#unless they're in certain communities

[smol-blue-bird]

Like. Okay. Here's what I get if I Google "B cells" right now:

Several large illustrations displaying immune cell signaling pathways, most of which are too blurry to read, cropped awkwardly, or otherwise useless to the average viewer

An entire row of TikTok-esque YouTube shorts, one of which contains visible misinformation just based on its thumbnail

Ads for products I do not want, including "immune-boosting" supplements, scientific equipment, batteries, and random household appliances

Other miscellaneous YouTube videos mixed into the text-based results (video results were previously a separate tab)

An "AI Mode" tab where the "All" tab used to be, which is incredibly easy to click by accident

There are legitimate websites mixed in with the garbage, but the webpage is messy, annoying to navigate, and filled with random junk I didn't ask for

Now here's what happens if you go to any AI service and ask "What is a B cell?":

It answers the question

It might answer incorrectly, or it might hallucinate sources that don't really exist, but it still answers the fucking question without serving you an ad for shady supplements or $70,000 flow cytometers

To be clear, I'm not saying the AI answers are better. They're wrong, incomplete, or outdated half of the time (at least when you're talking about current models; I have no idea how this might change in the future). But it's easy to see how these problems contribute to each other and make everyone's experience worse

one of the things that I wish people would bring up more frequently when they're talking about AI is the interplay between the enshittification of search engines and consumer reliance on ChatGPT. It's become nigh-impossible to find basic information through a Google search without going through a bunch of extra effort—looking up even the most common questions and phrases returns a bunch of low-quality websites, actual scams, and ads for products that aren't even related to the thing you're searching for, and reliable results that used to be the first option are now buried on the second or third page (if that). So people don't even try anymore; instead, they take the auto-generated AI answer as gospel, or they bypass search engines altogether and type their question into an LLM. ChatGPT might hallucinate answers, but at least it has answers. That's attractive to someone who doesn't want to spend any more time trudging through shitty results on Google or DuckDuckGo. But the rise of AI is directly contributing to the shittiness of those results—those scummy, untrustworthy websites that sound like word salad are AI-generated! It's a self-perpetuating problem. Poorly-made, AI-generated websites make search results worse, which encourages people to skip normal searches and use AI agents instead, even if those AI agents are wrong sometimes. It's just this endless, stupid cycle of AI-driven enshittification

[invinciblerodent]

one of my very stupid and very specific little issues (that I don't know if other multilingual people experience) is that sometimes, I can only think of a word that feels perfect for what I want to say, in a language that isn't the one in which i'm currently writing. and it's almost never a word for which I just don't have a translation, or it's not like one of those "untranslatable" expressions/cultural phenomena/whatever, they're just... words. that have a vibe their equivalent in another language doesn't have the same exact way I want it.

like right now, I'm trying to write something in English. I'm trying to describe a character saying something quietly, and tenderly, but my brain is being very helpful by supplying me with only the Spanish phrase "al oído". Which has the perfect feel to it: it's soft, it's round, it essentially means "to the ear" or "by the hearing", and to say something al oído is... kind of to whisper in confidence so softly, that it can barely be heard. The words are more breath than sound, and you're saying it in private, for that specific person's hearing only. But that's just so many words, compared to saying that he whispered his agreement al oído.

or I want to say that someone is "szabadkozik", which is Hungarian for... kind of to make flustered excuses? Not really in a way that's reluctant necessarily, but it is to... kind of faff, and play at reluctance in a manner that may be slightly embarrassed, or just politely playing at embarrassment, being coy? And I could circumscribe it like that, I could say that he's excusing himself coyly or something, but my brain just keeps going "no, that's wrong, he's szabadkozik, you should say that". It's frustrating.

I kind of want to write a piece where I just... let myself code switch as many times as I want to. Just to see what it feels like to let my brain do its thing without trying to contain it. It would be fucking incomprehensible.

[twstwizard]

Clothes

Upon first day of your stay in twisted wonderland you realized you didn't have any clothes besides the ceremonial robe and a dusty uniform you were able to find in Ramshackle. Good thing you now have a few friends to borrow things from!

Type: Headcanons, SFW, Romantic or Platonic

Characters: Ace Trappola; Deuce Spade; Jack Howl; Epel Felmier; Sebek Zigvolt

AN: I'm surprised noone has addressed this yet... Unless we're walking around in Crewel's fashion dresses the entire time-

Ace Trappola

-The man is at first reluctant at sharing his clothes, calls you a hobo and teases endlessly, even insinuating that you secretly got rid of your clothes on purpose to have a piece of him. He's horrible as always.

-But as soon as you get fed up and are ready to turn to Duece for help, all of a sudden, the trouble maker has a spare T-shirt he can lend you. Afterwards the man is simply smug that you're wearing his panties. Expect lots of teasing.

- At some point it becomes second nature for him to lend you clothes, to the extent of you two sharing a wardrobe, which can lead to comical situations of him demanding a specific shirt back for an Unbirthday party.

Deuce Spade

-Unlike certain someone, Spade is happy to help his new friend. The man does get a bit flustered the first time he lends you a pair of slacks, but nothing else. There will be no judgment on his end, regardless of what article of clothing you may need.

- Main difference between his and Ace's approach to your problem is that Duece gives you "better" clothes, once he believes to be more comfortable and in better condition.

- Spade is a good friend above all. If it means sleeping without underwear, but you having a pair in turn, he's ready and willing to make such sacrifices.

Jack Howl

- The wolf is flustered (^_-). But much like Duece he's a good friend and will share his shirts and pants with you. Unlike Spade however, Jack will keep his underwear on himself, no matter if you have any or not, though he will help you at least to buy a pair.

- Beast man always lends you clean clothes, those neutral, easily usable in most situations. Jack praises himself on efficiency and fastness of his reactions, surprisingly that shows in the clothes too. All articles matching each scenario you might need in a very convenient timing.

-The young man also asks Ruggie for places which sell clothes cheaper or an easier way for you to get some. He's simply worried for you.

Epel Felmier

- Epel is of course a bit confused by your circumstances, but much like Duece won't rub it in your face. He's a country person, came from a place where people actually build strong communities, helping one another is simply a norm.

- Pomfior student will firstly lend you items he simply doesn't like. Perhaps an extravagant blouse here, a pair of shoes there. Now you look like a princess.

- Epel will also try and pull a few strings in his dorm to shake off some things off of his roommates and such. Are they fashion powerhouse or what?

- Secretly young Felmier will ask his grandmother to knit you a few things if the two of you do become close friends. It would be only fair you get to share the warmth only a family can provide.

Sebek Zigvolt

-HA! Don't be absurd he would never share cloth with a mere hu- Wait, you said Malleus takes midnight strolls near your dorm?! Cover yourself!

