#opinions vs facts

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

“Don't be a slave to your own ignorance. Know where your opinions, especially the strongly held ones, came from and be brave enough to question them.”

-- Dean Van Drasek

[adarkstrangeartist]

I prefer fact over opinions in group projects.

We all have different views and experiences. We are all too headstrong and stubborn. When answering a question, we might have different ideas or interpretations on what should or shouldn’t be the answer. And when a group of people, stuck on their opinions are enable to compromise, it just gets really frustrating.

And when one is unable to explain why they have said opinion, it gets even worse.

It won’t even be that important in the end. It’s not some strong opinion or politics, it’s just a school assignment.

It’s just frustrating.

[shesmore-shoebill]

I think the Amanda Arasha combination is especially effective because they do have differing opinions on a number of things, but Arasha is also largely unafraid to actually disagree/pushback on things (in a very good natured, thoughtful, usually well articulated way) without taking it personally. Which, I think is especially fun/good with Amanda, who tends to have strong opinions and expresses them very. powerfully. And I love her for it, but the discussion definitely gets even better when someone like Arasha is willing to push back or call out the comedy of certain personal opinions/subjective viewpoints, and still have a good time overall.

[dariusaurs]

i think dinostar is such an interesting ship right now even if i've kind of turned away from it after this season. the problem is that it's complicated, and fandoms historically don't like nuanced situations or takes. i don't think it's fair to say darius is putting brooklynn on a pedestal, since from his perspective, she hasn't done anything wrong, and kenji has been framed as this unfair partner to her. it does feel like his feelings are very immature and more of an infatuation right now ("if he loved you half as much.."/"unless?"), especially when you compare them to kenji's own feelings for brooklynn - his girlfriend who he's loved for 6 years - but that isn't a horrible thing, it's just different. i do completely understand if people dislike the ship right now, and even criticize darius' way of handling the accidental confession, but i just think people have been way too harsh on all three of them without being willing to see that all of their perspectives are different

[moeblob]

son boy raccoon trash can man suffering in a dnd au as a cleric bc his warlock will not stop committing murders and he has to keep coming up with reasons murder is valid to convince the gm its fine and under control

[incorrectr27quotes]

Tsuna: I don't need this right now, you guys. I'm under enough stress as it is. Especially with Dad showing up twice in as many months. Reborn's been in a mood.

Verde: Checker Face came back around?

Skull: Yeah, you should've seen this guy. Came in here looking like a catalog model. Was trying to flirt with me. Thinks I'm going to melt because he's got this mysterious air and broad shoulders.

Verde, grinning: Was he wearing his fancy suit?

Tsuna: What is this bizarre segue that's happening right now?

[angelnumber27]

I dont think some people understand how truly awful and hellish withdrawals from some psych medications are.

[mod2amaryllis]

posts I've seen recently that i like and agree with but just don't have the balls to reblog because the potential of inviting a blog curse is too real:

1) Steven universe was a good show and the level of hate was weird

2) fuck astr*logy

[necrotic-nephilim]

for the choose violence ask game: 3, 8, 16 :D

for the choose violence ask game!

3. screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on tumblr

i was going to be kind enough to not screenshot but i lied i'm choosing violence. this is less of a take and more of an incorrect quote i suppose but. every time i remember it exists i stare at a wall for like 20 minutes.

most posts under the "chaotic tim drake"/"unhinged tim drake" tags do. get to me. they are all liable to make me spontaneously combust but something about this one. the way Tim's fanon kill count magically gets higher every time it's brought up. the way it directly contradicts Tim's internal deep-seated fears about turning into Bruce and that's why he has always planned to retire after being Robin the *entire point* of Tim Drake of Tomorrow is to show how horrified Tim is and how future!evil!Tim will always go too far. like i genuinely do not know what character ppl are talking about with the "Tim is most likely to become a supervillain and somehow this a cutesy headcanon" sort of thing. it plagues me. consider me plagued. i could go on and on about it for hours and how deeply it contradicts Tim's character to his core. also just why does the fandom want to make him a villain so bad? i don't understand.

