#are there other ways you can inform other people about ongoing controversy?

[samwiselastname]

hey if you find yourself wanting to spread the word about tenacious unicorn ranch being a predatory trans sex cult or whatever please just pre-emptively block me

#does it impact you? #does it make you feel good? #are there other ways you can inform other people about ongoing controversy? #is it not enough for a project to fail for mundane and painful interpersonal reasons? do we need third parties to assert it's a sex cult? #is it important for you to do that?

[kakiastro]

Jupiter Gemini: Abundance of Information

Jupiter will enter Gemini on May 25th until June 9, 2025

After being in the earthly sign of Taurus, it moves into air sign.

So what does this mean for the collective?

- we are going to be talking!!!! 🗣️There’s going to be an abundance of idea and everyone is going to want their voices heard. On one hand this is good because new ideas that can further the collective, however, there’s going to be a lot of not so good ideas being brought up. Be prepared to see lots of ignorant statements, people being more vulgar in public.

-we are going to be talking a lot about wanting to find close knit communities, Gemini rules over our local communities. More people talking about moving abroad and getting their passports will be huge themes. We may start seeing lots of people talk about there experiences in their new neighborhoods

-friendships and people trying to find new besties to hang with. There’s going to be an overwhelming need of wanting to find loyal friends. On the other hand, you may lots of public friend feuds. Jupiter rules over law and court, friends suing each other. Gemini rules over rumors and gossip, so people spreading rumors about their friends.

-lots of stories about co-workers and the people you work with. People marrying their co-worker since Jupiter is one of the marriage planets.

-siblings. Working with/for siblings, siblings going to/back to college. Your siblings going through some legal issues. Siblings traveling together, re-connecting and bonding. Siblings feuds such as suing each other. Traveling with our siblings

- Jupiter is one of the father archetypes and it rules over husbands, brothers and grandfathers. Gemini rules over our cousins and uncles and aunts. Pay attention because these people in your life is going to have a lot to say. They may be more vocal about their beliefs and ideals, some may even surprise you in a good or bad way.

-our minds are going to be heavily stimulated from the amount of information that’s going to be thrown at us. I’m not even just talking about the media but just in everyday life lol. With Pluto Aquarius, it’s going to be a lot of stuff being revealed to the public. Some of these things might not be good. so please don’t burn yourself out because it can be too much. Gemini placements, especially you because Jupiter is in your sign.

-Jupiter rules over worldly events, I predict we will hear about more things going on overseas. I’m not just talking about ongoing events such as Palestine-Israel or Ukraine but I imagine we’re going to be hearing or be more self aware about other things going on in the world. Again, it could get overwhelming so don’t burn yourself out yall. This also includes word leaders.

-religion/religious figures. Jupiter rules over religion and churches. I can’t help but wonder if some sort of public scandal comes out about some religious figures. People discussing religion and the impact it’s had on the public. People wanting to find the truth. What’s truth vs what’s fiction will definitely be hot topics. There’s going to some controversial topics so heads up. People in your life may talk about religion such as religious trauma or their personal religious beliefs. People are about to be very outspoken in a way I don’t think we’ve seen before, I’m already seeing it after reading Billie Eilish interview 😅

-writers/authors. As a writer myself, I think this is going to be a good time for aspiring authors to start or publish their projects. The writing community is in an odd space since the rise of Ai and scammers making AI books, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the air. With that being said, the good news is that the general public is still very much interested in books written by real people so if you want to write and publish, do it!

-completely random but legs and running may be topics. People talking about best places to jog or run. Leg exercises may be another topic. Running marathons, people running there first one or winning their first, I predict an inspiring story to come out this summer. You know, I forgot the Olympics is this year so track and field runners will be heavily in the media.

-this is definitely a think before you speck transit and I know so many people are about fail that lesson😭. We’re all going to have to apply the rule thumper mama told him from Bambi “If you don’t have nothing nice to say, don’t say it all” 😅

-Teachers/Education. Possible teacher strikes or more teachers speaking out about their current frustration about the system. I predict the educational system to be completely reviewed and lots of changes are going to be made. I believe people are going to pursue different routes of education for their kids, especially those with disabled children. Teacher strikes wouldn’t surprise me. More College adults seeking education overseas than here. Speaking of college adults, there’s been a lot of protesting on campuses happening and I don’t see that stopping, if anything, it’s going to enhance even further. Perhaps even globally.

-transportations. Now I’m not entirely sure how this going to play out but people who work transportation make speak out about unfair work conditions or their could also be strikes. On the flip side, more people will buying or looking to buy cars. Cars from overseas may be hot topics. Trains stations, bus stops, bike trails may be topics.

These are the main themes of this topics. To see how it affects you personally, look at the house Gemini rules.

#astrology #astrology community #knowledge #astro observations #advanced astrology #birth chart #kakiastro #tropical astrology #jupiter in astrology #Jupiter Gemini

[youryurigoddess]

Case study and analysis of the 1992 Good Omens movie screenplay (“the shitscript”) in light of the ongoing WGA strike

As one could suspect, the topic of the 1992 Good Omens movie screenplay and its infamy has recently emerged from the depths of the fandom. In light of the ongoing WGA strike it’d be good to properly address this issue, starting with Neil Gaiman’s own recollection written in 2004:

It’s basically the same old story — of brilliant creative workers struggling under the pressure of detached studio executives and being legally forced to mutilate their work again and again for no artistic or economic reason — we’ve heard before in many different contexts.

If you’re reading this and somehow still wondering why writers are fighting for their rights at the moment, their job security hasn’t changed much since then. Please follow the WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and other unions’ official channels for detailed information and ways to help the cause.

Anyway, it took over a decade and an enormous effort to print the screenplay in a limited edition of 552 copies. It can’t be distributed otherwise due to IP law, but some fans shared its fragments online and heavily criticized them, dubbing the 1992 source material #shitscript

There’s been obviously a lot of controversies over the changes in the plot and the relationship between the main characters. And rightfully so — the number of iterations has created something very different from the beloved book and the award-winning show we can all enjoy today.

It’s… objectively not good. Wouldn’t be considered a hit back then and certainly not by today’s standards. I don’t think I would watch it in any other way than through channel surfing. However, it’s not a monstrosity some people believe it to be and not a case of low effort.

Let’s start with the world building: the setting wasn’t changed to the US. It’s still very much based in the UK, mostly London and Tadfield, although the latter lies now by the sea and seems much more ominous. Interestingly, the British Museum becomes a prominent location as well.

The main character and the designated hero is not surprisingly Crowley, this time in his 90s anti-hero glory. If you haven’t watched many movies of this era, esp. dark fantasy, this trope involves middle-age disenchantment, cynicism, as well as hefty doses of sarcasm and brooding.

90s anti-heroes are a dark, grim, and unnecessarily violent embodiment of power fantasy, matching the destructive ideology of that time. Combined with uber-masculinity and performative strength over weaker characters, nowadays they naturally evoke more cringe or worry than awe.

1992 iteration of Crowley is basically in his Furfur era. Deeply unhappy and stuck in a dead end job, all he talks about is how he hates Earth and his assignment here, considering a transfer to Alpha Centauri as his one and only possibility of career advancement. Or life, really.

The talking part is important here, because he clearly compensates by insulting everything and everyone. He hates on the whole planet at length only to confess that he’d rather stay here with Aziraphale due to “no good restaurants”, “no decent bottle of wine” in Alpha Centauri.

Yes, he’s verbally abusive in his automatic response to stress. But doesn’t hate Aziraphale. In one particular scene he calls Azi stupid twice only to assure him that they are friends and to offer to solve the problem when he sees that his words were taken seriously and hurt him.

Crowley refers to him as “my angel” and “my dear Aziraphale”, agrees to Aziraphale’s suggestion of sharing a room, praises the angel as a “miracle worker around the home”, drinks the tea he makes for him, and generally proves to be much softer towards him than he wants to admit.

Aziraphale, on the contrary, wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s the one engineering ways to spend more time together, following Crowley around, checking up on him (including miracling himself into his apartment and office when no one answers the door), offering help right away.

He’s successfully calming Crowley down through his anxiety attacks, overcomes his dislike of heights (!) for Crowley, directly challenges him and even breaks rules only to make Crowley stay with him. Crowley seems to be his main motivation in this movie, not the saving the world.

1992 Aziraphale also has the most badass scene in the whole Good Omens multiverse to date, taking a 180 degree turn from the typical guardian angel we all know and love to the real angel of wrath protecting Crowley from harm in his true form.

But there’s no Their Side in this universe. The only semblance of that concept appears in the context of Anathema not representing either of their respective bosses, but humanity. “That’s the trouble with the humans. They’re on their own side.”

This Crowley appears not as much on Hell’s side as under Satan’s heel. He’s scared of him and subservient, and needs Aziraphale to prevent his escape as a pretext to do what is right. He lets the angel stop him by pretending that he doesn’t even see him cheating during their duel.

By finally standing up to his toxic boss (Satan is like Gabriel during the body-swapped trial, suave and cruel) and leaving Hell’s side to do good, Crowley takes an emancipated and employee-focused stance instead of fighting for his relationship with Aziraphale like shown in S1.

Which is a shame, but matches the overall tone of the screenplay and the times it was written in. The concept of free will, while simplified in a true Hollywood-style to issues like mind control and fear, is still crucial to this interpretation of the Good Omens original plot.

Especially the character of Anathema is seen fighting both of these things. There’s no Agnes Nutter with her prophecies here, only a 21-year-old witch and her will to thwart the ultimate evil versus her fear of doing it at a cost of one boy’s life, versus Satan’s brainwashing.

Madame Tracy appears slightly redesigned as a new character as well, but isn’t 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 for the most part. She’s been enjoying her youth way too much to see how fast it was fleeting, and this sudden realization left her in shock from which she denies to come back.

Unfortunately she’s also the one who took in baby Adam and now stays under his care. The level of his parentification is unnerving, much like his bullying and loneliness. He struggles to be loved and ask for love, which becomes his main quest beyond, y’know, the apocalypse thing.

Don’t worry, despite everything all ends well just like in the book. The family of two gets a chance to start again on much healthier terms and Anathema to live for herself for the first time in years. Our heroes get back in their car, Crowley tempting Aziraphale with an apple.

All in all, this whole post is a very long reminder for Amazon Prime to #PayYourWriters, #PayYourActors, and #RenewGoodOmens! The strike is still ongoing and crucial for any new content for this and many other fandoms #GiveMeS3orGiveMeDeath

#Yuri is doing her thing #good omens #good omens meta #good omens movie #a screenplay #1992 good omens

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Redacted Drama

Redacted Masterlist

Okay.. first off, this is just my opinion on Redacted drama. If you're not interested or don’t wanna hear it, that's perfect fine, keep scrolling and I hope you have a wonderful day/night

That being said...

CW: SA, mentions of patreon exclusive audios (nsfw ones)

Also, if you are going to read this, there’s more information in the replies that is important. Thank you @/dontpreceiveeve for adding that! :)

I don’t personally have Redacted’s patreon because bitches be broke. And I don’t really involve myself in drama that has nothing to do with me and I only have one side of the story. But I’m home sick today and bored out of my mind while I wait for some inspo for fics.

