#there's no point applying your standards to another country

[tottwriter]

You know, it’s always great to shit on other countries for stuff we don’t understand! I’m so glad that this literally never has any drawbacks and doesn’t contribute to negative stereotyping!

So. The thing people have to understand. America big. UK small.

This doesn’t sound like a major revelation, but in the context of nature/wildlife, it makes a huge difference. In North America, the population density is just so low that, until the industrial era, there really wasn’t any feasible way for human activity alone to impact these species in the same way. Any time humans wanted an area to be free of predators, they just...went somewhere else.

But where do you go when you’re on an island where the sea is literally never more than 72 miles away. And for the most part, it’s considerably less than that. In every direction, there is a coast with a town/village, or a major river where people want to settle. And over thousands of years, as these settlements formed, and people decided they didn’t want to get picked off by apex predators, those animals were pushed back, and back, and back.

There is evidence of Lynx living in the far north of the UK until as recently as about 1,500 years ago, but further south they had already lost their habitat to farmers. We’re talking BC/BCE here. Again, this wasn’t aristocrats, it was farmers. Trying to farm.

Our forests were cleared over centuries, as people laid out fields for crops, and raised livestock to graze on patches of grass. A lot more went during the tudor period, in the name of building ships, because the Tudors, weirdly enough, weren’t really focused on environmental protection, and like..these forests are huge, man! Who runs out of trees??

We lost bears around a thousand years ago, and wolves in the 1760s due to people, again, not wanting to get eaten while they were travelling. And seeing as they were our only large predators...that’s...pretty much how it happened. The varieties of sheep and cows that exist here have evolved to suit our landscape over time, and in areas where deer population get out of control, there are annual culls to stop them destroying all the woodland.

But, while there are absolutely ongoing efforts to reintroduce lost species to the UK, such as beavers and bison, birds of prey, and even boar,  large carnivores are a harder ask. There just isn’t a lot of space here that is suitable. Everywhere you look, there’s another village.

Does the UK have a history of aristocratic dickheads fucking things up for everyone? Well yeah, that’s pretty much what we’re known for. But is the UK a nation of nature-hating psychopaths who go around burning everything to the ground just for fun? No. Not at all. 

While the percentage of the UK which is designated a “National Nature Reserve” is absolutely tiny, it’s important to remember that most of our wild spaces aren’t designated that way. We have privately owned gardens that open to the public, and charitable organisations which protect and maintain large areas of wildlife. (Large by UK standards, at least. But remember, the UK is less than 100sq miles in TOTAL.)

No one is denying that the UK has been wholly shaped by human activity, and at this point, has lost every bit of “pristine” nature, along with many large animals. But this is less due to wanton destruction in the name of sport, and more about population pressures in a small, contained space. Island living is never going to work the same as it does on a vast continent, and efforts to bring back biodiversity have to adapt along those lines.

Likewise, the existence or absence of large, dangerous predators have to be understood along those lines as well. Humans aside, we just... have smaller predators these days. Foxes, badgers, weasels and stoats, even wild cats (In Scotland, and highly endangered, but they are native to the UK). We still have a lot of wildlife. It’s just, deer aside, most of it can easily hide when you walk by.

Actually your society is the freaks for shooting everything that moves and burning half your "nature reserves" every year so that upperclass dandies can eat leaded pheasant. North Americans are the well adjusted ones here, your country has become a desolate suburban lawn in island form

[cloud-based-and-rainpilled]

Nerdy “Aziraphale and Crowley are super in love” Analysis time! (Filmmaking and acting edition)

(Very late but I promise it’s worth it)

Imo the moment Aziraphale realizes he’s in love with Crowley is Ep 3 when the Apocalypse is looming and Crowley flippantly says, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you”

Aziraphale gives the look

And it all changes

From an acting perspective, Crowley takes a confident and almost defiant stance. Despite walking away, his arms are wide open. He constantly shrouds himself in being aloof and bad, so this exaggerated gesture is the way he shows his true feelings. This is the world I can provide you. Please take it.

From a filmmaking perspective, this is a wide shot, showing Crowley and Aziraphale's physical and emotional distance. Crowley is in focus, pointing out to the right. In Western filmmaking, characters moving left to right indicate progress

This doesn't apply to countries where they write right to left or up and down. Anime flows up and down for this reason, but that's another story

Crowley has his back to the camera because his reaction doesn't matter here. He knows what he wants; his needs are clear to himself and the audience

Aziraphale's reaction here is massive. As a new viewer (still 3 eps to go,) I first interpreted their relationship as an unusual companionship. The montage at the beginning of this episode shows their progress from having a mutual agreement to an alliance to a friendship

But this look

That’s the change

The camera pushes in as Aziraphale realizes what Crowley is implying, and he's overwhelmed to the point of burgeoning tears. It's not quite a Hitchcock/Jaws zoom, but it similarly presses the subject closer and tighter into the camera claustrophobically.

Subconsciously, as the audience, we now feel his feelings pressed into him

Part of Aziraphale's reaction is his high moral standard of being an angel. While here he calls Crowley a demon, he has previously insisted, because he is a fallen angel, there is hope for goodness still.

He sees his future as a possibility in Crowley, which would destroy his known world. His moral code however is much more malleable than he would like to think, but to admit that would be failure of doing his duty as an angel

But just this acting choice, his quivering palpable fear, this reaction is much more than, “I don’t want to kill a child/not be an angel.” If he agrees to go with Crowley, the ‘side’ he’s picking isn’t good or evil, it’s love

As the characters are asexual/nonbinary (I think?,) I don’t think canonically the fact that it’s a homosexual relationship is necessarily the issue. However, the metaphor of choosing to walk away from everything you know and believe and the rigid standards of goodness, and instead choosing to be with someone who will inevitably lead you to be cast out from your world, is (unfortunately) a universal gay experience, especially considering the source material is from the late 1980’s

Crowley’s reaction to this rejection is straight up anger played off as a totally reasonable, “C’mon man, we’re best buds,” but his eyes are covered by glasses. Eyes are the windows of the soul and he certainly doesn’t want to break right now in the face of rejection. His eyes are blocked in a very emotional tight shot of him which mirrors Aziraphale's.

Now his reaction matters and we don't really get to see it

I don't know where this goes from here (well uhhhhh I did see The Spoilers ™ but I ain't gonna talk about that lol,) but this just feels like a massive turning point, and the acting and filmmaking really enhance it. From an outsider's perspective, I didn't 'get' this ship at all, but now in context, it completely makes sense. This scene is utterly devastating

This has probably been talked about to death for 4+ years now lol, but just wanted to point out some acting/filmmaking choices that really brought the oh shit moment to light <3

[haveyouseenthishorrormovie]

I don't entirely disagree, but I think that what you say about it being impossible to be apolitical would extend to the original poll itself. Ignoring the political climate doesn't make it apolitical. I do agree in that case not posting them at all would be political in a different way. If I might suggest? Perhaps you could simply add a small statement. "Free Palestine" at the bottom of the post, to make it clear. Or add a tag to clarify it is Israeli made, on occupied Palestinian land. Or add a watermelon emoji if you want it to be as innocuous as possible and hopefully not invite people to bring up the politics of it. My kneejerk reaction was discomfort due to the lack of any acknowledgement of a conflict that is impossible to escape. Any mention of Israel is inherently going to bring politics into it, so for people's reassurance and comfort knowing you're not purposefully ignoring said conflict for the sake of your polls (which I think people could uncharitably interpret that as), maybe adding something small to acknowledge it without making it a big show would be a good gesture. Thank you for responding thoughtfully to my prior ask.

