#am i just a massive hater? well. yes!

[jamessunderlandgf]

does instagram make anyone else suicidal or is it just me

[loquora]

I'd like to take a couple of minutes to talk about NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month) and their terrible, very bad, no good stance on genAI (generative artificial intelligence) and why I won't be writing anything for this challenge again.

I'm very aware that I am an active and vocal genAI hater. But I am willing and open to hear about positive and useful things LLMs (large language models) can do. There are valid scientific uses for the technology and some really fascinating medical and academic breakthroughs that come from LLMs. But the use of genAI in creative writing context is complete bullshit.

Come with me for the breakdown.

The first part of their statement:

NaNoWriMo has made it clear they are not just tolerating genAI in their month long writing challenge, but that those of us who don't are 'classist' and 'ableist' because we don't.

The post was later amended with a list of reasons why they make each of those claims. We'll start from the top.

GenAI uses the technology in a way that is morally, ethically and environmentally bankrupt. See, all LLMs have to train on something. When you're using it to, say, detect cancers you can feed it images of cancer scans so that it builds up a dataset of what those look like to predict future scans. But when you want to generate text, images and video you have to feed it text, images and video. Those things came from people, actual people and actual artists who overwhelmingly did not agree to train anything with their work and can no longer wrest their work from the machine now that it's been stolen from them.

It also isn't 'intelligent' at all, considering it has that word in the name. Think of genAI like an alien learning our language with absolutely no frame of reference for what it's learning. It can predict that the letters "w-e" and "c-a-n" often come after the letters "y-e-s" because the phrase "yes we can" will come up often in training data, it's a common phrase. But it doesn't actually understand what any of those words MEAN. Just that they often follow one another so that when prompted it will, statistically, try put those letters and words together again.

So when it comes to actually writing or responding to prompts what you're getting is the most likely outcome based on a massive amount of data input. It is not actually giving you feedback on what your writing looks like, it's giving you the most statistically possible response based on input. It's fake feedback, a thousand other feedbacks crammed together and extruded into a goo that looks and sounds like feedback but is actually meaningless. ChatGPT doesn't understand your writing sample anymore than a phone tree understands your anger and desperation when you continue to say "OPERATOR" as clearly as you can to try to get through to a real human. Both understand you input a word and will output based on that, but context, emotions, cultural mores etc. are all beyond it.

This is why AI is so absurdly shitty at things like math, counting letters in words and identifying words that start with the same letter. It's mashing together a million math problem answers betting on the likelihood that statistically someone has already answered that question enough times in the training data that it can spit the correct answer out at you.

TLDR: If you're using genAI to get feedback on your writing you're not actually getting feedback on your writing at all, but the most statistically probable set of words that relate to feedback. So right off the bat the idea that genAI is going to help you be a better writer is just flat wrong. It doesn't know how to write, it doesn't even know how many Rs are in the word 'strawberry'.

Second point has the same issues as the first:

I actually agree with them on the point that if your brain doesn't handle certain writer activities well it's perfectly okay to use an outside source for help with it. GenAI isn't actually helping you be a better writer, though; it can't. It doesn't understand anything you write nor can it provide meaningful feedback when it's just spitting out statistically probably words to you based on your input. So while the point here is actually good on the surface, the solution of using genAI to help people who have trouble with certain aspects of writing is still not correct.

The final point:

Again, this is a very good point... if it wasn't being made in conjunction with a defense of generative AI WHICH DOES NOT HELP OR SOLVE THIS ISSUE. In fact, because of the known issues of bias in how genAI LLMs are built they can make issues for marginalized writers worse.

I genuinely have no idea how this very true paragraph about people who are routinely pushed out of traditional writing spaces is helped by genAI. Their entire point thus far seems to be that genAI is a 'cheap' alternative to some traditional writing aids but considering genAI doesn't work like that it's all dead in the water as far as I'm concerned.

If NaNoWriMo was actually concerned with solving these access issues to things they consider critical to writing in general, why not offer a place for real people to read and critique one another on their platform? There are myriad other technological solutions that don't cost huge amounts of water AND actually help aspiring writers!

All of this to say that you should write for yourself, write what you enjoy and get better the same way generations of people before you have: by reading other people's work, talking to and exchanging time with other authors and writing and rewriting in your own words until you're satisfied.

Wasting water asking genAI to do things for you that would make you a better writer to do yourself or with trusted allies is just that, a waste.

[kanmom51]

Hi. Recently discovered your blog.I am having fun reading it.. You nice keep going 💜

I was just listening to Letter and thinking how fast we moved on from it.

The ending lines from the song literally broke my heart into pieces

🎶because we don't know what days await us,

though it's scary , though we're afraid Never forget that we are together🎶

the way these lines always makes me wanna cry . They are literally sharing with us that they are afraid of what comes ahead in future for them as a couple. The kind of society they are living in. We sometimes tend to forget the kind of fear Jimin and Jungkook must be living with. It must be so hard on them it breaks my heart.

But I know they both are strong and together they are stronger and i want them to know that we jikookers will be there to support them and we all together will be the strongest.

also Jimin wrote this song for Jungkook and no one can change my mind. When Jimin wrote this song Jungkook was on his mind, when Jimin released it as a hidden track Jungkook was on his mind and while Jimin was saying this is a fan song.. Mr.Jungkook was on his mind.

Letter for me stands right next to GCF at Tokyo.

Letter. Omg, I love that song. Can I just sit there and listen to it on repeat? Although not a very good idea, cause I just wouldn't stop crying.

Those lines at the end, JK joining in, confirming their together, so so beautiful and emotional, and definitely not for Army.

It's not only their own society they fear @youaremyparkfilter.

They know the fandom. They know the good, the bad and the extremely ugly of it. They know that coming out as queer individually will be a big issue for many fans, even more so for JK's stans (it is what it is).

But coming out as a queer couple, that will be a massive earthquake in the fandom. And again, nothing to do with how it will be accepted or rejected in Korea.

In Korea both JM and JK are loved, adored (yes there are haters, but there always are, you just cannot be loved by everyone). People that lifted them to where they are, Princes of Busan, the black and white couple, the sun and moon couple, people that see them as a representation of SK in the world and say it out loud, how loved they are, how proud they are of them.

In saying that, I think that a big lump of those don't actually see them as a queer couple, they just can't envision it, as queer is such an alien notion to them. Even with all their shenanigans. That's the whole glass closet and stretching boundaries within their reality as Kpop idols. Many people, in Korea and out, even if they acknowledge their closeness, do not or will not see beyond it into maybe, just maybe, them being a queer couple.

If they ever do 'come out', there will be those in Korea that do flip flop on them (and I'm not talking about the ones that throw hate at them already), although I personally think not as many as feared. They have been loved for such a long time, it will be harder to turn around and suddenly hate on them (although sometimes the line between love and hate is very thin). Not to mention how hard it will be for people, officials as well, to flip back on calling them the face of Korea, pride of Korea etc.

Make no mistake though, there will be a lot of hate (and it will be very loud, as we all know very well), and their families would receive a big chunk of it (easier/softer targets because of who and what JM and JK and BTS represent).

