of nature and well... Science?

YN voiced Harry's thoughts. "How can you not know about Science?"

"It's tiresome." Jessica said. "Science, I mean." She added quickly.

"I mean, I know it's something like about the world?"

"The systematic study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation, experimentation, and the testing of theories against the evidence obtained is Science." Hermione revised.

"A lot of truth and theories. Truth like there is a gravitational force on Earth which makes anything fall, and then there is the Big Bang theory." YN said simply.

"Uh. Okay?" Ron said.

Harry wondered if he actually understood anything.

"Back to the topic," Jessica said. "How can you think Potions with Slytherin can be fun?"

"Fred and George told me Snape is the worst teacher." Ron added. "Said he just writes on the board and they have to brew a potion. No explanation, no nothing."

"Well, imagine what all can you do with Potions!" YN said brightly.

Merlin, this girl was annoying. "You can bewitch someone's mind —" She said but Harry interrupted her.

"That's what the imperious curse is for."

YN wasn't ready to step back. "Potions can also make you bottle fame! Or cure people!" Harry was about to interject again but then, she added a point, which silenced him. "And did you know, there is a potion by the name Wolfsbane Potion which can help the werewolves too! And Potions that can brew you luck or potions that can stop death. Save people. And calming draughts save many lives during panic attacks."

Harry was saved from replying as the posts came over. He got a letter from Hagrid.

[zomboivex]

What ‘core’ personality each Tokyo Debunker Character has!

This is not meant to be taken seriously at all. Hence why I’m only sourcing the info I get specifically from one of my favorite books, Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson.

Pretty much any information I use will be from the front of the book. I won’t go too deep into the whole study or whether or not this is actually scientific. It’s literally just for fun on my end. Take it as it is.

I am doing this solely based off of their face-value self presentations and not a deeper dive.

So- without further ado-

Red

Extrovert/Active/Implementer

Task-oriented and Issue Oriented

Aggressive - ambitious - strong-willed - goal-oriented - pushing - problem-solver - pioneer - decisive - innovator - impatient - controlling - convincing - performance-oriented - powerful - results-oriented - initiator - speed - timekeeper - intense - opinionated - straightforward - independent

Jin Kamurai

Aggressive - Ambitious - Persuasive - Distant - Pushing - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Objective - Impatient - Controlling - Convincing - Powerful - Initiator - Intense - Straightforward

Leo Kurosagi

Aggressive - Ambitious - Talkative - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Problem-Solver - Pioneer - Decisive - Innovator - Impatient - Controlling - Convincing - Persuasive - Creative - Correct - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Speed - Timekeeper - Intense - Opinionated - Social - Seems Insecure - Expressive - Charming - Analytical - Self-Centered - Methodical - Seeks Facts - Needs Attention - Scrutinizes - Sociable - Logical - Questioning

Taiga Hoshibami

Aggressive - Ambitious - Goal-Oriented - Persuasive - Creative - Innovator - Impatient - Spontaneous - Expressive - Pioneer - Self-Centered - Powerful - Adaptable - Initiator - Speed - Flexible - Intense - Independent

Romeo S. Lucci

Aggressive - Ambitious - Talkative - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Persuasive - Impatient - Controlling - Convincing - Performance-Oriented - Powerful - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Speed - Timekeeper - Intense - Opinionated - Straightforward - Independent - Social - Expressive - Charming - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Needs Attention

Ritsu Shinjo

Aggressive - Ambitious - Strong-Willed - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Problem-Solver - Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Conscientious - Systematic - Decisive - Expressive - Correct - Conventional - Controlling - Convincing - Performance-Oriented - Powerful - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Objective - Structured - Analytical - Perfectionist - Intense - Opinionated - Straightforward - Independent - Communicative - Methodical - Seeks Facts - Quality-Oriented - Scrutinizes - Follows Rules - Logical - Questioning - Meticulous

Edward Hart

Aggressive - Talkative - Patient - Pushing - Problem Solver - Persuasive - Producer - Convincing - Spontaneous - Conceals Feelings - Powerful - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Charming - Intense - Opinionated - Self-Centered - Adaptable - Needs Attention

Lyca Colt

Aggressive - Ambitious - Strong-Willed - Goal-Oriented - Enthusiastic - Reliable - Problem-Solver - Creative - Optimistic - Loyal - Modest - Decisive - Expressive - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Persistent - Reluctant - Impatient - Sensitive - Adaptable - Inspiring - Kind - Powerful - Open - Speed - Timekeeper - Intense - Opinionated - Straightforward - Independent

