#posted by Brooke Grant!

[the-moonknights]

some art I've draw of myself!!

[crossedwithblue]

headcanon that Bev, knowing what a massive fucking nerd Peter is about London, takes him up the Shard as a treat and he just spends hours geeking out over everything you can see from up there, not just the obvious landmark buildings but really obscure history stuff, and also pointing out all the roads he's chased someone down

[radioactivesystem]

[northernrosewritings]

Oc Songs Tag

Rules: pick an OC and choose songs that fit them.

No one tagged me, so open invitation to anyone who wants to participate. I did 2 or 3 songs for each of the main Chronicles of Light and Shadow characters

Mary

•Living Without You-Beth Crowley (I walk alone, pace up and down the streets we used to know/'Cause our house no longer feels much like a home/It hasn't for a while)

•Passing Through-Kaden MacKay (If the future is bright/It doesn't shine with that "end of the tunnel" light/More like a deer in the headlights/Sudden red lights/Or "you're dead" lights/As the anglerfish bite)

•This Life is Mine-Jeff Williams & Casey Lee Williams (There's a part of me that's desperate for changes/Tired of being treated like a pawn)

Grant

•Kryptonite-3 Doors Down (If I go crazy, then will you still call me Superman?/If I'm alive and well, will you be there and holding my hand?)

•Waiting for the Rain-Jubyphonic (You can hide in my shade/Or maybe I.../Could I be safe/In yours?)

•Could Have Been Me-The Struts (I wanna live better days/Never look back and say/Could have been me/It could have been me)

Eden

•Times Are Hard for Dreamers-Audrey Brisson (And I might be a dreamer but it's gotten me this far/And that is far enough for me)

•After School Stride-Jubyphonic (After school with a stride, we're hop step jumping/I'm higher in the sky than what they told me/Across another line/ I'll figure out the world in time/Get ready!)

•Fight Song-Rachel Platten (Everybody's worried about me/In too deep/Say I'm in too deep)

Duncan

•I’m Just Your Problem-Olivia Olson (I-I-I shouldn't have to be the one that makes up with you, so/Why do I want to?/Why do I want to?)

•That’s Why I Gave Up on Music-Rachie (If you took my heart and drew/A single note just straight on through/No, it wouldn’t disappear, believe me/Whatever I do, it just won’t disappear)

Cyrus

•Sorry Haha I Fell Asleep-Egg (I'm willing to sway to any point of view/That'll make me a bit more appealing to you)

•Best Day of My Life-American Authors (I'm never gonna look back, whoa/I'm never gonna give it up, no/Just don't wake me now)

Lexi

•Waiting in the Wings-Eden Espinosa (Always overlooked unfairly/While pretending that it barely stings/But it stings, yes it stings)

•Someone to You-Banners (I just wanna be someone/Well, doesn't everyone?)

•Could Have Been Me-Halsey (Don't wanna live as an untold story/Rather go out in a blaze of glory)

Dex

•I’ll Be Good-James Young (But the blood on my hands scares me to death/Maybe I'm waking up today)

•Friends Don’t-Maddie and Tae (I keep telling myself this might be nothing/But one look in your eyes and, God, there's something)

Bonus: Charlotte

•Hiding in Your Hands-Mallory Bechtel (So your fingers get tangled in a pile/Your rhythm is a mess/But nobody sees 'cause you smile/And the world will never guess)

•The Parting Glass-MALINDA (Of all the money that e'er I had/I spent it in good company/And all the harm I've ever done/Alas, it was to none but me)

[dzelonis]

Iepalicēji #42

Iepalicēju raksts ir mājvieta gan darba, gan neliela slinkuma dēļ iekavētiem individuāliem rakstiem, gan apzināts galamērķis grāmatām, par kurām pēc to izlasīšanas diži daudz nemaz neatrodas ko teikt. *** Night Heron (Philip Mangan #1) by Adam Brookes Links uz grāmatas Goodreads lapu Izdevniecība: Sphere Manas pārdomas Britu žurnālista Philip Mangan dzīve un darbs Ķīnā jau tā vai tā nav…

[deepmochi]

Lilith in the 4th house 💎

Lilith in Cancer can also read it, or Lilith-moon aspects.

⚠️ Read: Mention of cheating, family dynamic and mothers!

What to learn: Emotions make you stronger, you are worthy of real love, and your family shouldn't define you.

What to avoid: Having victim mentality, blame others for your wrongdoings, and over nurturing tendencies with others.

Some celebrities: Alexa Demie, John Travolta, Donald Trump, Ozzy Osbourne, Shia Labeouf, Justin Bieber, Cameron Díaz, Brook Shields, Kristen Dunst, Margot Robbie, William Shakespeare (apparently) Cary Grant, Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Garner, and Jessica Alba.

🕯Issues with femininity and the idea of being a woman. In men, issues with being nurtured by a woman.

🕯Undeveloped Lilith attracts overprotective (toxic) people and manipulators.

🕯 They could cheat with people who are married just for the sake of feeling better (if bad aspected).

🕯 Other women admire or like them, but men like them more (male gaze).

🕯The mother could compete with them for certain reasons. These creates issues with female peers.

🕯 Can easily became a mother even thought they don't want it. Pregnancy scares could be a thing. Use protection please.

🕯They're very private about their roots and family. They will avoid posting pictures on their social networks.

🕯 Motherhood troubles them; they can come to a term if they do it willingly.

🕯 Mothers are sacred to them, but mother was also their worst nightmare. Mother was harsh and cold at times.

🕯 Emotions are not easy to read for them; sometimes, they might ignore them, creating chaos.

