[mad-dyspunktional]

I honestly cannot believe how far T(W)ERF rhetoric has spread on this site. They used to be the ONLY ones I saw openly mocking the concept of identifying as queer, the ONLY ones I saw referring to people as ‘kweer’ in a mocking way.

[mad-dyspunktional]

You all are so 100% certain you know how to identify radfem and T(W)ERF rhetoric and can’t possibly fall victim to it but guess what.

They are nowhere near above pulling this shit. And you all are falling for it.

[mad-dyspunktional]

And if you think that screenshot is an isolated incident, think again!

There are countless radfem and T(W)ERF blogs that I’ve blocked that said ‘secret radfem sideblog’ in the description.

Like, it’s great that we’ve made being a T(W)ERF so unaccepted on this site that they can only be open about the most toxic of their views in secret side blogs rather than on their main, but it’s time to accept that they’re taking advantage of that in a really fucking insidious way.

[robertplantspants]

Just a tip on how to recognize these blogs. If you follow someone and you start getting suggested t*rf blogs that’s a good sign the person has sideblog for that stuff. There was some cowboy blog I followed a while ago and I used to get follow suggestions saying “this blog is similar to cowboy whatever” and it was a ton of t*rf shit and low and behold they ended up outing themselves

[nothorses]

This is why we learn about what actual TERF ideology is. Saying “trans women are women” and “TERFS not allowed” and putting “TERF destroyer” or whatever in your bio is not enough. Learn how TERFs actually work, and what they believe, and where it stems from, and how they express diluted versions in order to warm up non-TERFs to their ideas.

Do the fucking work. Unfollow/block people who express TERF ideas even if they don’t label themselves as TERFs, challenge those ideas in your community, and you won’t have to worry about secret TERF blogs anymore.

[mad-dyspunktional]

This is, most likely, my most popular post on this site and as glad as I am it was this one, after coming back from some time away from the site it really does feel like a lot of you read it, nodded, and then stepped straight into the trap anyway.

[kittenwithabass]

Today's Strike in Aotearoa

Today (Tuesday 10 September), thousands of Woolworths employees will walk off the job between 12-14h in protest. For those overseas, Woolworths is a major supermarket chain in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, one of the most profitable businesses in the country.

In August the union bargained with Woolworths for nine days on the topic of a living wage and understaffing issues, who dismissed the issues while claiming it had brought a strong offer to the table. A week of early strike efforts followed; non-compliance with media and social media policies, workers wore stickers reading "underpaid, undervalued, understaffed" on their uniforms, and 10 stores gave out flyers in the style of a receipt.

"This is a case of one of the largest and most profitable businesses in New Zealand deciding that their workers no longer deserve a fair deal and must accept whatever they put on the table - it just doesn't work that way," FIRST Union national organiser for retail food Ross Lampert said. "Our members are seeking a living wage, safe staffing minimum standards and fair compensation for giving up family and leisure time to work understaffed night and weekend shifts."

Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said that the supermarket already pays top of the market, but this is simply untrue. The Woolworths starting rate is $24.93/hr, while Costoco's and Foodstuffs' are $27/hr and $26/hr respectively. Minimum wage is $23.15 and the living wage is $27.80. (Obviously, the currency here is NZD) If the pay was as good as Sonn says it is, then why is a Woolworths duty manager unable to shop there, even despite her staff discount?

The strike actions were followed by interference, bullying, attempted intimidation, and outright lies from company managers. This includes hiding strike stickers, telling staff that wearing stickers breaks the law (it doesn't), and threatening disciplinary action for striking (that's illegal).

"The cost of living is so high and it’s really hard to imagine surviving on the pay offer that Woolworths are talking about - it’s less than the rate of inflation and basically a pay cut for everyone."

But after the aforementioned efforts and even more fruitless bargaining, the union is still miles away from reaching a deal. Which brings us to today, where a central rally will take place in Auckland, and thousands more Woolworths workers around the country will be walking out as well. This will be the country's first ever national walkout by supermarket staff!

[at-the-end-of-all]

do you think they’ll let me kill the prime minister if i ask nicely

[deadbastards]

laughing at shane jones saying hana-rawhiti should be put in jail for her haka in parliament. same guy who used a gov credit card to buy porn btw

[tetohe]

Hana-Rawhiti's Haka was entirely appropriate, not only given the situation, but in keeping with the way Māori do things.

