Move along, nothing to see here. @gloriouslycynical - Tumblr Blog

I am not reblogging the post because it is true that most of the time on the internet when people pull out thought experiments it's because they're trying to trap you. But

If everyone drinks the strawberry fanta then no one gets poisoned at all, and actually morally speaking it is not actually wrong to expect other people to not poison themselves so oh yeah okay maybe I should have reblogged that other post because this isn't actually a trap but it's the other kind of thought experiment where the person who came up with it thinks they're deep and are ignoring or unaware of the obvious correct answer and if you point it out to them will start assigning "moral responsibilities" no one has ever concieved of before to try and convince you to drink the flavorade

Anyway pro life tip: don't poison yourself

Especially if it's in a context where poisoning yourself would make other people feel compelled to also poison themselves. What the fuck

gloriouslycynical

I had to try to explain it like the trolley problem, except the trolley will not hit anyone. People will jump in front of the trolley, and if enough people do so, they can stop the trolley from moving and save those who jumped in front of it.

Everyone can understand that *no one* should jump in front of a moving vehicle, so that's a much better way to explain the "answer" to this "thought" experiment.

theconstitutionisgayculture

I think whether or not a fanfiction is more likely to have overt woke progressive messaging in it depends on the franchise and who the franchise attracts. For example, Zootopia fanfictions are more likely to have woke progressive messaging in them because the Zootopia franchise always had varying levels of woke progressive ideology baked into it from the beginning, so it's more likely to attract woke progressive writers.

I actually think Zootopia is anti-woke. The main message is that you can't judge people by the group they come from. The prey animals who are set up as the poor oppressed victims are actually the ones behind the evil plot. This is the exact opposite of the message that wokeness promotes; that everyone is either oppressed or oppressor, and the oppressed are always good and the oppressors are always evil.

Though I've only seen the first one, so maybe the sequel goes in a different direction.

But yeah, it does depend on the fandom, to a degree. And the creators. There was a small explosion in trans Harry Potter fics after JKR became known for her "anti-trans" views, but that seems to have dropped off as those people left the fandom.

gloriouslycynical

I think the reason Zootopia attracts woke people is the carnivores are seen as PoC. People avoid them instinctually because RACISM AGAINST BLACKS. Thus the herbivores are white, and given who the bad guy was... I'm sure you can connect the dots there.

I clearly remember when it first came out, allll the video essays were talking about how it was "race relations done right".

dragongirlbunny

which eeveelution would prev be

flareon

jolteon

vaporeon

espeon

umbreon

leafeon

glaceon

sylveon

eevee

Voting ended onDec 25, 2025

#manna #you feel like glaceon to me #cool and graceful

galacticcrash

Do you remember the first RANDOM* shiny Pokemon you've found?

Yes (tell me :V)

I think so? Maybe? (tell me anyway :V)

No :(

I've never found a random shiny

I don't play pokemon

Voting ended onNov 17, 2025

*by random i mean non-scripted, not hunting for it actively, you're just wandering around in any game and you just found it somewhere

(tell me the game too, not just the pokemon :V)

nami-castle

it was a weedle in pokemon silver. viridian forest

#lvl 3 rattata in Pokemon Silver

uncle-beanbag-mojave

Mr Rogers really was a genuinely good man

mannatea

"just write the thing. who cares if it's accurate?"

NO. that is the devil talking. i MUST research it first

(falls down 27 rabbit holes by mistake and writes nothing worthwhile)

oh no it's happened again

gloriouslycynical

Every time. Every... time... :sob:

#writing

system-a-naturae

I think most of Tumblr's attempts at world building religion are absolutely terrible because:

1. They think that only stupid people are faithful, anyone who's 'enlightened' won't be religious

2. Religions are some sort of centuries long con/conspiracy used to manipulate people (therefore no religion is real ever)

3. Are trying to make pantheon ala Greek/Roman mythology, but their knowledge is exclusively from Percy Jackson and the Tumblr-ified/woobified versions online

4. Legitimately believe that religion is just an accessory, (ie. A person is a Christian if they wear a cross, a person is Muslim if they wear a head covering)

5. They have an inability to engage with or write from the perspective of someone who's different from them

And the sad thing is that this could be so easily resolved if they were just willing to research (and do it on a place that isn't Tumblr or another social media platform)

purpleisnotacolor

#5 reminds me of this one time I saw a blog make a post about how cool would it be if their fairies where literally spiritually united when they married, so therefore divorce was impossible for them even if they separated, and might even be harmful to attempt.

and when some Catholics the notes said "hey, that's basically our understanding of marriage!" they got really angry and blocked everybody for ruining their fun.

