#unless I get something extremely specific which currently I'm not capable of doing

[diamondcoded]

The problem is, I know that the only opportunity I will find in life -after this job- is being a student. but it's truly the second worst thing that could ever happen to me.

[mychlapci]

Hi, earthstellar here on anon because I'm old and don't understand why Tumblr won't let me send asks using my sideblog, time to be hype for octo!Ratchet and Mer Shenanigans:

So, octopuses have specific deimatic behaviours-- essentially, threat displays -- with the physical capability to do some cephalopod-specific stuff like flaring tentacles, spraying ink, changing colours in complex patterns with chromatophores etc.

But octopuses also have very different Sexy Stuff happening compared to fish-- Like the hectocotylus, or the Weiner Tentacle. And spermatophores, and all that good shit. And infamously the really sad thing where they defend egg nests until they die. (But we're not here for sad shit, we're here for degenerate shit.)

MY POINT: With the whole Drift/Rodimus/Wing/Ratchet situation, it might not just be the facility staff who are confused by the whole mer mating situation.

If Ratchet is the only octomer, he might struggle with trying to explain his specific mating behaviours to his mates, and there might be somewhat of a communication issue. At least at first.

I imagine at some point he gets Into It and his hectocotylus shows up and the others don't know what it is so Drift or Rodimus (most likely to be impulsive) just licks it or something thinking it's just another tentacle and OHHHHH SHIT they think they hurt him or made him mad or something because his tentacles all flair out before contracting around whoever just licked it and this may or may not cause a brief (but sexy) panic

But when any of the others are carrying eggs etc., he easily puts on the most extensive deimatic behaviour displays because there's something uniquely terrifying about a giant octopus person who has a whole shitload of physical strength and prehensile dexterity in each one of their massive, heavy, long limbs being suddenly extremely defensive and angry for reasons that the staff can't yet figure out

Especially because Ratchet is kinda old as far as the staff is able to estimate and he's mostly well behaved and less prone to doing stupid shit compared to some of the others at the facility, he's not usually a problem, but now he is A Terrifyingly Large Problem and the staff is just like throwing food in the top of the tank and getting the fuck out of there before Ratchet's tentacles can lash up out of the water and fuck them up

They might be worried about the non-cephalopods in Ratchet's shared tank, thinking he might present a risk to them, but Drift, Rodimus, and Wing won't let any of the staff approach the tank either unless it's for food or water pH balancing because they are all extremely protective of each other -- Moving Ratchet becomes a non-option immediately. (Not that the staff has a problem with that, once it's clear they're all OK-- They're just happy they don't have to try to figure out a way to move a heavily sedated, very heavy octomer.)

But the staff freaks out pretty much the entire mating season because they can't figure out the specifics lmao, some days the entire tank is impossible to see through because Ratchet's inked it up entirely in an effort to hide his mates, which makes routine observation impossible etc.

And all of Ratchet's unique cephalopod mating behaviours and defensive threat displays are somehow EXTREMELY SEXY to his mates, despite the fact that they're not 100% sure of the exact meaning of some of it

(and also at one point Ratchet scared the shit out of them by having a "camouflage panic" because he suddenly realised that no his mates do not have chromatophores and therefore cannot hide themselves as efficiently and this means they are easily spotted by Enemies and this is Not Good so whoever's currently carrying the eggs spent several days getting constantly dragged into the shadows of the tank or peppered in sand/silt/small shells/etc. by Ratchet in an instinctively overwhelming desire to Hide The Carrier lmao)

This could also be a temporary dramatic issue where his mates don't know why he's not touching them etc. for a little while and it turns out it's because Ratchet can produce certain toxins like tetrodotoxin (the shit that makes blue ring octopi so dangerous) and for a few days there he just can't control it, he's effectively extremely venomous for a bit because it's an instinctive thing he does to make himself more dangerous in case any predators approach his mates during the peak of breeding season-- But his mates are fish so he could potentially hurt them too!!! Oh fuck!!!

but it's fine, he naturally breaks the toxin down after like a week and then they all have Extra Good Doin It Times because they couldn't bone for a whole week and that's unbearable during mating season lmao (which is good because his tentacles were extra vibrant during that week and everyone found it Very Hot)

