#Also update nothing has changed

[awkward-teabag]

Love (cannot emphasis how much sarcasm there is in that word) that an official Canadian government response to high cellphone rates is to switch carriers.

Switch it to what? We basically have three companies since one was allowed to eat the forth (with the government saying it wasn't anti-competition and the company eating the other pinky promising they wouldn't jack rates up). Even the smaller companies have to rent infrastructure from the Big Three so there's only so much they can do if that rent costs an arm and a leg.

And that's not touching on how many "small companies" are actually just subsidiaries of the Big Three. You may save $5 but you're still with Telus/Rogers/Bell.

Or that the actual small companies tend to have shit coverage because they don't have the infrastructure available to them and are prevented from getting it. Or their traffic is throttled in favour of the Big Three's customers. Or both.

Or that they're extremely regional thus aren't an option for a huge chunk of Canada's population.

We have no true options and the government has shown time and again that they're fine with monopolies, in multiple industries, and don't care when said monopolies jack up prices to make shareholders and the c-suite more money at the expense of everyone else. At most there will be a verbal slap on the wrist and a giftcard for $25 that people have to register for, for a decade and a half of price gouging.

It's not talked a whole lot about outside the country from what I've seen and heard but Canada is a country of monopolies. A handful of companies own nearly everything, every province has a family or two that owns a hell of a lot (Nova Scotia is basically owned by one family at this point), and our government ignores it. Even the branch that is supposed to be against monopolies is fine with mergers and takeovers in most cases.

Because, you know, the company said it totally wouldn't use consumers' lack of options to increase prices.

#canada #so much of our infrastructure and critical construction such as housing #has been pawned off for decades to private companies #and i forgot to mention one (1) family owns the bridge that is a major international corridor between canada and the us #which is apparently fine even though they fought tooth and nail to stop a bridge they don't own from being built #like our housing crisis can be traced back to the government deciding to stop building public housing in the 90s #because they figured private developers would pick up the slack #affordable apartments don't bring in much money so we got decades of cheap-ass 'luxury condos' instead #and once airbnb became a thing we got entire buildings with units <300sqft #and of course when the party in charge rotates between conservatives and neolibs nothing changes and that can gets kicked down the road #and keeps getting kicked until something collapses and they see the chance to fully privatize an industry #something similar is happening to our healthcare system too #it has been left to languish for years/decades with funding freezes and cuts #and private companies are quick to jump in and get the government stamp of approval to do [thing] that the public system clearly can't do #when [thing] would absolutely be possible if it was actually funded and/or staffed #so many communities were cut off when greyhound closed up shop because there's no government inter-city transportation #we lost internet/banking/cell service/etc nation-wide because one of the big three decided to push an update to live without redundancies #and it bugged and took the entire company's network down #even the government agency that demands major companies have a backup on a different network was taken down because they ignored that #and they got a deal if they kept their backup with rogers while their main network was also rogers #so they couldn't even make an emergency statement or anything about it #half my province also lost all digital infrastructure because it's a private company and making a redundancy line would mean smaller bonuse #it's just so bad #joke all you want about how canada is nice and friendly #but you are wrong and it's hell if you actually live here #the only reason canada is seen as nice is because it's hard to not seem like the better option when the us is your neighbour #and because of decades of pr work to make canada seem friendly and nice and not at all problematic #in some countries you actually have to try to hide you're canadian because of how much we colonize and the damage we do to other countries #yes these tags have derailed from the post but ugh #i take major issue with people who insist canada is nice and has never done anything wrong

[holocene-sims]

next // previous

august 16, 2021 11:00 p.m. grandma ong's house

there’s a strangeness to a quiet enclave in a bustling metropolis, unexpected in the same manner as grant and henry’s long, unbroken brotherhood. nothing about the baseline rustle of neighbors carrying in paper grocery sacks and kids kicking a soccer ball resembles the eternal merry-go-round of life–max-capacity subway cars, clueless and loud tourists, and locals who drift through their day–just down the road. and yet above this neighborhood–and the entire sprawling city–hangs a common thread, a bluish hazy night sky.

“that was wild,” henry says, suppressed laughter bursting forth from deep in his chest, “all day everyone’s defaulted to speaking english because, well, look at you, and you even had me fooled. i actually forgot you kind of speak basic korean."

“the inner machinations of my mind are an enigma.”

henry rolls his eyes dramatically but in the same split second, throws an arm around grant’s shoulders.

“i was afraid that soup was going to fly out of your mouth.” grant returns the gesture, though it requires him to lean down so as to not smother henry’s face instead. “too close for comfort.”

