Another time suck

Behold, a dragon.

WILDLY SUCCESSFUL MAGPIE

Mardis Gras Magpie.

link: https://bsky.app/profile/brainvsbook.bsky.social/post/3llc72lyhu22j

google translate defaulting to chinese at first

okay but for those of us with interests in both the murderbot and the daomu biji fandoms this is kinda hilarious

(english-side-only really, i get that the kanji and hanzi are completely different)

our good (air)ship murderbot! thanks google

you deserve to be loved and treated kindly !

Kyiv-based artist Alexey Kondakov uses surrealistic documentary photography to superimpose figures from classical artwork into everyday scenes of modern life. He is renowned for his Photoshopped collage series in which Kyiv, Ukraine served as the backdrop for characters from old world masterpieces. The artist merges the past and the present, showing with a deft eye how classical figures fit seamlessly into contemporary situations that, in themselves, are timeless.

Heartwarming story: Little girl doesn’t have to do anything to fund her dad’s surgery because his expenses are covered by his country’s universal healthcare.

Human determination: Man bikes 18 miles to work every morning because he wants to and not because he can’t afford a car and would be fired if he’s late.

Spirit of Brotherhood: Neighbors host housewarming party for elderly resident who doesn’t need help in paying rent because his pension is more than enough.

SO INSPIRING: Local middle school students bake dozens of cupcakes because their home economics class is doing a baking unit. Their school is fully funded with everything they need.

suggestions for gender neutral version of mom/dad? something less formal than just ‘parent’

please note that while progenitor, guardian, spawnpoint etc are all respected titles, they are more the equivalent of mother/father than an affectionate nickname you would scream through the house multiple times a day. gimme something we can use people

I just tried to combine the words and got “dom” and i cant-

but wait, if we reverse ‘dom’ you get ‘mod’. I suggest we use ‘moderator’ as a gender neutral version of mom/dad

Admin and op would work makes them sound powerful and in charge of everything

Admin (respectful) Op (derogatory)

i was going to add something else to this but instead i got to thinking and i was like huh. what could you use.

in most languages the word for ‘mother’ usually starts with an M, because phonetically [m] is one of the easiest sounds for a newborn to make when they start babbling, and mothers tend to be the one most around the child. so in my mind that crosses M off the list, because it’s automatically associated with a feminine figure

similarly, ‘father’ tends to start with D, T, P, or B. (phonetically these sounds are very close together; [p, b] and [d, t] are all only different because of being voiced or unvoiced.) these are also phonetically easy letters and ones kids pick up on earlier.

now the hard sounds for kids are the following: [ɹ, d͡ʒ, tʃ, θ, ð] or in normal speak: the English R, the “j” or “dge” sound in “judge,” the “th” sound in “thigh” and the “th” sound in “the.” and we don’t want kids unable to say their parent’s name for years, so those are also off the list.

additionally, it’s easiest for young kids to just repeat the same sound twice rather than figuring out the tongue gymnastics of putting different sounds together, which is why kids will say Ma-Ma or Da-Da and not Ma-Mo or Da-Po. and we’ll want to stick with low back vowels like “ah” and avoid ones like the hard “i” or “ee.”

so what does that leave us? when we want a sound kids can learn easily and early but don’t want to just put a funky spin on “mama” or “dada”?

my suggestions: G, K, W, L. i personally lean towards W and L. they’re called liquids, since they’re the consonants that kind of aren’t consonants, and kids (and ESL learners) will tend to swap out the English R for a W or L until they can learn the R.

if i ever have a child, they’ll start calling me Wawa. then when they get older, they’ll call me Wala, or maybe even Wally.

and then, once they’re finally phonetically developed, they can call me by my true title as their nonbinary guardian for their 18+ years:

Waluigi.

Okay, but on an actually serious note, Baba is used in several different languages, but the meaning changes between mother, father, or grandparent. However, it is not used in English afaik, so it could be a good English option.

baba is what I use as a nonbinary parent (it has a long history for butches!) and this post hit me like a two-by-four to the back of the goddamn HEAD

How about Tata, because no matter what, they’re gonna try to latch onto a nipple

wait wait wait, do babies try to latch on to the nipples of non-lactating parents too? is this a thing? do babies just automatically zero in on any nipple in the vicinity, regardless of the presence of breasts or breast milk? is this an experience cis men deal with I need to KNOW

UPDATE: based on the notes the answer is a resounding YES!!!

I can’t speak to cis men’s experience, but my house has this kind of lamp, and my progeny were both very fascinated by it whenever I would carry them under one of them.

The lamp thing is legit, I’ve discussed it with so many fellow breastfeeding parents. The weirdest one for me was when my son latched onto the tied knot of a balloon.

