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levyfiles · 30 days

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i feel like if they just said straight up that they don't want to be youtubers cause they're "better than that" - which honestly feels like the subtext here - it would have been better than this disingenuous sentimental nonsense followed by an ask for money, the phrasing of which made it sound like we should feel guilty for consuming their art for free till now

OK, I have said this a few times but this is going to be my last time saying this on tumblr.

Youtube is a platform once built for users in 2006; the idea was for those locked out of the industry to have an opportunity to share their creations. As time went on, the very moment that content started to be funded by sponsors, the platform changed. Decades later, the platform--and believe me when I say this--is controlled by sponsors and ads. A lot of people don't realise this because we all have our ad-block on. We work tirelessly not to have to consume media peddled to us with agendas and propaganda; we pay for software so we don't get it.

We accepted Youtube charging some of us monthly so we don't see ads, so we can enjoy the platform more comfortably. If you're in your early-to late 30s then you know that Youtube crafted a whole lot of our experience online but it has not gone without changes. The ad breaks are now populated with sponsors with a big list of prerequisites and we sit there and guffaw through a straight 40 seconds of a creator peddling fast-fashion, cheap drinks with poison in them, platforms that sell $1 items off the backs of slave labour, and knives that don't even work just so we can sit back and pretend we'd rise to the occasion when an opportunity to practice socialism presents itself.

Well, here's the bad news. Socialism does not mean you sit back and get everything handed to you. That is literally right-wing propaganda. Socialism is every one taking a piece of what they have to crowd-source the things we want. It is letting artists be artists to create things that do not contribute to consumerism/corporate culture.

In the end, the internet has shown me that all these LARPING children believing in the future where shit gets handed to them off the backs of other people's hard work will open their greedy maws and scream slurs, insults, and backhanded statements at any creator who seizes control of the thing they've produced. You don't want to see artists grow; you want creators/artists strapped to the capitalism hamster wheel while they create the same trendy crap that sponsors tell you that you want until they burn out and retire.

The saddest thing of all is the irony of you calling that video sentimental nonsense when it shows you the story; it tells you that they all got started the way most of our favourite youtubers started but then Buzzfeed happened which may have opened some doors for them but if Ryan didn't fight tooth and nail, we would have had a Netflix show with some non descript white guy hosting it because that's the vision Buzzfeed saw. It's what so many of you see when you want the thing you like, that you watch them work tirelessly to make, to be free forever.

Of course they're too good for Youtube. Youtube is trash now and you're going to start to notice that very quickly now.

#watcher #shane madej #ryan bergara #steven lim #youtube

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omo-queer · 6 months

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hey V, I don't want to be invasive so forgive me for asking. how are you edging/ruining/ theoretically able to cum, all without touching? asking as someone who has only ever been able to finish with a specific toy and no other method lol im curious and also a little jealous!

thanks for the ask! this isn't too invasive, so no need to worry!

it bears noting that i am able to get myself off pretty easily with my own hands but i also have a right hand like a vibrator (and that's not really an exaggeration... people have alleged my hands are magic. i blame rhythm games and a body that hasn't always been the most interested in going over the edge by hand.)

the key components (for me) to being able to go over the edge without any genital contact are audiovisual stimulation, pressure, and tension. here's a summary of what works for me on these:

audiovisual stimulation—this one's simple. my brain really enjoys seeing and hearing people being penetrated, especially if they're getting off, and i feel almost a sympathetic response. i think this is related to the way some people can get off just from topping someone with a strap, although the strap does absolutely give some pressure with each thrust so that might be considered an "easier" variant of what i'm talking about doing (easier in quotes bc none of this is particularly easy to do the first time.) normally i don't watch that much vanilla porn (or really too much video pornography at all if i'm honest) but the easiest source of this kind of stimulation for me is watching simple amateur videos of people riding dildos. sound really helps. them having a real orgasm really helps.

pressure—this one is a little trickier, but it's got a few contributors. the more i need to come, the more "pressure" there is in that sense. (thank you, denial kink.) the fuller my bladder is, the more pressure there is from that side. (thank you, piss kink.) if i'm wearing tight pants and/or underwear or i'm under a blanket that comes into contact with my genitals that's another way to make the barrier to entry easier, although to get a perfect ruin i make sure to remove anything that was in contact as i pass the point of no return. that said, clothes and a full bladder both make the process easier, but i can get over the edge without either.

tension—this is the most difficult one to get right, i think. what i do, as i get more aroused, is roughly equivalent to kegel exercises, although i also tense certain muscles in my abdomen that i don't believe are part of the pelvic floor. this should work somewhat with any type of anatomy (and i'm aware of people who have hands-free orgasms with the two most common genital configurations,) as most people have some partially or fully internal erogenous tissue full of nerve endings that, when pushed on from the inside, is sexually pleasurable. this won't feel anywhere near as intense as direct stimulation, and i find it takes a while (and particularly good audiovisual material) to even reach the point where it feels like i could go over the edge. it also bears noting that the first few times i did this, even though i have damn strong pelvic floor muscles, i still ended up sore the next day like i was working out. don't hurt yourself, but figure out what muscles you can tense and release over and over that your body feels some slight pressure from. sometimes i find little thrusting motions with my hips help, though i try not to use these in combination with a blanket or anything because i think that would count as humping.

so basically, you're trying to get your brain so worked up that the idea of real stimulation is enough to get it to go over the edge, and at the same time do everything you can to go over the edge without touching your genitals (or, if you're a weirdo purist like me about the idea, doing things you consider "cheating." for example i avoid grinding my thighs together, humping things, anything that gives direct stimulation to my genitals.) of course, every body is different—and considering that the most important of this is about tricking the brain, every brain is also different—and so your mileage may vary. there's (of course) nothing wrong with you if you can't get this to work, and the first couple times i tried for it i couldn't manage it myself.

for the easiest setup and again this isn't easy the first time you do it, find the audiovisual material that works best for you, bring yourself right up near the edge in the way you would normally masturbate but not to the point of no return, and remove stimulation. then try your hardest to come by flexing and tensing muscles. if you get too far from the edge, bring yourself back up and try again. if you have other parts of your body that are sensitive to touch, you can lean on that a little (e.g. neck, nipples, thighs but not too close to the genitals) you can put your hands to work on those, although in my experience none of those are fully necessary either.

feel free to ask any questions this raises! i'm amenable to DMs, or if you're asking from a blog you don't want known (or just don't like DMs) you can also pick an emoji to send anon asks with! i have a list of taken emoji in my pinned, so you can pick anything that isn't listed there. i would love to hear any experiences you have using this info, and would be glad to give more details if they would help.

#denial #i guess it's denial related #even though it's literally about how to come lmao

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intersectionalpraxis · 5 months

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The idea behind a boycott truly seems lost on some. Percy Jackson and the Olympians was watched 13.3 million times since it's release, what, a couple days ago? It's on Disney+ aka the Pressure list on BDS, the author wrote a stupid blog post after 10/7 saying there are "two sides" to the issue, and many people who worked on the show are Zionists. What happened to the good ol' days of pirating? It's all Free Palestine until a show you want drops, huh? And from an author who has never written Arab/Muslim characters well.

I was reading a post on X recently about how someone had to tell her friends to boycott Starbucks because they didn't know it was one of the major companies that so many creators decided to start with because they were the most direct and influential (alongside McD's and Disney). Her friends were happy to do so, it's just they were 'unaware.'

This person also argued that unless you're "chronically online," you wouldn't know about what is happening, and depending on the media you are consuming (especially if it's mainstream western sources because we know they weave a VERY and vastly different story about what is happening in Palestine). I can understand a fraction of what she is saying, while at the same time I think this automatically reveals the willful ignorance that permeates our societies. How so many people can 'turn off,' and not engage or at least not know about what is going on across the globe based on many factors (which includes their governments and censorship -like in Canada it's hard to access videos on the ground in Palestine on Instagram unless you see it on X or Facebook or use a VPN, otherwise we/I can't access Eyes on Palestine on Instagram), is all very confounding to me. Because even without being 'online,' I do believe it's our responsibility to know, at bare minimum, what is happening.