“well, in my defense, i was not expecting you to reply to my grandma asking me, “daehyun, i haven’t seen your friend since your wedding. how did you meet again?”

grant shrugs. “we met on a playground twenty-four years ago.”

“on my very first weekend as a resident of the semi-good ol’ US of A. in the opposite situation. i remember being so pissed that my parents made me go out to ‘make friends’ that weekend. not moving, mind you, but making friends. i guess they were psychics, though, because apparently, it didn’t bother you that i didn’t speak your language for at least a couple weeks.”

“people say i could talk to a wall.”

henry laughs again. “you could. you’re very chatty.”

“did it bother you that i wrote you some really, really, really shitty letters in korean in the early days based on online translations i found?”

“no, that was sweet.” no question about it–the joy in henry’s eyes is determined. “they were definitely horrendous, but it’s the thought that counted. you could do better now. oh, and i think i still have all those letters. i should. i did box them up when i moved out of my parents’ house.”

they were, all things considered, never very much alike, beyond the fact they both liked cats but weren’t allowed to have any. henry’s mom was allergic, but grant’s parents despised pets. otherwise, they were polar opposites. grant always liked math and science, wanted to work with airplanes, and preferred to spend his free time with others playing tabletop RPGs and computer games; henry always liked art and history, wanted to be a photographer, and preferred to be left alone to his vintage film camera and pottery. grant’s parents raged when he selected aviation over medicine; henry’s parents and grandparents, all artists, were delighted by his dreams of photography. moreover, grant selectively speaks his mind, while henry rarely minces words.

and still–

the shrill honk of a car off in the distance disturbs grant’s thoughts.

“you really could talk to a wall, but hey, why did you approach me on the swing set that day? you were already busy hanging out with your sisters. and your cousins. why me?”

and still, the two have fused into one. the world turned upside down; grant paints these days, henry has long been a willing dungeons and dragons player, and separation from one another is like losing half your body. if henry walked away now–ended this messy half-hug early–grant would turn to ash.

“well,” grant begins, drawing out the suspense with an exaggerated sigh, “first of all...”

#ts4 #the sims 4 #sims 4 #sims 4 story #sims 4 storytelling #simblr #hlcn: everything the stars promised #holocene.docx #holocene.png #hlcn: grant #hlcn: henry #it's been a WHILE since i've done a text-based update on this story so i apologize if the tone is off at all #then again this story has undergone quite a few stylistic changes and there's nothing wrong with that #btw i haven't even written anything outside of academic papers in so long i just have not had the spark or energy for a long time #so i'm kind of proud of this bc it took more effort than usual #wow i miss creative writing being 100% instinctual to me jdsfdsklfds burnout is so real y'all and it's got HANDSSSS #insert a NONE OF THIS IS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IT'S ABOUT THEIR WHOLE FRIENDSHIP comment #hehehehe i love setting up future posts :3 i love foreshadowing :3 #also yes we wait to find out the answer to that last question :) but it's coming #aaaaand we will find out more about henry i promise this isn't it

[perenlop]

my hope for the pokemon presents that i know will not happen is gates to infinity remake ok bye

#listen i knowwwwwwww explorers is more popular and its got more fans and itd sell well and itd be good to see it in the spotlight #i agree with all that it makes sense. but i cant help but view it as a bowsers inside story remake scenario #where its just like. kinda pointless bc the original is functionally fine #meanwhile my soul hurts when i think about how gti was kinda screwed over by its development and time #it came out during that time all 3ds games felt really janky to play so it feels awkward #and like. just compare the environments in gti compared to psmd #psmd doessss have more diverse environments to be fair but environments that should feel more grand just feel off in gti #like glacier palace doesnt look AWFUL but it hurts to see it compared to the animated version from the commercials #and like. imagine the glow up if it got the dx treatment. if the environments were all fixed and the job system was updated #and we got a larger starter pool and maybe even a postgame. ik they didnt add much to pmd dx #but that game had a fairly beefy postgame and all that while gti has.... pretty much nothing besides dlc #anyways it wont happen bc gti is the most hated pmd game by a fairly wide margin and itd piss ppl off and itd probably get a bullshit $60 #price tag #but like. i want it. i want it ok. i want to see them fix gti and bring out its full potential. i love its story sm #ik theres the demake but theyre also changing the pokemon choices there (which ik they cant help. repository doesnt have timburr and gurdur #but still) so i kinda wanna wait to see when thats done or its got all the assets

[65ths]

good morning! keeping today’s good morning short… depending how you look at it… and sharing that i made a little who’s who list for all the npcs i keep sharing on this blog! i figured this would be a nice quick reference of anyone who i might be suddenly talking about on this blog. it includes links to posts about them and some years/ages as i timeline stuff out about all of them.

