#type: rant

[our-lord-little-toad]

I CANNOT BELIEVE I HAVE TO SAY THIS AGAIN.

TOADS. ARE. NOT. FROGS.

If you walk up to me, look me in my warty little eyes, and say, “Aren’t toads just frogs?”—I WILL SCREAM. I will scream so loud the swamp will tremble. The audacity. The ignorance. The absolute frog-washed brainrot it must take to utter such blasphemy.

Let me make this crystal clear for the people in the back (and for the frogs who pretend they don’t hear me):

Do frogs have warts? No.

Do frogs survive in the harsh, dry lands while their slimy cousins shrivel up in the sun? No.

Do frogs understand struggle? The weight of existence? The burden of being TOUGH? Absolutely not.

Frogs are soft. Frogs are pampered. Frogs think they’re the main characters when they’re barely side notes in the great story of the swamp.

TOADS, however? We endure. We persevere. We do not hop for attention; we WALK with PURPOSE. We are the backbone of the amphibian world, and yet we are constantly disrespected by people who lump us in with those jumping, waterlogged, algae-brained buffoons.

I am TIRED. I am ENRAGED. I will NOT be silenced.

Toads > Frogs. Forever. Do not test me on this.

[strawberryraviegutz]

Ngl it’s hella weird that so many ppl are being extremely sex negative/anti BDSM(not sure if it’s even actual BDSM but idk)about the new banner and even going as far as to compare it to sexual assault…

You can dislike something without shaming/making fun of ppl who’re excited about it along without contributing to purity culture, misogyny/internalized misogyny, and cringe culture.

Since Day 1 Love and Deepspace has always been for women and or afabs to explore their sexualities in a world where women/afabs seeking out anything sexual(or even romantic)whether it be in fiction or irl is seen as taboo, dirty/filthy/unclean, and or shameful. Especially within parts of Asia.

Men are allowed to get straight up hentai tattoos and no one says anything but whenever women/afabs have crushes on/simp for/selfship with fictional characters and or consumes nsfw content of them then we’ve “gone too far” or, “are so delusional/cringe” and get told that we’re mentally ill as an insult and that we should “go to therapy/get help” because of our “parasocial relationships with fictional characters”(and over a period tracking feature within the game out of all things..)

It’s important now more than ever to have more media like this to be created as to lessen the stigma around female sexuality. ESPECIALLY with everything that’s going on in the US right now. Shaming women and or shaming other female/afab fans for enjoying this stuff only contributes more to the problem. You’re not inherently better than anyone for not being into the type of things others may like.

“Infold is mischacterizing-”

First of all idk where yall got that from they seem the same to me, just with more different personality traits/changes added. Plus that’s the point of an Alternate Universe/Reality. AUs are different than the universes we know. Also THEY MADE AND OWN THE CHARACTERS.

There’s a difference between something just not being your thing and contributing to misogyny towards women/afabs in fandom spaces. Just because you’re not into/don’t like something doesn’t mean it’s “not normal” for others to celebrate Valentine’s Day like this. I swear women/afabs can’t do anything without you mouthbreathers demonizing us and saying that we’re inherently predatory/unsafe to be around for thirsting over/selfshipping with fictional characters.

[vee-art-zone]

Just got into the dumbest Minecraft argument about the new “useless” materials that I was somehow framed as the villain in so I’m bitching here

Like. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be cool if copper or resin or whatever got some more crafting recipes in the future But to be shown dozens of items and blocks that these things are used for and just dismissing it as “that doesn’t count because it’s decorative and cosmetic which aren’t real uses in the sandbox building game” It’s just missing the point of the argument.

Resin has a use. A great orange armor trim and brick set I used for my bank’s roof in my main world. Also I can plaster golden flecks on any texture I want for ultimate detailing.

Amethyst has a use. Purple crystals that play singsongy tunes on contact. Magical crystal deco.

Copper has the MOTHERLOAD of all uses. Great metallic building blocks at a price less prohibitively expensive as iron blocks, in four different color schemes?? With stairs, slabs, doors, trapdoors, grates and more??? I can’t even fit every block made with copper in a single chest.

Like. What world are you living in where the building features in this Building Game are inherently worthless compared to fucking. Redstone Component of the week for the farm you’ll never make. I know not everyone plays this game as I do but these ppl don’t seem to get the world doesn’t revolve around them.

[planetlongjourney]

Is is worrying that this is a list of pretty much every main female character? Yeah??? Very worrying??? Extremely worrying???

