#I'm legitimately gutted that these people exist | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

invinciblerodent · 5 months

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tbh, it never ceases to astound me that there are actual people who are fans, legitimate fans, of Ascended Astarion.

like i'm not even saying this as a funny thing, i'm not even gonna put it any tags or whatever, and it's not like i want to make fun of someone for a preference in a fictional character, that's not what this is about, it's just that.... posts here, and the comment sections on videos of his voicelines, always have at least one person trying to justify his behavior as actually good, or talking about how hot some line or another is, and how much they like this outcome (not because it's fucked up but because it's "passionate" or "sexy" or whatever- this btw is much more prevalent on youtube), and I just... can't grasp how that's a possible thing for people to think unironically. how someone can play through 100+ hours of game, interact with Astarion multiple times, take him through his whole damn personal journey, and still not feel like post-ascension he's just a... a horrible stranger wearing a friend's face.

If you see the fucked up part and go "yeah i'm into that because it's fucked up"? I'm fully in support of you. Absolutely 100% in your corner. Write/imagine/fantasize about nasty fucked up manipulation and shit all you want; I've been known to indulge in worst case scenarios myself. Engaging with unhealthy dynamics with the knowledge that it's unhealthy and exploring that can be good for the soul. But way too many seem to be arguing that "he still loves (the PC)", and that it's possible for that guy and the PC to have a decent, loving relationship on equal footing, while they need to actively dodge all the options even in-game that exist to call him out for being a piece of shit.

because he's. god, ascended he's such a creep. he sets off all the alarm bells in my head, worse than any guy I've ever decided not to let buy me a drink. an obvious manipulator, nakedly abusive, dismissive, clearly a megalomaniac that's going as far as saying the quiet part out loud in the multiple times he can say that he wants to turn the PC into a spawn so they can't leave or defy him, and it's right there on the surface in every single interaction that being with him is not a good idea. The other companions fucking hate his guts and feel sorry for the PC, and even a PC that's head over heels, fully on board with all the bullshit, and is into the whole "gilded cage enslavement" aspect, can complain (and it's implied that they have complained, multiple times) in the epilogue about not having their freedom.

Six months after becoming his spawn, they're still not a full vampire, and we know from that conversation with Aurelia and Leon that one of Cazador's little tactics had been promising his spawn freedom he never intended to give, in order to keep them obedient.

sure, he has some lines that, in a vacuum, are hot. but I'm pretty sure that's all simply Neil Newbon (despite being a very skilled actor who's fully deserving of all the acclaim he's been receiving), being physically unable to inject enough gross sewer-slime into his voice, and not any merit to this weird creep of a character.

this whole thing, I'm gonna be honest, is just... so fucking worrying to me. it like actually worries me how many people can't see something written with the explicit intent to be unsettling, and a guy written openly to be awful and shitty and gross, as such. And it's not like we can fully chalk it up to how emotion in the moment can cloud your judgement, or how manipulators can and do adjust their personalities in accordance to how best to make you stay, he's literally ones and zeroes, and a limited number of lines you can listen to over and over again and dissect if you want.

I'm not even remotely joking, is this how people end up in relationships with genuinely awful people????? because god, it sounds so terrifying that there are actual people who can look at a fictional guy draped in a red flag the size of a tectonic plate, and still only notice that the color brings out his eyes.

(and to reiterate, if the awful is the selling point, I'm fully in support of that. but god, the "I can fix him"/"I know he still loves me" sentiment is just... it makes the back of my neck itch.)

#squirrel plays bg3 #like i said not tagging #this is more of a vent post if anything #and i'm fully open to conversations but i don't really want this reblogged either

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mrderbird · 3 months

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8, 12, 16 for the choose violence meme

already did 8 and 12 so 16 it is

16: you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

MOON. BABY. there are people who think (hypothetically, we still don't know yet, but they ASSUME this is what's happening) just throwing out all that set-up of griffith's attachment to guts, the foreshadowing of his heart not being fully frozen from before moonbaby even existed, and just making him an obstacle to guts and casca's relationship with their practically nonexistent character of a son is a GREAT writing decision. it essentially throws out his entire character and makes everything we learned about his and guts' relationship in the golden age arc completely worthless. to me this, if it goes this way, would be a SHOCKINGLY bad decision. like, legitimately one of the worst in fiction that i've seen tbh. griffith would be getting fucked harder by the writing than cersei lannister getting relegated to sitting on a balcony going "but my baby tho" for an entire season. but somehow there are people who think it's sooooo deep, and i just. i physically don't have it in me to take it seriously

and then there are all the ending theories centered around this thing. just the worst. if Berserk ends with them somehow separating, griffith alone dying and guts and casca skipping off into the sunset to go live some Harvest Moon ass cottagecore tradwife nightmare with their kid i'm killing myself fr. it's not that i want guts and griffith to get married or whatever the fuck idiots on reddit dot com think. there's just no precedent for that, and a HUGE precedent for practically anything else

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fictionkinfessions · 10 days

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I miss Gage. I miss how uncomplicated he made things. Most people fussed about what I was, from gender to humanity (or lack thereof, depending on who you asked; I didn't really label myself human or nonhuman) to how I acted. Gage, though? He didn't give a shit. I was the Overboss, his only real friend, and his whatever-the-fuck (we were categorically not romantic but we kind of occupied a gray area between FWB and dating, insofar as dating existed in the post-apocalypse), that was all that mattered. My body was a little weird, he didn't care. I freaked out in the "fun house" (and by the gods, what a shit name for it, I cannot imagine that monstrosity ever having been "fun"), he only cared insofar as he had to in order to fix shit. He didn't even see it as a weakness, not really, he was pretty much like "shit, boss, everyone's got their problems, not like we're gonna run into a lot more spinning tunnels and shit out here".

I'm a very, very different person now, Gage wouldn't much like who I've become, but sometimes, I feel sentimental about that old raider and the fun we had when I was a fucked up mutant with serious psychological issues (just like any raider, really, we were all pretty fucked up). Nuka World was a fascinating place, and I'm glad I got to call it my home when I finally settled down. It's a damned shame canon doesn't let you do what I did, but I guess I was a wasteland native, not some vaultie (even if I did wear a vault suit; I was temperature-sensitive and those things were the best temperature-regulating clothes you could get so I found one and dyed it so I looked less like an easy target) so maybe that made all the difference. That and the fact that I think everyone except Gage and the leaders of the Disciples were legitimately scared of me (even though half of them could've picked me up one-handed; if they'd tried, they would've been gutted and they knew it).

Gah, I need to finish the fanfic I've been working on about those events... But hey, if there are any other Nuka World folks (I know I've seen other Fallout 4 folks but I don't recall anyone from Nuka World specifically), hi! Especially if there's a Gage out there reading this, even if you weren't my Gage, I hope you're having a better life.

#fictionkinfessions #fictionkin #fallout4kin #seekin #chara love #mod party cat

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joy-drops · 1 year

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this mf long so don't tell me i didn't warn u

been in a rut for over a year

something something autistic burnout

idk the cause or the solution

just trying to survive each day as best i can

easier said than done when everything that brings me joy (ha) is behind a pay wall

that's capitalism baby~

found out fauna is going to the only anime convention i can attend on a reasonable budget.... but im already so broke....

