#i’m also not a legitimate source of information!!

[meliwyn]

standing with us gives us hope in life we ​​ask you to help us and look at us with a humane eye and you have all our love and respect

don’t worry, i support you and all others in a similar situation fully🩷

[ms-demeanor]

How to avoid sharing Social Media Scams in the Wake of a Disaster

The world is full of disasters. It is also full of people who have learned to profit off of disaster. It is an unfortunate fact of life in the modern social media/online environment that in order to avoid spreading scams, you have to make a continuous effort and you have to be cynical.

There are a lot of wonderful, well-meaning people in the world who want to help everyone who asks for it. Unfortunately, those people are easy to scam.

These are some rules to prevent you from either falling victim to scams or from passing scams along to other people.

These are not suggestions, these are not things to take into consideration, the rules listed here are RULES that you need to adopt in order to keep from spreading scams on social media.

Rules:

Never, ever share screenshots of fundraisers or resources that you haven’t verified yourself. If you see a screenshot of, say, the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds Instagram announcing that they will be accepting evacuees with RVs, you go find the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds website, you find the social media linked on their website, and you check that the post you’re seeing actually came from the entity it’s claiming to. Once you have proved that the post actually came from the entity it’s claiming to, double check that entity with a couple of verifiable sources. So, for instance, if I was checking on the Guitar Center Music Foundation I’d check Guitar Center’s website and maybe I’d look for news articles about donations from the foundation. If I was looking up the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, I’d look for a local newspaper calendar of events that linked to the fairgrounds or would check the city websites in the area and search “fairgrounds” on them. I would not share a link to a social media page for an organization until I was 100% certain that it was actually associated with the organization. You shouldn’t either. If you see a post that claims to come from a specific group but all you have is the screenshot of the post, go find the group’s website and if it all checks out you may share it IF AND ONLY IF you add the link to the post. And if a post has a link already, click through it and STILL check that everything looks okay.

Never give money or information to someone with a free email address. This sucks. I know. But if the group you’re looking at only has a gmail address or a protonmail you have no way of knowing if they’re legitimately associated with the organization at a glance. And even if they ARE associated with the organization, the free email account demonstrates a lack of planning/commitment that has troubling implications for the handling of your money or data.

Do not share screenshots of “resources,” headlines, social media posts, or news articles. I’m done with screenshots. Screenshots are easy to fake and almost always remove context from the discussion. A standalone screenshot isn’t information, it’s a trap to get you to share something without thinking. Do not *trust* screenshots of “resources,” headlines, social media posts, or news articles. Always assume a screenshot is faked unless you have found the original post yourself. A screenshot isn’t a “resource” it is an un-source, it is intentionally removing information from the viewer and we are well past the time when people should have understood that sharing screenshots without a link to the original text in context is never, every trustworthy.

Do not give money or information to accounts without a history. This may mean individual social media accounts, or it may mean a shiny new mutual aid project that popped up near your house. It’s unfortunate that people have their accounts deleted, it’s unfortunate that new orgs have trouble finding support, but the likelihood that a new account is a scam is simply too high to trust your money or information with it. If someone is asking for money or offering help on an account that hasn’t posted for years, or that suddenly changed all its content, or that has only existed for a month with no links to other, older sites and socials, you shouldn’t trust that account.

Okay, those are the RULES. Those are the lines you draw in the sand. The TL;DR version is this:

Don’t share posts you haven’t personally verified

Don’t give money or information to accounts with generic email accounts like gmail

Don’t share or trust screenshots that have no links or further context

Don’t give info or money to brand new accounts

I absolve you of any guilt you have surrounding this. You want to share that post to help a stranger but they have only had an account for a week. You want to spread that resource, but unfortunately it is only available as screenshots of an anonymous instagram account. You think that perhaps that mutual aid group really can help people, but the only way contact them is to put your info into a google form and send an email to their gmail account. That post seems really helpful, but actually you can’t find anything that suggests that the Mt. Pacifico Aquatic Center exists outside of this twitter account. No more guilt! Guilt be gone! You do not have to feel bad for not sharing these things, or not reaching out, or not giving money because doing so would be irresponsible and would put other people at risk of being tricked by scammers or wasting what money they can donate on a potential fraud.

Now, some tips:

Always, always, always take at least ten minutes to think about giving someone money or your information online. Read the post that moved you, then re-read it, then go sit away from it for ten minutes and think about it. There’s a good chance you will still want to give, or sign up, but ten minutes away will give you a chance to consider if there are any red flags in the post that inspired you.

Independently search everything you’re going to share. Go outside of social platforms and check on search engines. Check Wikipedia. Look up the website and send a while clicking around. Go on a *different* social media platform and check their account.

Just straight up search “[SUBJECT] Scam” before you do anything. See if this thing you’re looking at is actually an old scam that’s revamped for a new disaster. See if you can find an explanation of how something might be a scam or risk in a way that you didn’t understand before.

Get used to getting away from social media. Go check websites.

Learn domain name syntax. “musicfoundationguit.arcenter.com” is a bullshit scam. “guitarcenterfounditaon.org” is a bullshit scam. “guitarcenter-foundation.org” is a bullshit scam. The actual domain is “guitarcenterfoundation.org” and the link to the correct page isn’t going to be “guitarcenter.foundationfires.org” it’s going to be “guitarcenterfoundation.org/fires”  

Tips for Orgs:

If you do not want your org to look like a scam you are going to have to put some effort into it. Unfortunately this will probably also require at least a little bit of money; I know it’s hard to get money together at the beginning, but it will pay off in the long run.

Invest in a domain and hosted email. You can get relatively inexpensive hosted email through most domain registrars and even if you only get one email address for your domain you can forward it to all the free gmail and protonmail accounts you want. But buy a domain, set up a simple website, and get an  info@[yourdomain].com email set up because you don’t want people emailing “MyOrgInfo@gmail.com” because it’s super fucking easy for a 1337 hax0r like me to set up “YourOrgTeam@gmail.com” and scam the people who want to reach out to you.

Make a blog on your actual website, not on a social media site. A blog means that you can make regular posts and establish a history to prove that you are real and you do real stuff; it will also help with SEO and help to ensure that when people search for your org YOU are what comes up. Keeping up calendars of previous activities with links to those activities is also good.

Set up social handles on all the sites you use, make a “socials” page on your website, and link to your handles so that people can verify if you’re the one posting something. If you don’t make it extremely easy to find your socials, that means it’s extremely easy to set up fake accounts claiming to be you. Then put the link to your website in the bio on your socials.

If you are offering something or holding a fundraiser or doing anything on your social media page, link it back to your website. If you have an IG post offering resources, you should include a url for your site in each image. If you share a photo on twitter with the info for a march, that should link back to your website with more info about the march. If you post a fundraiser on tumblr you need to link the fundraising page of your website on that post.

If you absolutely positively cannot set up a website and a real-ass email address, set up a linktree, choose a primary social media to post on that all the others refer back to, and very explicitly state what your email address is and that you do not have other email addresses somewhere that's difficult to miss. Build a history of posts and link to other orgs that you work with or any writeups or stories about your events or projects. The point of all of this is making yourself easy to verify. "northfullertonfnb@gmail.com" sucks but it sucks a lot less if it's in the bio of "@northfulltertonfnb" and that page has a two year history of posting meal share schedules and menus.

In conclusion, don't share things that you haven't personally checked. When in doubt, it is always safer not to share.

