number one thing i want for public bathrooms is for them to be unisex accessible safe private and clean. number two thing i want for pubic bathrooms is for them to have flat surfaces in the stalls you can put your handheld items down on when youre shittin. ive encountered it in like two bathrooms ever and it changed my life for real.
I think ao3 is literally the only site where no censorship means no censorship. you can post the most vile things on there — things that will get taken down on any other platforms — and ao3 will protect you, your works, and your rights to create whatever you want, however you want.
and no, this isn’t me saying “write that messed up, disgusting thing” because while, yes, write it if it’s what you want (I myself enjoy writing dark fics, something I believe would be considered “vile” to a lot of people), this is me saying in a world of censorship and capitalism, ao3 really is a treasure.
AO3 does not live in “the cloud” because that is other people’s computers, and other people’s computers are vulnerable to censorship.
AO3 is on its own computers. It does still have to be housed somewhere, and I suppose a determined enough hater could try to find that place and go after it, but it’s a lot harder than sending spurious complaints to Amazon or whomever going “BadWrong things are hosted on your cloud service!”
When people involved with AO3 talk about “the cost of servers” they don’t mean “the cost to pay Amazon for space on their servers.” They mean, like, the cost to physically own them, and eventually replace them with new ones. And the operating costs to run them.
AO3 is not “in the cloud.” AO3 is stored on physical machines that the OTW owns.
While this is not a solution that can work for everyone who wants to deal with controversial content, it is why AO3ple sneer at alt-righters who complain about getting thrown off hosting platforms.
Because I want us to own the goddamned servers, ok? Because I want a place where we can’t be TOSed and where no one can turn the lights off or try to dictate to us what kind of stories we can tell each other.
ok so, I approached my local library with a proposal to donate a mural as a way to A: build portfolio/gain practical experience and B: give back to a beloved public institution. The director was very enthusiastic about it and i've been working on it since the beginning of March. Come with me as I endeavor to paint what is in all honesty an excessive amount of birds
I wanted the birds to look like they were actually in the space so first thing after doing the draft was to do a lighting study
after that I covered the walls in letters in lieu of a projector/vr headset bc i have neither of those :) Then i take a picture of the section of wall and superimpose the lineart over top of it so I can pencil in the lines
et voila
and that was a whole week on it's own so next comes the paintin' >:)
my chains are broken i am FREE. although i did have a great deal of fun with this, the barring on the wings itself took me like four days and i am READY to move on
this was a week and a half of continuous work so please excuse me for getting a little emotional in the bg 🙏
BIRD NUMBER 10!!! The Male Mallard Duck, Anas platyrhynchos
the male and female ones are gonna be posted separately bc they're taking a lot longer lol but yea! super happy i was able to capture the iridescent green of the head, i found metallic green and blue paint at a craft store that really made his head POP. it looks better in person i promise
ALSO!! As this is the 10th one, BIG announcement. The end is in sight!!!!! I plan to finish within the next 3 weeks and there will be a small dedication ceremony/ unveiling happening at the library to commemorate its completion on the 16th of May. If you live in the Western New York region and want to check it out for yourself shoot me a dm!
Also thank you everyone for your kind words and support throughout this whole process, it's been a genuine treat thinking there are potentially thousands of you out there cheering me on while I paint this 🥹
we're movin right along with bird numero 11!! The lady Mallard!! Anas platyrhyncos
the 16th is looming in the distance so i'm trying to get thru these as quickly as i can so i can have as much time for the GBH as possible. i still need to do the names next to all of them so i've got about a week and a half to finish everything which is GREAT because i have adhd and nothing gets my ass in gear like a fuckin deadline, let me tell you
power couple that they are, here's bird number 12 and 13,
the Northern Cardinals, Cardinalis cardinalis
and NOW that they are complete, ITS GO TIME, in the next five days (library's closed for mother's day 😭😭) i need to have the GBH fully rendered, the names of the birds vectored, weeded, masked, applied to the wall, and then painted, plus additional cattails throughout. I may be able to get away with just getting the GBH done in time for the unveiling and then just have the names and cattails added later, but i'm gonna really try to get it all done in time. BUT, i have a plan. Part of why i take so long on these is because i really am just figuring it out as I do it lmao. there have been many a time where i am sitting on top of the ladder googling "how to paint birds" but I think if i take the time tomorro to do all that figuring out how to approach it beforehand, this will go a lot faster. I may also recruit some of my artist friends to help with the placing of the names... hrmm we'll see.