Another long reply.

hello there.

unfortunately after reading the other ask I found myself slightly disappointed by the fact that you didn't fully read mod sus' response. Even if you did, one of the main points was "we do not wish to bring genocide into this" this is not a blog about politics. we do not wish to force our opinions, or anything upon anyone else. who I stand for should not affect other's opinions when it's on a blog that is about horror movies and if you have seen them or not. as mod sus suggested, you could simply block the tag "israel" if you do not wish to see movies that have been made by them, this is why the tagging system is in place. bringing politics onto this blog will increase attention from both sides of the matter, whether it be positive or negative, will ultimately block the audience's view of what this blog is actually for, having fun and joy around what the world could only know as, horror movies.

thank you for reading, have a wonderful day.

mod chris

mod L would like to add: the reason we don't add "free Palestine" to posts about movies by Israeli filmmakers is the same reason we don't add "free Ukraine" to posts about Russian films, or "free Tibet" to posts about Chinese films. Individual creatives do not bear responsibility for the actions of their government, and we will not imply otherwise by applying a standard to their films that we do not apply elsewhere.

Mod Sus: This is to not say we ignore or support the on-going conflicts or wars between the countries or groups of people. We merely want to keep this blog free from reminders of these events going on. We hope that can be seen as reasonable to not add the suggested messages or additions into our polls.

We're here just to talk about movies. If you do wish to talk about the problematic or heavy topics related to these movies, whatever they are, you are free to do so in the reblogs. It is part of good media and art critisism to acknowledge its darker aspects too, but you can enjoy (or not enjoy) the art while acknowledging them.

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

I have a bunch of thoughts related to your recent post on lefty antisemitism, but I don't want to dump a big long thing in your inbox - let me know if you want me to send it, other than that just know you're not alone trying to wade through the messiness of it all.

I know leftist antisemitism is alive and well, I know Jewish perspectives/experiences/identities are not valued, and I know there’s a load of misinformation out there when it comes to the conflict (though honestly, I don’t trust info from any side because everything is propaganda at this point). But I listened to a podcast episode (Joyous Justice - a Jewish racial justice podcast hosted by a Black & Cherokee Jew) that was a bit of a gentle kick in the pants.

To summarize some of the key thoughts: There is antisemitism in lefty spaces because there is antisemitism EVERYWHERE - and racism, sexism, transphobia, classism, ableism, and the like. Leftists are not immune to these things. And so when someone like me says “well I’m not going to engage with some progressive cause because I’m bothered by the antisemitism” it’s like, anyone else of another marginalized identity could have the same excuse for not participating because they will inevitably run into someone who is being shitty about their identity. It’s good that we have ways to process these harmful experiences, and we should try to hold people accountable, but it’s not a good idea for our self-defensiveness to stop us completely from engaging.

I’m not solidly feeling any of this right now, but I am trying to sit with it in the discomfort.

Hi there,

Look, I definitely see where you're coming from and where this podcaster was coming from at least in theory, but I don't agree.

Leftists absolutely have all the same problems any other group has, and obviously we all have to work on our biases and movements all the time to try and root these things out.

This is different and goes beyond that though, because the brand of anti-Zionism that is mainstream amongst American goyische leftist movements and individuals is deeply antisemitic as a part of the cause. Anti-Zionism as an intra-Jewish discussion need not be [internalized] antisemitism, and there are plenty of ways that one can critique specific actions of the Israeli government that are proportionate, fair, and necessary (yes, even as an outsider.)

However, calls for the literal dissolution of the entire country without a thought or care for the safety and well-being of the affected Jews or the Jewish people as a whole, combined with a deep suspicion (and frequently outright hostility) towards Jews who bring up antisemitism (especially as it pertains to rhetoric around Israel) and then adding your regular run-of-the-mill antisemitism on top, are common and accepted in leftist spaces. In short: antisemitism isn't just one unfortunate pimple amongst many other expected blemishes on the face of modern leftism - it's actually frequently taken up as one of the causes of leftism. This form of antisemitism is seen as social justice, and so arguing against it is seen not for what it is (begging for people to add even a little nuance and critically examine a belief system that leads them to call for the genocide of half the Jewish population worldwide) but rather as arguing for whatever terrible thing they want to paint Israel as this week, whether or not it's true and whether or not such a label could just as easily be applied to groups and nations that they will give a pass to.

Meanwhile, most of the goyim arguing in support* of Israel are frequently right-wing conservatives whose other views on human rights and moral progress I find rather repugnant and who frequently utilize standard conservative talking points about Israel's more strident critics to attack them on other levels. For example, I cringe basically any time I see any right-wing critique of, say, the very real antisemitism of Cori Bush or Rashida Tlaib, because I just know it's gonna be racist as hell.

(The * is because I don't honestly classify a lot of this as support for the Jews, so much as a handy vehicle for their anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and unfair painting of all Palestinians and/or Palestinian rights movements as terrorism. I would also be remiss if I didn't say that the same is frequently true of certain batches of leftists whose anti-Zionism is more of a handy vehicle for antisemitism than genuine, thoughtful, and helpful advocacy for Palestinians.)

But there are some conservative voices that do have genuine support for Jews and are pro-Israel in a way that is more nuanced and doesn't just use it as a tactic. And when I see that, and especially when I hold it up next to leftist comrades who would never in a million years advocate for policies that would wipe out half the world population of another minority group but will happily repeat those talking points against Jews as if it were a social justice cause, it makes me question the validity of everything else they're saying.

And so I re-run that calculus on every social issue I'm passionate about, to see if maybe I'm on the wrong side of it, and every time I conclude I'm still very much not. So then I go back to the drawing board and reconsider Jewish history, identity, and peoplehood, and the conclusions I've come to about Zionism from those things, only to return to the same position I was in before. I've heard the arguments. I've actively sought out and considered the other side on this issue, hoping to understand something new, and each new source I read solidifies my opinion.

So then I'm stuck with concluding that my best option is to seek out like-minded Jews and when outside allies or work is needed, just kinda go into it accepting that a significant portion of the people I'm necessarily aligning myself with for other important causes would likely leave me and mine for dead under the right circumstances, and view that as good and right and just.

And while I don't let that change my voting behavior or advocacy at a practical level, it also doesn't change the fact that it fucking hurts and that I'm morally right to be angry about it.

[praisedbesophia]

im lightskin quarter latine whose greatgrandparents deliberately did not teach their son mexican culture or even to speak spanish hoping he would have better opportunities. then he and his daughter married very white europeans. i look white, culturally im white, but theres something missing in me, i feel lost and theres freedom and an overwhelming sense of place in the deserts of the southwest(my home already), the flow of the spanish tongue(estoy aprendiendo), the flavors of the cuisine, everything.

i feel a strong (though currently broken) connection to my ancestry and pull towards mexican culture, but im very concerned about appropriating or claiming something never meant for me. i knew i wasnt ready for any of the spirituality, but reading your blog made me realize it may never be available to me.

do you have any advice for a young person trying to reconnect with their ancestors' culture?

im still not even sure i can claim to be latine, or if even that much is inappropriate

Hi anon! I'm excited to hear that you're interested in reconnecting to Mexican and Latine culture. One thing I would recommend (and it seems you're already doing this considering you sent me an ask) is to reach out to and interact with people who were raised in the culture. Here on Tumblr it would mean not only following Mexicans and other Latines, but also reblogging our posts. And not just the "fun" ones. We absolutely do notice how whiteblr is quick to reblog pictures of Santa Muerte but ignore posts that discuss things like the absolute racism and vileness of "Mexican coquette", or the neocolonialism of Mexico and other Latin American countries

