Taking on the World, One Game at a Time

[avpdvoidspace]

Having a traumatic childhood means you cannot talk even objectively about your basic foundational experiences without it being "venting", even if you're not actually venting. You just straight up have a huge chunk of your life you can't talk about, full stop, without it being trauma dumping.

And it not being socially acceptable to talk about your own childhood is super alienating. Sometimes people want to know why, and any answer you can give them is going to be off putting.

It's to the point I get irritated when something I said is framed as venting when I'm literally just talking about my life experiences, doing my best to keep emotion out of it.

[savouryduck]

when I was in high school, I overheard two older students talking about a friend of theirs.

One of them said something like, "it doesn't bother me that [Friend] was in residential mental health treatment, I just wish they wouldn't talk about it ALL the time".

The other replied, "Well, that was all of last year for them. So when they say 'when I was in treatment,' it's like when you say 'last year'."

I try to remember that any time someone says something that sounds Shocking to me. sometimes one person's scary special crisis is another person's last year.

[wherethewildcatsare]

If you want to be accepting of mental illness, you need to accept the fact that some people's everyday lives are going to be terrifying to you. That doesn't mean they don't get to talk about it. Stop forcing hurt, isolated people to become even MORE hurt and isolated because you can't fathom toughening up a bit.

[jabberwockypie]

#like there is a line between just talking about your past #and traumadumping #if you're talking about movies and you say something like 'oh yeah when i was inpatient last year i was so frustrated i couldn't see it' #that's just your life #if you interrupt a conversation about a movie you missed while you were in inpatient last year #to start talking about how traumatized you were from being in inpatient and feeling cut off from the world #and going into details about all the things you missed out on and how it's affecting you #that's traumadumping #the key is the context and the presentation #that's my opinion anyway #like yeah you also deserve to be able to talk about the bad stuff too sometimes but again #it's about CONTEXT (tags via @ruffboi-mags )

Yeah, it's also just . . . shit that comes up in conversation.

If there's a conversation where people are talking about high school and ask about my high school experience, there's not really a better way to express "The bullying at my Jr high was really bad and my mental health issues really kicked into high gear, so I dropped out and got my GED and started college early."

That doesn't even really bother me anymore, because it's been more than twenty years - it's not really something I feel emotional about - but it is a fact about my life that happened. I'm not going to lie and make up some kind of high school experience that didn't happen.

[depsidase]

[depsidase]

[thememedaddy]

[derrickwildsun-deactivated20250]

That video of Alex Hirsch reading S&P notes for Gravity Falls conveys a few things to me:

1) the U.S. entertainment industry (especially animation) is run by older conservative types who make up offensive terms and get really mad about them.

2) the people who run Disney would be the first to fall in line with a fascist regime.

3) most of the media we consume is tailor-made and watered-down to appeal to the tastes of older, deeply religious conservative audiences.

4) conservatism, not the left, is and always has been the biggest voice of censorship in American culture.

[sci-fantasy]

J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5, was before that a producer and writer for a number of cartoons in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s (The Real Ghostbusters and the original She-Ra, most notably). After a few years of dealing with the censors and their obsession with finding Satanism (or at least looking for Satanism to further political agendas) he wrote an article about the whole corrupt and bullshit system.

And published it in Penthouse, to force those same censors to buy a skin mag. The editor there asked, why Penthouse?

That one is from his autobiography, Becoming Superman. See also:

(As he goes on to say, he’s never worked in animation again–he’s effectively been blacklisted by the cartoon industry.)

[ivy-michaels]

Every time something like this comes up, I remember two stories about making media. The first is about movies, and comes from Quentin “Feet Man” Tarantino.

When he was making Pulp Fiction, he was worried that the MPAA would object to the high level of violence in the film, so he shot a bunch of extra-gory stuff that he didn’t actually want in the film, and added it in before submitting it to the MPAA. Predictibly, they asked him to cut most of it (without even commenting on some of the things that had him worried, like the bits of Marvin’s skull that lodge in Samuel L. Jackson’s hairpiece). The resultant cuts were actually more permissive than he’d expected, so he cut a little more and submitted it, and it got passed with an R.

