#testing tags for traction

[braatrue]

pretty, right?🤭

[peaches2217]

Peaches' Fancy Fics - A Masterpost

Because Tumblr's a dick and makes navigating the tag itself needlessly difficult! 💗 This will be updated as I post new content, so keep an eye out!

Fics in red - 100+ Note Club!

Mareach

Because I am, if nothing else, predictable.

Traduzione, Per Favore? | Crimson Dreams | A Call from the Balcony | Safety | Regalia | Useless | Hiding | A Princess' Woe | Traduzione Non Necessarie | Early Mornings | The Man in Red | Cake in the Garden | Rescue | First Snow | Scared | Everything's Okay | The Door | Untarnished (Ongoing) | Cuteness Aggression | Bath Night

Luisley

Hey, the green beans need love too!

All the Gold in the World | Sunlight | On (Wo)manhood | Party | Overstimulated

Non- or Partial-Ship

Sometimes I don't hyperfixate exclusively on my OTPs. Who knew?

Freak | Back Home | Summer Rain | Zio | Promise | Guided Brooding | On (Wo)manhood 2

Spicier Selections

Read: NSFW. Spiciness levels may vary.

Popping Cherries | Plateau | Stay | Beautiful | Florals - Peonies | Florals - Roses

[a-mess-of-a-crow]

I feel like a sell-out when I tag more generic tags and stuff, but i dunno, maybe it helps with the reach? What do you think?

((I'll try it with this one, as a test))

Actually lemme post some art with it.

[starrygazers]

in my streamer era?!

aka: modern au streamer characters and their life with you.

˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ felt like writing smth more lighthearted (once again procrastinating on my homework)

˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ tags : modern au, fluff, crack

˖ ࣪⭑ ⸱ featuring : Mydei, Phainon

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Phainon ➤ vlogs, irl streams

Phainon loves traveling and talking to people, which makes him the perfect irl streamer. he has a large following due to the fact that he's so polite and friendly to everyone, but somehow his streams always go wrong in the funniest, murphy's-law-esque way

he's streaming in a restaurant and reviewing the food and the next moment a waiter trips and spills a water jug right to his camera and lowers the video quality for the rest of the stream

or he'd be doing a grocery run and the things that he wants are all gone, and he has to ride the bus to the grocery store that's further away, and the bus would blow a tire in the middle of the highway so now he's hungry and stranded with no groceries

these somewhat harmless, silly and unexpected situation keeps his viewers entertained, and the fact that he's always so optimistic about it has viewers donating to his streams to cheer him up whenever something goes wrong

his mods are so protective of him that if anyone starts trolling they'd be banned in an instant

when he first met you, it was by chance, and you don't recognize him (he's a niche even on streaming sites; his fans gatekeep him because they don't want people trolling this nice boy)

he falls in love with you immediately, and it's so obvious by the way he talks about you on stream.

"chat, there's this person," he lays the camera down on the counter and starts unloading his groceries. "and they're so... like... I don't know how to say it. they're so pretty, but also so scary to talk to, but it's not because they're mean or anything, I think it's a me problem. do you guys ever feel like that about someone?"

of course, his chat teases him relentlessly about his newfound crush

once he finally has the guts to ask you out (someone sent him a super donation telling him to, and he feels bad not doing it), you say yes, and he's over the moon.

he introduces you to his chat, and even though you're a bit confused and new to all of this, your personality balances out with Phainon's so well that his community can't help but love you

he doesn't film all your dates; in fact, he rarely ever does. whenever you're on stream, it's because you're both spending time chilling or cooking or doing grocery runs together. he likes to keep a small portion of his life private, and he doesn't want you to feel like you're a tool for his moneymaking scheme.

overall, he's such a nice understanding boyfriend, and if having a camera around you is too much then he'll respect your space and schedule his streams around days that he'll spend alone so he can have you all to himself without any distractions.

Mydei ➤ fighting games, tourneys

you can't convince me this man isn't some sort of fighting game god, particularly tekken, mortal kombat, smash, or something in the likes

he'll spend hours just 1v1-ing randoms on the internet, and he's got his friend code public for anyone who wants to try to challenge him.

this obviously brings a lot of traction because there are a lot of tryhards who want to test if Mydei's the real deal (he is, and he does so while talking shit and not breaking a sweat)

fans enjoy his straightforward, no-bullshit commentary (roasts) while he destroys players with a straight face. it's almost comedic how such a stoic man could have such a petty personality, and chat always teases him for it, but he could not care less (whatever brings in the bag)

"Get out of here if you can't even jablock, man. All that big talk for you to not even take a stock from me is just embarrassing," he spits out. "You're so mean, he's trying his best, yeah, sure, chat. He should try his best recovering from the sauce I'm about to do to him."