In formal situations, such as a pōwhiri (English might be something like a welcoming ceremony?), speakers always end with a haka or a waiata (song). This is exactly what she did. She spoke when it was her turn to speak, then started the Haka. It is also keeping with tradition that others joined in, including those in the public gallery. While it's the speaker's duty to lead the haka, or nominate someone to do it for them, it is then open for anyone else to join in and support it. The haka and the speech are attached, so supporting the haka is also supporting the speech.

Approaching Seymour is a little more unusual, but that's only because most formal situations like this are between peaceful groups. However, it also makes an important point. The speech and haka were not against the space, not against the mana of parliament. It was against Seymour and his supporters. So approaching him makes that clear where it's directed.

Given this, the speaker's response show utter ignorance and contempt for Maori ways. If he had any understanding of how any of this works, he could've simply waited for the Haka to conclude, then called on the next speaker. As the Māori Party were keeping with tradition, they would've had to respect that, and sit. Instead, he closed down parliament and cleared the public out. He made this contentious, and took what is traditional as in insult.

Seymour's response is no better, complaining about wanting a "reasonable debate" instead of a "dance", ignoring that the Māori party has been debating this, along with almost every other institution in the country, since the draft was released. This was the party's final word, their final push back against his racist bill.

This, in a nutshell, is what the government thinks of Māori. Ignorance and contempt. No attempt to blend traditions, or even basic understanding. Just constant demands to conform. It's hidden behind manners, but it's the same civilised vs savages racism that's justified colonialism for centuries.

Hana-Rawhiti acted with amazing poise and mana. Toitū te Tiriti!

[wiisagi-maiingan]

I think there's something very frustrating about how so many activist events, like the haka in the New Zealand parliament, are brushed off as spontaneous acts of passion instead of carefully planned and coordinated efforts. I see it a lot of with indigenous activists especially, and it feels like a lot of people lean on that idea because they like the romantic idea of activism being spontaneous passion but it's incredibly infantalizing to ignore the efforts that these activists and protestors and politicians put into making these things happen, making their voices heard and preparing their communities and allies to stand as a united front when it's time.

[klapollo]

Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke, the youngest MP in Aotearoa, starts a haka to protest the first vote on a bill reinterpreting the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi

[paapango]

This is a good outline of just what is so repellent about the Treaty Principles Bill.

A matter of principles

Misinformation about the Treaty of Waitangi, its language and its intent is at the centre of the Treaty Principles Bill introduced to Parlia

And further to that, there's a huge hīkoi coming. Thousands of people are walking from the top of the North Island (and the bottom of the South) to Parliament in Wellington. They should have arrived for this debate, but like the toadies they are the Government brought it forward so they would miss it. They're still coming though.

[yourheartinyourmouth]

if the world as a whole is going to insist that everybody Has To Have A Job, then the barrier for entry to A Job should be fucking nothing. you should show up at the job center and they go "oh, you need a job and you don't care what it's in? OK, here you go. you start on wednesday."

i don't want a career. i don't even want to work. i shouldn't have to throw my entire fucking life away just to eat and have a roof to sleep under. working most of the time i'm awake for 5 days only to have 48 hours to myself is not fucking ok and i don't think anyone should do it, let alone be forced to!

but no only is the barrier to employment INSANELY HIGH, we keep making it fucking higher!!!! what the fuck do you mean i have to have every single qualification and experience listed, AND i have to write a completely original and compelling persuasive essay for EVERY job, now i need to make a new fucking resume EVERY TIME, AND network, both over job-related social media AND in real life??????? AND i have to be not only proficient, but an expert in this weird jargony super secret Konami business job code language that no one ever taught me or explained and that just kind of popped up out of nowhere?????????????????? AND i have to have a "personal brand"???????? as an employee of no one?????????????????????????????????????????????????

WHAT THE FUCK

what if i don't have the spoons or energy or whatever the fuck you have to have in order to pursue a more than full time job......in finding a fucking job?!?!?!

