old man is always the first to figure out new food toys (even though ritalin is the one having instant success here)
shoutout to @palaeoplushies for recommending this ball for fishie enrichment :D
its the "JW hol-ee roller ball mini" (the smallest size)
I love this so much. Fish enrichment is so fun!!
people discovering steven universe in 2023 are always like "this show is really good why the hell were yall so weird about it"
#LITERALLY ME#I could probably find the conversation with my friend where I was like#‘yeah I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop bc I heard all the Bad Show Propaganda and then uh. That shoe never dropped. Good show.’
As someone that was there and started blocking the SU Crit tag because of so many bad faith accusations, yeah I think I can say a bit of what happened. Might be a bit disjointed but these are the things that I remember happening.
First thing was the release schedule. The Steven Bombs. Releasing like five episodes in one week and then nothing for months. This was something that CartoonNetwork had control over and might have been something that they tried to use to get Steven Universe to stop being so popular because it was gestures pretty queer.
If Steven Universe was a show that every episode was a stand alone, this wouldn't have been an issue, but it was a linear story. So major developments could drop; major character reveals/fuck-ups could happen and then the fandom would just sit on those for months. Instead of getting the next part of the story that resolved whatever just happened the fandom could sit there and stew in theories and emotions. So characters messing up would be blown out of proration and the resolution wouldn't feel like it actually enough effort on the one that messed up end.
One example was Cry for Help. When Pearl tricked Garnet into fusing more often. If I remember right, we didn't get to Pearl and Garnet actually talking out what happened there until months after the fact. In story not much time had past but for the audience that was plenty of time for people to be offended on Garnet's behalf and distort what happened.
Anther issue was "Gem Harvest" dropped right around the 2016 election. You know when Trump became president. This was made long before the election, but there were people who took that timing as somehow Rebecca Sugar and the Crew saying stuff that they weren't. I would also say this was when the discourse really took off. If that episode had aired when the crew thought it would, probably a year or months before then, I don't think people would have misread it was much as they did. It was about communication and also Uncle Andy is the one that had to realize that the way he acted had caused him to be isolated from his family. This wasn't Steven had to "make his racist uncle no longer racist all on his own" but "Steven gave him encouragement that it wasn't too late to change". But the timing was terrible and the Crew had no control on that. The Steven Bombs made several seasons last for years when they should have been over in some months.
Second, studio interference that fandom blamed on Rebecca Sugar and the Crew. The scheduling, the ending of the show feeling rushed; those were things that parts of the fandom blamed on the crew not the network. There were people that I recall saying that the crew just needed to change how Steven Universe was written to fit with the bomb format better, when the bomb format wasn't something that the crew ever wanted. That wasn't the show style that they were telling. The show got axed because Rebecca Sugar and the Crew wouldn't drop the wedding. They wanted it there because it was important to have in a kid's show. But because they stuck to their guns the rest of the story had to be speed up, and people thought that the crew should have written the ending better; when that ending was planned to have at least another season, not a week long set of episodes. Steven Universe was set up to be a long term story. One that gave time to each character to unpack their mindset and issues. But they couldn't do that with the Diamonds.
Third, people not understanding the theme of the show. Steven Universe was about family, emotions, and open communication solving issues. Characters resolved their issues by talking about them. By being open about what the issues were. That was the reason Gem War happened; because open communication because Pink Diamond and the other Diamonds just couldn't happen. We see that Steven is at his worst when he bottles up his emotions or refuses to talk about an issue that he knows he has. But despite this theme by the time we got to Change Your Mind, people were cheering for the idea of Steven shattering the Diamonds. Which ignores the theme of the show; communication. There were people that wanted Steven to kill the Diamonds when this wasn't that type of show. Steven always hated when he couldn't talk to another character and had to bubble them. Why would this kid resort to killing? That goes against the themes of this show.
