welcome to plaid wearers' anonymous

Here is a collection of things I find entertaining in order to seperate myself from the chaos of the outside world.

[rarity-femme]

do NOT get into fibre arts!!!! you try one and then all of a sudden you have 10 hobbies and wanna try 10 more

[asmuchasidliketo]

[blatantescapism]

yessss… yes

[lrgcarter]

[animentality]

[firebuggg]

i hope oceangate gets sued to hell for violating basic safety principles in pursuit of profit, i hope a teenager doesn’t die a horrible death, and i hope the world pays much more attention to the fact that 500 migrants died that same horrible death last week in a completely preventable sinking that was engineered by bureaucratic racism and cruelty. where were their millions of dollars and manpower hours in rescue efforts?

[dappermouth]

Here’s another set of hi-res phone wallpapers/lockscreens from my recent work, free for you to use if you want to! (If you’re on mobile and can’t download the full-size files, you can find a link to them in my FAQ) Have a cool week! ♥

[defilerwyrm]

Let people grow.

When I was younger I was very right-wing. I mean…very right-wing. I won’t go into detail, because I’m very deeply ashamed of it, but whatever you’re imagining, it’s probably at least that bad. I’ve taken out a lot of pain on others; I’ve acted in ignorance and waved hate like a flag; I’ve said and did things that hurt a lot of people.

There are artefacts of my past selves online – some of which I’ve locked down and keep around to remind me of my past sins, some of which I’ve scrubbed out, some of which are out of my grasp. If I were ever to become famous, people could find shit on me that would turn your stomach.

But that’s not me anymore. I’ve learned so much in the last ten years. I’ve become more open to seeing things through others’ eyes, and reforged my anger to turn on those who harm others rather than on those who simply want to exist. I’ve learned patience and compassion. I’ve learned how to recognise my privileges and listen to others’ perspectives. I’ve learned to stand up for others, how to hear, how to help, how to correct myself. And I learned some startling shit about myself along the way – with all due irony, some of the things I used to lash out at others for are intrinsic parts of myself.

You wouldn’t know what I am now from what I was then. You wouldn’t know what I was then from what I am now.

It distresses me deeply to think of someone dredging up my dark, awful past and treating me as though that furiously hateful person is still me. It distresses me to see others dredging up the past for anyone who has made efforts to become a better person, out of some sick obsession with proving they’re “problematic.”

Purity culture tells you that once someone says or does something, they can never go back on it. That’s a goddamn lie. While it’s true that some remain unrepentant and never change their ways and continue to harm others, it’s important to allow everyone the chance to learn from their mistakes. Saying something ignorant isn’t murder. Please stop treating it that way. Let people grow.

[got-zayn]

Still call it out and question it ….

[defilerwyrm]

Bruh. No. Listen. Call out what people do now, absolutely. If they haven’t changed, call them out on their record. This post is explicitly not about people who HAVEN’T changed. What this post IS saying is, if someone is making an effort to be a good person, don’t go digging around in their past for evidence that they were once for what they’re now against, or once against what they’re now for, as “proof” of what they “really think,” because people’s opinions and beliefs can change. 

The obsession with finding shit in someone’s past and then claiming that a questionable or even sordid past negates all possibility of a good present needs to become extinct. Gold-star activism and purity culture are bullshit and we need to collectively reject the fuck out of them.

If someone has changed for the better, don’t harass them about what they were like before they fuckin’ changed. That’s shitty and it needs to stop.

[sepdet]

We can’t change the world if we decide people can’t change.

[sarasa-cat]

Gold-star activism and purity culture are bullshit and we need to collectively reject the fuck out of them.

We really need to start asking where this purity bullshit came from. I’m not  Christian and was not raised Christian but there has been a lot evidence that much of gold star activism and purity culture originated in of evangelical youth movements and then infiltrated progressive left-wing and center-left politics when those youth left their churches but failed to leave behind the black-n-white puritanical “you’re going to hell if you stray one inch from the righteous path” style of thinking they were taught.

