#We've Got Some News for You

[wayte01]

[stromer]

call me crazy... but i think hockey belongs in the desert idk

[anghraine]

The English class I teach just finished a unit on literary criticism, and one of the things we talked about was the distinction between criticism in the sense of literary criticism/critical thinking and criticism in the more common sense of criticizing things.

I think the distinction is important, and it's important to take the next step, too. Nobody is obliged to like anything or not to recognize its flaws. But pointing out flaws is often the lowest-hanging fruit when it comes to engaging with a text—the quickest, easiest approach to take.

For many, it's quite easy to default to kneejerk critical reactions (in the common sense) without thinking them through or seeing any need to do so. That isn't just different from critical thinking; it's the opposite of it and actively impedes it.

I've often seen this in creative writing workshops. People typically are much readier to point out real or imagined flaws than to think through what the text is aiming for and how the author's choices aid or inhibit it. When workshop students encounter a very good piece, they often don't know how to respond and will resort to comfortable nitpicking or simply "I don't see anything wrong with this," as if finding wrong things is the sole purpose of a workshop.

But the idea that thinking critically about things = criticizing or condemning them seems to loom even larger over literary criticism and reviews and fandom meta and all sorts of things. Identifying and analyzing flaws can be part of critical responses (in the lit-crit sense) and often are. I am personally not at all hesitant about pointing out flaws when I see them or connecting them to more general interpretations. But critical thinking does not begin or end with pointing out flaws and it's entirely possible for critical thinking about a piece to result in an even greater conviction that it's wildly successful in its aims and as a piece of art.

I was partly thinking about this because of the common insistence that it's okay for people to like things (thank you, kindly overlord!) as long as they also think critically about them. But "think critically" here almost always seems to mean "as long as you point out its flaws every time you mention it and your actual overall opinion about it is ambivalent at best." The goal doesn't seem to be for others to ever have a reaction like, "I stopped and thought deeply about how it's crafted and what it's doing, and thanks! Now I have a fuller understanding of how spectacularly well it accomplishes its artistry."

It's fine to be ambivalent about things and point out flaws, as I said before, but a) it doesn't take critical thinking to do that alone, and b) it's not required for someone to feel and do that to be thinking critically about something.

[sugaroto]

Ok you know what's kinda funny about "Jackson's Diary", or rather "plot twist-y"?

So, ok, imma be honest, when I started the comic I thought it was bl or lgbt or something. Be it the art or the description or the fact that everything I read is gay, I thought this was some kind of enemies to lovers/as magic stuff is going on around the school or something

I really thought the 2 mains were gonna end up together

And I wasn't the only one who thought that cause a lot of the comments were talking about it

But no. Soon you realize they're all very straight, exer is still in love with his ex girlfriend and Jackson kinda gets in a love triangle with exer's ex and the girl exer bullied last year. Also it's set in like- the 80s? Soo. They probably don't know what gay is. (Or they ignore it yknow)

But....

"Wasn't David bi in the canvas version?" said the comments "Yeah he was I think he liked Exer"

So then I'm trying to figure out if he's bi, and some chapters later he's literally making heart eyes around exer but like, in the background

And he's not that important at the time so I'm like oh ok great he's the comedic relief stereotypical gay character?

And exer is like... straight and in love with David's twin sister so nothing will happen right?

Jokes on me

Like 100 chapters later and this is Exer's reaction to David saying they're friends

The gay panic

Had me fooled there honestly

Also ok, I know my post is focused around the gay romance here, but like the comic is really interesting I do recommend it

Jackson goes to a new school and he is the only one who can see some kind of "green magic" messing around with his daily life

Shit happens, he makes friends, he gets into love triangles as I mentioned before (not for that long, thankfully) he gets into fights and makes new friends again

The characters are all very interesting, I was gonna say nice, but then realized half of them are assholes, currently it seems like they're trying to be better people tho

And even though it's set in the 80s it seems most of the main characters were accepting of the lgbt ones (well ok so far 2 people know about it so yknow, ) the only assholes were some bullies literally called Rick and Marty who used gay as a slur or something like 50 chapters ago

Well, and I can't really say anything much without spoiling more, I've already talked enough about their sexualities I'm not telling you what's happening with the green stuff

[rotzaprachim]

the vaguely fleabag-inspired awkward jewish dramedy of my dreams au

Well, Jyn may have had a list of methods to ruin her estranged father’s second marriage, but punching her boss’s shmuck of a husband during the rehearsal dinner sure wasn’t one of them.

