#and like. it's just a step. away from all the white and mixed and 'amerasian' (eugh. why) characters i used to make

[swarmkeepers]

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#sola said #thinking about names!! about tâm and thao and [redacted campaign 2 pc] #idk like. i literally wrote In My Character Doc as one of the first things i did that it would be okay if ppl just wrote tâm's name without #the diacritical bc it would be easier and i put the phonetic pronunciation of her name in there too bc it is. not intuitive from the english #and i wasn't lying! it meant a lot to me to even have her name be tâm in the first place #i picked a name that was obviously vietnamese but i also picked one without actual tones because i Myself don't trust my ability #to pronounce that let alone other people. my vietnamese is Not Good #and like. it's just a step. away from all the white and mixed and 'amerasian' (eugh. why) characters i used to make #like i know my partymates are Good People and Friends and i genuinely was expecting folks to just like. write 'tam.' not quite pronounce it. #and it still would have been meaningful To Me #and i'm constantly so so surprised and so so happy when people Do put in that effort #every time i see my party (and people NOT in my party! so absolutely buckwild!) #put the little circumflex over the â or say tâm's name #it makes me SO happy in a way that i truly could not explain it feels a little irrational and ridiculous but also. so nice #like Everyone In The Party Does It holy shit it feels unreal #maybe i shouldn't be surprised maybe some other folks will say that saying someone's name correctly is like. base human decency and #i absolutely trust my party i know they're Good People but just. it makes me so happy. not the surprise of it but the Taking The Time/ #Making The Effort of it #anyway happy aapi heritage month! #i love being vietnamese and i love that the things and the characters i create are inseparable from that! #names are just. #'you know that your name is safe in their mouth' YEAH #sorry to just be full of sap i'm making it everyone's problem :D #i simply. wandering isles folks are the coolest ppl in the world and i could not possibly have predicted how kind y'all are #even in the smallest things. i don't know if anyone thinks twice about tâm's name but me #tâm tag

[hell0-there-lady]

Someone asked me to list my favorite TED talks, so here are a few of them with the description provided by the website. These are just a few of the very many I’ve watched, mostly the ones that have stuck with me long after seeing them. I hope you enjoy them and find as much insight as I have. Also, if you have a suggestion for me please send it! 

Each description is a link to the talk.

In no particular order:

Lifesaving scientific tools made of paper

Inventor Manu Prakash turns everyday materials into powerful scientific devices, from paper microscopes to a clever new mosquito tracker. From the TED Fellows stage, he demos Paperfuge, a hand-powered centrifuge inspired by a spinning toy that costs 20 cents to make and can do the work of a $1,000 machine, no electricity required. 

A 50-cent microscope that folds like origami

Perhaps you’ve punched out a paper doll or folded an origami swan? TED Fellow Manu Prakash and his team have created a microscope made of paper that's just as easy to fold and use. A sparkling demo that shows how this invention could revolutionize healthcare in developing countries … and turn almost anything into a fun, hands-on science experiment.

3 Ways to Kill Mosquitoes

We can use a mosquito's own instincts against her. In a rather unforgettable presentation, Bart Knols demos the imaginative solutions his team is developing to fight malaria -- including Limburger cheese and a deadly pill.

Depression; The Secret We Share 

(this one means the world to me. I watch it a few times a year a recommend it to everyone)

"The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment." In a talk equal parts eloquent and devastating, writer Andrew Solomon takes you to the darkest corners of his mind during the years he battled depression. That led him to an eye-opening journey across the world to interview others with depression -- only to discover that, to his surprise, the more he talked, the more people wanted to tell their own stories.

The Myth of the Gay Agenda

In a funny talk with an urgent message, LZ Granderson points out the absurdity in the idea that there's a "gay lifestyle," much less a "gay agenda." What's actually on his agenda? Being a good partner -- and being a good parent.

Why City Flags May be the Worst-Designed Thing You’ve Never Noticed (trust me - surprisingly funny)

Roman Mars is obsessed with flags -- and after you watch this talk, you might be, too. These ubiquitous symbols of civic pride are often designed, well, pretty terribly. But they don't have to be. In this surprising and hilarious talk about vexillology -- the study of flags -- Mars reveals the five basic principles of flag design and shows why he believes they can be applied to just about anything. 

