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tickettoheaven: chafing-nipples: dangermat: when bananas rot they secrete stuff that makes other...

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:14:10 -0400

chafing-nipples:

dangermat:

when bananas rot they secrete stuff that makes other fruit including bananas near them rot faster
that’s so fucked up that is murder suicide
bananas commit murder suicide

that’s pretty fucking metal

I’d say it’s pretty fucking

bananas

Bananas.

tjneon: Freakin’ LOVE Fallout 3. One of the best games EVER....

Mon, 13 May 2013 13:11:24 -0400

tjneon:

Freakin’ LOVE Fallout 3. One of the best games EVER. NEED FALLOUT 5 IN MAH LIFE RIGHT MEOW!!!!!

MR. HANDY. I need to know who made this.

30 Days Of Sexism

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:33:15 -0400

30 Days Of Sexism:

thehouseofmunch:

My name is Alanah Pearce and I âm a videogame journalist. I write for various websites, and make regular videos for four separate YouTube channels. I…

This is just depressing. And not at all surprising.

Videogame culture is still one of the last bastions of “bro” behavior where talking about a woman’s appearance, or denigrating their appearance, or threatening some kind of violence is still acceptable on some level.

Odds are these boys* wouldn’t ask a female barista if they could see some cleavage. Odds are they wouldn’t ask a female co-worker if they swallowed. And if someone said something like this to their mother or sister, odds are that they would be pretty pissed.

But if a woman deigns to have an opinion on a video game, or compete in multi-player, or work for a videogame company, it is apparently open season.

And this hurts us on many levels.

It’s an attack on the basic decency and humanity you wish everyone would possess and exhibit. It coarsens the public arena and, when it is tolerated, reinforces this idiotic and pathetic behavior.

It also chases away talented women from the videogame industry. And that deprives us all. We need multiple viewpoints to make great games. Some of the best games in the early days of gaming, games that made young kids want to create games, came from women like Carol Shaw and Roberta Williams. Portal exists because of Kim Swift. But when you tolerate the kind of behavior that reduces women to fetishes, you will lose that talent. And you create a more myopic industry that says it understands the problem but really doesn’t. Like Crystal Dynamics thinking that they were being progressive and empowering by having Lara Croft almost get raped in the new Tomb Raider.

And as video games become ever more prevalent in our lives, their influence over popular culture, and our society overall, will increase. And if that influence is not only lacking in contributions and input from women, but is actively objectifying and degrading women, then women are going to be treated even worse than they are now.

The best way to combat this? Call the behavior out when it happens. Just like Alanah did in her piece. Like Anita Sarkeesian did when she was attacked with some of the most vile rhetoric ever for daring to start a Kickstarter to examine gender roles in video games. Like Brenda Romero did in quitting the IGDA after their party at the Game Developers Conference involving hiring scantily-clad dancers.

And frankly, men have to step up to the plate as well and call this garbage out. Because our silence on the matter can be just as damaging. Silence can be seen as approval. And we have to strive to make sure that doesn’t happen.

————————

* I say boys specifically because men - actual men - don’t say this kind of stupid shit or act like a prepubescent asshole.

sciencesoup: Everybody Claps From French opera to Amazonian...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:57:39 -0400

sciencesoup:

Everybody Claps

From French opera to Amazonian tribe dances, performances will be rewarded with the noise of humans smacking their hands together in sync. Applause is a behaviour as widespread as humanity, but how has it become so ubiquitous? We know that clapping mimics the behaviour of apes in excited states – stamping, whooping and slapping are orang-utan reactions to food or friends. But primates don’t truly applaud unless they’re taught to. Lift your hands and clap them together. Think about what a complex action it is: cupping your hands so you burst the air pocket between your palms, having the energy to repeat the action, knowing what speed matches the people around you. So why this, over howling or kicking or stamping? Some theorists link applause solely to the group effect, citing the tendency of applause to synchronise — listen to the next slow clap you hear, and marvel at our ability to keep steady time. Clapping also tends to be prompted by a group experience, like a punchline or a spectacle. Research at York University shows that just as people laugh louder in company to prove they’ve gotten a joke, applause is more synchronous in response to a snappy turn of phrase. It makes us feel included, a part of the group, and so has an evolutionary basis. Others suggest that clapping is instinctive. Babies clap in happiness from the age of four months, and patients in catatonic states will often adopt clapping as a fixation, suggesting that it produces pleasure independent of company. This could be because of the soothing regularity and rhythm it produces. But further, there is evidence that the act can induce seizure-like brain activity, pleasurable in short bursts. In which case, clapping is not just learned, but hard-wired in our brains.