I'd shell out the cash (debt) if it meant guaranteeing a spot at the meet and greet but they might not release info until too late when plane tickets are unaffordable ;_;

i wanna look forward to something because sustaining my sanity on retail therapy and getting high definitely is losing its effectiveness

brain always returns to the loneliness. i know its crippling but how much of my struggle is from that and how much is from my disability... they're both invisible which makes it hard to tell

would having a partner help that much? my gut tells me yes since ill have motivation to live if i have someone to share existence with but that feels like putting all my eggs in one basket and setting myself up for an unhealthy relationship

i like to think i won't fall down that path of toxic codependency like i have in the past tho im not crazy confident based on my track record

Which reminds me I've realized how appealing polyamory sounds to me but I'm terrible in groups I feel like I'd be overwhelmed with more than 3 (including myself) tho who knows what can happen

REGARDLESS i guess i gotta talk to people and make friends since i am incapable of socializing with the intention of dating (trust issues yippee)

i wish i had a crush at the very least. i bring this up often but i fucking miss the feeling of legitimate interest and attraction towards someone

How do I meet someone, become comfortable enough with them, and ultimately find a partnership that satisfies my insane desires???? maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse? Tackling too much at once? Something like that...

Imma be real the only reason I'm active on here is another mechanism to cope with this loneliness (akin to listening to asmr for instant happy brain juice + with the added benefit of "putting myself out there")

My strange fantasy that I'll meet people on here like I did years ago and magically hit it off

AAAAAAUGGHHHHH how did I do it back then it seemed so easy what happened to my social skills (trauma, probably)

How is it I work 2 days a week and am still drained constantly? when will I be free from sleepy bitch syndrome? it's like I've been running on fumes for the past year WHEN WILL I HAVE THE WILL TO LIVE AGAIN

i miss having someone to talk to frequently about everything

i have my besties but unfortunately knowing there's no sexual or romantic attraction there makes it hard for me to get past these barriers?? Is that weird? I wanna be able to be intimate with someone and close but for me that's intrinsically tied to sex and romance. I'm overflowing with platonic friendships to the point where I had to cut off a bunch and leave many people I care about hanging because I simply have no energy to exist anymore

I've been doing my best each day but it only gets harder

The only thing I have energy for is getting high and living inside the fantasies my brain can muster as a means to cope with how lonely I am

I dream of being hugged, of someone touching me, of being accepted for all my flaws and reassured that my existence isn't shameful. I live for the day these might become reality

Since as long far back as highschool I've yearned for intimacy

Physical intimacy specifically since the most I've done is hold hands and lil cute things like that I CRAVE SKINSHIP UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE

Anyway if anybody made it this far hi feel free to confess ur undying love 2 me

#LONG vent #my bs #weh

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elizabethrobertajones · 6 months

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Really here for Miss Bounding Frog, but I wanted to thank you for becoming a Wyll BG3 appreciation blog. Because while I've no interest in playing the game myself, he's just so charming and lovely and always a joy to have on my dash

You: is today the day I blacklist the bg3 tag? Wyll: *smiles with his whole heart out of a gifset* You: .... naaah he can stay, he seems polite.

You made me realise he and Frog are fairly alike in that I try to go for girlprince in her glams a lot of the time and he's just pure disney prince (but a devil).

(spoilers for BG3 musing on their similarities)

Also I guess their personalities are pretty similar in that they remain genuinely well-meaning heroes after going through it all. Like, the vacation before Dawntrail has been fun but Frog would still absolutely throw herself back into the fire when the self-sacrificing bullshit returns. She slept Endwalker off in a week and then was confused about why the scions were treating her with kid gloves. "Look, I'm upright again! What next??" "Have you tried this adventure called 'retiring to the beach'?"

I know a looot of people have rightfully tired or grumpy WoLs who are completely done with being asked to do things and people Assuming you will be the hero, or being in the crosshairs of the universe, but I did want to write a WoL who was genuinely hype to be here and would take it on the chin with old school heroic stoicism. However gutting everything is she's like, well, we hear-feel-think this trauma and on the other side we understand and respect what it did to us and move on stronger. And then forgive everyone who caused it. (she's very annoying)

Mr Of Frontiers over there had his tragic backstory at 17, a year younger than when Frog started adventuring (intentionally with no tragic backstory, I wanted her to be in it for love of the game) and I'm hypocritically declaring she was more than old enough because I say so and Wyll was a KID just a LITTLE GUY... but also Alphinaud doesn't exist in BG3 thankfully so there's no need to debate when kids should be allowed to be in charge of armies - although I think Alphinaud and Wyll should have a catch up and maybe learn some things about how they were doomed by the narrative together...

Anyway Wyll's various endings aside from the one where you set him up to be a Duke in the city (which I did on my Astarion play since Astarion is marrying him, craves creature comforts, and was presented with not even a persuasion check to decide Wyll's entire future, which is shockingly cruel of the game) he will just go back to adventuring and saving people. Like, a guy who can legitimately retire off the back of everything that just happened and return forgiven or at least as a hero if you did get his dad murdered to not be around to forgive him, and he's like... Actually, the People Need Me, I'm going to go write the next chapter of my life as an itinerant hero killing monsters and swashbuckling all day.

Also, aside from him definitely having whatever's wrong in his brain that Frog has (and Meteor Finalfantasy who is ready to Dawntrail also and is swashbuckling), he does also have the WoLbrain when it comes to Just Saying Messed Up Things. He's so funny and sarcastic and would absolutely fit in with WoLs who pick all the weird dialogue options. WoL can make moogle noises at Thancred? Well, Wyll over here will meow at you.

He also genuinely thinks clowns are funny, and every year the WoL earnestly goes along with a demon clown halloween event so there's that.

#asks #bounding frog #ffxiv #bg3 #wyll ravengard #tags formatted in handshake meme #I do think I should get around to the conclusion of Frog's search for her reaper avatar #she can never tell Wyll about how her pact with a devil from another plane resolved #anyway I have a type which makes me rather predictable... I saw Wyll's intro and was like 'fine I guess he's my fave now'#and he never proved me wrong :)

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xxlovelynovaxx · 11 months

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I stole this from the post that prompted this thought because I'm lazy, but:

This is a sentiment I see a lot, especially in leftist spaces, and I want to ask: why?

Examining your biases and prejudices is very important if you care about dismantling oppressive systems, sure.

But does that mean the discomfort itself is bad?

A lot of these posts seem to minimally imply that it is. "I need you to think about it" (because it's a problem that it bothers you).

Here's the thing: when benefitting from oppressive systems, that discomfort on being called on it may never go away, even while actively doing the work of tearing them down. I personally feel discomfort a lot of the times that stems from pathological guilt due to my OCD. I feel discomfort because I have trauma triggers around gatekeeping and erasure and determinism that good social justice theory can sometimes LOOK fundamentally similar to, while being different at its foundation.

