#Smart Structures

[srjsteel]

Smart Structures Start with Super Rings: Engineering Precision by SRJ Steel

The strength of a structure begins at its very foundation — and Super Rings are increasingly proving themselves as indispensable components in high-performance construction.

These seemingly simple circular reinforcements offer far more than just support; they engineer precision into every build, especially when paired with essential materials like binding wires and dowel bars in rigid pavement.

Why Structural Precision Matters

In heavy-obligation construction and infrastructure, precision isn't non-compulsory — it's fundamental. Any variance in alignment or structural bonding can bring about long-term weaknesses. This is where Super Rings play a crucial role. Their design ensures uniform spacing and circular reinforcement, allowing concrete structures to maintain form and function under various stress conditions.

What Are Super Rings?

Super Rings are specialized circular ties used to reinforce concrete columns and piers. Unlike conventional rings, they’re manufactured with higher dimensional accuracy and consistent strength. This translates to:

Enhanced load distribution

Reduced risk of deformation

Improved seismic resistance

Their integration with binding wires creates a tightly wound reinforcement cage that can handle dynamic loads without displacement.

Binding Wires: The Silent Strength

Often underestimated, binding wires are the unsung heroes of steel reinforcement. These wires tie the rebars, Super Rings, and other steel components securely in place before concrete pouring. They:

Prevent movement during concrete setting

Maintain geometric alignment

Distribute internal stress evenly

In practice, binding wires work synergistically with Super Rings to ensure stability. Without proper tying, even the most advanced Super Rings can’t fulfill their potential.

Dowel Bars in Rigid Pavement: Supporting the Horizontal Load

Horizontal alignment in pavements demands a different kind of reinforcement — dowel bars in rigid pavement. These cylindrical bars are embedded at slab joints to:

Transfer load between concrete panels

Prevent differential settlement

Enhance longevity of roads and airport runways

In infrastructure projects involving both vertical and horizontal elements, dowel bars and Super Rings complement each other. While dowel bars handle the shear force and slab movement, Super Rings ensure columnar integrity, especially at intersections.

How Super Rings Enhance Performance

Super Rings are engineered for precision, which offers several tangible benefits:

Consistent Spacing: Ensures even stress distribution across the rebar cage.

Improved Safety Margins: Reduces failure risks in earthquake-prone zones.

Faster Installation: Minimizes alignment errors, saving time on-site.

These benefits become especially valuable in projects where binding wires and dowel bars in rigid pavement are already being used, creating a cohesive and durable system.

Material Compatibility and Engineering Efficiency

Super Rings, binding wires, and dowel bars in rigid pavement are not standalone solutions. Their efficiency comes from how well they integrate:

Binding wires secure Super Rings and longitudinal bars, reinforcing vertical integrity.

Dowel bars maintain horizontal integrity across pavement slabs.

Super Rings ensure concrete holds shape and structural load across the column height.

Using materials from a single, quality-controlled source like SRJ Steel ensures uniformity, avoiding mismatches in tensile strength or diameter that could compromise performance.

Smart Structures Demand Smart Components

As infrastructure moves towards smarter, more sustainable practices, engineering elements like Super Rings aren’t just add-ons — they’re integral. Today’s flyovers, metro stations, and industrial buildings demand a level of mechanical discipline that only precision-engineered components can deliver. Super Rings provide the stability and alignment that traditional rings often fail to achieve, especially under long-term stress.

Conclusion: Built to Last with Engineering Foresight

Structures of the future are not only taller and stronger — they’re also smarter. Behind the scenes, precision components like Super Rings are making that possible. Alongside binding wires and dowel bars in rigid pavement, these elements ensure every beam, column, and slab is reinforced with integrity. SRJ Steel’s commitment to manufacturing excellence stands as a testament to what's achievable when engineering precision becomes non-negotiable.