For example, I have mentioned in the past that non-Latine westerners have moved into Indigenous and rural Mexican communities and have either driven out the locals (many of whom whose families have lived in those same communities for literal centuries) or else have unofficially introduced segregation with the locals getting the short end of the stick. I am not exaggerating when I say that there are banks, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, schools etc. in Mexico that will not serve Mexicans. These exist solely for (non-Latine white) western neocolonizers. Sadly but unsurprisingly, my posts and similar posts by other Mexicans have been all but ignored by whiteblr

Which brings me to another point. It is important that you acknowledge your whiteness and privileges it gives you. Understand that you will most likely be perceived as gringo by most Mexicans. In fact most Latines will likely perceive you as gringo. This isn't meant to discourage you; it is simply a fact. Even my dad and I who aren't remotely white passing by US standards have been perceived as gringos — which in Mexican culture typically refers to a non-Latine white USAmerican — by other Mexicans because we are light skinned USAmerican native English speakers

There are people who will tell you that you will never be able to claim Mexican culture. Ignore them. I have found that most of those people aren't even Mexican in the first place. Many aren't even Latines. And the ones that are often turn out to be xenophobic and white supremacist. Yes, the legal definition may say one thing, but the legal definition isn't the cultural definition. I have cousins who do not fit the legal definition of Mexican whatsover, yet they are still Mexican. They walk through this world as Mexicans. The only people to have ever told them that they're not Mexicans? I'm sure you can guess

Claiming Latine may be a little more complicated. There are many who believe that the term Latine should only apply to people raised in Latin America or who have a parent raised in Latin America. The Mexican definition of Latine is more relaxed, but even we would give dirty looks to someone with absolutely no connection to Mexico or Latin America whatsoever (beyond some distant unknown ancestor) claiming Latine

This is not out of xenophobia. Rather this is a response to racist and xenophobic attempts by non-Latine white westerners to redefine and claim Latine and Latin American for themselves within recent years after centuries of dehumanizing us and deeming our cultures inferior

Learning Spanish is of course a good idea. Becoming fluent isn't necessary — I'm not, and it was my first language as a small child — but you should learn enough to at least communicate in full sentences. Plus learning Spanish will allow you greater interaction with Latamblr. Many Latines on here write their posts mostly if not entirely in Spanish or Portuguese. Some do it because they don't know how to read or write in English. Others for other reasons

Do you know where your great grandparents were from? Mexican culture is rich and varied. Each state is its own traditions, cuisine, dress, dialects, music, etc. White rice (often cooked with butter) is a common part of the diet in Jalisco where my mother is from. Yet my paternal grandparents from Chihuahua had literally never even eaten white rice until one of their daughters married a Chinese man. And let's not forget Californio, Tejano, Nuevomexicano, Sonoran Chicano cultures. These cultures are often dismissed and degraded (even by other Mexicans) but they too are rich

I am also grateful for you admitting that you are not ready to engage with Mexican spirituality and may likely never be able to. However, should you choose to look into Mexican spirituality in the future, please keep this in mind: Mexican spirituality is heavily Catholic. Mexico is the second most Catholic country in Latin America (Brazil takes first place). More specifically, Mexican spirituality centers heavily around La Virgen de Guadalupe. In fact one of our most famous hymns is called La Guadalupana, and in that hymn is a verse that claims devotion to La Virgen de Guadalupe as essential to being Mexican

Many of us find it offensive and insulting when people attempt to separate Catholicism and devotion to Guadalupe from Mexican Spirituality. Even some Indigenous Mexicans have expressed finding this offensive and insulting because while it's true that most Indigenous Mexican religions and spiritual traditions predate the Catholic Church in Mexico, even many of those have been influenced and permanently altered by Catholicism

[verawhisk]

my drawing process (thank you @pepper-ika!)

i draw and colour for a long long time. i don't do the traditional sketch + lineart + colour -- sketches are hard to line, they're kind of time-consuming and usually they end up better than the lineart, so i just draw like normal and clean it up before colouring. i start at the head and end at around the feet, kinda like a person showering (lol). here i'm using your typical pencil brush you can find in any standard art program.

a tip i got from another artist was to colour using a thick, opaque pen brush that varies a lot in width. it saves a Lot of time. before they showed me that, i made the mistake of using a soft, painterly brush to colour my art. it hurt my wrist because i had to press really hard to get flat colour -- when all that time i could have just been using a pen brush! also, i start with soft colours because they're nicer to look at.

2. i do colourful midtones like redness in the skin or maybe a blue five o clock shadow if they have one. from this point onward, i use a flat square-ish brush combined with a painterly smudger and a soft airbrush.

i read somewhere that you should apply perfume on the moistest parts of your body so i kind of use that same idea when drawing redness. usually i do it where skin meets skin: folded arms, a crunched back, closed hands, and that place where the thighs touch the buttcheeks, lolol. and of course: the nose, lips, and ears. it makes the skin look real and warm and lively!

3. i lay down my shadows and lights, usually in that order. and at this point, i'm throwing extra shadow on wrinkles, fat, bumps, lumps, etc. a body without rolls is like an angel without wings!

also i smudge like CRAZY here. just like how it's impossible to have "too much gravy" on your chicken, it's impossible to have "too much blending" when you're drawing skin. blend that ish.

when it comes to the colour of the shadows, i always make shadows the base colour but darker and more saturated, and i move the hue a little to the left (for example: orange goes to red, green goes to yellow, purple goes to blue). i do that with, like, every colour. i can't tell if it's lazy or not but at this point i'm too scared to ask.

4. finally i make some minor adjustments like liquifying to fix lopsided eyes or oversized heads/hands. when i was in high school, my art teacher would say "great, but watch the size of the feet, hands, and neck," lolol. he was right ofc. when i go "hm... that looks a little weird," i have to trust that gut feeling because when i do fix it, it ends up looking way better. here is a horrifying gif illustrating that.

AHH!!!

alternatively you could do a messy line and color, then do a whole paintover like i did here. this is awesome for details because you dont have to go back and change the lineart - you just paint over and add whatever you want and redraw the line to fit it.

i dont really use the different layer modes that much. in this one i used a gradient map of the drawing as an overlay. idk if that really does anything major but it does create a new range of colors to play with. i also used a multiply layer to cast a big shadow over the card (layer 8) because it has this tiiiny little pattern that would be a pain in the butt to draw shadows over. everything else is pretty standard.

(and no i dont name my layers... yes i will be changing my name and moving countries)

another thing worth noting: i use airbrushing A LOT. i remember reading somewhere that using airbrushes is like. a cardinal sin. it’s not, man. it’s great. airbrushes and smudging are dope and i use them all the time.

i hope you found this helpful! have a great weekend <3

[bucksboobs]

Every Romanian, Turkish, Greek or Albanina etc. immigrant in a Western European country can tell you about how they do this song and dance their whole lives and how quickly they are either too Albanian in Germany, or to German in Albania if they do not do it juuust right. And they are just as white as the people in the countries they immigrated to. So it happens within the same race, too. But I´ve never heard that term used in regards to sexual identity or gender. Is there a way of "talking gay" or "talking female"?

Yeah I imagine it applies even more in areas with a lot of ethnicities and languages. I bet some English or British people could speak to how accent and classism affect a version of code switch for them as well. It’s just that as an American it most commonly applies to race especially African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and as opposed to Standard American English (SAE).