So I suppose my point is: why do I need to examine WHY it bothers me, rather than simply acknowledging that it DOES, and that the discomfort may not be rational? If it doesn't affect my ACTIONS, and I determine that there is not some legitimate "threat" in the message by scanning it for dogwhistles and buzzwords, and I platform or otherwise treat it as I would have... do I need to examine the discomfort itself, or just critically read the original post as I try to do with everything I read?

I can just say "it's okay to be uncomfortable right now. Discomfort itself is not bad and neither is not unpacking it right this second" and instead just address the original content that made me uncomfortable with the knowledge that I may have bias and should figure that into my critical analysis.

(To people saying that the critical analysis does address why I am uncomfortable inherently: no, it does not. It can, and I do think acknowledging your own biases is a powerful and necessary tool in many critical analyses, but it is entirely possible to remove yourself from the equation and simply look at what the message is, how it's being shared, whether the information shared is factual and up to date, and how the language used is intended to have an impact on the reader.)

I would also like to point out that, while this post didn't do this, there is often urgency in the demand to unpack the discomfort.

Quite simply put, after having done much unpacking of this sort already, I generally have a decent idea of the general reason it exists and whether or not it is rational. I could give my five-second-guess as to what particular trigger, issue, or discomfort with privilege was causing my brain to blare the threat klaxon unnecessarily. And I'd probably be right, even if my answer lacked the nuance of the specifics of the situation.

That being said, again, why do I need to immediately address this if it doesn't change my actions?

An unnoticed bias can wreak havoc on your actions. But one you have even some awareness of, while it may cause initial defensiveness, if you can wait a moment to act, will be able to be put in a little box where it can snarl harmlessly. If I know I have a bias, I am LESS likely to act out of turn, and instead go with my head rather than my anxiety-riddled "gut".

(Nevermind that when my intuition pings something as "not quite right", it's less a klaxon and more a "hey, read this again?" whisper. It's usually less discomfort in the pit of my stomach and more a tiny itch at the back of the brain.)

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em-writes-stuff-sometimes · 1 year

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Hi Miss Em ! I just want to say that I read the new chapter and honestly I have never felt more frustrated with someone in a fic than now, like Viserys just pushed all of my buttons and installed a new rage in me I never knew I had. I truly resonate with Daemon's line and what a beautiful line to describe the whole feeling for half of the fic-

his hope turns to ash

I honestly felt that pain when a parent/brother doesn't understand what your going through but somehow manages to listen and understand to everyone else.

After watching the show I finally understood who had attempted the murder of Babey and her babies. But to see that in this chapter and him being so smug about it pissed me off as well as Alicent's and Otto's highass ( sorry for my language but then again this is a Daemon series we're talking about )

Now I just want Babey and Daemon to leave and never comeback to these assholes, truly terrible people. I want Babey to get her Kepus , her good brother Laenor's and finally her elder sister's comfort, she needs to be wrapped in a blanket and given all the love in the world !

I'm thinking why don't we unleash Ulla, Daemon, Athfiezar together on King's landing, like let them just go mayhem on the whole place for poor babey. I'm also very happy that Blood and Cheese were introduced in this chapter ! This is going to be very exciting !

Hehe sorry I went on a huge rant, thank you for another amazing chapter !!! I may be busy for the coming weeks ( lot of project works ) but I want to say if i don't message anything, please know that whatever you post is amazing and I hope you're healthy and happy 🩷

-🧇

Hey, 🧇! Aaah, I’m so glad you enjoyed! How are you? I hope you’re doing well!

Yeah, Vissie T was a giant wad of dicks in this chapter. From a third-party stance, I do kinda get his inaction; he’s not just Babey’s dad, but the King of an entire continent. He can’t just arrest a dude based on the aggro say-so of his nutjob brother, let alone a member of his own governmental hierarchy. It’d send a really bad message to the Realm as a whole if he were to act without due diligence.

That being said, he is committing the very same mistakes Jaehaerys did; in continually upholding the Realm, he’s simultaneously ignoring or outright rejecting the needs of his own family. He’s caught between a rock and a hard place, unfortunately for him. As a Daemon stan, I hate his guts; as an objective party, I kinda get how he reacts in this chapter. It’s disappointing, but there is just more at stake than an 18-year-old girl’s feelings. Daemon has only very circumstantial proof; it might be enough for him to go on, but not the ruler of a nation.

LARYS IS A FREAK AND I STAND BY THAT. But yeah, I wanted him to be as creepy and inflammatory as possible so that Daemon would have an excuse to beat his head in. Luckily, Daemon’s doing his problem-solving and has got some very iconic peeps in to deal with the guy, haha!

Daemon and Babey and Daeron are getting the hell outta there, home to Dragonstone! She’s lost a bunch of support, but she’ll be gaining some too - that’s a part of growing up, I suppose. We realise how flawed our parents are, we cut out the people who aren’t good for us, and we reinvent our circle of peers. Babey’s pregnancy has disrupted the uneasy peace that has existed in the family - with each opposing side believing they have the political advantage - because what had just been a marriage is now an alliance bearing legitimate heirs for the Blacks side. Thus, the Greens are lashing out in panic, ergo the whole King’s Landing drama. Rhae’s gonna realise that her petty resentments are meaningless in the face of the larger threat, and we’ll get some sis reunion action soon! Yay for Babey reworking her circle. And I totally LOLed at the idea of Daemon, Ulla and Athfiezar taking down the capital - those chaos demons would vibe with that, haha.

Thank you so much for your comment! I always love reading them 😘😘

#fanfiction comments

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thisiswheremywritinggoes · 1 year

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A couple of hours before I read this piece (which is gut-wrenching and infuriating, btw), I was looking at the Google reviews for the public library where I've worked for the past nine years, and I noticed that a couple of months ago, someone gave us a one star review due to the presence of people they perceived to be experiencing homelessness in and outside the library. They made sure to mention that library staff "wasn't doing anything about it."

I would like to ask this anonymous reviewer, what would you have us "do," exactly? What makes the public library any less theirs than it is yours? If you want to talk about behaviors, I'm ready to have that conversation, and I will tell you from (lots and lots and lots of) experience that we are quick to address patron behaviors which are disturbing to other patrons or could cause harm. Staff has received extensive training in this area, plus we have a social work consultant on staff AND a relationship with our local law enforcement's community resource officer who are ready to jump in and help when necessary. But someone's presence, someone having the audacity to merely exist in front of you, where they can be seen living their lives in a way that makes you uncomfortable or angry, does not require any action, and you're a complete piece of shit if you think it does.

Do I want our library to be a welcoming and safe place? Of course I do. This is my life's work! But being out in the world means that sometimes you're going to see things that make you uncomfortable or scared, not because you actually have a legitimate reason to be afraid, but because you have been conditioned to perceive a threat where none exists. It is not my job to act as the custodian of all you perceive so that you are somehow exempt from encountering "the public" at a public library.

The safety net is not large enough to hold everyone. I see this every single day. I am one librarian, but I will do my part to make you feel welcome, to provide you with a comfortable chair, an outlet to charge your phone, a toilet, a granola bar, a shower ticket for the YMCA, a computer to write your manifesto. I will be kind and patient with you, and not assume that since you're struggling, you're a useless piece of shit.