I think many would take pause, they would perhaps be initially shocked (some not so much, more like a eureka moment for them, like "oh, that explains everything..."), but at the end of the day the blow to their careers won't be the level of Holland's. Because of who they are, because of others that are paving the way (including Holland), because let's be honest here, they are artists and want to continue creating and performing and succeeding, but even if they take a hit their fandom is so friggin huge that whatever happens they will continue to succeed, and I do believe they will gain fans too because of that brave move, because of people realizing just how much their art is representative of themselves. Not to mention the level of impact it will have in Korea for recognition and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. In a society like Korea you have the very loud anti LGBTQ+ religious groups, you have those with the old fashioned backwards way of thinking, you have those that don't think or care either way (as long as it doesn't concern them) and you have those that are part of the LGBTQ+ community or support it and their fight for equal rights and protection by law. On that spectrum I believe you will find that a big piece of society can be swayed. And people like that who will see these two young men who they have grown to love come out as queer, they can have a change of mind, a moment of enlightenment/ realization that perhaps love is love is love. Maybe that's me being over optimistic, but I really don't think so. Because that's how change is made. That is how change was made in the West.

But, there will always be a price, and all of this is purely speculation (no way of me knowing just how bad it could get for them). It's their lives, their safety, their careers on the line and they are the ones that are living this reality and having to hide who they are and who they love at the moment, and will be living this conundrum on a daily basis.

So to sum it up, I believe there will be a hit but not a crushing one to their careers if they ever do decide to take that step. I'm not expecting it of them though. I know it will be a huge step forward for the LGBTQ+ community in SK if they do, but it's their lives, their careers, their loved ones, their decision.

It's a bloody scary thing to do, and it impacts not only them but also their families, their loved ones, their bandmates. This is a decision they will have to make together, and they will most likely make some sort of decision post MS. One way or another, I think things will change post MS. Contracts will change too. Just how much it will change, that is the million dollar question.

God, did I digress....

After saying all of that, I do want to back pedal a bit to your ask and to those specific lines in Letter.

I think they engulf not only the fear of being a queer couple in an unfriendly society, but also the upcoming uncertain future of military service, being apart for such a long time after being together for what seems like forever, not being able to be there for each other in this oh so scary new reality of military service that is looming over them. The uncertainty of this time to come and what lies ahead. All of that is engulfed into those lines of the song.

Anyway, the song is beautiful.

The song is a love song. And we aren't the recipients of said letter, said love song.

Letter is a song for JK disguised as a song for army.

Letter is addressed to JK, for army to hear.

[themultifandomgal]

From 2010- The Brit Awards 2013 Highlights

2013

Part 28

Nervously I sit down in my seat straightening my dress as I do. I sit between Zayn and Liam because Harry and I aren’t allowed to sit next to each other according to management

“You ok?” Zayn asks me as I take a sip of water with shaking hands

“Yeah just… nervous I guess”

“How’s your headache?” Harry asks from across the table

“Not great. I know it’s going to kill after tonight. I’ve got some more paracetamol in my bag if I need it”

“Just make sure you definitely have your in ears in. Even if you can’t hear us or yourself” Niall says

“But then I’ll sound terrible”

“Na we’ll keep you in time done worry” Louis says giving me a smile

“Welcome to the 2013 Brit Awards” the announcement starts and we all go quiet.

“Now look who I’ve found over here at this table, One Direction. How are we guys?” James Corden asks sitting in between Zayn and Louis

“Very well very excited” Louis replies into the microphone James is holding

“Now last year we had a chat and the next day you were going to play in America for the first time. Your now the biggest band in the world. You’ve had 2 consecutive number ones in America alone. Is it a bit much to take in?”

‘Yes imagine having many teens looking up to you as a role model and having the media pick out ever flaw and having haters online who have never met you spill nothing but lies and hate towards you and on top of that all of your friendships and romances are public so you never get a break’ is what I would like to say, but James holds the microphone to Zayn who says

“Erm yeah it’s massively overwhelming and we can’t thank our fans enough. They’re the people who got us to where we are so we owe it all to them”

“Now your performing later on tonight. Your performing your comic relief single which is currently, did you know it’s currently number one in 63 countries. I don’t even know if I can name 63 countries. Niall can you?”

“No” he replies shaking his head

“Your going back on tour right? YN when does that kick off”

“We start tour literally this weekend here at the O2 and we’re really excited”

The boys are in jeans and leather jackets while I’m in tight leather trousers and a cute white top. Music for One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks) starts and we practically jump on stage

“One way or another I’m gonna find ya. I’m gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya. One way, or another, I'm gonna win ya I'm gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya” Harry starts the song glancing over at me before giving me a little nod

“One way, or another, I'm gonna see ya. I'm gonna meet ya, meet ya, meet ya, meet ya. One day, maybe next week. I'm gonna meet ya, I'm gonna meet ya, I'll meet ya” I sing. Thankfully I can hear perfectly fine but the lights aren’t doing anything for my headache at all. I walk down the stairs slowly, but since the boys get down the stairs quicker than me Harry runs back up and takes my hand to make sure I don’t slip while singing

“I wanna hold you wanna hold you right” I take the higher harmony again not helping my head at all. During rehearsals I’ve been told to prolong a high note which I haven’t done yet because of my headache and nausea

“I get teenage kicks right through the night” thankfully I am able to hold the note causing Harry, Louis and Niall group hug me and jump around the stage

“Brit Awards 2013 make some noise for YN!” Liam shouts. At the end of the song Harry once again helps me up the stairs before we are dropped back down.

“And the winner of the global success award is my 5 little brothers and little sister One Direction!” Robby Williams says into the microphone on stage. We all stand up from our seats and hug one another before heading on the stage

“This is really is mind blowing” Louis says taking the microphone from Robbin and holding the award “we have have to start off by thanking our incredible fans. They have been just been unbelievable and we wouldn’t be here today without them”

“This is absolutely amazing thank you so much. I just want to say thank you to our record label and Sony and Syco” Harry and I both give each other other a look when Liam mentions Syco “and to modest our management” I look down at my feet making sure I don’t eye roll. I know Liam has to say this to keep the peace but I really wouldn’t be thanking them “also our parents are in the house tonight so I just want to say thank you to all of them. Thank you so much!”

[skyloftsword]

Ranking Zelda stories because I am bored

Happy Easter and Trans Visibility Day! I'm bored and wanted to rank the stories of the 3D Zelda games. Spoilers of course. Ranked from favorite (top) to weakest (bottom). I also won't be including WInd Waker because I never beat it (not the game's fault, I bought HD during the Switch's lifecycle and got tired of the Wii U gamepad). A lot of my problems are just personal gripes and not really criticisms.

