i accidentally raison d'être

I’m using six colours in the piecing, which should make it 92”x109” (unless I mess with the pattern even more and take one of the rows out completely) which will technically be a king size LOL The seventh colour pink is gonna be used on the binding so I get to use alllll the colours we had in stock in the shop 🎉

Okay, blocks done and middle rows complete!

I did take one row out of the centre so there are only two red centre blocks instead of three. 109” is too big for my queen bed, but I can work with 101” LOL

Technically this will still fit a king at 92”x101”, but I am a blanket hog and that feels like a really skinny king to me.

ALSO??

Because I altered the amount of rows (downsizing) but did not alter the amount of blocks I made, I ended up with just enough left over to make two matching pillow cases! They are even on point like the quilt.

And it’s so fucking big LOL

Not as big as the greyscale king for my brother, but still. It feels big.

As you can see a little from the roll on the back of the long arm, I found a fun rainbow universe print to put on it with all the colours on the front.

I’m quilting the pillowcases too, though in a tighter pattern so they can handle more washing.

The pillow cases look so good too. As I mentioned, I quilted them much tighter than the quilt so they can be thrown in the wash a lot more. Same pattern, just smaller design.

It’s so busy, I could stare at it for hours finding things in the prints.

Also? I love the pink binding. I really did want to use every colour, so this was a nice compromise to having to resize everything LOL

The backing is also so busy LOL You can hide a lot of pet fur on both sides of this thing.

The pillowcases turned out great. I used the leftover from the backing to back the pillow cases so that everything matches. And they’re envelope style so the pillows won’t slip out. Hate it when the pillowcase slips off my pillow.

location: moss oasis, endless barren waste

I tapped my ears, full of the special prescription-grade earplugs the post-deployment med folks had issued me. "I'll be fine, dear," I said, my voice distorted in my own head. "Besides, I'm used to loud."

So from then on whenever one of us called something problematic, he would make us talk it out until we could name the “bad” thing we were hinting at. In this particular class, 7/10 it was some type of oppression, and the remainder was like, “I’m uncomfortable because this is very new/confusing/pushing boundaries that made me feel safe.”

Once we stopped calling things “problematic” and stopping at that, class got way more interesting and... we all had to say, like, “that’s racist” or “that’s misogynistic” or “ew capitalism gross” out loud, which a lot of us had never done in a classroom before. Or we had to be like, “Uhhh... I’m not sure what’s so bad?” and confront our own beliefs and that was maybe even more useful.

So, very unfortunate news. I actually received a follow up in the mail, too.

start wanting rice. (or, if you are traditional, simply recognize your constant desire for rice.)

measure out two cups of rice. then one more. then two more. then another. this seems fine. you love rice. there is no way that this will backfire on you.

remember that your great-great-uncle’s recipe says it should be soaked overnight.

become consumed with despair.

decide to soak it for half an hour instead, acknowledging that the final product will be inferior and anger your ancestors but will still satisfy your now almost-overwhelming need for rice to be inside your body much faster.

remember that you should have set the water to boil when you soaked the rice. goddammit. 

once the water boils, put the rice in until it is half-cooked. the eyeballing or intuitive method is less effective than a timer but that’s how your aunt does it so you feel compelled to meet her standards.

now that the rice has fluffed up, realize how much rice six dry cups really is. holy shit. you’ve fucked up immeasurably. 

take a minute to dwell upon your failings.

grease a baking dish with butter. this will never be as elegant as you want it to and your fingers will get greasy, but the slightly shameful, self-indulgent joy of licking your fingers afterwards will make up for it.

pour the rice into the dish. wonder immediately if you actually buttered the dish beforehand and if you’ve just fucked up. 

melt approximately one thousand pounds of butter in the microwave and pour it over the rice, pondering your imminent death from rapid-onset arterial clogging. put a small pat of butter on the top to properly gild the lily.

put your pan into the oven, which you have absolutely preheated after your previous lack of foresight. shake the rice once or twice while it bakes to make sure the butter is well distributed. resist the impulse to climb into the oven with the rice. for the last ten minutes, sit next to the oven and count the seconds until it’s done.

remove the dish from the oven. shed a tear or two at the perfection laid before you. if you are dining with others, this is the time to serve the rice while making passive-aggressive statements about how oh no, you don’t need any help, you just made dinner all by yourself, you can serve everyone as well. (this is still fun if done alone, but optional.)

CONSUME THE RICE.

realize that you have eaten half of the dish in one sitting. no matter how much rice you made, this will always happen. 

put the leftovers away, if there are any, and enjoy a cup of chai while marveling at the amount of food you have just eaten. if possible, fall asleep in an armchair, sitting up, head tilted slightly back, like a grandpa.

1lb / approx. 2 ⅓ cups basmati rice (any long-grain rice will do)

3 tbsp salt

8 tbsp / 1 stick butter (you can reduce this if you don’t want to have a heart attack)

Put the rice in a pot and cover it in cold water and salt. Let it soak overnight. (If you don’t have the time to soak it, rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear.)