he'll sometimes do irl streams when he's in tournaments. he'll do a hotel tour (begrudgingly, because he keeps getting donations forcing him to do it)

he's by no means funny because he tries to be. people just find his mean commentary and resting bitch face amusing, and he's also good looking, so he has a lot of fangirls

he's been in a relationship with you since before he started streaming. matter of fact, you were the one who suggested streaming (because if he's going to spend that many hours on something might as well try to make money from it)

you often walk in on him while he's in his man cave, and you'll stay a bit to chat with him or interact with the chat

if his fangirls are mean to you, they get banned immediately ("MODS!!!! GET THEM THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!!")

he's very proud to call himself your boyfriend. Whenever someone tries to flirt with you in chat, he'll have a quip comeback of some sort about how they can try but you're in a very healthy, very secure relationship

he is unfortunately the type of streamer to have lots of tiktok edits to chase atlantic songs (iykyk)

but he'll only repost his fan edits shipping him and you <3

definitely the type of guy to wear an ugly "I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND" t-shirt out in public, he's just a nerd like that.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

©2025 starrygazers. do not repost, copy, translate, modify, or use for AI.

if you liked this, consider buying me a ko-fi! (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ

[ellipsus-writes]

Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression. (Find it on the blog too!) This week:

Censorship watch: Somehow, KOSA returned

It’s official: The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is back from the dead. After failing to pass last year, the bipartisan bill has returned with fresh momentum and the same old baggage—namely, vague language that could endanger hosting platforms, transformative work, and implicitly target LGBTQ+ content under the guise of “protecting kids.”

… But wait, it gets better (worse). Republican Senator Mike Lee has introduced a new bill that makes other attempts to censor the internet look tame: the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA)—basically KOSA on bath salts. Lee’s third attempt since 2022, the bill would redefine what counts as “obscene” content on the internet, and ban it nationwide—with “its peddlers prosecuted.”

Whether IODA gains traction in Congress is still up in the air. But free speech advocates are already raising alarm bells over its implications.

The bill aims to gut the long-standing legal definition of “obscenity” established by the 1973 Miller v. California ruling, which currently protects most speech under the First Amendment unless it fails a three-part test. Under the Miller test, content is only considered legally obscene if it 1: appeals to prurient interests, 2: violates “contemporary community standards,” and 3: is patently offensive in how it depicts sexual acts.

IODA would throw out key parts of that test—specifically the bits about “community standards”—making it vastly easier to prosecute anything with sexual content, from films and photos, to novels and fanfic.

Under Lee’s definition (which—omg shocking can you believe this coincidence—mirrors that of the Heritage Foundation), even the most mild content with the affect of possible “titillation” could be included. (According to the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, the proposed definition is so broad it could rope in media on the level of Game of Thrones—or, generally, anything that depicts or describes human sexuality.) And while obscenity prosecutions are quite rare these days, that could change if IODA passes—and the collateral damage and criminalization (especially applied to creative freedoms and LGBT+ content creators) could be massive.

And while Lee’s last two obscenity reboots failed, the current political climate is... let’s say, cloudy with a chance of fascism.

Sound a little like Project 2025? Ding ding ding! In fact, Russell Vought, P2025’s architect, was just quietly appointed to take over DOGE from Elon Musk (the agency on a chainsaw crusade against federal programs, culture, and reality in general).

So. One bill revives vague moral panic, another wants to legally redefine it and prosecute creators, and the man who helped write the authoritarian playbook—with, surprise, the intent to criminalize LGBT+ content and individuals—just gained control of the purse strings.

Cool cool cool.

AO3 works targeted in latest (massive) AI scraping

Rewind to last month—In the latest “wait, they did what now?” moment for AI, a Hugging Face user going by nyuuzyou uploaded a massive dataset made up of roughly 12.6 million fanworks scraped from AO3—full text, metadata, tags, and all. (Info from r/AO3: If your works’ ID numbers between 1 and 63,200,000, and has public access, the work has been scraped.)

And it didn’t stop at AO3. Art and writing communities like PaperDemon and Artfol, among others, also found their content had been quietly scraped and posted to machine learning hubs without consent.

This is yet another attempt in a long line of more “official” scraping of creative work, and the complete disregard shown by the purveyors of GenAI for copyright law and basic consent. (Even the Pope agrees.)

AO3 filed a DMCA takedown, and Hugging Face initially complied—temporarily. But nyuuzyou responded with a counterclaim and re-uploaded the dataset to their personal website and other platforms, including ModelScope and DataFish—sites based in China and Russia, the same locations reportedly linked to Meta’s own AI training dataset, LibGen.

Some writers are locking their works. Others are filing individual DMCAs. But as long as bad actors and platforms like Hugging Face allow users to upload massive datasets scraped from creative communities with minimal oversight, it’s a circuitous game of whack-a-mole. (As others have recommended, we also suggest locking your works for registered users only.)