Tears of the Kingdom: Controversial placement, I know (I have been literally harassed SEVERAL times over this take, I am disappointed in humanity). It has its issues, but like, what thing DOESN'T have flaws? Everything is flawed, it came free with your entertainment. The plot beats for Tears of the Kingdom are absolutely insane. The Imprisoning War and the events leading up to it all felt connected and relevant to each other and the events in the present. Not to mention watching stuff like the Molduga memory and the Imprisoning War itself was extremely hype. Seeing the interactions between Sonia, Rauru, Zelda and Mineru got me really attached to these characters. The events in the present also feel meaningful and urgent. Your friends from the previous game are ACTUALLY in trouble in this game and not just being stalked by a giant robot that's doing nothing. The Sages also felt more connected than the Champions ever did. The camera not being locked behind a backtracking quest this time was cool too. Overall, this game's story hit the hardest, especially with the Dragon Tears quest.

Skyward Sword: Great story with a great cast. Backtracking is a bit of a pain and could have been handled better, but I love the events of the game. Groose's character development is truly excellent. Link and Zelda having a connection also assisted in making the adventure hitting harder.

Twilight Princess: As a former Twilight Princess hater, I would like to apologize to this game. I had a biased hatred against the game because I thought it was just TP fans that were toxic when in reality its just the Zelda fanbase as a whole that has a massive toxicity problem (not all Zelda fans are toxic). The whole beginning segment with Ordon Village and the Twili Realm sets up Link's quest perfectly. The story as a whole is really great until Ganondorf. Ganondorf in this game is genuinely really weak as a character, same with Zelda. They at least have the manga to help them but still...

Majora's Mask: I love the concept for this game's story and for the most part its really well done. Its just short and a lot of the interesting stuff is in the side quests. This is totally fine because it helps get me invested in the world, but most side quests are just... meh. Anju/Kafei, the grandma stories and the Romani Ranch quest lines (including the Ranch Race with the Gorman Brothers) are really great though.

Breath of the Wild: Man... This game's backstory is SO, SO, SO GOOD. Like wow is it good. I just HATE how its told. Stuff that would be cool to see is NEVER shown. Like why not show us Zelda and Link vs Calamity Ganon? Not to mention the Camera backtracking quest... I will say, at least it made the Champion's Tunic plot relevant. TotK should've made the Leathers important. Also the Divine Beast quests just don't sit right with me (outside of the Gerudo one, that one was really great). The Divine Beast fights are incredible though, they make up for the atrocious dungeon bosses.

Ocarina of Time: Too boring and unoriginal for me. Yes, TotK takes a lot from BotW's style of story, but it at least builds upon it and has unique aspects like Crisis at Hyrule Castle and Mineru's entire questline. I do like how Ganondorf mocks Link, especially in the Forest Temple, as it makes him more relevant. Ganondorf waiting until Zelda gave Link the Light Arrows just was incompetent though.

Alright, that's my ranking of each 3D Zelda story I have an opinion on. I very much expect disagreement (especially with TotK) and that's fine, just please do not attack me over this stuff. Its just opinions. I've been harassed way too much over my takes on TotK, its tiring.

[doostyaudi]

My employer headcanons? Real?

So, what do i make of the employers in general? Well i think i should start at their purpose! Id like to think of them as being likened to angels in way, granted they aren't, but i think that's the closest words i can use for them. Their general purpose is to make sure the world is in check, as well as the "plot", they're assistants of The Higher Powers in this way as the Higher Powers r busy doing their own things.

Employers do not care for humanity, they honestly quite dislike humanity, finding them "barbaric", "emotional", and any other word u can find to describe humanity, i guess.

Employers are siblings, they are one hell of a messy family

They follow a "code", it doesn't have an official name, but most refer to it simply as the "Employer Code". I wish i had a full list of what these are, all i really have a vague idea what they would be. I have a few that are solid codes: don't hurt/kill another employer, don't go against the higher powers (questioning them n such), and attempting to "run away" (not doing your job in an act of defiance, faking ur death, ect). If an employer breaks any of the codes, they will be given massive restrictions, if its bad enough they will be straight up exiled/killed.

The employers have their own realm they hang out in, it's really just a chill zone for them. They all have their own sections for their respective employers, basically their own house in a way lol. Usually retired employers live here

Yes, employers can be retired, it depends on what their purpose was

Employers are considered souls in a way since they aren't physical and can only interact with people/objects cuz of weird dimensional logic n stuff.

Okay! Individual employers! Right!

Auditor - the employer ever, honestly, we love auditor, dni if u don't /j. Auditor is probably gonna have the biggest write-up out of any of the other employers, not only because we know the most abt her, but also because she's my fave AHSHSHDHD. Oh. Yea. I hc Auditor as genderfluid and npd haver, i am a genderfluid auditor truther, so if u see me using fluctuating pronouns for her, that's why! Ill try and make it as comprehensive as possible tho lol. Uhm. Anyways! Auditor is the second youngest employer, her purpose is to "keep things in check" in short terms. Ironically enough, she has had a hand in not doing this, fucking up Nevada cuz she felt like it. This is NOT her job and the other employers are MAD at her for it, they do not like auditor and try to distance themselves from her. Fortunately for auditor, she doesn't like them either! She's Nevada's biggest hater and hates anyone who hates her, ur either with her or against her. She's impulsive, quick to anger, rash, unprofessional, and does everything in her power to make sure everyone knows she's cool and awsome and amazing and not to be messed with!!!! Then she trips over herself. Despite this, she's good at making plans, is very organized, best on the battlefield than any other employer, and is extremely protective of the ones she cares abt (it's. Very few but it's obvious who her favorites are). She has some control over hell, being able to have little minions of the sorts that keep an eye on things in there for her. People do not fear her, but they rather not deal with her. Oh also she loves sugar-filled food/drinks, she has a sweet-tooth lol.

Deliberator - the youngest employer. Despite his age, he is the smartest out of the employer, constantly doing research into different topics, making sure he's 10 steps ahead of everyone. He's the complete opposite of auditor in a way as he thinks more on logic than emotion. Ironically, hes very empathetic and tends to care for others he logically knows he shouldn't. He most definitely cares for humanity more than the others because of this, also he can't ever get himself to truly hate Auditor like the others do. He was most likely made to keep auditor "in check", being able to predict what auditor can and will do and using that against her, making sure she doesn't do more damage than she already has. Id like to think he has an interest in birds tho, nothing makes me think that, he just seems like a bird lover to me!

Conductor - the 3rd eldest employer. Her job is quite straightforward, she makes sure everything is perfect and in tip-top shape, cleaning up any mess others make. Because of this she is quite bossy and a complete perfectionist, freaking out whenever something goes against her perfectly made plans, even if it's completely insignificant. She can sometimes get in over her head about plans and how everyone is going to manage it, obsessing over small details. She tends to be more backhanded than the other employees, very passive-aggressive if u will, rarely letting others know how she truly feels about something. Also id like to think she likes to gossip with Stygian and Deliberator alot.

Stygian - the eldest employer. His job is to maintain the spirit realm and help lost souls to the others side. He maintains purgatory and the parts of hell Auditor doesn't have control over. Its a quite simple job compared to the others as it doesn't need as much thought and 4D chess playing to do, though who says guiding lost souls and making sure they don't get fucked up is an easy job? Knowing how Nevada is today, Stygian must be one hell of a busy guy. He's quite emotionally distant and tends to just do what he needs to do. Like. If you tell him a joke he'll just. *look* at you, he may have found it humorous but he doesn't laugh. People find him quite cold and distant because of this, though he's just am old man who wants to be left alone, but doesn't mind the company of his siblings every once in a while.

