#i basically just use this site as a personal diary

[ponchojasper]

People joke about how cat's will take the fattest shit the MOMENT that you clean their litter box, but honestly? I fully get it.

CW for very TMI and shit talk, not detailed, but still worth a CW

I live with my parents, and they have hired house cleaners that come every Friday morning and have been cleaning our house for as long as I can remember.

Now, my body is on a schedule, right? Every morning, like 2-ish hours after I wake up, I gotta shit.

Usually when I wake up on Fridays, the cleaners are already here doing their thing, and naturally I don't wanna leave my room cause since I've known them for years and they're very nice people, I just don't want to interact with anyone before like noon ever.

Now imagine; my time comes, and I peek out of my room down the hall to the bathroom, and there's someone busy cleaning it. I gotta wait until they're done and by that point I gotta shit REAL bad, so the MOMENT they leave it's go time.

So yeah, I understand you, cats. You are seen.

[para-dweller]

Privacy is in a terrible situation right now.

Especially on the internet. You know, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter(X), Apple, and even Tumblr all collect information about you to show you scarily accurate advertisements among other things.

Why does this matter?

This isn't about hiding information, it's about protecting information. You wouldn't let me know your entire life, your diary, all your photos and text messages, so why do you let random companies do the same?

Privacy Guides - Why Privacy Matters

So how do you stop this?

You can't. But you can lessen this. So I'm going to show you a non-exhaustive list of what I've used and what I know of that may help your privacy. I would recommend you go to privacyguides.org after if you want a better explanation. I'm just here to show you cool things.

Disclaimer

I am not a library on this sort of information and this is what I choose to use. I may be incorrect and you may have differing opinions. Also, this may be too extreme for everybody. Use what works for you. Again, I would recommend you go to privacyguides.org after you read this for a more in-depth and better explanation.

VPNs

You know what a VPN is. You've seen the sponsorships. VPNs are one of the most popular privacy tools, but know that they are not the only tool that you'd need. This list is evidence of that.

I would recommend Proton VPN, Mullvad, and IVPN for most users, as they provide a far better amount of privacy and features than VPNs such as Nord VPN, Surfshark, and Express VPN. If you really want unlimited devices go with Windscribe.

I personally use Proton VPN due to the fact that I use their other services.

Browsers

You should probably know that Google Chrome is basically spyware at this point. The issue here is, almost all Chromium-based browsers are. These include, Edge, Opera, and Vivaldi. The only real exception would be Brave, but they've got leadership issues, which may not be a deal breaker for you.

So what do you use? A Firefox-based browser. This obviously includes Firefox, but most Firefox-based browsers are privacy-focused. The browsers that I recommend are Firefox, Librewolf, the Mullvad Browser, Waterfox, and Brave.

There is also the Tor Browser, but that is a whole 'nother can of worms that I will not go into. All I will say is that if you are in a high-risk environment(such as an oppressive regime) or you need absolutely no one to know that you searched that one thing, you may want to use the browser for anonymity.

I use Firefox as my main browser, with Brave as the browser that I use if something doesn't work on Firefox. I also use Tor if it is a high-risk situation.

Search Engines

Google, Bing, and Yahoo! all log your searches, you need alternatives. This is relatively straight-forward.

I recommend, Qwant, DuckDuckGo, SearXNG, Brave Search, and Startpage. Both Qwant and DuckDuckGo are fairly similar as they both use Bing search results and say that they don't track you. SearXNG is more complex, and I will not go into detail here. If you really want Google search results, use Startpage. And if you don't want your search to rely on Bing or Google, use Brave Search.

I use Qwant, mainly just cause its European.

Passwords

Passwords are the keys to your digital life. And most of the time they're not that great. You know the drill here, make passwords like this- XmaE7PEj2hq9ed$w - but you can't really remember them. For that you need a password manager.

I recommend Bitwarden, Proton Pass, and KeepassXC. Bitwarden and Proton Pass are more convenient, but you are trusting a single entity, reputable ones, but still. KeepassXC isn't as convienent, but you have near full control over what happens to it.

I use Proton Pass, as I use other Proton services.

Email

Email is identity, you almost always use your email in order to register for sites like Tumblr, and sites that aren't anything like Tumblr. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo! all use your email inbox in order to gain more information about you for their companies. There are quite a few email providers, but I've only used and recommend two.

I recommend Proton Mail and Tuta Mail. Both are good email providers, although Proton would be better if you use other Proton services, like I do.

I use both Proton Mail and Tuta Mail for separate email addresses.

Aliases

Email Aliases are also very important for private email. Your email is your name, if you want to private, you'd go under pseudonyms. That's what email aliases are.

I recommend and have used Simplelogin and Firefox Relay. Email providers like Proton and Tuta also give you aliases when you pay. I don't know how well these work, but I assume that they work the Same as Simplelogin and Firefox Relay.

I use Simplelogin.

Devices/OSes

Phones

Now let's turn up the extremity to 11 as we look at your devices. Phone-wise, avoid Apple, they say that they care about your privacy, but they don't. Apple is better than Google, but I'd only recommend using an iPhone if you already have one, and it still has support left. If that's the case, then follow privacy guides like this one by Techlore(His channel is also really great for privacy guides). You should probably use a Google Pixel. Sounds weird as it's owned by GOOGLE, one of the companies that we don't want to be tracked by, but if we go with the Pixels we can use custom ROMs.

Most ROMs exist for your privacy, they are based on the Android Open Source Project(AOSP) which means they can run most of your favourite Android apps without messing them up with Google. In order to run most of your apps however, you're going to need some way of running Google Play Services. This is a backbone black-box that Google forces most of your apps to use in order to function. CalyxOS and LineageOS with MicroG both have MicroG, an open source implementation of Google Play Services. GrapheneOS just straight up uses Google Play Services but sandboxes it so that it can't get its tentacles all up in your phone.

I recommend going like this:

You have a modern-ish Google Pixel phone, go with GrapheneOS.

You don't have a Google Pixel, but your phone is still supported by CalyxOS, go with CalyxOS.

Your phone isn't supported by either of these but still is supported by LineageOS with MicroG, go with LineageOS.

Your phone isn't supported by any of these, you can do as much degoogling as you can.

Techlore also has a fantastic guide on Android Privacy.

Desktops/Laptops

Apple isn't actually that bad here, its better than Windows at least. But Linux is KING when it comes to privacy and security. There is definitely a learning curve here. Pin the terminal, you're going to use it a LOT. Also be aware that on Linux you won't have every single app that you're used to. If you don't really want that hassle, just go with Mac.

Linux distros that I recommend(for beginners) are: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, and Elementary OS.

I use Ubuntu as it's the only one that I could get working on my computer.

Other Pieces of Advice

Use an Ad-blocker! Ads are terrible for privacy as companies can get their trackers in completely unrelated sites via their ads. I use and recommend uBlock Origin.

Don't use any personally identifying information online. Don't use your real name, a picture of you, your voice. The less you give to the internet, the more private you are.

