#Remove Blogger attribution

[hasarjunadoneanythingwrong]

Psa to any fate, nasuverse, and Tokyo afterschool summoner bloggers:

I would highly recommend blocking yourfaveisuglierthanmikethefairy and attackofthemikethefairyclones. There’s reasonable evidence that the person running the blog is the one who spams different fate blogs with inappropriate and unasked for asks relating to serial killers, hitler, and also Tokyo aftersschool summoners. If you got oddly phrased asks about any of these subjects when they don’t relate to the content of you blog it’s very likely that this person is the one who sent it

The type of asks that that multiple bloggers across fandoms get spammed with:

What the Mike the fairy blogs have included as their posts:

To be clear, it’s looking more and more likely that if you are at all active in anything fate or Tokyo afterschools summoners adjacent, regardless of what your actual blog content is, they will very likely spam you with asks about various serial killers, fascist dictators, Columbus and cu alter, and various characters from Tokyo afterschool summoners. There is no respect of boundaries or what people may be willing to engage with

And while it’s true that anonymity does give you the option to act however you wish, just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you should. In this case, do not feed the troll, and block them.

To be clear: do not engage with them, and DEFINITELY do not harass them! Blocking and ignoring is the best way to deal with this, and engagement of any sort is most likely what they’re looking for. Do not give them that!

Edit:

removed one ask from another user mistakingly attributed to the spammer and replaced it with one from them

[lensman-arms-race]

Titan TV upgrade post

First off: that teleport cloud. It took longer than normal, which could be attributed to it having been a long time since Titan TV last teleported, and it being harder to do with all the upgrades -- but I fully believe the Titan deliberately spun it out just to panic the toilets more, because they're a drama queen (and we love them for it).

Also, the Scientist Toilet had some black mist appearing around them at first, which suggests that they were trying to teleport away but the Titan has the ability to no-sell the Scientist's bootleg version, which, yes.

Secondly: Called it! Two weeks ago I said "I think a big retractable sword would suit him" and I must have had the same idea as DFB! (Also, that post was an anon ask, so I can't prove it wasn't from DFB asking Skibidi bloggers what upgrades they thought Titan TV should get, haha!)

(Urgh, YouTube pause overlay in the screenshot. I couldn't be arsed to work out how disable it.)

That core looks more tricked-out than Titan Camera's!

The gloves! The thigh straps! I love them! (Couldn't get a good shot of the gloves that wasn't cut off, argh.) The shoulder grabbers are still there - too bad we didn't get to see them in action this time, because I love those too!

What's this on the back of their hand??

Core blaster! Couldn't get a non-blurry screengrab of it - note the distortion stripes showing that POV cam is having a hard time recording it! (Mildly annoying because that's a digital distortion effect and the POV cam this episode is a cinécam, who presumably use analog film - because if they don't, what are those things on their bonces that look like film magazines?)

:3

I was saying 'do the thing, do the thing!' just before they did the thing, and they did the thing! (Obligatory link to the sippyseize post)

I gotta be honest, I'm not a fan of the random-ass screens stapled on them. It makes the design look more like a fan design than an official one. I'm puzzled by the handles on the main screen too - it reminds me of those tablet covers for kids. I'm hoping the handles will be justified by the Titan being able to do something cool with them -- maybe remove their head and use it as a shield. (Funny post by jmiw about the handles)

I like how Titan Camera and Titan Speaker don't simply look like giant versions of the normal units: Titan Camera resembles a battleship crossed with a fighter jet, and they have a unique head shape. Titan Speaker has an array of unique speakers for a head, plus winged hussar-like pennants of speakers on their back - as Hanedasama puts it: like a box of fries! Titan TV still looks too much like a giant normal TV-unit for my liking.

I'm not against the multi-screens in themselves - they look cool when all deployed! But I would have preferred a setup like Polycephaly's where the screens are more tucked away when not in use.

In summary: 9.5/10, what an upgrade!

[tyrannuspitch]

a lot of humour on this site about its users is based on wilful misunderstandings and removal of context. often the "new type of guy" you're imagining plagues tumblr does not actually exist, at least not in the form you're attributing to them. "tw blasphemy" is almost always for religious abuse survivors, not current fundamentalists (who are generally unwilling to use the term trigger for themselves, or to follow people who might post "blasphemy" to begin with). "women dni" is almost always for dedicated nsfw blogs where the blogger does things like discuss their own fantasies or post nudes, which is why it gets backed up with "i'm a gay guy". it's just the tumblr equivalent of marking yourself as "man seeking man" on a dating app. you're all jumping to the worst possible conclusions about pretty reasonable boundaries because you're unwilling to think outside your own experience for ten seconds to recognise that not everything everyone does on tumblr is about denouncing Bad People, sometimes it's just about curating a space for your own preferences or comfort.

[madethistoomblrforclass]

CHA-CHING! CHA-CHING!

On the internet, it is always a priority of blogs and posters to stand out among the rest, and luckily, Tumblr's micro-transactions allows you to achieve just that on the platform.

2012 was the year where Tumblr announced that it would be moving forward and joining other similar social media platforms in paid advertising on it's site. In June 2012, Tumblr collaborated with Adidas to feature its first ever major brand advertising campaign, where they launched an official soccer blog and bought ad placements to take up space on the user dashboard.

Tumblr uses a means of small, separate transactions that combined make your experience on Tumblr even better than ever before. Through the selling of ad-free scrolling or badges, subscriptions towards your favorite blogs (and the ability to tip those fabulous bloggers) and checkmarks to adorn your blog, Tumblr has been able to keep afloat, however that has never been entirely on it's own.

Tumblr was bought by Yahoo for a whopping $1 billion in 2013, but was later sold again to Automattic in 2019 for an astounding $3 million, comparably $97 million cheaper than it was only 6 years earlier. This can be attributed to the removal of porn from the app in order to maintain it's presence on the app store in 2018. Tumblr took a huge blog Upon Automattic stepping up as the parent company, that is when the micro-transactions on Tumblr skyrocketed in success, but not without some tumulteous reactions from the public first. Social media apps holding hands as they fall down the endless descent into capitalism felt unavoidable as the consumer watching it all go down. Tumblr introduced Post+ in 2021, a subscription to blogs that allowed you to see subscriber-only content from whatever blog you put money towards. Tumblr users were not pleased with this announcement, and the response was most definitely heard as Post+ was removed from the platform in January 2024. This, however, did not halt the triumph of ad-free viewing, as this turned out to be valuable to many frequent posters on the platform.

Then, Tumblr announced Blaze in 2022, a feature that allowed users to promote their posts, no matter how absurd they were. It wasn't a matter of promoting the most educational or controversial content, but rather postings that the blogger deemed necessary for the public to see (whatever those conditions may be). Not so sneakily, Blaze debuted on 4/20, costing the blogger only $4,20 to acquire the feature. According to TechCrunch journalist, Amanda Silberling, "Tumblr’s mobile app has seen approximately $507,000 in consumer spending since April."

[ediblegardenspointloma]

In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

Corn is the noteworthy harvest of the past week. We’ve had ears of corn for dinner five nights. ‘Sugar Pearl’ is a favorite, obtained from Renee’s Garden but also available elsewhere. The thumbnail above shows the last of the first planting and these are the smaller, secondary ears.

Here are a few of the first ears harvested. The catalog description does not overstate its virtues.

Our favorite early white for top eating quality. Sugar Pearl’s fast-growing, vigorous stalks grow just 5 to 5 1/2 feet tall, producing delicious ears of pearly white sweet kernels with that delicate, meltingly tender flavor that characterizes really delicious white corn. Sugar Pearl was bred for specialty and farmers markets where taste is the prime criteria for success. This trouble-free and reliable variety is ideal for short or early season growing, ripening succulent ears before most other white varieties.

No raccoons and no worms with the corn so far this year. No worms I can attribute to mineral oil at first appearance of the silk and weekly sprays of BT to the silk.

I speculated that a haphazard grid of bamboo might deter some well-fed raccoons, which can be the size of small to medium dogs in our ‘hood. To further discourage interest in the corn I sprinkled a horrid smelling mixture of donated peppery spices around the plants. I also doused the bed with Plantskydd granules which has diverted the opossums from making Swiss cheese of our small front lawn. I also used the peppery mix and Plantskydd outside the fence on the alley from whence the critters come. Bird spikes atop the wood fence also make the entry problematic for them.