[communistkenobi]

ive never seen an impossible mission but a coworker said the new one is 3 hours of tom cruise going "hey hey hey look at me im tom cruise i do a stunt" is this a statement that you believe accurately describes the film?

I think that’s an extremely accurate description lol. And like look its Mission Impossible, I’m buying a ticket to see tom cruise do a stunt, and I am also a capital-F Fan of these movies by this point, so the narrative justification for why Ethan (TC’s character) is launching himself off a cliff with a motorbike or boarding a helicopter mid-flight can be pretty basic and I will still be soooo on board. But in past films they’ve usually done a good job of tying the stunt to narrative stakes and personal stakes. Like a running ‘gag’ throughout all the films is that Ethan really, really does not enjoy doing any of the stunts you see Tom Cruise do in the movies. you’re watching a human being who has been pushed to the absolute extremes because of the circumstances he’s wound up in, but he’s not allowed to panic or complain or back out, he has to stay calm and do something impossible to save the day. And as the films go on this increasingly informs a specific type of weariness and grief in Ethan that his life is just like this all the time now, that these situations he’s in puts people he loves at risk and his life sucks and etc etc. It’s classic sad little guy protagonist stuff that I deeply enjoy. So like the stunts are all deeply characterological, the emotional grounding and buy-in for the audience is that you know Ethan is having the worst day of his life and has only chosen to like, free-climb the outside of the tallest building in the world because there is literally no alternative solution and he knows his body can take the strain. Ethan is a very physical character and ‘thinks’ through his body. so the stunts are often about the physicality of Ethan and how his body represents the literal narrative vehicle of the films, and his emotional relationship to that arrangement is the source of a lot of his internal conflict. It’s a good time !

But in Final Reckoning it feels very much like the stunts are self-contained and self-justifying - I legitimately felt like “oh okay we’re in the Bi-Plane Sequence now” as I watched the film. Not that the plot is coming to a head or things are more desperate than ever, but that we are just going to the location where Tom Cruise does a stunt. The plot is exhaustively, repetitively explained to you over and over and over and over again (cannot stress enough just how much expository dialogue is in this movie - it is literally the only thing any character ever talks about, literally) but there’s no emotional grounding to any of it, Ethan is just a guy the plot happens to and we are never (with the exception of the underwater stunt section) invited to sit with him as a character or an emotional being with motivations that are separate from the Plot stakes of the film.

So yes I would agree I think that’s a very fair summary of the film. Christopher McQuarrie it’s on sight you motherfucker, you fumbled this one so bad 

[yeetmeoutthewindowdaddy]

Hey 💌 I’m Saja — a mother trying to hold onto hope through days that feel impossibly heavy.

I know you probably see a lot online, but if you could take just a moment… I’d be so grateful.

💫 A reblog of my pinned post could help our story reach someone who cares.

🌿 And if you’re in a place to give, even a small donation could bring comfort to my daughter and help us feel safe again.

@sajagz, thank you for listening.

Even gentle support creates strength.

From one heart to another — thank you 🤍

Congratulations! This ask has inspired me to make a post about how to spot online scams and grifts! 🥳

How to spot scams and grifts online:

This link and this link are from the FBI's and IRS's official government websites on how to spot online scams.

The fist and most important rule: ANYONE who messages you, especially through an anonymous ask, begging for money is a SCAMMER.

Scammers are specifically targeting people on this website because its main demographic is: female, under 25, and compassionate about justice/equality.

All of these factors make a scammers pathetic little heart sing. They are using the average woman's female-socialization, youth (presumed naivety), and higher than average empathy to manipulate kind souls into "donating" to an individual facing whatever tragedy is currently or was recently trending online and in the news cycle.

Other signs of online scams:

-Odd language and syntax choices that a native speaker of your language would not use. (Yes, many of the places that are affected by tragedy probably do not speak whatever your native language is. Scammers are using this fact to look more credible.)

-A formulaic template, often employing the use of emoji's, used across multiple accounts from purportedly different people.

-They often have supposed young children who need your help. They may claim to be a single mother or father who lost their spouse to violence/disease/ETC. Quite often they have a starving pet. This "fact" is used to garner sympathy for their fake plight. There are no young children, no heartbroken widows/widowers, no starving dogs— only pathetic, disgusting, scammers.

Example:

From my own ask box within the past 2 days. I have reported, blocked, ignored, and deleted AT LEAST a dozen more messages over the past month alone.

But what if they provided a link to an official charity?

(NEVER CLICK A LINK PROVIDED BY A SUSPICIOUS SOURCE. It could be a phishing scam. Learn more about phishing scams on the official FTC website. (The irony of me telling you to never click a link provided by a stranger online and then providing a link that I want you to click is not lost on me.))

-It might not be a legitimate charity organization, as demonstrated by this page on the IRS's official government website.

-The charity could be legit but shitty, as documented by charitywatch.org who rate charities "...based on how efficiently each charity raises donations from the public and how much each spends on overhead like fundraising and management relative to what it spends on programmatic activities."

You can also use charitynavigator.org to search for more non-profit charity organizations' ratings. Their ratings "... shine a light on the cost-effectiveness and overall health of a charity’s programs, including measures of stability, efficiency, and sustainability. The metrics inform donors of not just where their dollars are going but what their dollars are doing."

But they're my online friend!

Romance scams are a common way people scam for money— if they're willing to fake an entire romantic relationship for years on end, they're willing to fake a friendship too.

What can I do?

Report and block accounts asking for money. If an anonymous ask has an @ tumblr link or username, go to tumblr.com/(enter the @ username) and click report.

-DO NOT ENGAGE WITH THEM! (Hypocritical, I know.)

-Any attention is good attention. Don't feed the tolls.

In conclusion:

There are more ways— so, so, many more ways that assholes try to get money from people who are legitimately trying to make a positive change in the world.

Be safe online and IRL, and always assume that someone who is asking strangers (you) for money is a scammer. If you truly feel moved to help, find a legitimate and highly rated charity organization to donate to. Let the professionals get the aid to the people who actually need it.

(I will NOT be engaging in any more discussion on this topic. Please do not message or @ me about this topic further, I try to keep this blog as tragedy and politically free as possible.)

[thiscityneedslessfog]

Adachi is a misogynist actually

So, this writeup was entirely written out of spite and therefore won’t be as well composed. For that I apologize. But I’ve occasionally heard an idea that Adachi isn’t a misogynist, just a misanthrope and… it annoys me. so I’m going to nip that in the bud. He’s a misanthrope and a misogynist. Consider this a sequel to the post about misogyny’s damaging effect on teenage girls, including every female party member, woven into Persona 4’s narrative.

So why am I so convicted that Tohru Adachi, the Midnight Channel Killer, is a misogynist and is a great example of how he ties into that narrative?

Well, let’s start out with Adachi’s first scene where he’s doing anything other than throwing up. He and Dojima discuss Namatame getting fired, and Adachi comments on it… very questionably.

…Also, Dojima, I love you, but what the hell for agreeing with him on this. That aside, this is a ridiculous statement to make. How on earth is Namatame losing his job nearly as bad as Yamano getting straight-up murdered? Also, Namatame was fired for cheating on his wife, a pretty justified reason if a group wants to maintain the image of not being corrupt. Yamano likely wasn’t totally innocent in the affair since she was a reporter and therefore has to keep up with the flow of information, but to her credit, Namatame seems to have been Yamano’s sole romantic and sexual partner at the time—no cheating at all from her end.