After disavowing AI copyright, leadership purge hits U.S. cultural institutions

In news that should give us all a brief flicker of hope, the U.S. Copyright Office officially confirmed: if your “creative” work was generated entirely by AI, it’s not eligible for copyright.

A recently released report laid it out plainly—human authorship is non-negotiable under current U.S. law, a stance meant to protect the concept of authorship itself from getting swallowed by generative sludge. The report is explicit in noting that generative AI draws “on massive troves of data, including copyrighted works,” and asks: “Do any of the acts involved require the copyright owners’ consent or compensation?” (Spoiler: yes.) It’s a “straight ticket loss for the AI companies” no matter how many techbros’ pitch decks claim otherwise (sorry, Inkitt).

“The Copyright Office (with a few exceptions) doesn’t have the power to issue binding interpretations of copyright law, but courts often cite to its expertise as persuasive,” tech law professor Blake. E Reid wrote on Bluesky.As the push to normalize AI-generated content continues (followed by lawsuits), without meaningful human contribution—actual creative labor—the output is not entitled to protection.

… And then there’s the timing.

The report dropped just before the abrupt firing of Copyright Office director Shira Perlmutter, who has been vocally skeptical of AI’s entitlement to creative work.

It's yet another culture war firing—one that also conveniently clears the way for fewer barriers to AI exploitation of creative work. And given that Elon Musk’s pals have their hands all over current federal leadership and GenAI tulip fever… the overlap of censorship politics and AI deregulation is looking less like coincidence and more like strategy.

Also ousted (via email)—Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. According to White House press secretary and general ghoul Karoline Leavitt, Dr. Hayden was dismissed for “quite concerning things that she had done… in the pursuit of DEI, and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.” (Translation: books featuring queer people and POC.)

Dr. Hayden, who made history as the first Black woman to hold the position, spent the last eight years modernizing the Library of Congress, expanding digital access, and turning the institution into something more inclusive, accessible, and, well, public. So of course, she had to go. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The American Library Association condemned the firing immediately, calling it an “unjust dismissal” and praising Dr. Hayden for her visionary leadership. And who, oh who might be the White House’s answer to the LoC’s demanding and (historically) independent role?

The White House named Todd Blanche—AKA Trump’s personal lawyer turned Deputy Attorney General—as acting Librarian of Congress.

That’s not just sus, it’s likely illegal—the Library is part of the legislative branch, and its leadership is supposed to be confirmed by Congress. (You know, separation of powers and all that.)

But, plot twist: In a bold stand, Library of Congress staff are resisting the administration's attempts to install new leadership without congressional approval.

If this is part of the broader Project 2025 playbook, it’s pretty clear: Gut cultural institutions, replace leadership with stunningly unqualified loyalists, and quietly centralize control over everything from copyright to the nation’s archives.

Because when you can’t ban the books fast enough, you just take over the library.

Rebellions are built on hope

Over the past few years (read: eternity), a whole ecosystem of reactionary grifters has sprung up around Star Wars—with self-styled CoNtEnT CrEaTorS turning outrage to revenue by endlessly trashing the fandom. It’s all part of the same cynical playbook that radicalized the fallout of Gamergate, with more lightsabers and worse thumbnails. Even the worst people you know weighed in on May the Fourth (while Prequel reassessment is totally valid—we’re not giving J.D. Vance a win).

But one thing that shouldn't be up for debate is this: Andor, which wrapped its phenomenal two-season run this week, is probably the best Star Wars project of our time—maybe any time. It’s a masterclass in what it means to work within a beloved mythos and transform it, deepen it, and make it feel urgent again. (Sound familiar? Fanfic knows.)

Radicalization, revolution, resistance. The banality of evil. The power of propaganda. Colonialism, occupation, genocide—and still, in the midst of it all, the stubborn, defiant belief in a better world (or Galaxy).

Even if you’re not a lifelong SW nerd (couldn’t be us), you should give it a watch. It’s a nice reminder that amidst all the scraping, deregulation, censorship, enshittification—stories matter. Hope matters.

And we’re still writing.

Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, or join our Discord and share it there!

- The Ellipsus Team xo

[aceies-desiresxx]

one of my favorite things to imagine in disney twst is yuu (your character) deciding to create a school wide publication. a school digital newspaper for the students of NRC.

