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paddedlittleparadise · 6 months ago

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Hi, I’m asking different related blogs if they have any advice for this because I’m not sure what to do when the time comes and I’d like some help if thats okay?

So I recently talked to my boyfriend, who is a little, about the idea of him possibly trying diapers because I think he would look and feel adorable. We had a long discussion about it because I knew it was a hard limit for him at first but he told me he doesn’t actually know why it’s a hard limit, rather more so being a stigma he’s created in his head about trying them. I told them he wouldn’t have to use them or anything, I’d reassure him all he needed and I’d take good care of him.

Now he’s telling me he wants to try it because he knows I’d make him feel safe. However he said he’s been thinking about it a lot and he’s afraid that he’ll try it and not like it and disappoint me (there’s no way he ever could, I love him too much)

Basically what I’m trying to ask is how could I make the experience, when it happens, the most comfortable and safest? How can I make him enjoy it/let himself be looked after? How can I ease him into this? He’s also autistic so gets overwhelmed easily. I just love him so much and I want him to be comfortable and make this enjoyable for him. Also what are like… the best ones? Idk. Like what would be the comfiest for him I guess. He’s very skinny if that helps

Hey there, Anon – thanks for the thoughtful question, and so sorry it's been so long since you asked this! I wanted to give you a proper response, and life was so crazy that I'm only just now getting to it.

First off, I'm no authority on this stuff. I'm just one kinky person on the internet, so please don't take my opinions as gospel. But right at the outset, I'd say that it sounds like you're starting in a very good place. You both are communicating, and you're both aware of hard and soft limits. You're also both open to negotiating, which is a great sign of a healthy relationship – so long as you can also maintain healthy boundaries for yourselves.

It's really so sweet what you've shared about your boyfriend, and it's super relatable! Few of us want to disappoint our loved ones, and certainly when we're trying new and intimate things, it can be SO easy to feel pressure to like stuff just because we know our partner wants us to like it. I therefore think what you both will need is a bit more courage and self-assertion. Ideally, he will find the courage and the confidence to say when he dislikes something after trying it for you, since he knows that that you'll still love him regardless.

This idea is obviously something you've communicated to him verbally, but perhaps you can find other ways to show it as well by example? Maybe try watching a show he really likes – or a food, or music, or a hobby – and don't be afraid to tell him if and when you don't like it? And encourage him to do the same with you? If you can establish a relationship in which you both feel it's okay to be different in your likes and dislikes, that can make open differences in intimate affairs that much easier to communicate.

You know, for example: "Hey, I know you really like tomato soup, and that's cool! It's just really not for me. How about we have it only once a week instead of twice?" "You know, I'm so glad you love that new Taylor album! It doesn't do much for me, but I do love seeing you happy. So don't worry – I'm totally fine with listening to it on repeat now and then."

Anyway, about making a first diaper experience comfortable and enjoyable! A few thoughts:

Let him try training pants instead of full-on diapers. Goodnites come in XL sizes these days (140+ pounds); they are super cheap and easy to find at many grocery/drug stores or Amazon. In case you aren't aware, these are pull-on, thin, disposable underwear made for bedwetting teens. Because they're essentially thicker, disposable underwear and they come with an assortment of cute/cool designs printed on them, they will likely be a great way to ease into diaper play. If he's unable to fit into them, maybe check Amazon for sample packs of 2 AB/DL diapers and see if there are some with designs he might like. Pretty much any AB/DL diaper will be soft and comfy. :-)

Don't make a big deal of it. When adults are wearing something babyish, we're often embarrassed by the experience. Sometimes what we want is to be able to duck into our room – maybe at our loved one's suggestion/command – and put the thing on ourselves. Wear pants over it, maybe. And then be completely, utterly normal about it. Let life go on. Have supper. Cuddle on the couch. Watch a show. Do whatever you normally would when he's in little space. Maybe let a hand stray down there and give a little pat, complimenting him on obeying you. Tell him how cute HE is (not the diaper; it's him you love. You want to show that you're not making him into your fetish dispensing machine.). And check in casually to ask how he's doing, or if he wants to take it off. Basically, the less of a deal you make of a potentially embarrassing ordeal, the easier and less overwhelming it will likely be for him.

After a try, don't rush. Give it some time – sleep on it. Check in a day or two later, maybe. See how he feels about it. If it works for you, try again – or maybe consider putting the ball in his court and let him tell you when he'd like to try again.

Communicate your own gratitude and concern. It sounds as though your boyfriend has a strong desire to please, so giving him a sense of how much fulfillment and joy he is bringing you can be essential. Sure, it will function as positive reinforcement and make it more likely that he might want to wear again. But more importantly, it will bring him relief and joy to know that he did well, that you still love him, and that even if/when he isn't wearing something special, you love him all the same.

Again, I'm very sorry for the delayed response. I hope these few thoughts will be helpful – and best of luck to you both!

-PLP

#ab/dl community #ab/dl #age/play #relationship advice

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solar-sunnyside-up · 1 year ago

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hey, something i've been struggling with recently is i've been struggling with "finding my people" because i'm a minority in my hometown, and a lot of people... aren't. they don't understand me, and often when i try to get them to understand they seem like they fall back into the old systems they were traumatized with (elitism, classism ect.,). 1/2 -solidarity anon

Im gunna say this at the top, this is so rough and im so sorry you gotta go through this sweetie. We are so isolated and filtered into categories within our current system in order to keep that isolation and to fight solidarity and unity. Now I cannot know for 100% sure what your going through or the extend your suffering. But will say I am from and currently still live in a oil loving, god fearing, anti-LGBT, and very racist city while i was raised wiccan by a poly core family and all my gay aunts/uncles and have been dreaming of an earthship my whole life plus every summer id be stuck in an even more harsh farming community that was so small they gotntheir first street light when i was 9 and the chruch is also town hall (mayor works in a wing off of the building). So there is at least some overlap in the experiences your having.

But that being said, how I got weirdly connected to people and involved in so many projects and stuff might not work for you.

Personally? I just yelled and yelled about the injustice of the system at work, about cool forestry projects and people buying ghost towns to start up Co-loving villages. Sharing discworld and different philosophers with coworkers backed up by their fave hobby. About how terrible the conservative politics are. About how cool transit could be if we funded it. About community art projects and how cool solar glass would make things look. About drags shows and events and did you know there is A SOUP FESTIVAL? I'm autistic and have only really interacted my whole childhood with friends with ADHD so my brain is weird and won't shut up once it starts going.

As a result of my ramblings, I have gotten a lot of responses mostly ones that are positive since if they didn't agree with my absurdist philosophy ramblings or solar project ideas they'd just leave the coffee shop. If they enjoyed it, say they want to join a community garden/event or if someone was as stoked as I was about again UNLIMITED TASTINGS SOUP FESTIVAL than we'd chat about that. The thing is a lot of these things have overlap. Someone who wants to convert their lawn into a pollinators habitate prob also likes little libraries and as a result prob also likes the idea of dark sky street lights. And down the rabbit hole you go.

That being said... my best actual advice is 2 pronged.

RESEARCH and REACH OUT

I personally have done years worth of research on my city. What local events and politics are happening? Even in rural places there is at least garderns, there's engineers, there's usually a LGBT focused club. And from these spaces, you can build a network. Doing research I found out about 5 different organizations in my city (most of which was founded 40 yrs ago??) That where sustainability focused. Doing research made me realize how cool community associations could be and how I could help mine out. It also gives you all those ideas for convos.

Second, I reached out to those groups about weird ideas I had, about if I could hang up posters for them in my local area, if I could buy groups worth of tickets in advance, and than also reaching out to the ppl I already talked to and had these ppl interact. My fave example of this is T. T is an engineer who built a fully functioning solar car during his degree program but specializes in hydroponics (how we ended up talking was over plants) he than gets shown my fave farm near by and now he's building the farms hydro system and Seedling house. Writing in to newsletter ppl and showing off weird layout design. This is ultimately very anxiety indusing. What if I'm bothering them? Why should I be spamming them like this? But the secret here is-

No one will ever be mad about you showing interest in their interest once you find those ppl. They want the interaction just as much as you do.

