#like i HAVE improved and that i can CONTINUE to improve

[usoppinggg]

I can only speak from my personal opinion, but Usopp as a character is not racist. Yes, his design is racist (as are some other OP designs). But if Usopp were a caricature of a Black man, his looks and personality would be very different. Do I have a problem with him having an absent father as one of his main plot points? Of course. But otherwise, I don't have the impression that his character was created to make fun of Black people.

To say that we shouldn't engage with One Piece because Usopp is presented offensively is extremely reductionist and implies that we should stop engaging with cartoons as a whole, which have roots in minstrelsy and anti-Black racism. It means we should stop engaging with television, film, music, and other forms of art and entertainment that have historically (and continue to be) anti-Black.

Abandoning these media does not solve anything. Having open conversations and demanding better from creators, producers, and distributors is how we will move towards anti-racism. Calling out racism in fandom is how we improve.

So, yes, it makes a difference when artists intentionally and respectfully draw Black characters like Usopp. Does it undo the harm already done? No. But it doesn't perpetuate more harm like it does when people continue to draw Usopp with donut lips or as whitewashed.

For the record, this response is not for you, but for anyone else reading this post who needs to read these words. Because it's obvious that you don't care about anti-Black racism as you're implying here, but rather, you want to express your dislike for One Piece. It's perfectly fine if you don't like the series. But to say, as a white person, that you know you're right about the feelings and experiences of Black people is entitled and disgusting, and THAT is incredibly racist.

I will once again point you towards @creatingblackcharacters and all the wonderful resources they have about anti-Blackness in media. Please use them and educate yourself to prevent making such an ignorant, self-absorbed comment again.

P.S. You ARE stupid and wrong. Hope that helps. :)

USOPP ART PSA

I've seen a lot of Usopp art lately, but some artists drew him in a way I thought everyone knew was racist, so I want to explain for those who don't know. I'm not calling out anyone in particular, but I won't interact with art that portrays him this way on principle, no matter how much love goes into it.

Usopp’s lip design in the one piece anime and manga is racist. This has been said many times before. It is based on racist caricatures used to insult black people, and minstrel show makeup used to imitate them.

I don't know if Oda has spoken on this before, but I can't find anything on it if he did. I don't know his intentions with drawing Usopp like this, because he draws lips normally on characters like Kuzan, and draws loop lips on non black characters. But whatever the logic, it is best if you don't draw Usopp as a racist caricature.

Warning: Historic loop lip examples below cut

Used as examples to educate

These are examples of the type of cartoons the loop lip was used in. The design is meant to make fun of and exaggerate traditionally african facial features. It is insulting to draw black characters like this, especially when they're one of the few characters of color in the reoccurring cast.

[serosedflamio]

Hopes and thoughts for Kpop Demon Hunters 2 (allegedly coming out in 2028)

I want a dramatic reveal from Celine about the dynamic between her and Rumi's mother and father, and her mother's death. How did she die? Whose fault was it? Did Celine lie to Rumi about her death? Is Gwi-Ma her dad, and if not who was? Did Celine betray her mother after feeling betrayed in being left behind for a demon? Seriously I want buckets of homoerotic drama between those three.

What are the major tenants of this new rainbow honmoon? Will it hold for an entire generation the way they implied the golden one would, or is it at risk of collapse? Does it allow redeemable demons to pass through? Does it allow entry into the demon realm? Is Rumi the only one that can pass through it? What gigantic consequences of this newly established honmoon are going to power the plot? What improvements make it worth the trouble? Or is the new honmoon exactly the same as the one before, just stronger due to the creator's lack of shame? Is it powered by gay love?

I want the challenges of changing their whole perspective on demons to be a major focus. Will huntrix actually change the way they approach demons, or continue killing first and asking questions later the way they left off? If this new honmoon does allow redeemable demons through, does huntrix have a role to play in the restoration of their souls? Do they want that?

PLEASE keep Jinu in the sword. Ik everyone misses him and I wouldn't mind if Rumi went in there for a lil soul chat+hug combo at a low point but like, I really liked how his story ended. Felt like becoming her sword was his destiny. If he absolutely must come back it's gotta be because Rumi worked her ass off to rescue a shit ton of damned souls and his was like an accidental bonus payoff of it all, or something like that. Idk.

