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Finding it incredibly interesting how the Morrígan’s son Mechi was slain by the healer Dian Cécht for fear of the three snakes that resided within his heart, and the universal symbol for medicine is the caduceus, snakes winding around a staff.

Obviously the symbol is that of Hermes, so there’s already a mythological connection established, but I find it interesting that our god of healing has a snake story too.

Ok so I’m getting into the Fenian cycle and just read the palace/hostel of the quicken/Rowan trees, and I love it but there are a couple things that i’ve been trying to research to better understand it and I’m just not getting results. Who is the King of the World? The Lochlanns are the Fomorians, right? And where is the isle of the torrent?

Thank you for the ask! It's coming at a very opportune time as I've been diving into the world of the Fianna myself. (If you sent this to me a couple of years ago, I'd have been a little stumped even if I'd have done my best.)

So you sent this to me...ages ago, and I was at the Gaeltacht at the time, so I was typing up my response in Irish to be translated and. I. Went out of the window. And it hadn't been saved. And I was so depressed that I didn't want to go back to it until I had sufficiently mourned.

...but you can breathe a sigh of relief since, now that I'm no longer in the Gaeltacht, we are not bound by the custom of "when I'm there, I write only in Irish."

So, first off...let's go with Lochlann: What is Lochlann, who are the men of Lochlann? In Cath Maige Tuired, you're right, they're absolutely associated with the Fomoire, BUT! The reason why they're associated with the Fomoire is because there were real-life invaders from Lochlann, that is to say, Scandinavian or Scandinavian occupied territory (in CMT, the Fomoire are actually in what is today Scotland, Balor being situated on the Hebrides, which means that....yes....it is entirely possible to do a How to Train Your Dragon/CMT crossover if you desired. And yes, I have put too much thought into the logistics of that crossover, including the dangers of giving Bres access to a dragon.) The decision to situate the Fomoire on Lochlann was a political move, as a way of highlighting Ireland's political situation at the time it was composed. ("Lochlann" is still the modern name for Norway.)

In other texts, especially later texts, we see Lochlann often associated with far away, exotic, supernatural, and/or dangerous places, in the same way that Greece is often used to indicate someplace far away or exotic. (It makes sense -- how many Irish people living in, say, the 14th-15th century would have imagined traveling to Norway in the time before Aer Lingus?)

You can see this in, for example, the little known Late Middle/Early Modern Irish-ish (the dating is weird on this one) prosymetric text, "Aithed Emere (le Tuir nGlesta mac Rig Lochlann)", where Emer elopes with...Tuir Glesta, son of the King of "Lochlann". (Translated as "Norway" most of the time in descriptions, but I prefer keeping the term "Lochlann", because it's always the question of...is this the Real World Country, Lochlann, or is this the Cool Folklore Lochlann where Zany Adventures Happen, you know? I don't feel like "Norway" captures all of the different possibilities that the word implies.)

Now, since this, according to Thurneysen at least, didn't go back to before the 12th century, it was created well after CMT, well after the Battle of Clontarf and the final assimilation/ousting of the Vikings from Ireland. The Vikings are...chill by now. They aren't an active threat. So we have to ask ourselves: Why is Emer eloping with Tuir Glesta? It could be the result of an earlier tradition, sure, but I think it's more likely that we're not meant to think of Lochlann as "Fomoire land" or "Viking land", but "exotic, far away place for Cú Chulainn to voyage to in order to get his wife back." In Cath Muighe Tuireadh Cunga, there's a figure called "Aengaba of Lochlann", and there's no sign that he's a Fomoire, rather it seems that we're meant to view him as a sort of foreign champion. (It's interesting that in the Early Modern CMT, meanwhile, the Fomoire don't come from Lochlann, but from Africa. White supremacists have obviously gone ham with this but I've had at least one prominent person in the field suggest to me that it could be a means of drawing a Carthage-Rome dichotomy between the TDD and the Fomoire. And, of course, as I love to point out, if the Fomoire come from Africa = the Fomoire are black, then by that logic, Bres, Lugh, Fionn mac Cumhaill, the Dagda, Ogma, Bríg, Lír, Manannán, Emer, Cú Chulainn, Cairbre, Óengus, Bodb Dearg, etc. etc. etc. are all mixed race, which is a change I for one would be happy with but I suspect they would not be. Not that logic matters all that much to that crowd, especially since the only figures to routinely be presented as brown are Balor, Bres, Cethlenn, and the Fir Bolg, funny how that works.) And of course, when I was talking to a local on Tory Island, he said that the old people "confused the English for the Fomorians" (paraphrased) -- I don't believe the old people were confused at all, though, I believe that it only made sense for the Fomoire to become English, since they're always the people Over There, and Over There can be Lochlann, it can be Africa, and it can be England. Balor goes from being a Viking warlord to an English landlord, because why wouldn't he?