I think at the crux of this (and these are just my opinions of course) is that many people in the global north, firstly, don't want to unpack their complicity in imperialistic and colonialist structures of violence in the global south because of their degree of consumerism (how the systems set up -and how so much of how we live depends on the mass hyper-exploitation of people 'elsewhere' where 'we don't have to see.'). So that in itself is something I think of when I see that there are people who either refuse to boycott big tech or industries that align or support genocidal regimes and powers, extensively so -because that would mean getting uncomfortable, being reflexive, demanding changes from these despicable companies (like refusing to buy from them until the are ethical and sustainable beyond paper), and overall changing your habits. And I don't mean shaming working class/poor people to stop shopping at major conglomerates to buy their groceries because that's not fair -not everyone can afford to buy local and go to farmer's markets. I'm talking about the excessive aspects of capitalism. Or watching/viewing content from places like Disney because they have the privilege to 'look away.'

We all know that if no one consumed a damn thing from these companies, that they'd change their tune very quickly, and it's just frustrating and beyond tragic to see Disney thrive despite how evil that corporation is, and only recently became 'inclusive,' but even so there's many stories and voices they leave out, or don't do justice. I hear you. I know what you mean, and seeing it is disappointing. Because even if you wanted to see those fucking films or series -yes there are OTHER means, but the fact that people will pay to see it and subscribe to it is just frustrating.

As always, boycott Disney.

#feminist #feminism #social justice #free palestine #freepalastine🇵🇸#palestine #free gaza #boycotting #boycott disney #boycott mcdonalds #boycott israel #bds movement #boycott divest sanction #boycott starbucks #western imperialism #us imperialism

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my-mt-heart · 5 months

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I want to address a few things that Norman said in Le Parisien. The article isn't free, and I'm not going to encourage anyone to pay for something they might not like, but if you do want the link, DM me and I'll send it. Thank you to the person who read and translated this:

Defending himself against others trying to throw him under the bus is one thing, but denying all responsibility for the title accomplishes absolutely nothing except further insulting a significant portion of Daryl's fanbase. These fans, specifically Carylers, were all paying close attention when he said the exact opposite on Jimmy Kimmel. Watch at 8:45:

youtube

The video is from late last year. Melissa's negotiations for S2/S3 started last summer and her deal closed at the end of the year per my sources, which means there was (at least) a loose plan to bring her back before S1 started shooting. Norman confirms Pilgrim was a working title at some point, but he doesn’t mention Raise the Dead, which was more than likely planned as the official title of the show while they were shooting between October '22 and February '23.

I bring up the timeline because even if you believe Melissa was always part of the French spinoff, Norman’s other favorite narrative right now, the implication is still this: Norman, AMC, and the other EPs were fully aware that Melissa was coming back when they officially landed on a title excluding her. You could argue Daryl has the most name recognition from being the most marketed character or that his tags on SM have 6 billion views or, hey, let’s make it 6 trillion (how much of that overlaps with Daryl and Carol content btw?), but as we saw, that doesn’t guarantee all those viewers will watch the show, which is how AMC makes money. If there are two leads on the show, naming it after one lead doesn't make any sense from a marketing perspective because AMC is missing out on attracting more audience, promoting two characters and their chemistry instead of just one character.

So. They either manipulated the situation to give Norman and the other EPs what they wanted or, once again, they dismissed Melissa’s/Carol’s vitality to the show. Or both. Regardless, it poses a big problem for me, because Carol's ability to stand her ground against anyone who thinks less of her is what draws me to her character. I can't reconcile that with the obvious tactics Norman and the other EPs use to claim the show for themselves, completely ignoring fans who may be critical, yes, but ultimately just want the story both Daryl and Carol have earned.

Speaking of being ignored, I heard from multiple fans that AMC did in fact send out a survey regarding the title. I can't confirm because I haven't seen the survey myself, but if you're doing market research, you need a target audience, and if you're doing market research on what you know will (eventually) be a Daryl and Carol show, you should probably target Daryl and Carol fans, shippers or otherwise. Not that it's the most appropriate way to choose a title (not even close), but where's my survey? Did any Carylers get to participate? Did anyone bother to check? Because to me, it sounds like the focus group they used for their market research wasn't aimed at their target audience at all. It's possible they did the market research with a sample audience of the flagship show or just Daryl fans who are a percentage of their audience but not all their audience. If they used an audience that incorporated Carylers, Daryl fans and GA — the feedback for that title would've been mixed. If they focused their market research on mostly Carylers, the feedback would've heavily leaned towards having an inclusive title.

So many fans, not just Carylers, hate the title. It's boring, it's offensive, it's pretentious, it's misogynistic, etc. etc. These are fans who want to watch and enjoy the show, who are expected to pay for it, so why don't their opinions carry more weight? Why is there still such a strong disconnect between AMC and Carol/Caryl fans when that's exactly what caused the backlash last year? Why are they not doing everything they can to avoid the same mistakes?

As for this:

Most of it is true except for one important detail. Angela Kang's spinoff was going to be a road show shot and set in the U.S. That's the phone call Norman is alluding to. That's the spinoff Melissa signed on for. To say otherwise makes her look unprofessional and flaky for "dropping out" knowing all along she'd have to relocate, and that's not what happened at all. It's like there's no consideration for his co-workers' images while he's trying to rebuild his own, and that is unprofessional.

To be very clear, this is not meant to be a smear campaign. My intention here is to point out how deceptive the PR/marketing strategies have been and how they're hurting everyone, including Norman. I can't for the life of me see any business sense in repeatedly gaslighting and alienating a profitable fanbase, treating Daryl and Carol fans like they're stupid, or insinuating a Daryl and Carol show can't belong to Daryl and Carol fans. The more Norman talks about the spinoff's inception, the more it ensures people will never trust a single thing that comes out of his mouth ever again, and that sucks because if he just focused on what the audience wants, insisting that Melissa is his equal on the show, talking about the characters in meaningful ways, supporting Daryl's and Carol's relationship, he could sell it easily. Fans should be getting excited for their story, not reliving last year's trauma over and over and over again. Melissa is back and that's exciting, but story still matters. Both on and off screen (precisely why we need someone else on board who can manage all of that really well). I've asked this several times before. I'll keep asking until someone listens. Can we please move the fuck on from the spinoff fiasco?

And change the title.

#caryl #carol peletier #melissa mcbride #darylneedscarol #the book of carol #twd caryl #Youtube

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mastersoftheair · 3 months

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You're doing the Lord's work posting all of these pics from the boys instas, etc bc I do not have an Instagram or whatever and I would never see these things otherwise! Thank you!

you're welcome!!!! also, i am Not a social media person At All (i'm a tumblrina through and through). the only reason i have an instagram, really, is to message friends/family who almost exclusively message people through instagram for some reason lol

+ (overly-detailed) storytime about instagram research under the cut (since i'm using your ask to take a trip down memory lane...)

back in 2021, with tremendous help from @carninator-blog (who was equally as interested in the "MotA Cast Investigation"), i managed to cobble together a growing list of cast and crew members (sometimes, i was faster than imdb lol). instagram was the Key tho, like it was INVALUABLE! if you found one person, they might post a story that shows Another person with them and, if you recognized That person, then you could find Their profile (if they had one). and so on and so forth.

dramatic reenactment of this:

anyway, it's a lot easier to do the instagram stuff now (can you believe i mainly use it for "research"). i browse the search term "mastersoftheair" and have retired the rest: "mota" (too much weed lmao), "masteroftheair" (an easy typo, but no one makes that mistake anymore), and "whirlwind" (production name which yielded 1 result out of like. 50 or more). i even had to download an old version of the instagram app bc they just HAD to get rid of the "recent" tab which is crazy inconvenient! that's where all the timely information is!!

another thing. a few guys straight up Do Not have an instagram profile (....like nate mann. it'd be hypocritical of me to not respect it but come onnnnnnn, nate mann!!) and, while some guys Do have a profile, they never post anything about MotA Ever (like fionn o'shea). further- some guys don't have a profile anymore, but they used to (like kai alexander). some guys have a private one (valid. also callum turner), some guys suddenly got Verified some time inbtwn the production and the premiere (the elliot(t)s), and some guys changed their user name (like josiah cross). every once in a long while, i have to go update my cast/crew instagram profile list on google docs with all the names and links and GODDDD i sound like a weirdass stalker now that i've put this all into words, but believe me when i say i'm very much not invested in any of the actors' personal lives!! i try to keep it as professional as i can (everything's sourced, like an archive). i'm only ever looking for the MotA stuff, Exclusively.

additionally, a lot of behind the scenes pics and videos would Only get posted in cast members' stories. if i missed that 24hr window, i'd never see it again (unless they decided to put them on their profile), so, i'd check their instagram profiles Every Day whenever i was free. on the bright side tho, a lot of them were Fantastic behind the scenes pics/videos and "watching" the production of this show from afar (through instagram, of all things) was a lot of fun in the midst of pandemic anxieties and boredom (go check my 'video' tag if you're ever in the mood for some on-set cast shenanigans!)