For those who don’t know, I recommend trying to find out more information through other blogs, there’s people talking about it. It just popped up on my home screen for tumblr today so what can i say.

But essentially there’s a patreon exclusive video that has to do with Ivan and his listener where consent isn’t really present (?). So it’s obviously raising a lot of controversy about it. 

I’m not trying to downplay how important and sensitive issue sexual assault/non con intimate acts are. I’m really not. It’s an ongoing issue and a disgusting one done by the aggressors at that. If you or anyone you know has experienced that I’m so so sorry that happened to you.

But considering the audio in question is an nsfw one, preferences have to be taken into consideration. If Erik didn’t post any warnings for the audio (I don’t know if he did or not.) then that is certainly on him. There should be warnings for everything that may contain triggering topics because trauma is a horrid thing to have to relive through. 

But this is also Ivan we’re talking about. Post-Vega inference, we know consent isn’t that important to him. He kidnapped one of his listeners after all. 

And some people are into that whole non-con scene for whatever reasons. it could be their way of coping with whatever happened to them, or just a kink of theirs. Kinkshaming is a pretty shitty thing to do because it disregards preferences and can make them feel guilty for something that can be out of their control. Some people might be into the more softer side of things, while others are into the more hard side of things. Both are okay. 

As for the whole “hiding behind a paywall and profiting off sexual assault”, that paywall also acts as a deterrent. He can’t control if minors access his content on Youtube, but there is some more distance between minors and patreon content, which is why the more graphic content is posted there. I don’t think it’s all about profiting off sexual assault as much as trying to cater to an often ignored audience while making sure it’s harder for minors to access content that could lead to Erik unintentionally getting in legal trouble.

Like I said, this is just my two cents and I don’t have the whole story. If someone wants to fill me in, feel free and if I’m wrong I’ll gladly take this down. I just think that people jumping to quick assumptions without considering everything can be damaging. I know I might be jumping to assumptions, but I’m very much on “innocent until proven guilty” sides of things. A lot of ASMRtists are removing their content because of accusations like these. Some of them have been proven true, and for those it has been I’m glad their content is gone and they aren’t causing more harm to people. But for when it’s false I feel bad for them.

If you’re still reading this, thanks for listening to my rant. :) 

#redacted ivan drama

[drsorrell]

Mon. 10.23.23

Today's goal: Review Ch. 9 and apply it to your current draft.

Ch. 9, "'YOU MEAN I CAN JUST SAY IT THAT WAY?': Academic Writing Doesn't Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice" 

Thesis of this chapter = Don't worry about "sounding smart," or you'll end up with a confusing ungrammatical mess.

When you are relaxed and write openly, you do a better job of presenting your ideas clearly.

But totally informal writing is appropriate for a paper. Don't call me "Dr. Bruh," use foul language, or write how you talk to your friends on a Friday night.

Take yourself seriously by writing formally with correct capitalization, spelling, grammar, and varied vocabulary (words) and syntax (sentence structure).

As cheesy as it sounds, think of writing as a process of discovery. We often only realize what we are saying while writing. So take the revision and rewriting process seriously. Pay attention to peer comments, my comments, what the textbook says, and reread the essays.

Usually, real revision has to do with IDEAS and ORGANIZATION, not adding missing punctuation or correcting spelling mistakes. If I point out that the idea at the end of your paper is the real thesis, move it to the front at the end of the introduction, then rework each BP so that supports that new thesis.

The "feedback loop of good writing": write something, spark a thought, research or write about that thought, which sparks new a thought, rinse, repeat. See the numbered bullets below. For example:

STEP 1: I disagree with Coryell. How could something be wrong with all lives mattering? I know her viewpoint is that African-American lives deserve more attention because of their history and treatment. But she has it the wrong way around when she says "All Lives Matter" is included in "Black Lives Matter." Actually, "Black Lives Matter" is included in "All Lives Matter." Pruitt misses Vance's point in the same way Coryell misreads the BLM/ALM debate. Vance is not interested in the complex systems that give some people advantages. Vance is talking about himself. He's really clear about that. Even if he states his general opinions on things, he's still mostly talking about himself. Both readings also demonstrate how people overreact in 2023.

STEP 2: After feedback from the class and Dr. Sorrell, I misread Coryell a little. She's saying that the imbalance needs to be corrected, and I believe she is really only talking about ALM and a response to BLM: "Such is the case when people use the phrase 'alm" 'to oppose 'BLM" (398). While Vance is talking about himself, he's also tricky because he slips in recommendations for how others should do things: "What separates the successful from the unsuccessful are the expectations that they had for their own lives" (448). My original idea is good, but I need to change it slightly by giving the authors more credit. Once I do that, though, it's mostly about them, and my own unique point gets lost a little.

STEP 3: I will take a step back to develop a more original thesis about words in general. I did some research for more IS-E on the issue by reading the Wikipedia article on "slogans." They mentioned the "Better Dead than Red" anti-communist slogan from the McCarthy era. I clicked on that link, too, but it wasn't that interesting. But I did think about the emphasis on death instead of life and suddenly thought about the ongoing abortion and death penalty debates, which could open the conversation to discussions/definitions of life.

STEP 4: NEW THESIS THAT CAME OUT OF TAKING REVISING A BP SERIOUSLY: Many controversial discussions revolve around the assumed definitions of words. Ideas are contained in words without us realizing it. Because of this and the ease of communication in our social media era, authentic conversations about issues such as race are rare. Before we use a "loaded" word in a conversation with someone else, it is important to know what we both think that word means.

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE FEEDBACK LOOP EXERCISE:

1. Thesis: Both Alexander and Pruitt emphasize outside forces that affect people's lives; the problem is that they forget that not everyone is the same.

2. Question about the Authors: Do they really forget this? I reread some of their essays, and I don't think that this is their point. They know not everyone is the same. They are not stupid. They are just describing the deterministic forces that can affect us.

3. Thesis Adjustment: Is this a problem for my thesis? No. I can adjust my wording: "Both Alexander and Pruitt emphasize outside forces that affect people's lives without giving credit to the huge differences in individual experience between everyone, even those of the same age, gender, race, class, and geographic area." 4. Paper Structure: What effect will this have on my BPs? Most of them should be okay, but the mention of things like "age, gender, race, class, and geographic area" might actually help me to give each BP more of a specific purpose. In the end, my main idea and organization will benefit from this feedback loop exercise :)

Activity: You can find the online activity on the Schoology Discussion Forum for today called "(1) Read Ch. 9 (2) Do Ch. 9 Tutorial (3) Do activity below (4) Do InQuizitive: "Words Often Confused.” *ONLINE*

Homework: Draft #2 of Paper #2 is due Wednesday by the time class starts. Be on time because we will start commenting in groups right away

#double_size

[benjamindaniel]

All that you should know about love spells.

Since the dawn of time, the idea of casting a love spell has captivated the human imagination. People from many walks of life and civilizations have used love spells in the hopes of finding true love, strengthening their current relationships, or healing the pain of a broken heart. In this essay, we explore the murky world of love spells, delving into their history, popular beliefs, and the moral questions they present.

  Some background on the era and culture: Ancient cultures' fascination with magic, mysticism, and the supernatural all contributed to the development of love spells. Many different civilizations have used love spells, from the elixirs of ancient Greece to the incantations of medieval witches. Powerful Lottery Spells can be found at a lot of places. Love spells were often viewed as a method to pray to the gods and goddesses of passion and desire for help in finding or keeping a loving partner. Culture-specific beliefs and rituals informed the wide range of approaches taken.

There is the question of motive and ethics while casting a love magic. While there are many who don't see any ethical problems with using love spells, others disagree. The threat to individual autonomy is at the heart of the matter. You can easily find how to know that a Love Spell. is workingSome people think that using a spell to influence someone's feelings or wants is unethical since it violates their right to free will. The ethics of trying to intentionally change someone else's emotions are crucial to think about.

Psychological Perspectives: Psychological perspectives shed light on the allure and consequences of love spells, highlighting the necessity of self-love, personal growth, and the cultivation of an atmosphere favorable to good, genuine relationships. Powerful Love spells to Bring Back One’s ex are indeed the best. Symbolic rituals that harness the energy of thought and imagination, love spells may be understood from a psychological perspective.

Real Marriage Spells Caster works in real life.Love spell casters that are doing their jobs right would tell you that the key to a happy and healthy relationship is working on yourself first.

Personal Accountability with Love Spells: Love spells can inspire reflection and development. By prioritizing one's own happiness and growth, people can develop the characteristics and outlook that lead to positive romantic partnerships. You can easily Fix Relationship Problems with a Love Spell. Affirming one's aspirations, defining one's objectives, and bringing about good change inside oneself are all possible via the usage of a love spell.

  Responsible spellcasters promote an atmosphere of self-improvement and emotional development by encouraging their clients to own their reactions to situations. There are many Ways of Becoming the Most Powerful Witch. Mindful and ethical use of love spells has the potential to be a powerful method for self-improvement and the development of positive relationships.

In sum, the mysterious practice of casting love charms is rich in nuance, including as it does elements of the past, present, and future. Despite the ongoing controversy about their morality, love spells continue to pique the interest of those curious about the depths of human connection. In the end, self-love, ethical considerations, and taking responsibility for one's actions are the most important things to keep in mind when exploring the world of love spells.

[searchdatingsites]

Ashley Madison Reviews | Best Dating Sites Reviews

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The male to female ratio on Ashley Madison was reported to be heavily skewed towards men. According to a report by Wired, the site had a male to female ratio of about 5:1, meaning that for every one woman on the site, there were approximately five men. However, Ashley-Madison has also claimed that it has been actively working to increase the number of women on the site and has implemented measures such as allowing women to use the site for free in an effort to attract more female users. It's possible that the male to female ratio has changed since then.

Ashley Madison Dating Site Safety

Ashley Madison has implemented several safety features and practices to help protect users' personal information and identities. Some of the key safety measures on the site include: - Two-Factor Authentication: Ashley Madison dating site offers two-factor authentication, which requires users to verify their identity with a code sent to their phone before logging in. - Privacy Features: The site allows users to blur their profile photos and choose which members can see their profile. Additionally, users can use a private key to control who can view their photos. - Payment Privacy: AshleyMadison accepts payment through discreet payment methods, such as gift cards, to help protect users' financial information. - No Social Media Integration: Ashley Madison dating site does not integrate with social media platforms, which can help prevent users from inadvertently exposing their activity on the site to friends or family members. - Profile Verification: The dating site uses a profile verification process to ensure that users are real people and not bots or scammers. Despite these safety measures, it's important for users to take their own precautions to protect their privacy and safety when using Ashley Madison or any online dating site. This includes using a strong, unique password, being cautious about sharing personal information, and communicating openly with potential partners about boundaries and expectations.

Is Ashley Madison Dating Site A Confidential?