theconstitutionisgayculture

"Dilbert" comic strip creator and author Scott Adams shared heartbreaking news about being diagnosed with the same prostate cancer as former President Joe Biden, explaining that he is only expected to live until maybe "this summer." Speaking on his "Real Coffee with Scott Adams" podcast, the legendary cartoonist said that he has been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer. It is the same aggressive form of prostate cancer that former President Joe Biden's team announced on Sunday that Biden was diagnosed with. "Some of you have already guessed, so this won't surprise you at all," Adams said. "But I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has. I also have prostate cancer that has also spread to my bones." "But I've had it longer than he's had it," he added. "Well, longer than he's admitted having it. My life expectancy is maybe the summer. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer." The cartoonist also talked about Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis "with metastasis to the bone." He said, in case you didn't know, when prostate cancer spreads to your bones, it's terminal. Adams shared that he had tried an ivermectin protocol and that it did not work at stopping the disease progression.

This is someone I can and do have full sympathy for. This really sucks, and not just because Dilbert has been my favorite newspaper comic strip since I was a teenager. In his announcement of having cancer he makes comments that seem like he might be planning on ending his own life.

And the pain moves around to different parts of my body. I've been using a walker to walk for months now. So it's basically intolerable. I'm glad I was part of the activism that got the law passed in California, so you can take yourself out. Now, I realized that for some of you, this is hitting you hard because you're hearing it for the first time. Weirdly, since it's old news to me, I've just processed it, so it just is what it is. I have to say that everybody has to die, as far as I know. And it's civilized that you know about how long you have so you can put your affairs together and make sure you've said your goodbyes and done all the things you need to do.

If that's the case, this is doubly tragic in my opinion. I hope he reconsiders and gets palliative care so he and his family can spend every last second available together. God, I hate cancer.

gloriouslycynical

My sister had skin cancer that turned into bone and then brain cancer. By the end of her life she went from a perfectly sane individual to having the intelligence of a 10 year old and finally a vegetable. She didn't want to spend her life in a hospital, so I cared for her and gave her the medicine she needed. There were times I hated myself because I felt like a jailer in her personal hell.

But I will never forget my final kiss to her. Aunt and Uncle visited because we knew it was close, so after hiving her the morphine, I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her.

That night was when she passed away softly. Every second you have is precious, and family will always treasure those final moments.

theconstitutionisgayculture

Hey, it's the 15 year old-

Do you have any tips on how to study alone? Because I'm studying Math and Science and my dad usually helped me with this stuff except now he's dead and thinking about this year without him feels terrifying. Thank you

I think first you need to identify why you have problems with studying. If it's because of outside noise or distractions, I'd say find some kind of white noise or "beats to study to" playlist and use earbuds or noise blocking headphones. Turn off your computer/phone so there's the small barrier of "I have to wait for this to turn on before I use the internet".

If it's that you genuinely struggle with the material, then finding a friend to study with who understands it and can explain it might help. You could also search for YouTube tutorials/lessons that might explain things better or different than your teachers/books.

No matter what the issue is, though, you will find a solution that works for you. If it gets too overwhelming, don't be afraid to take 10-15 minute breaks to calm down and reset your brain. It sounds like bullshit, but short breaks actually really do help when you're struggling with studying.

I hope things start getting better for you soon, anon. Hang in there.

gloriouslycynical

I'm learning to be a teacher, and I agree that math and science can be very difficult, especially science is usually intertwined with math.

When learning how to teach math, I learned that there are multiple "strategies" for doing the same sort of math. Usually, teachers only teach one way to do a problem, because it's the way "most" people understand it. That might not be the way you can figure it out though!

All this yo say that yeah, looking up strategies online, either through video or other ways... can help you find the way that resonates with you. Another way that helps the students I tutor is to recognize the parts of math that you DO know to help you with stuff that you struggle with.

For an easy way to explain that, think about multiplication. 3 times 5 equals 15, but what it really is... is just 5 plus 5 plus 5. It might be slower, but reminding yourself of the base rules can help you "scaffold" into remembering more difficult mathematics.

theconstitutionisgayculture

This is a random ask, but do you have any advice for a 15 year old who just lost her dad? It's feeling painful right now and I know you don't deal with this sort of thing but I've been reading your blog and I really like your anti-woke stuff. Sorry if I ruined your day

First, I'm so sorry that you lost your dad.

Second, to be honest, the only thing that's going to help is time. Loss always hurts the most when it's fresh. The best thing you can do is lean on your family and friends and remember the good times you had with your dad. Know that he loved you and took great joy in the short time he had with you. If you believe in an afterlife, you can also talk to him sometimes. Update him on your day and tell him what you're feeling. Talking about it, even to an empty room, can help process your feelings.