You see a "scary homeless person." I see someone who is struggling to meet their basic needs, to find a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat, relief from chronic pain, freedom from abuse. They come to us because they feel safe here, because this is a place where we will not allow them to be victimized or harmed -- not here, not on our watch.

Jordan Neely needed help. He deserved help, more than the folks on that train deserved to "feel safe" (whatever the fuck that means). To defend the actions of the man who murdered him, and the accomplices who were complicit in his murder by restraining him, is absolutely monstrous.

That's all I have to say.

#jordan neely #public libraries

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darkstalker1247 · 7 months

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My review of the FNAF movie

okay so the first half of this is spoiler free, I'll put a break in between sections

The set pieces looked incredible. Each one looked real, like something that I actually existed either in the early 2000s or in the 1980s.

The score was well-done. I have Talking In Your Sleep stuck in my head.

The acting was on point. The animatronic's actors portrayed their mechanical aspects really well, and could turn from charming to terrifying in a matter of mere moments. Each animatronic had a unique personality as well, which was really well done.

The writing was a little rough around the edges, but that's the style of the entire franchise, so it fits and works well. The director did a good job as well.

It was a lot of fun pointing out the many easter eggs and ties to the original games. This movie really was made with lots of love for the fans.

Okay, spoiler time.

Abby with the animatronics was adorable! They played with her, built a fort, even hugged her! That was everything I wanted to experience when I was younger and the games first came out.

Golden Freddy needed more screen time... they made an entire animatronic puppet for 2 scenes. When he was there, though, he did his part well. He was a lot calmer then he is in the games, which is a nice change of pace. (Can you tell who I was most excited to see?)

When Matthew Lilliard was on screen, though it wasn't very long, he stole the show. I felt a legitimate sense of terror when Springbonnie showed up. William being Vanessa's father was something that I don't think a lot of people expected, either. Well done, Matt!

The scenes with implied violence were much eerier without showing the actual gore. Although, my one complaint is that the springlocks didn't look like they'd actually kill someone, just stab them a few times in the gut and leave them in pain.

I'm going to rewatch the movie this evening if I can, since the theater I was in was really crowded and really loud, and everyone wouldn't stop laughing for most of it.

Overall review, 8.5/10. Matthew and Golden Freddy needed more screentime. The YouTuber cameos were also a little ajar from the plot. Especially MatPat's dialogue.

Anyway, I'm gonna go contemplate my existence now. CYA!

#fnaf #fnaf movie #fnaf movie spoilers #five nights at freddy's

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alovelyburn · 10 months

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Not gunna lie I'd absolutely //love// to hear even unfinished thoughts about that sequel idea you mentioned? ☕👀

And soon I'll be rereading everything again, cause time has passed enough for me to forget the wording and storylines for Maximum Effect lol

So, sorry if you get comments that sound exactly like ones I might've left before 😅

I hadn't thought that deeply into it since I didn't really mean to do it. But it kind of starts from the central question of how does Griffith go about seeking his kingdom in a world where he doesn't have Charlotte's claim to legitimize his rule. And...

Okay full honesty here, one of the main reasons I would be reluctant to do a sequel (aside from generally not doing them) is because I write NeoGriffith (Neo specifically) a certain way and I don't necessarily know that anyone wants to read that, lmao. Because he's not a black hat sadist the way Griffith haters would want to see him, but he can be Machiavellian, cold, ruthless and cruel in ways human Griffith wouldn't be. This doesn't come out as much in my normal stuff with NeoGriffith because they're usually from Guts' POV or they're all about the romance - I don't need to get into the chess game he's playing with the world because I'm just writing about him pining for Guts so it's not relevant.

So basically, the main thing he would need to do if he doesn't have Charlotte to legitimize his claim is find a way to remove her from the field. This doesn't necessarily mean having her killed - I don't really see Griffith (any Griffith) as someone who kills people just because it's easier than doing something else, so if there's another path then I'm sure he'd take it. But given that she's the rightful ruler of Midland anything he does is sure to be a major downgrade in her life's prospects even if she's alive.

And of course the other side would be him arranging to place himself in the position of "most desirable start for a new dynasty." Charlotte is the last of her line, and Midland doesn't necessarily exist anymore, so it makes sense to choose a new leader. That's the easier part - saving them from Ganishka would do it on its own, nevermind all the savior shenanigans and summoning souls and such.

The other thing is, the original Hawks are still out there - the ones who aren't dead anyway. They don't have any reason not to rally around Griffith - just like Rickert on the Hill of Swords was ready to do. And of course I'd need to explain what happened with Casca (whether or not she's dead).

So that's the main thoughts on the general PLOT, politics, war and the awkward mix of the old Hawks and new Hawks.

As for the other thing, you know, that thing -- When Night Comes Down was a straight up romance (at least as close as I ever get, being me), and I suppose the will they/won't they is covered at this point. But there's always interesting things to look at - immediately there's the question of how Guts, who even as an Apostle has a kind of insecure core - handles being next to the man who outshines the sun. Not to mention, Griffith is the destined master of all Apostles which is worth addressing if only before it makes for a seriously weird power dynamic.

Etc etc... just some rather raw unformed thoughts.

You know, it's interesting to me - I feel like a lot of the people who normally read my extremely rare writing were not enthused by When Night Comes Down, but at the same time I got some of the most effusive praise I have ever received from other people and that's kinda fascinating. CURIOUS.

#anonymous #talking berserk #i dont remember my tag for this kind of thing #ariel writes about berserk #??

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geekeryisafoot · 1 year

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Spiderverse was good it was sooooo good I will never be able to think about anything else again I'm gonna see it again next week

The whole thing being Miles told he's the original anomaly, that he never should have existed feels like a deliberate call out of all the people who've hated him since his inception and their bullshit

The entire through line of the unsustainablity of maintaining two half lives and hiding who you are. And then DRAPING Gwen in the trans flag while she confronts that gives it such an beautiful layer of metaphor

The other side of that through line being "you have to chose either or - No, I chose both" would go great with some bisexuality on top

So many of the emotional moments were legitimately gut wrenching. Gwen's dad shooting at her and still trying to arrest her even after learning it was her (and if we're treating this as a trans metaphor the forced outting, and her being proven right that it wasn't safe to come out to him) made my stomach drop

Spider Trex! They included Spider Trex!!!!

I think the only Spider who was suspiciously missing was Cindy, but that makes sense given the whole "What happened to the original spider" plot reveal. I wonder how they'll work her in to the SpiderWomen movie

They kept his dad's name change from the comics!

The animation!!!!!!!! God I cannot wait for all the gifs so I can lovingly pour over every single second and detail and line choice of this movie

Also the small references and nod backs to details of the first movie. The glass breaking when Miles jumps off the train after overcoming an army of Spiders. The getting haphazardly tied to a punching bag. BAGEL GUY BECAME IMPORTANT. The comic covers. Miles recounting his own narration from the first movie

Speaking of! Did I miss it or did Miguel not get a comic cover?

