#the wider community is so bad at seeing people in it as individuals with feelings and a need for connection sometimes :(

[wild-at-mind]

I’ve now read many, many accounts from trans men of being ostracised, treated cruelly and ultimately traumtised by the reaction from their queer communities upon coming out to them. This is clearly something that has happened to a lot of people. I’m not the queer community but we clearly need to fucking do something because this is very dark and sinister.

#queer community #trans men #i'm closeted and have therefore experienced no one's reaction at all #but i'm also not really in a queer community and for the first time i'm seeing maybe that's good #my lgbtq meetup group is extremely normie and are just people of all ages meeting up for a coffee #honestly i think the fact that we have several middle aged and older people as regular attendees helps #otherwise gross online discourses can creep in and effect people's dynamics #from an outsider's perspective i remember the 'trans men have male privilege from the moment of coming out' era #it was.....not good and it was all in the name of helping trans women i think which is so weird as i don't think it did that at all #possibly it was cis women and cafab nonbinary people thinking it helped? #i honestly think the 'so you think we should centre men??!~!!!' exclamation is one of the worst things to ever happen #well that's an exaggeration but it's certainly bad #the wider community is so bad at seeing people in it as individuals with feelings and a need for connection sometimes :( #butyouvealwaysbeenthecaretaker always had great things to say on this topic...miss you

[littlemoonastrology]

Astro Observations: The Moon ☽

The Moon represents aspects of our cognition and emotion: our memory, comfort zones, reactions, the way we feel fulfilled, where we are satisfied, the way we feel connected to others, nurture ourselves and others, and our intuition.

Not only that, but the Moon can also tell us what aspect of our life we need to nurture, watch over and protect in order to grow and how. When we direct this energy in the right area, it becomes easier to express and allows us to feel more fulfilled in life.

When the Moon is satisfied, it is how you know you are on the right path. Follow your dreams and become the person you want to be - the Moon will guide you... just be careful not to become too emotionally tied to things, overprotective, clingy - sometimes the Moon can also signify what you need to let go of in order to become the best version of you.

What you can also do to learn about this, is see where Cancer is in your chart (or see what sign your 4th House falls in, including the Planets inside of it)!

If you are someone with a Cancer Stellium (like me!); nurturing yourself, self improvement, letting go of things that don't serve you, feeling satisfied and comfortable (whilst still reaching your goals), becoming an individual whilst still feeling comfortable with people may be a priority for you. This may also mean you feel highly tied to your Moon placement, so follow it!

To see a brief explanation of what the Moon means in the Houses, see below!

~

Moon in 1st : You feel at your best when you are making the right impression to people, nurture your appearance and projects you find make you the happiest. You are highly intuitive, able to scope out people's intentions quickly (but this may also mean you could be the sort of person to wear your emotions on your sleeve) - be careful not to let people take advantage of you and manipulate you. Let go of those that make you feel bad about yourself, try to make you compromise for things you don't enjoy or always put you on the short end of the stick - put YOU first! You'll find then you can express your individuality a lot easier and move towards what you really enjoy.

Moon in 2nd : When you are investing your time and energy into something you care about it feels very satisfying to you. You enjoy making money and spending it on things that make you happy but for the long-term! (Maybe buying things to further a skill, home decoration maybe!). You are not someone who looks much into the short-term aspects of something - you want something stable you can rely on, trust and really enjoy in your life. Make sure to let go of those who try to sabotage the work you have done if you have a fixed vision of something or if you have strong morals. These kinds of people are not those that will stay in your life and will not invest useful energy into you - so don't spend it on them! Once you're doing that, you will be able to invest a lot more into yourself and your projects!

Moon in 3rd : Communication, growing your intelligence and critical thinking skills are very important to you! You may have a lot of interests/hobbies and enjoy researching/understanding those that give you satisfaction. You are a very curious person, always ready to learn more and grow intellectually. Speaking to people, journaling or engaging in learning about your interests may be a way to help you deal with negative emotions. Let go of people/situations that don't serve your interests and curious nature... and ESPECIALLY let go of people that treat your interests with negativity - you need to be able to learn/communicate and feel comfortable doing so! Once this has been done, you will feel a lot more comfortable with yourself, able to express your interests to a wider range of people.

Moon in 4th : Pay attention to how you feel around your family (or people that feel like family to you) as with this placement it may be pretty easy to get taken advantage of. It's very important you feel nurtured emotionally and secure in whatever setting you're in - you need to feel safe in order for you to grow. You're someone deeply compassionate, maybe with an intense nostalgic quality and get attached to things easily (or you went through a phase like that). When you start to feel unsafe, insecure in your surroundings, like you are being neglected this is how you know you are on the wrong path - maybe this even feels comfortable to you when it shouldn't! Your biggest lesson is to learn to let go, move towards what makes you feel safe and secure - like you can really be yourself and grow into who you want to be.

Moon in 5th : You are someone naturally very expressive and passionate, someone who shares their joy with others and makes others feel good about themselves! Your passions and creative expression are very important to you - they are something you love to share with the world and engage your time in! People or situations that limit this expression, make you feel depressed or make you part of a structure which makes you feel unsafe or unsatisfied should be avoided. You are someone who naturally already wants to commit to your passions and share their desires, learn about them and try new things - a routine may make you feel bored or stagnant. Once you've started avoiding those situations, you'll attract more people around you who want to see what you've been creating/performing!

Moon in 6th : You take care of your health and surroundings very well, maybe also have quite a strong work ethic (or you enjoy staying busy). You are someone who feels satisfied when developing your skills or when you feel capable in doing something, whether that be for people or yourself. If you start to feel like you are being taken advantage of, are confused with what someone wants exactly (maybe through manipulation) or when you start to doubt yourself, it can cause some serious sense of insecurity within you. Avoid vague situations and communicate as directly as possible - don't let people take advantage or be emotionally manipulative towards you to gain something. This will allow you to feel more confident in yourself, meaning you are able to set better boundaries so you can continue developing yourself and your skills to provide for those around you! You are capable, be careful not to burn yourself out!

Moon in 7th : You feel the most satisfied when you are around those you love and feel close to. You may have a reputation for being very kind or emotionally involved in your relationships, often giving as much as possible to your partner without much of a second thought - it makes you happy! Sometimes though, the people you meet may be pretty self serving and only really care about themselves and don't pay any attention to your feelings. This can make you feel alone, dissatisfied, neglected and is something you should avoid at all costs. You deserve to be loved and cared for just as much as anyone else - your needs matter too! Once you've started avoiding situations such as this - where you're giving and giving and not receiving (like a one-sided relationship, pay attention to rewards you receive too) and not getting any respect, you'll notice you start to become more assertive in yourself, able to stand up for what you want and deserve!

Moon in 8th : When you trust someone, you trust HARD or you find you can become pretty selfless to people who you are close to. This is someone very loyal, protective and would do anything to make sure their loved ones are okay! Vulnerability isn't easy depending on the sign, but when you become emotionally attached to someone - you get ATTACHED! However, be careful and avoid those who seek to use you for their gain whatever that may be (or they want you to give more than you can give). This can make you feel used, manipulated, unwanted - maybe even scared and you start to develop trust issues. You deserve someone who cares about your emotions and would be as loyal as you are to them, someone who can relate to you, someone you can really trust. Once you start avoiding those who make you feel used, you'll notice your mood drastically shifting and you start to become more open to new experiences, open to trusting.

Moon in 9th : You may be someone who really enjoys travelling, trying new foods, maybe some kind of introspection or academics - anything to quench your curiosity and excitement! You need to be able to explore all the different aspects of life and follow what you know will make you happiest - whether its a moral or an ambition, it gives you a deep sense of purpose most likely which is very satisfying for you. A major stressor may be those who seem not to care about what YOU want to do or are closed-minded to your opinions, let go of them! They don't serve you. You deserve to live the life you want to live without others telling you what to do and how to do it. You'll notice when you start to let these situations go, you become more open and committed goals you actually want to pursue even if it means you won't stick with it forever!

Moon in 10th : Ambitious is the perfect word to describe you! You may be quite career-oriented, or someone that directs their time to their own goals a lot of the time. You enjoy staying productive, working your way up something to be the best you can be and gain a lot of satisfaction from self-improvement possibly. Situations/people which make you feel stagnant, stuck in your comfort zone, like you can't actually progress in life should definitely be avoided. You're allowed to work on your own ambitions, don't let people sabotage them (especially family). You really want to be able to commit and dedicate yourself to something you genuinely want to do - so once you've started avoiding unhealthy situations which make you feel stuck and unworthy, you'll notice you feel a lot more motivated. Maybe your goals will become even clearer to you! Don't lose sight of what's important to you.