while i'm here tho, i've gotta say that while keeping up with the cast back then was fun the Vast majority of the time (if nothing else, it gave me something to do during the chaos of 2021/22), i had a sorta anxiety about it sometimes wrt the, idk, "sensitivity" of the content. it was very NDA This, NDA That. i figured, "well, if they already posted it in their stories, it's probably fine" until one of the cast members Literally made a whole tumblr account and very kindly asked if i could please remove a few of the pics i posted of him bc he technically wasn't allowed to post them in the first place, so having them Out There could get him in trouble! i was SOOOO embarrassed about it and i felt Awful about the possibility of him getting in trouble all thanks to some hyper-observant internet rando (thankfully, tumblr is famously lowkey. it'd be different if it was as popular as twitter lol). after that incident, i had this semi-anxiety about "should i post this pic or just That one? should i Not post this?? should i download/save them and post them after there's a big announcement of some kind??? where's the line?!! What Do Now???!!". it didn't help matters when, in the MotA behind the scenes facebook page, a bunch of really cool set pictures would sometimes get deleted within an hour bc Whoops! the poster actually wasn't allowed to share those (and, even if i'd already downloaded them before they got wiped, would i be able to post them, despite being under no such NDA myself? or would i get another mysterious DM?)

but that's all in the past, now! i'm pretty sure i've posted Every Single One of those behind the scenes pics/videos, provided i downloaded them in time. if not, sometimes the (finally active) MotA subreddit has my back lol.

further, looking for Any MotA content during from 2021 to 2023 came with acknowledging the eventual "droughts" (what i nicknamed them) where it'd be a good while before i saw anything new at all. bc of this, i have a legitimate soft spot for certain cast members who posted a lot of updates/pics/videos Wayyyy before we even got the first teaser (s/o to luke coughlan, louis greatorex, jordan coulson, josh bolt, and josiah cross for keeping hope alive)

tl;dr- it's no problem and i'm happy to do it!

#long post #all this detail is half bc i like talking about research (i'm a nerd if that wasn't abundantly clear)#and half bc i want to keep this memory for myself. in 5 years i'll probably wanna read it again who knows!#masters of the air #hbo war #asks

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seyaryminamoto · 2 years

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Leap of Faith: Sokkla Saturdays 2022

Day 4: Sokka dresses Azula

On FF.net//On AO3

And here's the first sequel I've written this year... the sequel to my Dragon Age AU from last year :'D about half as long, so still ridiculously long, but yet again... you can't expect better when adapting such a long game, not even when you're only centering it around secondary characters.

Anyway, it was a wild ride and I was very happy to finally fulfill my main headcanons in that franchise regarding a potential way to save a certain someone from being trapped in the Fade forevermore...

Hope you enjoy it! Read in either link above, since, yet again, Tumblr won't allow me to post the full story here.

Now, as for thoughts you may read after you finish that story...

Regarding the controversial ending... I can't be the only person who finds Aang and Solas can be disturbingly similar x'D There's obvious differences between the two, but even the fact that Bryke described Aang as a "trickster", and the Solas is notoriously known for being the Trickster God? Stuck in an iceberg for 100 years, and dormant for over 1000 years? Both are struck by tragedy when their civilizations were completely wiped out -- and both struggle with guilt over it, though I hold Solas far more responsible for it, in his case. In short... this was a no-brainer. The reason why Aang was never around in the first part of this story, the Prince Sokka and Peasant Azula prompt from last year, was because the minute I wanted to write a Dragon Age AU, I knew Aang would be the ideal Solas if I ever got around writing the Inquisition sequel. I know it was probably weird back then, but I hope it makes some sense this time, especially for people who have played these games.

Regarding Ursa... Flemeth is another big question mark in the future of Dragon Age's franchise as a whole. I recently watched a video with a lot of crazy theories about her being the source of all that's wrong with Thedas, but going by DAI's ending, with that epilogue in which Flemeth/Mythal kind of dies (?) in Solas's arms and Solas takes in her essence? It doesn't feel like Flemeth will be returning as herself in the future, at the very least, hence why Azula is sure she won't see Ursa again. Ursa is such a strange, gray character here because that's what Flemeth is like, but until the universe proves otherwise, I elect to believe that Flemeth's cruel treatment of Morrigan was actually a very twisted way of breaking her own cycle and setting her daughter free from the burden of inheriting Mythal directly... even if, by drinking from the Well of Sorrows, Morrigan is connected to Mythal all over again anyhow. Anyway. Well. I don't know what else is there to be said about this, but the point is Ursa's characterization wasn't so sketchy and strange for no reason, it's all because of the source material.

Regarding Dragon Age 2... I honestly wish I knew who to cast in the place of DA2's cast. I have a soft spot in my heart for most of the DA2 party characters, but unfortunately, I've already used soooo many ATLA and LOK characters, and finding some that correspond really well with the DA2 cast was so difficult it became virtually impossible. I actually thought June would be a perfect Isabela at first. I switched her to Hawke when I realized that I had no Hawke, and I NEEDED a Hawke for this story X'D my personal preference for Hawke is female Hawke too, which helped in that decision, but I couldn't possibly figure out who to turn into Merrill, Fenris, Aveline, let alone Anders (hence why he's not mentioned by name, I really have no idea who he'd be), and so, I chose to just reference a potential physical relationship between Hawke and Zevran (in this case, the old fandom-favorite obscure ship of Jet and June) rather than confirming a more traditional DA2 romance for this Hawke, since I just couldn't sort out who the rest of the DA2 cast would be. I didn't leave them so far out of the story because I wanted to, it's because I kiiind of had no choice, the shortage on characters rendered me helpless.

Regarding the Inquisitor... writing Inquisitor Korra Adaar made me happier than I imagined possible from writing that character. I thought about making her just a warrior, but I suppose she's a kind of physical mage, a warrior-mage hybrid of the sorts I don't think exist in this franchise. In her case, I didn't go all-out to confirm any DAI romances because I honestly didn't want to push a pairing for her, since it was also not exactly important for the story? Therefore, I left it up in the air. If you want to believe Korrasami happened, well, Josephine/Asami is certainly willing to be romanced by any Inquisitor, so that's a valid conclusion to reach X'D I suppose a case of the sort could be made for Mako/Cullen, but I realize Cullen isn't supposed to romance Qunari Inquisitors. Still, eh... it's up to whatever readers would like to imagine in the end, fic writers have been notorious for disregarding all of the canon preferences for characters anyway. Weirder things have been written in fandoms.

Anyway. I think that's basically all the notes I had to give for this particular chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

#sokkla #sokka #azula #sokkla saturdays 2022 #sokklasaturdays #so retelling DA my way takes about 120K words apparently (?)#and Tumblr doesn't like that :'D #anyway #I hope people can enjoy this one #I know it's a very specific AU but I really hope it's comprehensible anyway #*flings this into the wild*

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rainbowsky · 2 years

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Is it true during tencent awards on the stage dd was checking out another actors ass and told the actress next to him that the actor is so beautiful? I’m asking this because I watched a short clip, I don’t know how true it is and the lip reading also I don’t know if it’s accurate or fanmade.

Any tips for a new fellow on how to differentiate between real stuff and fake fanmade stuff in the bjyx fandom?

Yes, GG and DD were both clearly checking out Yang Yang, and DD even turns to Yang Mi and seems to be saying something along the lines of, "Wow, shuai!!" (Wow! Handsome!) I don't understand Chinese and even I can tell that's what he seems to be saying.

(Starts just after 34:30)

youtube

Of course, lip reading is not an exact science, especially when it comes to Chinese (which is a very homophonic language), so we can't know with absolute certainty that's what he's saying, but in context it seems possible he was saying something along those lines. Even without the lip reading, the faces say it all.

As for your second question...

The best way to know if something is real or fake is to go to the original source rather than fan edited clips, or at the very least, look at the unedited footage. Many things are deliberately edited to remove context or mislead viewers.

The sequence with Yang Yang above is exactly as it aired that night, so that bit at least hasn't been edited.

If you can't find a source, then ask a few trusted turtles. Although we're all prone to falling for fan edits from time to time. I have myself fallen for it at times, when I let my guard down and got caught up in the story I was being told. But if we want to know the truth we have to be conscious at all times, that video can be edited and manipulated. Going to the original source usually helps a lot.