The sheer cacophony of snarky jokes when there's a high density of Spideys

I've said before that the MCU misusing the universe number designation and just stealing the most visible one is a peak example of how they don’t actually care about or respect the medium or creators they're profiting from. And this movie properly using them AND referencing the MCU universe with the proper number feels like the perfect cap to that example

Ooooo they went for evil alternate universe Miles! :O Can genuinely say I was not expecting them to pull from that plotline

Oooooh my god that ending. I can't think of another movie I've ever seen that ends on such a cliffhanger. I am SO excited for when we get to binge all three in one go

Everyone is so right to be obsessing over Hobie Brown

In short: THAT'S MY SON. LOOK AT MY SON ACADEMY AWARD WINNER MILES MORALES. HE DESERVES ALL THE AWARDS.

#mineminemine #*sobing* iT WaS SO gOoD 😭#miles morales #marvel

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unpopularly-opinionated · 22 days

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So I finished watching WeCrashed today, which is the dramatized reenactment of the whole WeWork fiasco, and to get this out of the way early: It was a pretty good show. 9/10

I am biased because I love Anne Hathaway, I think she's wildly underrated by a lot of people. Jared Leto is an enigma of a human being. I am under the impression he is kind of a piece of shit IRL, and I don't entirely disagree. My one and only personal experience impression is the one time my parents took me to Vegas to go see a 30 Seconds to Mars concert, and I kid you not, but this mother fucker showed up sick and basically had the audience sing 90% of the maybe like 5-6 songs he actually performed. Would've ruined the night if it weren't for that also coincidentally being my first Panic! At The Disco concert who opened for him. Went there to see 30 Seconds to Mars, left seeing Panic! At The Disco and wasn't too disappointed, granted I was maybe 14-15 at the time I think, I don't know. Time is an illusion.

Anyways, despite all of that, I shit you not but I think this role was kind of made for him. I've heard Jared Leto has started an actual cult IRL, and from what the show told me about Adam Neumann, he's the type of guy who would probably create a cult himself. And to be honest, he kind of did if the show is to be believed. The entire time I'm watching the show, this man is spinning bullshit like it's golden thread and I kept waiting for the acknowledgement of that; I kept waiting for the behind closed doors scene where he tells his wife, Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), that he's fooled some more cash cows into giving him a shit ton of milk but it never happens and that's because I think this man legitimately believed in every fucking word he said.

The analogy they use in the show is that he's selling people unicorns when unicorns don't even exist, but this man legitimately believes unicorns fucking exist and he's going to make you believe it too. He's simultaneously full of shit, but not at the same time. It was so wild to watch because I just couldn't wrap my head around it. You hear about cult leaders, or shitty CEOs raking in billions of dollars, and you just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop; you keep waiting for the realization that he's actually just this huge piece of shit scamming people out of their money. But I don't know that I feel comfortable calling it a scam when he truly, honestly, and genuinely believes in the bullshit he is selling. It wasn't a bid for money, or power, or control. This man just bought into his own bullshit the same way he sold it to everyone else. He was a drug dealer who partook in his own supply.

The whole time I watched the show, I asked myself if the show was funded in any way by the Neumann's because of just how good it showed them to be. Yes, they were insane. Yes, they wound up financially ruining a lot of people. But at no point did I ever think that was genuinely intentional. If it wasn't obvious already, I went into this show with zero knowledge of WeWork. Literally none. I had only just heard of its existence recently, and I'm actually kind of dumbfounded that a scandal of this magnitude has somehow completely escaped my notice. It took me until I believe episode four before I even understood what it was WeWork even sold. To be honest with you, I'm still not even sure I'm sure what they sold. From my perspective, they sound like glorified landlords but for office jobs, mainly tech companies.

I pride myself on not being as influenced by individuals as others are. I don't do the whole "so-and-so is my hero" nonsense. But I have to admit that if I had met Adam Neumann in person, and he was even half as magnetic as he is portrayed in the show, I'm not entirely sure I wouldn't also be drawn to him. I don't know, man. It's to the point where at the end of the show, when he eventually steps down as CEO and the new CEO is giving his speech, I had this gut feeling of "the bad guys won in the end", even if the "bad guy" in this scenario was the completely rational business expert who actually wanted the company to make a profit. The show sold me the idea that the Neumann's, while fucking insane, were the good guys in this scenario. Which is why I can't help but wonder if this show was somehow funded by them.

Overall, the show was really good. I will say, there was this slight disconnect at the very end though. During the credits, they show a clip from an interview with the real Adam Neumann and Rebekah, and for the most part he seems like a totally normal dude. He's portrayed as kind of manic and psychotic during the show, so it was a major contrast to see him be kind of normal, albeit very passionate in the end.

If there's one type of media drama that I fucking love more, it's all this corporate drama nonsense. It's why Social Network is one of my favorite movies. I just love hearing about the behind the scenes drama of all of these big companies.

TL;DR: I felt so bad for Miguel, the true MVP of WeWork. Fuck me did that man need to grow a spine, but nevertheless I felt bad for him but respected his loyalty to the end all the same.

#random #WeWork #WeCrashed #tv shows #Apple TV #streaming #review #Anne Hathaway #Jared Leto #30 Seconds to Mars

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servin-up-surveys · 1 year

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survey #138

What was the last heavy thing you lifted? By MY unhealthy standards, a small toolbox. I rode with Mom to Nicole's house to fix her sink, and it's what Mom brought along and she needed help carrying things inside (we brought our dog with us, so she had to take her carrier).

Is July an important month for you? My sister Katie was born on the 4th actually, but generally, no. I honestly hate July, it's too fucking hot.

If someone looked inside your mind right now, what would they find? honestly right now they probably wouldn't know what the fuck they're looking at lmfao

Are you good at reading body language? I'm honestly probably hyper-observant of it, to where I see meanings that aren't actually there.

Do you have an anchor tattoo? Would you ever get one? No to both.

What is something that is creepy to you? Facebook/socials stalking people you like came to my mind, idk that's just going too far to me. Like sure if you meet someone you're interested in and want a bit more info, hell, it's probably even safe to check things out once, but digging for miles and checking obsessively just isn't healthy imo.

What do you need right now? I thought about it, but I don't wanna go here right now.

What do you consider to be cruel? Besides the extremely obvious things that basically everyone can agree on, trophy hunting. Like I immediately hate your fucking guts if you go out and murder a living creature going about its peaceful life JUST for the fun of it and to mount their dead heads on your walls and shit. Hunting for food doesn't bother me (like, that deer you killed almost ABSOLUTELY had a better life than the countless livestock forced into nightmarish existences that we accept as "normal"), but even then, I think it should be done solemnly and without gloating, and immense gratefulness for that animal's completely unwilling sacrifice.

Do you love to daydream? Yes, probably to a fault.

What’s your favorite shade of yellow? I'm really not a big fan of yellow, it's one of my least favorite colors, but I guess I'll go with amber, that I do like.

Has anyone told you to calm down recently? lol no, I think the people who know me know that it's not that fucking simple, and I would get legitimately pissed off if someone said this to me as someone with chronic, severe anxiety problems.

When did you last panic? I don't want to talk about this.

Are you currently tired? Yes. I got just about no fucking sleep last night and it really pisses me off because I was going to help Mom with the kids today, especially because Ryder gets really disappointed when I'm not there and I already wasn't last week, but there was no way in hell I was getting up early enough this morning. I just texted my mom at like, 2 AM or some shit telling her to let me sleep.