Moon in 11th : Your friend groups and ideologies are very very important to you and bring you a lot of happiness. Spending time with people that make you feel good, like you can relate to them and appreciate you for who you are is very satisfying - maybe you are in a few different friend groups and just enjoy meeting new people! However, it may be pretty easy to get caught up in situations or with people that make you feel inferior, excluded - or maybe this is something you are sensitive to. Avoid those who spend too much time talking about themselves - you're just as interesting and important as them! You have valid things to say! Once you stop worrying what those think of you and your opinions out of fear of being excluded or inferior or weird, you'll notice you start to build a friendship group that is just right for you. It will help you grow and feel nurtured, like you can express yourself properly.

Moon in 12th : You feel the most satisfied and nurtured when you are at peace, it's possible you do a lot of inner work or enjoy spending time on your own - sitting with your thoughts and feelings. Maybe you are even quite artistic, anything which allows you to feel more stable and settled, like you can grow in the way you want to. When people want to set very strict schedules on you, force you to a work ethic you don't want to be a part of it can be very stressful for you and is something you should let go of. Your emotional life deserves to be treated with respect - you deserve to feel at peace. Once you start to let go of these situations, you will notice you start to feel less anxious and more authentic to who you are - follow what gives you the deepest sense of peace and satisfaction.

~

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#astrology #astro observations #astro notes #astro community #tropical astrology #aries #natal chart #astrology degrees #astrology houses #zodiac #zodiac signs #astrology community #astrologer #spirituality #taurus #gemini #cancer #leo #virgo #libra #scorpio #sagittarius #capricorn #aquarius #pisces #sister signs #astroblr #astrology readings #moon #rising sign

[who-is-page]

I've seen (typically older) therians talking about how they feel that their subculture as animal-people and nonhumans is slowly disappearing. This is a point that, in all honesty, I'm inclined to agree with-- although I think I'd perhaps frame it less as "disappearing" and more as just "changing."

Because let's be honest with ourselves here: is the subculture actually vanishing, or is it just evolving into radical new dimensions as excited newbies join and find different focal points for their nonhumanity? As they express themselves in whole new dimensions and ways, as they explore a digital landscape that didn't exist ten, twenty years ago? As the older members lose touch with the newer members, and no one bridges that gap between the two?

I think I'm also extra frustrated because when I see these discussions go down, a lot of the time they're either 1) self-pitying, or 2) finger-pointing.

It's not bad or wrong to look around and realize that the community you found comfort in has changed in ways you could have never predicted and which leave you feeling off-kilter. But approaching these changes with a complete lack of curiosity, with an absolute woe-is-me sort of perspective, where you drag your feet and glare bitter daggers at everyone else, isn't the way to do anything.

And going around trying to pin blame on whoever happens to be at hand is an even worse way to approach it. "It's the furry fandom's faults!" "It's the alterhumans' faults!" "It's the humans' faults!" Who does this approach realistically help? What does this do, beyond ostracize people and make whoever is saying it feel temporarily vindicated in their solitude, in a vicious cycle where they never step out of their ivory tower and always use how alone they are as "proof" that they're right?

I think having discussions about the ways the subculture has changed is extremely worthwhile. But I think that they're at their best when enthusiasm over sharing takes a main, central point. When you see people excitedly telling others about Werecards for the first time, or when you get to introduce someone to the concept of personal websites and webrings, or when you link someone who's only just starting to learn that there's others like them to old and new groups and forums alike. These are the ways you keep those traditions alive, these are they ways you get people both informed of and really excited about them.

And like, maybe I'm just cheesy and optimistic, but building bridges is way more fun than building walls! And more than that, I also think it's fundamentally something that's significantly more helpful and productive. I'm always so hype when I see community projects taking off that involve connecting many different people, especially if they're centered on a specific group or identity, but I also think that those sorts of things are how we keep a community healthy and moving, how we avoid things getting stagnant and rotting away.

I've said it before in past essays I've published and I'll say it again: alterhuman communities survive through their internal momentum. We're still around and kicking because we're a bunch of opinionated, passionate animals and objects and entities and people and concepts and and and-- this is what we are! This is how we all, both together and individually as separate groups, continue to be around. We write. We argue. We dance. We leave tracks. And then others see all those things, months or years down the line, and they know they're not alone. They know that it's okay to join in around the campfire, and they end up leaving their own tracks, and the cycle repeats.

So I guess what I'm saying here is that I'm not just beseeching people to create, but I'm asking you to create with others. To extend that paw towards the people around you in your immediate community spaces and wider, and to realize that yeah, the digital grains of sand and time might erode and change the landscapes we're all in, but we can still have a damn good time exploring the new nooks and crannies around us and showing others our old hidey-holes and favorite spots to watch the sun set.

#therian #therianthrope #otherkin #alterhuman #long post sorry :x

[doberbutts]

I hate when people act like trans men aren't also killed and are "just" misgendered. It downplays that misgendering is an act of violence, and it erases all the trans men who have been murdered or driven to suicide. Plus many trans men are misgendered in death, so we don't even have accurate statistics. I feel pity for people who are so self hating they target other trans men/mascs and claim they have a victim complex and that they "need to center (trans) women." Like, no, you're allowed to center yourself. People are allowed to center themselves and their struggles. It's good to discuss other issues and nuance within certain groups, but individuals are allowed to care about themselves more as long as they aren't harming others.

The minimization trans men/mascs are expected to do towards their own experience is a great example of transandrophobia and the intersection of sexism and transness. "Shut up and stop whining" is something plenty of AFAB folks have heard before. It's not suddenly radical when it's been done to trans men/mascs, it's still basic tack misogyny.

I'm tired and brain foggy/chronic pain-y so I'm starting to ramble a bit so I'll end my ask here. It's just so frustrating, seeing people cannibalize their own and themselves while pretending it's to "further the cause" or whatever

tbh I think @thorne1435 said it the best. If "just misgendered" isn't so bad, then why don't [general] you detransition and live your life being forced out of transition and live as your assigned sex? Is it because "just misgendered" would drive most transgender people to suicide if that was their only option? Is it because "just misgendered" is one of the leading causes of suicide within the wider transgender community?

Leelah Alcorn was "just misgendered". She also stepped in front of a truck, and she's dead now. By this logic no one murdered her. She killed herself. Because she couldn't imagine living a life of being misgendered, because she was afraid that even if she transitioned it was "too late" and she'd be read as a man for the rest of her life. And her family that refused to accept who she was "just misgendered" her to the point where she saw no other way out except death.

Leelah's death was a tragedy. I'm not saying it wasn't. No trans teen should feel forced to choose between killing themselves and never transitioning.

I just wish it was recognized as a tragedy when other transgender people do this, too.

[alatismeni-theitsa]

I've seen so many posts of Neo-pagans and witches claim they are "working" with deities like Hades and Persephone and they claim they are using tarrot cards and pendulums and crystals and other things to "communicate" with them and I'm just wondering, isn't this a big mess? How they are mixing and matching practices and religions?

Yes, it's a huge mess! I am not going to say "Apollo will NEVER talk to you if you have a crystal ball", nor am I going to say "you must sacrifice a bull each month". But there is a wider trend of pop "paganism" (Greeks don't even use(d) the term "pagan" to refer to Polytheists/Dodekatheists, and we also didn't burn witches!) that makes it clear many individuals treat foreign practices and deities as if they're made just for their consumption and comfort. With a dash of USAmerican Evangelism on the side, usually.

These people do this mix and match, and use the term "work with X deity" because they haven't studied enough and take things lightly. Even though they think they are deep and have tons of knowledge, they are just there for the aesthetic, some Percy Jackson imperialistic influence, and to fill the spiritual void some type of (usually western brand of) Christianity left on them. And they don't step on a local or the Greek tradition to do so. They just bring out some random crystals and tarot cards and they decide they are priestesses of X god (who appointed them??) and they see X deity on the clouds and a piece of tost etc etc

It's not bad to bring your own culture to your faith, however, because of the internet, you have zero excuses for not knowing about and not following the practice in the proper context. It's a deliberate choice to stay ignorant about Greece's oppression and manipulation by the western powers which also have been fetishizing its practices for a long time.