Ashley Madison advertises itself as a discreet and confidential dating site for people seeking affairs or other relationships. However, the site has faced controversy and criticism in the past over a 2015 data breach that resulted in the exposure of millions of users' personal information, including names, email addresses, and credit card information. The breach led to several lawsuits against Ashley Madison and its parent company, Avid Life Media, and also resulted in the resignation of the site's founder and CEO. Since the breach, Ashley Madison has implemented a number of security and privacy measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The site now uses end-to-end encryption to protect users' messages and data, and it also offers a "paid-delete" option that allows users to have their data completely removed from the site's servers. However, as with any online service, there is always a risk of data breaches or other security issues, so it's important to use the site responsibly and take steps to protect your privacy and personal information.

Ashley Madison Dating Sites Cheating

Ashley Madison is a dating site that has been associated with infidelity and affairs, which has led to the site being referred to as a platform for cheating. The site markets itself as a platform for individuals who are interested in exploring unconventional relationships or affairs while maintaining discretion and privacy. It's important to note that Ashley-Madison's focus on affairs and discreet relationships may not be suitable for everyone, and the site has faced criticism for promoting infidelity and breaking up marriages. Additionally, it's important for all users to approach the site with clear intentions and an understanding of the risks involved. While Ashley Madison has been associated with cheating, it's important to remember that infidelity is a complex issue that can have many underlying causes. Ultimately, it's up to each individual to decide whether or not to use a dating site like Ashley-Madison and to take responsibility for their own actions and decisions.

Ashley Madison News

As a popular dating site, Ashley Madison has been featured in various news outlets over the years. Some recent news stories related to Ashley Madison include: - Data breach settlement: In 2020, Ashley-Madison agreed to pay $11.2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit related to a 2015 data breach that exposed the personal information of millions of users. - Increase in user activity during pandemic: In 2020, Ashley-Madison dating site reported a significant increase in user activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many users seeking to connect with others while social distancing measures were in place. - Re-branding efforts: In recent years, Ashley Madison has undertaken efforts to rebrand itself and move away from its association with infidelity. This has included a focus on providing more diverse options for users and promoting the site as a platform for unconventional relationships rather than just affairs. - Controversy over advertising: Ashley-Madison dating site has faced criticism for some of its advertising campaigns, which have been accused of promoting infidelity and breaking up marriages. Overall, Ashley-Madison dating site has been the subject of many news stories over the years, both positive and negative. As a platform that deals with sensitive topics like infidelity and unconventional relationships, it's important for the site to approach these issues with sensitivity and discretion.

How To Sign up On Ashley Madison Dating Site

Signing up for Ashley Madison is a relatively straightforward process. Here are the steps you can follow to create an account: - Go to the Ashley-Madison website: Visit the Ashley Madison website at www.ashleymadison.com. - Click "See Your Matches": On the homepage, click the "See Your Matches" button to begin the sign-up process. - Provide your basic information: You'll be asked to provide some basic information, including your gender, location, and relationship status. You'll also be prompted to create a username and password. - Create your profile: Once you've created your account, you can begin creating your profile. Read the full article

#AshleyMadisonReviews #datingsites #freedatingsites

[technologyandblackrhetoric]

Black People Taking Over the Media… They Gon’ be Mad Forever

Not so long-ago social media was created with it originally being just a place for people to communicate freely between each other. It later turned into a place for people to spread awareness about problems that are engulfing our country. This sparked #blacklivesmatter to trend on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. To my surprise during the unrest and protests #BLM was being posted on twitter alone 3.7 million times a day, and nearly 50 million times in a 15-day period. 

The Black Lives Matter Association did receive backlash though when it was discovered that some of the money was used to buy a $6 million dollar mansion in Los Angeles 🙄. At the time it was stated that this was only going to be used as a venue for meetings and would never be used for any personal usage. Later it surfaced that Cullor who was the BLM executive director threw two parties that she later stated was her son's birthday party and the inauguration of President Joe Biden. I personally don’t believe this takes away from BLM because BLM is not just an organization it is an entire movement 🤔. Cullor later stepped down and apologized for the inappropriate use of the house. The house is now strictly being used for meetings. 

Another large social media posting was in the summer of 2020 when millions of people across the world posted a black square on social media with the hashtag #Blacklivesmatter following the murder of George Floyd. Many of you probably took part in this “trend” on your platforms. Many journalists and scholars have stated that even though people had good intentions, it was just an empty gesture by others. It was something that everyone else was doing at the time and many large businesses and corporations posted pictures as well. I don’t know about you, but it seemed very fake at the moment and kind of the easy way out for corporations and businesses that had done nothing for the movement up until this. The New York Times went into detail about how Black travelers and Black Photographers saw the posts from a popular suitcase company Away, and believed it was very empty in meaning. This company has historically excluded Black people from the company’s ad campaigns, advertisement targeting and through employment. Many believe this is because the company sees them as not the primary consumers. Which doesn’t make sense to me because Black people on average spend $63 Billion dollars.

And now we're seeing clowns like Kanye West using BLM for his own political and social gain. Kanye stirred the pot once again, wearing a white lives matter shirt to his Yeezy show in Paris. His shirt with bold white letters had no context and was just plain silly. He also decided to invite controversial figure Candace Owens to the show to wear a white lives matter shirt as well.  Kanye has been known for his friendship with Trump and his outlandish political views but this was a new low. This stunt was a mockery to the black community by two huge figures in that community. Truly embarrassing ...

You probably are wondering why I keep rambling about these movements on social media, well it’s because it’s important and the first of its kind. We are at the beginning of the future in making major changes. In the Ted Talk that we watched for class you can really hear how the founders of BlackLivesMatter really have been able to touch on how important this whole movement is and how many more people are being informed on these issues. Social media and different movements that take place on these social media platforms are now vital for these movements and will be for the foreseeable future. With being able to send out meet up locations for protests, to sharing breaking news on ongoing circumstances. The Pew Research Center stated that the Black community are more likely to post about political activities and believe that this is the most effective way to get the message out. I tend to believe that this is the best way to get the message out. It’s one of the only things nearly everybody does daily, very few people watch the news anymore. So why not put the news on social media. I believe that the most important thing is to not stop talking about it, and to not stop posting about the issues that are still going on every day. 

------- Click below to listen to Lil Baby's The Bigger Picture -------

Lil Baby- The Bigger Picture

#blm movement #blacklivesmatter #blackgirlmagic #black tumblr #Youtube

[marites-101]

How did Marites become a hot meme among netizens again?

While its exact origin remains unclear, the term has been a cultural shorthand used by Internet users to refer to the gossipy tita next door who spends a huge chunk of her days spreading interesting (and sometimes, malicious) gossip to her neighbors.

Additionally, it’s known as the Filipina counterpart of “Karen,” which is “a pejorative slang term for an obnoxious, angry, entitled, and often racist middle-aged white woman who uses her privilege to get her way or police other people’s behaviors,”

The creativity of Pinoys knows no bounds, especially when it comes to inventing terms that depict day to day life (and types of people). Filipinos love to be entertained and as the social media capital of the world, nothing escapes the eagle eyes of Marites (Mare, ito ang latest) and Mosang (short for tsismosa) when it comes to the comings and goings in the entertainment world.

Marites has become the national nickname for every Filipino netizen who is enthusiastically digging up and keeping track of every new issue, rumor, and bizarre thing they come across on social media.

Maritess Characters

Filipinos love to be entertained and as the social media capital of the world, nothing escapes the eagle eyes of Marites (Mare, ito ang latest) and Mosang (short for tsismosa) when it comes to the comings and goings in the entertainment world.

First up, we have Marietta, which means Mare, ito pa (Girl, here’s more). You use the term when there is a follow up to a story you’ve been following.

Next, we are introduced to Marisol , which means Mareng tagasulsol (provoker). This is used for a person who fans the flame of intrigue by adding more controversial information to the already hot issue.

Who can discount Marissa, which means Mare, isa pa (Girl, there’s more). This is the person who shares new information as soon as it is discovered by the Marites of cyberspace.

If a person is a passive participant but wants to be in the know, she is simply called a Maris which is short for Mare, ano ang tsismis? (Girl, what’s the tea?)

Marina may have been a popular mermaid character on television before but now, the name is associated with Mare, ano na? (Girl, what now?) It is used by someone who wants to know the latest development in a running story.

And finally, we have Mariposa which is short for Mare, post mo na (Girl, post it already). This is used by a Marisol on someone who has the dish on an ongoing story to make it more interesting.

And there you have it folks. As with every issue, be discerning of your sources, before you spread the info. You don’t want to Marina fake news, do you?

The Videos All About Marites....

Marites Song....

Marites Mockumentary...

#Marites #Mareanolatest #gossiping #songs #videos

[thelittlewitchofeverything]

"Do your own research"

“Do your own research”

Okay, cool, guess I’ll die.

It’s alright, take a deep breath. Trust me, I understand. As someone with ADHD, I have a hard time with researching, and just reading in general is difficult for me. But I HAVE SOME TIPS.

Where do I start?

I’m gonna say something a bit controversial here, but start by finding some good quality YouTube channels. You will not be able to build a full-on practice from YouTube channels, but a lot of great witchcraft channels on there have resources, talk about things they wish they knew at the beginning, and there’s ongoing conversations about relevant, current topics within the community. If you look at witchcraft books, you’re much more likely to find old, outdated information, misinformation, appropriated practices, or just waste your money on books you might not find relevant.

Youtube is free. And you can quickly cross reference what multiple people are saying.

Is it perfect? No. There is still going to be bad information on YouTube, which is why I advise looking at several different kinds of channels.

Some channels I recommend for beginners - these folks won’t steer you wrong: Witchofwonderlust (secular witchcraft) Warriorwitchnike (folk magic/astrology) Ocean Keltoi (Norse paganism) Aliakai (Hellenism) The Oak Witch (Tradition British folk magic) The Green Witch (green witchcraft)

I believe every single one of these channels have book recommendations, tips for beginners videos, and many of them discuss more tips for researching.

Where I would recommend you avoid getting information when you’re just starting out (or just in general): Tiktok. I love tiktok, I’m on it too much. But I don’t recommend using it to learn about witchcraft. At all. Firstly, 60 seconds isn’t enough time to give any kind of information accurately or with the nuance and respect it requires. Secondly, it is so full in misinformation and people looking to build a following saying anything, even things that are harmful and untrue. There have been full-on cults springing up on TikTok in the Witchtok space, so I’d avoid it until you have your basics firmly. Witchtok can be fun for community, but it’s not a resource.

Low-cost resources:

Scribd - I did their free month trial back in September when I was on a sick leave and… it’s the best. Access to a large library of all sorts of books including a ton of witchcraft books. There are amazing books on there, BUT THERE’S ALSO A LOT OF SHIT so just careful :) I use text-to-speech to help me read as well, but there’s also a fair amount of audio books!

Podcasts - A free resource that’s really great for people like me with ADHD or who have a hard time with reading. It’s a good place for members in our community to discuss topics on a long-form format, meaning you can get more in-depth information and conversations there. Again, some are much better than others. Some I recommend are: -BS-Free Witchcraft by @traegorn (also go follow them here, they’re hilarious and lovely and so smart) -Magnolias and Magic - Hosted by WarriorwitchNike and Georgina Rose of Da’at Darling with Anthony Wolfe -Test Tubes and Cauldrons - Astra, Fel, and Han discussing Magic’s place in a material world. -The Witch Daily Show - a cute little monday-friday podcast discussing lots of different topics and headlines, hosted by Witch Way Magazine. -New World Witchery - by Cory and Laine, they discuss practices of North America, great for people on this side of the pond who are more conscious of their local environment.