Also, just use skeptical judgment. Don't get caught up in a cute or sad or romantic story. Use an analytical mind. There are tons of clips where people claim DD is crying, for example, and a lot of people believe it unquestioningly, but if you look at it with a clear head you have to admit, he really doesn't seem to be crying at all.

Anyway, hope this helps. If you ever come across a video you're unsure of feel free to send me a link. I love digging into that kind of thing. I have a whole series of posts about stuff like that. Here are just a few of those:

Did GG really say his ideal partner is female?

Was DD crying in the 9 minutes of bickering on a boat BTS?

Did DLS out DD during a DDU recording and make him cry?

#bxg fact checking #some guys are not straight guys #ask

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v-arbellanaris · 1 year

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Hi! As requested, some (very) random stuff. I am sorry you're having a bad day/week. February can go suck an egg in my humble opinion.

Meta: I was 0 days old when I found out that according to DA lore, there are no dwarven slaves in Tevinter. (because of the importance of the lyrium trade) I was refreshing my memory about Dwarven Ambasadoria and it says so on the wiki but without a source where that comes from. It seems unlikely to me, but ok.

Comic thing (Those who speak) that bothers me mighty: So, in the game, Isabela frees the slaves on the ship she is escorting. Because she agreed to do it without knowing that the cargo were living people. She lets them go. The guy is pissed mighty and that is why she agreed to steal the tome of Koslun in return for him. It's an entire plot! And in the comic... She kills the slaves. What the fuck Bioware.

Character: Varric's necklace has this running joke about Cock-ring necklace Ken. But as much as the makers of the doll didn't have a clue where that fashion came from, maybe Varric too wanted to be flashy! But ended up with a cock ring around his neck?

I was relistening DA2 banter and Varric has a dialogue with Choir boy about Bianca's cocking ring. And I kinda had a thought. What if the necklace is actually a spare part that he kept from the time Bianca made Bianca the crossbow?

Also, dunno why but everyone everywhere claims Varric is ENTP type, but when I sat down and checked it turns out he is very much an ENFP. It matters to me for some weird reason.

Also, Isabela/Varric banter is peak aromantic/asexual humor. I believe that Varric is the embodiment of (insert the no throw! dog meme) No sex! Only sexy!

In the comic (the one where they have a Fade trip) Varric in a dream sequence looks more like a human than a dwarf. (the way he is drawn) until he leaves the "vision" and looks like a dwarf again. Is this like? Intentional? Just a weird drawing thing when someone couldn't exactly figure out proportions?

The new comic (if we are speaking of comics and the way dwarfs are being drawn) has some dwarven ladies. People like the new Varric design. (good for them) I am crying over Dwarven ladies being done dirty.

Dark secret: I am low-key planning to ignore Dragon Age 4. People are hyped. I am like? Annoyed? I have my own canon, whole-ass Inquisition re-write. I don't care.

Also, I never played any dragon age game. I pirated it sure. I managed to create a few characters in a creator but never played further than the opening sequence. My laptop would burn to a crisp. It's really that shitty. I literary watched so many yt walkthroughs and read through the wiki. I often forget that is a weird and not-normal way to enjoy video games.

Another secret: I made a Cadash OC, I had them for so many years. And they are central to the plot of my entire personal Dragon Age Universe. The entire plot of Origins. Appear in DA2 events briefly. Then entire Inquisition. It's an overkill how important I made that character. But it's too late now! I wish I had enough willpower to record it somewhere (drawings, writing) just for the sake of it. Yet I am afraid of how weird it is. Funny, no?

Hope you feel a little bit better sometime soon.

I have no puns. I have a funny video in this trying time I sometimes watch to feel better: https://www.tumblr.com/titkoks/644666319075229696/obsessed-with-the-line-if-i-can-continue-to-be-a?source=share

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER!!!! february does suck!!! march is not looking that much better atm but here's to hoping....

seriously?! i mean i suppose that makes sense but it also doesn't make sense considering y'know. the casteless? wait. what if they (the dwarves from other castes) wouldn't consider that enslavement of their people... that would be really fucked up but on brand for orzammar social politics huh

i mean, having isabela - a black woman - be a slaver in the worst place is already an extremely questionable writing decision. i also think it was a shit writing decision but the trail of logic seems to be along the lines of like: isabela gets in debt with the felicisima armada -> gets involved in slave trafficking -> gets cornered by the orlesians in the venefication sea -> slaves were killed (to allow the ship to maneuver since it's implied the ship was slow because the cargo holds were too packed) -> isabela vows never to traffic slaves again -> presumably the next time she's asked to do it anyway, she sets the slaves free? which is still not great. bioware's sliding scale of when slavery is or isnt acceptable is really... hm.

this is making me UNWELL. for so many reasons.

YEAH WHY DO THEY LOOK LIKE THAT??? what did they do to evka and harding?!?!?!

Dark secret: I am low-key planning to ignore Dragon Age 4. People are hyped. I am like? Annoyed? I have my own canon, whole-ass Inquisition re-write. I don't care.

yeah i'm checking it out for the vibes but im still digging around in origins and da2 for content so i hope that tells you where MY mind is at

EXCUSE ME MGDFKGJDKSGJKDFGJ this is SO funny you are the ONLY VALID person in the entire fandom and i love you

#asks #IM WHEEZING yes king don't give bw any money MDKJF love that for you actually

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mirandamckenni1 · 2 months

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youtube

A skeptic's deep dive into hypnosis I command you to go to https://ift.tt/wMh01ug to try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days. You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. You're getting very sleeeeeeeeepy. Sleeeeeeeeeeepyyyyyyy. In one form or another, hypnotic trances have been interwoven throughout human history, manifesting in various forms, from the rituals of ancient shamans and healers to the profound experiences guided by spiritual leaders. But hypnosis has also been (and continues to become) a popular tool for use in therapy. But what, exactly, is going on? Is the hypnotic state legit? And if so, what is it? And if not...well then what? In this deep dive into the world of hypnosis, I'm going to try to untangle this fascinating phenomenon from every angle. There are so many complex mysteries surrounding hypnosis, from the state versus non-state debate to the latest research findings. We'll journey through the history of hypnosis, debunking myths along the way and uncovering the truth behind its efficacy as a therapeutic tool. But this isn't just an academic exploration, it's a personal journey too. As someone who has been a long-time skeptic, I feel compelled to learn more. I'm pretty surprised by what I found. So whether you're a doubter yourself or a curious believer, join me on this thought-provoking adventure into the realm of hypnosis. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below—I'd love to hear your thoughts and takeaways. HUGE thanks to Rohin from Medlife Crisis, WonderWhy, and Thomas Rintoul for lending their voices for the amazing voiceovers. Go check out their YouTube channels! I've linked them in my pinned comment below. Sources (and links to hypnotherapy demonstrations): https://bit.ly/Hypnosisvideosources Wanna watch this video without ads and see all of our exclusive content? Head over to https://ift.tt/LU6f1IK 0:00 - I'm a non-believer 1:57 - Hypnosis in ancient history 3:04 - Mesmer and magnetic powers 10:35 - The debunking of animal magnetism 12:27 - Hypnosis gets scientific 18:02 - Freud shows up lol 19:36 - A casual mention of stage hypnosis 20:24 - How therapists hypnotize people 25:21 - What hypnosis feels like...and not 26:49 - A significant risk with hypnosis 28:14 - The big debate: state or nonstate 30:22 - Self-report and biological research 33:36 - Psychological research 39:57 - Research supporting a nonstate 44:25 - A deceptive test of hypnotizability 47:45 - So is hypnosis real? 52:07 - Where I land We published a book called Brains Explained. You can buy it! https://amzn.to/3hkmCdo Join our mess of a Discord server: https://ift.tt/xMWSpH3 If you like what we do, support our work by becoming a Patron: https://ift.tt/SgXZ4pz Alternatively, if you wanna support the channel and get some fun emojis to use in comments and a badge next to your name in the process, consider becoming a "member" of our channel right here on YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYLrBefhyp8YyI9VGPbghvw/join We couldn’t do all of this without our awesome Patreon Producers, Ryan M. Shaver, Carrie McKenzie, Jareth Arnold, and Caldwell Braeburn. You four are like a hypnotic suggestion to feel warm and cozy on the inside! And thanks to our other high-level Patrons, including: 12tone Marcelo Kenji Linda L Schubert Susan Jones Ilsa Jerome Chuck V Robert Stuckey k b Raymond Chin Marcel Ward via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMQ9mCadSzM

#IFTTT #YouTube #Youtube

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leilani-lover · 2 months

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MANY WAYS TO GET SKINNIER

HOW TO KNOW WHENEVER A GIRL/BOY IS CHEATING ON ME

HOW DO I FUCK SOMEONE WITHOUT THEM CALLING MY DICK SMALL AND PATHETIC

WHERE IS CLAUDIA

WHAT IS THE AGE OF TREES

HOW DO YOU HANDLE A STAB WOUND IN YOUR ARMPIT

oh the many questions we ask the internet everyday for such weird reasons.