Anyway I'm asexual, sorry if this isn't horny enough. I just appreciate the vibes. lmao

oh that’s good. Ratchet having different body language and instinctual responses since he’s an octopus-person and the rest of them are, with some species differences, fish, causing a few misunderstandings and also incredible sexy times. 

mhmmm i really like the thought of mating season coming in and Ratchet immediately secreting deadly toxins which wouldn’t hurt another octo-mer but would absolutely decimate his partners and now he’s completely cut off from them for a while, pretending he’s okay with listening to them fucking every night, as if his array wasn’t throbbing the entire time. His mates are then subject to an extremely horny octo-mer once the toxin breaks down and he can finally get some transfluid flowing between them...

Also consider... Ratchet, in his post-toxin frenzy, managing to knock up all three of his mates somehow. Now he’s the sole sire in the tank and it turns his threat displays from mildly creepy to the staff to absolutely-the-fuck-no. No one is to approach the tank. The guy who brings the food barely makes it in before he’s already running. Ratchet has to climb up on the little platform and grab the food for his mates because it’s usually left right there by the door. He has now turned from the older, docile mer who occasionally chats with the staff into a goddamn, eight-tentacled menace.

[digiblueslush]

guys i've been wanting to yap about this for a while but its something that initially sounds kind of bad, but once I explain it I think it makes sense. This is a HUGE hear me out, and it is a complex, twisty, confusing idea and i get that, but if you have different or similar ideas to what I'm talking about PLEASE discuss with me I'd love to hear your thoughts about it and learn more about the debate too.

I think AI is actually somewhat ok.

I mean think of it. I am an artist, but I learned how to draw by observing other art. I learned what styles I like by observing others and replicating a combination of what I like. I google things and use what I find on google and tell other people when they ask about it. Is that not what AI does too? everybody can ask to be credited if you use their work as inspiration, but truth is unless someone is tracing or totally plagiarizing (which I think is ok as long as it stays as sketchbook practice or is credited when posted and isn't claimed to be original and isn't commercial. I've encountered my fair share of terminally online artists who think if something is just somewhat similar to theirs its plagiarism), most artwork IS a combination of observations we've made throughout the years both in the real world and of other artists we enjoy. Doesn't AI do that too?

This doesn't mean I have no issue with AI. In fact, I do have pretty significant issues with it to the point I won't use it at all, even if its right there when I search something. The issue I have with AI isn't within its programming, but rather how it is utilized. Currently AI, specifically referring to AI and art, is an EXTREMELY commercialized field. It is used to cut corners and make money with slop. If a human artist were to make art for a company, they likely wouldn't do so without being paid or at least benefitted in some way. Majority of people now only care about efficiency at least in some way. Social media has shifted to be more efficient in getting you to laugh, getting you to be angry, and getting you to stay on their app and watch their advertisements for as long as possible. Same day delivery is typically preferred over 1-2 day shipping both by consumers and big cooperation's. And AI gives company's that additional boost in efficiency.

Efficiency in itself is also a complex discussion. I view it as a generally bad thing, especially with how it is being utilized in the government right now (sadly in the US). I don't really think whats going on in the government is actually efficiency for the governments role, rather for the oligarchy. Outside of that context though, efficiency to some extent is necessary. If were talking AI, I don't view it as necessary or even wanted in most scenarios, but while writing this I thought of 2 uses that I think are currently acceptable. I think some people don't recognize the fact that AI provides many people with access to knowledge and information to those who otherwise wouldn't have access. Yes AI might not be as well as a doctor, but AI is quick AND (at least some softwares) free. In a society where the healthcare system is a giant cooperation rather than actual healthcare, it is great that people are still able to access medical information and somewhat reliable advice when they don't have insurance or transportation to the doctor or don't have a support system knowledgeable on health conditions. The second one I thought of is small businesses WHICH I KNOW SOUNDS BAD but hear me out for a second here. small businesses are typically a very high initial investment. Unless it is a business where a logo and advertisements are something that the business should reasonably be capable of (artists, graphic designers, screen printing, ect.) hiring an artist adds to that initial investment. I would still 100% prefer if a small business factored that into their costs, but I also understand its hard to initially get footing being a small business. If that is the one thing from preventing a small business from opening, I think using AI would be ok as long as they hired an actual artist for other projects moving forward