Perhaps, TMI but we do like our corn and with only a 4 x 8 foot patch, we’re unwilling to share with four-legged friends. The second planting, two weeks later should be ready in a week or so as the 70 day mark approaches.

Only one tomato so far and it didn’t deserve a photo. Several days of this weather last week did not hasten the tomato and pepper crops. I have hopes for some black cherry tomatoes in a week or so and the bell peppers are larger but I’m holding out for red peppers. Corn and beans for drying don’t seem to suffer but the cucumbers have made an early exit.

We get a handful of Emerite pole beans every few days but I’m letting most set seed now. The zucchini yields one or two a day as I remove the powdery mildewed leaves.

The day-neutral Seascape strawberries produce an odd-lot even into September. Though small in number, they are red all through and sweet additions to fruit salads.

A Tropical Storm Hilary “harvest” was a bevy of pine needs from a favorite secluded stone pine tree on a nearby college campus. I find them especially useful for a winter vegetable garden mulch.

These days there are usually a couple bouquets of Red Queen Lime zinnias in the house. I’m enchanted by the color variations and their sweet simplicity.

Check the What I’m Planting Now page as I begin soon to sow seeds for the cool season garden. Head today to Harvest Monday, hosted by Dave at Happy Acres blog and see what garden bloggers around the world harvested last week.

To leave a comment, click on “Leave a comment/Show comments,” enter the comment, then insert your name. Finally, click on “Comment as Guest” to post comment.

[freelancinghunting]

How To Remove Blogger Attribution Configure in Powered by Blogger - How Disable Blog Power Attribute

[sanjosenewshq]

Russian Missile Strike Significantly Damages Key Vitality Facility Close to Kyiv Says Ukraine

A missile strike significantly broken a key power facility in Ukraine’s capital area, the nation’s energy system operator mentioned Saturday because the Russian army strove to chop water and electrical energy in populated areas. Kyiv area Gov. Oleksiy Kuleba mentioned the strike didn’t kill or wound anybody. Electrical energy transmission firm Ukrenergo mentioned restore crews have been working to revive energy however warned residents about potential outages. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president’s workplace, urged Kyiv space residents and other people in three neighboring areas to scale back their power consumption throughout night hours of peak demand. After a truck bomb explosion every week in the past broken the bridge that hyperlinks Russia to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, the Kremlin launched what’s believed to be its largest coordinated missile assaults for the reason that preliminary invasion of Ukraine. This week’s wide-ranging retaliatory assaults hit residential buildings, killing dozens of individuals, in addition to civil infrastructure similar to energy stations close to Kyiv and different cities removed from the entrance strains of the struggle. Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned Friday that Moscow didn’t see a necessity for added huge strikes however his army would proceed selective strikes. He mentioned of 29 targets the Russian army deliberate to knock out on this week’s assaults, seven weren’t broken and could be taken out regularly. The Institute for the Research of Warfare, a assume tank based mostly in Washington, interpreted Putin’s remarks as meant to counter criticism from pro-war Russian bloggers who “largely praised the resumption of strikes towards Ukrainian cities however warned {that a} brief marketing campaign could be ineffective.” “Putin knew he wouldn’t be capable to maintain high-intensity missiles strikes for a very long time attributable to a dwindling arsenal of high-precision missiles,” the assume tank mentioned. Areas of southern Ukraine that Putin illegally designated as Russian territory final month remained a spotlight of preventing Saturday. Kirill Stremousov, a deputy head of the administration Moscow put in within the principally Russian-occupied Kherson area, reminded residents they might evacuate to Crimea and cities in southwestern Russia as Ukrainian forces attempt to battle their method to the regional capital. After the area’s fearful Kremlin-backed leaders requested civilians Thursday to evacuate to make sure their security and to provide Russian troops extra maneuverability, Moscow provided free lodging to residents who agreed to go away. Ukrainian troops tried to advance south alongside the banks of the Dnieper River however did achieve any floor, in response to Stremousov. “The protection strains labored, and the scenario has remained beneath the total management of the Russian military,” he wrote on his messaging app channel. Within the neighboring Zaporizhzhia area, Gov. Oleksandr Starukh mentioned the Russian army carried out strikes with Iranian-made kamikaze drones and S-300 missiles. Some consultants mentioned the Russian army’s use of the long-range missiles could replicate shortages of devoted precision weapons for hitting floor targets. To the north and east of Kherson, Russian shelling killed two civilians within the Dnipropetrovsk area, Gov. Valentyn Resnichenko mentioned. He mentioned the shelling of town of Nikopol, which is situated throughout the Dnieper from the Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Energy Plant, broken a dozen residential buildings, a number of shops and a transportation facility. Originally published at San Jose News HQ

[potteresque-ire]

Hi! I have been reading your posts and responses to anonymous and I am inclined to comment on your broadly realistic views and detailed analystic answers and let us not forget your ability to be warm in putting forward your opinions. I am truly a huge fan. Thank you for being a station for various answer seekers.

If you have time and patience, please elaborate on the situation GG is still facing post 227. Recently I read various comments insinuating GG copied DD for Douyin night which is absurd but the implication that only one party is still being targeted unnecessarily raise hackles of a lot of solo fans. And I, under any circumstances, DO NOT believe the involvement of the other party. Firm believer of BJYXSZD.

My point is what is being done to stop these antis from targeting GG. Since one of the motive to target GG is to severe the relationship of GG and DD, IMO at least. Does constant attack (external stimulus) on GG (belittling him by comparing him to DD) may have the possibility to effect their relationship (internal reaction)? Objectively yes, but given your perception of their relationship, what is your opinion in this matter, however subjective it may be?

Moreover, how much extreme and sometimes irrational analysis done by bjyx community can lead to harm to both of them especially GG?

Also, I have seen DD being the captain of BJYX in various circumstances but also throwing off people from their old predicted/maintened theories especially in case of Kadians. I am not sure how much to trust these 'candies' since he has a reputation of not giving a f*** of others opinion. So why would he post GG related or non-related content with same kadians. I mean if he posts private content with GG related kadian then why post promotional content with GG related kadian. Does it imply that kadians are related to GG or not or he doesn't care and we are thinking too much. I am not sure what I am writing now, maybe multitude of thoughts poring out here. I am extremely sorry for that.

I do not know whether people believe or not but 1st post by GG yesterday had initials YB in the circle. Not at all explicit, and depends on believers but I felt like he was just trolling BJYX, it may be good naturedly but after his promotional brand picture of shrimp in bunny's hand. I do not know I just felt, dissappointed/bitter/unsure about all of this. I think it is normal to feel this way from time to time even for SZD because along with emotional investment we have rational perspective which is necessary to scrutinize evidence(maybe) from time to time.

I whole heartedly apologize for writing an essay length ask, this is the reason I wanted your patience 😅.

If any other blogger wants to add or comment on this please feel free to do so. Your suggestions are highly welcomed. 🙏

Hello Anon!

I take it that your questions about safety are concerned about the behaviour of c-solos and c-turtles? International fans aren’t likely to put Gg and Dd at any risk. That said, however, frequent fighting among i-fans would likely drain Gg and Dd’s international fanbase, as many fans do not enjoy being a combative atmosphere (I, for one, will run away as quickly as a turtle can run!). Lost i-fans can’t be easily replenished, whether they’re turtles or solos ~ The Untamed, as a foreign language show so beloved that fans are willing to scale tall language and cultural barriers to understand it, isn’t something that comes around often. (stanning Gg and/or Dd does take a lot of work!)

About the arguments. I probably only know about a fraction of them since I do not interact directly with fans outside Tumblr . As far as I can tell, however, recent arguments among c-solos and c-turtles have been ordinary fights, and also, fairly “bi-directional” between the solos (ie. I don’t think Gg or Dd has been relatively exempt from attacks compared to each other). 

These arguments can be heated and some of the attacks may sound vicious, but there’s nothing much to worry about from a safety angle, as they haven’t caught the attention of those outside the fan circles.

The theorising by turtles are also not inherently dangerous. c-turtles have mostly been careful about keeping their discussions among themselves. The only risk it may lead to in the future, that I can think of right now, is the associated YiZhan content on China-based websites (ex. Bilibili, Douyin), which has become fairly plentiful. YiZhan candies used to be relatively obscure given the guidelines of CP fans to keep them among themselves (they call this practice 圈地自萌, literally, drawing a circle on the ground and have fun in it by oneself). These days, however, anyone who’s curious can get a good sense of YiZhan’s story by browsing Bilibili. 