- Despite all the yelling and red face Sebek will lend you some clothes. Zigvolt lends you things he either outgrew or stopped wearing for some reason, they're surprisingly well kept.

- The longer the two of you are friends the more clothes he gives, soon giving you his newer items, at times, sevens forbid, socks.

- Despite how much he yells and claims it's all to shield Malleus's eyes from your from, it's balantly obvious he's genuinely worried for you. After all freshly bought clothing sets don't magically manifest in your dorm. Or do they?

[not-a-space-alien]

I've seen a lot of "You have to communicate directly/don't expect other people to read your mind" posts going around tumblr lately and while I really do appreciate them because it's a skill a LOT of people need to work on, I do want to remind everyone to please meet people halfway sometimes.

I recently read a story on Reddit about a guy's pregnant wife texting him "I'm craving donuts but we don't have any in the house 😔" and he DIDN'T stop to pick up donuts on the way home from work. Everyone was taking his side because "she needs to communicate" and "he's not a mind reader" and "How was he supposed to know she wanted him to get donuts???" People, ffs, why on earth would she text him that while he was at work if not because she wanted him to get donuts? I was flabbergasted everyone was taking his side. "How was he supposed to know??" What? Like yeah it's true she didn't say "I want you to get me donuts" with those exact words in that exact order but the reason why people get upset if they hint they want you to do something and you don't do it is because they feel like you don't care about them and aren't actively thinking about their feelings. Especially in a marriage or LTR they are in a situation where the assumption is you care about filling the other person's needs.

Someone who loves and cares about someone will get the donuts "without being asked" just because their partner expresses a want or need. That's what someone is fishing for when they say "Aaaah I'm craving donuts 🥺🥺🥺" It's less about the donuts and more about feeling cared for. Sometimes straight up asking "Can you get me donuts?" defeats the purpose.

Also, women are typically socialized to communicate this way because they're punished socially for being too direct. I've heard that people of color, especially black people, often do this too because they're likely to be branded as "aggressive" if they're too direct with white people. So it might be a good idea to be a bit intersectional if we're trying to encourage people to be more direct.

Take the stereotypical example of a wife gets a new haircut and then gets upset that the husband doesn't notice. She's not literally mad at him for not saying the exact words "I like your new haircut." She's upset because she feels like he doesn't look at her and appreciate the efforts she's putting in anymore.

Obviously this will vary widely depending on the nature of your relationship with someone, but especially when it comes to intimate partnerships, there are certain things your significant other should not have to tell you directly. It's probably safe to assume your wife or husband wants a birthday present even if they don't ask for it. It's probably safe to assume your bf or gf would appreciate a valentine's day present or a compliment without them having to literally ask for it, unless they explicitly say otherwise.

This is difficult for a lot of neurodivergent people to learn manually if it's not instinctual and they didn't learn it growing up (lord knows I didn't) and yes, it's true that most people (especially NT people) should learn to communicate more directly. But also, your relationships would probably benefit from learning to read indirect cues and just pick up the donuts on the way home because you heard your wife is craving them. Sometimes what someone wants is for you to think about what they're feeling and what they want and do it without them asking directly. It's up to you whether or not you do that, but sometimes that is asking. I think this is what people generally mean when they say their partner is "thoughtful."

[strwberri-milk]

hii never requested before so lmk if this is wrong somehow, but im curious on how you think the boys would be if they realized you were experiencing medical malpractice. (negligence, failure to diagnose, etc.) i would like all the boys, but if not, doing only zayne is fine! (most curious for him just cuz he’s a doctor lol) tysm :)

All of them are incredibly angry on your behalf. He can't believe you're going through that, being hurt by someone who's meant to help you. You'd been seeing this doctor for a while, so of course you trust them, thinking that they were doing what was good for you. However, your lack of progress started concerning you and you ended up secretly getting a second opinion, dismayed when another doctor told you that they had no idea what your primary physician was doing.

Sylus and Rafayel want to absolutely decimate your physician's practise, and will do so behind the scenes. They don't want to drag you into the situation, but wants to do something about it. He uses his money to expose the scummy things your doctor did, making sure that their professional reputation is tarnished.

Sylus goes a step further, aiming to have their credentials revoked from them as further punishment for what they've done to you.

Rafayel doesn't go that far since he doesn't care - unless you want him to - but regardless, they're both going to spend a bunch of money getting you a private doctor.

Zayne and Xavier decide to come to your appointment to see what's happening. He judges quietly, observing what your doctor does and taking mental notes of it.

Xavier not having a medical background means he decides to ask more questions about why or why not your doctor won't do certain things, asking them to record everything to a tee on your chart. He makes it very clear that he's not impressed with their work and should expect a call from a medical board very soon.

Zayne doesn't reveal that he's a doctor until he decides things have gone too far, telling your doctor to their face how unprofessional they are and that he's going to see to it that nobody falls for their trickery again. His judgement is widely respected amongst the community, therefore making it incredibly hard for your doctor to continue working the second he brings up the slightest doubt against them.

[reasonsforhope]

"Millions of Australians just got official permission to ignore their bosses outside of working hours, thanks to a new law enshrining their "right to disconnect."

The law doesn't strictly prohibit employers from calling or messaging their workers after hours. But it does protect employees who "refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact or attempted contact outside their working hours, unless their refusal is unreasonable," according to the Fair Work Commission, Australia's workplace relations tribunal.

That includes outreach from their employer, as well as other people "if the contact or attempted contact is work-related."

The law, which passed in February, took effect on Monday [August 26, 2024] for most workers and will apply to small businesses of fewer than 15 people starting in August 2025. It adds Australia to a growing list of countries aiming to protect workers' free time.

"It's really about trying to bring back some work-life balance and make sure that people aren't racking up hours of unpaid overtime for checking emails and responding to things at a time when they're not being paid," said Sen. Murray Watt, Australia's minister for employment and workplace relations.

The law doesn't give employees a complete pass, however...

"If it was an emergency situation, of course people would expect an employee to respond to something like that," Watt said. "But if it's a run-of-the-mill thing … then they should wait till the next work day, so that people can actually enjoy their private lives, enjoy time with their family and their friends, play sport or whatever they want to do after hours, without feeling like they're chained to the desk at a time when they're not actually being paid, because that's just not fair."

Protections aim to address erosion of work-life balance

The law's supporters hope it will help solidify the boundary between the personal and the professional, which has become increasingly blurry with the rise of remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 2022 survey by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute, a public policy think tank, found that seven out of 10 Australians performed work outside of scheduled working hours, with many reporting experiencing physical tiredness, stress and anxiety as a result.

The following year, the institute reported that Australians clocked an average of 281 hours of unpaid overtime in 2023. Valuing that labor at average wage rates, it estimated the average worker is losing the equivalent of nearly $7,500 U.S. dollars each year.