[sapphling]

your outwardly violent attitude towards any and all romantic & sexual arrangements that don't mirror your good wholesome vanilla monogamous ideal is actually not made quirky and lovable by your queer identity. people who do the "if my partner even asked about polyamory i would buy a gun" schtick on here are pretty functionally identical to straight people who joke about murdering their partners if they came out as bi

[syoddeye]

ok, because i just saw a terrible take, i feel compelled to say that there is no "fic market" to "oversaturate" in fandom. good gravy.

[cordeliawhohung-deactivated2024]

i need everyone reading this post to remember that writing is not "content." writing is art. you don't look at a painting of an ocean and say "eh, it's overdone." you look at it and think its beautiful, because it is, and y'all better start treating writing the same fucking way before you lose your favorite authors for good.

Art is not something to be capitalized on. Stop treating it like it is.

[bbloodsucker]

a boyfriend is just a guy you can sink your teeth into for recreational purposes

[ottisbuns]

Did you know

If you perform action Harmlessly Bother Cat you can receive Sounds

[ottisbuns]

If you perform action Ignore Cat you can also receive Sounds, with a percentage chance that they will be Noises instead

[lephalacat]

The Protomen - Sons of Fate live shows be like:

Why they fight so realistically in lives

(Yes I know the meme is old but the song is older... 😋)

[yammmmmmmmie]

rip the greatest ever

[the-bar-sinister]

I fucking love the Protomen. Act 2 always gets a lot of love, but I love Act 1 so much.

There is so much heat and anger and anguish and desperation and struggle in Act 1 and I just fucking melt into it.

I could loop The Stand (Man or Machine) forever.

[panickedscribbles]

One thing that always sticks out to me when listening to The Protomen is just how terrible the people of the city are.

Like, a fairly standard assumption in Hero-centric fiction is that people, as a whole, are worth saving. Yes, there are going to be evil villains the hero must fight, and yes, there are going to be scumbags who really aren't worth the heroes effort, but generally there is good in the world and it is worth fighting for.

But that just straight up isn't true in these albums! It starts in Act II with the lynch mob from "The State VS Thomas Light", which I could sort of excuse. People do stupid things when they get caught up in the heat of the moment, and pack mentality is a powerful thing. But as things slowly get worse, no one stands up and says "this isn't right."

By the time of "Breaking Out", there are a grand total of two people willing to do anything about the state of the city, Light and Joe. Then following Joe's very public death, no one else stands up and says enough. Everybody just goes back to keeping their heads down and pretending nothing is wrong, for the next 12 years.

Finally, in "Hope Rides Alone", Protoman arrives to save the day, only to find he's entirely bereft of allies. There is no rebel alliance to help the conquering hero defeat the evil empire. It's just one man, standing alone against an never-ending army. He does his best, he fights his hardest, he gives it everything he's got, but it isn't enough. It was never going to be enough. Not alone.

And this is where the first real nail gets driven into the coffin. "We are the dead." The people of the city chant this as they watch their hero fall, but it's clear he isn't included in their mourning. They cry, not for their fallen warrior, but for themselves, for the fact that they will have to live under Wily for longer. They could step in, fight back, save Protoman. But that would mean risking themselves, and that's just not worth it. And I just have to drive this point home: a man is being beaten to death in front of them, and they're busy singing "Oh, woe is us, the Real Victims™ here."

Fast forward another few years to "Sons of Fate". Megaman arrives to finish what his brother started, only to be forced to murder the man he came to avenge. The crowd that gathers eggs him on the whole time. They don't care that the man he's fighting once fought for them. They don't care that he died trying to free them. They don't care that they're asking their new hero to murder his own family. They only care about themselves. Nothing has changed. No lessons have been learnt.

What else is there for Megaman to do except walk the same path his brother did, only this time with the benefit of hindsight. There will be no last stand, no heroic sacrifice, no warrior to stand between mankind and Wily's horde. This time they are on their own. This time they will have to fight for themselves, or they will be cut down. And Megaman is fine with either option.

I think that's a really neat direction to have taken things, and I'm looking forward to seeing how things finally change for the better in part 3.

[kalilafullerart]

New Protomen band poster hits the streets.

I decided to redo a band poster I made in 2018, it is crazy to see how much my art has changed!