the dates of all the upcoming unbirthday parties + plus a nit-picky checklist and particular rules that might apply that week to help out the heartsabyul students who don’t wanna deal with “having their head off”

constant updates of the week’s spell drive tournaments and games , + scoreboard for the season, as well as additional info about scouts and recruiters coming to visit said games to encourage the student athletes to reach out and do their best in hopes of their sports career, even a leader board + and mvps so far

monstro lounge’s weekly specialties and deals as well as hiring info incase students want to earn some extra money on campus, and how to contact azul if you’re from another dorm

reminders of important dates on the lunar calendar for both werebeastmen and scarabia students + the newest imports from foreign lands in sam’s shop that might make their dorm feel more like home

news about the newest fashion trends and movies + plus a gossip column that has features on particular students. it’s worded in a riddle, and all names are anonymous so the student body spends awhile trying to figure out who it’s about

new game releases, paired with student options on difficulty and enjoyment. students handles will be tagged allowing for their streams to reach a larger audience + showcases of student art

history on NRC and spooky stories that will be fun to theorize about. legends of trapped souls on campus ground and interviews from alumni and what they think of it or if they were witness to the history

you can also find info about clubs and their recruitment and how to join, when the housewardens will have another meeting with eachother so you can voice your ideas to them in hopes it will be brought up, dates for large student study sessions and after school help, dates for “leaked” pop quizzes or even large tests that you might’ve forgotten were gonna be later that week. tickets and shows to student performances even dumb quizzes to pass the time. you can find all staff emails and how to even duel your house warden to take their spot. but for some reason that tab doesn’t have a lot of viewers.

this digital publication keeps the student body of NRC well informed and is popularly visited, only gaining more traction as the school year goes on. so ofc students have been trying to figure out who’s been behind it.

all the crisp photos of the spell drive players, the leaked dates of tests, the gossip, sam’s stock. how’s one person able to get the news before anyone else is? no way azul would sign a contract with them, plus even azul doesn’t have access to all this info. if only he had some sneaky eels who love to be as slippery as they are in the water, above ground. or a few ghost friends able to go through walls and overhear things they probably shouldn’t. maybe sam IS in on it, wanting to spread awareness about his goods so he makes profit. even a cat small enough to sneak around when bribed with enough tuna could help out. plus a killer camera from the headmaster. maybe crowley knows what’s going on but is letting things play out. so far it hasn’t gone too far. plus. who would suspect the prefect from another dimension? they have a hard enough time as is. no way they’d be able to keep up.

[thelovelydoggycatmadi]

Zanebie Corpse Maid and Butler Sticker Merch Designs!

Whew! This took awhile. But they’re all done. Other Corpse Maid and Butler merch will be worked on as well and I’ll be selling at my local comicon. Like prints and keychains.

What are they serving?

Zane: Electric blue lemonade - a blue raspberry lemonade soda mixed with a little magic to give it a sour kick but surprisingly refreshing taste Devil’s Burial Cake - Devils food cake with melted chocolate covering with a light chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles and a sugar tombstone. Strawberry brain cruffin - strawberry cruffin with a strawberry jam center Mocha Bone Coffee - a strong mocha coffee with a surprisingly sweet aftertaste

Kookie: Friendship gumball sprinkle cake - Funfetti cake topped with rainbow sprinkles and six gumballs shared with friends! Bleeding heart macaroons - macaroons with suprisingly syrupy but delicious jam Cotton candy exploding cat ice cream - cotton candy ice cream with pop rocks, waffle cone ears, chocolate syrup face, topped with whip cream.

Leon: Blackwood family tea recipe - the official Blackwood tea recipe! Something refreshing to enjoy with friends and family. Scones - just regular old scones. No really. He just made scones. Sour grape tarts - grape jam tarts with a little sour kick to shock your taste buds.

Luna: Hot chocolate caldron - hot chocolate-… made in a tiny caldron???? Wild mystery berry pie - we have no idea what berries she put in. It taste good surprisingly. Magic chocolate truffle stack - eat at your own risk! There truffles made with magic. So no clue what will happen when you eat one!!!! Just kidding they’re harmless, probably. Spell casting cupcakes - cupcakes based on witch spells! Test your knowledge of spells but picking the spell you think would taste the best!

Celeste Tarot star layer cake - don’t be fooled! It won’t fall over, despite the thin layers of cake and cream. Along with some konpeito as suggested to give it a little more flavor. Comet cream puffs - lighter than air they’ll make you feel like you’re soaring through space! Maybe even see your future! Twinkle star peanut butter cookies - a nice mix of sweet and savory with the aesthetic of a beautiful night sky!

Santi: Mexican Flan - a family recipe perfected over years of demand by one annoying little brother Cinnamon Bone churros - churros with a nice vanilla glaze on-top with of course a cinnamon coating. Skull Latte - a normal but never the less delicious latte but hey the skull arts pretty cool and really good! Spice coffee cake surprise - a coffee cake topped with mystery hard candies. Ones is a fire ball! Eat at your own risk or just pass off the spicy one to your friend if your to chicken >:P

Would you eat any of this? Especially ones cooked by an undead? 😳

TAGS FOR REACH! PLEASE SUPPORT ZANEBIE TO HELP THE ORIGINAL TAGS GAIN TRACTION!!!