🕯 They prefer long-term relationships even if it is toxic. They might follow the family pattern. The must work on it.

🕯 Father was an absent figure; mother has both roles combined. They can imitate this too if bad aspected, especially men.

🕯Emotional manipulator: they can use people's feelings to their pleasure.

🕯 They use their body and feminine energy to lurk others in. "Why you feel like that?.... tell me"

🕯Undeveloped Lilith is the friend who cheats with you bf/crush and makes her innocent face..."I didn't knew you were together" (pd: she knew).

🕯 People can see them as innocent or someone who need protection.

🕯Disconnection with the body and their feminine energy, especially when something traumatic happens at home.

🕯Women has difficult relationships with mothers or mother figure during childhood. Mother was very demanding.

🕯Here, Lilith doesn't want to be consider only a "woman"; they want more than that.

🕯However, this Lilith can be highly sexualised due to their feminine energy. Men can use them as ego boost for the immature masculine energy.

🕯 Men with this placements can have big issues with their emotions. They may ignore their pain and feminine energy, producing cheating or violence outburst.

🕯Both (women and men) can be moody when they're "hurt", and use these emotions as weapons.

🕯The mother could have hurt them or used for her benefit. She may sold them metaphorically to society, or they didn't shield them when they need to.

🕯Prone to follow traumas from their childhood. If they denied their mother issues, they may repeat their pattern.

🕯 As a mother, they are afraid to be like their mother. It's highly possible that this native sees motherhood as complex. However, they are call to cut the ties with the past.

🕯 The best partner is someone who nuturues them, but this person is destructive for their home if wounded. So, they may run away from "commitment" or commit too quickly to toxic people.

🕯 Society pressures them to be a woman. To follow a certain path, they have to deal with the Madonna-whore complex.

🕯 When they are younger, they tend to be sexualized. When older, people "miss" their old self aka beauty. Here, the native must value herself in very stage. She isn't missing anything. She is worthy in every stage.

🕯 They were sexualised very young, unfortunately. Even use as profitable object, look at Justin Bieber, Brook Shield and Shia Labeouf. They were introduced very young to Hollywood.

🕯Deep down, many of them want the home and family they couldn't have. However, they must understand that marriage is more that a social contract. It's a healing process for them. Love goes a deep as they let it.

🕯 Some may have weird family dynamics, which lead to traumas.

🕯 They will very private with their families, partners and lovers. Overprotective tendencies.

🕯Like to follow traditional roles such as, marriage, couple titles (ex: bf or gf), or/ and traditional families. Also, they make like to damage them.

🕯 They can be seen as a perfect parent or as a lacking one. Society is the one that decides (is not always true).

🕯Prefer to live far away from their family. It's safer for them.

🕯 It's very protective of their love ones, especially younger children and sisters/brothers.

🕯Their home is a very private area. They save it from really close people.

🕯They prefer to have small wedding or doing something rather private. If Lilith is immature, they will be a show.

🕯 Bad aspected Lilith would like to take your bf or husband from the sake of feeling loved. They're wining him over you because "they're better than you".

🕯Home could have an abusive dynamic.

🕯Young girls and boys are prone to date older men/ women due to mommy / daddy issues. With time, they realize that nobody can heal them, only themselves will do it.

Take care, loves!

Note: just take what resonates.💚

[solar-sunnyside-up]

Little libraries -

Free little Libraries are a great passive mutual aid project. Originally inspired by DIY projects they are easy to build, are generally low maintenance once established, creative and fun artworks within themselves, and its a great way to introduce a gift economy into your neighborhood!

History-

2009- Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, built a model of a one room schoolhouse. It was a tribute to his mother; she was a teacher who loved to read. He filled it with books and put it on a post in his front yard. His neighbors and friends loved it, so he built several more and gave them away.

UW-Madison’s Rick Brooks saw Bol’s do-it-yourself project while they were discussing potential mutual aid projects. They were inspired by community gift-sharing networks, “take a book, leave a book” collections in coffee shops and public spaces, and most especially by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.

2010 the name Little Free Library was established and the purpose of these Little Free Library book exchanges became clear: to share good books and bring communities together.As Bol and Brooks continued to give away Little Free Libraries with wooden charter signs, engraved with official charter numbers, curiosity and demand for more Libraries grew. The acceleration centered on the enthusiasm of early adopters and stewards, who were crucial advocates. Some small grants and informal partnerships began to have an impact on Little Free Library’s ability to keep up with demand.

2011 brought national media attention, and by the end of the year there were nearly 400 Little Free Libraries in existence. That number would skyrocket to over 4,000 Libraries within a year. 

2012  Little Free Library became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the states!

Little Free Libraries have continued to grow by leaps and bounds every year. In 2022 we surpassed 150,000 registered Libraries in more than 120 countries worldwide. Even establishing an online map and app to help people locate the libraries!

How do I do this?

The little library website hosts a bunch of plans and blueprints to make a library or get ideas for locations. Even having ready to order kits if you want!

You will need either land or public approval to establish one however, this can be by the city, neighbours, or other public spaces but they are technically put on private land. You wont find anyone ho would object to their installation but I would not recommend just installing one unless your okay with it being taken down.

Pick a location that has a lot of foot traffic and be highly visible to anyone nearby and is accessible as possible.

Register your library! You can get an official charter sign by doing this step!!

Fill it up with books!!

[thefirsthogokage]

SAG-AFTRA and WGA on the Line!