NOW, off of my soap box about the racist clusterfuck that is most adaptations of the Fir Bolg/Tuatha Dé/Fomoire rivalry and back to your question, Bruidhean (an) chaorthainn, "Hostel of the Rowan Trees", is about 15th/16th century in date, so we're looking well after the time the Vikings were a threat, so "Lochlann" here is very much Fun Zany Lochlann, not Actual Country Norway.

And we see this in a lot of Fionn Cycle tales, men from Lochlann opposing the Fianna, Fionn courting women in Lochlann and facing a series of trials, men from Lochlann imprisoning the Fianna in bruidhean tales. It's very much a trope, and it has next to nothing to do with the historical location. It's a place Over There, it's a place that has something our heroes need to get, or it's a place that is threatening what they already have. The people who live there are invariable dangerous, often supernatural, and more than a match for our heroes, even though they are, inevitably, overcome, though sometimes at great cost. The Men of Lochlann in these tales and the Fomoire have a lot in common, you could even argue that the Fomoire of CMT are even the Men of Lochlanns' literary great grandfathers, in the sense that it is, at least partially, a 9th century anxiety over Scandinavia that's been fossilized into the folklore up to the present, but they aren't the same, except for the fact that they both often represent the dark side of the supernatural, which the Tuatha Dé can often represent as well. (And indeed, as John Carey's argued, the difference between the TDD and the Fomoire is often minimal.) The Tuatha Dé and the Fomoire in and of themselves appear little in modern folkloric stories, at least....how they appear in the Mythological Cycle (indeed, Óengus is often relegated to being a wizard instead of a member of the TDD in folkloric variants of Tóruigheacht Dhiarmada and Ghráinne.) Manannán survives better than most, as does Bodb Dearg, but the truth is that there was a certain...anxiety about it that you can detect in the folklore. The term "Fomor" develops three meanings from the Early Modern Irish period -- the guys that we know and love, a generic ogre or giant (which is how it's often used now), and a churl or servant, which further complicates things.

Besides Bruíon Chaorthainn, you can also see examples of Zany Folklore Lochlann showing up in Fenian folklore in Soraidh Fhinn go Tír Lochlainn ("Fionn's Wooing in Lochlann"), Laoi an Airghinn Mhóir ("The Lay of Airgheann the Great") (which, besides being very alive in the folklore, also goes back at least as far as Duanaire Finn, which was compiled in the 15th century), Laoi Chath Gabhra ("The Lay of the Battle of Gabhair") (which is interesting for having the son of the king of Lochlann on the Fianna's side for once), Duan na Cloinne ("The Lay of the Children"), Comhrag Fhinn agus Mhanuis ("The Combat Between Fionn and Magnus") (our boy Magnus, son of the King of Lochlann, also appears in Soraidh Fhinn go Tír Lochlainn), Laoidh Maodh-Chabir agus Chamagich ("The Lay of Maodh-Chabir and Camagich") (for SEXY Zany Folkloric Lochlann), An Cú Glas ("The Grey Dog"), which the Fionn Folklore Database actually did a reel about on their Facebook/Instagram if I'm not mistaken, Bratach Fhinn (Fionn’s Banner), and Duan nan Naonar (The Lay of the Nine). I'm *sure* there are other legends out there, these are just the ones I was able to immediately track down.