Now let’s barrel 500 miles into spoiler territory and talk about the Midnight Channel Killings. I’m going to talk about mainly how he speaks about the victims using specific language that draws upon misogynistic stereotypes.

We’re mainly going to talk about Yamano. Listen to how Adachi discusses her.

“And then she started getting hysterical on me…”

I didn’t bold that word for nothing. It’s a common word to use against an angry or defiant woman thanks to the idea of female hysteria that was a legitimate medical diagnosis for a good while, dating back to the Bronze Age. You heard me right. There’s a paper about misogyny embedded in medicine and especially psychiatry in the National Library of Medicine, and its introduction discusses the history of hysteria and how it’s used to weaponize a woman’s illness to “show” that she’s less capable than her male counterparts.

not only is a woman vulnerable to mental disorders, she is weak and easily influenced (by the “supernatural” or by organic degeneration), and she is somehow “guilty” (of sinning or not procreating). Thus mental disorder, especially in women, so often misunderstood and misinterpreted, generates scientific and / or moral bias, defined as a pseudo-scientific prejudice.

Hell, the word literally comes from the Greek word for uterus, which is widely considered the major feminine reproductive organ.

Hippocrates (5th century BC) is the first to use the term hysteria. Indeed he also believes that the cause of this disease lies in the movement of the uterus (“hysteron”).

[Source for both quotes]

Now we talk about Saki. When Adachi confronts and attempts to sexually assault Saki… he’s angry with her due to interacting with Taro Namatame, a man he’s deeply jealous of.

But, if he thought anything romantic or sexual was going on between Saki and Namatame, why didn’t he try to arrest Namatame instead, as in this case the reasonable assumption would be to accuse Namatame of behaving predatorily?? Well, the answer is very rooted in misogyny and slut-shaming.

In most cultures, a woman’s value is in her faithfulness and loyalty. This is found pretty strongly in Western purity culture, but Japan is not the West. However, it’s still commonplace to find examples of this in Japan. On a wider scale, see the idol industry that I discussed in my writeup of Rise Kujikawa. An article from the Japan Times talks about the Akihabara 48 member Minami Minegishi and the scandal that occurred as a result of her crime of dating a boy.

In Japan, the cutting of hair is often symbolic of a new start, or in more extreme cases of penance. The destruction of sexuality inherent in shaving it completely back, however, brings to mind more the humiliations inflicted by the French Resistance on women accused of sleeping with the occupying Nazi soldiers during what they called the épuration sauvage or "wild purge." Minegishi's only crime, however, was having a boyfriend.

[Source]

This comes from an expectation of purity from the women and girls in these idol careers, expected to be loyal to their fanbase, which is predominantly male.

And after the event, he says that Yamano and Saki were probably the ones flirting with Namatame first, and accused them of going after him for the money. This is an invocation of the femme fatale trope, a female character (usually a villain) who seduces a male character in order to get power or money out of him. It’s hotly debated as to whether this trope itself is misogynistic, but Adachi’s invocation is absolutely misogynistic as it’s a justification of the killing of a woman and a girl that he was attracted to.

(As an aside, I find it unnerving how he only ever refers to Yamano by her first name. No “Yamano” even without honorific. Namatame is justified, he was her paramour. Adachi? No way. It’s creepy as hell coming from him.)

But Adachi’s entire reason for targeting Saki to kill was rooted in misogyny. It was a smaller scale version of what happens to idol girls. He felt betrayed because he thought Saki was dating Namatame, and never cared for a second about the difference in age making this mistaken date potentially dangerous for Saki, framing her as a seductress when not only was Namatame not even flirting with her but warning her about Adachi himself, but Adachi blamed Saki, a teenage girl, for an unhealthy romance he made up.

[genericpuff]

Do you have any entry level recommendations for someone looking to learn a bit more about Greek mythology? I’d love to read up on it but I’m not sure how to find reputable sources and avoid Americanisation.

I mean, at the risk of sounding crass, you're likely going to run into Americanization no matter what you do because America itself was built on many cultures, especially that of Greek philosophy and storytelling.

Buuut if you mean you wanna read some actual Greek myth content that AREN'T modern American spins on classic tales, Emily Wilson is a popular choice for many people dipping their toes into translated mythology as her translations are both simplistic and concise in their language choices as well as fun in their structure to read both internally and orally (iirc her translations are done in iambic pentameter which is very familiar to anyone who's ever read Shakespeare). I've been working through her translation of The Odyssey, it's been pretty enjoyable :)

I've also heard great things about both Lattimore and Fitzgerald, the latter of whom I will be reading next after I finish Wilson's translation. That said, I haven't read either of their works yet, so take my recommendation of them with grains of salt! (I hope you enjoy them though if you check 'em out! If you beat me to it, let me know how they went!)

OH also, I know it's sorta the opposite of what you're likely looking for as it's VERY influenced by modern contexts, but thanks to another anon I recently got into Destripando la Historia which is a super fun animated Youtube series that retells the stories of various different gods from different mythologies. If you're into stuff of the goofy anime variety, you might enjoy them, it's a Spanish series but you can turn on captions to read the translations! It's super beginner-friendly, it covers a lot of different stories and myths without getting into so much detail that it's overwhelming (but gives you a good kickoff point to start with!) and the songs and animations slap, Afrodita is one of my favorites haha

Overall the biggest advice I can give you if you're trying to avoid fanfiction-y / "Americanized" retellings is just to cross-reference. If you find a retelling you really like but aren't completely sure of its legitimacy as a functional retelling, keep reading, watching, and learning more. It's a skill like any other, and the more you read, the more you'll be able to pick out what's a legitimate retelling from studied scholars vs. what's fanfiction that you don't need to take too accurately or seriously LMAO

And honestly, nothing wrong with the fanfiction stuff! Mythology, in its very nature, changes over time, it's an inevitability and many of the myths we still draw from today are often derivative in and of themselves from even older versions that pre-existed them (see: Ovid).

it's okay if your introduction to Greek myth is through derivative fanfic, stuff like Disney's Hercules and even Lore Olympus ARE fun to consume for a lot of people and make for a good entry point into learning more about the myths!

What's frustrating - and what I tend to criticize the most here - is when the fanfiction gets advertised / sold as legitimate retellings; when the fanfiction grossly misrepresents the actual mythology and yet tries to claim it as legitimate anyways which results in fanbases that are running around with completely false information claiming it as fact. If you can give the team behind Hercules credit for one thing, their rendition may not be completely accurate, BUT the folks who made it never bragged about how much smarter they were than other people about Greek myth or call themselves "folklorists" when they didn't even have any formal education/training/etc. in it cough like another creator we know cough 💀 If we want to make a comparison between LO and a Disney film in terms of how it grossly misrepresents the themes and cultural contexts of the original stories it was drawing from... Disney's Pocahontas does exactly that 💅

So if you want to avoid any "grossly" Americanized versions of Greek myth that are borderline disrespectful to the stories they're drawing from... yeah, that's usually a pretty indicative red flag LMAO

But outside of those very specific scenarios, just have fun with it, there really is no "right or wrong" way to engage with the mythology if you're simply just wanting to learn more, the beauty of it being mythology is that it's very diverse in its mediums and thus you don't have to be restricted to learning about it exclusively through academic translations or lectures. Of course, there are cultural intersections with these myths that shouldn't be ignored, we always have to treat it with care when engaging with it so that we aren't overwriting another culture's traditions or beliefs - but if you're simply wanting to learn about and entertain yourself with some amazing stories that have quite literally stood the test of time, do so however you see fit :)

[kyra45]

Keys guide to scam spotting (v2)

Hi! I’m Key (Or Jess depending on which blog you know me from) and I’ll be telling you some better information and detail on how to spot a scam account be it a pet scam or a donation scam. All information is based on my own experiences and I’ll try to keep this post accessible so the only big text is the title. This information should help in understanding how these scams work and how to spot them without having to do too much work. As always, if you appreciate what I do and want to show it, sharing these info posts helps other users see it and learn about blogs that might send them asks.

