Hyacinth Bites

Just a 20 something figuring it out who loves beautiful things and nerding out. Stay for a while, or don’t.

[hbbisenieks]

normal people in SF are fucking sick of every billboard being for AI slop

[anarchistmemedistro]

how to hack a bus stop ad

[isuggestrevolution]

i have a suggestion

[hyacinthbiter]

I had a frog in my tits for a decent chunk of the evening. I’m working and I’m covered in bug spray and playing a game that requires me staying in one general area. Behold: a perfect light green frog looking not so great in a horrible habitat in a parking lot almost getting trampled by kids.

I scoop him up and then remember that frogs absorb stuff through their skin and I probably have bug spray on my hands which is Bad but I can’t just put him down so I deposit him into my shirt.

Broski was quite content, only occasionally tried to escape, was happy when I was walking. Very Unhappy and trying to Escape at campfire and I feel bad for his confinement but once again there’s nowhere near with water or green stuff so he must stay put.

I lean over to explain why I’m holding my shirt shut to one of my friends and I whisper “there’s a frog in my shirt” and she is Disturbed and Flipping out but anyway

Frog is now in suitable happy habitat and no longer in my boobs. The end.

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[birds-in-posts]

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

[hyacinthbiter]

I choose to believe that red-winged blackbird is making very enthusiastic R2-D2 noises

[killhitleragain]

[nihilisticlinguistics]

adulthood notes:

The Rodeo Rule: you only have to do it for the first time once.

The Rohan Rule: if you are at a social function full of new people and you want to be liked, find someone doing important work like setup or food prep and offer to help.

The Tutorial Mode Rule: to navigate an unfamiliar situation where you fear you will mess up an interaction, preface the interaction by mentioning that you've never done this before, and let them know if you have a specific concern or question.

The Rocket Science Rule: most new things you want to try seem very complicated but are simple when taken step by step.

The [X] Will Remember That Rule: if you need to make small talk with the same person on a regular basis, try to save one fact or current event in their life from a given conversation and bring it up next time you talk.

The Cool Binder Rule: by wearing clothes and accessories that are to your taste instead of trying to blend in, people will be more likely to compliment you and show interest in you as a person.

[rainformation]

formative years? aren’t they all?

[absolutejamer]

show me a permanent self and i will show you a facade or a corpse

[dragon-in-a-fez]

today's reason I fucking love the open source community: Ageless Linux, a brand new Debian-based operating system specifically designed to break the law by giving children access to computers that explicitly refuse to track their age.

[dragon-in-a-fez]

reblog this post to help a child break the law

[the-cassquatch]

Ok but like. What the fuck is there to do on the internet anymore?

Idk when I was younger, you could just go and go and find exciting new websites full of whatever cool things you wanted to explore. An overabundance of ways to occupy your time online.

Now, it's just... Social media. That's it. Social media and news sites. And I'm tired of social media and I'm tired of the news.

Am I just like completely inept at finding new things or has the internet just fallen apart that much with the problems of SEO and web 3.0 turning everything into a same-site prison?

[dj-of-the-coven]

Long collection of resources under the cut.

You're right that the internet is smaller than it used to be, but there's still some cool stuff left in the corners. I'd recommend checking checking out Neocities if you haven't--it's an independent web hosting platform like Geocities of the old web, and there are hundreds of interesting and active pages discoverable both through their search function and through web buttons (links attached to small pictures with the title of a website) within the websites themselves. Here are three examples of web buttons you may find in link pages:

Most Neocities websites have link pages or button collections with anywhere from tens to hundreds of these. Don't be afraid to explore!

If you're looking for something more like a search engine, I can point you towards Marginalia. It's not a particularly smart engine, but it's perfectly usable if you've ever been taught to use search engines back when they were mostly run through keywords instead of full sentence comprehension. There's also an "about" and "tips" section on the front page with more information. The algorithm of Marginalia can be filtered by the user to allow, disallow, or require JavaScript depending on your needs, plus there are filters designed specifically to prioritize web 1.0 sites or mostly text-based ones. It is possible to search for modern websites with it, but it can return websites from just about any decade (since the invention of the web, obviously) so long as they contain the information you're looking for. For example, here are some random interesting sites I've found using Marginalia:

Native Languages of the Americas: Native American Cultures

BASIC HTML COMPETENCY IS THE NEW PUNK FOLK EXPLOSION!