Not to mention, this type of practice is not exactly a product of cultural exchange, like many such cases in the past (where the foreign culture blends organically with the og one). It's a product of cultural hegemony, the hegemony of western empires (usually the countries these people live in) upon Greece for the last centuries. That's why such practices and approaches don't feel natural and organic.

#answered #i dont want to tag it as witchcraft or paganism cause that's not what polytheism is to Greeks #like westerners call satanic even our christian faith #most things westerners call satanic or witchy or dark and mystical are quite normal for us

[mask131]

I was listening to a video about bad fandoms and how they ruin media etc etc...

And every time I hear about someone's experience being ruined by a bad fandom I think about one specific thing. How newer and younger generations grew up with the Internet and with social media - and as a result, for them, a social interaction will be first and foremost about the Internet. As such, when they want to enjoy or appreciate a media, they go to the Internet, and seek discussion and aporoval there.

But... As someone who grew up before the Internet was a thing everybody had. As someone who grew up in a household where the Internet was only my mother's work-tool, and definitively not for children, and barely used - as someone whose first connections to the Internet were done in cyber-cafes and by libraries' computers only when I was a teenager...

I remember and lived through a time where all the Internet fandoms DID NOT EXIST. And then, you could enjoy fully a media without worrying about the "fans". Heck, I lived in a time where people sometimes never met other fans of a given piece of media until several decades after discovering it! The invasion of the Internet and the wild colonization of social media in our society tend to make younger generations forget that medias will exist outside of a fando, and can survive a fandom. That the fandom is a byproduct of a media's existence, and is NOT NEEDED to consume, appreciate or dislike a piece of media.

I mean... I can give you dozens of shows I watched as a kid and a pre-teen that I was madly in love with, that I bought merch for, that I did fan-art of. And all that without ever encountering any other fan or hearing anybody else's opinion about the show. I just watched it, enjoyed it, and went on with my life. One CAN enjoy a media ALL ON THEIR OWN and all alone. It was how people did it for CENTURIES before you.

You clearly see how new generations' minds are shaped by the "Share this video" logic and by the "Comment section" structure. They are so used to see everybody sharing their opinion, they are so used to only read or see the most popular opinions, they are so used to see a media being SURROUNDED by fan reactions, that they end up believing in some warped way that they NEED to be part of a fandom, or that a media is equal and interwoven with its fandom. When the truth is that it is not.

There are tons of excellent pieces of media whose fandom died a long time ago, and yet the media is still there ; and same thing with hatedoms. On the other side, there are lots of pieces of media that never even got a fandom to begin with.

The whole "Fandom is everything" logic (that many people live by unconsciously) is only a fragment of a wider "community" phenomenon on the Internet, where everything must be a "community" and there is no individuality anymore. But here is the lesson and the moral to take out of things: If a piece of media is good, you can enjoy it, even if the fanbase or fandom is "bad". When you like a piece of media, you are NOT forced to interact with other fans or to care what the fandom as a whole thinks. You can be a fan, and not feel forced or obliged to be part of any "dom". And if someone "ruins" an experience of a media for you, always try to remember what YOU like about the media, and your singular enjoyment of it, and your own personal relationship with it.

I speak of experience here because when I first started sharing things about Sandman on Tumblr, I got into a bad situation with a crazy, bullying, obsessive fan of Sandman. It was all a pretty pathetic situation on all parts - because I was a young teen who wrote too hastily some posts without thinking about how my words could sound, and the other was a much older person who was hyper-focused on being the ultimate authority on Sandman (this person still tries to be the supreme ruler of the Sandman fandom by controlling Discors servers and making their blog the number one source of information about Sandman). This misunderstanding turned petty feud left me with a nasty and bitter taste that prevented me from sharing anything Sandman related - and did kill a bit of my Sandman joy... But I didn't left that ruin me. I wasn't going to leave one bad, rotten piece of mind make me unlove something I adored before. Because this is a person that exists OUTSIDE of Sandman, outside of the comic, outside of the media, and that I could have never even met if things had taken a different path.

I was bummed out that I couldn't share anything Sandman related anymore, because this person was stalking every Sandman post on this website, but I had to set my mind right because for YEARS and YEARS I did not share anything Sandman related, and it never bummed me out before. I collected Sandman volumes each year, for special occasions and given sasons - I have a whole personal history and experiences with this comic, tied to specific holidays like Christmas or gifts given by people that aren't here anymore. I was certainly NOT going to deny or renounce to a whole part of my life and to a personal relationship I had with a story, just because of some anger-prone person that clearly had a sorry life if they had nothing better to do than jump on the back of any foolish kid that miswrote something and yell at them like some self-righteous so-called teacher. A person I didn't even know, who didn't even knew the real me, and that I would never meet, and that I could easily block since their only presence was virtual.

[I also got a bit better upon seeing that I wasn't the only "victim" that had to suffer this person's slightly unhinged and very obsessive behavior, and that other reasonable person also got attacked - and I admit I laughed my ass off when I saw that this same person got a nickname around that they disliked but that actually described them so well from an outsider's point of view, it put into words everything I had felt and perceived from my few interactions. I won't say it here because I know it apparently hurts this person, and there's no need to answer misery with misery, but that was just something part of the whole crazy story]

Anyway after this very long digression - this is my personal story. For years and years I enjoyed Sandman as a comic, made it a yearly ritual, had personal experiences with it, all of that without meeting anyone else who knew or enjoyed Sandman (most people either being disinterested or laughing it off). And yet, because of this warped Internet logic that screws people minds, because one very present fan very present online was a bad person and attacked me on ground of me being some sort of "fake fan"... I should just threw these years to the bin? Certainly not! I love Sandman and it shaped some special events of my life, and that's something no one else will live, no one else will know, and that no one can "ruin" for me.

So no, I do not understand when people say that a piece of media couldn't be liked because of its fandom. A media exists outside of its fandom, before a fandom is born, and will probably survive said fandom. What truly happens to these people - which is something they do not actually understand, and that they need to realize, the same way I realized it - is that bad fans will ruin one's PERCEPTION of a show, will give a person bad memories of a comic, will ruin things around a movie or even cause trauma related to a cartoon. But when you consider things more carefully you will realize that a bad fandom in itself - that your personal bad experience with a fandom - won't change what the show or cartoon or comic or movie or anime truly is. Think about how you perceived the media before knowing about its fandom or before your bad interactions - and hold on to that, because this is YOURS and YOURS only. Try to imagine how you would have answered to a piece of media if you had no knowledge of its fans. Try to see and perceive a media while omitting all things that do not come from the media itself.

Ultimately, it is a question of not letting others enter in your head. What you do by letting bad fandoms "ruin" your perception of a media, is that you let others infect your life and warp up your mind and smear something you had, with their toxic, venomous, stupid, hateful behavior. It is a form of mind-invasion, similar to things like brainwashing peer pressure, and I think it is something people do not talk enough about.

Be strong. Do not let them win. Try to find back what is YOUR opinion and your feelings, truly your own. Or stand by your position and do not let people's bad behavior cut off yourself from the media. It is not because someone acted badly in a theater play's audience or an opera-house that the play or opera shown in it was bad. I think this is the most impactful metaphor I can come up with. If someone starts insulting everyone within a theater play's audience, will you blame the actors or the playwright for it? Will it forbid you from reading the play's script or from seeing another performance? Will you say to people "No, do not go watch this play, the audience is really bad"?

I hope this post can help

#fandoms #bad fandoms #toxic fandoms #help tips #i hope this helps #fight back the toxic #fight back the bad fandoms #being a fan #fans #and also #sandman #and some #personal experiences #seriously i do believe there is also a true schism between older generations #that grew up watching stuff on tv and in cinema and reading books on their own #and the younger one #that is all about streaming and Youtube videos and TikTok and the like

[ama-factkin]

i understand why people are against factkin when it comes to recently alive people or currently alive people. not that I think it can be controlled but some people need to seriously stop glorifying and putting certain sources out there so publicly at the least. But all arguments against factkin fall apart when you think about it in the context of ancient historical figures, people who died over a thousand years ago have no real effect on the people alive today and it's hard to claim it's disrespectful because what we know about said figures beyond that point is likely a caricature and we'll never know how they truly were and what truly happened in their life. So I DONT understand the absolutely-no-factkin attitude in the wider kin community. No matter what you believe there's sections of this community that are entirely harmless and respectful, so why do people act like it's evil?