#sprout guide #solarpunk #community #hopepunk #connecting is so hard and swallowing differences that might seem hostile is so hard #asks #if you need more direct answers id need a more accurate idea how small/area if the place you live in sadly #so this is v broad #but feel free to DM me bout it with more details if you want

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kyngsnake · 3 months ago

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the viscerally sexual sci-fi movies remain viscerally sexual

[Alien: Romulus spoilers]

Suffice to say I really enjoyed Alien: Romulus. The film had me hooked within the first 10 minutes by introducing a new angle with androids and the way they’re perceived by their human counterparts. To me, regardless of the writer/direction’s intention, Andy is an allegory for the experience of an autistic person who is also a member of a marginalized community. I prefaced this with to me because I have long been obsessed with androids and always associate them with the experience of being on the spectrum.

I found it refreshing to see an autistic-coded android character who didn’t go the route of cold, calculating and robotic. I love Star Trek's Data as much as the next android enjoyer, but that trope often reads to me as perpetuating the idea that autistic people cannot grasp human emotions & depicts low empathy people as sub-human. Andy’s behavior (prior to the module upload anyway) struck me as warm and kind but with a lot of struggle to connect with people or behave the way others around him expect a "normal person" to behave. I do enjoy rep for low empathy folks, but this depiction of an autistic person* (imo, anyway*) felt closer to experiences I can relate to.

I also think the movie handled the autism allegory well in that even people who treated Andy well- that being Rain- infantilize him. It’s only when Andy is more than capable that people stop speaking to him like a child— but at that point, they begin alienating him in a different way. Now Andy is intimidating and can't be trusted. I think that Rain loves him, and I think she means well, but I think that's also true of a lot of people with autistic adults in their lives who they treat like children. It's not often done with malicious intent, but it still happens.

I myself am still trying to come to a full conclusion on how I felt about Andy’s whole arc. I can say that it was the most impactful part of the movie for me. Loved that the whole thing ended on a hopeful note. The green light on his central processor chip almost had me in tears in the theater.

& with that, the end of Romulus was the kicker for me that cemented as my second favorite Alien movie. Visceral, intense horror and fighting for survival, insurmountable odds and claustrophobia-- but by the skin of your fucking teeth, you make it through.

Oh, and the xenomorph parts were great too.

But genuinely, I’m still sitting on how I felt about all of the birth and sexual violence and frequently yonic imagery. I have a lot of thoughts about it but right now it’s all soup. I liked it. I like abstract and visceral eroticism. And deeply unsettling but well-placed allegories for trauma. The way facehuggers keep you breathing remains for whatever reason the most unsettling thing xenomorphs do. Idk what it is, the intense forced belly breathing just gives me the fuckin heebie jeebies.

I guess a lot of people didn't like the hybrid baby design? I thought it was great. Folks are so familiar with the xenomoprh's design at this point, they're more cool than they are scary. And hot depending on who you ask. But the hybrid? The way they fell into a weird uncanny valley with the humanoid face and the splitting humanoid tongue, the ghostly pale skin... I thought it was a smart direction to go for making xenomorphs freaky again.

#hello tumblr diary would you like a movie review #i specify regardless of director's intentions bc i have not looked into any behind the scenes writing choices #so i cant say with confidence that any allegories i picked up on were actually intended #bc i know i go into sci-fi movies with my own biases and preconceived notions #beautiful movie too #alien

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hargrove-mayfields · 2 years ago

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Billy and his brothers Jason Lee and Vance au!

@flashwaves @every-dayiwakeup

I talked about this on discord but I’m obsessed so I’m sharing here-

Billy is the youngest of three brothers. Jason Lee (from power rangers 2017) is his older by twenty minutes twin and Vance (yes Hopper) is the oldest brother by five years. All together in a trailer right across from the Munsons, they’re dealing with traumas from their individual canons on top of raising an orphaned Max. Also they annoy Wayne Munson because even though Vance is in his twenties he’s hardly responsible enough to take care of three teenagers and needs a hand (and lots and lots of homemade soup from across the way)

They’re all autistic because I said so. Vanny and Billy join Corroded Coffin just to be loud and have fun. Jason Lee isn’t into metal at all but he does play video games with Eddie (his bf also because I said so) while Vance sticks to pinball tho bc he misses simpler times and non-digital screens. Max and him walk or board to the arcade and spend all the pocket change she earned from helping kids (and Eddie. especially Eddie) with math homework because it's her special interest.

Shit goes wrong occasionally but nobody dies because Billy and Max have two badass brothers to fight for them and they aren’t dealing with shit all on their own this time. Jason Lee is their designated functional brother (but also he only drinks blue gatorade and tap water, so maybe not alfjslfk. he’s just the only one who can drive post ‘85) (Billy’s personal vice is being obsessed with chocolate milk while also being lactose intolerant. they’ve seen too much otherworldly bullshit to stop him from drinking it, though Vance and Jason Lee will occasionally lose their shit thinking their brother is going to die from milk poisoning [not possible])

They’re known to get themselves into trouble for each other (cough. the time Jason Lee knocked over an entire fridge at the grocery store climbing it to get the last choco milk for Billy. cough) so even though they tease Billy for being the baby brother or Vance for still not knowing how to style his curls neatly or Jason Lee for being a preppy loser they’re thick as thieves and would do anything for one another. Still they know better than to take Vance’s advice most of the time because while it was helpful to be taught how to fight for themselves, his new motto since nearly dying in ‘77 is “when in doubt, stab them first!” Stabbing is, however, usually not actually the answer. Again, there’s a reason Jason Lee is the functional brother.

Anyways the moral of the story is Billy has the big happy family he deserves :)

#moodboard #billy hargrove #hargrove mayfield siblings #(even more of them!)#autistic billy hargrove #autistic! max #just some ramblings to explain the au below the cut #ej writer

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danvolodar · 11 days ago

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On shared experiences

Ryoko Kui's interviews are just a gift that keeps on giving. Now that she's explicitly explained that she designed Laios to be normal rather than on a spectrum, there are voices in the fandom that suspect her own to be autistic if she considers that normal - since, you know, a lot of what Laios goes through just reflects the experiences people on the spectrum have.

And, well, I can't help but notice: pretty much everything that happens with Laios can happen with anyone, no matter how neurotypical. Strange hobbies nobody really understands or shares? So common there are even pejoratives in English for people who have these, such as "nerd" or "geek". Failing to pick up subtle social cues sent by a man from a different culture? Yeah, it's perfectly common to be oblivious to subtle social cues.

All in all, I feel these attempts to claim certain experiences as specific to certain conditions as opposed to them exemplifying our shared humanity detract from any analysis of any art piece rather than adding to it.

A political conspiracy theory follows.

The whole idea that people are inherently unable to understand others' experiences, including experiences with oppression, that underlies most of intersectional analysis, is particularly bad for it. Not only are particular experiences claimed, but they're proclaimed as incomprehensible to others based on their innate, inborn traits that they cannot change.

And, well, that got me thinking. Who's to benefit from disunion among the oppressed, if not the oppressors? Cui prodest? We know for a fact that the CIA is ready and willing to wage cultural war through whatever means necessary - say, they've admitted to promoting the modern abstract art to make the Soviet socrealism look outdated and boring. And if the American alphabet soup can sponsor and support even something this seemingly far removed from its ideological struggle, why rule out it subtly supporting the ideology that the oppressed groups can never understand each other?

Compare the modern leftists with the victorious left parties of the yesteryear. The latter sought to settle all the injustices: the social and class ones, the ethnic oppression, the gender inequality, the lack of access to medicine and education, the societies spending their wealth on war. Most of these are still issues that the majorities of the populations even in the developed nations are concerned with, especially if the problems are formulated in ways they understand. Instead, the modern-day left laser-focuses on issues that make a simple blue collar worker scratch his head at best, leaving the center-left ghouls as the seemingly only viable alternative to the right politics. Some of them also rather transparently toe the Washington party line - take the Greens in Germany, who are consistently pro-war, an absurdity for a left party.

And I can't help but wonder - is this the natural state of things? Or is it per chance a result of meddling from on high?

#dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon

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ionlydidthisforspirk · 1 year ago

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Sense im brand new, yall gotta know stuff about me

—————————————————————

1) What got you into Star Trek?