This probably contributes to the continued growth of the turtle population; however, some of this content is created by non-turtles who seek viewership and have little concern over Gg and Dd’s safety. They are the ones who re-upload the BTS, for example, despite the repeated pleas and warnings by the “站姐”s—the superfans who take/purchase these videos—as well as the turtles to not do that. If these content creators go overboard, there’s a possibility that YiZhan content may get caught in the government’s “Eradicating Pornography and Illegal Publications”（掃黃打非) movement. The movement originated in the mid 2000s, and its recent waves have been used as pretext to remove LGBT+ and BL content on line (I will eventually set up a post re: those events). Just last month (2020 Dec), Bilibili has been explicitly named by the government for hosting questionable materials, which means it’s already under scrutiny. Sweeps performed on an entire website are usually broad-based enough that no specific individuals are targeted; however, the government also encourages, with financial incentives, the reporting of specific content and has set up a dedicated website for doing so. While all YiZhan content has no direct relation to Gg and Dd, removal of such content may cause an over-reaction from fans, which can, in turn, lead to accusations of poor fan management by Gg and Dd. Most people will also assume the YiZhan content to be created by turtles.

(Another example of how an alleged turtle mis-step can get the YiZhan fandoms and Gg and Dd tied to the 掃黃打非 movement: a few days ago, a Weibo post showed a photo of a hardcover version of an explicit BJYX fanfic, reportedly sold for profit, and GG haters were calling for an arrest for “illegal publication.” So far, there’s minimal noise on the issue, so it isn’t something to worry about. It can also be fake news, which is so bountiful on the platform and on every aspect of daily life that most die a very peaceful, very well-deserved death.).

Whether fan arguments / theories may affect Gg and Dd’s relationship (assuming they’re in a relationship) … my guess is, not much. Gg and Dd are busy people, unlikely to closely follow their fans’ discussions. Again, I expect effects to be felt only if the arguments get out of hand ~ as in, if they begin to involve the public and/or the government.

As for the question about what is being done to stop Gg being targeted: fan wars are incredibly common in China (as in everywhere else), and Gg and Dd’s aren’t special in that sense ~ it’s just that as turtles, we know about those surrounding Gg and Dd and they feel significant to us. No individuals can stop a fan war ~ all we can do is to not join these wars ourselves.

Personally, I think the international fan base of Gg and Dd, as solos and cpfs, have more chance to achieve peace than its Chinese counterparts — if they choose to want that. Popularity in China is not only quantified (which is likely true everywhere, by marketing departments), but very visibly so. Sales numbers, votes, traffic attributed to each idol are frequently released to the public, possibly to foster competition among fans and drive these numbers further upward. c-turtles’ demonstrated strong performance in pushing these metrics has made them a target to those who wish to have usurp their consumer power. They, therefore, have good reasons to be wary of anyone who try to sway them from their “turtle-ship”, whether to turn them into solos or to lure them into an entirely different fandom. The swaying messages are also not always obvious, not always a direct “your cp suck”.  They can be subtle, many even come from netizens who appear to be fellow turtles, who may say “oh, maybe we (turtles) are wrong” or “we have to be realistic; Gg and Dd will never look at each other publicly again”—messages that cast doubt and sink morale in a fandom that’s already running an uphill battle. Remember: traditionally, CP fandoms are not expected or welcomed to last, and solos have been happy to (correctly) point out that the BTS, the origin of the most solid “evidences” of BJYXSZD, are getting older by the day. c-turtles can’t expect anyone else to help defend their ship if something happens, given CP fandoms’ lack of respectability, given YiZhan being a real person M/M pairing that is often frowned upon. So it’s understandable, to me at least, why c-turtles are on guard, and occasionally, clash with those who they feel may be trying to take away what they love.

i-turtles, I feel, don’t have that many reasons to fight. We don’t really have other fandoms (for example, the up and coming danmeis—the adapted BL dramas) vying for our attention (and wallets). No one can put an expiration date on the YiZhan communities except ourselves.

Another way to see this is: we—as in, the combined Gg + Dd international fanbase, the solos + CPFs—are lucky in a way the fans in Gg and Dd’s home country are not. Collectively, we’re much further removed from the pressure to perform as fans, which is immense in China with their fan circle culture and fan economy. i-shrimps and i-motorcycles ~ some of you are reading this, I think? (hello!) ~ here are my humble thoughts: the solo/turtle ratio of Gg and Dd’s international fans doesn’t make much of an impact on Gg and Dd’s star status, on the popularity metrics that matter. Our spending power is limited outside China’s borders, and while Gg and Dd likely love us equally as fans, our adoration for them doesn’t really matter much, if at all, to the production/media/commercial companies that control the trajectories of their careers. 

Along this line, the turtles’ “double loyalty” doesn’t have much of an ill effect, because there are few popularity contests here that mean much; few times (if any) when the turtles must face the dilemma of whether to vote for Gg or Dd because only a single vote is allowed; few situations where they have only x amount of dollars and must split it equally between Gg or Dd’s endorsements. There’s also much less cause to worry that i-turtles may draw the attention, or ire of the Chinese government ~ the whole international fanbase is too far away, too spread out to destabilise the regime in any way.

What the turtles do have in common with you, the solos, is their knowledge, their love for Gg/Dd. Knowledge, in particular. The people who know about Gg/Dd are still far and in between—at where I am, at least, and my guess is, it’s likely true for many of you too. Think of the turtles as people who you can talk to about your favourite star in places where few people know about him, can help promote The Untamed  far and wide—many people still haven’t heard of the show, and they deserve to.

For the turtles ~ no one can take away our turtle-ship identity, as long as we don’t give it away. No one can report on the our communities to the government and get them dissolved. Our votes, our spending habits are no one else’s business but ours here.

So, Anon, here’s what I think, and these are all very personal opinions, very personal decisions on how to navigate fandom …

I truly hope that we, as the international fanbase, can try to use this luck that we have. Make our communities not mere copies of their (combative) Chinese counterparts but something different, something with our own flavour, something with more peace and less fighting.

Specifically, I see little cause to try to persuade/dissuade anyone to be a solo/turtle. I find them… not the best use of time. Why? Because frankly, neither solos nor turtles have a better grasp of who Gg and Dd are. Neither solos nor turtles have a truly good grasp of who Gg and Dd are. These discussions are therefore bound to end up with more ill will than conclusions, since both sides are short of facts.

We’re all short of facts as audiences, who’ve all only seen a tiny sliver of who Gg and Dd are as human beings.

I don’t mean Gg and Dd’s star image is fake ~ it’s just that, their star image is their “work face”, and even I, a lowly turtle, must act somewhat differently in my own office. It’s part of being professional.

Gg and Dd’s star image are their professional face, and no professionals worth a salt truly ignore other’s opinions, especially when the profession is being an entertainer whose job is to face and hold the attention of the public. 

This is true for Gg; this is true for Dd.

Social media accounts are also part of Gg and Dd’s professional face ~ whatever is posted on there will be scrutinised by millions of fans, and they know that. The posts do provide some insights about Gg an Dd’s personalities, but they can’t be expected to show a complete picture. No parts of these posts, therefore, whether it’s the content or the kadians, are sufficient evidences for / against any aspect of their personal lives (especially as private an aspect as their romantic lives). Anon, you mentioned promotional marketing materials, and here’s my understanding of them ~ ambassadors such as Gg and Dd have minimal control over their design. The shrimp-holding bunny you’re referring to, for example, is very likely provided by the company.

However, may I also add this? Please try to not think of the shrimps / motorcycles as enemies of the turtles. Millions of people are behind each of these labels, and true for any group of this size, a fraction of its members are bound to be annoying. A small fraction may be awful, even. But they don’t represent the entire group. The shrimps are not only Gg’s fans, many of them have supported him longer than any turtle (since turtle-ship can’t be older than 2018); they’re also the reasons why Gg is in the industry ~ they voted for him in X-Fire. Likewise, a subset of motorcycles have been with Dd since UNIQ; they were there when the Korean ban effectively dissolved his group; they stuck with him when he was attacked for taking on the role of LWJ.

We’re all Gg and Dd’s fans, if you ask people outside the fandom. Remember: few outside China understand why heated arguments can occur between a bunch of shrimps, turtles and motorbikes. (It sounds a bit kafkaesque, just typing it out.)