[electronalytics]

Muscle Wire Market Analysis Growth Factors and Competitive Strategies by Forecast 2032

Market Overview:

The muscle wire market refers to the segment of the industry that deals with the production and application of shape memory alloys (SMAs), commonly known as muscle wires. Muscle wires are made from alloys that can change their shape in response to external stimuli such as heat, electricity, or stress. They find applications in various industries, including robotics, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics.

Key Factors:

1. Expanding robotics and automation market: The need for muscle wires is being driven by the growing use of robotics and automation in sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, and aerospace. These cables give robotic devices the ability to move precisely and deliberately, improving their functionality and effectiveness.

2. Development of new and superior muscle wire alloys with improved qualities such as form recovery, durability, and fatigue resistance has been made possible by ongoing advances in material science. These developments help the market expand.

3. Electronics are becoming smaller: The demand for miniaturised actuation systems is driven by the movement towards smaller and more compact electronic devices, such as wearable tech, cellphones, and medical implants. A practical alternative for precise and compact actuation in these systems is muscle wires.

4. Muscle wires are utilised in the automotive industry for a variety of purposes, including active aerodynamics, engine components, and safety systems. They are suitable for a variety of automotive applications due to their ability to deliver precise and reliable actuation.

5. Medical and healthcare applications: Muscle wires are used in products including drug delivery systems, surgical instruments, and assistive equipment in the medical and healthcare industry. These applications benefit from muscle wires' capacity to deliver regulated actuation and movements.

6. There is an expanding market for smart fabrics, which include technological elements and functionality. It is possible to incorporate muscle wires into textiles to give them shape-changing capabilities, resulting in the creation of creative and adaptable clothes, wearable technology, and smart materials.

7. Applications in the aerospace industry: The aerospace sector uses muscle wires for morphing wings, actuation systems, and adaptive structures. In aircraft applications, muscle wires provide thin, effective actuation solutions that boost performance and fuel economy.

8. Research and development activities: Ongoing research and development in the field of muscle wires is fostering innovation and broadening the applications that they may be used for. This involves improvements in material composition, fabrication processes, and integration strategies that create new market prospects.

9. Energy-efficient actuation: Compared to conventional mechanical systems, muscle wires offer energy-efficient actuation. They are appealing for situations where energy efficiency is essential because they can efficiently transform electrical energy into mechanical motion.

10. Growing need for intelligent and responsive materials: The industry is seeing an increase in demand for materials that can respond to external stimuli and alter their shape or qualities. Since muscle wires have special qualities in this area, their use is growing.

Here are some key benefits for stakeholders:

Growing Market Opportunity

Innovative Applications

Energy Efficiency

Miniaturization and Lightweight

Reliability and Durability

Flexibility and Versatility

Improved Medical Applications

Competitive Advantage

Demand and Trends:

The growing deployment of robots, automation, and miniature electronic devices across sectors is predicted to increase the market for muscle wires. The market is additionally impacted by trends like the creation of smart textiles, developments in material science, and the expanding need for responsive and energy-efficient materials.

Muscle wires' prospective uses are anticipated to expand as long as research and development efforts are made, hence market expansion is likely. To fulfil the changing needs of diverse industries, producers and suppliers should concentrate on creating cutting-edge muscle wire goods, working with other industry participants, and discovering new application areas.

We recommend referring our Stringent datalytics firm, industry publications, and websites that specialize in providing market reports. These sources often offer comprehensive analysis, market trends, growth forecasts, competitive landscape, and other valuable insights into this market.

By visiting our website or contacting us directly, you can explore the availability of specific reports related to this market. These reports often require a purchase or subscription, but we provide comprehensive and in-depth information that can be valuable for businesses, investors, and individuals interested in this market.

“Remember to look for recent reports to ensure you have the most current and relevant information.”

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Market Segmentations:

Global Muscle Wire Market: By Company

• Edgetech Industries

• Jameco Electronics

• Dynalloy, Inc

• Hengxin Rare Metals

• Cliniva Healthcare

• Aura Design

• Autosplice

• SAES Getters

• Ulbrich

• California Fine Wire Co.

