#i started participating after they came out and we were all actual adults about it and super respectful

[danandfuckingjonlmao]

ok everybody block dnp on all socials they have eyes everywhere. they know way too much. those omniscient fuckers are always watching. no one is safe.

like what do you MEAN you know about those stupid “real voice” compilations and people absolutely clowning about jumpcuts and smudged whiskers and what do you MEAN you’re aware of those 2009 phan theories people still debate to this day? what happened to “i don’t check my indirects” “i don’t go on the tags”?? i bet you’re lurking RIGHT NOW reading this very post. all men do is lie. can’t trust anyone 😤😪

[calisources]

𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐃   𝐎𝐅   𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐒   𝐀𝐍𝐃   𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒   𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.   all   sentences   have   been   taken   from   the   hunger   games:   the   ballad   of   songbirds   and   snakes   book   and   some   from   the   movie   trailers.   might   include   spoilers   for   the   movie   and   book.   change   pronouns   and   locations   and   names   as   you   see   fit.

“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.”

“Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does.”

“Well, as they said, it's not over until the mockingjay sings.”

“People aren’t so bad, really, It’s what the world does to them.”

“That is the thing with giving your heart. You never wait for someone to ask. You hold it out and hope they want it.”

“Snow lands on top.”

“I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”

“Before need, before love, came trust.”

“And try not to look down on people who had to choose between death and disgrace.”

“What are lies but attempts to conceal some sort of weakness?”

“The strain of being a full-fledged adult every day had grown tiresome.”

“You can blame it on the circumstances, the environment, but you made the choices you made, no one else.”

“Wars are won by heads not hearts.”

“There is a point to everything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview.”

“You're mine and I'm yours. It's written in the stars.”

“But better off sad than dead.”

“What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them.”

“I think it’s more important than love. I mean, I love all kinds of things I don’t trust.”

“I’m planning to build a whole new beautiful life here. One where, in my own small way, I can make the world a better place.”

“If the war’s impossible to end, then we have to control it indefinitely. Just as we do now.”

“What was there to aspire to once wealth, fame, and power had been eliminated? Was the goal of survival further survival and nothing more?”

“They were both after all, still children whose lives were dictated by powers above them.”

“Star-crossed lovers meeting their fate.”

“I’m bad news, all right.”

“The ability to control things. Yes, that was what he’d loved best of all.”

“What happened in the arena? That’s humanity undressed. The tributes. And you, too.”

How quickly civilization disappears. All your fine manners, education, family background, everything you pride yourself on, stripped away in the blink of an eye, revealing everything you actually are.”

“A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That’s mankind in its natural state”

“Please, Coriolanus, I would never forget the favor.”

“Who are human beings? Because who we are determines the type of governing we need.”

“What sort of agreement is necessary if we’re to live in peace? What sort of social contract is required for survival?”

“It’s just the kind of story that catches fire.”

“And last but least, District Twelve girl . . . she belongs to Coriolanus Snow.”

“Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.”

“If history teaches you anything, it’s how to make the unwilling comply.”

“You know what I won’t miss? People. Except for a handful. They’re mostly awful, if you think about it.”

“And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”

“Why did these people think that all they needed to start a rebellion was anger?”

“And if even the most innocent among us turn into killers in the Hunger Games, what does that say? That our essential nature is violent.”

“It's the things we love most, that destroy us.”

“We all did things we’re not proud of.”

“What are the Hunger Games for?”

"If you want to protect people, then it's essential to accept what human beings are and what it takes to control them."

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."

“If the cause wasn’t honorable, how could it be an honor to participate in it?”

“He’s a Capitol boy and clearly I got the cake with the cream, ’cause nobody else’s mentor even bothered to show up to welcome them.”

“To dine with her suggests that you consider her your equal. But she isn’t.”

“The endless dance with hunger had defined his life.”

"In nature, things that are prey, that are weak, are marked"

"The world is not kind to those who don't fit in"

"We all wear masquerades in this Capitol"

, "There's a price for everything, Lucy. Sometimes you pay it willingly, sometimes it's taken from you,"

"Freedom is not given, it is taken"

“I’m not convinced that we are all as inherently violent as you say, but it takes very little to bring the beast to the surface, at least under the cover of darkness.”

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for converting to another religion?

Also just so i can find this im gonna type a word.

'DUCK'

Names are fake

I (FTM, minor but not really but yeah, i'll be a legal adult in no time so will by boyfriend, also I'm closeted to everyone except my boyfriend so assume any treatment i get will be with me as a woman) am agnostic. I don't hate religion at all, i respect and understand believers and when invited i participate in religious activities mainly doing it out of love for the person or because they seem genuinely fun.

Anyway, i have this boyfriend, Kenny, who i love very very much. I wouldn't say our relationship is 'perfect' because that is impossible, but we are close, happy, communication is good, i wouldn't ask for more. He makes me happy, he's the best thing that ever happened to me.

Kenny is jewish, he let me know few days after we started dating because he wanted to be open about it in a serious relationship. I 100% respected that and we had a warm lighthearted chat about it, he knows i'm agnostic, he respects that.

It's been a few years, and Kenny's family grew to love me.

With his family's consent, Kenny invited me to a few religious activities with them which i enjoyed doing because we were all in a happy mood. Over time I became comfortable around the family, we're friends now.

Let's skip forward, Kenny and I were having a conversation late at night cuddling in bed, and he brought up religion. We kept chatting, until he asked me if i would be interested in converting to Judaism.

I was kinda shocked when he asked that, one of the few moments he genuinely did something i didn't expect. I stay quiet, before answering with a low "I don't know, maybe?"

We leave the topic there, he wasn't mad or anything, instead he nodded and we just kept chatting about other stuff still cuddling.

It's been a few weeks after that, and the question is still there in my little brain. I've been doing research on Kenny's religion to have a better understanding of the question he gave me, and honestly? Doesn't sound like a bad idea, i'm up for it.

I brought it up to Kenny and he seemed glad that I actually remembered the question. It's nice to see everything is taken calmly.

However, part of the hesitation came from my doubts about changing 'religions'. I don't think agnosticism is like a proper religion, i mean it's not even Atheism level. But i have an understanding of how religions work from my Catholic childhood, i was raised Catholic. So if i'm correct most religions are given by birth, I feel like it would be an AH move to break the rule over an idea my boyfriend brought up.

His family seems okay with the whole thing though, so i have mixed feelings.

Is there actually an AH part of the decision, or am i overthinking it?

(sorry for bad English)

What are these acronyms?

[iamnathannah]

Barbie Birthday Headcanon

After Gloria is told the story about how completely mean her daughter and her friends were to Barbie when she came to the school, she pretty much chews out Sasha and the other three for their cruelness.

"You called her a fascist, what the fuck?!" she says, and that's when Sasha knew she was really in the wrong, because though her mom is liberal with her English and Spanish cursing, it's rarely directed towards her daughter, much less Jade, Cloe and Yasmin. "How could you make her cry like that, she was trying to get help." "But she was a stranger to us," Sasha says weakly. "What am I supposed to do?" "Not compare her to a dictator, mija, you know we came from a place that had facist after facist and that's why your abuela came to America! Barbie isn't in any way comparable to Benito Mussolini!" "I didn't expect her to take it so seriously!" "Well she did, and I hope you all apologize to her because we do not compare innocent blondes to war criminals." "Innocent blonde you say as you imagine her lips–" "Don't even start with me, Yasmin!"

Eventually though, the girls suck up their pride and do apologize to Barbie, but Jade really didn't want to participate in the first place, just feeling more weird about Barbie than feeling like being mean to her, and after they all get to know who would quickly become Gloria's girlfriend, they decide to bury the hatchet for Barbie's first real world birthday. Sasha gets a job working at the local library during the weekends and the other girls babysit and tutor younger kids, and eventually, they come up with a fun way to show their appreciation as they realize Barbie is actually pretty darned cool.

They don't tell Gloria what the gift is at all, and Cloe keeps it at home until the big day, when after blowing out her candles and after Gloria and Barbie's work friends give their presents, Sasha gets out the large box, wrapped in pink.