Edit: The reason you want to soak basmati and other aromatic rice before cooking is to preserve more acetylpyrroline, the compound that gives aromatic rice its characteristic scent and flavor. Soaking rice allows the grains to absorb water, which reduces the cooking time, which means less time for the acetylpyrroline to cook off. It’ll still taste pretty good if you can’t do this, but you don’t want “pretty good”, you want mind-blowing, so for that perfect flavor you’ll want to soak your rice overnight. The soaking process also washes away the layer of starch on the outside of the rice, which allows the grains to separate rather than sticking together; this is why you want to rinse your rice thoroughly if you don’t have time to soak it.

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Boil three quarts of water in a separate pot. Once it’s at a fast boil, drain the rice and add it to the water. Boil for 5-7min or until one grain tastes half-cooked, but not soft. Pour the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water.

Edit: This step also helps get rid of any remaining starch on your grains, for perfectly separated rice. If your colander or strainer has large holes, you can put a paper towel/cheesecloth/clean dishcloth on the inside in order to drain your rice. Pour carefully if you’re using a paper towel, though, and put a bowl underneath your colander; I once lost a heartbreaking amount of rice when my paper towel got oversaturated and tore open.

Liberally grease the bottom of your baking pan with some of your butter. Pour the rice on top. Melt the rest of the butter in the microwave and pour on top of the rice.

Bake for 45min. (If you like, cover the rice for part or all of the baking time, but I find it gets less crispy on top if you do this.) Shake the pan a couple times during baking to ensure that the butter distributes throughout the entire dish.

Eat.

Serves four. Can easily be scaled up if needed (or down, but why would you do that?). Best enjoyed with a nice cup of chai.

Labia Library

Breast Gallery-Nonsexualized Images of real, anonymously submitted breasts

it's natural to be curious about bodies--yours and others. the presence or lack of sexual intent motivating that curiosity is irrelevant. they're just body parts

i think that r/GrowYourTDick is the best repository of images of specifically trans masculine bottom growth. I can't comment on the culture of the forum, but there is absolutely a lot of images of transmasculine genitalia and extensive discussion of physical changes.

For (relatively*) trustworthy information, Hudson's FTM Resource Guide contains a lot of information about medical side effects and Things To Generally Be Aware Of, like increased risk for yeast infections and tips for managing locker rooms/swimming. *I can't verify that this information is up to date

I'm not directly connected to any trans masc transition support networks, but i know that discord is a thriving space for transition support and information sharing. i think it would be relatively easy to find positive community there. they often compile resources and information for members as well as provide topical discussion spaces. here's the disboard listings for public trans masc oriented servers

and this is just a really beautiful series of portraits of trans masculine people.

Archive of Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits by Loren Cameron, which includes images of genitalia in its "Genital Reconstruction" section, page 46. Portraits of clothed trans masculine people other than the author begin on page 34 in the "New Man Series."

A Genitoplasty Diary by Lou Sullivan (1984-1987) (no images but fascinating)

the evergreen Trans Bodies, Trans Selves

This response got really long, so I'm going to put this list of books/documentaries that have really influenced my perspective of the world whether or not they have influenced by personal brand of action/activism at the top (since things can definitely influence you without your knowledge). TDLR for the rest: I don't think this is exactly the response you were looking for, but I hope it gives you something about how I developed the way I think.

Documentaries:

The Century of the Self by Adam Curtis - Four part documentary on how consumerism was engineered via psychology by a cousin of Freud I believe. Crazy ass stuff everyone should be aware of - including how they got a bunch of independent and liberal voters to vote for Reagan.

The Jangmadang Generation by Sokeel Park and Chad Vickery - A documentary focusing on the stories of various North Korean refugees. It's important because it focuses on their personal experiences and humanity rather than the country itself. I got to meet Sokeel via Zoom. :)

Crip Camp by James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham - The story of a bunch of disabled kids who met at a summer camp for disabled kids and later met up again as activists. This is how I found out we have common disability accommodations like ramps leading down to crosswalks because a bunch of disabled people stormed a state government building and refused to leave for days no matter what was done to them. Wonder why they don't talk about that in history class?

Books:

Plastic Ocean by Capt. Charles Moore with Cassandra Phillips - The discovery and study of the Pacific Ocean garbage patch

Exit West by Moshin Hamid - Issues of immigration and refugees seen through a fantasy world.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith - Crazy story involving love, science, genetics, religious radicalism, class issues, and more.

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks - Detailed accounts of various mental illnesses/brain disorders that affect perception (caviat, these are more from the doctor's observation, so keep in mind these are not full experiences of the patients)

Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea - Graphic novel by a Canadian man who had a three month work contract as an animator in Pyongyang.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren - The story of a woman's journey through STEM and family trauma. I love it because it features a truly platonic male-female bestfriendship.

- I may reblog and add more later.