As to your question: there’s such a thing as “gay voice” and “gay mannerisms” in Anglo culture idk if that translates in other languages but rather than full code switching, gay people will act or talk “gayer” around other gay people. As someone pointed out because it’s not fully another dialect it’s not really code switching but in my opinion it is similar.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

Hello, this is the Oldie Chinese Diaspora Anon™️.

Sometimes, it’s easy to share the immediate frustration of another member of the TBC, such as the opinion voiced by this Anon (https://the-bjd-community-confess.tumblr.com/post/724567359908610048/who-really-owns-the-art-creator-or-buyer-art ) regarding their misgivings on the relationship between the artist, the buyer, the law and the Recaster. After reading the article they have linked, however, I am saddened to report that Anon seemed to have missed the point, and as such, their position became much harder to defend. I am going to try my best to explain the misconception here and explore what Anon wanted to voice. Consider this the lament of a slightly more knowledgeable layman, if you will. Yours truly is not of the law profession by training. If you have more expert knowledge in these matters, I highly welcome you to chime in.

For starters, the article cited was written by a respectable lawyer who specialises in law regarding fine art, patents and design. This article is very well-thought out and finely written. It’s just unfortunate that it doesn’t actually apply to BJDs. VARA only deals with visual fine art and under the eyes of the law, a BJD is not considered “visual fine art”. It’s a toy and it’s adjudicated as a toy. The other unfortunate part is actually contained in the article itself. VARA is the American response to signing the Berne Convention. The Floridian lawyer admitted that “VARA is a little more limited than most countries”, meaning that different nations have their own interpretations of the Convention agreements. This will become important later.

The laws that cover BJDs are actually those that protect toys. And they can be found (in brief) in this case where Mattel sued MGA over the copyrights to the BRATS dolls: https://nydailyrecord.com/2012/09/17/ip-frontiers-from-planes-to-dolls-copyright-challenges-in-the-toy-industry/ While the copyright of a design would seem to make sense, the application of it in a court of laws is relatively narrow. An idea cannot be copyrighted. The design’s “Uniqueness” and “Predictability” criteria have to be proven in a court to allow the plaintiff to assert the claim that their copyrighted patent had been infringed. The original creator is also not protected against others being inspired by their protected work. In the few rare times when the recaster was successfully sued (by Echö Töwn and NëtËase/LööngSöul), the cases were won through arguing along the infringement of copyright and patent laws. Both plaintiffs have to show the uniqueness of their predictable designs, show that they were the first to come up with this design and show the unauthorized replication of their designs by the defendant. “Being inspired by the same concept” was used unsuccessfully by Luo against NëtËase because Luo was unable to show the “uniqueness” of their designs in spite of their claim of being independently inspired. What seems to be “common sense” is actually quite difficult to prove against the standards in a court of law.

Which brings me to the point that Schlackman pointed out; copyright laws are country-dependent. And as Pearlman noted, they are expensive and notoriously difficult to litigate. Take, for example, the small (yet important) difference in trademark law between China and, say, the US. The difference between “First to register” and “First to use” (more information here: https://asiaiplaw.com/article/the-fight-against-trademark-squatting-in-china#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%20recent%20years%2C%20trademark%20squatters,cases%20on%20the%20basis%20of ) has allowed the Recaster to massively “trademark squat” in 2018, essentially turning all legit companies “illegal” within China (more details here: https://mydollyadventures.blogspot.com/2018/04/bjd-trademarks-recass.html#.WuLKLtJ02JA ). It takes money and paperwork to register for a trademark officially; this is true in any country. But it can be specifically difficult in China with a lot of red tape against “Foreign” companies (perhaps to facilitate its own burgeoning counterfeit empire). It may also explain why the only two success cases of trademark litigation that I know of were Chinese nationals vs Chinese nationals. It took Echö Töwn at least 3 years to succeed – since they were just one person against a large company. There are significant barriers to successfully litigating a case such as this; familiarity with the law, hiring of lawyers and the cost that incurs, pre-existing red tape, and the general dismissal when it comes to “What’s so special about a toy” in a place rampant with other, more significant counterfeits.

At the end, I have to agree with Anon: It’s so very difficult to “win” against a known vexation and it is very much true that most people do not know IP laws and copyright laws. But the reason has nothing to do with the example (or the reasons) that Anon has linked. There's a lot more to copyright/patent/IP laws (even more so across different nations) that goes far above and beyond the Berne Convention all the way back in 1886.

~Anonymous

[ketrindoll]

Hi. I'm from Iran and I've made a video about the whole Palestine-Israel thing, titled "An eye for an eye" and I was curious about your opinion about it. I would be grateful if you'd watch it and tell me what you think. Best wishes, muhammad Hossain.

I found it quite interesting. I thought many people had perfectly valid opinions, and most, not all mind you, made pretty good points.

Adding Malcolm X opinion about "even-steven" policies I think is more of an attempt to lead the discourse into justification of senseless violence against most vulnerable groups - groups that are protected everywhere by the Geneva Convention. It breeds terrorism as a viable type or resistance, which it absolutely cannot be. Eye for an eye breeds generational hatred. Eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. If you justify terrorism as a type of protest by a specific religion, you're breeding a phobia for that religion. And it's not an irrational fear either. Does that create an environment suitable for civilized discourse? For hope that things can be resolved without mutual terrorism and genocide? Does it lead humanity to decrease in wars and conflicts? I think you understand yourself that it doesn't.

On one side, we have Palestinians who are cornered, occupied, and abused generationally. It breeds hate for the Jewish people (anti-semitism is indeed on the rise and it is not acceptable). And it also makes them more vulnerable at becoming pawns in the international games, like Iran and other states having a clearly defined goal to erradicate Israel as a country.

On the other we have Jewish state of Israel, which, like it or not, absolutely has the right to exist. But they are operating from a position of power. A power that they very often showcase by engaging in terrorism, which in return radicalizes young Palestinians, who in turn commit acts of terror against Israeli civilians, who then feel that they are valid in their retaliation. You're seeing how this is an issue if there ever to be talks of two individual independent states, right?

One particular person that I deeply disagreed with in your video is the one who claimed that anti-Zionism is anti-semitism. It absolutely is not. One is opposition of state and its policies, another is opposition of whole nation. First is against the government, the second is against the people. The former is valid and is not, and should not, be immune to criticism. It's a struggle against the power structure, in which case Malcolm X's words can apply. The latter is not excusable whatsoever and leads to hate and crimes that we, as human kind, swore and should continue to swear never to repeat. For that, Malcolm X's words lead to world in terror - a world that no one, nowhere, wants to live through or raise children in.

Are there Jewish people, particularly in Israel, who think their government's terrorism is justifiable? Yes. Are there Palestinians, particularly within Hamas, who justify their terrorism? Also yes. Are any of them correct? No. Does it mean that Palestine should renounce its goal to independence? Also no. But they must hold themselves on higher standard than their opponent, or else they will lose. They will lose because they fight from a weaker position, and they will lose because they will lose international support and sympathy - apart from the one coming from states like Iran who have their own agenda and goals that they intend to achieve by proxy regardless of what it will cost to side they are supporting.

I just read a very insightful article by a Lithuanian professor, I will translate it soon for you to read if you're interested, which defines my own view and broader dangers that current conflict can bring.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Put down your shovel Ron DeSantis! 🤦‍♂️

Thank God for John James. I wish I had a twatter account just so I could HIGH 5 him. I've actually written 2 Tumblr Draft Posts venting about this online insanity. I still might share my thoughts here, but for now John James of Michigan nailed it.