The second story is about that artist on Morrowind whose name escapes me (I’m not a big ES fan tbh) who figured out that if he made two creature designs, one weird and what he wanted, and one even weirder, he could get Todd Howard to agree to just about anything by showing him the whopper first, then going back and “working” for another few hours on a second, “toned-down” version, and it worked every time.

The reason I bring these up is that the thing that drives censors isn’t some extant physical rubrick of what is and isn’t acceptable, it’s the idea that they can have absolute power over someone else’s creative work. It’s about the social dominance of the interaction.

There is nothing so innocent, so clean, that a censor will not find some fault with it. Because they must find something wrong with it to justify their existence, and because it makes them feel powerful.

This is true of all censorship.

[longseasons]

[gwydionmisha]

Bonus: If I buy a book I get to keep it! The publisher can't turn up at my house at random and confiscate all the books I bought.

[thefaultinourchickennuggets]

Hi im a librarian amd that's not now this works. If a library allows you to have a digital card and not live in the area, you are NOT taking away resources from other people, that's not how anything works. Please keep doing it!!! The more people that use our services, the more money we can get from funding sources!!! Please use us!!! We are not utilized enough, by people in or out of our community. Thanks.

[datasoong47]

[phleb0tomist]

so many people ive known have pushed themselves to burnout trying to deny their disabled reality, skipping accommodations, skipping rests etc. and the world convinces them that the solution to their burnout is to push even harder. it’s a huge tragedy. i know social pressures make it tough but i want more disabled people to make things easier for themselves where possible, to opt out of things that harm them when possible, to quit while they’re ahead. be that person today! protect yourself where you can! take micro breaks while doing your hobby. get that shower chair. sit to brush your teeth. lie down in the middle of the day, even if only for 5 mins. these things add up and it’s so worth it.

[phleb0tomist]

happy disability pride month! ACCOMMODATE YOURSELF TODAY!

[scissorsaint]

In another life I would have loved to poison the abusive husbands of the women in my village

[aromanticduck]

Free service with ads: Well, if I'm not paying for it they have to foot the bill somehow.

Paid service with no ads: Well, if they're not funding it with ad revenue, they need to charge us something.

Paid service with ads: Well that's bullshit.

"We used to be a paid service without ads, but now we're putting ads in it! If you want the ad-free version you have to pay more for preeeeemium": Fuck you fuck you fuck you

[r2x2]

The Amnesty International report that JK Rowling is trying to censor through legal threats.

It can also be found on Google Drive here and on Bluesky here.

[cbarc]

Please save and share this info where possible. This report has since been removed by Amnesty International due to legal threats of libel from JK Rowling. This information is no longer easily accessible.

[hellpotter]

it’s not weird to find fanfiction from 2021, or 2017, or 2014 that you’ve never read and actually taking your time to read it.

it’s not weird to love it and comment and leave kudos because the author will probably still see it someday and it will make them happy.

it’s not weird to like said author’s work so much that you want to go look for other fics from them.

it’s not weird to go through the authors profile and look for other fics from the ships you like (or maybe some that you’ll give a chance because you liked the author) and maybe bookmark them for later.

it’s not weird to read these other fics and like them too and comment on them because you actually like them and you want to let the author know.

it’s not weird to read fanfiction from 5, or 8, or 10 years ago and actually enjoy and engage with it because it’s perfectly normal to relate to something that’s less than a decade old!

let’s stop treating fanfiction like they’re instagram posts that stop being interesting in 24 hours! fanfiction is NOT social media, fanfiction is art!!! and art doesn’t get old in one day, one year, or even a decade!

read fanfiction! write fanfiction! comment on fanfiction! let’s not let fanculture die people!!!!!