So this might be a disappointing response, but a lot of my personal philosophy on anarchy/direct action comes from my own lived experience, though I would say other people on Tumblr have been my #1 influence on developing and refining that. Ex: I didn't really consider the things I do a form of anarchy until I read someone's post on here about how the anarchists are the ones who help people in the immediate short-term while the politicians battle it out in Washington. The specific post I'm thinking of said something along the lines of that buying groceries for your neighbor living below the poverty line when their SNAP benefits/other programs aren't fully doing the job counts as anarchy because you're giving someone resources that society (by its design) didn't intend for that person to have, and that direct action is necessary because hungry people don't have time to wait for income limits for programs to be adjusted for inflation, legislation to pass, etc.

I would also say that I'm good at taking life lessons from weird places, so a lot of the authors/things I've read that have influenced my political/strategic thinking were writing about something else completely. The first thing that came to mind when you asked this was when I read Plastic Ocean for my environmental science in high school. Dude became like the leading researcher on the Pacific Ocean garbage patch with no formal scientific background. If I remember correctly, he was helping a kid with a science project on plastic on the beach, and then he just kind of spiralled into researching plastic pollution in the ocean, learned to write publishable scientific journal articles from reading print copies of other journals to get the format right, and actually snuck into a conference and just put up his research poster in an open space??? And that really hit me like "You can just teach yourself to do certain things, show up, and start talking about them???" Like yeah more likely than not, he was going to get kicked out of that conference, but that was literally the worst that could happen, and he didn't. My man took direct action on science and succeeded in turning the world's eyes to plastic pollution, and I think you'll notice that the idea of "Maybe it'll work, maybe it'll get ignored, but ______ is the worst that can happen, so why not try?" is very much integral to my thinking.

That environmental science class in itself did a lot for my understanding of activism. My evo teacher was a very educated and motivated woman, and she would let us direct the class topics for the day. One day we got on the topic of poaching, and she told us the real way to stop poaching is not to arrest and punish all the poachers, it's to address the systematic poverty in the regions where poaching is an issue because the people hunting down elephants against the law are doing it because they can get thousands of dollars for an elephant tusk, and that's enough to support their family for a year or more in an area with no living-wage work. That really got me thinking about how a lot of "bad people" are just desperate people, and I think you'll also notice that "Yeah yeah there's lots of things people should and shouldn't do, but morality isn't practicality, and desperate people do desperate things, so we need to eliminate the conditions that lead to people doing 'bad' things," is also central to my thinking about how to get things done.

The core of my ability to break down what the real problem is in different situations and figure out what action to take to get people's attention/cooperation actually comes from having a less than ideal childhood lol. My parents, who to their credit are much better now, were not super mature people when I was young, and they were both kind of volatile and unwillingly to do anything that mildly inconvenienced them, so I got really good at 1) reading subtle emotional cues (think "have you ever had someone angrily wash a dish at you?", 2) Understanding how to word things so that people will see the benefit and do what you're asking them to. Ex: I wanted to start a recycling program at my elementary school for my grade when I was 10 (very small rural school) by getting a tub for each classroom and collecting the paper on Fridays. My Mom said "No, I don't want trash in my house." My Dad saved metal and paper to take to the recycler to get money (not because he cared about the environment lol), so I went and told my Dad I could get him an entire grade's worth of paper to turn in with his, and suddenly we were at the grocery store getting a tub for each classroom, and I emptied them all into a bag on Fridays and presented it to my father to his great praise and my Mom's grumbling. The school created a recycling program to replace me after I moved on to middle school because they liked it. :)

Breaking down problems is something I started to learn to do in my early teenage years because it made it easier to legitimize my pushing back against things. You get a lot more credit when you can articulate what the problem is and why you are taking a specific action against it rather than personally attacking every shitty adult/convention you come into contact with. The kids who got into shouting matches with teachers or started screaming and yelling because they hit their breaking point were valid in their feelings, but because they were uncontrolled in their emotions and actions, they got no credit or legitimacy from administration. I realized that kids and teenagers don't really have much power, so I worked really hard to build myself a reputation and ethos of being reasonable but not willing to take shit from anyone because just enough measured action to attack the real problem + determination to cause small, irritating problems about it that they couldn't justify throwing me out for meant that the shortest path to the end of a conflict with me was actually sitting down, hearing my concerns, and coming to an agreement. It got me to a place of "We know she's not stupid, and we know she's not a push over, so since we can't manipulate her or stop her, I guess it's time to talk" with administration.

Trøllabundin eri eg eri eg Galdramaður festi meg festi meg Trøllabundin djúpt í míni sál í míni sál Í hjartanum logar brennandi bál brennandi bál

Trøllabundin eri eg eri eg Galdramaður festi meg festi meg Trøllabundin inn í hjartarót í hjartarót Eyga mítt festist har ið galdramaður stóð

English translation:

Spellbound am I, am I The wizard has enchanted me, enchanted me Spellbound deep in my soul, in my soul In my heart burns a smouldering fire, smouldering fire

If you want to get started in game writing, don’t look to the giants in the field (Bioware, Bethesda, etc.) to start with. They’ve got teams that have been working for a long time, with a lot of experience. If you want solid examples of how to get started, begin with World of Warcraft.