What helps you get by? My mom, Girt, Mazzy, Tez, Girt's family and to some extent mine, medication, therapy, creative expression, being stubborn.

When did you last wear a mask? It's been a few weeks, most places I go to now have stopped mandating it.

Does it hurt you when others are rude for no reason? Yes, because I'm sensitive as shit.

If you could say anything to your father right now, what would it be? WOW what timing, I just messaged him happy birthday lol but I'd love to tell him that in person.

What’s the fastest you’ve ever driven? Probably around like, 75mph accidentally on the highway.

When did it last rain? Today; it's been going on and off. It was absolutely pouring earlier.

Have you ever been admitted to a hospital? Like 6 or so times, but never for physical issues, just mental. I woulda preferred the physical shit.

Has anyone blamed you for something you didn’t do? I don't know if she meant for it to come across as straight-up blame, but it absolutely did: in the message Sara sent me after I cut our friendship off, she decided it was a great idea to phrase herself VERY MUCH SO in a way that makes it sound like she blamed me for almost attempting suicide. Don't get me FUCKING started on this topic, I take exactly 0% fault for shit that she decides to do when it's not like I fucking bullied her or something, but I still think about it sometimes anyway.

How much is gasoline where you are? I haven't been paying attention, but a google search tells me the cheapest right now in my county is $3.27.

How are you doing today? Not great, but way more numb today than I've been the past few.

What is the last song you listened to in a car? It was "Zeig dich" by Rammstein. I'm surprised I remember, I generally don't when surveys ask this, lol.

Do you currently feel calm? No.

Are you good at making new friends? No, I'm too shy. It's easier online, but I still don't like reaching out.

Are there any important things happening this week? Sunday my sisters and I are having lunch with Dad and his wife for his birthday, and I also obviously have PT this week, and I think therapy (thank fucking god) too.

If comfortable answering, have you or would you ever be admitted into a mental hospital? Already said earlier that I have been, but the last part of this question is very inaccurate and misleading; involuntary commitment exists and has happened to me, like you don't GET to choose. You can get a lawyer to shorten your stay, but you're going to the mental hospital anyway.

What’s a color you think is underrated? Uh... I don't really know. OH, maybe green, like nature-y shades? I think green's a less popular color, but the shades that remind you of being outside, like mossy, seafoam, or forest greens, c'mon, they're fantastic.

Would you rather never be sick again or be rich? uh, BE RICH???????? Do you know how much good that would do?????????????

When did you last hear thunder? Today.

What all have you put in the trash today? Uh the lid that seals the top of the meal replacement shakes I drink, but the bottle itself went in the recycling bin, and I also put cans of the flavored water I drink in there.

Do you enjoy blueberry muffins? omg yes, I LOVE these.

What’s something you will never forget? The night of the breakup with Jason.

What’s the most bitter pill you’ve ever taken? Uh I'm just gonna take this literally, in which case I think Lamictal, a med I was on for a long time. It's a big pill and it regularly would hit the roof of my mouth, and on god when that shit happens, you want to DIE afterwards because of the taste it leaves.

What is a popular TV show or movie that you do not like? Years ago, Girt and I watched the original three Star Wars movies, and neither of us got the appeal like, at all. Whatsoever. Unrelated to my opinion of the films but do y'all know how SHOCKED I was to hear Yoda's voice for the first time like THAT WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING

When was the last time you felt like “getting into someone’s pants”? I don't share information like this man anyway literally yesterday

What is your favorite energy drink, if you have a favorite at all? Shockingly, I don't like energy drinks; they're just way too sweet for me, and when a drink is too sweet for ME, that says something.

Would you have kids with the last person you kissed? Maybe someday, idk.

Would you mind living near large predatory animals? Yeah sure, idc. We live in an area where black bears exist, but they are VERY rare to see in this county.

What’s your biggest priority right now? Honestly I kinda think getting a job has officially outrun my attention to improving my mental health. Maybe. Idk. I'm just desperate.

If you’ve stayed overnight in a hospital, how did you entertain yourself? Well, because I was only ever in the ER overnight for suicidal reasons, my options were extremely limited; I was only sometimes allowed a book, and it had to be approved by the staff. Usually I just slept, or tried to anyway, because their beds are ABSOLUTE and utter shit. They really need to give you more options, like the most insane I've ever felt was during those long ER stays where I was just kept in this small room with nothing to do like some neglected animal. It does NOT help your mental state; it only ever made it worse.

Are your hands unsteady? Yeah, I have what's called essential tremors. I feel like they've improved, though, especially the less medicated I am.

Do you think you’re pretty? No. It's insane, I've always thought of myself as ugly, since literal childhood, but where I am now in life, I'd give anything to look like how I did as a teenager again.

Have you ever added someone you don’t know on Facebook? This was accidentally the case with Jason; I thought he was a different Jason that I actually did somewhat know. Y'know I never asked how he ever even found my name + account lol, according to him he just saw me in the school hall one day and was immediately like "yup I need to know her," lol wish you hadn't bro

Who’s the last guy you texted? My dad.

Who do you know that wears the most makeup? Probably my friend Summer, but I want to make it abundantly clear that this should not be seen as a bad thing. She's a very talented cosmetologist and makeup just makes her happy.

Have you ever been tied up? No.

Are you anyone’s first love? I don't know. I used to think that was the case with Sara, but to be honest, I don't think she really romantically loved me.

If you could find one long-lost friend of the past, who would it be? Megan.

Was your sixth grade teacher a man or a woman? By middle school, we had different teachers for each subject, so.

Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with? Girt.

Has anyone ever told you they were in love with you? I'm certain Jason did and I'm pretty sure Girt has.

Do you prefer boys to shave down there? I prefer that boys/men do whatever the fuck they want with their own body, I literally have no opinion. People who treat body hair like it's disgusting and/or uncleanly are due to grow the fuck up.

How much does your mother know about your sex life (or lack thereof)? She knows I've done things, but what those "things" are I've never shared. She knows I'm a virgin + why.

Do you enjoy watching cooking shows? LMAO YES, Girt and I do this so much and were last night too.

Did you lose friends when you started dating someone? No.

When was the last time you went to an ice cream parlor? What kind of ice cream did you get? Oh wow you just unlocked a memory I forgot I had, it woulda been when I visited Sara, I think the last time. Her dad took us and I think her youngest brother to this local place that they love, despite it being fucking freezing lol, but it's never too cold for ice cream. I don't remember what I got, but they had a ginormous amount of options to mix together.

Did you go to school with anyone named Ashley? What was that person like? Well in high school my older sister Ashley was briefly there while I was, and back then she was very independent, studious, ambitious, but also very reclusive; she didn't leave her room a lot and when she did, it was usually to go somewhere. Back then she was also the kind that couldn't leave the house without makeup, and it always broke my heart, like my sister has always been gorgeous. Thankfully she's WAY past that now.

What color is the vehicle that you travel in most often? White.