Uhhh yea i think that's everything.... It was nice to let that out of my system... I might have missed a few things/misinterpreted something... Sorry if i have! It's been a while since I've re-watched anything.. I honestly tried playing mpn2 again but i remembered why i stopped playing it! It set my computer on fire! O.o (not literally!! It was just so incredibly hot after only 20 minutes!! Sigh...)

U may not agree with everything ive said, and that's okay! Just don't be a jerk abt it, ok?

[olderthannetfic]

The whole bookmarks conversation reminds me of the authors of massive crossover fic With Pearl And Ruby Glowing, who have been known to lash out at anyone and everyone who criticize them, even if you did it in a private server where it was never intended to get back to them, even if you only mildly disliked one chapter, even if you were a massive fan but wished they'd used intersexism instead of going "what's the word for this? interphobia?" and then deleting all comments stating "it's intersexism". Mention them on a locked Dreamwidth entry that duckduckgo search results will show them part of? They're going to contact you and they're going to be furious.

Sometimes, not everyone is going to love your work. You cannot try to ban them from expressing that opinion in private to others. Yes, even if you're "famous" author who has a whole TV Tropes page for your work. You are within your rights to not want to be insulted to your face outright in vitriolic ways unrelated to your work, such as people who slam them for being queer writers. But not wanting that being a relatable, reasonable thing to feel does not mean that everyone has to say your work is good even in private, that people who comment on the fact that there's been more blonde black people than Arab people in your work even though you say you care about representation are haters who shouldn't be allowed to speak, or that if you ask what a word is and get told what the word is then that's hate that needs to be deleted and just for that we're going to screen all comments you meanies.

I've gotten some really nasty intersexist, antisemitic and outright violent comments on my work in the past. I delete the garbage and report the comments that threaten physical violence against me. The result is that people who like my work feel like they can approach me and say hi and chat in my comments or to others. Meanwhile, despite having a ton of hits, almost no one comments on With Pearl and Ruby Glowing and hardly any discussion of it off of AO3 because no one is in the mood to be yelled at for answering a question the author asked or for saying you didn't think a particular chapter was as well done as the others. When even "I loved the first 150 chapters except for number 44, I didn't get that completely" can be met with backlash, the readers start going, "I'll just not say anything and hopefully they won't get mad at me", a fandom dynamic that has resulted in less and less hits and less and less engagement as the story has gone along.

The best thing to do about angry bookmarks is to ignore it. People hate being treated as if they don't matter, thus it is your best possible revenge, because long after you've forgotten their annoying bookmark, you live rent-free in their head. Snapping back at even the lightest of criticism does not make for a fun experience for the reader. It makes me glad I didn't recommend the fic to anyone or comment and it likely to make me stop reading.

One of my fandoms is stubbornly refusing to move to AO3 and is still posting on FFN, for reasons I don't know and cannot explain. The result is that hate comments are still common. The standard response is to just ignore it. I feel much better about talking to those authors because I don't have to walk on eggshells around them in order to make sure I don't make them mad at me. As a result, I am much more likely to recommend their fic to others, because I don't have to worry I'm putting someone in the line of fire by doing so.

TL;DR can we all please learn some sense of proportion and that negative comments aren't worth burning the world to the ground over? Because in the process of burning things to the ground, you burn a good chunk of your audience in the process.

--

[pessimisticpigeonsworld]

This isn't my usual content, but this has been bugging me all day. After watching one of those "cat haters meet kittens" videos, I think there are only two groups of people who actually dislike cats. People who had one or two bad experiences and people who want to be fawned over/adored constantly. Both of these are red flags in my humble opinion.

For the people who have had a few bad experiences, it's much more forgivable. Yes, it sucks that a cat scratched you when you were five, but hating an entire species for one encounter is stupid. Seriously, you're choosing to severely limit your understanding of the world.

Cats aren't toys, they're living creatures, with distinct personalities and sometimes trauma associated with humans. That's like deciding every human is evil because someone yelled at you. Grow the fuck up, honestly. The people in the video were in their thirties, like, seriously, how have none of you bothered to learn about why cats don't like you/your actions?

Something the people in the video kept saying was "they'll just randomly decide to scratch the shit out of you." Well let's examine why they'd do that. Cats will scratch someone most often for two reasons: their prey drive was activated or they didn't like what you were doing. So the cat was either trying to play or was telling you to back off. From what I've seen/heard it's usually the latter.

Children and people who don't understand cats will often try to force things onto the cats. Whether it's forcefully holding them, petting them, or grabbing them (cat owners do this too, we just understand what we're doing and what to expect). Literally in the video one of the people grabbed a cat's paw to shake it. That cat tolerated it, but if they did that to other cats, I'm not surprised they've been scratched. Cats will very clearly communicate if they don't like something, which these people apparently take offense at.

That leads into the other group of people, those who expect animals to adore them for no reason. Typically these people love dogs (no hate to dogs, I love them too), however their reason is because "They just love me, no matter what!" Now, what does that say about a person? Well that they don't want to have to earn something's love.

Cats will usually make a person work a lot more for their trust and affection than dogs will. Cats are more untrusting of strangers than dogs are. Certain people don't like that, they feel entitled to an animals love immediately, even though they're strangers. I always wonder if that thought extends to other people, do they expect everyone to adore them? Seems kinda delusional, just saying.

There are people that cats will never trust and they're usually this type of person. Cats are amazing judges of character, they can tell if you feel aggression or anger towards them. If you come into an interaction already feeling anger towards the cat, the cat won't want to be near you. Forcing it to be near you will only make it lash out.

Basically what I'm saying is, disliking/hating cats is a massive red flag and a mark of immaturity. There's always a reason for a cat lashing out, and choosing to hate all cats because of one or two instances is ridiculous. People who expect cats to love them and tolerate everything they do are stupid and entitled.

Please note: I am excluding people who have trauma related to cats, as those are extreme circumstances. The people I'm talking about have not been traumatized by cats, they simply chose to dislike them. This also doesn't mean I expect everyone to adore cats. Feeling apathetic or just liking them a bit is fine, it's when people actively dislike/hate them that the issue arises.

[ratcandy]

[in regards to the dialogue immersion post or whatever] ok but i'd love to listen to you ramble actually. i love when people pay attention to characterization in dialogue. like its the number one thing i pay attention to when im reading stuff. i wish people would take that in consideration more when writing fanfics especially because when its ignored it throws everything off. ye

Incredibly dangerous ask because honest to god when it comes to writing/reading this is the one thing I'm stupidly obnoxious about!!

Massive ramble below where I am being a little hater. No effort made to put this in any semblance of order I just starting going Off

Character voice is so so so important when making a believable character and yes especially in fanfic I feel this is largely ignored. I mean, I get it, people's interpretations on characters will vary, and in the cases of alternate universes you can make up whatever you want in how a character would or wouldn't act. BUT if you're trying to emulate canon in any way, getting a character's voice/mannerisms right is SO. SO crucial to that process.