It’s important not to lose sight too, that Gg and Dd’s social media accounts, where many new candies are found, primarily function as bridges of communication between them and their fans. These accounts do have different degrees of “professionalism” ~ Weibo and the official accounts being more formal, and Oasis, Douyin being more laid back and intimate; still, they all serve similar purposes. They’re not candy generators, or a script Gg and Dd have an obligation to follow to confirm / refute BJYXSZD.

Also: these accounts are accessible and watched by the public, not all of whom are friendly to Gg and Dd.

Re: Gg’s drawing on Oasis. He used the account as it’s intended for—to interact with his fans (the caption of the first draft was an unspoken invitation to shower him with ideas) and maybe, to show off a little (it was a very nice piece of artwork ~ a comment that I, sadly, haven’t seen much of). I doubt he posted his drawing because he wanted fans to carpet-search for traces of Dd in it (even though he probably expected that would happen); I very much doubt he posted his drawing because he wanted his fans to fight over scratch marks or black dots.  

If these fights keep happening, I can imagine a possible outcome. He’ll stop showing us his drawings. His social media accounts will become less and less personal, as they already have.

I’ll share with you my thoughts about candies too, while I’m at it. These are probably not-so-popular opinions, so please take them all with a grain of salt.(Salted caramels? 😊 )

I haven’t looked at why candies are called candies, but I find the name appropriate for how I think of them ~ candies are 1) neither evidences or truth, 2) sweet, 3) treats (non-essential, not like the main course).

The first point is, perhaps, the one I try the hardest to keep in mind. There are posts out there claiming the candies as made-beliefs—generated from edited pictures or videos, exaggerated translations, and their interpretations forced by “guidances” in the annotations/narration. There are also posts claiming that turtles are deceivers, or have been deceived by brainwashers who maliciously created these make-beliefs. A turtle may assume these posts are all lies, all made by antis. 

But, speaking turtle-to-turtle, I’d venture to say this … there’s some truth in the *first* statement. Many candies do, indeed, taste different if their taster returns to the original source—not necessarily unsweet, but less sweet. Candies, remember, are generated by fans like you and I. Same for c-candies ~ they aren’t endorsed by Gg and Dd, aren’t necessarily closer to the truth just because of the relative proximity of their birthplaces to their leads. 

Candy generation is The Tradition of CP fandoms. It’s a celebrated skill, and who doesn’t want to generate a candy that will be talked about, that will be part of the BJYX canon, for as long as the fandom lasts? Some fans are, therefore, also more … efficient in the “marketing” of the candies they generated — in persuading others that their candies are evidences, the truth. “Guidance” photos and videos (which pinpoint the place to watch, sometimes with appropriate sound effects for emphasis) have come about that way, and because they’re easy to digest—especially where language barriers exist—they end up spreading to i-fandoms.

These photos and videos may look more professional / trustworthy, but they often have an additional layer of subjectivity ~ on top of the already subjective opinion of what makes a candy. Translations (of BTS, fake rumours house content etc) also introduce a subjective element. Word choices can significant modify the tone of a conversation; speakers of different Chinese dialects may also have different interpretations of the same phrases. Example: I, as a non Chongqing/Sichuanese speaker, can guess the literal meaning of the “puppy” term Gg used for Dd — 狗崽崽 (gou zai zai) — but I also had to rely on others to tell me how endearing the term is; me being a Chinese speaker actually doesn’t make my interpretation any more valid, or authoritative, in this scenario, because my dialect doesn’t use this term at all. 

It doesn’t mean the people who’ve put in the work have any less-than-good intent; the vast majority of them come from a place of deep love. It’s just that we all carry our own perspectives, and as fans, our strong emotions in our fanworks.

This is why candies are often insufficient as good “points” for arguments, why they fail to convince non-believers, sometimes to the disappointment of some turtles. As evidences, they aren’t objective enough; they’re also often touch upon the assumption that’s mark the fundamental difference between solo and cp fans — the assumption that Gg and Dd are (not) together. Take, for example, this segment from a (polite) ask I got from an anon solo:

All the matching clothes, jewelry, shoes etc. Stopped being valid candy when I realized that the brands have popular stars "endorse" their products. The lightning pendant? Other actors have also worn it. Does that mean they are in a 3-way with (Gg) and (Dd)? Probs not.

Solo anon was correct! Brands have star endorsers, and other entertainers have, indeed, worn the same lightning pendant. The implied argument is also valid: people who don’t care about, don’t even know about each other can wear the same things. Most of us do that on a daily basis with our mass-produced garments.

However, a counterargument can also be made to the statement above, and easily: even the most precious, most beautiful wedding rings (say, from Tiffany!) are not exclusive to the first RL couple who bought them. It doesn’t mean the first RL couple is sleeping with all the couples who bought the same rings afterwards, doesn’t mean those rings aren’t significant to every one of these couples as romantic mementos. More often than not, couples wear matching things not because these things are exclusive to them—because how often can one find things that only exist as a single pair in this world? They wear matching things because they want to see something on themselves that remind them of their significant other and so, as long as the things aren’t so prevalent that everyone is wearing them, they can already serve their purpose.

But you see, Anon, that arguing over this would’ve been a waste of time? Because the solo came in with the assumption that Gg and Dd were not a couple, and the counterargument was made with the assumption that they were. The pendants alone are insufficient to prove either side correct or wrong. No one knows why those pendants ended up on Gg and Dd’s necks, except Gg and Dd and their teams. If I were to argue with anon solo, we can go on and on and on until we’re both left with bitter tastes in our mouths and WWX-red in our eyes, and forget the one thing that really matters: we’re both Gg’s fans.

(We could’ve spent the time talking about how that scene in The Wolf with Ji Chong throwing Zai Xing in the water is ❤️.) (I can’t believe the script waited 30+ episodes to do it. 😂)

This leads to my second point, Anon. Candies are meant to be sweet, and they’re meant to be sweet for you. In Chinese, a term for an expert candy person is a 嗑學家 (the candy-eating in CP fandoms is called 嗑糖 (ketang) ～ with 嗑 ke denoting a specific form of eating that requires breaking something open first with teeth—such as watermelon seeds; a 嗑學家 is a 嗑 (ke)-ologist). A 嗑學家 isn’t someone who can recall the longest list of candies, or spread the most candies around, or convince the most people that the CP behind the candies is real; they are those who can find their own candies in a source material, and be overjoyed by the sweetness of their discoveries without outside help. To me, at least, this term encapsulates the subjective nature of candies ~ what’s right for you may not be right for me and vice versa, and that’s perfectly all right. In other words, there are many candies out there but you’re not required to believe in all of them; instead, you’re free to choose candies to your own liking, compose your own version of the BJYX canon that you love, that you find sweet.

Wait, but you may say. Doesn’t that make my canon fantasy? Yes and no, because candies are based on real events. They’re interpretations, which sit somewhere between reality and fantasy. They’re like … opinion shows on news channels.

But what if I need to convince people of my canon —

Your “opposition”’s canon is as fantastical, and as real as yours — maybe it isn’t, but neither of you have a way to prove it one way or another.

Wouldn’t solos call me delulu, or clowns?

Maybe. But one step outside the fandom, and all of us fans—solo and cpfs—are delulu, clowns.

(That’s why while I’ve used the cpn label, I haven’t called myself delulu, or a clown. Anyone who thinks I have the truth about the love story about a pair of idol I haven’t met from thousands of miles away … the joke’s probably on them, don’t you think?)

Of course and again, Anon, this is only my take! I like candies precisely because I like to watch the real-time generation of candies, which ones different people claim as their own, which candies fall away and which stick around in the fandom over time. As a fic writer, this ship has gifted me with a treasure trove of information ~ what do people think of as romantic gestures, as give-away signs of love? The fun/amazing part of BJYX is that candies are available for so many different answers to these questions. Some people think of longing gazes and sweet smiles; some think of touches that can’t be helped (the many, many, many “fights”); some think of service (buying foods, designing clothes); some think of caring about the other’s well-being (throat candies and dumplings + noodles + crackers); some think of being The Other’s One and Only Exception (Dd being so talkative around Gg, Gg being so … fussy around Dd); some think of expressions through the arts (songs, drawings, dances); some think of grand gestures (the wave heart in the ocean); some think of matching clothes and symbolic accessories (rings); some think of birthdays and anniversaries (314, 622, the first snow); some think of sharing life’s hassles and small tidbits (fake rumour house); some think of … just looking VERY good together. Etc etc.

