Ok like. Imagine life without ads. You wake up, check your messages across a variety of apps, no ads. You get up and put on the tv while you prep your breakfast, no ads. Maybe you drive somewhere and switch on the radio, no ads. Maybe you drive a long distance, yet somehow, not a single billboard on your path. You pick up a newspaper or magazine to pass the time, no advertisements only articles. You turn on your game console, the home screen is just about your games, no ads to buy more. You open a streaming app, you don't pay extra for no ads, there's just no ads ever.
Think about how much of your time is spent looking at ads. "Download ublock" yeah I know, I have. But that doesn't change that the world is covered with endless advertising. Imagine never seeing that again. How much better our lives would be.
Don't forget the ads telling you to pay to get rid of the ads, or the ads telling you to pay for basic features that the thing you're trying to use should just have by default, or the ads telling you to pay so that you can be special and have a little shiny badge to shove into everybody else's face to tell them that you're better than them because you have money to burn, and of course the badge gets shinier the longer you pay, which makes you better, so you wanna keep paying every month to keep it as shiny as possible because if you miss a payment you'll lose it all and don't you want to be special?
Transgender? No no, I'm transgenre. When I was born everyone said I was fated to slay the dragon god, but thanks to the time sorceress I can now be my true self, a high school music teacher who gets into trouble due to increasingly absurd misunderstandings
Hm. Two subs, both in shock collars, connected to the same remote. Both are thus incentivised not only to keep their own good behaviour, but to enforce it on the other, too.
funny in a sad sort of way to be clear. Yes I'm sure there's infinite Nuance and if I really put my mind to it I can come up with about 10 different scenarios in one minute about why someone might need to eat at Chick-fil-A but at the end of the day those don't really apply to a lot of the bitches who are just like "oh but that spicy chicken sandwich though..." Does it? The truth is y'all are weak in the knees and have a spinal column the consistency of almond paste
If you tell me I'm so strong for adhering to any given boycott because food it's just that good I don't think it's funny and I don't respect you for it I'm just embarrassed that these are the people I have to work with
I don't post a lot of my art on Tumblr, but here's my Pride Month piece for this year! We will always have each other and love will win. Throw bricks at cops
This comic is a little different than what I usually do but I worked real hard on it—Maybe I'll make more infographic stuff in the future this ended up being fun. Hope you learned something new :)
If you are still curious and want to learn more about OCD, you can visit the International OCD Foundation's website. I also recommend this amazing TED ED video "Starving The Monster", which was my first introduction to the disorder and this video by John Green about his own experience with OCD.
The IOCDF's website can also help you find support groups, therapy, and has lots of online guides and resources as well if you or a loved one is struggling with the disorder. It is very comprehensive!
Reblog to teach your followers about OCD
(But also not reblogging doesn't make you evil, silly goose)
I know I don't post much on here, but this is a remake of a piece I drew years ago making fun of political cartoons that overlabel stuff. Thought some people here might enjoy it.
For the record, in case anyone on here doesn't know, I've been drawing for a while and I just don't post my art on Tumblr because of its rules against NSFW content. I don't think I want my Tumblr presence to overlap with my presence everywhere else because this site feels somehow... special I guess? I dunno
drew over something i wrote for a class and liked :] sorry the cars are lowkey ugly, its because I fucking hate cars and cant be bothered to learn what they look like beyond ominous hunks of metal
edit: transcript of the poem by itself under the cut
6 Tips for Crossing the Road
Look both ways
The road is for cars.
Make sure to look for them before crossing. Even when you have the right of way, cars have a lot of safety features and you have none.
Use designated crosswalks
The road is for cars.
So is the crosswalk but, under brief and temporary conditions, you can use it too! Never jaywalk, never walk in the road, just hope there is a clear and functional sidewalk.
Cross at the light
The road is for cars.
There are rules and signs for them, but that can only go so far. Walk quickly and hold your breath and hope that the light doesn't turn. Make eye contact with drivers as their cars teem with potential energy, rumbling with disdain at the inconvenience of your crossing. Try to ignore the cloud of exhaust that you are in and they are above.