Anyways, shout out to the librarian who tracked down exactly the thing i needed so i could figure out where to place the highlights in my birds eyes, ur the real mvp
thank you to everyone who reached out or got excited about this project, it genuinely gave me the fuel i needed to keep going. In total, the 480+ total hrs it took me to cover this wall pales in comparison to how long its expected to spend on there, hopefully imparting a sense of beauty and love for the natural world to the next generation and here's hoping i'm only getting started with these.
A doll youtuber I watch has made a video about the history of Polly Pocket, and she's describing the plots of the dvd specials, one of which features an elderly woman named Ms. Throckmorton, and my reaction was
It's that time of year again: October, aka Spooky Month! This season is a popular time to indulge in all things supernatural - and in Amity Park, you know we're talking about ghosts.
Some of you may be tempted to try the hottest new trend right now: summoning! With only a few basic items, it's easy to invite a ghost into your home. Perhaps a certain ghost boy? ;)
But be warned! While the process looks easy, it can have some upsetting, or even dangerous, results. If you're a first time summoner, there are some hazards to avoid. But don't worry: as your local ghost (and Ghost Boy) expert, I'm here to offer advice!
Here are some tips and tricks to avoid common pitfalls - and get the most out of your summoning!
—
Do:
- use a new Ouija board!
In Amity Park, Ouija boards (pronounced 'wee-jee boards') can be purchased new from Target, Barnes & Noble, or The Skulk and Lurk. I recommend the classic 1900's style. Or the pink one, of course.
Secondhand boards are dangerous, and worse: they're tacky. Think of the Ouija board you use as your formal invitation: do you want your invite written on cardstock and engraved, or written on some ratty, beat-up piece of cardboard that's seen better days? Remember: the board you choose is always the ghost's first impression of you.
—
Don't:
- buy a Ouija board at a garage sale.
All used Ouija boards are technically haunted! Once summoned, the board serves as that ghost's permanent shortcut into your home. Who knows what ghost the previous owner tried to summon? The meat monster? The mad scientist? God forbid - the Box Ghost? Do you really want to give a stranger an all-access pass to your bedroom?
I know we all fawn over a good sale, but please, resist the temptation! Say No to the Garage Sale Ouija board!
—
Do:
- have snacks ready!
Not for your sleepover party, silly - for the ghosts! They're your guests, and should be treated as such. Be prepared to show your hospitality by offering food and drink. Ghosts need to eat too!
I have it on good authority that our favorite ghost boy prefers (gasp!) Junk food! Makes sense, of course; no doubt he's burning the calories at both ends fighting ghosts and keeping Amity safe. Get the Nasty Burger's Mighty Meaty Melt with a side of fries, preferably still warm and toasty. Don't forget the milkshake!
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Don't:
- feel pressured to provide a full meal
If you don't have time or money to drop on a full meal, don't panic! A couple snacks from the pantry or a glass of water will do in a pinch. Ghosts might not even take you up on the offer, if diet or time restrictions are in play. If you are summoning the Ghost Boy, especially if the summon is for emergency reasons, I'm sure he'll understand.
—
Do:
- create a welcoming atmosphere!
Some people light a hundred candles, some put on soothing music. Some turn the lights down low and burn incense for the effect. Whatever the case, make sure the space you use for your summoning is a welcoming environment. That means, at the very least: clean your room! Those dirty socks and day old pizza boxes? Nobody wants to see that. At the very least, use some febreze.
For those whose rooms are already clean, or if you are looking to add a more personalized touch, try our other articles: All About Feng Shui or 101 Interior Design Tips for Teens for more inspiration.