You didn't ruin my day at all, anon. I hope you feel better soon.

gloriouslycynical

When my sister died, it felt like I was crying every day. I didn't want to forget her though, so I would always talk about her, even around new friends. There was the awkward time of telling them she passed away, but I wanted her to be remembered and part of my life forever.

It's coming up to the second anniversary of her death, and there are still times I grab her drawings and letters to look at. I'm not crying as much as I did before, but it always comes every once in a while. It will get better, so don't be afraid to remember, even when it's painful. You'll want your memories of him to stay fresh, even as the pain begins to recede.

aorish-deactivated20251222

i've been starting a collection

#for personal reference

mannatea

now that i'm back from vacation i'm literally soooo ripe for running my mouth again

looove that post about the fic-to-original pipeline tendencies that i don't need to repeat here because we know what fandom and what ship and every trope most of the popular serial-numbers-filed-off novels sprang from. i didn't wanna add my big fat two cents to that post because i'm truly a nobody but it won't stop me from screeching into the void on my own tumblr post lmao.

it's no secret that most of these stories worked as "file the serial numbers off" novels because the original fanfic work was wildly out of character (He Would Not Fucking Say That to the nth degree), an AU completely disconnected to the characters (There's Really Nothing Left of Your Blorbos*), and the author's greatest weakness is actually writing consistent or even interesting characterization.

*for example: the canon features a character who comes from extreme hardship and poverty but then the AU fic-turned-novel pops up and that character is living better than my DINK ass in a wildly more expensive area with zero explanation. that's not even close to the same character! and that's not even going into how their voice doesn't even sound close.

(call me bitter if you want since all my original publications are in various states of disarray, but it's actually a lot more complicated than iwishthatwereme.jpg, primarily because I do not wish that were me.)

ANYWAY, what i wanted to say, besides just agreeing with literally every word of that post, is that there's something interesting to think about with regards to the in between stories where the (probably an) AU fic is so well-done and well-characterized in a way that feels accurate to the canon and/or to the new situation the characters are in that you literally can't just file the serial numbers off and publish it.

this is hard to explain in a way that makes sense because most of these are big AUs and on paper should be fully publishable by filing off the serial numbers. however, they were written with the canon in mind—and are entrenched in it to the degree that filing off the serial numbers just doesn't feel like enough of a departure from the canon for the author to feel comfortable doing the bare minimum to make it "publishable."

and like, maybe technically you can still file off the serial numbers, because who is going to recognize your srpg blorbos in a sweeping drama taking place during the french revolution lol, but as a Writer Who Gives a Shit, the connections to the original work are SO SO HARD TO IGNORE and for the story to be fairly reinvented as original fiction, those connections have to be reexamined and, at times, reframed. or, you know, deleted entirely (and then you have a domino effect to contend with).

sure, no random person is going to connect the long modern au i wrote with kender in 2013 to fire emblem 7's pegasus sisters, let alone see hector, eliwood, ninian, and So Many More in the story...but i know that most of the dynamics were based on fe7 blorbos. i know where the $20,000.00 check concept came from—not to mention all that juicy power dynamic drama. and i don't think i'd be super comfortable just changing the names in that story and then publishing it with a cursory edit.

i'm not saying that specific work can't be turned into original fiction (it definitely could be done), but because it exists in that in between space of being based more securely off of canonical elements/characterization/ideas, it's not as easy or simple as just changing the goddamn names.

the work involved in making an in between fanfic publishable original fiction is INSANE most of the time, especially if you want to (in good faith) be able to direct fandom followers that way. like anyone who knows me and knows i've written hundreds of fe7 fics would clock that modern AU instantly if i only changed the names. sure, the story's still pretty original (it features a lot of elements not seen in the games at all) but if you know me and then see me writing a story that revolves around three sisters you'd be like Things That Make You Go Hmm.

for the record, i don't think this is a bad thing in the sense that I fully believe it's fine to be inspired by other works even heavily (The Lion King/Hamlet, for example, or Demon Copperhead/David Copperfield), but i think intent matters here! only changing the names when the original was so earnestly a fanfiction feels lazy.

fwiw, i'd argue most people who are even remotely normal about fanfic and original fiction, or at least consider themselves Serious Writers Who Care About Their Image/Integrity recognize the massive effort involved to rewrite an entire AU fanfic as serviceable original fiction.

it's a ton of work and, i'd argue, rarely worth it**.