Some think of a subset of these, some think of all of these…

(Personally, I’m a very picky candy eater. I know about many of them, but only a small fraction impresses on me.)

(Still, I love watching candies. I love watching the joy of people sweetened by them ~ or, when c-turtles exclaim kswl! — the short form of ke si wo le! 嗑死我了! I “ke”ed so much I’m dying!)

This gets to 3), Anon, and I apologise to you too, for answering your not-essay-at-all with an essay! Candies are, to me, treats, and I don’t expect them to come at any frequencies higher than treats do. The reason isn’t because I don’t like candies ~ I enjoy watching them, as I said, even if I don’t eat many of them; the reason is because I don’t expect anyone’s romantic love to leave a trace in everything they do. For example, if I truly find myself in a SZD/SJD discussion re: Gg’s drawing, I’d say the lack of Dd in Gg’s self-portrait doesn’t really mean much. Even if Gg and Dd were head-over-heels in love with one another, Gg doesn’t have to put Dd in everything he touches. Likewise, Dd doesn’t have to present a consistent, or decipherable story with his kadians. This is true for the real-life couples around us too, isn’t it? They don’t perform every single act in life leaving a noticeable trace of their significant other. And the misunderstanding that couples do that — that their romantic lives take over who they are as individuals — IMO, partially explains why people who choose to not to date or marry, people who’re aro-aces, often have a difficult time convincing others that they’re complete humans. Romantic love is, of course, very, very important and can be life altering, but it also isn’t everything about a person ~ especially not if a person who has a career as exciting as Gg’s and Dd’s. Gg and Dd who also have friends, family, (many) talents and interests …

(And lots of ugly icons on their cell phones. Yes, I’m talking about you, Gg. That long-armed Pepe from your 2018 snowless Beijing post will give me nightmares…)

[archivalflags]

[ Image Transcription : 

A flag with seven stripes, three deep green stripes are on the top separated from three deep blue stripes on the bottom by one white stripe in the middle.

End Transcription ]

A compiled history of the first popularized Gay / Gay Man / Gay Men / Gay Male flag proposal. UPDATED 4/12/22 WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION, PLEASE SCROLL TO “UPDATE SECTION”.

This history is somewhat incomplete because of the lack of consistent documentation of this flag as it gained popularity. As resources are found and more research is done, it will be updated accordingly.

This post was made as a reference and is free to be cited.

Creation

The Gay Man Flag was created by an anon and Mod Hermy from @.ask-pride-color-schemes [1].

[ Image Transcription :

“Anonymous asked: Relating to the old discussion on a separate flag just for gay men a while back (since the regular gay flag tends to be used for LGBT overall). Since theres a lesbian flag that is the lipstick lesbian flag minus the lipstick symbol, maybe a gay man pride flag could be the gay bear flag without the bear symbol? Alternatively, maybe the same set up as the lesbian flag, but using blue and purple colors instead of red and pink. Just some suggestions!”

Mod Hermy responds “Looks like someone already beat you to the blue/purple idea and used it for the Butch lesbian design: *image of the blue and purple Butch Lesbian flag*

*image of the proposed gay flag*  And I dunno about the other idea, I think the brown colors might be so distinctly ‘bear’ that just removing the pawprint will just confuse people, but who knows!”

End Transcription ]

The history of this flag is muddled as it was not credited during it’s initial spread. It was somewhat popularized through people arguing about it after transmedicalist/transmed/truscum blogger @discourse-king posted it without credit and it gained traction [2].

Some claimed that there were meanings behind the stripes and that it was created by one person, but there were no “official” meanings posted by the creators, and (as previously stated) the flag was a collaboration over asks. [3]. Many mis-attributed the flag as @discourse-king’s creation, thinking that it was somehow pro-transmedicalist.

The Anon that suggested the flag could be Truscum, however Mod Hermy & Ask-pride-color-schemes are not, so it's unlikely that a Transmed would be contacting them. Additionally, the Anon's suggestion was modified by Mod Hermy who actually made the image, so even if a Transmed suggested it, they didn't create the final product.

Overall opinions on the flag seem to be mixed. Commonly seen criticisms are the color scheme being primarily blue, it’s similarity to the lipstick lesbian flag, and arguments over the “need” for a more specific flag beyond the rainbow flag [4] for gay men.

A common statement about the , making it appear as shades of light & dark blue if the image quality is less than perfect, if your screen brightness isn’t high enough, or if your computer or phone display doesn’t have very sharp colors, hence the “all blue” moniker.

The flag has been adopted for use by multiple communities, most unfavorably by r/LGBdroptheT [5], who have actively complained about similar trans-inclusive proposals for both lesbian and gay flag designs.

[ Image Transcription : 

A r/LGBDropTheT post criticizing @gayflagblog​'s gay flag proposal for including trans men and nonbinary gays with the header “Not mentioning me is not allowed anywhere”

End Transcription ]

[ Image Transcription : 

A r/LGBDropTheT post criticizing @sadlesbeandisaster’s lesbian flag proposal for including trans women and nonbinary lesbians, with the header “The ‘new’ lesbian flag includes men and women who don’t want to be women.”

End Transcription ]

However, usage of the flag by an individual or group does not directly indicate trans-exclusionary or transmedicalist views, as the flag is neither explicitly inclusive or exclusive of trans/nb spectrum gay men.

This flag has commonly been mistaken for other proposed flags, either due to similarity in color scheme or number of stripes.

[ Image Transcription :

A flag with five stripes, two deep green stripes are on the top separated from two deep blue stripes on the bottom by one white stripe in the middle.

End Transcription ]

Tumblr user Gee-Makes-Flags has made a “simplified version” of the flag which has also been used in place of the original.

UPDATE SECTION

On March 3rd, 2021, Mod Hermy came out of Hiatus on ask-pride-color-schemes and commented on this post. [6]

[ Image Transcription :

A reblog of this post by ask-pride-color-schemes, it says

 “Mod Hermy here: I’m just getting off hiatus from this blog and am now learning about all the discourse about this flag. I’m going to make a longer post later but I’m super pissed it got stolen and co-opted by some truscum/transphobes. I updated the description on my Deviantart post”

A link to the pride-flags Deviantart page is given

End Transcription ]

Mod Hermy then updated the description of the flag’s Deviantart page to the following [7]:

[ Image Transcription :

" Two years late and I'm just learning about a ton of discourse surrounding this flag. APPARENTLY some truscum/transmed took this flag and reuploaded it, wording it in a way that made everyone think it was made by them (and "official"). Also,it seems like it's been co-opted by truscum and transphobes to exclude trans and nonbinary gay men.

So I'll try to clear things up.

Around May 2017 an anon made a suggestion on my blog ask-pride-color-schemes about a flag specifically for gay men:

“Relating to the old discussion on a separate flag just for gay men a while back (since the regular gay flag tends to be used for LGBT overall). Since there's a lesbian flag that is the lipstick lesbian flag minus the lipstick symbol, maybe a gay man pride flag could be the gay bear flag without the bear symbol? Alternatively, maybe the same set up as the lesbian flag, but using blue and purple colors instead of red and pink. Just some suggestions!”

I responded saying that a blue and purple one would look too much like the butch lesbian flag so I suggested this blue and green one (also that a bear pride without the paw would probably be confusing).

I posted it and it never got a follow up from anon and the post got like 6 notes so I just moved on with my life. I did see it around once or twice but never thought about it much because I've helped make lots of flags before.

This was never meant to be a finalized design, it was simply a suggestion since the anon's was too similar to the butch lesbian flag.

This post explains a lot of what happened. [ A link to this post is given ]

I'm going to contact the creator of the edited flag @gayflagblog​  and work with him and the pride server I'm in to come up with meanings for the stripes so hopefully truscum/transphobes will stop using this one.

Definitely going to keep the top/middle/bottom stripe meanings but would also like to add stripe(s) for ace/aro/mspec gay men.”

End Transcription ]

Mod Hermy then made a Tumblr post on March 5, 2021 talking about how they were extremely upset at what had happened, and stated that all of the flags they make are inclusionary of all non-harmful LGBTQAI+ and MOGAI identities. [8]

[ Parts of this post which are heavily similar too, or the same as the updated Deviantart description are not shown, the full post is linked below as source 8]

[ Image Transcription :

"I am beyond pissed off at this, especially since I don’t remember anyone telling me it was stolen.

