The farthest fantasy

"T.V. taught me how to feel. Now real life has no appeal." -Marina and the Diamonds

[prsephonies-deactivated20200815]

when i was a teenager it felt very revolutionary to be cruel to myself. like some kind of slow passive protest against how much everything hurt. i starved myself of sleep and food and tenderness because it felt right. it felt sharp and angry and radical and i wanted to be those things. adulthood is the realisation that the world is already working to cut into you well before you learn how to do it yourself. caring for yourself and others is the real protest

[friedegg]

[friedegg]

[whats-your-name-man]

[cowboyhats]

Michelle K, I Know I Deserve More

[vympr]

the way she's right about all of this

[the-a-j-universe]

You the rest of you guys don't have the drop down list yet?

[tonysopranobignaturals-deactiva]

this guy talks insanely fast but this is solid info on electrical outrages in the US.

privatization is cringe level 100

[leepacey]

here’s a transcription of what this guy says in this video, because he talks extremely fast — i’m also including sources wherever possible, in case anybody wants to do some further reading or wants proof

If you’re looking at Texas right now and thinking, “It seems pretty bad that a state’s electrical grid can fail overnight from a snowstorm,” I have news for you. It’s so much worse than you could ever imagine. Don’t be a heartless idiot and blame ‘red state voters;’ it’s red states, blue states, purple states, green states, everywhere is in crisis.

In 2017, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave our energy grid a D+, because almost all of it was built in the 1950s and 60s with a 50-year life expectancy, and we’re 10 to 20 years past that. Across the country, 640,000 miles of high voltage lines run at full capacity at almost all times, which is way more than the grid was designed to handle, and Texas in particular has one of the worst ratios between planned and real capacity.

It’s so bad that the US Government has said that if just nine of America’s 55,000 electrical substations are brought down, it could cause a coast-to-coast blackout lasting 18 months or more. And testimony from the executive director of Task Force on National and Homeland Security has said that a prolonged collapse of the electrical grid could result in the death of up to 90% of the American population. [screenshot in the video has highlighted text from this source, saying: “a prolonged collapse of this nation’s electrical grid—through starvation, disease, and societal collapse—could result in the death of up to 90% of the American population.”]

Today, the US has more power outages than any other developed country. And that’s because 68% of the electricity in the US is managed by investor-owned privatized utility companies [the source I found said it’s actually 72%], and updating their systems cuts into their profits, so they don’t do anything until something fails. And when things do fail, and, for example, start massive wildfires in California, guess who pays for it? Mostly taxpayers. 

There’s no good news, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, because all of America’s infrastructure is failing, so I’m gonna keep doing videos about it.

[tonysopranobignaturals-deactiva]

thank you !! I was hoping someone would do a transcript

[afronerdism]

This country is worse than bad

[kereeachan]

This is why we need major investments in our national infrastructure, which also could be used to get a lot of people back to work post COVID--we’re going to need managers, planners, electricians, engineers, construction workers, plumbers, architects, and so many other kinds of people on their projects. It’s a MAJOR opportunity to improve our nation and get a lot of people back on their feet.

Fuck, you even need catering companies and shit to help feed the workers on-site! So many people contribute to large building projects! This could be HUGE.

[kodaksnacks-blog]

😂😂😂 why he do that poor baby like that

[unwinona]

I just added ten years to my life by watching this

TURN THE SOUND ON JUST DO IT

[smellmyhead]

The unalloyed joy of getting dizzy and getting up and falling back down repeatedly without injury or feeling SICK I remember it and this body will never feel it again but I love to see it

[runcibility]

put your child in the centrifuge to get the giggles out

[peatbogbodyhasmoved]

“I very proudly entered the forestry school as an 18-year-old and telling them that the reason that I wanted to study botany was because I wanted to know why asters and goldenrod looked so beautiful together. These are these amazing displays of this bright, chrome yellow and deep purple of New England aster, and they look stunning together. And the two plants so often intermingle rather than living apart from one another, and I wanted to know why that was. I thought that surely in the order and the harmony of the universe, there would be an explanation for why they looked so beautiful together. And I was told that that was not science, that if I was interested in beauty, I should go to art school. Which was really demoralizing as a freshman, but I came to understand that question wasn’t going to be answered by science, that science, as a way of knowing, explicitly sets aside our emotions, our aesthetic reactions to things. We have to analyze them as if they were just pure material, and not matter and spirit together. And, yes, as it turns out, there’s a very good biophysical explanation for why those plants grow together, so it’s a matter of aesthetics and it’s a matter of ecology. Those complimentary colors of purple and gold together, being opposites on the color wheel, they’re so vivid, they actually attract far more pollinators than if those two grew apart from one another. So each of those plants benefits by combining its beauty with the beauty of the other. And that’s a question that science can address, certainly, as well as artists. And I just think that “Why is the world so beautiful?” is a question that we all ought to be embracing.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer, “The Intelligence of Plants”, from the podcast On Being with Krista Tippett

[interruptingkau]

I'm cryign

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

[tronmike82]

I don’t mean to be rude; but I don’t think I’ve ever seen this, does anyone have any examples?