Global Muscle Wire Market: By Type

• One - Way

• Two – Way

Global Muscle Wire Market: By Application

• Aerospace

• Textile Electronics

• Arterial Stints

• Robotics

• Orthodontic Braces

• Eyeglasses

• Others

Global Muscle Wire Market: Regional Analysis

The regional analysis of the global Muscle Wire market provides insights into the market's performance across different regions of the world. The analysis is based on recent and future trends and includes market forecast for the prediction period. The countries covered in the regional analysis of the Muscle Wire market report are as follows:

North America: The North America region includes the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The U.S. is the largest market for Muscle Wire in this region, followed by Canada and Mexico. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the presence of key market players and the increasing demand for the product.

Europe: The Europe region includes Germany, France, U.K., Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and Rest of Europe. Germany is the largest market for Muscle Wire in this region, followed by the U.K. and France. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

Asia-Pacific: The Asia-Pacific region includes Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, India, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific. China is the largest market for Muscle Wire in this region, followed by Japan and India. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing adoption of the product in various end-use industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and construction.

Middle East and Africa: The Middle East and Africa region includes Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, and Rest of Middle East and Africa. The market growth in this region is driven by the increasing demand for the product in the aerospace and defense sectors.

South America: The South America region includes Argentina, Brazil, and Rest of South America. Brazil is the largest market for Muscle Wire in this region, followed by Argentina. The market growth in this region is primarily driven by the increasing demand for the product in the automotive sector.

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Reasons to Purchase Muscle Wire Market Report:

• To gain insights into market trends and dynamics: this reports provide valuable insights into industry trends and dynamics, including market size, growth rates, and key drivers and challenges.

• To identify key players and competitors: this research reports can help businesses identify key players and competitors in their industry, including their market share, strategies, and strengths and weaknesses.

• To understand consumer behavior: this research reports can provide valuable insights into consumer behavior, including their preferences, purchasing habits, and demographics.

• To evaluate market opportunities: this research reports can help businesses evaluate market opportunities, including potential new products or services, new markets, and emerging trends.

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[ifieabouteverything]

Gorgug rolling Nat 20’s on intelligence when solving the Sphinx’s puzzle, but because the DC is 20 and he has a -1, he’ll never make it.

The Sphinx saying “you are not very clever, are you Gorgug,” and Gorgug responding with “I feel like its a complicated answer, but ultimately no, not in the traditional sense.”

[streets-in-paradise]

As a fic writer I am becoming more and more unmarketable.

I am considering writing for a show that is so niche and bad it doesn't even have an A03 tag

[tanadrin]

https://www.tumblr.com/tanadrin/771661252435050496/sorry-about-the-long-ask-but-what-do-you-think

Any updated insight given our current circumstances?

no.

[greenerteacups]

Hi GT! What are your thoughts on the house elf discourse? Do you think Hermione is entirely correct in her opinions?

Canonically, I think the books are working really hard to make the reader believe that Hermione is at least partially wrong about house-elves, because JKR did a whoospie and accidentally introduced chattel slavery in her children's book. That's the Doylist perspective. To that extent, Hermione's stance is demonstrably flawed in the text; the house-elves are offended by Hermione trying to "free" them, and Ron scolds her for not taking their wishes into account. This is all tonally jarring and completely at odds with the series's ostensible line on equality, which is that sentient beings are equal, and the people arguing for some natural hierarchy of sentient beings are usually, in fact, the bad guys.