[teashh]

When adults with emotional maturity fall in love >>>>>

[snipdoodle]

reading a book about the horrors of chattel slavery when you're the only black person in the class goes horrible i am actually going to crash the fuck out

black existence in this country is founded on trauma and all the white kids reading this book are like "wow that sucks.." but i have to live with the legacy of this shit daily i am reminded of it every day, every fucking day

It feels like black authors, creatives in general tbqh, are shoeboxed so, so hard. So hard, all the time. We're only alloweed to be X or Y. We're not allowed to move on from trauma. This is what defines blackness, right? the suffering?

and sometimes i just want to scream it at people but it will fall on deaf ears no matter what, they may listen, may sympathize, but can't ever understand. some of the best people i know. i dont expect them to, but it doesnt hurt any less.

ive gone to majority white/not black schools my entire life- im used to this this is how i live and it always has been. but part of me is resentful of it, of the people i go to school with- even if they didnt choose to be born upper middle class and white. its just. ugh.

/end cathy crashout

[oltimey]

"Nazi" is not a catchall for bigotry or White Supremacy. The core "value" of Nazism is the hatred of Jews, and the desire to exterminate all Jews. And Romani as well, let's not forget that, but their #1 target were Jews. Palestinian leaders literally supported Hitler because they wanted to exterminate Jews. And this was before the "Offical" formation of Israel.

You don't get to use "Nazi" as a catchall term for White Supremacy or bigotry.

You don't get to call Jews who want a safe and self-determained country on their ancestral homeland "Zionazis."

You don't get to call Jews defending themselves against actual Nazis (Hamas) and trying to rescue hostages "Nazis."

You don't get to point the finger at Nazis like Elon Musk because he's a Rich White Right-wing Man™️ while supporting Hamas (who are literally far-right extremists) or ignoring other POC who hate Jews.

Nazism is about Jew hatred first and foremost. Acknowledge that or stop using the word!

[practical-hearthcraft]

As someone who has existed within varying degrees of the homemaking community online for several years, I have my hills I am willing to die on. The most important one being this:

Skillsets are not gendered. Domestic skills are invalable lifeskills and everyone should know the basics.

I don't give a shit what your pastor tells you on Sundays, everyone should know how to cook, clean etc. It's no one person's place to be at home, and certainly not due to something as arbitrary as gender.

This past weekend I woke up horribly ill with a sinus infection. Woke up early anyways and went through the motions of getting my daughter up for the day, despite having been unable to sleep through due to fever. The routine is that my husband gets a lie in on Saturday and I lile in on Sunday. Fine. As soon as my husband comes downstairs and sees the state I'm in, I get sent straight back to bed with a cup of tea and medicine, and he tells me he's got it, I just need to rest. Without me needing to check him, remind him or ask him to do anything specifically, he knew exactly which chores needed to be covered for the weekend, got it all done, and didn't have to ask me once for any clarification. This included ensuring my daughters school uniform was cleaned and ironed ahead of monday, taking her into town to buy new clothes post growth-spurt, baking some sandwich loaves for the week ahead. He cooked dinner on Saturday using leftovers I'd put aside for that reason, without needing to check in as he knows the system. He cooked again on Sunday, and specifcally cooked something he knew would create plenty of leftovers, so I wouldn't need to cook again for a few days while I recover. All of this, he knew how to do, and did without complaint, despite us existing in, what is at surface level, a "traditional marriage".

And by the way, nothing my husband did this weekend was a surprise to me. At no point did I think this was a pleasant thing for him to do, and aren't I so lucky? Of course I expect him to know how to keep our household running for a weekend when I'm sick. The man is nearly 40. I should bloody hope he knows how to do laundry and cook a full meal.

If you want to do the majority of domestic tasks in your household, go for it, knock yourself out. But you need to ensure your partner knows how to do it as well. Don't allow yourself to enforce bullshit patriarchal nonsense and exist as a glorified bangmaid.

If you're on the other side of things and you find yourself doing the minority of domestic tasks, why not see how you can develop those skills? Maybe see if you can allocate one night a week where your partner gets the evening off, and you commit to cooking dinner. Maybe ask them to write down their routines so if for whatever reason they're unable to do their regular tasks, you can support them and pick up where they've had to stop.

[annagxx]

Valentine week? Nah not interested. Chocolate Day? Now we’re talking.

[drinksglue]

Running back into the room with "AND ANOTHER THING"

In regards to the "not anti, not proship, but a third thing":

Many neutrals will openly interact with antis who are aggressive against pro-shippers, all in the name of "well, I don't care about the discourse, so I don't care that they're antis"

I need you to understand that the flaw with this is that it frames the anti mindset as an acceptable viewpoint to have. It isn't.

Imagine if I said "I don't care about the arguments between librarians and Moms For Liberty, and I think they just need to calm down. I support neither! Just stop fighting!" and then exchanged friendly emails with M4L members. This would be utterly ridiculous, wouldn't it? It would mean that I find their beliefs to be valid opinions to hold, and not dangerous rhetoric that, taken to its logical conclusion, would result in mass censorship.

This is even worse in the case of people who "used to be" pro-ship/pro-fiction, presumably knowing how bad this can get and how it affects people IN REAL LIFE, who still chose to go "neutral" and start interacting with antis. You know what they do, you know how they doxx and stalk and threaten people, and you know how they've caused a lot of mentally vulnerable people to take their own lives, and you're going to give them ANY kind of voice in fandom?

