Avant-Garden

30. They/he. Ecologist by training, informal educator by trade. Twin to @pippenpaddlopsicopolisthethird. I make stuff at @lil-leviathan. Cosplayer. New SCAdian (Calontir). If there's a hobby out there I've probably tried it (or plan to). I write sometimes. Expect lots of anime especially Promare and Jojo’s, Crit Role, and whatever else I find interesting. Mostly run through the queue. I'm chock full of weird animal facts that I never get to tell anyone. Avatar by @lavender-laser

[spontaneousmusicalnumber]

Just Rule of Be Nice over here. If you’re a jerk ya get blocked. Ditto if you're being annoying on my vegan post.

I sell art here and @lil-leviathan.

[charoitenigma]

no, white baby, racism isn’t a valid trauma response.

[problematicghosty]

you’re allowed to be a boy btw. You’re allowed to be a girl. You’re allowed to be both or neither or something else entirely. You’re allowed.

[sliversoakley4]

[probuccalfat]

i’m sure it works for some people but the thought of marrying your high school sweetheart from your little hometown without ever experiencing anything without them sounds like a punishment for some unforgivable and inhumane act you carried out in a previous life

[probuccalfat]

they tried to kill me for this post

[theyshapedlikefriends]

[thagomizersshow]

I think the fact kiwi birds have nostrils at the tip of their beaks isn't just y'know, an adaptation for sniffing out worms, but also important for their vibes and aura.

You can't see it, but you can feel it

[lnimoy-deactivated20141224]

[01248793429-deactivated20200907]

[192929020202020]

[sapphling]

many will attempt to "end" the hug after only five to ten seconds of holding you. crucially, this is where the claws come into play

[brightmyth]

Centaur yuri

[orthoscheme]

there are more weird small brown mammals than you could ever ever imagine

[wickedlovelyperfectlyimperf-blog]

This is a picture from the Curiosity Rover on Mars showing Earth from the Perspective of Mars. You are literally looking at your home from the Perspective of another planet. Epic times indeed

[blindtrip-blog]

group photo everyone

[cerulean-tmp]

everyone

[trencly]

hey i look really good in this one

[roversrovers]

This is a computer-generated image. Scientist Louise Riofrio has taken credit for making it to illustrate a theoretical view from Mars on a specific day.

Here is a REAL photo the Curiosity rover took of Earth:

(x)

[alliepretends]

I like all the death mechanics introduced in CR4 because they are awesome and fun. But I do also think the death boon thing has a wonderful thematic resonance. And it's one of those amazing Actual Play serendipities that the first PC death happened during Kother'ai because it made that connection all the more rewarding.

Kother'ai, The Falconer's Rebellion, and most notably Thjazi as our inciting incident, and even the Shaper's War in some ways, all draw on this idea that failed rebellion matters because it inspires the next rebellion that will happen. To oversimplify a little: each time the torch is passed, it grows a little brighter. And the death boons reinforce that idea mechanical. A typical PC death in D&D has that PC replaced by a character at the same level as the one who died/the rest of the party, essentially creating an even trade. But with the death boon mechanic each PC death actually makes the party stronger. There is still grief and loss and cruelty, of course, more could have been accomplished at Obrimus Manor if Teor hadn't died there, and the world would be better if Vokjan Murzat or the Falconer's Rebellion had succeeded. I don't want to make it sound like the story is advocating that PCs should throw themselves under the bus to make the party stronger. But it is saying that even attempts that feel like the most abject of failures, can add fuel to the fire of resistance

[kuttithevangu]

I was wondering if you could explain “fandom is marketing”? I think I get what you mean but then also maybe I don’t?

If something has a big fandom, publishers and studios know they can make money off it. This is why we see publishers openly acquiring and selling things that were originally posted as fanfic, like Alchemised, Heated Rivalry, etc. It’s why the horrid wizard woman considers people participating in her fandom to be supporting her political causes.

Word of mouth is the most effective way to sell people on media, and fandom is word of mouth that costs the creators/owners nothing. Doing Fandom Stuff used to be subversive, but media companies have now figured out that fandom is a form of advertising and they’re no longer worried about it. Those of us who still think of fandom like it’s a livejournal-era secret club we can never let the corporations discover have got to update our self-concept

[ceasarslegion]

Here's some summer advice from a guy who worked in skincare:

-you need to wear sunscreen if youre going out in the sun. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You don't need the expensive designer stuff but please just wear sun protection.

-you still need sunscreen if you are black or dark-skinned. Not only can you still sunburn, but direct UV light exposure also increases your risk of skin cancer, no matter how much melanin you have. There's tons of brands out there that are made for darker skin tones that don't leave that ashy finish behind, you just need to know the terms to look for. Look for the words "tinted, matte, mattifying," and shea butter-based sunscreens. There's also lots of brands that are formulated with your skin tone in mind. I don't have any to recommend unfortunately because I don't have experience needing that, but I know they are out there.

-if youre very hairy and cream sunscreens get caught in your body hair and glob up, get a spray sunscreen instead. It'll get in all the nooks and crannies instead of getting caught in your hair. Spray sunscreens are also good for those who have troubles with the effort and time it takes to put on sunscreen. Just make sure you spray it in a well ventilated area or, better yet, under cover outside, like on a porch or balcony.

-dont believe the fearmongering about chemical sunscreens. They're much more reliably protective than mineral sunscreens are. Thats because theyre chemically formulated in lab settings to be consistently protective and keep on shelves for long periods of time, while mineral sunscreens have a bad habit of ingredient separation and uneven formula mixes. Really, unless youre swimming directly in the great barrier reef or you have a specific skin condition or allergy to the ingredients in chemical sunscreens (the only customer i actually recommended our mineral sunscreen to over our chemical one was a regular who had skin cancer), you don't need a mineral sunscreen. Your wallet will also suffer less.

-you might have to double cleanse in the shower to get all sunscreen residue off your skin. Thats a good thing actually, it means your sunscreen is really good at barrier protection, but its also annoying. The way to do this without drying out your skin too much is by doing one quick cleanse of your skin with about half the soap you's typically use just to loosen up that residue and dirt, and then another deep, proper clean like you usually would that will get it all off. While leftover residue isn't really a health risk at all, it can clog your pores over time and cause uncomfortable acne breakouts, as well as trap dust and dirt under all the gunk. It can also get on your bedsheets.

-if you double cleanse, I recommend moisturizing after because it does dry you out a bit. You don't need a big fancy designer moisturizer either, just go to the drug store and get their basic pump bottle of body lotion, and separate facial moisturizer (the separation matters, the skin on your face is a lot more thin and delicate than the skin on your body). The main thing you want to look for with any product is that you arent allergic or sensitive to the active ingredients and avoid anything that uses alcohol as a binding ingredient.

-hats, hats, hats!! They keep the sun out of your eyes and your face!! You cant put sunscreen on your eyeballs!! Wear hats!!

-go have fun!! You can have your beach days and sun fun without cancer risks!!

[marzipanandminutiae]

and if you think "what's the big deal? I don't even sunburn that much!"

neither did my mother but she still had to have most of her upper lip reconstructed after skin cancer removal surgery last year

wear your sunscreen

[schmergo]

Yesterday, I was at dinner with some friends and briefly forgot Harrison Ford’s name, but I was like, “His name is a president and a car,” which is how we got such acceptable alternatives as McKinley Camry, Van Buren Gremlin, Clinton Infinity, and Range Rover Cleveland.

[caesarsaladinn]

Lincoln Lincoln