There are some other websites with free public-domain documents and books, but I honestly wouldn’t recommend them for new practitioners. They’re a little difficult to navigate sometimes and I think they’re a bit more advanced.

Topics I recommend getting a solid understanding of: -History and origin of modern witchcraft/magic traditions (Wicca, neopaganism, new age) -What is a correspondence and why do they work? -Protection magic -Types of magical paradigms (spirit model vs. Psych model) -Cultural appropriation, common trespasses (I’m gonna give you one for free - stay away from white sage), what is a closed practice, and cultural appreciation

You can get a pretty good foundation of the lay of our community when starting with these topics and it’ll give you a head start on figuring out what you believe and how your practice will unfold. I think these topics are some of the most important ones to get right at the beginning. Everything else will come in time. You can look up how to cast a job spell, but if you don’t understand why it works, it’ll be less effective. It’ll also give you the ability to analyze a spell and make substitutions as necessary. It’ll also keep you safer from some of the more unsavoury parts of our community because there are people who want to hurt you or recruit you.

Lastly, I want to just address one thing: people will tell you that you shouldn’t do xyz for some amount of time when you start. You don’t have to listen to them. Usually people say this about spells or deities because those are considered to be “dangerous.” This isn’t necessarily true. You don’t actually have to listen to anyone. You can ignore everything I’ve said here and start your research with a book on astrology.

My main advice here is to use critical thinking skills with everything.

What is being said?

Who’s saying it?

Why are they saying it?

Who benefits from it?

Who is harmed by it?

When was this written?

What influenced it?

These are some basic questions to ask when researching any topic, but especially witchcraft and magic. There’s a lot more questions you can ask when using critical thinking, but that should be enough to get you started.

Have fun friends, and enjoy the journey. It takes a long time to get anywhere, but the work is well worth it.

#baby witch #witchcraft #witchlings #witchblr #witchtok #wicca #grimoire #witchy tips #paganism #witch #witchy aesthetic #pagan witch #beginner practitioner #beginner witch tips #new practioner #witchy advice #new age #astrology #wiccan #magick #witches of tumblr #witchy

[mysteryfleshpit]

Q&A 003

@evasive-breakdancing asks:

In the Incident Report, you mention extremities surfacing near the orifice. Can you elaborate on what the limbs looked like?

The event was very traumatic to the people living in and around central west Texas and was documented in a variety of ways. Of particular merit is the painting entitled “Limb Rising Near Midland” from 2015, which depicts a striking portrayal of one of the limb extremities of the superorganism emerging during the early morning of July 5th, 2007. While the event happened at night, the scale and destruction captured in the painting is reflective of the tragedy as felt by those who lived through it.  

@joysweeper asks:

Is it true that the restaurants in the Lower Visitor Center served meat carved from the living flesh of the Pit itself and cooked in its juices, or was that a marketing gimmick?

While there are hundreds of urban legends circulating around about the park serving flesh from either the Superorganism or any of the myriad of wildlife within it, these rumors are completely untrue. No restaurant within the Mystery Flesh Pit National Park ever served these items, for two main reasons: 1) Pit Flesh, as well as flesh from virtually every species found within the park, was and is notorious for its very tough and oily texture which is quite unpleasant. Even when cooked with a generous amount of seasoning, the mineral-like flavor of the fleshpit meat was a very tough sell to even the most adventurous foodies. And 2) After 1980, intentional, unauthorized damage to either the superorganism or wildlife within the superorganism constituted felony trespass and destruction of government property. No vendor granted an operating license within the park would dream of invoking such a severe sanction for such a relatively worthless prize.

@cumaeansibyl asks:

What kind of information do we have about pre-Columbian ritual practices centered around the MFP? Was any of that research able to continue post-containment?

The extent of our knowledge of pre-Columbian cultures relation to the Pit is heavily based on the few (publicly available) records of the ruins adjacent to the Entry Orifice. From what we know, there was definitely an advanced awareness of the Superorganism among local and/or ancient cultures. How this awareness manifested is unknown. Some scholars speculate that the pit may have been a focus of worship, possibly involving sacrificial offerings. No evidence of ancient cultures descending into the pit has ever been found, but this doesn't definitively rule out pre-Columbian expeditions. The controversial discovery of early colonial Spanish armor within the sand gullet seems to dispel the common notion that complex technology is required to descend at least that far into the pit.

@brainy-twilight asks: 

You said that some people were recovered from compound surface fauna. How many were 'successfully' removed? Are any still alive today?

While HIPAA and similar regulations prevent me from finding out exactly how many people even suffered amalgamation, It's estimated that fewer than half a dozen ever survived the treatment process to recovery. “Recovery”, though, is a loaded word here. The “treatment” co-developed by Baylor Medical Center & the Anodyne Corporation was highly dependent on the nature of the amalgamation, and seems to have been most successful with combined masses containing only human tissue.  

The procedure for treatment involved removing the brain and as much of the spinal cord as possible from the amalgamation. When possible, extraction of other organs such as eyes, cochlear tissues, tongues, and larynx would later enable the “recovered” patient a sensory experience much closer to that which they had previously enjoyed, since medical technology is even still unable to replicate the organic sensory quality of human sensory tissues. However, the difficulty and cost of this additional procedure all but ensured that this rarely took place.

Once extracted, the brain of the individual patient would be placed in a nutrient salve and connected to a proprietary interface and life-support system developed by the Anodyne company. A rudimentary computer-based system could be used to communicate with the recovered patient after several months of therapy, and in some cases individuals were reportedly able to use vocorders to synthesize speech. It is unknown how many (if any) of these individuals are still living today.

Anonymous asks: 

Is Anodyne still operational? (the company)

Anodyne was formally dissolved in 2009 following its bankruptcy filings, with its remaining debts and liquidation being managed by the reorganized Permian Basin Recovery Corporation. Through nebulous political machinations, the Permian Basin Recovery Corporation was awarded an exclusive and indefinite contract to oversee the management of the Superorganism Containment Project. Today, the PBRC continues many of the same extraction operations that the Anodyne Corporation did before 2007...

@lost-forest-heart asks: 

What exactly is a gasp owl?

Gasp Owls / Suckling Sprites / Bugguns are all names given to the same peculiar type of animal found in deeper portions of the Mystery Flesh Pit's anatomy. They are very elusive and are one of the least-studied fauna within the Park, with very few living examples surviving in captivity long enough to study.

They are believed to be descended from an avian ancestor, though this is speculation at best. The name “Gasp Owl” is a reference to the characteristic labored breathing which plagues these small and curious creatures.

Many tourists and park staff would erroneously report having spotted the fabled “Marrow Folk”, when in reality they had stumbled upon a small brood of frightened Gasp Owls.

Anonymous asks: 

After the disaster were the emergency phones still working? If so could they be called or called from still?

Yes, after the 2007 catastrophe, efforts were made to re-establish a communications network within the Mystery Flesh Pit which included the many trail emergency phones, though the greater percentage of them have remained unused since 2007 and have likely been overtaken by growth.

@pretty-art-i-really-like asks: 

what are the stories behind some of the memorial sites found in the park, such as the Gatti Circus Tragedy memorial, and the Fred J. Agnich memorial dam?

The Circus Gatti Tragedy Memorial commemorates the 1976 tragedy in which the traveling entertainment group Circus Gatti was scheduled to perform a daring high-wire stunt show directly above the then under-reinforced entry orifice as part of a publicity stunt. During the performance, several chimpanzees, which had been scheduled to perform, became panicked to the point of disrupting an ongoing routine by a troupe of clown stunts-people.

While the soft flesh of the pit throat cushioned the performers fall, an unexpected stretching of the moisture crops allowed them to slide down into a then-unreinforced area of the pit.

Rescue personnel were able to locate the performers inside a digestive sac a few hours later, but by that time, all 50 stunts-people had already begun being digested by the pit. Rescue personnel cut them out, correctly guessing that many were still alive. An experimental antacid spray was discharged on top of the gooey, shrieking mound, but it was too late.

Instead of reducing the acidic effects on the partially-digested bodies of the performers, the experimental compound flash-calcified into the “Circus Clown Chymus” formation that appears on the trail today. The Memorial was constructed in 1986 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of their deaths.

The Fred J. Agnich memorial dam was so named to commemorate the legacy of Texas Statesman Fred J. Agnich, a vocal proponent of the Texas State Parks.

#mystery flesh pit #mystery flesh pit national park #cosmic horror #lore #worldbuilding #horror art #horror writing #body horror #unreality

[bigbadredpanda]

Hi,, I hope I'm not bothering you with this and I'm sorry if my English isn't good, I hope you can understand my questions. I've been thinking about this for a while now and I tried to find information online but I found nothing.

MDZS is the first Chinese Novel I've read and I still haven't finished it yet,,but I've heard about rumors that said that MXTX is in jail, because she sold copies of her books. The rumor isn't true, however it made me wonder something,, I know China's censorship on lgbt related stuff is really heavy and that's why the donghua and drama adaptations of MDZS and other bl works are censored, but I didn't know that authors couldn't sell their novels.

So my question is,, how does MXTX earn money if she isn't allowed to sell her works? She has already finished 3 Danmei novels, and her works are really popular, they even have manhua, donghua or drama adaptations. The adaptations have earned quite a lot of money, but since she's an anonymous writer, does part of it even go to her?

To make the drama, the donghua and the manhua, producers had to ask her permission, I think. So, since the adaptations are doing well, she should get part of the profit, but how does it work? If the Chinese Government really is against lgbt themed works, shouldn't they have done something about her?

I really love her works and I hope that she earns something since she is the one that created all of them. Thanks for considering my question!!

Hi both of you and welcome to the cnovel fandom! Quick intro of the author, MXTX uses a pen name like many webnovel authors, it’s the abbreviation of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu which literally means “Ink Fragrance, Copper [Money] Stench” (墨香铜臭). Fun fact, it’s her mother who coined that name. MXTX wished to pursue a major in literature during university but her mother wanted her to graduate in economy instead while keeping writing on the side, that way she would have the fragrance of ink in one hand and the stench of money in the other.

We also know that she is fairly young, she wrote Scum Villain while she was a university student and she started working on the outline of MDZS in her final year. Tian Guan Ci Fu (Heaven Official’s Blessing) is the third book she completed and a fourth novel is/was in the works, its provisional title is “No rest for the death god” and is supposed to be a supernatural story taking place in a modern setting.

MXTX is one of the most popular webnovel authors on Jinjiang Literature City, the webnovel platform, but her popularity also comes with a great many detractors. You’ve heard some of the malicious rumours circulating in the English-speaking side of the fandom, it’s just a drop in the ocean compared to the outpouring of heated controversies in the Chinese side as the latter can have real-life consequences. There is a different nexus between the creator and the audience and the fandom culture is not the same either, it can be quite deleterious due to the tendency to report any content that one disagrees with.