[Image ID: A tweet from J.W. Hendricks (@JW_hendricks) from July 14th that reads:

Let's fucking go. #SAGstrike #WGAStrong

Under that is a black and white image of a person in a hat, sunglasses, and a Writers Guild of America shirt holding a sign that says "Now We Have SAG HO HO HO"

/End ID]

[Image ID: A tweet from Brig Muñoz-Liebowitz (@brigliebs) from July 14th that reads:

Seriously excited to see our picket line chants performed by talented professionals who know how to project from the diaphragm. #wgastrong #SAGAFTRAstrong /End ID]

[Image ID: A tweet from Dan Hernandez (@/cubanmissileDH) from July 13th, 2023 that reads:

People think writers and actors are soft. And we ARE attention-seeking validation magnets. But pursuing a career in the arts is also brave, foolhardy, and kinda batshit. We have all withstood incredible pain to get here, and we can take much more. #SAGAFTRA #WGA #Solidarity

/End ID]

[Image ID: A tweet from form L&O SVU writer Robert Brooks Cohen (@RobertBCohen) that reads:

The much-anticipated WGA/SAG-AFTRA crossover has begun. ✊✊ #WGAStrong #SAGAFTRAstrong #DUNDUN

With a picture of him holding a sign that says in full:

In the studio entertainment system, viewers are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the Writers Guild of America, who create entire worlds, and the Screen Actors Guild who bring them to life. These are their stories. DUN DUN. /End ID]

Granted, there's also everyone in production, the set designers, the costume designers, the hair and make up people, lighting, sound engineers, etc. But I get his point. Anywho, the image of him in full:

I'll try to ID this one:

(link to first post)

[Image ID: Three tweets from three different WGA members from July 14th, 2023 that read:

Travis Helwig (@travishelwig):

Actors are tall

Mike Royce (@/mikeroyce):

a guy whipped his shirt off at like 9:01 this morning, we're in a different reality now

Jackie (Decembly) Penn (a strike captain) (@JackiePenn18):

We had like 5 actors do that this morning. We were not ready for it 😂.

[Image ID: Tweet from Justine Bateman (@justinebatemanl from July 14th, 2023 that reads:

This is what you get when you give over 100k actors a call time.

@sagaftra @WGAEast @WGAWest #ShowingUp

With a picture of many, many people striking.

/end ID]

[Image ID: a tweet from Will Landman (@WillTheLandMan) from July 14th, 2023 that reads:

Week 11, Day 74. The troops have arrived & gotdam did they arrive! Lovely to see so many familiar faces, all United fighting for a fair deal. The energy was off the roof at WB. I can imagine it was the same at every lot. We will win. #SAGAFTRAstrike #WGAStrike #DoTheWriteThing

After that are four pictures for their day striking.

Also, I just want to say for historical record: today was WGA Strike Captains Day, though idk if that was just at the WB lot or not.

[Image ID: a tweet from actor Christopher Gorham (@ChrisGorham) from July 14th, 2023 that reads:

Day 1. Again. I was there for the beginning of the @wgawest strike so you know we were going to be there for @sagaftra . Enough people at Disney today to wrap around the entire studio’s 1 mile perimeter. Here’s to the unrealistic militant minority! #sagaftrastrong #wgastrong

The post contains four photos from his time striking. /end ID]

Bonus: WGA West showing up for Teamsters on the Amazon Picket line:

[Image ID: a tweet from Liz Alper (@LizApls) on July 14th that reads:

When @Teamsters call, @WGAWest responds.

We joined Teamsters on their picket line at the @/amazon warehouse in Santa Clarita. Amazon drivers deserve fair compensation and safe work conditions (and AC). We'll see you next time, Teamsters. Don't order from Amazon.

Four pictures are included in the tweet from the day showing multiple people holding WGAW signs. /End ID]

Honestly, all this solidarity during all the strikes this summer is bringing a tear to my eye. I love seeing everyone standing up for each other and fighting together. Union Solidarity.is.stronger.than ever, and it's beautiful to see.

[iwtvfanevents]

Rewind the Tape —Episode 3

Art of the episode

Just like we did for the pilot and for episode two, we took note of the art shown and mentioned in the third episode while we rewatched it. Did we miss any? Can you help us put a name to the unidentified ones? Do you have any thoughts about how these references could be interpreted?

On the Origin of Species*

Charles Darwin, 1859

* Not exactly art... ...and not exactly confirmed, but given the time, the subject of their conversation, and Lestat's "...this naturalist that fogs your mind" remark, this seems the most likely attribution for the book Louis is reading during the opening scene.

Darktown Strutters' Ball

Shelton Brooks, 1917

The song Antoinette is first singing was published that same year, and you can hear it performed by The Platters here.

Minuet in G

Christian Petzold, circa 1725

As pointed by @cardassiangoodreads in this post, the song Lestat first plays before he starts improvising is Petzold's Minuet in G, often falsely attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach.

Wolverine Blues

Jelly Roll Morton, 1923

While the scene in which Lestat improvises the melody happens in 1917, Morton would go on to record and release the song in Indiana in 1923.

Slave Auction

Jean-Michael Basquiat, 1982

Our very first look at Basquiat's Slave Auction comes in the third episode, though it will be the backdrop of most of the sixth. While some elements, like the crown of thorns, lend themselves to varied interpretations, it's clear this collage shows a boat (golden for money, perhaps) crossing a blue expanse, and the faces of the slaves being transported.

Mother Daughter and Twins 1

Rahmon Olugunna, undated

Rahmon Olugunna, born in Osogbo in 1975, is a member of the Oshogbo school of artists in Nigeria. His work represents Yoruban mythology as well as modern Nigerian life. He is represented by New Orleans curator Katie Koch. [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Untitled ceramic totems

Julie Silvers, undated

Each unique totem is made by New Orleans native Julie Silvers, and they are distributed by New Orleans store Villa Vici. Two can be seen in the sitting room. [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Javelina

Bryan Cunningham, undated

By "Junkyard Alchemist" Bryan Cunningham, who posted about it here. [Found by @iwtvdramacd18.]