[bratzboykai]

So update: I haven't been on here cause I was waiting to get work and tests done for possible breast cancer. I've been trying to just chill cause I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety and panic while waiting for said processes and today finally I got my screenings done and luckily turns out it's nothing cancerous. I just have some fibroadenomas, which I have a history of, and I'll just be checked in on again in 6 months to be on the safe side. I'm still dealing with other health issues though, but those things are easily treatable so I'm not too worried about it.

Im just working on my over all mental and physical health because I'm tired of being trapped and basically imprisoned in my house by my agoraphobia. I really miss life and I miss people, and I miss being hopeful for the future, yes even in these bleak ass times lol so I want my life back and I'm working on that. I might not be on here as much anymore cause of that but I'll still be here reblogging what I can to help and any other posts that catch my eye from time to time.

Mutuals always feel free to hit me up or tag me and send me whatever you think I'll like, or find funny, or if you need help trying to get a relief campaign some traction, etc! I won't hesitate to answer dm's or whatever! If you want my number that's cool too

[genericventblogname-cockandballs]

"But as it is, the water is simply stroking his fur."

Intro post; beware, triggering blog, block don't report, tw animal death for the poem quoted

------------------

I'm Elliot, a teenage loser who runs this blog.

I'm not pro anorexia, sh, or any other harmful illness, I believe everyone deserves to get help. I don't want my posts to get traction I just want someone to hear me scream. It is hell and I wish I could recover but I am unable to. I don't have people to talk to in real life, reporting will not make me get better, please go report actually harmful people (like the pedophiles or trolls who plague vent communities).

In fact, I really dislike people who act like they love their ED or are stereotypical ana girlies and block them when possible, don't mistake me for those people.

------------------

"It is raining and there is a dog lying in the gutter-"

------------------

Basic info

•I'm a transgender man who uses he/him pronouns

•I have a restrictive ed (undx) somewhere between bulimia (c/s), Anorexia (restriction), and EDNOS (b/r cycles and not uw) I'm partially recovering currently (eating more and gaining muscle back)

•I sh, I don't post pictures nor do I encourage it.

•I've been told I possibly have autism (mom won't let me attempt to get tested) and I struggle with social cues, tone tags are appreciated but not necessary (unless I need more context)

•Dx EDS, I don't currently use mobility aids except for my orthotics

•Possible OSDD or P-DID system (again not dx) I mostly cofront when I do switch. Feel free to interact with the others but PLEASE do not interact with any young ones, it's a matter of preference and safety.

•Please tag paranoia bait and reblog bait with rb bait and/or reblog bait

•DM for my main (same url as before for those who know me from my last accs) but I interact from my main (this is a side blog, so if you're cool you get my main)

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"-and the gutter is filling with water because the sewer is clogged."

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Things I won't allow on my blog:

•Asking for harmful tips (I will not tell you how to purge, cut deeper, or fast longer.) I will give my best attempt at harm reduction advice but I advise you to find better sources.

•No meanspo or fatspo- if you post fatspo I will block, and if you post meanspo please tag it

•No queer discourse. I have mutuals who use neos and controversial labels, if you don't like it leave because I support them fully.

•Goes without saying but no transphobia, homophobia, racists, ableists, or zionists. Leave.

•Fake claim me or my mutuals. I do not want what I suffer with and it impacts me day to day, and it feeds into my self-doubt

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"If the dog were alive he'd be drowning-"

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Tags to block:

Ed vents: #elliot!ed!

Sh vents: #vent!sh!

Substances: #vent!sillyjuice!

Rb thinspo: #TW->thinspo

"Rb or gain 10kg" or paranoia bait posts (if I don't rb I get anxious so anxious): #rb bait #reblog bait

Sexual posts: #suggestive

------------------

"-but as it is,"

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Alters and alter tags

Elliot2: #elliot the squeakquel 🔥

Andrew: #andrew tag 🚬

Victor: N/A

Bea: #bea tag 🩰

Jack: #jack tag🏫

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"The water is simply stroking his fur.

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"Seeing a Dog in the Rain" by Laura Gilpin

[not-poignant]

Just saw your post about Ghibli + elements of grotesque with the Nausicaa gifset and how you wrote an essay comparing it to Shinto philosophy and I had to ask - you didn't happen to write that for an IB film class did you?? Cause that would be a WILD coincidence if so, bc I'm doing IB film rn and one of our extended essay examples was literally exactly that; an analysis/comparison of Ghibli movies and Shinto philosophy/religion and it was really really good.

Even if not, that's so cool!! I adore Ghibli and totally agree with the points you left in the tags of that post. Ghibli is about confronting the uncomfortable and ugly and grotesque and scary and acknowledging it as a valid and necessary part of life. Everything in balance!! Sure there are some more cutesy kiddy films which I feel have become more mainstream but especially films like Nausicaa have very real and important messages that often get overlooked :( I was really scared of Nausicaa when I was a child and now it's one of my favourite films!!

Anyway, you're awesome, I agree with your takes and Ghibli rocks 💪

Hi anon!