Taking a slightly more good-faith reading, you can also see this as an exploration of parts of Hermione's character. Hermione does have a patronizing and imperious streak, and it is in character for her to ignore the house-elves' desires because she thinks she knows what's best for them. And there is a pretty compelling argument for Hermione as the type of activist who doesn't listen to the victims she's fighting for, because she assumes she always knows best. I see that in her character. I think the way she goes about the house-elf debate, canonically speaking, reveals those faults. But does any of that mean she's wrong about the house-elves? Like, are we really supposed to trust that these creatures, who have been enslaved for generations by a class of powerful magic-users, are honest when they say they're happy? Why should we take that at face value? Whether or not the house-elves "like" doing their work does not end the debate. Oppression is way more complicated than that. Hermione has fairly good reasons to doubt that the house-elves might "want" to be enslaved. She doesn't articulate those reasons terribly well; but she's fourteen, so I don't hold it against her that she hasn't self-engineered the concept of false consciousness. But I do kind of hold it against the books that the debate never progresses beyond that point. I especially hold it against the books that the debate doesn't continue when Harry literally comes into possession of a house-elf, and becomes a "master," which would in another universe be a rich opportunity to revisit the subject in a more mature way.

[phospolipid-bilayer]

Smitten is the most powerful Voice so it makes TOTAL sense that Opportunist would want to especially buddy up with him

[faejilly]

good morning my dears and darlings

things I do not like about today:

job applications

forgetting how to drink from a perfectly normal mug and pouring coffee down my face

twice (at least it was tepid coffee)

things I do like about today:

Friday?

that's it, that's all I've got so far

[materialsscienceandengineering]

A team of researchers from Jilin University, NYU Abu Dhabi's Smart Materials Lab, and the Center for Smart Engineering Materials, led by Professor of Chemistry Pance Naumov, has developed a new crystalline material that can harvest water from fog without any energy input. The design of the novel type of smart crystals, which the researchers named Janus crystals, is inspired by desert plants and animals, which can survive in arid conditions. Desert beetles and lizards, for example, have evolved to develop surface structures that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas and effectively capture moisture from the air. Water is attracted to the hydrophilic areas and droplets are accumulated and transported through the hydrophobic areas.

Read more.

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

Charles Rowland is actually so fucking smart and we should talk about it more

[constantvariations]

I don't think anything will ever be funnier than Banesaw's first of his only two sentences being, "Finally, I get to kill a Schnee," knocking Weiss unconscious in a single hit, then just chucking her into the next room so Blake can save her

[tamsiblings]

so I've always wondered this in the back of my mind but your reblog recently brought it back to the forefront

this line especially, but also the vibe you get throughout the entire show that Simon is habitually caring for and protecting river since that what he's always done. And I've been wondering: protecting her from what? The show never shows us what Simon Protecting River looked like before he broke her out of the fucked up lab. I have a pretty good idea that it may have been a form of emotional neglect from their parents. They don't notice River's distress in her letters and basically disown Simon when he goes off to save her so maybe they were the type to never listen to their children or believe them when they expressed their needs. Or care more about how their children's behavior made their family appear socially and less about how their children were actually doing. I also wonder if River didn't have a bit of the Gifted Child syndrome going on and their parents treated her more as a prodigy than a daughter. And Simon had to stand up for her and try to get their parents to see her as a girl first and a genius second.

It would have been really cool to see this actually in the show as a flashback or something, but I bet you've thought about it loads and want to hear your take.

warning: this got reallly tangenty and long as i am wont to do oops <3 putting most of it under a cut

warnings for discussion of emotional neglect and a variety of other factors i think could reasonably be labelled as emotional and psychological abuse. emotional neglect on its own is to my understanding a form of emotional abuse, but i think there are other layers here as well.

anyway heyyyy bestie talking about the tams (including the parents tbh, the little we get of this family structure is fascinating to me) (we do actually get more on simon and river's background than anyone else! bc it's so connected to the current story anyway) is my favorite thing as you may have guessed so thank you for sending this.

and YES i have thought about this a lot <3

simon said he "always has" taken care of river and while i think on a literal level this is likely a Slight exaggeration (even if their parents weren't around physically for that whole aspect of taking care of, i think their material needs were always met and they likely had the means for a nanny or some other kind of support) but on an emotional level, i think this is very true.