Guest article written by biocurious

Great Piece by Anne T Donahue

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 21:45:42 -0400

Great Piece by Anne T Donahue:

paulftompkins:

“And refuse to bow down to it. And refuse to laugh at it. And refuse to excuse it. And refuse to stay silent when it’s happening around you.”

annetdonahue:

I rarely ever write this personally. But okay.

When I was four, a kid in my neighbourhood took me into his room and pulled down my pants (twice) when I went over to play. I went home, told my mom, and she walked right over to that neighbour’s house, where she and that kid’s mom raised all kinds…

clientsfromhell: This is from my boss, rather than a client. My boss prefers for us to print out...

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:41:00 -0400

clientsfromhell:

This is from my boss, rather than a client. My boss prefers for us to print out all our design work for him to look at. I had finished creating a website, printed out a page and handed it to him to look over while away from the computer.

Client: Looks good except for this menu link, I think that needs to be brighter.

Me: It’s fine on screen, it just printed out too dark.

Client: Well you need to fix it in case anyone prints it out again.

This has happened to me.

durnesque-esque: fuckyeah-nerdery: sigfodr: A version for...

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 13:05:26 -0500

durnesque-esque:

fuckyeah-nerdery:

sigfodr:

A version for tumblr that can be read without opening a new tab, since plenty of people would scroll past this story otherwise.

The bravest woman on Earth.

Today is Women’s Day- a good day to celebrate this incredible young woman.

humansofnewyork: He told me he was on his way to a labor law...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:37:18 -0500

humansofnewyork:

He told me he was on his way to a labor law class, so I asked him if he was studying to be a lawyer. He said:

“No, I’m an electrician, actually. I just want to have as much knowledge as possible so that I can give good advice to my family and community. I didn’t really have access to much good advice when I was growing up. People think that kids become drug dealers and gang members because of rap, or movies, or video games. But it’s actually because of bad advice. They see criminals with money and nice things, and those are their examples of success. So they look to them for advice.”

This guy.

humansofnewyork: My name is Brandon Stanton and I’m a...

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:57:13 -0500

humansofnewyork:

My name is Brandon Stanton and I’m a photographer in New York City. As many of you already know, several months ago I was approached by the fashion label DKNY, who offered me $15,000 to purchase 300 of my photographs. I politely refused the offer. But earlier this week, one of my fans discovered that DKNY was using my photographs anyway— in Asia. (Full Story:http://thebea.st/13ijYt6)

As atonement for this infringement, I publicly requested that DKNY donate $100,000 in my name to the YMCA in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, so that underprivileged children could attend summer camp. DKNY responded on Monday with a $25,000 donation.

Over the next three days, my audience stepped in and raised the full $100,000 themselves. Over 3,000 people chipped in, and raised an astonishing $103,710 in 72 hours. (http://bit.ly/YTy4h3)

I have no interest in vilifying DKNY. It is a company composed of thousands of good people. The founder, Donna Karan, is highly respected around the world for both her creativity and philanthropy.

But I would appreciate if you would REBLOG this post, and lend your voice to my request that DKNY raise their donation to match the $103,710 that we raised.

Together, we could create a $208,000 investment in the lives of children in one of New York’s most vital and diverse neighborhoods. Thank you so much.

Good job responding, DNKY, but you can do better!

humansofnewyork: I am a street photographer in New York City....

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:50:30 -0500

humansofnewyork:

I am a street photographer in New York City. Several months ago, I was approached by a representative of DKNY who asked to purchase 300 of my photos to hang in their store windows “around the world.” They offered me $15,000. A friend in the industry told me that $50 per photo was not nearly enough to receive from a company with hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue. So I asked for more money. They said “no.”

Today, a fan sent me a photo from a DKNY store in Bangkok. The window is full of my photos. These photos were used without my knowledge, and without compensation.

I don’t want any money. But please REBLOG this post if you think that DKNY should donate $100,000 on my behalf to the YMCA in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. That donation would sure help a lot of deserving kids go to summer camp. I’ll let you guys know if it happens.

Disgusting. I hope he gets a lawyer.

sparkamovement: Women at work during WWII. Photos by Alfred T....

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 21:54:35 -0500

sparkamovement:

Women at work during WWII. Photos by Alfred T. Palmer via The Library of Congress

Brave.

sarapocock: This happens all the time. Every car horn, every...

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:05:46 -0500

sarapocock:

This happens all the time. Every car horn, every whistle, every cat call and lewd exclamation, strengthens the lesson I’ve been taught over and over and over again throughout my entire life: as a lady, my body is on public display and open for judgment—from anyone.