-My dad did! He made me watch AOS and I loved it!

2) How long have you been a Trekkie? Do you consider yourself one?

-I’ve been a Trekkie about a year snd a half, I consider myself a Trekkie!

3) Favorite of the series?

-TOS and Voyager!

4) Favorite of the movies?

-Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, Voyage home❤️

5) If you could live on any of the established planets, which would it be and why?

- call me basic, but Vulcan. I think the landscape is really pretty and I already live in a desert so I could handle the temperatures

6) Which of the major powers would you align yourself with and why?

-The federation? (Kinda confused by this one lol

7) Favorite species?

- VULCANSSS, they’re my babies❤️❤️

8) Would you want to be your favorite species? Why or why not?

-As much as I love them, I wouldn’t. I’m an emotional person I couldn’t handle having to contain them

9) What division do you think you'd most likely be in if you were a Starfleet officer?

-this is really tough, command or sciences probably

10) What rank do you think you'd be in any of the powers?

- this is also tough! I think I would just be an ensign (for now😈😈)

11) Which ship designs do you like best?

-I love Voyager!! Very pretty ship❤️

12) Which ship class do you like the design of best of [insert power/species here]?

-Klingon ships, who wouldn’t use the cloaking device?? But I just like the overall brightness of the federation ships

13) Star Trek food you'd like to try the most?

- Plomeek soup, in curious

14) Favorite characters?

-UGH I WISH I COULD SAY SO MANY!! But I’ll cut it down to Spock and Seven of Nine

15) 3 things you can't get over?

-SPIRK😭😭 ILL NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT THEM

- How badly I want to see future seasons of Lower Decks

-How Seven of Nine is queer😭😭 I’m obsessed

16) The character you absolutely cannot stand?

- I don’t really care for Neelix, I don’t HATE him but I’m not a huge fan either

17) Tribble. Yes or no?

-I’ll take the pink genetically modified ones, because they are cute! But I couldn’t handle the reproducing.

18) Favorite character ship?

-SPIRKKKKKK HUGGEEEE SPIRK FAN💙💛

19) Character(s) you feel is(/are) misunderstood?

- Kes, but only kinda. I think she had potential but she was also kinda annoying lol

20) Do you think the UFP should be allowed cloaking tech?

-I do! Because I don’t think they would use it for negative purposes

21) Do you read any of the books? Any recommendations?

-I wish I did but no

22) How do you feel about Beta content in general?

-no clue what this means

23) Have you played any of the video games?

-I have! I’ve played Star Trek bridge crew on my oculus and I reallly want the new game

24) How do you feel about a majority of the aliens being humanoid?

- I think it’s there for budgeting reasons, but I would like to see non humanoid federation members more often.

25) How do you feel about the "blending" method used for most of the hybrids?

-I think it’s cool!! I wish there was more hybrids!! (Except I have one issue with this which I will go into detail in another post)

26) What does your favorite character/s, or Star Trek in general, mean to you?

-Spock and Seven mean a lot to me, because I am autistic and queer. Its hard for me to understand other people’s intentions sometimes and hard for me to connect with people, and not only that but Spock and Seven being queer just made it even better❤️

27) Would you see/date/marry any of the other species?

-I would marry Vulcans in the spot. I love them sm

28) How do you feel about assimilation?

-awful and scary. I could never

29) Would you count the steps of Mount Seleya while climbing?

-I don’t get this

30) How long do you think you could survive in the Forge?

- I don’t get this either lol (I’ve never watched Enterprise)

31) Which model of the Enterprise would you prefer to be trapped on?

-SNW, because timeline wise, it’s older and probably has some sort of flaw you could use as a work around

32) How would you feel if you were trapped in the Federation building with Sarek?

-I would ask for his son’s hand in marriage smh

33) Would you take a slinky with you up the steps of Mount Seleya?

- NOW IM CURIOUS I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT MOUNT SELEYA IS

34) Which space dad would you prefer to be adopted by? (Sisko, Sarek, Picard, Tomalak, Tuvok, Jarok, Pike, Soval, Rom, Chakotay, Solkar, or David McCoy?)

-Tuvok or Pike, I think they could be such good caring fathers but also teach me solid life lessons.

35) How would you feel about a mind meld?

-I wishhhh I could have a mind meld

36) What about your crazy space aunt?

(Lwaxana, Deanna, Janeway, Seven, T'Pol, Kira, Uhura, Guinan, or Charvanek?)

- Lwaxana is I wanted a “crazy” space aunt, but Janeway if I wanted a super supportive aunt

37) Bones, Chapel, M'Benga, Bashir, The Doctor, Crusher, or Phlox?

-DONT MAKE ME ANSWER THIS I CANT PICKKKK😭😭

38) A member of the crew you'd like to hang out with for a day?

- BOIMLER!! I just know we would be besties

39) An event or episode you wish you could be a part of?

- This is sooo tough. I would like to see Lwaxana completely obsess over Picard in that one episode

40) Insert your own question here?

- SPIRK FIC RECS LOL LEAVE THEM HERE!!!

Star Trek Ask List

I don't know if a Star Trek themed list is out there already but I've wanted to post one to here for a while.

Questions will be answered by both the Captain and First Officer unless otherwise asked for.

1)What got you into Star Trek?

2) How long have you been a Trekkie? Do you consider yourself one?

3) Favorite of the series?

4) Favorite of the movies?

5) If you could live on any of the established planets, which would it be and why?

6) Which of the major powers would you align yourself with and why?

7) Favorite species?

8) Would you want to be your favorite species? Why or why not?

9) What division do you think you'd most likely be in if you were a Starfleet officer?

10) What rank do you think you'd be in any of the powers?

11) Which ship designs do you like best?

12) Which ship class do you like the design of best of [insert power/species here]?

13) Star Trek food you'd like to try the most?

14) Favorite characters?

15) 3 things you can't get over?

16) The character you absolutely cannot stand?

17) Tribble. Yes or no?

18) Favorite character ship?

19) Character(s) you feel is(/are) misunderstood?

20) Do you think the UFP should be allowed cloaking tech?

21) Do you read any of the books? Any recommendations?

22) How do you feel about Beta content in general?

23) Have you played any of the video games?

24) How do you feel about a majority of the aliens being humanoid?

25) How do you feel about the "blending" method used for most of the hybrids?

26) What does your favorite character/s, or Star Trek in general, mean to you?

27) Would you see/date/marry any of the other species?

28) How do you feel about assimilation?

29) Would you count the steps of Mount Seleya while climbing?

30) How long do you think you could survive in the Forge? 31) Which model of the Enterprise would you prefer to be trapped on? 32) How would you feel if you were trapped in the Federation building with Sarek? 33) Would you take a slinky with you up the steps of Mount Seleya? 34) Which space dad would you prefer to be adopted by? (Sisko, Sarek, Picard, Tomalak, Tuvok, Jarok, Pike, Soval, Rom, Chakotay, Solkar, or David McCoy?) 35) How would you feel about a mind meld? 36) What about your crazy space aunt? (Lwaxana, Deanna, Janeway, Seven, T'Pol, Kira, Uhura, Guinan, or Charvanek?) 37) Bones, Chapel, M'Benga, Bashir, The Doctor, Crusher, or Phlox? 38) A member of the crew you'd like to hang out with for a day? 39) An event or episode you wish you could be a part of? 40) Insert your own question here?

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the-coranic · 3 years ago

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Voltron Tag

Because I just want to do it.

How did you discover the show? I discovered it through my dad. He was a fan of the 80s series when he was a child. He even has an old toy yellow lion and Hunk out on display. Around when season 2 was still new, he was basically like “Hey, you should check this series out! I think you’d like it. There’s also a character voiced by the same guy as Finn.” so we watched it together and bonded over it.

Was it love at first sight or did it take you a while to get into the show? I fell in love immediately and I hyperfixated on it for at least a year. It's still special to me despite all of its issues, and that hyperfixation still comes and goes.

Do you have a favorite episode(s)? There were so many good ones. I honestly don’t know what my favourite is, but to name a few:

The Rise of Voltron

The whole Balmera arc, because Hunk is my son, my star, and I love to see him shine

The Black Paladin

The Depths

The Blade of Marmora

Blackout

The Legend Begins... just any glimpse I get at Blaytz and Gyrgan

Reunion

Monsters & Mana

The Black Paladins. THE KURON VS KEITH FIGHT SCENE YOOO

Do you have a favorite Paladin? Lance was always my favourite, and Hunk is a very close second. I think I relate to them the most.