To be very clear:

I never want any of my flags being used to exclude part of the LGBTQAI+/MOGAI community. I am fully supportive of all aspec identities, “MOGAI” genders (including xenogenders, kingenders, neurogenders and neurorientations) pronoun noncomforming gays and lesbians (or anyone, really), GNC trans people, people who use the SAM, low/non-dysphoric trans people, and anyone else who may get excluded.

Basically, any identity (that’s not centered around harming people or animals) is amazing and valid.”

End Transcription ]

Hermy then shared the official meanings of each of the flag’s stripes which they had based off of gayflagblog’s proposal and made with the help of their personal Discord server and several gay men in a pride.

[ Image Transcription :

“I’m not quite sure what to do regarding damage control around the exclusionists that are using my flag, but I started by working with several gay men in a pride, and my personal server to come up with meanings for each stripe (based on @gayflagblog​ ‘s flag) that explicitly include GNC, nonbinary, trans, ace/arospec, split-attraction, and pronoun nonconforming gay men (also made it prettier).“

A flag with seven stripes, three deep green stripes are on the top separated from three deep blue stripes on the bottom by one white stripe in the middle. Meanings are superimposed over each stripe: [Community] [Inclusion] [She/her and pronoun noncomforming gays] [GNC, nonbinary, and trans men] [Ace/arospec and split-attraction gays] [Love and attraction] [Diversity]

End Transcription ]

The post ends with Hermy sharing gayflagblog’s proposals, calling it “a better version... to deal with the problems with my proposal/suggestion” as well as sharing another link to the pride-flags Deviantart’s Gay Man/MLM flag section.

[ Image Transcription :

“Here’s a better version made by @gayflagblog​ to deal with the problems with my proposal/suggestion:”

Two flags made to look similar to the first flag but with bolder colors. The blue stripes are slightly more purple and the green stripes are slightly more green. The first flag has seven stripes and the second is a simplified 5-stripe version.

End Transcription ]

Sources:

[1] https://ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/149449006549/relating-to-the-old-discussion-on-a-separate-flag

[ Archive.org ]

https://ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/186058593899/do-you-know-who-can-be-credited-for-the-proposed

[ Archive.org ]

[2] https://tsurushokubutsu.tumblr.com/post/182729528749/this-is-the-official-gay-male-flag-a-wonderful

[ Archive.org ]

[3] https://the-diddly-darn-transmed.tumblr.com/post/182738942414/in-case-anyone-who-sees-this-is-confused-about-the

[ Archive.org ]

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_flag_(LGBT)

[5] https://imgur.com/a/6Tcglh5*

[ Archive.org ]

[6] https://ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/644684177601642497/image-transcription-a-flag-with-seven

[7] https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Gay-Man-Proposed-Original-630382215

[8] https://ask-pride-color-schemes.tumblr.com/post/644881530268811264/clearing-up-some-things-about-the-official-gay

* for the purposes of not promoting or giving traffic to a hate group, this post will not be linking to the subreddit itself. Screenshots are provided instead. 

Edit : r/LGBDropTheT has been deleted in a recent Reddit banwave of subreddits found violating the TOS, live subreddit posts can no longer be accessed.

[gallickingunexposed]

Tl;dr - morgan and leaf (one of the mods) are both guilty of kicking people in the server by personal preference and enable the possibility of plagiarism happening again within bnhabookclub

I wasnt going to send this bc frankly im unbothered. However, ik this is smth that can easily happen to someone else and they may undermine their experience if they believe theyre the only one this has happened to. And since i have made attempts to get answers from leaf (since morgan and i are mutually blocked) but havent been able to get through, i might as well speak up to help others since the bookclub admin/mod team wont

Ik she said she wishes she did things differently so some may believe she regretted her actions, but her actions are still the same. When a blogger was concerned over her keeping a picture of their ID and morgan refused to acknowledge it, she kicked them by her personal choice and didnt tell mods. Recently, she did the same to me. When i asked a mod, i was told that this mod had no idea this happened and had to ask, as of which only one other mod (leaf) knew about it. I tried to contact leaf weeks ago on discord and she still wont accept my friend requests. Ive sent and re-sent it jic she missed it since i was told shes busy, but at this point its clear that discussion is being avoided again, similar to the previous time someone was kicked without notice or breaking rules.

The reason i was in the server until this point was bc there was a mutual understanding between me and the bookclub staff team that id be there to make sure they didnt continue to steal from my friend’s server and my server. This was discussed months ago and we barely managed to get bookclub to properly attribute us and stop using my friend’s content when he said it made him uncomfortable. The mods had agreed during the “inactivity” kicking session that i could remain (even if inactive) in the server and leave of my own accord to make sure that bnhabookclub didnt continue to take credit for things they took from our servers. I expressed i wanted to leave but was staying and will continue to stay until i was sure that they wouldnt plagiarize from us; however, i sent one message within the server during that time jic to cover my back about being kicked for inactivity. that purge never happened, but suddenly morgan and leaf went back on their word months later and kicked me, not informing the entirety of the mods of their actions so they can get away with it (since again i was told morgan believed she’s in the right for this). If theyre to say they never agreed to this, i have ss of my conversation with the mod who helped me through this whole situation. I dont believe she would made that stuff up and put herself in the hot seat.

It’s convenient that im someone who morgan plagiarized from and also one of the many people she scammed and tried to prevent giving a refund to, and now shes removed me from the server because she “saw no issue with it” (quoted from the mod i did talk to that was unaware of the situation) even though the server is where half of those offenses occurred. Now that im not there, she has full capability to reimplement the stolen ideas and procedures that she got from me and my friends, which is likely since she is repeating other actions the same as she did in the past without remorse. I had remained in the server this whole time to make sure she didnt continue to plagiarize our content. Morgan as well as the entire mod team was aware of that since it was discussed months ago during the time these things were being properly attributed, but they kicked anyway and will probably say it was “unrelated” to the plagiarism, but that merely overlooks and gaslights the situation. Kicking for personal choice can only be regrettable if it doesnt happen again, but morgan and leaf have made it even easier for her to get away with the same issues and have continued to solidify bnhabookcoub as a space that isnt run by the rules shown, but simply run by morgan.

Is that a community i want to be in? Ofc not, but if it meant ensuring morgan and her team didnt continue to steal from me and my friends then that was fine with me. They know the sole reason i was there was to make sure they didnt plagiarize me and my friends — there should be no issue with that unless there was intent to oick up where they left off and continue plagiarizing. Had i been able to leave of my own accord then i feel like no flag wouldve been raised, but morgan and leaf are simply solidifying the accusations from before: removing and silencing ppl that were wronged.

All of this leads into me saying, please take her words of regret with a grain of salt and believe in her actions objectively instead. Victims of morgan’s theft, bullying, etc have no reason to lie — theres no prize or pot of gold for saying these things, and also it is difficult for some people to speak abt what shes done to them. However, morgan has lied to cover her ass when people come forward and made herself the sole victim through words while she continues to act the same. Please just be careful about the spaces you join, esp if its one that she and her friends run or are apart of.

psa

[ediblegardenspointloma]

In My San Diego Garden and Kitchen

When I harvest the first zucchini, summer is here. Our “June gloom” has departed and days are long and sunny.

Stuck at only a few inches in length, the undersized zucchini responded to the weather change yielding several nearly perfect specimens. These are ‘Raven’ dark green zucchini from Renee’s Garden which I grow every year. Plants are smallish but produce well. You can read about its many other attributes which make it my go to variety.

Thinly sliced white carrots from my garden, chunks of onion and zucchini roasted quickly for a barbecue on the Fourth. I forgot to snap a photo of the finished veggies and the fresh thyme mix-in.

So I pulled out the zucchini recipe folder and prepared to file the oranges one.

We harvested the last twenty navel oranges from the tree which produced about 500 oranges this year. I squirreled the best ones away in the produce drawer, removed zest for the freezer and then squeezed the oranges for a final round of juice.

The rhubarb plants still offer plenty of sturdy, thick stalks. I’ve been making apple-rhubarb-guava sauce (ARG) for several weeks. Strawberry guava puree frozen last fall adds a pleasant flavor and color.

Since our small chest freezer is full of stewed apricots, applesauce, ARG, guava puree and other preserved foods I canned this batch of apple-rhubarb-guava sauce.

Don’t we all anticipate the seasonal fare from our garden harvests? Waldorf Deluxe from the Original Moosewood Cookbook is one of those for me. I’m between lettuce harvests so time to use what’s at hand: apples, cheddar cheese, raisins (golden if I had them), celery and cashew pieces. The salad, with a light yogurt dressing thinned with orange juice and flavored with zest, seems so California to me.

