Trying to keep afloat

I have purchased Trans Wizard Harriet Porber and the Bad Boy Parasaurolophus

AFSGFBCHH??

In summary

there doesn’t appear to be a statute of secrecy type thing magic is just fully integrated with the modern world and modern technology

Harriet is a wizard, but that means that she creates spells by typing them out in long manuscripts, which on one level is a nod to the book publishing industry but on another level is kind of interesting in of itself

there’s a??? spellcasting industry??

there are different types of magic users other than wizards, and they appear to be based on the d&d classes

or at least, bards exist and they are distinct from wizard

the dinosaur is a bard

Bigfeet exist and they are integrated with modern society

there are sentient motorcycles and no one finds this in any way unusual

I literally have no idea how to describe what I’m experiencing right now. Like this is a somewhat poorly edited parody adult dinosaur romance novel but. It’s genuinely?? Creative?? In a lot of ways???? And there’s a lot of heart to it, a lot of genuine powerful messages about identity and about art and creativity and the fourth-wall-breaking device is...I can’t explain it because that would spoil it but it’s actually pulled off so well?????

This is not like, a humorous joke story this guy did for Being a Little Shit and Spite reasons, it’s like actually in its themes and message a genuine “fuck you” to j.k. Rowling’s transphobia even though it’s this absolutely wild janky batshit story and I have never experienced anything like this in my LIFE

Specifically, about the Coolers. And about Zuko.

The Coolers are, first and foremost, a means of firebender suppression. They are invoked as a punishment against unsanctioned firebending. They are designed, specifically, to shut down firebenders who have toed out of line. Like the metal prison in Imprisoned, like the suspended cages in The Puppet Master, these are prison facilities designed with a specific sort of bender in mind.

So then - Zuko.

Why throw Zuko in the Cooler as part of the escape plan? He should be EXACTLY the sort of person the Cooler is designed to work most devastatingly against. It would almost make more sense to try to get Sokka thrown into the cooler - he’s from the South Pole at least. Or maybe Suki, who’s not a bender at all. But they choose Zuko. And he’s successful. Subjected to the most severe form of firebender suppression in the Fire Nation’s most high-profile prison, Zuko is able to dismantle the Cooler and walk away smiling.

Why? 

I want to walk you through some facts:

In a tidbit of behind-the-scenes trivia, it was revealed that airbenders can regulate their body temperature with their breath alone. This is why Aang is so weirdly comfortable traveling around the South and North Pole (and really any climate in the series) in his normal monk garb. Everyone else changes outfits to reflect the changing climate, but not Aang, his breath has that covered.

It would be quite useful if a technique like that could be adapted to another style of bending. The same way that a waterbender’s redirection of their opponent’s energy could be adapted to the redirection of a firebender’s lightning. I bet the man who invented lightning redirection by studying waterbending would have some brilliant insight into using the breath for warmth by studying airbending.

In fact, that exact man tells Zuko “Remember your breath of fire. It could save your life out there.” back in Siege of the North. We see Zuko use his breath to warm himself that very episode, per his uncle’s instructions.

And we see Zuko use his breath of fire in one other case:

To endure the cooler.

I’m willing to bet - Breath of Fire, as a means to keep oneself warm, is not a native firebending technique. If it was, the whole concept of the Cooler would be laughable. Any prisoner would just Breath-o-Fire himself warm in there, and the prison guards would all collectively say “oh wow, the Cooler was a stupid idea, time for a new plan.”

But we know a traditional firebender would be sapped so cold in the Cooler that his firebending becomes unusable. If Zuko were relying on traditional firebending techniques, the same would happen to him. But he’s not.

Zuko’s Breath of Fire is an airbending technique. 

One that Iroh taught him. One the Fire Nation has no precedent for. One which lets Zuko ward off the freezing effects of the Cooler like it’s nothing, and allows him to dismantle it from the inside and come away smiling, unhindered, unaffected, warm to his core. 

Again, I don’t really think I was asked specifically, but hey, here ya go! ;D

of course i feel bad for a crying child. i even have some compassion for their mother bc yeah, it really sucks when a child you love is crying. i would know. i’m a teacher; it’s a normal part of the school week. (fyi: it very often has to do w stuff that’s happening at home or stuff that students don’t feel safe enough to talk about at home.) but this headline & image being used so transparently as an argument against distance learning is so upsetting and misleading.

i mean, send the kids back to school. let them infect their parents and grandparents. and then by all means run the news stories about these same children crying at funerals for the preventable deaths of their family members. because that is exactly what reopening schools will do.

1) DON’T use your search bar to find and open the Run app

2) DON’T type in services.msc

3) DON’T find Adobe Genuine Software Integrity Services and right-click to get a dropdown menu, and don’t select ‘properties’

4) if you happen to click properties, DON’T use the startup type dropdown to locate the option to disable the program. be sure you DON’T click apply to finalize that change. 

5) DO NOT do the same thing in order to also disable Adobe Genuine Software Monitor 

if you do all of these things, this WILL disable adobe’s ability to monitor the software, and you will be forced to continue using the same older software that you already paid for instead of having to sign up for a newer, shittier version and pay more for it. so if you have lots of cash to spare and are cool with putting it the pockets of racketeering capitalists, definitely don’t do any of these things. 