Leash your pets
The road is for cars.
Obviously.
To you, it may be natural to sacrifice so much space to them but to your dog, it is not. His instinct is to explore freely. You must curb it. Modern US car models have such high hoods that the average child, let alone dog, is obscured. Even on the sidewalk, hold the leash tight because the sidewalk (if you are so blessed) is next to the street and the threat still looms.
Look out for road kill
The road is for cars.
And no one was there to leash the deer.
Or the raccoon.
Or the cat.
Did you know that the most reliable sample method for wildlife in an area is looking at the roadkill?
Remember these tips
The road is for cars.
Cars are everywhere. In the city. In the suburbs. In the country. In the woods (the US Forest Service manages more roads than the entire Ministry of Transit in China.) Cars are everywhere because there are roads to bring them there, which is great if you are a car and want to get from place to place fast without worrying about the in-between.
What can YOU do everyday to stop generated images and art from showing up more often? Tell it like it is and make it sting: Ai art is fake art. Generated images are fake art. Calling it "fake art" stings for EVERYBODY. That's why it works.
The tech necessary for generating images, text, and many other processes have already been around for several years now. Someone would take dozens of scripts for Seinfeld episodes and make the script of a nonsense-episode for internet brownie points, saying it was generated by AI. Everybody shared it knowing it was fake. What's stopping you from calling it fake now? Everyday culture begins with YOU. Nothing comes out of nowhere, that's why you must start calling it fake art today and always.
"Oh it's actually a photo I generated using AI" So you agree? It's fake ART. They know it's not art, and therefore want to correct you. If they don't say it was generated using AI, and you're not convinced, then use critical thinking. Keep asking for more information. Photography is NOT fake art, so always tread carefully.
"It's just a joke" So you agree? It's FAKE art. Peopld don't want to hear in response that it's fake. That means their joke missed the mark, or wasn't funny. It's over the top, but it's not meant to be comfortable
"I like to call it generated images, or generated content. I can't call it fake art." Doesn't sting at all. FAKE ART.
It already works. Several people have already stopped sharing fake art in large chat groups I frequent because they didn't want to be pointed out for sharing fake things. People don't want to be fakers. Nobody wants to be associated with a faker. Do your part and point it out. If it makes everybody uncomfortable including yourself- GOOD!
If the culture of AI-generated work in our world becomes less about how "intelligent" it is, and more about how "fake" it is, we will already move further away from a future where trust will deteriorate. Trust in images. Words. People
Remember: Faith keeps our world alive
Part 4 is here, even if nobody wants to read it. It's shorter than usual because I'd like to have clearer breaks between "scenes", but I hope it's fine nonetheless
Reaching the bus stop, Wyen took a sigh of relief as they saw no one else was around.
"Alright, the bus should be here soon, get ready." they said motioning to the monster, to which it leapt into the air holding the tent and flew to the top of a nearby tree, ready to get on the bus; they couldn't help but watch in awe, admiring the elegance and speed of its movements.
When the bus finally came, everything went smoothly: Wyen got on, made a signal for the monster to come down and it flew to the roof to cling to it with the tent covering it up. Nothing was heard or felt within the bus, a complete success; relieved, Wyen settled into their seat and patiently waited for their stop. The ride home was around 45 minutes, but it felt longer with the lingering thoughts of possibly being found out, something knocking the monster off the roof or worse.
Instead of their usual stop, Wyen had decided to get off at their district's park. It was farther away from their home, but it provided a lot of much-needed cover. Once off the bus they clapped three times to signal the creature to follow, and it flew into the nearby trees as quickly as possible. Now over the biggest hurdle so far, Wyen looked up at the trees until they found the monster and motioned at it to follow once again as they walked to an isolated spot in the park. Finally, they told it to come down and reunited with it.