An Intergalactic Guide to Using a Defibrillator (funny)

If Yoda goes into cardiac arrest, will you know what to do? Artist and first-aid enthusiast Todd Scott breaks down what you need to know about using an automated external defibrillator, or AED -- in this galaxy and ones that are far, far away. Prepare to save the life of a Jedi, Chewbacca (he'll need a quick shave first) or someone else in need with some helpful pointers

Strange Answers to the Psychopath Test (an all-time favorite)

Is there a definitive line that divides crazy from sane? With a hair-raising delivery, Jon Ronson, author of <em>The Psychopath Test</em>, illuminates the gray areas between the two. <em>(With live-mixed sound by Julian Treasure and animation by Evan Grant.)</em>

How I Learned to Read- and Trade Stocks - in Prison

Financial literacy isn't a skill -- it's a lifestyle. Take it from Curtis "Wall Street" Carroll. As an incarcerated individual, Carroll knows the power of a dollar. While in prison, he taught himself how to read and trade stocks, and now he shares a simple, powerful message: we all need to be more savvy with our money.

A Prosecutor's Vision for a Better Justice System (an all-time favorite)

When a kid commits a crime, the US justice system has a choice: prosecute to the full extent of the law, or take a step back and ask if saddling young people with criminal records is the right thing to do every time. In this searching talk, Adam Foss, a prosecutor with the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in Boston, makes his case for a reformed justice system that replaces wrath with opportunity, changing people's lives for the better instead of ruining them.

This is What it’s Like to Go Undercover in North Korea

For six months, Suki Kim worked as an English teacher at an elite school for North Korea's future leaders -- while writing a book on one of the world's most repressive regimes. As she helped her students grapple with concepts like "truth" and "critical thinking," she came to wonder: Was teaching these students to seek the truth putting them in peril?

My Escape from North Korea

As a child growing up in North Korea, Hyeonseo Lee thought her country was "the best on the planet." It wasn't until the famine of the 90s that she began to wonder. She escaped the country at 14, to begin a life in hiding, as a refugee in China. Hers is a harrowing, personal tale of survival and hope -- and a powerful reminder of those who face constant danger, even when the border is far behind.

The Story of a Girl

Photographer Rick Smolan tells the unforgettable story of a young Amerasian girl, a fateful photograph, and an adoption saga with a twist.

Could a Drug Prevent Depression and PTSD?

The path to better medicine is paved with accidental yet revolutionary discoveries. In this well-told tale of how science happens, neuroscientist Rebecca Brachman shares news of a serendipitous breakthrough treatment that may prevent mental disorders like depression and PTSD from ever developing. And listen for an unexpected -- and controversial -- twist.

Why Domestic Violence Victims Don’t Leave

Leslie Morgan Steiner was in "crazy love" -- that is, madly in love with a man who routinely abused her and threatened her life. Steiner tells the story of her relationship, correcting misconceptions many people hold about victims of domestic violence, and explaining how we can all help break the silence.

My Son Was a columbine Shooter. This is My Story.

Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters who committed the Columbine High School massacre, murdering 12 students and a teacher. She's spent years excavating every detail of her family life, trying to understand what she could have done to prevent her son's violence. In this difficult, jarring talk, Klebold explores the intersection between mental health and violence, advocating for parents and professionals to continue to examine the link between suicidal and homicidal thinking.

Why I Chose a Gun

Peter van Uhm is the Netherlands' chief of defense, but that does not mean he is pro-war. In this talk, he explains how his career is one shaped by a love of peace, not a desire for bloodshed -- and why we need armies if we want peace.

I Grew Up in the Westoro Baptist Church. Here’s Why I Left. (an all-time favorite)

What's it like to grow up within a group of people who exult in demonizing ... everyone else? Megan Phelps-Roper shares details of life inside America's most controversial church and describes how conversations on Twitter were key to her decision to leave it. In this extraordinary talk, she shares her personal experience of extreme polarization, along with some sharp ways we can learn to successfully engage across ideological lines.

It’s Time for “The Talk” (very funny, under 6 mins)

Despite her best efforts, comedian Julia Sweeney is forced to tell a little white lie when her 8-year-old begins learning about frog reproduction -- and starts to ask some very smart questions.

#ted talks #master list