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What is a donation scam? - A donation scam is when someone is being deceptive to get money by claiming they need mutual aid or support. For example, they are using the story from someone else’s fundraising post in order to get donations and won’t tell anyone their lying. This is called a donation scam. While the story may be legitimate, it is a story stolen off someone else and means the real person isn’t getting the support they asked for because someone else is using it. These stories are often stolen off Facebook/GoFundMe or even Instagram and could come from a private account or group so searching wouldn’t come up with a source. The images may also be stolen from somewhere else too.

How do you spot a donation scam? - Donation scams are usually easily spotted if you take a closer look at the information being given. Stolen stories will often have certain parts removed and replaced with the information the scammer added themselves. Sometimes the post may be composed of two different parts and won’t sound right if you pay close attention. For example, part of the story sounds fine but then the second part of the story seems out of place and doesn’t match up with the beginning. Another thing to check is how old the account is and if you have timestamps on you can see if an older post is backdated. You can also check to see if the account has tagged certain blogs in their post though this isn’t always a sign of a scam.

What is post backdating? - Post backdating is changing the dates of a reblogged post to look older then it really is. While this can be used with good intentions, scammers often use this to trick people into thinking their account is years old or even a few months old. The one way to find this is by turning on timestamps in dashboard settings and checking ‘other notes’ in reblogs. This is the only way to see the true date something was shared. Accounts who backdate posts will often claim someone told them to do it or they’ll say they didn’t know it was bad. However, you can not accidentally backdate a post.

Did the account contact you first? - A common occurrence is that you will get scam asks if you share a popular or trending post. Usually these accounts send asks to anyone they find without care of who it is and might lie as well if you ask them how they found you. In general, a brand new account shouldn’t easily find you unless they were watching the notes of popular posts. Occasionally these new accounts will even send asks to certain accounts they shouldn’t know about unless they have seen the account before. If your DMs are closed, the ask may ask you to message them because it’s urgent but all they will do is ask for money or ask you to loan them some money.

—

What is a pet donation scam? - A pet donation scam is where someone has went and looked around for vet fundraisers online and then took it for themselves by saving the images and story while erasing any links that would lead to the real pet getting support. They will then repost it to tumblr and say it’s actually their pet needing urgent care with the post title being very large and in red text for a sense of urgency. Sometimes they’ll say they can’t use GoFundMe because it has a fee or something else. This is a scam because they are not the owner of the pet and have stolen everything meaning no funds sent will be towards the actual pets care.

How do you spot a pet donation scam? - A common way of a pet donation scam is by how old the pinned post is and how many posts are reblogged on the account. Usually there is only a few posts shared and always shared around the same time and then no more. These posts all come from a trending topic, a fandom, or are popular posts. Another thing is checking the bio in Google search and seeing if it’s been took from someone else as the scammer never makes their own bio. Reverse image search their pfp to see who it really belongs to in case they stole it. Another important thing is to check their link and see if it matches up with the vet bill. Since most pictures are stolen off a private group, reverse image search won’t find them. The name they may have is likely not their real name and is stolen.

Did the account send you an ask? - Regardless of what the ask says, it usually requests you to answer it privately or message them so they can tell you thanks. These asks may have several emojis in them as well but their always just copy/pasted and sent to multiple users all at once on a daily basis. The private answer is so the ask won’t show up if someone is looking it up. If their post is public, there shouldn’t be a reason to need a private response to an ask you have sent to many people unless you are trying to hide it. Messaging these accounts is useless because they’ll lie to you when you ask them questions back or just ignore you.

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What is a fake check scam? - A fake check scam is when a generally blank account with no pfp will message you after you used certain tags and ask you if you still need help. Even if you have links to send support, these accounts will ignore that in order to ask for your personal information such as phone number or banking details. They will then offer to send you a check. This is a fake check and cashing it won’t be scamming the scammer. You will lose money instead and the scammer will already move on to someone else. Never give them your private information.

Are there any other scam types? - When you tag posts, you’ll often get messages from accounts claiming they can help you get more attention on your campaign but you have to pay them money or go off-site to contact them. These are fake support accounts and they always use stock images while pretending to be officially affiliated and act like their Digital Marketing title means their not trying to scam you. They get defensive when called out and may start insulting you when they figure out you are already aware they aren’t legitimate.

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What is a funeral donation scam? - A funeral donation scam is when an account posts saying someone has passed away but the images they used are actually took from someone else and may be photoshopped. Bills may be edited to suit their story and names may be changed to someone else’s. This isn’t a real common scam! But it’s happened a lot lately but the basics are the account will steal someone’s pictures and pass them off as theirs and when caught will say they were forced to or know it’s wrong but did it anyway.

—

In closing, this is information regarding common scam types you’ll find on tumblr. It’s always suggested to pay close attention to asks you get it they fit the criteria of being sent from a scammer. Answer the asks publicly and call out the blog. The scammer may block you as a result, but it’ll help your ask be seen it someone has looked it up. I suggest never spamming asks to share your pinned aid post because unfortunately scammers do this and you shouldn’t ignore people saying to please stop spamming. Always check to see if someone is comfortable getting these kinds of asks too because it won’t look too good if you have sent them an ask when they say please don’t.

As always, not everyone asking for support is a scammer! Legitimate people are out there. It’s just unfortunate scammers have made it harder for them to get help. You can always do your own research and compare it to what others have given and come to your own conclusion.

[gingabulous]

TikTok shuts down today as Facebook shows me a full on explicit porn ad featuring a sex worker riding a dick in a looping video in my feed. (Btw I’m not offended at all by what I saw, I’m personally fine with it, but this is about hypocrisy, not sex positivity.)

It was never about ethics, it was about the huge support for Palestine from users and the ability to share information on the genocide Israel is carrying out. It was bypassing the propaganda, and that couldn’t be allowed.

Trump only wants it back because his campaign used it to their benefit and so he suddenly wants to have it in his arsenal.

You can hate TikTok all you want, and even point out legitimate problems with the platform, but don’t pretend it’s being singled out for any reason other than it being far less controllable for shaping narratives to how the major special interests and oligarchs want it.

ALSO REDNOTE IS NOT THE ANSWER PLEASE FUCKING STOP AND LOOK TO BETTER OPEN SOURCE AND DECENTRALIZED SOLUTIONS THAT EXIST!!!!

[girlvinland]

Man. So I’m kind of at this weird turning point in my life where I like where I’m heading with job stuff, but I also really just want to learn more and embed myself more in my field.

I think I’ve talked about it on occasion, but a really big regret of mine was never finishing my geology stuff. It’s a long story that idc about telling rn, but ultimately where I ended up was kind of strange. I have a lot of bg work in geology, I ended up actually getting my master’s in library/information sci, I worked at a geological survey for I think a combined total of seven years, and then the location/work culture of that specific place was starting to wear on me a lot (a lot of turnover for lower level positions so I’d have to take on extra work when people left, dealt with sexual harassment from two of the older men, didn’t like living in that city after school).