From JohnJamesMI to RonDeSantis:

#1: slavery was not CTE! Nothing about that 400 years of evil was a “net benefit” to my ancestors. #2: there are only five black Republicans in Congress and you’re attacking two of them. My brother in Christ… if you find yourself in a deep hole put the shovel down. You are now so far from the Party of Lincoln that your Ed. board is re-writing history and you’re personally attacking conservatives like VoteTimScott and ByronDonalds on the topic of slavery. You’ve gone too far. Stop.

https://twitter.com/JohnJamesMI/status/1685020441692225536?s=20

Ron DeSantis Slams GOP Rival Tim Scott for Criticism of Florida Black History Curriculum

Scott is the second Black Republican DeSantis has attacked on the issue as siding with Democrats

Published 07/28/23 Marc Caputo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis accused a Republican presidential campaign rival, Sen. Tim Scott, of laundering Democratic talking points by suggesting that the Sunshine State wanted to teach kids there was a “silver lining” to slavery.”

“Part of the reason our country has struggled is that all too often D.C. Republicans accept false narratives, accept lies that are perpetrated by the left," DeSantis said Friday while campaigning in Iowa. "And to accept the lie that Kamala Harris has been perpetrating even when that has been debunked, that's not the way you do it. The way you do it, the way you lead, is to fight back against the lies. So I'm here defending my state of Florida against false accusations and lies."

DeSantis’s counter marked the second day in a row of responding to a Black Republican criticizing him over the education standards by comparing them Harris, the first Black vice president, who traveled last week to Florida and bashed DeSantis. 

On Thursday, he similarly swiped at Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a supporter of Donald Trump in the presidential primary who called for a slight adjustment in the education standards that say slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

DeSantis pointed out that Harris and other Black Democrats had embraced an AP African American history course that they backed —and that he opposed — had substantially similar language about slaves learning “specialized trades” but “nobody said anything about that.”But Scott, the only Black Republican senator, later that evening took DeSantis to task. 

“The truth is that anything you can learn, any benefits that people suggest you had during slavery, you would have had as a free person,” Scott told reporters. “What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating humans and even raping their wives. It was just devastating.” 

DeSantis has repeatedly pointed out the state standards clearly teach the evils of history and racism

Lost in the discussion over the slavery issue is another major controversy concerning the standards that indicates kids should learn about violence “by African Americans” before they were massacred by rampaging white people. 

DeSantis's feud with Black lawmakers from both parties who don’t support himerupted as his campaign struggled to regain its footing after financial troubles and struggles in the polls. Trump leads DeSantis by wide margins with Scott in third in many surveys. 

DeSantis advisers say he won’t back down in the face of criticism, even as the controversy has raged into its second week and, according to critics, helped undercut his message that he will be a better general election candidate to defeat Joe Biden because he can get more independent and swing voters. 

DeSantis Attacks GOP Rep. Donalds Over Criticism of Florida Black History Curriculum

The Republican presidential candidate and Florida governor also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris 07/27/23

Marc Caputo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis swiped at a reporter and accused a fellow home state Republican congressman Thursday of siding with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for saying that a controversial state curriculum provision about slavery should be changed.

DeSantis said Rep. Byron Donalds —who endorsed Donald Trump in the presidential primary over the governor — was wrong to say that the new Florida standards suggested suggested that slavery was beneficial to some slaves.

After those standards passed last week, Harris flew to Florida and accused DeSantis of trying to whitewash history.

But DeSantis stuck back, noting that Harris and other Democratic critics had endorsed an Advanced Placement Black history studies course that had a similar point.At the end of the day, you gotta choose: Are you gonna side with Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets? Are you going to side with the state of Florida? And I think it’s very clear these guys these guys did a good job on those standards,” DeSantis told reporters.

The standards in question say that “slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”

DeSantis mispronounced Harris's first name (which sounds like “comma-lah”) but later sounded it out properly.

“Don’t side with Kam-a-la on that. Stand up for your state,” DeSantis told Donalds.

The row came at a low point for DeSantis’s presidential campaign as he reels from financial woes, layoffs and bad poll numbers vs. Trump. When Donald spoke up via Twitter with a mild suggestion DeSantis amend the language, the governor’s campaign and executive office both criticized him.

After the blowback, Donalds took to Twitter to say that “What's crazy to me is I expressed support for the vast majority of the new African American history standards and happened to oppose one sentence that seemed to dignify the skills gained by slaves as a result of their enslavement.

“Anyone who can't accurately interpret what I said is disingenuous and is desperately attempting to score political points,” Donalds wrote. “Just another reason why l'm proud to have endorsed President Donald J. Trump!”

DeSantis also had a testy exchange with a reporter who asked “were there benefits to slavery?”

“That’s not what the curriculum says,” DeSantis shot back.

“What do you think?” the reporter asked.

“The curriculum is very clear. I think it’s like 200-plus pages of all kinds of stuff that —you can’t read that. Have you read it?” DeSantis responded.

When the reporter didn’t answer the governor’s question, he asked again “Have you read it?”What’s your opinion?” the reporter repeated.

“But you haven’t read it,” DeSantis said. “So I’m just making that clear. That makes it very clear about the injustices of slavery in vivid detail. So anyone that actually read that and then listens to Kamala would know that she’s lying. And that particular provision about the skills, that was in spite of slavery not because of it.”

“The AP course has made that same point,” DeSantis continued. “Other courses have made that same point. Nobody said anything about that.”

The fight over Florida's new African American history curriculum that suggests slaves derived "personal benefit" from slavery has turned into a war among conservatives as Gov. Ron DeSantis aides are attacking Black Republican Rep. Byron Donalds.

"We will not back down from teaching our nation’s true history at the behest of a woke @WhiteHouse, nor at the behest of a supposedly conservative congressman," Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr., tweeted abut Donalds.

Diaz slammed the representative after Donalds said that he supported almost the entirety of the new standards, calling them "robust" and "accurate," however it was line about slavery that needed to be change.

"What's crazy to me is I expressed support for the vast majority of the new African American history standards and happened to oppose one sentence that seemed to dignify the skills gained by slaves as a result of their enslavement," Donalds tweeted. "Anyone who can't accurately interpret what I said is disingenuous and is desperately attempting to score political points."

Just another reason why l'm proud to have endorsed President Donald J. Trump!" Donalds added.

Jason Miller, a senior advisor to Trump tweeted out a statement in defense of Donalds calling him a "conservative hero." Miller lambasted the DeSantis team for their attempts to "smear" the congressman.

"Ron DeSantis needs to look in the mirror and recognize that at his current trajectory, it's not just 2024 that is dead for him, but 2028 as well," Miller's statement read. "DeSantis' misguided attacks are only helping Joe Biden, and if that's his goal, DeSantis should just get out of the race."

Christina Pushnaw, who works as DeSantis' Director of Rapid Response, has compared Donalds criticisms of the curriculum to those voiced by Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pushnaw responded to both Miller and Donalds' tweets with a Harris gifs.

[charliethemanticore]

please tell me about sayer and bernard roth, and do not pretend to be normal about it 🩷

okay okay okay, anon I am giving you a little kiss on the forehead. I am gonna be going back through my notes so if this takes a hot minute, that’s why.

Update: This is… getting very long so I’m going to do this in sections. Your introduction lies below the readmore. Because I’ve hit 850 words. It really needs an edit. I am not doing that. Have fun. There will be another installment later.