Do you have a favorite Lion? Blue. I always wanted to pilot Blue. Maybe because it’s one of my favourite colours, and I’ve also got a connection to water - being a Scorpio, living on the coastline, being interested in marine biology, and being a swimmer? Idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Do you have a favorite Alien Race? Whatever Plaxum, Blaytz and Gyrgan are. I wish we got to know more about the last two, especially.

Favorite side/other character(s)? I absolutely adore Coran. Outside of Team Voltron - Matt, Kolivan, Acxa, Rizavi and Veronica, and I was also really intrigued by Lotor before they messed him up and turned him into sOUP???

How/Why did you join the fandom? I got really involved in the fandom because I just loved the show, but the only people I could talk about it with irl was my dad and kind of my sister. My old main tumblr was just all VLD for that period of time, and I mostly posted fanart and some memes, gushed about Klance, and convinced thousands of people that Mothman-fan!Keith was 100% canon. It was great.

What are some of your headcanons?

Shiro has a younger brother that Keith reminds him of

And before their history was revealed, I thought Shiro was like Keith’s adoptive father, or at least a supportive family friend who took him in after his dad passed

Pidge is autistic and non-binary, because me too

Lance has ADHD, because me too

Lance and Hunk were childhood friends

Autistic, lactose intolerant, hippo-loving, Mothman-simping, gay, half-Galra, Korean-Texan cowboy Keith was wild and pretty funny to me, and I still subscribe to most of that lmao

What do you think is the best part of the show? The characters and their potential was always the main draw for me. They’re still so important to me. I also loved the art style, the alien designs, and big robot vs. monster fights are always fun to me.

What were your hopes and wishes for future episodes/seasons?

I knew Keith was gonna inherit the black lion but I choose not to shut up about black paladin Allura

More fleshed out backstories (which I’m working hard on for my rewrite rn)

Getting to know everyone’s families better

Shiro speaking some Japanese, Lance speaking some Spanish, or just the Paladins sharing more human culture with the Alteans rather than just the other way around.

*cough* Canon Klance, although I also like the idea of Allurance. I just didn’t like the way they ended up portraying it. They also didn’t do a very good job of shutting down Klance and convincing they weren’t also in love lmao

Just Lance being happy again tbh like wtf?

Did you stick it out until the end of the show? I ended up dropping the series around season 4. I don’t remember if it was because I was already bored or too disappointed to go on, or that part of the fandom got too much, or just because I changed hyperfixations and didn’t get around to finishing it. I learned what happened next through other people’s reactions and it was so disheartening, but I finally rewatched and finished it myself recently. It was a rushed blur, but it was nice to relive the good moments.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #voltron fandom 2022 #about me #ask meme #headcanons

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theofreakingbell · 4 years ago

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Six random facts about me 😊

I was tagged by @littlekinng (tysm!! 🥰) to post six random facts about myself so here goes

1. I accidentally missed watching Biden's inauguration because I was too busy reading canonically LGBT+ victorian era Loki novel (Loki: Where Mischeif Lies) and had forgotten to check when it was. oops.

2. my username is after my fave character from said novel, Theo freaking Bell. I added the freaking cause I feel it is deserved, lol. Nearly everything he does or says in that thing is iconic. I also chose it because I too am disabled, LGBT+, and think Loki Odinson is the cutest

(sidenote, if you haven't read lwml, just know that while it has many cute and wonderful things it also may devastate you or piss you off trememdously. I don't want to spoil anyone, but consider yourself warned. I felt like I felt half the spectrum of possible human emotion reading that thing)

3. (cw for some serious ableism) I once got a guy banned from reddit cause he was saying mean (but comparatively tame to what he did later) things to other autistic people so I kept sending him lists of things to do on the internet when bored and faux sincerely responding to his posts and it really pissed him off and he went on a rant saying how my parents must have wanted to abort me cause no one would want an autistic child and I reported that for harassment and then poof! the next day his account was removed entirely. get fucked, Harrold :)

4. I love clothing / fashion, not like high street / luxury designer kind of fashion but like regular clothing kind of fashion, with an emphasis on sustainable and ethical manufacturing. also deconstructing preconcieved notions about like gender and clothing for instance and the sorts of societal pressures that can make people feel shame for what they want to wear. it's a huge passion of mine, and if my health allows it I was hoping to perhaps start a youtube or instagram or something about it in the future. I have no idea how to describe my personal style other than 'whatever I think is pretty' lol

5. some of my favorite musical artists are Adam Young (a.k.a. Owl City, though he's done other projects), Gabrielle Aplin (UK artist who isn't well known here in the US at all but who I love with all of my heart), Wardruna (I don't know all their songs but I know a few nearly by heart cause I love them, they are endlessly fascinating) and Pussy Riot, but more their ethos and style than their sound, exactly. I've actually talked to Nadya (Tolokonnikova) before, too, and she is the sweetest. also #FreePussyRiot. cannot believe we are having to do that again 😡

6. I picked brodinsons as my tag for Loki and Thor's relationship because I don't like choosing whose name to put first lol, and I think the name is adorable. they are my brotp to end all brotps, and two of my favorite characters ever. I love them so much.

I tag (but only if you want to, please don't feel obligated) @rqnarck & @chicken-soup-666 , and anyone else who sees this and wants to do it ❤️💚

#fancy blurb #i stg if this gets flagged as stuff just cause I mentioned Pussy Riot #this was fun I haven't done one of these in years #I had on my old blog but that was like. before trump got elected. and before I was out to myself #about my sexuality let alone my gender #so basically aeons lol

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canyouhearthelight · 6 years ago

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The Miys, Ch. 27

A little tension in this chapter, but then again, given what’s going on, everyone is tense.

I have the story written through Chapter 36, after which I will start working in the new characters that were announced last night. I think, once we get through the next 3 chapters or so, that you’ll agree there is some need for them....

My conversation with Xiomara regarding Maverick’s eating habits – or lack thereof – was more exhausting than expected. Having never spent much of her life around anyone who was not neurotypical, her method of ‘handling’ us was essentially to foist us off on any willing person and trusting them to keep it out of her sight. On the opposite side of that, I had grown up the most neurotypical person in my family, and made an entire career out of getting the best results possible out of people who spent their entire lives being told they were less. After about five minutes, I started to worry my teeth were going to break from grinding them together so hard.

“Xiomara,” I growled. “You can’t just expect someone else to work with anyone you don’t understand. You get better results out of your people when you acknowledge your differences and leverage their strengths. That also means that you have to watch out for their weaknesses.”

She scoffed. “You don’t even use that word. Don’t you mean ‘opportunities for improvement’?” she asked snarkily.

“This isn’t a skillset he can work on, Xio! It makes absolute perfect sense in his mind to go days without food rather than asking for something he actually will eat!”

“He was in the military,” she ground out. “He’s had to just eat what was given to him before.”

“Yeah, he was,” I cried, exasperated. “I got his service medical records from Grey. Maverick was hospitalized fourteen times for malnutrition before he was given geriatric vitamins. His weight was dangerously low at nearly every medical appointment before he learned to essentially bloat himself with liquids before physicals so he wouldn’t be force-fed anymore. He could have killed himself with hyponatremia!” I held up a hand and took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Look, all I am asking is that you do not allow him to fly until he has Antoine Costa, Grey Hodenson, or myself confirm he has consumed the amount of calories he is going to be prescribed. That’s it!”

“Maverick is a grown man, and you want me to require a doctor’s note to let him do his job!? This is too much, even for you, Sophia,” she sighed. “He’s pretty much the only pilot we have who can maneuver the ship. We need him.”

I wracked my brain trying to figure out how to get through to her. “How many times have you ended a meeting in the middle of a sentence and sent me to my quarters with an escort because you knew I would keep working if you didn’t?”

“That’s different, you passed out. Twice. Right in my office.”

