It's Me!

Kays | 22 | Queer | She/Her - I'm a fkn chicken cobra.

[negativepeanuthoarder]

the problem with trying to discuss the way aromanticism/asexuality is treated in fandom spaces is that people are really hyperfocused on whether or not it's okay to ship aro and or ace characters instead of the way over-glorification of (monogamous) romantic/sexual relationships belittles or ignores non-monogamous or non-amatonormative dynamics for the sake of making it look pretty and white picket-fence-y

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Actually, I think this does link in with a wider conversation that I have been thinking for a while Tumblr maybe needs to hear.

There's a common meme on this site now that no one here has any reading comprehension skills. The best one is, of course, the original "No offense but reading comprehension on this site is piss poor/How dare you say we piss on the poor" post, which gave rise to the nickname "pissing-on-the-poor website". There's also the "I like pancakes/How dare you say waffles are terrible" one. Both of these are great, because they're silly jokey ways to show two closely related phenomena that are probably the commonest ways to fail a reading comprehension check.

The first is someone reading certain catchphrases or buzzwords in the post, and based on their own biases or prior experiences or whatever else, their brain simply fills in what it reckons the poster is saying on the topic. Instead of reading the rest of the sentence and digesting it, the reader then just uses their assumption as the interpretation, and reacts to that.

The second is closely related, because it also uses biases and prior experiences to to interpret the post, but rather than ignoring what the OP is actually saying, it instead performs a series of gymnastic leaps to construct a whole new assertion on the OP's behalf that simply isn't there.

There's also a third, of course; that one is people being so eager to feel smug and superior over someone they perceive as Bad that they wilfully assume the OP is stupid or being serious when they're actually joking. And if the reader hadn't been so blinded by their desire to get to look down on someone, they'd have seen the very obvious tells, sometimes even including sentences like "Obviously this is a joke." (I think we have all seen examples of these. Also, in a bid to avoid as many reading comprehension fails here as possible, this does not include misunderstandings borne entirely of neurodiverse struggles to parse intentions; but, neurodiverse people are just as likely as neurotypicals to have ego play a part in their misinterpretation of others, and that is what this point is about.)

And the thing is... actually, we are all capable of any of these. I imagine a sizable chunk of people reading until this point were probably thinking "Lol, yeah, people are so stupid," but na, nage, I'm not having that. Literally everyone does these sometimes. And it becomes a particular risk when the topic under discussion is something that might brush against an issue that is a pressure point for you, like a social justice talking point that you are forever having to argue with internet strangers about, for example. Your brain holds schemas! And sometimes it likes to pattern match things before it deigns to tell you about its findings! And that can hit you right in the emotions, which if they are strong enough, really can shut down all rational thought.

But. This brings me to the real point of the post.

Because the thing is, we have all saddled up and gone to war under these conditions, or at the very least been strongly tempted to. And a vital skill that literally everyone has to learn, sooner or later, is:

Before you hit 'reply', double check the post to make sure you fucking understood it.

And that does not mean "simply re-read, confirm your bias, carry on." It means, "Is it possible to read this post from the point of view of someone who doesn't intend it the way I've taken it? If I put myself in the shoes of an innocent, could they still have written these words? Is there another interpretation for these phrases?"

And you do have to do this step. You simply do have to. Because if your desire is to 'clap back' and call someone a gargling knobskin made of garbage, fuck me sideways but you must see that it is imperative that you check if they actually deserve that kind of treatment first. You cannot spend your time claiming that we must all choose to be kind and then not bother doing your due diligence before screaming a person's various and assorted bigotries at them. If you misread it, and they were innocent - you are the raging aggressive cunt in this situation.

It does not matter that you reacted from an emotional place of normally having to defend yourself either, by the way. Sure, that makes the quality of your human soul better than that of the average Redditor who just enjoys anonymously hurting people, I guess? But it's also irrelevant. If you messaged someone and called them a misogynist because you performed several mental somersaults and landed on your own sore spot when they meant no such thing, you are the attacker. You owe them an apology. And yeah, sure, you can explain your over-reaction as the product of your normal experiences if you like, but that is only an explanation, not an excuse. You are still the asshole here. You still need to apologise and mean it.

And you could have avoided it if you'd done that due diligence, as you should have. If you're going to take a swing, make sure it's the right target. This was once described to me as donkey people - they don't think, they just kick. This is admittedly a little unkind to donkeys, who always do their due diligence, but I feel it's an apt metaphor.