I distinctly remember some conversations I had in the late 00s and very early 2010s with long time social justice activists who were baffled and disturbed by the new crop of youth activists who were practicing something that was decidedly NOT social justice despite stealing that phrase from us.

In the decade and a half that has passed since then, all of this gold-star activism and purity culture has done exactly what I predicted back then: empowered the far-right while sowing division everywhere.

Folks. This shit needs to stop.

[the-bluespirit]

KE HUY QUAN wins Best Supporting Actor for WAYMOND WANG in EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE | 2023 Oscars

[gyudons]

michelle yeoh becomes the first asian and only the second woman of colour to win best actress at the oscars

[badsciencejokes]

Dude has a death wish

[vergess]

Delighted to announce this bird is real and is a corvid.

Truly the family that just keeps giving.

[haropla]

I haven’t seen it in the notes yet, so afaik, here’s the source of that video! So now you can see the funny poison bird much more clearly.

It was taken by a biologist that studies birds so it seems like he knows what he’s doing. For the most part. Here’s his caption:

[krystal-prisms]

You all know that he 100% licked his fingers after handling that bird

[totally-original-artist]

[openworldadventurer]

[nerdlingwrites]

I can’t leave this in the tags, I’m sorry.

[milfmisspiggy]

the da2 party banter is so. its so,,, time to say the most awful thing possible to you rn. anders point blank saying did you ever want to commit suicide. fenris responding without hesitation did you??? isabela constantly bringing up aveline's dead husband so aveline calls her a whore. fenris saying very politely and calmly that all mages suck big balls and anders tearing his hair out. merrill being like idk bro spirits are just dudes to me and anders says they represent SINS why dont you LISTEN-- people just straight up lying to each other about how they feel about things just because they don't want the other person to win. this is not a comprehensive list this is just what happened the last two times i played. i love them so much they are all so awful

[probablylilly]

[stricatul]

I love deep talks. Like, hell yeah, tell me about why you'd prefer to talk to your mom rather than your dad. Tell me about your favourite lyrics in the songs you listen to everyday and why they're your favourite. Tell me about the dog you had when you were growing up and how he was your best friend. Tell me about what kind of books you like to read when you're alone in your room. Tell me about the things you think about right before you fall asleep. Tell me anything and everything.

[tahthetrickster]

it’s december 1 where’s the christmas tail kitten bring him to me

[tahthetrickster]

i have to do EVERYTHING around here

[micro-usb-deactivated20230625]

It’s so over

[angelbabyspice]

LOL

[env0]

[worddevourer]

Moments when you do not speak during a watchthrough of Lord of the Rings

1. Boromir’s death 2. The lighting of the beacons 3. Theoden’s speech at Pelennor Fields

Moments when you do speak during a watchthrough of Lord of the Rings

1. “Okay, but did you know that when he kicks that helmet, he actually breaks multiple toes?  That agonized scream is actual, physical pain, and it was by far the best take.”

[cl0ckw0rk-c0ntrivance]

[shortylaw]

“Despite these clear structural origins of fashion cycles, many blame them on capitalist conspiracies, in which malicious companies engage in a planned obsolescence of taste to make us keep buying things. Even Coco Chanel declared, ‘fashion is made to be unfashionable.’ Yet the fashion industry is not necessary for fashion cycles. Isolated tribes change their hairstyles over the years without subscriptions to GQ. The sociologist Stanley Lieberson found clear fashion patterns in the popularity of first names - choices that require no money, with no commercial entities attempting to influence parents’ choices. His broader conclusion was ‘Even though there are organizations with an economic interest in getting us to change - designers, manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers - it is a big mistake to assume that these entities are responsible for the existence of fashion.’”

W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change (2022)

[elle-eedee]

[squareallworthy]

[pastel-papercut]

[wei--wuxian]

what are your twenties if not an endless string of the ghosts of who you thought you would become

[wei--wuxian]

it's okay to start over. (and over, and over, and over)

i'm halfway through now and dying for the second time. forgive yourself for it. as many times as it takes.

