#need to spread the word

[planetlongjourney]

“You’re making a terrible, life-changing mistake!” sorry, I can’t hear your over the sounds of me buying my Croc heels

[black-quadrant]

On my knees begging fandom to bring the word “squick” back into regular use.

Squick = “This makes me uncomfortable; I don’t want to see it.” Being squicked does not come with moral judgment or call for overreaction. It's just setting a boundary. Something can make you uncomfortable, even deeply so, without being inherently problematic.

This is a valuable term we seem to have lost, and if we normalize it again, it could resolve some of the more common communication issues that are actively draining the enjoyment out of fandom.

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

in this house we love the artists and engineers and actors who worked on arcane so much that we will not share the leaks

remember that the people who really suffer from leaks are regular people like you and me who worked hard for weeks, months, and years to make this show a reality

[dirtcube]

Minecraft Wiki is independent again!!

Yahoo!!! No more FANDOM wiki!!! Find the new minecraft wiki at minecraft.wiki!!

I thought it would be good to make a little PSA post with summarised information on why they moved from FANDOM!

Why did they move?

FANDOM is notoriously a bad wiki for both readers and editors alike. This is due to the insane amount of ads, the site layout, the lag, the fact that FANDOM can just take your wiki from you, etc has made the minecraft wiki decide to move

Because of the lack of agency the minecraft wiki has over its own wiki, they had a long discussion and vote with the community on what wiki platform to move towards. You can view both discussions here and here

By moving to a more independent wiki, they can provide a much better and friendlier service.

What's improved with the new wiki?

New site look, lacking the ugly FANDOM yellow sidebar and removing all other unnecessary bloat! This also includes a dark mode option and other custom settings.

Faster load times! I have incredibly good internet, and even I notice the STARK difference between the load times of FANDOM and the official wiki!

Less ads! At the moment they have no ads, but they do intend to have at least one. The placement of which will be discussed with the community to ensure minimal disruption to the user.

Better search functionality! FANDOM's search is notoriously bad at giving you the answers you need. Now they can have a more robust search function that more accurately brings users to what they are looking for.

No age popups- Unlike FANDOM this wiki does not need to know if you're a child or adult.

Anonymous editing has returned! Users can now once again anonymously contribute to the site!

HOWEVER. THE MINECRAFT WIKI NEEDS YOUR HELP!

FANDOM refuses to close old wiki's that have moved away, and so they will continue to show up in search domains. The old domains such as minecraft.gamepedia.com and minecraftwiki.net are also permanently attached to the FANDOM wiki.

In order to help the new wiki be successful, you can help out in the following way:

Spread the word!

Don't interact with FANDOM links. The less people interact with FANDOM, the more google knows that people are looking for the official wiki and not the FANDOM one!

Dont use the old links, again for the same reason as above!

And of course, improve the wiki :D! Since you don't need an account to make edits, see what you can contribute!

[nerdwholikesnerdythings]

MPREG DEAN!!!!!!

Not sure if this kind of thing interests you but there's an mpreg tournament happening

Dean Winchester isn't doing too good rn

Can you spread the word please?

https://www.tumblr.com/need-him-pregnant-poll/784744367751675904/need-that-man-pregnant-round-5-poll-4?source=share

i just saw this and the poll ends in six hours. go my destielgaysexologists

[5ummit]

AO3 Ship Stats: Year In Bad Data

You may have seen this AO3 Year In Review.

It hasn’t crossed my tumblr dash but it sure is circulating on twitter with 3.5M views, 10K likes, 17K retweets and counting. Normally this would be great! I love data and charts and comparisons!

Except this data is GARBAGE and belongs in the TRASH.

I first noticed something fishy when I realized that Steve/Bucky – the 5th largest ship on AO3 by total fic count – wasn’t on this Top 100 list anywhere. I know Marvel’s popularity has fallen in recent years, but not that much. Especially considering some of the other ships that made it on the list. You mean to tell me a femslash HP ship (Mary MacDonald/Lily Potter) in which one half of the pairing was so minor I had to look up her name because she was only mentioned once in a single flashback scene beat fandom juggernaut Stucky? I call bullshit.