Yellow

Extrovert/Active/Implementer

Relation-oriented

Talkative - enthusiastic - persuasive - creative - optimistic - social - spontaneous - expressive - charming - full of vitality - self-centered - sensitive - adaptable - inspiring - needs attention - encouraging- communicative - flexible - open - sociable - imaginative - easygoing

Kaito Fuji

Talkative - Enthusiastic - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Seems Insecure - Optimistic - Social - Reluctant - Thoughtful - Follows Rules - Expressive - Considerate - Kind - Full of Vitality - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Needs Attention - Encouraging - Communicative - Open - Sociable - Easygoing

Haru Sagara

Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Creative - Optimistic - Social - Spontaneous - Expressive - Charming - Full of Vitality - Self-Centered - Patient - Relaxed - Ambitious - Strong-Willed - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Problem-Solver - Pioneer - Decisive - Innovator - Impatient - Controlling - Convincing - Adaptable - Inspiring - Reliable - Speed - Encouraging - Helpful - Producer - Persistent - Sociable - Easygoing - Kind

Towa Otonashi

Aggressive - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Creative - Optimistic - Relaxed - Controlling - Spontaneous - Expressive - Loyal - Powerful - Full of Vitality - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Intense - Opinionated - Needs Attention - Imaginative

Zenji Kotodama

Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Creative - Optimistic - Social - Spontaneous - Expressive - Charming - Full of Vitality - Patient - Relaxed - Sensitive - Loyal - Inspiring - Needs Attention - Encouraging - Communicative - Understanding - Lengthy - Open - Sociable - Imaginative - Easygoing - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Persistent - Thoughtful - Considerate - Kind

Green

Introvert/Passive/Reserved

Relation-oriented

Patient - relaxed - self-controlled - reliable - composed - loyal - modest - understanding - lengthy - stable - prudent - discreet - supportive - good listener - helpful - producer - persistent - reluctant - thoughtful - conceals feelings - considerate - kind

Lucas Errant

Aggressive - Ambitious - Strong-Willed - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Problem-Solver - Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Patient - Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Loyal - Modest - Understanding - Decisive - Optimistic - Social - Stable - Performance-Oriented - Charming - Full of Vitality - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Persistent - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Speed - Adaptable - Inspiring - Thoughtful - Straightforward - Independent - Encouraging - Communicative - Flexible - Open - Sociable - Considerate - Kind - Easygoing

Alan Mido

Patient - Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Loyal - Modest - Understanding - Consciousness - Systematic - Distant - Problem-Solver - Stable - Conventional - Straightforward - Independent - Objective - Structured - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Reluctant - Needs Time - Reflecting - Conceals Feelings - Considerate - Kind - Seeks Facts - Quality-Oriented - Follows Rules - Questioning - Reserved

Sho Haizano

Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Loyal - Modest - Understanding - Objective - Structured - Stable - Quality-Oriented - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Reserved - Conceals Feelings - Considerate

Subaru Kagami

Patient - Enthusiastic - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Loyal - Modest - Understanding - Lengthy - Stable - Prudent - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Seems Insecure - Creative - Optimistic - Social - Reluctant - Thoughtful - Conceals Feelings - Considerate - Kind - Perfectionist - Needs Time - Reflecting - Charming - Quality-Oriented - Scrutinizes - Sensitive - Adaptable - Inspiring - Meticulous - Reserved - Sociable - Easygoing

Haku Kusanagi

Patient - Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Social - Modest - Understanding - Charming - Stable - Adaptable - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Encouraging - Communicative - Flexible - Open - Sociable - Thoughtful - Conceals Feelings - Considerate - Kind - Follows Rules - Easygoing - Reserved

Rui Mizuki

Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Creative - Optimistic - Social - Patient - Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Reliable - Composed - Expressive - Charming - Full of Vitality - Modest - Understanding - Sensitive - Adaptable - Stable - Prudent - Discreet - Supportive - Good Listener - Helpful - Producer - Encouraging - Thoughtful - Conceals Feelings - Considerate - Kind - Flexible - Open - Easygoing

Blue

Introvert/Passive/Reserved

Task-oriented and Issue-oriented

Conscientious - systematic - distant - correct - conventional - seems insecure - objective - structured - analytical - perfectionist - needs time - reflecting - methodical - seeks facts - quality-oriented - scrutinizes - follows rules - logical - questioning - meticulous - reflecting - reserved

