Mordant Curiosity

[libraford]

Googled something about quick hydration and it suggested big jug of water, couple tbsp pickle juice, dash of lime juice.

Its surprisingly tasty????

[libraford]

Pleased to report that after a day of this i am not longer craving caper brine and my mouth is not dry as usual. There's some good suggestions in the notes too that I want to try.

-ancient roman posca: water, red or white wine vinegar, honey, salt, herbs (coriander, mint, thyme)

-switchel: water, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, lemon, salt

-ayran: yogurt, water, salt, mint

-Agua pepino: water, cucumbers, lime, sugar, optional mint.

[libraford]

I have been reminded of:

-shrub: vinegar, sida water, elderberry (or other berry), sugar.

[libraford]

I have now been informed of

-sekanjabin: honey, vinegar, mint, water.

[mordantcuriosity]

I am going to try all of these, and add nimbu pani- lemon or lime, salt, sugar, cumin, chaat masala, water! You can get excited and add other spices (I have enjoyed black salt, chilli salt, ginger, and dried mango powder), but it doesn't have to be a big effort.

[musashi]

Hey can you guys reblog Cheeseburger so he can take a sunbeam nap on lots of blogs. No other reason I just want you guys to see him.

[musashi]

So, Cheeseburger died on November 21st after an unfairly short battle with an unfairly rare cancer that is rarely seen in cats. I only got to spend a month with him after his diagnosis, and losing him has been the greatest heartbreak of my entire life so far. He was my best friend and my soul cat, and he was there for me when I was completely alone, for twelve long years.

I made this transparent PNG the night he died in preparation for one of the many ways I was going to memorialize him--a surface rug in his likeness that I planned on laying directly in the line of his favourite sunbeam. And I uploaded that PNG here, because this is the website where people post their cats.

I was not expecting the reception I got. Many people have pointed out that this post has more reblogs than likes, and how insane that is in 2025 when reblog culture is at an all time low. I didn't even talk about the fact that Burger passed away in the original post, it wasn't a tearjerker reblog bait or anything like that. People just loved Burger that much, in the same way I fell in love with him at first sight. He was such an ugly kitten.

Anyways, it's really special to me that so many people have reblogged my best friend. I made this PNG to memorialize him in a completely different way, and you all wound up doing just that in ways I never even imagined.

Thank you. Wherever he is, I know the sun is shining.

[mordantcuriosity]

I had never thought of making cat rugs, but I love the idea.

[northern-punk-lad]

Being prime minister of the uk has a higher regret rate than being trans

So the solution is to ban prime ministers

[northern-punk-lad]

[mythopoetry]

this is my cat Thanatos. He is 16 years old and Sunday is his last day on earth. I have had him since I was 17, half my life, and all of his. He's very large and very cuddly and he hates when people wear shoes in the house. I can't begin to tell you the adventures we've gone on, or the reasons this last year has been the best in his life (and mine). All I can say is I wish I had more time,. 20 years wouldn't be enough with this cat; his massive claws are dug into my heart permanently. I think I have to believe in an afterlife, at least for cats, at least for this one, to think he gets an infinity of treats and pets and toys. I'll add more photos to this post as I think of them. I just wanted someone else to see him, and know that he is the best cat I could've dreamt of.

[mythopoetry]

good news. Thanatos is still eating, drinking, playing, and pooping, so we have postponed the euthanasia until he stops doing one of those things. Could be days, could be a couple of weeks. We are treasuring our allotted time. For example the fat boy gets at least two churus a day. I'm finally working on sitting still, so I can be the infinite lap he demands. Another day or a week, my heart is filled with gratitude.

[mordantcuriosity]

A very handsome man, with magnificent whiskers. I hope he's enjoying his treats.

[thedreadvampy]

At singing class later we will be talking about our influences which panics me bc idk

so I'm distracting myself from all the other shit freaking me out by thinking like. ideally what do I want to teach my voice to do?

list so far kind of goes in two separate directions:

angry shouting

Living Colour

Heed Case

Delilah Bon

Kate Nash

The Defiled

Archspire

X-Ray Spex

Coffin Mulch

delivering lyrics

Justin Sullivan

Depeche Mode

Rammstein (?)