Mix and Match! Explore what works for you. You might be okay with changing OSes but you might be a bit too reliant on GMail. That's fine! Just use what works.

Again, please go to privacyguides.org after this. This did not even scratch the surface but I hope this was useful to you in some way.

[zenkindoflove]

I've been thinking about this question a lot, and I like your thoughtful answers to fandom, so I'm gonna shoot my shot so feel free to delete this.

Do you think there's space for unity and/or peace in the ACOTAR fandom (everyone goes their own ways and just does their own thing in their sub-communities)?

I have thoughts, but I'm curious about what you're going to say!

Oh boy. This is a doozy to answer. I’m going to put my thoughts under a cut because it’s mostly going to be me rambling about how I think fandom has changed in the last ten years and also some thoughts I have about the ACOTAR fandom specifically and what I’ve observed in the last year and a half I’ve been active here.

My tldr answer is: No. I do not think there is anyway we will ever just get along and find peace.

I’ve been reflecting for a while on why that is, and I have some overall theories. The first is something I think that is true about fandoms in general these days and is completely outside of our control.

I think social media has created more toxicity in fandom, and the biggest driving factor is that social media forces us to socialize with each other by valuing individualism. In the days before all these big social media sites, in order to engage with fandom (or the internet in general) you had to seek out communal spaces on your own based around a specific interest. You were always a guest/visitor in these spaces, and there were norms set in place for how to interact and engage with people. Now, the big websites that we all interact with each other on (tumblr included) requires us to create profile pages that we curate to represent who we are. We see our blogs as the “content” we create - both as a personal diary and a way to express our individuality and “authentic selves” that we share. Now, there is some value to that, but I think what it does is it makes us exist on these different platforms with a “me” first mindset. This is MY blog and I’ll say and express whatever I WANT.

But the reality is that there are communal spaces that exist on these platforms too. Such as the tagging system on tumblr. Tags are designed to be followed and ways to project your thoughts and share them with a community. And yet we still must do that from our home territory – our blogs. The posts co-exist in both spaces. And try as we might to enforce best practices and rules of how to use these spaces, people still are aggressively ego-centric in how they want to engage because they see their profile as their territory.

I don’t think that there is any way to request people to not act that way. Of course we want to curate and have freedom of expression in our own spaces. And we try to encourage ways for people to not see things they aren’t going to like (blocking, filtering tags, etc). But ultimately, to form community on these sites, we have to essentially follow people instead of only interacting with them in these communal spaces – which opens us up to basically witnessing every thought they have.

I think that is wherein lies the problem. We see things we don’t want to see, opinions or takes that irritate us, from people we otherwise enjoy. And this is fandom. We feel strongly about the subject matter no matter how you slice it. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here. I just don’t think we were meant to know all of this about each other. No matter what, you’re going to see something that pisses you off, and then cue the antics where people try to feel righteous or justify their irritation by stirring up shit. And on and on it goes.

I say this as someone who very much as participated in and perpetuated this cycle. I include myself in the offenders because after all – I am ultimately a stubborn, passionate human who wants to gossip and fight if I see something unjust. I am not immune, and I have observed this exact mindset in how I see my own behaviors.

Now – for the ACOTAR fandom specifically – I think we are basically this problem on steroids. I think partly it’s because of the nature of the fanbase. For so many people in this fandom – this is their FIRST fandom. While that is a beautiful thing, it also means a lot of people come into this space not understanding the norms of fandoms in general that have tried to address avoiding toxicity in the past. I also think that, frankly, a lot of people coming here from the bookish space are bringing in very weird ideas about censorship and shipping beliefs that essentially makes us have the same exact conversation over and over again – all because they still need to go through fandom university to unlearn a lot of the bullshit other places on the internet have ingrained in them.

I also think that the nature of this series – serial romances with a large cast of characters – it makes our fandom more fragmented then I have seen in other fandoms. We don’t just have one or two big shipper groups – we have multiples and they all have distinct flavors and personalities of how they interact with other groups and each other. This goes beyond just the toxicity of the ship war. A lot of toxicity exists within shipping groups or between shippers/stans for characters you would otherwise think wouldn’t have an issue with each other, and I think that is in large part because there are several competing interests and a lot of value placed on popularity. We see followers and post stats as currency (as is true for how social media works in general), and we use that in how we judge each other and whose voices matter.

I guess to not be totally doom and gloom, I do think there are ways to mitigate the toxicity. And that is finding a smaller group of like-minded people and forming a group chat or discord server with them. It won’t stop it completely. I think the most important element of this is finding people who you share the same interests - not just the same frustrations. You’ll still gossip and blow off steam and talk about what the new drama and bullshit that is going on in either your side or another side of the fandom. That's normal. But having time to really talk about the things you like and be positive is much more fruitful than only relating to each other because of what you all dislike. Search for people who are also looking to get the same out of fandom as you are, such as earnest connections rather than “reach” or “engagement”. Make friends because you share interests and how you think about the characters you love instead of who you think will make you more popular.

TBF, I have never been in a fandom that has known true peace, but I do think there is something unique with the ACOTAR fandom and how it really insists on playing all the top hits of worse fandom behavior on a loop. For me – I think taking a step back recently from how I’m participating in this fandom and the role I have within it has changed where I’m putting my energy. I do not see myself being here for a long time, but I do want to have a good time. I've been in enough fandoms to know my "Best by" date, and while I'm here, I'm trying my best to make the most of it.

[putschki1969]

2024/10/10 Blog post by Wakana おしゃべりガーデン第14回目‼️〜みんなの健康法がスゴイ！寒暖差についていけていない今日この頃〜

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Talk Garden Vol.14‼️~Everyone's Health Regimens Are Amazing! I Can't Handle The Recent Temperature Changes~

The temperatures in Tokyo suddenly dropped below 20℃ so I thought it was finally going to get cooler…but it was only for a moment. It seems to be going back up to warm temperatures around 25℃ 😅A temperature difference of about 10℃ between different days is rough in many ways😵‍💫I'm not sure what to wear *laughs*🧥

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

How is autumn approaching where you live? I feel that the plants in my house are growing a little slower, maybe because they've been freed from the heat of just a few weeks ago. It's a little sad, but some of them seem to be preparing for hibernation so I need to be more careful when watching over them🤔Watering them will become quite tricky from now on 😇I'll do my best!

Well! Today, I Vol.14 of my podcast "Wakana's Talk Garden" has been uploaded! ＼＼\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ I received many submission about "Everyone's Rules of Healthy Living"! It made me realise how well you all take care of your health😳You didn't only talk about different diets, you also mentioned exercising, regular health checks, trying new things to deal with daily physical problems…I was really impressed by everyone's dedication to a healthy lifestyle!! 😭✨I got the impression that a lot of people ride bikes😊🚴In terms of food, many people try to prioritise vegetables🍅🍆🥒🥕🥦Basic health rules seem to be ingrained in all of you🤔That's amazing…✨

I'm trying my best too, but the fatigue of summer and the dryness of the sudden cold have made my voice a little nasal😓It may be hard to listen to but if you have some spare time, feel free to check out the latest episode. I forgot to mention it in the podcast but I wanted to introduce my recent favourite foam roller. I am using it every morning and evening for stretching 😉It's a small foam roller for myofascial release. Look at the cute colour and size. It's tiny compared to a regular-sized foam roller. It's light and easy to carry! It's small, but it can release myofascia just as well as a regular-sized one!