—
Don't:
- expose your guest to known triggers
Becoming a ghost is very traumatic! Most if not all ghosts have baggage they carry with them in their day-to-day, things that remind them of their deaths. Try your best to study the ghost you want to summon and avoid having things nearby that might set them off.
Important!: Though it is unconfirmed, many Amity Park citizens have noticed Phantom's dour attitude during the Christmas season, which some have speculated is the season in which he died.
Do NOT have Holiday decorations or Christmas music playing nearby at all costs!
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—
Do:
- dress the part
Flowing Robes and Hooded Cowls are SO last season. Not to mention, long, dragging cloth material can get in the way, and provide a hazard if they smudge your runes or catch fire on a nearby lit candle.
Like the Ouija board, this is your chance to make a good first impression. Whether you go for the all black look (see: Manson's Guide to Goth Attire) or something trendier (Top Fashion Trends at Casper High) be ready to meet face to face and impress.
—
Don't:
- go old school
Buyer beware, there's lots of summoning "guides" out there that are complete bunk! Summoners should follow Master's Guide for Summoning Ghosts as closely as possible, despite its somewhat modern twists to the spellcasting vernacular. These summons have been performed dozens of times and are proven to work on Amity Park ghosts.
Alternate materials or guides that claim to summon ghosts actually have the chance to summon all sorts of otherworldly visitors instead. Poltergeists (NOT the same thing as ghosts), Imps, Demons, and Fae all might respond to ill-crafted rituals. Beware of any guides that don't provide a summoning circle, ask for blood sacrifices, or insist runes need to be written in Welsh, Norse, Latin, or contain the gangsta 'S' everyone was drawing in third grade.
Learn to spot a bogus guide when you see it. Use your head—and don't believe everything you read!
—
Do:
- have your questions ready
You've done it: you've performed a successful summoning and are face to face with Phantom (or your other ghost of choice whatever). What now? First time Summoners might be surprised how quickly they clam up in the heat of the moment and completely forget everything they meant to say.
Avoid this pitfall! Having a ready-made list of questions to fall back on can be a lifesaver to handle sudden social anxiety. Don't be the IRL version of the guy who calls and then breathes awkwardly into the phone for five minutes because he has nothing to say. It's creepy, dude.
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Don't:
- be rude
Ghosts are just people who have died, and their spirits linger on after death. Don't be nosy and ask questions that you wouldn't answer yourself! This includes asking how they died, btw. Something that traumatizing isn't first-convo material, so skip it. If the ghost wants to bring it up themselves, they will.
Also, acting like you're their bestie when you just met them is a total social faux pas. No Parasocial relationships here, please!
—
Do:
- time your summoning right
Ghosts are not compelled (aka required) to answer a summoning attempt. If necessary, summonings can be resisted. Therefore it's best to time the call right! Certain ghosts will respond more frequently at certain times of the day. If you're looking to summon, consult the community time log here for best results.
Phantom is an outlier who will respond to almost any emergency summoning, but casual summonings seem to work best when performed between 3:30 pm and midnight, or on weekends.
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Don't:
- perform a summon on Halloween
I get it, I really do; but everybody's tempted to summon Phantom on Halloween. He's a very busy ghost! He is probably running all over Amity Park trying to capture spirits that escaped on the day the veil between our world and the Ghost Zone is the thinnest. He won't have time to answer your call, and even if he does, he won't be in the best mood.
Even if you're summoning a different ghost, not Phantom himself… do you really want to be responsible adding to his workload? I don't think so.
Halloween summoning: off limits.
—
Do:
- obtain safety gear
Remember that ghosts are otherworldly beings with supernatural powers. Having FentonTech on hand in case a haunting goes out of control is the bare minimum for safety precautions. Always summon responsibly.
(You don't actually need this part if you're summoning Phantom but Mr. Lancer is requiring me to add it sorry!)
—
Don't:
- summon known villains
All cool if you want to summon your grandma, or Sidney Poindexter, or Phantom, of course! Please do not attempt to contact those who have held Amity Park hostage. The Don't List includes (among others,) : Undergrowth, Walker, Morpheus (the starry guy), The Dragons, and The Ghost King.