There is no point in drawing lines as to which factkin are acceptable and which ones are not. Kintypes do not equal behaviour. They can influence it, sure, but at the end of the day peoeple are responsible for their own actions.

Speaking as someone who has a medieval kintype, a Victorian kintype, a Renaissance kintype, a recently deceased kintype and a kintype that is currently alive: I don't understand why people are uncomfortable with some of my kintypes and not others. I mean, I understand that there is a reason given. It's the reason that makes no sense to me.

If I can be Peter III of Aragon, who lived in the 1200's, I can be Eminem. The situation is not actually that different. Yes, it is different in that one is alive and one is not, but these are both famous people who have lived in this universe whom I identify as on a spiritual level and will never personally meet. If I did hypothetically meet either of them would I tell them that I'm factkin? No! Marshall Mathers would definitely think it was weird and Peter would probably have me executed for claiming to be him (the king) because he wouldn't understand what the words "factkin" and "multiverse" mean! The stipulation that "only dead factkin are okay" makes no sense to me because these two identities feel the exact same to me and I am not doing anything to hurt anyone regardless!

The other reason this stipulation makes no sense to me is the fact that who is alive and who is dead changes literally every minute. At the risk of sounding insensitive: I am David Bowie and as of 2016 he is dead. Was it "wrong" for me to be David Bowie prior to his death? Is it okay now? At what time does it become okay? Some people say "it's not okay because his relatives could be upset by it" but then I'd like to bring up Edgar Allan Poe! His descendants are still alive. Am I hurting them? I can't see how I would be: I don't know who they are and they don't know who I am.

I understand that people feel differently about different parts of the factkin community but it seems like so many people draw lines arbitrarily. People are individuals and a having a kintype does not make you a bad person. Likewise, a kintype is not an excuse for bad behaviour. Remember: most factkin aren't stalkers and most stalkers aren't factkin. Is there a small population of that venn diagram that overlaps? Probably. You know what other venn diagram overlaps? People who eat lobster and stalkers. People who make furniture and stalkers. Correlation is not causation. Just because there is a population that does both things does not mean one causes the other.

In my mind there is no viable reason to support some parts of the factkin community and not others. No kintype is "evil" because being otherkin is not an action with moral weight.

Thank you for the ask!

#factkin #otherkin #i hope this is readable #I'm on mobile. usually I type on desktop

[ukrfeminism]

Gathered around a wooden table in an unremarkable local council room in east London, ten men are sat side by side. They span a range of ages, ethnicities and social backgrounds; some are in sportswear while some are in smart work gear, like they’ve just left the office. But there’s one thing they all have in common — they have carried out domestic abuse. And they are here to try and change their behaviour. 

“Domestic abuse is a choice,” Mark*, the course leader tells them, as the two-hour session begins. “Not one in the thousands of men I have worked with are possessed by demons or aliens. If you can choose to be bad, you can choose to be good.”

This week’s session of the Spotlight Programme — one of several across the country aimed at stopping people inflicting violence and abuse on their partners — is looking at the repercussions domestic abuse has on children. Eight of the men have, at one time, been under a bail condition which prevented them from contacting their children. 

Mark, who has worked with dozens of male prisoners who have killed their partners and counselled many perpetrators in the wider community, is here to encourage the men to reflect on the consequences of their actions. As he puts it, the abusers’ choice of behaviour has denied their children access to their father.

“When you are abusing your child’s mum, you are abusing your child,” he tells the group, as he hits play on a video. “Does anyone want their sons to grow up and be sitting with me? Does anyone want their daughters to grow up and be abused?”

He then asks the men to say how they would feel if it was their mum experiencing domestic abuse. “I’d be mad, angry, I’d want revenge,” one man says. Another says he would feel upset. The list goes on.

The men who come to these sessions have carried out a range of abuse, from physical violence to psychological abuse, coercive control, financial abuse, and sexual violence, Mark tells The Independent after the session. 

But a common thread is the way they downplay violence and abuse, as well as dodging responsibility and deflecting blame. “When they first join the program, most of them are of the view that, yes, I did do dot dot but it’s because she did X, Y, Z,” he adds.

Examples of the abuse involve men blocking partners from contacting their families, raping partners and strangling them. He also tells the story of a man who regularly denied his partner her medication when she was desperately ill. 

“From how she dresses, who she sees, where she goes, who she talks to, to having to be home at 7pm every night — these are all very controlling behaviours and we come across them every single day,” he said.

The Spotlight Programme was launched in 2020, with referrals coming from the police and children’s services. Some 677 individuals have been referred between the scheme starting and April of this year.

Data supplied by the local council shows 92 per cent who completed the programme saw a decrease in police contact involving domestic abuse. Eight per cent of participants have dropped out of the programme and five per cent have been suspended.

A study, carried out by Durham and London Metropolitan universities back in 2015, found far fewer women reported being physically attacked after their partner went to a programme, with 61 per cent beforehand in comparison to two per cent afterwards.

But Mark also warns that not all men who join the Spotlight Programme are suitable. On some occasions, the more light that is shone on a perpetrator’s behaviour, the more they proactively perpetrate that abuse.

One man was taken off the programme due to frequently laughing at abuse in the group sessions. He also admitted to laughing at the thought of his wife’s face when he was raping her.

Despite this, Mark is adamant his scheme has the ability to change an abuser’s behaviour if they acknowledge there is a problem and they are committed to changing it.

In his view, it is ultimately a man’s belief system which means he thinks he has the right to control and dictate his partner’s life choices. “We help them to understand that: look, you don’t always have to like your partner’s choices’,” he adds. “But there are alternative ways to respond other than abuse and violence.”

But funding issues mean schemes like Spotlight — which is accredited by domestic abuse charity Respect — are at risk of being discontinued. Although they are funded from a variety of places, including local authorities and police and crime commissioners, the programmes have been hit by reduced funding from the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice.

Jas Athwal, a local councillor in Redbridge, said Spotlight’s government funding came to an end in March this year as he explained they “desperately need” the money to continue. They are currently using local council money to pay for the scheme. “This is one of those things you can’t walk away from because this is going to have a real impact on a child’s life, on a victim’s life, on a family’s life.”

Mark’s course in Redbridge is one of just three accredited courses left in London, while there are 35 such schemes across the UK. But Caroline Bernard, a spokesperson for Respect, told The Independent the removal of funding has lead to a reduction in risk management or feedback and resulted in Respect telling schemes for perpetrators not to take on these cases as it is dangerous to do so.

Ms Bernard warned the slashing of funding has meant “the entire system has broken down” and that there are a “high number” of perpetrators who cannot access the schemes. 

“Ultimately, the lack of access to these programmes is putting the safety of domestic abuse survivors, and their children, at risk,” she said. 

The world’s first perpetrator programme took place in Deluth in Minnesota in the US in 1980, with other programmes modelling themselves on the scheme since then, Ippo Panteloudakis, head of services at Respect, said. The first perpetrator programme was launched in the UK in 1989. 

But perpetrator programmes are not free from controversy and many who work in the domestic abuse sector are sceptical of the schemes.

“We think they have a role to play but we are cautious about them,” Ellie Butt, of domestic abuse charity Refuge, says. “The evidence base is limited. There is evidence for some people they reduce some of the abuse. While we think that has a role, we don’t want to send a message to survivors that they should have to tolerate any abuse or slightly less severe abuse.”

She also warned perpetrators are “adept at manipulating systems and manipulating professionals and continuing abuse” as she noted many abuse multiple victims.

“They are not a solution in and of themselves. We still need a much better criminal justice response than we have and better services for survivors. They are not a silver bullet,” she said. 

For Paul*, a 36-year-old painter and decorator who lives in London, the Spotlight Programme helped change his behaviour towards his partner. He was arrested and investigated for perpetrating coercive control. 

“I’d become very overprotective of her... I had become smothering,” he said. “I was constantly monitoring where she was and wanting to know when she would be home. I would bombard her with text messages and phone calls. It wasn’t verbal abuse, it was more ‘where are you? Have you left me?’”

But Paul, who has three children with his partner, states his “whole attitude to everything has changed” since taking part in the programme in August last year.

“It has changed my life,” he adds. “I don’t jump in feet first - I judge the situation slowly and calmly. She has noticed a change in me. She has a bit more trust in me now. I leave her to live her life in peace now.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “The safety of children who have experienced domestic abuse is vital and we are currently reviewing the role of interventions in the private family court. 

“This includes working with experts, including in the domestic abuse sector, to consider what interventions the family court can most effectively provide in these cases.”

