FWIW I think that of all the reasons mass surveillance is bad, misuse and corruption are really only incidental and don't get to the heart of the problem. The problem is that the law as written encodes a very specific vision of the good and it's only through spotty enforcement that we have a meaningfully free society. In a world with perfect, universal surveillance, no one in the US would ever be able to drop acid, arrange a physical fight, pirate movies, sext or watch porn in high school, drink in their first two years of college, visit a graveyard at night, access HRT without a doctor's note, etc. Maybe you think some of these things are good and some of them are bad, but notably, moral progress has happened in the past in our society (on marijuana, homosexuality, etc.) because there were long-standing communities of practice engaged in illegal activities who could vouch for that way of life, which is a process that becomes outright impossible with universal, effective surveillance and interpretation of communications.
This isn't really a democratic vs. anti-democratic issue because even a widespread social consensus can be wrong in such a way that experiments with violating it existing at all even if highly marginalized is ultimately to the good.
I guess if I was a moral realist and thought that any rational being will inevitably converge to my preferences I wouldn't be worried, but I'm not, which is why I believe in liberalism, which is to say the existence of a free society, and even if it maintains the forms of "liberalism" a society with effective universal surveillance is not meaningfully free, and the closer it gets to that state the less free it becomes.
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asuraid) wrote2026-03-30 12:46 amYAHOO MY FRIEND'S BOOK IS OUT!!!
i personally ordered the physical copy to come in on april 1st ehehehehe
sonofgodzilla) wrote2026-03-30 05:38 amFIC: Kamen Rider Black RX - Modern
Universe: Kamen Rider Black RX
Series: Season One | Season Two | Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie | Ninja Quest (1, 2, 3, 4)
Character(s): Joe the Haze, OC
Rating: U
Warnings: N/A
Summary: “I can’t prove it, so I don’t mind if you don’t believe me, but as you weren’t in Japan when Crisis invaded, maybe you should take my word.”
Length: 1010 words
Author's Notes: external link .
( Modern )
pedanther) wrote2026-03-30 11:04 amWeek in review: Week to 28 March
. I blew off Parkrun this week because there was a forecast of rain. Another time I'd probably have gone anyway, and likely been fine (the rain didn't start really coming down until after Parkrun had concluded), but it was closing night of the short play season that evening and I decided I owed it to the audience to stay dry and warm and not catch the flu or lose my voice.
. The short play season went very well, with good audiences for a short play season, especially on closing night. The cast and crew all got on well, too, which is always nice. We start rehearsals for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown tomorrow.
. I've been intrigued for a while by the
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no_true_pair fic challenge, in which you choose a set of characters and are given fic prompts for each pair of characters in the list, but the sticking point has always been that I can't make up my mind what characters to do it with. I waffled about joining the latest four-character round for ages, and eventually signed on literally five minutes before the posting phase was opened with a set of characters picked more or less at random. So far, I've written a vignette for one prompt and started on another, and it's been an interesting exercise in thinking about what the paired characters have in common, but I'm not sure it's going to result in anything I actually consider publishable.. I've completed the jigsaw puzzle I've been working on. In the end, I liked it a lot more than the previous one I tried from the same manufacturer, although I still think the engineering of the pieces could stand to be a bit tighter.
. The latest addition to my daily puzzle routine is Glyph, a Wordle-like game in which you have four guesses to identify a word with the assistance of an image showing the letters of the word stacked on top of each other. I'm enjoying it, and doing pretty well; the only time I've needed all four guesses was the first time I tried it, and that was partly because I'd got the explanation of the letter-order hints back to front.
. I'm not sure what it says that I've been only vaguely aware of NASA's Artemis II mission -- which plans to send a human crew on an observation pass around the Moon, closer than any humans have been in fifty years -- and it was only by chance that I saw a notice that lift-off is scheduled to take place this week (early Thursday morning, Australian time).
kradeelav) wrote2026-03-29 10:03 pm(no subject)
paperghost) wrote2026-03-29 12:42 pmTFF 2026... uh...
So... that was a bust. My sister talked some sense into me but I learned a lot. In a bad way. This weekend made me realize I have PMDD and that basically ruined it??
Pros:
- My new itabag is great and will replace the old coffin itabag. I traded a good gimmick for functionality. Unfortunately I haven't posted photos of my itabag on art sites, so skip this if you don't get it.
- Got some good gifts! My impulse control was great and I realize last month the vendors aren't my go-to since I'm barely into any mainstream fandoms. I got a shirt as a gift and a shirt for me.
- Freebie stuff was bountiful as ever! I also had 2 stickers of my own this year and plan on continuing ordering from Sticky Brand for that.
- Went to the game room on Friday and Crushing Force is uh... very unique! I had a hearty laugh playing a few rounds.
- Went to the panel about attending cons on a budget and had a great talk with the host for first time rooming advice.