"You were amazing, great job!" they said happily, prompting the monster's wings to flutter briefly out of joy as it visibly smiled. After taking the tent and stuffing it back into their backpack, Wyen had a new request.
"Alright, next... is it okay if I ask you to take me home?" - It didn't understand, so they grabbed its lower arms and wrapped them around their waist, then made a flapping motion with their own.
The creature looked shocked, being asked to carry an entire person in the air just like that, but it accepted nonetheless.
After some preparation, the two shot up into the sky. Wyen couldn't believe they were actually flying, they could see the city so clearly from all the way up there... they could simply point to a direction and the moth monster would fly there, it was surreal. The soft fluff they were being held tightly against made for a very pleasant headrest, and the air brushing against them felt nice; they were wearing their backpack on the front, over the monster's four crossed arms on their torso, a bit tight but not painfully so.
After a few minutes, they finally made out the building their apartment was in and pointed at it.
"There, right there! Let's land on the roof, we can use the door up there to get in!" - The creature followed the direction they pointed in and finally made its way on the roof, slowing down with a few final flaps of its wings before gently landing on the flat surface.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" said Wyen, thrilled by the experience. The monster carefully let go of their tight grasp and followed them into the apartment building. Staircase after staircase, the two made their way down to Wyen's floor and finally into their home.
Part three! You know the drill, I appreciate any feedback and advice and I'm not a good writer but I hope you enjoy this
When Wyen came to, it was the next morning; they were still alive, that much they could tell. Checking their surroundings they saw the tent was untouched. Was it all a dream after all? Turning their head, their question was quickly answered by the sight of the moth monster, still lying on the ground with one arm laying on top of their sleeping bag and its eyes wide open, prompting a gasp from Wyen as they recoiled into the side of the tent.
"Fuck, you scared me!" they yelled out before taking a deep breath. The creature didn't seem to understand what they said, but it could tell something was wrong and sheepishly retracted its hand.
"Sorry, it's fine... thank you for not hurting me." - Again, it didn't understand the words but seemed to grasp the general intent.
Wyen slowly crawled out of the tent and stretched looking at the morning sky before a thought crossed their mind: did the monster have a place to go back to? They had never seen anything like it before, and surely they'd know if there were ever other sightings. Was this thing alone? The only of its kind in the whole world? A rustling sound behind them prompted them to turn around and see that it had followed them out of the tent, possibly waiting for them to give some sort of signal.
"Do you... have a home?" - It just tilted its head in confusion as its antennae fluttered lightly.
"Right, you don't understand what I'm saying..." Wyen said as they looked around. They had to go back home, but they didn't want to leave the creature alone in an alien world.
"Look... I could take you with me if you promise not to hurt anybody. You'd stand out too much outside, so you'd have to stay in my house and why the hell am I telling you all this, you don't know what I'm saying..." - The monster just looked at them.
They thought about it for a bit, considered the possibilities and what could go wrong, and finally decided to take the risk. They would be taking it home with them, they couldn't just abandon it; they walked toward it and hesitating just a bit, quickly hugged it. It seemed surprised and a little hesitant, but it eventually wrapped its four arms around Wyen in return, its soft, fluffy body enveloping them in an otherwordly embrace.
"You're with me now, alright?" said Wyen, still holding tight. The moth creature didn't answer as usual, but it held on to them nonetheless.
After a good half minute, they let go of its body and it did the same in response. It was nice to know it understood hugging, they thought, its body felt very nice to the touch even if it wasn't "alive".
Wyen started gathering their belongings, stuffing everything back into their backpack. The tent required a bit more effort, but the monster actually helped them after observing them for a short bit; it was good at following instructions such as them pointing at things and miming the actions they wanted it to perform.
After it was all done, Wyen wore their backpack and motioned at the monster to follow them, which it did. Walking through the woods together felt nice, they certainly weren't expecting to meet someone new all the way out there... as the empty bus stop in the distance showed itself however, they suddenly slowed down to a crawl, lost in thought. How were they supposed to get on a bus alongside a giant moth monster without causing total panic?? Wyen pulled out their phone and checked the map; sure enough, the bus was the only viable way of getting to the city, it was way too far away to walk. Worried, the creature approached from behind and leaned to their side.