Censorship in China is... ever-changing and nebulous. How severe it is depends on the medium. Nevertheless, gay literature (同志文学) does exist in China and it is distinct from danmei. I also want to nuance a bit the pervasive idea that anything lgbt is systematically and relentlessly censored in China. The reality is more complex than that and it would be dismissive of the hard-fought gains and visibility that Chinese lgbt activists have obtained these past two decades (some concrete examples: the work of the lgbt centre in Beijing or the pride festival in Shanghai). I don’t know if people are aware of this but lgbt dating apps are thriving in China, the most popular one, Blued, is also the largest lgbt social network worldwide. With that said, the official policy towards homosexuality is the three No’s: “no approval, no disapproval, no promotion”. A stance comparable to the “don’t ask, don’t tell”. It’s not explicit persecution but it manifests in the silencing of public discussion and the limiting media representation of homosexuality. In 2017, the top media regulator that oversaw radio, film and television  issued guidelines banning a number of things, this included obscene and violent content, homosexuality, superstitious pseudoscience (such as reincarnation or spirit possession). On top of that, there is also an ongoing crackdown on online pornography that gets increasingly intense. And that concerns everyone on the internet, it’s astonishing the lengths netizens will go to in order to circumvent the censorship, new slang is developed to refer obliquely to banned words, fanfics are published in image format to prevent text recognition, etc... The censorship might be increasingly prevalent but netizens push back with their resourcefulness. Pushing back is also not without significant risk. Perhaps you have heard of the case of the danmei author that received a severe jail sentence? A few Western media picked up on that and criticised the ruling that was deemed homophobic. Chinese reactions tell a slightly different story, the author's crime was not writing danmei, she was in fact accused of making a profit by illegally producing and disseminating pornographic material. I’m not too keen on the details but it seems she printed the books herself and sold them online. To some Chinese observers, the ruling was not discriminatory because she did break the law. To others, it was absurd because this law dates from an era when internet barely existed and it would have been much more laborious to mass-produce and share porn at that time. There’s a bit of truth in all these points of views. It’s also not disingenuous to say that lgbt content is more likely to be targeted than het content even if the charges are not directly lgbt-related.

Usually contracted authors of webnovel platforms have a more secure status. They get a fee from the purchase of VIP chapters as well as tips from the readers. Other sources of revenue arise when webnovels get popular enough to get the opportunity to be published through official channels or when adaptation rights are sold (I assume that the author receives a share of that deal but perhaps does not get any further financial gain from the adaptation or its merch).

To support the author, I would suggest purchasing TGCF on Jinjiang (guide) or buying the physical versions of her three novels in Chinese (shop, change to English with top-right world icon), the special boxsets of MDZS and TGCF come with tons of goodies!

Hope I could be of service and that my tirade was mildly informative ^^'

#mxtx #answers #nerdsupreme #meandering thoughts #trashysiomai

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Do you any suggestion for Super Sentai?plz

*cracks knuckles*

Well first off, if anyone wanting to get into Super Sentai watched Power Rangers growing up, I’d check out the series whatever season you watched was adapted from to see how things went there in comparison to how they were in the United States. So if you grew up with the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, watch Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. If you don’t know what the Sentai the season you grew up with is called, I’d check out RangerWiki, which provides a lot of information on both franchises.

I’d also recommend checking out a few episodes of the very first Super Sentai entry, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. Not all 84 episodes, mind you, but I’d just watch a few to see where Super Sentai got its roots from, because the team football attack gets referenced a lot further down the line. Yes, you read that correctly.

But for individual seasons for beginners, it’s harder for me to answer. Super Sentai has varied aesthetically and tonally across its 45 year run. Some shows are dark and gritty, while others are light-hearted and goofy. Some shows have a vehicle motif, while others use animals for a motif. So the seasons I’m going to talk about will cover all kinds of tones and themes across the years. I also haven’t seen every single entry, so these are the ones I’ve seen that I recommend for beginners.

Denshi Sentai Denziman (1980-1981, 51 Episodes)

Centuries ago, the evil Vader Clan conquered and decimated the Denzi Civilization. In the modern day, the talking dog IC awoke from his slumber when the Vader Clan began their invasion of Earth. So IC recruits five people to become the Denzimen to defend their planet and stop the Vader Clan once and for all.

The first three seasons of Super Sentai were very experimental, but Denziman was where Toei started to get an identity for Sentai down. Not only would the black visors and sculpted mouthpieces become a staple for Sentai’s (and by extension, Power Rangers) suit designs, but this was also the first season to really start a few Sentai traditions. It was the first season to have female villains, the first to use a transformation device for the heroes, the first time the monsters grew to fight the team’s giant robot.

The Denzimen, while not really going through any character development, are still very likable characters, especially Denzi Blue/Daigoro (played by legendary tokusatsu actor Kenji Ohba). The villains are also a lot of fun, a real improvement from the first three villain groups, who were all basically Earth-based terrorist organizations and/or death cults. The Vader Clan is full of villains who are just as entertaining to watch as the heroes, especially Queen Hedrian, played by the late Machiko Soga, who would later go on to play Witch Bandora, the character Rita Repulsa is adapted from in Power Rangers. There’s not that much of an ongoing for most of the series, and it can get pretty goofy at times, but it’s still a really good show.

Choushinsei Flashman (1986-1987, 50 Episodes). 

Five infants are abducted by the Reconstructive Experiment Empire Mess to use as test subjects for experimentation, but are saved by benevolent aliens from the Flash Solar System. They all spend the next twenty years in the system developing their combat skills and special powers until they decide to head back to Earth to fight Mess themselves as the Flashmen, despite the warnings of their alien caretakers.

The 1980s are usually referred to by fans as Super Sentai’s golden age, with a string of great seasons thanks to famed writer Hirohisa Soda. Flashman is no exception. While Denziman tended to have more stand-alone episodes, Flashman is more story-driven. Later on, there’s a really dark plot twist that I don’t want to give away. Admittedly, some of the special effects can be dated to showcase the Flashmen’s powers in addition to stock footage being reused a lot, but the action and camerawork are still fast-paced and rarely do the fight scenes get boring.

The villains are the kind you love to hate, and their actors all give great performances, especially the late Unsho Ishizuka (the Japanese voice of Professor Oak) as Great Emperor La Deus. This is easily one of the darker Super Sentai entries, but if you don’t mind that, I highly recommend it.

Choujuu Sentai Liveman (1988-1989 49 Episodes). 

At an academy for the finest minds in the world, three of the students feel their talents are being wasted on designing a satellite to conduct scientific research. They soon join up with Great Professor Bias, leader of the Armed Brain Army Volt, who takes them all under his wing as his students and generals. Before they leave, they kill two students, leaving their three friends traumatized. Two years later, Volt begins its plan to conquer Earth, but the three friends of the two victims developed their own technology to fight them as the Livemen in the two years since they last saw their former classmates. Bias’ students have developed their own abilities through mutating their bodies, starting a conflict between some of the most intelligent youths in the world while figuring out what Bias’ evil plan is...

Some Sentai fans consider this to be even darker than Flashman at times due to the themes discussed. Unlike earlier seasons, the heroes have a more personal connection to the villains, and act as foils to them in terms of morality. The show also has some surprisingly deep themes at times, deconstructing the harsh standards the Japanese have for education and the effects they can have on people. Seriously, the main villain, Great Professor Bias, sets up a competition for his generals as a way to advance his plans, treating it like a high academic honor. 

This series also has some amazing special effects for the time. This was the first Sentai series to have an animal motif, so they go all out by using one of the most complicated models for his giant robotic lion, a stunning innovation for special effects. It was also the first series to introduce the gimmick of combining two robots, which is a genius marketing tactic when you think about it, motivating kids to buy both robots to combine them. Even putting those technical aspects aside, this is still one of the most iconic Super Sentai seasons, and a must-watch for beginners.

Choujin Sentai Jetman (1991-1992, 51 Episodes)

An elite soldier is chosen for a top-secret military project meant to turn him into the leader of a team of supersoldiers called the Jetmen. After he gets his powers, the satellite base is attacked by the Dimensional War Party Vyram. Not only are the four remaining “Birdonic Waves” meant to empower the rest of the Jetmen scattered across Earth, powering four civilians instead, but the soldier’s fiance is killed in the process. So he has to recruit the rest of the Jetmen and form a competent team to stop the Vyram from conquering their dimension.

A lot of Precure fans view Heartcatch as the best series in the entire franchise, and many Sentai fans view Jetman the same way. It was a huge success in ratings and toy sales, which actually helped to save Super Sentai from cancellation after the disastrous sales and ratings of the previous series, Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman. It also had some elements that made it stand out from earlier Sentai seasons. While I’ve talked about how Marinette was forced to become Guardian against her will while the show doesn’t acknowledge it, this show actually does point out that almost the entire team is a group of civilians with no combat experience. Earlier episodes are not only spent assembling the team, but also training them to better fight the Vyram and pilot their giant robot.

The series introduced a love triangle for three of the Jetmen, and while controversial among fans, was very popular with Japanese mothers, who were rumored to find Gai/Black Condor very attractive and begged Toei to not kill him off. The love triangle, while arguably one of the weakest parts of this show (but still better written than the Love Square), was part of the main theme of the team being more conflicted, showing they weren’t all best friends all the time.

This extended to the Vyram, who also tended to fight with each other over their plans to conquer the Earth. Sure, there was the occasional villain in earlier seasons who tried to overthrow the big bad, but this was the first time we had a whole group of villains trying to one-up each other. The best way to describe the Vyram is if the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia were supervillains who were still competent at their jobs.

The series is also incredibly dark, and is often seen as the darkest Sentai has ever gotten. There’s a lot more violence and blood than usual, and a lot more onscreen deaths that aren’t just limited to the villains. Humans are actively killed or hurt in the crossfire, and it shows just how painful this war is. And because of all of that and many other reasons, this is seen as the peak of Super Sentai. If you have to watch a single Sentai series, watch Jetman.

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (1994-1995, 53 Episodes)

During Japan’s Sengoku Era, a team of five ninja sealed away the leader of an army of Youkai, rendering their kind powerless. In the present day, one of the few surviving Youkai tricks two bikers, who are actually descendants of two of the ninja in the past, into undoing the seal and giving all of the Youkai their powers back. Another descendant of the ninja recruits them into taking on the legacy of their ancestors to fight the Youkai, becoming the Kakurangers.

The 1990s were when Super Sentai was starting to delve more into fantasy elements rather than just science-fiction, and also started to take on a more light-hearted tone. Kakuranger is no exception. It’s a lot more goofy than the other entries, even using comic book-style graphics during its fight scenes. There’s also a narrator who appears to explain the history of the Youkai of the week, a detail I really like. While this show is still unashamedly goofy, it still gets more serious in the second half, but never loses its comedic moments entirely.

Like with Jetman, Kakuranger shows the reality of drafting two civilians to fight a war against the supernatural, with only one of the first three Kakurangers knowing how to fight. That Kakuranger in question, Tsuruhime/Ninja White, is easily one of the best Sentai heroines of all time. Not only was the first female and non-Red to lead a Sentai team, but she was only fifteen years old while the other Kakurangers were in their twenties. Marinette could learn a lot from her, and no, that’s not an insult. Tsuruhime is a complete badass, and a team-up with Ladybug would be the coolest thing ever.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, watch Kakuranger.