Seeming

Apoptygma Bezerk

Annie Lennox (unachievable lbr)

the problem I'm having here is that. women don't tend to get big doing the types of electro, industrial or punk that I want to hit. therefore as a medium high alto I'm not sure what's actually going to be possible to achieve with my voice cause a lot of the (especially electronic/industrial) artists I might be interested in building off are in a baritone/bass range bc they're such male-dominated genres (and bc tbh deeper voices go well with sharp electronic sounds)

[thedreadvampy]

actually can anyone recommend female singers who do metal growling/gutteral screaming? I would like to hear it please.

[snarp]

@staff @humans Many Tumblr users will not see those polls because they have prismatic-bell blocked for a variety of reasons (including easily-debunked lies about American history). You need to hire an actual, reliable researcher on whom you've done a background check for this one.

[lesbianwithchainsaws]

What the hell, sure

[laurenthemself]

Is that a fucking challenge, guys??? Is it???

I haven't delved that deeply into Saw fic tbqh but you know, 'take these survivors of a serial killer and give them a BDSM relationship' sounds delightful as a concept with the serial numbers sawed filed off. These guys have trauma and fuck about it.

[manicpixiedreamguy]

Dr. Alan Hart, a trans man from the USA who pioneered the use of X-ray photography in tuberculosis detection (saving countless lives according to researchers), was "reclaimed" by the lesbian community after his death in 1962, which means he was deadnamed and described as "a women loving woman who had to transition because at the time transsexualism was a quick medicine against sexism and homophobia" by numerous gay and lesbian associations and activists (including Jonathan Ned Katz whom I just quoted and who received many awards for his contributions to... I don't know, transphobia against trans men I guess), even though his widow always expressed how offensive it was to both her and her husband to refer to them as lesbians.

Hart was on testosterone, legally changed his name, and had gotten a hysterectomy (that was described as "unfortunate" by the Right to Privacy gay and lesbian political action committee), making him the first documented trans man to transition in the USA, yet he was characterized as a lesbian woman because cis gays and lesbians had the nerve (when do they NOT have the nerve, dare I say) to think they had the right to "honor [his] life as a woman" by having fundraiser dinners with his deadname attached to them, having college lectures where they talked about him as a lesbian hero, and using she pronouns for him until 2000. The USAmerican trans community, including trans activist Lou Sullivan, had to fight to defend Hart's identity and to have his manhood recognized by the wider community by protesting these lectures and dinners and having a conversation with the Portland chapter of the Lesbian Avengers association, which ended up having a favorable response and joining the trans community in the battle.

I want to end this by reporting the words of Candice Hellen Brown, a trans woman from Portland who wrote a letter to Just Out magazine in 1994 defending Hart's transness:

The Right to Privacy Political Action Committee in Oregon has a big fundraiser every year that is called the [deadname] Hart Dinner. When asked if I am going, I indignantly answer, "Not until they stop using the wrong name and gender for one of our heroes!" His name is Alan [. . .] He never wavered from his identity as a man, and upon his death, his widow continued to insist that he was a man. Why would such a straight man be called a lesbian by the gay community when today we would certainly call him a female-to-male transsexual? [. . .] He was transsexual or, at least, a transgenderist - a true pioneer. One who is seen as a hero by today's transsexual community. Please don't let him be taken away from us by allowing his old name to be used as though it were a badge of honor.

Think about this story every time the "trans men never contributed to anything in history" discourse resurfaces again. If this can happen to a famous historical figure from the USA and from a relatively recent time who medically transitioned and was explicitly out as a trans man, imagine how many others from other countries, historical periods, and situations have been erased or "reclaimed".

[sashayed]

has anyone figured out how to turn off the thing where you love your pet so much it slides inexorably into grief-borrowing

[boomstab-papa]

[gothiccharmschool]

Auntie (+ fellow goths reading this), I want to experience the Two Ultimate Goth Cliches at least once: absinthe and clove cigarettes (probably not at the same time, but who knows). But I don't even know where to start. From my understanding, the only clove cigarettes in existence rn are Djarum Blacks? As for absinthe, there are so many brands and I can't make heads or tails of the sugar cube preparation, does it need to happen to every absinthe or can you just drink it as is? Please help!!

Cliches! Yesssss.

Cloves: I’m sure there are other brands out there, but The Classic Clove Cigarette was Djarum Blacks. BE WARNED: No cigarettes are good for you, but cloves are supposedly worse. (But they’re the only cigarettes I miss.)