Most men who will see this are decent, rational guys who will sympathize with my feelings. A small, vocal handful of dudes will send me private messages about how women like me can’t “take a fucking compliment.” This is not for either of you. This is for the guys who don’t know yet that attracting unwanted attention doesn’t make women feel good, no matter how nice their intentions are. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can say that I personally get embarrassed, often scared, and always—ALWAYS—ashamed, in some way, in how I look.

So… now that you know, cut it out. Tell all the girls how nice they are and how amazing they are at their jobs instead.

Yes.

inothernews: NRA, GTFO A demonstrator held up a banner as...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 11:52:27 -0500

inothernews:

NRA, GTFO A demonstrator held up a banner as Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, delivered a statement in Washington on Friday. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images via The New York Times)

I’m sincerely asking my followers to reblog the shit out of this photo.

Fans

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 10:00:35 -0500

“I hope you take lots of pictures of your baby. Not just because she’s your baby, but because she’s beautiful!” - cashier at Target

Eight months old

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:24:43 -0500

Eight months ago, you rushed into our lives like you couldn’t wait to get started. Today it’s snowing (your first snow!) and you’re sleeping on my lap, sucking on your fingers, and laughing and smiling in your sleep. You’re so beautiful!

You seemed to like snow, though it was cold on your little fingers. When snowflakes landed on your face, you smiled and laughed a little.

First wave

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:35:59 -0500

On November 17, you waved for the first time. Noted: Lily waved back at Dan when he walked into her room and waved at her. Then she clapped her hands gently a few times, like she was applauding herself.

Now, you wave to Rabberta, you wave to the window, and you wave to strangers while we’re out. Today, a cashier at Lowes came over to see you while we waited for Dan, and you smiled and waved at her, even though you were exhausted. She even called over a friend so you could wave at him too. You’re changing lives, Lily.

Should also note: it’s a whole-arm flap.

Even cuter

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:28:23 -0500

A few days before Thanksgiving, you started ducking your head to one side (right side, I think) when you’re looking at someone. I’m almost not sure it’s intentional, but nothing seems to be wrong with your ears. Sure is cute, though!

Shopping

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:44:34 -0500

You bring smiles and joy to strangers whenever we go out.

Just now, a man pushing a cart past the aisle we were browsing in stopped in his tracks, saying “OH MY GOD that is the cutest thing. Maria, come over here! Come look at this adorable baby’s fat cheeks, God bless her.” Maria also God blessed you.

This was a little more exuberant than usual, but people always comment on how beautiful you are, and smile as you pass by. You’re the Chosen One! You’re changing lives with your pretty blue eyes and gummy smile.

Begin.

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 13:30:35 -0500

I’m going to start using this as a notepad for letters to/about my baby girl. I don’t mind if strangers read it, but she’s the only intended audience!

This week, you’ve started sticking out your tongue. Just a little point of it, out of the left side of your mouth. Then you lick your upper lip and it’s gone. About an hour ago, you wiggled it around while making a “Blblblbl” sound for the first time! I love seeing you try new things, imitating things we’ve been doing to amuse you. In two days, you’ll be 8 months old! I love you very much.

"What I found is that again, that time of diagnosis and the time of birth is often very difficult and..."

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:13:21 -0500

“

What I found is that again, that time of diagnosis and the time of birth is often very difficult and upsetting for people. Kids with Down syndrome are, by and large, quite affectionate and relatively guileless and frequently, the attachments to them grow and deepen. And the meaning that parents find in it grows and deepens. So the story that epitomizes it perhaps was of Tom and Karen Robards, who were a couple I met in New York who had gotten involved in changing the way education services are delivered to people with Down syndrome. They set up something called the Cooke Center and they did really noble and heroic work in that arena and their son is now 30.

And I said, ‘Look you’ve given your lives to this.’ I said, ‘Do wish you wish you’d never heard of Down syndrome? Do you wish you could make it go away?’ And his mother said, ‘You know for our son, David, I wish I could make it go away because for David, it’s a difficult way to be in the world. And I would do anything to make David’s life easier.’ She said, ‘But speaking for myself, while I would never have believed 30 years ago that I would get to such a point, speaking for myself it’s made me think so much more deeply and appreciate humanity so much more broadly and live so much more richly. That speaking for myself, I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.’

And while she articulated that idea with particular eloquence I found it was not an infrequent refrain — that most parents had become very attached to their children. And at some level I kept thinking, ‘But surely you’d rather have children without Down syndrome?’ And then I thought people become attached to their children with whatever their flaws are. I’m attached to my children with whatever flaws they have and if some glorious angel broke through the living room ceiling and offered to exchange them for other better children, I’d cling to my kids and pray away this specter.

”

- Andrew Solomon on how Karen Robards, whose son has Down syndrome, learned to cope (via nprfreshair)