[darkshrimpemotions]

Supernatural

Doctor Who (Steven Moffat specifically)

Sherlock (Steven Moffat specifically)

Actually Steven Moffat is basically just this sentiment given human form.

A version of this happened with The Magicians, tbh. Though instead of expectation: men, reality: women it was expectation: smug nihilists, reality: mentally ill queer folks.

Arguably Game of Thrones.

If we broaden it outside of television...I think Star Wars falls into this, at least the sequel trilogy. Maybe the MCU as well. And I can't help but think of every band that's ever complained that their fanbase is mostly women. 5 Seconds of Summer comes immediately to mind.

In general, most white male creators seem to have this massively entitled mindset where they want--and think they deserve--the time, attention, and enthusiasm that creative fandom (i.e. the side of fandom more dominated by women) is known for.

They want our eyes for ratings, our word-of-mouth for free publicity, our metas for social media buzz, and our spending power for merch and cons. But they don't want us. And they don't really want the responsibility of telling a story to a thoughtful, engaged audience, regardless of that audience's demographic makeup. They just want to be praised for whatever schlock they cough up.

And like any other spoiled brat, they will break their toys before they share them.

[pessimisticfanboi]

It goes all the way to the top for kids shows. Toy sales will crash a show. Makes sense, but if those toys are gendered for boys instead of the female viewers, they won't usually switch up the marketing and move them to the girl aisle. They cancel the show outright.

Mind you it is perfectly possible to make the switch in marketing, but execs would rather throw it all out than have something that doesn't perform well with male viewers. For example the Rey merch was not expected to be popular, for some reason, there had to be public outcry to get merch of one of the main 3 protagonists. A PROTAGONIST. The fact that she wasn't a huge part of the 1st launch says a lot already.

And what happened when female fans got too invested in the Sequel Trilogy? The entire writers room didn't necessarily lash out, but they sure forgot how to behave.

Young Justice

Paul Dini: Superhero cartoon execs don't want largely female audiences

#WhereIsRey (initial)

#WhereIsRey (ongoing)

'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' owes its box-office success to women

The older, male generation of 'Star Wars' fans may be losing interest in the franchise, but female fans are stepping up.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was designed to be the opposite of The Last Jedi

[eucalyptus-sage]

banish the idea that platonic love is a lesser form of love

if you go through life not investing in your friendships the same way you invest in romantic relationships, you will always be looking for love, feeling lonely, completely blind to the love all around you

friendship is not a lower level relationship. it is not a lesser form of love.

[queen-of-the-merry-men]

When writing always remember… a character flaw is only a flaw until becomes useful. 

Is your protagonist manipulative? Well that’s awful… until they manipulate the antagonist into making a decision that saves the lives of their friends. 

Is your protagonist a skeptic? Well that’s not good… until someone tries to lie to them. 

Is your protagonist overprotective? That sucks… until someone they love is in danger. 

Is your protagonist remorseless? Well that makes them pretty unlikeable… until a hard decision has to be made. 

[saeronovace]

[susiephone]

The flipside is also true!

Your protagonist is honest? That’s good… until their survival depends on them being able to lie convincingly.

Your protagonist is brave? That’s good… until they foolishly run headlong into danger without a thought for the consequences.

Your protagonist is forgiving and able to see good in everyone? That’s good… until they continually forgive someone who doesn’t deserve it, and get taken advantage of because they can’t fathom that some people just suck.

Your protagonist is funny? That’s good… until they piss off everyone around them because they don’t seem to be taking the situation seriously, and they keep avoiding dealing with their problems by hiding behind humor.

Most personality traits aren’t inherently good or bad. It’s all about context, and how far they go.

