#while i played a link to the past)

[cable-salamdr]

So I started Tears Of The Kingdom (again)

I am very normal about this game (all of this is based on my own gameplay, yes, even the dick building one.)

[amanitacurses]

[vynnyal]

Finally finishing totk

[mastersoftheair]

an interview with anthony boyle for the times. you can read the rest here

[funsizedcrow]

FINALLY playing ocarina of time

[marinsawakening]

I'm really not a fan of Impa staying behind in the past at the end of Skyward Sword. Not because I think it's out of character, but because I think it's unsubstantiated.

Impa is a very duty-oriented character, and as such, I think it makes sense for her to prioritize doing her duty over Zelda's feelings. However, what her 'duty' in the past actually is... well. It's a bit lame. The reasons given are as follows:

First: Watching over the Master Sword while the remnants of Demise decay in it, to prevent his reawakening. I think this is lame because, a) we don't have any evidence Impa can do anything to make sure Demise doesn't reawaken in the first place, that seems to be all Fi, and b) realistically, what is Impa gonna do if Demise does reawaken? Impa lost every single fight she had with Ghirahim in canon, and Ghirahim is nothing compared to Demise. And Old Impa couldn't do a thing to stop a weakened version of Demise from escaping his seal. That was a pretty important thing that happened. Three times. Impa absolutely could not take Demise in a fight, not without help. But she destroyed the Gate of Time, and seems to be the only living human left on the Surface; she'd have literally no way of getting help if Demise did awaken. So she's watching over the Master Sword in case Demise reawakens to do... what? Die? This is not a good plan. They could've simply taken the Master Sword back to the future and placed Fi into her pedestal there.

Second: To watch over the Triforce, which is really dangerous and important and must be spirited away after use. Y'know, the same Triforce that sits on the giant statue of the Goddess during the end credit scene. That one. Yeah I sure believe Impa needed to stay in the past and be alone for thousands of years to guard it when Zelda and Link just plop it on the most obvious landmark in a 100 kilometer radius. C'mon now do you really expect me to buy this?

Franklly, Impa staying behind feels like a cheap way to get a plot twist and a death scene in. Which is lame.

Firstly, forcing your plot twists and emotional moments like this undercuts their impact in the narrative. I felt no emotion except maybe vague annoyance during Impa's death scene because it felt so thoroughly unnecessary, and I adore Impa. She is my favourite Skyward Sword character by far and my second favourite LOZ character. If anyone should've gotten emotional here it should've been me, but I wasn't, because this did not feel like a satisfying conclusion to her character. It felt like a cheap moment meant to make me cry.

And second, what does the plot twist that the Old One is Impa actually like... do? The Old One mostly exists to infodump at Link. She displays very little personality, certainly not as much as young Impa (despite her relatively little screentime), so much so that even though I was spoiled for this plot twist, I still had trouble remembering that they were the same character. Knowing that the Old One is Impa does make her relationship to Groose more interesting, I'll give them that, but that alone does not justify such a blatantly forced set-up for the plot twist. The pay-off isn't so good that I can ignore the forced set-up.

The most irritating thing to me is that it really isn't hard to come up with a good reason for Impa to stay in the past. Or at least, it would be if Skyward Sword made literally any effort at all to keep its time travel shenanigans straight. Logically, past!Zelda should still be asleep in the crystal, even though present!Zelda is talking to Impa. If Impa asserted that she had to stay behind to protect Zelda, who is helpless in the crystal if, for example, a past version of Ghirahim decides to try and attack her, I would've bought that. That is a job I could realistically see Impa doing, because even if she's lost fights with Ghirahim before, they've been close enough that I don't doubt she could win under the right circumstances. This is a job that makes sense for her to have. It wouldn't have been my personal preference, I think Impa's arc could've ended far more interestingly if she decided to go to the future after all, but I would've been fine with it.

As it stands, I think the decision to have Impa stay behind in the past is forced and nonsensical. It feels like it's purely there to justify a plot twist and an emotional death scene, which just made me deeply unimpressed by both.