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Whether you're having a slumber party or hoping for some otherworldly contact, if you follow these rules, you're bound to have a successful summoning. Not all ghosts are compelled to answer the call, but should they answer, you and your ghostly guest will have the best night of your life!
Remember: be polite, be courteous, and be friendly. And, above all else, have fun!
— — —
26 Comments
William Lancer
Very nicely written, Miss Sanchez. For future submissions to the Casper High newsletter, please remember to keep all ghost material neutral, but I will let it slide this time. Your Extra Credit score has been adjusted.
| Paulina Sanchez
| Thanks Mr. Lancer!
Nathan Mcafferty
Question: The Tech club is trying to summon Technus to fix one of our computers. What do you suggest for Food/Drink?
| Paulina Sanchez
| Idk that guy's lame
| Tucker Foley
| Try Mountain Dew and Doritos.
| Nathan Mcafferty
| …Are you sure?
Valerie Gray
This is so stupid! EVERYONE STOP SUMMONING GHOSTS RIGHT NOW! Why would you WANT to summon an evil deadly ghost into your house! STOP IT
| Principal Ishiyama
| Miss Gray does have a point. Should the school really be promoting these types of articles on our home website?
| William Lancer
| I approved it for harm reduction reasons. The students are going to be attempting summonings regardless, thanks to that viral video.
| It's best if they do so responsibly.
Lester Appleton
It was SUCH an honor to work on this with you on this article, Paulina! Maybe we can trade numbers for the next time you have an idea for the school paper?
| Paulina Sanchez
| Stop asking for my number.
Daniel Fenton
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I 100% agree with everything on this list.
Side note: Just FYI, there's a blackout hour between 9:30pm and 10:30pm Phantom won't respond to summonings, even emergency ones.
| Paulina Sanchez
| Oh, I didn't know that! Do you have any idea why?
| Tucker Foley
| maybe he has a cerfewwww
| Daniel Fenton
| Can it, Tucker.
Samantha Manson
…Did you actually link to my article? I'm kinda shocked.
| Paulina Sanchez
| Don't get used to it. I had to provide a certain # of links to get full points. You filled a quota, nothing more.
| Samantha Manson
| And yet you picked mine. How coincidental.
| Paulina Sanchez
| Do you WANT me to take you off?!
Kwan Li
Oh geez. So THAT'S why the Box Ghost keeps showing up in my house? I gotta burn that ouija board
| Samantha Manson
| NO DON'T BURN OUIJA BOARDS NO NO NO
Madeline Fenton (guest)
I'm sure this was a simple creative writing assignment and for that I do congratulate you on your work, Miss Sanchez. However, you did get a number of things factually incorrect, such as stating ghosts are spirits of the dead: they are actually ecto-embodiments of post-human consciousness and not real people. Summonings should be done for research purposes only, not, as it seems here, to establish a bond with ghosts, since they do not have feelings and so attempting to do so would only be falling for their ruse. And furthermore, Phantom should definitely be on "The Don't List", as you put it, given he is the most dangerous and nefarious ghost in Amity Park.
| William Lancer
| We host unbiased articles on ghosts, Mrs. Fenton, which does mean both articles biased towards -AND AGAINST- ghosts are prohibited.
| However, due to your degree, we may adjust Miss Sanchez's grade accordingly over that last point.
| Paulina Sanchez
| Aww cmon Mr. Lancer I added the warnings like you told me to
| Phantom (guest)
| Actually, since I AM the Ghost King, she technically included me on the Don't Summon list and therefore deserves full points.