What words do they use? How do they move when they talk? How does their tone shift? How do they react to certain situations? How would they react to other characters in those situations? Would they be the type to stammer or freeze up under stress? How do they insult others? DO they insult others? Is this guy gonna say "fuck" or is he gonna say "how unfortunate"?? Literally So SO SOOO Much that can be taken into consideration here and I don't know why more people DON'T. Like that's the FUN part!!! You're putting that beast into a situation, don't you want to know how that beast would act??

And in both fanfic and in original works keeping that characterization consistent is a whole other debacle. And beyond THAT, figuring out the right time to break that consistency for the purposes of showing character emotion or urgency.

Because yes, a character might speak eloquently and keep their cool 90% of the time, but in a high-pressure situation or when very vulnerable, that eloquence could totally falter. Or it might not! Maybe that character deals well under pressure or doesn't let their emotions get the better of them! But that's all stuff that needs to be understood before writing a character!!!!

Otherwise you can take a poised, calm character and suddenly have them explode with no rhyme or reason to that explosion and have it feel totally out of place. Especially if that change is never hinted at prior, brought back up, or happens again.

but back to fanfic Honestly this is a huge reason why I can be so picky with fanfiction that I read. I don't need it to adhere strictly to canon - if I want a word-by-word retelling of the plot I can just go back to the source material - but if the dialogue feels off I will get turned off so fast and back out in an Instant

Like if it's blatant character breaking (he would NOT fucking say that), that's one thing. But where I get obnoxious is in the case of. Well. He would say that, but not phrased that way. Not in that vocab

Ok bear with me here, but where I've been the worst about this has been Zote characterization. YES, SORRY, THE GUY, WHATEVER. But that may very well be because I spent 1 straight year studying his dialogue and trying my damnedest to replicate it to the point where now I can just Talk Like That when he chooses to repossess me. But my point is this asshole talks in such a particular, specific-ass way, and no one seems to understand that bUT ME!!!!!

For an example of my obnoxiousness I once saw a thing where they had Zote say something like "I'll kill you" and out loud I launched into an entire rant about how he would NOT say it like that. He just wouldn't. This Man Doesn't Say Kill. He is bombastic and dramatic and would never simplify a threat down to a measly 3 words and it would most CERTAINLY NOT. BE THE WORD KILL!!!! This man will CUT YOU DOWN. This man will HAVE YOU SLAIN. You will FALL TO LIFE-ENDER'S MIGHTY BLADE, and you will be GRATEFUL in the event he CHOOSES TO DEEM YOU WORTHY OF MERCY.

He would Not say I'll Kill You. No. Never. That is not his dialogue. That is not how he speaks. I, however, Will kill you/j

anyway what was I saying. Yes. Character voice is so important. Setting also matters of course, like that post was getting at (whenever I see modern slang inserted into a world that most certainly would not have it I crumple up into a little ball and die) but it's like. A setting's influence on a character's voice and mannerisms are inherently linked. Like. Obviously one of these will have to do with the other, that is inescapable

With my Zote example it would be very silly of me to have him in a modern setting talking the way he does unless he was doing it ironically. His manner of speaking is just a more dramatic, dialed-up version of the way bugs of Hallownest already speak. And that's just the Setting. If I were to transfer him to any form of modern au where characters talk like people talk now, I. Simply wouldn't actually because this is a big reason why I don't have fun with modern AUs SHDGKLJHSG, those kinda need you to alter how characters talk to make it believable and then I will just already be taken out of it from the get-go

Just like it'd feel really jarring to have Hallownest bugs talk in modern slang . it goes Both Ways

as for curse words which were touched on in that other post, I think that boils down to personal preference. In games like CoTL or even HK, obviously there's not a bunch of Fucks and Shits and Bitches because then the rating would need to be upped. And also it just really clashes with the world (personally) But in fanfic (or in original works of historical fiction), I feel like there's more fair leniency on that, because curse words such as Fuck have been around for a Very, Very Long Time. An argument could be made for the validity of using those words in that setting, if u want to.

But Me Personally. I do not like making characters from pre-established media where there is no fuck-word suddenly use the fuck-word. Or shit or bitch or anything like that. As a person who swears like a sailor every day. Like the extent you'll get out of me is Damn or Bastard. Because otherwise it Clashes. In Mine Brain.

Also like I said in the tags of my rb it is way more fun to come up with unique insults and expletives than to just fall back on Character A calling Character B a motherfucker . Personally. In My opinion. Though a well-placed and tonally appropriate Fuck You is very very awesome in some instances. Yea.

Ok that's it. I'm done. I wrote too much. I think I got out the majority of my thoughts. Though I am not going back over this and I wrote it all in one passionate sitting so if I worded anything poorly. Well. Kill me for it

[fairytail-whathesays]

seeing as hes one of your favorite characters, what are some headcanons you have about Elfman?

I just did a headcanon post about the Strauss siblings so since you're asking me about My Man™ I'll meme it a little.

GAY GAY GAY HOMOSEXUAL 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈MASC4MASC GAY L'HOMOSEXUELLE I AM NOT KIDDING THIS IS A GAY MAN 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

He can cook really well, which again is canon. He's actually the best at it among the siblings.

His hair is so soft.

He gets frequent checkups because Take Over, especially of animals and beasts, can be tricky and improper spellcasting can result in "smudging" where parts of the Take Over stick after going back to normal, including bacteria and viruses native to the Take Over's host body.

Elfman is one of the most powerful wizards in a guild that counts Natsu, Erza, Gray, and S-Class wizards like Mirajane, Laxus, and Gildarts. He does not have his second origin access yet. Haters and doubters beware.

Elfman rarely takes solo missions, as he tries to involve his sisters in his life and vice versa as much as possible. Despite this, they discourage his dependence on them and try to make him take solo work every once in a while.

Y'all have got to stop being so afraid of men being labeled dumb. Yes, Elfman (like Natsu) is cleverer than he lets on, but let's be serious here: mathematically, logically, any kind of book-smart field, he is as dumb as they come. Pure of Heart, Strong of Body, Dumb of Ass. We love him that way and we'll not have you sullying his himbo pedestal with braincells.

The Strauss' parents were vastly different people. You might think Elfman inherited more of his father, but he actually got his darker skin and massive size from his mother. This is also where the Strauss' prodigious magical talent comes from.

This man gets crushes with ridiculous ease. Guys Elfman has at different points considered sheepishly handing chocolate to on certain days include: Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Loke, Laxus, even Gildarts was getting some looks now and again--and Cana's not allowed to tease him about that last one, he was young and he knows all about her crush on Macao so she can just shut her mouth.

Much like a certain Orga, he is secretly very Affected by the Exceeds' cuteness and wishes Happy and Carla would hang out with him.

If you hurt Wendy Marvell you would think it would be dragonslayers who will make you pay for it, but no, Elfman will outpace any of them to kick ass if it happens.