"This is particularly concerning when worker's share of national income remains at a historically low level, wage growth is not keeping up with inflation, and the cost of living is rising," it added.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions hailed the new law as a "cost-of-living win for working people," especially those in industries like teaching, community services and administrative work.

The right to disconnect, it said, will not only cut down on Australians' unpaid work hours but also address the "growing crisis of increasing mental health illness and injuries in modern workplaces."

"More money in your pocket, more time with your loved ones and more freedom to live your life — that's what the right to disconnect is all about," ACTU President Michele O’Neil said in a statement.

The 2022 Australia Institute survey... found broad support for a right to disconnect.

Only 9% of respondents said such a policy would not positively affect their lives. And the rest cited a slew of positive effects, from having more social and family time to improved mental health and job satisfaction. Thirty percent of respondents said it would enable them to be more productive during work hours.

Eurofound, the European Union agency for the improvement of living and working conditions, said in a 2023 study that workers at companies with a right to disconnect policy reported better work-life balance than those without — 92% versus 80%."

-via GoodGoodGood, August 26, 2024

[brandwhorestarscream]

Now I'm thinking about the kids aging

Cybertronians are biologically immortal. They don't die unless some outside force kills them, and they age incredibly slowly. Bumblebee has been a late teenager for hundreds of years. Arcee has been in her late 20s/early 30s for even longer. Even fussy old Ratchet has been this way for millenia. It takes them thousands or even millions of years to go from one mental development stage to another, and some mecha never "age" past a certain point because they've reached what feels like the oldest/best version of themselves.

But the humans don't.

Imagine the shock, when one day they realize that Raf is 'older' than Bumblebee. He starts losing interest in his racing games with Bumblebee, stops tinkering around the base. Now focused on studying for the ACT and SAT, apologetic but firm when he tells Bee, "Sorry buddy, I can't play with you right now."

They all thought Rafael would go into the tech field and stay with them forever, but no dice. Imagine Ratchet's delight when Raf tells him that, while he'll always enjoys computers and electronics and helping with base maintenance where he can, it's not what he wants to do full time. He's thought about it a lot and he wants to go into the medical field: he wants to be a doctor. Like Ratchet. Specifically, he wants to be a pediatrician. He loves kids, and wants to help them the best way he can.

They're all proud of him, and when he flies across the country for undergrad, they don't see him for 4 years. He works internships and student research all summer, and his family can't afford to fly him home for the holidays. When he finally comes back, he's a completely different person: several inches taller, having completely grown out of his baby face compared to when he graduated high school. There's stubble on his face and dark circles under his eyes, but he looks happy.

He greets Bumblebee's eager beeping with, "Hey kiddo! I missed you!"

While he's been gone, a lot has changed with Miko and Jack as well. Miko went home to Japan after graduating: she loves the bots and had come to enjoy her time in Jasper, but after 4 years she missed her parents, and wanted to spend time with her cats before they passed away. They were beloved members of the family and were getting older. She goes into teaching, and becomes a beloved kindergarten teacher at an international school in Tokyo, where her fluent English combined with boundless energy make her extremely popular with the children and parents alike. She doesn't manage to get time off to fly back to America until she's in her late 20s, and by then 🤭 she's a fully adult woman. She doesn't dye her hair anymore and is wearing what she used to gripe at as "normie clothes", and has developed an unfortunate tendency for migraines. The rest of Team Prime swore they saw Bulkhead’s soul leave his body when Miko told him to, "TURN THAT SHIT DOWN, MY HEAD HURTS!"

Jack is the only one that stayed in Jasper, mostly out of concern for his mother. She's getting older and doesn't have anyone to take care of her after Fowler passed away, and he can't just leave her alone. He goes to the local community college/trade school and becomes a full time mechanic. It's simple work but he really enjoys it, especially since it means Arcee can hang around without arousing too much suspicion.

But all the bending over vehicles all day and the heavy lifting have started to take a toll. His back has started to ache, he has callouses all over his hands. His rides with Arcee get shorter and shorter, until eventually he asks her--very remorseful--if maybe... she wouldn't mind if he road with someone else, or just drove a normal car. He's too old to be riding around on a flashy motorcycle like he's still a teenager, and honestly, it really hurts his back to have to hunch over her alt mode, and

Arcee is so confused. "'Too old'? Jack, you're only-"

"'Cee," he sighs. "I know you don't age the way we do, but I'm 35. I'm tired. I- I just can't anymore, and besides... with the baby coming, I need something with more than one seat. And airbags. And space for a diaper bag. Hey, c'mon, don't make that face hon, it's not personal."

She knows it's not. That's not why she's frowning.

It just really hit her that he's an adult. That they're all adults.

They continue to watch them age, even after the war ends. Even after they go home. They visit earth frequently, whenever they can, but Cybertron needs most of their attention and in the blink of an eye, several human years can pass.

They grow up. They find their careers. They make their own families and have children of their own... and eventually, those children have children. Their hair starts to lose it's color, turning gray and white. Their faces wirnkle, and their fingers turn thin and brittle. Suddenly, they're rushing to earth after a frantic call from Raf's grandson, saying great aunt Miko fell and broke her hip. She's in the hospital for weeks, and after the replacement surgery, she has to learn to walk again. Even though she swears up and down that she's fine, quit worrying, she'll be up and about without her walker before they know it, they can all see the way her hands tremble and she struggles to hold herself up.

Jack is even worse: he starts showing signs of dementia, his memories fading and becoming more and more disoriented. Arcee visits at least once a week, and her spark breaks seeing what used to be her little recon partner withering away to nothing in his bed. Until one day, he reacts with fear when he sees her, screaming and yelling about, "What is that thing?! Sabrina, SABRINA! There's a robot! A big blue robot!" and his flustered great granddaughter, who works as his hopsice nurse, runs in to soothe him. "Papa, shhh, it's Aunt Arcee! She's not gonna hurt you, she's-"

"Get it outta here, go AWAY!"

"I- Auntie, I'm sorry, could you please step out-"

He dies only a few short months later, and they unfortunately aren't able to get a wheelchair-bound Rafael to the funeral. Miko isn't physically able to make the trip, even with offers of a ground bridge. Says she's too old to go jumping through space portals. She's 95, after all.

95 years to a cybertronian is nothing. 95 years is barely enough time for a sparkling to stop nursing. But for a human, it's their entire lifespan. Bumblebee is still a teenager. Arcee is still in her late 20s. Ratchet has barely aged and their three little human children are now older than him. And theyre slipping away one by one: Miko passes only 8 months after Jack, and Raf lasts another 4 years. They've left their descendants behind, doznes of people that share their bloodline, but nothing soothes the ache.

In light of their death, their visits to earth become more and more infrequent, before drying up all together. It's just too painful, and they can't stand to watch any more humans slowly wither and die.