I've always loved this stretch ball, too. It's a great product that can be used on trigger points. (Trigger points are "hyperalgesic areas, which are where the pain-sensing sensors in the body have malfunctioned, causing constant pain.") Personally, I use it in areas that don't usually hurt but are prone to stiffness. The shoulder blades, collarbones, and especially glutes! My glutes are surprisingly stiff! (By the way, if you want to work on large muscles like your glutes or thighs, I recommend using a foam roller with a large surface area rather than a small ball 😊 The ball is best for small focus areas) I keep these items near my bed so I can use them before bedtime at night, I also keep them in my stretch corner or on the sofa *laughs* I use them whenever I notice stiffness. It's quite painful though… 😇

Thank you to everyone who sent in submissions this month! ! As for the little present for those whose message was read, please expect it to arrive in about a month. I'm sorry to keep you waiting but please be patient😅💦

So! For next month's talk theme I chose: "Everyone's Ideal Autumn Trip". I talked a little bit about it in the episode but last month I went on a trip to Nikko with my mother 🧳I was very excited to be able to visit the nostalgic Nikko Toshogu Shrine 😍It was my first trip in a while and I felt very refreshed. That's why I picked this travel topic for the next episode ♪

Please tell me about the places you want to go or have been to, and the kind of trips you want to take! ! ＼(^o^)／I will of course share photos and a travel diary of my trip to Nikko on my blog soon✏️

And last but not least! I also wanted to talk about the happy news that were announced last week! Next year, on January 15, 2025, we will hold a Kalafina live concert. After seven years, we have decided to sing together again as a trio. 17 years after our debut! We have been encouraged by the feelings of everyone who has always supported us throughout the years. For this reason, we want to stand with gratitude and pride on stage to convey our feelings to you that day. The concert is titled "Kalafina Anniversary LIVE 2025".

We look forward to seeing you at Tokyo Garden Theater next year. Please come and see us!!! ＼＼\٩( 'ω' )و //／／[Note: Unfortunately, Wakana doesn't really share anything specific about the upcoming live. She's bubbly as always when she makes the announcement but no further infos or thoughts are revealed]

All right, that's all for today! Until next time~☆( '▽')/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

Wakana’s Talk Garden #14

❗This is Fan Club EXCLUSIVE content❗ ❗PERSONAL USE ONLY❗ ❗Do NOT SHARE on other sites❗ ❗Join her FAN CLUB! Check out my detailed TUTORIAL ❗

Episode #14 »»—— CLICK ME 🎁 CLICK ME ——«« ・Everyone’s Rules of Healthy Living ・Anything you’d like to ask Wakana/Anything you’d like Wakana to talk about

For next month’s episode which is scheduled to air on November 10th, the following two topics have been chosen: ・Everyone's Ideal Autumn Trip ・Anything you’d like to ask Wakana/Anything you’d like Wakana to talk about

The submission deadline is 10/31.

[neristudy]

◦ Lets study some damn German ◦

A collection of my main online resources that have been found and sorted by me for my personal use. Feel free to steal it for yourself, though.

To fully learn a language, you need to know and comprehend:

⊳ Reading;

⊳ Writing;

⊳ Listening;

⊳ Speaking.

But since I have ADHD, I add one more thing: learning through games. This will include literal computer games from German developers with German voiceovers, or just gamification of learning like Duolingo.

Because why the hell not?

°°••....••°° 〘Chapter one: Reading〙 °°••....••°°

➤ LingQ

There aren't as many non-political articles as I'd like (and certainly not enough articles on cooking!), but poor people can't be choosers.

➤ German.net

The site has a pretty decent library of resources not only for reading, but I put it in this category because of the presence of texts with comprehension tests at the end. It's a very nice way to see if you really understood what was written there or not.

➤  ... probably, some german book? Is there a comunity of german writers on AO3....

°°••....••°° 〘Chapter two: Writing〙 °°••....••°°

They all more or less focus on grammar, so I don't see the need to describe each one separately. However, pay attention to the last 3 links - those are  resources with avaliable Ukrainian language.

➤ Learn German online

➤ German with Laura

➤ Deutschbuch.com

➤ FluentU

➤ Easy-Deutch.com

➤ Lingvvozone

The only one that deserves further explanation, for this site is essentially a very thicc online dictionary. Very useful.

❥ Грамматика з нуля ❥ Golernen Akademia ❥ Deutsche Welle

°°••....••°° 〘Chapter three: Listening〙 °°••....••°°

Beware: mostly Youtube, so get your adblock up maties.

➤  Learn Languages With Isa

Cute short german stories.

➤  Easy German

The man, the myth, the legend.

➤ Learn German with Herr Antrim

He’s got whole courses and deserves a watch at least bc of his shiny personality!

➤  Learn German With Falk  

Great, slow podcast with managable pasing.

➤ Listen to German music, playlists are:

    - here

    - and here

    - and also here!

°°••••°° 〘Chapter three: Speaking 〙 °°••••°°

➤ Sing along german songs (even better if you have studied a song before and know what it is about);

➤ Start a voice diary: daily send yourself (on Telegram or wherever it is convenient and / or easy for you) a voice message in which you tried to talk about something (or on a specific topic) for x minutes.

➤ The most scary and/or hard one: get yourself a buddy who learn or already native to German language. Can also write to me, and we can study together!

°°••....••°° 〘Chapter four: Games〙 °°••....••°°

➤ Piranha Bytes & friends

For now the greatest sourse of my active german playing is games from Piranha Bytes & friends, ya can fing their bundle here on steam. Just scroll down a bit.

➤ Duolingo

The infamous legend. Acually quite helpful to study in casheer line, or on a 15-mins break. Not much helpful in other stuff.

For now it is basically all I have. Would add more later!