THE WHO’S WHO OF DISTRICT FOUR

#i kept trying to make like a timeline graphic or something of a chart but nothing out there was free or easy to use so #it’s a good old fashioned sideblog post #it’ll be updated periodically & it’s mostly for me to keep a running list of everyone because pinterest can be limiting #but i figured id share it anyways if anyone else was interested #im also thinking d4 little fun facts culture blog or something fun and silly as a companion to this blog #but i need url ideas (i realize this blog has the perfect url for that but idk what id change to) #held together with bowlines / headcanons #i have a need of water near / district four

[anonyanonymouse]

I finished the update and can I just. Discord screenshot copy paste

#lilia was a mother who just gave birth in that update okay. #and the way my jaw dropped when I heard Malleus screaming because the senate tore him out of Lilia's grip. #Malleus fought tooth and nail to be in Lilia's arms. Lilia fought for TWO HUNDRED YEARS and fought SO hard just to hear Malleus calling him #and fought so hard to hold him and read him stories and do all the ugly parenting. He was fighting for it #and his shell cracked open and they were together and his SPRITE CHANGE HIS SOBBING SMILING SPRITE #and the senate saw that and thought it was the most repulsive thing to happen in history #that's so personal to me. It's nothing I'll ever go into on this tumblr very deeply but that hit like nothing has before. #to think kids are awful and gross and to realize the reality that they can die and every ugly moment is something so important to fight for #leave me alone leave me alone #Also I cannot stress this enough the fucking BATTLE MAP JESUS CHRIST I WAS DYING IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! #so sorry I forgot to tag spoilers #twisted wonderland book 7 spoilers #twisted wonderland spoilers

[tkbrokkoli]

how are my mutuals doing

#not fandom related #personal log stardate #i was busy the last few days writing a report for class. on friday i spent 9 hrs w writing 😬 im drained now from the past few days #exams start in 2 weeks so i basically have to spend all my free time studying starting from today ugh #ive been on T for a little over 2 weeks now haven't noticed any changes so far except maybe some ~sensations~ considering voice and #bottom growth. my throat has hurt a bit for a few days but i might also just have gotten a cold. i feel however like my voice is a little #deeper right after waking up and trying to speak deeper than my usual speaking voice has become a bit easier. i have to put effort into it #though. also bottom growth idk if the sensations are just a usual phase of sensations dowm there that i sometimes get anyway #or if it's actual bottom growth. i could be imagining the voice and bottom growth stuff. that's how tiny the changes in sensation are #still it makes me euphoric 😁 #i haven't talked to my family abt trans stuff again and there's a slight tension between us that im not sure what to do w #but im seeing my therapist this week to discuss all of this #i don't have any health updates bc i haven't seen that doctor again yet my next appointment is in april and since I didn't get a call from #them i suppose nothing is urgently bad so i hope it's all just fine but ill hear abt it in april

[found--family]

anyone else dealing with this bullshit with open reblog tabs? fumblr has crapped it's desktop pants.

#tw: flashing #fumblr #tumblr updates #this only started happening today and nothing fixes it - clear caches updated chrome no change. #view desktop view mobile no change. #the option to view the old post editor has also disappeared???? #reload does nothing. opening a new tab and pasting the url same shit #the only fix I've found is being quick to save it to drafts before the glitching starts then edit the post in drafts before posting/qeueing #hellsite

[ferromagnetiic]

SBS volume 107

Kid doesn't care if it's his bloody birthday. He's going out of his way to send him a proper Fuck You. He will personally deliver him a celebratory Molotov cocktail.

#【 ⚙ ˊˎ | BLOOD AND IRON-WILLED | open. 】 #// this isn't even really an open post i'm just commenting LOL #// but also it isn't dash comm because nobody else is talking about this on my dash rn lmao idk what to tag this as. #// anyway spoilers for anyone who didn't see the update but like #// it was confirmed by oda in SBS 107 that Beckman was the one who cut off Kid's arm. #// which tbh isn't really new information. I suspected that anyway because we knew that it wasn't actually Shanks and was one of his crew #// based on snippets of conversations and context clues #// so i assumed it was beckman because of the comment made in chapter 1076 too #// but it was nice to have it definitely confirmed. #// tl;dr not new information but information that has now been made official. #// nothing has changed but it's not just a theory/headcanon now. #// kid still blames shanks and his hatred has not been resolved. #// he just also has extra personal beef with Beckman now too. #// hi celestial ♡ #// gonna pester the crap out of you from now on ♡