So, that's covered. Now, who is the King of the World? And the answer is that, like Magnus, he's a recurring antagonist we sometimes see pop up. In Bruíon Chaorthainn, he's the king of Lochlann who tries to invade Ireland. Meanwhile, in Cath Fionntrá, which has a lay form of it in the Book of the Dean of Lismore (a Scottish compilation, incidentally, from the 16th century, showing how bound up all these traditions are from an early date) and, besides that, has Irish manuscript attestations going back to at least the 15th century, the "King of the World" is a full-fledged antagonist named Dáire Donn, who forms an alliance with kings across Europe to invade Ireland. (Here's the older text here, and the info on it here.) We see a sort of sequel to it in the modern Irish tale “The romance of Mis and Dubh Ruis” where Dáire has a daughter, Mis, who becomes a madwoman in the woods after his death and is sexed back to sanity by Dubh Rois. (It is...surprisingly funny, honestly.) Which is in Celtic Heroic Age. But what you can gather by him being King of Lochlann is also that he's...the Guy Over There (Who Wants To Come Here.) Even beyond personalities, that's it. You can compare him to the King of Greece in Duan Gharbh Mhic Stairn ("The Lay of Garbh son of Stairn"). The difference between a king of Greece and a king of Lochlann isn't that great, what matters is that he's Over There and that he's trying to invade us.

The Isle of the Torrent (Inse Tuile) is another one of those otherworldly, supernatural places where Things Are Weird. You can compare it, for early examples, to the islands you see in the Immrama genre, but you can also compare it to the various weird islands you come across in other stories, like in Nighean Righ fo Thuinn ("The Daughter of the King Under the Waves"), which has "Magh an Iongnaidh" (the Plain of Wonder). And obviously, you could tie this into the world of the Otherworld being located beyond the sea (which is a later idea; the early material seems to indicate, firmly, that the Otherworld was *below*, not *beyond*), but I think it just goes from the idea that you need your heroes to travel on a quest to get something -- you can trace it as far back as the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Odyssey, Jason and the Golden Fleece, etc. People like a good adventure yarn. People like to have their heroes go to exotic lands filled with supernatural danger (where things There don't work the way they do Here), they like to face off against dangerous villains and arrive home just in time to save the day, you know? I will note that Goethe's "Der König in Thule" was translated, into Irish, as "Rí Inse Tuile" -- Thule was a magical island in classical times, it was well known to Irish monks as early as the ninth century; it appears in Beatha Bréandain, the Life of St. Brendan, so it's not inconceivable it could have been worked into the Irish tradition, especially since the variant of it that was translated is a literary composition, not necessarily the story 100% as it appears in oral literature. I'd like to explore that possible connection more down the line, but all I can say right now is that it's an interesting coincidence -- my suspicion for it being literary is further increased by the fact that this is not a name you generally see in the oral literature, but I won't go further than that. "Tuile" in Irish does mean "flood" or "flow", so it could just be a strange coincidence, of course, but...it's odd. It's odd.

Anyway, all that, and where are we?

A lot of Irish folklore and Irish lit are dealing with Us VS Them, the idea of the People Over There VS the People Over Here (which makes sense because of...centuries of People Over There sailing over, first the Vikings, then the Normans, then the Tudors, then Cromwell, etc. etc. etc. etc. Not to reduce an entire complex literary tradition that spans multiple continents to a Just So story, and there are a lot of stories that obviously DON'T feature this theme, but I don't think it hurts.) (And Scottish lit, of course, also gets into it, partially due to transmission, partially because of their own history of Guys Over There coming to take things from Guys Over Here, which also got transmitted to Canada via the diaspora.)

Who are the Lochlannaigh? The Guys Over There.

Who are the Fomoire? Also the Guys Over There, but not always overlapping. (Not all Fomoire at all stages of the literature are Lochlannaigh, not all Lochlannaigh are Fomoire.)

Who is Rí an Domhain? The Ruler Over There Who Wants To Come Over Here.

And where is Inse Tuile? Over There, but the name itself is strange.

I hope this makes sense in some way!

I got to say. making every goddess a fertility goddess is not the feminist win you think it is

3D Reconstruction of Tenochtitlán by Thomas Kole

So, there's apparently research coming out now about microplastics being found in people's bloodstreams and the possible negative effects of that and I feel the need to get out ahead of the wave of corporate sponsored "be sure to recycle your bottles!" or "ban glitter!" campaigns and remind everyone: It's fishing nets. It's fishing nets. It is overwhelming fishing nets It always has been fishing nets. Unless regulations are changed, it will continue to be fishing nets. The plastic in the ocean in largely discarded nets from industrial fishing. The microplastics are the result of these nets breaking down. The "trash islands" are also, you guessed it. Mostly fishing nets and other discarded fishing industry equipment. Do not allow them to continue to twist the story. Do not come after disabled people who require single use plastics. Do not come after people using glitter in art projects and makeup. These things make up a negligible amount of the issue compared to corporate waste, specifically in the fishing industry. Do not let them shift the blame to the individual so they can continue to destroy the planet and our bodies without regulation.