BACK TO THE ACTUALL TOPIC HOLY SHIT LMAO, the issue I have with AI is that big companies use it out of greed, not of necessity. Billionaires aren't something that can ethically exist. I would argue the same thing for the majority of millionaires as well. in what world is it acceptable for these companies to use unpaid services over paid services that already exist and are knowingly much better at the actual task at hand? especially considering the fact that AI is relatively new, meaning they would've HAD to already have artistic and creative services within their company. AI is not to the point that it can act independently, at least to public knowledge. If AI was truly as advanced as humans are, it wouldn't be as big of an issue since I'd assume they'd also want to be paid. But its not. AI is still just a tool. tools cannot make art. Tools help giant companies become gianter and maintain their status against threatening companies. Until AI becomes completely independant, it is not something I can fully support.

TLDR, AI existing and doing things is fine, but only when its fully independent (which it currently isn't) or when used to provide access to those without access to certain knowledge or information. It is midterms this week, I'm running off of little sleep and dimension 20, I have a convention I'm unprepared for this weekend, and ultimately i know this likely isn't phrased right but I needed it out of my brain so it just kinda happened.

ID LOVE TO DISCUSS THIS THOUGH BECAUSE I ONLY SEE POLARIZED "GOOD" OR "BAD" THOUGHTS ON AI AND I THINK ITS MUICH MORE COMPLEX THAN THAT SO NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK OF IT PLEASE ITS SO INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT

i swear if modern philosophers could exist outside of a religious context id be SO. FUCKING. GOOD.

[adultingautistic]

Hi, Snazzy. I'm currently self-diagnosed, but I've been considering getting a formal diagnosis both for validation reasons and for possible accommodations when I go back to school. One big concern I have though is with possibly losing the chance to get a hysterectomy. I need one for health, phobia, and dysphoria reasons so having the possibility open is extremely important to me. My current gynecologist is totally on board with me getting one when I'm ready {1/2}

and given my age, martial status, and lack of children this is a HUGE deal. He's very progressive and accepting of my gender so I don't want to lose him as a doctor either. I'm worried though that if I get a diagnosis, he'll suddenly think that I'm not capable of understanding the consequences enough to make that decision and will refuse to perform the procedure. Do you know if that diagnosis is something he would have access to without someone telling him? {2/2}

Oh this is tricky.  It entirely depends upon where you live, and how the medical system works there.  For example, in my county (not country, county), there are two major “hospital systems”.  All the hospitals and doctors in my area belong to one of those two major systems.  So if you go to a doctor affiliated with System A, then alllllllll the other doctors in System A can see those records, but none of the doctors in System B can see them. Yet.

This is all changing very quickly in my state, New York.  They are working towards having one huge, integrated health system for the state and in a few years it will be like that.  Which is good in a lot of ways, but also bad in some ways, like your situation.

And this is based on my county, which means even if you live in New York, if you live in another county that isn’t as technologically advanced in their medical fields, you won’t have this problem, and nobody will know your diagnosis unless you tell them.

So I can’t give you an answer that is specific to you.  You will have to do research in your area to figure out how the medical system where you live works.  However, even for me, if I wanted to keep my diagnosis private I could simply find a doctor that wasn’t part of either of the major hospital systems (I might have to travel far to get that), and then my diagnosis would only be a piece of paper in my hand, which I decide who I give it to.

As far as sharing that diagnosis with your school to get accommodations, that shouldn’t be an issue, as school records and medical records don’t mix, and so informing the school wouldn’t be something your doctor would ever find out.

Though getting a hysterectomy is a big surgery, and isn’t something you’d want to do while you’re in a semester in school because there’s too much recovery time, so it might be better for you to get your hysterectomy first, recover, then get diagnosed for autism and then go back to school, and that way you won’t have to worry at all.

[loneliii-aura]

The ability to say no directly, especially to strangers or acquaintances.