[unamccormack]

I still get comments occasionally on fic I wrote a quarter of a century ago, and let me tell you I love receiving every single comment. How else am I supposed to know I exist?

[raineszramski]

I have a few pseudonyms myself on AO3 and every time I get a new kudo for something I wrote so many years ago, it makes my day.

[sentimentalslut]

trying to explain to tumblr that the Middle Class in not their enemy

[sentimentalslut]

saw someone say that someone complaining about only having 7k in savings makes them contemplate “doing something bad”

you know that 7k covers like. one hospital visit WITH insurance, right?

[sentimentalslut]

“people who make six figures shouldn’t be allowed to complain —“ most people who make six figures are, these days, solidly middle class. where i live, a combined household income of $110k is *lower middle class*.

“people who can afford homes —“ are typically 400-600k in debt for them. also if “can own your own home” is your threshold for the rich you are contemplating eating, i think you are genuinely stupid

“boohoo your investments dropped, stop complaining rich boy” idk how to tell you this but. most of us have a retirement account. you should probably open one

[dirt-mann]

[so-over-ableism]

the smoke from the canadian wildfires has made my air quality be in the dangerous level for most of the day and i wanted to make a bit of a guide for what to do and make it a bit more applicable to people with disabilities, especially chronic illnesses

if you are in an area impacted by dangerous air quality:

stay hydrated and inside as much as possible. if you struggle staying hydrated, increase your salt or electrolyte intake. you can add electrolytes into your water with brands like liquid iv

if you don’t wear one already, now is a great time to start masking again (and keep it up! the pandemic isn’t over!) as it’ll help filter some of the smoke. specifically use an N-95 or a KN-95 — cloth or surgical masks are not equipped for this

people with asthma, lung disease like COPD, people with cardiovascular conditions, people with diabetes, and other circulatory conditions are at a significantly higher risk due to the nature of it being an air quality issue, but if you’re chronically ill outside of these categories it will still hit harder so be aware of yourself

pregnant people are also at a higher risk than the general public

if you are experiencing trouble breathing, heart palpitations, nausea, or dizziness and it’s not something you regularly do or it’s noticeably worse, please get medical help. i get most of these usually and i know those symptoms can be normal for people who follow me, so just be aware of your normal and judge from there

if you find yourself beginning to feel any of these symptoms but don’t have access to fast medical care or money is an issue, stay alert for the start and immediately take time to rest, put a cool washcloth over your eyes, or even your full face. do as much as you can to avoid any stress to your body from excess movement

for your air conditioning, keep it on a recirculate setting if you have that setting to prevent it from bringing outside air in. you can keep the air conditioning on even if you don’t have this setting though, so if you have poor heat regulation abilities please keep it on to avoid your body going through extra stress

additional air filters in the home are also beneficial. once this has passed, replace the filters so they are clear for any subsequent events

stay in rooms you can insulate from the outside. it can also be helpful to place rolled up towels or blankets along the seams of your doors and windows to prevent outside air from getting in

if you’ve been outside, take a shower to wash yourself off. if you can’t do a shower for whatever reason, try and grab a wet washcloth or some wet wipes and wash your hands and face. those two areas prevent the pollution from entering your eyes, nose, and mouth from either touching with the hand or it migrating on your face. washing your hair is recommended too, but again your mileage may vary on what you are able to do

here’s some extra reading if you want to look more into this:

CBC.ca - “Here's how wildfire smoke exposure can impact your health”

American Lung Association - 10 Tips to Protect Yourself from Unhealthy Air

National Weather Service - Be Prepared: Poor Air Quality

Johns Hopkins Medicine - Air Quality and Health

PBS - What to Know About Bad Air Caused by Wildfires and How to Protect Yourself

[socialistfremenist]

[marsoid]

Ok, just wondering but honestly... what is the big deal to you that people are creating and using chat bots with your characters? It seems like almost all of them do give you proper credit.