The ‘Queen Red Lime’ zinnias popularized by Floret and these from Johnny’s are the stars of this bouquet. Fennel growing wild in the alley, red buckwheat from the native garden and other garden gleanings made a composition to my liking.

You may enjoy seeing what other garden bloggers harvested last week at Harvest Monday hosted by Dave at Our Happy Acres.

To leave a comment, please click on “Leave a comment/Show comments,” leave your comment, then insert your name. Email address and website URL are optional. Finally, click on “Comment as Guest” to post comment. Subscribe to ediblegardens52 by email in Comments.

[twoguysandaride]

Brian's Boss 302!

Brian's Boss 302!

Ford revived the Boss 302 nameplate for 2012. The standard 2011 Ford Mustang GT's 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine is enhanced and was referred to within Ford's development teams as the Road Runner engine. Upgrades include a forged rotating assembly, CNC ported heads, revised camshafts and a high flow "runners in the box" intake taken from the 302R racecar. It produces 450 PS (444 hp; 331 kW) at 7400 rpm – 32 hp (24 kW) over the standard GT's 412 hp (418 PS; 307 kW). The engine loses about 10 lb⋅ft (14 N⋅m) of torque at peak when compared to the standard GT. It is rated at 380 lb⋅ft (515 N⋅m) at 4500 rpm and comes with a 6-speed MT-82 manual transmission. A solid rear axle with 3.73:1 differential uses carbon fiber plates in its limited slip differential or an optional Torsen differential. The quad exhaust system made up of two standard Mustang GT outlets and two side pipes that exit on either side of the rear crossover. The side pipes send the exhaust through metal "Attenuation" discs to create an extra growling exhaust sound. The discs are removable and include a spacer plate sized to match aftermarket exhaust dump valves.

The Boss 302 takes the Mustang GT's suspension and adds higher-rate coil springs, stiffer bushings, and a larger diameter rear stabilizer bar. The body is lowered 11 mm (0.433 in) up front and just 1 mm (0.039 in) in the rear to give it a more raked stance designed to recall the original. The shock absorbers are adjustable at the shock tower by using a flat head screwdriver. The standard Mustang traction control system and electronic stability control programs have been altered with a new intermediate sport mode designed to allow for more flexibility on the track.

The aero package (i.e. spoilers, splitters, etc.) is almost entirely copied from the Boss 302R race car. The 19-inch black-alloy racing wheels are 9-inches wide up front and 9.5-inches out back and come fitted with 255/40-19 (front) and 285/35-19 (rear) Pirelli P-Zero tires.

Ford produced 2000 standard Boss 302 models within 764 Laguna Seca models for 2012 as well for 2013 (2000 total).

Music licensed from http://www.purple-planet.com and YouTube free music

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#Boss302 #Mustang #TwoGuysandARide

[kwilson5]

          Picture this: a red, itchy rash; oozing blisters; full body aches and pains. Does this ring a bell? For many, these symptoms bring back memories of the chickenpox, an illness once seen as a childhood rite of passage. Thankfully, these memories are becoming a thing of the past. The widespread use of the chickenpox vaccine has significantly decreased the rates of infection, as well as the associated burden on health care. The publicly funded vaccine program in Canada prevents over 3.5 million cases of the chickenpox, and approximately 9,000 hospitalizations each year. Decrease in infection rates are thanks to the efficacy of the vaccination: the recommended two-doses of the vaccine is 98% effective at preventing illness for at least 10 years after vaccination, and prevents 100% of severe infections. Medical experts and parents alike would agree that the chickenpox vaccine has been successful method of controlling chickenpox infection.

           Of course, everything has its critics, and the chickenpox vaccine is not immune to public scrutiny. Parents are, and should be, critical with everything related to their child’s health. As such, the topics of vaccines and vaccine safety continue to attract attention in the media, both good and bad. Much of the negative attention is attributed to misformation that has found its way into public eye, often being shared by “anti-vaxxer” groups. Some forms of vaccine criticism are more valid than others, while some are outright crazy. Throughout this blog post, I would like to discuss a specific myth associated with the varicella vaccine, which links the widespread use of the chickenpox vaccine with increasing rates of adult shingles.

           So, what is the myth, and where does it come from? There is an increase in shingles cases, and people think the chickenpox vaccine is to blame. This idea is based by a hypothesis first introduced by Hope-Simpson in 1975, and is known as the Exogenous Boosting Hypothesis. It is the idea that routine vaccination against the chickenpox removes a natural “booster” from the community, which supposedly protects unvaccinated age groups against reactivation of the chickenpox. This idea has become increasingly popular as cases of the shingles continue to rise. Over the past 60 years, cases have increased by 24% in all age groups. News reporters, anti-vaxxers, and other bloggers have cited the Hope-Simpson Exogenous Boosting Hypothesis as evidence that the chickenpox vaccine is the cause of this increase. Mathematical models have used this hypothesis to predict an impending increase in shingles cases, and The British National Health Services have avoided added the chickenpox vaccine to their routine vaccination schedule for this reason. The popularity of this opinion leads one to wonder… is there any truth to it?

           To begin unraveling the alleged link between varicella vaccinations and shingles infections, it is important to first understand the mechanisms of infection. Both chickenpox and singles are caused by the same virus: varicella. Primary infection with varicella often occurs in childhood, causing chickenpox. Chickenpox causes flu-like symptoms accompanied by a tell-tale rash. Most children recuperate in just over a week, but a severe infection may lead to pneumonia or inflammation of the brain. Thankfully, once recovered, reinfection is rare. This is because of natural immunity. Natural immunity arises when infection occurs and triggers a cell-mediated attack on the virus by the immune system. The immune system will then be able to remember the virus the next time it is encountered, and will be able to initiate another specific, cell-mediated response to prevent reinfection. Chickenpox is common in children because they have not yet acquired natural immunity against varicella; but once they contract it, reinfection is rare.  

           Sadly, natural immunity to the chickenpox comes with a cost. Infection with chickenpox causes latency, putting an individual at risk for secondary infection with shingles. During primary infection, the immune system destroys cells infected by varicella. However, some cells hide in the ganglionic neurons of the nervous system, which cannot be reached by the immune system. These viral cells can lay dormant in the immune system for a lifetime, which is referred to as latency. During latency, varicella is not known to cause any neuronal damage, and it can remain forever inactive. However, 30% of individuals with latent varicella experience a secondary infection with shingles. Risk of secondary infection increases with age and in individuals who are immuno-compromised, through a process called immunosenescence. Immunosenescence is a decrease in the efficiency of cell-mediated responses, increasing vulnerability to viruses like varicella. In instances of immunosenescence, dormant varicella may become reactivated, causing a secondary infection known as shingles.

Figure 1: Latency and reactivation of varicella after primary infection with the chickenpox. 

           The Exogenous Booster Hypothesis suggests that circulating chickenpox can strengthen natural immunity against the chickenpox to protect unvaccinated age groups from secondary infection of varicella. Brief encounters with individuals who are ill with varicella should have a “boosting” effect on someone who has latent varicella. A small amount of the virus will inoculate the immune system to strengthen natural immunity, much in the same way that a vaccine works to provide immunity.  However, there has not been any research to support this hypothesis since it was first introduced by Hope-Simpson. Multiple studies, including this meta analysis, have not found any evidence to support the Exogenous Booster Hypothesis. In other words, a decrease in exogenous boosting is unlikely to be the cause of increased shingles rates. While researchers still aren’t sure what is the cause, they have suggested a few likely culprits. Most likely, this is related to immunosenescence in an ageing population.  Additionally, an increased use of therapies that influence immune functioning, such as chemotherapy, are believed to decrease natural immunity. 

           Regardless of the reason, one thing is sure: the number of shingles cases are increasing, and vulnerable populations should do what they can to prevent illness. Luckily, modern medicine has provided an alternative to using sick kids as a source of immunity. There are vaccines available to protect older adults from shingles and associated complications. The vaccine is the only reliable method of preventing shingles.

[comingupforblair]

There’s something I see a lot in relation to DC films and their critical opinions and it annoys me so I wanted to comment on it

I should preface this by saying that, while I understand the strong feelings people have on the subject, I am completely and unambiguously opposed to actions such as harassing people off social media, sending death threats or generally acting in a repulsive manner towards critics or fans in any given situation and that includes these films. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s begin...