[bouquetface]

Navamsa Notes D9 6

Accuracy is influenced by the ENTIRE natal and navamsa. A FEW indicators does not promise one outcome especially when we have not taken into consideration the aspects.

☀️ Venus in Capricorn or Aqua is one indicator for a long-lasting marriage in d9. This is because this gives a Saturn ruled Venus. Venus & Saturn are friendly planets to one another. Saturn will generally support Venus in the pursuit of love. When paired with a chart that has many divorce indicators, this will indicate a long marriage before separating.

☀️ Moon trine Saturn is another indicator of a long-lasting marriage. This shows the spouse is unlikely to be moody and unstable. They are mature, they are patient, they make careful choices with a balance between logic and emotions. Stronger placements in the navamsa could indicate otherwise. This is only one aspect.

☀️ Saturn 8 away from Venus indicates troubles in sex life at some point in your marriage.

☀️ Venus square Saturn is another indicator of a dissatisfying romantic and/or intimate life being an issue. This aspect indicates it is likely due to the wife. She can be/become moody. At times, she will be cold, uncommunicative and distant. This will create frustrations and misunderstandings in the marriage at some point.

☀️ Mars sqaure Saturn is another indicator for troubles in intimate life. You or the spouse will feel dissatisfied with sex life at some point. These aren't breakup or cheating indicator. How this situation is resolved and if it is resolved depends on the entire chart.

☀️ Earth asc in natal to Pisces asc in navamsa:

If you have an earth rising in natal, your mindset is changing from logical and analytical to emotional over time. You are still a virgo asc but after marriage/later in life, you begin to lean toward thinking with your heart instead of your mind.

After marriage/later in life, you ease up on the rules and expectations you have for yourself and others. You become more compassionate. You can become a very generous and kind person.

A lot of this will be influenced based on aspects and where mercury and jupiter are in both charts.

☀️ General info on Pisces asc:

If your natal and d9 do not have many or major malefic placements in regard to marriage, this shows a harmonious marriage. A deep bond between the person and the spouse. Mutual love and respect for what the other does for the marriage/family. Effective communication - listening before speaking, thoughtful responses - unless other placed indicate otherwise.

This asc brings you to the depth of your emotions. You can feel the spouse is so perfect and that you are unworthy. You may have to deal with these types of inner issues, figure out the root - did it begin in childhood? is it because of how you view yourself? - A person with pisces D9 can heal themselves through marriage/later in life. Now if you have divorce indicators in natal and D9, the breakdown of the marriage can lead you to heal yourself.

Pisces ASC can have others view their married life as ideal. Specifically, you can shock your family in a nice way through the partner. The marriage can boost or restore your reputation among people - unless 10th H is damaged.

In certain incidents, other's being surprised is because they feel you are unworthy or incapable of being in a happy lasting marriage. When it is your family feeling this way, a common thing with pisces asc in D9 is that their family made the native as kid feel like they're not enough/there is something wrong or bad about them/they're not loveable.

Your social network can become very formal and professional - mainly coworkers or people to help boost your career/status. Formal interactions rather than genuine jokes and conversation. You can have limited contact with close/true friends or simply you don't have close/true friends later in life.

☀️ Earth rising in natal to Aries asc in navamsa

You and/or the spouse marry because they seek a new beginning. They want a new start in life with a foundation that can count on. They want to feel secure and comfortable with this foundation.

☀️ General info on Aries asc

This is one indicator for marrying quickly. Either you marry within 1-3 years of meeting or you marry soon after proposal - not much planning goes into the wedding. Mars conjunct Venus in natal or navamsa is another indicator. However, accuracy still depends on the entire chart - other aspects & placements can slow this down.

☀️ Venus in Cap 10th House

This indicates an older spouse. This shows married life will bring unexpected responsibilities. The marriage makes you or the spouse feel lonely. This can manifest in various ways depending on the entire chart. for ex: the spouse is much older, they die much sooner than you do OR if you have many malefic placements, the marriage becomes emotionally lonely & dissatisfying, the spouse leaves, you are lonely. This isn’t the only outcome. It can show responsibilities of family and life restrict the ability to be romantic and have fun. It can be a solvable issue.

This shows the spouse will have leadership traits. They will be hardworking and career/status-driven.

Your relationship with your father will be distant. He may die early on, or you simply have never been close with him.

This can indicate a delayed/late marriage - however we must check the entire chart. for ex: if conjunct mars, this can change.

☀️ Mars in Cap 10th House

This is mars exaltation, it is more likely to block the negatives of mars in 10th. Instead, it gives a strong, lasting marriage. You are competent when it comes to taking care of your family. You can make career advancements after marrying - this doesn't have to be directly related to the spouse/marriage, simply marriage activates career/status advancements for you.

You or the spouse can be motivated to be better than your/their own father. Once the first child has been born, you and/or the spouse really lock tf in when it comes to making money. This usually happens when the child is still an infant or toddler. The parent(s) desire more money and become concerned with legacy for their children. They may look for ways to advance at their current job, they may consider going back to school to advance, they may look for a new company that will pay more for their experience.

If negatively aspected or saturn is negatively placed, the above can change. You and/or the spouse can become demanding of one another. You and/or the spouse can have high expectations for one another and for their own life but fail or do anything to succeed. You can develop anger issues that you must get a control over. This is believed to be due to past life karmas.

☀️ Jupiter in 11th House

This is one indicator for male children. You can find success easily if malefic planets don’t conjunct or aspect this planet.

☀️ A planet debilitated in D1 and D9

You should stay cautious of this planet and it's houses. This will continue to test you throughout your life. It is nothing you can't handle. In certain cases, it can put you through many tests that help build maturity. I have read the chart of a millionaire with a debilitated Moon in 11th - which some would wrongfully consider a doomed placement.

For full accuracy the chart must be read as a while alongside natal. I offer paid readings if you are interested in finding out more about spouse and married life.

[cosmica-galaxy]

I'm obsessing over your new AU about the clone cookies being stronger than even the originals thanks to their baker, so... I was wondering... what would happen if the Ascents and Beasts met the baker the clones mentioned at the same time? Let the baker let them see him. Would they also desire more power, and would this create problems among the clone cookies trying to cover for the baker while he's calm, since the clone cookies don't feel any original deserves to speak to their powerful master. What if the Pastry Order finds out about that rumor about a certain "baker"?

I just wanted to finish this question. If you find it boring, feel free to ignore it! 💞 (I use a translator)

To be honest, I don't think the Baker would have a physical form for the cookies to interact with, but they would be able to tell what they're feeling via temperature changes or color changes depending on their mood.

Like Blue is them being happy, Pink is affectionate, Red is rage, Purple is serious, Yellow is stress, Green is sick, ect.