[wigglesforonce]

thank u for the tag keeb @vroombeams <3

Who is your favorite driver? Toss up between George and Oscar, depending on the day, vibes, and how many posts from Mark or Rosie i have recently read

Do you have other favorite drivers? i am known to enjoy logan-posting, and i always cheer for yuki points!! ill also say alex and lewis are up there

Who is your least favorite driver? obvious question to anyone who asks me. verstappen #1 (im enough of a hater to not realise that mv00 was meant as an insult as his championship, and not just what ppl would write to avoid using his name), and i am a respectful hater for norris, i keep it to myself and a specific whatsapp chat w someone

Do you pull for drivers or do you like teams as well? i am more of a fan of drivers than teams, but i do appreciate the legacies and histories of the constructors on the grid, as well as the camradery of everyone on track! love watching teams celebrate wins/points etc together

If you like teams, what team do you pull for? i am a fan of the more historical side of f1, so i am nostalgic for williams (even tho i wasnt even watching and/or alive lmao), but i will say if i buy official team merch it'll probably be merc stuff

How long have you been into F1? i've always been vaguely aware of it, but i first rly learnt abt it mid 2021, and then the first race i watched live was COTA 2021 (rip why did i miss half the best season ever for like 0 reason)

What got you into F1? if we're being hyperspecific, the trailer for DTS that had grosjean's crash from Bahrain 2020 - i decided to watch Telly during a holiday in like. march, and was scrolling netflix and saw a massive explosion and went 'oh SICK', and accidentally watched all of that season of DTS in one day. i then spent the next like 2 months just watching youtube videos abt f1 and went 'no i cant be obsessed w cars going around in circles' and voila. we're here

Do you enjoy Fanfic/RPF? as with the way i enjoy any piece of media, i read fanfiction before actually consuming the source material, so to answer the question: yes (i've stopped reading it much nowadays, just a few stories ive been long time subbed to cough jeddah george cough)

How do you view new fans? love to chat w them, and figure out how much they know! (in a fun 'omg ur into my fav topic' kind of way, not a 'list every race winner since 1950' kind of way). i was a new fan rather recently, so i remind myself of that whenever i eyeroll at a bad take on twitter.

If you could take over as team principal for any team, who would it be and why? redbull and sabotage the Hell out of the team. also earn some nice cash at the same time.

Are your friends and family into F1 as well? it took me a year and a half of being into f1 to find out that not only did my mum used to watch f1 in the 80s/90s, that my grandfather used to watch f1 WITH her but my UNCLE on the OTHER side of the FAMILY has a SIGNED AUTOGRAPH from SENNA that was sent off like a week before he DIED. i thought i was ALONE in my enjoyment GENUINELY.

i also got many of my friends into f1, and have made new friends both irl and online through shared love of it, so u know. Skillz.

Are you open to talking to other fans/making friends? uh ALWAYS. as i just said, i have made many a friend this way, and its just fun to talk abt the sport w other ppl, esp when they have different opinions to u!!

anyways looong post and i shall tag (w/ no pressure): @toilethamster @russilton @ininininininstayoutstayout @georgierre @gayorphandepression :D

[captainofthetidesbreath]

5, 10, 15, and 20 for the CR ask meme

;Weirdly specific and overly long Critical Role Ask Meme

I like this multiples of five thing you've got going on here!

5. Meta you would write if you did not fear people would be SUPER weird about it. This is also an invitation to write that meta and block the haters.

God, so many. Currently? Yes, Caleb was in love with Jester, and that is incredibly important. Was. Past tense. There is a point in the campaign where he processes his feelings, processes where everyone is, and then eventually moves on. At this point in the narrative, he is no longer in love with her, and it is a massive disservice to the relationship between Caleb and Jester and especially a disservice to Caleb's personal arc and growth to cling to "Caleb is canonically in love with her" as a complete statement because he was canonically in love with her and is canonically no longer because he has moved on.

It's important to his feelings and to his growth because his love for Jester is rooted in feeling that he was treated by her as the person he would have been if not for all that happened, and that does help him heal. But, by processing his feelings, processing that he cannot and will not say anything to her, and processing that a romance between them cannot be, he also processes that he IS a different person and that the person he thinks he may have been otherwise cannot ever be. By letting go of his love for her, he is able to continue healing. These feelings moving into the past tense functions exactly the same as Caleb destroying the T-Dock and allowing his murder of his parents to solidify into a past event that cannot be changed—letting go of his feelings is, in its way, a stepping block toward these bigger ticket items. It is about understanding what can and cannot be, it is about letting go, it is about accepting who you are not and finding a way to live with that and work with that and heal with that.

He was once in love with her, and now he is not. It is a massive disservice to Caleb and to his relationship with Jester to pretend that his love for her is present tense, to pretend that it is a static block that never changes, to pretend that he continues to be in love with her when an entire point of his growth has been that he has understood that this cannot be and moved on.

10. Favorite and least favorite Matt Mercer Original Subclass.

I am predictable, but I do think that Oath of the Open Sea is a really great homebrew because of how successfully it considers its goals as a subclass for a very specific multiclassed character in a very specific party played by a very specific player. I think it accounts for Travis' playstyle well and skillfully considers what Fjord tends toward as a build. It has a meh capstone ability, but it is what it is. I do think giving a paladin subclass Call Lightning is a baller move, and I love that so fucking much.

Runechild is like. I generally love runework as a vibe, but like, this just isn't doing it for me. I just don't feel like the mechanics match the flavoring at all. I also think the mechanics of this make the class resource pool overly complex, especially considering that sorcerers already manage sorcery points. I also think the core mechanic of gaining runes when you spend sorcery points fundamentally changes the resource balance. But, mostly, I just don't think the flavoring / mechanics harmonizes well enough.

15. Favorite one-on-one conversation (can be between two PCs, or a PC and NPC).

Caleb and Fjord in 2.98. It has everything, and it feels like a culmination of their relationship relationship thus far. I really love it is the resolution of Fjord holding Caleb at swordpoint in 2.12 and of Caleb telling Fjord that he is not yet ready to answer why he is so nervous about fire in 2.10.

I think the conversation was very important for them both, particularly in Caleb being able to tell someone voluntarily about his past and be met with steady trust and empathy and for Fjord to be reminded that he is selfless and honorable and trusted.

The conversation is also just so fun for the cadence and rhythm and some interesting tonal mirroring and turns of phrase.

20. What non-D&D TTRPG would you most like to see Critical Role run a one shot in?

Blades in the Dark!

[onwriting-hrarby]

A goodbye from fandom.

I said this on Twitter, but I am not going to write for the eremika fandom again. Trigger warnings about harassment, pedophilia and more, to come.

Back on April, 2022, out of the blue a big account of the fandom (they had 4k followers; I had barely 150) “outed” me as what they called “a proshipper”. They were blaming writers in the fandom who wrote EM having sex underage, telling them pedophiles. I had not written anything of the sort, but they still felt entitled to label me as such because I read fics of Levi/Mikasa. I had been in fandoms for longer than they had been born, probably, so I was baffled that this was a problem: Because, at the end of the day, proshipper or not, I was reading stories of fictional characters. But if we take a moment to consider that the difference between fiction and reality doesn’t exist, it still baffled me, because I had never written anything underage, nor Rivamika: No, I was a pedophile because I was reading it.