Have we truly never heard of the

✨Dangers of internet✨

I know, i know. Old thing. Heard about it all your life. But do you register just how dangerous it is actually?

Like the way your phone camera stalks you just as much as the camera on your tv and computer and iPad.

You're constantly being watched

You're agreeing to give our information to things without even reading through what they say. Whenever it was to give out your exact location or your first born child for satan's breakfast. You're still going to be an idiot, horse cock sucking, calcium sticked fuck.

Like, don't you see the dangers the internet has?

So much presious information. So much sensitive information.

So much power. Yet nobody takes it seriously.

I could steal the information of your account and find our house, full name, age, relationship status, friends and other past relationships, criminal records, hobbies, what you ate for breakfast, how often you work out, how tall you are, how much you weight, were you part of something traumatic etc etc.

Are you not taking these things seriously or what? This Is a real threat damnit. Practically anybody could do the above, with a little bit of training and the right methods of manipulation.

No camera is safe. Goverments and other people are constantly trying to look, stalk and use us. Most of women already are careful. About everyone is careful with their cars. Etc. Why not with your cellphones and laptops and TVs as well? What's so different with them? Don't you know that your phones and apps are collecting your pictures to train AI and to generally use your picture and information for their good? It's constantly collecting something that you should be allowed to control, but you aren't. You just blindly agree to those privacy settings like a Christian would follow religion without questions. Blindly praying and obeying gods orders. You're literally being brainwashed into believing internet is good. Aren't you? Refusing to believe this as well, because the internet brought so much good eh?

Internet is your god and whenever you use it, you're praying, worshipping it.

Ofc the internet had good sides to it as well! I'm not saying it doesn't. But I'm trying to bring up the negative as well. It's good we can share things, option, opinions, art, thoughts, questions, wonders, worldviews, knowledge and so much more to others. And it's good we can entertain, learn and listen to things. But criticism is needed, other than the "internet is the immediate source for your headache, chest aches, etc" it's not always that.

See, I've been in IT classes and we've done so much. We've build computers, fixed them, made websites, mobile apps, AI, HTML coding etc. And the thing I'm focusing on is the films we've watch there. The whole course has been absolutely brilliant. Though it has made me be way more careful about everything. Like you should as well.

I don't know yow strongly you think about the generation alpha. I don't know what you think of them. But theu certainly worry me. The way they are literally glued to their phones. Believing everything there is. Not able to hear their parents voices nor their siblings voices. They hear the voices of different videos or games. They're taught to be glued to their phones by their parents. We literally go do our own shit and give them a table to play with for the mean time. And then when they grow up, we're constantly on our phones as well. Why not go outside somedays? Give toys to the kids. They don't need to be glued to electronics

Hell, when i was young, i was running free on the nature. Eating and throwing whatever came to hand. Biting others toes and crying my heart out. I got my first own electronic when i was like five! Yeah, it's still young as fuck. But i had my life filled with snake games, Tetris, terraria, Minecraft and mostly importantly, outside world and siblings. I've got a couple of younger siblings now. And thr gen alpha part of them scares me. Worries me as elder sibling.

Maybe i might just be a bit paranoid because of the IT classes. But it doesn't mean that I'm entirely wrong. And I'm still worrying about valid things.

That's another thing internet does. Makes people feel invalid and fucked up. It creates groups and unites friends. But it also breaks them and fucks with humans mind. It's way more than you think as well. It doesn't even need to be specifically humans that do the twisting of the mind. It could simply be music, because certain type of music effects your mood. It could also be the information you give to the phone. The ads you get etc. It doesn't take much to fuck up persons mind completely. Give off wrong information to the algorithm and soon you'll have ads about sensitive topics etc.

To those uninformed

Regards, your unknown, Leilani Lovers.

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feels-like-floating · 10 months

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Colloboh (a portmanteau of Collins Oboh) is a Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based experimental producer and composer who has spent the past several years cultivating genre-spanning modular wizardry. We had a chance to chat with Colloboh about music as meditation, his summer residency with us, and trusting in the guide and the glide.

Let’s get started. What drives you to make music and what do you hope to share with it?

Collins: Making music is more like a meditation for me. It's just the way I express myself because I'm not the best at verbally expressing emotions, I'm still getting better at that. Music is an outlet for me to express myself.

What do you mean by music being a meditation?

Collins: It's like getting into a zone where I can spend hours listening to one loop. It feels meditative, you know? It's hard to explain. It's getting in a zone where your mind is clear, and you just flow into it. It's a way to practice intuition for me. When I'm making music, something pops out, and I'm like, "Okay, let's keep going with that idea." It's about flowing and practicing intuition, trusting the process of things.

Like being in a stable flow, I totally feel that. Is your interest in loops what got you into synthesizers?

Collins: Not necessarily synthesizers. I just like the idea of sculpting something. It's pretty analogous to being a sculptor with a marble piece: you have this raw thing that you can sculpt into anything you want. That's what attracts me to synthesis and using synthesizers. Starting with raw waveforms like sine waves, saw waves, and square waves, you can sculpt those sounds by filtering, adding delays, and other effects, combining different elements. It's just fun, you know?

Is there anything that led you to start playing with synthesizers in that way?

Well, I started making music with some friends back in high school. I was making beats for them, and we were in a little rap group. Then I watched this one YouTube video that convinced me to get into modular synthesizers. It's been about eight or nine years now. Shout out to YouTube.

Literally. It's free information. Love it. I heard that you used to study some kind of science before?

Oh yeah, I was into data engineering.

Do you feel like that has any crossover with your music practice?

I actually get asked that a lot, but it's funny because it feels like the other way around. When I was doing data engineering for a living, I was already into the synthesizer world. There are similar concepts, like having a sound source or data source, transforming it, and then outputting it in a different way. It was a concept I was already familiar with through electronic music. It actually helped my real life.

That's awesome. You do music full time now though, right?

Yeah, I do music full time. It's been almost a year now since I stopped my day job. We're trying to make it work. It's fucking hard as hell.

What kind of struggles have you experienced, especially with that transition?

Financial struggles, like most other artists. But we're making it work. You know, I have a lot of faith, maybe a foolish amount of faith (laughs), that things work out if you just follow the greater path, just quoting "Trust the Guide and Glide," a record by MatthewDavid. But I feel like it's a true thing. When I had my job, I was financially secure but not happy. Now it's flipped. I'm not financially secure, but I feel very happy and present. It's a priceless feeling. I'd rather have that than anything.

Yeah, I definitely feel there's truth to the idea that as long as you're true to yourself, you spread that energy and attract the right things. And maybe the money will come eventually.

Yeah, I believe in that. Mm-hmm.

I see that you grew up in the DMV area?

Yeah, I was born in Nigeria and then moved to Maryland when I was seven. I lived in Maryland until about a year and a half ago.

Do you feel like moving here influenced the way you see things or make music?

In a way, it's hard to say. I don't really feel like I'm fully American or fully Nigerian. I guess I'm just an Earth person (laughs). It's a benefit because I don't have to align with any particular thing. I can just be myself.

Growing up in Maryland was cool. There's a lot of diversity, especially in Montgomery County where I grew up. I'm grateful because I got to meet people from different cultures and befriend them. It influenced my taste in music and my openness to different things. Living in Baltimore for five years was a big part of my coming of age. I learned a lot about caring for others, empathy, and music experimentation. Baltimore has a huge experimentation scene. It was a big influence on my creativity.

How was your experience transitioning to LA? What kind of impression did you have of the city?

I feel very lucky because before I moved here, about a month or two before, I came and played one of the park shows for Leaving Records. That's when I got to meet everyone and actually met Sam. Sam was really nice and let me crash at her place (laughs). So I got so lucky because I met so many people at that show who I'm still close friends with today. Moving here made so much sense.

That's awesome.

Yeah, I feel so grateful. Everything feels so right. I have no doubt and no fear.