“Exactly. ‘You take care of everyone but yourself.’ That’s what you said, right?” She looked away, embarrassed. “And don’t think I don’t know that Tyche isn’t the only one siccing Zach on me with food six times a day. This is the same thing, just more serious. Maverick legitimately doesn’t know that it isn’t normal to go days or weeks without eating anything but vitamins and protein shakes. His entire life has been that way, because people refuse to understand him and try to make him into someone he isn’t. I don’t understand why you are being so stubborn about this! Honestly!”

“And I don’t understand why you are coddling a grown man who is a picky eater!”

Click. There it was.

“You think he’s just being a picky eater? Seriously?” I asked, struggling not to laugh. “Cheese and rice, Xiomara. Didn’t you hear him when I got in his face over how he talked about Derek? He’s autistic, Xio. Well, sorta. He has Asperger’s. This isn’t him being a ‘picky eater’, this is his soul trying to eject itself into another dimension because something is ‘wrong’. I’m going to make sure we have foods he can eat, you literally just have to tell him either ‘no’ or send him to get one of us to confirm he actually ate. That’s all.”

“Fine,” she relented, hands up. “I’ll enforce this, but I still don’t agree with it. However, you and Grey apparently think this is a major deal, at least if he’s being given a prescription to eat, so I’m going to defer to you two.”

“All I ask,” I confirmed placatingly. “When does he need to be here for relocation to Meenie?”

“Preferably within the hour, so we can get everything re-calibrated if we need to.”

“I’ll make sure he’s here, I promise. Antoine already went to get soup, since Maverick hasn’t eaten in at least the time we’ve been on this level. Since we had to scrap the food that was already here, Noah is going to pick up dinner early and test everything before we’re allowed to eat anything, so the migraines should stop and we can have coffee.” I wiggled my bottle of water at her in an attempt to change the subject to something less charged.

“Whoever did this was clever, I give them that,” she stretched her neck and huffed. “If the only two people who weren’t affected are also the only two who have documented reasons not to eat anything, that means they’re just as looped up as the rest of us.”

I nodded in agreement. “Harder to find the person drugging everyone if they look like a victim, too. It makes sense. That, and messing around with the sensors in such a major way: the corridors leading to the storage room from every possible direction, damaging the spare parts… do we think the same person damaged the ones already in place, too?”

She shrugged. “It’s possible. I’ve discussed the likelihood with Noah, and they say it may be the case. We have some information that I don’t feel comfortable discussing up here.” She looked meaningfully around the room, able to see nearly every single person present from where she stood.

I glanced around before shrugging and agreeing. “Okay, let me go find Arantxa so I can show her how to choose a menu. Apparently she feels she has done a poor job the last few days.”

“That was her?” Xiomara shuddered playfully, earlier hostility completely gone. “Help us, Sophie-Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.”

I threw my hands up. “Ugh! It wasn’t that bad!”

“Everything that comes from the consoles is vegetarian, Sophia, because all the proteins are synthetic. Yesterday was entirely unnecessary.”

“I never said it wasn’t, just that it could have been worse, okay?”

“If it had been worse, I would make her a suspect because clearly she would be trying to kill us,” Xiomara joked. I laughed before waving her off and heading back to the table that had been unofficially designated as being reserved for my staff and family. Arantxa was staring at her data screen, while Antoine and Tyche were encouraging Maverick to eat slowly and not drink straight from the bowl. Surprisingly, Derek had a bowl of miso soup in front of him, but with no tofu, which was explained when I noticed an awful lot of tofu in Maverick’s.

“You must really like tofu,” I joked at the pilot as I sat down.

He just shrugged. “I don’t mind it, but Derek apparently hates it, so I scooped all his into mine.”

I glanced at my sister, who just shook her head. “Maverick offered him some, and the second Derek wrinkled his nose, hot shot over there just went ‘Whoops, tofu’s squishy’, fished it all out, then handed it back and assured him the rest is broth. He seems to like it okay.”

<It’s okay,> Derek confirmed. <I like how it feels. Warm and smooth.>

Huh. Cool, another food Derek liked. “We can definitely have miso soup brought in more often, it’s a pretty popular food if I remember correctly.”

“It’s for breakfast,” I barely heard Maverick whisper. “Dad always had it for breakfast, but Auntie wouldn’t let me have any until I ate my rice and natto.” He started to tremble as tears rolled down his face. “I don’t like natto,” he gulped.

As smoothly as possible so I wouldn’t startle him, I stood up and circled around the table. “Hey,” I said softly, brushing the tears from his face. “I think the soup is salty enough, Maverick. You don’t want to add any more.” He sniffed and nodded his head, but tears kept coming. “Besides, I’ve tried natto, and I don’t blame you. It smells bad, the texture is gross, and it tastes like coffee with blue cheese added to it.”

“Oh you have got to be kidding me,” my sister exclaimed, looking faintly green.

Maverick shook his head and smiled slightly, rubbing his face. “It’s really gross, but I had to eat it because she said it was good for me.”

<You won’t make him eat that, will you?> Derek asked urgently, looking slightly panicked.

“Ew! No! I can’t even stand to be in the same room as the stuff, how would I force him to eat it?” I turned to Maverick. “No natto, I promise. You never have to eat it if you don’t want to. What about the rice? Was that good or bad?”

“No rice,” he whispered.

“Okay, no rice. That’s fine. I eat it a lot, but usually for lunch or dinner, and you don’t have to eat it either, that’s okay.” I was starting to feel like his issue with some foods had nothing to do with the texture, after watching a normally cocky loudmouth be reduced to tears at the mere concept of a specific meal. “We can still do miso soup with breakfast, if you like. And… crepes?” I glanced around at Antoine, my sister, and my friend for confirmation. “He likes savory crepes, Tych,” I told her.

“Ooo! Miso soup and savory crepes would be really good!” she lit up genuinely. “Maybe spinach and mushroom? That would pair well I think.” Antoine nodded in agreement, a thoughtful look on his face.

When Maverick nodded, I let out a breath I didn’t know I had been holding. “Okay, so we can start there for breakfast tomorrow. Different kinds of crepes, some savory, some sweet. Miso soup, scrambled and boiled eggs on the side, as many different cheeses as we can get while avoiding the pungent ones. Greens. Toast, butter, and we’ll figure out a selection of jams, although one should be lingonberry to go with the crepes. That should cover pretty much everyone. Teas, coffee, water, and juices.”

“The tomato sangria again?” my sister asked hopefully.

“Definitely,” I laughed.

Arantxa scrunched up her nose as she finished inputting the list. “This is all over the place. How does that all go together?”

I shook my head. “Right. I’m supposed to be actually teaching this, not just doing it. Sorry. Um, yeah. So, a lot of cultures eat vegetables with breakfast, and some people just don’t like sweet foods, so vegetables and savories. Other people really prefer sweets for breakfast, so sweet crepes, toast, jams and jellies. Most cultures like cheeses any time of day, so those are always a good idea when you’re planning a meal and need to fill it out some. Then the drinks: you almost always want to include that exact list of beverages, just make sure the juices compliment what you are serving overall. Since everything on that list is pretty ‘bright’ from a flavor perspective, which usually means ‘fresh’, the sangria will go well, but we’ll pick at least one non-citrus since some people aren’t fond of it. We still have to fine-tune it, picking out which crepes, which jams, all that stuff, but it’s a good basis.”

“I have to go,” Maverick interjected, tilting his bowl so both Antoine and I could see it was empty.

I nodded, and Antoine stood before I could. “I will take him to Xiomara so she knows he is cleared to fly,” he patted my shoulder. “You ladies focus on what we need to do to keep everyone calm. Derek, don’t forget you need to come make sure everything is still calibrated.” With that, all three of the men at the table headed off.

“How are we supposed to keep everyone calm?” I complained. “We don’t even know exactly what is going on. The sensors were damaged, the replacements destroyed…. Rants, did Derek and Zach ever figure out who messed with the sensors in the halls?”

She shook her head, dark hair flying. “Unfortunately not. All they could figure out is that whatever caused it wasn’t done all at once. When Derek tried to trace it backwards, he was led to over thirty different terminals total. He said something about either a group of people involved, or something called a ‘spoof’?”

“Someone spoofing the source,” I clarified, only half to her. “What about Miys? These are their systems we’re talking about, they have to be more familiar. Did they find anything different?”

