cricketcat9 - Tumblr blog

[cricketcat9]

So we are fucked again,

thanks to the worstb drought since, apparently, 1938, hydro plants are not working, blackouts resumed, for 2 days government owner everything and private production companies not working and schools closed, Colombia does not sell us electricity because they also have drought and is pissed at us (as is everyone) for entering the Mexican Embassy, getting the former Vice-President charged with corruption out, and putting him in prison. My personal opinion? Yes, Mexican territory and the asylum laws were violated. On the other hand... Mexico accepts every corrupt Ecuadorian politician running from the charges.

IMO big outrage is happening not because " international law and agreements blah blah" but because every politician everywhere is thinking "holy shit, what if it happens to ME?!"

Never a dull moment...

One of the previous Presidents, Rafael Correa, promoted very heavily the electrical, as opposed to ĝas, appliances; hydro plants were going to give us an abundant and cheap energy. Which would happen IF all the plants would be finished, AND there would be enough water 🫤

I'm very lucky, no blackouts in my area, but some friends had it for 8-10 hours.

[cricketcat9]

Come and sort my milion beads 🙏🙏🙏

The good thing about having sorted my entire button stash is that they're all very easy to find, but the sad thing is that I have no more buttons to sort :(

I do have a jar of mixed sequins, and one of seed beads, so I can sort those, but they're not as fun as buttons.

[cricketcat9]

I want to leave some money for a party... none of the sitting around and saying how I'll be missed and how valuable member of the community I was. I want them to dance and get drunk. Maybe I'll make a 3 minutes video, starting with "If you are watching this, it means I'm dead" 😝 There should be a live music and maybe a mariachi band for a bit.

No funeral; cremation and scattering of the ashes in some nice place. I'd like to steal your idea, OP, will paint the sign myself.

[cricketcat9]

WOW 😲

South Pacific X. A cold winter sea.

(No AI involved: just digital montage and animation with a couple of my sculptures)

[cricketcat9]

A fine selection of foxes

Shoson Ohara, Fox in the Reeds, 1930

Winslow Homer, The Fox Hunt, 1893

Kobayashi Kiyochika, Fox and Crescent Moon, 1880

[cricketcat9]

☝️☝️☝️

I often see posts about curating your own online experience that make the point, “content creators aren’t your parents.” And, yes, that is absolutely true! And I try not to be like “as a parent,“ but as a parent…

EVEN PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE READING/VIEWING BEHAVIOR. NOT filter everything ahead of time for their kid.

When my kiddo was 5, his pediatrician was asking him the usual Well Child Visit questions (“What are your favorite foods? What do you do to get your body moving? Do you know what to do if you get lost in a public place?” Etc.) and she asked, “What do you do if you see something on TV that scares or upsets you?”

I piped up like, “Oh, he doesn’t watch TV without one of us in the room,” which was true at the time and is still largely true now. She said, “Yes, but that won’t always be the case, so make sure you’re talking to him about what to do if he sees something that upsets him.”

So we started talking to him about that, and the answer is simple: “Turn it off or leave the room, and talk to someone you trust about what you saw and what you’re feeling.”

The answer is NOT “Ask your parents to make sure you never see anything upsetting again,” because that’s just not possible — and ultimately that would be doing the kid a disservice, since sooner or later he’s going to be out in the world where we can’t control what he watches or reads. That doesn’t mean we don’t try to make sure he’s watching/reading age-appropriate stuff, it just means that’s not the only safeguard he has — and that’s a good thing.

So yes, content creators aren’t your parents and aren’t responsible for making sure you never see anything you don’t like — but also, your own parents should have taught you what to do when that happens. So if they didn’t, take it from me, your internet mom:

Turn it off.

Walk away.

Talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling.

And leave the person who created the thing that upset you alone.

[cricketcat9]

Flying from Quito

to Toronto this Sunday, a timely quote from one of the Night Vale books:

"Nothing there but a distant airplane crawling across the sky, red blinking lights, vulnerable in the vast empty, faint red beacons flashing the message HELLO. A SMALL ISLAND OF LIFE UP HERE, VERY CLOSE TO SPACE. PRAY FOR US. PRAY FOR US."

Especially because the aircraft is a Boeing...

[cricketcat9]

Beautiful! But also: nails of steel?!

[cricketcat9]

Let's let off a bit of steam about AI

Fans' attitudes toward AI-generated works

Irina Cisternino, a PhD candidate of Stony Brooke University, is writing their research on topics related to technology, art and fandom. You can participate by filling out a survey and additionally, signing up for an interview. The survey is expected to last until at least the end of April, those, who signed up for the interview, will be contacted later. You need to be at least 18 years old to participate in either, be able to understand and speak English and identify as a fan.