- This isn't a pro, but it's not a con either. Just extremely weird. When asking for rooming advice, I was directed to a vetted Telegram chat in a "DM this person to get in" way. I DMed her, told her I was at TFF and couldn't automatically verify with ID since my phone was in my pocket most of the time. She had a friend attending and I could meet her to verify. We were both at different locations for a few hours, and THEN I got her. She ended not knowing what I needed her for until I told her and wasn't even in the server I was being verified for, but it was cleared up LOL.
- Harmonycon 2027 table on Saturday!!! Tried to Wander Over Yonder pill the guy at the table, you're welcome. (xd) (If you love G4 and Powerpuff Girls, there's a 80% chance you will love Wander.)
- I found a pony plushie maker! I'm aiming to have Sparkler made by next year, but I haven't arranged anything since my Insta is IRL-centric and inactive. The hilarious part is she was the maker of two pony plushies I saw the other night, I was just going home and couldn't ask for the maker...
- UNOFFICIAL LPS MEET UP! Was totally worth having my legs falls asleep for nearly 2 hours. I unfortunately didn't offload my "to trade" pile but I got 2 hamsters on my wishlist and gave 2 of mine away to nice people :) Unfortunately I haven't posted my LPS customs but I'm sad I couldn't join in the "custom group shot" photo :(
- Shadow the hedgehog liked my itabag and hugged me on Friday? Absolutely sweet experience and melted my heart.
- Silly moment when going down the elevator, someone asked if anyone had a spare hair tie when stopping on the way down. I did... but it was buried in my purse and we had to hold the door open til I grabbed it. "You’re a queen!"
- Both drag shows on Friday and Saturday were kino as usual. I preferred Friday since it leaned towards burlesque and had more boobs, but Saturday was a proper Otterly Fierce production and made me lose it at several parts. I GOTTA see Mustache Envy at Sue Ellens again after my tolerance break.
- I didn't know there were some "rogues" that stuck around after artist's alley closes. Do not take this as tattling or problematic, they were just sitting there socializing to whoever was still on the 2nd floor. (Anecdotal con advice I wish someone told me.)
- Met @/iggy666 before I left! LOCALS PLS TALK TO ME xd
(Note: this is being cross-posted to multiple sites, that @ may not work.)
Cons:
- Uh... a lot. This will be the last multi-day con I will go to without a room. For convention newbies, here's some advice: IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE LOCAL. UNLESS IT'S RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE, GET A ROOM IN ADVANCE OR GRAB A DAY PASS. HOTEL ROOMS CLOSE BEFORE THE EVENT, YOU NEED TO GET ONE IN ADVANCE. Holy fucking hell.
- Room party situation was dire and completely killed my plans. A lot of my plan hinged on attending a party on Friday and feeling the rest out... nope. The hotel was actively cracking down on parties, no matter how tame. I attended one NSFW party on Friday night but it made me so claustrophobic I quickly left. The room party I was at during Harmonycon had its issues because some channers got too edgy, but I NEVER felt like I was literally suffocated. I couldn't even sit down and listen to music :( 2 chairs + couch + bed is a terrible arrangement for a party advertised under the table, jfc. Save that for you and your friends.
- The ELEVATOR SITUATION was also horrific. The gaming and artist room being on the 37th floor killed A LOT of potential fun because the lines were so long and it was high up. Absolutely bullshit.
- This isn't a complaint, but I'm putting it under con since it's meta. Why isn't TFF 18+? It feels like it wants to be an adult con when even the normal vendors have suggestive daki merch and leatherwork. I don't mean this in a "think of the children" way, I only saw one actual child and a teenager at the LPS meetup on Saturday. I just think it'd probably be healthier to admit what people are really here for? But I don't know what the social scene is for minors or if this is their only con option or not.
- I was not at the Chester memorial because I didn't know them, but I was heartbroken about how it happened to someone so young. Drunk drivers KYS challenge. (Or... just not do that. Please get a fucking Uber or Lyft.)
- Trading Post wasn't as good this year. Didn't even bother with the AD trading post, I don't want to stay here late or spend all day carrying [REDACTEDS] in my bag.
- I also passed on buying anything from the AD vendors due to not feeling very confident with myself :( This isn't a dig at them, it's me. I have got to get sexier.
- The AD rodeo on Friday was neat, but another instance of "oh geez I need a hotel room"... it didn't appear to be there on Saturday.
- Catering was absolute dogshit just like last year. The cafe on 1st floor skews pricey but was still a lot better.
- I developed a tolerance to alcohol because I drank too much vodka leisurely after Harmonycon. On Friday I had 3 shots before I left and didn't get drunk, it's so fucking over. April is my tolerance break month.
- I'm retiring my G3 Rarity stickers. I have some left that I'll give or distribute next con. Maybe they'll be "to give" only because I realized it's weird for my Carrd sticker to have a copyrighted character instead of my own???