TL;DR: If you feel moved to angrily reply to something, first make sure you've interpreted it right. Don't be a donkey person. And if you ask for clarification, people are innocent until proven guilty. Ask nicely. If they are a bigot, you can then smelt them for parts.

[iguanastevens]

What to do when you don’t like a fic: a step by step guide

Step 1:

[ellipsus-writes]

The internet was supposed to be a place for connection and creativity. But it’s being flooded with AI text, algorithmic hostility, and platforms turning against the creatives who made them vibrant in the first place.

Tech giants have gone all-in on AI at creators’ expense. Google’s AI is baked into everything, prioritizing machine-generated slop over human work. Microsoft Word now suggests AI-generated “improvements” on every new line.

The Trump administration’s massive AI investment means there’s little incentive for tech giants to slow down the exploitation anytime soon. (Meta? Just caught training AI on 81.7 TB of pirated books.)

Big tech isn’t waiting for legal mandates to censor content—its platforms are restricting creative expression to appease political and corporate pressure, manufacturing consent in real time.

Read our full post over on the blog!

- The Ellipsus Team xo

[houndmother]

great site, your servers go down and everyone goes “woah did my blog get deleted for no reason”

[that-house]

I’ve been playing so much sudoku. You have no idea how much sudoku I’m playing. Every time I close my eyes I see the grid. I’m making moves in my sleep. 179432568. 653897124. 824516937. 915683742. 246175893. 387249615. 561724389. 498351276. 732968451. This morning before I was fully awake I was playing sudoku in my head. I rise with the dawn. I’m a warrior of numbers. You’re nothing to me.

[televisionenjoyer]

I know I've said this a hundred times but if you're worried about palestinian fundraisers being scams at least consider donating to MSF. It's a highly reputable organization which has broken its long-standing neutrality to denounce Israel in front of the UN. Here's all the aid MSF is providing to Gazans (documentation available in multiple languages).

[televisionenjoyer]

Since I know no one's gonna click on that link, here's a quick overview of some of the various ways in which Medicins Sans-Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) is aiding Palestinians

- Since Oct 7 2023, MSF provided for 14000 hospital admissions and 7500 surgeries, on top of treating 27500 people for physical violence causes, treating 34000 people for diarrhoea (very common condition in Gaza currently due to the sanitary crisis) and holding 18000 mental health sessions.

-MSF is currently operating in two hospitals, eight healthcare facilities and fifteen mobile clinics, providing surgical support, wound care, physiotherapy, maternity and paediatric care, basic healthcare, vaccinations, and mental health services among other things (more info on the treatments provided by each facility on the link above). Additionally, they provide training for psychological, medical and paramedical volunteers, and donate first aid kits to various camps (info on the specific locations on the link above).

- Via their partnership with the Palestinian Agriculture and Development Association, they're building latrines for over 30000 people in six camps, distributing hygiene kits to 2400 families, and ensuring clean drinking water for 25000 people, on top of equipping a camp for 70 families with accessible sanitary facilities for disabled people.

- Since October 7, 2023, eight of their medics have died. Seven of them are remembered here, and their latest, Hasan Suboh, in this statement that denounces Israel's allies for disregarding the fact that the protection of humanitarian workers is not being guaranteed as they claim.

MSF does not only stand for Palestine in humanitarian terms, it also does so politically to an extent, holding Israel and its allies accountable for sabotaging ceasefire negotiation attempts.

MSF also provides aid to Sudan, the Democratic Republic Of Congo, Haiti, Ethiopia and 76 other countries.

[shesgayfolks]

To better maximize your donation to MSF, I advise keeping an eye out for donation doubling and tripling periods, which occur fairly often and can be checked on their website.

[lastmayqueen]

*charles xavier voice* i need him in a way thats concerning to mutant-human relations

[itskaysno]

I just want to say that that thing that drives me especially crazy about Cherik is that the tragedy doesn’t stop because the love doesn’t either.