In the same shot we can see an unidentified painting, maybe of a man's profile. Perhaps you can place it?

Untitled photo of loading docks in St. Paul, Minnesota

Bradley Olson, 2015 (Alamy Stock Photo)

Forty-two Kids and Cliff Dwellers

George Bellows, 1907 and 1913 respectively

Several Bellows pieces have been featured around Rue Royale already, in episodes one and two. [Identified by @nicodelenfent, here.]

Am I Blue?

Harry Akst and Grant Clarke, 1929 [Identified by @ouizaya.]

The song that Antoinette sings when Jonah first walks into the Azalea is actually an anachronism. Maybe a bit of commentary from Louis, as this post suggests.

Nocturnes, Op. 55: No. 1 in F minor. Andante

Frederic Chopin, 1842-1844

This is the song that plays during Jonah and Louis's escapade to the Bayou.

Roman Bacchanal

Vasily (Wilhelm) Alexandrovich Kotarbiński, 1898

Kotarbiński was a Polish artist and painter of historical and fantastical subjects, and co-founder of the Society of Kyiv Painters. [Identified by @nicodelenfent.]

Weeping Nude

Edvard Munch, 1913

Young Man kneeling before God the Father

Egon Schiele, 1909

Two more artists we've seen already, in episodes one and two.

Self-Portrait

Edvard Munch, 1881-1882

Bouquet in a theater box

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1871

While we have seen Munch's work already, this is the first Renoir featured. He was a French artist and a leading figure in the development of the Impressionist style. [Identified by @nicodelenfent.]

Church in Stein on the Danube

Egon Schiele, 1913 [Identified by @nicodelenfent, here.]

Ship in the Night

James Gale Tyler, c. 1870 [Identified by @vfevermillion.]

Tyler was a New York born marine painter, considered a self-taught artist.

If you spot or put a name to any other references, let us know if you'd like us to add them with credit to the post!

This week, we are rewatching and discussing Episode 4, …The Ruthless Pursuit of Blood with All a Child's Demanding. We can't wait to hear your thoughts!

And, if you're just getting caught up, learn all about our group rewatch here ►

[fanaticsnail]

One Piece Drabbles Masterlist

Navigation Masterlist Here

Get Well Soon (Drabble one-shot)

You're sick, and they do their best to support you through it. Zoro, Sanji, Mihawk

The Selkie and the Sailor: Mini Fic Drabble (One-Shot)

A mythical creature has rescued the captain of the straw-hat pirates from drowning in the sea. As her eyes meet with the crew, she is immediately taken with one of the sailors: Zoro, Sanji, Luffy

Kiss their cheek (Drabble one-shot)

It was a simple reaction, an impulse you felt organic and out of your control. Their cheek was right there, and the swell in your chest and spike of adrenaline prompted you to lunge forward and capture their cheek beneath your lips. How do they react to such a soft touch? Do they shy away, or do they respond in kind? Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, Law, Kid

Recovery (one-shot)

You are in a recovery cot in a hospital willing to accommodate you, resting as your body heals from your latest battle. Expecting to recover alone, you are pleasantly surprised to find yourself within the company of the person you craved the most.

Zoro, Sanji

Please, I'll be good (one-shot)

After rescuing you in the heat of battle, he can no longer contain his desires for you. He was so good. He can keep being good if it means you'll keep kissing him.

Koby, Sanji, Corazon, Sabo, Buggy, Shachi, Ace, Penguin

"Can You Buy Me Supplies?" (Dialogue)

How the OP characters react to you asking them to purchase you sanitary items for your menstruation period. One sentence dialogue.

Robin, Franky, Chopper, Zoro, Sanji, Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Brook, Kid, Killer, Law, Mihawk, Crocodile, Buggy, Shanks, Beckman, Doflamingo, Corazon.

How They Kiss (drabble)

Four different kisses with all of your favourites. Where would you place them in these categories?

Hallmark Piggyback (drabble)

Short piggyback on @indydonuts post about OP characters in a hallmark movie. Drabble is for Law x reader x Mihawk - amnesia trope

Buggy the Clown:

Soft-Dom Buggy Bratty Buggy Cross-Guild Interrogation The Clown Apologises

Macule Drihawk (drabble)

When Dracule Mihawk drinks, he becomes an entirely different person. That person's name is Macule Drihawk.

The Duality of Sir Crocodile (NSFW drabble)

The duality of a dominating gentleman. Spoiling and endearing, encumbering and brutal.

You shot a baby? (Dialogue)

Part 2 (one-shot)

Benn Beckman shot Eustass Kid's arm off. You are not happy about it.

Donquixote Rosinante's Journey with Modern Slang (crack dialogue)

Mild background context: Law's skills as a doctor saved a person with the devil-fruit with the ability grant a single wish. Law used that wish to bring back Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante as he was: lying in the snow and unresponsive. He wanted the chance to use what he's learnt to save him, and save him he does. Both now in their 20s, Rosi is adjusting and attempting to learn the current slang to relate to his grown son.

You're Angry at the Tall Men: Drabble (One-Shot)

He knows what he did to earn your wrath; your fury ignited in your eyes and the flames physically tangible and searing the room with your scorn. Your brow was furrowed, your lips curling into a snarl to bare your pearled teeth at him.Buggy, Shanks, Mihawk, Sir Crocodile, Corazon, Doflamingo.