I moved Elsewhere, got a graduate certificate in GIS, and that helped me get the job I have now, which is still in earth science but more on the climate side of things with some data and archival work thrown in. I thought for a long time about looking into studying earth system sci but idk I didn’t like how much it tied into atmospheric science bc that’s just not really my Thing or whatever. Thought about getting back into geology and did apply to a sort of dream school for it, got accepted to the program, but then so many of my old classes were not transferable bc they’re just run differently at the new place that it left me kind of like. I don’t want to retake these classes and waste time and whatever, and the classes weren’t all asynchronous so it was going to be rough logistically. I’ve kind of scrapped that idea, which was a legitimately difficult decision to make, but not the end of the world.

SO. I’m long-winded and apologize if you’re reading this but. I tried looking into other programs I might be interested in. Turns out that the place where I got the GIS cert lets you put that cert towards a GIS master’s if you want. They also offer a master’s program in renewable energy/sustainability, which I am very interested in (probably top interest after pure geology fields). So I’m kind of stuck between deciding on what I’d like, but also it’s like. Would it be pointless to do that second one with the way this administration is? Would I just be setting myself up for some sort of failure going that route bc all of those jobs are being eliminated? Will we ever be able to make a comeback with renewable energy sources (solar/wind/geothermal)? GIS is very useful in a wide range of fields, and it comes with a decent amount of programming work which I am never going to turn down, but I am very fascinated by renewable energy (my dad worked in solar and wind at one point and it used to really feel encouraging, but now I don’t know).

I really don’t know what the answer is. I do hate how uncertain and precarious climate and energy is right now. Have had to see a lot of awesome people fall victim to everything that is happening, and it’s really demoralizing and difficult to watch. Existential-crisis-what-effect-is-this-going-to-have-on-everyone-level demoralization. Well. I do at least know I’d sell my soul before I worked in anything defense or homeland security-adjacent, so guess there’s that.

[corellianhounds]

Oh damn until I read your piece on Xi’an I totally forgot she existed 😭 not gonna lie when I first watched season 1 I thought she was bluffing?? Like she was fucking with them about being Din’s ex and all that just to stir the pot/cause chaos and that would’ve probably fit her character better imo, being an unreliable source of information would’ve helped sell the unhinged/crazy knife girl thing a lot better

Oh yeah for sure, she’s definitely not meant to be a reliable means of exposition 😆 The only reason I’m inclined to think something (anything) happened between them is that Mando never flat-out refutes it, when he does amend some of the things Malk and Qin say, and his tone of voice whenever she shows up and he says her name caaaaaan be construed as that moment you see an ex you really don’t like (and defo regret) at a function you can’t gracefully duck out of AND people there know you two have a past AND people have already seen both of you there. Kind of an “Ah. You. Of course. Crap.”

His whole relationship with that particular crew is so interesting because there’s so much that goes unsaid, both bc it’s clear Mando obviously distanced himself from them, but also because Mando is in a tight spot this episode and can’t AFFORD to say much to the contrary or retaliate in any way because he needs money, and this is the last familiar means he has of getting some quick cash. Malk set him up so that he can’t disagree on anything, and because of that, we DON’T get very many clues from Mando’s side of their history.

Honestly Xi’an getting to spill lies AND truths (and just some straight up GOSSIP) would definitely fuel that sense of unpredictability. What happens when the worst person you know is saying things you legitimately can’t refute because, well… You did say some of that, and there are people here who can back it up, and it’s actual fuel for her to stoke the fire and stir the pot with which makes her even more dangerous. What else is she going to spill? What else does she know you did?

Also does anyone ever want to talk about Qin’s line when he says “The man who left me behind is now my savior” becaaaaauuse… Same could be said with the kid. (I doubt the writers were trying to draw any parallels there, especially because Mando didn’t know or voluntarily spring Qin free the way he did with the kid, but it’s interesting how many of these lines COULD have been something, IF the writers had been trying for something. Like even just following it up with something like “You make a habit of doing that?” could have been good.)

[puckpocketed]

hi!!!!! im maybe perhaps a little interested in following th la kings...what th vibes are who th characters are etc n was wondering if u knew of any good primers at all ? :3 !

there are no primers here please return to your seat

serious answer: i am currently occupied with another big beaugtiful baby of a primer ! but. i will commit to a short slideshow that’s funnier + with more pictures at some nebulous point in the future!! deepest apologies 😭👍 i am NOT your kings source. idk who the kings source would even be, but it aint me!!! below is a cross section of my posts so u can vibe check us - click the non-news articles for funnies :)

here’s a tiny one i did for one of our prospects . eurotrap weed dj. just a little guy

Our kids have a history of getting injured right as they’re set to make their big step up. UNLUCKIEST GIRLS IN THE WORLD. btw <3

articles + archive links: x / y - x / y - x / y - x / y

Most recently: Arthur Kaliyev - who wanted to be traded somewhere he would have more opportunities - is freshly, guess what.,... INJURED and just as he made his peace with no trade + turning a new leaf with LA !!!!

the vibes are. LA Kings Youth Movement (soon) (SOON) (<- lie!!!) (PLAY THE KIDS. PLEASE... GOD...) (take my hand. let’s slash rob blake’s tires together <3)

Two Staches

Jordan Spence and QB by @korshrimpski

^ Phillip Danault and his two sons

Raccoon Jesus who does not understand rizz + is having a brat summer !

The vibes at practice + HQ Juice unicorn pic (same day)

[ID: The 2023-24 L.A. Kings celebrating their post practice mini-scrimmage. The forwards, having just scored, celebrate in a puppy pile against the glass. To the far right, Adrian Kempe (#9) also known as Juice, skates into the scrum. He holds his stick to his forehead as though it is a unicorn horn. /. End ID]

The Ghost Of Pierre-Luc Dubois (to ME). a lot of prospects were traded away to acquire him and he um. did not do very well here.

many lak fans in other spaces have strong negative feelings towards PLD (as is their right!) but he’s my failgirlhorsewife and he’s our very best friend and he got traded for Darcy Kuemper over the summer, and i WILL be haunting the cap.s lb because of that. no one on kingstwt will shut up about him so i think they're taking the breakup well 👍

on the topic of Kuemper. sorry i keep linking my own posts but Darcy and Dave. big. natural. <3 our gonjeous double d's...!

these posts aren’t super informative and its a lot of Me... i’m so sorry </3 i just shuffled through my lak tag and tried to remember what was funniest. legitimately cannot find old Kings blogs that are still regularly Posting and Participating so theyre all very new things... we are building these train tracks as we ride HELP.... (I genuinely have no idea what happened to nuke the community on here since i just arrived myself. lak secret community if you’re out there please speak to us … god… it’s so dark in here…....)

it’s been a mini goal of mine to breathe a little life into the tag. this isn't my primary team but i am very fond of them!! i can count on my hands every kings blog ive met here, i legitimately think i know them all?? we are so small i don't even know if we can be counted as a community. but i hope to help make the tag a warm and fun place where we can yell about our failteam <3

2024-25 LAK RENAISSANCE RAAHHHHHHH

[freesia-writes]

Ch 10: Storm on the Shore Pt. 2

~ Master List ~ Previous Chapter ~ WC: 2k

WELL THIS IS THE MOST ACCURATE BACKGROUND NOISE YOU COULD HAVE, LOL: 24Hr | Seaside Storm in a Cave / Ocean Waves, Distant Thunder,Fire and Rain Sounds for Sleeping (youtube.com)

And LOOK AT THIS FANART BY @perfectlywingedcrusade!!

