#strength in diversity

[liminalpebble]

Okay, this might sound a little silly, but as a POC, I sometimes really love that I have special hair and skincare knowledge that I could impart to my fictional white guys. In my imagination, it would utterly blow their minds, and they would adore me for it.

Like come here Loki, Eddie, and Hux, let me introduce you to a leave in conditioner instead of hair spray and gel over dry as fuck hair. Plus you sweet gorgeous weirdos need a better lotion.

I imagine washing and treating their hair the right way for the first time in their life (especially Eddie's big curls) and them just moaning in satisfaction when I massage their scalps.

Can you imagine Eddie and Loki getting a proper curl treatment?? Come on! They would worship the ground you walk on.

Do my POC and Black mutuals feel me on this, or am I a lone weirdo?

[sarahthecoat]

i got to do a webinar this afternoon from the asian art museum in san francisco (IIRC) and the presenter told the/a story of how each of the animals came to be in the cycle. she did mention the rain thing, but not that detail about the rabbit (we only had an hour) so that's sweet. she did also say something about how the dragon is made up of parts of many different animals (snake body, fish scales, tiger legs, eagle claws, camel face, i think there were more, i forget), so it also symbolizes the strength in diversity. we need everyone to bring their best qualities, to be strong together.

In mine and many other east Asian cultures, the dragon traditionally symbolises things like power, wealth and strength (imperial symbol and all)

I think we often forget that in the story of the Great Race, the dragon came in fifth because it'd stopped to give people rain. Then it'd stopped again to push a rabbit adrift on a log across the wide river so it reached the shore safely (that's why the Rabbit year comes before the Dragon).

Dragons aren't meant to just be powerful - they are meant to do good with such power, and to help those in need.

So in this lunar new year, I hope you gain more power, so that you might be able to help others. I pray you have abundant resources so you may give to yourself and those around you. I wish you courage, endurance, kindness and generosity, for yourself and your people.

I hope you, and I, will be rain givers, life preservers, joy bringers.

I hope we will be dragons.

[antifainternational]

[bookshelf-in-progress]

I love how a well-written romance is so often structured as a mystery. A person starts with a certain idea about another person, and over the course of the story, they uncover more evidence that gives them a fuller picture of who the other person truly is. They learn about layers to the personality and backstory that give the other person more depth. They learn how the other person's personality meshes with theirs. Even the third-act misunderstanding fits the mystery structure--it looks like they've uncovered the final secret to the other person's identity, which is that they're not the worthy person they seemed to be, but then discover that they misinterpreted that evidence, or the other person takes steps to apologize and repair the level of trust. When the mystery is resolved, they've reached a full understanding of each other and know they've found a partner they can trust their whole future to.

[bonefall]

It's a shame Tree is so poorly used because playing Clangen made me think about how much drama a mediator could cause even if they have good intentions. Like trying to get two cats to get along but only making their relationship worse or committing a big political faux pass with a rival clan when they need their support at the brink of war. Conflict through diplomacy can be fun if you commit to building tension and consequences with it.

Do you think mediators will eventually become a thing in all the BB!Clans?

Mediators are a great game mechanic in Clangen. Absolutely fantastic design choice, giving you better influence over the relationships between cats in a game all about managing relationships between cats. The people who came up with that one should be kissed on the mouths.

I'm not sure how much I'd get out of them as a storytelling element for BB, though.

It's not a complete no-- Clangen's mediators are pretty close to that "Therapy" rework I floated. Making their role more about interpersonal conflict, giving advice, helping individual cats work through their issues.

At the same time though, I find that the sense of community is so much stronger when that isn't someone's "job," but just something someone in the Clan can relate to.

Jaypaw could have had some sessions with a hypothetical therapist to confront his internalized ableism-- but isn't it more interesting for him to realize that by calling himself worthless for his disability, he's directly insulting his mentor Longtail too? And that Longtail will invoke his Battle Cat right to FIGHT for his honor?

They could consult elders, find a surprising connection in a Clanmate they'd never paid attention to, reignite an old friendship they thought they lost forever. There already feels like so many possibilities, and all of them feel more intriguing than "goes to the designated therapy guy."

If there's anyone like a political diplomat in BB though, it feels like it should evolve from Merchants. Ive got some stuff about trading and bartering in the works, and I think there's more space for interesting ideas there.