i think you are 100 percent spot on with the emotional neglect and other unhealthy dynamics. here's some of what we know on that front:

the tam parents could be affectionate and even indulgent when it was easy and suited their own ends. ie. getting the source box for simon and assuring him he's worth it, calling them "you two geniuses" etc. this could be a very sweet moment and in some ways it is, because i truly believe the tams both believe in the worth and specialness of their children...

but their affection is clearly quite conditional. deeply. and, i think, more than anyone involved quite realizes. it's followed up by "that's the deal - dedicated sourcebox - brilliant doctor'. no matter how lightlyheartedly and affectionately it's said, it's clear it's seriously meant - and baby!simon clearly takes it to heart. (note: i've always interpreted this as simon already expressing interested in medicine and his father basically going "fine, but whatever you're doing, you have to be the best at it". i'm sure attorney or corporate ceo also would have sufficed for their image-focused needs, as long as he was successfuly and prestigious enough.)

i should also note that the the dynamic between regan and her children is far more implied because the focus in safe is mostly on gabriel.

a quote from an interview with sean maher: “It was great to learn where Simon came from. We see that his parents are incredibly ostentatious. There were so many expectations and Simon and River felt so much pressure, trying to be what their parents wanted them to be. And we got an idea of what happened to River. The parents sent her away to a school they thought would further her learning. Maybe they were naive in a sense, to think of only bettering her mind and not listening to her as a girl–as their daughter.” (emphasis mine)

notable here (and i love sean maher for noting this because, understandably because river isn't present in the flashbacks in the episode proper, it's not as clear what river's dynamic with their parents is, but certainly inferences can be made) is that both simon and river feel expectations and pressure from their parents, not just simon.

which leads to me wondering about river going to the academy. i think multiple things can be true here at once. i think, as simon says in the pilot, she did genuinely want to go. she was curious and brilliant and bright and not challenged enough in the current education system she found herself in or by her peers. she wanted something rigorous. i think a lot of that probably DID come from her. but i also do wonder if there was a level of their parents always expecting her to challenge herself in this way because, as you mention and i think implied in the quote above, they valued her brilliance and prodigy above her personhood. i also think it's possible (though i'm less sure on this) that river wanting to go to a school where she lives away from her parents and can both live up to their expectations but where she can distance herself from them could indicate something about how she feels. but might be reading too much into things.

there are also elements of controlling behavior that goes hand in hand with both the conditional love and the valuing their children for their intelligence/ability over simply valuing them as their childhood. in the shooting script, the offer simon gets goes through gabriel, and it's not presented as one opportunity or path simon can take. it's The Plan, and there's no room for deviation even when the most dire of circumstances calls for it. (and like, this would never happen because simon does genuinely value medicine and being a doctor, but in an interesting excercise: how would the conversation look if simon decided he didn't want to be a doctor o some other prestigious high paying XYZ? or even that he wanted to pursue a different opportunity he found on his own and is maybe not quite as prestigious in medicine? i don't get the sense it would have gone over that well.) we don't really get a sense of this with river because again, she's less present in the episode - but i think reasonable assumptions can be made.

^ it's a funny story that simon tells kaylee in object in space, about paying the feds off so they wouldn't tell his father about his drunken (and relatively harmless) escapade with his peers after making surgeon, and tbf, a lot of people probably wouldn't want their parents to know that. but in context with the rest of this, it feels very telling that simon did not want his father (or presumably his mother) knowing he acted at all in a way that could be considered undignified or that he got in any degree of trouble (it doesn't even sound like he was arrested, the police just showed up and he didn't want his parents to find out.)