She shook her head again. “They only confirmed what Derek and Zach found. All of them are waiting for records of who accessed those consoles from 24 hours before the first access occurred until 24 hours after so they can try to narrow down the list. But, if it’s a group, I don’t know if that will help.”

“Investigations have to start somewhere,” I sighed. “Tyche, anybody got too much downtime right now?”

“Just us,” she remarked wryly. “All of the pilots who were brought up here are either on rotation as drone pilots or navigators, with the exceptions being Maverick and Evan since they are actually the ones responsible for moving the boat until we can get everything back on line. Pranav and his assistant are taking twelve-hour turns keeping track of minute camera adjustments necessary to make sure Maverick and Evan still have the clearest field of vision, along with managing the rest of his department remotely. Xiomara and Grey are riding herd on the flight crew in back to back shifts while also looking into the investigation as much as possible from here. Their assistants are filling in for them on the day to day stuff. Eino is still running education remotely, with his assistant as support. Huynh and his assistant are overseeing the finishing of sleeping space and the permanent installation of the bathrooms, while also trying to coordinate the construction of the diving platforms in BioLab 2.”

I tilted my head back with a groan. “Which leaves us. I still need to update the ship on what happened with the drugs. Tych, I hate to ask, but can you start drafting that while I go over the breakfast menu with Rants? That way, while she is trying to set one up for lunch, she can pick your brain and I can broadcast the update, start answering questions, and Zach can isolate and loop each question I answer until we have some FAQs, just like Arantxa did last time. Is that good for everyone?” I got nods from both women, and took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get started.”

<< Prev Masterlist Next >>

#the miys #scifi #humans are weird #original fiction #humans are space orcs #earth is space australia #aliens #apocalypse

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lisacongo2-blog · 5 years ago

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Beyond the Kitchen: For the Love of Reading

It’s time again to temporarily set down the pots and pans and pick up a good book. Don’t worry, I’ll be back to posting food again next week, but I really do like to break it up every now and then with something a bit more intellectually stimulating.

I fell a bit short of my 75-book reading goal in 2018. Maybe I was overly ambitious, having read 84 books in 2017 (not sure what happened there). Still, out of the 56 I did manage to read (I’m a fast reader, what can I say) I definitely encountered some good ones, and finally have enough really good ones to warrant another post.

These are the 6, er, 7 books that wowed me. That moved me. That stole productive hours from my day and kept me reading late into the night. The books that left me desperate for a sequel (sadly, none of them have one). They run the gamut from sentimental young adult to post-apocolyptic to murder mystery to romance. And actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had a more diverse group of books in one of these posts, now that I think about it. While I read all different kinds of books, the one common thread between all of them is a truly engaging story. A book might be beautifully written but if it doesn’t grab me, doesn’t suck me in, it’s not going to end up on my list.

Books keep stupidity at bay. And vain hopes. And vain men. They undress you with love, strength and knowledge. It’s love from within. – The Little Paris Bookshop

If you don’t already, follow me on Goodreads! I try to post ratings/reviews of books as I finish them, although lately I’ve only been rating the really good ones (mainly to refresh my memory when it comes time to write another of these kinds of posts, lol).

(As always, there are some affiliate links in this post, but all opinions are entirely my own).

Once upon a time we were the standard colors of a rainbow, cheery and certain of ourselves. At some point, we all began to stumble into the in-betweens, the murky colors made dark and complicated by resentment and quiet anger. At some point, my mother slid so off track she sank into hues of gray, a world drawn only in shadows. – The Astonishing Color of After

The Astonishing Color of After

I’ll admit, it initially drew me in with the beautiful cover, but the inside is just as stunning. The Astonishing Color of After is the story of a teenage girl whose her late mother returns to her in the form of a beautiful red bird, guiding her to Thailand in search of answers. It tackles the difficult, often taboo issues of mental illness and suicide, race and identity, as well as the deep personal grief in overcoming the loss of a parent. Heartbreaking, poignant, and beautifully written. I definitely recommend this one, but be sure to have a tissue (or two) handy.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

By far, the best book I’ve read in a long time. It felt like I was reading a narrative version of the board game Clue, if Doctor Who had written the rules. Serious props to the author for what is probably the most intricately layered timeline I’ve ever encountered… with more than a few unexpected twists. You’ll be confused. Almost the entire time. And that confusion won’t let up once the book is done either (wait, what? what just happened? hold on). The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a book that surely warrants a second read. Also, the writing is fantastic; there were numerous paragraphs and phrases that had me reading them over again out of sheer awe at their brilliance and wit (like the quote below… I mean, what a great way to describe someone who is not so bright, lol).

Working within the confines of Jonathan Derby’s intellect is like stirring croutons into a thick soup. – The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The Oracle Year

What would you do with the knowledge of specific events in the future? Would you keep them to yourself? Try to save the world? Sell that knowledge for personal gain? The Oracle Year explores this question, when the main character, Will, wakes up one morning from a dream with 108 predictions about the future.

I really enjoyed this one, despite it being more of a ‘dude’ book than the strongly feminine books I usually read. The plot and premise are so totally unique in a way that’s both outlandish and all too real at the same time.

The Book of M

Another post-apocalyptic novel along the lines of The Passage and Station 11, except the ‘disease’ in this case is less gruesome, but in some ways far more terrifying. I won’t give it all away, but let’s just say The Book of M has one of the most unique concepts for a plague sweeping through humanity that I’ve ever encountered, a disease devastating in more ways than one.

But even if I never say it, it’s still real, because a thing does not have to be said to be real. It just has to be remembered. – The Book of M

The Great Alone

Absolutely wonderful. The Great Alone is tragic and beautiful and vast in its tale of a young family in crisis who move to the Alaskan wilderness to find independence, adventure, and a little of the wildness within themselves. Also, this book reinforced the fact that I have no desire to live in a remote Alaskan town anytime soon, thank you very much!

You know what they say about finding a good man in Alaska—the odds are good, but the goods are odd. – The Great Alone

The Kiss Quotient

Quirky and cute and more than a little bit steamy, The Kiss Quotient is an unconventional love story will leave you feeling all the things. Like a gender-reversed Pretty Woman, with an autistic heroine who is genuine and sincere and nothing but herself 100% of the time. Sure, it’s a bit predictable, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. This would be a perfect follow-up after reading the Great Alone (lol), you know, lighten things up a bit.

The Marriage of Opposites

Set primarily on the tropical island of St. Thomas, The Marriage of Opposites tells the tale about the extraordinary woman who gave birth to painter Camille Pissarro, the Father of Impressionism (and in fact the book itself was so vivid in its depiction of the island that one could even consider it an impressionist masterpiece, painted with words). Based in historical fact but illuminated with fictional fancies and a forbidden love so strong it threatened to rip apart a community, this book is a must read for lovers of art, adventure, and historical fiction.

Perhaps that was what my mother disliked most. I resembled her. I could not help but wonder if for some women, that was the worst sin of all. – The Marriage of Opposites

Other Notable Reads:

Almost 5 stars. Not life-changing, but still definitely worth a read!

The Girl Who Smiled Beads – beautifully written and devastatingly tragic, this is the true story of a girl who escaped the genocide in Rwanda.

****

So, what should I read next? If you’ve read anything exceptional lately, please share in the comments! I may have 300+ books on my to-read list, but there’s always room for one more. :)

Happy reading!

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Source: https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2019/02/beyond-the-kitchen-for-the-love-of-reading.html

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adambstingus · 6 years ago

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21 social good innovations that had a massive impact in 2016

Image: Saltwater Brewery; Nifty Cup; WYSS INSTITUTE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY VIA MIT; LEKA; Bakeys; SafariSeat

2016 may have been a terrible year in many ways, but there was still some undeniable good to come out of the past 12 months.

For proof, look no further than the year’s most impactful innovations, offering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

SEE ALSO: 16 brilliant innovations tackling poverty around the world

From a futuristic bus that glides over traffic to a $1 cup saving countless babies’ lives, inventors developed ingenious gadgets and ideas that tackle inequality and improve the world for millions of people.

In no particular order and certainly not an exhaustive list these 21 social good innovations had a massive impact this year.

For more world-changing innovations, check out our list from 2015.