I could see being upset if people were profiting from it (I'm more thinking the actual people and not the site, different issues, I can totally understand you having a problem with the site.) but you seem to be ok with people doing fanart and fanfics of your characters, so I don't really understand why your taking such a hard line with this and calling your fans who are using these bots "fucking ass dork losers" because they want to interact with your characters in a way that is a bit more responsive than just writing a fanfic.

Because I didn't give them permission to use my characters this way. And anyone who uses gen ai in any way is unfortunately, a fucking dork ass loser

[marsoid]

I am explicitly stating that I do not give permission for any of my characters, stories, or other IP, to be used to train AI art, writing, or otherwise. Generative AI is a pretty new thing, relatively speaking, and it is also different from regular video game AI btw, which has been around pretty much forever. They’re two different things

I am allowed to be angry at anything for any reason. It’s not unfair for me to feel any type of way, especially in response to people using my characters in a way I don’t approve of.

I didn’t say anyone who’s ever interacted with gen AI is awful, I said they’re Fucking Dork Ass Losers ™️ (scientifically accurate title).

It sounds like you’re confusing me being upset with me like. Hunting them down and hitting them with my car. That would be unfair and a tiny bit of an overreaction. Would be very funny tho

I know most people aren’t shot out the pussy knowing everything there is to know about everything (like i was) so assuming you’re actually interested in learning why normal people hate gen AI so much, here’s a few things to bring you up to speed:

Power Hungry: Why Data Centers Are Developing Their Own Energy Sources to Fuel AI

The spread of AI data centers is larger, more numerous, and faster-growing than anything that has come before to the electric utilities. The

Extracting Profits from the Public: How Utility Ratepayers Are Paying for Big Tech’s Power – Environmental and Energy Law Program

What Are the Environmental Impacts of Artificial Intelligence? 

A single AI-focused data center can use as much electricity as a small city and as much water as a large neighborhood. 

How generative AI is affecting people’s minds

Psychology experts have many concerns about the potential impact of AI on the human mind.

Op-Ed: AI art is art theft and should be a crime - The Eagle

As uncertainty around AI grows, artists need legal protections

(Also i just gotta point out the absurdity of trying to explain to somebody why you shouldn’t take someone else’s characters and feed them to an ai machine. Apologies to my followers who came for art and instead get. This LOL)

[jpherron]

FUCKING PREACH IT, MARS

Don't ever feed an artist's art to AI, kids. Don't fucking do it. And I want to add a part that Mars didn't even bring up here: AI is *not* """accurate""" character representation, whether it's generated fics or chatbots. AI algorithms are designed to be people-pleasing, to be addictive, to have you coming back for more, to get you hooked. That's why it's called slop. Slop means there *is NO driving emotional logic* behind an AI's responses, no matter how convincing it seems. There is no *artist* or *author* present who is making *emotionally-relevant* choices for dialogue or story. It will always just be a machine trying to make the sloppy crack that you like that will keep you coming back to it. This is not even you interacting with a Disney World version of Cinderella, where there's an actor behind the mask directing the choices; this is you dealing with a homunculus, a wraith version of the thing that brought you joy in the first place. It will appear so seductively fun and easy and Exactly What You Want It To Be that you'll get fucking hooked and never have to go outside and deal with *real fucking people* who you might have a chance of building real fucking relationships with.

I also want to be clear: I've worked in the tech industry for over a decade. I'm not using techy or academic language on purpose because I want you to understand what's going on, but you can easily google this shit. "AI psychosis" is a good place to start.

Get off AI, kids. Get off of it, I beg of you. For all of the environmental and cognitive health reasons, but also so that you can engage with the world-and fandom-in a way that will actually enrich your life. Don't destroy the very joy that the art brought you in the first place.

And if it wasn't fucking clear.... don't be a Fucking Dork Ass Loser about my art either. I want to clearly say that I do not give anyone permission to put my art or writing in any AI under any circumstances.