Now obviously jumping to conclusions based on gut instinct alone is horrible practice... but it is a good place to start. So let’s look at the actual numbers and discover why this entire dataset sits on a throne of lies.

Here are the results of filtering the Steve/Bucky tag for all works created between Jan 1, 2023 and Dec 31, 2023:

Not only would that place Steve/Bucky at #23 on this list, if the other counts are correct (hint: they're not), it’s also well above the 1520-new-work cutoff of the #100 spot. So how the fuck is it not on the list? Let’s check out the author’s FAQ to see if there’s some important factor we’re missing.

The first thing you’ll probably notice in the FAQ is that the data is being scraped from publicly available works. That means anything privated and only accessible to logged-in users isn’t counted. This is Sin #1. Already the data is inaccurate because we’re not actually counting all of the published fics, but the bots needed to do data collection on this scale can't easily scrape privated fics so I kinda get it. We’ll roll with this for now and see if it at least makes the numbers make more sense:

Nope. Logging out only reduced the total by a couple hundred. Even if one were to choose the most restrictive possible definition of "new works" and filter out all crossovers and incomplete fics, Steve/Bucky would still have a yearly total of 2,305. Yet the list claims their total is somewhere below 1,500? What the fuck is going on here?

Let’s look at another ship for comparison. This time one that’s very recent and popular enough to make it on the list so we have an actual reference value for comparison: Nick/Charlie (Heartstopper). According to the list, this ship sits at #34 this year with a total of 2630 new works. But what’s AO3 say?

Off by a hundred or so but the values are much closer at least!

If we dig further into the FAQ though we discover Sin #2 (and the most egregious): the counting method. The yearly fic counts are NOT determined by filtering for a certain time period, they’re determined by simply taking a snapshot of the total number of fics in a ship tag at the end of the year and subtracting the previous end-of-year total. For example, if you check a ship tag on Jan 1, 2023 and it has 10,000 fics and check it again on Jan 1, 2024 and it now has 12,000 fics, the difference (2,000) would be the number of "new works" on this chart.

At first glance this subtraction method might seem like a perfectly valid way to count fics, and it’s certainly the easiest way, but it can and did have major consequences to the point of making the entire dataset functionally meaningless. Why? If any older works are deleted or privated, every single one of those will be subtracted from the current year fic count. And to make the problem even worse, beginning at the end of last year there was a big scare about AI scraping fics from AO3, which caused hundreds, if not thousands, of users to lock down their fics or delete them.

The magnitude of this fuck up may not be immediately obvious so let’s look at an example to see how this works in practice.

Say we have two ships. Ship A is more than a decade old with a large fanbase. Ship B is only a couple years old but gaining traction. On Jan 1, 2023, Ship A had a catalog of 50,000 fics and ship B had 5,000. Both ships have 3,000 new works published in 2023. However, 4% of the older works in each fandom were either privated or deleted during that same time (this percentage is was just chosen to make the math easy but it’s close to reality).

Ship A: 50,000 x 4% = 2,000 removed works Ship B: 5,000 x 4% = 200 removed works

Ship A: 3,000 - 2,000 = 1,000 "new" works Ship B: 3,000 - 200 = 2,800 "new" works

This gives Ship A a net gain of 1,000 and Ship B a net gain of 2,800 despite both fandoms producing the exact same number of new works that year. And neither one of these reported counts are the actual new works count (3,000). THIS explains the drastic difference in ranking between a ship like Steve/Bucky and Nick/Charlie.

How is this a useful measure of anything? You can't draw any conclusions about the current size and popularity of a fandom based on this data.

With this system, not only is the reported "new works" count incorrect, the older, larger fandom will always be punished and it’s count disproportionately reduced simply for the sin of being an older, larger fandom. This example doesn’t even take into account that people are going to be way more likely to delete an old fic they're no longer proud of in a fandom they no longer care about than a fic that was just written, so the deletion percentage for the older fandom should theoretically be even larger in comparison.