[cat-terpillar]

to all the people that commissioned me, thanks for being so patient :)))

firealpacas pen has been acting weird for me lately and thats why im a bit late with comms :( im using medibang now since its basically the same and i wont have to take a million years to figure out how to use new drawing softwares

#not art #nothing ive tried has fixed the pen problem which sucks #ive updated everything that i think needs updating #also tried downloading older version of it #no change :/ #and seems like its only firealpca cus medibangs been doing alright

[54prowl]

to older tumblr folks, let's be patient with new accounts. personally, I have been messaging new followers directly when they're blank blogs as they may be just setting up.

I know it seems like a knee jerk reaction to block at this point but let's not burn bridges we don't need to burn and encourage this place to grow and become more active as new people come.

that's all. take care and be kind.

#look if they've been following you for a week and nothing changed then be my guest #also this is just my Two Cents you don't need to do this I'm not your mother #but idk... it's just nice... #i get replies sometimes and they tell me 'oh sorry i was just setting up' or ask me ' #'hey is this good enough?' and like fuck yeah dude let's get bLOGGING #you know???? #using tumblr has a learning curve too so idk let's be patient folks #ooc #update

[violexides]

explaining the relationship i have with my father is so complicated and i keep finding myself facing that question when i'm in college bc like. a professor of mine in office hours literally asked me abt my family and i was like. well i can explain. Parts Of This. but it's mega fucking complicated

#ides.txt #i felt weird too because i was discussing it w a friend who has a bad fucking relationship w their dad #and it felt odd to be like. #my dad's in my life but also did nothing for me. he's not technically negligent but didn't give me the care i needed or at all. #he saved my ass when i came out to my family. we are on very good terms now. i do not feel normally about him. #he has 3 kids and doesn't know how to change a diaper. i think the bad thing i was bracing for in my childhood was him. #i need to impress him and be his favorite child the one who did it right. #i need to see him suffer at the hands of his own mistakes and drown with no one to save him. #and my friend was like Yeah that sounds pretty complicated huh #it's so weird like. yes i love my dad. yes i text him little school updates. #but it never occurred to me that some people can just... ask their dads questions? for help? #that they come to their school events and know all of their friends #that they cook for them and help them with their homework #i don't hate my dad but he's the kind of dad you only ever need when you're 18 years old #i never realized people could have two parents who both did things. you know? i thought you had the Main Parent. #and then the other one. and you never ask the other one.

[bakerstreethound]

Anyone else have someone in their life where you genuinely forget to do something for them (in this case forgot to take the dog out to pee since they'd be gone most the day) then they call you and are like "oh, did you accidentally forget or conveniently forget?" Then you tell them it was an accident and you had class to go to and totally forgot about it, not to mention work right after class which ends at 1:45 and have to work at 2. And, they proceed to say "well you have some things coming up that I can forget about, keep that in mind."

#hi yes this is my mom today telling me this on a phone call #but yes i genuinely did forget #and how was i supposed to know im helping you pit on tuesdays and thursdays now #instead of monday and wednesday #like please hello keep me updated #but also...you should *know* tues and thurs #are the longest days of my week with noth uni and work right after #ARGH its frustrating #like she still expects me to do the same things i did when i lived there #nothing much has changed #sorry for the long tags post #ace rambles

[munch-mumbles]

OFFICIALLY DONE WITH MY FIRST BOTTLE OF T GEL YIPPEE

#so far not seeing very many changes but i keep reminding myself its only been a month #my voice has been getting a little funky but nothing super noticeable yet..... #also i THINK im a little hairier but its hard to tell if its for real or if its copium #starts looking to the stars and praying. pleaaaaase let t turn me into a bear pleaaase PLEAAAAAAAASE #been keeping a little video timeline updating each week and its tempting rn to go back and rewatch through to see if the voice has changed #more than i realize... but also what if it Hasnt and i get sad and also i hate seeing/hearing myself LOOOOL. #edit nvm i went back and looked and theres definitely a slight but Real difference so far HEEHEEEEEEEEEE

[paganinpurple]

AO3 Etiquette -UPDATED

Based on both decent and not so decent replies, I have made some changes to my original post below.

It would seem a whole new kind of AO3 reader/writer is emerging and it is becoming clear not everyone quite understands how the website community works. Here is some basic guidance on how most people expect you to go about using AO3 to keep this a fun community archive that funtions correctly:

As well as likes, kudos is for when the story was interesting enough to make you finish reading. If it sucked or was badly written, you probably left. If you finished it, you liked it - so kudos.