And neither was shagging the rabbi.

[deathlygristly]

I don't really want to be Serious right now, but...

Work is really really busy because summer is our busy time. Which I see other people being like ah, May, it's spring! It's summer here already, so I should probably start taking three water bottles to work again because I was sweating today on the second floors of the properties. It'll be close to 90 tomorrow.

I had a dentist appointment today and they took X-rays and I was very brave about it but there were so many things in my mouth and I hate things being in my mouth. I woke up a bit too early from the gallbladder removal surgery and there was still something in my mouth and I remember immediately just pulling it out. And yes, I paid for it with severe throat pain for a few hours afterwards. I cannot stand weird and wrong and claustrophobic sensory feelings in my mouth.

There was a lot of traffic and people going slower than the speed limit and people not watching for other cars at all in roundabouts and just general traffic stress.

I am so backed up on pic editing and uploading tours and I only have two days and then I am on vacation, and emails keep coming in demanding boxes and pics for properties that are so far away and require so much driving and owners being so precious about all the pics they want, including pics of things just near the property.

And on top of all this my brother decided to get emo about my mother's memory issues today and he keeps texting me and texting me and I am like, look, I love my mother but also she's a big part of the reason I dealt with PTSD and anxiety for 20 years and I feel really weird when she texts me wanting to solve things for her and now you're also just ripping away at me and tearing me apart and demanding demanding demanding and just....

I want to rest. I want to hug the spousal person, the only person I know IRL who doesn't constantly demand me for things and who doesn't rely on me for everything and who actually listens to me and cares about me and sees me as a person, not just a problem solver and filler of endless emotional needs.

Saw a poll about "burnt out gifted kid" on here and the answers were so far removed from my experience. What if you were identified as gifted when you were seven, a few months after your father died, and then your family depended on you to think and feel for them and to solve all their problems forever afterwards?

[iceeericeee]

I wonder how many tags i can add on to this

[ialwaysknewyouwerepunk]

.

[polkadotpatterson]

okeydoke as I have not had much energy for working on stuff lately (but lots of motivation) I'm not gonna do proper NaNo with a wordcount or anything, BUT I am gonna make it a goal to get some amount of work done on a writing project every day (at least until I go away on the 24th). Main priority blaseball projects are, in no particular order:

Fic about the ending

Abner fic

Simon's Quest

secret fic(s) :)

get the Talkers exchange set up

Aside from that, I've been poking at more non-blaseball stuff, which is a good excuse for me to plug my writing blog @cyndakip! All my fics get posted there, so if you're interested in my writing beyond just blaseball (especially if you like pokemon), I recommend following me there, since I don't post non-blaseball fics here.

[prism-forgone]

page 1 of discord's mobile feedback site (x) is looking great

rant in tags and my feedback comment slash expose slash opinion piece here x

[dbphantom]

sorry for being a sinner but i subscribe to the 'egghead is sabaody 2' theory (<- just wants angst)

[hella1975]

my sister is currently doing her nightly *douse myself in water for 5 mins despite it leaving PUDDLES EVERYWHERE BTW and then spend 20 mins applying imported skincare i spent all my money on* in SILENCE sans any form of music meanwhile she walked in on me having a party of one (1) at myself in the bathroom mirror to set it off of all things. it's a bit funny that we are related by blood

[pastafossa]

could you please do a rundown of all the thread colors and what they mean?

Needed a break from editing so yes, I can! Except the ones that are spoilers, for now.

Threads colors we know:

Yellow - Orange - Red: these three are connected. These colors illustrate the mutual care and affection you have for and with another sentient being (including, say, dogs and cats).

Yellow is generally restricted to acquaintances and very new friends who haven't gotten to know each other all that well. You'd be a little sad and bummed out if something happened to them or you never met them again.

Orange is much more solid - you would be upset if you lost contact or something happened to this person, sometimes heartbroken if the orange is particularly dark. Some friendships never progress past this point, and that's ok. That's normal. A lot of friends have threads like this.