Context: my family is from Colombia, but I was born in the United States. Across a lot of Latin American cultures (let's define Latin American as the descendents of people who colonized by that particular blend of Iberian Catholicism, which generally included more forced religious conversion and 'marriage' than what the indigenous people of North America colonized by the British* experienced) that I've been around, it's considered pretty fucking rude to be direct. If someone's doing something that is a problem, you hem and haw and try to make you discomfort known, and the social contact carries forward that the other party should pick up on your discomfort and back off on what they're doing.

A couple of examples: I got to go to Costa Rica as a teenager with a few students from my class. (It wasn't exactly a class trip for legal reasons, but functioned as such.) On the last day we were there, there was a big earthquake--sonewhere, I don't remember where. We were supposed to spend the day at the beach, but our poor tour guide was getting 20 calls a second about removing us. She was hesitating and going "WELL" and trying to think of any and every way possible for this to work, while most of the students were going ??? 'but you aren't saying no? Is it that dangerous if you aren't saying no?' (No, but my feeling was that the mile between our hotel and the beach wasn't going to make a fucking difference, if a tsunsmi's going to hit let's die happy.) Our teacher finally picked up on it and was like 'we cannot and her supervisors are giving her hell pack it in let's go.' And we were corralled back to the hotel.

A more benign example: I'm part of a group that runs talks every month, along with my partner and family of choice. We used to do this out at the Golden Corral. (A cursed location, but not relevant.) They often forgot to keep people out of the room we booked (and we could NOT have randoms coming in on the subjects we were covering), so we needed to get them out. My partner is from New Jersey, one of the most direct cultures in the States, and was relatively polite, but was pretty fucking forward in that they and their three kids needed to vacate the room unless they wanted to hear explicitly about adult topics.

This made me want to curl up and never meet anyone's eyes ever again. I found myself upset with my partner after, even though everything that took place needed to happen for the group, and the staff wasn't on top of things enough to clear people out. I was upset that it hadn't happened the way I would have done it: apologetically acknowledging I was an imposition on that family's meal and trying to lead them to the conclusion. (It should be noted, this style of navigating the world is not very useful for actually getting oneself respected.) These days I'm generally able to look at what my partner does and, despite my cringing, acknowledge that being direct is a good thing, even if I'm not usually capable of it on my own.(Currently writing this at 8 am because my new neighbor is playing music so loudly that not even my white noise machine cranked up is blocking it. I've never had any interaction with them, but here we are. Sigh.)

Theye are exceptions - family is more okay to be direct with, I imagine because it's culturally assumed that you're obligated to be stuck with these people and if you can't be honest with them none of you are going to have a good time. There's a personality archetype of a woman who's extremely forceful in personality in a specific way that I think comes out of a very deliberate reaction to that culture that I've never entirely seen in western culture. (The Glam Kitchen person is an excellent example of that. There's a woman who does parody videos about the Atioqueña(TM) personality, where her husband being any kind of angry or annoyed with her, she gives him a look and/or goes on a tirade, and he's immediately meek and agreeable. To be honest, I associate this personality with being wildly abusive towards huaband and children, but this is probably not a reality, just propaganda/my experience from family.) This isn't "no one says no ever", and I do take it to the other extreme, where I'd rather jump off a bridge if I even think my presence will be an imposition on a stranger trying to get across who needs more room. But it's all personalty influenced by the same core.

What stuff is there that's uniquely a culturally western thing, but which western - here defined to consist of Europe, North America and Oceania* - people seem to think is universal?

Everyone's got blind spots, and you can't taste the inside of your own mouth, and I'd be curious to hear some things from people from different cultural backgrounds. Trying to just google this kind of thing only gets me the personal accounts of Americans telling stories along the line sof "back when I was travelling in [region] I was visiting people and tried to do [american thing] and they were shocked that I would do that! Even though it's completely normal! Isn't that a weird quirk they have?"

And while this is enlightening, I'll read a few and just think "bruh I'm from Finland and if you tried to keep your shoes on while inside someone's goddamn house I'd be weirded out, too."

*as a footnote, I'm also curious about indigenous peoples' observations about things that your own people do/don't do, which the descendants of invaders do differently and regard the same way