Do you have any nieces or nephews? When was the last time you saw them? I have a shitload if you include my half-siblings, but I only regularly see Ashley's three kids. I saw them like... two weeks ago? I have a nephew by my brother that I haven't met yet, which sucks. Actually Katie also has a kid or maybe even two that I haven't met. Your family being strewn about all over the country fucking sucks.

Do you know the story of how your grandparents met? No, for neither pair of them.

Do you have a relative or close friend named Peter? When was the last time you saw that person? I actually don't think I know a single Peter.

Have you ever had an ex who wanted to get back together? What did you say to them? Well, I guess Girt. He said yes when I asked him back out, so he was obviously up for it.

#survey #surveys #random questions #personal questions

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finsterhund · 5 years

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Service dogs “are not here to serve us” rebuttal

Hardcore vegans are known for hypocritical stances such as forcing domesticated obligate carnivores to eat vegan food, thinking sheep don’t need to be sheared, and turning a blind eye to the fact that many animal-free products from developing countries only come over to North America because of unfair treatment of workers. Recently the spying algorithm of my google phone sent an article my way that highlighted some animal rights organization’s preposterous instagram post against service dogs.

The post reads as follows:

The default position of veganism is to reject the use of non-human animals. This includes ALL uses, including service animals.

The key word here is “use.” They are not, and never were, here for us to use. Non-human animals owe us absolutely nothing.

Yet some believe humans do have the right to have certain animals and individuals serve us; therefore, they domesticate them for this purpose. But domestication does not involve consent by all those involved, and there is unequal power in the relationship. Just because individuals CAN be trained to serve us does not mean that they SHOULD.

When we adopt non-humans as our companions, we can save them from further exploitation. To continue to use them as tools for human purposes after adoption goes wholly against vegan principles. Therefore, we remain opposed to the use of animals (such as dogs) for human service, even if the animals were NOT bought from a breeder.

Service dogs and the like are still a WANT and not a need. And regardless of treatment, the use of any animal for service promotes the idea that animals are here to work for humans rather than to exist in their own right as individuals.

If we haven’t already made the point clear, under no circumstances should ANY non-human be used at the hands of humans.

Let it be known. I used to be a hardcore ARA back in the day, and I still have strong opinions for animal welfare. I am notably however, not inherently opposed to humans consuming meat, as we are opportunist omnivores so while we should be working towards humane and sustainable food sources, I think we should still be allowed to evolve out of eating meat at our own pace as a species if we are going to abandon it altogether. Forcing an animal to conform to a dietary restriction they don’t in nature is inhumane, and humans are animals. I also do not believe in full on animal rights. The difference “rights” have as oppose to “welfare” are basically concerning things like body rights, personhood, etc. I do believe in implementing animal rights under certain situations and contexts however, and this does involve dogs. I might touch up on this at a later date.

The relationship the human species has with the domestic dog is unheard of on the same level in any other lifeform on Earth. Tarantulas are known to keep tiny frogs as pets, and we have certainly domesticated many other animals, but a symbiotic relationship as in-tune as humans have with dogs is currently unparalleled. There are many factors that go into this. I for one think that cats are fully capable of developing similar bonds if we didn't normalize letting them run outside unsupervised for days at a time and intermingle with feral colonies, but that’s neither here nor there. Dogs had a head start, and a key factor was that unlike cats, their ancestors shared a similar ecological niche to humans, had nearly identical social structures, and lived in extremely tight-knit familial groups like we did. These similarities would put the perfect ground work in place. There are fossil records that indicated that early man cared a lot for their sick or injured family members, with individuals who wouldn't have been able to have offered anything of working value to their family for the entirety of their lives, based on the state of their injuries were cared for far past when they would have otherwise survived if left to struggle. This behavior is also seen in domestic dogs and their wild relatives. Note: the whole “alpha male” thing were unfounded studies that turns out were done on extremely stressed individuals forced to cohabitate with strangers in captivity and aren't valid.

Dogs have evolved to eat the same food that we do, we significantly changed and altered their physical bodies so they’d be suited to a whole variety of different roles in our society, dogs have evolved to have more specialized eyebrows so that they can better physically communicate with us, and some new studies in their early stages even suggest that we may even have some sort of a proto-psychic bond with dogs. Or in the very least they have evolved to be extremely aware of our feelings based on tiny facial expressions or specific scents. Still no small feat. Particularly sharp breeds mimic human speech based on vocalizations they associate with excitement or praise. Dogs can understand specific words and tones of voice in our language, follow our line of gaze and direction indicated by hand gesture, and generally have cognitive abilities akin to a five-year-old. Dogs are known to empathize with us when we express negative emotions and are well documented for pining for deceased human family members and waiting for them for the remainder of their own lives. Dogs do not understand the concept of death, but they understand the concept of losing us. While there are many animals conventionally smarter than dogs, this bond cannot be replicated to the same extent with them. To a dog, their human is family. To be protected at all cost. Dogs LOVE us. And it’s a pure unconditional love. Flawed only in how innocent a dog is. Unable to understand concepts like good and evil. This is extremely serious. I cannot stress how one-in-a-million, incredible, sacred, and rare what happened between us and dogs is. It’s the most beautiful thing to me that exists on planet Earth. It’s one of the only things that makes me think the universe is more than just cold and unfeeling. If there is anything that could be possibly used as proof of a higher power in this universe it’d be this. Of all the things left up to chance in this universe, humans and dogs found each other. Anyways, sorry to go off. It’s just something I’m extremely passionate about.

The point I’m making of course, is that dogs are just short of actually being members of our own species, and having a service dog is basically the same thing as asking your kindergartner to get the newspaper or pick up the TV remote you accidentally dropped.

In fact, for many service dogs the tasks they’re trained to perform aren't just basically things like those examples, they’re literally things like those examples.

So lets get some misconceptions out of the way:

“Dogs don’t like working”

Dogs love making us happy. They love helping us. They feel accomplished when they have a participating role in our lives. Especially true for working breeds, it’s actually recommended that dogs get some form of training or work exercise as part of a daily or weekly routine for their own mental enrichment. As well as exercise. All breeds generally associated with service dog and guide dog work have extensive histories of performing tasks for humans. And they love doing it! Retriever breeds are literally named after the fact that they came along to retrieve downed prey animals for their humans. This is basically “fetch” with a purpose. And fetch is the most well-known way we play with our dogs in existence. Retrievers are a popular choice for service dogs because their selectively bred “gentle mouth” and retrieving instincts make them the perfect candidate for a pupper who picks up things you dropped, and can bring you a pill bottle, phone, or emergency pager in a pinch. Dogs who also have the body strength for it get exercise and mental enrichment from performing tasks like balance assist. Just like how sled dogs LOVE sledding. Once again, you've likely heard cases of maltreated sled dogs, but the possibility for being exploited doesn't change the fact that if it’s responsibly managed, these dogs enjoy this line of work. In fact, if you have a sled dog and they don’t get to exert themselves physically, often times by needing far more walks and play, they’re going to be bored and miserable. The dog likes and wants to do these things for us. We just have a responsibility to make sure it’s not hurting them. A person can enjoy their job, and it’s only if something happens like they’re not making a living wage that it becomes exploitative. Dogs are the same. So long as they enjoy what they’re doing and it’s not causing them any issues, they’re probably going to have even more enriched lives for doing it!