What do you call fairies?

"Never speak ill of the deil” is a proverbial maxim, for mortal man never knew when his Satanic majesty might be within earshot. The invisible and alert fairies for the same reason were always mentioned with a honeyed tongue. The wily, knowing not where they might be lurking, were careful to call them “the good neighbours,” “the honest folk,” “the little folk,” ”the gentry,” “the hill folk ,” and ”the forgetful people,” the ”men of peace.‘ Klippe is the Forfarshire name for a fairy." Folk Lore in Lowland Scotland by Evelyn Blantyre Simpson (1908)

Alright, so, all this time I have been calling them “fairies,” and there are other names as well that they are often called.

“The term “fairy’ now covers a large area, the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian elves, the daoine sidhe of the Highlands, the tuatha de danann of Ireland, the tylwyth teg of Wales, the seelie court and the unseelie court, the wee folk, and good neighbours and many others. The trooping fairies and the solitary fairies are included in it, the fairies of human or more than human size, the three-loot fairies and the tiny fairies; the domestic fairies and those that are wild and alien to man; the subterranean fairies and the water fairies that haunt lochs, streams or the sea.” A Encyclopedia of Fairies by Katharine Briggs (Published in 1976)

Keep in mind that the historical Scottish use of "fairy" was not a term for one creature that looked or acted one specific way, but instead a category for many different creatures (more on that here). For a quick example of this, you can compare how radically different creatures with "Sìth" in the name can be; such as the Cù Sìth or Baobhan Sìth.

Some of the commonly used fairy names you may recognize, while others you may not.

"Sith, sithich, fairy, fairies; ‘siodha,’ ‘siodhach,’ fay, fairy; ‘bean sith,’ ‘sitheag,’ female fairy, ‘sitheach,’ ‘sifir,’ ‘sifire,’ ‘sifreach,’ male fairy. The fairies entered largely into the lives and folklore of the Highland people. They lived in the green knolls and round hillocks, and only occasionally appeared to mortal eyes." Carmina Gadelica, Volume 2, by Alexander Carmicheal, [1900]

So, which of those do they like to be called? None, apparently! According to historic Scottish folklore, terms like “fairy” is like a slur, and if you are overheard saying it, the listener may take offence. This is why those a little more superstitious are often heard calling them other things.

"The name of fairy was not pleasing to them, and men spoke of them as “the fair folk,” or “the gueede neebours." Folklore of the North East of Scotland by Walter Gregor (1881)

For example: The Good People, The Fair Folk, The Good Neighbours, The People of Peace, and so on. These terms were seen as a less dangerous way to refer to a fairy.

Keep in mind that most fairies are said to be invisible, so people were always scared about who might be listening.

"The Scottish Fairies, in like manner, sometimes reside in subterranean abodes, in the vicinity of human habitations, or, according to the popular phrase, under the “door-stane,” or threshold; in which situation they sometimes establish an intercourse with men, by borrowing and lending, and other kindly offices. In this capacity they are termed “the good neighbours,” from supplying privately the wants of their friends, and assisting them in all their transactions, while their favours are concealed." Scottish Folk and Fairy and Folk Tales by Sir Walter Scott (1893)

Now you might be wondering, what about fae? Well, "fay" is just an older spelling of fairy, and fae is an alternative spelling.

"The word fairies' is late in origin; the earlier noun is FAYS, which now has an archaic and rather affected sound." A Encyclopedia of Fairies by Katharine Briggs (Published in 1976)

Perhaps because of that, "fay" and it's alternative spellings never appear in my historical Scottish sources that I have noticed. Instead, it is always "fairy" in either English, or Gaelic. That is not to say that the modern use of the word is wrong, because folklore does change over time, just that it does not appear to have been used in that context in the sources I find for Scottish specific historical folklore.

It's that time of year again where Mari Lwyd starts to be talked about and shared around and an INCREDIBLY misleading post gets shared a lot. As someone who grew up with Mari Lwyd I wanted to clear some things up.