Kyukyu Sentai GoGoV (1999-2000, 50 Episodes)

The demonic children of the Grand Witch Grandiene begin causing natural disasters to bring destruction to Earth in order to revive their mother. In response, five rescue workers who also happen to be siblings are recruited by their estranged father to become a team dedicated to saving lives from the Psyma Family’s actions.

Did anyone ever watch Rescue Heroes as a kid? Imagine that show, but with the intensity turned up to eleven. This show is epic, with amazing action and some of the coolest giant robots in Sentai history. One of their robots is a giant train armed to the teeth with guns. Even putting aside the action, this show does a great job at highlighting all the dedication rescue workers have to their jobs by showing a lot of rescue scenes in addition to having GoGoV fight the Psyma. It even teaches the audience about firefighters from Japan’s Edo Period. There’s really not a lot of shows that explain what rescue workers were like in the past, which shows just how invested this show is in teaching people about rescue workers.

While this wasn’t the first Sentai series to feature a team of siblings (the first being the aforementioned Fiveman), I think it managed to capture the dynamic best. Family is a key theme of the series, with the healthy relationship between GoGoV contrasting with the more toxic environment the Psyma Family has.

This is easily one of the most action-packed Sentai series ever made. It is literally Fire Force twenty years before that anime premiered, and it is AWESOME.

Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (2004-2005, 50 Episodes)

In the not-too-distant future (Next Sunday, A.D.), the universe has come together to the point where Earth has made contact with several intelligent alien civilizations. However, intergalactic arms dealer Agent Abrella starts to help out the extraterrestrial criminals on Earth, called Alienizers, by providing technology and giant robots to them because he enjoys profiting from crime, and dreams of a world without the police. In response the organization Special Police Dekaranger, or S.P.D., brings together a team of officers to apprehend the Alienizers.

You want to see space cops doing space cop stuff? Then this is the show for you. Admittedly, this isn’t the most story-driven show, but is instead carried by its characters, who go through a lot of development. The Dekarangers have one of the best team dynamics in Sentai history. All of them are very likable characters, and it’s a lot of fun to see them interact. But the best character in the show goes to the Dekarangers’ boss, Doggie Kruger/Dekamaster, a dog alien who becomes a Dekaranger himself, labeling himself The Watchdog of Hell. That has to be the coolest title any superhero has ever had. Dekamaster is another one of the greatest Super Sentai characters ever, taking down a hundred goons in his first battle by himself.

I haven’t even gotten to Agent Abrella, one of the coolest Sentai villains of all time. He’s obsessed with profit and chaos, and he’s easily one of the most sadistic main villains compared to his predecessors. He isn’t some evil emperor who wants to rule the world. He just wants to raise hell and make a quick buck from it. He’s also voiced by Ryusei Nakao, the Japanese voice of Frieza from Dragon Ball Z. That’s another appeal of Sentai, the voice talent. A lot of big-name voice actors have voiced characters, like Mao Ichimichi and Kotono Mitsuishi. Hell, the currently ongoing Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger has Yuki Kaji of Attack on Titan fame voicing one of the main characters.

Dekaranger is easily one of the most popular Sentai seasons out there, as it has a lot of additional material. Not only did the Dekarangers get a theatrically released film like many other seasons before it, they teamed up with two separate Sentai teams, some of them cameoed in the anniversary series Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, they got a reunion movie ten years after its finale, four of the Dekarangers guest starred in another Sentai series two years after that, Uchu Sentai Kyuranger, which served as a prologue to a team-up with another Toei hero, Uchuu Kenji Gavan, and then that led into the Dekarangers cameoing in another Kyuranger movie meant to be an epilogue to that series.

Yeah, this is why I haven’t talked about the Sentai movies in this post. You don’t have to watch any of these unless you really enjoy Dekaranger, which you should at least check out. It’s slow at times, but it’s still a lot of fun.

Engine Sentai Go-Onger (2008-2009, 50 Episodes)

The Banki Clan Gaiark have traveled from their home dimension of Machine World and chosen Earth as their new home, but they have to pollute the planet to serve as an ideal living space for their kind. In response, sentient animal-themed vehicles called the Engines choose five humans to partner up with, the five humans in question becoming the Go-Ongers.

Unlike most of the shows I talked about, Go-Onger is incredibly goofy, and I love it. The characters are all incredibly likable, both the Go-Ongers and the Engines. While Sentai had touched upon the idea of treating the mecha as sentient beings, this was one of the earliest series to actually have their partners talk, leading to some interesting character dynamics. The villains are also really fun to watch. While they’re about as competent as Team Rocket at times, there are moments where you actually feel bad for them, especially towards the end of the series.

It’s also really funny. Granted, comedy is subjective, so you may not find the same things as funny, but there are a lot of funny moments in this show, all helped by the actors giving amazing performances. Go-Onger can get extremely wacky at times, like in Episode 31. I’m not going to say what happens, you should watch it for yourself.

What makes the humor really work unlike the last attempt at a comedy-focused Sentai, Carranger, it didn’t really feel mean-spirited by portraying the heroes as idiots by claiming to be “parodying” Sentai. Yes, the Go-Ongers can be dumb at times, but they still take their jobs seriously when they’re not goofing around. There’s not really much I can say about Go-Onger other than it being a bunch of dumb fun. If you’re in the mood to start off with something more light-hearted, I’d check it out.

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (2009-2010, 49 Episodes)

For centuries, generations of samurai have waged a war against a race of demons from the underworld called the Gedoshu. After their leader was temporarily sealed away for several years, the Gedoshu begin another invasion of the surface while trying to flood the Sanzu River, which grows through human misery. In response, the current generation of samurai, the Shiba Clan, assemble to fight the Gedoshu as the Shinkengers.

This was actually one of the first Sentai seasons I ever watched, as my first Power Rangers season was Samurai. And yeah, while Samurai is a really bad adaptation, I’m here to judge Shinkenger on its own. Admittedly, there are a lot of qualities that can be chalked up to cultural differences, like the whole honor code samurai have and certain plotlines you’d see in a jidaigeki film. The Shinkengers themselves are all very likable characters, and you can really relate to their struggles of being forced into this war (again, handled a lot better than what’s going on with Marinette). All of them have different responses to their situation. Some of them dedicate themselves to wholeheartedly following their lord (Takeru/Shinken Red) or being more vocal in their hatred of their duties.

The villains are also really interesting. Sure, the big bad is pretty boring, but the side villains are just so twisted they really steal the show. Takeru/ShinkenRed gets a rival who serves as a perfect foil to him, representing the idea of why one fights. Even the concept of the Gedoushu is pretty terrifying. Demons from another world hellbent on causing misery to flood our world with their water, which I must point out, is deadly to humans. They’re not my favorite villain group, but they’re a close second.

There’s also some clever plot twists that happen late into the series that I don’t want to give away. Sure, you might have a hard time getting used to the Japanese culture at first, but Shinkenger is still a great series.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (2011-2012, 51 Episodes)

The Zangyack Empire invades Earth and because of their army reaching across the universe, they become the greatest threat the planet has ever had. In response, the previous thirty-four Sentai teams unite to fight them. They succeed, but the attack they used to wipe out the battle fleet stripped them of their powers. A few years later, a group of space pirates come to Earth in search of “The Greatest Treasure in the Universe”. While the pirates couldn’t care less about stopping the Zangyack, they still have to deal with them while searching for the treasure, which is somehow connected to the previous thirty-four Sentai teams. Also, the pirates form their own Sentai team, the thirty-fifth Sentai team in particular, the Gokaigers, who have the ability to TRANSFORM INTO ANY OF THE PREVIOUS SENTAI TEAMS.

For Super Sentai’s 35th anniversary, Toei wanted to go big this time. While the previous two anniversary seasons only had movies that paid tribute to Sentai as a whole, this was the first season where the anniversary aspect was in the premise alone. 

The interesting thing is that the series was changed last-minute, and it was totally for the better. See, in March of 2011, Japan’s Tohoku Region was devastated by an earthquake registering at a 9.1 on the Richter scale. To this day, it was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan’s history, and that’s not even getting into the tsunami it caused the same day. What does this have to do with Gokaiger? In response to the tragedy, several tokusatsu stars including Super Sentai alumni took to social media to encourage kids to stay positive, and even asked some of Gokaiger’s showrunners if they could reprise their roles in an episode. Originally, there were going to be some cameos from past Sentai heroes, but it would only be limited to the ones whose powers would upgrade the Gokaigers’ giant robot. After this, there were a lot more cameos from Sentai alumni in the latter half of the series. Out of Gokaiger’s 51 episodes, 24 of them were tributes to past seasons. And that’s not even getting into all of the cameos in the movies too.

This was another one of the first Sentai seasons I ever saw, and it really helped me get into the franchise as a whole. It manages to explain things to people who haven’t seen certain seasons, while paying tributes to said seasons and making clever homages older fans will understand. Admittedly, the show does spoil the endings of the older seasons like Liveman and Jetman, so keep that in mind before starting this one.

Even outside of the tributes, the Gokaigers are some of the most memorable characters Super Sentai’s had in recent years. While they aren’t exactly evil, they start off not really interested in protecting Earth and care more about getting the Greatest Treasure in the Universe. The only reason they fight the Zangyack in the first episode was because their lunch was interrupted. A team of anti-heroes in Super Sentai hasn’t really been done before. Even then, there’s an interesting dynamic where some of the Gokaigers have more of a moral conscience than the others. And as the series goes on, they start to care more about protecting the Earth, even if they don’t admit it.

It’s just a really good show, and even if it isn’t your first, I’d check it out.

Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger (2013-2014, 48 Episodes)

When the alien entity known as Deboss invades Earth during the prehistoric era, another bird-like alien named Torin empowers several dinosaurs into the mighty Zyudenryu to fight off the invading force. After a brutal final battle, Deboss was sealed away, but his army of followers was still growing. In response, Torin started to recruit several humans throughout time into the modern day to become the Kyoryugers.

While Gokaiger was the first Sentai I ever watched, Kyoryuger was the first Sentai I watched every week as it aired, so it has a special place in my heart despite its middling reputation. Yeah, Kyoryuger has been criticized for starting the trend of Red Senshi stealing all the screentime, and while that can easily be applied to later entries like Shuriken Sentai Ninninger and Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger (the latter basically made Red and Gold the only ones to pilot the giant robots while the others watched), I don’t think it's as bad as everyone says it is.

There is just an amazing cast of characters here. It’s the first Sentai to be composed of ten rangers (while Dekaranger also had ten, three of them were just one-offs), and it does a really good job at balancing them all out. Yes, Daigo/Kyoryu Red does get a handful of power-ups and can be the focus at times, but the other characters all have their own distinct personalities and are just a blast to watch. I’d honestly recommend watching a few episodes of this show to get an idea on how to do an ensemble cast. If I end up doing the whole “tokusatsu has better toy tie-ins than Miraculous” thing, expect me to talk about how Kyoryuger introduces its new characters and giant robots.