So this is going to be a wild journey, strap in.

I don't know what IB Film is. I did my thesis in a final year university unit specifically where we all developed our own thesis subject, had a supervisor, and it was basically a test run to do first class Honours (which lets you bypass a Masters degree and go straight to the PhD, which I then intended to do). It was a limited class that only had about 10 people in it, I believe. My supervisor was the head of the film department.

Now, this was back in about 2004. Shit I'm old. Ghibli wasn't a household name. It wasn't streaming anywhere. You couldn't get DVDs easily, and if you wanted them you had to make sure you had a region unlocked DVD player to deal with the DRM and then buy them from overseas. Most people were only getting exposed to these films if they were regular cinema-goers, or if they were an aggressive pirate via downloading torrents (which I was). The only place you could get Ghibli merch pretty much was Japan. It absolutely did not have the kind of traction it has now, no one could do a class on it outside of Japan because the majority of students would have no idea what you were talking about.

I think Disney/Lasseter had picked up the option to do dubs, but for the most part, if we were seeing these at the cinema, they were subbed.

So that's the context! That was in an era where I was the one directly getting all of my friends on Livejournal and in person, into Studio Ghibli. I went to the Ghibli film festival back before Spirited Away came out, and that got me hooked years previous.

In 2004 I did my thesis. At the time I was the only person in the English speaking world to do a thesis specifically on my thesis subject. It had been covered briefly in sentences like 'Miyazaki practices Shinto' etc. and there was one other unpublished thesis I was able to find that talked about concepts of Shinto and some of Miyazaki's films which helped me a lot with my thesis.

I went on a deep dive into Shinto. Because it was a thesis, I had to research a lot into the difference between folk and shrine Shinto (Ghibli films lean very 'folk' but there are moments of shrine Shinto), and ended up with a pretty baller reference list. But many, many, many more resources online and off have come out since. I'd find the thesis very easy to do if I was doing it now.

Because I was the first to kind of present my findings in a thesis like this, the thesis ended up getting published in a book on animism and then journeyed further on because it was of interest to people who are interested in representations of animism in mass media, especially popular mass media.

The specific focus of my thesis statement was the difference between the black and white puritanical morality of Disney, the most popular animation studio for children and adults at the time, versus Miyazaki's mixed morality and more nuanced explorations of good and evil, villains, heroes and antiheroes in Ghibli animations, and how that was at least partly founded in the difference between a more Christianised versus Shinto mindset in relation to nature and intersections with humanity.

Idk, something like that.

The thesis did well! I got my high distinction, got my invitation into first class Honours, and then was too sick to go on and get the PhD and teach about these things, which was what I fully intended to do!

My thesis got some traction over the years, published in a few places both online and in at least two books (one that I own, the other I forget because it's been oh my god like 20 years), so the idea got around!

Anon, there is actually a chance - a small chance - that the only reason you're getting this essay subject in a more standardised curriculum is because my thesis made its way into the public eye 20 years ago and got quite popular. It was never peer reviewed or anything, it wasn't a PhD thesis and didn't need to be, it was mostly just a very well-researched (if I do say so myself) collation of thoughts on the subject as someone is also a practicing animist. In retrospect I really wish I'd incorporated more of Zipe's teachings but he was in a completely different field to media studies and my supervisor didn't know about him to suggest him.

Discussions of Ghibli, Miyazaki and Shinto became a lot more popularised as Ghibli got more popular and people in the western world discovered that there were already a published essay (at the time people could read it without paying for it as I'd put it up online for folks to access) that linked to other sources and the unpublished essay I'd found. So...

Um, yeah, that's wild, because I know that this wasn't a thing in universities 20 years ago, because I was so desperate for resources I was emailing around and asking universities so I didn't have to figure so much out myself. 😅

[elric-art]

It's time for the Elric Raffle of the Century that Only Happens Once Every 100 Followers Spectacular!©®™

How to enter ⬇️

Rules are simple:

1. Be a follower either here or Twitter prior to this post and show you're 18+ in your bio. Minors are not welcome here for a reason. If you don't have proof of adulthood, you will be disqualified.

Note: I'd include the Bluesky (@elricart.bsky.social) followers but I don't get a lot of traction there. Maybe when I get 100 followers there I'll do it just for them.

2A. For those on Tumblr: Reblog this post and tag it as #Elric Raffle or something stupid like #EdmodsNumber1Fan ⬅️ That's a suggestion, don't take it seriously.

2B. For those on Twitter: Retweet the post linking you to this one and tag it as #ElricRaffle or something stupid like #EdmodNeedsABoost ⬅️ Again, still a suggestion.

2C. Have your Tumblr/Twitter DM's open for when the time comes.

Note: I am extremely shy and would prefer to keep to myself after all is done. Please forgive me but I just want satisfied clients.