The history of critics’ opinions (for the purposes of this post, I’ll be using this to refer to professionals, amateurs, bloggers, people with YT channels, etc) on the franchise are well documented so I don’t feel a need to go back over them here but, suffice it to say, it hasn’t been a positive one and fans such as myself have been vocal about calling out what we see as unfair or overly negative reviews, critical opinions and expectations for how the films are expected to improve in the eyes of detractors.

This has been seen as a misplaced move in the eyes of detractors who will say that we should be grateful for the presence of critical opinions in order to encourage the film makers to do better and that any and all blame should be put on the creators themselves.

It’s clear that people critical of these films have a lofty view of their behavior and goals, seeing themselves as compassionate critics who are only acting in the best interest of the films and who would love nothing more than to enjoy the franchise but are unable to and are bravely fighting the good fight for better cinema, however much it hurts them to act as they do.

It’s a nice story.

The problem is that it isn’t true.

Or, at least, it’s not as true as they keep insisting.

If you’ve spent any amount of time among people critical of these films, you have likely noticed that a lot of them are extremely abrasive about it. Personal insults towards the creators and fans, hyperbolic statements about the franchise’s future and the future of DC adaptations in general, unflattering comparisons to Marvel and a tendency to treat the films as something closer to a personal affront than they should are all common and certainly don’t play into the image of reluctant negativity they are so keen to cite when called out.

This isn’t even limited to online trolls or bloggers (more on them later). Respectable publications have joined in. There are articles written on the Guardian, a news site I genuinely respect and frequent, that wouldn’t be out of place on an independent site run by the stereotypical angry nerds we have been seeing too much of recently where Zack Snyder is characterized not as a filmmaker whose work they dislike but as an active detriment to DC who needs to be stopped and others where the films are treated with the usual nonsense.

The common response that people generally have when DCEU fans push back against criticism is to assume that we want a world where no one says anything negative about anything ever and the films are never called out when they make a mistake but that’s not it.

Criticism is necessary. It’s how people are given feedback to improve and I’m not going to say these films don’t have flaws to be called out or that Warner Bros haven’t made mistakes. But there’s a responsibility on the people delivering their criticism to do respectfully and fairly and without indulging in disproportionate harshness and unnecessary cruelty and to do so without being personal and realizing when you overstep as well as acknowledging progress and a lot of people criticizing these films haven’t been doing that over the years. 

They still hold those earlier films over the newer ones more to their liking in a manner that suggests they have little, if any, intention of allowing the studio to move on or regarding any genuine improvement with little more than a dismissive, backhanded acknowledgement.

Even people who dislike the films have said they’re put off by just how vicious some of the negativity towards them and Zack Snyder personally has been.

Your criticism may be intended to encourage improvement but that doesn’t spare you from being called out on your execution or behavior in doing so, any more than a film makers’ sincere desire to make a good film means they can’t be criticized if they don’t live up to that goal in your eyes.

There’s also the issue of intent. 

I have no doubt that people saying they’re critical because they want the films to improve are sincere about it. But it’s their definition of what would qualify as an improvement that needs to be question and scrutinized far more than it has been.

Many people’s definition of an improvement would involve completely annexing the films entirely and starting over from scratch. Others would be content with them merely getting rid of the ones they personally didn’t like or abandoning the idea entirely and just focusing on films and animation. Others would rather see Disney acquire the characters in the belief that any films they make would be worth the trade off (it wouldn’t be).

Others want the films to completely remove any trace of Zack Snyder’s vision, down to recasting actors still loyal to him as well as seeing the films adopt a tone virtually identical to that of the MCU. Others want to see Bruce Timm or Greg Berlanti put in charge while others are wondering why they didn’t bring Christian Bale or Michael Keaton back.

You can see the issue at hand. Every person saying this is doing so out of a sincere desire to see the films improve and that’s the problem. It’s their definition of what would qualify as an improvement that DCEU fans are so adamantly against.

You can’t just attribute good intentions to your actions and expect to be free from criticism from there on out.

That’s not even getting into how a lot of the criticism doesn’t serve a purpose other than to kick a franchise while it’s already down, to say nothing of how often it’s just blatantly inaccurate, and how many are the usual toxic fans who are just venting their anger at these films being made in a manner that differs from what they would have liked and whose manner of criticizing them is skewed more towards negativity.

I almost forgot about them. For every respectable critic out there, there are a dozen or so who take pleasure in going after these films and have no interest in seeing them improve. They just enjoy giving them shit and doing so in a very cruel and needlessly personal manner. Anyone can be a critic now and a lot of the ones doing so are, to put it bluntly, horrible people.

There’s also the fact that critics, fans and bloggers who have been doing this are being championed, being seen and seeing themselves as the victors in this conflict.

Their words and actions are certainly having an effect and not necessarily a positive one. Films have been drastically altered to better suit the expectations of such critics, directors have left due to the changes, arcs have been abandoned and some actors have left and others may follow due to how the franchise has changed.

Needless to say, fans have not been happy about this and are open about saying as much and have been vocal about blaming those with such intensely negative views for what they see as the loss of the franchise we could have had.

You can counter that they wouldn’t have faced that issue if they had done what was expected of them from the start but that’s besides the point.

If you’re a critic with an audience, wheter it’s writing or running a Youtube channel or whatever, you have power. People listen to you, even if it’s only a few dozen people, and that includes the creators. So it’s on you to use that power responsibly and that’s what a lot of people haven’t been doing in relation to these films so it falls to people like me and other fans to call them out when we see them as not living up to the lofty image and ideals they have outlined and assigned to themselves.

In short, fans are treating critics the same way critics have been treating these films and the fact that they are so against being held to such a standard only proves that they need it.

Those with negative views of the films have seen this and similar claims as fans putting the blame for the state of the franchise on someone other than the creators but really it’s the logical conclusion of the justification so quickly and frequently used of their behavior.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t position yourself as someone whose actions are designed to incur change on a major level with these films and then distance yourself from the negative consequences that arise from your words or the actions you have been calling for, even if you didn’t intend it. 

On a side note, one of the themes of BvS, the film that started all this, was how sincerely good intentions can have unintended negative consequences. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony.

I wasn’t bullshitting when I said that criticism is necessary and I have no desire to see a world without film critics or where they are only seen as valid if they write what I agree with. I have read and encountered people who didn’t like these films but were still respectful, fair and even-minded about it as well as people who saw potential but felt it wasn’t being lived up to. It is possible to be critical of this franchise without engaging in the behavior I’ve mentioned so many times so I know it’s possible to achieve that which is why I’m annoyed at the behavior I outlined being so commonplace and being dismissed as an unavoidable side effect.

As with fandom, I want film criticism to improve and that will never happen if the people doing all of the stuff I mentioned are just invoking their good intentions as a way to beat away any kind of criticism of their behavior or refusing to ever reflect in a way that is absolutely necessary for improvement.

[builderalldeutschland-blog]

Website Production For Newbies - 5 Quick Tips For Newbies to Produce Your Own Site

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References Magnet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazilian government aims to drastically reduce social councils, they have 60 days to justify their existence

The Brazilian federal government intends to reduce from 700 to less than 50 the number of councils provided by the National Social Participation Policy (PNPS) and by the National System of Social Participation (SNPS), in order to reduce the state bureaucracy. These councils were given a period of 60 days to justify their existence, according to a decree signed today (April 11 2019) by President Jair Bolsonaro.

"The more than 700 councils in direct and indirect administration, which stemmed from a completely distorted view of what is the representation and participation of the population, had at their genesis the ideological vision of the [left-leaning] governments that preceded us, of weakening the representation of society itself", said the Minister of the Civil House, Onyx Lorenzoni.

Through the decree signed today, the government repeals Decree No. 8.243, of 2014, that established PNPS and SNPS. Signed by the then president Dilma Rousseff, the decree is labelled by the current government as "Bolivarian Decree".

At the time it was published, the decree caused controversy for allegedly removing attributions that would be of the National Congress and representative democracy. On the other hand, the previous government (Dilma Rousseff) argued that, in bringing the society to debate the policies of government, the decree favored a more direct democracy.

"They [the councils provided by the policy and the social participation system] will have 60 days to seek their permanence or their extinction. We believe that by the end of the 60 days we should have little more or less than just 50 councils", Onyx said, emphasizing that such councils "resulted in spending on people who had no reason to be here, in addition to consuming public resources and furnishing the Brazilian State".

Source, translated by the blogger.