I am so so grateful I decided to scroll through the tags:

oh fantastic tags:

#maud  #when i was little i called both my parents mom/dad mixture i didn’t know who i wanted so just who ever came first to me yelling that

Enter the WISE AND GAUDY SLIME, attendants, clowns, and wizards, with DOGGONLO the SEER

GAUDY SLIME Again I come to you, my followers, To ask a question near my goopy heart: When speaking to a parent, gender - none, What name am I to give them when I call? For, while “progenitor” is accurate, ‘Tis not a quip to call across the town.

FIRST CLOWN The word that comes to mind at first is “dom”.

FIRST WIZARD ‘Tis true, but if revers’d thy message is, A “moderator” comes to mind, with “mod”.

SECOND WIZARD Why, “op” would work when paired with “admin” ‘tis.

GAUDY SLIME Say “admin” when respect and love thou needst, Say “op” when meant derogatorily.

DOGGONLO At first, hearing thy words, I was to jest; But then, at second thought, I pondered it. What could one use when not a “ma” or “pa”? So, “ma”, the word, comes from a babe’s outcry, Since “em” and “ah” are easy to pronounce. And “da” and “pa” are also simply said. So what for gender-null? What for our Slime? Well, “ja” and “tha” and “tsa” are none a fit, As “ja-tha-tsa” are difficult to say - No babe could speak them while still in its youth. And in addition, repetition’s key, For “ma-ma” is to “pa-ma” pref'rable. We’ll stay with low and back-held vowels, too, For “ee” and “eye” are too complex for babes, So to the “ah” and “ooh” we keep our sound. Remaining still available to us, Good “ga”, kind “ka”, wise “wa”, and, lastly, “la”. Of these fine gents I point to “la” and “wa” As consonants that almost vowels be And make for ease of song for baby voice. If ever I a child take to me (For man or woman, neither one am I) A “wawa” or a “lala” will I be. And as they grow, their speech will strong become Till finally my true name’s in their grasp: ‘Tis Waluigi.

FIRST ATTENDANT Spite! O, I am hit! I thought I was to learn the lore of words But struck by cruel and slapstick strike am I!

THIRD WIZARD Uh, “baba” works, it’s used in other tongues.

SECOND ATTENDANT Yes, “baba” is the one I use, i'faith. But still - o Seer, why must thou attack?

SECOND CLOWN It seems to me that “tata” is the one For babes to “tatas” cling, no matter what.

GAUDY SLIME Wait, clown, dost thou speak truth to me? Real truth? Will babes reach for a breast devoid of milk?

CLOWNS and ATTENDANTS cheer in affirmation.

O never had I thought this day would come.

Enter the gay mothers, THOUGHTFUL and SUZLOUA.

THOUGHTFUL I cannot of a milkless breast inform, But lights shaped like a breast will draw the babe.

SUZLOUA I’ve heard the same by others said before. My son’s reached out for tied balloons in past.

GAUDY SLIME In gratitude I share with you a tale ‘Twas whisper’d to my ear a moment since: One said, when baptised, he then look’d about And tried to eat the “milk” of candles lit.

THIRD CLOWN This scene has all that ever I could want, The milk of human kindness shows itself, The gender-neutral words are brought along, And finally, our Waluigi’s here.

GAUDY SLIME Before we go, one final note to say: A friend has lately told that, as a child, They’d call for “maud” to come, for ‘twas A combination “ma” and “dad” in brief.

Merriment and rejoicing. The SHAKESPEAREIFIER lurks in the corner, taking notes.

Exeunt.

Archived.

I can also corroborate that babies will absolutely try latch onto anything vaguely nipple-like, which inspired both my husband and brother-in-law to create the defensive cry:

“Decorative! Non-functional!”

Dai Cousins!

As CrossingsCon 2025 draws ever nearer, we’re looking to hear from you about what events you want to see. One of our favorite things about CrossingsCon is the ability to help our attendees bring their event ideas to life - whether that’s by giving you a space to run your own events, working with you on an idea you have for an event, or if you’re more an ideas wizard than one who wants to do the implementation, we also want to know what you’d like us to make happen!

Workshops! Games! Talks! Panels including our Guests of Honor! Something else we’ve never even thought of! If you’ve got an event in mind, we want to hear about it in our Events Survey!

#crossingscon will take place Aug 15-17, 2025 in Philadelphia, USA. Badges and hotel rooms are available now at crossingscon . org.

Did you know you can help other people make it to CrossingsCon? When you buy your badge, you can donate to our Lifeboats Fund, to help cover the cost of badges and travel for other attendees. Email lifeboats@crossingscon.org to apply. Check out crossingscon.org /badges /lifeboats/ for more information.

#crossingscon will take place Aug 15-17, 2025 in Philadelphia, USA. Badges and hotel rooms are available now at crossingscon . org.