I’M SORRY MA'AM. I KNOW YOU’RE UPSET.

…”Will you tag (something that is not a common phobia or trauma trigger)?” is always an appropriate request.  Even if you’re asking “will you tag for the letter ‘e’,” you’re not crossing boundaries unless the person you’ve asking has already said, clearly, that they will not tag for a thing.

However, “no,” is an equally appropriate reply.  It’s nice to have reasons (no I will not tag frogs because I post too many frogs and I forget, meaning that the tag will not protect you; no, I will not tag Disney princesses because it says “Disney princesses” in my blog description and you knew this was a dead dove before you took a bite), but they are absolutely not required.

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First Screenshot:

ADHD might be easier for neurotypicals to understand if you know that adhd means that our baseline dopamine is lower than a neurotypical's. A thread on understanding ADHD a little bit more.

Second screenshot:

The most obvious result of this is depression, but not like clinical depression. It looks similar though. Boredom, nothing seems exciting anymore, and even surface level things like not getting out of bed and bad personal hygiene are there.

Because as you can imagine, low dopamine sucks. In its basis, it causes underexcitement. Someone with ADHD will take any opportunity for a shot of extra dopamine.

To an outsider, this looks like intense and always changing interests, inability to focus on mundane tasks, recklessness with money, overeating and snacking, always doing multiple things at once, inability to sit still, etc etc.

Third Screenshot:

And that's what ADHD was named for: what it looks like from an outsider's perspective. The hyperactivity. The symptoms that are inconvenient for neurotypicals.

ADHD is a disability. It causes us to be impaired or unable to function in a neurotypical world. It impacts our schooling, socialization, work etc.

But that's not how it's known to the outside world. People don't know about how it feels for us to be understimulated, to have a brain that just. will. not. do what you need it to, to be marked as lazy because our symptoms are misunderstood.

Fourth Screenshot:

The biggest thing of which is the inability to start and focus on mundane tasks. When a brain is at low dopamine, it does NOT want to do something that will lower that even more. It'll always be looking for something to increase it.

And that's why you'll often see us on our phones. They're a handheld dopamine machine. Social media, games, music, all the information about our special interests is at our fingertips. That's extremely interesting and tempting.

And before anyone compares this to addiction: stop it. Right now. All we want is the normal amount of dopamine. Compare it to being thirsty all the time instead.

Fifth Screenshot:

So, please, before you judge someone with ADHD for something you don't know a lot about, consider researching a little bit or asking that person if they can describe what's happening inside their brain. We're not lazy, just always looking for a normal dopamine level.

i hope you dont mind that i put some of my headcanons in it

i saw that his right arm is slightly short compared to the left one so i added my headcanon for it

Now imagine this is someone (likely a kid) thats just starting to explore art! Imagine if we all reacted like this to their “ cringey ” ocs and wonky anatomy doodles!!! Do you know how happy and inspired they would be? I just wish more people built up young artists because if we keep criticizing them and telling them their art isnt good enough you know what thats going to do? Make them not want to create, be ashamed of what they do, and feel bad about liking things.

I would rather take 15-20 mins out of my life to sketch somebodys oc then take 2 seconds and post a hurtful comment

Human s/o: Don’t push me away! I’m not afraid of you!!

How could you hide this beautiful thing in the tags?

human: i said i

If you dare come at me about banning straws, I will throw you into the sun cannon. I’m disabled, I’m crippled, I need disposable plastic straws, and all those pricey ridiculous alternatives aren’t working as well. Plastic straws were invented for the disabled.

Way to shit all over a vital access need because you think straws are worse than corporate greed.

We all care about the turtles, the seals, the oceans, obviously. Notice how the easiest thing to yell about was something that would barely affect anything but appealed heavily to emotional discourse.

The disabled community is huge, and it can be joined by anyone. Most of those As Seen On TV products were invented for us. Society still mocks us and ignores us, and often outright harms us in multiple ways.

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/great-pacific-garbage-patch-plastics-environment/

Occasional “im human and im frustrated” yelling happens. Those are usually followed by apologies and genuine effort not to do that again.

But if your parent/guardian is always SCREAMING at you, especially as a way to control or make you feel inferior (insults, threats, things they know make you subdue and guilty) THIS IS EMOTIONAL ABUSE. if they are purposely contorting your emotions as a method to control that is abuse.

If someone hits, kicks, slaps, or beats you (not just a gentle nonsexual spank on the butt) THIS IS PHYSICAL ABUSE, ESPECIALLY IF IT LEAVES A BRUISE, CUT ABRAISION, ETC.

If adults are making you dance in a manner to be sexual, do sexual things, or watch sexual things inappropriate for your age THIS IS SEXUAL ABUSE. it is not always touching your/someone else’s private areas (which is ALSO abuse.)

If your parent or guardian is depriving you of things that are essential for life (food, water, shelter, weather appropriate clothes, hygiene, medical) and it is not just a “we are literally too broke to get these things but im really trying ” THIS IS NEGLECT AND IS ABUSE.

Talk to a teacher or trusted adult. Anyone in a human service setting (educators, administration, health, etc) especially those in a child/ adolescent arena are MANDATED REPORTERS: they MUST tell CPS there is a problem. If you are in immediate danger be explicit: they will call 911 to keep you safe.