[deerinspotlight]

I feel like the reason certain dog-lovers insist cats are evil is because they read their body language as if they were dogs. So here’s a very basic guide to common “mean” things cats do that actually aren’t mean at all if you know what they’re thinking.

Rolling and exposing belly- attacks you when touched Does not mean: Give belly rubs! - haha I tricked you!  Actually means: I’m playful! If you reach for my belly I’ll grab your arm and bite it because I think we’re playfighting! 

Lazily exposing belly - still attacks when touched Does not mean: tricked you again! Actually means: I’m showing you my belly because I trust you. Please don’t break that trust by invading my personal space. I might accept a belly rub if I’m not ticklish and I know you well. Snapping at you while being pet Does not mean: I suddenly decided I dislike you! Actually means: You’re petting me in a way that gives me too much restless energy. Please focus on petting my head and shoulders instead of stroking the full length of my back next time.

Is in the same room but makes no attempt to interact Does not mean:  I’m ignoring you Actually means: We’re hanging out! I’m being respectful by giving you space while still enjoying your company. Slapping/scratching your hand when you try to pet them Does not mean: I hate you! Actually means: You’ve failed to establish that we’re not playing, or the way you’re approaching me scares me. Be calmer, speak more gently, make eye-contact and blink slowly at me before you try again.

[squeakykins]

I love this post omg, thank you so much. As a lifelong cat person, dogs perplex me because they’re so completely different behaviourally.

[blome3kissesbitch]

I love dogs too but, I’ve been trying to tell people, you canNOT treat cats like you treat dogs. They arent the same animals and have very different personalities

[blome3kissesbitch]

P.s.: people often pet cats way too hard. Dogs like a firm pet or a pat on the belly, cats dont have the same bone structure and are more flexible than dogs so what you’re doing probably hurts them

[naamahdarling]

Sitting and staring Does not mean: I am challenging you/plotting your demise/just generally evil and creepy. Actually means: I am a desert-adapted species, so my natural tears are very thick and keep my eyes moist for a nice long time. I do find people interesting and enjoy watching them.  I just don’t need to blink very often!

Staring and blinking slowly Does not mean: I’m smug and think I am smarter than you. Actually means: I like you! But I don’t need to get up in your face to show it.  I can just sit over here and blow kisses at you to show you I am glad you are around!

It’s very frustrating for me when people expect cats to act like dogs, or act like they’re deceitful.  They aren’t!  They just AREN’T DOGS.

[radfemblack]

Pour les chats 🐈💞

[meii-deactivated20220422]

Get ready for “more reasons why I fucking love cats”

Yes, the legends are true. Cats headbutt you to show their trust and affection. They also do it to show “hey look I see you as family.” Lions do it with members of their pride to say the same. It’s not just because they want food.

Cats nibbling is indeed literally cats grooming you. It’s what mom cats do to their kittens. If a cat is gently biting and/or licking you, they’re now your mom.

Meowing can simply be for the mere fact they want to say hello, want to play or be pet. Again, not just for food.

They barely meow at other cats (except for kittens, they meow at mom cat), mostly just humans. There are exceptions but overall, meowing is almost always for us.

Cats squinting/slow blinking is indeed basically the equivalent of us smiling and/or kissing.

Cats, like humans, prefer to get things without having to work for it- which isn’t very common within other animals.

Cat massages or making biscuits is because they happy! Kneading is another way of saying “hey I like this moment here I enjoy you and my life.”

Cats recognize us by smell, sound, taste, and touch. They recognize us after years as their long term memory is extremely good. This is why abused or neglected cats are so easily scared or hard to connect with. If your scent changes over the years or just in the day, your voice will them it’s really you. Also, they will only remember you if you had impact on their life. If you just existed in the same house, they obviously won’t care.

And yes, they know our patterns in the day. You notice it when it’s beneficial to them (feeding time!). They will often wait for you to come home as well.