Fourth, the rushed ending. The events of Change Your Mind, was something that the crew wanted to be its own season. I imagine that if the crew had gotten what they wanted we would have spent more time on Homeworld with Steven getting to know the Diamonds and sorting out their issues. Blue Diamond would have been first since we had set up with her character first. We saw her living with the regrets of losing Pink Diamond and now not doing her duties as a Diamond. But because of how rushed the ending had to be at that point the audience didn't get that time that they had wanted. Think about how long Lars's arc was. That was several seasons long. If they had gotten a season with the Diamonds like they wanted people probably wouldn't have thought that the ending was rushed.
Fifth, bad faith criticism and very toxic fandom. As I said I blocked the SU Crit tag because after a certain point people would take anything and start shoving completely off the rails criticisms at the show and expect everyone to take them in good faith. Like people claiming that Sugar, a Jewish creator, was a Nazi Apologist because Steven didn't kill the Diamonds. People projected things onto elements of the story that weren't there. People would take a screen shot and call it lazy animation because a character was off model for a fraction of a second that wouldn't be noticed without slowing it down. There was a lot of bad faith criticism. Some of it was probably from people that didn't like how queer Steven Universe was and hid it as saying it wasn't progressive enough. There were probably people that thought that a kid's show was actually not progressive enough without looking at everything behind the scenes that the creators were dealing with. There were fans that drove one of the story-boarders/writers off the show because on her own Twitter account she posted shipping art of two of the characters (Lapis Lazuli and Peridot). It was just one member of the crew showing that she liked the dynamic between two characters that was not cannon and people started harassing them. There was a lot of entitlement from the fandom.
All of those things combined just made for a terrible time.
TL;DR: The show schedule being all over the place, studio interference, people not understanding the theme of the show, the rushed ending, and a toxic fandom with bad faith criticisms all led to the show having the worst reputation. I would say that the show schedule and studio interference played the biggest part of it since other parts stemmed issues that those created.
Agreed with all of this, but as a sort of continuation of point three:
The danger of adults watching a children's show because "It's so good it could be an adult's show!" is exactly this. Shows that are literally and explicitly for kids have much simpler messaging. One of my least favourite sentences in the world is when you remind someone who is whining about a piece of children's media for not doing what they wanted out of the story that it's aimed at kids and they say "But being for kids doesn't mean it can't still be good!"
Bitch it IS good. 'Good' doesn't mean 'Does the stuff adults want so it feels satisfying and fulfilling to adults'. It means 'Does the stuff the target audience wants and successfully conveys to that audience its message.' Adults are not the target audience. Get a grip and remember you're a guest. Your enjoyment is not the point. You cannot say "The Animaniacs sucked because there was no character development and they would suddenly sing educational songs - I wanted more world building about what these alien things were and how they got into the water tower and what that means for the fabric of American society" IT WAS A KID'S SHOW THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FUNNY AND EDUCATIONAL. AND IT WAS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU
In the case of Steven Universe, Rebecca Sugar once said the aim was to 'redefine masculinity' for children - the point of the show is that Steven is surrounded by powerful women without ever feeling emasculated, and is properly and healthily connected to his emotions. He's not afraid to cry. He's open with his fears. He goes through increasing trauma, and the moral of that is 'Dont bottle up, talk to your loved ones.'
And, crucially, his first and primary response to antagonism is "Let's talk about this" and not "Let's punch this."
It was adults who turned that into a "Talk to Nazis uwu" parable, and then got mad about it; children, the target audience, did not. Children are people who are very much still learning how to process their emotions and handle conflict on the playground. Young boys are learning that they aren't allowed to cry or have feelings other than anger. Young girls are learning that they aren't allowed power and strength. All children are being told that a family can only look one way, that love can only follow one path. SU provided clear role models to the contrary and was extremely valuable for that.
And then adults projected real world political allegories onto it because that's how adult fiction works, and decided that meant it was bad and that Rebecca Sugar, a queer Jewish enby, was actually a Nazi apologist. Just a trash fire of a fandom
may i offer you a gift basket in these trying times
it is full of Malice
New basket for the new year
It is Finally February. Survive February, and here, for your troubles:
It is March and Malice is three! She is having an acceptable birthday.