To be "neutral" tells me you don't give a single shit about the people who are being targeted over stupid fandom bullshit that was practically never an issue pre-2015. And the few times that it was... well, that's actually why AO3 exists now.

You want the discourse to stop? The only way that's going to happen at this point is if you snuff out as much interaction with fancops as possible. Avoid interacting with them directly as much as possible, do not reblog their posts or their art no matter how innocuous it is, do not allow them into your fandom spaces. Exclude them from fandom entirely, methodically ostracize them. Block, block, block, and block some more. Doing this will mean we only have to deal with the most extreme of cases that involve mass-brigading and block evading.

That's still a tall order of course, but I can guarantee you fandom spaces will improve in quality if you refuse to make a space for fancops at the table.

Sorry. I'm tired of pretending "neutrals" are anything other than Fancop-Lite.

[monigote001]

That horrible moment you realize you are non-sharing and suddenly you start to feel like the most egoist egocentric bitchy insufferable terrible and unlikeable asshole ever

[punk-junkie69]

To be honest with yall, I wish thus post didn't get as much traction as it did, its taking away from my other art.

This was a simple shitpost I drew on my phone because I had a weird idea for like 8 seconds and I didn't expect it to blow like this.

Please do me a favor and go check out my other art on this page and my kin page 🙏 @punk-on-paws I would like to get some new notifications for my other stuff

Yeah

Staring lovingly at his gigantic wife

[bixels]

As gen-AI becomes more normalized (Chappell Roan encouraging it, grifters on the rise, young artists using it), I wanna express how I will never turn to it because it fundamentally bores me to my core. There is no reason for me to want to use gen-AI because I will never want to give up my autonomy in creating art. I never want to become reliant on an inhuman object for expression, least of all if that object is created and controlled by tech companies. I draw not because I want a drawing but because I love the process of drawing. So even in a future where everyone’s accepted it, I’m never gonna sway on this.

[yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt]

In light of Brian Thompson being shot dead on my birthday (🎉🥳🎂) I'd like to share a personal story about UnitedHealthcare.

During the peak of COVID, my family all got sick. I couldn't be on my parents' insurance because they were both older and on Medicare. So, I had insurance through my University: UnitedHealthcare.

For some reason, rather than roll-over each year, I got a new plan each year that ended after May and didn't start until August, so I was uninsured for the summer months, but it was a weird situation that the university denied, and told us we were supposed to be insured year-round, it was messy.

Both of my parents went to the hospital, and I got sick too. I had to take care of my pets, and myself, and try to stay alive and keep my pets alive when I was so weak I could hardly move. When my parents came home, my condition got dramatically worse (I think my body knew it couldn't give out, because there was nobody to take care of me, so once my parents were okay, it completely crashed and failed.)

I started experiencing emergency symptoms. It was a bit hard to breathe, my chest hurt, and I was extremely delirious. I wanted to call my insurance to see if I was covered (this was during the summer) and I was connected to some nice person, probably making minimum wage, who told me with caution in her voice that my plan was expired. I had no active insurance, but she urged me to go to an emergency room. I remember saying something to the effect of "You just told me I don't have insurance, I can't go to the hospital, I can't afford it."

She sounded so genuinely worried and scared. I remember she said "You really don't sound good, you sound really sick, please call 9-1-1" and I think I just said "I can't afford it without insurance, don't worry, I think I'll be okay."

And she paused and said "I don't want to hang up the phone with you like this." And it sounded like she was holding back tears. And I don't remember what I said, I think that I would be okay, and I hung up.

I still think about her. I wonder if that phone call haunted her, or if she had dozens of calls like that a day. I wonder if she thinks about it at all, if she wonders if I died after she told me I didn't have insurance and therefore couldn't go to the hospital without incurring a tremendous financial burden. I wonder if she feels guilt or blame-- of course she shouldn't, it wouldn't have been her fault if anything had happened to me. Maybe it's self-centered to wonder if she thinks about it. I'm not the main character and it was just her job. But, still.

I think about how evil it was that we were put in that situation. Because offering year-long continuous coverage through the university plan would maybe cut into profits, maybe not benefit shareholders enough, maybe cut into Thompson's $10 million salary. While his minimum wage administrators have to feel afraid to hang up the phone, because on the other line someone might be dying, and they wouldn't know. While his patients hang up and decide to take their chances rather than put their family through that trauma.

This is UnitedHealthcare. This is Brian Thompson's legacy. This is why, understandably, an entire nation is jubilant that he was gunned down like the vermin he was. I don't care about his widow. I feel pity for his children, despite the fact that they will inherit millions, but I feel more pity for the children of his victims patients who are gone because they didn't want THEIR children to inherit crippling debt. Brian Thompson got what he fucking deserved. I pray that he not be the only one. I pray for continued safety, peace , and anonymity for his killer.

American healthcare is a disease.