As the fire grew into a satisfying source of warmth near the opening of the cave, just far enough inside to let the smoke out but still sheltered from the wind and rain, Hunter and Lyra huddled around it, shadows dancing across their faces as the contented crackling faded into the sound of the storm outside. He had removed his jacket, spreading it out nearby to dry as much as possible, and with quite a bit of protest from her, had also ventured quickly into the rain to fetch her own jacket, which he had to wring out at the mouth of the cave before bringing it in to lay it next to his. His thick flannel shirt stretched across his back as he hunched, rubbing his hands absently near the dancing flames. 

“I’m sorry we’re stuck here,” Lyra said, eyes darting to his for a split second before returning to the fire. 

“Eh,” Hunter shrugged, “It could be worse.”

“The office ladies are going to be heartbroken that you’re not in your shop for their ‘morning sausage run’ before school starts…”

Fixing her with a mockingly stern look that led them both to chuckle quietly, Hunter noticed her heartbeat speeding up again, and subtly watched her body language to see if she were in pain from the ruthless pinching her leg had received from the spiteful crablike creature she’d thought was just a shell. He was unable to discern other signs of distress, leaving him mildly confused as to the random chemical changes he could just barely pick up during many of their times together. 

“I’ll just tell them it was your fault,” he added, smiling as she quickly looked back up at him in horror. Her long brown hair still hung fairly damp, save for a little crown of frizz that danced on the very top of her head, and her dark eyes sent an unexpected jolt of electricity through his body with their simultaneous vulnerability and intensity. It threw him off for a moment, causing his grin to drop into momentary seriousness.

“What?” Lyra asked, anxious at his sudden change in composure. She glanced around the cave and toward the opening as though searching for a threat, giving Hunter time to recover.

“Nothing,” he said, following her gaze. “I… uh… Did you feel that breeze?”

“...No?”

“It felt like it came from the back,” he continued, legitimately (and gratefully) distracted by the slight sense of cool air on the side of his cheek that faced away from the entrance.

“Are you hoping to blow dry your luxurious hair?” she attempted, cringing inwardly as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“Luxurious, eh?” Hunter echoed, tilting his head back toward her with a look that concealed the slight sense of flattery he didn’t want to admit he felt.

“Oh, I felt a little wind!” she exclaimed instead, and he laughed out loud at her thinly-veiled effort to change the subject. He hadn’t felt anything that time, but he let it slide. They’d had a few moments over the last number of weeks of innocent questions that seemed to touch a nerve or pry too far, resulting in withdrawal and awkward silence, so in response, they had both settled into a comfortable understanding that information was to be taken as it was offered instead of pursued through inquiry. He rose to his feet in one lithe movement, stretching out the stiffness that had formed in his time crouched by the fire. 

“I’m gonna check it out.”

“Why?” Lyra asked, so bluntly that he was momentarily taken aback. But her tone was one of apprehension, not challenge.

“Might be a way out of here.”

“But what if there’s… stuff back there?”

“That’s the point,” he said, smiling faintly. 

“Maybe the crab had friends,” she added, a breezy smile failing to conceal her trepidation. “Bigger ones.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time…”

He could sense her anxiety as she followed suit, rubbing her hands over the fire one last time before getting up and hobbling to his side. She was torn in a way that surprised her – the logical choice would be to continue her enjoyment of the toasty little space he’d created, but she also felt nervous about him going alone. Not that she would be of any help in a crisis situation… obviously. Yet she was inexplicably compelled to join him. 

“Lead the way.”

“I can scout it out and come back to get you if there’s an exit,” he offered, unsure about her participation.

“That’ll take twice as long,” she pointed out, grabbing their clothing from the ground and shaking them out. “Besides, I think I can hear my fireplace calling to me…” Her jacket was still fairly damp, but Hunter had wrung out most of the water and its time by the fire had made it a good amount lighter. She tied it around her waist, passed his own to him, and nodded decisively. The corners of his lips lifted slightly, and he pulled his coat on snugly. 

He offered an arm to her, noting just how taken aback she appeared at the gesture. After a moment of internal struggle, she gingerly took it, laying her fingers across his forearm but carefully keeping a distance between their bodies. Again, his heart warmed slightly at seemingly nothing in particular, and they headed toward the back of the cave. 

It was a cavernous opening initially, with the dancing glow from the dying fire just barely illuminating the rocks that jutted at them from ground and ceiling alike. They walked wordlessly, arm in arm, with only the sounds of their steps, droplets falling from above, and the waves and rain outside. As the cave twisted and turned its way into the cliff, Hunter could feel Lyra growing more tense, her heart rate increasing and a light sweat breaking out across her body. Her eyes darted to and fro, and her hand tightened around his bicep as she slipped on a step. 

“You okay?” he said, the softness of his voice contrasted by a slight husk from not speaking for a while; it quickly captured her attention from all of the “threats” she’d been vigilant to scan for, and she nodded silently. “Are you nervous?” he finally asked, watching her expressions flicker from conviction to sheepishness. 

“Yes,” she whispered, lowering her head. 

“It’s alright. I promise. We’ll be fine,” Hunter said gently, his chest swelling with some feeling as he could see a grateful smile barely peeking out beneath the curtain of hair that concealed her face. He reached into his bag and pulled out the small light again, clicking it on and shocking their eyes with a bright little beam that illuminated the next few steps. As they began moving again, he noticed she had shuffled a hair closer to him.

“You’ve spent a lot of time in caves?” she asked, still tense with apprehension. 

“Some,” he answered, still not having shared many specifics about his past in the GAR. He’d focused mostly on their independent chapter of life, painting the picture of him and his family wandering the galaxy and taking various jobs to support themselves, which resulted in his wide skill set. “I’ve been in a lot of dangerous situations.” It could have come across as prideful or boasting, but he’d said it so factually and humbly that it seemed to drive the point home, and he noticed Lyra’s shoulders relax the tiniest bit. 

“Sounds stressful.”

“Yeah… You get used to it.”

“I don’t know that I could,” she chuckled, looking up as he came to a sudden halt. 

“Hm,” he said, casting the light all around in front of them. It appeared that they’d reached a dead end as all sides of the cave had closed in on them, and yet he could swear he sensed a large hollowness behind it. He felt around the edges, wondering if it was a large rock that had broken off from the rest to block the pathway, but despite his strategically-located pushes and shoves, there was no movement to be had. 

“Time to go back!” Lyra announced, proactively taking his arm again. They could barely hear the storm anymore; they may have been too deep in the cave or it could have stopped. Hunter furrowed his brow, taking a few last one-handed pokes around the wall in front of them, then nodded. 

“I guess that’s our only option.”

Upon their return to the mouth of the cave, they were pleased to find that the storm had indeed blown over, and the dark skies had lightened a bit to a morose gray canvas full of swirling clouds. They ventured out onto the beach, grateful for the slowness of the tide’s changes that meant it was still quite low, which allowed them to skirt around one of the rocky walls that formed the sandy inlet onto the next beach past it. This one had a much more gradual slope up to the cliffs above, and the pain in Lyra’s leg had receded enough for her to walk unassisted. 