Earthbound Text Labs by Bill Eager

The possibilities for discovery are truly endless.

Now you might want to know about directories. These make browsing for websites easier, but require you to read through and judge which ones to visit, as there aren't algorithms ranking the sites besides the whim of whoever coded the directory. Some of them have themes, others don't. Here are two that I've used:

Yesterlinks Directory

Ichigo Directory

Directories can be harder to come by just by surfing the net, but they aren't impossible to find. Many personal websites have their own directories of interesting sites hidden within them.

Webrings are similar to directories, but are actually more community-based. You have to register your website to be a part of a webring, usually by sending an email to whoever runs it and meeting some kind of entry criteria. For example, my personal website used to be a part of a webring called Sweet Dreams, which was for websites that heavily utilize color palettes and images of cute things, particularly sweets. Webrings will give you access to a widget upon entry that allow visitors and other members to browse between the registered websites in a massive ring, ergo, where the term gets its name. Webrings can have any theme or criteria for entry. If you can make a website about it, you can find a webring for it.

Now, you might be wondering about social media alternatives. I can't offer much, but I can nudge you towards the idea of forums. Here's one I found that could really use some traffic. I also browse a bit on MelonLand forum, which is actually closed right now--it's currently closed on Mondays--but on any other day of the week, you can find a fun community there dedicated to web revival. You can find it through MelonLand's main page. I'd also recommend checking out SpaceHey, which is a MySpace clone that's customizable and easy to use.

I hope this is of some help to you. The internet may feel less magical than it used to be, but that doesn't mean that the spark has completely died out. These types of indie websites need more attention if we ever hope to reverse the damage done to the internet by centralization and corporate interest. People are trying to make the web a cooler place to be, but we're going to have to do the work of finding and interacting with these projects in order to get them off the ground someday.

[xerxestexastoast]

ALSO you should consider browsing Virtual Pet List and seeing if there are any pet sites you might be interested in playing. There is a whole genre of browser games right under your nose

[biothreads]

Another one that I just found recently is this, which is a whole collection of blogs, organized by topic!

ooh.directory: a place to find good blogs that interest you

A collection of 1,966 blogs about every topic

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Look guys the real internet IS STILL THERE I'm going to cry

[headspace-hotel]

try Radiogarden

[rosiewitchescottage]

And it's amazing that you can find information that you looked for, just in the off chance, never expect ing that it would really be there.

Are you a word nerd like me, and my father before me?

Then may I introduce you to...

Online Etymology Dictionary

The online etymology dictionary (etymonline) is the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of Eng

Explore live radio by rotating the globe

Explore live radio by rotating the globe.

Thank you @headspace-hotel

[fizzytrashcan]

[sunshine-gremlin]

What if you picked up a book you knew would address certain traumatic events, events not unique to you but instead near universal, and then on pages 239, 243, and 245, the author very quietly and without warning looked into your eyes and into your soul and addressed certain trumatic events that actually felt incredibly specific

[hyacinthbiter]

I felt entirely too seen. A deep fear whispered back to me. Very uncanny valley -esque type of feeling tbh.

[hyacinthbiter]

A Comprehensive List of Fun/Previously UnKnown Words and their Definitions that I have Encountered Today

philalethe : lover of the truth

codicil : a supplement or appendix, an addition or explanation of something (most commonly a will)

erinaceous : of the hedgehog family

obstreperous : resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner

obdurate : unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyielding

ubiquitous : existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

crypotype : a linguistics concept that defines a niche grammatical category or association that is unconsciously present

rabbinical : of or relating to rabbis and their teachings

gestalt shift : an involuntary perceptual jump from one shape or form or pattern to another

holism effect : a philosophical concept that suggests that things need to be looked at as a whole and not just in little parts