1. An edible drone delivering humanitarian aid

Image: Windhorse Aerospace

The only thing cooler than a drone is an edible drone especially one that saves lives.

An inexpensive drone prototype, called Pouncer, was designed to help deliver humanitarian aid to remote regions with impassible roads. The drone doesn’t just carry essential items for relief, but also features a plywood frame for firewood, wings packed with food and protective covers that can double as shelter.

Windhorse Aerospace, the company behind Pouncer, designed the drone in an effort to revolutionize aid in the aftermath of natural disasters. The team hopes the prototype will become a reality in 2017.

2. A wheelchair made for people in developing countries

Image: SafariSeat

For people with mobility-related disabilities, wheelchairs can be essential. But for people in developing regions, traditional wheelchairs are often unusable on the rough, rural terrain.

SafariSeat, an all-terrain wheelchair, is a low-cost solution to this often overlooked problem. The durable wheelchair is propelled forward by hand levers and features sturdy wheels. It’s also made entirely of repurposed bicycle parts, designed to be manufactured and maintained in impoverished regions.

SafariSeat began crowdfunding on Kickstarter in November, and plans to start production in Kenya in 2017.

3. Edible food packaging made with milk

Forget plastic packaging, and say hello to milk protein film.

To help curb the globe’s reliance on plastic for storing and preserving food, U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers announced the creation of a new biodegradable film in August, which is made of the milk protein casein.

The edible film is estimated to be 500 times better than plastic packaging at keeping food fresh, keeping oxygen away from food more effectively.

4. A bot that helps low-income families fight eviction

Image: JOSHUA BROWDER/DONOTPAY

When expensive lawyers won’t fit your budget, getting legal aid can seem impossible. But that’s where robots come in.

Stanford undergrad Joshua Browder released a bot called DoNotPay in August, which helps those unable to afford legal aid fight evictions.

To use DoNotPay, a person facing eviction has a simple instant message-like conversation with the bot, which acts as a virtual lawyer. Based on the conversation, the bot decides how to best serve the user, usually crafting a claims letter based on the information provided.

Through this computerized consulting process, the DoNotPay bot can potentially help low-income users save hundreds of dollars in legal fees.

5. A prosthetic that can be custom-molded in two hours

Image: Amparo

Molding a custom prosthetic usually takes several weeks, numerous appointments and lots of money. For low-income amputees worldwide, access to these prosthetics is simply impossible. In fact, 80% of amputees worldwide go without modern prosthetics.

German startup AMPARO created an alternative, drastically simplifying the process of custom-fitting a prosthetic to an artificial limb. The innovation, dubbed the Dignity Socket, is re-moldable, with the ability to adjust to big or small changes in limb size for more comfort. It can also be custom-molded to a wearer in as few as two hours.

The prosthetic was one of three winners at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Innovation Showcase in June.

6. A massive device that cleans coastlines

Image: FACEBOOK/THE OCEAN CLEANUP PROJECT

An ocean-cleaning innovation finally became a reality in 2016 after five years of research, prototypes and creativity.

Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat first proposed an ocean cleanup machine at only 17 years old. But a prototype of the buoyant boom-like device called Boomy McBoomface was finally put into action in June, thanks to more than $10 million in funding.

Slat’s device floats along a coast and creates an artificial coastline, catching debris on the surface of the ocean. A connected conveyer then lifts the garbage into a central tower, where it is sorted for disposal.

7. The high-tech toy helping autistic children socialize

Image: LEKA

Leka is way more than a cute-as-can-be smart toy. The interactive and multi-sensory device is more like a buddy specially designed for autistic children, encouraging them to develop autonomy through independent play.

The round toy plays sounds and music, speaks, lights up, and vibrates to engage children in multi-sensory activities. Leka is also customizable, which means it can be tailored to fit a child’s needs and comfort.

The toy completed a successful Indiegogo campaign over the summer, raising more than 152% of its goal.

8. A reversible tent that provides shelter to homeless populations

For many homeless people, one of the biggest challenges of living without stable shelter is confronting extreme weather.

WeatherHYDE is a reversible tent that protects homeless populations and families in developing nations against all types of weather. One side of the tent features reflective panels, which cools the interior down in extreme heat. The other side protects against severe cold by insulating the tent, trapping in body heat to warm up the interior.

A Kickstarter campaign to fund production and distribution of 500 tents to families in need ran throughout November, receiving more than $145,000 worth of funding.

9. A device that helps the Deaf community detect danger

Image: FurEnexo

If an alarm is meant to indicate danger, what happens when you can’t hear the warning? It could be dangerous or even deadly.

Furenexo, a startup based in New York, launched a Kickstarter campaign in July to build SoundSense, a small wearable that is designed to help deaf individuals detect loud sounds and alerts. The device is triggered by warning sounds, like sirens and car horns, transforming the audio alerts into felt vibrations.

The device will only cost $30 significantly lower than similar devices.

10. The biodegradable six-pack rings that feed sea life

Image: Saltwater brewery

Sick of seeing sad sea creatures stuck in plastic six-pack rings? You and your aquatic friends are in luck.

Florida-based Saltwater Brewery invented a biodegradable and compostable version of the classic plastic rings that makes use of their natural brewing byproducts, like wheat and barley. The best part: The rings are also edible, meaning sea life can munch on them without fear.

The six-pack rings went viral in May, when the prototype was first announced.

11. The $1 feeding cup that is saving infants’ lives

If an infant in a developing nation can’t nurse, they’re at an increased risk of malnutrition, or even death. But a new innovation costing mere pocket change has the potential to change that.

The NIFTY cup, a simple innovation that costs only $1, grants infants who can’t latch with the ability to feed. The cup features a spout that collects milk from the larger container designed to fit an infant’s mouth.

The cup was designed through a collaboration between global health organization PATH, the University of Washington and Seattle Childrens Hospital. It was announced at the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen in early May.

12. The machine designed to destroy your iPhone for social good

In March, Apple announced the creation of Liam, a 29-arm robot with destructive tendencies. Specifically, Liam was designed to tear apart your iPhone into recyclable and reusable parts with impressive precision.

Liam can disassemble an iPhone in just 11 seconds, sorting basic parts into pieces that can be sold, recycled or reused. One Liam device can disassemble about 1.2 million iPhones over the course of a year.

Mass distribution of the machines to Apple locations are in the works as part of the company’s environmental responsibility commitment.

13. The edible utensils that can replace plastic cutlery

Image: Bakeys

Thanks to Indian company Bakeys, you can now have your spoon and eat it, too.

The company created edible spoons made of rice, wheat or sorghum to help curb plastic waste. The cutlery, which has a shelf life of two years, comes in flavored varieties such as ginger-garlic and cumin. The spoons can even hold hot liquids, like soup, without dissolving.

The company launched a Kickstarter campaign in early 2016 to raise money for distribution in communities throughout India, raising nearly $150,000.

14. Sidewalk traffic lights for those glued to their phones

Image: Stadtwerke Augsburg

Let’s face it: You simply can’t be trusted to peel your eyes away from your phone even when crossing the street.

That’s why German public transportation provider Stadtwerke Augsburg embedded traffic lights in some city crosswalks around the country in April. The company hopes the new lights will help tech-focused pedestrians to cross streets safety even if they refuse to look up.

15. The futuristic elevated bus hoping to curb pollution

Image: XINHUA/FACEBOOK

In May, China’s top engineers unveiled a prototype of a massive bus that hovers over cars on the road. The innovation which was created to maximize road space, cut down on traffic jams and decrease pollution quickly went viral for its show-stopping design.

The electric-powered Transit Elevated Bus operates on rails, giving it the ability to drive over cars on standard roads. Each vehicle can hold a staggering 1,200 passengers, and the impressive system is cheaper and faster to build than existing public transport options.

However, with some design and safety barriers still in the way, the innovation still has a long way to go before hitting city streets.

16. The simple Zika test that is revolutionizing diagnoses

Image: Wyss Institute at Harvard University via MIT

The Zika epidemic, which spanned 2015 to 2016, had the world on edge and researchers frantically working toward solutions. One innovation to come out of the outbreak was a low-cost Zika test created by MIT researchers.