[lauralot89]

some of you haven’t realized that improving the world is a battle of miserable inches and not something that can be done in a glorious blaze of revolution and it shows

[suddenlydaggers]

some of you haven’t realised that choosing revolution as THE way is a privilege

and you need to realise that aiming for revolution without fighting for the miserable inches will fuck a lot of other people over

[krakenartificer]

I also think it has to do with the stories we tell. And maybe that’s privilege too - the luxury of being able to choose stories for their excitement rather their accuracy, idk – but we don’t tell the stories of the miserable inches.  Rosa Parks sat down, MLK made a speech, Obama was elected, and now racism is over – a nice, neat story in 3 acts that fits in a 2-hour time slot with time for commercial breaks.  We ignore the quiet heroism of a black woman deciding to use the white restroom so she can do her job properly, or a black man walking across Alabama because dammit he should be able to walk on a public road without danger. Of organizations patiently, repeatedly, steadfastly filing a lawsuit every single time someone tries to get away with something that’s illegal.  Of one person getting their office building to separate compost from garbage, or organizing her apartment building on a rent strike, or taking one for the team to say “that’s kinda sexist don’t you think?” when his boss commits a microaggression in a meeting. We don’t talk about writing to your city council every single time police overstep their authority, or paying attention to which textbooks the school board is selecting, or sharing art from POC creators.  So when you finally wake up and recognize your privilege and think “Holy shit! Women’s lives are harder for the stupidest reasons!” or “Oh My God, racism is out of control in this country!” or “Damn, my life woulda sucked if my parents hadn’t been able to pay for my college” or “Fuck, capitalism may have some impressive accomplishments under its belt but holy crap is unrestrained capitalism deadly!” or whatever, and you decide you can’t live with it anymore, and you’re going to do something about it, what do you think of? Harry Potter. Les Miserables. Mockingjay. I am either going to die on the battlefield in glory or rise up.  And when that’s the only story you know, it looks like the only option. Revolution or acceptance. Anyone who says “Guys, we should at least have a plan before we violently overthrow the government” is a collaborator and a quisling because this has been going on too long and change can’t wait.  And like, you’re right. This HAS been going on too long and change CAN’T wait.  We should not do nothing.  But revolution is not the only something that can happen.   IDK, this kinda got away from me.  I only know that I’ve been trying since June to figure out what a soft-spoken nerd can do as activism, and there is no answer out there.  Meaningless symbolism, passive acceptance, and violent revolution are the only categories of advice I can find. 

[wildersage]

thinking about cabbage selective breeding evolution

[wildersage]

who does it like her!

[enbychu]

[sandersstudies]

Some of you will really say “I want diverse media” but instead of seeking out or consuming all the diverse media that’s already out there you just cling to the media you already have and insist it should do better.

[sandersstudies]

Hundreds of creators of color, queer creators, disabled and neurodivergent creators: here are the books we’re writing! Here are the stories we’re telling! Here are the things we’re creating!

Some of y’all, huddled in a corner: *sniffle* I just want Poe Dameron to be canonically gay :(

[sandersstudies]

Like it or not, publishing houses and film studios and other media giants respond to MONEY. Money. You have to buy the books and stream the films that are pushing progressive stories and characters for them to realize that it’s lucrative, and to fund more of it. Writing gay Game of Thrones fan fiction is great and all but it’s never going to convince the people in charge to give you the changes you want to see. Walking in to the movie theater to see the sixth installation of the latest mega series, crossing your fingers for those two seconds of lesbian rep, does nothing for the small time creators who are fighting to make the industries you love more genuinely diverse.

[multiscales]

[bogleech]

They really finally havin these real talks in the anime huh

[morphimus]

Serperior said fuck protecting people.

[kodigriffinofficial20]

Very good advice for both the writer and the critiquer.

[miilesmorales-moved-deactivated]

hi yes i would like people to remember that Sokka received the Mark of Wisdom and Katara the Mark of Bravery before you go around switching their personalities

[just-shower-thoughts]

People who like rocks see cool rocks everywhere. People who like birds see interesting birds everywhere. The tree on your yard could be an exceptional specimen. The world around you could be amazing and magical, but you aren’t enough of a nerd to see it.

[sespursongles-deactivated201906]

I gave my mum Alexandra Horowitz’s On Looking: Eleven Walks Through Expert Eyes for her birthday this year, it’s a book that revolves around this idea: the author invites 11 specialists in different things to walk around a boring city block with her one after the other so they can point out to her the things they see, that she doesn’t notice. There’s an expert in typography talking about what the variety of fonts on urban signs can tell you about the city’s history, an entomologist pointing out all the urban insects no one pays attention to, a geologist, a sound engineer…

[thegreenpea]

See this is what I mean by “there are more wonders in this world than you can ever dream of and all you need to do is listen to its stories and see it’s magic. ”

[mechanicalriddle]

*does a magical girl transformation sequence but at the end its just regular me with a hard hat, safety glasses, and high visibility vest*

[onion-senpai-deactivated2021081]

OSHA compliant magical girl

[lispy-grimaljin-deactivated2025]

Animal Crossing New Horizons (2020)

[tubagirlwonder]

@tiny-tokunaga