Absinthe: My current favorite brands are Oregon Spirit, St. George, and Mata Hari. Lucid and Mephisto are okay, and DEAR G-D IN HEAVEN DO NOT TRY HILL’S. Hill’s tastes like gasoline and NyQuil and despair. 

As to sugar cubes: I don’t use sugar when I have absinthe, I just add water to louche it. However, if you want to add sugar, go ahead! You don’t have to have a special absinthe spoon (tho’ they’re fun) - you can just put a sugar cube into the absinthe, let it dissolve, add the water, and then mix it until it louches and turns that lovely jade color.

I know there are people who are fond of the “Bohemian” method of adding sugar: pouring more absinthe over the sugar cube, setting it on fire, and then dribbling the water over it. This will come as a complete surprise to everyone, but I’m actually strongly against this method. Yes, fire fun, but good absinthe doesn’t need this. If I remember my absinthe history correctly, this method was invented by some bartender in the 90s. 

(Note: this method won’t make Hill’s drinkable. Don’t bother trying.)

Go forth! Indulge in those cliches! And please report back on your experiences!

[mordantcuriosity]

Clove cigarettes! The ones I got started on were the classic Djarum Blacks, but Gudang Garam were popular as well. Searching for kretek cigarettes may help. Djarum Blacks are still being manufactured, but illegal in my country (UK). Hopefully other people can find them.

I haven't compared cloves to normal cigarettes for a long while, but I think they tend to have a higher tar and nicotine content, and the clove in the tobacco makes it easier to hold the smoke in for longer. So they're probably better as an occasional treat :(

Absinthe: I just drank it straight sipped or as a shot most of the time, but it can be nice in lemonade or possibly with a bit of soda water if the alcohol is too strong. This also works for Chartreuse, if you read Lost Souls at a formative age and have to work out what to do with the bottle of strong green alcohol it inspired you to buy.

[gothiccharmschool]

The ongoing longing for a wide b&w striped dress: I finally got the Madwoman in the Attic to explain her refusal to work with stripes larger that 1/2”. She feels that larger stripes can’t be perfectly matched on princess seams or darts, and therefore “look like ass”.

Does that stop me from ogling the “Alice” top and skirt from Blackwood Castle? No.

The Alice Top - Striped

Discover the striped Alice Top from Blackwood Castle, an ethically made blouse with puffed sleeves and bold black and white stripes.

[mordantcuriosity]

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/wytephantom does pattern matching on her corsets, and she's made dresses and outfits as well- might be worth seeing how she feels about stripes?

[redstonedust]

i think all humans crave Play Time because we are animals that need enrichment. but its a shame a lot of adults only embrace Play Time after consuming twice their reccomended alcohol intake yknow.

[mordantcuriosity]

I'm nostalgic for only slightly tipsy parlour tag, now.

[drdaanvondutch]

in law school, my mom took me to this stress retreat because my family was vaguely aware i was a suicide risk. and they didnt allow phones, so i brought this huge bag of books. and one of the options for "destressing" was this fake cave grotto thing, where they'd decorated a room to make it look exactly like an underground cave and the air was like -10 degrees, but there was a like 4ft deep pool in the middle that was kept super super hot, so you would just switch between the hot and cold. and they would bring you an endless supply of this weird syrupy drink thing that was like super caffeinated and tasted like sugar and mint. and so i spent multiple days sitting half submerged in this fake grotto drinking mystery liquid and reading. and i have to be honest i really did feel less stressed

[batsandbutch]

[gothiccharmschool]

Please please please I need to go there.

[gothiccharmschool]

Did the tumblr hivemind ever figure out where this place is? Because I still need to go there.

[mordantcuriosity]

I'm sure I saw a couple of guesses on @seananmcguire's Tumblr a couple of weeks ago, but I can't find it now (past midnight in the UK, will try again in the morning).

[seananmcguire]

If I may borrow a moment of your time, multiple people are tagging your flower language book cover post requesting the title in question.

Unfortunately, my inbox is such a swamp fire that I just saw this, and don't know what book you're talking about anymore.

[mordantcuriosity]

I think it might be https://www.tumblr.com/seananmcguire/755712405325152256/taraljc-tinyshinytimelord-dulcian?source=share. The October Daye and Tybalt story No Sooner Met has a vase of flowers on the cover and references to the language of flowers in the text, so I wonder if it might have been that? I remember the language of flowers being relevant to the plot in at least a couple of the October Daye books, so I'd be tempted to start there if I wasn't putting off sensible things, but I'm desperately curious.