Joots

No

Our newest fundraiser limited edition shirt is here! DO GAY BE CRIME is a queer-centric design that combines multiple memes spread a message of solidarity, mischief, and resistance. If you're going to 221b Con, you can pick up there!

Purchase the shirt: https://threepatchpodcast.storenvy.com/products/36903731-do-gay-be-crime

Some sizes will not be available after 3/17/25. Due to the costs of producing this shirt, certain sizes and ladies cut sizes will be limited after 3/17/25. So reserve your preferred cut and shirt size by preordering before 3/17/25!

my youngest friend (he turned 1 a few weeks ago) has discovered the joy of blowing bubbles, or rather of other people blowing bubbles for him, and he has a delightful way of expressing his joy re: the sudden appearance of bubbles for no reason other than his amusement. I'll be blowing bubbles for him with the little plastic wand, and he'll reach out his grabby little hands for some and just twist his head around to watch others float away, and after a few bursts of bubbles he'll get overwhelmed with the sheer joy of existing and seeing beautiful things and he'll reach out as if to take the plastic bottle of bubble liquid from me, so I'll twist the lid back on as tight as I possible can because I know that little dude would chug the whole thing if we let him, and then I'll hand him the sealed container and he'll swing it around with delight a few times before thrusting it back toward me or dropping it straight in my lap, so that I can continue to make more bubbles happen to him. and there's just something really beautiful about this guy who has very few ways of expressing himself or communicating his thoughts finding a way to express that he loves this by taking the source of his joy only so he can hand it back to me over and over, to say this is good. good things happen when you have this. let's please keep doing this.

My friend sent me this with a "this made me think of you."

I feel so seen.

This is a work of genius

2025 Carat Revival: Seventeen As... Week ➟ Seventeen As Tumblr Posts

The pettiness is just 👌😂

Sound on! Sound on!

He has since begun getting past the defensiveness and actually talking to people on the left to learn their perspective, and is openly admitting that no, if this hadn't happened to him, he wouldn't have considered our side of things, and that's wrong.

Love me some schadenfreude as much as the next guy, but we actually WANT these people to finally blink and go "oh shit wait, maybe I should move LEFT".

Bc the more we have on our side (esp ppl who can say they left MAGA and finally understand how culty it was, how bigotry is wrong, etc), the more resources we have with which to apply pressure and intimidation to these fucking fascists.

to quote the sacred texts, don't punish the behaviour you want to see

He was told this would happen. FAFO....

Look. I get it. He fucked around, he found out. There's schadenfreude in that. But after the finding out, the guy himself continues to exist - as does the problem. And if we're actually sincere about not wanting this kind of stuff to happen, then that means not wanting it to happen to anyone, including the people who fucked around, not because they deserve to be shielded from the consequences of their actions, but because this particular thing is bad and stupid and shouldn't happen to anyone, which is why we were all protesting it in the first place!

Which is where I have to say a true but deeply aggravating thing: that being told something is not the same as understanding it. Would the world be a better place if simply receiving information granted instant comprehension of it? Obviously! But we do not live in that world. We live in this one, where people are easily swayed by fear and bias and ego and habit, and where, even when none of those things are a factor, you can still struggle to understand something just because your brain finds it hard, or or because the person who tried to explain it to you did a bad job.

Let me be clear: this is not me writing a get-out-of-jail-free card for grown adults whose ignorance, however they came by it, has now become our collective problem. But right now, in this time, in this place, when America is at very real risk of descending into a true fascist dystopia, if someone has realised they're on the wrong side of history - however selfishly, however belatedly - and is willing to try and change, then that should, I think, take priority, because we need all hands on deck far more than we need to feel morally superior to people who, quite manifestly, were persuaded to vote against their own interests.

Does this mean that you, personally, aren't allowed to feel anger or schadenfreude or ugly vindication, or that you have to be the one to extend the proverbial olive branch on this or any occasion? No! But you have to, at the very least, acknowledge that there's a utility in other people setting those feelings aside to do that work; that the best path forward means making potentially imperfect allies for a common cause. Ideally, there'd be no FAFO, because people wouldn't make dumbass choices in the first place; but when they do, the best case scenario - as in this instance! - is that it leads to personal growth, and that is the behaviour we ought to encourage.

Take a roll of the dice and pre-order some from CrossingsCon!

#crossingscon will take place Aug 15-17, 2025 in Philadelphia, USA. Badges and hotel rooms are available now at crossingscon . org

Just four days to go! On Sunday, March 2 at 8pm EST, the Crossings Book Club discusses Dragon Slippers by CrossingsCon Guest of Honor Jessica Day George.

CrossingsCon takes place August 15-17, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA! Visit our website to find more details and register.