One thing that worries me about the use of AI is whether or not it can worsen people's dementia and alzheimer's in the future. When my grandmother was first diagnosed, we got her math activity books. Now, my grandmother never had a formal education, but we did our best to keep her sharp, get her to do math and writing activity books, sudokus, playing board games that required some level of strategizing with her. Her family is prone to alzheimer's and dementia (both her siblings had it and deteriorated very very very quickly, which yeah, scares the shit out of me being her granddaughter) but she was the one whose mind lasted the longest, she only passed away two years ago, at 88, ten whole years after her initial diagnosis and sure, she had forgotten things, recipes and where she put her glasses and appointments, but she never forgot any of us, ten whole years in, she still remembered us. Now, this may have been luck, but doctors always said the constant mental work + companionship + medicine helped her a lot. So I'm thinking, these people who are now relying on AI for everything, from email-writing to thinking what's for dinner to casual conversations, I've even seen people rely on it to calculate what time they should leave their house if they need to be at a place at a specific time and their commute lasts X number of minutes. As if that's not... the simplest math operation possible? You shouldn't even need a calculator for that!!! Idk I don't know how long it'll take us to see the effects of this + exposure to brain-rotting short form content that is completely meaningless + people addicted to right-wing conspiracy style media. Idk I'm very worried. Please, read, read complicated books! Take up a book on philosophy and try to decipher it and make your own opinions on it, please buy a maths activity book and relearn how to do math, please get a hobby that involves lots of thinking and concentrating. PLEASE!!!
As a neurologist, I’ll give you the pretty name for it: cognitive reserve.
The way I explain it to my patients is that our neurons don’t regenerate. They make connections with each other and that’s it. If you don’t use your brain, they make fewer connections and, if one of them dies, you’re gonna miss it, because that was the only one that knew how to do X. Now, if each one of them has many, many connections, you won’t notice the difference when one of them dies. The others pick up the slack.
As of 2024, 45% of dementia risk factors are modifiable. Relevant to this conversation, 5% for less education and 5% for social isolation.
We absolutely are going to see the reflection of this, but it’s gonna take decades and it’ll be too late. So, for the love of your brain, pretend that it’s a muscle and make it work. People complain about “when am I ever gonna use this maths formula in my life?” You’re not. You’re teaching your brain to think logically. Those sinapses will be there for when you need to figure out your week’s schedule. English classes taught me how to interpret data and how to convey it in this text so it’s clear and you understand what I’m saying, not because I needed to justify why the curtain is blue.
Make your brain know how to do different things. Logic games, puzzles, taking care of a garden even if small, planning a church’s event or birthday, learn a new instrument, learn a few words in another language, look at a calendar every day, do some manual labor if possible. Do not, I repeat, do not let your brain get rid of sinapses by letting AI do everything. Your brain uses 20% of your body’s energy — do you really think it’s going to maintain connexions that aren’t in use?
Most cases of Alzheimer’s are sporadic, meaning no family history. Family history of a first-degree relative with Alzheimer’s starting before they were 80yo increases your risk in 2-3x on average.
TLDR: Yes. From the knowledge we have today, AI will increase the number and severity of dementia cases.
Here's how you make noai.duckduckgo.com your default search engine so you don't have to toggle the filter on every time you do a search:
1) Make sure your Firefox is up to date.
2a) Go to the website and right click in the search field and select 'Add Search Engine' and confirm with 'Add Engine':
OR!
2b) Go into Firefox's settings and under Search, scroll down until you find the option to manually add a search engine:
And the URL you'll want to enter is
https://noai.duckduckgo.com/?t=h_&q=%s
3) Either way, you will now have to scroll to the top of your Search settings in Firefox and then change your Default Search Engine to the one you just added.
As for other browsers... I don't have a clue, fuck Chrome in particular.
May you never happen upon an ugly ass AI slop baby animal again.
when i was a kid i decided that killing people was bad therefore war was bad therefore the military was evil. and adults would tell me it's more nuanced than that and i would understand when i grew up. well i'm a grown up now and idk i still think that killing people is bad and war is bad and the military is evil
i understand that having a disability leads to a lot of situations where you have to accept that you just can't do some things. and i dont mean "and then you do it anyway" you just Cannot do it at all due to your disability. but this shit sucks man
there's also this cycle that keeps disabled people isolated socially:
my needs are higher than it is socially appropriate to ask someone to meet when you dont know them well -> i don't know the people running any given organization or program or class at all; i am a stranger to them -> asking for what i need is punished bc it is seen as rude, bossy, or entitled -> this is so aversive to me that i simply stop trying to participate in anything.
like
we've all been there! this physical and social isolation is IMPOSED BY ABLEISM
Reminds me of Jason Kander, former Missouri Secretary of State. When he went to the VA hospital to treat his PTSD, he told the nurse that Obama told him he should run for president, and she thought he was delusional.