[hide-your-bugs-away]

Was standing in line at the IKEA food court line and adjusting some of the magazines/45s I brought with me to measure for display and this older lady and her husband behind me saw the Alan Price sheet music I had in my bag and RECOGNIZED HIM. I was making small talk with them about the meatballs always being out and she was like, "What other singles do you have? I saw you have Alan Price in there!" and I was 🤯🤯🤯

THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER MEETING SOMEONE IRL IN THE UNITED STATES WHO KNEW ALAN BY NAME. WAHHHHHHHHHHHH yes I infodumped to her for 45 minutes while we ate and showed her my magazines 🙏

[waywardsalt]

also im so fucking enamored with the idea of linebeck having long hair. like not shoulder length not a bit past the shoulder like when his hair gets wet and it flattens out the bits that stick out its like. oh hes never cut his hair before. its a general thing but i also just rlly like it

[tobeconsumed]

Hugh Dancy doing so many goddamn Monologues is what breathes life into my form when I awake in the morning so here are the links :

Prince Charming Apologizes from the Pool by Talene Monahon

https://youtu.be/lwTPcA1eZjc

Wow by Donald Margulies

https://youtu.be/XVmhybjb_do

Essential by Mario Correa

https://youtu.be/kSSmxjIIqc4

Ship of Fools by Jonathan Marc Sherman

https://youtu.be/0ZnqK1T6tVk

we were dazzling once. by Christopher Oscar Peña

https://youtu.be/At70z317FX0

he also of course did Greater Nightjar by Alex Edelman, but I can't find that one on YouTube so I may upload the video later :))

[tigergendermoved2tigergender]

I'm ngl the longer it's been since I've played TOTK the less I like it I think

[torgawl]

this week's episode was pretty set on confirming a few of our suspections were true like tianchen impersonating his sister and cheng xiaoshi being in lu guang's body at the end of the last episode. to me the thing i'm most curious about is tianchen's ability. is he actually red eyes? red eyes from last season could use their ability though photos but the tianchen we personally know controlls people through touch. having the ability to control multiple people (or two, specifically) simultaneously, which is something quite interesting. unless he can use his technique in two different ways, which we haven't seen any ability user do so far, this feels really odd and i'm starting to think the siblings having red eyes was simply a detail to throw us off?! maybe this doesn't make sense but you know how cxs has brown eyes but his eyes change colour while using his ability? why wouldn't tianchen's eyes change colour if he was the one possessing other people's bodies? and the way his eyes glow in the final scene with lu-guang... is that to show he's evil or is that a sign he's using his ability? but then how? because he was just talking to lu guang in his own body and lu guang wasn't under his influence, right? i'm very confused about him and his relationship with qian jin

[agentravensong]

fuck it, more warm and fuzzies while i'm here:

if you happen to be one of the three people who saw the post i made about the play i saw my freshman year of college, where i glomped onto a certain character, then i hope you're happy to hear that i got to see the guy who played that character and graduated two years ago again yesterday! he came to mc for the acapella event i posted about. i grabbed him right after the show ended to tell him that a) i remembered his performance in that show from four years ago, b) it's good to see he's doing well, and c) theater at our college has been bouncing back since he left (specifically citing our hamlet production and the incredibly talented freshmen who led the show).

i didn't mention my name cause it wouldn't mean anything to him (we were in chorale together, but that was mostly over zoom). it was just good to see him, and he seemed to appreciate the stuff i shared with him. human interaction is worth it sometimes :)

[skenpiel]

FINALLY BEAT THIS STUPID ASS GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[yujateaandpi]

Hi guys! Yujatea here! If you enjoy my work, I’d like to please ask for a moment of your time to consider helping this family I’m supporting! Shaima is a mother of four children, Abdul Rahim, Walid, Majdi, and baby Amal. Shaima is struggling to support her children since her husband disappeared, and needs urgent help with providing food and resources for them, especially as winter sweeps through Gaza! This family’s fundraising campaign (@familgazaamal1) is completely vetted and I’m trying to use my platforms to raise awareness on their behalf. I’ll be opening my commissions to raise funds for their campaign so keep your eyes peeled! I’ll also post their fundraiser link in my highlights as well! Thanks guys! Let’s do our part to reclaim kindness and uplift each other!

Here's a message from the family:

In Gaza, where conflict looms over daily life, children’s dreams remain a ray of hope. Abdul Rahim, a young boy, dreams of becoming a famous artist, using his drawings to tell the world about the beauty of his homeland. Walid, on the other hand, dreams of playing football in a big stadium, representing his country despite the obstacles around him. Majdi, a cat lover, dreams of becoming a kind person and helping children. Majdi, who dreams of opening an animal shelter to care for animals in Gaza. Even in the midst of war, these children cling to their dreams, believing that one day, despite the difficulties, they will achieve their goals. Their dreams are not only about personal success, but also about shedding light on a world filled with darkness. These dreams symbolize the resilience of Gaza’s children, showing that hope and determination can survive even the most difficult circumstances.