"So..." Sasha places the present in front of Barbie. "When you came into our world, I think I can pretty much say this, and don't ground me, Mom...we were all utter bitches to you." "No, no you weren't!" Barbie exclaims. "I should've done better–" "We were," Yasmin says morosely. "Like, you were all scared and stuff and found this girl you didn't know and instead of trying to help you, we made you cry. Imagine if you didn't get to Ms. Esperada in time and you got shipped back to Barbieland because of us; that would've made us guilty for the rest of our lives." Cloe joins in. "We should've just got you to a trusted adult or told you to meet us afterschool, and I'm so sorry, ma'am." "it's OK, Cloe. I'm really fine, you saw me as a stranger." "But it's not!" Jade cried. "So...we hope that you know that we all got together and found this, and I hope you'll know that we're glad you're still here and that we're happy that you make my BFF and her mom happy. We really are glad to know you, Barbie." "Well, thank you, girls. It's a bit big of a gift for a teen foursome to give though; I don't really need a PlayStation 5," she jokes nervously.

"Oh, I know." Sasha laughs aloud, nervous. "You're proud of the work you put into your Stardew Valley town and Mom has to distract you to get off the Switch at night." She mumbled under her breath, "sometimes in non PG-13 ways," then shoots an eyeroll towards her mom, who blushes, neither confirming or denying as her best friend Belinda shakes her head and giggles.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's lovely." Barbie feels the weight of the package in her hands and then unwraps it, pulling the pink paper off and revealing a blank cardboard box which is taped up considerably. "Aw, man, I'm going to need a–" Jade is unusually swift to offer up her 'for protection' pocketknife, flipping it open and handing it to Barbie at the hilt.

"Knife." She laughs nervously, then opens the package as her girlfriend says a silent prayer that Barbie doesn't cut off a finger. She opens up the package and her eyes light up in awe...

"You told Mom about how sad you felt about being called a facist and...yeah, really uncalled for," Sasha confesses. "But when she mentioned you took it too literally and we asserted you took too much joy in controlling the railroads and flow of commerce...ugggh, I really felt like soap scum. So hopefully this makes up for a really bad first impression, B." She helps pull the item the rest of the way out of the box, and then helps Barbie place it on the table. "Happy birthday, from all of us." "You..." Gloria is in utter shock about how her daughter tried to make one of the worst moments of Barbie's life into the best. "How on earth did you girls...Sasha, what on earth?" "You know my grandpa is a big railfan," Jade explained, "and when I asked him how we could get one of these, he had his friend in Oregon drive this all the way down after we explained what happened. It's in amazing working order and was really out of a train station that was torn down in the 80s near Pocatello they rescued and restored. And when he heard about why we wanted it...well, because of our gift, you've got a rail car at the museum in Fresno named after you too. So we'll have to see that one day, but I hope you know that...we definitely don't think you're a facist, Barbie." "It...it's beautiful. Girls..." Barbie was crying, but happily this time, looking over the large and beautifully stained oak railroad station clock. "Oh my Ruth, you really didn't have to do this, I forgave you all so long ago!" "Now you can know the time, and not be compared to terrible painters and obsessive train schedulers," Cloe says softly. "We just thought we'd turn a big negative for you into a positive, and since this is your first real birthday, we wanted to make it feel special and connect it to when we first met. Hopefully you don't think of that any longer and that you enjoy this like we did finding it, then giving it to you." "It...it really is. I expected something goofy, but not this...heartfelt. You should know that you've more than made up for it, and...oh, this is definitely going in the living room...um, if you don't mind, honeybee?" She looks at Gloria, who nods furiously.

"Oh, of course, yeah, it's going above the mantle! You girls went above and beyond and...just thank you for making up to her like this. I know this has been...quite a year with all of...this going on," she glances towards Richie, who nods knowingly at his ex-wife, "but you're a strong girl, with strong friends who know when they wrong someone. And you've created an amazing memory for Barbie. I hope so." "It is! It really is." Barbie gets up, and beckons the girls together, along with Gloria to circle around her. "I love you all, but Sash, thank you for just warming up to me. I know I've been a disruptive force, to say the least, but the way you've made it up to me, I know I can always count on you all. Thank you." Through her tears, Barbie hugs all four young women, along with Gloria, in a heartful hug. She feels the depression and self-loathing of that moment begin to melt away, a peek of the true deep love Sasha felt for her as an unexpected mother figure warming her own soul. The Esperada girls, along with the bratty trio who had known Sasha since they met in the Mattel daycare, had truly made her first real world birthday, which in Barbieland felt like any other day, very special.

Little did she know that Gloria would make it even more special for her after they proudly hung the clock, and after the party was done and cleaned up, the guests long gone, and Sasha was in bed with her heart much lighter, her mother would get down on bended knee with her beloved abuela's engagement ring, the ticking of the clock indicating the start of the path towards Barbie being able to know Sasha as her very own daughter...

[skullamity]

I don't make a whole lot of personal posts on here anymore, but yesterday was @femonologue and I's 17th wedding anniversary. We bucked the trend of forgetting it until like a week after it occurred (thank you adhd) and actually made plans (and this pasta holy shit it was good).

I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but I would like to take a minute to reflect on how much a relationship that lasts this long is work. Not to scare anyone off, but the two of us made the decision to get married at age 22 and of all the friends who got married in the few years after that, we are one of two couples that I know of who have not been divorced and/or remarried one or more times.

It was crazy lucky that we ended up being as compatible as we are, and it has not always been easy. I am confident in making the statement that neither of us knew who we were as people OR as adults when we tied the knot, as evidenced by the fact that I came out as trans and transitioned in 2016, and that she came out and started transitioning last year. Those are big changes that really threw both of us for the loop, and I understand that a lot of relationships where even just one of the participants transitions have pretty high failure rates for an infinite number of reasons.

I guess if I could give any advice about being married, it would be this:

- don't get married before you're ready, even if you feel like pressure you're getting from family members to not 'live in sin' seems reasonable. Breaking up because you lived together first is messy but cheaper and less traumatic than a divorce.

- LIVE TOGETHER FIRST! I know so many relationships that were great for years while the participants lived separately, and then fell apart after they moved in together and became acquainted with all of each other's annoying habits and clashing ideas on how to maintain a household. Don't let your incompatibilities be a surprise for after the wedding, move in together first and try and come to a mutually agreeable way of living when there's less pressure for you to figure your collective shit out.

- kids are stressful, never have them as a gamble to "make things work" because I have never seen them not make things WORSE when the parents split. Have a straightforward talk about how many kids you want, when you wanna have them and how you want to raise them before you are even married, and if you cannot see eye to eye or find yourself hoping your partner will change their mind about key points of contention in the future, STOP. It is okay to break up and stop wasting each other's time!

- never get married because you think you will never find anyone else who wants to marry you. You will, and you do not have to settle for someone who you aren't even sure likes you as a person 90% of the time. It is NEVER too late to call off a wedding. It doesn't matter if you have down payments on services or venues, or sent out save the dates or invitations. It isn't too late even if you've accepted shower gifts or the wedding is next fukken week--it's embarassing to call it off that close to the line, but it's better than trapping yourself for years because you feel like it's too late to back out. I promise you that your friends and family want you to be happy and would not like it if you only married someone shitty or incompatible because you thought they would judge you for calling it off the night before. They WILL understand, and if they don't? You can re-examine your relationship with them, too, while you're taking out the trash.

- we all bring our own baggage and traumas into relationships, and the only way for them to mesh is communication. I NEED to address things right away because my brain just does not settle into cooldown mode if we take a fifteen minute breather or decide to sleep on it, and my wife NEEDS space to cool down before we talk things out, and it took a lot of actual communication to figure out where we were not meshing in these instances and how to work around that. If you want things to work out, you HAVE to talk about it, and if talking about it is not productive or makes things worse, then couples therapy is NOT a death knell for your relationship and you should try it.

- Being married is learning to put someone else first in ways you couldn't imagine. When I came out as trans, even though I knew we were solid and had a fairly good idea about how she would react, I still made it clear from the get-go that I knew that being married to a dude was NOT what she signed up for, and that if we needed to split for that reason, I understood. Did it get me called a dumbass? Yes. But did she understand where I was coming from and what I meant and why I was offering? Also yes.

- T4T marriages rule, and if you are trans and set on bagging a cis person, think very carefully about why you want that and if it will actually get you what you want. I can recognize that being with a cis person who accepts you as your gender can feel validating and reinforce the need to be and feel normal in a hundred different ways, but if that's the main reason you have mentally nixed the idea of ever dating another trans person, you have some stuff to work though and might wanna get that sorted before you marry anyone.

