you gotta make your own stuff work out

28 // german // barely active here I like frogs, cycling, D&D and knitting

[doctormage]

what skills do yall have that make you annoying abt seeing people do it in media. i’ll go first i ran track for 6 years (first distance then sprinting) and i am physically incapable of not commenting on people’s running form

[stavingdarkness-deactivated2015]

It’s like this…

You’re fourteen and you’re reading Larry Niven’s “The Protector” because it’s your father’s favorite book and you like your father and you think he has good taste and the creature on the cover of the book looks interesting and you want to know what it’s about. And in it the female character does something better than the male character - because she’s been doing it her whole life and he’s only just learned - and he gets mad that she’s better at it than him. And you don’t understand why he would be mad about that, because, logically, she’d be better at it than him. She’s done it more. And he’s got a picture of a woman painted on the inside of his spacesuit, like a pinup girl, and it bothers you.

But you’re fourteen and you don’t know how to put this into words.

And then you’re fifteen and you’re reading “Orphans of the Sky” because it’s by a famous sci-fi author and it’s about a lost generation ship and how cool is that?!? but the women on the ship aren’t given a name until they’re married and you spend more time wondering what people call those women up until their marriage than you do focusing on the rest of the story. Even though this tidbit of information has nothing to do with the plot line of the story and is only brought up once in passing.

But it’s a random thing to get worked up about in an otherwise all right book.

Then you’re sixteen and you read “Dune” because your brother gave it to you for Christmas and it’s one of those books you have to read to earn your geek card. You spend an entire afternoon arguing over who is the main character - Paul or Jessica. And the more you contend Jessica, the more he says Paul, and you can’t make him see how the real hero is her. And you love Chani cause she’s tough and good with a knife, but at the end of the day, her killing Paul’s challengers is just a way to degrade them because those weenies lost to a girl.

Then you’re seventeen and you don’t want to read “Stranger in a Strange Land” after the first seventy pages because something about it just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. All of this talk of water-brothers. You can’t even pin it down.

And then you’re eighteen and you’ve given up on classic sci-fi, but that doesn’t stop your brother or your father from trying to get you to read more.

Even when you bring them the books and bring them the passages and show them how the authors didn’t treat women like people.

Your brother says, “Well, that was because of the time it was written in.”

You get all worked up because these men couldn’t imagine a world in which women were equal, in which women were empowered and intelligent and literate and capable. 

You tell him - this, this is science fiction. This is all about imagining the world that could be and they couldn’t stand back long enough and dare to imagine how, not only technology would grow in time, but society would grow. 

But he blows you off because he can’t understand how it feels to be fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and desperately wanting to like the books your father likes, because your father has good taste, and being unable to, because most of those books tell you that you’re not a full person in ways that are too subtle to put into words. It’s all cognitive dissonance: a little like a song played a bit out of tempo - enough that you recognize it’s off, but not enough to pin down what exactly is wrong.

And then one day you’re twenty-two and studying sociology and some kind teacher finally gives you the words to explain all those little feelings that built and penned around inside of you for years.

It’s like the world clicking into place. 

And that’s something your brother never had to struggle with.

[becausedragonage]

This is an excellent post to keep in mind when you see another recent post criticizing the current trend of dystopian sci-fi and going on about how sci-fi used to be about hope and wonder. No. It used to be about men. And now it’s not.

[confetticalf]

Concept: Alternate surgical techniques for top surgery that mask what the scars are from, for stealth trans men

Ex:

Call this one Fought A Grizzly And Won

Call this one the Industrial Workplace Accident

This one is the Got Vivisectioned But I’m Ok Now

[hexadinsandgunslingers]

Reasons Why Orym Appeals Specifically To Me:

Exhibit A: He Is So Fucking Gender

Hippie energy/fashion sense in a masculine/butch way. But not in a way that makes you feel like he thinks smelling good is unhealthy/unnatural (if you grew up in that community You Know What I’m Talking About). The FLOWERS, the LEAF DECALS, the EARTH TONES, the SANDALS, also everyone who draws him with a pierced ear and/or a laurel wreath is holding my heart in their hands.