Tohma Ishibashi

Patient - Relaxed - Conscientious - Systematic - Ambitious - Composed - Conventional - Goal-Oriented - Stable - Objective - Structured - Analytical - Problem-Solver - Prudent - Discreet - Supportive - Methodical - Seeks Facts - Quality-Oriented - Performance-Oriented - Helpful - Producer - Persistent - Logical - Questioning - Meticulous - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Conceals Feelings - Reserved - Intense - Straightforward - Independent

Ren Shiranami

Relaxed - Self-Controlled - Distant - Modest - Objective - Discreet - Scrutinizes - Follows Rules - Logical - Reluctant - Reserved 

Yuri Isami

Aggressive - Ambitious - Talkative - Enthusiastic - Persuasive - Creative - Conscientious - Goal-Oriented - Pushing - Problem-Solver - Pioneer - Decisive - Innovator - Impatient - Controlling - Convincing - Performance-Oriented - Systematic - Results-Oriented - Initiator - Speed - Timekeeper - Intense - Opinionated - Self-Centered - Sensitive - Adaptable - Correct - Needs Attention - Seems Insecure - Communicative - Structured - Analytical - Perfectionist - Needs Time - Methodical - Seeks Facts - Quality-Oriented - Scrutinizes - Follows Rules - Logical - Questioning - Meticulous 

Jiro Kirisaki

Patient - Conscientious - Systematic - Distant - Reliable - Composed - Loyal - Modest - Objective - Structured - Analytical - Supportive - Needs Time - Reflecting - Methodical - Seeks Facts - Quality-Oriented - Helpful - Producer - Follows Rules - Logical - Conceals Feelings - Reserved

I would give input on why I selected these but I really don’t want to right now.

[luvo27]

ok so adding on to this post because i know i'm going to end up citing this paper for the fic but it's important enough that i've been thinking about it a lot both when i was starting to do research for this but also now again that i've come back to this fic: environmental conservation and its history in the us is built directly on a foundation of colonialism and genocide. like probably indigenous communities in the area knew all this about giant sequoias already. like the indigenous people of north america had forest/land management down pat before colonialization. they were doing controlled fire as land management before harv et al even started thinking about doing any of this research in an attempt to provide reasons for why controlled fire can be good for forest management. i keep starting to go off on a tangent and then deleting, so i'll leave it here for now

i dont know how much im actually going to read but writing fic really will have you opening up Giant Sequoia Ecology: Fire and Reproduction by Harvey et al., 1980 and being like damn... this takes place pre-crisis

[kiefbowl]

Re: the bonding post, I thought it was just woowoo at first but babies believe their mother is a physically part of their body for at least the first 3 months. attaching the baby in skin contact helps them with healthier, faster development. But being separated is linked to infant mortality and other less dire issues, like they forget breathing, swallowing, pooping, etc because mom was doing that for them. It's like getting suddenly unconnected from bluetooth lol. It's why newborn adoptions and surrogacy babies have so many inexplicable health/psychological issues and why babies who are worn 24/7 are stronger and healthier mentally/physically.

That post was not about doubting bonding, or how important it is. It was about how that information is put into the world, how it's received, and how it's used to make women feel a certain way about motherhood and their own abilities and perceptions of reality. Of course bonding with a baby is important, no....fucking shit. duh. like no fucking shit lmao.

I said I don't think immediately bonding is a dire emergency that is going to determine absolutely her relationship with her child, especially when her life is dynamic and has other factors, like a potential dead-beat partner. Obviously if a baby is ripped from its mother forever, that is extremely different than a woman who can't hold her baby right away because of some sort of unexpected event, who then gets to hold her baby, like, idk...a few hours later. It might be extremely upsetting for her (or not), but that's not going to change the trajectory of her baby's life all that much. And I think, as a feminist, it's important to see mothers' struggles with motherhood as not necessarily some scientific goof up where something went wrong in the micro seconds of her pregnancy or labor or immediate bonding of her child, but as actually rather expected and pedestrian at best, and at worst systematic. I'm saying mothers can have a hard time mothering, and is it useful (as a feminist, not a scientist who is explicitly studying the bio-mechanics of this shit) to say "well that's generally normal, and also maybe you are not being supported and the expectations are too high for you to be experiencing this as some magical transformation, and maybe you just need some help with laundry and your husband sucks ass actually." And I think a lot of mothers are encouraged to needlessly self-deprecate and see everything as their own failures.

I am a little annoyed at these responses because I think I wrote that post clear, despite its casualness. Like I didn't at any point call bonding "woo", and so it's annoying that you think I did.

[turtlesandfrogs]

Started the day by reading this article from the NY times, and I'm frankly, disturbed.