- you've got to be able to think of yourselves as a team, even when you disagree. Personally I have always pictured us as goofy old timey black and white cartoon bankrobbers with bandit masks, one of us driving the getaway carriage full of sacks with crudely drawn dollar signs on them while the other cackles and throws lit sticks of dynamite at the pursuing sherriff and deputy. Even if we are disagreeing, that image instantly makes me laugh and take whatever I was mad about a little less seriously.

Finally, I am using the app and accidentally clicked the poll option thinking it was a bullet point list and now I can't figure out how to get rid of it, so I'll take this opportunity to ask the most important question:

Here are pictures of how ours turned out:

I could not have imagined how delicious these turned out, eating it was transcendent, neither of will ever be the same.

[lythea-creation]

Worst Prank Ever - Platonic Fred and George Weasley x fem reader

summary: During the summer holidays between their first and second year, Fred, George and (f/n) pull a prank they swear to never repeat again.

warnings: none, i think

word count: 729

Author's note: Feel free to check out my Masterlists and make requests. No reposting please! Reblogging, comments and requests are always appreciated <3 If you like the story/my writing, please don't be shy to say it via comments or asks! It takes you a few seconds and might make my day. It's the best appreciation you can show to a writer you like.

Requested? Yes

--------------------

Hogwarts was a place full of magic and new experiences. As a first year I was excited to leave my old muggle school behind to learn how to cast spells, fly on a broom and tame exotic beasts.

But I had not considered that despite all the magic, Hogwarts was still a school.

Therefore I was rejoiced to befriend the Weasley twins, Fred and George. With them by my side boredom was not even in my vocabulary anymore.

Honestly I had never been one for pranks, but since they introduced me to them, I had turned into an obsessive fan. I was always the first one to know what they were planning, eager to participate despite the consequences.

We were a feared trio when it came to the teachers we did not quite get along with.

My parents did not mind the complaints that were sent their way as they were too busy working to care at all. So why should I care?

In the summer break it all continued.

Since my parents were on a business trip and hence could not take care of me, the Weasley's had allowed me to stay over at their home.

In the beginning I had been a bit timid and shy, but that had quickly changed when everyone had been so kind and welcoming. Having Fred and George around may have played a crucial part in that as well.

“Hey, (f/n)! Let's go outside”, Fred suggested.

I did not hesitate to tag along.

A few minutes later we were deep inside the forest around the Burrow.

“Where are we going?”, I wondered.

I had never been inside a forest without an adult by my side. My parents did not allow me to go out on my own.

“There's a place we wanna show you”, George enlightened me.

After about thirty more minutes of walking through branches and roots, we finally arrived at … nothing. Why had they dragged me out here?

“Look up”, George instructed me.

Then I saw it. A giant tree house, hidden between the leaves of the tree.

“What are you waiting for? Let's get up there”, Fred encouraged us, climbing the tree first.

“Wow”, I uttered when I entered the tree house.

It was huge, filled with various things Fred and George must have brought over.

“It's our secret hideout”, George enlightened me.

“We found it when we got lost inside the forest. Nobody else knows about it. So don't be a snitch, okay?”, Fred remarked.

“Of course not”, I promised, outraged that they could even consider me to do it.

“What do you think? Wanna pull another prank and stay here for a few days? We brought food and water”, Fred suggested.

That was what the backpacks were for.

“You mean stay up here and even spend the night?”, I questioned.

“Exactly”, George confirmed.

“That's awesome”, I exclaimed. “I'm in!”

“It's settled then”, Fred noted with a huge grin.

We actually had a lot of fun in the tree house.

Fred and George had brought various magical games we could play. And we used our time to plan pranks for the new school year. At night we could go outside and spot some starts between the tree branches, but only if we climbed up even higher.

It was the best vacation ever.

Until we returned the next afternoon and Mrs. Weasley started yelling at us: “How could you act so irresponsible? We were worried sick! And (f/n), I promised your parents to look out for you. How could you just disappear? You all didn't even say a word. You're all grounded, forever! Now go to your room! I don't want to see you right now.”

Tears were flowing down my cheeks on the way upstairs. This was the first scolding I had gotten by someone else but a teacher and I was feeling agonizingly guilty.

Mrs. Weasley was right. I should have been more considerate.

“That definitely was a buzz”, George declared.

“The worst prank we ever pulled”, Fred agreed.

“Let's never stay away without telling mom again”, George decided.

“Agreed”, Fred and I replied simultaneously.

We stayed true to our word. Even as adults we were always telling Mrs. Weasley where we were going when we visited her.

[putschki1969]

2024/01/15 Blog post by Wakana 真奈ちゃんと最高の餃子を食べたお話〜一生餃子推し〜

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

A Story About Eating The Best Gyoza With Mana-chan 〜Lifetime Gyoza Fans〜

I decided to really laze around during the New Year's holidays, I didn't do any of the strength training or cooking that I usually do, I didn't sing at all, I basically just slept and slept some more without thinking about anything else. Then, I gradually started forgetting what my life was like before so I got scared and immediately went back to my usual routine 😂 It's scary because if you don't set boundaries for yourself you can easily let yourself go forever! ! 😭

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

Generally, I enjoy singing all-year-round but after focusing hard on a concert, I like to take a break from singing for a while🧚‍♀️ It depends on the situation and my mood but those breaks could be a few days or even a month. If I don't do that, I feel like my perspective on many things will become too narrow...�� Lately, I've once again realised that it's important to create a sense of contrast and variety so I don't get stuck on something (^^)✨

Now! I would like to finally talk about my Gyoza Eating Journey that was featured in my latest newsletter. In Vol.#5 of my journey, I visited two amazing gyoza restaurants together with Mana Ogawa-chan🥟🥟＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ Mana-chan is active as a singer, she also does stage work and participates in a project called Benesse Kodomo Challenge ♪(*´ω｀*) I can't believe she was still in elementary school when we first met...😱(I was already an adult at that point)

Mana-chan also loves gyoza! ️ We live by the motto “NO GYOZA, NO LIFE”!! ️ (no, okay, this is really just me who is saying this). Anyway, I have been wanting to do some sort of gyoza activity together with her for the longest time😆♡ Finally, that dream-like project came true!! ️ Thank you Mana-chan😍

I asked Mana-chan to make a suggestion on where we should go first. She requested a Chinese restaurant called "Rengetsu" that was introduced in my gyoza guide book! Since I had read a lot about it in the book, I was of course very interested. Furthermore, there was another restaurant mentioned in the guide book which happened to be near Mana-chan's recommended place so I really wanted to check that out too, it's called "Min Min"🥟That's pretty much how we ended up going to two restaurants! (^-^)

First of all, let me introduce "Min Min" in Akasaka! The vending machine outside was only selling food that I love 😳✨ The inside of the store was much more lively than I had imagined from the outside, and the tatami room seats made it feel a bit like an izakaya😆 We had an appetizer but I was so focused on the gyoza that I don't remember anything about it😂. The highlight was definitely the fried gyoza! ️🥟 They are as big as a steamed bun! And so chewy! ! Akasaka's "Min Min" is a direct descendant of the currently closed Shibuya's "Min Min Yan Rou Kan" which is said to be the origin place of fried gyoza in Japan. Apparently they make around 1,000 pieces a day😳 We had our order together with their famous "vinegar and pepper" dipping sauce which actually originated at this restaurant♡ The gyoza filling had plenty of chives which Mana-chan was a big fan of! All in all, they were really delicious 😍 Next up we had boiled gyoza! The soup is so flavourful that you'll want to eat it with some noodles! Honestly, it was so delicious that you will be left wanting more 😳✨ Lastly, we had miso gyoza which was actually my first time😳 They were so rich in taste...!! ︎ The bean paste which looks reminded me of mapo tofu was so smooth and rich that I really wanted to eat it with rice! Look at the face I am making, pure happiness...😂 Akasaka's "Min Min" was truly the best~😭💕 There were many other menu items but we didn't pay attention to anything other than the gyoza😂We left the restaurant having thoroughly enjoyed a nice variety of gyoza: Fried, boiled and miso🥟