TATTOO SLEEVE TATTOO SLEEVE TATTOO SLEEVE TATTOO SLEEVE TATTOO SL-

Crew cut but in a soft Gender way, not an Aggressively Heterosexual Dudebro way.

Hot Manlet Representation (I am not even two feet taller than this man, short hot men give me life)

Built like a male ballerina/Greek athlete, just, yeah… yeah.

Exhibit B: You Are My Dad Boogie-Woogie-Woogie

It is very possible Orym may have kids, presumably (hopefully) grown adult kids. We don’t really know how old he is. Halflings live to 150-200ish, Scanlan may have been the oldest PC chronologically but he was only like, a tenth of the way through his life and had a full grown kid. Long lived races just Do That lol. We know there’s probably a dead husband in there somewhere so like, maybe?? Regardless of whether he’s an actual dad, his DILF energy is off the charts!

Unfortunately For Him, he is the smartest, most practical party member two campaigns in a row. #Relatable

“You really tied the whole room together” DAD JOKES

He Is So Tired, but he’s super sweet and patient anyway.

Treating not knowing Jack shit about magic being treated like not knowing Jack shit about technology: wigging out after being sent messages, the Sending Stone Shenanigans. Again #relateable

Exhibit C: Built to Protect and Serve aka He Is So SOFT

Literally built mechanically to protect his friends. Designed to take hits for other people by either leaping in front of them with his shield or goading them to pick on him instead. Amazing.

Is immediately ready to throw down bow matter how cautious he was being before if someone, NPC or PC, is in danger.

Absolutely REFUSED to take a healing potion unless it was suggested he could save someone else with it. (And then he did!)

Generally being the moral compass/soft leader of the group, soft steady handed direction, love it.

Not really soft boy thing, but that investigator shit is like, sexy but in a Columbo way. Unassuming guy being really good at checking shit out.

Exhibit D: He’s Just A Little Guy Come On He’s Just A Smallest Little Tiny Dude Aww Man And Also It’s His Birthday He’s Just A Little Birthday Boyyyy

Climbing creates in order to open them

The ‘to scale’ sandwich situation

“I pat him on the hip”

Jeezus I am a short king myself, and this man is canonically up to my elbow like what

He is just So Small

Just a tiny little man

He fumkin BOUNCE, like the worlds most lethal Tigger

Weird hang ups about pie

Flirting with Dorian just a wee bit (just like he is wee)

“World’s Littlest Punching Bag” D:

Liam method acting and constantly reminding us physically and verbally he is Oh So Small to distract us from the fact Orym has the most HP aside from Ashton

In Conclusion

I Never Stood A Chance

[jaubaius]

She mocked up everything been pressed by hydraulic compressor

[handflexxer]

Okay but vi's design is so perfect there's NO way a lesbian wasn't behind it. The arms??? Majestic. The hair??? Beautiful. The slight nick on the lip??? Pornography on main. What were they thinking just unleashing her on touch-starved pandemic-isolated gays she is literally a health hazard she is haunting my dreams I have an ache in my chest that is entirely related to the way she looks at Caitlyn in that one scene what am I supposed to do with all these feelings

[acepalindrome]

I know I’ve said it before but it’s impossible to find my old posts on tumblr so I’ll say it again; if you feel insecure about having nerdy/‘childish’ hobbies as you get older, watch Critical Role. Marisha is the baby of the gang at 32, most of them are in their 40s now, and they’re all still a bunch of goofy nerds who have fun playing make-believe while rolling dice and openly love comics and cartoons and video games. Taliesin dyes his hair bright colors, both him and Matt paint their nails, they’ve all got nerdy tattoos, they cosplay and wear silly outfits and I know several of them own kigurumi. They cuddle with each other and get unabashedly excited about things that happen when they’re playing a game where they pretend to be elves and wizards and shit, and several of them are known to cry when they talk about how much they love their friends.