It felt like a longer walk than usual back to their homes; Hunter couldn’t quite tell why. Nothing significant had happened and yet he felt a deepening bond between them, whether it was a sense of protectiveness, increased vulnerability, or something else. Lyra’s house was at a lower elevation, perched on a flat chunk of land near the edge of The Forest with a decent view of the seas below, while Hunter’s was farther up and deeper into the woods. He didn’t realize they’d taken the path toward her home, lost in conversation as they’d been, until she drew to a halt at the gate of a rickety fence made of random pieces of driftwood and tree branches. The property beyond the fence was lush, with plants and trees of every shape and size, and Hunter could see a white cottage tucked into it, the sea lying below the cliffs a ways past it. 

“This is me,” she said, nodding toward the cozy home. “I’m gonna comm the school to let them know I’m alive… and I don’t think I’m going in today.” She chuckled, and he could almost hear the plotting in her head of a decadent day of relaxation by the fire and, if he knew anything from their many chats over the last few weeks, probably some baking of delicious savory treats. 

“I might not open the shop today either,” Hunter said. “Perks of being self-employed.”

“Mmm,” she agreed, lifting her eyes to his for a moment. Brown met brown with softness and depth, and he felt that queasiness in his stomach that had made the occasional appearance lately. “Um… Thank you again… For everything. And I’m sorry.”

“It was nothing,” Hunter said. “In fact, I think I owe you one for getting me to take a day off of work.”

“So I’m a clumsy burden and a bad influence? Great,” she deadpanned. 

“Neither,” he reassured.

Lyra hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, and untied her jacket from her waist to instead fold it over her arm and clutch it tightly. There was a pregnant pause in the air, as though there were some kind of decision to be made. But neither words nor invitations were forthcoming.

“I… uh… I’m sure I’ll see you soon,” she said quietly, dipping her head and opening the creaky gate, slowly and almost hesitantly admitting herself. She left it open, turning back to give him a small wave as he said his own goodbyes, then continued on the pebbled path toward the cottage. 

Hunter remained at the entrance for a minute, watching her disappear inside the small white house, then heaved a great sigh. The air was filled with scent – the flowers, fruits, and vegetables in her garden; the contented clucks of the local ground-dwelling birds; the salty breeze of the sea; and the musky scents of the cows and horse-like creatures that roamed where they pleased. He felt as though he could stand there forever, comforted by the quiet nature symphony and the tranquil surroundings. But, after a few moments, he took one last deep breath and continued on his way.

.

.

Previous Chapter ~ Master List ~ Next Chapter

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[ninjalover2002]

I want to make informative flyers about the genocide in Palestine to distribute at my city’s pride.

Please, I’m begging you if you can. Send me and reblog with legitimate sources and information about everything that has been happening since the Zionist started to bomb hospitals and schools.

About all of the Geneva conventions they broke, about how they brutalized protesters in their own country, about how they broke the world record in the most killed children in history, about how they cut food and water supplies and how they bomb rescue boats and change bags of sugar for sand.

About how they murdered journalist and volunteers. About how they also target catholic churches.

Just send me the source links.

And if you also want to add information about the conflict in Ukraine, Sudan and in India/Pakistan that would also help really appreciated.

Thank you and happy pride!

[stardustthread]

USE YOUR VOICE GRETA VAN FLEET

If it hasn’t been abundantly clear how much I absolutely love the boys, I’m incredibly disappointed in how silent they have been. I’ve already voiced this before, but they do have impact. For the people saying that Greta not speaking about world issues shouldn’t be a big deal are just as complacent and dismissive of the actual pain going on in the world. We hear time and time again in their songs, messages of anti-war and the destruction that hate can bring and we have a duty to spread love, where is that love? Where is it? I’m a Grestie through and through, and I’m also an Arab Grestie. My grandparents and my extended family are Palestinian.

I was born and lived in the Middle East, more specifically Jordan, for long enough to know and feel the pain that my family and friends in Palestine are facing, seeing my heritage and traditions being wiped out right before my eyes. And I feel so guilty because I’m here now, a US citizen in the safety of my home watching it unfold. Imagine how people in Gaza are feeling? You absolutely can’t. The people in the West Bank are facing that fear of the inevitable if we don’t speak up and act. As for the hostages, captured both by the IOF and H*m*s, they’re not knowing any peace either.

For the people citing that the reason why they won’t speak on it is because of the mistreatment of LGBTQIA+ folks contradicts with Josh, that is not okay. Yes, we absolutely SHOULD and HAVE TO ensure safety of EVERYONE, no matter who they love or what they identify as, but repeating false rhetoric without any proof blatantly shows your Islamophobia and xenophobia. You regurgitate information being fed to you by bigoted sources with a reputation for falsifying experiences like it’s nothing. Not to mention, the US isn’t very safe right now for LGBTQ+ folk either. If we were under attack right now, would you stay silent too because Tennessee, Florida, and Texas are enacting hateful bills? Or are you staying silent now because they’re brown. Why don’t you actually ask a Queer Arab what it’s like over there? Talk to them? They exist, and they’re all over social media. And what about Queer Palestinians? Do they not deserve your advocacy?

I listened to and fell in LOVE with Greta Van Fleet because of their message. “They pass the torch and it still burns” gives me goosebumps everytime I listen to Age of Man, it serves as a reminder that through generations, we have a duty to fight and do better. “We do not fight for war, but to save the lives of those who do so” ARE YOU KIDDING? It is RIGHT THERE IN THEIR SONGS! If you still are dismissing the legitimate callout of the boys to speak on an issue WHO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEAKING ON ISSUES LIKE THIS, or you’re dismissing the pain that people who do have legitimate connection to the land in Palestine, please listen to the songs again. Reflect. And if you still don’t get it, I don’t have any hope for you.

I am so heartbroken, upset, and I will absolutely NOT let someone guilt me into not calling the boys out because “we should leave politics out of it”. This isn’t about politics. This is about HUMAN LIFE. Have empathy and for god’s sake, SHOW IT. SPEAK UP AND CALL OUT.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

CNN 3/17/2025

Medical myths are surfacing again. 5 tips to inoculate yourself against them

By Andrea Kane, CNN

Updated: 1:22 PM EDT, Mon March 17, 2025

Editor’s note: The podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the medical science behind some of life’s mysteries big and small. You can listen to episodes here.

(CNN) — If you consume any kind of media, traditional or social, at some point you have encountered a health claim that emits a whiff of something being “off.” Maybe it’s the unsubstantiated reasons for a growing measles outbreak, the supposed lack of efficacy and safety of certain vaccines despite studies proving otherwise, or the urgent need to start consuming a particular supplement for hard-to-prove health benefits.

Such claims are nothing new: Self-proclaimed health prophets and doomsayers have been around for a long time, promising to cure serious conditions, espousing medical conspiracies or trying to garner attention by sprinkling doubt and panic.

Medical misinformation (if not downright disinformation) spiked during the pandemic and continues to surface with some of the Trump administration’s controversial nominations and confirmations to top public health posts.

Laurel Bristow, an infectious disease researcher at Emory University in Atlanta, started fighting misinformation and disinformation during the pandemic. Her Instagram account — formerly KingGutterBaby — focused on combating rampant myths and conspiracy theories that were circulating online at the time.

“I would be at the hospital all day, and then I would come home and sit in my kitchen and set up my little tripod and record videos,” Bristow told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta recently on his podcast Chasing Life.

“It felt very important to me at the time because I had such a close understanding — or as much of an understanding as you could — about the virus and what was happening and infectious disease in general, that that gave me a lot of comfort,” she said. “And I wanted other people to understand it so that they could make decisions and feel empowered in the decisions that they were making rather than scared of what was happening.”