Next, we went to the restaurant Mana-chan wanted to visit, “Rengetsu” in Aoyama!🥟 The noren at the entrance was so cute ♡ The gyoza on the fabric looks like flowers 🥟The inside of the restaurant is very compact with only one table and a counter. My manager had made reservations for me a month in advance so we were able to get in but it was fully booked😳 (By the way, Akasaka's "Min Min" was also fully booked! Seems like both restaurants are really popular😍) As appetizers we had Szechuan pickles and a "green chili pepper, cucumber, and coriander salad"! Both were spicy and Mana-chan struggled a bit with those since she has a low tolerance for spicy food...! First, we wanted to try "Rengetsu's" signature meal, the boiled gyoza with minced lamb! ! Oh, oh, it was so delicious...! ! ! ! ! This was the best boiled gyoza I've ever had! ! ! 😭✨The sauce was also great! Apparently, the owner of "Rengetsu" won the Chinese Cuisine World Championship back in 2012😳 The taste was worthy of a world champion for sure! ! Of course we had another plate of boiled gyoza and then we moved on to the much anticipated fried gyoza 🥟 This one was also delicious! ! ! ! 😭😭✨ The sauces were different for boiled gyoza and fried gyoza, both delicious of course! ! (I actually switched between the sauces). We ordered another place of this too...😍It felt like a true indulgence and we were eating as much as we wanted😂

This was my 5th time eating gyoza for the fan club magazine and I had a special guest join me for the first time, it was really delicious and fun, I want to do this again and again! ! 😂Mana-chan and I got to talk a lot, not only about gyoza but also about work. Thank you so much Mana-chan! ! ! ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ (Mana-chan always has a cute smile on her face (*´ω｀*)💓)

There are still many restaurants I want to go to...My journey to eat gyoza will never end! ! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／♡ If you have any delicious restaurant recommendations, please let me know! ! ! Until next time~☆( *'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊ Instagram post by Wakana

2024/01/20 Blog post by Wakana おしゃべりガーデン第5回目！〜その２〜

Talk Garden Vol. 5！〜Part 2〜

It's part of my daily routine to keep an eye on the plants in my house, but when my heart gets distracted by other things, I end up not being able to keep an eye on all of my plant babies so they will often end up running out of water. The frequency of watering varies from one plant to another, so it is essential to watch each of them very closely for sign of dehydration. (Sometimes I'll just lift the pot to determine how much water is left in it. By now I have a pretty decent understanding of how much water my plants need based on their weight!) For my bigger plants, I am using a moisture meter (I became a big fan after receiving one at a plant shop I visited a while back), so when the meter turns white, it's a signal to water my plant. I also want to keep track of the times when I water my plants throughout the year so I always write it down on my calendar. It's been dry lately, even my giant plants like Schefflera and Everfresh have been having a hard time😳 When I'm home all day and can take a close look at the plants, I try to take them for a walk around the room. Basically, I just move them around, following the sunlight🚶♪ Recently, I have also tried having my children stay in another room with considerably more sunlight, I pretty much send them abroad to learn and grow. However, studying abroad is a bit of a gamble for both humans and plants, there's always a risk that you don't like the place you're going so instead of growing stronger, the experience will end up weakening you. Not every place is a perfect match for every individual, for some it works, for others it doesn't...😭

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

As usual, my Queen of the Night is holding a bud festival but she really does it at her own pace...😳 There are a lot of buds but they don't grow at all 😂 The thing is, she will suddenly start blooming out of nowhere so you really need to keep an eye on her!! Sometimes buds are blooming and I don't even notice🤣

On a different note, Part 2 of "Wakana's Talk Garden Vol. #5" has just been uploaded. In this episode we are talking about our "Resolutions for 2024"! ! I received a lot of your passionate goals and things you want to do this year!＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ Thank you 😊♡

I also decided to add a new corner to the podcast (the topic might change on a whim) *laughs* Here are some photos of the things I talked about in that corner! First we have a dried persimmon! (If you know of any delicious ways to eat it, please let me know!) And then we have a very old tablet. (I can't even read a book without the screen freezing every few pages)

2024 will be the 5th anniversary of my solo debut. I'm planning to sing a lot for you this year, so please wait until I can make some announcements 😆 In my Talk Garden podcast, I was asked the question, ``How do you get through difficult times?'' The truth is, I have had so many people help me. I am who I am today because of my family, all the people who have been by my side, and everyone who has supported me😊 I am once again reminded of my privilege and am filled with gratitude. Thank you so much everyone✨I will continue to try my best so that my music can reach all of you who have always been by my side♪

To begin with, please look forward to the live performance “Wakana 5th Anniversary “Prologue” ~Premium Online Live~” held on February 6th, this event will officially kickoff my 5th Anniversary celebrations🤗I will be accompanied by Saku-chan on piano 🎹♪ See you online on February 6th! ! ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

Until next time~☆( *'▽’*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

Wakana’s Talk Garden #5 Part 2

❗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 #5 Part 2 »»—— CLICK ME 🎁 CLICK ME ——««

Vol 5 Topic “Resolutions for 2024”

For next month’s episode which is scheduled to air on February 10th, the topic is “Memories of Valentine’s Day.” The submission deadline is 01/31.

[akwardlyuncool]

An Exploitation of Nostalgia: The Return of Warped Tour

When it was first rumored a few weeks ago that we might get Warped Tour back, I decided not to rush to the blog, mainly because I didn't feel I had any new opinions, outside of the bad that would come along with it's return, but with this new development I figured a tiny opinion piece could be put out into the world.

The exploitation of nostalgia is something that I've wanted to talk about for a while now, so I kind of apologize preemptively for all the "associated" parties that will catch strays. Essentially they're looking at us "Elder Emos" and assuming we have adult money that we can just throw at them for crumbs of the music we raised ourselves on, without needing any of it to actually be authentic. I use Emo Nite as the OG and most real world example of this.

I started going to Emo Nite's in 2017 right after they switched their name from Taking Back Tuesday. (I might of went under that banner, but I don't think so.) They started at one of the smaller but still popular venues in the "scene" here, but after a couple years leveled up a venue size. I went few more times as it got bigger, but eventually it didn't feel like a bunch of "adult kids" eating up their youth, in a room anymore. It turned into a top 40 "Pop-Punk" playlist where deviation was frowned upon and Master of Ticket got their cut.

Now don't get me wrong, I get it and too do not wish to hear every deep cut that only 15 people in the crowd know by heart, but they could throw on a Cut Up Angels or Family Tradition every once in a while, just sayin.

They were now playing bigger Nites, got more expensive and sat with the likes Coachella and overall got too big to feel authentic to me anymore. Not saying I wouldn't go again, just that my desire for their specific curation of this type of event has dropped pretty low. To be clear though, I will never be too old to sing That's What You Get or Mr. Brightside in a room full of my peers, I even want to have an "emo night" at my own wedding one day. There are many Emo DJ club sets that exist nowadays, so they're also not the only team in the game anymore.

Branching beyond clubs is where we get into festival territory and essentially the state of the scene and "Emo Nostalgia" in a post Warped Tour world. Sad Summer Fest was the first one to really put themselves as a rising from the ashes tour and I think they did pretty decent that first year or so. As they've grown however sometimes it feels like the same few headliners every year and that has become more of a neutral drop in the bucket for them. Most of my complaints with them are based on when they did finally came back to me, cause they took a few years off, it was at an indoor venue and that is big NOPE for me when it comes to festivals.

Ohio is for Lovers is an Emo festival that's put itself out there as another drink in the cooler as well. They're a mid-rage tour, not hitting everywhere but they're also not a one weekend all summer event either. Other even smaller tours exist too, but to compete with the Coachella crowd, we got to talk shows like Riot Fest and especially the When We Were Young Festival, as that is the most egregious one, although it doesn't play like Warped Tour did.

When When We Young flashes lights like the Vegas Strip to entice everyone into thinking this is what we need in the world. It's a bright, shinny, chaotic, hot expensive mess and you cannot convince me otherwise. Not saying it's all bad, but it's not wildly accessible, barely reaches the actual Elder Emos and overly concentrates everything we love into one weekend where you have to pick and choose between the band that just got back together and the band that is the reason you behave the way you do today, not cool. In 2024 they're getting the greats to play your favorite albums front to back and many people won't get that experience. I'm not knocking the bands for participating cause someone gets to have that, but it won't be the same as if they went and just did a full anniversary tour, which I will never turn down. Plus the market for crammed alternative music fests in Vegas is getting a little saturated, even though funny enough I can only name 2 right now.