For me, I personally think the Baker would mostly take on a "form" that resembles moving light or liquid that has an iridescent shine to it. Since this same coloration is carried over into the clone cookies, which helps them stand apart from their "true" counterparts.

The clones call it "the baker's touch" and it's very hard to replicate accurately, as it works as an identifier for cookies who were cloned by the Baker and the original cookie of the main timeline lack this distinctive shimmer. If they sparkle with the iridescent light, the cookie was made from the Baker. If they don't sparkle, the cookie is from the "true" or an "alternate" timeline. But, the Baker would have ways of communicating. One of the obvious ones to the clones, and probably the scariest ones to the non-baker cookies, is them being picked up and moved elsewhere by an unseen force. The other clone cookies don't react to a cookie being picked up, it just means that the Baker is either playing or needs that cookie to do something.

For example, picking up Mint Chocolate Cookie and placing him upon his stage set lets the cookie know that the Baker wants him to perform a song for them, and he does so, much to the Baker's happiness.

They also communicate through bells, jingles, moving things around, or musical-like tones. As for where the Baker "resides", well inside the Castle obviously! However, it's guarded by their strongest clones. This includes the Beasts, Ancients, Legendaries, and Dragons that they cloned. While visitors, purposeful or accidental, can come to the kingdom and roam around it's grounds before being transported back to their original world, they won't be allowed inside the castle unless the Baker is expecting them. If the Baker is expecting guests, the castle doors will open and the guardian clone cookies will become relaxed and allow the cookies to enter the sacred alternate castle. In which, what lies inside, would probably be a miniature pocket dimension that has the Baker's powers flowing through it like rivers and sparkling stars that have taken up residence on the inside. In the center of the castle foyer, they will meet the "reservoir" and will finally see the creator of the pocket dimension, who looks similar to a moving wisp of light and glitter. A formless entity that carries knowledge beyond cookiekind. After the meeting with them, the cookies are sent back to their original world and each feel like it was just a strange dream...but the iridescent dust that coats some of their doughs speak otherwise. Cookies talk and rumors spread about a mirror-like world that holds lookalike cookies. Of course other factions would hear about these rumors and would grow curious of this "Baker" and their abilities.

[twilightcitysky]

Everything Is Meant (long S2 analysis, part 3)

Part one

Part two

There's SO MUCH excellent meta out there right now, and I'm going to try not to reinvent the wheel too much, but I want to keep going with tying the episodes/ elements up together because on first watch it wasn't entirely clear how everything fit. I also strongly recommend a rewatch, no matter what you felt about the ending... if you need to stop it 10 minutes early, do that, but you pick up so much more the second time around.

So: Maggie and Nina. I spent most of my first watch wondering why we were bothering with them, honestly. Later in the season Nina, and then Maggie and Nina, gave Crowley some insightful advice, but their actual relationship didn't progress despite all the meddling, and the amount of emotional investment BOTH Aziraphale and Crowley had in making them get together was frankly strange.

I started thinking in terms of mirror couples, since that was such a big deal in S1 and that's clearly what they were set up to be, but I made the mistake that all of us made on first watch: that Nina was Crowley and Maggie was Aziraphale. It still wasn't really coming together.

Then I put the psych hat back on and started to think about displacement. Displacement is a defense mechanism, and it consists of satisfying an impulse (usually an unconscious one) with a substitute object. At the beginning of the season, Aziraphale and Crowley aren't really in a good place, and I think on some level they know that. Aziraphale is trying to SHOW Crowley that he wants to take the next step through all the casual touches and phone calls and inviting him in, and feeling frustrated because Crowley doesn't seem to be taking the bait. (I absolutely think that Aziraphale tried to get Crowley to stay with him at the bookshop instead of living in his CAR, and Crowley said no. That's a whole other meta.) Meanwhile, Crowley, I think, is waiting for a Grand Gesture. Where did he go, as soon as Aziraphale brought up trying to get two humans to fall in love? Romantic tropes. Getting caught in the rain under an awning. A dramatic kiss that opens someone's eyes. That's the sort of thing he's always done, right? Big rescues, impassioned pleas on the street, fancy dinners, "give you a lift anywhere you want to go". He's defensive and guarded and unlikely to let someone in unless he's CERTAIN he won't be rejected, and Aziraphale's approaches are just too... quiet. No one's fault, they just don't speak the same language.

Then, they're handed the opportunity to make two humans fall in love, and they're both All In immediately. Look at Crowley's face when he summons the rainstorm. This is HUGE for him. Why? Because of displacement. Look at Aziraphale arranging the ball and being borderline deranged about it. They're both desperate to demonstrate what they think it takes for two people to move past their misunderstandings and fall in love. They can't do it for each other because the stakes are too high, and if either of them shows their cards unequivocally the vulnerability feels life-shattering. They're codependent and terrified of rejection and also, importantly, have no idea what they're doing when it comes to love. "Saw it in a film", Crowley says. Aziraphale's read about it in books. But they have zero practical experience.

Instead of learning to communicate, they try to say what they want to say through the medium of Maggie and Nina, up to and including the questionable moral decision to exert control over people's actions and thoughts during the ball. If I can just make this come out right, they both think, then things between us will be alright too. It HAS to come out right. They're attempting to gain some control over their own lives, over something that feels so overwhelming and shattering they can't look directly at it.

It doesn't come out right. Nina's relationship falls apart, but that doesn't mean she's in love with Maggie. While Crowley's stress-cleaning the bookshop to the music that played when Aziraphale got his books back in 1941 (just fuck me up David Arnold), they come in and tell him so. "I don't understand", says Crowley. Because it should have worked. Why didn't it work?

They tell him, of course. "You need to talk to each other. Say what you're really thinking." But here's the thing about communication: you have to learn it. You need to get the hang of expressing your feelings without blaming your partner, and separating intent from impact, and staying away from getting defensive and lashing out. No one has ever taught Aziraphale and Crowley how to do this. It's like Maggie and Nina put Crowley in front of a loom and asked him to recreate the Bayeux Tapestry. He doesn't have the skills; he's always going to get it wrong, even if he tries his hardest.

And he does try. But that's where Maggie and Nina the mirror couple, rather than Maggie and Nina the displacement relationship or Maggie and Nina the Greek chorus, come in. Aziraphale, as Nina, has just ended an incredibly toxic, invasive relationship with Heaven. A relationship that invaded every facet of his life, isolated him, and prevented him from being close to anyone else. "Rebound mess," Nina says. Aziraphale is a rebound mess. He's transferred the responsibility for his emotional wellness to Crowley. Crowley is the person he calls when he's in trouble, or (and this is key) when he wants to report a clever/ good thing he's done, or when he's bored. (At no point did Crowley reference Aziraphale calling him for a solicitous reason-- another problem.) Crowley is meant to take care of him. He forgets, I think, that Crowley is a person with his own wants and needs, just like Maggie and Nina are people with their own wants and needs who don't appreciate being messed with. (I think things would have been much different had Aziraphale BEEN THERE for Maggie and Nina's talk with Crowley, but he wasn't.)