"I'm sorry, I... I just don't know how to take you with me. You can't get on the bus..." they said, defeated. After a few minutes' worth of thinking as the monster sat down beside them, they finally arrived at a possible solution. They quickly pulled their tent out of the backpack, put the metal rods back inside and handed it to the monster.
"You need to lay on top of the bus with this on." - They spent a few minutes demonstrating what they wanted it to do and after a couple tests they were satisfied.
"Alright, we should be fine. I'll clap three times when I get off so you'll know to follow me, okay?" They said, miming the action. The creature simply nodded and followed as they started walking again.
By popular demand (five likes and ONE WHOLE REBLOG!!), here's the second part of my little story:
At some point, the moth creature decided it had seen enough of the burn and put its palm over it, turning to Wyen as if waiting for them to express their consent to some kind of action. Its wordless question was understandable enough and at this point the monster had earned the hiker's somewhat reluctant trust, so they just nodded and turned their eyes to its hand. In a gentle motion, the creature seemed to wrap its own coat around the burn, somehow creating a seamless sleeve that would keep the skin underneath protected; it was as soft and fuzzy as its source, and as weird as it was it didn't cause Wyen discomfort, instead prompting them to thank the creature out loud - it didn't reply, instead just taking one last look at the arm and getting up.
Standing back up Wyen could now fully appreciate the difference in scale between them and the monster, which stood at around four feet taller than them, certainly bigger than any human or animal they'd ever seen; it's no wonder it looked so intimidating from a distance. It was a bit awkward standing so close to such a creature after what happened, so to break the silence Wyen awkwardly asked:
"...you want some soup? Is that why you came here?" - The moth monster simply stared without responding, which worried them; they couldn't tell what it was thinking and honestly it looked to them like it could easily rip their body apart, possibly the instant they asked the wrong question, they thought, before managing to catch themself and think rationally... it had just done its best to cover up the burn on their arm, so surely it wouldn't just harm them like that. With that thought in mind, Wyen picked up the pot they'd dropped - unfortunately the soup was almost all gone, so they just brought it back near the tent.
"I'm sorry, the soup is... I have to make more. I've got some energy bars if you'd like...?" - Once again, no response. Did it even understand what they were saying? Wyen wondered what the creature could possibly want with them, until they noticed it wasn't looking at them; its attention was instead directed toward the tent and the stove. It looked like it was studying them, rapidly looking around and focusing on various details - once again, Wyen's mind started buzzing with questions. Had it never encountered these things before? If it didn't know about camping, did it know about humans at all? Was Wyen the first human this monster had ever seen?
Trying to get the creature's attention back, Wyen shuffled to pull two energy bars out of their bag and showed them to it.
"Look! These are cereal bars. Ever eat one of these?" - It seemed to be working, as the monster focused on the bars and went back to watching Wyen with interest as they stretched their arm out to give it one. It carefully picked it up, slightly surprised by the crinkling sounds of the wrapping paper as it did, and just looked at Wyen again, waiting for some kind of instruction.
"Alright, so... you unwrap it like this, use the creases to tear it easier, then just pull it down..." they said as they walked the monster through the process step by step. It understood the instructions and unwrapped its bar, to which Wyen nodded happily;
"Yeah, that's it! Good job. Now you just..." they said, and took a bite out of it. They saw one of the creature's antennae flutter a bit when it heard the crunching sounds of the bar in their mouth, then it just repeated their action. Its mouth had been hidden the whole time so Wyen didn't really know what to expect, and they definitely got a bit spooked when they saw how sharp its fangs looked; it didn't even seem to have a jaw, but its mouth could open up quite a bit. The round head suddenly opening up with such a large mouth while keeping a spherical shape reminded them a little bit of Pac-Man, the absurdity of it was staggering to witness in real life; regardless, the two were now enjoying a couple of energy bars together.