I am one of those unfortunate people, but honestly I didn't even try this year, for all the reasons I've already mentioned as well as it logistically being something I wouldn't have been able to to manage myself in the event I didn't have friends, which I don't.

All of that leads us to today where the blueprint has decided to make a comeback and in my personal opinion crap on all of our dreams and get a little brown stain on it's legacy. Warped Tour will come back in 2025 for it's 30th Anniversary. They'll make 3 different stops in Washington D.C, Long Beach CA and Orlando FL, spending 2 days at each post.

I didn't want them to come back because I knew it wasn't going to be the same. I know thing have to change, but I also feel like they weren't going to try with what they could, to begin with. I know things like prices would go up and a full cross county situation probably wouldn't be feasible, but my hope (fake hope at that) was that they'd at least try to give us something more accessible and tangible then some of the larger festivals that have followed.

Part of me wishes they would let it rest as the one that "got it right," for the most part. That being said it doesn't look like they're going through Ticketmaster and the prices aren't wildly unreasonable, so I'll give them those wins.

Realistically I just don't don't think this will give me much and although not perfect, there are a few other festivals and actual tours that are doing okay in it's place right now. Obviously it will take years for them to build legacies, but hopefully we give them the chance. Everyone is just selling us our youth to us right now and trying to convince the crowd that it's worth it, but I'm not sure it is. (Maybe if I had a ton of money and less anxiety I'd feel different.)

We'll see what comes out in the next year and hopefully my feelings will be more positive by then. And to the folks that get to go, I wish nothing but magic for you.

.

.

Pre-sale link to those who want to try on the 24th. Note: The lineup has not been announced, so it you do buy tickets you'd do so without knowing any of the bands.

[your-average-bibliophile]

Just a note...

I think about all sorts of things, all the time. And recently, it has come to my attention that media tends to romanticise rape and grooming and other predatory behaviours. And I want to change that.

While it may be fun to fantasise about these sorts of things, if that is what you are interested in, it is still not okay. And people displaying these predatory behaviours are not just adults. I am a minor, and a former friend who was my age started displaying predatory behaviour.

Please remember that this story is told from my point of view, and it most certainly has bias. I am trying to keep it as unbiased as possible, but we are only human, and it is inevitable.

He started out by befriending me, then he started to manipulate me. He would say that he just wanted to kill himself, and if only he had someone there for him. I made it clear that I would be there for him, but as a friend. I was already in a relationship.

I don't know if he was actually suicidal or not, but I had to call the National Suicide Hotline on him. Naturally, that angered him. Luckily, the school year had ended. So, we took a break.

The new school year arrived, and he was in one of my classes. We ate lunch together, we started getting close again. Then, he started to isolate me. Whenever someone was talking to me, he would often deflect the attention from me or steal the attention from me. He wouldn't do that with other friends.

He got moved into another class of mine after a fight he got into, one that was supposedly my fault because I had done something to upset him. I happened to giggle while I was looking at him. He had been feeling insecure about his new haircut. I don't even remember what I was laughing about; we had been talking about something silly.

After the manipulation came the gaslighting. When I confronted him, he said he didn't mean to and he was sorry and he would never do it again. I let it go on for some time, before finally putting my foot down. That was when he became aggressive.

He never physically harmed me, no. But he would constantly try to reconcile with me through friends, and he was taking advantage of one of my friends, who, despite being a total sweetheart who had the best intentions, was incredibly naive.

When I continued to tell him no, he started making threats. I remember one morning, I walked into school, up to an administrator, and reported gun threats he had made. Those were not the only threats he made, and he has brought weapons to school before.

He was moved out of my classes, but, and I am not saying this is true, but I started to feel as if he were stalking me. It was likely paranoia, but we have no proof otherwise. I had to miss some of my classes due to this paranoia, and my grades in the two classes we shared directly reflected my stress.

At my school, I was known as the "bucket hat kid" because I would always wear a bucket hat. And no, not just the same one. I own ten bucket hats. But, I had to stop wearing them because they were so recognisable. I also had to start using the buddy system, walking with a friend to every class.

Unfortunately, it took a little over three months for everything to be fully resolved, and while I know that is such a brief time span, it felt like centuries. Looking back, I feel as if it lasted for six months instead of three. And his presence took a toll on my relationships as well, both romantic and platonic. Some couldn't be repaired.

I am a blabber. I need to talk. So, I admit I may have said some things to the wrong people that weren't completely true, but the fact of the matter is, that kind of behaviour is never okay.

The end message here is to speak up and stop treating predatory behaviour as something to be ashamed of. I am neurodivergent and have anxiety. In kindergarten, my mom bribed me with dying my hair to convince me to participate in gym class, let alone talk to the male gym teacher.

Now, I am much more confident, but I still get very anxious about speaking up. I have chronic niceness (true fact! psychologically proven that I'm too nice), and I am a people pleaser. But I still managed to stand up and say, "hey. What you're doing is wrong. Stop it." All it takes is that single spark of courage to end this vicious cycle and societal suppression of our stories.

I encourage you to share your stories and end this stigma of talking about predatory behaviour.

And, here are some resources.

Information on Grooming

GET HELP!

FREE live chat, 24/7 call services

FREE live chat, 24/7 call services

FREE live chat, 24/7 call services

Online, personal counseling services

GET EDUCATED!

LEARN MORE about abusive relationships

“RELATIONSHIPS 101” - LGBTQ+ inclusive

“IS THIS ABUSE?” - helpful guide

GET OUT THERE AND HELP!

http://stoprelationshipabuse.org/

https://www.joinonelove.org/take-action/

https://www.childhelp.org/donate/#ste...

[killiansorrel]

continuing off of my last post about the crappy social services college professor lol

the college i went to had a booklet of activities throughout the year that you can participate in either for fun/socializing or for points as extra credit in whatever class you needed them for. these activities included going to cultural events, lectures, snowshoeing/hiking, etc. if i remember correctly, only certain classes partook in this. at the beginning of the semester, my professor let us know that her class was part of those that accepted points, which i kept in mind and let my mom know (because at the time, I didn't have a driver's license). so we made note of the ones i could partake in without stressing me tf out and would work with both our schedules

throughout the semester, the assignments she would give us made me realize that because of my age, i actually might fail the class. i was supposed to go sit in at meetings for aa, dv, etc and that required signing a form. which, if you didn't know, you have to be 18 to do (at least in alaska, idk about anywhere else). i did my best on all the assignments and tests but i was definitely not doing the best. i was sitting at a high D to mid C, most of the time, no matter how hard i tried. and the last assignment was going to be a doozy because it required me to (surprise) sit in at a meeting with a local organization and sign a form to say I won't tell any sensitive details. which i somehow was able to do anyways because the ladies i met up with were very sweet and trusting and let me sit in anyways, and i will forever be grateful for that. but just in case, i went to a cultural event and a snowshoeing activity for extra credit. and when i presented it to my professor? she said she did not accept campus activity points for extra credit. what. the. fuck.

so of course i panicked and told my mom and she was piiiiissed but ultimately decided to let me figure out what i wanted to do because i was becoming an adult. i came to the conclusion to drop the class because my teacher was horrible and i was too young to do what i needed to do for the class. so i emailed the schoolboard or whatever and begged them to let me drop it. of course i still tried my hardest in class just in case they didn't give me the choice to drop it. and i actually did quite well from that point on, i had a high C to low B going on for a while and was considering pushing through anyways. it wasn't the last assignment and I can't remember what it was on but i was in the room ready to turn it in and i got the email saying i could drop the class, i just had to send confirmation. i left the classroom, called my mom, and we agreed i should push through since there was only like 2-3 weeks left. i came in before class started and went to my professor, energetic and proud of myself for choosing to push on

"hey so i know i was going to drop this class but I've decided to push through and do my best! i left the classroom but there's still 5 minutes left and i have the essay that due today finished. can i still turn it in?"