This lack of media-literacy surprised me to the point of beginning to study more about it. I read this article by Viet Thanh Nguyen which said that books in USA libraries are getting cancelled because of “racism” or “homophobia”, books that were written decades ago. You should read the article, but it fully comprises my view that we need to create a critical mass, and we won’t create it if we ban those types of readings. But even if we do read it: does it mean that we share the same morals as the story? Does it even mean that the writer shares the same morals as the story they are writing?

After the tweet, I was being massively unfollowed on Twitter, blocked. Some mutuals even responded to that tweet, saying “Blocking her now”. I tried to argue with that person that I was not reading a fic in which Levi and Mikasa were related, nor underage: they didn’t even debated with me, they insulted me. I blocked them. I got an ask on Tumblr asking what had happened, and I explained my POV. They went to my Tumblr (somehow they found me), screenshot it and shared in their Twitter for everyone to see.

I had an anxiety attack, and for some days, I was deciding whether to end RJ at (just) chapter 2. Because I loved the story I was creating, I decided to pull through. When I came back on Twitter after a month out, nobody remembered me: it was like I had never done anything, I gained the same followers that once unfollowed me. I was… There, again. But I was not the same, in real life: I didn’t know what to share, how to share it. I was afraid of bookmarking something on AO3. Tumblr felt safer, so I went there (thank god). I didn’t know how to answer when people commented, about this fic, pearls such as I was an homophobic, a racist, Grisha was out of character and I was a devil to write Grisha that way. I didn’t find these comments like well-written debate in my inbox: I found it as tweets, without quoting me, of course. I began to wonder whether I was a good writer, until I decided that maybe it wasn’t the right audience to begin with. So, saddened, I wrapped my mind about stopping writing for the Eremika fandom (because, yes, it is the eremika fandom) after Rotten Judgement was finished.

Since then, I have been harassed in my inbox during months. First, for writing Erejeankasa. Comments and comments everyday, telling me that I’m a horrible writer, that I’m boring, that what I do is garbage. Then, spamming hate all over my fics, again, saying that I’m a pedophilic and garbage myself (to their credit, I have now written a Levi/Mikasa fic, in which they are actors and over 30, but alright). The thing is that this is not only a matter of myself.

Lots of my friends and colleagues here have been harassed constantly over what they write. The haters compare them to other well-known writers in the fandom: they advocate for the “purity” of Mikasa (but have no problem in Eren being a manwhore), for the “purity” of the fandom, for “only writing Eremika”. If you don’t, you’re just a “false fan”. They have their fights and sides, but let me tell you: probably one 1% of people will find a teenager attractive after reading a fic, but probably more than 80% of harassed people over the internet will feel bad, triggered and anxious about it.

I know this is (mostly) a Twitter thing: I know we’re prompted to have discourse, to argue our views, to fight for our canon couples or not… in fictional characters. This is the cursive I want to throw in here: that in being so “woke” and fighting for the “injustice” in your little bubble, you’re really not being better than an alt-right defending their stance with yelling and hating. In being so woke, you really act and think like a fascist. Because, in the end, there is a true anti-intellectual belief in the fandom: you are not to put your own views on things that are set. Do not make us think more than the original work. And for now, intellectualism (in Mill’s sense of reflection, and understanding of others, of putting yourself in others' shoes) is the true root of democracy. And the EM fandom is anything but democratic. It reeks of a one distinctive trait of oligarchy, said by Socrates: "one assumes the status of a highest good".

But, in my mind, doing good would not only mean asking the readers to defend their authors; it would mean stopping authors from blasting harmful or harassing opinions on other authors (sometimes, smaller authors than themselves); it would mean that they would understand that while someone can feel triggered by some views, anyone is free to express and write about whatever they want, as long as they, as humans, don’t fight for wrongness; that the moral in fiction doesn’t equal the moral in the author and vice versa. It’s not only to answer hateful tweets towards creators: it’s to pinpoint the tweets of that mutual you always see bashing on other ships or tweets out of the blue, just for fun, or because they really think they will make a change.

It is to signal that we, as a society, are being deactivated at our response in true, real-life problems, thanks to the arguments in social media. That while we can all share and spread help when something big happens, and social media gives us the means to spread awareness, throwing hate to authors who’ve written fictional stories about fictional characters and that you don’t like it doesn’t equal justice, but cyberbullying.

However, I will not be here to fight for it. Differently to the majority of the people who has not uttered a single constructive criticism to my fics, but have found the time to comment, put up bashful tweets (without mentioning me) and without reading the story, I do have a life outside the internet. I have beautiful friends, family, and writing—because I will never, ever not write—to which I want to dedicate my energy. If you care about this fandom, stop spreading hate and negativity of all kind. Remember that you can think you fight for freedom and justice, and end up being a Jaegerist.

I still have an EM oneshot I was writing, but I lost motivation to. I don’t know if I’ll ever keep on writing it, but if I do, you will most likely find it in here. As for Rotten Judgement and I did not live until today, you will still find them here. As for Instead, they said: it is hidden, as it has been for some months, because I want to turn it into an original story. Whether you’ll find it reuploaded in some months, who can’t stay. I am happy to delve into other ships and fandoms for now. Writing two years in these conditions has completely drained me. I urge you to think of all the creators whose works you cannot find anymore, whose Twitter and media got deleted, who put up letters of goodbye to the fandom, and rather than crying about this loss, I urge you to protect the writers we still have. I will keep reading the stories I enjoy, so this is not totally goodbye.

For now, relieved that I’ve finished but angry that this is how I’ve finished, always yours,

Hera.

[denimbex1986]

'*****

Isaac Newton had Indian heritage and the Doctor is gay and fancies him.

Yes, the returning showrunner Russell T Davies’ second episode back continues to gleefully rub the faces of the haters in a big pile of steaming Woke. In fact, ‘Wild Blue Yonder’, which Davies also wrote, has a false start purely to do that – ok not purely, also to set up a brilliantly silly running joke - with a little stop off in 1666 when the Tardis crash lands into the tree under which Newton had just had the apple drop on his head, before toddling off again to the location of the episode proper. It’s a highly amusing little flourish, since Newton is played by the excellent British-Indian actor Nathanial Curtis from It’s a Sin, and it causes Catherine Tate's Donna to reflect later, "Wasn’t Isaac Newton hot?", and for David Tennant’s Doctor to concur: “He was, so hot…oh! Is that who I am now?” slightly taken aback at this apparent change of sexuality in his new incarnation. “Well it was never far from the surface,” Donna deadpans.

"Wait, the Doctor isn't gay!...and…and I think you’ll find Sir Isaac was very much white!’ splutter a thousand GB News trolls in their front rooms, before hurling their toad-in-the-holes at the flat screen.