8. common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about

i already gave one answer to this question here, but worry not i have endless answers to this one. a bit one for me is: the idea Cass should use ASL. it icks me out. i will close a fic if Cass is using ASL i will not lie. firstly, she does not canonically know ASL. secondly, it doesn't make *sense* for her to use it bc her disability has nothing to do with the ability to speak, it has to do with her language learning skills. and ASL is, *still a language*. and would be just as difficult to learn, if not more-so bc it could set back her learning of English and would not be as easily applicable as English to her daily life. it's a headcanon that ranges from well-meaning misunderstandings to just downright ableism that infantilizes Cass and infantilizes ASL. honestly i get touchy in general about fandom using ASL when not written by a Deaf writer/someone who knows ASL bc... you can tell. you can always tell. (hearing fans stop trying to come up with sign names for the Batfam i'm gently begging you.) there are many good posts breaking down why this headcanon doesn't really work but i'm just salty and feral about it.

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

the headcanon/fanon concept that Tim has lasting psychological trauma due to the Titans Tower incident, or that it has caused him to be afraid of Jason. (the same can be applied to Damian cutting Tim's line being something that Matters to Tim longterm or causes fear of Damian) like? beyond the "that is not canon, that event really didn't bother Tim and Tim was a cocky little shit the whole time", i'm unsure how this... fits into the fanon version of Tim? like i don't *understand* it. how it is that fandom likes "Tim has a super high kill count and is going to be a supervillain" but also... thinks one bad fight that roughed Tim up a bit has made him terrified of one person specifically? these feel contradictory. either he can Take The Heat or He Can't. this weird waffling where he's both the biggest badass around but also somehow a wilting traumatized kid confuses me. i don't necessarily mind the exploration of Tim being angry or pissed off about these events, or even him being more injured than he was in canon and dealing with that, but him being like. so afraid of Jason it influences their relationship has always eluded me. it contradicts everything else about fanon!Tim and makes him seem... sort of cowardly? like not that events like these can't be traumatizing but in his field of work they're not unique events. these are normal Tuesdays for him. why is it affecting him so much in fanon.

[2readiscworld]

Can we talk more about nonbinary moist. I want to hear the people's thoughts on monbinary noist. I don't disagree but I haven't seen the full story yet and I want to know everything. At what point in that incredibly busy career does the egg crack. Who knows something is up first. What's the deal with presentation.

[3416]

Hi! I did a spring cleaning recently and was curious if you could recommend some more blogs to follow? I love yours, so you're a trusted source.

fjklsjfklsd well i'm honored to be a trusted source. i'm gonna assume you mean hockey related blogs, but i follow quite a few people for like.. the mix of their personality/hobbies PLUS hockey (not just leafs but.. a lot of leafs), so i can give you some of my favorites i've followed from the past year in no order (and i'm gonna miss people and i'm so so sorry.. just anyone i rb from is good too, lol) ..

@583416 @donttelltheelff @kucherovv @pokedcheck @allthisscienceidontunderstand @shoot-the-puck @9116 @nhldraftbust @smithrowed @wmnylander @girljeremystrong @periodicavocation @grantmentis @kylesdubas @sergeifyodorov @hockeyliefde @m3tth4ws @13-7-86 @dancingonmyown @goaliekisses @ghostgeno @softhockeyybros @fersurebud @mcgayvid @brandoncarlo @songsandswords @tonightisthenightofnights @butchmarner @flaticeball @snidneycrabby @nylwnder @hockeyburner @microwaiver @atreebreathing @marnerism @boohowdy @mmmitchmmmarner @jasonspezzas @glovehearts @fouraloe @jakeguentzels @regularseason @graves-makar @tavaresfucker @wagtivities @catboygretzky @egggslay @himbeaux-on-ice @txstars

hope you enjoy!!!

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

Throwdown Thursday

As folks who traverse the internet on a regular basis we have all come across people who have somehow managed to miss every scientific advancement made in the last century (or more) and just refuse to accept they are on the losing end of their own arguments. So, how do you handle these people?