Also hello, if you are unaware who Mari Lwyd is. This is about the Welsh tradition of the horse skull who visits houses during the Christmas to New Years period in Wales asking for alcohol.

First off and probably the most important one:

Mari Lwyd is not a cryptid!

I can not emphasise this enough. She. Is. Not. A. Cryptid. There is no story or mystery about a ghost or zombie horse roaming the Welsh valleys. She's not even supposed to be a ghost or a zombie. It's just a horse skull on a stick with a guy under a sheet. She's a hobbyhorse and a folk character used to tell Welsh stories and keep songs alive. When people spread the misinformation that she's a cryptid, it's the equivalent of saying Kermit the Frog is a cryptid.

She is actually only one character in a wider cast of characters who go door to door or, in more modern times, pub to pub. The cast of characters can change town to town and village to village but there are some common ones I see time and time again. The Leader, the Merryman, The Jester and The Lady are just some I see regularly. Punch and Judy used to be more popular a few years ago but I haven't seen them in a while as their tradition has mostly fallen out of popularity. In most cases, almost the whole cast will be played by men. Even the characters are considered and referred to as female. Though this again depends and varies by which group is partaking in the Mari Lwyd tradition.

This point also goes onto my second point,

Mari Lwyd does not rap.

I think this comes from a very common misunderstanding of what rap is vs spoken word. Rap is a very specific style of music originating from the African American communities of the USA and has it's own structure and motifs unique to it. It's a lot more complex than people give it credit for as a style of music and just flippantly assign anything similar to it as being rap. If someone is talking fast or reciting poetry, it is not rap. Or anything that is an exchange of words between two people is not a rap battle. Mari Lwyd does not do rap, actually something that gets left out of these posts is the fact Mari Lwyd does not even speak. It's actually the Leader, who does all the speaking and song based banter between the house/pub owner for entry. Mari Lwyd just clicks her mouth, bites people and bobs her head around.

I think Mari Lwyd is a really beautiful and unique part of Welsh culture. She's not actually as wildly celebrated as a lot of the posts make her out to be. Actually, I think most Welsh people themselves learn about Mari Lwyd through the internet as well. Her popularity is increasing thanks to the drive of local groups wanting to keep the traditions alive and a renewed desire to document Welsh traditions before they're gone. Which is why it's such a shame that she's turned into something she's not to earn horror points on the internet. I think this is why it bothers me so much to see the misunderstandings of the culture and the folk tradition. Mari Lwyd's origin is very hot debated as well as how long it's been going on for. But I think it's thanks to a lot of traditions like this that the Welsh language and our stories weren't lost forever. Welsh culture is recovering as is the language. But it's still in a very fragile place. I think it's why it's important to document and correct information when it's spread.

Anyway, if you want to see the tradition in action, here's a lovely video from the Cwmafan RFC going to one of the pubs for charity. It includes the song exchange with the pub owner for entry and the whole pub singing and joining in once Mari Lwyd and the rest are inside.

As well with another video from St Fagan's showcasing the more traditional and door to door form with the larger cast.

Age Gaps In Fiction vs Real World Morality: Definitions

I see a lot of debate about the morality of shipping ‘age gaps’ or ‘younger characters’ romantically in fiction, and a lot of people using words in ways that show they don’t know what the words mean. 

It’s important to understand what words mean so that everyone is on the same page, you can disagree and debate anything, but if you don’t use a word to mean the same thing it’s hard to have the discussion.  Additionally, when discussing subjects like crimes against children, it’s important to use the correct language so as not to trivialize those crimes or distract from the condemnation of criminals 

Below is a list of definitions. I did my best to put everything in laymen’s terms based on my knowelege as a survivor of child abuse and CSA who cares deeply about preventing child abuse, and has researched the subject academically. 