So. Corsets (and Why We're So Weird About Them)

So, a few things need to be established here to understand the roots of modern anti-corset rhetoric. I will be dealing with sexism, ableism, and likely touching on racism within the medical field during the 19th century. If you’re anything like me, you will be angry by the end of this, just hopefully at some guys who have been dead a really long time, and not me. I’m just some guy who is three arbitrary credits off having a degree in History (with High Distinctions, btw. I’m very proud of my disabled ass for my current 6.0 on our 7-point scale)

France, America, and the UK in the 19th century were very Christian in the 19th century. The research I’ve done mostly focused on these countries, however I did briefly dabble in German history because the medical dress reform movement more or less started there, but more on that later.

As many of you know, it is a fairly standard belief in (many denominations of) Christianity* that if you do something Wrong™ then you will be Punished™ with misfortune. During this period, if someone was ill then they had Done Something To Deserve It™. This meant that, often, your physical condition was treated as a shorthand for your moral standing.

* For the purposes of this discussion, Catholicism is included under the “Christianity” blanket, I know many Catholics disagree with that categorization, but I am not writing “Christians and Catholics” fifty times

The medical field was professionalized to a recognizable degree in the 19th century. A lot of that professionalization resulted in super fucked up ideas about gender, race, and disability. The professionalization of medicine was parallel to the rise in global eugenics movement. This will probably surprise no-one but needs to be stated, nonetheless.

Many disabilities are more frequently observed in Women* than Men*. Scoliosis, which was the focus of my research for my major work, was one of these conditions. It followed, therefore, that women were doing something Bad™ that men weren’t** and the easiest options were exercise and corsetry. Now, doctors genuinely believed that women were more delicate and susceptible to disease and injury (both to the physical and spiritual being). For the most part, many doctors did NOT want women to be doing as much exercise as they were recommending for men. So corsets were Public Enemy #1

* I’m nonbinary, I know that the binary is bullshit and biology is weird soup, but I am using the terms applicable to the medical understanding and discussion of the period, it’s just easier when referring to primary texts.

** Many men did actually wear corsets. I want one of the advertisements as a tattoo. They’re great.

Right. So now that we have the basic facts outlined, onward. I will include a reference list below. I might put some of my recommended reading in a google drive or smth if anyone wants that.

So. First of all we should probably talk about what a corset is. “Oh by Charlie I know what a corset is” shush. Maybe you do. Maybe you know what a modern corset is. This is my ted talk and I will be as obsessive about my definitions as I like.

For the purposes of SEO algorithms, a corset is a generic term that could refer to bodies, stays, corselets, true corsets, and anything you can find on google when searching for a fast fashion corset top. A generic term that can be applied wantonly for a thousand different garments from the 16th century to today is not very helpful.

When I say “Corset” I mean a garment that began to evolve from stays in the 1820s and had established itself as the popular foundational garment by the 1840s and remained so until the 1920s. For simplicities sake, a corset is a “rigid bodice” supported by vertical boning (Usually baleen/whalebone. Sometimes steel, sometimes reed, sometimes cording)(1). Its primary function was to support the bust, but they also formed the foundation of popular fashions (2).

Corsets work by distributing weight of the bust (and also clothing) across the entire torso, supported by resting on the hips (think of the difference between cradling a toddler – or a heavy box - and sitting them on your hip)(2). They also formed a smooth surface so that clothing could be tight to the body while limiting wrinkling but, more importantly, IT STOPPED WAISTBANDS NEEDING TO DIG INTO THE BODY TO STAY UP. They could be tight to the body, but the corset would not allow them to dig into the body. They were (USUALLY) custom made to the individual and (USUALLY) only worn to the tightness comfortable for the level of activity for the individual. (I will talk about exceptions later). Tight lacing wasn’t hugely common. Usually the drastic shape was achieved through optical illusion and padding (Bust improvers, bustles, bum pads) (3)(4). If you make the hips and bust appear larger, the waist will naturally appear smaller, regardless of actual measurements.

God this is going to be so long I haven’t even got to the Bernards. Okay so this might have to be in installments.

REFERENCES

1 Steele, Valerie. Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Kindle ed. Charles Schribner’s Sons, 2005, p. 290

2 Waugh, Norah, and Judith Dolan. Corsets and Crinolines. Abingdon, Oxon; New York, Ny, Routledge, 2018, p. 75.

3 Kunzle, David. Fashion and Fetishism: Corsets, Tight-Lacing and Other Forms of Body Sculpture. Sutton Publishing, 2004, p. 89.

4 Steele, Valerie. Fashion and Eroticism: Ideals of Feminine Beauty from the Victorian Era to the Jazz Age. Oxford University Press, 1985, pp. 62-63

[widerimmigrationconsultant]

How to Apply for a Canada Permanent Residence Visa

If you’re a Canadian citizen, you already know the value of permanent residence in this country. But if you’re from another country, your journey to becoming a Canadian resident can be quite daunting. With so many forms and applications to sift through, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

But don’t worry! In this article, I’ll take you through the entire process of apply for a Canada PR visa. I’ll explain everything from eligibility criteria to required paperwork to application fees. This guide will help make your transition into life in Canada as smooth and stress-free as possible!

Determine Your Eligibility for a Canada PR Visa

An important part of your permanent residence visa application is to make sure you meet the criteria for approval. Generally, you must prove that you can become economically established in Canada. This means demonstrating that:

You have sufficient English or French language proficiency to live and work in Canada

You have relevant experience and education as determined by Canadian standards

You pass a medical exam, background check, and security clearance

You possess an employment offer from a Canadian company or be self-employed in Canada

All applicants must go through the same processes, regardless of country of origin. It is important to make sure that all the required documents are submitted with your application so that it can be processed in a timely manner. Applicants may be asked for additional documentation as part of their application process.

Choose a Canada Immigration Program

Once you decide that you want to make Canada your permanent home, the first step is to choose the right immigration program. Canada has a number of immigration programs that offer different pathways to permanent residence. You need to research each one and find the one that best fits your goals and qualifications.

Here are some of the most popular programs:

Express Entry: The Express Entry system allows skilled workers from around the world to immigrate to Canada with their families in as little as six months. This system is points-based and applicants are selected based on their skills, education, work experience, language proficiency and other factors.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs): Each Canadian province and territory has its own PNP program. These allow provinces and territories to select skilled workers for immigration based on their own criteria.

Family Sponsorship: Canadian citizens or permanent residents can sponsor family members who would like to live in Canada permanently.

Take some time to research each program and determine which one is right for you. Once you have chosen a program and assessed your eligibility, you can start the application process!

Gather the Required Documents to Apply for PR Visa

You'll need to have all the documents ready in order to proceed with your application for a Canada permanent residence visa. To make sure you have everything ready, here's a checklist of the documents you'll need:

Proof of Funds

Proof of funds could come in the form of a bank statement or investment portfolio that shows enough money to support yourself and family while living in Canada. Generally, you should have enough money to cover living expenses and your family’s travel costs for 6 months after arriving in Canada.

Language Ability

You need to prove language ability — either English or French — by providing an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test report or CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language) test report, issued within two years of your application.

Education Credential Assessment

The Education Credential Assessment (ECA) is necessary if you’re applying under the Federal Skilled Worker Program or Canadian Experience Class programs. The assessment compares your foreign educational credentials to those earned in Canada and must be issued by one of three organizations approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Police Certificate

If you’re 18 years old or over, you need a police certificate from any country where you’ve lived for more than six months since turning 18 years old. You may also be asked to provide police certificates from other countries where you've lived since turning 18 years old even if it was for less than six months. These certificates show that you don't have a criminal record and must be up-to-date — issued within six months before submitting an application — and if not available, IRCC may accept older certificates as long as

Submit Your Application for Canada PR Visa

Getting ready to apply for your Canada PR Visa? You're in the right place! Applying for a Canada Permanent Residence Visa can seem like a daunting process, but it doesn't have to be.