in many ways, it seems clear both simon and river start off as golden children in their parents eyes - they care about them and value their gifts, but more like you would care about a trophy than a child. they care about what river and simon reflect on them. and notably, when river is no longer just the brilliant prodigy-child but vulnerable, in need of protection, and a symbol of inconvenient truth they don't want to face (a number of them, really - the misplaced trust in their government/society/system, the fragility of status and the false sense of security, their own culpability and failures to protect their children) - instead of helping her when she needs them the most, they ignore and abandon her. and when simon can't do the same, he - as the "truthteller" in many family dynamics of this structure often do - becomes some degree of a scapegoat. he faces the truth they are unable or unwilling to see. they turn a blind eye but simon can't, it's not who he is and he loves river too much. and suddenly, when he's not doing and saying and being exactly what they say he should because he's focused on helping river, he's treated like he's causing problems for no reason - like he's the problem. like he's making a big deal over nothing when he tries to show them the letters, when his father says "are you trying to destroy this family?" as though their daughter being kept and tortured against her will and their own refusal to acknowledge it isn't what's actually doing the family-destroying. and while i think simon getting scapegoated/othered/treated as a problem is a rather new development, and don't imagine they were getting constantly berated - in the scene at the end of safe, YMMV, but gabriel seems a little too comfortable quite ufairly berating simon for things that are quite obviously not his fault or for at all disappointing him. i don't think it was always happening - but i don't think this comes out of nowhere.

on the causing problems for no reason (or a reason they dismiss) component; this feels particularly insidious because they should know their son well enough to know simon doesn't do that. he doesn't do things for no reason, he has a highly overly developed sense of responsibility (which comes back into his dynamic with river ofc.) so like... either they do know that and are purposefully ignoring and even twisting it, or they don't know their son nearly as well as they should.

the scapegoating component lends itself to the extremely uncomfortable gaslighting component in safe. in fairness: i think this aspect of the Tams Very Poor Parenting Choices is likely much more situational and less indicative of past behaviors. regardless, it's pretty rough to watch simon point out things that are quite obviously strange (they don't KNOW anyone called d'arbanville) and have his parents treat him like he's paranoid and insane.

this also comes with a certain level of guilt tripping and beratement. i will say it forever: if i had a child and they were arrested, the FIRST thing i do is ask them if they're okay, figure the rest out later. "

and again: some aspects of all this are situational as we get into the river-at-the-academy component, but i think there's a lot that can be read into the tam family dynamic as a whole based on all this.

so on some level - a lot of THAT is why simon says he's always taken care of/protected river - i don't think he necessarily could have entirely saw or named or what their parents were doing for what it was (which i would argue, as you said, was some degree of emotional neglect and emotional abuse, though some of this is implied or inferred - i would argue based on evidence, but just something to keep in mind). but i do think he developed a sense of responsibility over her and a caretaking role as result.

because it's very notable to me that - for instance - in the river tam sessions, river specifically asks for simon. she doesn't say "i want to see my parents" or even "i want to see my family" but "i want to see my brother." and yes, you could argue that this is because that's who the audience who most care about/be familiar with - but with the rest of the context, it feels extremely significant. in the serenity film, she says something similar to what simon says in that shooting script flashback - "you take care of me, simon. you've always taken care of me. my turn" after simon gets shot and right before she goes in to get his bag and fight the reavers. and like, you could argue that she means ever since the academy - but "always" feels much more weighted than that to me.

it's also interesting to me that river doesn't seem to have as much difficulty reconciling with the fact that their parents abandoned them (and a whole host of other stuff, as established, but that's what the show most focuses on.) now, in fairness, river has a LOT going on - psychic and emotional overwhelm, lots of trauma and intrusive memories - both hers and others, etc - so it makes sense that maybe that just wouldn't be on her register regardless. but i also think... well 1) being so in tuned into what others think and feel, even if she might not have been quite able to name it, i do think she's understood longer than simon (maybe since before the academy; i am still curious if that's paret of why she left) how their parents really saw them. so she's had more time to accept and move on from it. 2) there's this other level where river DID have someone protecting her - simon - even if it took a long time to realize what he was protecting her from. while i think it probably looked less intense than it does in the show proper where she is so deeply traumatized, there is no doubt in my mind that if she was ever upset or anything ever went wrong, it was simon she turned to for comfort or help, not her parents. which tbc: <333 i love them. and this is not her fault at all. but simon Did Not Have That. i think he protected her without quite knowing that's what he was doing for a long time... and didn't realize he needed protection too and wasn't getting it.