And if that wasn't bad enough, the author of this "study" KNEW the data was tainted and chose to present it as meaningful anyway. You will only find this if you click through to the FAQ and read about the author’s methodology, something 99.99% of people will NOT do (and even those who do may not understand the true significance of this problem):

The author may try to argue their post states that the tags "which had the greatest gain in total public fanworks” are shown on the chart, which makes it not a lie, but a error on the viewer’s part in not interpreting their data correctly. This is bullshit. Their chart CLEARLY titles the fic count column “New Works” which it explicitly is NOT, by their own admission! It should be titled “Net Gain in Works” or something similar.

Even if it were correctly titled though, the general public would not understand the difference, would interpret the numbers as new works anyway (because net gain is functionally meaningless as we've just discovered), and would base conclusions on their incorrect assumptions. There’s no getting around that… other than doing the counts correctly in the first place. This would be a much larger task but I strongly believe you shouldn’t take on a project like this if you can’t do it right.

To sum up, just because someone put a lot of work into gathering data and making a nice color-coded chart, doesn’t mean the data is GOOD or VALUABLE.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Alright people…it’s A N G R Y time! 😡

A boy was kicked out of a New Jersey movie theater after using the bathroom with his mom. This instantly made me angry because some people with high support needs do need help using the bathroom sometimes.

According to this report:

The incident began when Gallinaro’s son needed to use the bathroom and she took him into the women’s restroom. There is no family restroom at the Cinemark in Hazlet, according to the lawsuit.

“My son is not equipped to go into a men’s bathroom in a public setting alone,” Gallinaro told NJ Advance Media last week. “I took him to the women’s bathroom.”

There were other women in the restroom, some of them mothers, she said.

“Right away, they see he’s with me. They pick up why he’s in the bathroom with me,” she said, noting that she noticed one woman “looking at me smiling.”

The 59-year-old manager of the movie theater wasn’t as understanding, the suit alleges.

The manager angrily approached and “shouted blatantly discriminatory remarks” toward the mother and the 15-year-old, the lawsuit alleges.

“A grown man should not be in the women’s restroom,” the manager said in the crowded lobby, according to the suit. “This is not a transgender bathroom.”

Even though there were no other complaints, the manager allegedly ordered the Gallinaros off the property and directed an assistant manager to call the police, the suit states.

This is complete discrimination. Please reblog this to help spread the word. This can’t keep happening.

[sgtpeppers]

That was... wonderful... to just hear it done for real, after... what? Four years of thinking about it? Wondering whether it would work, wondering if I'd written bits too fast, or too slow, or... to actually sort of... hear it done by real, professional people and the singers. It's... there isn't a word for it, actually.

Standing Stone, by Paul McCartney

Royal Albert Hall Performance (x)

Making Of Documentary (x)

Standing Stone is a 74 minute long classical piece of music, which Paul worked on for four years. It premiered at the Royal Albert Hall on 14 October 1997 with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Chorus, conducted by Lawrence Foster.

After his success with his first classical piece, The Liverpool Oratorio, Paul was commissioned to create some music to celebrate EMI's centenary. He came up with the idea of exploring "the way a Celtic man might have wondered about the origins of life and the mystery of human existence" and tied this in the with standing stones which to him symbolised something mystical and long lasting.

Photos by Linda McCartney, included on the album.

Paul wrote a poem to assist in getting the story he was trying to convey straight in his head, and it was printed in the booklet of the album. However, Paul wanted the music to work without the listener necessarily knowing the story, for the music to speak for itself, and so wanted to create a piece that "relies entirely on colours and effects drawn from orchestral and choral forces".

He also created two paintings to go alongside it:

I really recommend watching the documentary, Paul is absolutely delightful throughout the whole thing. It's the first time he'd used a computer and software to help him compose and he seems so excited to talk about it (and he has a Wallace & Gromit mouse mat!).

What's also interesting is how the rest of the team spoke about him. They all make a point that this was Paul's creation, and although David Matthews, John Harle, and Richard Rodney Bennet were brought in to assist with the composition, they all talk about Paul's talent, hard work, and the freshness of approach he brought. (The words 'benevolent dictator' may get used at some point, but they also speak of his kindness and generosity.)