[song-tam]

Roshan! tell me about apothecary diaries 👀

OH MY GOD !!!! tysm for asking i have been losing my MIND bc i have no one to talk to this about. ok anyways so

basically! the story is set in a fictional country based off of imperial china, and it follows the main character maomao who was abducted and sent to work as a servant in this place called the rear palace. 

the rear palace is where all the emperors concubines live and its meant to be where all the royal children are raised—currently, however, the only two children are very very ill, and the cause is unknown. except!!! before coming to the palace, maomao was trained as an apothecary by her father (hence. the title) and because of her love and knowledge of all things poison (seriously. she loves poison. she tests them out on herself to build up a tolerance.) she figures out the cause of the illness, and to thank her, one of the head concubines makes her a lady-in-waiting!! promotion!!

after that point maomao becomes a Poison Taster (her dream job frfr) and she alsooo becomes the go-to person for solving all the mysteries within the palace. (at first, most of them seem like small one-and-done issues, but they all build up to a larger overarching convoluted plot and it’s just. SO interesting.) the series basically follows her as she navigates the politics of the era and how her place as a servant affects how much she can accomplish (though i will say. she gets a lot of special treatment. the higher ups love her.)

i feel like i’m not really doing the show justice in my explanation but!!! it’s genuinely SO funny and interesting and maomao is honestly one of the most well written main characters i’ve seen in a LONGGG time. shes so smart and observant and has incredible problem solving skills but also at the same time shes a fucking freak obsessed with poisons and she knows way too much abt the Mechanics of Sex thanks to growing up in a brothel. she gives the concubines sex ed. literally who is doing it like her 

ALSOOO i cannot talk abt the apothecary diaries without talking abt jinshi and maomao’s relationship with him. they’re a slow burn (!!!!! everyone cheered) and it’s SOOO good because they’re slowly getting to know each other as people and discovering new facets of each other and they’re falling in loveeee ugh losers. tee bee ech their bond kinda transcends normal romantic or even platonic attraction it’s just. pure love for each other as people. they take care of each other. but also at the same time they’re fucking dumbasses & i think some of the FUNNIEST scenes in the show come from their interactions.

(jinshi especially is like. the best love interest ive seen in a while. first of all his hair is fucking PURPLE which is so sick but also because here’s this guy who’s competent at his job and uses his charms to his advantage but also at the same time—with maomao especially—he’s just. an eighteen year old guy. biggest loser to ever exist. scandalized and jealous and melodramatic. i would die for him.)

anyway!!! erm that got rlly long im sure you were expecting a way shorter response but like. i truly cannot shut up abt this show. if you wanna watch it’s on netflix or your local piracy site. it fucking slaps.

[golbrocklovely]

i'm blocking out the accounts bc i'm not about to draw more eyes to them. funny enough, i went snooping on my own and found both accounts before this ask.

also this is just a warning, i'm running on about two percent battery brain power, so if this doesn't make sense and/or sounds like i'm an asshole, that's why. i'm not trying to be rude to you anon, so please don't think that. i'm just ridiculously tired of this situation and the ppl involved in it.

imma be so forreal, i kinda have to laugh at all of this. first off, both of these accounts are run by teenagers… and it's very obvious. it reads like a jealous little girl's diary.

also i can debunk all of their shit in a heartbeat. half of it is just them saying "see ! malia is a slut who had work done" and all i gotta say to that is… do you say that about amber? shea? stas? just curious. bc they all got work done, and they all have casual sex (most likely) or at the very least have hooked up with colby. so like???? keep the misogyny even if you're gonna go full pick me.

malia had an onlyfans, yes. she did technically lie in her response to a hater who said she had one. however, no one is owed an explanation to if and why she had one. and secondly, this fandom is full of young fans. if she admitted she had one, yall would just call her a creep that's promoting sex to minors or whatever. and clearly if she actually posted anything of her nude, it would be online. bc.. like these losers pointed out, the videos she did of her modelling bikinis for some brand got put on porn sites by creepy dudes. none of them are of her nude tho. it's just her in a bikini which surprise surprise isn't porn.

she got work done but liked a comment that called her a natural beauty….. do these fans really think they ate pointing this out?? she is naturally pretty, she just got some work done. again, would you harp on shea liking a comment that says that? or amber? or stas?? or how about a woman that's wearing makeup or a push up bra??

these fans really think they have her in this gotcha moment when reality is…. all they're doing it pointing out how pathetic they look. yeah babes, you're totally right. malia is a slutty porn star who got work done… and colby STILL decided to date her. you know why? bc he doesn't care. and you do… and yet here you are… still not getting the attention from colby you think you deserve. even if you were the last person on earth colby wouldn't choose you. and for all the hate you have for malia, you basically run a fan account for her since you know so much about her. but yeah… keep calling her a whore or whatever. you're doing such a good job at it lmao

i'll go thru the other ones these bozos pointed out fast:

colby likes his alone time, she made a tiktok saying she likes when guys are obsessive…. those don't even relate, but on top of that she made that vid before she was even DATING HIM

we have no proof malia made him unfollow anyone, they are just jumping to that conclusion

the cheating thing we now know is false

she didn't steal that hair color from amber………. are yall on crack? amber hasn't ever dyed her hair that color?? she uses a wig??? and just bc she wants to dye her hair a similar color doesn't mean malia copied. how would she have even known that?? jesus christ keep the schools open these kids are DUMB

the girls went to coachella a couple years ago or whatever but claimed the one they went to with snc was their first. oH mY gOd ThEy LiEd Or PoSsIbLy FoRgOt??? call the firing squad and line them up in the town square. burn the witches at the stake!!!!

malia called herself a slut and that's proof… she's a slut. sure. yeah. whatever you say, children. yall barely have had sex ed but please inform me how she's a slut. i'd love to hear it.

the girls in general are copying kat/amber. i mean… they literally aren't. they just cut and dyed their hair, two things NEITHER KAT OR AMBER HAVE DONE in a long time/ever. i would say you're grasping at straws but that would require there to be straws.

if you think malia or katelyn are bad ppl for having subscriptions about their lives where they might post their boyfriends, boy do i have news for you about shea and stas.

anything else they said is horseshit and tbh i'm over it. call me when the girls have been found guilty of something other than being kinda annoying and attention seeking on *gasp* the internet, of all places.

[dearweirdme]

I saw one of your followers asking about Jungkook living in a different dorm than Jimin due to him being a cook and that that information came from a Korean JJK. I cannot answer in the comments because I don't have an account, I'm sorry. Anyways, please take that information with a grain of salt. The Korean JJK lied about the diary entry that was written by Jungkook and was leaked, was fake. Just for the ministry of defense to come out to say that the diary entry was leaked and that they would investigate who leaked it and would punish said person. Said Korean JJK also lied about Jimin and Jungkook being in a different unit after their basic training which was proven wrong already. After that was debunked, they started to say Jungkook is never seeing Jimin due to him being a cook but then people found an interview with two ex-soldiers who had enlisted through the buddy system where one of them was also a cook while the other wasn't and they talked about how they still say each other everyday and how they shared the same room. Which actually also is said in the description of the buddy system on the official sites. That until the end of their service they will be in the same unit and will be living in the same dormitory. After that the account also lied about Jungkook not participating in the KCTC training which was then disproven by multiple people who either were part of the KCTC training themselves or by family members of soldiers that participated in the KCTC training who said that cooks had to do the normal training with all the regular soldiers. Plus Jungkook is in the pictures that were posted with Jimin, at least it looks like him. So please take the information said Korean JJK is posting always with a grain of salt. They have a habit of lying when they don't like the real information.

Hi anon!