An Affectionate Embrace: Drabble (One-Shot)

It was a simple reaction, an impulse you felt organic and out of your control. Their cheek was right there, and the swell in your chest and spike of adrenaline prompted you to lunge forward and capture their cheek beneath your lips. How do they react to such a soft touch? Do they shy away, or do they respond in kind?Buggy, Mihawk, Sir Crocodile, Shanks, Benn Beckman

Forehead Kisses (short drabble)

You're being a brat because they're neglecting you. Prepare to be greeted with the forehead kiss you crave from them.

Zoro, Crocodile, Kid, Killer, Beckman, Mihawk

Interrogation (crack dialogue)

Cross-Guild crack dialogue x reader.

[the-moonknights]

some art of me :D !

[greyskyflowers]

I've discussed it before and since one of my older post about is it being liked again, I'll discuss it again!

Feral Zoro

Feral Zoro gives me so feelings.

The crew goes nuts during battle sometimes and that's not something you can just turn off. And sure, the others can be wild and fierce but Zoro has battle carved in his bones. The rumble of war drums and old prayers said before battle to wrathful gods are all layered in his pulse.

And all that desire, that relentless fury and strength, went from protect myself and my dream to protect them and their dreams.

Protect Luffy.

Nami.

Sanji.

Usopp.

Robin.

Chopper.

Franky.

Brook.

Jinbei.

Sunny.

I imagine that mantra is louder than anything else during those fights, the urge to protect and defend.

Don't you dare let them get past you. Don't you even think of losing this fight. You have to be the best because if you aren't that means someone else is... And what if that person is the enemy?

Failure is not an option because someone is relying on you.

You can cry with grief until your eyes are swollen and dry like the world feels at that moment, or curse every god you can think of with snarled anger at the sky, or let yourself drift away for a little while all the agony and pain you put your body through comes racing in with thunderous noise, later.

But now... Right now you hold it together.

There is no other option.

You stop when your blood has soaked into the earth so much it's started pooling on the surface or until your body gives up and moving is almost a foreign word.

You can rest when they do. When they are safe. You don't stop before then because you can't.

And while I think Luffy is fantastic at leaving it all out in the field, Zoro really lets himself slide into that mindset in a way far different from Luffy.

And I can't imagine it's easy to settle down after those battles. I'm not talking about the small battles or the ones where they leave a little beat up but okay overall.

No.. I'm talking about the ones that change them. Where at some point, or perhaps multiple, the thought crosses their mind that this might be it.

I've never been in a situation like that obviously, but I know how I get when I get anxious and overwhelmed. Even once the problem is fixed and things settle back down, I'm running around checking on things and watching everything. Heart still ready to start running laps again and nerves pulled tight.

That's a work environment. Granted a very important and stressful work environment but no one will die at my job. My loved ones will not be hurt because of something I do or don't do at work.

Now take that to a scale that comprises of the big battles they've had. That's a whole lot of feeling and adrenaline to just let go of.

And I love after fights where the crew just kind of all go limp and happy because it's done and Luffy won because of course he did.

But...

I think Zoro probably paces a lot those nights, silent and one with the shadows. Heavy boots making the softest thud, the gentle chimes from his earrings, and the quiet noise his swords make as they knock against each other.

Pacing the deck over and over if they're on the Sunny.

Up and down hallways if they're someplace different.

Even around the room.

He just embodies that caged tiger vibe.

They can't rush him. He has to relax on his own but they all help.

He's a little unpredictable and wild eyed like this but they're not scared of him, could never be truly scared of someone who is such a huge part of who they are.

They settle him like a tiger.

With space to spread his legs and get out any extra energy. They let him pace his territory and check on them, even though tigers aren't pack animals. They coax him into the kitchen to eat and replace the energy his body burned through, even though he doesn't register he's hungry. They patch him up with slower movements than normal and try to calm him each time he tenses up and his muscles jump.

Sometimes he stays bloody and raw until several hours later, when he's finally calm enough to take off all the grime and blood like it was a final layer of armor left from the battle.

Sometimes it takes longer, and they wait it out with him until he's ready to come back.

And they'll die before they tell anyone but Zoro's a cuddler, especially after episodes like that. Cat like cuddles all the way.

[radioactivesystem]

I keep seeing you all as “in my orbit” so I decided to check you guys out and turns out you guys are cool :)

:0 thank you so much! - Brooke Spector-Grant

[starberry-cupcake]

To add to the pile of questionable tumblr behavior as of late, and as a psa at large:

I searched a mental health related tag last week and I got immediately a message from a bot called Koko. It intended to put me through to "people who are interested in mental health topics". In this tumblr message format, they didn't immediately facilitate hotlines, specific mental health care services or professional help, just "people".

I didn't respond to it. It's a bot. I didn't block it because I was interested to see where it would lead, but I didn't talk back. In the following days, it kept sending me messages, trying to get me to use their service.

Among the messages, they told me how it works, not that I had asked:

So, it sounds like a recipe for disaster in the making to me. My personal mental health information being passed through random tumblr users and getting a reply from someone who, not only isn't a professional or part of any sort of mental health care group I could get informed about, but they also will provide unsupervised answers to topics of great importance to someone who was looking into related tags.

But, tumblr user thewindandthewolves seems to endorse it, so let's check them out and see what they have to say.

Well. I'm posting the responses in chronological order, but I guess the raving review from a tumblr user was actually a kid who didn't give them consent to use their words as endorsement. Great look.

Today, I got a new message. Again, unprompted.

Second review person has apparently deleted their blog, so no background information on that one. If that's you, let us know.