*Names have been changed to protect identities

#articles #mvawg

[steveyockey]

this is so vague sorry but im pretty sure u reblogged an article a very long time ago about lgbt media and the idea that some of the most important things we have to say to each other aren’t comprehensible to straight people. do u know which article im talking about? i think it might have been about queer eye

you my dear are thinking of a substack entry by the lovely huw lemmey of bad gays (the podcast AND brand new book!) fame

This is fundamentally different to gay stories for straight allies. Within all of those stories, it’s conceivable that the queer view of heterosexuality might make an accusation of misdeed or oddness in which the heterosexual reader is complicit. But in the gay story for the straight ally, there is always a more pressing concern: to make the good heterosexual feel included. While it may be in some way important to “see yourself on screen”, what good is it if you don’t see yourself within the context of a wider queer culture, if the purpose of your story as a queer person is solely to confer some moral benefit, to offer a fable, for a straight life? It feels like, as queer individuals are ever more present on our screens, actual queer stories are increasingly absent. Mainstream manifestations like RuPaul’s Drag Race feel more like an outreach project for straight people, offering an exciting chance for people to watch competitive TV without having to endure heterosexual men, than anything that speaks to and for queer people. Even the more specific stories of gay life that slipped through in earlier seasons, testimonies against shame, or even the rare invocation of queer solidarity, seem to be replaced with a series of self-help mantras based on personal growth and self-realisation. 

Which brings us back Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. After two seasons, the show abbreviated itself as simply Queer Eye, losing the important dialectic that drove the engine of faggotry at its inception. Cancelled after four years, the show was resurrected in 2018, and the differences between the two versions seem to illustrate both the marked increase in visibility of queer people (the new show being marketed as a huge Netflix production) but also the change in the function of queer community and stories on television. Gone is the antagonism between the lifestyles of the feckless straight and the functioning queers, a dynamic that seemed to overturn supposed heterosexual superiority. Gone is the spirit of an unleashed, even unhinged sexual libertinism, a sexuality that potentially scared the straights. Instead, the queer is a combination of a nurturing, positive cool mom, not like the other moms, and a cheerleader whose own life stories and struggles against the odds help to guide a heterosexual through to a better you. “Ask not what you can do for your queer, but ask what your queer can do for you,” it seems to say, leaving unspoken the real nature and social context of traumas, traumas that are only ever hinted at as signs that these things too shall pass....

A recent commissioning brief I read for a broadcasting opportunity that claimed to be “for and about LGBTQ+ communities” included the following paragraph, which I include here not to pick on them but because I think it sheds a light on one of the reasons for this subtle shift. “Queer perspectives are central to popular entertainment and learning,” it began. “What is key to their success is not only reflecting these characters and issues authentically, but creating a space for a broader audience to engage with the world seen through a Queer lens.” What if the things queer people need to say to each other, the things that we say amongst ourselves, don’t create a space for a broader audience? What if the very point of queer culture is the exclusion of the figure of the heterosexual? What if the things queer people want and need to say and hear with each other are things that straight people might find challenging, unfair, accusatory? 

#if you click the link you can also get huw reading it <3 #anon #answered #reading

[tilapia-goulash]

I've gotta say, out of all the MXTX novels, MDZS definitely feels the most "different" to me. Is it a bad thing? Not really. Is it just because of my own biased perception (MDZS was the novel I read last)? Maybe. But as I've thought about it more, I've realized the main thing for me that really separates MDZS from the other two novels isn't its more surface level differences (different flavor of ML, more political drama-y, arguably good sex, etc etc) but rather one simple thing: the scale.

TGCF and SVSSS are stories that have larger scales by necessity of the plot. SVSSS not only has its main setting introduced as a book summary, but is also meant to be a parody of an existing genre, so it stands to reason there'd be the odd worldbuilding monologue where Shen Qingqiu curses out Airplane for his bad writing and whatnot. Worldbuilding is the primary tool through which the reality of Proud Immortal Demon Way as a setting (that being that it's a shoddily written but still fully system-expanded porn novel) is communicated to the audience.

TGCF is about a wandering banished god and a ghost king, so of course there's going to be lore about different kingdoms they've gone through and their histories with each other. Of course there's going to be a general picture painted of all three realms of this world and what each is like. Of course some defining points of our leads' character journeys are when one couldn't prevent a whole kingdom from collapsing and the other was rebirthed in a volcano as an unimaginably powerful super being. It's a fantasy novel. It only makes sense.

In contrast, though, MDZS feels incredibly zoomed in. All of the conflicts are between individual people or clans of maybe 50-100. There aren't any threats to the world at large (aside from maybe the criticized aspects of society like mob mentality and whatnot, depending on how you view it) and, hell, we don't even know what the kingdom it takes place in is called! The "world" of MDZS (if it can even be called that, as small as it is) is its own individual entity that isn't really connected to the greater universe around it. There's barely any worldbuilding at all--aside from the clan-sect thing, it's a bog standard cultivation setting, and there's no "wider impact" of any of the events of the story* outside the people the story chooses to focus on, because, simply put, there doesn't need to be.

In that way, it definitely makes sense that MDZS has the biggest impact on a lot of people. A smaller scale and more personal stakes might make the story feel more grounded and easy to connect with than, say, a giant statue kaiju mecha battle. (Absolutely no disrespect to the giant statue kaiju mecha battle from me, though. That shit was great)

Also, slight tangent, but this might be part of the reason there are more "serious" crossover fics (i.e. ones with more developed plots then "hey wouldn't it be fun if these characters interacted") between TGCF and MDZS than anything involving SVSSS. MDZS's lack of real connection to everything outside its story bubble makes it very easy to just drop in as a random thing going on in the background of TGCF, so it's not a big stretch to imagine. Hypothetically, this would also work with dropping MDZS into the world of SVSSS, but the tones of the stories are so wildly different that they feel a bit harder to reconcile.

In the end, though, it is still nice to see that even though MXTX has written three cultivation danmeis by now, there's still noticeable variety in not just the stories themselves, but the lenses through which they're told. It makes me very excited for whenever her fourth novel comes out, because because who knows what she'd do with a whole new setting...

#sorry if this doesn't make sense haha #this is definitely more of a stream of consciousness type post #thoughts and things #mdzs #mxtx #mo dao zu shi #this is mostly about mdzs i think #i don't really need to tag the others as much #the real question though is whether i should tag it as meta

[thisstableground]

Hi, I'm curious about something and you're like the one person I know who knows both characters so what would a meeting between Usnavi and Bruno be like? Just wondering

(this is broadway usnavi btw, i haven’t seen the movie)

okay! so, i actually think that bruno and usnavi have way more in common than you’d think just from a quck glance.

usnavi is clearly deeply loved by his community, whereas bruno is shunned by his, but (at least before usnavi’s character arc in the show) both of them feel on the outside of things. it’s probably not a coincidence that usnavi’s the only one breaking the fourth wall in ITH. he’s really no more the main character than, say, nina, but he is the one who chats with the audience directly, and i think that reflects the fact that he feels, like the audience, that he’s watching everyone else’s lives rather than participating himself. the world spins around while i'm frozen to my seat. and isn’t that so similar to bruno, sitting isolated in his room, watching visions of everyone else’s lives but never getting out himself, or putting on his rat plays in his space behind the wall? they both view themselves more in the role of narrator or observer, not a character with their own arc.

it’s obviously got a different vibe. i don’t think usnavi realises quite to what extent he’s loved by the people around him (he seems absolutely baffled by sonny and vanessa being upset about him leaving) but he definitely does not feel unloved. i think bruno also doesn’t realise how loved he is, but in his case he also has very good reasons to feel unloved, and is much less welcomed by the wider community (though perhaps when he was younger, this was different). and i definitely get the impression that usnavi’s relationship with his parents was an affectionate one, not a fraught one like bruno’s.

but there is that sense, for both of them, of having lost the thread of their individual identity under all the pressure of legacy and lost parents and their role and duty to their community. and both of them are stuck. they're living a life that isn't where they want it to be, there are things they want and relationships they crave but they can't move out of the place they're trapped in. there is also the sense that some part of is their own subconscious doing.

i always interpret usnavi’s as a result of anxiety that largely comes from losing his parents, a past that he can't change but wishes he could: what if he makes a wrong choice and something else bad happens, what if he loses someone else or loses his memory of his parents? better keep things exactly the same, to be safe. and bruno's as a result of seeing futures that he can't change but wishes he could, and what if he is cursed? what if he is the reason things go wrong? better knock on wood, hold your breath, spin in a circle, to be safe. when your life throws you a pain that you can't control, you create a routine that you can control, even if it eventually takes over and controls you.