Being here has taught me a lot about community and the importance of having a shared mindset, shared vision, and uplifting each other to reach our fullest potentials. That's the vibe.

So sweet. For your residency, do you have any particular intention with regards to experimentation or challenging your current practice?

Definitely, I'll be challenged. The first show, which is gonna be on the ship, that's gonna be fucking amazing. I can't even believe that's happening now (laughs). It's been on my bucket list to go whale watching, and it was just a surreal thing when Noah was like, "Yeah, we're thinking about this whale watching thing." It was another moment where I was like, "Oh fuck yeah, this all feels so right." I'm so excited for that. I have no idea what I'm gonna play. I'm excited to see Green-House play, MatthewDavid is gonna play too. I'm probably gonna mess around with some of the aquatic microphones, but honestly I don't even really care too much about the music (laughs), I'm just excited for the whales.

And the next show, which is at the Hollyhock, I'm excited for that because I keep hearing how beautiful that space is. I've never been there. It's gonna be a good challenge because it's gonna be like a whole band with me, hopefully Mickey, Qur'an and Spencer. The three of us are gonna play my latest EP front to back, with some other songs here and there.

Saana Sahel is a gorgeous EP. It feels very elegant.

Thank you, I appreciate it. I made that while I was in LA and I was going through a breakup. It was kind of chaotic, but also there were moments of crazy energy and moments of super peacefulness, which is how my emotions were when I was going through all that shit. Living in LA for the first time, going through lots of changes, quitting my job, breaking up, moving to a new place. It's been a huge life change, but also just a blessing.

Totally. Through change, you kind of disintegrate and rebuild yourself, and then you're this new version of yourself, and it feels really exciting and sad. What about your last show in the Japanese Garden?

I'm actually gonna play a solo version of what I play with the whole band, but I'm gonna be on the side, and my friend Stephanie is gonna be doing a dance performance. So it'll be more of an elegant, low-key thing where she dances to it. She's one of my favorite dancers, and I'm just excited to see what she creates.

There's also a legendary poet named Kamau Daaood, and I'm trying to see if I can get him to read some poetry for that last show. So I would do this solo set with my friend Stephanie dancing, and then it would end with a poetry reading from Kamau Daaood. I feel like it would be a special thing, just to pay homage to the Pan African People's Arkestra, which has been super influential to my recent music. From their actual music to my friends like Mickey and Qur'an and Leaving Records. He can have all the money honestly.

It's literally just a labor of love, and I'm excited for the experience of it.

Do you have any particular relationship with the outdoors or sound in the outdoors?

I love being outdoors. The ocean, especially. It's a grounding space for me. I was at the beach two days ago, felt like I was recalibrating my energy. Now I sound like an LA girl.

(Laughs) You're centering yourself in Mother Nature.

But honestly, being by the ocean feels like that. Actually, my EP "Saana Sahel" on vinyl, the tracks are split into two sides. The first three tracks remind me of the desert, and the last three tracks remind me of the ocean. Those are two important spaces for me. When I moved to LA, I had psychedelic experiences in the desert, and I've always loved the ocean. It's one of the main reasons I moved here. The ocean reminds me of my ex because we both loved it. It holds a lot of personal meaning.

They're both endless expanses but extreme opposites of each other.

Beautifully said. I might steal that.

Go for it (laughs). What does "Saana Sahel" mean?

It's something I made up, actually. Making music is like a meditative space for me. "Saana Sahel" represents this place I strive to reach inward, a place of greater peace, higher self, and responsibility as a human. It's a made-up place, like a Mount Everest, where I'm working towards.

Like enlightenment.

Exactly.

Do you have a favorite plant?

Damn, I love that question. That's tough. Well, I like hydrangeas. I remember when I worked at Home Depot in the plant section, I learned about hydrangeas. They're pretty.

I also like thyme. It's an herb, but it's strong. I planted it, and it made it through the winter. Like, bitch you won't die. It's just always there, I never have to worry. When a recipe needs thyme, I can just go outside. Not like fucking parsley, which might be dead. (Laughs)

It's reliable. It shows up. Is there anything else you want to add or talk about? Anything on your mind?

Yeah, I feel really grateful for this. The Floating community, the staff at Floating, shout out to Noah, Nina, Sam, and everyone else. You guys make this a no-brainer.

Aww, thanks. That's what we try to do.

Hopefully you guys get a bigger budget one day. It's tough right now for what we're trying to do, but if we all believe in it and don't give up, that's what matters.

For sure. Something will manifest, even if it's not what we can imagine right now.

Save the dates for Colloboh’s summer residency! For more info visit our website at https://www.feelslikefloating.com/colloboh-summer-residency

#music #interview #ambient music #music outdoors #nature #music outside #indie #electronic music #art #synthesizer #whales #colloboh #matthewdavid #leaving records #pan afrikan people's arkestra #Bandcamp

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swiftbell · 1 year

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Just have some very personal stuff I felt I needed to write down and get out into the world, feel free to ignore.

tw: childhood trauma, tw: emotional neglect Actually coming to the realisation that both of my parents were emotionally neglectful to me as a kid feels... weird to say the least. Part of the reason being that they did provide me with everything I needed physically or monetarily, and it feels as if I need to be very grateful for that, but I just can't. I've been reading and watching some stuff on the internet (link, link, link) and one of them mentioned that you had a relatively good life, but you also feel resentment towards your parents. Which yeah. There were also just a lot of things that hit hard, like the one linked video where he goes through signs of childhood trauma and I recognise everything as things I've either struggled with a lot, or to some capacity am struggling with.

The sources I find talk about recognising yourself in some of the points, but I recognise myself in almost all of the points. And honestly it just fucking sucks. On one hand it feels validating for someone to point out and say "hey, what you're feeling isn't normal, and things can be better", but on the other hand I feel angry because it means that I could've had such a better life. My mental health could've been so much better, there are so many situations I could've handled better. I could have been younger than almost 30 before I started feeling like maybe I can get my life together.

And honestly I don't want to hear people talk about how "everybody struggles with this in some form" and "nobody had their life together by 30" because I don't care! I care about the fact that I have it bad and that I could've had it so much better! My feelings and experiences are valid.

And then there's the fact that I really don't think there'd be any difference if I told my parents about it. Both would be defensive, my dad would be angry that my worldview doesn't line up with his and that he thinks he's done good and given up a lot and that I should be more grateful (I have heard him say that he wouldn't change anything about the way he raised us). And I know my mum would be hurt and blame herself, because she's gone through much and given much, but then she'd put it on me to explain to her what she should do and just say that she doesn't understand - problem is that she won't because I've tried to explain things to her a dozen times and she still doesn't understand. It's either disappointed anger or woe is me I don't understand, and neither will want to go to therapy or actually fix it with the hard work it would take, and I just don't want to deal with that. It's not like either of them would actually hear what I want to say to them.

I talked about it a bit with my therapist, and I just remember that in my childhood (7th-8th grade or thereabout) we had a thing in school where we had a list of things we had to put prioritise, and I was the only one who put my friends before my family (excluding my sister, because she's always at the top). Which honestly just shows that I've known this for a long time, but thought I was probably exaggerating because it couldn't be that bad, and it's not like they were actually abusive y'know.

I feel as if I had some point I wanted to make when I started writing this, but I don't know what that point is. Maybe I just want someone to say that what they've done is in fact fucked up, and that I am valid in my feelings, and that people don't try to downplay it, or try to fix it, or try to get me to see their side. Believe me, I have seen too much of their side, and I understand it better than they do. Arrogance? Maybe. But I have 0 hope that they'll ever change.

I'm just not sure what to do now. I am gonna talk more to my therapist about this. I just needed to get this out into the world.

#bibbly bobbly talkey talkey stuff #maybe delete later #personal stuff

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archduchessofnowhere · 2 years

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Hello . Do you know if there are any books about Empress Sissi and her family on archive org? Thanks.

Hello! Sorry it took me so long, I was busy and then I got sick (not covid but still I was very tired to write anything). Luckily for us, the answers to this question is quite long! There are PLENTY of books about Sisi and her family on the archive!

Non-fiction in the public domain:

Some memoirs and near contemporany biographies that you can download for free!

Aus den letzten Jahren der Kaiserin Elisabeth, by Irma Sztáray. This book was written by the last lady-in-waiting of Sisi (literally, she's the one who accompanied Sisi to the trip in which she was assassinated), and it narrates the years Irma spent with the Empress, up to her death. It is however only in German (there are translations, but those aren't in the public domain). The upcoming movie Sisi und ich is based on this book.