I think I'm gonna make this my go-to story. It's not the worst I've ever heard, which is an asset because people won't believe you if you tell them the actual bad stuff those people do. And it just perfectly sums up the casual arrogance everyone working in mental health seems to have. The way they treat you as inherently Lesser for being in their care.
If they can't even handle basic, easily verified shit like "I'm a lawyer" they are never going to believe you when you tell them that you know how to manage a condition you've been dealing with for decades better than they can or will.
And then there's Alexander Morris, who was put in a straitjacket, called racial slurs, and denied treatment for his potentially life-threatening heart condition when he told them he was the lead singer of the band he was lead singer of.
The lead singer of the Motown group the Four Tops has filed a federal lawsuit against Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital in Warren, Michigan,
There are multiple parts of that article that are Jae droppingly awful but this one really gets me:
They almost let this man die in a straight jacket simply because they were too racist. And then when they realize their "mistake", they tell him that his life is worth a 25$ supermarket gift card. Of course he's suing them for $75,000 as he should but like. Can you imagine how insulted he must've been. The 4 Tops were one of the top Motown bands of all time. You can be at the top of the music scene and still, they'll kill you because you're black. And they'll use fake claims about mental illness and "aggression" to justify it
& to be clear: none of this is good for anyone. actually delusional people, people who actually hear voices or see things, do not deserve to be treated like this. there is nothing about a person harmlessly believing something fantastical (or which sounds fantastical to you) that requires you to put them in a straightjacket and drug them or deny them necessary drugs. Black mentally ill people do not deserve to be tortured and murdered in a hospital for being Black and mentally ill.
this kind of system is a weapon which can be pointed at anyone. in order to prevent shit like this from happening, we also need to deconstruct how we view mentally ill people, including people who are delusional and hallucinate, and what we view as "reasonable" or "necessary" when it comes to such people.
Like they tried to change Reblogs and people rightfully got up in arms, this is a LOT worse. In order to have access to any sort of thing dubbed mature, and We haveALL seen what they think is mature, Everything from a black and white photo of a black woman's arm, to posts about IUD recalls, to a nude painted by a 17th century artist, to anything involving the word Trans; you have to send your personal information to a third party site that WILL get hacked, and you will be doxxed. And they can say "Oh shit, well it wasn't us who sent your name address and gender identity to Moldovan teenagers, here's a couple extra minutes in the ball pit.
That's bad enough!!!!!!!! But the entire idea of needing permission from state authorities to access anything labeled mature by our friendly AI overlords is some fucking Boll shit. Die Gedenken Sind Frie baby. This is all a reaction to people getting uppity about their lowly lowly rights and is being propped up by the same bad actors tht have made life unlivable. Fuck that shit.
"Well it's only being rolled out in Brazil and UK" Yeah, to start. "Well they're being forced to do this by laws." YOu know it's always really funny when these tech giants (Or whatever you call owning tumblr dot com) get really antsy about laws considering they pick and choose which ones they abide by.
This is a breaking point and it's going to be very interesting to see how we proceed from here.
I have a lot of reasons to say "fuck you, no" to the idea of scanning my legal identification onto this site and many of those reasons are more important than the most salient one, which is, "the database will get hacked and then my ID will be in the hands of whoever hacked it". Bear in mind this is a site that regularly experiences inexplicable, large-scale bugs because of how badly coded it is.
the AI bros are always trying to install in us this fear of falling behind and being abandoned by society if we won't start using AI, and let me just say - men have been telling me I'll "end up alone with seven cats if I don't give them a chance" for AGES. I can smell the barely hidden desperation underneath that axe body spray like a shark, and boy am I about to make you cry from frustration
~Tarot Card Witch~ @phantomroyalty - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
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