3. One account per person, side blogs don't count. If I found out you cheated you'll be blacklisted.

4. Winners shall be chosen randomly.

5. Users who try to participate and fail to follow the rules shall have their usernames displayed in a frame and mounted over me fire place. I will literally draw this, don't test me. I'll do it, I'll really do it. I'm gonna do it.

How it works:

1st Place: Free Art

The Catch: Prompt only, you'll be surprised like future parents at a gender reveal party.

2nd Place: Free Doodle

The Catch: One character, you'll be surprised like a Karen asking for the Manager only for the Manager to repeat the exact same thing the Clerk just said. No Karen, your credit ticket isn't a coupon. We need to have your credit IN the system SO THAT YOU CAN USE IT IN YOUR NEXT PURCHASE.

3rd Place: 50% off on next commission

The Catch: Cannot be stacked.

Deadline is 1/17/25 @ 8PM EST

Good luck!

[hiteshrivani]

Winter Driving Tips for New Drivers in Canada

Introduction: Winter in Canada brings snow, ice, and visibility challenges—especially tricky for new drivers. If you're just getting your license or preparing for your road test, understanding winter road safety is essential.

Content: ✅ Know How Winter Affects Roads

Snow reduces tire traction.

Ice can form black ice patches that are hard to see.

Visibility often drops in snowy or foggy conditions.

✅ Prepare Your Vehicle

Use winter tires—they're mandatory in some provinces like Quebec.

Check your battery, wipers, and antifreeze levels.

Keep an emergency kit in your car (includes blanket, flashlight, and food).

✅ Adjust Your Driving Techniques

Slow Down: Always drive below the speed limit when conditions are poor.

Brake Gently: Avoid skidding by pressing brakes slowly and steadily.

Increase Following Distance: Allow extra space between you and the vehicle ahead.

Use Headlights: Even during the day, turn them on to increase visibility.

✅ Practice Makes Perfect

Get comfortable driving in controlled environments like parking lots.

Learn how your car handles skids or emergency braking.

If you're practicing for the G2 or G test, request lessons specifically focused on winter driving.

Image Suggestions:

A car with snow tires driving on a snowy road

A dashboard with fogged windows and heater on

A learner driver with instructor during snowy conditions

Interactive checking drills on http://licenseprep.ca

Trending Tags: #WinterDriving #CanadianWinters #DriveSafeCanada #NewDriverTips #WinterRoadTest #licenseprep

[musewrangler]

For the fic writer asks: 2, 6 (for a fic of your choice), 26 (I swear I did not make the numbers come out that way on purpose), 36 (I PROMISE I'M NOT DOING THAT ON PURPOSE), and 37 (whew, broke the pattern).

lol. Thank you friend!

Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

All right the top five in order are: angst, hurt/comfort, friendship, drama, action/adventure.

I’m chuckling because yep—-those are SPOT ON. They sum up any given work. 😂😂 I do like a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm from my characters as well.

What’s one fact about the universe of [insert fic] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

In my Star Wars western, it would have been fun to get into Piett’s background and origin but it wasn’t relevant to plot points so I didn’t. However, I head canon that he’s from a Russian immigrant family which came to America in the 1820s and settled in New York. Firmus is a second generation American and proudly joined the US military post Civil War.

Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

Ok both options pain me, but I’d have to go with no dialogue. Because at least I could convey emotion in face and body as I described a situation. I shudder to think about writing like that though! 😂😂

Do you visualize what you read/write?

Absolutely. I can’t not actually 😂 I play things out in my head like a movie. I’ll say dialogue aloud to sound test and even look at my expressions in a mirror to better describe how a character is reacting. I’ll catch myself making expressions I’m describing as I write too😂

And when I read, I have an internal scene playing out. A great author has the right balance of descriptions and dialogue. I have vivid pictures in my head—-years later—-from excellent books I’ve read.

Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

Hmm. Well, I’m truly ok with being small potatoes. I’m well aware that I’m in a more obscure corner of the Star Wars sandbox so by nature I won’t get as much traction.

That being said, I’d like to plug A Star To Steer By. This is my Star Wars British navy AU and I had SUCH fun researching the age of sail and HOW to sail as well as illustrate Piett and Veers in the glorious uniforms of the period. It was so delightful to put all my characters into this time period and it was my first story with digital art as well. I have a lot of happy memories from writing it.

[thediomagyar]

Heyo, so I just opened this account to more or less test the waters. See if Tumblr is worth being on over other platforms. And to see if my work can gain traction here. What better to test this then to showcase my best works for Sonic stuff I can do for you with a price tag? More art is to come of course. And if you wish to contact me about what you may like or have any questions in regards to commissions, feel free to hit me up here or on any of my other socials. With that said, hope you like the content presented and what will surly follow. Stay tuned

[ao3feed-kiribaku]

Skip the Math Test and Come to Europe With me?