“Training is abusive”

Proper training is positive reinforcement. There’s some idiots who think that physically punishing a dog is a good form of training, and I’d like to recommend them this to read. Service tasks pretty much MUST be trained with positive reinforcement. In order to encourage them to perform these tasks. Not only that, but training is a form of mental enrichment. Every dog, regardless of whether they’re a family pet or a working animal should have some form of obedience training. It’s good for them! They feel accomplished. It’s a fun bonding activity to do for a few minutes a day. It is possible for a dog to “burn out” (trained too hard too fast resulting in frustration and giving up) or “wash out” (when interactions are inconsistent, leading the dog to be confused and not behave as indicated) so there are incentives in place to ensure that training is well-paced, moderate, and isn't frustrating to the dog. Proper, positive, and well-paced training is a perfect way to add a healthy routine to a dog’s life and strengthen their bond with you. It’s enriching. In the same way that a crossword puzzle on your commute to work is to you. Dogs like making us happy, they like challenge, and they like accomplishments.

“Dogs aren't consenting to the tasks they are performing”

Remember when I said how routine and doing things to make us happy strengthen our dog’s bond and enrich their lives? Remember how I said that many tasks dogs are trained to do are basically playing but with a purpose? Remember how I said that training for service work is entirely positive reinforcement and dogs are incentively encouraged to do their tasks? This is where animal rights vs animal welfare comes in. The notion that animals should have the exact same rights of personhood that humans have is what the angle these people are going with is reflecting. They see dogs being “tricked” to do things. As them being exploited. Even though these things are fun and enriching for dogs. If a task is something the dog can naturally do, and willingly wants to do, or wants to do to show us they care, they are consenting to it. If I really like my friend’s character so I draw them gift art am I being exploited because they’re getting free art? No.

“Service work is harming the dog”

There are situations where a task could be unfit for a particular breed: ie a lean, thin dog who isn't equipped for pulling being made to do a related task, but this is a problem in an individual situation, one that trainers would look into extensively. A happy and healthy service dog is a service dog who is also ensuring their handler is happy and healthy. There’s no reason that somebody would force a dog to perform a task they physically can’t do, because that would just make life hard on both dog and handler. Professional trainers and laws being put in place are also strongly against this sort of thing. We have publicly available guides all over the place to explain which dogs may not be suited for service work based on temperament or size. It ultimately comes down to the individual, like every situation involving neglect or cruelty. Other issues such as not having your dog wear shoes when they spend a lot of time walking on hot pavement, not ensuring your dog has access to cleanliness, food, and medicine, etc. are not issues exclusive to service dogs. They’re issues for dog husbandry in general. Training organizations and certain parts of the world (Like BC!) will pretty much ensure that the dog is at peak health, or they’re taken back. In BC service dogs must look healthy and clean, pass health examinations from a vet, be up to date with shots, and be sterilized. Otherwise they can’t be a service dog. That’s stricter laws than the ones in place for pet dogs. In this situation a service dog has more protections towards their quality of life than a pet dog does.

Now lets dissect the instagram post point by point:

The default position of veganism is to reject the use of non-human animals. This includes ALL uses, including service animals.

1. note how they say “non-human animals” because veganism loves to kick issues with farmers in developing countries under the rug as I previously explained. 2. INTERSECTIONALITY! Humans ARE animals. You should care about the wellbeing of all animals and nature. This includes humans, especially humans being exploited to provide food. 3. I’m also disgusted by their (repeated) claim that service animals are “used.” As if my massive explanation that dogs do this because they love us isn't pretty obvious if you've spent any portion of your life with a dog.

The key word here is “use.” They are not, and never were, here for us to use. Non-human animals owe us absolutely nothing.

AGAIN WITH THE “USE” I’m about to bite you. I suppose if a child wants their parent to read to them or hug them the parent is also being USED? Dogs don’t owe us anything. Yes. 100% agree. They aren't being forced to do these things because we feel they owe us. They WANT to do things for us. Out of the goodness of their hearts. Because they feel accomplished. Because it enriches their lives. Because they LOVE us. Damn it.

Yes, it is pretty unfair that many animals were domesticated for our use. But I’m gonna explain it as gently as I can; dogs and humans have a symbiotic relationship. Domestication, like with cats, started out as an accident. Then we started providing for each other. Here we see the consent thing. (refer to my “dogs don’t consent to service tasks” rebuttal. The term “service” IMO is outdated. They’re not serving us like slaves, they’re aiding us like you’d help a loved one who needs your help. And again, training is ENRICHING for dogs. It’s fun. it helps them feel accomplished. It stops them from being bored. If a dog wasn't consenting to being trained they would burn out.

For someone keen on arguing for the rights of dogs you really are just going to refer to their role in our lives as “tools” huh? A symbiotic relationship where a dog does nice things because we let them know that we’d want them to isn't them being a tool. It’s them showing us compassion and caring for their family. Also LMAO at the breeder part. Comes out of left field.

“A WANT and not a need” oh my god. Fuck you. Living with a dog should be a human right, and living with a human should be a dog right. We exist because of each other, we are made for each other. Our evolution was influenced by each other. There are people who’s lives are made infinitely more livable because of the compassion and care their dog gives them, even if they’re not doing tasks. Dogs pretty much need humans in their lives to have quality of life. I’ll give you a hint. Dogs do exist in their own right as individuals. Individuals who bond with and show their love for their families by doing nice things for them. Why the hell is this so hard for you to understand? Dogs derive enjoyment and accomplishment from the symbiotic relationships we share. Not only that, but based on this instagram post I’d say dogs also have significantly more empathy for others than you do (to be honest I think that’s the case 90% of the time when it comes to humans), because they can understand helping someone out of the goodness of their hearts but you don’t.

If we haven’t already made the point clear, under no circumstances should ANY non-human be used at the hands of humans.

USED USED USED. If you’re so bent out of shape about this why don’t you just rally against keeping dogs as pets in the first place? (some of these people are. I've seen it) I mean, a symbiotic relationship with any sort of power imbalance is in and of itself “use” by your definition.

Reading this instagram post I’m genuinely concerned if this person has ever been in the same room as a dog before. It’s just really insulting.

Growing up as an abuse survivor, all the dogs I lived with were so empathetic. They knew I needed someone to comfort me, to keep me safe, to let me know everything was going to be okay. They knew. The amount of information that could be transfered between our gazes was astronomical. A dog wouldn't come to you in your darkest hour, when you've beginning to lose your voice from how hard you've been crying, and stay with you for hours on end if they didn't love you. Love is about doing things for each other. Willing sacrifice. Empathy and compassion. If you teach a dog ways that they can help you even further, of course they’re going to want to do that. No matter how messed up and grim our society becomes we’ll always be there for each other. It’s the only constant we know. Humans have an obligation to protect this sacred bond but the fact that some people are so convinced of shit like this is just heartrending. Dogs want to do things for us just as much as we should want to do things for them. And when many of these things bring enrichment to their lives, there really isn't a reason not to let them and help them understand a little better.

In conclusion:

#text post #long post #negative #rant #I'm legitimately gutted that these people exist #service dogs

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