And then there’s the soundtrack. Oh my God, the soundtrack. Sentai tends to have banger songs for their seasons, and Kyoryuger is no exception. “Vamola! Kyoryuger”, “Solid Bullet”, “Kyoryu Gold! Iza!”, “Yuuki Bakuretsu”, “Chou Shinka! Kyoryu Beat”, “Houkou! Bragigas”, and “Senkou no Brave”. So many of these songs are incredibly catchy, and I haven’t listed all of them. The show has a bit of a music motif, so it makes sense for there to be a lot of insert songs.

The one major flaw I have to point out is that you kind of have to watch the theatrical movie (which is only slightly longer than an average episode), in order to understand some of the plotpoints for the season’s endgame, but other than that, it’s still a really good season to start off on.

Mashin Sentai Kiramager (2020-2021, 45 Episodes)

The Dark Empire Yodonheim attacks the planet Crystalia, with the king’s brother betraying him and siding with the enemy. The kingdom’s princess is sent to Earth to recruit five warriors to fight the Empire. The chosen five all possess “Kiramental”, a way of weaponizing their imagination, which they use to defend the Earth’s radiance.

Precure fans might remember this being the season where Cure Star met the Red to promote the latter’s season (actually referring to Cure Star as his sempai), and I can kind of see why. A lot of fans have jokingly compared this season to Precure because of the gemstone motif and focus on creativity, with Juru/Kiramai Red acting like a Pink Cure according to some of the comments I’ve seen in Sentai discussion forums.

This is the most recent season to finish as of this post, and it’s already gotten a lot of praise in terms of writing, characters, story, and managing all of these during the COVID-19 Pandemic and having to adapt to losing five episodes in the process. The characters are very likable, the Red is one of the better ones in recent years with him being more timid compared to the more hotheaded ones, and the villains are also amazing, and some of the best in recent years. Episodes can range from funny to tragic to just plain awesome in terms of writing, with seemingly innocent filler episodes being the source of major bombshells and plot twists. 

Honestly, there’s not much I can really say about this show other than check it out for yourself.

But these are just my recommendations. If you do some research and see a season you like, I’d go for it. If anyone else wants me to do these for Kamen Rider and Ultraman, I’d be happy to.

Sorry this took so long.

#immaturity of thomas astruc #iota #not miraculous ladybug #super sentai

[godsporncollection]

So… you’re asks are on so I assume it’s okay to ask for help or advice but if not please just ignore, no worries ^^

I was raised by very Mormon Mormons and had a bit of a mental breakdown yesterday about if or not it was okay to say I was traumatized or had been in a cult. I know it’s fucked up but those are some pretty heavy labels to use and I don’t want to intrude or trample.

I’m not asking you to diagnose me cause that’s a fucked up to put on a stranger and don’t think anyone but a therapist/psychologist and myself can figure out if I’m traumatized. (I know other people have been traumatized by but my experience hasnt been horrifying so much as misleading and addictive, thinking praying healed my illness but I still get to watch not-gospel approved things and go to medical doctors and therapists and stuff. It’s not affected my life much beyond not smoking or drinking which i wouldnt do anyway for medical reasons.)

Basically, is the lds church a cult or is it just regular religion pain? Sorry for the rambles, I’ve never talked about this before and have zero basis for where I am vs where other ex-members are.

I love getting asks! I'm not often good at giving advice - mostly because my experience of leaving was 15 years ago and predates my queer identity, which means I really don't know what most of the kids leaving the church these days, especially those on tumblr since most of them appear to be queer, are going through - but I'll usually encourage my followers to suggest stuff if I don't feel like my answers are adequate.

Short answer

The word 'cult' has a fairly simple and neutral definition, but you're likely asking me if I think the church is a dangerous organization. I really, really do.

Long answer

I think that the fact that you've had a breakdown over this question is something that could help you find the answer for yourself. Obviously our gut feelings aren't always right, but you clearly feel something is wrong with the church. If it weren't a cult, or at least a big bad organization, do you think they would do so many things that make people suspicious of it? I know we were taught that those feelings come from satan, but I feel it's nothing more than a mechanism of control.

So, what is a cult? The word 'cult' actually has a pretty innocuous definition. Merriam-Webster has a few, the most relevant being:

"a religion regarded as unorthodox or spurious."

"great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work (such as a film or book)."

"a system of religious beliefs and ritual."

I'm sure there are many innocent organizations that qualify as cults with those definitions, but most people ascribe negative connotations to the word. Wikipedia touches on this, saying, "This sense of the term is controversial, having divergent definitions both in popular culture and academia, and has also been an ongoing source of contention among scholars across several fields of study."

When people say that the lds church is a cult - and many people agree that it is - they mean that the church is a harmful, controlling, and manipulative organization. That is the definition I intend when I use the term.

Now, how do we identify a cult? There isn't an official test, but we do have the BITE Model (Behavior, Information, Thought, and Emotional control). The BITE Model is a list of recruitment and control tactics compiled from research done by psychologists and psychiatrists in the fields of mind control, brainwashing, indoctrination, organizational culture, and cognitive dissonance. It's generally accepted that if your organization meets most of the criteria listed in the BITE Model, it's a cult.

Many of the points within the BITE Model regard personal experience, and personal bias can influence your interpretation. Those who are within the mormon church may only consider the worst possible interpretation of each of the BITE Model points, and neglect to fully appreciate how to apply them to the actions of seemingly innocent church members. By minimizing the responsibility of church members, and the church at large, they invalidate the damage done not only to others, but to themselves.

I haven't written out my own assessment of how the BITE Model applies to mormonism, but John Dehlin, a prominent exmo, has shared his. Dehlin colored the bullet points in the following ways:

Green: “I don’t think the Mormon church does this in modern times.”

Orange: “I see this happening sometimes in the Mormon church (like on Missions), but not as a general rule .”

Red: “This occurs regularly within the Mormon Church.”

Having it 'easy' can make it difficult for us to realize just how insidious certain acts and doctrines of the church can be; it really makes us doubt ourselves and think we're just overreacting. But whether or not the church's teachings were used to abuse you, classifying mormonsim as a cult is pretty straightforward: it is. It alienates it's members, harms those who try to escape, and offensively bewilders those who come across it. It's missionaries and leaders are charismatic and dangerous. It hoards wealth, paying the leadership very well, while still demanding that 10% from it's poorest members. It preys on our weak moments, dangling the carrot of eternal peace if only we suffer and give enough, only to leave us tired and in pain.

No one else can give you permission to feel what you feel. That's something that belongs to you, and your trauma is legitimate.

#if this sounds like a much more in-depth explanation than is necessary #it is #but since this is a public answer i figured i might need to lay down the groundwork for potential attacks from tbms #because yes this is very much personal opinion #it's just a very popular opinion within the community #AND mormonism is pretty harmful to pretty much everyone #exmo #exmormon #ex-mormon #apostake #cult stuff #cults #is mormonism a cult? #resources

[scripttorture]

I was reading through your tags, and I came across your discussion of the Milgram experiment. I had no idea it was so poorly conducted, in high school psych people always talked about it like it was the final word on the matter. It’s actually great to hear people did argue with the authority. Anyway, I do have a question about the difference between torture and abuse. You reference torture leading to communities for both victims and torturers and abuse not (at least, not the same way). 1/2

2/2 How important is this idea of “competing communities” to the reality of torture (not the legal definition so much, but the practical effect it has on the world)? And how important do you think it is to reference/display/show that in a story? I want depict torture accurately in my novel -thanks to you- and while it’s legally torture, there’s no discussion of community there, and I want to make sure I don’t exclude it if that’s important. Thanks for your help! I’ve learned a lot from you.

-

I think this is where my lack of a psychology or sociology degree is a disadvantage because I’m not sure if you’re talking about an established theory and if you are it’s not a theory I’m familiar with.

 Given that I think the most helpful thing I can do is talk about what these communities can look like and the place of these communities in fiction.

 I’ve gotten to a point where writing about these sorts of communities and the effects on communities, on generations, is quite instinctive. I don’t remember ever having to actively look it up as a separate thing and that’s partly because I grew up outside of the West surrounded by people from different parts of Asia. It’s a lot easier to grasp what these things look like when you’ve seen it, even if it’s at a remove.

 The reading I did which touched on the topic immediately made sense, because I could tie it to people and places I knew. To the fallout from the gulf wars and the partition of India and Pakistan sheering in two (hell Bangladesh because that was a mess). These things cast long shadows.

 All of this means I might struggle a bit to explain some of this. So I’m sorry if this gets a bit messy.

 Communities of torture survivors will look different depending on the situation in your world. Some important questions to consider when building this into the story are:

Is torture still going on in this place?

Are the people who ordered/allowed torture still in power or has there been a regime change?

Are the survivors still in the country where they were tortured?

Are the things they were arrested for/accused of still crimes?

If there’s been a regime change or torture has become less common what happened to the former torturers?

If the survivors are in a different country what are their material circumstances and how welcome are they?

What practical means of support do the survivors have?

If the atrocities are no longer happening how much time has passed?

 Communities of genocide survivors in Rwanda (who have remained in Rwanda) will look different to Rohingya survivors who have fled to Bangladesh. Communities of people tortured for being queer look different in countries where homosexuality is still illegal compared to countries that have legalised it.

 I’m not a sociologist so my opinion on why that is just opinion. But we can still use the examples above to illustrate a little of what I’m getting at with the bullet point questions.

 A large proportion of Rwanda’s genocide survivors returned to their homes or at least their home country. A lot of the genocide was carried out by ordinary people. That means that the people who attacked, tortured and tried to kill them were often neighbours and acquaintances.

 A lot of these people still live in quite close proximity to the individuals that attacked them. I think Rwanda did it’s best to try and get justice for as many people as possible but logistically some estimates say around a million people were culpable for the genocide. A lot of people were never arrested and the trials of the 100,000 or so people that were, were slow and not always fair.

 Rwanda also had a change of government so the people heading the genocide trials and reorganising the country were not the people in power at the time of the genocide. (Not trying to say the RPF didn’t commit crimes too. But a change from the government that was torturing to new leaders tends to give people more confidence that the crimes of the former leaders will be treated seriously.)

 Contrast this to the situation many Rohingya are in today.

 I don’t think it’s controversial to say that the majority no longer live in their home country. There were an estimated 1-1.3 million Rohingya in Burma before the ongoing genocide. It isn’t clear how many people have been/are being killed but there are thought to be between 700,000 and a million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh today*.

 The people responsible are still in power and there’s been no move to hold anyone accountable. There have been a couple of moves to return Rohingya to Burma, and the Rohingya have refused saying they’d be killed.

 Bangladesh… has not done a particularly good job of supporting the refugees. But they’re also a poor country dealing with a sudden influx of hundreds of thousands of people.

 These two situations have led to different different communities and different community pressures.

 I feel like I need to be a bit careful about what I say here as obviously I’m not part of either community.** I don’t want to put words in their mouths.

 My impression is that of communities of Rohingya survivors in Bangladesh things are still incredibly tense. Their general situation is unstable. The violence that drove them from their homes continues and the people responsible are still in power.