This post is meant to be viewpoint neutral, but where I feel strongly against certain actions I will note my own feelings under Please

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Another woman utterly failed by our society’s devaluation of women’s reproductive health. We can’t wait around for male doctors to decide what we need to know. This is why we need to take control and educate ourselves about our own bodies.

how do i eat someone out really well?? what do you do, or what do you like done to you??

hi my love! thank you so much for asking, so sorry this took me a while to get to!

the most important thing to know about head is that everyone likes it a little bit differently. ideally, your first step should be asking your partner what they like, what they don't like, what they're open to, and what are strict limits. a lot of times you end up using those guidelines and just experiment with your partner to find out everything!

when I give head, I like to go slow. kiss down the stomach and hips, leave hickeys on the thighs, drag my tongue down their navel to their pubic bone. build suspense! the slow, intimate moments of foreplay help get your partner excited and wet before you dive in. once you're there, feel free to explore a little! use broad, flat strokes of the tongue against their cunt. kiss and suckle on their clit. dip your tongue into their hole and let your nose bump into their clit. use a finger or two to gently pulse into their hole while your mouth focuses on their clit, if your partner likes that. just listen to the reaction of your partner - whatever makes them moan or whimper or buck their hips or pull your hair - keep doing that! and don't be embarrassed if you partner has to help you or readjust you or anything. sex isn't a singular act, and you're learning each others bodies together!

on the receiving end, I prefer to have my partner focus on my clit, with a little bit everything else. I usually can only cum via clit stimulation and i tend to have issues with penetration pain! i like it slow and i like it sloppy. broad, long licks, nursing my clit between their lips until im an absolute mess. if i get wet enough, i always enjoy the feeling of a finger or two, just to make me feel nice and full. I know my body and my limits the best, so its important that I guide and help my partner understand my body. and vice versa!

like I said earlier, the most important thing is be honest and communicative, whether you're giving or receiving head. there's no stupid question and there's no stupid boundary. I hope this could be of some help!

hi

this is sort of a side blog of my main blog which is an age regression (primarily age dreamer) blog.

im a polytheistic witch, along with being lgbtq.

specifically im a sex-repulsed asexual, arospec-biromantic, demiboy / boyflux intersex (PCOS) trans guy. i usually call myself for short just an asexual gay trans man. also im some sort of sunwalking vampirekin with some obscure black rabbitkin, dogkin that i can't place.

im autistic, i have ADHD, and i suspect i have undiagnosed anxiety, Borderline Personality Disorder, and C-PTSD from my chaotic, traumatic childhood.

dont interact if you hate lgbtq, if you're here to convert, if you're in any way racist, or if you hate AgeReg or AgeDre.

ask about my main blog if you're curious because i won't put it down unless someone DMs me to ask. just for my tiny blog to stay safe.

some of my Special Interests: goth music, dice, vampires, vegetarianism, books, libraries, hoodies / sweatshirts, Jack Skellington, Ruby Gloom, short socks, Oogie Boogie, etc.

I wish that ao3 had an option to filter warnings (and tbh certain authors) out like I will never ever want to read it and just seeing it puts me off so much that often I end up closing my browser because that content upsets me so much lmao

Reverse Racism; A much needed article/informative post, because if I see another racially illiterate mofo watering down racism to “just another discrimination, I'm gonna fucking combust.

Main source is The Conversation's article on this topic. Content warning for mentioning of discrimination and neo-nazism.

Ah, yes. Racism, that infamous word. This important word needed to help us understand the social relations that are affected with this element.

It is a very great watershed, indeed. Specially because of one controversial topic: Reverse Racism. But what is reverse racism, after all?

Reverse racism is the idea that racism can happen to white people and that white people can/are affected by racist violence by (normally) non-white people. In other words, a myth.

“But Angelle, ain't racism discrimination based on race? Wouldn't that include discrimination against white people as well?” Great question, little grasshopper, but this definition is actually wrong.

Sure, racism does involve a huge discrimination element, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The correct definition for racism is Prejudice + Power. More specifically, institutional power. Racism is, at it's core, an institution and an structure, made to protect and put white people at advantage.

And this is basically it. Reverse racism does not exist, and if you believe it does, you are either naïve and racially illiterate, at best, or a whole white supremacist, at worst.

Iiihh, are ya surprised? Well, don't be, because this rethoric of anti-white racism is a racist and a neo-nazi belief. Many white supremacists across the world use phrases like “white lives matter”, “all lives matter” (that one a little bit tricky, because all lives indeed matter; but here's the thing, that is what the anti racist movement is here for! And the women's liberation movement! And the mogai activism! The “all lives matter” does nothing but take the focus away from minorities subtly, so it's real important to pay attention.), “It's ok to be white”, and nanananana, and this kind of shenanigans. Many of them are also dog whistles (see Anti Defamation League's dog whistles glossary for more information).