Bristow called information empowering. “(The situation is) not necessarily less scary, but it’s less anxiety-inducing, and you can feel a little bit more in control of what is happening,” she said. “And I think that is really helpful for people to stay grounded.”

Today, Bristow continues her work in infectious diseases as the associate program director for the Emory/Georgia Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center. And she is also the host of “Health Wanted,” a health podcast on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate, WABE.

And she’s still providing accurate information and debunking false claims on social media. (Her new Instagram account has a less colorful name.)

“There’s part of me that’s like, ‘Man, after five years, I thought I was going to be off the hook,’” Bristow said. “But I do feel very passionately about this. I feel very passionately about people getting accurate information and feeling empowered in the decisions that they make for themselves and their families. So, I’m going to keep doing what I do.”

You can listen to the podcast’s full episode here.

How can you determine if something contains misinformation or disinformation? Bristow has these five tips to help you evaluate claims.

Don’t believe everything you read, hear or watch

“If something seems too good or too bad to be true, it probably is,” Bristow said in an email, noting that legitimate gaps in knowledge increasingly feel like they “are being filled with speculation.”

And even established facts “are being overridden with more hysterical claims and conspiracies,” she said.

“People should be encouraged to think more critically and evaluate their information sources,” she said.

Don’t fall into black-and-white thinking

“Science rarely speaks in absolutes,” Bristow said.

“If someone is presenting something as a cure-all or as ‘this is killing you,’ it is rarely that simple.”

She recommends asking yourself: Are the limits of what’s known about a situation clearly stated? Is the level of risk being put into proper context? And is the person behind the information being transparent about their qualifications?

“Someone who presents themselves as an expert without making their credentials, relevant research, or experience available to you, should give you pause,” she said.

Don’t let your buttons be pressed

“Emotional responses are a good way to get engagement,” Bristow noted.

“Untrue medical claims often highlight the danger of something and the risk it poses to you and your family,” she said. “These claims often speak in absolute or definite terms, but science is always evolving, and risks change based on nuanced circumstances.”

Instead, she said, dig deeper into information that makes you panic. “Try to find out if the things they are talking about are based on a large, well-designed study, or if it is based on anecdotal experiences,” she said.

Don’t fall for sales pitches

“If someone is telling you about an issue you didn’t know you might have, AND offering to sell you the solution, that’s a red flag,” Bristow said via email.

“You should investigatewhere the information is coming from,” she said. “Does the person or organization that is presenting this information have a conflict of interest when it comes to their funding or partners?”

If so, the bar for buying into a cure for a new condition should be raised.

Look for real experts

“Take the time to find science communicators you trust and see what they say about breaking issues,” Bristow said.

“If there is a splashy headline or news, they will likely talk about it,” she said. “A large part of science literacy is helping people understand the limitations of knowledge, which can help them spot bad science.”

Spotting bad science and addressing it before it spreads, she said, can have a huge impact.

We hope these five tips help you spot health claims that merit a deeper dive. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week for a new episode of the Chasing Life podcast.

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[candycandy00]

The League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology Sign Up

This is the sign up post for the first annual League of Villains Halloween Horror Anthology!

The deadline to sign up for this event is September 30th! Please keep that in mind!

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What it is:

The anthology will be various fanfics and fanart of League of Villains members reimagined as horror creatures/icons/characters, to be posted throughout October of this year. I thought it would be a fun way to get us all in the spooky Halloween mood.

This is an adults-only event! Please do not sign up unless you have your age listed in your bio or pinned post! Minors do not interact!

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Rules:

You can make fanfic or fanart, or both! But each piece must feature a League of Villains member (past or present, but only one per piece) as a horror creature/icon/character, such as a vampire or a masked killer. They have to be the source of the horror, so no zombie fics where the character is fighting zombies. If you pick zombie as your horror creature, the character you pick has to be a zombie.

Multiple people can claim each character, so if we get 30 Dabi fics, so be it. However, only one person can claim each horror icon for the medium you chose. So if someone already signed up for one of the characters as a vampire in a fic, you can’t sign up for a character (even a different one) as a vampire in a fic. You can sign up for a vampire in a fanart, provided no one else has. I will do these on a first come, first serve basis. So the first person to claim a given creature will get it. If a lot of people sign up and I feel like we’re legitimately running out of horror tropes, I might bend this rule a bit. Also! You can be specific to differentiate between creatures. Like an undead pirate is different from a regular zombie, and so on.

Fanfics can be X Reader or not. They can be NSFW/smut, or not. That’s up to you! If you choose Toga as your character, only write/draw SFW pieces for her, as she is a minor. It doesn’t matter if you age her up. You don’t have to make your piece horror, but it’s encouraged. This is a Halloween anthology after all. At the very least, a spooky vibe should be present, even if your piece is overall light hearted. Likewise, you don’t have to set the story on or around Halloween, but it would be nice to have some works that do so.

You can post your piece any time in October. From the first day of the month to the last. Ideally, the pieces will be spread out a bit throughout the month, but I’m not assigning anyone specific days. Just post it whenever you want in October.

If you sign up, but decide to drop out, that’s fine! This is a zero pressure event. You don’t even have to explain why. All I ask is that you send me a message or Ask letting me know so that I can remove you from the sign up list. Someone else might have wanted to write about the creature you chose, but couldn’t because you picked it.

When you post your piece, use the tag #lovhalloweenhorror. Feel free to use the tag before then! Use it to talk about the piece you’re working on, use it to post sketches or previews! Heck, use it even if you just plan to enjoy the fan works! Use it to talk about things you’d like to see/read as a viewer. Anything goes! Let’s build up some excitement!

As works begin to be posted in October, I’ll create a Masterlist post to list all of them in one convenient place. If you post your piece and you don’t see it added to the list within a day or so, send me a message to let me know in case I missed it.

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How to Sign up:

If you’d like to sign up to create a piece for this event, send me an Ask or a direct message with the following information:

Fanart or Fanfic?

Character?

Horror Creature?

That’s it! Please send a separate message for each piece you plan to make.

As people sign up, I’ll list them in this post so everyone can know what’s been claimed. Please be patient with me. I might be slow!

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The List:

Fanfiction:

@missrosegold - Dabi - Demon

@candycandy00 - Shigaraki - Scarecrow

@jabberwocky-92 - Shigaraki - God of Decay

@scary-grace - Shigaraki - Ghost/Wraith

@spicymeatball1992 - Shigaraki - Incubus

@jabberwocky-92 - Dabi - Grim Reaper

@gamergirlghost - Toga - Vampire

@doumadono - Dabi - Merman

@doumadono - Toga - Rusalka

@red-as-mars - Dabi - Charro Negro

@candycandy00 - Mr. Compress - Mad Scientist

Fanart:

@sammystep - Twice - Dr. Frankenstein

@fleetwoodmoth - Dabi - Fire Atronach

@selinearts - Toga - Demon

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Ideas/Inspiration:

If you’re having trouble deciding on a horror creature/icon/character, here’s a list of some to give you some ideas! Obviously, what you pick doesn’t have to come from this list, and in fact I’m looking forward to seeing all the different ideas I never thought of. You can even create your own creature! This is just a list of some possibilities.

Vampire | Werewolf | Demon | Witch/Warlock | Zombie | Ghost/Wraith | Banshee | Masked Killer | Mad Scientist | Scarecrow | Executioner | Butcher | Alien | Cyborg/Android | Witchfinder | Deep Sea Creature | Clown | Cannibal | Mummy

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Feel free to reblog this! Let’s get as many people involved as possible!