Here's what you'll need to do to submit your application:

Complete the application form. This will include all of your personal information, as well as information about your family members and any other dependents who will be traveling with you.

Collect all required documents. This includes proof of identity and other documents verifying the information on your application form, such as proof of employment, education, and any other supporting papers that may be requested by the Canadian government (such as a police clearance certificate).

Send in your application package along with all supporting documents and the applicable fees. Fees can vary depending on the type of application you’re submitting and how many family members are traveling with you, so make sure you have enough funds ready to cover the cost of apply for a Canada PR visa.

Wait for an answer from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). You should receive an answer within six months after submitting your application - though sometimes it may take longer if CIC needs additional information or if there is any other issue that needs to be resolved before they can grant you permanent residence status in Canada.

Following these steps will ensure that you get approved for a Canada PR visa in less time!

Prepare for the Medical Examination

The next step of applying for a Canada Permanent Residence Visa is to get ready for the medical examination. This is an important part of the application process and must be taken seriously. 

Attend an Interview and Get the PR Visa Decision

The next step in the Canadian PR Visa application process is to attend an interview with a Canadian visa officer. At the interview, you'll need to provide evidence that you are eligible for a permanent residence visa and answer any questions the visa officer may have about your application.

At the end of the interview, the visa officer will make a decision on your PR Visa application. Your decision could be one of three outcomes:

Approved – if approved, you will get a letter in the mail that outlines when and how you should arrive in Canada as a Permanent Resident.

Refused – if refused, you will receive a letter in the mail that outlines why your application was denied and what steps you can take if you wish to appeal your decision.

Put on hold – if put on hold, it means that the visa officer needs more time to review your application before they make their final decision. In this case, they may request additional documents or further clarification before making their final decision.

No matter what outcome is reached at the end of your interview, it's important to remember that applying for a Canada Permanent Residence Visa can be a long process but with proper preparation and understanding of requirements it can be done successfully!

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Canadian permanent residence visa application process is complex, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. With the right guidance and resources, you can maximize your chances of success and make your Canadian visa journey easier.

By taking the time to research, consult experts, and prepare all the necessary documents, you can put yourself in the best position to obtain your Canadian PR visa. Though the process may be lengthy, the outcome could be life-changing and worth the effort.

[isobug]

fair warning for discussions of bigotry, n*zism/antisemitism, r*pe, and "tr*nsx" content

( to avoid issues with the post going into undesirable tags, an asterisk is used in place of the letter "a" in some places. sorry to everyone with screenreaders. let me know if there's an alternative method !! )

INB4 anyone misinterprets this post, I don't "" ban "" people from identifying with or using my works. It'd be silly of me. I also support anyone archiving them ( yes, even if it means not directly reblogging the source post from me !! all i care about is that you're accurate with your archival / don't change anything just in case the source post gets wiped or we have another mass wikia purge event like what FANDOM did )

From now on this blog is officially NOT "tr*nsx" friendly for reasons I will get into under the cut. I genuinely had a very open mind about this community but I've constantly had my personal interaction boundaries broken by those in it. I'm going to be reworking my rentry ( both my main and request guideline pages !! ) to reflect this soon.

People in this community have frequently broken my one hard rule about bodily minors with eighteen plus explict content on their blog not directly interacting with me through said blog. This is an issue because I am a tr*ns adult in a shitty country that stereotypes me as a pred*tor, so interactions like that are uncomfortable and even potentially dangerous for multiple reasons.

I can understand some of the terms used or coined in "tr*nsx" spaces, especially in regards to BIID. But things like "transr*cist", "transn*zi","transr*pist", and similar being posted and fully accepted ( especially by those saying things like "but they aren't saying they're r*cist! just that they feel they should be!" or similar ) made me realize that the "tr*nsx" community is actively unsafe for me as a multiply marginalized/minority individual even though it claims to be incredibly safe/progressive for those like me.

I feel the need to point out, this is one of many posts that makes me feel like I need to set this personal safety boundary. There are multiple posts promoting child/animal *buse ( "pro-cont*ct/*ction" ) which is also just accepted. It's really easy to just stumble on, especially if you're checking out a new follower or note.

I would not be or feel safe letting people who accept/identify with/condone terms and community standards like this onto my blog or in my DMs. Especially since many of my followers and those I interact with are similarly marginalized like I am.

I'll be going through my follower list and blocking people soon. If you're in that community and going "oh but this post doesn't apply to me !! why do I get grouped in with these guys !!", maybe work on the N*zi and *buse problem to the point where I can't stumble on it ten posts into your blog and I'll rethink it.

ALT text is provided but I will NOT be adding it uncensored to this post, sorry again screenreader users. (EDIT: I had linked the OP here so people who thought this might be a sockpuppet could go through the notes and see it wasn't, but OP and most of the notes have been deleted by staff)

EDIT: this is a warning post that includes more Tr*nsn*zi symbols, so this isn't a one-off person making a joke term or something (it still wouldn't be alright if it was btw)

[tboytoby]

y'know, I see a lot of posts speaking about unfair wages. I've worked at KFC for roughly three years now, and it never really... occurred to me to think about these things in my own context? a lot of these situations are entirely contextualized outside of my own country, so my natural conclusion was... well, we must be better, right?

for context, I'm Australian. in a lot of areas, yes! we have wonderful support. waiting list are immeasurably long, but it still exists. not perfect, (and hardly considered good in a lot of places, as i've learned) but still there. and that's more than my American siblings can say. obtaining HRT has, so far, been a breeze. I'll be formally starting a care plan with the Royal Brisbane Hospital under their dedicated gender clinic, who contain employed LGBT staff. I acknowledge all of these opportunities, this privilege I have over those without. so I never stopped to think, is there anything that's necessarily missing?

but i've been scrolling tumblr for the better part of six or so years now and i've picked up on a few things. little things. the telltale signs of unfair workplace treatment. a lot of people talk about being under-paid, and I feel I may have been in that boat at some point, but with my union requirements, my pay increases every year i'm with the company. KFC, by Australian law, has to uphold this standard under the 2009 Fair Work Act. McDonalds is another story - I really don't know how they can get away with $7/h minimum wages. but regardless, doing a rough estimate I earn between $18-19/h at a Casual rate, meaning I have no solid hours. it makes it hard to calculate (plus I suck ass at math). this is good, right? wonderful, even, more than a lot of folks can say they earn by age 20. at least, it seems so to me.

the only drawback is, I've begun to notice things. as we freshly march into 2023 i've noticed i'm not being rostered much, if at all. one 7 hour shift a week is the standard, sometimes two. presently, i'm not studying (though I have applied), I don't slack off at work, and i'm not rude to customers. I have, for the past 3 years, been reported as our kindest CSTM staff. i'm very proud of that achievement!

but it's becoming more and more apparent that, despite these things, our shifts are being cut. many other staff i've talked to are getting the same cuts. new management is trying to cover wastage costs, certainly! I cannot fault her for that. but with zero communication on the matter, I can't find myself trusting her in the slightest.

this post is kind of a nothing burger, really. just something to lay out my thoughts, but my message to those who believe good is enough, remember this. things may be good, but they could be better. you're worth more than the bare minimum. always remember you are a human being. the bare minimum shouldn't be the standard. talk to your unions, ask for better pay OR more hours. you are fully within your right to do so.

question your authority if it doesn't feel right. the worst thing to come from it is concrete proof that you're being extorted. and remember to always make a record of any meetings you have with management. you'll never know when you might need them.