[ms-boogie-man]

Angie/Maddie🦇❥✝︎🇺🇸

[barksbog]

Salamandra s. salamandra - Dunkelsteinerwald NÖ Austria

we saw three!! different fire salamanders on our morning walk

[gimme-da-sword]

Y'know I think it is important for people with vaginas to learn to love your genitals because they really are demonized and can be a huge source of dysphoria for some, but feminism shouldn't be fully centered around having a pussy. Cis women and other AFAB people most definitely are oppressed because of genitalia (ex. men asking "are you on your period" to discredit an argument) but it isn't fair to set up the pretense that you need to be AFAB to be a feminist or have worth as a woman, and that type of thinking could be harmful towards trans and intersex people, along with men harmed by the patriarchy. No one's stories are the same and it is important that they are all shared, but having a vagina does not give you more value or make you better than those who don't. Regardless of gender identity, sexuality, race, and genitals, everyone is affected negatively by the patriarchy and everyone (except for intolerant people) belongs in the feminist movement. A diverse ecosystem thrives while a uniform one fades.

[monkesupreme]

Love this body type post SOOOO much. Thinking of this rudeass that tried to fight me how inaccurate bruces height and weight was (6’5/250lbs) in the replies of my OWN post, and how he needed MORE weight to be considered a brick house (bc they themselves were 220 and 6’2 and in their words ‘had a little bit of muscle’), then immediately ignored their own statement and got upset when i mentioned i wanted jason to be slightly taller and 40 lbs heavier. Suddenly thats TOO fat and im stupid. Fucking moron.

[qrfit]

On a personal note, I had someone on Instagram tell me to “go back to Africa!” today. It’s a couple weeks shy of 2025. And, that’s what he decided to say to me. A total stranger. A fellow American. Someone who’s never done a thing wrong to him. Someone who is just as American as he is.

It’s not original.

It’s not even logical.

It’s just ignorant and racist.

Is this suppose to make America great? 🤔

[comparativetarot]

Strength. Art by Laylie Frazier, from the Tarotober Major Arcana Deck.

[starwarsanthropology]

I love that we get canon mandalorian cultural background that says mando'ade come from a huge range of different species but there's just not that much speculation about how that impacts mandalorian culture

Mando families 'scent marking' to show affection even though the last person with functional scent glads was three generations back!

Mando'ade who have different kinds of prey drives being organized into different units that let them lean into those instincts in a way that is productive to the whole group!

Communities of mando'ade who still practice the culture from their home worlds alongside being or becoming mandalorian!

Mando'a with broadly recognized adaptations and dialects tailored to specific kinds of vocal apparatuses! hell, give me mando'a where the human-friendly version is technically "incorrect" because humans can't make a vital sound in the "official" language!

Specialists who focus on interspecies adoptions and hybrid health and mixed species genomics, because if you're prioritizing the wellbeing of children you need to make sure they're cared for and considered appropriately!

Just, mando'ad culture not as something welcoming of people without regards to species and background, but mando'ad culture that embraces the vibrant diversity within the manda and not only permits outsiders to join, but changes itself for the inclusion of new and different elements into its cultures and communities

[sefaradweb]

Tiffany Haddish en el evento “Stand Together” en apoyo a Israel

🇪🇸 El 12 de noviembre de 2024, Tiffany Haddish participó en el evento "Stand Together" en Washington, D.C., donde miles de personas se reunieron para mostrar su solidaridad con Israel. Durante su emotivo discurso, Tiffany reflexionó sobre su propio descubrimiento de raíces judías, expresando su apoyo en un momento marcado por el dolor y la unidad de la comunidad judía. Mencionó las luchas actuales, como los 101 rehenes en Gaza, el aumento del antisemitismo, y el odio enfrentado en algunos campus universitarios. Haddish resaltó que la unidad no se basa en estar de acuerdo en todo, sino en apoyarse mutuamente en los momentos críticos. Con su mensaje inclusivo, destacó la diversidad en la comunidad judía y la importancia de la solidaridad ante las dificultades actuales.

🇺🇸 On November 12, 2024, Tiffany Haddish attended the "Stand Together" event in Washington, D.C., where thousands gathered to express their solidarity with Israel. In her heartfelt speech, Tiffany reflected on discovering her own Jewish heritage and voiced support during a time of grief and unity within the Jewish community. She spoke of current struggles, such as the 101 hostages in Gaza, rising anti-Semitism, and hatred encountered on college campuses. Haddish emphasized that unity is not about agreeing on everything but standing together in critical times. With her inclusive message, she celebrated the diversity within the Jewish community and stressed the importance of solidarity in the face of today’s challenges.