I basically take everything that’s being said about them during enlistment with a grain of salt. Without them with us, it’s basically different kinds of fans going against each other and a lot of people/accounts looking for a bit of attention by mentioning them.

I also don’t understand why this has to be such a big deal. Jm and Jk have lived together as part of BTS for years. They now probably live together because of being in the same unit. The companion system as I understand it now is that the two persons enlisting together have each other during the whole time.. so it makes sense that Jm and Jk share living space. While Jkkrs make that into some romantic scheme.. it’s quite likely they just lie in their assigned beds scrolling through their phones or maybe enjoying time with fellow soldiers when they’re not working. I don’t get why some Tkkrs find this hard to accept.. unless you just want to go hard against Jkkrs and therefore need to put some space between them.

I don’t like the idea of any if BTS feeling alone. So aside from what their real situation is.. if they are actually sharing a room.. good on them for having each other. Jm and Jk sharing a living space isn’t Jkkrs winning.

[j4ydn]

Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikToks and Instagram?

According to Young (2006), a blog, otherwise known as a weblog, is basically an online journal or diary. It is anything you want it to be; you may use it to share your thoughts, get input from others, or even just rant (Young 2006). It’s safe to say that blogging isn’t exactly something new and has been around for some time now (Chin 2023).

That begs the question: what do we make of blogging in this day and age? Let's all take a moment to ponder upon it: in the past few years, the digital world has undergone a significant transformation. The emergence (and subsequent explosive growth) of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram has given rise to new forms of content, entertainment, and the like. In addition, the ways in which content is created, distributed, and consumed these days has also changed. All of this might lead you to question whether blogging is becoming a thing of the past. But is blogging really fading into obscurity? Or is it all just a misconception of sorts?

In my opinion, blogging still has a place in our digital world nowadays. This is due to certain advantages it has over other social media sites like TikTok and Instagram. Personally speaking, one such edge that blogging possesses is the length of its content. Generally speaking, TikTok and Instagram postings are subject to certain constraints such as specific media formats, shorter word limit(s), and so on. On the other hand, blogging offers more freedom and allows for a more in-depth exploration of various subjects and/or topics, whether you're sharing a personal story, giving a detailed tutorial, or delving into a complex matter. Such a feature is especially useful when you want to engage and connect with your audience with more meaningful and deeper content. This is evident on blogging sites such as Tumblr, where the platform is set up to be different from other platforms, in the sense that it is a place of emotional authenticity (Hart 2015).

Besides that, blogging has the potential for money-making opportunities. According to an essay by Gustafsson & Muhammad (2017), bloggers participate in a wide range of economic activities by monetising their blogs using a variety of business models and based on the interaction of virtual and physical networks. In other words, you can make money by blogging. Gustafsson & Muhammad (2017) go on to say how there are more and more people who are turning to blogging as a means of income. Blogging initially started off as an avenue for people to express themselves individually, but they may now generate revenue that is often on par with (or even exceed) their salaries from conventional jobs (Gustafsson & Muhammad 2017).

Blogging’s potential doesn’t just stop there. Studies have shown that increased blog usage results in improved levels of perceived learning by students studying in higher education institutions in regard to reading, writing, and commenting in, which goes to show that blogging should be utilised as a learning and teaching tool in educational institutions. (Garcia et al. 2019). This is further supplemented by the findings from a study by Ifinedo (2017), where it was found that the perceived enjoyment, compatibility, usage, user friendliness, etc. of blogs have a favourable impact on students' happiness levels with educational blogging.

To sum up everything, I wouldn't say that blogging has become irrelevant, even with the rise and dominance of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram; rather, it should be viewed as a medium which can be used to complement the aforementioned social media sites. In his book on blogging, Rettberg (2014) points out that numerous social media practises that we know of today are fundamentally forms of blogging, in the sense that they revolve around the same concept(s). Chin (2023) reiterates this point by stating that blogs, much like their social media counterparts, represent an online venue where people can gather to share their respective views and beliefs. The way I see it, blogging essentially functions as an alternative to TikTok and/or Instagram (of course, this is subjective and depends on the individual). With that being said, we should learn to appreciate the existence of blogs/blogging and not belittle their position.

[toyhousedramas]

tumblr.com/toyhousedramas/783483811321266176/not-the-original-anon-but-i-kinda-disagree

Completely in agreement with a lot of your points mod, in that the examples you mentioned are not sufficient as trigger warning. But I still hold the belief that it is not the creator's responsibility to list out the specific warnings on a personal space, and moreso the passerby's responsibility as, again, it is a personal space - as long as it doesn't violate the rules of the site they are hosted in. In the case of that flashing account, I see blocking and moving on to be the best course of action as I don't think (?) they break any Toyhouse's rules. If I have to compare, it'll be like how certain Ao3 fanfiction with really fucked up stuff can have the Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings tag, basically a 'enter at your own risk' sign, that I feel apply to this case too.

The difference is that 'Creator chose not to use archive warnings' is a warning, it's a warning that they aren't going to warn for everything in it, there's a huge difference between saying 'I'm choosing not to warn you about what may be here, so use that information as you will to make an informed choice/if you have triggers maybe don't click this' and outright misleading someone by under-labeling.

This is especially important when it comes to people's physical health, using my cluster migraines as an example again because I don't want to use a condition I am unfamiliar with; That profile set them off, and this is a debilitating thing I will now be dealing with for the next few days to a month, they're so bad that they can mimic the physical effects of a stroke (drooping face and similar).

Most seizure inducers do not trigger this in me, as an example I can watch the forbidden episode of pokemon just fine usually.

That’s how you know this particular background wasn't just "bright" or "a bit flashy." It was violent, sudden, full-screen effect. It went far beyond the typical visual clutter people warn for. And yet, it was tucked behind a generic warning, as if it were a mild accent or subtle looping gif in a sidebar.

The idea that this is simply a matter of personal curation, “block and move on”, ignores the fact that the harm is already done the moment the page loads. You don’t get a grace period. There’s no buffer to “choose” from, no second to assess and click away. Your body has already reacted. For people with certain conditions, that’s not annoyance or discomfort; it’s hospital-level distress.

I do understand the argument being made here: “It’s a personal space. People can do what they want.” And yes, legally and to some extent ethically, people can put whatever they like on their own personal profiles, provided it doesn’t violate the platform’s rules. But let’s not pretend this is a neutral stance. It’s not. It’s just lazy. And calling laziness a matter of personal freedom doesn’t elevate it to something noble or untouchable.

The standard of care doesn’t vanish because a space is “personal.” It simply shifts. If you choose to make a public-facing space, emphasis on public, then you are, by definition, inviting others into it. It’s no longer the digital equivalent of your locked diary. It’s a room you’ve left the door open to. And when someone walks through that door and gets hit in the face with a neurological brick, saying, “Well, it’s my house, don’t come in if you don’t like it” is a bit rich. Especially when the sign outside said “Might be bright,” not “Weaponized strobe trap.”