It is April and Vice is three! He is having a tolerable birthday.
It is May and Malice is experiencing nature. Horrifying stuff.
It is June and Malice is beset by infants.
It is July and Malice is in prison. I offer her fresh infants but she cares not.
It is August and Malice is having rainbow time. Vice does hairstyling; she is not amused.
I’m telling y’all that if you don’t jump around erratically bc a wasp or hornet flies close to you, you’ll have less interaction time with them
If you’re nervous about them (not yknow. allergic. let’s not intentionally misinterpret what I’m saying) ignore them. And I do mean IGNORE. Don’t react.
Also, are you watering or generally handling a source of liquid and they won’t leave you alone? Share some at a distance from yourself. Hell are you eating and they want some? Share it.
Honestly if people treated them with the calmness and affection they show bees they’d have better experiences.
Anyway, have a little plate for the yellowjackets when you picnic. They are eating the bugs that you don’t like so offer them a gift.
Please stop telling me about your allergies. If you gotta bolt bc you could DIE just do it.
Clearly, that means this message is not for you. Move on.
When I’m going to hang out in the yard I usually bring a banana or some other fruit, that I eat right away (because sitting outside and eating fruit is cool) and then I leave the peel/husk/core out someplace, not adjacent to where I’ll be sitting/working. The bees and wasps (and flies) will all zero in on it and have a lil party, and I can do what I’m doing without constant interference. (It’s the same as feeding your pets before you sit down to eat a meal — it distracts them from begging, and honestly a lot of dogs and cats prefer to eat along with their people. I know, it’s odd, but nice.)
Wasps are often more combative in the summer because they’re thirsty. Putting out a little dish of water for them is good. I was in the Spanish mountains one summer and put out a plate of water for the wasps whenever I was bathing, so they didn’t try to drink off me.
Yeah usually if you take a shallow dish out with water and even bits of food (especially fruit) while outside doing activities like reading/swimming/picnics/camping etc you’ll really take the aggression out of most wasps. They’re usually just hungry or thirsty. Just don’t set up camp right next to their nest lol
hi, i have had several near-death anaphylaxis events from yellowjacket stings and i have to carry an epi-pen. if a wasp stings me and i am not immediately stabbed with a large dose of epinephrine, i will suffocate and die within a few minutes. it is very likely i have brain damage from hypoxia from a wasp sting when i was about 4. so pay attention to what i am about to say:
all of the above advice works 100%. wasps and bees and all stinging critters are very very unlikely to sting you if you stay calm and move slowly. they are VERY LIKELY to sting you if you move quickly and jerkily, and are guaranteed to try to sting you if you attempt to kill them. they are not hunting you, they are not stupid, they know you are the size of a skyscraper. they will ONLY sting you if they believe you are trying to hurt or kill them.
many species of wasps, and especially yellowjackets, are solitary or social predators/scavengers. they are extremely intelligent, and aware of you as a fellow creature, whatever that may mean to their bug intelligence.
they are not mindless computers, they are more like little cats or wolves. and they are just doing what it takes to make a living on god’s gay earth: looking for food and water for their children
it is very possible to change how you feel about things you are afraid of, even if you have a clinical phobia. for me, that always starts with knowing more about the thing that scares me.
Here’s a good article on the subject if anyone’s curious! It goes into more detail about public perception of wasps. It not only talks about wasp’s ecological importance, but also how scientific understanding can work to change public opinion on wasps and their nests. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/een.12676 “ Why we love bees and hate wasps “
I’m so so glad I chose to click on the notifications on my post again.
This is exactly why I made this post—not that I expect everyone to fall head over heels in love with these creatures but to see their importance beyond the cultural knee-jerk reaction because of the reductive view we’ve cultivated of them.