Wyen let their eyes wander a little, looking at the part of the monster's body wrapped around their arm as it finished its bar. It was so soft and fuzzy-looking... was that what its body was like? It felt like a stuffed toy, and it didn't give off any warmth, like any inanimate piece of cloth. Still distracted, they attempted to give it another final instruction:
"Oh, and uh... don't put the wrapping paper in yo--", but they were interrupted by a familiar, louder crinkling sound.
"Where... where's the paper? Did you...?" - They quickly looked up, and saw the creature just quietly staring at them.
"You didn't... I... you shouldn't eat that!" - Its eyes widened when they raised their voice, but it didn't do anything else. It was clear what had just happened, and Wyen just elected to move on with the assumption that this would somehow turn out okay in the end.
"I'm... gonna make more soup." they said, then they grabbed another can from their bag and started repeating the process of preparing it while the monster watched. Seemingly unable to hold back its curiosity, it leaned forward and looked into the pot as the liquid inside started to bubble; Wyen found it mildly amusing to see such a scary-looking monster so enthralled by a boiling liquid, and gave it some space while also making sure it didn't get too close to the pot. Eventually the soup was ready, so they turned off the stove and turned to their new guest once again.
"Alright, now we let it cool down a little. We can just wait a minute and it'll be good to eat after that, don't worry.", they said as it watched the pot, then turned around and took a cup and a spoon out of their bag. Wyen had only packed for one person, so one of them would have to make do with the cup while the other ate from the pot with the spoon.
Once again they found themself explaining to the monster how to consume the soup, miming what it needed to do and having it follow suit - a fast learner for sure, it was definitely smart. After this success, Wyen figured it'd be good for them to go to sleep so they'd be ready to go home the next morning... but the monster was still there.
"Hey, uh... I have to go to bed now. I'd like to chat a bit, but... my eyelids have been getting heavier by the minute and my vision's getting blurry." - As usual it didn't respond.
"Look, I... I don't know where you came from, but I don't think I can have you around here while I'm sleeping..." - It didn't budge, just kept looking at them. Wyen had two options, either go to sleep trusting that it would get the memo and not hurt them or make it leave somehow. Looking at its body again, they immediately scrapped the latter in fear of some kind of retaliation and began packing up the tools they'd used outside the tent.
As Wyen entered the tent, they heard light footsteps approaching; turning around, they saw the monster was trying to follow them. After giving it some thinking, they figured they were gambling with their life anyway just being around the thing, so they reluctantly invited it inside.
"I only have one sleeping bag, okay? It's a tight tent, so... just try not to mess anything up, please...?"
About a minute later, the two were laying down in the dark. Wyen had figured the monster wouldn't need a sleeping bag, what with its fuzz and all, and it seemed they were right as it just lied on the ground unbothered. They also realised that they may have underestimated just how small the tent really was, since there was hardly any wiggle room at all: they were at the mercy of a huge moth monster, having fully accepted that they might not get out of that tent alive. Trying not to think about the worst case scenario too much, they closed their eyes... then after a minute or so, they heard it move.
"This is it," they thought, "I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die here and nothing can save me. I'm just gonna be killed by a giant moth that I let into my own tent." - Waiting for something terrible to happen they tried to get ready for it, but all they felt was... a soft touch. A touch, then something... more. Was it... laying on them? Opening their eyes, they indeed saw that the monster was laying on its side facing them with its eyes closed and one arm resting on top of them. It looked like it was sleeping, but it didn't make a sound... in this quiet moment, Wyen realised that this creature didn't even breathe. Was it dead? Had it died right then and there? Was it always dead? Was it ever even alive? Just what was that moth-looking creature? Questions, questions, questions... they didn't have the energy for them. They drifted to sleep in its soft grasp as their worries and questions melted away.
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Well, that's it for tonight. I'll write more in time, I hope you've been enjoying it so far. As always I welcome feedback, advice, criticism etc. - have a good one!