My Past, by Countess Marie Larisch. The memoirs of Elisabeth's infamous niece who went down in history for being the go-between Crown Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera. Although all memoirs are written to put its subjects in the best light, Countess Larisch's are known for being heavily unreliable, since she goes above and beyond to paint herself as a victim who did nothing wrong, ever. And on top of that, she also just, straight up made stuff up. Still, she was Sisi's close confidant for many years so there probably are true facts in here also. And more importantly, many books do use this memoirs as well as her other works as sources, sometimes without even citing her or noting that she's not super trustable, so knowing what stories originate from here may worth the read.

I was to be Empress by Stephanie of Belgium. The memoirs of Elisabeth's daughter-in-law, in which she gives her version of her married life with Rudolf, her time as Crown Princess and the Mayerling affair. This book is high in my TBR list, because Stephanie was a much maligned figure on her time and I'm really curious about what she had to say about it. Fun? fact: Archduchess Erzsi, Stephanie and Rudolf's daughter, had this book banned in Austria.

My own affairs by Louise of Belgium. The memoirs of Stephanie's elder sister, whom also married into Austria and had a very scandalous life. There isn't much about Sisi here so it might not be of your interest, but after watching this video about Louise's life I've been dying to read it since it sounds like a legit good read? Also she and her husband were close friends with Rudolf, so she has some stuff to say about Mayerling.

Recollections of a Royal Governess. Written by the governess of Archduchess Erzsi, this book is full of anecdotes and stories about the Imperial family (although once again, there isn't much on the Empress herself). Not sure on how reliable it is, but it can be an interesting reading nontheless.

Maria Sophia, Queen of Naples: A Continuation of "The Empress Elizabeth", by Clara Tschudi. The first biography ever on Sisi's younger sister Marie. Here's my review on it.

BONUS:

Absolutely unreliable books that you may want to check for funsies only:

The secret of an empress, by Countess Zanardi Landi. In case you don't know, there was a woman that claimed for YEARS that she was Elisabeth's illegitimate daughter. No one believed her back then and no one believes her now - but before DNA tests you could claim being the long lost child of anyone and nobody could do anything about it. Said woman wrote a book on this; its contents are probably 95% made up, but in case you're curious about what she had to say, here it is.

Behind the Scenes at the Court of Vienna by Henri de Weindel. I skimmed through it and honestly it sounds fake, but hey who knows - maybe de Weindel was onto something. On the same vein of "hey this sounds kinda fake but maybe it isn't?" Princess Catherine Radziwiłł wrote some books about the Austrian court too (also in the public domain).

Non-fiction not in the public domain:

Books you can borrow and read for free, but not donwload. There are plenty so I'll just recommend the ones I've read.

The Reluctant Empress by Brigitte Hamann. Elisabeth's historiography in English it's kinda outdated, so Hamann's work from the 80s remains the most complete biography available (and it's overall still considered one of Elisabeth's best biographies). She does a really good research and covers many aspects of her life that sometimes don't recieve much attention (like her relationship with her siblings). However, as it is often noted, Hamann is also weirdly hostile towards Sisi, and many of her conclusions about her have a very noticeable negative bias. It's still very informative, just be prepared for this because it can be annoying.

Sissi ou la fatalité by Jean Des Cars. This is a very good a biography on Elisabeth. Des Cars has a more positive view on his subject and reading it after Hamann's gave me a more complete and nuanced picture of Sisi. My main criticism is that Des Cars isn't a historian but a journalist and it shows; his approach to his subject and investigation was very journalist-like. Also his prose is a bit dramatic so be prepared for that too lol. There isn't an English translation and on the Archive only the original in French is available.

Elizabeth, Empress of Austria by Egon Corti. This biography was groundbreaking when first published, Corti went through many primary sources unknown to the general public of the time and interviewed people that actually met Elisabeth. Although now it's considered outdated, to this day it's the backbone of any book on the Empress.

The Emperor and the Actress by Joan Haslip. This book covers the relationship between Franz Josef and actress Katharina Schratt, whose friendship (and maybe much more than that) lasted over twenty years. This book is fairly short and easy to read; personally FJ's relationship with Katharina is like the only thing about him that I find genuinely interesting and I loved learning more about it. Elisabeth was the first shipper of these two so she appears a lot too. For more books about FJ check his tag.

A LOT has been written about Elisabeth's brother and sister-in-law Archduke Maximilian and Princess Charlotte - the short lived Emperor and Empress of the Second Mexican Empire. Currently I'm reading The Crown of Mexico by Joan Haslip (available on the archive) and I'm quite enjoying it - although it does has some outdated language (specially when talking about the indigenous people from Mexico) and one random homophobic comment that's pretty gross. Other than that it's quite informative and easy to read, specially if you don't know much about the subject. I could not list all the works about them on the Archive, there's just a lot of non-fiction and fiction, as well as some memoirs of people that knew them and were in Mexico with them. I recommed going through their tags ([x][x]) or just looking up "Maximilian of Mexico" and "Carlota of Mexico" to see all that's available.

There are a couple of biographies on King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Elisabeth's cousin and friend. I woudn't know which one of these recommend to you, but you could start with Greg King's one, since I've read other works by him and they were good.

Fiction books:

There's plenty too! I can't recommend any of these tho, since the only fictional book about Sisi that I've read isn't here, so I'll just highlight the popular ones:

Elisabeth The Princess Bride by Barry Denenberg. The Royal Diaries seems to be every English speaker royal history nerd formative book series so I'm sure this one is beloved too.

The Accidental Empress and Sisi, Empress On Her Own, by Allison Pataki. This duology was published fairly recently and it's quite popular. The Sisi stans of Goodreads THRASHED these books tho, since apparently Pataki is very historically inaccurate.

The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin. Apparently it isn't very good either.

A Caged Bird by Maureen Fleming. Not a popular book at all, just highlighting it because this 30s novel it's in the public domain so you can download it (and because the first lines killed me).

These are just some books (and I haven't read many of them); the Archive is an amazing place because you can spend hourse searching and finding books and information. If you go to the tag you'll find even more books on Sisi (I couldn't fit all of them on the post), there are also some on Crown Prince Rudolf here. If there is someone in particular you are interested in and I haven't covered them here tell me and I see if I can find something!

I hope this answer helped you!

#this might as well be my own tbr list tbh #empress elisabeth of austria #franz josef i of austria #stephanie of belgium crown princess of austria #louise of belgium princess of saxe coburg and gotha #marie von wallersee countess larisch #(I mention more people in the post but I got tired of tagging lol)#resources #asks

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religion-is-a-mental-illness · 2 years

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hey

i know which part is lying to me. It's the part that says god is real. I know god doesn't exist. I'm just having trouble believing it. You mentioned ex-xians and ex-muslims who have a fear of hell and that is it for me. I have an intense fear of hell eventhough science completely disapproves it's existence (narak is to the south of the earth while, in reality, there is nothing in the direct south of earth in space at the distance mentioned in scriptures). What really does it for me is the contrasting beliefs in the religion itself.

No two scriptures agree on anything mentioned.

goddesses are sexual beings and worshipping them as lovers is good and recommended \\ // goddesses are either mother's or sisters or sisters in law but never wives and lovers and viewing them in a sexual manner is a sin which the goddess personally administer's punishment for.

women are pure on their periods as the sins committed by them flow out with the blood \\// women are impure on their periods as they are bleeding

parent's are gods \\// there is only one god who cannot be seen by mortal eyes (which god is this? no one agrees on it)

mahakali grants moksha \\// krishna grants moksha \\// shiv grants moksha

I'm 16, bisexual and female. Telling my parents i don't believe in god could result in me being thrown out or in an early marriage (perhaps just a few days after i turn 18).

“We went to a temple and it was instinctual. It's an old habit that I no longer subscribe to"

At my house the worship happens twice a day. I’m the one who does it in the evenings (my mother or father in the morning) so I think that is something that brings back the belief. I haven’t gone to a temple in years. I think if I could stop doing this worship permanently for about a month, i would be able to get rid of belief. But I don’t have any choice but to do it (cause i have a physically abusive family. yay!).

Writing some of these things down in some form, which doesn't have to be for public consumption can help

I think keeping a hidden journal will be safe and good. I think the issue is the worship i do everyday along with an unhealthy fear of hell and also this feeling of peace when I chant a particular mantra.

There’s this book, Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God (-Armin Navabi), If i can find it online I think it will be helpful to read that as well.