which makes it difficult to reconcile and move on from, which is why in the moment in safe when river (seemingly talking about gabriel but likely talking about mal) insists "daddy" will come for them - simon totally shuts down. because he knows that's not going to happen, and it hurts a little too much to deal with, but he's still fairly RECENTLY coming to terms with How Their Parents Are - and the fact that he did not have emotional support. so now he doesn't know how to let himself even ADMIT that he also needs care.

final note (god sorry this is sooo long) i will also say that, while i (as a #tam siblings lover) am often very sad/angry/frustrated about simon and river's dynamic with their parents, and that i certainly will never excuse emotional abuse or this kind of parental behavior, that i try and hope to approach the tam parents in any analysis or ficwriting i might do from a very human angle. the range of human complexity is fascinating to me, and i don't think it does the themes of the show justice to act like the tam parents are outright monsters, totally good or totally bad (note: this is so not in the slightest me saying that i think you are doing this. more just thinking out loud about fandom discussions i have seen surrounding this topic.)

this gets at larger discourse both in fandom and in general i think there is a tendency in our society to want either completely villainize or idolize people (and this maybe becomes especially true in complicated relationships like this). when we talk about abuse to any degree and of any kind, people often want to dehumanize and villainize the abuser in such a way that separates themselves from that possibility - "abusers are evil and inhuman and i'm nothing like that so there's no way i could ever cause that kind of harm etc." but in actuality, there is no inherent internal quality that makes someone an abuser - it is a pattern of harmful behavior that people can choose to do and choose not to do. and i don't want to suggest that people who do this are abusive themselves, that's not what i mean - only that i think the mindset comes from a culture that insists on some very black and white thinking. i think it's a very natural human impulse to want to separate ourselves that way, but also maybe gets us away from seeing the bigger picture. and to be clear: i don't mean to suggest that anyone owes an abuser anything, or that simon and river, for example, should have to forgive their parents. that's not true here or in real life. i only mean to say that people are more complicated than being fully good or fully bad, and firefly reflecting this is one of my favorite things about it.

and again, this is complicated with the tam parents because i'm making a lot of (what i feel are supported, but even so) inferences and assumptions here. so whether you want to identify them as emotionally abusive/neglectful etc is a whole can of worms. but regardless, it's clear their behavior and parenting harmed their children. BUT here are where some major caveats come in:

similarly to the way people often do in other contexts, i have seen people want to outright completely villainize the tams and while i understand this impulse, i think it comes from the same place that a lot of well-meant but misguided discussions do. there are those that think they either must have never cared about river in any capacity at all or actively agreed to sell her out to the alliance (a theory i not only don't like or subscribe to but actually feel misses the point of what's going on with the tams and is less interesting even besides). but i think that sets up the tams to look cartoonishly evil in a way that the narrative doesn't support or intend. do i think the tams are good parents? well, no! i think it was easy to look like good parents when things were easy, but even then, there were cracks. (though i don't think everything was always bad - even in abusive situations, that is usually not the case - there are reasons why people love their parents and stay and have a hard time seeing the bad - because things aren't always like that.) i have also seen people insist or write like it's a given that the tams must have also been physically abusive, and while i don't want and would never tell anyone what they can and can't write, by my own reading, i find that unlikely. i think some of that is often coming from a place of people working through their own stuff, which again - never gonna tell anyone not to do that, you do you - but i also think at times it speaks to a societal tendency to assume that the harm isn't bad enough if it isn't physical - but i think we get a good sense of how deeply simon and river are affected even outside of the confirmation of any physical harm from their parents. (note: i do think the tams being willfully ignorant and leaving their daugher to be tortured and experimented on while on some level know that's what happening is a form of physical abuse or neglected, it's just situational and not in the traditional sense.)