Red is where it gets tricky, though... because you need both halves of the connection to be aware of and acknowledge to themselves that they care, very deeply, for the other person. If only one person acknowledges that they care, the thread stays orange. It must be mutually acknowledged. Once a thread turns red, it's very hard to undo. These aren't just for lovers, either. They're also for your beloved pets, bffs, long-term romantic partners, and close family members. If you lost this person, you'd grieve, deeply, and it would take a very long time to recover. This thread color can be used by the Man in the White Coat to track Jane, though she's unsure how at this time.

Blue signifies an attachment to an inanimate object or item, something without soul or sentience. Some people have blue threads with their cars, a family heirloom, or even a stuffed animal. Sadly, the way you know someone has passed is if a thread turns blue.

Green signifies a one-way connection - the person on the other end either doesn't care, hates the carer, or may not even know the person who cares exists. The emotion is entirely one-sided but that doesn't affect the level of care. Somewhere out there, a dog you've never actually met has smelled you or walked by you and thinks you're the best person in the world, so never doubt you have one of these.

Brown is strongly implied to be a connection to the land or a particular area, whether that's one beach you love to visit or, in Matt's case, the city of Hell's Kitchen.

Purple signifies abstract worship of some kind. When touching a purple thread, it can feel like anything from the roar of an adoring crowd, to the scent of incense and the whisper of paper pages. Celebrities, religious leaders, buildings, texts, and even forests can be connected to someone by a purple thread.

White light contains every color in the spectrum, which is why a white thread embodies every one of the connections above. These threads are very rare, because they require a deep, fervent connection and love for everything and everyone in a given area. Matt cares so much for the people of his city (yellow, orange, red, green) and for the city itself (blue, brown) that he's essentially formed a connection with the very bones of Hell's Kitchen.

Thread colors I've only hinted at:

Black is something a lot of people guessed but since we haven't delved into it, I'm not coming out with it just yet. Tends to absorb light, and feels seething and hot. Frank Castle has a lot of these.

Grey is our most mysterious color. It's exceedingly rare, it tends to look dull and charred, and it gives off little flakes of ash when touched. There is no feeling when it is held. Just silence.

[friedunicornstudio]

Hi! You've got a shop? Your art is dope!

;^; Thank you! My partner and I just both do our best.

Our shop can be found right over here:

[beelzzzebub]

you know, i'm so excited to go back to school. i'm going to work more on my research essay from last semester and submit it to compete. i'm going to start with physics from the first day so i don't end up behind again. i'm going to go to the library and grab a booth and read. i'm going to get sleep. i'm going to make myself coffee with vanilla creamer in the morning. i'm going to sit outside under the ginkgos in the spring and breathe. i'm going to go to queer club meetings. i'm going to go to rehearsal and absolutely nail all the new acappella rep. i'm going to keep remembering how my friends' cars smell. i'm going to eat dumplings for lunch and peer out the windows behind my back. i'm going to do my dishes after i use them. i'm going to stop for dinner at the food trucks on thursdays. i'm going to talk to people in my classes. i'm going to stand at the balcony and breathe in instead of peering over the railing. i'm going to walk with my head straight on my way back from the dining hall. i'm going to eat outside of my room. i'm going to take in the sun on the blades of grass on my walk to class. i'm going to marvel at the swirl of gray in the clouds. i'm going to let the wind push me along and i'm going to dance with it. i'm going to be beautiful.

[destinyandcoins]

have we talked yet about the possibility that UFOs and every suspected bit of extraterrestrial evidence could actually be originating from the advanced civilizations living in the trenches of the ocean just as bemused and wondering as we are about the world beyond them and reaching out in exploration? because given the fuckoff incomprehensible expanse of ocean floor we've yet to actually study or even really guess at what specifically is down there, I think there's a real possibility there's a complex society of, idk, particularly clever sea slugs and other amalgamations of physical matter like hydrogen and thulium and other shit we've never considered as a viable fundamental building block of life. and the fucking whales are the only living creature with the kind of planet spanning range and intelligence to know there's two complex evolutions of sentient life existing on opposite spheres of reality from each other who would really benefit from learning about the other, but we're both too fucking stupid to understand how whales communicate