I decided to look at their blog and read people's comments on their posts. The tumblr userbase came through with the receipts and linked this very detailed article about not only the bot and its founder but the sketchy study it uses as a foundation:

Here's an important quote from this article regarding the study in which Koko is founded as a clear notion of what consent means to them:

Morris [Koko's founder] declined to say whether he thought the subjects had meaningfully consented to the study. He told Motherboard that his goal was to establish a new best practice, where he would be able to transparently show his results to social media platforms. However, when asked if he felt that the experiment was transparent to the participants involved, he said he’d needed more time to think about it. 

It's not a tough one to respond to, Morris.

I suggest you to please read the whole article but the way in which these people perform verbal gymnastics to try to justify the lack of consent from people involved is alarming.

About Tumblr's involvement, the article didn't get comments from them on it:

Stony Brook's IRB [Institutional Review Board] and multiple people tasked with overseeing the IRB did not respond to multiple emails from Motherboard about the study or the process. Facebook, Discord, and Tumblr responded to Motherboard’s initial emails but did not provide comment. Telegram did not respond to Motherboard’s request for comment. 

The article also read the fine print of the Terms of Service, the only thing they provide as any type of consent to users, and the previous situation of using tumblr user posts without them knowing is illuminated further:

The current dynamic between Koko and its users more closely parallels the relationship between most tech companies and their users than that between a mental health provider and patient. Its Terms of Service, for instance, state that, “You grant Koko a fully paid, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, transferable and fully sublicensable right (including any moral rights) and license to use, license, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, prepare derivative works of, publicly perform, publicly display, and otherwise fully exploit Your Content.” 

As an editor, that sounds more like a US release agreement form for intellectual property, which should not be used as any form of mediation for personal data. It also alarms me to no end that the "Content" in question, in the example we have was, according to OP, a post they had made on their own blog about Kokobot and not a response or quote provided to Kokobot itself which, in tow, signifies that the data collected could come from anywhere and not only what you actively provide them. But what do I know.

I did more digging by myself and found even more articles denouncing the behavior of this bot and company, this being another interesting one:

This one included the following thing about the peer-counseling aspect of it and the use of AI to craft the supposed "people" responses:

During the AI experiment—which applied to about 30,000 messages, according to Morris—volunteers providing assistance to others had the option to use a response automatically generated by OpenAI's GPT-3 large language model instead of writing one themselves (GPT-3 is the technology behind the recently popular ChatGPT chatbot).

Apparently, Koko has been around for a while, with articles discussing it as far as, at least, 2017. Still, I had never before received unprompted, unwanted, invasive messages from it on tumblr until now.

If you post or search tags related to mental health, it's very likely that you'll get this bot in your messages or you already have. There are many layers of breach of ethics in this situation, in my opinion, each one worse than the last one.

Before using it or sharing any information at all (with any bot ever), I'd advice you to look into it beforehand. I know we are the "trust no bots" website and the fake ladybots have taught us well on how to spot them and protect ourselves, but this one in particular seems very dangerous to me.

I can't talk about whether or not this has helped anybody, I'm not coming anywhere near it, but the sole concept of this sounds like a bad idea. The advice provided doesn't seem to come from selected professionals the platform is endorsing legally but by random people (and/or AI) who are not only not trained for it, they aren't being compensated for work made for a program, which is probably making good money out of all the social media platforms it's working with. It also allows them to not be responsible for the advice given, to some extent.

Even if people with mental health concerns can discuss things between them in very productive and helpful ways, there isn't genuinely transparent communication if it's anonymously mediated by a company and there isn't a proper professional care that can accompany them from someone who is trained to facilitate it. You can talk to a friend without having to provide data to a company that could identify you since, according to the first article:

There is, further, no easy way to wall the collection of such data off from actual subjects, as anonymized datasets can often still be traced back to specific individuals. (A 2019 study found that 99.98 percent of Americans could be correctly re-identified in any dataset using 15 demographic attributes.) This is why privacy experts have been vocal about the exploitation of data privacy and the unreliability of an anonymous dataset. 

I'm not here to tell anyone what to do or not to do but I'm here to share this because I know that I would appreciate the information if someone else had come across it instead. Make decisions with all the information you can get.

Throwing a wild idea for the hellsite but maybe staff and ceo should be a little less occupied in persecuting trans folk and more into reading the fine print of the unethical companies they're signing with, who are exploiting their userbase's mental health, especially that of literal children whose quotes are being used to endorse their business without any legal consent, aside from a terribly worded TOS. But what do I know.

[mariacallous]

On February 16, the Alabama Supreme Court held that frozen embryos were “children” under Alabama’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. While this was a decision about in vitro fertilization (IVF), Alabama’s recognition of embryos as persons is simply a logical extension of the anti-abortion movement’s long-time commitment to the notion of fetal personhood, an idea now animating the post-Dobbs criminalization of reproductive care. A number of state legislatures have already granted personhood status to fertilized eggs or unborn children in utero at any stage of development.

Consistent with the anti-abortion movement’s goal of a nationwide recognition of fetal personhood, the criminalization of abortion is a tool for preventing abortions from ever occurring. In our new article, Bodies of Evidence: The Criminalization of Abortion and Surveillance of Women in a Post-Dobbs World, we explore: how ban states are criminalizing abortion; the way medication abortion is disrupting abortion bans; the threat of prosecution faced by women who self-manage abortions with medication; and the ways modern surveillance technologies enable law enforcement investigations of abortion crimes.

The criminalization of abortion is one of several strategies endorsed by the anti-abortion movement and adopted in states attempting to enforce abortion bans and defend them against circumvention by medication abortion.