In conclusion, reverse racism does not exist. It's just another racist rethoric, and y'all need to learn to listen to people of colour when we say something is bullshit. Thank you for coming to my ted talk and have a great day.

Reverse Racism; A much needed article/informative post, because if I see another racially illiterate mofo watering down racism to “just another discrimination, I'm gonna fucking combust.

Main source is The Conversation's article on this topic. Content warning for mentioning of discrimination and neo-nazism.

Ah, yes. Racism, that infamous word. This important word needed to help us understand the social relations that are affected with this element.

It is a very great watershed, indeed. Specially because of one controversial topic: Reverse Racism. But what is reverse racism, after all?

Reverse racism is the idea that racism can happen to white people and that white people can/are affected by racist violence by (normally) non-white people. In other words, a myth.

“But Angelle, ain't racism discrimination based on race? Wouldn't that include discrimination against white people as well?” Great question, little grasshopper, but this definition is actually wrong.

Sure, racism does involve a huge discrimination element, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The correct definition for racism is Prejudice + Power. More specifically, institutional power. Racism is, at it's core, an institution and an structure, made to protect and put white people at advantage.

And this is basically it. Reverse racism does not exist, and if you believe it does, you are either naïve and racially illiterate, at best, or a whole white supremacist, at worst.

Iiihh, are ya surprised? Well, don't be, because this rethoric of anti-white racism is a racist and a neo-nazi belief. Many white supremacists across the world use phrases like “white lives matter”, “all lives matter” (that one a little bit tricky, because all lives indeed matter; but here's the thing, that is what the anti racist movement is here for! And the women's liberation movement! And the mogai activism! The “all lives matter” does nothing but take the focus away from minorities subtly, so it's real important to pay attention.), “It's ok to be white”, and nanananana, and this kind of shenanigans. Many of them are also dog whistles (see Anti Defamation League's dog whistles glossary for more information).

In conclusion, reverse racism does not exist. It's just another racist rethoric, and y'all need to learn to listen to people of colour when we say something is bullshit. Thank you for coming to my ted talk and have a great day.

so you're new to portal (2007)/portal 2 (2011)

comics

required reading: lab rat and there are a couple of other, shorter official comics

turret lullaby

randolph the red-nosed turret (preserved on portalwiki)

videos

thinkwithportals.com has most of the ad shorts in one place, but not included there are

portal is free

aperture science romance safety compliance guide

perpetual testing initiative

audio

the portal 2 soundtrack is free online!

glados and cave johnson both have dota2 announcer packs

"don't say goodbye" is an unused glados song that ellen mclain WROTE

apocrypha

aperture desk job is free on steam

portal 2: the final hours is $2 and worth it

significant appearances in both poker night 2 and lego dimensions (including another glados song)

the portal ARG and potatofoolsday ARG

concept art!! (rip portal 2 art book, I will never be over you)

AND you can't forget the old aperturescience.com (archived by valve, thank god) you can look up commands to navigate it but I'd start by trying "help"

I KNOW this isn't everything, I haven't played the VR stuff and don't even know where to start with it, feel more than free to pile on

Sex stuff you probably won’t learn from fanfiction and/or porn:

Erotic fic and porn can be a lot of fun! But if you aren’t being provided with adequate sex ed through other channels (comprehensive sexual education, frank and open discussions with trusted adults, etc.), turning to fanfic and porn for your understanding of sex is gonna leave some major blindspots and may leave you with some unrealistic expectations. While there’s nothing wrong with these kinds of erotica, they are fictional and tend to leave out a lot of the more realistic, human parts of sex - they serve a great purpose, but that purpose isn’t primarily educational. The following is an incomplete list of some things you should probably know about sex that a lot of fic and porn tends to leave out:

It isn’t always super hot or super sweet. Sometimes it’s super silly. Or sometimes it’s sort of mundane and you’re both simply scratching an itch. That’s fine too. (Hell, sometimes you’re talking about comic books while boning and your partner is laughing that you’re getting REALLY ANGRY about spider-man while they’re going to town on you.)

You will probably not climax at the same moment. It’s a sweet idea, but extremely hard to coordinate, and if all your concentration is going into coming at the exact same moment, you’re probably not enjoying yourselves as much as you might. 

Sometimes bodies make weird, goofy noises. Squelching, slapping, air-escaping, un-sexy noises. It’s okay to laugh at this. 