[saxifraga-x-urbium]

UKPOL / CALL TO ACTION

UK people I am suggest send this:

https://www.lemkininstitute.com/_files/ugd/c88266_d867000e790846f08b0aa1de85474fde.pdf

To your MP.

Highlight whatever bits you deem relevant.

Statement on the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission: Violation of the Paris Principles and erosion of protections for transgender and intersex people

There is more in the link.

To email your MP go to:

WriteToThem

WriteToThem is a website which provides an easy way to contact MPs, councillors and other elected representatives.

and follow instructions.

You can send an email like:

Dear [MP],

I would like to draw your attention to the following:

[LINK]

In particular:

[QUOTED TEXT]

And ask that you [esclatate my concerns to someone in a position to take action/address this matter in Parliament/consider seriously if this is the international image which you wish for our country].

I am concerned because [this affects me/my loved ones directly/the well-being of a minority group is a litmus test for the well-being of the nation/history has shown that targeting minority groups is a bad indicator of governmental trustworthiness].

Sincerely,

[NAME,

ADDRESS AND POSTCODE INDICATING THAT YOU ARE THEIR CONSTITUENT]

[mordantcuriosity]

I am going to do this over the weekend, and then eat cake.

[parkayquarts]

if youre not in school anymore and are looking for ways to get out of the house more go to the nearest "hip" coffee shop you can that has a bulletin board with flyers on it for local events and attend any and all the ones youre able to ESPECIALLY if they're free. this is the only actionable advice that has worked for me

[parkayquarts]

lots of very good suggestions for other places to find community events in the notes, including but not limited to:

libraries, parks, rec centers, and other public amenities

craft/game/hobby specialty stores or event spaces

bars or similar venues

I know I said "if you're not in school anymore" cause that's me right now, but if a college/uni campus doesn't have security requiring a student ID to get in, nothing is stopping you from just Hanging Out on the campus even if you're not a student there lol. I do it all the time and there are flyers abound

literally just on a wall or telephone pole outside

if the only coffee shop around is starbucks, ime even Some starbucks locations have these kind of bulletin boards in them (not the drive thru ones obv). and no, you don't have to order anything from the starbucks

instagram and facebook too unfortunately. i know i know i hate them too

also I know that it can be kind of scary or awkward to attend any events you find by yourself. thats ok though. nobody is going to hate you or think you're weird if you don't bring a plus one. go my scarab

[mordantcuriosity]

It depends on your city, but I use Eventbrite to see every free event listed where I live, and I've been to book readings, an eel conservation conference, a group for people doing sexual health research, book binding workshops, random creative writing stuff, zine workshops, cocktail tastings (some of them with quite a lot of alcohol)- I pack a sandwich or grab a meal deal on the way to whatever I'm going to, and just see what things are like. If they turn out to be not my thing, at least I got out for a bit. The only thing I'd warn people about is that there are an increasing number of Eventbrite listings from Scientologists/Hubbard Academy of Personal Excellence or whatever, but generally it's pretty fun.

[valtsv]

equal rights for women will never truly be achieved until we have more female noir detectives

[valtsv]

and i don't mean some badass woman who doesn't need a man and can kill someone in 6 inch heels without breaking a sweat or smudging her perfectly set makeup or chipping a nail. she looks like she grew up in a soggy cardboard box on the side of the road all alone. she monologues dramatically to herself while looking over the corruption-riddled city she works in because she has no friends or hobbies and will literally do anything except go to therapy. she gets beat up in alleyways so blood and rain drip sexily from her nose and chin but when she gets to her feet she looks like a sad wet cat. women want her but they also pity her. instead of perfume she smells of coffee, whiskey and cigarettes, which are also more or less all she lives off of. her voice is more gravelly than a pit of rocks as a result of said diet. she hasn't slept or showered in at least 3 days and it's increasingly obvious. she's either divorced or feels like she should be.

[woodloodloodloo]

@maybetwice

[mordantcuriosity]

If you want this in lesbian paranormal romance flavour, the Kate Kane series by Alexis Hall- https://quicunquevult.com/books/kate-kane/ - is worth checking out.