Some highlights:

"For decades, farmers across America have been encouraged by the federal government to spread municipal sewage on millions of acres of farmland as fertilizer. It was rich in nutrients, and it helped keep the sludge out of landfills."

Which I knew, and I knew that there were concerns about contaminants from like, the medications people were on. But human waste is part of the nutrient cycle, and it always made sense to me that it should be throughly composted and returned to agricultural lands, and I assumed that people in general were taking the steps necessary to make it safe.

But here's what I didn't know:

"The 1972 Clean Water Act had required industrial plants to start sending their wastewater to treatment plants instead of releasing it into rivers and streams, which was a win for the environment but also produced vast new quantities of sludge that had to go somewhere."

Which, yay, no longer polluting bodies of water, but now that means we're applying industrial waste water to agricultural lands. And have been since 1972. Which leads to this situation, among many others, I'm sure:

"The sludge that allegedly contaminated the Colemans’ farm came from the City of Fort Worth water district, which treats sewage from more than 1.2 million people, city records show. Its facility also accepts effluent from industries including aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and auto manufacturing. Synagro takes the sludge and treats it (though not for PFAS, as it’s not required by law) then distributes it as fertilizer."

So here's what some states are doing:

"In Michigan, among the first states to investigate the chemicals in sludge fertilizer, officials shut down one farm where tests found particularly high concentrations in the soil and in cattle that grazed on the land. This year, the state prohibited the property from ever again being used for agriculture. Michigan hasn’t conducted widespread testing at other farms, partly out of concern for the economic effects on its agriculture industry.

In 2022, Maine banned the use of sewage sludge on agricultural fields. It was the first state to do so and is the only state to systematically test farms for the chemicals. Investigators have found contamination on at least 68 of the more than 100 farms checked so far, with some 1,000 sites still to be tested.

“Investigating PFAS is like opening Pandora’s box,” said Nancy McBrady, deputy commissioner of Maine’s Department of Agriculture."

This is fun:

"The E.P.A. is currently studying the risks posed by PFAS in sludge fertilizer (which the industry calls biosolids) to determine if new rules are necessary.

The agency continues to promote its use on cropland, though elsewhere it has started to take action. In April, it ordered utilities to slash PFAS levels in drinking water to near zero and designated two types of the chemical as hazardous substances that must be cleaned up by polluters. The agency now says there is no safe level of PFAS for humans...

It’s difficult to know how much fertilizer sludge is used nationwide, and E.P.A. data is incomplete. The fertilizer industry says more than 2 million dry tons were used on 4.6 million acres of farmland in 2018. And it estimates that farmers have obtained permits to use sewage sludge on nearly 70 million acres, or about a fifth of all U.S. agricultural land."

There's more, but I wanted to condense it at least a little bit. I am glad we're raising awareness, and I'm glad we're starting to regular the amount in our drinking water, and I hope that we'll find a way to actually deal with PFAS. I am so frustrated that people are exposed in the first place, and in nigh inescapable ways.

Also, to all those people who were like, oh, organic isn't at all healthier for consumers? Guess what the organic standards don't allow to be applied?

[seattlehamaswatch]

But what about Palestinians?

We view the question of coexistence with Arab Palestinians through the words of Hillel the Elder in Pirkei Avot 1:14: "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? If not now, when?"

We are for ourselves.

Like all the peoples of the Earth, Jews have a basic right to live, thrive, and build indigenous sovereignty and self determination in some part of our ancestral homeland. Israel is our birthright and its existence must be protected at all costs.

We are for others.

Arab Palestinians have longstanding ties to the land between the Eastern Mediterranean and the River Jordan. They are a distinct ethnic group with their own dialect, traditions, and culture. They have rights - just as Jews do - to sovereignty in some part of our shared ancestral homeland.

Furthermore, their lived experience of displacement and dispossession must factor into how we approach our relations with them - as everyone from Chaim Weizmann to Ze'ev Jabotinsky acknowledged.

We must validate their trauma and their birthright, even as we continue to demand that they acknowledge ours.

Now... and someday.

Each of our peoples must work on our own sovereignty and stable self-determination in our own spheres before the work of coming together at a more systematic level can begin.

In the immediate term, that means:

Ending Hamas' rule of Gaza and eliminating their military capacity to continue attacking Israel.

Establishing normalization with Saudi and other Arab / Muslim states through the Abraham accords.

Marginalizing the antizionist, Islamist regime currently ruling Iran, which includes providing material support for efforts initiated by the people of Iran to overthrow the regime in favor of a democratic government.

Establishing a provisional government in Gaza that is administered by a coalition of Arab and Muslim countries, not Israel.