Ultimately I just really want Rumi to stay the main character. I want to find out more about Mira and Zoey and Celine and all that but Rumi's story is so far from finished and I really don't want the focus to shift to one of them yet (or worse the saja boys). Let her FINISH please.

I want Rumi to still have her demon roar when she's rageful, but this time more intentional and in control. Less scary for her, more scary for her enemies. :3

[carawenfiction]

Writing Update July 2025

Hello everyone!

I took about a week away from writing at the end of June but now I'm back at it again. I've uploaded an updated version of chapter 1 (I know I know, when will the chapter 1 rewriting end). Even with the changes I've already made I wasn't all that happy with the scene transition when the MC is drawn to the mansion, but I couldn't figure out a better way to do it. Now I think I have, though :) at least I personally find the scene change less abrupt and jarring than it was. Rewriting chapter 1 in a satisfactory way has been really difficult, but I think it's pretty okay in its current state. I might still make changes to it if I come up with ideas to improve what's already there, but it won't be my primary focus.

I also fixed some continuity errors when a scene suddenly jumped from an interaction with M to your work and another one where you went to your mother's apartment even though you chose not to. The scene with M should now play out properly until the end, and the mother-apartment scene shouldn't happen if you choose not to go.

Chapter 2 is now sitting at around 30k words. I've probably already mentioned this, but it's a pretty branching chapter with different paths so it's likely going to be a long one. I've finished adding some short POV scenes from the supporting cast that take place after whoever you choose to interact with (if anyone at all); R, Q and G's are finished but I'm still writing A's. (M doesn't have one just yet, sorry M fans </3). I was debating whether I should include character POVs at all in the rewrite — on one hand it's fun to know a character's inner thoughts (just like when you read a non-if book), on the other I think it risks revealing too much too soon. Ex. instead of getting to know a character over time, you learn about their thoughts early on (you, not the MC) which can make the pacing of the relationship a little bit tricky imo. However, since character POVs were part of the original TSS, I've decided to keep them and hope that they add another layer to the characters. I'll try my best to handle them with care!

Since July isn't as busy for me as May and June have been, my goal for this month is to write at least 30k words and edit more of the existing chapter 2 content. I hope to update the Patreon-demo with the content I write this month while adding a little more to the public by August.

Take care and have a lovely summer <3

[starheavenly]

I forgot Tumblr is literally a blog, so... I’m going to write a blog post, I guess.

Anyway, I’m sorry about the lack of responses to my ask box. I’ve been a bit out of it this year. I think any queer small business owner can probably relate. I haven’t really been making merch, and as a result, my mental health kind of tanked.

As for Locket Comics—well, I just haven’t felt drawn to producing artwork as much. I’ve been focusing more on writing lately, especially after coming to a sad but probably overdue realization: I’m not a good artist. That’s not me fishing for compliments. I’m just not on the same level as my peers artistically, and I don’t think I ever will be.

And that’s okay!

If anything, my mental health had been spiraling because I kept trying to draw, and it just never looked right. I would draw 16 hours a day and never improve, and it was ruining my health. If you’ve followed me for a while, you might know that I’ve had a lot of eyes on me since I was 18. I somehow managed to hold an audience despite what I now recognize as a lack of technical skill in art.

I don’t think art is my main strength—and that’s a hard thing to accept. But I have consistently gained traction with storytelling and marketing. I’m actually decent at those things! Somehow.

Even with Locket Comics, while I’m proud of the art in a lot of them, I think the main draw was always the writing and storytelling. That’s the part I’m consistently proud of.

Writing fanfiction, the Zenith AU, Locket, Shrimp Dip—all of it has shown me that maybe my maladaptive daydreaming might be better suited for writing.

I know I jump from project to project (ADHD, what can you do), but I’ve actually been working consistently on The Starline Files manuscript: 1k to 6k words a day for the last two months. I’m currently sitting at a 62k word count, and in the third act. There’s still a lot that needs to be added or revised in the second draft, but it’s a project I’m excited about.

I understand there’s a chance I might not finish it. And that would be sad, but I’m trying. So, if you’ve noticed a lack of artwork from me, just know: I have no intention of quitting creating. I just like trying new things.

Will I be continuing the original Locket story? Yes, but with my current physical limitations, it’s just going to take longer. Which also means the printed comics likely won't happen anytime soon.