We all understand nuance in content labeling when it comes to sex, violence, and trauma. The internet is overflowing with arguments about how “TW: abuse” isn’t enough if your story contains graphic child torture. Yet somehow, when the same logic is applied to physical triggers, to things that can cause someone to seize, vomit, black out, or lose days of functioning, suddenly it’s hand-waving and personal responsibility.

I don’t accept that double standard. I don’t accept “this is a personal space” as an excuse for misleading, insufficient, or outright harmful tagging, especially when the harm in question is physical or life threatening.

No one’s asking for you to stop using gifs. No one’s outlawing color. What’s being asked is that when you do choose to use high-impact visuals, you communicate their nature clearly, so people can make an informed choice about exposure. That’s just competent labeling. It’s the absolute least someone can do before unleashing an optical health hazard on the public.

And frankly, if that’s too much effort, you probably shouldn’t be surprised when people criticize your profile for being dangerous, and you (general you) for being careless about it.

[thecpdiary]

The CP Diary: A Blog and Books for a Deeper, Structured Path to Wellbeing

I initially created The CP Diary as a space for my health and wellbeing, and personal reflections. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 46, later finding out I had already been diagnosed, I turned to writing as a way to make sense of my experiences. Through my blog, I share insights and reflections that encourage self-awareness, resilience, and change. The CP Diary Through The CP Diary, I explore a range of topics – from daily reflections, to health and wellbeing related topics, diet and nutrition, to exercise and healthy recipes; basically anything lifestyle. My writing is grounded in truth and authenticity, as I continue to navigate life’s complexities and encourage personal growth through self-reflection. I've been using self-reflection since I was a little girl, and which I use to write. My Books

While The CP Diary offers ongoing insights, my books provide a relaxed, structured and in-depth approach, making them a valuable complement rather than just an extension.

Beyond the Blog: How My Books Complement The CP Diary

While my blog provides daily reflections and insights, my books take you further – offering a more detailed and structured exploration of mental health, resilience, and self-discovery. They provide a companionable guide, offering reassurance and practical wisdom that can be revisited time and again. Together, they create a fuller picture, helping you reflect, grow, and find comfort in life’s more challenging moments.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to start your mindfulness journey and you're looking for help along the way, my books offer the guidance and support to help you reflect, grow, and find balance. Whether you choose to dip in and out – or read them cover to cover, they’re there whenever you need a moment of clarity and encouragement.

I invite you to explore The CP Diary and my books, finding the support and inspiration that speaks to you.

For more relatable, inspirational and lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com

[donovanviscayda]

2025: My First Post

"Go ahead, put anything."

These words welcomed me upon reopening my Tumblr account after years of hiatus. Sure, Tumblr, I shall do my best.

Being back on Tumblr in 2025 feels like reopening the diary you stashed in your drawer for so long that you forgot it existed but somehow—miraculously, as if the stars above aligned and paved the way to the moment—made its way back on your mind, so you retrieved it to appease your mind's desires.

Tumblr's layout now is far from how it looked years ago, but I have to give props to the site developers because the user interface feels like that of any other social media platform I currently use. Despite having a lot of changes, Tumblr still feels like home. I can't help myself from looking back in the past by visiting the profiles of those whom I interacted with here years ago, as well as checking my own to see the thoughts I published here when I was a late-teenager making a sense of this world. I felt the power of nostalgia take hold of my mind and emotions as I scrolled down as far as I could.

It is actually interesting how I got back here. I purchased my current planner, the one for the year 2025, in the last quarter of 2024. I liked how smoothly the nib of my Parker pen glided on the pages of the first one, so I bought my second planner from the same maker.

For the past years, I have been using my planners simply as planners, and just like any planner, I lined up my activities for the month, week, and days to come. Indeed, they were just planners: plan, tick off the done activities, repeat, and nothing else.

However, I suddenly came to the realization that I may write more than just to-do lists in my planner; I could write things I did at work during the day—basically a journal of my activities for the day—so I can easily recall what I did should I need that information in the future. It started off simple by including what I did and discussed as a professor in my classes, who got called during recitations and what grades they received, and what topics I planned to discuss in the future. This eventually turned into writing as well personal notes, a Likert scale of some sort of how I felt during the day, and brief explanations of my highlights of the day—usually things and events that made me feel bliss, sadness, anger, or anything in between. Slowly, my planner has become a diary. It took me years to understand why people enjoy logging their daily activities, and I am enjoying it.

While writing my entry for today, my passion for writing got rekindled. Writing my thoughts directly on paper, out of my own interest, not as a graded homework, and without the use of generative AI, felt liberating. As I wrote my thoughts directly on paper, the sensation felt foreign yet so familiar. I have been so desensitized and used to technical writing that I somehow forgot how it felt to write to express oneself. This eventually led to me reaccessing Tumblr, where I posted my thoughts from time to time, which led to me making this post.

I missed how it felt to Google grammar rules and read Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing before posting. I missed selecting the entire text of my composition and pressing Ctrl + C to save myself from the headache of reconstructing my thoughts after accidentaly clicking back button or refreshing my webpage. I missed rereading my compositions and looking at it through the eyes of a random reader, and missed posting content on the internet far from the prying eyes of naysayers.

I missed writing for myself.

I find it funny looking back at my naive 12-year-old self who despised making entries to the diary his English teacher made the class do as a grade requirement. Ha! The joke is on you. You will never know how your future self would unwittingly long to do such thing because of his busy schedule.

Going back here also made me realize how things have changed. I still remember scrolling through Tumblr and social media using my parent-funded but now unusable Lenovo netbook, to my first full-sized Lenovo laptop (still parent-funded), to my Lenovo Legion gaming laptop and Samsung tablet that I purchased using my own salary.

After introspecting on how I used social media in the previous years, I realized that I have been the most expressive here on Tumblr. In fact, Tumblr was my original diary, though I only posted from time to time. Here, there is no sugar coating, just plain expressions of how I feel. Facebook is too toxic, Tiktok is too full of brainrot, Instagram is too pretentious, and Twitter feels too crowded. I will probably hang around here and post more often.

God, I missed this platform! I welcome myself back. May the Donovan who expressed his thoughts continue to do so in the future, and may the future Donovan go back to his previous posts smiling and happy with how far he has come.

[sunnyworldwidelogistics]

Fitema's Sanitary Ware Shipment to Saudi Arabia – Choosing the Right Freight Forwarder China to Saudi Arabia: 3 Key Points

Fitema's Sanitary Ware Shipment to Saudi Arabia – Choosing the Right Freight Forwarder China to Saudi Arabia: 3 Key Points

Once, we helped Fitema ship a batch of sanitary ware to Yanbu Port in Saudi Arabia. However, after the shipment arrived, we couldn’t reach the client. Even calls to their office went unanswered. With storage fees at the port climbing to $300 per day, we were just as worried as our client would have been.