In the heart of the ongoing war, Shaima lives with her four children, constantly struggling with pain and waiting. Her husband, who was once the source of security and happiness, left a long time ago, facing the challenges of war far from them. Every day, Shaima makes earnest efforts to keep life going despite the hardships. She strives to provide food and shelter while trying to instill hope in the hearts of her children, who are still waiting for their father’s return, a father they know little about other than his absence. Her four children, despite their young age, carry great hopes in their hearts. The eldest, who everyone sees as the "little father," dreams of their father returning to embrace them as he did in the past. The youngest, on the other hand, wakes up at night searching for his father's voice, wishing for his return to feel safe again. Shaima's dream is every mother’s dream in this war: for her husband to return safely so they can live together again in peace and security. She dreams of the days when her husband filled their home with joy, and she prays for the end of the war so their family can reunite once more. Yet, amid the destruction and tears, hope remains their strength. Shaima knows that her patience and resilience are what keep the family going. Despite the difficult days, she continues to resist, dreaming of the moment when her family will be whole again, with her husband and the father of her children back home.

[r0semultiverse]

I wanna make a new Youtube bio and things that feel less “this person just calls themselves an ally” because times have changed and language, phrases, and attitudes change too.

I kinda want to do something casual?? Like “hey what’s up I’m Rose, I voice act and just kind of post whatever I want whenever I want. If you’re here for consistency you’ve come to the wrong place! If you’re here for personality then welcome, I hope you’ve found something you enjoy and if not, that’s okay too!”

Anyone got ideas on what I should do or should I just leave it as is? 🧐

[curlicuecal]

playing science telephone

Hi folks. Let's play a fun game today called "unravelling bad science communication back to its source."

Journey with me.

Saw a comment going around on a tumblr thread that "sometimes the life expectancy of autism is cited in the 30s"

That number seemed..... strange. The commenter DID go on to say that that was "situational on people being awful and not… anything autism actually does", but you know what? Still a strange number. I feel compelled to fact check.

Quick Google "autism life expectancy" pulls up quite a few websites bandying around the number 39. Which is ~technically~ within the 30s, but already higher than the tumblr factoid would suggest. But, guess what. This number still sounds strange to me.

Most of the websites presenting this factoid present themselves as official autism resources and organizations (for parents, etc), and most of them vaguely wave towards "studies."

Ex: "Above And Beyond Therapy" has a whole article on "Does Autism Affect Life Expectancy" and states:

The link implies that it will take you to the "research studies" being referenced, but it in fact takes you to another random autism resource group called.... Songbird Care?

And on that website we find the factoid again:

Ooh, look. Now they've added the word "some". The average lifespan for SOME autistic people. Which the next group erased from the fact. The message shifts further.

And we have slightly more information about the study! (Which has also shifted from "studies" to a singular "study"). And we have another link!

Wonderfully, this link actually takes us to the actual peer-reviewed 2020 study being discussed. [x]

And here, just by reading the abstract, we find the most important information of all.

This study followed a cohort of adolescent and adult autistic people across a 20 year time period. Within that time period, 6.4% of the cohort died. Within that 6.4%, the average age of death was 39 years.

So this number is VERY MUCH not the average age of death for autistic people, or even the average age of death for the cohort of autistic people in that study. It is the average age of death IF you died young and within the 20 year period of the study (n=26), and also we don't even know the average starting age of participants without digging into earlier papers, except that it was 10 or older. (If you're curious, the researchers in the study suggested reduced self-sufficiency to be among the biggest risk factors for the early mortality group.)

But the number in the study has been removed from it's context, gradually modified and spread around the web, and modified some more, until it is pretty much a nonsense number that everyone is citing from everyone else.

There ARE two other numbers that pop up semi-frequently:

One cites the life expectancy at 58. I will leave finding the context for that number as an exercise for the audience, since none of the places I saw it gave a direct citation for where they were getting it.

And then, probably the best and most relevant number floating around out there (and the least frequently cited) draws from a 2023 study of over 17,000 UK people with an autism diagnosis, across 30 years. [x] This study estimated life expectancies between 70 and 77 years, varying with sex and presence/absence of a learning disability. (As compared to the UK 80-83 average for the population as a whole.)

This is a set of numbers that makes way more sense and is backed by way better data, but isn't quite as snappy a soundbite to pass around the internet. I'm gonna pass it around anyway, because I feel bad about how many scared internet people I stumbled across while doing this search.

People on quora like "I'm autistic, can I live past 38"-- honey, YES. omg.

---

tl;dr, when someone gives you a number out of context, consider that the context is probably important

also, make an amateur fact checker's life easier and CITE YOUR SOURCES