usnavi's goal for a long time is to go back to the dominican republic, apparently, but until abuela claudia wins the lotto it really doesn’t look like he’s got any intention of taking steps towards that. and bruno is very similar - doesn’t actually manage to run away, because he’s too connected to his home and his family, but he doesn’t know how to change things so he just hides, stays the same, watches everything else grow and change without him. i’d bet that usnavi and bruno have had similar thoughts so many times of like “oh i’ll ask vanessa out, i'll sell the store, i'll move to DR. one day. probably. not yet.” and “i’ll talk to my sisters, i'll leave the encanto properly, i'll go outside. at some point. probably. not yet.”

and part of that pressure is external circumstances, but part of it is self-imposed, as a defense mechanism. if you lose yourself in your work or your duty to that extent, if you hide behind the things that are honest about it, then you always have an excuse to tell yourself for the rest. someone does always need coffee or a vision or a stable job or to be protected, that's true, so you can pretend that you're putting that big plan off because you're just too busy with all that other stuff, not because you're scared to do it. stay in the store. stay behind the walls. part of it is kindness, or duty, or practicality, yes. part of it is fear.

oh and speaking of abuelas! (though, again with a very different vibe depending who we're talking abut) i think both of them are very led by their love and respect for the respective maternal figures in their lives, but that this clouds their own desires/goals. claudia says to her own mama, "i spent my life inheriting dreams from you", and i think that without meaning to, the same happens with her and usnavi about moving to the dominican republic. as soon as it was him making the choice alone, he realised that it wasn’t what he wanted. i think there’s always some part of him that does want that a little, i doubt claudia picked that up from nothing, but it’s possible that she read usnavi's vague ideas of going to DR more strongly through her own experience of missing where her family came from, the part of her that regrets not going back to cuba, and didn’t recognise that the indecision probably meant part of usnavi felt it wasn't right for him.

and that’s so similar for alma, though it's much more harsh and hurtful in this instance: she parents her children and grandchildren based on her own history and regret and fear and wishes. she wants a safe place to hide, she wants outsiders not to find them or cause them harm: bruno lives up to that and then some when he goes into the walls. and he convinces himself it's the best choice for himself and for the family, but it isn’t. they probably don’t even realise that it’s something he learned from her example.

neither claudia nor alma mean any harm by this, they try their best, and they sacrifice for it: alma locks away her own grief and her trauma to build a whole community from the ground. claudia could use her lotto money to go back to la vibora after days into weeks into years away from home, but it’s puerto plata that they’re getting a plane ticket for, usnavi's island, not hers. they’re both misguided, their own pasts biasing their perception, but they do love their kids.

anyway!! you asked what it'd be like if they met, not for a list of things they have in common or for an extensive meta about abuelas. tough shit i guess you got that too.

so. i think that usnavi may see the similarities between himself and bruno, but he doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who dislikes people who he can see his own flaws/insecurities in. if anything it just makes him reach out to them more. i think he would want to help. he’s been scared and lonely and saddled with too much responsibility from too young an age and felt like he lost everything before, too, but he’s doing so much better now, and he'd want to extend that hope to anyone else who is struggling similarly. and what bruno needs more than anything is to be shown kindness and acceptance, both things that usnavi can very easily give. i also think usnavi has absolutely no concept of people being weird, he’s extroverted and makes friends easily but he’s not exactly Mr Social Cues himself. bruno could say the most absolute batshit thing you’ve ever heard and usnavi would just be like “lmao yeah i get u :)))"

bruno, on the other hand, probably would struggle to like someone who he felt was too much like himself, but i don’t think he’d see usnavi that way. someone who has struggles, fears, insecurities that bruno does relate to, but who unlike bruno is also bubbly and bouncy and chatty, and who is trying so, so hard all the time to be positive (even when it would be healthier to let themselves feel angry, or sad, or hurt, even when it's blatantly obvious that they are feeling those things), someone who helps other people when they're in the middle of their own crisis and who thinks of themselves as just a totally unremarkable, ordinary, nothing-special person because they don’t see the way that everyone gravitates towards their warmth and kindness. he’s not going to see himself in usnavi. he’s going to see mirabel.

they’d get along great.

#character: usnavi #character: bruno #fandom: in the heights #fandom: encanto #ended up just character analysis instead of what a meeting would be like sorry #the meeting would be a lot of coffee and conversations with 20 different tangents that neither of them are quite following #but theyre having a nice time. neurodivergent solidarity #usnavi would love the rat telenovelas #mirabel and usnavi would also get on so well #this does however increase the risk of sonny and camilo meeting and i think that would be hell for everyone else #edit: i just realised too that i think the way i characterise my versions of usnavi's parents #have kind of a julieta and agustín vibe #usnavi should hang out with the madrigals i think he'd have a lovely time

[dojae-huh]

Few fans are mad that Jaehyun is not promoting Doyoung’s collab while he promotes Ten’s. As well as other members but specifically mentioned Jae. Honestly, I was kinda persuaded at first but I dont really follow Jaehyun’s ig to know his pattern. I just think ththe feeling of being betrayed is amplified this time because of how much jaedo moments have been happening recently and how vulnerable doyoung is at the concert. Expectations on them to prolong the moments. I hdk their dynamic on ig so🤷🏻

Another anon

Do you think company made neos to do/dont to promoting members solo job? Or even do they tell the group about which neo got a solo job? Just curious. Or maybe im a bit bitter cuz DY rarely got a return favour whenever he has a new solo release. DY is the one who was so excited when Mark/Jae solo came out. They both post a support for 10 solo but said none to DY collab. It made me think are DY the one who told them to not openly promoting his job? What do you think?

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

Correct me if I'm wrong, my memory isn't a very reliable thing, but I can't recall Jaehyun advertising Mark's Child or Yuta's movie on IG. An IG story for Ten might be a first? Jaehyun changed his attitude towards IG and communication with fans in general, he is much more into the idol job nowadays (as he finished overcoming his own issues and enough time has passed since the scandal).

Neos have their individual managers who update them. In lives you can often see neos arguing about the release of content, some know the dates, some don't. So yes, they need to be told or ask about it, show interest. Ten is Jaehyun's friend, maybe even asked Jae to advertise him (Do does ask his friends when it's about 127) or simply sent a link with "It's out, bitch!".

For Jaehyun to advertise Doyoung on IG, he first needs to make a precedent of advertising other neos. For a story about Doyoung to not be something exeptional, attracting attention.

I don't think the company is in any way involved. The staff didn't even teach Taeil how to work with bubble. Neos got their personal IGs of their own volition and at different times. It's only later, when Vlive was no more, that the company started to use IG lives. Posting pictures with brands is the only requirement and obligation, other than that they can do whatever they like (if it's not damaging to the reputation, but they are pros).

I don't think Doyoung asks neos to not post about him (he likes to boast, he likes to be appreciated, he reposted Tae's story about the new song with "Tyong" comment). I think neos just don't think they are obliged to use IG for BD congratulations and solo promotions. Be of a more open mind and wider vision, people. Look at all of the actions and don't zero in on particular things you deem important. Doyoung's projects are hyped always. Be it teasing "sseuka, sseuka", Haechan recommending "Star Blossom" or Johnny and Taeyong demanding tickets to the musical. Yuta listens to Doyoung's solo works and recognises the songs on the radio, Mark compliments Do's voice left and right, Taeil went to the musical.

Could it be that some neos harbour envy and don't advertise because of it? I should say yes, it is plausible, people can harbour thoughts and feelings they don't acknowledge and which reflect in their actions (like "forgetfulness"). IGs are individual projects, something outside of 127 and other members, for them and their own fans, there could be a feeling of possessiveness in place. That being said, if those feelings are real, they are buried deeply in subconciousness and don't make neos into bad friends. As otherwise they demonstrate their support of Doyoung in lives and in tight hugs.

You think of a story on IG as advertisement, you factor in the exposure of the news to a neo's individual solo-stans. Doyoung also remembers about it. It doesn't mean other neos do. Haechan and Jungwoo had been hesitant about getting IG accounts fot the longest time, it's an additional thing to take care of, a bother if you will. Ten and Jae don't meet often, while Mark and Jaehyun do. Did Jae create a story to advertise Ten or to show his friend he's seen the song and liked it? 127 fans are supposed to follow the unit's accounts and get information from SM or other fans. At the least, check out the YT channel. Advertising other members is not neos' responsibility. Sometimes they remember, sometimes they are too busy or don't get the news in time.