[mariacallous]

[littledivathatyouown]

link directly to the article: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/02/elon-musk-pac-voter-data-trump-harris.html?__source=sharebar|twitter&par=sharebar

[metatextuality]

Here's the official US government resource to check if you or anyone you know might have fallen prey to this kind of scam:

How to confirm your voter registration status | USAGov

Find out how to check your voter registration. Make sure you are still registered to vote and your name, address, and political party affili

(Many states periodically purge their voter rolls without warning, so even if you're an active voter whose information hasn't changed, it's a good idea to double-check your voter registration status every so often in the months leading up to an election.)

Here's how you can register to vote, even if you're currently living outside the US, lack a permanent address, or are a minor who will turn 18 by the date of the general election:

How to register to vote | USAGov

Use vote.gov to register to vote in federal, state, and local elections. If you’re a U.S. citizen living abroad, see how you can register an

Register to vote in your state | Vote.gov

Find the information you need to make registration and voting easy. Official voter registration website of the United States government.

Let's also hope someone at the DOJ has taken notice of this, because “Section 20511(2) [of Title 52, which is part of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993] provides criminal penalties for a person who ‘knowingly and willfully deprives, defrauds, or attempts to deprive or defraud the residents of a State of a fair and impartially conducted election process’ through fraudulent voter registration applications or ballots.” (PDF source)

[antianakin]

I do love that Rogue One said "we need a character to represent the absolute WORST the Empire has to offer, all of the most evil that encapsulates the Empire's tyranny and atrocities" and slapped Anakin RIGHT the fuck in there. And then they went OUT OF THEIR WAY to film him like a MONSTER. This is not the Anakin Skywalker of the Disney+ realm that wants you to remember who he used to be, this is a literal nightmare monster and nobody CARES who he used to be or if there's "good" in him because there's clearly no good in him NOW, or if there is he isn't choosing to act on it so it may as well not exist.

They could've utilized the Emperor if they'd wanted to, they could've had him pop in, but they don't. They use Anakin. Because Anakin is the one who murdered babies, Anakin is the one who betrayed everybody he loved, Anakin is the one who destroyed the symbol of hope in the galaxy and threw it into darkness for his own selfish agenda. Anakin is the most monstrous of all, and Rogue One refuses to pull its punches about that. Anakin is an ANIMAL, he is a rabid bear in Rogue One, just pure rage and violence and nothing else. That's all that matters. Literally nobody in the Rebellion gives a single shit about the "good" in him because it just plain DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER, he's a monster whose sole purpose is to destroy goodness in the galaxy.

More than Krennic, more than Tarkin, more than Palpatine, it's ANAKIN who will always be the symbol of the worst things the Empire was capable of inflicting. He IS the Empire's legacy, he will be how people remember the Empire for decades to come.

[forcearama]

Vader: [opening a desk drawer in Obi-Wan’s old room] Let’s see what this old fool kept in here…[picking up a piece of paper]  Obi-Wan: [in a letter] 

Dear Anakin, 

If you’re reading this, then you must be rifling through my belongings, which means you are either extremely bored (in which case I suggest going and tidying up your quarters, which I don’t need to see to know are a disaster,) or I’ve been missing for an extended amount of time and the Order needs the room to store extra chairs, or I’ve died, possibly while trying to rid the galaxy of General Grievous. If I am in fact dead, I hope this letter finds you well in spite of it, and that you have not gone off the deep end or murdered anyone in an attempt to avenge me. (…unless it’s Grievous, I suppose.)

You will find attached to this letter the receipts for several items in my room, such as the electric tea kettle. I hope you can at least return them for store credit. 

I’ve set up a college savings plan with the Galactic Bank of Coruscant, because I noticed that Senator Amidala is obviously pregnant, and since I am not nearly as dense as you apparently think I am, I presume the child is yours. The account information is in my safe, which I would give you the combination to except that I know you have been breaking into it since you were 14. 

If you do intend to eventually leave the Order, as I suspect you might, please make sure that you give the Council two weeks’ notice. It’s only polite, and you never know when you may need to use them as a reference. Even though I know you clash with them, they do care about you.

Finally, please make sure Duchess Satine’s nephew gets the inheritance I’ve left him (the information is also in my safe, and no, I’m not going to tell you any more details about this. I realize how much this is going to torment you, and I’d be lying if I said that’s not bringing a smile to my face.) 

Your blanket is in the hamper. Wash it on the gentle cycle. The password for the wi-fi, in case you’ve forgotten, is BuyYourOwnDataPlanAnakin.