Well, the most important thing is to NOT try and convince them you are right and they are wrong. In the following screenshots, you will see bits of a conversation on a tiktok video of someone I follow meant to adress this comment made on another of his videos. I won't show the whole conversation because, frankly, it's ridiculously long and shouldn't be but the poor person trying to refute him didn't know how to just...well, let the guy live in oblivion. They tried the poor thing.

Anyway, let's dive in with his initial comment:

I bet you can see where this is going. The video was a brilliant explanation on taxonomy and how we classify animals now (we no longer use Linnean classification as genetics have proven it simply doesn't work).

Now, this same commenter turned up in the comments to the new video with more biting stubbornness and some poor soul tried to make him see reason but I could tell from the start this guy wasn't gonna budge. So, how do you deal with someone who won't accept the facts? Use their own methods against them. Here's how you would approach some of the statements and questions this person puts forth in this insanely long debate.

Let's start with his original comment: reptiles never turned into birds.

Where is your proof? How do you know that statement is false? Can you prove it's false? Or, you can use his own words:

Now, for his first comment on the new post, I think oblivion nailed it. Stating that his one and only example of what differences there are is not a solid defense of his statement. You would then ask if he had other, more irrefutable examples and go from there.

Again, use his own words: "Since you won't accept the evidence fibsh has already put forth, what do you consider 'real evidence'?" Or maybe "What real evidence is there that you are related to you 100th great grandfather besides some written word?"

This one we don't answer with a question, more of a statement. Something like "well, yeah, everything has been interpreted by 'some guy'. A well known example is the Bible.

There's lots that can be brought up here like a list of mesotherms (animals that are neither warm or cold blooded but somewhere in between) such as crocodiles, tegus (technically a warm blooded lizard but I am tossing it in for funsies), leatherback sea turtles, tuna, great white sharks, some species of bees, naked mole rats, hyraxes, echidnas. Notice none of these are all in one group. We have "reptiles", fish, insects and mammals all listed. This just goes to show that body temp is not a good way to classify animals.

However, a guy like this will probably use his favorite catch phrase in this conversation:

Reptiles also are not the only animals to have scales. What about fish? Butterflies? Pangolins?

He claims that you can't use scales as a grounds for relationship (even though he just said all reptiles exclusively had scales) so then ask him "what is a ground for a relationship then?" Make him explain his statement.

This one can be a bit tongue-and-cheek: hell yeah, we're both mammals so we are distantly related. Don't even acknowledge the rest. Agreeing with their statement will confuse the stubborn soul.

Two things I can say to this, one using his own arguments:

Fact: it is your opinion that evolution is an opinion. Give me evidence to back up your claim.

Again, what proves a relationship?

Three times he makes exceptions to this unspoken rule (we think he's using Linnean reasoning but it's a bit hard to tell as he kind of goes all over the place). So I would ask "How many exceptions can be made before the rule is considered invalid?"

Continuing on from his first exception he asks:

So, what do you do when they ask for an answer after arguing a bunch?

"Why? You've haven't accepted any of the other viable scientific evidence given why would this instance be any different?"

I mean, you look like your family, don't you? (And yes, I am including extended family and ancestors) Where is your evidence that you can't know something had offspring? We can only trace human DNA back 10 generations so how to we know they reproduced beyond that? Oh...right, we all exist. (Sarcastic line probably should be left out but I couldn't help myself).

By that logic, identical twins would be considered the same person.

You...you recognize this and don't see ANY connection...AT ALL? And to the second point:

Of course, when he does actually use this he doesn't give any evidence to back up any of his arguments so...bring that up as much as possible.

I thought evolution was pseudoscience. Or only when it doesn't support your opinion?

You weren't alive in the 1940's to collect data so did the Holocaust actually happen then?

What proof do you have? They aren't even attached to anything...(hint, he things they need them to mate).

Then explain why gharials looks so different from all the other crocs.

Do you know what an expert is? It is the opposite of an amateur...which is what you are.

Oh boy...wait till you find out about Mandarin Ducks (they can't breed with other ducks).