Look, if they’re allowed to do it, you are too. Be nerdy, be silly, be open, let yourself get excited and feel things, have fun with life! You’re never too old for it!

[memeclassheroes]

[layaart]

Another blue&red piece commissioned. Inspired/referenced from this pic. (there’s an alt version on my twitter @layahimalaya too)

[meeblott]

haven’t watched CR in ages, but love all the hot boi Essek art i’ve been seeing, so have some from me! (partly thanks to @horacia putting said content on my dash :) )

© Meeblott ‘21

[mirkwoodest]

I'm still processing how fucking funny it was to watch the Crows run around during the events of Shadow and Bone. Like on the one hand they accomplished pretty much NOTHING they set out to accomplish and every single one of their plans went horribly awry, but on the other hand??? They snuck into the little palace? Inej killed TWO Inferni? They carjacked the Darkling? Jesper went up against a heartrender who had on a bullet-proof kefta with a gun and won? The Darkling tried to use the cut on Kaz and he got out of it with what was basically a magic trick? They snuck onto the skiff? Inej STABBED the Darkling? Kaz fought off a fricking Volcra with his CANE? Accomplishing nothing but with STUNNING proficiency. And at the end Alina's just like "gotta appreciate the effort, fam. Have these priceless jewels and go back to being crime lords in Ketterdam, please."

[birdmans]

Shadow and Bone + 👀

[halfhardtorock]

I think one of the most disturbing things about the popular narrative we teach around the Holocaust is how the “No one knew,” myth still flourishes and is still widely spoken and believed. “No one knew what was happening until the camps were liberated! The world was shocked!” was taught to me when I was a child and was likely taught to many of you too. I’ve even heard it said aloud in Holocaust testimonies classes, even after we’ve read testimonies that directly contradict this falsehood. People are really fucking attached to it.

“No one knew!” has been repeatedly disputed and disproven, to the point where the mass narrative of it has become terribly indicative of people’s need to dispel feelings of guilt and shame above all else. Even above telling the truth.

Im p sure the original narrative of “no one knew!” was in part the result of low-level German and Polish bureaucrats seeking to avoid arrest and prosecution, because there was a dearth of specific written orders in regards to outlining the machinations of The Final Solution. Which allowed many to claim ignorance and innocence. But it also has been useful in the reimagining of the allies role in the Holocaust, reimagining their complicit silence and inaction into the shock and disgust of witnesses and good liberators.

Because people DID know. Jan Karski infiltrated the Warsaw ghetto before it was liquidated and witnessed firsthand exactly what was happening to the Jewish people. He was sent by the Polish Underground to the UK carrying a message for the UN titled “The Mass Extermination of the Jews in German Occupied Poland.” He had a direct audience with Roosevelt, where he attempted to provide details of what was happening to compel the allied forces to act before it was too late. This was in 42-43.

In 1944, the New York Times published a story about the Warsaw ghetto uprising WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. This wasn’t a mystery in the states. People knew about the forced ghettoization of the Polish Jews and what they faced as they fought back.

Lanzmann’s Shoah presents several interviews with Polish onlookers outside of Treblinka who, in laughing and awkward remembrance, explained how they would slash their fingers across their throats at Jewish people arriving in cattle cars to “warn them about their fate.” This was in the early period of the Holocaust, before the mechanized, mass exterminations of Auschwitz.

Also in Shoah, several Polish women and men in villages outside of Sobibor (who smilingly explain that their lot in life improved after the local Jews were rounded up and transported to the death camp) acknowledged that yes, at the time, they knew of the fate of their neighbors. They knew they were going to their death and would not be returning. Which is the only way we can explain how quickly Jewish homes and businesses were taken over by their neighbors and city councils.

Like. I’m neck deep in Holocaust testimonials lately and keep knocking my head against this specific Holocaust myth and I feel horrified that it continues and people keep fucking saying it with little introspection on why the narrative is so attractive to them.