#ask me away #jaehyun is a dance machine #chain reaction #i'll be your morning star

[igniakino]

FILM ADAPTATION BLOG

I have decided to write my progress through this module on one big document and then upload it to my blog as one post so that my different module posts are clearly defined.

Early Research

Our group chose to adapt O. Henry’s ‘The Cop and The Anthem’ because we evaluated our skills as a collective and decided that comedy was the best route to take. We have also taken great interest in Soapy’s character and wanted to portray him in our own way, a man outcasted and at ignored as his existence seems to break the other characters' careful constraints on society. It has deeply interested us to take on a story like this, a challenge to tell a comedic story on a homeless man outside his community without making it offensive or in bad taste. I have decided on the role of cinematographer as I have never been DOP on a more grounded, realistic picture and want to see if I could improve my skills and find my speciality in this particular type of film form.

I have a few ideas I think can work very well in this format. Below I have listed a Pinterest board I have started to collage my ideas so I can get a clearer vision of the film:

https://pin.it/2InbOKS

Because the cinematography will be focused on realism, I want to use more neutral colours during the first half. My mind is set on blues and greys, as this brings out the cold and isolating atmosphere around soapy, but this could change once we go location scouting and I take a look around the area we choose. I would like the colour palette and overall tone of the film to change after Soapy hears the anthem, bringing a more stylistic atmosphere with golds and browns. I like the idea of his world unnaturally brightening as he hears this song, the cinematography presenting his mental state in a way. I am thinking of using a handheld camera and long takes for our scenes so you feel immersed in Soapy's life as you are taken on this journey with him, living out the day as he would. I will be using a black magic camera and trying to utilise the wider-angeled lens so I can capture his environment. These wide shots will isolate Soapy, so he is lost amongst the buildings and people, forgotten by the people and the camera. Then, I will incorporate these wides with intimate, close-up shots to reveal his emotion, and show his identity. He is a small cog in the design of society, so I would like to capture this, but I want to highlight his individualism, the thing that makes him break the barriers and stand out amongst the environment that tries to down him.

Presentation

Here I have listed the slides I made for our pitch that highlight my ideas in a more concise way:

Pre-production:

Listed below are small entries I wrote during pre-production:

Location scouting: Alex (director), Nikola (producer) and I went location scouting today. We mainly looked for areas that are quite secluded but with a pleasing setting for aesthetics and practicality for camera setups. We were quite taken by Dean’s Village, as it has a lovely scenery scattered with alleyways and hidden corners for our story to take place, as well as being a very rich area that will advance the feeling that he doesn't quite belong. Below I have placed some test shots I have taken of the area and the kind of colour grading I would like from our editor. I am a fan of these browns and yellows found in the environment and might change a bit of my colour palette plan to match this.

Classes: After Andrew’s cinematography class I have more of a clear idea of what angles and shot positioning I would like. I am thinking more top-down panning and angles to bring across the idea that Soapy is not level with the world around him, but throughout the course of the film and definitely during the anthem, it will balance out.

Script breakdown: Andrew’s class also taught me about the importance of script breakdown for cinematographers. Although I already have a solid plan for what I want to create I am in the process of marking through Niamh’s script and breaking down the most important aspects I want to communicate through my cinematography. The sun's position is also going to be something I need to take into account and Andrew has recommended a few apps to help with this

Lens Problem: I have been informed by Nikola that we have only managed to get a kit with three lenses in, the 24, 35 and 85, as all the other kits have been booked out. This has set me nack a little as I have to refigure my plans around the three lenses that are available to me.

Storyboard and shot list: Our director has provided me with a storyboard, so I have spent the last few days making a shot list so we can be fully prepared for shoot day

Recce: Nikola and I complete a recce today to plan the geography of the shoot and determine the correct positioning for all out shots. We are hoping it won't be too busy when we shoot but just in case we have tested all the quieter alleyways and corners for our dialogue shots. We also decided to have our shoot start earlier than originally planned to beat some crowds and make sure we have ample time to set up the camera, as well as face any challenges shoot day brings.

Shoot Day One:

The first day had some challenges but altogether went well. We had to cut filming short because of the rain so we were not able to shoot the last few scenes where Soapy hears the anthem played by the busker. The rain wouldn't be such a problem, but violins cannot get wet as the wood is likely to warp. We will make up for lost time tomorrow with an earlier start. We had also difficulty with crowds and noise, as people seemed to be very interested in our filming and wanted to come and talk to us during takes! This made it quite difficult for Fionntan, our sound man, and we had to do takes several times over to avoid so much background noise. We had to be patient and organise on the fly, which the great team I worked with made possible by being cheerful and very professional. It was a long day, arriving on set at 9 am and leaving at 6 pm, but our actors were lovely and took everything in their stride, giving the best performances for every take which I am so grateful for.

After shooting outside in Dean Village we went over to Nikola’s flat to film the flashback scene. This went very smoothly and was over quickly, letting us all go home for a much-needed break. Overall, it was tough, but we came out with some great scenes and were excited for day 2.

Shoot Day 2:

This day was very tough, but we made it through in one piece. It started with bad luck for us as a school marathon was running through the entirety of Dean Village and wasn't forewarned on any platform. This delayed us by at least 30 mins and was definitely not beneficial for the schedule of the shoot. Again we had problems with the crowds (this shoot has successfully deterred me from ever shooting in Dean Village again!) and we all started to feel the pressure. I was definitely stressed, especially because my planned-out route was now no longer available due to several large crowds of tourist walks. This meant I had to find a new location and pull ideas for my limited camera movements out of thin air. If anything this shoot definitely taught me the importance of planning on the fly, and I think in the future I need to prevent having such strict plans for myself as they backfire if we have to make a quick change. The lens restrictions also became much more of a bother to me on this day. Our camera assistant also left halfway through the day, taking the pen of the clapboard with him, which meant when it came to the later scenes (raining again!) I had to hold the lights, the umbrella, and a piece of paper with clapboard markings on it that I had to change after every shot and prepare the camera. All this together meant that unfortunately I didn't get a lot of the shots I wanted and the quality definitely dipped, which is upsetting for me as I tried really hard to plan and create these scenes to look good. At the end of an exhausting 10-hour shoot, we were all ready to go home, and although I have never been more stressed in my life I am still proud of the work we did on this day which again wouldn't have been possible without my very capable and talented film group.

Post Shoot + Critical reflection:

Overall, we have made a film that people enjoy and find funny, which is all we can ask of a comedy. At the end of our film screening, we got lots of cheers and a big round of applause from our fellow classmates, which made me very happy as our film set out to entertain and we achieved this very well. The lectures had many criticisms that I think are all very valid, and I have taken all the comments openly to work on them. I think if we had more time to plan and communicate fully then our film could have come out much neater and more put together, and if we had shot in a different location it would have solved a lot of our on-set problems! Cinematography wise I am happy with how the film looks aesthetically, though there are a lot of things I would work on and change if I could do it again, mainly the lighting as it looks quite flat in places, and definitely the framing if I had different lenses. The colour of the film is also not how I intended but this is mostly my problem as again the lighting was not ideal. However, I am very proud of what I achieved with this film especially as I had a lot of other projects on at the same time and was constantly busy. I worked very hard on this project and though our film was dubbed “lazy” (I can appreciate how it can seem like this as our film definitely didn't come out as refined as we would have liked) I know we all worked tirelessly to try and make this film work. I am so proud of our group and the effort we put in, we created a film that many classmates enjoy even if it was not perfect in a lot of ways. I have learnt much from this project and will use the criticism and my mistakes to improve my future projects, using all the knowledge I have gained to further my filmmaking journey. I endeavour to use this experience to better myself!

[semper-legens]

34. The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune

Owned: No, library Page count: 398 My summary: Linus Baker is a case worker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, assigned to orphanages to see that magical children are being properly cared for. Proper and by-the-book, he is assigned to a ‘problem’ orphanage on a remote island - an orphanage that hosts a female gnome, a wyvern, a forest sprite, a blob boy, a werewolf, and the literal antichrist. Linus is expecting the worst. But with every day that passes, Linus finds himself caring more and more for the odd family on the island, headed by mild-mannered Arthur Parnassus and Zoe the island sprite. And as time goes by, Linus begins to wonder if he has a life outside of paperwork... My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

This book comes very well-recommended. And it's entirely up my street. I mean, please, a book about a home full of magical children seen as strange by the world and facing a lot of prejudice, and the case worker who falls in love with them and their lives? That's got me written all over it. And it was a fun book! Very charming, very endearing. The kids were all delightful, the main character was interesting, and I loved the world this was set in. More under the cut!