Bringing leaders to power in Israel who will stop enabling settlements and other right-wing activities that run counter to peacemaking.

Establishing clear, final agreements about holy sites, borders, and refugees.

Deradicalizing the Palestinian population.

Facilitating the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with borders along the 1967 Green Line.

Someday may we build sufficient trust and friendship to throw our borders - and our arms - wide open.

May our leaders actively empower one another on the global stage.

May our scientists work together to radically improve the human condition.

May our artists collaborate on groundbreaking works.

May our children's children's children be incredulous when they study the bloody truth of our early history.

[lichenaday]

Do you have a degree? If so what is if in!

Asking because I am a prospective college student and your job sounds awesome.

I am currently working on getting my PhD in biology, and I work as a research and teaching assistant to fund this endeavor. I got a bachelor's degree in conservation biology, and a master's in evolution, ecology and systematics. I took a rather circuitous path to get here, and have had jobs in conservation and science education before this that also allowed me to get nasty, but it was less acceptable for me to be unpleasant and unhinged at those jobs, and so I headed into academia where it is more acceptable to be completely bananas about your field of study, and I interact with the public less.

[vossprime]

20 Questions: Writing Edition

Tagged by the Inquisition herself ( @inquisitornocturn ), thank you, this looks so fun!

How many works do you have on ao3?

23!

What’s your total ao3 word count?

102,210

What are your top five fics by kudos?

Mechanical; Medicinal (Rogue Trader)

Absolute / Obedience (BG3)

Systematical; Sacrificial (Rogue Trader)

I don't know where to put my hands (Metro 2033)

Blood in the Water (WH40K)

What fandoms do you write for?

WH40K, broadly speaking.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I try to respond to all of them simply because they spark an endless well of joy in me and most often inspire me to say something in return. Also whenever I comment I love replies as well, so I try to keep that going.

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Once I fucking sit down and continue Blackwater Days you will all see-

From my recent ones, on the principle of want (RT, Achilleas x Heinrix) comes to mind. Not for the plot, necessarily, which is more sorrowful than angsty, but the last line:

For a moment Heinrix wants to kiss him awake, kiss him goodbye.  The Interrogator breathes once, twice, then turns on his heel and leaves the room.

It was a deliberate choice to contrast Heinrix with his title here, that was my special little treat to myself. I gain another health bar anytime someone points it out.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Ironic, given the title, but Bellicose Hearts (Horus Heresy). It was written as a gift and a challenge for @mortallyperfecttimemachine and the theme was humor and fluff, so it ended on a nice note. A photo together. The remembrancers are happy. Keeler is there. Karkasy is alive. Isstvan is far away.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not directly! My comments are locked to registered accounts only, that seems to dissuade the obvious bots and trolls. Always fond of the ask I got that was just a "👎" tho.

Do you write smut?

In theory yes, in practice I have been told my smut is just character studies in disguise. My most popular fics stay the ones that were exclusively written with my [redacted] though.

Do you write crossovers?

Not really - most often they don't hold any appeal for me.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I'm already being vagued /j - SOON.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

You're asking someone who has a brain like a sieve and triple-wields ships until polyamory is the only sensible solution :D

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None. I plan to see everything through. If it takes 10 years, it takes 10 years. Farseer grindset.

What are your writing strengths?

Prose, poetry, evocative imagery.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Dialogue. Who came up with this. Is it not enough to communicate through 4-6 intricately crafted metaphors and call it a day? Hell world.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Provided I am writing in English, I provide translation in the footnotes and try not to have it drag on for too long. I do enjoy some language variety in fic, though. Dirty Talk in another language? Elite. Sadly I come from the language the absolute least suited for writing this.

First fandom you wrote for?

The first one I published for was Metro 2033, the book. The first one I wrote was for a mobile game called The Arcana. Don't judge me, a bitch saw tarot themes and a pointy-toothed nonbinary vivisection freak and decided he just might. A true freak from day one - you can tell why I like Tervantias.

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

I'm going to level with you. It will always be the last one. I grow and evolve with each piece and whatever I have last put out will be my pride and joy at that very moment. However, Blackwater Days (which I still plan to bring past chapter 1, it's just sitting in my drafts all disjointed and none of like 5 chapters empty but none ready either) will always be close to my heart for how much planning, fantasizing and worldbuilding happened around it. Those three hour discussions with my roommate on military strategy are sacred.

Tagging: Let me gather my irl squad for a second: @definitely-not-iorveth @mortallyperfecttimemachine , @goofgoofdildo , @ineadhyn , I'd be really interested to hear if you feel like it!