I know people tend to prefer the Transformers version over the new one, and that’s totally fair! However, I hope that some of you will be open to supporting an original property from me.

Yes, it’s inspired by my favorite ship and the fankid I made, but it also has a lot of original lore I’d love to share (and try not to spoil). Anyway, this is long, maybe a bit too long for a typical “sorry for not making art” post. But I’ve been struggling for a while, and honestly, it feels good to share. Telling stories still brings me a sense of fulfillment. So, um, I'm gonna do that :] -Sawyer

[philosopherking1887]

What does it mean to "redeem" a country, anyway? Is it somehow to make up for, to compensate for, its past misdeeds? What would be sufficient to do that in the case of the US? Is "redeemable" distinct from "salvageable," or "improvable"? Is there an implicit claim that if it's impossible for a country to do enough good to outweigh the evil it has done, it's pointless to try to make it better, because it will never be sufficient to "redeem" it? That if it isn't "redeemed," it should remain evil in all ways, to make its moral worthlessness obvious to all? Is "redemption" an all-or-nothing matter?

It's been a while since I've posted bitching about moral rigorism on the Left, but here we are again. Moral rigorism is the view that if you're not morally perfect, you're morally worthless; if you told a small lie, or watched porn once, you might as well be a serial murderer, because you're just as completely damned. You might think that this view would be incompatible with Christianity -- consider the parable of the prodigal son -- but you do find it in some forms of Protestantism; the point is to prove that we're all equally "irredeemable" sinners on our own, regardless of apparent differences in our moral status, and so can only be saved by abasing ourselves before God and accepting Jesus's sacrifice on our behalf, thanks to God's unearned and unearnable grace.

As we all know, artifacts of various types of (especially Protestant) Christian theology can show up in secularized political guises, not least in Leftist movements. Here, too, is an example of that: the conviction on the "liberationist" Left that a Western country like the US (whose sins, of course, are many and grave!) can never do enough good to redeem itself on its own -- and it's inexcusably arrogant to think that it can, and viciously deceptive if it even appears to be showing moral improvement through its own efforts, which can only be cosmetically superficial given the depths of its true sinfulness. Instead, it should be allowed to languish in its inevitable decay -- to "hit rock bottom," in the terms of another Christian moral movement -- until it is redeemed from without, either by being justly vanquished by the forces of righteous liberation from the "Global South/East" (China, Iran [I actually saw someone on here call the IRI "a progressive force for good" recently], North Korea, even Russia, which is hardly "South" but still gets to count as Not Evil West), or by a revolution of its own oppressed people, which counts as redemption "from without" insofar as the revolutionaries are considered outsiders who have never benefited from institutions of American power, and the revolution consists in wholly destroying existing systems such that whatever rises in their place cannot be considered continuous with the previously existing nation.

As the quotation from Maria Ressa indicates, many people in the Global South -- even in countries like the Philippines that have suffered from American imperial oppression -- do not want that outcome. They want to believe that even deeply flawed countries can turn themselves around, can make themselves better through peaceful political means and the efforts of civil society. For many of them, the US is not primarily a symbol of Western imperial aggression (though of course it is not innocent of that), but of internal progress toward greater freedom and justice.

Maybe the tankie types will say that this indicates that Ressa herself is a shill for the imperialist West, or has been duped into false consciousness by global capitalist ideology (they, of course, Know Better, having Read Theory... or watched a YouTube video essay about it, anyway). But let us for a moment suppose that she is thinking and speaking autonomously, and take what she says seriously. Maybe what the victims of American imperialism want from the US is not its humiliation and destruction, but the actual fulfillment of the promises of liberty, justice, and equality that it has not yet made good. Not "redemption," perhaps, but a proof of the possibility of improvement. If that's the case, then Americans owe it not only to the vulnerable people in their own country (which you think would be enough to motivate people who claim to care about the plight of the oppressed), but also to the people fighting for democracy in places where it's fragile (like the Philippines, or Thailand, or Hungary), and in places where it's still just an aspiration (like Myanmar, Syria, Egypt, Belarus), to prove to them that they're not fighting for a lost cause.

I understand why people call the US "irredeemable", because, yes. But at the same time, it's very frustrating, because I always seem to see it as "so there's no point trying." But at the end of the day the US will still be a country. It's not going anywhere. So if we aren't trying to make it better, then what's the point?