And Maggie-as-Crowley? Lonely. Behind on rent, at risk of being evicted (it's important to note that Aziraphale saves Maggie from losing her record shop, as he couldn't save Crowley from losing his flat). Pining. Awkward. Revolving around Nina like a planet, to the extent that we don't get much of an impression of her otherwise. They realize, there at the end, that they both need to round themselves out before jumping into a relationship. Aziraphale and Crowley need that too. They need to take time apart and learn to be healthy on their own. Unfortunately they don't have the skills to get to that conclusion in a healthy way, so it all explodes in their faces and everything falls apart.

Aziraphale tries to teach Nina and Maggie to dance as a substitute for communication. Nina and Maggie try to teach Crowley communication as a substitute for the dance they've been doing around each other. That's the reason they're a part of the plot: they exist to demonstrate the way Aziraphale and Crowley might have succeeded in forging a better dynamic. Sadly, the boys' dance is too practiced and they got sucked right back into it.

It's okay, I think, that Nina and Maggie's storyline never really went anywhere. It wasn't supposed to. It's an allegory, not something that needs to stand alone.

[sapphicjackal]

Bingyuan Soulmate au 1

Bingyuan soulmates au

The modern world has soulmates, with the function that anything written on your skin appears on your soulmate. Only soulmates can see the writing of their soulmate, nobody else can see what is written on your skin. The words are visible to your soulmate as well. Language barriers don’t affect communication because it's the communication between souls through the medium of flesh, you will always see your soulmate's words in your own language.

PIDW is a work of fiction within the genre of “no soulmates/alternate soulmates”, it operates on the invisible red string of fate, and not everyone has someone attached to their string. Only certain people like Madam Meiyn can see the string, which means that soulmates are practically a myth within PIDW.

Shen Yuan has been studiously writing to his soulmate since the moment he was old enough to read, cheerfully hoping for his pretty soulmate to write back to him. He was disappointed when years went by without a response, but his parents told him that it happens when your soulmate is younger than you and either hasn't been born yet or can’t read yet.

It took until Shen Yuan was 15 years old to receive his first response from his soulmate. He was both overjoyed and mildly worried and disappointed. He can finally connect with his soulmate, but they're far younger than him. They probably aren’t romantic soulmates which is sad, but Shen Yuan will love them anyway!

Shen Yuan had taken to the habit of writing a short message to his soulmate every morning, even when he was in the hospital. He made sure that each message was unique, and that it told his soulmate that he cared about them. Sometimes he left little stories when interesting things happened and he wanted to share it with someone.

He was delighted when he felt tingling on his forearm, the strokes were far broader than the felt tipped markers that were commonly sold in stores to write to soulmates. It felt kind of like a brush, which Shen Yuan was familiar with writing from his classes on the 4 arts.

“I hope you have a wonderful day that brings you joy.” The words that Shen Yuan wrote this morning.

“Who are you?” 

Came the messy calligraphy painted onto his skin, alongside the words he could feel the phantom emotion in the lettering. It felt like curiosity and confusion, laced with wariness.

Shen Yuan sat up in his bed and grabbed the felt marker from his bedside table, “I’m your soulmate! It’s nice to meet you.” he responded swiftly, watching his arm in anticipation. 

Stroke by stroke came the reply from his soulmate, still with the same calligraphy brush as before. “Soulmate? This one has never heard of words on skin happening with soulmates." The feelings accompanying it were skeptical with an underlying stirring of hope.

“How old are you? I’m surprised you haven’t heard of soulmates, everyone has one. Only soulmates can see each other’s words, but everybody gets them. Unless their soulmate isn’t born or has died.” Shen Yuan explained to his young soulmate, curious as to why his soulmate hadn’t heard of it before. 

Soulmates were ingrained into culture to the point that ignorance of the mechanics was near incomprehensible to Shen Yuan. It was like someone not knowing that there were stars in the sky or that the sun rose in the morning. It was just something that everyone knew, and something that everyone was taught. 

“This one is 10.” came his soulmate's reply. 

Oh, they weren’t as young as Shen Yuan thought. Maybe they came from a more rural place with lower literacy, or lived somewhere less privileged with education. In that case, Shen Yuan should do his best to help educate his soulmate and help them in any way that he can. He cares for his soulmate and he won’t let whatever circumstances they have dictate the rest of their life.

“I’m 15, and I’ll help you with anything you need. Let me know anything you struggle with learning and I’ll try to help you.” Shen Yuan wrote before wiping away his earlier messages to make more room.

“Really?” wrote his soulmate, full of hope and wariness, something so earnest yet fragile that it broke his heart to feel. His soulmate must lack support for them to feel so tentative about genuine help.

“Yuan-ge will help you with anything. I promise.” he wrote, firm with his conviction and affection, hoping that it would transfer to the other.

“Yuan-ge?” asked his soulmate, full with giddy happiness and anticipation.

Shen Yuan smiled, happy that his soulmate was less scared and wary. He wanted his soulmate to be nothing but happy.

“My name is Shen Yuan,” he introduced.

He waited for a few minutes before he felt brush strokes again.

“This one is Luo Binghe.”

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

[valtsv]

This is related to nothing but ur like the TSV confessional/Themes Discusser imo. Thinking abt Shrue always makes me think abt the wacky government in TSV and how it's so wildly unclear what these positions are or what anyone is really doing specifically. Why is the Press Secretary seemingly the boss of these 'senators'? Why is their title 'adjudicator'? Why does it feel like this is some kind of mesopotamian priesthood that got retrofitted to look like a parliament? WHY IS A 'PRESS SECRETARY' IN CHARGE OF THEM? (well you know why thematically but what the hell is the justification in their constitution??) but more importantly HOW do these weird systems relate to the constant existential threat of godhood and are they influenced by some need to curb idolatry and politician-worship? It's great

okay so the carson thing i can explain; the press secretary is NOT in charge of the adjudicators or the country, he's just running a shadow dictator scheme by acting as the mouthpiece of the high adjudicator, who is in a coma and thus can't contradict him (also being in possession of a reality-rewriting saint, even though she's in reality actually actively ignoring him, is demonstrably a pretty effective threat against any meaningful resistance, as proven when he gaslights shrue in front of the entire house of representatives. like if a guy walks onto the floor and literally shows you evidence of his power to erase anyone he likes from reality, and then tells you he wants you to kiss his boots, you're probably gonna kiss those boots unless you KNOW you have a clear and definite shot and/or nothing to lose). he's scamming. he's fucking with everyone including the audience.