Medication abortion, a two-pill regimen involving mifepristone and misoprostol, is approved by the FDA for terminating a pregnancy up to 10 weeks. While the FDA approved the use of mifepristone in 2000, the revolutionary promise of medication abortion—where a woman can receive the medication in the mail, then safely self-manage an abortion in the privacy of her own home—was not realized until the FDA permanently lifted the in-person dispensing requirement in 2021. Not surprisingly, research from the Guttmacher Institute indicates that medication abortion now accounts for 63% of abortions in the United States, up from 53% in 2020.

Because of medication abortion, pregnant people living in states that ban or severely restrict abortions have access to a form of abortion care that was not available pre-Roe. Today, pills can be moved across state lines, doctors in abortion-protective states can offer telehealth care to women in ban states, and organizations like Aid Access can mail abortion medication from overseas. It is no longer necessary for all women in ban states to travel out of state to access abortion care.

The anti-abortion movement is, of course, aware of the ways in which medication abortion can thwart abortion bans and is attacking the problem on a number of fronts. In one response to this threat, a group of anti-abortion doctors brought a lawsuit challenging both the FDA’s original approval of mifepristone in 2000 and subsequent actions in 2016 and 2021 to improve access to and availability of the drug. The goal of the lawsuit is to remove mifepristone from the U.S. market, a result that would drastically reduce access to medication abortion for all women in the United States, regardless of the state in which they live. The Fifth Circuit granted partial relief to the doctors, landing the case in front of the Supreme Court after the government’s petition for writ of certiorari was granted. The Court heard oral arguments on March 26.

While it is unwise to predict how the Court will rule on any case, a majority of justices during the oral argument seemed to express some skepticism that the doctors who brought the suit had the necessary legal standing to seek the requested relief. The Court could thus dispose of the case without ever reaching its merits.

Even if the challenge to the FDA’s treatment of mifepristone is unsuccessful, however, the case presented an opportunity for the plaintiffs to bring attention to another of the movement’s strategies—one that was raised on three separate occasions during the oral argument by Justices Alito and Thomas. This strategy concerns the Comstock Act, a federal obscenity law from 1873, virtually dormant but still on the books, that criminalizes the mailing of “[e]very article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”

A literal interpretation of this law would, at a minimum, make the mailing of any kind of abortifacient unlawful, essentially resulting in a nationwide ban on medication abortion. While the Department of Justice under the Biden administration interprets the Comstock Act narrowly, the Justice Department under a Trump administration is free to reject that interpretation. To achieve a nationwide abortion ban, the anti-abortion movement doesn’t need Congress or even the courts—it only needs Donald Trump to be elected. And while Congress could certainly repeal the Comstock Act, that is not an outcome anyone should expect in the near future.

As the anti-abortion movement pursues these strategies, another more familiar tactic for preventing women from self-managing abortion with medication is also available: the prosecution of women and those that may assist them. Although providers have historically been the primary targets of abortion laws, women have been investigated and prosecuted for pregnancy-related conduct and a variety of pregnancy outcomes, even during the Roe era. And, in 2016, when candidate Donald Trump was asked whether he thought women who sought an illegal abortion should face criminal punishment, he answered in the affirmative—“there has to be some sort of punishment.”

Some state officials, politicians, and movement leaders claim that no one intends to prosecute pregnant women for abortion crimes. Others, emboldened by the demise of Roe, have suggested that criminal punishment of pregnant women who seek or obtain abortions is logical, morally justifiable, and required to end abortion.

As we explore in our article, a number of current states’ laws—including personhood laws—provide prosecutors with the tools to investigate and prosecute women who self-manage abortion using medication and those that assist them. The decision whether to do so will generally turn on a prosecutor’s interpretation of these laws, many of which do not explicitly exempt women from prosecution, and his or her exercise of prosecutorial discretion.

Georgia, for example, has passed a personhood law. Its “Living Infants Fairness and Equality” Act (LIFE Act) bans abortion after six weeks, a time at which most women don’t even know they are pregnant, and states that “[i]t shall be the policy of the state of Georgia to recognize unborn children as natural persons.” It defines “natural person” as “any human being, including an unborn child,” and defines “unborn child” as “a member of the species of Homo sapiens at any stage of development who is carried in the womb.” By including “unborn child” in the definition of natural person, the LIFE Act raises the possibility that a woman who obtains or self-manages an abortion after six weeks could be charged with murder.

In Georgia, a person commits murder “when he unlawfully and with malice aforethought, either express or implied, causes the death of another human being.” No exemptions from prosecution are provided in the LIFE Act. While our article identifies some ambiguity surrounding whether a woman having or self-managing an abortion could be prosecuted for murder under Georgia’s LIFE Act, Douglas County District Attorney Ryan Leonard previously indicated that women in Georgia “should prepare for the possibility that they could be criminally prosecuted for having an abortion. . . . If you look at it from a purely legal standpoint, if you take the life of another human being, it’s murder.” This prosecutor’s statement is an example of a threat of prosecution, where a public official purposefully wields fear and uncertainty to enforce an abortion ban.

Meanwhile, an April 1 ruling by the Florida Supreme Court enabled a six-week abortion ban to take effect by May 1, replacing the current law, which bans abortion after 15 weeks. In Florida, “[a]ny person who willfully performs, or actively participates in, a termination of pregnancy in violation” of the law before or during viability “commits a felony of the third degree, punishable” by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years and fines. There is no exemption for pregnant women. The broad “any person” language subjects women who self-manage abortion through medication to the threat of investigation and prosecution.1 Recognizing this possibility, Florida legislators proposed H.B.111 in October 2023, a bill that explicitly exempts pregnant women from prosecution for terminating their pregnancies: “This paragraph does not apply to the pregnant woman who terminates the pregnancy.” The bill died in subcommittee in March of this year.