"no"

are you fucking kidding me. why not??? it's not like i was even late to turning it in!! so i got a zero on it and had sent confirmation that i did NOT want to drop the class, so my grade dropped. a lot. of course i was distraught and stressed the whole class. i told my mom about it after and she was so furious and she regrets not giving my professor a piece of her mind to this day. quite frankly i should have broken my teacher's kneecaps

but it's fine, whatever, I'll just kill it on this next assignment- oh shit right, i need to sit in a meeting, fuuuuuuck. but it turned out okay cause they let me in despite my age and i got the essay done and it was actually okay enough to get a mid C. good enough to pass, especially since she announced to the class like a week before it was due that campus activity points ARE accepted for extra credit points so i slammed my proof down and demanded they be applied to my grade. and they did. and after my essay was input, my final grade for the semester was about a 72% if i recall correctly, it was a low C. good enough for me, i wash my hadns of this experience- oH WAIT HERE'S SOME MORE BULLSHIT

right before the final grade for the semester got submitted, she CHANGED my essay score from a mid C to JUST LOW ENOUGH to get my final grade at a 69.7%. JUST BELOW A C. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME. i still technically passed. but i KNOW she did that shit on purpose and she is forever in my deathnote for it

plus she got up in my face aggressively one time and I don't remember the details of that too well because i was holding myself back from uppercutting tf outta her. i already have a personal bubble but when you get aggressive? immediate reaction is to fight, my ADHD anger does not play. but uh yeah. fuck college and especially fuck that bitch fr

[chaos0pikachu]

tagged by the lovely @smittenskitten

8 Shows To Get To Know Me:

fuck okay lemme break this down and y’all can’t fucking judge me for NOTHING

Glee

*fucking sigh* 

LOOK I’m not happy about this shit either but if we gotta be real I’ma be real and say yeah, I was a gleek (god saying that makes me wanna die, a piece of my soul shriveled fuck) when I was in high school it was a time okay I’m putting it on the list because glee was the reason I even logged on tumblr for the first time glee was one of those shows that was extremely formative to my fandom experience and fandom development during those late teen years. My original tumblr blog was dedicated to glee and eventually to manga/anime/comics and then I dipped for a bit and came back to tumblr blah blah blah glee was the start of my tumblr experience but also was the first time I ever actively engaged in a ship war (Which was STUPID i was so STUPID) like before I was a lurker but glee was the first show I openly participated in fandom 

and it’s a dumb show, it’s a bad show, it has some shining moments but lordly it was a mess and I was so invested in Britanna and Klaine at the beginning but by the end I was like they should NOT be together and honestly proud of myself for that it showed ~growth~ I also dropped the show idk mid-s4? Glee was the show that made me learn to drop things and not get caught up in sunk cost fallacy, if you’re not happy watching something, drop it. 

Inu-yasha

THIS FUCKING SHOW this show was my first taste of any fandom ever I was still in elementary school and honestly way to young to be watching this shit but my GOD did I eat this shit up like nom nom nom it was so good hit all the fantasy action points it basically created the template for what I like in media: romance, action, adventure, friendships, fantasy 

I can still hear that adult swim commercial for the series in my head, one of the original memes (also screw kikyo still can’t stand her ass)

Yugioh

LISTEN this is a comfort show I love it to pieces Yugioh the abridged series is a fucking masterpiece I’ve rewatched this show so many times b/c it’s just fucking fun it makes NO SENSE why are they all so serious about ~children’s card games~ why does no one go to school why does grandpa have a god damn stroke after losing one card game why does joey sound like that it’s hilarious the shadow realm gaslit an entire generation of children I love every second of it 

RUN BTS

uuuuuh, is this cheating? fuck it I don’t care, you can’t control my shit as they say idk I love BTS I love their run episodes when I want to relax, chill and not think and laugh for a bit I throw the tomato song one on lol the memes that come out of every episode are worth it for that alone

Kinnporsche 

okay here’s what y’all came here to see lmao Kinnporsche really grabbed my ass and slapped it like wtf I wasn’t expecting to get so invested in this show tbh b/c like I started watching BLs again but the ones I had watched from Thailand hadn’t GRABBED me they all ranged at the time from okay but wouldn’t watch again (Until We Meet Again, 1000 Stars) to boring-dropped it (Fish Upon a Sky, 2gether, Lovely Writer) the ones I had liked were mostly Korean and Taiwanese offerings (HiStory Trapped, Love is Science, We Best Love (seasons 1 AND 2 fight me), Be Loved: In House, You Make Me Dance, the one Korean assassin one). 

So like, I saw the trailer for KP and was like, oh that looks different and interesting from other Thai BL and then I saw it was canceled and was confuse. Then I saw it was un-cancelled and was MORE confused I was like is this show coming out or nah? But it was and I was like, sure why not? And I had just restarted using tumblr again and then the show started and the first episode HIT SO HARD and I was like “omg actual cinematography, actual camera framing, actual directing, actual locations, actual physical movement of the cast and the story, a larger story at play, COSTUMES” bitch I was hooked and I’m probably bias but KP is still the best conceptually executed Thai BL imo like sometimes I see posts about the cinematography of other Thai BL and it’s just pictures of two chars standing in a mid-lit room and I’m just like, god I’m a snobby ass bitch lemme leave lol 

KP isn’t perfect, there are issues with the plot at times, but like, there’s issues with the plot! Not the sound (rip LITA I still love you), or the lighting, or the editing, or the direction. The secondary cast actually feels like a cast rather than extras to fill out the cast or pad for time there’s like next to no filler in the show which is such a rarity (imo) for Thai BL. 

Love Between Devil and Fairy 

To me this show was peak fantasy epic romance I just love it to pieces, the costumes are to die for I wish America made more epic romances like this that really embrace fantasy, romance, and action one thing I really love about C-Dramas is they embrace romance with a certain sincerity that is missing from American dramas and I think it’s a shame 

I’m cheating that’s all I got in me I don’t watch a ton of TV shows and the ones I do I’m picky about so it’s hard to pick like a top anything lol but I think these ones describe me pretty well so

[adultswim2021]

Tim & Eric Nite Live #11: “Eric's Gone” | February 26, 2008 | S01E11

We open without the standard introduction. Tim somberly reads a statement that Eric has filed a restraining order against Tim. Tim vows to find common ground with Eric very soon. He asks David Liebe Hart to perform a song about unity and peace. James Quall performs a stand-up comedy routine. David Liebe Hart can be heard chuckling, sportively. I often associate DLH and Quall as being some kind of duo because they are (or were?) neighbors, and you can find pre-Tim-and-Eric clips of DLH’s public access show where Quall is a participant. But this is maybe the only time I can think of where you can sense any kind of actual camaraderie between them; I feel like DLH is often seen throwing Quall under the bus. 

Finally, Richard Dunn reads a hopeful poem about the show. DLH awkwardly ad-libs as his puppet as Tim ends the show. The entire episode is about 5 and half minutes long. We get a text crawl reading that “...Nite Live returns 3/4/08 …. Tune in 3/11/08 for the Season Finale.” In fact, Nite Live did return on March 4th, but there was no episode on March 11th. 

I don’t remember tuning in live for this, but I had friends who did. You couldn’t help but feel a little cheated to not get an actual episode. I rarely tuned in live myself because my internet connection wasn’t terribly strong and it was just too tortuous having it start and stop constantly. I opted to view the archive, which I knew how to rip from the site and watch without interruption. And that’s this episode, everyone. I respect it’s place in the mosaic of the Tim & Eric Nite Live show, but I can’t help but wonder if there was a practical purpose for it? Was Eric planning to be out of town? Like the last episode, I wonder if they actually did this live. No reason to believe they didn’t, but there’s no real reason for them being live at this point. Who knows!

This has been great for me. I only had to watch five minutes of television today! It’s practically a day off! WOWIE! I’m going to spend the entire afternoon masturbating! See you later everyone! 

EPHEMERA CORNER:

12 Oz. Mouse: The Complete Series DVD (February 29, 2008) 

Oh. Uh, I don’t know if anyone else remembers this, but I think I promised in a somewhat off-handed way that I intended to watch the movie when we got to the 12 Oz. Mouse DVD. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s this: 

12 Oz. Mouse came out on DVD and was released exclusively through the Williams Street Store, which sold exclusive Adult Swim merchandise. Instead of including the individual episodes, show creator Matt Maiellaro prepared a new version with all the episodes stitched together as a big long movie. That meant dropping the opening sequence all but once and closing credits, cleaving away significant portions of the “Auraphull” episode, and producing new transitions between episodes that needed it. It flows well together, honestly. There were some other minor tweaks, and you also missed out on some of the post-credits tags.