[elfwreck]

This article is almost 10 years old.

A kid puts her hand up in my lesson. 'My computer won't switch on,' she says, with the air of desperation that implies she's tried every conceivable way of making the thing work. I reach forward and switch on the monitor, and the screen flickers to life, displaying the Windows login screen.

This one's newer, just over 2 years old.

More broadly, directory structure connotes physical placement — the idea that a file stored on a computer is located somewhere on that computer, in a specific and discrete location. That’s a concept that’s always felt obvious to Garland but seems completely alien to her students. “I tend to think an item lives in a particular folder. It lives in one place, and I have to go to that folder to find it,” Garland says. “They see it like one bucket, and everything’s in the bucket.”

Schools are demanding kids as young as 5 or 6 use computers - and nobody is teaching computer basics. Nobody is teaching the names of the computer components (monitor, hard drive, cpu, ram); nobody is teaching what the parts do; nobody is teaching what "apps" are (...we used to call them "programs") or how files work.

Of course Adobe is very happy that people will say "I'm using Adobe" because nobody remembers the name "Acrobat Reader." Adobe is thrilled that most people don't know that PDFs are a filetype that can be opened or edited by many different programs.

Typing, as far as I can tell, is taught less than it was when I was in high school - in a country where everyone is expected to spend many hours a week on a keyboard.

(When I applied for college at the for-profit scammy school where I got my paralegal degree, I tested out of their basic typing class. The class's goal was 40wpm; I type at more than double that speed. The counselor assigned to me said she'd never seen typing that fast. I have no idea if she was lying to try to boost my ego or was just really oblivious.) (If she was trying to boost my ego, she failed. I know what secretarial typing speeds are. Mine is mediocre.)

If I were more geekish and had formal education training, I'd try to put together a series of Basic Computer Literacy courses for schoolkids - a set for ages 5-8, another for 9-12 year olds, and a third set for teenagers.

Start with parts of the computer - and how they look different in desktops, laptops, tablets, phones.

Move on to OS: Windows, Mac, IOS, Android, Linux, and a hint of others. (Throw in a mention of game consoles and how their OS is and isn't like a standard computer OS.)

A bit of mention of OS types/versions - WinXP and Win10, and so on. A bit of what commonly changes from one version to the next, and what doesn't.

These are the starting points, not because they're the core of How Computers Work, but because they're the parts everyone interacts with. The 8-year-old doesn't specifically need to know Linux exists... but they need to know there's a DIFFERENCE between a Windows 11 new laptop and a desktop running something else. Needs to know that not all "Android" phones work the same way. Needs to know, when they open a new device, that it has an OS, and there are ways to figure out what that OS is.

Next there is:

Files, folders, internal structure - and how the tablet/phone OS tends to hide this from you

The difference between the app/program and the stuff it opens/edits

That the same file can look different in a different app

Welcome To The Internet: The difference between YOUR COMPUTER and THE CLOUD (aka, "someone else's computer") as a storage place; what a browser is; what a search engine is

Welcome To Metadata I Am So Sorry Kiddo Your Life Is Full Of Keywords Now And Forever

Computer Operations Skills: Typing. Hardware Assembly, aka, how to attach an ethernet cable, is the monitor turned on, what's the battery level and its capacity. Software-Hardware interfaces: how to find the speaker settings, dim or brighten the monitor, sleep vs power off, using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.

After alllll that, we get to

Command line: This is what a terminal looks like; this is what you can do with it; no you don't have to program anything (ever) but you really should know how to make it show you your IP address. (See above: Welcome to the Internet should have covered "what is an IP address?")

Internet safety. What is a virus; what's malware. How to avoid (most of) them.

SOCIAL internet safety: DO NOT TELL ANYONE your age, real name, location. Do not tell strangers your sexual identity, medical history, family details, or anything about any crimes you may have committed.

...I'm probably missing some things. (I'm probably missing a lot of things.) Anyway. Something like that. The simple version is a half-day crash-course in overview concepts culminating in a swarm of safety warnings; the long version for teens is probably 30+ hours spread out over a few weeks so they can play with the concepts.

Telling young zoomers to "just switch to linux" is nuts some of these ipad kids have never even heard of a cmd.exe or BIOS you're throwing them to the wolves

[cgpatopercent]

A Simple Guide To Percentage To GPA Conversion: Understanding the Basics

Converting percentages to GPA is often confusing for students seeking to understand how their grades translate into different educational systems. A GPA, or Grade Point Average, is a numerical representation of a student's academic performance. It is commonly used in the United States and other countries to assess and compare academic achievements.

Students might be familiar with percentages from their school reports but find it challenging to transition to the GPA system. This guide simplifies the conversion process and helps students grasp how their scores align with GPA values. Grasping this conversion can make a big difference when applying to colleges or universities.

By explaining the conversion process clearly, this guide aims to ease the stress for students working within different grading frameworks. It provides a practical approach, allowing students to see exactly where they stand academically in a way that's easy to understand. With clear insights, students can feel more confident in their academic evaluation and future applications.

Understanding GPA

Grade Point Average (GPA) is a way to measure academic achievement in schools. It can differ based on the scales used.

The Basics of Grade Point Average

GPA is a numerical representation of a student's average performance across all their classes. It is calculated by converting letter grades into numbers, often on a scale of 0 to 4.0, and then averaging these numbers.

For instance, an "A" might equal 4.0, a "B" 3.0, and so on. Schools use GPAs to evaluate student progress, consider admissions to advanced programs, or determine eligibility for scholarships.

The simplicity of the GPA system makes it easy for schools to assess and compare academic performance. It can reflect a student's understanding of the coursework and ability to meet academic standards.

Differences Between GPA Scales

There are different types of GPA scales. The most common is the 4.0 scale, but some institutions use a 5.0 scale or even higher. Honors classes or Advanced Placement (AP) courses might have higher weighting, influencing the GPA.

For example, a weighted GPA might give an "A" in an honors class a 5.0 instead of a 4.0. This system rewards students for taking challenging courses.

Unweighted GPAs treat all classes the same. Schools will choose a scale based on their educational philosophy and how they want to encourage student growth. It’s important to know which system your school uses so that you understand how your GPA reflects your performance.

Converting Percentages to GPA

Turning percentages into GPA scores can be helpful for students looking to understand their academic performance on another scale. Different methods and interpretations can make the process seem confusing. This section aims to clarify these methods and provide a clear understanding of what the results mean.

Methods of Conversion

There are different ways to convert percentages into GPA values. Most often, schools use a standard scale, with the most common being the 4.0 scale. Here's a simple method:

Percentage Range: Identify the percentage range.

Match to GPA: Use a conversion chart or table.

PercentageGPA Value90-100%4.080-89%3.0-3.970-79%2.0-2.960-69%1.0-1.9Below 60%0.0-0.9

Many schools may have slight variations, so it’s crucial to check the specific system used by the institution. Some schools might use weighted GPAs, taking advanced courses into account, which can affect the conversion.

Interpreting Conversion Results

Understanding the results after converting percentages to GPA is essential. A higher GPA typically indicates better academic performance. For instance, a GPA of 4.0 is often seen as excellent, showing top performance.

The GPA conversion can reflect different aspects when applying to colleges or scholarships. Some institutions may have cut-off values for GPA, making it important to understand what each value signifies.

When comparing GPAs, take note of whether any adjustments, like extra points for honors classes, were applied. This ensures an accurate interpretation of academic performance. Students should also be aware of how each institution they apply to will interpret or recalculate their GPA scores.