Having worked as a freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia for many years, we’ve seen all kinds of unexpected issues. Since Fitema is a small company, we assumed they must have had an emergency. This was a critical moment for us to demonstrate our professionalism. I immediately reached out to our local agent and arranged to transfer the containers to their warehouse to save the customer from extra fees. Later, we found out that Fitema’s family member had been hospitalized, and the client had put everything on hold to care for them.

This experience highlights the importance of choosing the right freight forwarder China to Saudi Arabia. When things go smoothly, everything’s fine, but when unexpected challenges arise, the way logistics companies respond makes all the difference. So how do you know if a freight forwarder is reliable? Here are three key points:

 1. How Long the Company Has Been Operating

The longer a logistics company has been in business, the more trustworthy it tends to be. Experience brings reliability. In Shenzhen alone, there are about 60,000 logistics companies, but 90% of them don’t survive beyond 3-4 years. Some lure clients with cheap rates, collect payments, and disappear.  

Sunny Worldwide Logistics, for instance, was founded in 1998 and has been running for 26 years. Through honest operations, we’ve established ourselves with a reputation for excellence. We own 1,800 square meters of premium office space in Shenzhen—a rare achievement in our industry. A visit to our office would show you firsthand what a reliable logistics company looks like.  

 2. Company Size and Employee Count

Many unreliable freight forwarders operate with just a few staff in small offices, struggling to answer even basic inquiries about their capacity. In contrast, our team at Sunny Worldwide Logistics has grown to nearly 100 employees over two decades. There are few logistics companies in Shenzhen with such scale, which shows we have the strength and resources to manage any challenge.

 3. Track Record of Working with Large Companies

Big companies are very selective when choosing logistics partners. Their due diligence includes on-site inspections, documentation reviews, and strict approval processes. So, if a logistics company has a history of working with industry giants, it’s a sign of their capability.  

For instance, we at Sunny Worldwide Logistics have long-term relationships with companies like Walmart, Costco, Huawei, and more than 100 other major corporations. These partnerships, spanning over a decade, prove that we meet the highest standards.

If you want to learn more about our work, check out my personal diary, where I share stories from the world of international logistics and the meaningful moments we’ve shared with our clients. Feel free to reach out anytime if you need assistance!

[lmaoitsyuuji]

MDA20009 Digital Communities (Week 4)

Prompt: 'Is blogging still relevant in the age of TikTok and Instagram?'

Blogging? I think I’ve heard of that before

Blogging is the process of creating content online and it refers to writing, photography and other media that are self-published online (Duermyer 2024). The word blog is a combined version of 'web' and 'log' and they are a type of regularly updated website that provide insight into a certain topic (Weiner 2024). In the age of TikTok and Instagram, blogging websites such as Tumblr is still relevant and popular amongst internet users as it becomes a safe space for users to share their thoughts and ideas online. Compared to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, blogging websites focuses more on providing content and space for niche topics where people can discuss about certain topics in the community that they’ve joined.

Domain Expansion: Infinite Scrolling

I have always been an active technology user, even back when I was in high school. I remember seeing the word “Tumblr” and "Twitter(X)" plenty of times on YouTube before, especially when YouTubers mentions it in their videos. Of course, since I was a YouTube girlie, I didn’t really bother exploring Tumblr and Twitter (X) much and was content on staying in my safe little bubble—until recently, where I keep coming back to these two microblogging platforms to indulge myself in other people's blogs.

Tumblr was created in 2007 and its whole existence was geared towards the ‘artsy’ and creative side of social media while using short entry style blogs (Baier, 2023). From arts to fanfictions, Tumblr really is the place for everyone to post anything they want—as long as they follow the website’s guideline rules, of course. The rise of Tumblr all began in 2011, with reports stating that over 10 billion blogs posts were curated on the website before eventually hitting its peak in 2014. However, Tumblr quite literally ‘fell off’ when Instagram and TikTok were beginning to gain traction from netizens and as a result, Tumblr was sadly buried underneath all the other social media platforms. RIP Tumblr, you will be missed— is what I would have said if it wasn’t for the fact that Tumblr is now gaining more attention and users almost a decade later. Tumblr didn’t just ‘die off’ but rather, it was still maintaining its popularity within niche communities.

Now, Twitter (or X, as Elon LOVES to remind us) is a social networking website that was launched in 2006 and it is undoubtedly one of the most popular social media sites today (Forsey, 2019). Twitter allows users to upload short posts known as tweets (which are basically posts with texts, pictures, videos or link uploaded in it) as well as a microblogging service that combines blogging and instant messaging in one app (TechTarget c. 1999).

I guess you can say Tumblr and Twitter (X) are quite similar with one another. The major difference that sets these two social media websites apart is that Tumblr is a microblogging social media site that focuses on creative expression and the sharing of multimedia content whereas Twitter (X) is a real-time microblogging platform that focuses on short updates and discussions (TutorialsPoint c. 2024). Although, it seems that Twitter (X) has also become a space for artists to upload their original arts and whatnot on the platform. Point is—Twitter (X) does a great job of continuing the legacy for Tumblr and these two platforms are still going strong even today.

Hold it!

Blogging still have relevancy in the age of Instagram and TikTok. Blogging can be considered as an online diary for people and writing self-published content online on websites like Tumblr or Twitter helps people to express themselves on the Internet as well as helping them find a community to join in. Internet users can interact with one another through blogs, seeing as personal blogs can expand social networks while opening dialogue between different people who share similar interests (Blogging Your Passion 2023). You’d be surprised if you knew how many people feel a sense of belonging in the communities that they joined.

Thoughts

With that being said, I do believe that blogging is still relevant in the age of Instagram and TikTok. Even Instagram got its own bootleg version of Twitter called Threads—which I have never used before because frankly, I don’t think I need to have two Twitters on my phone! While it's true that people, mostly Gen-Zs, gravitate towards short-form content that are posted on Instagram and TikTok, blogging still maintains a significant presence, particularly on platforms like Tumblr and Twitter. Both of these platforms provide opportunities for both microblogging and in-depth posts, highlighting that longer-form content still has a role to play.