Be well, my Padawan, and I shall see you again someday – hopefully many years from now – when you, too, rejoin the Force. Don’t forget to change the payment settings for Netflix now that I’m dead or you’ll fall behind on your programs. 

Yours,  Obi-Wan Kenobi  PS: Don’t let Vos speak at my funeral. 

[forcearama]

This remains one of my favorite things I have ever written because everyone is SO VERY ANGRY WITH ME ABOUT IT.

[hollowboobtheory]

why do people think victorian orphans were like. the peak of sheltered pure innocence

[hollowboobtheory]

"imagine feeding mountain dew to a victorian orphan" they'd probably appreciate the pick-me-up before their shift as junior osha violator at the accident factory

[hollowboobtheory]

"imagine showing a victorian orphan vtubers" they'd say "this is boring i wanna watch public executions"

[killrockstar]

has there ever been a single man whose career was "jeopardized :(" after allegations about them came out. shia labeouf is still praised and just got a warm welcome back. Kevin spacey is still acting. johnny depp is beloved and god have mercy on yr soul if you say anything bad about him. nicole simpson's and rihanna's abuse are treated as jokes, if mentioned at all. too many horrible men to count are still prominent figures in the comic industry. nobody actually gives a fuck about victims lets be real. just the rich men who might trend for a day then everyone will "forget"!

[sanguinewolves]

another thing abt me. i use the 👍 emoji very liberally. im not being sarcastic or passive aggressive im being like cool ok or thanks for the heads up or etc. to me 👍 is an innocent happy polite little emoji

[opposite-massive]

me when i 👍

[thisisnotthenerd]

picture this: you're a busy working mom whose husband died on the job under mysterious circumstances, leaving you alone to raise your young son in a town with none of your family or support network, at a job that will never pay enough, no matter how much good work you do. your son at once idolizes his father and resents him for leaving, and has channeled all of his energy into solving mysteries without regard for his health or well-being.

you watch him get bullied, watch him get into fights constantly as he searches for his missing babysitter and the other missing girls in town. he wears a nickname given to him by a bully with pride and tries so hard to impress his friends. you see him build up a group of friends, only for them to go to jail. after your apartment is attacked, you go with him to prom to take down his evil vice principal, who killed your husband on an impulse. you devour the dragon who killed your husband and it tastes like hollow victory, like revenge for the man you can't bring back.

the next year, your son goes on spring break with his friends after he gets accosted by an entity that used to work with your husband and some kind of mirror entity that leaves shards in your apartment. you don't hear much from him on the trip until you see a pit fiend choke him out and kill him, on a livestream. your son gives up his worldly possessions for the sake of defeating an entity that was raised for the sake of the status of an elven family.

your son comes back from spring break with the name of an eldritch entity tattooed on his chest and tells you his father died because the being he used to work with put a target on his back. your son met his dead father in heaven after he went to hell as a litigator for his friend. your son has been threatened with death for existing and come back.

that summer, the eldritch entity is summoned out of your son's body, and he spends the entire summer tracking down a cult and sealing the entity once more. you've left your (thankless) job to become a public defender for people like you, getting nothing for years of work, of doing your duty to bring home a little more for your son, and they won't give you your pension.

your son works himself to the bone for his friends, knowing he can't go to a good school unless he somehow ensures they all succeed. he does everything: perfect grades, every extracurricular, running the student government campaign for his friend, and he's still tracking down another missing girl. he gets dominate monster cast on him by the principal despite doing nothing wrong.

you chat with him in the car, driving to school, and he can't afford a moment of rest. people have been killed following the leads he's tracking, he warns you of the danger of following up and yet he still aims to find the clues.

and you wonder, is this all i've shown him? stretching yourself thin, never more than a moment's rest, and yet others don't appreciate it? after spending your lives in this town, and you're still goblins, still punished for the crime of existence, having to work twice as hard for half the credit.

they call him "the ball".

every day sklonda gukgak wakes up.

[ellipsus-writes]

Collaborative writing is a labor of love. What if it could be easier? 

Think connected drafts, not disconnected files. 

Think effortless version history and control. 

Think in-document chat. 

Far away from the prying eyes of AI and LLMs.

Ellipsus is a new writing tool for people who write together!

Two new features have arrived this week: Comments and Dark Mode! :D

We’re looking for feedback from folks who care a lot about writing.

Check us out, and join the Ellipsus beta.