[astriiformes]

One thing that becomes a little funny if you're thinking about the ways a trans reading of Marty interacts with canon is the fact that Doc is definitely guilty of some frustrating attitudes towards women over the course of the movies (particularly Part II), suggesting that he has so fully accepted the idea that Marty is a boy that he considers him exempt. Gender-affirming, trans-inclusive sexism.

[unironicallytes]

Whenever you see an old post of mine that bears the sentiment "I haven't played ESO, I'm not really interested in an Elder Scrolls MMO tbh lol" know that I was wrong. I was a fool and I was wrong.

[elektroyu]

Painted spots and a foot for like an hour and a half and brain is demanding a reward now lol. It also would like to continue making art, but please... something less straining please 😂

Edit: the Setter butt in question as of right now:

[everybodyknows-everybodydies]

biting my screen. they shouldn't be making me WORK tomorrow they should simply understand that I need the entire month of July to do nothing but draw all day every day!!!!!!!

[skunkes]

question for any artists who are employed full time: is the work/life (art) balance rly possible... (for You since i know it depends on the job/position/career etc)

[rigelmejo]

Something that always annoys me is the idea only 1 language learning method works. Which is not true. While it may be possible that, for a particular individual, only a few out of many study methods may work well enough for That Individual to make progress and stay motivated... that doesn't mean all the other study methods won't work for anyone else out there, or that those few methods will work for every other given person.

Obviously if you've been studying a while, then you already figured out what kinds of things work for you and don't. If you're a beginner, just wading into studying?

I would suggest you simply look for study methods that: 1. Teach you new things regularly, 2. Review and practice things you've learned, 3. Include studying things you need for your particular goals (for example if your goal is to read X book then the study materials at some point should involve reading practice and some words the book contains, if your goal is to talk about Y then the study materials should include some information about pronunciation and words you'll need to be able to say).

As you can imagine, a TON of study materials will meet these requirements. And you can study a given skill in a LOT of ways.

(Reading is my focus lol so just for reading, a beginner might: do vocabulary study with lists or conversations with native speakers or watching shows and looking words up or listening to dialogues with a transcript like in a textbook or graded readers or a picture book with word labels in the target language or a video game with labelled objects in target language, all of those things as long as your vocabulary is improving or reading practice is happening would help you make progress). So to improve reading skill as a beginner: you could study with a textbook, a podcast with transcript, a classroom or tutor with words written down in target language (like TPRS), a video game, a TV show and a translate app on your phone, a friend you talk with (who either writes words down or you look up words you hear with a translate app), a friend you text with, srs flashcards like anki (provided there's text) etc. As long as there's new words, and/or you're practicing reading, the study method may work. If it works will come down to if you can stay motivated doing it regularly, and make sure you regularly learn some new things and review/practice things you've already studied.

So consider those things when you see people selling a study method as a product (especially when it's costing you money). Consider if it teaches you NEW things, and are those new things related to your goals, and how MUCH new stuff will it teach you before you finish it? Consider if it provides review or practice, or if you can use it's materials to review on your own making up your own method, or if you'll need to do separate review/practice.

So examples:

LingQ. Can it teach you many new words? Yes, thousands, since you can import any texts you want when you get done with their provided material (I have no idea how much their beginner material covers though in terms of words... I would hope 1000-3000 words but that can be researched). Is your goal reading? It's suited to reading, so you will practice and review often with it. Cost? I think it was $12 a month when I last had it, and the price may have increased. Is it worth it? Depends on a learner's needs. I found it was wasting my money, so I chose to use free tools like Pleco and Readibu apps - since those apps are suited for Chinese learners and have better translations, Pleco has better paid graded reader material if I was going to spend money, and both Pleco and Readibu let me import texts so I can learn thousands of new words just like LingQ but free. Now that I'm not a beginner, I often use Microsoft Edge to read chinese... since I can still click-translate words easily (all my web browsers have that tool free), and Edge's TTS voice is helpful for pronunciation and sounds quite good. I read webnovels online so Edge works well. But it's translations aren't as good as Pleco or Readibu, so if I still needed translations more I would use them. So... is LingQ a good study method? Its certainly a study method marketed to buy. Well... the method is suited to improving reading skill, at least. It costs money, which is a negative, but it does offer a lot. However: everything it does regarding reading can be done free with other apps or sites or web browsers on their own. So if paying money motivates you to read... sure. LingQ does have a few word tracking features a learner may find worth the money, keeping in mind the actual read-to-learn method can be done free without lingq. (Also... while LingQ is a valid option for improving reading, if the learners goal is speaking then it would be important to think of what study activities the learner will do OUTSIDE of LingQ to improve speaking... because I've seen how LingQ is marketed as "how to learn a language" but it's only focused on some skills. It has vocabulary and grammar in some sense, since you'll read a lot and encounter new words and structures. But it doesnt have speaking or writing practice at least last time I was on it. Those activities would need to be worked on, on your own).