Come now, chaps, sit back down. Of course the Doctor has to be a bit gay - knowing the flux of genders he’s been through by this stage, it makes perfect sense for him to be bisexual at the very least. As for the Newton stuff, well, who really cares about the details, he's supposed to be sexy in this and Curtis most certainly is that. More to the point, this is the kind of freewheeling, nod-and-a-wink, devil-may-care attitude that embodies Tennant’s and Davies’ Doctor Who, which, after a joyous return last week in 'The Star Beast', is now fully in the groove with this five-star instant-classic episode.

At the end of the last one, Donna spilt her coffee into the console of the spanking new Tardis, so it’s now in flames and crashing around time and space. After the bit of Newton ogling, the pair find themselves on board a massive spaceship (Donna: “I’d hate to be the cleaner.”). No one else is around apart from a rusty old robot which takes one step about every half an hour. The ship keeps on reconfiguring in some way. And, actually the ship is not space, they realise, it’s in a dark void beyond the edge of the universe, “absolute nothing”. The ship’s computer reveals an air lock opened and closed again three years ago to let something in. Worrying. The best thing to do would be to get back into the Tardis and get the hell out of there, but the Tardis does a runner on them – the Doctor stuck his sonic screwdriver in its keyhole to regenerate it after the fire, but in its recovering state it left because it senses danger.

“There’s something so bad on board this ship that the Tardis ran away...”

As in 'The Star Beast', this represents Davies leaving behind previous showrunner Chris Chibnall’s multiverse and taking things back to basics, as the very best science fiction tends to do. After the Newton escapade, the episode is just a two-header, with the Doctor and Donna in isolation on the ship. It is reminiscent of Alien, of Silent Running, and, given (bit late to give a spoiler alert, but: spoiler alert) the fact doppelgangers of the Doctor and Donna turn up, Solaris. Of course, it’s not at all pretentious, with huge dollops of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy thrown in too – the way the doppelgangers can’t “get the arms right” is a giggle for the kids watching. There’s a delightful puzzle to the episode that works as a satisfying mini-movie, while also delivering some intriguing lore tidbits and tease Davies’ overall new arc.

And actually, it even manages to not cast aside Chibnall’s work, but to humanise it a little more. Chibnall worked it so that the Doctor is not actually a Time Lord at all but the ‘Timeless Child’, a kind of Patient Zero for Time Lords, who’s from another universe entirely. Anyway, Jodie Whittaker had to deal with the shock of that, but Tennant does great work here in tugging some heartstrings to show how haunted the Doctor is by this new knowledge. After being riled up about the fact he doesn't know who he truly is by the spooky space doppelgangers, Tennant kicks at the ship in a rage, and generally demonstrates in his Hamlet-meets-Ace Ventura way that he is very tortured indeed, but still a laugh. (Incidentally, are his suits getting tighter? Is another lore-busting sub-plot here that the Tardis is actually some kind of intergalactic spin dryer slowing shrinking the clothes on the Doctor until he loses his mind? Just putting it out there)

‘Wild Blue Yonder’ has a tremendous sleight-of-hand climax, and ends on a particularly emotional moment with a returning cast member. It's pretty much as perfect a piece of televisual entertainment you could hope for in the year of our Time Lord 2023. Truly, we’re all watching way too much TV, but this returning Doctor Who makes you think that actually this is a worthwhile thing to do with our lives.

Oh, and ‘Wild Blue Yonder’, they explain, is a war song, so another question was why the Tardis was playing while it was on fire? What’s coming? Spooky space stuff, no doubt. Roll on episode three...'

[bfwonho]

ok txt has a lot of haters for being hybe but i need to rant for a sec cus like. yes there's the privilege of debuting in a big company especially under the biggest group of all time and yes their money (and good looks) gave them a massive advantages most groups don't have. HOWEVER

i think the amount of exposure they get from that is 100% deserved like of course they debuted under hybe because this is one of those rare groups that's all ACES like they're all incredibly talented and well-rounded performers. like i fully believe that even if IT BOY yeonjun took a hiatus they'd still absolutely kill it because they're all 10/10 dancers they're all centres etc. they have looks they have talent every single one. theyre literally like if a group like LOONA actually got the money and promotion they deserve and that's exactly what makes people (who stan less popular groups) pissed (and i am one of those people very often 90% of my ults arent under big companies) but. otherwise their insane talents would be wasted

a ton of big company groups are like, 20-30% actual aces and then a bunch of decent filler members with pretty faces but not txt. and that's why they get all the artsy shit, that's why they get the best songs and the best choreo and the best concepts because they are hybes most talented group all around AS WELL as being very pretty and young so they pull off this theatrical mystical kpop that only few could do as well as they do. if they WEREN'T under a big company like hybe it would be a damn shame because they'd just be another one of the hidden gem groups out there that are waiting for the big break they rightfully deserve . anyway another group that's all aces + has a solid consistent concept is PURPLE KISS please stream because although this was a rant about TXT girls will always run kpop

[figula]

more (covid-related) wedding complaining, gonna tag all the next few weeks' stuff with "cham's wedding" for the haters

ben's last day at work is the 17th + we get married on the 26th so im praying that this gives us enough time to dodge this current covid surge... he's literally not bothered at all and is just like "we'll figure it out :)" and im like oh my god... what is wrong w/ you like ... we have spent so much money we literally need to just not get sick the next few weeks ohhh my god... he's going to his family's at the weekend + that is gonna be the last thing i let him do (i might go, but i have a hsit ton of work to do and i dont think taking off a day is gonna help me get it all done) bc that *should* be enough time to get covid + get over it lol esp that we're all vaxxed as much as possible *and* ben already had it last december and i think reinfections on average are less severe (yes i know there is a lot of stuff arguing the opposite as well but i think people misinterpret reinfection studies as though there's an expotential risk - whereas it's more like, two nasty falls technically doubles your risk of breaking a leg or whatever but those two falls dont (usually) interact with each other at all to make said risk overall worse or greater or what have you. this was a huge tangent) also like whilst i do still fully take covid seriousyl i think it's ok to acknowledge that th eviral landscape looks massively different than it did in 2020 + that it generally isnt as much of a threat as it was back then to a population with varying - but generally high - levels of immunity either from vax or actual infection or both. would prefer to keep this immunity from "vax only" but i am pretty sure id be ok in terms of long covid - partly bc "long covid" is a term that encompasses much more than it should - it includes side-effects from severe illness, lingering symptoms such as a cough that lasts for 4+ weeks, and then the ME-like illness that some people get. this final category is actually vastly smaller than the other two (UK ONS suggests that it's something like 0.1% of the population have been "severely disabled" by LC compared to the group who haven't been - about 5% and this group declines over time - the severely disabled group doesnt.) + i think we need to bear this in mind when considering risk of "long covid" bc like atm "long covid" can mean way too many things to be a useful term. so when people say 1/10 infections result in long covid i think: ehhh

HOWEVER ALL THIS TO SAY that if ben gets covid and we have to cancel and/or postpone the wedding i am going to fucking murder him. so the weddingg wont be happening anyway

also does anyone want to see the nastiest bug bite ive ever had? DM me for pics