Florida’s six-week ban features the same broad language prohibiting “any person” from engaging in the proscribed conduct. Accordingly, women will continue to be at risk of investigation and prosecution under the new law. There were 84,052 abortions in Florida last year, an increase of 2,000 abortions from 2022. More than 7,000 of those women came to Florida from other states. With the imposition of the six-week ban, the use of medication abortion will undoubtedly spike. Women continue to have abortions even when they are illegal.

Georgia and Florida are just two examples of states with laws that subject women to the threat of prosecution for self-managing abortions. There are also a range of laws “related to fetal remains, child abuse, felony assault or assault of an unborn child, practicing medicine without a license, or homicide and murder” that don’t even mention or outlaw abortion, but which have been used to investigate and prosecute people for conduct related to the alleged termination of their own pregnancies, even while Roe was the law of the land.

In the post-Dobbs world, prosecutors who choose to investigate women for self-managing abortions have an array of modern surveillance technologies at their disposal. In our article, we present three hypothetical scenarios involving law enforcement investigations of a single mom, a college student, and a high school student based on alleged self-managed abortions. In each of the scenarios, we attempt to illustrate what is possible based on current law and technology. We are not suggesting that these exact scenarios have occurred or will occur. But aspects of these fact patterns are consistent with cases described in If/When/How’s 2023 report documenting the ways in which women were investigated and prosecuted for conduct pertaining to self-managed abortions between 2000 and 2020, prior to the fall of Roe.

Whether abortion laws target providers, aiders and abettors, or women themselves, the criminalization of abortion necessarily involves the surveillance of women. Women’s bodies are often the so-called scene of the crime, and their personal data will, more likely than not, be evidence of the crime. The modern digital environment only amplifies the scope and harm of that surveillance. Communications with friends and family, internet searches, websites visited, purchases made, data shared with mobile apps, location, and other data generated in the course of everyday life become evidence that can be used in prosecutions against women and those that assist them in obtaining abortions.

We offer no single, silver bullet solution for the threat of surveillance and prosecution women face in a post-Dobbs world. But there are some intermediate measures that can mitigate this threat. As our research demonstrates, state laws criminalizing abortion are, on the whole, a confusing morass. They often do not unambiguously preclude the prosecution of women. Confusing statutory language coupled with the unpredictability of prosecutorial discretion creates uncertainty—which in turn curtails women’s liberty, compromises their privacy interests, and puts their health at risk. State legislators, especially those who claim that there is no intention to prosecute women, should ensure that laws clearly and explicitly exempt women from prosecution.

Another avenue that holds some promise for disrupting the threat is specifically tied to the state of Delaware, where many big platforms and technology companies are incorporated. Delaware, we argue, should join California and Washington in passing a data shield law that includes provisions specifically designed to prevent companies from turning over data sought by law enforcement organizations from ban states that are investigating abortion crimes. Such a shield law could provide one significant hurdle to law enforcement attempts to investigate and prosecute women who have abortions and those that assist them. As the chosen state of incorporation for many tech companies holding data relevant to the investigation of abortion crimes, Delaware has a unique opportunity to engage in threat mitigation.

[alivesoul]

Poet, playwright, activist, educator, and essayist June Jordan was born in Harlem, New York City, in 1936. An only child, she was raised by her Jamaican immigrant parents in Brooklyn’s Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. She began writing poetry at only seven years old. Jordan attended high school at the Northfield School for Girls in Massachusetts and university at Barnard College, which she left without a final degree due to her alienation from the strictly white and male literary curriculum there. She married and later divorced Columbia student Michael Meyer, with whom she had one child. Despite anti-LGTBQ+ stigma at the time, Jordan’s writing openly acknowledged her bisexuality.

The author of 27 books—including essay collections, libretti, and children’s books as well as volumes of poetry—Jordan was also a lifelong activist who fought fiercely for civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-war causes. She taught at CUNY’s City College, Yale University, Sarah Lawrence College, and SUNY Stony Brook before being appointed professor of African-American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, where she founded Poetry for the People. Jordan’s many accolades include grants and awards from the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, the National Association of Black Journalists, and numerous other institutions. She died of breast cancer in 2002. A widely influential poet who worked in accessible language to convey deep truths around identity, Jordan is celebrated today for both her literary writing and her dedicated advocacy for social justice and historically excluded groups.

Why are you posting this @alivesoul?

Because June Jordan taught a class at the University of California Berkeley called Poetry for the People and that class has been permanently cancelled. A shame. Teacher/Poets are essential to any higher learning experience as poetry informs us in every way of the world around us. I can't imagine my college experience without the poetry of Nikki Giovanni, Quincy Troupe and so many others. Beyond that, June is a truth hunter, a truth gatherer, and a truth provider---a modern day griot. I truly hope she finds a safe space within the diaspora to continue her work as she represents the very best of what it means to be Black in this country. The attack on Black intellectuals from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Claudine Gay is truly one of the great academic and cultural crimes of my lifetime and cannot continue to go ignored. Never have I seen so many highly educated and accomplished black men and women so unfairly attacked and discredited. These men and women are literally trying to save the soul of country by shining a light on the FACTS of our history, present AND on those who would profit from lies, greed and violence. If there is one thing I would implore those who read this blog to do, it is to read, study and protect not only our history but those who make it their business to make sure it is never forgotten.

We are excellence.

Peace.