It amazes me that someone with no formal music training could make a leap for pop/rock to classical. Composing for an entire 80 piece orchestra and 120 member choir is a completely different skillset to writing a song for the radio (and I'm not saying that's a lesser thing to be able to do, just different). The fact Paul was not only willing to take on the challenge and push himself, but created something so magical speaks to the sheer creative force that he is.

[mikadll]

in light of recent news (read: the chances of me being hired for a day job are now even slimmer than they already were), i'm going to advertise myself on here as well.

i am a freelance illustrator currently based in washington dc. my specialties are covers, interiors, shirt designs, and posters. if you are interested, my email is mikadotdll@gmail.com.

my portfolio is hosted on Cara. i also have a Patreon page where you can support me by subscribing for 5 USD/month to gain exclusive access to my more risqué work. if you'd like to tip me, i have a ko-fi for that as well.

here is a small selection of what i can do:

[its-isobel33]

URGENT WARNING FOR UK ARTISTS

URGENT! UK AI COPYRIGHT VOTE NEXT WEEK! Gov removed vital artist protections. CONTACT YOUR MP NOW to reinsert Baroness Kidron's amendments & defend UK creators! Stay informed and protect your creative RIGHTS! It's ENDs on MAY 7th, 2025!

IF YOU'RE IN THE UK CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MP:

IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE UK PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD, IF THIS GOES THROUGH UNCHANGED IT SETS A DANGEROUS PRECIDENT FOR ALL CREATIVES!

[jazzy-flowerr]

Ok - and I think I've heard people theorize this before - but what if the reason Dandy wants tapes so bad is because watching his cartoon is the only thing keeping him from turning lethal?

He's heavily implied to be obsessed with the past, such as when Connie says that all Dandy talks about with Astro is just old episodes;

So what if it's the reminiscing about old times that keeps him a toon?

And when he doesn't get any tapes the first couple of times, he starts to show visible distress/impatience as well as showing signs of turning lethal [i.e; the red dots in his eyes]

Which, yes, could mean that he's becoming lethal because he's getting desperate, but there's a chance that it could mean he's getting desperate because he's becoming lethal. If that makes any sense.

[sapphicscister]

I’m going insane

[synthshenanigans]

hey does the thdph album cover look different to anyone else? im at a loss :/

[arminthada]

GelBoys, an upcoming iQIYI original - a Masterpost

Series Title: GELBOYS สถานะกั๊กใจ

Director: Boss Naruebet Kuno (I Told Sunset About You, The Paradise of Thorns)

Director of Photography: Tang Tawanwad Wanavit (I Told Sunset About You, The Paradise of Thorns)

Screenwriters: Boss Naruebet Kuno, Kate Karakade Norasethaporn, Junior Naron Cherdsoongnern (I Told Sunset About You, The Paradise of Thorns) (TBC)

Airing: 8 February 2025 - ? (Every Saturday at 8:30 PM (THA) on ONE31 Channel and 11:00 PM on iQIYI online)

Original Network: iQIYI

Official Synopsis: FOURMOD (NEW Chayaphak), a high schooler yearning for a romantic relationship, finds himself being hit on by CHIAN (PIDE Monthapoom), a gel-nails guy who casually invites him to get their nails done together at SIAM SQUARE.

FOURMOD falls for him but soon realizes he's being put 'on hold' when he discovers that CHIAN is inviting BUA (Leon Brocco), a half-Thai TikToker, for gel nail sessions as well. FOURMOD decides to get even by asking for help from his close friend BABIN (PJ Mahidol), to get their nails done together in an attempt to make CHIAN jealous and experience being in the 'on-hold' status himself.

GELBOYS, a story of relationships of youth in modern era in the vibrant atmosphere full of Pop culture at SIAM SQUARE.

GelBoys stars brand new faces whom you may or may not be familiar with. (source)

1. PJ Mahidol Pibulsonggram

Previously more known to the public as JJ Krissanapoom's little brother, PJ has recently gotten more public attention after starring in Good Doctor TH. He's also starred in PBS Thailand's Eightraordinary.