**ymmv on this though

again, i could fine tune that fe7 modern au into an original story SO easily by changing the names and doing line edits, but i think the story and the characters deserve more effort from me than that because if i'm going to invest myself in turning fanfic into original work, i refuse to take shortcuts.

and it's SOOOOOO wild to me that so many people just literally do not care and do the bare minimum...but wilder still that they make good money doing it. (which, to be fair, i don't blame them for doing. it's obviously working for the people who never had a fanfic phase and have money to spend.) however, in this instance...i don't believe in "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

to be clear, do whatever you want! i just can't fathom putting in less than the bare minimum effort for published fiction but i'm curious about how other people feel about this. the publishing industry is so fucked up and shitty right now with the state of self pub and authors having to do all their marketing even in a lot of traditional publishing situations, so maybe i'm an idiot over here sitting on a goldmine since i have the ability to churn out nonsense stupid AUs constantly and could very easily have original fiction pieces due to that if i cared less about the quality of my work (and cared less about separating it from the source material).

like, is it me? am i maybe the dumbass?

gloriouslycynical

This is why, a while back, I was thinking of writing a fanfic about the post-game of a character, and realized that 90% of it would be one recognizable character and the rest OCs.

Now, I've learned from experience that NO ONE wants to read that because they want sexy boy 1 and angst boy 2 to make out, so I filed off the edges from the beginning. The game characters still feel mostly the same when they make their cameos, but since the story was started as original (and I basically have to world build from the ground up anyway), the small differences in character are allowed to breathe from the time pen touches paper, and the story becomes unique by virtue of the mindset being new.

This of course cannot be helpful when using already made fanfic, but I find that if you DO want to make an original story based on a plot bunny that came from a game, if you consider it through the lens of being original from the get-go, then it becomes a lot easier for that story and characters to take on its own identity.

theinturnetexplorer

Arthur and Hazel.

Added Information

Works from Sword Training to Bottom Commissioned by Touristism from the artist Animoose

thatorigamiguy-deactivated20220

And to think, this all started because some anons on 4chan were upset that Hazel didn’t get to be with Arthur in the movie.

blade-liger-4ever

I don’t care, this is adorable.

frankthecherokee

I was about to tag you.

theconstitutionisgayculture

Not a fan of the girl having to slay the big bad while the male lead lays injured and useless, but otherwise this is great. Better love story than Twilight.

gloriouslycynical

The reason why is because in the original Arthurian tale, the Black Knight is the man who kills King Arthur. This is the "good ending" where he manages to not be killed.

generallemarc

Is it just me, or does Octopath 2 have more localization issues than 1?

It's nothing major, but I'm noticing things that weren't there in the first game. Misspellings, grammatical errors, and at least one line of dialogue that straight-up got an English word wrong("censures" said as "censors"). What happened to the game that redid all the Swarki'i peoples' lines to be in faux-Shakespearian dialect and made it(mostly) work?

gloriouslycynical

My favorite is, when translating an Octopath Traveler book, I got to the sexes of the gods. Dohter the Apothecary was specifically stated as a man (literally "divine younger brother"). When I showed all the information about the entire pantheon to the internet, the only conversation was "BUT DOHTER'S A GIRL!!!!"

Turns out the English translators hired a female voice actor for him at the beginning of OT2. When I try to point this discrepancy out, people scream "GENDERFLUID/NONBINARY/TRANS!!!" The wiki even refers to him as "she".

I'm so tired.

generallemarc

Wait, seriously? How did they screw that up? This is a Square game-they're supposed to be better than this.

gloriouslycynical

There are two reasons I can think of. The kind idea is that the Japanese VA was a feminine sounding guy, and the Voice Director didn't bother to check. The mean idea is that the translators saw that there were only 2 girls out of the OT2 pantheon out of 8 (only 4 girls in the OT1 pantheon out of 12) and decided to make one a girl to "balance it out".

Some people tried to make the idea that he incarnates as male in Orsterra and female in Solistia, but the statue of Dohter in Solistia is a literal copy/paste of the one in Orsterra, so he looks the same in both games. The added hilarity was that his statue is wearing a toga and has a very obviously masculine chest. He is obviously a guy, so either the translators are terrible, or they hired people who want to include stuff that isn't there for reasons.

(Edit: figured I'd give the kanji for people to run through Google translate if they're unsure, because I could be talking out of my ass. He's referred to as 弟神. All of the girls are referred to as 妹神, divine younger sister. This includes Sealtige and Draefendi. The only one not referred to as a brother or sister is the eldest, who gets 男, man.)

(Edit2: went back to the wiki page. Under trivia they admit in OT1 that he is referred to as the "Lord of Succor", and then huff straight copium that "'her' gender might not have been fixed yet.")