It keeps going so if you are interested in seeing the full conversation here is the link:

Anyway, good luck with the tough cookies and remember it's not about being right. It's about making them eat their words.

[unproduciblesmackdown]

forty years later: do you think this one musical about a protagonist sorta yeehaw Musician who has to grab his guitar & run a winding path through the silent hill fog going "i'm pure of heart!" to try to save his wife imprisoned by [context: capitalism] wants what the other musical about that has

[poppyseedsphone]

I will never forgive the BFB fandom for the way they treated Loser 😭

[cozykali]

Jonathan Majors Assault Charge: Facts vs Opinions

There has been so much conflicting information in Jonathan’s Majors’ case that it’s impossible to make any solid conclusions. These are the only facts that we know: Majors was arrested on March 25th, and has been charged with Harassment and Assault, an order of protection has been granted to the women involved, he was released from custody without bail, and a hearing has been scheduled for May 8th. Everything else is speculation and information we have received from external sources:

According to the Police, the 911 call was made around 11 AM inside an apartment in Manhatten. A 30-year-old woman was taken to the hospital with minor injuries to her face and neck. She told police that Majors struck her in the face causing a laceration behind her ear and that he put his hands around her neck causing bruising and redness. Majors was arrested immediately.

TMZ reported through their own sources that the victim was Majors’ girlfriend, and they were on their way home from a bar in a taxi when they got into an argument. Apparently, she confronted him about texting another woman and tried to look at his phone. This allegedly caused him to get angry and grab her hand, slap her, and put her hands around her neck. It was reported that they both spent the night apart and she called 911 the next morning.

Majors’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, is claiming they have obtained two written statements from the victim recanting her statement to police as well as witness testimony and video footage from inside the vehicle where the incident supposedly happened. They claim that they have sufficient proof that Majors is innocent and expect the charges to be dropped. They also claim the woman was hospitalized due to an ‘emotional crisis’ and that police are required to make an arrest in these situations.

ABC7 reported that Majors was the one who called 911 over concerns regarding his partner and when the police arrived, they noticed the visible marks on the woman which lead to his arrest. When the news of his arrest was made public two people in the entertainment industry posted on Twitter their thoughts on Majors’ character and reputation:

AB Allen, who is apparently a personal assistant to a director that works for Netflix, had posted in February that there is an unnamed actor that is a “vicious, cruel, abusive human being, both professionally and in his personal life”. After the arrest on Saturday, Allen confirmed suspicions that he was talking about Majors. Since then Allen has made his account private and does not want to give any details regarding his claim to avoid exposing anyone who has been hurt.

Tim Nicolai, an actor, had also tweeted that Majors has been a well know ‘sociopath and abuser’ in the Yale and NYC acting community for years. When he was asked why he had not brought it up before the arrest he claimed he needed a victim to come forward first and claimed he knows people who have been personally harmed by Majors, but it is their choice to speak on it. Nicolai has since deleted the tweet and made his account private.

So, this is all the information we have so far and likely all we will have until May 8th when he appears in court. Now, I would like to give my thoughts on this whole situation since the initial shock has worn off. I want to start off by saying I have been a massive fan of Jonathan Majors since Lovecraft Country was released in 2020. I have seen nearly all his films, watched countless interviews, made fan edits on TikTok, written fan fiction about his Marvel character, and more. When this news came out, I was devastated. However, my opinions on this case are completely neutral.

I believe women when they say they have been abused. There are more instances of abuse that go unreported than there are false accusations. However, there are times when allegations should be questioned. It has been speculated that Jonathan Majors’ girlfriend is white. Historically there has been a pattern of white women weaponizing their tears or emotions against people of colour. The ‘damsel in distress narrative is prioritized in our white supremacist culture. Sometimes this can be done unconsciously by white women using their privilege of having their emotions come before another. It can also be used to minimize accountability, deflect blame, or inflict harm. If it is true that he was having relations with other women, or that he was trying to break up with her, then it is possible she could have weaponized her tears out of spite and jealousy. But this does not explain her injuries, and it’s unusual to see self-inflicted strangulation marks.