Our protagonist is Linus Baker, a by-the-book case worker for the government's branch dealing with magical youth. He goes into orphanages, ensures everything's running as it should, then leaves. He doesn't have dreams or ambitions, he's just a drone. But on going to the island, he finds his humanity, and allows himself to desire. In general I like protagonists in this kind of fiction that aren't Hot Young Singles, so seeing this relatively mediocre middle-aged man was actually really interesting! And his romance with Arthur, the head of the orphanage, was sweet. They play very well off each other, you really get a sense for how deeply compatible these two men are. The kids are also a delight. Fundamentally they're all just weird kids with magic powers who don't much trust outsiders - my favourite was Chauncey, a blob-boy who really wants to be a bellhop. Why? Saw it in a movie once and became obsessed with the notion. Which is exactly how little kid special interests work.

Not only is the worldbuilding here interesting, it's also revealed in small doses or at natural times, such as Linus going over the Rules and Regulations or reading case files. Magical beings are a Thing in this world, and are an oppressed minority, with children being forced into orphanages or schools and often abused by their caretakers. The signalling is pretty clear - the See Something, Say Something posters mentioned to be all over the place are so reminiscent of the posters with the exact same slogan that are all over train stations targeting immigrants. But magical beings aren't exactly one metaphor. Arthur and Linus' status as gay men are also the metaphor, it's allegorically representing a broad spectrum of marginalised communities.

The biggest gripe I had with this book was that the stakes didn't feel all that high. The kids are shown to be capable, threats are dealt with reasonably quickly, and people warm up to the kids rapidly on meeting them. A few decide to hate them for what they are, but they're portrayed more as one-note bigots than anything else. I get the wider point the book was trying to make about prejudice and systemic inequality, and it's admittedly effective in showing how individuals are often powerless in the face of systemic prejudice, and how even systems that seem to be working well from an outside perspective can be rotten to the core. It's just simplistic in its worldview, which isn't by necessity that bad a thing, but I was hoping for a little more nuance.

Next up...come on, grab your friends.

#The House in the Cerulean Sea #TJ Klune #bookblr #book blog #book blogger #4

[barbaramoorersm]

October 15, 2023

October 15, 2023

Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Isaiah 25: 6-10a

The prophet describes God’s love and care for the people in terms of a banquet.

Psalm 23

Perhaps the most famous of all the Psalms describes God as the Good Shepherd.

Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

Paul writes about his reliance upon God in all circumstances.

Matthew 22: 1-14

The Gospel parable about the Kingdom of Heaven describes it as a wedding banquet.

At a gathering of my neighbors last Friday, the discussion of proper attire came up in relationship to the US Senate debate about dress codes.  We had different opinions.  The younger men there said that often, certain formal dress attire carries a message of hidden elitism and superiority.  I on the other hand, was speaking about respect for institutions in which these folks serve.  We did not change opinions but I understood their view.  Then the Gospel for this weekend appears and there is a question about proper attire at a wedding feast.  How ironic.

Jesus begins his instruction with a parable and the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.”  But there is a lot more to the story than a wedding banquet.  So, let us look more deeply into the parable.  The King’s servants went out to “summon” those invited guests.  But even after receiving the invitation, they refused to come.  How insulting for the King.  But he preserved and a second summons happened and some again refused to respond, and some of the King’s servants were killed.  Then for the third time his servants went out and found “good and bad alike” and the “hall was filled with guests.”   

One basic theme we face today is the power and place of a banquet in Scripture.  The banquet and marriage festivals are themes for God’s relationship with the Jewish people.  Isaiah seems to be making that point when he writes to the ancient Jews, “The Lord will provide a feast of rich food and choice wines.”   These words indicate God’s care for God’s people.

The open table is also a quality of Jesus’ ministry.  He ate with those who were marginal and who were denied a place at a real or symbolic table of life.  The gospel today says the servants were told to bring to the table, “the good and bad alike.”  And Jesus practices that “open table” during his life time. 

The question about the man who came without proper attire has raised concerns for many.  It sounds so harsh. Or is Matthew trying to say that the guest never took the banquet or invitation seriously? Or just dropped in not aware of its importance?  I wonder!

Our world, nation and church and filled with “good and bad” alike and we are all invited to the Divine Banquet, and to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven here and in the future.  But today as we observe our nation and world, the symbolic “open table” and “the symbolic banquet table” are not fully available to the wider community.  But that openness is so central to Jesus.

We have immigrants struggling to get into our “open table” here in USA and while the present influx of people is creating hugh problems, our Congress refuses to establish a fair, controlled, and open system.  A system that allows people to share their gifts, and fill our nations’ needs.

Isaiah writes that “God will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations.”  Is he saying that God will enable us to remove the veils that close our individual and communal eyes, minds, and attitudes toward the needs and goodness of others?  In other words, Isaiah says that, “God will wipe away the tears from every face.”  

May this coming week enable us to see that even in the smallest of ways we can open the “table of our lives and minds” to another, and symbolically wipe away the tears from the eyes of those who feel so marginal.  This is on the agenda of the Synod in Rome this month and I believe should be on the agenda of all faith communities and governments these days.  Rather than an agenda of anger, lies, superiority, and threats, perhaps Jesus’ invitation to “the good and bad alike” might move us to see all God’s people at the table loved and accepted.  Such acceptance can lead to wonderful things.

[garudabluffs]

unruly music fans

Why are fans throwing objects — and cremains — at performers? Unpacking bad concert behavior

There's been a recent trend of fans heaving bottles, phones and even cremated remains of their loved ones at artists performing on stage.

"Singer Bebe Rexha needed stitches after a fan threw a cell phone and hit her in the face while she performed last month. Just this week at a show in Chicago, rapper Drake was also hit with a cell phone hurled at the stage by a fan.

Phones aren’t the only things being thrown at concerts either. In June, a fan threw a bag of their mother’s ashes on stage at singer P!nk’s London concert. Flying objects have disrupted shows by Harry Styles, Kelsea Ballerini and others. During a performance during her Las Vegas residency, Adele spoke out about fans' bad behavior.

“Have you noticed how people are forgetting f****** show etiquette?” she asked.

Throwing objects isn’t the only type of unsavory behavior that’s been gaining traction. Concertgoers report people pushing to the front and being aggressive in crowds. But why is this happening now? Have fans always been this unhinged at shows, or is this a new phenomenon?

Social psychologist at Sussex University John Drury specializes in the study of collective behavior. He says he noticed the problem ramp up when the events reopened after initial COVID-19 shutdowns.

“Most commentators, certainly in the live events industry, think this is something new,” Drury says. “But many people in the industry feel that audience behavior has got worse over the last two years.”

But why are people flinging objects at the artists that they presumably paid for and planned to see perform live? The man accused of hitting Rexha with the phone told the Manhattan district attorney’s office that he did it just because he thought it would be

LISTEN https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/07/11/concert-fan-bad-behavior funny.

Drury says that other people might be trying to go viral for acting out in public.

“People are now more individual-focused. They attend events for their own individual pleasure, and they're not really thinking about being part of a group or a collective in the way that they might have been before,” he says. “These are people who perhaps are treating the event as an opportunity for them to build their social media profile rather than considering the other people around them.”

These behaviors are more often reported at large-scale stadium shows. Even though they’re surrounded by more people, Drury says that people may lack the sense of being in a community because the crowd is so large. At smaller venues, reports of unsafe behavior from fans are much less frequent.

“[At smaller shows] it tends to be people that feel that others are there for the same reason as them,” Drury says. “They feel a sense of community or shared identity with those others that might be less widespread at these bigger events.”

Even though other commentators have attributed this newfound concert behavior to a wider spread of narcissism in Western society or behaviors changing as a result of COVID-19 societal isolation. But Drury says he hasn’t seen much evidence of either cause.

“It's actually quite a mixed set of phenomena,” he says. “Therefore, maybe there are multiple reasons.”

LISTEN 05:35 https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/07/11/concert-fan-bad-behavior

#unruly music fans