You can do that kind of cost/benefit contemplating with any study method material you see being sold. Amother example: there's a beginner Mandarin course called Mandarin Blueprint. It teaches like 800 words. Thats all. It may be worthwhile for a beginner... who still needs to learn 800 common words. But if you already know a few hundred words, the benefit of the course is less, you'll need to find a new material to teach you more new stuff soon. And the price was like a few hundred for the course... which for me personally was too much to spend, when I had already learned 800 hanzi from a book that cost me 12 dollars and 2000 words from a free user made memrise deck. The course claimed to get a person speaking, competent, but anyone not a beginner would say speaking basically with 800 words is nowhere near the level of working in Chinese or just doing a lot of daily life stuff, or reading/listening to media. (Although for the motivated beginner if you're learning 800 words on your own like I was, its definitely close to the point of jumping to learn more words and start reading kids and teenager books, and watching easier shows if you're willing to look new words up). So to me... Mandarin Blueprint felt like overselling some basic beginner materials. (Again when I know several other things that teach beginner stuff either more in depth so HSK test prep classes, and college courses, or that teach beginner stuff to the same depth as Mandarin Blueprint but free).

Some study materials aren't going to act like they teach everything. I've seen chinese courses just for learning to speak tones better and general pronunciation - probably worthwhile if your goal is to improve speaking and a teacher could help improve the issues your having. But a learner needs to be aware for that course that they'll need to study vocabulary on their own, its JUST a pronunciation improvement course.

[pickaropoprocks]

Fighting battles that have ABSOLUTELY been seen before (wanting to restart my Animal Crossing New Leaf town so I can begin the game from scratch and as myself as I am now vs. not wanting to restart my town because nostalgia and I'd miss my villagers)

[mismefancy]

He suggested pancakes in the finale, so I'll draw pancakes for the father and daughter. : )

I'm not really in the Hazbin/Helluva fandom nor do I consume their content as often. There is also the fact the fact their type of content isn't my usual content...

But you know the drill: Family stuff convinces me of anything, lol. Lucifer became an instant favourite character of mine. He was absolutely hilarious to watch, his relationship with his daughter made me emotional, and his song "More than anything" absolutely wrecked me gosh darn it! :'D

And with the implication that he might become part of the main cast gives me so much excitement for season 2.

[orbmanson7]

how do y'all motivate yourself to do anything?? I'm amazed I can even remember to eat once a day, go to work most days, but this shit is ridiculous, man

[pielove123clan]

My head's being mean to me again. Big oof.

[creepyscritches]

Man it is worth pointing out that the ACA is a living piece of legislation. Like every year updated protocols and guidelines release to the whole industry from CMS (gov oversight) and I educate professionals in my field on the changes each time. It was built intentionally to be an evolving and improving system that can handle more and more people each year. The ACA is not a stone tablet; it's an arm of federally protected benefits like Medicare that is inherited and maintained and built up by sequential administrations. It is WORKING, it's so reassuring to see it become so intertwined with our American health care model that an entire wing of the industry is now dedicated to the ACA.

Yeah, we want a better health care system, of course we do!! That's why so many people dedicate their careers to supporting the ACA!!! THIS is the fish crawling onto land that can eventually become a health care system that treats us with dignity. We just have to keep evolving it into a more equitable and accessible option. I vote with my head mostly tuned into future health care + research policies and it makes my goals much clearer. Biden has spent 2 separate administrations leading the Cancer Moonshot research funding initiative that has contributed significantly to the boom in cancer breakthroughs. Trump suggested we drink bleach for covid. I trust one significantly more than the other to continue funding ACA and NIH initiatives and interests 🤷