but yeah the tsv political/judicial system is WACKY. this can partly be justified by the fact that the world of tsv is established to be very factional and split into a multitude of minor territories united under a single banner pretty much in name only, so the entire system is very much a symbolic concept that most people outside of the central sphere of influence can and do get away with only paying lip service to. given the context that there have been previous religious wars in which certain faiths were legalised or outlawed, it seems to be a rather ineffective effort to unite the nation in order to prevent society from splintering into a multitude of idolatrous sects that are more difficult to control, and having official political representatives would theoretically curb the influence of wannabe cult leaders forming their own communities outside of the influence of the state, as you suggested. that the government isn't meaningfully different from the gods that eat people, and as much of an existential threat as they are, is very much intentional - much like our own world, this is a society that's eating itself alive to stay warm!

it's all but explicitly stated to be very much reliant on people being familiar with and accepting the status quo, though (as we see particularly with hayward in s1, when he faces significant resistance to his supposed authority outside of glottage - where his position as a police officer is a real and tangible one to the average citizen - and cannot meaningfully enforce it without resorting to unethical and violent methods that contradict his entire concept of what an officer of the law is supposed to be and the values they're meant to uphold), and on them failing or being unwilling to recognise this symbolic order as a false reality enforced by a combination of censorship, lies, corporate hegemony branded as religious devotion, and carceral/capital punishment, which is why it has to be propped up by (and ultimately falls to) saints like VAL in the first place, and why the actual effectiveness of individual public figures isn't especially significant - its primary purpose is maintaining an illusion of authority and control, and for the most part being able to rely on people policing themselves unquestioningly.

[transmutationisms]

i would love to hear more about your criticisms of the BITE model! for me it always feels.. unfalsifiable? it seems to do poorly at distinguishing a cult from any other community, if you squint at the definitions

yeah so first of all i'm not particularly keen on even trying to defend the category of "cult" in general. obviously abuse and control methods can and do happen in groups, but i don't think it's particularly useful to talk about this like there's a strict dichotomy between evil malicious groups and all the others. and i think generally, when people do try to sort groups into strict categories like that, what you actually see is that the differentiating factor is less to do with the degree of control exerted by the group and more to do with how much the person doing the sorting is bothered by the group's ideology or doctrinal commitments lol. like, this is sort of baby's first cult concept critique but yknow, a group setting where you're being extremely openly financially controlled is your job and yet most workplaces, however abusive and surveilled and controlling, are not typically designated a 'cult' unless they're also peddling some kind of heterodox religious or medical claims or something.

anyway in regards to BITE in particular, yeah i think it does a really poor job of distinguishing between a 'normal' level of social pressure to say/do certain things, and the kind of control that ostensibly characterises a cult. for example steven hassan has called both MAGA and online trans communities cults, and a lot of this comes down to his persistent and pretty open belief in the power of 'mind control' and hypnosis as mechanisms of cult control. ofc any group of any political persuasion could engage in abuse and high-control of its members! usually this occurs by financial means, social isolation, etc. but hassan's BITE model isn't really good at identifying these kinds of material factors despite paying lip service to them, because it's more motivated by his desire to root out these kinds of shadowy quasi-occult forces of mental reprogramming that he fears.

i just find the whole model to be pretty silly and used mostly as a way of justifying dislike of lots of different social, religious, and political groups---some of which are genuinely mistreating members, some of which are just saying things their critics disagree with---because it's perceived as a reliable social-scientific designation and therefore name-dropping it helps the speaker feel that they're making some kind of objective scientific observation rather than a judgment dependent, as are all judgments, upon their own perspective and values. i think instead of this kind of haggling over Which Groups Count As An Evild Shadowy Cult it would be infinitely more productive and helpful to vulnerable people to talk about how high-control groups operate, what sorts of methods specific groups are using to control and abuse their members, and what sorts of resources those members are dependent on the groups for and need access to from other sources: financial and material provisions, social support networks, etc.

[jo1sstuff]

I think I know who the Archivist is, and it's not Jon. (TMAGP SPOILERS AHEAD)

(TLDR: I think it's Celia. Read on to see why!)

So.

I know the title sounds kinda click-baity, and this is gonna be a bit long, but this is such a ground-breaking theory that you'll hopefully want to stick around.

This is just a theory, so I might be wrong, but it would explain a lot.

I listened to TMAGP 29 earlier, and since my sister doesn't listen to TMA/TMAGP but I like to talk to her about it, I was mentioning the whole "It's on the train" thing, and a crazy theory popped in my head. So now I'm here sharing it with you all, so you can discuss it and maybe prove me wrong/right.

Anyways, I'm gonna start with something that might seem confusing at first, but it'll make sense later.

So we all know Celia, right?

Well, it's pretty much confirmed that she's from the TMA universe, but there are still a few things that don't quite make sense.

For example, the 'sleepwalking' thing she does. She'll wake up somewhere with no memory of what happened.

While I've seen some theories explaining it as the TMAGP Celia sharing a body with TMA Celia, it doesn't make much sense to me. Why would the TMAGP Celia still be in there? Wouldn't TMA Celia be able to communicate with her? Why hasn't anyone else mentioned seeing Celia when she 'sleepwalks'? Wouldn't TMAGP Celia have friends that would talk to her? If so, why wouldn't they notice it's not the same Celia?

Anyways, that theory just doesn't make sense to me.

Another thing that will make sense later: We all remember Michael Distortion from TMA, right?

And how his reflection looked different than how he sometimes looked in person?

An Avatar looking different through glass; whether through Sasha's window, or in the reflection of the cafe's window.

That was the thought that made me first come up with this theory.

The other thought was the "It's on the train" bit.

Sam and Celia get on a train to 'follow' the Archivist. Alice, however, sees it on the train with them.

(technically we don't know for certain that it was the Archivist, or if it was in or on top of the train, but it context makes it seem like the Archivist was in the train with them)

Why wouldn't Sam and Celia notice it? It's a monster that's all eyes, how could they miss that? Sure, it might have been hiding, but they likely weren't the only passengers on board. So why didn't the other passengers see it?

Well, what if they do see it, just not it the right way?

Because of the whole 'avatar looking different in windows' thing, what if that's why they don't notice?

Because they're not looking through the window?

Alice is though.

Alice is looking through the window.

She sees it.

What if, the Archivist is in a human form, but Alice can only see it because she's looking through the glass at it?

But who would it be?

Celia.

It's Celia.

Who else could it be?

What if, when she's 'sleepwalking', she's actually in Archivist form?

Sam got Archived, after all. And shortly after that, Celia appeared.

Wouldn't Celia have noticed the Archivist leaving?

Unless she just came to.

And she's so used to it happening, that she isn't bothered by the time she finds Sam.