(776 words)

Reference list

Baier, O 2023, Is the Tumblr era back?, Daily Collegian, viewed 21st September 2024,

<https://dailycollegian.com/2023/12/is-the-tumblr-era-back/#:~:text=Tumblr%20was%20created%20in%202007,hit%20its%20peak%20in%202014.>

Blogging Your Passion 2023, Why Do People Blog? 8 Powerful Reasons Why, Blogging Your Passion, viewed 21st September 2024,

<https://www.bloggingyourpassion.com/why-do-people-blog/>

Duermyer, R 2024, What Is Blogging?, The Balance, viewed 18th September 2024,

<https://www.thebalancemoney.com/blogging-what-is-it-1794405>

Forsey, C 2019, What is Twitter and How Does It Work?, HubSpot, viewed 22nd September 2024,

<https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-twitter>

TechTarget c. 1999, Twitter, TechTarget, viewed 22nd September 2024,

<https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Twitter#:~:text=To%20access%20Twitter%2C%20users%20need,to%20tweets%20with%20short%20messages.>

TutorialsPoint c. 2024, Difference between Twitter and Tumblr, TutorialsPoint, viewed 22nd September 2024,

<https://www.tutorialspoint.com/difference-between-twitter-and-tumblr>

Weiner, A 2024, What is a blog? Definition, types, benefits and why you need one, WIX Blog, viewed 18th September 2024,

<https://www.wix.com/blog/what-is-a-blog>

[letsthinkdigital]

Lecture Diary 1

For this week we started the semester off talking about the history of video games! It should be said that there are entire degrees and courses built around video games so it’s safe to say we won’t learn everything about them. But, we did learn quite a bit. One of the first (not the absolute first though) gaming systems is Play Football. It was made in 1926 by Chester-Polland Co. and it is a game where two people play football in a gaming cabinet. Now things started becoming “video games” around 1950 ish one of my favorite examples is the NIM ROD in 1958 not because I’m huge into video game tennis. But because I laughed hysterically thinking about how people that these scientists were building bombs when in reality they were just sitting there making a cool fun little video game.

Could you imagine?

Just a quick little comic lol!

Now one of my personal favorite game systems is Atari and that’s mainly because I grew up with it. That is the N64 and game cube. Atari came out around the '60s/70s and the N64 and Game Cube came out around the '90s/2000s. The only game we had that I could play well on Atari at my age was Space Invaders. For the N64 my parents could not get me off of Majora’s Mask and the game cube was always being used for Animal Crossing. I honestly can’t remember a time when there wasn’t Animal Crossing in that system and there are honestly so many other games and systems it honestly would take me forever to name and talk about them all. I will say though that I am really happy with how things have developed. We live in a time where you can literally watch a product evolve. I like how things went from a simple pixel being knocked back and forth across a screen to in-depth storytelling and it’s only getting better with time! I mean people have taken pre-existing concepts and turned them into immersive worlds with video games. One of the best examples of this is definitely Alice Madness Returns. While it is a sequel to the American Mcgee’s Alice both serve as a wonderful reminder of how you can take something as simple as a storybook and turn it into a massive world with a narrative that leaves you wanting more. I really do like watching and keeping tabs on the latest and greatest games but it’s always nice to be reminded of their roots by looking back at the older consoles and devices!

Speaking of consoles and devices, our homework for this week was to go on:

and to find a controller that interests us.

Now I will not lie to you there are some really cool controllers on this site and each one is made specifically for the game being played. But the one that stood out to me was the YettiBebbis: Puppet In A Cult! I have always loved puppets and to think that someone not only made a game about puppets but, made a controller that is a puppet control arm?

I was so excited to see it!

Basically, you play as this little puppet monster and have to convince the rest of the little monster cult members around you that you are a regular cult member by doing the ritual dances just like them. You control the little monster with the control arm by moving specific parts of the body, jumping, and turning it’s great! I think this kind of game design should go mainstream! I miss when game companies used to make cool controls for specific games and mechanics.

We need more of this definitely!

[troynovant]

me using this site as a weird semi-public diary

I'm trying to take stock of my life and it's an odd inventory. I'm 32, I have an Ivy League degree and and Ivy League Ph.D. Both, unfortunately, are in English literature. I have a job that affords me a good deal of respect in the sense of cultural capital but very little renumeration in the sense of actual capital. I am also completely at the mercy of an academic department that can, at any moment, simply not rehire me; for all I know it won't rehire me in the fall. I have enough savings to last about a year if I find myself unemployed. My employment prospects are altogether somewhere between mixed and grim. I am highly qualified for a profession that no longer exists and over-qualified for most others. I have repeatedly failed to gain any form of long-term work in my field, live with two housemates, and have to replace those housemates whenever they move out. I am materially comfortable in most other regards.

Socially, I'm really very lucky: I have lots of friends, far more than most people in their early thirties, though it's unclear if those friends, some of whom are relatively wealthy, could help me find work if things went south in my current department. Romantically, things could quite literally not be worse. It turns out, and I should have known this, that extended multi-year flirtations with men who are mostly straight and ultimately fall back upon that do not make for a satisfactory emotional life. I have almost no experience socializing with other gay men; this would have been a real surprise to me as a teenager, but my friends are, other than a few girls, primarily straight men. I take a revolting sort of pride in that even though it is at this point clearly not setting me on the path towards any sort of long-term happiness.

Physically, I think I have a nice face but am clearly out of shape. I'm proud of my hair, which is pretty healthy for a man my age even if it's thinner than it once was. You'd think, given all my hangups, that I had a weird dick or some sort of obvious physical problem but that's not the case, almost surprisingly. I have an absolute standard dick; I also have a completely crippling pornography addiction. My biggest strength, I think, is that I am smart. That sounds arrogant but I've never had much reason to doubt it. I can say the right things about books and movies and art and architecture and history and travel and even science -- I guess engineering would be my blind-spot but even then I can usually follow along. I'm good at conversation, I have character and personality, I'm not boring. People like to talk to me and I'm good with people, but this is all in the arena of socializing. I'm always a hit at parties and then spend Valentines day alone.

I know, objectively, that I could date if I wanted too -- I'm really not bad looking, and I can usually win people over in conversation -- but I'm just scared of putting myself out there. I'm scared that someone will look at me and think that I don't live up to my photos (I photograph well, basically the opposite of the more common phenomenon of a good-looking person who looks bad on camera) but my fear of rejection is equal to my fear of rejecting someone. I know, on some level, that I could never go on a date and then not go home with the other person if they were pushing for it, because whenever I'm one-on-one with someone all I can do is try to please them.

I feel like if I were to actively date I'd have to do it like this: send only the most unflattering photos so there's little chance that they'll be disappointed, get too drunk to be nervous, and just commit, in advance, to the idea that I'll pretty much do whatever they want regardless of whether or not I'm actually all that attracted to them. I think I would also have to make it a rule not to go on a date with anyone who is even a few degrees removed from me socially because I'd hate it for gossip to get back to my friends somehow -- "hey, apparently my friend went on a date with your friend C**** and he was drunk and weird and then kind of bad at sex" lmao truly a nightmare. But then, this is all hypothetical -- I'm so stuck in my ways, so unlikely to actually try. I think people around me have started to notice something -- I'm very spontaneous and open to new experiences, but only in ways that are somewhat superficial. I'll travel to new places, eat anything however exotic, wear whatever, try any drug given to me, try most things at least once, really, and yet in bigger ways my life never really changes. At the end of the day, I'll come back home on my own and maintain my little instagram account and nothing will change even if it looks like things have. At this point, I think my fear that my friends, family, colleagues etc. will think that I'm a loveless, sexless freak is exerting a stronger pressure on me than any actual desire for companionship, which is so characteristic of course -- again my priorities are just social. I've put all my eggs in the same basket, my social life, but I know on some level that my friends are all going to get married, have kids, move away, and basically grow up in the way that I seem to be incapable of.