myopic : unable or unwilling to act prudently; short sighted; narrow minded

stratum : as used in linguistics, a major subdivision of linguistic structure

verbophiles : one who has a love for words and/or word play

interlard : to diversify by adding or interjecting something unique, striking, or contrasting; to mix

lard : (as a verb) to supplement or enrich with something for improvement or ornamentation

salient : prominent or conspicuous; projecting or pointing outward; leaping or jumping; (of a beast) represented as leaping

nudnik : a persistently dull, boring pest

dullards : stupid insensitive people

fillip : an act or instance of striking something with the nail of a finger snapped from the end of a thumb; a smart tap or stroke; anything that tends to rouse, excite, or revive; a stimulus

aspectual : of, relating to, or producing a particular aspect or aspects (often used in reference to grammer or grammatical terms)

gibber : to speak inarticulately or meaninglessly

agglomerate : to collect or gather into a clump or mass

garrote : strangulation or throttling, especially in the course of a robbery

extirpate : to remove or destroy totally; to pull up from the roots

exculpate : to clear from a charge of guilt or fault; free from blame

laggards : persons or things that lag; lingerers; loiterers; negative connotation

deadborn : similar to stillborn, used figuratively

craw : the crop of a bird or insect

couched : express in a particular way

vicissitude : the quality or state of being changeable, having the ability to mutate

ferretted : searched out, discovered, or was bought to light; continually tormented or worried

demarcating : the act of setting, defining, or marking the boundaries and limits of something

prolix: extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy

morphemes : fundamental elements or pieces of words

silicon : a naturally occurring element used in human biology, medical technology, and as a theoretical basis for alien life as used in the bit "human, silicon, and alien"

gradations : any processes or changes taking place through a series of stages, by degrees, or in a gradual manner

happyologist : a social scientist, researcher, or practitioner who studies happiness and helps individuals improve their well-being

lackadaisical : without interest, vigor, or determination; halfhearted; listless

[agoraphobe]

[hyacinthbiter]

I have so much trouble at funerals for older women, as a musician I’m involved in a shocking amount of funerals. And what pisses me off is how often all anyone wants to talk about is the quality of the food their grandmother made and how tidy they kept their house.

Is that all women, older or otherwise, are supposed to be good for?

At the end of my life, am I to be remembered for the quality of my cookies and how often I dusted?

What about her dreams? How did she view others? What did she accomplish?

I want to scream every time.

[jareckiworld]

Francine Van Hove (1942-2025) — The Sphinxes and the Dictionary [oil on canvas, 1985]

[slfcare]

when you keep yourself small all the time (swallowing the words you want to say, seeing everybody else as though they’re automatically above you, downplaying your feelings and achievements), the entire world will constantly be looming over you. that’s not the way to live your life. you’re supposed to be experiencing it, not be subjected to it. (this is your sign to take up more space)

[hyacinthbiter]

JOY IS NOT MEANT TO BE A CRUMB

[gatheringbones]

tbh a lot of my advice boils down to “hey you know that terrible horrible looming thing you’re doing your best to avoid and distract and escape as much as possible but no matter what you do it just keeps looming and looming and ruining your life”

“just, fuckign, run straight at it screaming.”

[quasarkisses]

i needed this as a background

[spectrexviiii]

[395nm]

Fuck Meyer-Briggs whatever typology. This INTFP shit is only for redditors up their own asses to substitute for a personality. Use my new typology instead!

Your ideal environment is:

Hot/Cold

Wet/Dry

Bright/Dark

Loud/Quiet

[bedupolker]

HWBL - beach boy

HWBQ - tropical fish

HWDL - dingy club bathroom hookup

HWDQ - the swamp woman

HDBL - CoachellaBurningmanSouthbysouthwestACL attendee

HDBQ - Lizard

HDDL - Vegas babeyyyy

HDDQ - Trapped in a slot canyon

CWBL - Rowdy Lobsterman Crew

CWBQ - penguin living

CWDL - port angeles basement show

CWDQ - bruminating amphibian/hypothermic mammal

CDBL - ski resort

CDBQ - Christmas in Nebraska

CDDL - mcmurdo station rave

CDDQ - corpse

[hyacinthbiter]

I am in fact The Swamp Woman