To remember: cats think we are interesting as hell. They watch us do everything because we’re fascinating!!!

They also want you to be around when eating because they feel vulnerable. They focus on eating so they hope you protect them. They do the same for you, all the time.

[sapphire-rosa]

CATS 😍😍😍😍

[jumpingjacktrash]

when a cat turns their back on you, they’re not snubbing you. they’re trusting you to watch their back.

notice how when you’re unfamiliar but nonthreatening, they might loaf facing you and sorta halfway watch you. you’re not fully trusted, but you’re ok by them.

when you’re familiar and liked, they’ll often sit near you facing the same way. imitation of poses is a weird little way cats show solidarity. they do it to each other too. check out these bff’s:

they are doing this on purpose. it’s a buddy thing. so if you’re watching tv and a cat sits next to you and pretends to watch tv too, they are basically calling you bro and declaring friendship.

and if they really love and trust you, they’ll turn their back on you and go to sleep. they’ll sleep facing a wall in your presence, or lounge where they can’t see the room. this isn’t a snub, folks, this is true kitty love. they’re saying, “i feel safe when you’re around. i know nothing’s going to sneak up on me, because you’re here. i feel so safe i can stick my head under a pillow and snore with my butt pointed at you.”

farts aren’t an expression of love, though, as far as i know. they’re just farts.

[fullofowls]

Not mentioned but still relevant: Wagging tail–does not mean happy, means lots of restless energy/agitated

[time-travel-toke-up]

Fun fact: because I treat ALL animals like tiny intelligent toddlers with logic and *A* common sense that just doesn’t glock yours because SPECIES barrier and a distinct lack of thumbs…

I consider any pets in a house just as much a resident to be respected as the humans because I am the guest and bitch THEY LIVE THERE.

So, because I taught pre k. And consider most pet animals to just be Adult Human Logic Impaired Thumbless Toddler Equivalents… I TALK to them like my students…

*MEOW* yes? What is it? *MEEEEEEOOOOOOOW* I don’t understand that tone can you show me?

And i follow them.

And I know a lot of “cat people” who DON’T speak cat, but they appreciate their animal. So I just give them the fun fact of what something means when they comment on a behavior they think is cute or weird they encourage simply because it is cute and they were told it was not harmful.

And my FAVORITE is when big quiet men who spoil their cats learn that their fluffy baby walking in to sit next to them playing a game, and keeping eyes on the door their human is not paying attention to is their cat’s way of saying “I got eyes on the door bro. You good to keep playing.”

There is nothing better than hearing “OH you watching the door for me, buddy? Hell yeah, thanks. After this round, we breaking out the nip!” And a responding meow after watching a man cry real tears at some point cuz I informed him that sleeping in the corner meant his cat was deeply trusted him and waking up to the cat sitting in his pillow watching the door was the guard duty while he slept. The cutest shit is telling cat people “yes, they love you JUST as much as you think they do… and maybe a lil more than you could ever imagine.”

[findingfeather]

A thing that crystallized a lot of cat things for me, which underlies a lot of these bits but hasn’t as far as I can tell been stated explicitly was realizing:

Cats are small.

This seems really obvious. Duh, of course they’re small. But what I mean is: cats as a species are and always have been small, fragile predators. 

Dogs are not that small. Like yes we have small dog breeds, but they came from something that was not a Small Solo Predator. And while domestic cats are social animals to an extent, they don’t hut cooperatively and they’re very small. 

From a cat-hindbrain perspective, the world is full of huge, terrifying things that are about to kill it, and humans are part of that group of “huge, terrifying thing”. 

When you re-arrange all your cat-expectations around the idea “this is a SMALL creature which means it is AT RISK ALL THE TIME”, they make perfect sense. Of course 90% of their Affection Signs are just basically “I am relaxed around you.” Of course they’re anxious and overstimulated. Of course they’re wary of anything new. 

They’re so small. It’s amazing they love us at all.