There is also the case to be made that Jonathan Majors’ encounter with police could have been impacted by the fact that he is a young black man. Would he still have been arrested in this case if he was a white celebrity or would they have waited to press charges until they had proven the victim's claims? On the other hand, the visible injuries on the victim do seem like enough evidence to arrest him on the spot.

I have questions about where and when the alleged assault occurred as well. It was reported that it occurred on the taxi ride home and they both went their separate ways that night. It is not unusual for victims to wait hours or days before coming forward, and the reasons to not come forward would be amplified if your abuser was a rising star in Hollywood. However, the reports have suggested that Majors himself was the one who called emergency services. This raises the question that if he was there with her when the 911 call was placed, and the defence has video from the vehicle that shows he did not harm her en route, how can they prove the assault did not happen later after they had exited the taxi?

Also, they have mentioned that they have written statements from the victim where she has recanted that he assaulted her. We must question the validity of these statements as it is not uncommon for victims to recant their allegations even if they were abused; whether it be out of fear of harm coming to themselves or their loved ones, forgiving their abuser or being blinded by love, bribery or being ‘paid off’, or sympathy for the abuser and not wanted to see them prosecuted. Plus, when the defence, attorney stated that the victim was hospitalized due to an “emotional crisis” it can sound like they are trying to make her look ‘crazy’ to invalidate her initial claims, and again, this does not explain her injuries.

It seems that most people online have already come to their own conclusion on this case. The accusations on Twitter cannot be taken as fact either. Both accounts came from white men who only brought it up after the arrest was made public. While they could hold some fact, no other actual accusations of abuse have come forward by anyone other than the hear-say of the two deleted tweets.

People have also been quick to defend Majors’ innocence and claim that his name has been cleared based solely on the statement written by his lawyer. That is her job, to claim her client is innocent. We cannot use her statement as fact. They claim they have evidence proving his innocence but until that evidence is released, we cannot know if it’s true.

The US Army has already removed an ad campaign that features Majors until we know more about the situation. No information has become available yet on how these allegations will affect Majors’ career with Disney/Marvel as Kang the Conqueror. We know he is supposed to be starting in Loki season 2, set to be released later this year, and the show has already finished filming and is in post-production. Disney has an extremely strict morality clause and actors have been fired from their projects in the past for much less. Even if the allegations prove to be false, Disney may not keep him on. Majors also started in a recent film called Magazine Dreams which was screened earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival. His role in this film has generated Oscar buzz and was recently set for a December theatrical release date. He also recently worked with Michael B Jordan on Creed III, and they had mentioned in multiple interviews that they wanted to continue working together on future Creed projects. Majors and Jordan even presented an award together at the Academy Awards recently.

I will be waiting until at least May 8th to come to my own conclusion on this case. Which is what we all should be doing. We simply do not know enough facts to decide if he is innocent or guilty. I hope they will release all the evidence to the public, including the video footage and statements, as I do not trust the legal system against a young black man, if they were to just give us the verdict without evidence to support it. Either way, I truly hope that whoever is telling the truth in this case, whether it be the victim or Jonathan Majors, gets the justice they deserve. His reputation has been stained forever and the situation is incredibly sad no matter which way you look at it, and we may never know the whole truth.

If anything, this has taught me a personal lesson. Celebrities are real people, with flaws. We can watch every role they have played, every interview and fan interaction, meet them at cons, write about them, and have our own ideas about who they are in our minds. But we only see who they want us to see, it’s an act and the characters they play are not real. Unless we know them in real life, we cannot honestly know them as a person. Even if Majors is completely innocent in this scenario, this has been a huge wake-up call for me not to be affected by famous people in general. Your favourite celeb could commit a heinous crime, or even pass away due to illness or accident. Your life should not be negatively affected by people who don’t even know who you are. Focus on yourself, admire celeries from a distance, but never make simping for a famous person a part of your identity. There is even a medical term named Celebrity Worship Syndrome which can have a number of negative effects on a person’s mental health.