but what i think is so important present, and much more interesting in this story, is that the tams are not evil, so to speak, or at least aren't mustache-twirling villains. they're not even entirely bad-intentioned; i believe they do genuinely want good things for their children, even if they have very specific ideas of what it should look like and how it will benefit them. but they have wholeheartedly, implicitly, without any room at all for questioning bought into the system values of the core and the alliance: prestige, status, and privilege treated as worth, family as a hollow projection of prestige, disruption as the ultimate trespass. to me, the story with regard to the tam parents isn't about them not caring or valuing simon and river at all - it's about valuing those things above them, and how their care is warped and shaped by those harmful systematic values.

now, this is rarer, but i have also seen people want to (maybe in response to above?), if not idolize, then absolve the tams of the role they played in river's abuse at the hands of the academy, but that doesn't ring true to me either. i want to be fair where it's due and say yes, there was danger involved (which simon put himself through) in helping river, but the fact is the narrative focuses much more on the tams focusing on what it could cost them on a social level - their status and "good name", prestige, etc. and at the end of the day, when you have children, you have responsibility to them - and the tam parents failed both of their children on that front.

one thing i also thing is so interesting to note is that simon and river are so loyal and value connection so deeply when it's clear that is not what was most instilled in them on a systematic level or taught to them by their parents. in fact, i think you could argue that while some of it was intrinsic to who they are (here's the old nature vs. nurture debate which i think you could argue simon and river are the two biggest representers of on the show), i also think it's a repsonse to this bond they formed specifically BECAUSE of their parents.

[saintdetroit]

it MAY be the new jason todd robin comic is out of character, i can't say!!! reading the gold and silver age comics requires a degree of giving a shit that i do not possess. additionally there is always the chance that they're going to do something fun and daring and show character development!! i live in eternal hope like a delicate little flower.

HOWEVERRRRRRR

a character that has been hurt, has been scared, and is angry now because of that, and chooses to make themselves into a weapon so that they can never be hurt or scared again? that is catnip. that's real good.

[ava-dreel-thinks]

Thinking about that poll that was like “were you a gifted kid?” And specified like, AP classes and stuff. But in my school system, the GT (gifted/talented) program was SPECIFICALLY for neurodivergent kids who didn’t need accommodations in the traditional special Ed way (up to a certain point), but in a more stimulation way or for teaching in a less traditional way. Most of the GT kids were on the spectrum (me!), had ADHD, were bipolar, one had Tourette’s, it was honestly a big mixed bag but we all had some kind of something going on. Our school was very big on saying you are NOT smarter than, more special than, more talented than, etc etc the other kids. You are in a SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASS because you need DIFFERENT TEACHING STYLES to learn at an appropriate pace. So our methods were more creative or else we wouldn’t be engaged with the work, our classes were smaller to give more individualized attention, our tests were formatted differently to accommodate different things, etc. like. It was all there to accommodate kids who were neurodivergent. So seeing a post like, specifying AP classes, which to me are understood as college level courses for anyone smart/hard working enough to take, not just GT kids was so bizarre because like. Anyone can take those?

Anyway tumblrinas who were in gifted programs were you in it because you were smart or because you were neurodivergent? (Or both!) did your school make a distinction? Were you raised with a superiority complex (I’ve heard this is common) or told you were in special ed? Did you have to take a test or be recommended for the program? I’m so curious!

[dykedvonte]

In light of me being obsessed with House saying he started to see Benny as a son, House is a hypocrite in calling Yes-man a vanity project cause while Vegas is clearly his vanity project with all his plans for it, there’s something more subtly vain about trying to rewrite and recreate an hypothetical heir in his image that he clearly would’ve done with Benny as he does it with you.

[silverskye13]

Trying to analyze the tropes in my own fics to see if I think they're successful as component pieces and getting so confused I give myself psychic damage send help