While traditional tests may take days, MIT researchers announced the new creation that takes only three hours. The paper-based test features a series of purple dots that turn yellow when exposed to blood samples containing the virus. And it only costs $1.

17. The robotic utensils helping people with disabilities eat independently

New robotic utensils are helping people with limited mobility regain mealtime independence.

The line, called Liftware, features two utensils individually designed to help with hand tremors, limited reach and other mobility conditions. And it’s all through high-tech sensors, computers and motors that fit into a tiny spoon.

The utensils can be used with spoon or fork attachments, and were designed specifically for those living with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson’s disease and post-stroke mobility issues.

The utensils are currently available for $195.

18. The system helping refugees pay for food with a blink of an eye

Image: World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme, which addresses food needs of refugee populations, launched a new system in February that uses iris scans to distribute food assistance to Syrian refugees.

The system simply requires scanning the eyes of refugees at checkout while shopping for groceries. Used in several refugee camps in Jordan, the scanning system provides greater safety and security than standard electronic payment cards, which can easily be lost, stolen or misused.

19. The Facebook tool helping users connect during disasters

Image: Facebook

In the aftermath of a disaster, finding food, water and shelter can be incredibly difficult, especially for low-income communities.

A Facebook tool called Community Help, which was announced at the Facebook Social Good Forum in November, hopes to close these gaps by connecting those in need to essentials like food, water, transportation and shelter. The new feature will pop up after a user checks in as “safe” through Safety Check, allowing users in the area to connect with others who are offering or looking for help after a disaster.

The feature will officially roll out to Facebook users in January 2017.

20. A sturdy condom that refuses to rip

Image: lelo hex

LELO HEX condoms are upping the safer sex game by providing stronger, more durable condoms with less risk of tears.

The condom which has been seven years in the making uses a hexagonal pattern to mold to the wearer, withstanding more stress and friction than traditional condoms. The inventors hope it will provide wearers with a more secure, more pleasurable option for contraception.

The condom became available for purchase over the summer through an Indiegogo campaign.

21. An ingenious no-electricity cooler made with plastic bottles

Image: YOUTUBE/GRAMEEN INTEL SOCIAL BUSINESS LTD.

Do you have a few plastic bottles lying around? Then you can make an air conditioner really.

Eco-Cooler is a low-cost cooling system designed for developing regions. It’s constructed from halved plastic bottles inserted into a grid-like board, which is then installed in a hut like a window pane.

Each bottle’s neck collects and compresses air from hot breezes, cooling it down dramatically. The innovation can drop temperatures inside a hut as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Several rural communities in Bangladesh have already implemented the system, which is an eco-friendly solution for communities lacking electrical access.

BONUS: Student invents genius kitchen appliance for people with 1 arm

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/21-social-good-innovations-that-had-a-massive-impact-in-2016/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/175134299237

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allofbeercom · 6 years ago

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21 social good innovations that had a massive impact in 2016

Image: Saltwater Brewery; Nifty Cup; WYSS INSTITUTE AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY VIA MIT; LEKA; Bakeys; SafariSeat

2016 may have been a terrible year in many ways, but there was still some undeniable good to come out of the past 12 months.

For proof, look no further than the year’s most impactful innovations, offering solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.

SEE ALSO: 16 brilliant innovations tackling poverty around the world

In no particular order and certainly not an exhaustive list these 21 social good innovations had a massive impact this year.

For more world-changing innovations, check out our list from 2015.

1. An edible drone delivering humanitarian aid

Image: Windhorse Aerospace

The only thing cooler than a drone is an edible drone especially one that saves lives.

2. A wheelchair made for people in developing countries

Image: SafariSeat

For people with mobility-related disabilities, wheelchairs can be essential. But for people in developing regions, traditional wheelchairs are often unusable on the rough, rural terrain.

SafariSeat began crowdfunding on Kickstarter in November, and plans to start production in Kenya in 2017.

3. Edible food packaging made with milk

Forget plastic packaging, and say hello to milk protein film.

The edible film is estimated to be 500 times better than plastic packaging at keeping food fresh, keeping oxygen away from food more effectively.

4. A bot that helps low-income families fight eviction

Image: JOSHUA BROWDER/DONOTPAY

When expensive lawyers won’t fit your budget, getting legal aid can seem impossible. But that’s where robots come in.

Stanford undergrad Joshua Browder released a bot called DoNotPay in August, which helps those unable to afford legal aid fight evictions.

Through this computerized consulting process, the DoNotPay bot can potentially help low-income users save hundreds of dollars in legal fees.

5. A prosthetic that can be custom-molded in two hours

Image: Amparo

The prosthetic was one of three winners at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Innovation Showcase in June.

6. A massive device that cleans coastlines

Image: FACEBOOK/THE OCEAN CLEANUP PROJECT

An ocean-cleaning innovation finally became a reality in 2016 after five years of research, prototypes and creativity.

7. The high-tech toy helping autistic children socialize

Image: LEKA

The toy completed a successful Indiegogo campaign over the summer, raising more than 152% of its goal.

8. A reversible tent that provides shelter to homeless populations

For many homeless people, one of the biggest challenges of living without stable shelter is confronting extreme weather.

A Kickstarter campaign to fund production and distribution of 500 tents to families in need ran throughout November, receiving more than $145,000 worth of funding.

9. A device that helps the Deaf community detect danger

Image: FurEnexo

If an alarm is meant to indicate danger, what happens when you can’t hear the warning? It could be dangerous or even deadly.

The device will only cost $30 significantly lower than similar devices.

10. The biodegradable six-pack rings that feed sea life

Image: Saltwater brewery

Sick of seeing sad sea creatures stuck in plastic six-pack rings? You and your aquatic friends are in luck.

The six-pack rings went viral in May, when the prototype was first announced.

11. The $1 feeding cup that is saving infants’ lives

If an infant in a developing nation can’t nurse, they’re at an increased risk of malnutrition, or even death. But a new innovation costing mere pocket change has the potential to change that.

12. The machine designed to destroy your iPhone for social good

Mass distribution of the machines to Apple locations are in the works as part of the company’s environmental responsibility commitment.

13. The edible utensils that can replace plastic cutlery

Image: Bakeys

Thanks to Indian company Bakeys, you can now have your spoon and eat it, too.

The company launched a Kickstarter campaign in early 2016 to raise money for distribution in communities throughout India, raising nearly $150,000.

14. Sidewalk traffic lights for those glued to their phones

Image: Stadtwerke Augsburg

Let’s face it: You simply can’t be trusted to peel your eyes away from your phone even when crossing the street.

15. The futuristic elevated bus hoping to curb pollution

Image: XINHUA/FACEBOOK

However, with some design and safety barriers still in the way, the innovation still has a long way to go before hitting city streets.

16. The simple Zika test that is revolutionizing diagnoses

Image: Wyss Institute at Harvard University via MIT

17. The robotic utensils helping people with disabilities eat independently

New robotic utensils are helping people with limited mobility regain mealtime independence.

The utensils are currently available for $195.

18. The system helping refugees pay for food with a blink of an eye

Image: World Food Programme

The United Nations World Food Programme, which addresses food needs of refugee populations, launched a new system in February that uses iris scans to distribute food assistance to Syrian refugees.

19. The Facebook tool helping users connect during disasters

Image: Facebook

In the aftermath of a disaster, finding food, water and shelter can be incredibly difficult, especially for low-income communities.

The feature will officially roll out to Facebook users in January 2017.

20. A sturdy condom that refuses to rip

Image: lelo hex

LELO HEX condoms are upping the safer sex game by providing stronger, more durable condoms with less risk of tears.

The condom became available for purchase over the summer through an Indiegogo campaign.

21. An ingenious no-electricity cooler made with plastic bottles

Image: YOUTUBE/GRAMEEN INTEL SOCIAL BUSINESS LTD.

Do you have a few plastic bottles lying around? Then you can make an air conditioner really.

Each bottle’s neck collects and compresses air from hot breezes, cooling it down dramatically. The innovation can drop temperatures inside a hut as much as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Several rural communities in Bangladesh have already implemented the system, which is an eco-friendly solution for communities lacking electrical access.

BONUS: Student invents genius kitchen appliance for people with 1 arm

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/21-social-good-innovations-that-had-a-massive-impact-in-2016/

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