Hell, it’s okay to laugh during sex in general.

Sometimes you fart. Sometimes you fart while someone is going down on you and it is embarrassing as hell. This isn’t the end of the world. Embarrassing body things happen. Heck, sometimes, with anal, there’s a little poo. You get over it.

Sometimes sex is… kinda bad? This doesn’t mean it’s assault, or something traumatic – sometimes it’s consensual but just kinda bleh and not what you hoped for. The best thing to do (if you’re talking about sex with a partner and not just a hook up who you can not call back) is talk to them about it. Figure out what went wrong, what you enjoy and what you don’t, and communicate what techniques you do and don’t like. Also don’t be afraid to stop someone in the middle of the sex act you’re not enjoying and offer guidance on how to help make it good for you too. (Side tip: masturbation makes great research into what you personally do and don’t enjoy sexually)

You won’t enjoy every sex act. Not every body is wired to find every thing pleasurable. You might find anal does nothing for you. You may find g-spot stimulation just makes you really anxious that you’re about to pee. You may not enjoy giving or receiving oral. You’re not broken if you don’t like something that every pornstar or smutty fanfic protagonist seems to have earth-shattering orgasms from. Everyone’s got nerve endings in a range of places – it’s quite literally, different strokes for different folks.

On that note, not all orgasms are earth-shattering. Sometimes it just feels warm and nice. That’s fine too. 

Sometimes, if you’re neutral on a sex act and your partner loves it, you can suck it up for them, and they’ll suck up something they’re not crazy about for your pleasure in return. But communicate preferences with each other! Know that when a partner does that thing you love that they don’t get much from, that it’s an act of care, and vice versa. 

Falling asleep in each other’s arms right after wild passionate sex seems really romantic, but dried and crusty fluids are gonna be a bitch in the morning. Also, after sex, you should both (regardless of your equipment) go pee to clear out the urethra of any gunk or bacteria to reduce risk of a UTI. 

Putting a towel down on the bed before sex means you don’t have to sleep on wet funky sheets. (it’s also verrrrrry useful for period sex if you or your partner menstruate.)

A lot of people don’t like dirty talk, or rough sex. Always ask first. (Fanfic on the whole does a better job than porn at showing communication, but a lot of it is still highly fictive on this point)

PROTECTION PROTECTION PROTECTION. Use condoms, dental dams, etc. not just to prevent pregnancy, but to reduce risk of STIs. (Yes, even couples with the same genitals who don’t need to worry about pregnancy).

Lube is great and very important, but random goopy things around you are not good lube. Random oils especially, since oil doesn’t flush out well and can trap bacteria inside the body – oil-based lubricant also degrades condoms. Use lube specifically designed for intimate purposes. Water-based and silicone-based lubes help sex feel really good!

Bigger isn’t necessarily better. A lot of people with vaginas don’t enjoy the feeling of being repeatedly punched in the cervix by a monster cock. Some people enjoy a larger size when being penetrated by an appendage or toy and some don’t.

Bodies are hairy. Genitals are hairy. You may get a pube stuck in your teeth at some point. If your partner is WAY fuzzier than porn ever led you to believe they’d be, well, that’s normal. 

Not everyone loves the taste of ejaculate. Sometimes it’s nasty (flavor tends to vary from person to person depending on their diet, but sometimes you just really don’t like it no matter what. Some of us hate the taste of peanut butter. People don’t always like things). It’s okay not to swallow, or to request a penis-having partner warn you so they don’t ejaculate in your mouth (in fact, it’s polite for them to do the latter). 

If you’re gonna have shower sex, get one of those rubbery mats for the shower floor that gives you traction, because otherwise it’s super embarrassing to call for an ambulance while dripping wet and naked because you slipped and accidentally broke something and your partner got a concussion while you were trying to bang in the shower. 

Moaning and screaming wildly during sex is fun but it will make the neighbors in the apartments adjacent to you hate you. Make choices accordingly. 

hi sorry to annoce this but donation asks that are sent to me wont be answered from now on!

they are like all the asks im getting currently and its getting overwhelming, im sorry for all your situations and this will prob change eventually but if you ask me something to do with donations i will not be answering them sorry!!

(yes i still support palestine and i love that sharing the asks are helping them leave but its to much for me to check if they are real or not or if they are scams are not so i just wont answering them for a little!!)