After the completion of the research, it will be accessible as the dissertation of the researcher. If you have further questions, you can contact Irina Cisternino at irissa.cisternino@stonybrook.edu or Lu-Ann Kozlowsky at lu-ann.kozlowski@stonybrook.edu.

[cricketcat9]

So regal! 😻

Cosplay

[cricketcat9]

DO NOT leave mean comments on AO3.

So I have read several people complaining that they can't be expected to know the "unwritten rules" of fandom. So here's what I wish people knew:

Fanfiction is fiction.

Fictional people are not real.

Fictional people do not have rights.

Fictional people cannot be abused.

Reading or writing about something does not mean the desire to do or support it in the real world.

If I find art upsetting/triggering/disgusting/outraging/unpleasant/squicky/distressing/offensive, it is on me not to read it, not the creators and hosts to remove it.

Curate your own experience. The back buttons exist for a reason.

If you don't trust yourself to do that, get someone you trust to do it for you.

Fandom is an adult space. Adults create and own and host fandom spaces. If minors want to participate, then the onus is on them and their parents/guardians/trusted adults to ensure they participate appropriately, not on strange adults to stop being adults.

You often don't know the assault status or mental health status or neurotype or race or nationality or religion or gender or sexuality or age of a creator or consumer, and they do not have to disclose to you to justify their fantasy.

AO3 is not a safe space. It is not intended to be a safe space. Proceed accordingly.

Just because you don't like something or find it offensive doesn't mean it is a "problem" that "has to be dealt with".

Most characters in anime are not white.

There is no onus on you to reblog or share anything.

Everyone makes mistakes in fandom and is less than their best self sometimes.

Persistent pseudonyms encourage long term relationships.

Ship wars are stupid.

Someone else enjoying things does not impact on your own enjoyment of other things.

Tagging and warning is a courtesy, not a requirement. Assume any fic might contain untagged content.

Rating is an imprecise art, not a science.

Don't hassle IP creators.

Most people who are in fandom are hoping to make connections based on a shared passion.

Trying to profit from transformative fanworks puts us all at risk.

No one is obligated to share your head canon or fanon.

Being kind rarely fails to pay off.

It is okay to block and remove people who make your experience unpleasant. You don't have to placate them. (Learn from my mistakes).

Britpicking is a good thing.

You don't have to justify why you like a canon/pairing/trope/kink. Sometimes navel gazing is fun, but you don't have an obligation to explain yourself, especially to strangers. I share the overwhelming desire to refute an unfair accusation, but the people accusing you are rarely doing so in good faith, so you're batting a losing wicket.

I'm not your Mum. (Well, okay, a very few of you can call me Mum or Mom, but if you are one of them you already know who you are ❤️)

If you aren't mature enough to take responsibility for your online experiences, you aren't mature enough to be in fandom spaces.

[cricketcat9]

The time for art is lost': Artist Ruth Patir, curator also call for return of all hostages being held

"People stand in front of the closed Israeli national pavilion at the Biennale contemporary art fair in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday. The sign announces that the artist and curators representing Israel at this year's Venice Biennale won't open the Israeli pavilion until there is a ceasefire in Gaza and an agreement to release hostages taken on Oct. 7. (Luco Bruno/The Associated Press)"

Written in English, the announcement Tuesday of Israel's delayed opening read: "The artist and curators of the Israeli pavilion will open the exhibition when a ceasefire and hostage release agreement is reached." Two Italian soldiers stood guard nearby.

In a statement, Patir said she and the curators wanted to show solidarity with the families of the hostages "and the large community in Israel who is calling for change."

👏👏👏👏👏👏🧡

[cricketcat9]

Good for you, Sarah. UP yours, Anita 🖕

[cricketcat9]

Yep. At 74, I really want to live by the rules made by 12y/o. 👍😂

[cricketcat9]

Happy World Art Day

to all Artists! Thank you for making our lives brighter, more interesting and colorful 💝💝💝

[cricketcat9]

I relate... 🥺

The balance between YOLO and "don't spend frivolously", "unbridled consumerism BAAAD" and "don't buy what you don't need" is hard to achieve 😢

whenever i'm trying to talk myself out of buying something i don't need i always hear my old russian professor's voice echoing in my head: "WHAT??? WILL YOU DIE THE RICHEST MAN IN THE GRAVEYARD?" and then i make an unwise financial decision

[cricketcat9]

Yep, turn away from the gang!