I’m also not saying that they’re never somewhat unpredictable and that they’ll never hurt you—just like any other creature they have the capacity too. It’s just very much increased when the reaction to them is to flail and swat and scream.
Thank you guys for your thoughtful additions to this post I appreciate beyond words. Pls continue to carry this level of care and education as our friends wake for winter and start flying around again!
For those who are deathly afraid of them and would like tips to avoid being around them—dark surfaces facing sunlight, standing water, garbage and compost piles, and rotten wood are going to be their favorite spots as our hemisphere warms for the season. Avoid those to minimize possible contact with wasps, hornets, and other insects waking for spring
Relationships get so bananas when you start deciphering the other person’s love language.
Like I thought I was just acquaintances with this person because they never told me details about themselves and we just talked movies and writing . But then they made time to have coffee with me and they showed up out of breath because they ran. Like. RAN to be on time for coffee with me?
And I was like “i don’t mind waiting” cause I never want to run
But they said they wanted every minute they could get because I’m so busy usually
Which is when it clicked that I didn’t get how much they considered me a friend because I just straight away didn’t see MY signs of affection in them and went “cool! Casual buds it is.” But now that I’m seeing their signs of affection, I feel a little silly for dismissing them like that even though I felt like we could be best bros.
Anyway, some people show affection through time or intensity or commitment and not vocally. I really have to remember that!
Fyi- just in case you didn’t know.
TOUCH got a bro that likes to give high fives? Back slaps? Are they a hugger? Do they not blink an eye at cuddles?
QUALITY TIME this bro will (as op stated) sprint to spend every minute possible with you. Every second that you guys are together is a declaration of affection.
WORDS does your bro tell you how amazing and great and fantastic and wonderful you are all the time? Guess what…?
GIFTS do they buy you coffee? Snacks, energy drinks, spot you at the restaurant? Did that one key chain remind them of you? Ding ding!
ACTS are they always doing things for you? Ie: Nah bro, I got this, I can do that, need me to get anything for you, I can help with…?
PRO TIP - The way people show love is often how they receive love as well.
Can I just say how much I love seeing this applied to friends / platonic relationships, when I’ve only seen it about romantic ones before?
SHE THINKS HER LAUGH IS A SONG SO SHE SINGS BACK
Just an absolute fucking orb of a creature
The door to Spencer's cage swings closed on its own, but I kept finding Beanut in there during out-of-cage time and it turns out she figured out HOW TO OPEN THE DOOR AND SQUEEZE IN THERE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF EATING SPENCER'S FOOD
A panel from BARDA! Can't wait until you guys see the whole graphic novel out with DC Comics next year. It has been endlessly exciting to draw SCOTT and ORION and THE FEMALE FURIES and....there's a reason why I love making fanart. I got to write an entire book of it!! IT WAS FUN!!!
— If the meds were switched, then when I got them mixed up, I… I accidentally switched them back, so… I gave Harlan… — The correct doses, yes. But not accidentally.
KNIVES OUT (2019) dir. Rian Johnson
I love this moment, not just because of the twist, but also because Marta has been dying the whole movie with not only fear and grief, but guilt at having caused the death of her patient, her friend.
For Benoit to take the time to reassure that this was not her fault, in way that is so kind and so clear, was lovely.
“You are a good nurse.” You can tell when he says that the he truly understands what is paining her the most. Just beautiful.
I have so much love for this film, and for the moment following this where Benoit tells her that, if Harlan had listened to her, he would still be alive. The blame is taken from her, in the kindest possible way, by someone she trusts. After all the goalpost moving and ‘ah, gotcha!’ and obsession with spoilers in cinema over the last decade, with characterisation abandoned and plotlines left unresolved, knives out is a kind film. It isn’t obsessed with tricking you or catching you out, just wants you along for the ride
I love Benoit Blanc in this scene so much. I mean, he’s a great character throughout the film, but this was the moment I thought, “I will watch as many movies about this character as Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig choose to make.”