2. New Chayapak Tunprayoon

Thai QL audience may be more familiar with New Chayapak through projects like Netflix's Ready, Set, Love or I Promised You The Moon (the sequel series to I Told Sunset About You).

Fun fact: New Chayapak is actually a trainee under Nadao Academy before Nadao Bangkok got dissolved in 2022.

3. Pide Monthapoom Sumonvarangkul

If you've watched sports themed BL series Our Days before, you may remember Pide Monthapoom who plays Q.

4. Leon Brocco

GelBoys is Leon Brocco's series debut.

OFFICIAL MOOD TONE TEASER

As first announced in November 2024, GelBoys is iQIYI Thailand's third original series after Petrichor. GelBoys have been teasing the series through various social medias such as X, Tiktok and Youtube. You can watch the actors' short vlogs below.

[vidduality]

SPOILERS for Episode 6 of the Avatar Live Action series

AKA why this episode makes me SO grateful for this adaptation (re: the Zuko flashbacks and the Agni Kai).

----

Wow.

I admit, I was really worried at the idea that Zuko might potentially fight back in the Agni Kai against his father in the live action. I expected to HATE it, and it's certainly a bold change, but it fits in SO WELL with why Zuko is the way that he is (and why he works so hard to push down his empathy whenever Aang tries to reason with him).

The Agni Kai - Zuko obviously did NOT want to fight his father. He still tried to apologize and beg for mercy, but in the end he was just too terrified of his father to disobey a direct order.

But when Ozai left him an opening to see what he'd do with it, Zuko couldn't bring himself to actually land a blow that might burn him. Making his lack of ruthlessness the weakness that Ozai ends up mutilating him for - even straight up telling Zuko that compassion is weakness and then demonstrating by holding his own child down and lighting him on fire - adds a layer of depth that only enhances the original scene (and in another stroke of genius, we see Ozai nearly in tears himself. He's convincing himself of this lesson as well as Zuko, which was likely passed down to him by his own father). Honestly, this to me is even more heartbreaking than Ozai burning him for refusing to stand and fight. Zuko did everything his father asked and he still failed, because his family has distorted what it means to be honorable and believes Zuko's capacity for mercy to be a shameful weakness unbecoming of an heir to the throne.

The 41st Division - And here come the waterworks. Assigning the very people Zuko was hurt so severely for trying to save to his ship as it's being cast out of the fire nation (presumably forever, with the Avatar not having been seen in 100 years) is SUCH a brilliant addition. His crew resents Zuko for being stuck on this impossible mission with this bratty, angry child. And Zuko is too ashamed of his "weakness" to explain why they were assigned to him.

I can totally see Zuko's hurt at their lack of respect making him even more angry (especially after everything he went through to save them from being sacrificed), and his seemingly irrational anger at them just continuing to make them resent him more in a neverending feedback loop of anger and disrespect that's been growing and festering for 3 years.

Which makes the scene at the end when Zuko's crew finally learns about how he saved their lives (as well as why he's obsessed with the avatar, why he's banished, what his scar means and why he's trying so very hard to rid himself of empathy, even if he can never quite manage it when it counts) so much more impactful. I SOBBED when the 41st Division stood at attention and showed him their utmost respect and loyalty, possibly for the first time since they've been on that ship. Zuko's soft "what's going on?" at finally being honored by his crew is just imprinted on my brain.

The seed of the idea that his compassion may NOT actually be what was shameful about his banishment afterall can finally begin to take root.

I just, damn, I love this episode so much.

[megamindfandombookclub]

On BlueSky social, Both Brett Simons (one of Megamind's writers) and @neil-gaiman (cause he's one of my favorites and I love him.) responded to my questions about how things were with the strike finally nearing completion with better pay and protections for the writers.

This is what they said.

How can you help?

Now negotiations are still being made and as of this moment, the contracts are not signed, but you can help them by donating to the causes, and/or spreading the word!

Solidarity friends!