[opqrstuv04]

[king-of-men]

Betting on HBD

So if taking DIE seriously kills companies, or at least acts as a major drag on their productivity, then it should be possible to translate that into a market thesis, right? Look up the executive team of some companies, assign them Woke Points by some reasonable metric, and short the ones that score highest. As a refinement, short them relative to the lowest scorers in the same sector, to take market swings out of it; I admit I'm not sure how to construct that trade, though.

Anyone trying this? Comments, improvements?

[compacflt]

Okay, so I was re-reading your Slider one-shot for like the twentieth time, and what really struck me (beyond the brilliance of your writing, and the way you’ve presented the disillusionment of growing up, expecting the world to be a certain way, only to realize that life doesn’t quite work out the way you think it will, when you’re seventeen), is the casual sexism just tossed ‘round by our main characters!! :o We have canonical evidence of both Ice and Mav being pretty sexist (what with “the plaque for the alternates is in the ladies’ room” and the downright stalker-ish behavior exhibited by Mav at the O-club…), but it still surprised me a lil’ when twenty-y/o Ice was just like: “The Soviet Union did the impossible and taught women to drive” —and I realized that ah, he truly was born in 1959, or something. There’s little scenes throughout your story where I find myself wondering, which one of them is better, in this sense: When Ice tells Mav that Sarah isn’t talking to him ‘cause of his combat kills, justifies it by saying: “You know how women are”, and Mav tells him all women aren’t the same… I thought that maybe, it was Mav; but then later, Ice shows a distinctive amount of empathy for Juno, sees and respects her for the skilled pilot that she is… and I thought that maybe, it’s Ice after all—he does seem to be more progressive and accepting than Mav, in general? It also made me wonder, that if either of them had been a woman, would they even have respected the other person enough to consider them to be a rival??—or would it have a been a mildly-amusing circus side show for them, to have a female pilot at TOPGUN?

Ty for the ask anon!! ice is more socially progressive than mav yes.

But—maybe this is my experience growing up in one of the bluest counties in Commiefornia and then going to one of the most leftist-coded colleges in one of the most leftist-coded cities in The World; uhh, even if a white man votes D all the time & has professional respect for women/minorities to their faces etc, get him in a room with a bunch of other white men, especially in a masculine and competitive environment like the gym or the navy, and uh. progressive or not, what you get is a lot of “The Soviet Union did the impossible & taught women to drive.”

And it was the 1980s. (As a reminder, in top gun’s 1986, less than 45% of Americans even approved of interracial marriage.) It sucks to say it, but if Ice was making fun of Cougar for quitting the navy cause of his psych issues such as they may be, and openly calling bullshit on Maverick’s MiG story in front of everyone, I am quite confident in saying he Would Not respect a female pilot to her face—if they were the same rank. At the same rank, it’s a competition. All weaknesses, even perceived biological ones, are to be exploited and called to attention. —But, once he’s advanced in rank, proven his own superiority, he’s more inclined to favor a meritocratic “sex doesn’t matter just fly good” attitude, ergo his relationship w/ “Juno” (she’s just a literary symbol to show that Ice may have respect for other minorities in the Navy “your career speaks for itself” but NOT FOR HIMSELF as a closeted man). This “who cares about gender/race just fly good” attitude is probably where 50s+ Maverick lands too, which is why no issues with Phoenix.

but jesus GOD maverick is a sexist in the original Top Gun. That’s why I wrote the prologue to WWGATTAI—a part of me definitely believes both he and Ice are definitively queer, but a part of me also wonders, are they just also conditioned to dismiss women as intellectual/societal equals because of their time in the 1980s male-dominated Navy? CAN they really only have a truly equal relationship with another man? I have no idea what my Ice’s sexual orientation is for exactly this reason. Yes, he’s functionally gay by the end of it, and that’s what I keep calling him—but sexuality is fluid & complicated. It’s definitely more-than possible he’s mostly straight and it’s just the circumstances of his wildly intense trauma-bond relationship with Maverick that led to their relationship as I wrote it. If you don’t LIKE/understand/respect women, and only feel at home/excited by committing acts of male-typified violence with the few men you respect, how does that bend your definition of the word straight? ...its still straight, but only straight-ish!

not to take it a step further, but WHY ELSE is canon maverick single in TGM? he canonically can’t make it work with women until he retires from the navy!!! he doesnt know how!!! His military environment is not conducive to normal long-term relationships with civilian women!!!