I am so sick of the trend of making intelligent male characters callous. And despite his veneer of slow Southern affability, Benoit Blanc is almost diabolically clever. So throughout the movie, I assumed he was toying with Marta, enjoying her discomfort because he found her suspicious. I thought he was another brilliant, heartless detective in the BBC Sherlock vein. But look at him in this scene. He practically has tears in his eyes because he’s so moved by Marta’s goodness, and I love him. I love this movie. I can’t wait for the sequels.
I’ve read that Agatha said she loved being married to an archaeologist because the older she got, the more interesting he found her. And I think that is one of the best quotes about love that I have ever heard.
wish you guys would hate norway for the intense medical transphobia the way you hated swedes for not feeding people. we couldnt get a legal gender marker change without forced sterilisation until 2016. theres 1 board in 1 hospital in the whole country that's allowed to give HRT and they go by 1950s gender roles (i.e. if you're a trans man who wears nail polish, or a trans woman who wears pants, or you're gay, you're denied), and there's a minimum of a full year of psychological evaluations before any treatment is given (they ask helpful and relevant questions like "did you play with cars or dolls as a child" and "do you think about your parents when you masturbate"). anyway burn down rikshospitalet
[ID: tumblr tags that read #i hope im not deflecting when i say this happens in other countries as well #i'm german and it's basically the same here. forced chemical sterilization was required to change your gender marker until 2011 #and if self-id doesn't pass we will continue to have to put up with insane amounts of medical gatekeeping #it's disgusting and dehumanizing and i need more people to talk about this #it's a widespread issue that countries that have a rep for being progressive don't get criticized enough. end ID]
you're absolutely not deflecting, this is super important. so many european countries claim equality and good healthcare while also actively killing trans populations with medical neglect and gatekeeping.
we are being murdered by our governments. they are refusing us life saving medical care. we NEED more people to talk about this
REMINDER: THERE IS NO CAT
If you get a new blog following you and immediately sending you an ask requesting help with vet bills for their cat, that is a scam. It is always a scam.
This time, the blog in question was created yesterday and reblogged a ton of stuff to seem legit.
Don't fall for this shit.
also
THERE IS NO DOG
THERE IS NO SICK PARENT/CHILD
bc i've been getting repeated instances of this kind of thing too.
Ways to help determine if a request is a scam;
Some things about Allan:
They’ve now conned people out of $130 so please share this post to bring awareness that this post is a scam post.
The blog is a scammer. They don’t own Elvira and here is how I know. The PayPal address their using isn’t the one owned by the actual owner. The real owner isn’t a tumblr user and their post has been stolen by the scam account word for word. No money donated to the PayPal username kathnicols is going to the cat. Also the PayPal address is in the Philippines and if you pay attention to the vet bill it’s for MA.
The blogs bio is stolen from another blog.
Which is basically the scammer trying to look like someone’s alt account.
Please don’t donate to thetreeonthecountryside/thetreepoink. They block/delete any reblogs/comments that call them out so you have to do it another way. This scammer doesn’t care about this cat they just stole it off Facebook. Here is the original owners posts.
The ask being sent:
“Greetings! Hi there! Pardon me for being this direct. But my little kitty needs your help, i know times are tough but please if you have some time to spare, kindly boost/share the post I pinned for her. It would be so meaningful to me as I’m hoping it would reach more people.. please 💔🙏 praying you’d consider, and pls kindly send me a msg for a response or answer the ask privately so I could atleast thank you for doing us a favor! Wishing you good health and peace! 🫶🏽”
Their up to $180 now. Please warn anyone sharing the scam post this scammer isn’t legitimate. This is why people who actually need support can’t get it because scammers like this con people out of trust and money. Please don’t donate to them I urge everyone to please share this post. This account shown here is a confirmed scammer and they don’t own the cat. If you donated please file a support ticket.
The real cat isn’t getting any of that money. thetreepoink is a scam account!
It’s another of these, folks. REPORT AND BLOCK.