Many people were oblivious that these DVD releases even happened, but I was very aware, and would check their site periodically to make sure I didn’t miss out. I got this, and I got the Lucy: Daughter of the Devil DVDs, among others. Times got and remained tight, so I sold both of those for obscene amounts of money. One time I almost sold my Space Ghost Volume 4 & 5 DVDs on eBay, but then became handsomely employed and took them both off eBay immediately. We’re currently in a will-they-won’t-they tête-à-tête.

Around the time I got this, I had suffered a hernia, which went undiagnosed after two different hospital visits. It was causing problems at work, as I’d call in late or go home early just from being in severe abdominal pain. One day I woke up and there was a noticeable bulge in my pelvic region, as well as the severe pain. I called completely out of work to go to the emergency room, and they actually gave me shit for it. Long story short I was rushed into emergency surgery.

My parents came to get me because I was supposed to drive home for a funeral that evening. I brought this DVD with me, anticipating a short stay at home while I recuperated. I remember stopping in at Best Buy to buy the new Human Giant Season One DVD, which I was mostly getting for the commentary tracks. The commentary tracks were hilarious, but laughing caused me actual physical pain after healing from surgery. So I switched to watching this. 

This was how I actually first experienced watching the entire series of 12 Oz. Mouse. I caught a couple random episodes before this, but decided the best way to experience this as a whole was to watch the movie cut. Imagine being deprived of hearing that bitchin’ theme song 19 times! I did that to myself! Voluntarily! 

I don’t really have much to say about the movie. I do think that they are roughly equal experiences. I did genuinely watch this again before this post, but it predictably had a hard time holding my attention. I like the show’s vibe and I can get into it. But if I told you I didn’t use it as an opportunity to organize files on my computer then brother, look alive, you’ve got a thing or two to learn about (does a backflip) ME! 

The extras included a soundtrack (found on the DVD itself) and promos and probably other stuff I’m forgetting. If you can find it online, you should download it.

[feral-radfem]

I don’t think you came off harsh at all! Honestly some things I’m just not very educated on … like I have an idea that smths not right but I ask people like you who have obviously thought more about this for your side to help me grow my view.

Sometimes it takes someone to point out “don’t equate it with the horror genre” to realize that’s what im doing so I really do appreciate your response.

Something else you said that I really agree with, not trying to get through to these people and just go straight to the government. I will start doing that bc I’ve noticed on top of this whole issue with therapy language being used a lot of the people who write these fanfics are traumatized women (obviously not all just these spaces i believe but the ones I’ve run into were all women) who use their trauma to justify it. it’s like… girl ur SELF HARMING.

“I write pedo fics bc i was molested and it helps me cope” well to start, besides the obvious that it’s selfharm and you should never do that to “cope” you’re not that little kid anymore. Second the self harm issue … not all coping mechanisms are good.

There’s no winning with these people especially when we are in the age of “well if i consent it’s okay!” / “it’s not real it won’t hurt anyone..” it breaks my hearts and also yes ok no recommendations I only asked in case there was a better platform to be using but we should just fix the ones we have.

Good. I'm trying to find a way to balance being direct without coming across as speaking down to others or like assuming the worst of them.

If you would like some material from people who have thought very deeply specifically about this subject, I can recommend a few books I think cover the subject well.

I have tried to have these discussions with the actual creators of these works. The problem is is once people know they're engaging in behaviors that they know are societally look down upon they start to find defenses for their behaviors. They hang on to these defenses firmly. Some of the defenses were that they were traumatized as children in the same way, some of the defenses is that it's all fiction, and some of the defenses is it's horror so it's meant to be horrible. They have already convinced themselves that what they are doing is morally okay because they don't see themselves as a bad person so what they do cannot be doing bad. Its a harmful effect of black and white thinking. No one will ever convince them that they are doing a bad thing or causing harm because that translates to them being a bad person in their entirety. So removing the emotional element and the self-serving desires from it entirely by petitioning the government is the best option in this situation.

Because you're right, a lot of these are traumatized women or women who have "groomed themselves" (groomed by unregulated websites with adult material) by consuming this media at a young age and growing up with it. They have a warped sexuality that they've been encouraging through harmful media in their adult years. They've already done the damage, all they have to do now is justify the continuation of it. They can't go back and undo the damage they've done however. So they need to make sure that the moral judgment for participating in this form of media is grey at worst. They don't know any other form of sexuality, so they're desperate to hold on to the one they do know even if it's detrimental to their own health and safety.

Which is why we set up the government, to put regulations on things that people may still want but we understand is a detrimental to public safety. We recognize that physical health has to be handled as a community issue because community health affects everybody but a lot of people refuse to hold mental health in the same regard. They refuse to hold sexual health in the same regard. And after we get the regulations for what should be allowed on media to protect our communities and public safety, we can address lackluster sexual education that leads kids to looking at pornography for answer in the first. The way we help these women and children is by removing their access to this material.

That being said, on the defense of writing pedophile porn because you were predated on as a child, while you're correct that it's an unhelpful coping mechanism, we cannot negate that these people are now harming children themselves. They have become the pedophiles even if they were predated on his children. They are also feeding pedophiles interest who have never been victims of anything because they are posting it on public forums. At this point they are the perpetuators of pedophilia not the victims. They can't continue the cycle and remain the victim. (This doesn't contradict with anything you said, I just didn't know where to put it in my response)

I don't mind that you asked for recommendations, I was just making it clear to my other followers I was not comfortable with them recommending them here. Though I do agree, we should fix the ones we currently have because any site that people start migrating to will eventually have the exact same problems if we don't regulate them. Like the tumblr to Twitter migration.

Thanks for the asks btw, I always enjoy the engagement.

[pbandjesse]

After many hours of work, I have finished reorganizing the studio! I am very sneezy. But I am so glad I did it.

Today was honestly a great day. I slept okay last night. Getting up was hard. But I did and felt pretty good.

I got dressed and had leftover chipotle for breakfast. I had some crackers. And then I got all my stuff together to go to the armory.

I drove down there and thought about stopping at Walgreens to get my prescription but then I remembered the aren't open on the weekend. Annoying. But that is fine. I got to the armory and waited for Jess to get there.

When she did we went to get the snacks she got for the workshop participants. Very big bags of popcorn. I even got one to take home.

We got upstairs and got everything set up and I felt really good about the project.

I love teaching sewing. And we were learning three basic stitches. And then a satin stitch for a few that wanted to fill in spaces. We ended up having two kids, one teen, and threw adults participate. And it was so fun!!

I got to show off my coat. And I loved talking to the kids about their ideas. The teen volunteer is really into making and showed me the adorable stuff she makes. We talked about projects and how to store them. And how to get materials. I am glad I was able to share the best places to get cheap and cost effective materials. I also got to spend time organizing my thread. Jessica helped by sorting the blue box so it'll be easier to wrap later. It was a productive class all around.

Everyone was having so much fun that we ended up staying an extra half hour. I encouraged everyone to take thread to finish their projects and to keep their hoops and needles. Some returned the needles though and that is just fine. They all said they are.coming back next week. I hope they do!!

We cleaned up pretty quickly. And then I was off. Back to the house to get back to cleaning the studio.

It was embarrassing how much stuff was in the living room. But I needed the space to be able to sort and clean. Mr Will came over and I told him not to laugh at me but he said I was doing good. And that he has ordered the new door and it'll be here soon.

Besides a few little breaks, I worked on the studio from 1245 until 730. Basically the entire afternoon. I did take an hour breakfast for dinner. But besides that it was just. Sorting. And finding spaces on the shelves. Throwing away trash. Sorting paper. Pulling out my art and putting it in a portfolio case. Just really digging in and trying hard to make the space more conducive to finding the materials I needed.

I also filled three bags of stuff to donate. And 4 1/2 Rubbermaid totes to bring to puhtok.

When James got home they would help me fold all of our sheets and extra blankets and bedding. Then we chose a few to donate. I also moved some trunks around. And really made some space and feel so good about it.

I also kicked up a ton of dust. So tomorrow I will do more actual cleaning. But in the mean time I did sweep a lot of little bits of fabric and trash. James put our couch cushions in trash bags so we could store them in the fire place since I got the box out of there and consolidated that stuff that was in there. And I just feel like we accomplished so much.

We took a little dinner break. Cuddled on the couch. My dad called as I was putting away the last few things. We talked for a half hour it was really nice to hear him sound so strong he starts intense physical therapy soon. And it going to hopefully relearn to drive. I am proud of him.