Who knows how far away she got, after all. Maybe it was only one alley away, maybe it was a few blocks.

She'd have some time to compose herself.

And after that disorienting event, she managed to find her way to the O.I.A.R. and found Sam.

She was in the same area and time-frame the Archivist was there.

It's her.

Another thing: The statement-givers. Aka, the talking corpses. Aka, people that got Archived by the Archivist.

I'll bet that every time it mentions Celia having a 'sleepwalking' episode, it was around the same time that someone got Archived.

I'm not gonna go back through the episodes to see if I'm right on that, but if someone else will, it would be very much appreciated.

How exactly Celia became an Archivist, I don't know.

Maybe when she changed universes the Eye decided to make her its new 'precious little boy girl'. Maybe (if we believe that TMAGP is Somewhere Else) the Archivist part of Jon got stuck in Celia. Maybe she even became an Avatar by herself, who knows! I certainly don't.

Another thing I don't know is whether she'd remember what happens when she's the Archivist.

She seemed surprised to find Sam, after all.

And (if I remember right) she doesn't know how she gets to places while she's 'sleepwalking'.

I also don't know how Jack fits into this, but he's a mystery of his own.

Anyways, feel free to chip in with your own thoughts and criticisms, I could be completely proved wrong next episode after all!

[is-the-fire-real]

When I was last on tumblr, it was ten years ago and one of the biggest faux pas you could commit was incorrect tagging.

It was Literally Colonialism to use a tag that was For Certain Oppressed Groups. The actually-autistic tag was created because allistics "took over" the autism tag, and this/other tags became heavily policed by users to make sure they remained a "safe space".

I remember seeing countless posts about how autistics would never be safe if we didn't have a bubble to protect us from interacting with allistics. The same went for tags about transliness and queerness. The going approach used militarized and hyperbolic language to characterize and other folks who weren't in the community: autistics (the group I had the most direct experience with) were attacked by allistic invaders who violated and conquered autistic tagging systems.

The "Literally Colonialism" isn't a joke. I saw plenty of suggestions that to even use a tag which was perceived as being "not yours" was colonization of ideas and thoughts. To be allistic, have an opinion on autism, and tag it as "autism" was held up as being exactly the same as the behavior of empires and nation-states.

Obviously, I don't entirely agree, and don't think this particular hyperbolization is helpful for advocacy or for dialogue. But I do find it interesting how, in the decade since I was last here, it seems to (mostly) still be true that you should only use certain tags if you have a particular identity...

... unless you're not Jewish, in which case feel free to use any and all Judaism-related tags and break the system's meager functionality for Jewish people.

As someone who is using Tumblr to connect to online Judaism, it's daunting to see how many posts under "judaism" are by non-Jews screeching about Israel. Seeing non-Jews openly talk about they tag their posts with gore, rape denial, Holocaust denial, October 7 denial, and other deliberately-triggering material with Jewish-themed tags specifically to make Jewish users of Tumblr feel unsafe. Reading them telling each other about how this is advocacy, this will absolutely win the war for Gazans, and how anybody who blocks them (in order to make sure the tags can actually work as intended) is a genocidal coward. Using that self-same militaristic language to describe their activities, only instead of criticizing, they're bragging.

It's, uh, kind of fucked up.

Imagine going to the actually-autistic tag and finding nothing but a wall of allistics claiming that they've victoriously conquered the tag from those inhuman monsters pretending to have problems when other Real People are the ones who are suffering. I think we would all intuitively understand that this would be Wrong. Even if there was some supposed outward justification for being mad at certain autistics, we would understand that holding all autistics everywhere responsible for it is wrong. That breaking a community's ability to talk to each other is wrong. That trying to trigger people and then telling them to commit suicide is wrong.

And we'd also understand, or come to, that the very action of going "This community I'm not part of doesn't deserve to have this tag, I'mma take it back, or at least ruin it so no one else can have it" is an expression of privilege. It is wrong, and it is immature, and it is cowardice.

These smug, self-involved, active attempts at causing harm make no sense at all if seen as advocacy; they help no one, advance no cause, stop no Zionists (whatever that means) from expressing themselves online.

They only make sense when seen as Jew-hate.

[unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240]

Honestly at this point, I'm really uninterested in hearing any gentile's "critique" of Judaism.

Whatever it is, whatever you're about to say, I am 1000% certain that at least one Jew has already raised this issue in ways that are thoughtful and centered in respect for other Jews. Probably lots of Jews; possibly whole theological movements. It's even possible that this particular topic has been under active discussion for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Someone has already said this better than you will. Someone has already raised whatever issue you have and grounded it in their own experiences of having lived a Jewish life.

So just leave it to us. Just stop. You're not helping. At best you're white-knighting, at worst you're actively contributing to an antisemitic majority culture.

"Well I've never seen Jews discussing [x] topic!" Your ignorance is not reality. These conversations are happening, possibly offline and at our Shabbos tables or shuls only, but they are happening.

"Well [x] topic impacts me personally!" Does it? Does it really? Because unless you live in Israel or Palestine, no Jewish group - no matter how seemingly numerous we may be in your city or neighborhood - is actually powerful enough to affect large-scale (or even typically small-scale) changes. Our fundamentalism is, for better or worse, directed at other Jews. The most intense thing I've heard of outside of Israel is a community getting together to petition the city to allow an eruv or a concentrated effort to make a few neighborhood blocks particularly Jewish because they're within walking distance of an orthodox shul. All other issues - no matter how ugly the opinions - are something that is part of much larger social trends that unfortunately some Jews happen to be engaging in. We'll deal with them; you focus on your people.

"I'm just listening to ex-fundamentalist Jews and white-knighting trying to help them be heard and not shouted down!" So first of all, if you knew anything about this topic, they typically call themselves OTD (which I'm sure you know what that stands for, because you've been listening) and secondly, great! You should listen to them. But their critiques are not your critiques. I can go on all day long about my family and their bullshit, and I can even (sometimes) appreciate you chiming in supportively. But it hits different when you go off chattering to other people about how my family is bullshit.

"Okay fine - I'm taking all that in and accept that my critiques aren't wanted, but what CAN I do, since I am literally vibrating in place about how Those People Over There Are Wrong and cannot simply ignore them?" Best thing you can do? Honestly? Learn about Judaism thoroughly from a variety of people, and learn how to be a good ally against antisemitism in all the spaces you want us in. Judaism not feminist enough for you? Learn how to make your feminist spaces safe and welcoming for Jews. Judaism not queer or trans enough for you? Learn how to make your queer and trans spaces safe and welcoming for Jews. Whatever movement you think we're not supporting enough or not showing up for enough, or whoever it is you think we're oppressing? Find the Jews who are doing that work (they exist, I promise) and listen to what they tell you about how to make your spaces be better.