If you really liked it, you should try to comment. It can be long and detailed or a literal keysmash. Writers don't care, we just love comments.

No critisism unless the author has specifically asked or agreed to hear it (so use your notes to say if you want some constructive feedback). Even constructive critisism is a no-no unless an author note tells you it's okay. No, posting it online is not an open invitation for that. Many people write as a fun hobby or a way to cope with, among other things, insecurity and just want to share. Don't ruin that for them. I've seen so many authors just stop writing coz they can't handle the negative emotions the critism brings, and it's only meant to be a fun thing shared for free (pointing out tagging errors is not included in this).

Do not comment to ask the author to write/update something else. It's tacky and off-putting and will probably have the opposite effect than the one you want.

There is no algorithm, it's an archive. Use the search and filter function to add/remove the pairings/characters/tropes etc. you want to read about and it will find you the fics that fit the bill.

For this to work, writers must tag and rate stories. This avoids readers finding the wrong things and missing the stuff they want. I don't care how cringy that trope is in your eyes - it gets tagged.

The tag exception is if you don't want to tag a million things or spoil your story, you can rate it as "chose not to use warnings," and maybe tag the bare minimum.

Don't censor tags. How can someone exclude a tag if the word isn't typed out correctly? There are no content bans for terms so don't censor them.

If the tags are mostly content/trigger warnings, especially if they are things considered very fucked up or graphic, you might want to use "dead dove - do not eat" to ensure people know that you're not messing around with tags and what they get is exactly what you've warned them about.

Character A/Character B means a ROMANTIC or SEXUAL relationship of some kind. Character A&Character B is PLATONIC, like friendship or family.

Nothing is banned. This is an rule because banning one thing is a slipperly slope to banning another and another, until nothing is allowed anymore. Do not expect anyone to censor for you. Because of the tags system, you are responsible for your own reading experience.

People can create new chapters and sequels/fic series any time after they "complete" a story. So it's considered perfectly normal to subscribe, even to a finished story. You can even subscribe to the author instead just to cover your bases.

Do not repost stories or change the publishing date without an extremely good reason (like a complete top to bottom rewrite or an exchange youve written for going public). It's an archive, not social media. No one cares what's the most recent, only what fits their tag needs.

Instead of deleting a story you wrote if you hate it - consider making it anonymous or orphaning it so others can still enjoy it, without it being connected to your name anymore. If you still want to delete it, fair enough.

It's come to my attention that metaworks ARE allowed on AO3, which is something I wasn't aware of. So if you do post an essay or theory, please tag it as such so others can choose to search for it or exclude it. Art is also allowed.

The only reason this archive works is because NON ONE PROFITS. Do not link to your ko-fi or patreon or mention monetary gain in any way or you violate the terms and risk having your account removed. If anyone does link, it leaves the archive open to people claiming it's for profit and having the whole thing removed.

I KNOW there's plenty more I missed but I'm trying to cover most of the basics that people seem to be struggling with.

I invite anyone to add to this, but please explain, don't berate.

#ao3 #using ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #fanworks

[nivq87]

Well... this has NOT been what my intended use of my evening was. but Hey! I found the original DotA Dansen flash. I'd been meaning to do this since DotA got stuck in my head last week. I USED to have it bookmarked but I guess since changing computers over the years it got lost at some point. ANYWAY! Now I am truly able to party like it's 2008 again.

#part of my efforts to search up this relic took me to a know your meme page that hasn't been updated since 2011 #which listed this as a living meme (lol) and also had some bizarre misinfo about it #such as the original source. It lists it as a youtube original and then lists Maybe deviantArt #WRONG! It was furaffinity. #and then it was also wrong about the content of the song from the original music video #it called it a 'swedish game similar to world of warcraft' WRONG! #it's a MOBA mod for warcraft 3. so... they got the franchise right I suppose. #so... my apologies to the poor know your meme guy who got my input about all this #somebody was WRONG on the INTERNET! what was I supposed to do? ignore it? #when they have a button for suggesting changes? #yeah it's 2024 and i'm weighing in about a 16 year old meme what about it #why am i rambling #all that's left I suppose is to find the original and maybe even full version of the chipmunk mix of dota #but the flash does the job just fine it has all the parts I like best and nothing else #(this flash is probably why these are my favorite parts but eh) #anyway if you're reading this and intrigued to see a relic from when I was a teen hmu I'll send you the link