And once I was totally done everything I could do I went and took a bubble bath.

Which made me feel great. I did a face mask. My skin feels so soft. And now I am in bed. James made me a sandwich. I am sipping juice. I am very ready to go to sleep.

I have the next two days off. And I hope to do my knitting and finish my last crochet squares so I can start attaching them this week. I hope you all have a great night tonight. Sleep well my friends. I love you!

[rubbery-duckery]

I don't want to mitigate my short comings, but my experience was just ... really alienating and eye opening to how much of a scam all of this is.

I was one in few students that cared about the subject of a certain class and actually attended and did things on time and read what we were assigned, so I asked for a letter. Got ghosted ... by an instructor that's a professional. And I'm supposed to just think I'm my own enemy, that I don't demand and talk enough? I was one of the only ones participating in class and flat out started presenting on topics that weren’t my own when groups were presenting their slides very very poorly because it was obvious they didn't read at all. I would correct what they said and explain better after they presented and the instructor was disappointed in them and asked them and the class clarifying questions. I was the only one raising my hand and able to talk about the subject to the point where they said, "I know you know, anyone else."

I was asked to be a grader for a class because I was very knowledgeable on the subject and did well in my classes, and I got ghosted by that instructor at the very end. I was supposed to get paid and didn't. I may have not been registered at all in the system and thus can't get any money out of it. I was the reason any assignment got graded. I also graded parts of the mid term, and the entirety of the final for a class size of 40+ and it was over 12 pages long (all calculations and written response questions minus two pages that were matching questions). That professor would have gotten in serious trouble without me likely, because nothing was graded at the time I came to work mid way through the quarter. I even took it upon myself to be gracious in grading because many of the responses to assignment questions were ridiculous and clearly the students knew little to nothing. In my gradings, I gave feedback and explanations rather than just giving a score with no comments or not even marking what was wrong. The students worked in groups too and I only had to grade a random one, but I checked all that was turned in looked to see how I could give them more points (if one was correct on a different turn in I'd add the point to the group score even if it was wrong on the main turn in). All of that and I get nothing out of it. No money or letter from them either. And I'm supposed to believe I didn't apply myself enough? That I'm lazy and don't take up opportunities given to me.

I just keep getting used by adult professionals and my peers (students). I gave up myself and for nothing, but to be tired and just feeling hopeless.

All my other classmates applying to dental and medical school cheated and used ai. They skipped class and never or barely contributed to group work, even saying "ha sorry I don't what any of this is. I don't read the class textbook or anything of the readings, sorry" and they then turn to their friends and talk the whole time meanwhile I'm expected to do the whole packet or presentation myself and let them put their name on it and present slides I wrote.

It's just a slap to the face. Supposedly being in a place of passion for science and health and learning, and it's not there. Not from students or even teachers sometimes.

If I can't get in by actually being smart and passionate and succeeding in classes, why bother trying again. Why are the lying but can communicate students allowed in. Everyone knows they are lying. They want you to lie, that's the point of the statement you turn in and the interview. I'm not joking.

[casspurrjoybell-29]

Forgotten Ties - Chapter 7 - Part 1

*Warning Adult Content*

After that, the man had escorted Skye back to his classroom and told his teacher about the detention.

She actually didn't seem too angry at Skye about it.

He showed her the red spot on his stomach and she told him to keep his clothes on but Skye was pretty sure she sympathised.

The teacher stood up in front of the class and wrote on the board about days of the week and asked questions about what day came before or after another day.

It went on for far too long and Skye didn't care, so he learnt nothing.

He borrowed some of Ethan's pencils and held them between his fingers, which was sort of like bear claws.

Bears didn't know about days of the week.

By the time their next break came around, Skye was more than ready to eat.

He headed over to the cafeteria with Ethan.

He'd barely gotten inside the doors when someone grabbed him by the arm but when he spun around, he found himself face to face with Nim.

"Oh. Hi, Nim."

"You know, I was just starting to think that you weren't so stupid after all but then you went and got yourself detention with the guy who punched you," Nim said, still gripping Skye firmly by his arm.

"Well, it's not fair if I'm the only one who gets in trouble," Skye said.

"What he did was worse than what I did."

"Nothing's fair here, Skye," Nim all but shouted, finally letting go of Skye's arm.

"You can't expect it to be, so forget about that. All you can do is try to stay safe and out of trouble and getting shut in a room with someone who has it out for you doesn't help with that."

Skye folded his arms across his chest.

"I can take care of myself, you know. I'm not a baby. I know you don't understand me because nobody ever does and that's fine but if I was actually just dumb, don't you think I'd be dead by now?"

"Maybe you're lying about being as old as you are."

"Maybe you could show that you care about me in less angry ways."

The expression shifted on Nim's face and after a moment he sighed and looked away.

"Well, it'll be what it is. Nothing we can do to change things now. Let's just go eat our lunch."

As they headed over to an empty table, Ethan gave Skye a comforting pat on his arm.

It went on much longer than any arm pat Skye had ever experienced but that just made it extra comforting.

Ethan was a good friend.

"He came and found me when you were in trouble, you know," Nim told Skye as they sat down.

"I guess he can't talk but he got his point across well enough."

"Yeah, Ethan's really good at not being able to say words," Skye said.

"Sometimes I wish I couldn't talk."

"You could just... not talk?"

Skye chewed and swallowed a grape.

"It's just not the same."

"If you say so," Nim said.

"Anyway, I guess I'll stay after school until your detention is done because it's not like you can get home on your own. Just try to stay safe, okay? If something happens, I can't defend you. If I lay one hand on that human, I'm going to prison and at this point I'm not sure that doesn't actually just mean a bullet in my brain."

"I can take care of myself but if you want to help, you can give me one of the boiled eggs from your lunch box," Skye said.

"How will that help?"

"Well, I want it, so if I have it I will be happier as a person."

Nim rolled his eyes and handed Skye one of the eggs.

"Your logic tracks in strange ways, you know."

"I do know but I like it that way, so I'm not going to stop."

"That's fair. Enjoy the egg."

After the break was over, it was back to class for more boring lessons.

He thought maybe the one on emotions would be interesting because he had those but after the second time he'd shouted out 'hungry' when the teacher asked how a situation would make them feel, she'd told him he was wrong.

After that, he'd folded his arms over his chest and refused to participate any more.

He felt annoyed and maybe a little hungry.

Once class was over for the day, it was time for his detention.

Fortunately, Nim was waiting for him outside the classroom because he didn't know where to go.

"No matter what, just don't lay a hand on him," Nim said.

"I know it's not fair and he deserves a good ass kicking but it's not worth it."

"Okay," Skye said, holding his backpack by its straps and swinging it back and forth as they walked.

He didn't have heavy books in it like Nim did in his.

Nim sighed.

"I sound like my mum but she was right. Until she wasn't, anyway."

"I'll be okay."

"I hope so because you're on your own. I'll wait for you outside the building where I won't be able to hear anything. If something does happen, I don't want to be in the position to have to make a choice."

"I'm starting to feel insulted. I'm like five billion years old. I can take care of myself."

"You are not. Five hundred, tops. Probably not even close to that."

"Big numbers. It's all the same to me. I'll show you that I can take care of myself. I'll show you that hunger is a valid emotion."

"I... okay?" Nim said, stopping in front of the door to a classroom.

"Anyway, we're here."

"Okay, thanks," Skye said and walked inside without wasting any time.

"Bye?" he heard Nim say from the doorway.

Skye gave him a wave and Nim walked away.

The woman who had given Skye the test when he'd first arrived at school that morning was sitting behind the big desk at the front of the room.

"Sit," the woman said, pointing to one of the small desks.

"I predicted this, didn't I?" Skye sat at the desk she'd pointed to.

"Yeah but it turns out that you can get in trouble for just not letting someone punch you, so I don't think this is actually my fault. Just an unfair rule."

The woman considered him for a moment.

"Well, life's not fair, is it?"

"That's a very bad excuse for having unfair rules."

"You're very direct, aren't you?"

Skye shrugged.

"I'm trying to be easy to understand."

The door swung open and the boy who had punched Skye stomped in.

Skye waved and received a glower in return.

The woman got up from behind the desk.

"I left something in the office. I'll be back in about... ten minutes?"

The boy's frown morphed into a smile and he nodded as he sat down.

"We'll be good."