[queerqueerspawn]

Black Earth, by Timothy Snyder contains this, thematically similar chestnut:

“The big ghettos, such as Warsaw, took on a kind of colonial appearance, as rickshaws replaced automobiles (stolen by Germans) and the streetcar service (restricted by Germans). The luster of subjugation attracted German tourists, who often returned home with a pleasant sense of imperial mastery.”

Snyder points to Elisabeth Harvey’s “Women and the Nazi East: Agents and Witnesses of Germanization” for more details about early/prepatory elements of the Holocaust as a purposefully tourist-accessible spectacle.

From the beginning, the Holocaust was driven by publicly visible violence and deprivation, and often was deliberately made as visible as possible because it served as propaganda to a huge cohort of Germans who actively supported the Nazi regime’s actions and in many cases specifically participated in them.

To claim otherwise is to deny history and give fascists a means to claim ignorance (and hence innocence).

[halfhardtorock]

Y E S.

Also what needs to be acknowledged…the public spectacle of starvation and degradation went part and parcel with antisemitic propaganda forwarded by the Nazis. When people witnessed the degradation of the Jewish people in the ghetto, they felt disgusted. This disgust was very strategically directed at the Jewish people themselves, not at the regime who had created their degradation. The nazis specifically considered this in the creation of their uniforms, to be neat and clean and sharp. Juxtaposed with the unkempt, starved, sick and foreign-seeming Jewish people, onlookers were encouraged to place the blame of degradation and dehumanization on the victims instead of on the SS, who were neatly dressed, healthy, cleancut. This propaganda was scarily effective and still is, in the way young white nationalists lean towards rehabilitating the image of Nazi Germany over accepting this history of violence and genocide.

[queerqueerspawn]

Not to wear out Black Earth but-

The next morning the “scrubbing parties” began. Members of the Austrian SA [the Nazi paramilitary], working from lists, from personal knowledge, and from the knowledge of passerby, identified Jews and forced them to kneel and clean the streets with brushes This was a ritual humiliation. Jews, often doctors and lawyers or other professionals, were suddenly on their knees performing the menial labor in front of jeering crowds. Ernest Pollak remembered the spectacle of the “scrubbing parties” as “amusement for the Austrian population.” A journalist described the “fluffy Viennese blondes, fighting on another to get closer to the elevating spectacle of the ashen-faced Jewish surgeon on hands and knees before a half dozen young hooligans with Swastika armlets and dog-whips.”

Admittedly, that’s from the Anschluss period, which usually is framed as preparation for rather than the enactment of the Holocaust. That said, Snyder lays out the clear historical case that from those kinds of specifically public humiliations to later attempts to incite pogroms in conquered territory emerged the ideas of ghettoizing, then starving, and ultimately systematically killing Jews.

The Holocaust originated as something to be seen, but which people have been taught to believe was invisible as it occurred. There’s a kind of question being begged by that weird discrepancy - why are people so routinely taught something so wildly wrong about it?

[kurocyou]

I cast haste

[thehollowprince]

As someone who works in retail, let me tell you that it is exactly like this. Its been over a year of this pandemic and people still do shit like this all the time.

[gretchensinister]

Yarn Types and Feelings:

Worsted: Nothing to see here. This is the archetype of yarniness and I am the archetype of knitting. Stable. Secure. Can pass off hobby as casual if need be. 

Bulky: I am a WIZARD and I am making VAST amounts of cloth appear by MAGIC. You get a hat! And you get a hat! Everybody gets a hat! Also my scarf is now 18 ft long but that’s just…you know. For fun. 

Baby/Sport: I am making littol things. Every stitch represents tender love. Yes I did listen only to horror podcasts while making this but what does that matter? There’s a lace flower but a baby’s existence is all about showing off what you can make, just because I’m not a parent doesn’t mean I can’t be part of that.

Sock/Fingering: Completely unhinged. Every project is the building of an obsession-washed edifice, that will never, ever, ever be done. Time ceases to exist. Worse podcasts must be found, worse movies must be found, because the most important parts of the brain must serve THE PATTERN.

Lace/Thread: [content locked until level 32]

[kyraneko]

Not a knitter but I admire y’all’s madness.

[memewhore]