 My understanding is that there’s less community focus on healing and rebuilding and more focus on survival. Because unfortunately that’s the situation they’re in.

 My impression is that there’s been a lot more effort towards rebuilding and healing in Rwanda. Things like these counselling sessions and concerted efforts to reduce ethnic tensions do seem to have helped people move forward.

 Obviously the fact the Rohingya genocide is still happening and that Rwanda has had years to try and help survivors means this isn’t really a fair comparison. But the point here is to illustrate differing situations.

 To me the words ‘competing communities’ implies a situation where communities of torturers/former torturers and survivors are in close contact with each other. That’s not always the case. Survivors may end up in a different country. Torturers might be part of an occupying force that leaves- You get the idea.

 When these communities are living in close proximity there are still a lot of factors that can influence how they interact. Regime changes, justice and reconciliation efforts, support for mental health problems can all make a difference. Education and jobs can also make a difference.

 I’m honestly not sure whether de-radicalisation programs have ever been attempted for torture specifically.

 What I’m saying here is that (while I doubt a torture survivor is ever going to get along with someone who personally tortured them) I have heard stories where towns and villages containing a mix of people who were victimised by a regime and people who supported it have reconciled and been able to exist as a community. Even though some members of the community are never going to like or trust each other.

 Communities of torturers are… a lot more volatile. Rejali describes the toxic sub-culture torturers tend to build up in a lot of detail. It isn’t clear if this carries over into life after torture.

 The impression I get from interviews with torturers is that while the attitudes and beliefs may carry over former torturers don’t seem to stay in contact with each other. The group seems to form on the job and then fall apart without the job to hold them together.

 Now there is not a lot of research on torturers. So I honestly can’t say this is true. It’s a pattern in interviews but a dozen interviews do not a statistically relevant study make.

 I can confidentially tell you that most former torturers report social isolation after they stop and they seem to have difficulty forming and keeping relationships. It also seems likely that they have a high turn over rate (regimes can periodically purge them and their mental health problems can easily get them fired or reach a point where they quit.)

 So when I say ‘communities of torturers’ I’m mostly talking about numbers rather then an organised social structure. My impression is that apologists are more likely to do the work of organising then torturers.

 I’m going to try and bring this round to the question of what role communities and communal support can play in stories.

 Personally I think it’s something I’d like to see writers try to tackle more often. Especially since community can add a lot of depth to characters.

 I don’t think it should be considered essential to a narrative involving torture though.

 Torture means a large number of victims and communities of survivors. But not every survivor is going to be connected to those communities. Most Rohingya people have ended up in Bangladesh but not all of them have.

 Thinking about the victims of police torture in Chicago in the 80s, most of them were black and/or homeless. Given that particular segments of the population were targetted I think these groups could have processed this as a communal experience etc. But someone from a group that was less regularly targetted might not have had a way to access either community of survivors.

 Some victims end up isolated because they aren’t believed. With the rise in clean torture it’s become more common for things like ‘You weren’t tortured, you’re a spy and you gave them information willingly’ to be used to discredit survivors.

 And some victims end up isolated because their particular pattern of symptoms makes it hard for them to socialise.

 Some people just fall through the cracks. Some communities refuse to talk about or deal with torture when it’s happening around them. This… is not particularly healthy but it can come from a place of wanting to protect a survivor and reduce the risk of harm, especially if torture is still happening in the area and the people that ordered it are still in power.

 Isolation is a real problem. It is the experience of a lot of survivors. Especially at first. I don’t think there can be anything wrong with trying to portray that.

 Showing communities won’t work in every story. They take time to establish, demand more characters and when poorly handled they can steer the narrative away from the plot.

 However they can also bring some much needed relief to dark stories and create a lot more opportunities to show the variety and humanity of survivors.

 I am a little biased here. I love stories about people connecting and supporting each other in difficult circumstances. Including a community element is a very easy way to do that in a story.

 The kind of community your survivors characters have should be something that grows from the circumstances of the story.

 In a world where the Evil Empire was ousted survivors might feel able to meet in public to share their experiences or help each other. In a world where the Empire is still in power any meetings would be smaller, secretive and fraught with risk. Characters who have fled the Empire might find they have an easy connection to everyone else who’s fled. Regardless of where they come from.

 Is this something prior generations have had to contend with? If these things have been going on longer then there are more likely to be established community structures to support survivors even if it’s ‘smaller’ things like gifting neighbours meals.

 At the end of the day I think the details should be decided by what the story needs, what adds to it. Sometimes a community for the survivors characters will do that. Sometimes it won’t.

 I hope that helps :)

Available on Wordpress.

Disclaimer

*Some will have fled previous conflicts and have been in Bangladesh longer.

 **For those who don’t know this already my parents are English and Greek-Cypriot and I grew up in Saudi Arabia near Bahrain.

#dreaming-in-circles #writing advice #tw torture #tw genocide #writing survivors #writing torturers #writing recovery #torture and communities #torture survivors and relationships #attitudes towards torture survivors #mental health #factors that affect recovery #recovery #torture survivors

[stillness-in-green]

Ahistorical, Absurd, and Unsustainable (Thanks + Sources and Further Reading)

This post concludes the essay-as-written. I'm going to try to get a full version up on AO3 within the next few days, which I will link here (ETA: here) and on my tumblr generally. It will have properly hotlinked footnotes and a table of contents. It will also probably be all in one chapter, as it was intended to be read, with the exception of the resources below.

Thanks to @codenamesazanka, who provided me a lot of useful links to resources on Japanese law when I was still just spitting overheated hypotheses into the void. Thanks also to @robotlesbianjavert, @aysall and my tumblr-less BF for their game beta-reads, their catches of some grammar and spelling mistakes that would have ranged from annoying to mortifying, and for the checks on my thought process and organizational flow. Thanks to everyone in my chat group for putting up with me when I had a mini "oh god what am I doing I'm not a lawyer" meltdown over my first draft Logistics conclusions.

And thanks to all of the people on tumblr who read and reblogged this! If any of you want some further reading on the topics I discussed, or if you just want to double-check my information, see below to conclude:

Ahistorical, Absurd, and Unsustainable: An Examination of the Mass Arrest of the Paranormal Liberation Front

Introduction and Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four and Conclusion

Sources and Further Reading

I tended to start with Wikipedia and then either follow their source links or Google for further information when I needed more detail or to clear up the occasional bit of conflicting information. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking quite far enough in advance to save a link to every single source I used, but I’ve done my best to either dig them back up in retrospect or find another source relaying similar information.

All direct quotes, excerpted panels and canonical information comes from Viz's official translation of My Hero Academia or My Hero Academia: Vigilantes.

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Overviews on the pre-war Japanese incidents I cited for comparative purposes:

The March 15 Incident

The February 26 Incident

The Rice Riots. Further information sourced from the rather more detailed Japanese page.

The formation and immediate ban of the Farmer-Labor Party.

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General reading on uprisings, riots, coups, and protests that otherwise got out of hand.

The Era of Popular Violence

Rebellions in Japan

Attempted Coups in Japan

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On Aum Shinrikyo and the sarin gas attacks:

Wikipedia has some basics, but further information was sourced from a Congress report on Aum some seven months after the attack and this Aum retrospective written last year.

The Wikipedia page on Underground.

For another story wrestling with these topics, consider giving the anime Mawaru Penguindrum a whirl. Without explicitly telling you that's what it's doing, it deals with the difficulties—stigma leading to ostracization, depression and radicalization—faced by the children of a fictionalized Aum Shinrikyo expy some years following an equally obvious fictionalized expy of the sarin gas attacks, as well as critically depicting the state of society that may have lead members of Japan’s “Lost Generation” to cults like Aum to begin with. There’s a good but spoilerific breakdown on that aspect of the show here.

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International referents:

India’s Million Man March, and a BBC report on the arrests/detainments.

An article about a lawsuit brought by the ACLU over the Baltimore arrests, and the cite on 24-hour releases.

This article is my source of the 1,200 number on the mass trials in Egypt. This one is a more in-depth look at the problems with the trials, while this one shows that the mass trial problems are still ongoing.

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Japan’s laws:

The Peace Preservation Laws

English translations of the Penal Code and the Subversive Activities Prevention Act.

An overview of the state of criminal conspiracy law in Japan circa 2007, looking at the first incarnation of what would eventually become the 2017 law.

A scathing opinion piece on said 2017 law.

A citation on the Subversive Activities Prevention Act being invoked against Aum, and only Aum. Dated year-of, but there have been no invocations of it since, despite Japan seeing a marked upswing in anti-new religious movement sentiment after the sarin gas attacks.

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Japan’s penal system:

A broad overview on Wikipedia.

Two sources for numbers, one less recent, but with more context and detail here; another with the most recent numbers available here.

Cite for 2018 number of arrests.

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The trial process and criminal justice:

An exhaustive report on the structures, status, and proceedings of criminal justice in Japan at every stage from the initial arrest to post-release services circa 2019.

The Wikipedia article on pre-trial detention cells in Japan, which has a decent overview of why they’re controversial. See also the entry for the role of confessions in the indictment process.

Cite for the number of deaths caused by law enforcement in Japan in 2018.

An overview on lay judges, and an article on the Japanese public’s broad discomfort with the system.

A good article on the high conviction rate and what activists call “hostage justice.”

Another good article on the conviction rate, this one touching on several of the aspects I mention about lenient sentences and coerced confessions, as well as some that I didn't, like corrupt or compromised judges.

A broad look at attorneys in Japan and, buried in an article on the lay judge system because I could not for the life of me find the interview I read that talked about it, a citation for the unpopularity of defense attorneys. (Footnote 365)

A Wikipedia page for Yasuda Yoshihiro, who I quipped about in a footnote and refrained from explaining further. Long story short, he’s maybe the example of an unpopular defense attorney in Japan, an anti-death penalty activist who has served as defense in a number of high-profile cases, absolutely the most notable of which was that of Asahara Shoukou, the leader of Aum Shinrikyo.

An interview with the CEO of Cross Career, an employment agency founded by an ex-convict and dedicated to helping others like him find work. Talks some about the stigma around felons and how it impacts recidivism in Japan.

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On children in Japan:

An exhaustive rundown on the state of alternative childcare in Japan.

An article about the way children’s independence is founded on a strong faith in their community, and a post that mentions the TV program Hajimete no Otsukai (My First Errand).

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On AEDs:

An article from relatively early on—back in 2007—in the rollout. From the following year, there’s this rather drier but informative article from a medical journal discussing the effectiveness of the movement thus far and steps that could be taken to make the public more confident in using the devices.

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Further relevant My Hero Academia meta:

Tumblr user @codenamesazanka has posted some excerpts and discussion about Murakami’s Underground and how the issues Murakami raises can also be seen in My Hero Academia.

My take on the MLA and quirk supremacy, part of a much longer piece covering my general lore on the MLA, its members, and its history. For some more specific discussion on why I think the series itself supports the view that the MLA at large was not as hardline quirk supremacist as Geten claims, see Geten’s section “On Quirk Supremacy (and Re-Destro, still)” in this post about my headcanons for the canonical MLA members.

#bnha meta #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha #my writing #plf arrests #stillness has salt