I’ll go through those links and watch that video in the evening so I don’t get caught by my parents. You’ve been a huge help. Thank you!

If you're after a copy of Why There is No God, you can get a free copy via Atheist Republic, by signing up for their newsletter.

https://www.atheistrepublic.com/newsletter

I don't think Armin would mind if I link to an alternate source:

https://b-ok.cc/book/2550566/54938f (EPUB)

https://b-ok.cc/book/5371270/20a727 (PDF)

These resources relating to Religious Trauma Syndrome may also be useful:

https://journeyfree.org/rts/

https://www.daretodoubt.org/religious-trauma-syndrome

Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion (EPUB)

Hell (Naraka) seems to be one of the most persistent hangover for apostates of any religion. Some people have an intellectual "a ha!" moment and it vanishes, for others it's not so easy. I don't think there's a magic bullet here, just keep listening to ex-Hindus, and since it's sufficiently universal, ex-Xians and ex-Muslims as well about how they overcame it, and see what works for you.

Perhaps consider not just the scientific aspect of whether hell can exist (it can't), but the philosophical implications. Certainly I hope that you realize that it's not just scientifically nonsensical, but it's also profoundly immoral. I'm not fully across how the HIndu system works, but there are some general things to consider.

A system which awards completely binary outcomes - "heaven" or "hell" - for all of human behavior is pathetic and absurd. And a system which punishes you for being intellectually honest about what you believe and what you can claim to know, is a system created by a villain. A system which would punish you for not believing, and ignoring that you're a good person, is the system of a tyrant who wants compliance not morality.

Are you that bad of a person that you deserve eternal punishment? No, you're not. What kind of people would be found in "hell"? What kind of people would get to "heaven"? Does this seem right to you? What kind of god(s) would create this kind of system? What would you say to, or ask, of a god who set this up? What kind of behavior does it foster in believers, either deliberately or inadvertently? Could you respect such a god(s)? Or would you rise up and oppose them for how astonishingly immoral their system is?

I've never ever heard anyone describe a system of heaven and hell that was not vomitously depraved.

Unfortunately you're in a really awkward position as your options are limited by your age and the resources available to you. My best advice is simply to do what you can. Look after yourself the best you can. It's going to be messy for a while until you're in a position to get out and away and be independent. Again, alluding to the LGBT "coming out" concept, "it gets better." Keep your eye on and plan for your future. Opportunities are not far away, you just have to make it there. You'll trip and stumble but that's okay. Your life as it currently is, is just for now.

I've mentioned before that people say "you can pick your friends but not your family." I disagree with this. I think it's more accurate to say that "you can pick your friends but not your relatives." You can pick your family. You can pick who you spend and share your life with. You can decide what your life looks like, who is in it, who is not, and any boundaries surrounding them; for example, you may decide to keep certain immediate relatives at arm's length unless they obey your boundaries, or refuse them entirely. This is not always easy, but it becomes within your power.

You can instead surround yourself with people who care about you for you. They are your family.

And the thing about the family you choose is that you can put an end to all of this toxic nonsense. Whether you decide to have kids or maybe you don't, you can be the end of the line for the all the shit that has been handed down from generation to generation.

If it's not possible to end the worship responsibilities, it may be that you instead need to find a way to manage it. Understand that it's going to temporarily put you into a weird frame of mind, and that's okay. It doesn't make you a bad atheist. It's not forever either. Instead, create a sort of "undo" ritual for yourself. Something that will help you come back from that frame of mind.

Maybe you could think of it like a performance. There are actors on Broadway or wherever else who play intense characters or depraved killers or whatever night after night on stage. They have to take on that persona and perform it convincingly. And I imagine they need to shed that persona afterwards, or they'd probably go mad.

Recognize it as a performance, don't worry or kick yourself about believing for a while - it's part of the performance, your character, your mathod. And afterwards, wind down. Read your copy of "Why There's No God." Write something. Take a bath. Pound out the most head-banging hard-core metal music you've got. Whatever works for you, whatever helps you return to you. Whatever helps you shake off that character, that role that you play and bring back the person you really are. The performance is a thing you do, not who you are.

Hope this helps in some way. And look after yourself.

#ask #hinduism #fear of hell #religion #ex Hindus #ex Hindu #religion is a mental illness

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apple-but-sour · 3 years

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Apple I do have to say, remembering you have outright stated to you haven't and won't watch pogtopia, you sure have a lot of.. Very Confident claims of characters you have never actually seen the environment, development or actual text of. I don't know how much you learned about analysis but it's generally terrible form to analyse something you don't actually know. And I will assure you summary posts and analysis that is by nature biased to some point does not compensate. Which shows pretty clearly in you repeatedly chewing through and reiterating claims that are just plain and probably wrong. Right there. In the text you didn't watch. So if you believe so confidently in Wilburs Villainy and Dream being a victim surely watching the text would prove your claims yes? You could stop making claims that are false in Canon that make you look like an idiot at least. But then again, might just turn out all the people telling you you're wrong sourcing the text and not out of context snippets might actually be right cause they actually watched the source. What a surprise.

Please feel free to ignore this, truly I don't care for an answer from you and honestly, I am not keen on getting buzzwords thrown around by someone who clearly does not know what they mean other than "twitter uses them like that tho", but I just wanted to let you know that not only you are being actively harmful <3 but you are also looking like an idiot and honestly kind of a dick doing it. So maybe next time you write analysis learn to seperate in character and out of character moments, serious and non-serious lore, learn how to argue without buzzwords that just, by definition don't apply or cannot be reasonably applied to a world of the scale of the dream smp, consider the actual context of the given text (which is the established lore without your own bias, just in case you don't know), and ah yes. Maybe actually watch the text so you can do those things. It's not a display of child abuse, I can assure you. And assuming you have watched exile you will be fine <3 after all c Dream is the one who has canonically abused a child, which has been acknowledged out of character. But alas that would mean you might actually have to learn about what you are talking about so passionately and perhaps even realise you were actually wrong so I have little hope for you and we are quite tired of being called impolite when we are having just writing an analysis based on text that doesn't support your view, so I might as well allow myself to actually do what you accuse us of for once

Sincerely, someone who hopes you'd get off your high horse and learn how to do proper analysis, its getting painful to watch

1) I have watched Pogtopia. A while ago and only the videos.

2) I never said I will never watch the VODs.

3) What is the rest of your ask even about. Like genuinely. I've been squinting at it for like 5 minutes trying to figure out what you're referring to.

I mostly talk about L'Manburg's foundation because I watched and transcribed those VODs. I hardly ever talk about Pogtopia for the exact reason of me having not done detailed research into that arc. I don't see how the fact that my knowledge of the latter timeline isn't that detailed affects my analysis of the earlier timeline.

What do you mean by "surely watching the text would prove your claims"? I have watched the text and I've been providing plenty of things to prove my claims. Did you even bother to acquaintance yourself with my meta or did you fly at me out of some L'Manburg loyalist blog and start spewing whatever y'all say about me between yourselves, y'know, without looking at the text?

I genuinely don't understand this one. I made a reputation for how well-sourced my takes are and then you come at me saying they're without foundation. Have you even read my meta?

I am not keen on getting buzzwords thrown around by someone who clearly does not know what they mean other than "twitter uses them like that tho".

What does Twitter have to do with it.

Seems to me like you're the one throwing around words here because I genuinely have no idea what you're referring to for like half of your ask.

It's not a display of child abuse, I can assure you. And assuming you have watched Exile you will be fine <3 after all c Dream is the one who has canonically abused a child...

What does child abuse and Exile have to do with it. What are you on.

What does Exile have anything to do with this, why are you throwing c!Dream into the mix for literally no reason? Unless you're bringing something irrelevant into the matter at hand to make me seem worse for liking a fictional character, that is!

...we are quite tired of being called impolite when we are having just writing an analysis based in text that doesn't support your view...

One of you dropped 13,4k words of analysis on my own post and told me not to respond with a rebuttal. ON MY POST.

That's what's impolite here, not people coming at me with flimsy counter-arguments.

Maybe YOU should know what you're talking about before you come into my inbox. Maybe YOU should look at "the text" because reading this ask felt like a fever dream as it hardly relates to anything I've ever actually said.

If my analysis is so painful for you to watch maybe you should get a pair of glasses or something. Seems to me like I'm not the issue here considering you have no idea what you're even talking about when it comes to my meta.

Sincerely, a passionate analyst who is going to continue to analyze the story and who is only further encouraged to do it by your bullshit.

#apple answers #anon #long post #critical anons #negativity

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