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BGaUlki by chicagomaha Kirishima asks Izuku to accompany him to Europe, on a publicity trip to boost Red Riot’s international traction. Gain him some connections in the hero industry before they all graduate this year. Izuku’s more than happy to join: he sure won’t miss out on the chance to meet up with Rody while he’s there. He hasn’t kept in touch with the guy… wonders how he’s been. Still thinks about him sometimes (a lot of times). But why would Kirishima ask Izuku out of all their classmates? Why would he choose Izuku over Bakugou? And what was with Kirishima’s eagerness to leave UA? Why was the usually upbeat man of the class so… frustrated? And why was that making Izuku upset too? OR Maybe it would take a missed math test and a trip to Europe to make Kirishima and Midoriya understand themselves a bit better. Words: 1033, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Midoriya Izuku, Kirishima Eijirou, Bakugou Katsuki, Rody Soul, Toyomitsu Taishirou | Fat Gum Relationships: Kirishima Eijirou & Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Midoriya Izuku/Rody Soul, Bakugou Katsuki & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Rody Soul, Kirishima Eijirou/Midoriya Izuku Additional Tags: Midoriya Izuku-centric, Pining Kirishima Eijirou, Rody Soul is Bad at Feelings, Complicated Relationships, Kirishima Eijirou is So Done, Misunderstandings, Midoriya Izuku is a Good Friend, Kirishima Eijirou is a Mess, Bakugou Katsuki Faces Consequences, Friendship, Awkward Crush, One-Sided Kirishima Eijirou/Midoriya Izuku, Kirishima Eijirou & Midoriya Izuku Friendship, Established Bakugou Katsuki/Kirishima Eijirou, Third Year Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Midoriya Izuku Doesn't Like Being Called "Deku", Angry Bakugou Katsuki, Denial of Feelings, Midoriya Izuku Has One for All Quirk read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/BGaUlki

[bengiyo]

Theory of Love Rewatch Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last time, I realized I had memory holed much of this show and ended up enraged anew at Khai for toying with Third's feelings. ToL Lovers, y'all will need to wait and see because I hate that man so much right now because I went through the same shit as Third. Un and Two had some interactions about Two's crush on Lynn. Bone got stood up by his crush. We left at Third overhearing Khai and Bone discuss their testing of Third.

I hope Third moves out. Yelling at Khai, "You played with my emotions. If you don't know any better just leave me the fuck alone," is the closest he's come to admitting how he feels.

Ep.05 10 Things I Hate About You

Time for an ad, but first a masturbation joke!

Bone skipped editing class repeatedly? I must resist making the obvious joke about GMMTV shows.

Yes, Third, please move out! Interrupt all this talk about boobs! Nothing excites me more than a pair of large, heavy breasts.

Khai saying he'd be nicer to Third if he asked because he doesn't want to lose him is a Boy Lie. When you tell them to stop, they double down and get meaner and say you're too sensitive.

"Everything will be the same" is a classic romcom lie.

It was smart of this show to give Third a confidant within the friend group so that we resist wanting him to completely cut off the whole group.

I could not follow Third's reviews. All this sobbing would drive me up the wall.

Don't give up on your list, Third. Khai sucks in more than 10 ways!

Bone is putting all this effort into locating this film or testing his friend when he should be going to class! Hitting on girls? You should be hitting on books!

They got poor White and Mike sweating their asses off on this broken friend group scene.

GMMTV gets a lot of traction out of Earth staring way too hard at people.

Oh lord they went to a 4DX theater with moving seats.

At least Bone has enough grace to apologize to Third for what they did to him.

I'm with Third's anger. Sometimes you gotta find a way to hate your unrequited crush to move on. I know folks probably felt some kinda way about Third talking about Khai "whoring around" but I also dealt with the annoyance of a friend's romantic wake. It's tedious.

This writing team really understood bros. Your boys will deck you if you go too far and violate the group.

Oh lord, Third, can you please stop showering with all your goddamn clothes on when you're upset?

Third is so embarrassing. Khai did not apologize for the fundamental betrayal, and you're pretending to be okay because of a lower level fight? Come on, my dude.

Ah, right, this is when we get the teacher confirmation and I started to check out on this Bone thread.

Well, I'm not having the visceral reaction I had last time, thankfully. I don't think the show effectively closed the loop on the list of things Third hates about Khai for me this episode, and I think they muddled things about Third's jealousy with Khai's flings. I like that Bone now knows what's going on, and it's a bit reminiscent of Coffee Prince in that everyone around Khai now knows but Khai doesn't. However, I will not be feeling sympathy for that man any time soon. He yelled at Third for not answering his phone and being out all night when he shoved that man out of the house until after dawn for a girl. I ain't forget.

As always this rewatch was sponsored by @lurkingshan, with emotional support from @waitmyturtles and @neuroticbookworm. Tagging @twig-tea because I know they're invested in my rewatch.