- You miss all of the shots you don't take. I don't have anything to say about most panels I attended besides "I should've spoken up" or "I should've asked someone this" etc. I don't struggle with anxiety anymore, my default is just not speaking or having surface level interactions.
- My mom has never driven around downtown Dallas without getting lost. The drunk drivinh story made me paranoid so I wanted my sister to be with her for Google maps and to keep me posted. I really want to try DART instead one day.
- Was curious about FanExpo and other DFW cons. I was told FanExpo is extremely large. I do not want to deal with attending another large convention.
- Speaking of large... yeah. TFF was too big. It was very very overwhelming and lonely. It was mysterious and exciting last year but a huge bummer now.
- I do not like the Sheraton as a venue in general. It's like night and day compared to the Hyatt. TFS last year was lovely and Harmonycon was magical, but this venue is a pain to maneuver and I'm still pissed over the placement of the game room. Def going to mention that in my post-con survey.
- Didn't see anyone else online :(
- I am also dealing with hormonal issues and thus just not in a good mood most of the time. Friday sucked minus some cute moments, Saturday was slightly better but I spent the time wishing I got a day pass instead and either depressed or pissed about the elevators/no parties between panels/meetups.
So... 5.5/10, ironically worse than Sonic Expo which was a 6/10. The difference is my expectations with Sonic Expo were low, I got a day pass, and my complaint was the concert ordeal and dogshit catering. PMDD aside, my issues here... are numerous! I go back to work on the 31st so I'm probably going to draw and chip at WIPs until I work 4 days in a row. I'm not allowed to think about anything until a family birthday coming up, otherwise I'm putting feelers out for room sharing during TFS. I really need to get some "adult" experience, it'll be good prep for Harmonycon 2027 or even (maybe) (unlikely) traveling out of state in the future. Well, not with the airport BS going on right now...
I also need to decide on my birthday in August. I want a Samsung Tab S6 for portable digital art, and to start commissioning my Sparkler plushie before Harmonycon next year. I can buy both for myself, but not at once. I'm considering the Tab for my birthday, and depending on how long it takes for a plushie, start my payment plan after August or save it for Christmas. The plushiemaker doesn't have a Carrd and is only on Instagram, but I can link if anyone needs me to.
kalloway) wrote2026-03-28 12:44 am(no subject)
Talked to the owner for a bit after, mostly about our economic anxiety. He pointed out the absolute lack of traffic out front, which is indeed a main thoroughfare. I was able to pull right out and make a left, which I have never been able to do before... (I had also walked down to a diner to get breakfast, which was delicious, but I don't think I had to wait for a single car at any of the crosswalks.)
Hobby Market is next weekend so it's time to dig out the boxes again and hopefully find some fresh stuff for my table. I did start going through my shelves and gunpla stacks and hilariously, the first gunpla stack offered up two half-built kits (one of which I wasn't the one who started it) and a finished kit (again, not one I built so someone must've given it to me?)... I've finished the one and got it together minus a backpack I've utterly misplaced. The built one will get disassembled, cleaned, and probably become a paint experiment. Undecided on the last. I suppose I can at least finish it; it shouldn't be a difficult kit. (ETA: the bits that were already built were in pretty bad shape, so they're also getting bathed and cleaned and I'll see what I can do)
pedanther) wrote2026-03-29 06:02 pmBook Chain, etc, Week 13
February: Keyboard Keys
Watership Down by Richard Adams.
I enjoyed it. There are some very emotional parts. I have some quibbles about the way interspecies communication is depicted, but they're quibbles. The Tolkienesque asides about language and translation are fun. Actually, the whole vibe is kind of Tolkienesque, in that it's about a big adventure being had by small creatures who live in holes in the ground and are very English in their manners and speech despite having no concept of what an "England" is. I found myself occasionally wondering if the various strange rabbit communities our heroes encounter -- the decadent artist rabbits, the totalitarian dictatorship rabbits -- are meant to be read as commentary on human communities; the only one I'm confident about is the bit where one of the folk tales about the mythical rabbit hero El-ahrairah takes a moment to have El-ahrairah express his disdain for Kits These Days That Don't Respect Their Elders Who Fought For Their Freedom In The War.
#10: A book published in a different decade than the previous book
March: "This" and "That"
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England by W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatman.
A re-read, because I was feeling like something light and none of the other options I was seeing for the March prompt were appealing to me.
vriddy) wrote2026-03-29 08:17 am
Updated Wind Breaker fic: Acting on instinct (Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura)
Acting on instinct | Wind Breaker | Sakura/Nirei/Suou/Kiryuu/Tsugeura | 5.3k words | rated T
Summary: Something shifted for them all in that moment at Kiryuu's house. They all felt it. But Kiryuu was missing for it, so they can't do anything about it.
Not yet.
Read it on Dreamwidth or on AO3.
asuraid) wrote2026-03-29 12:54 amgut punch sylvie yap!!
Obsessed with characters who are chronic oversharers but in a way that conceals any real information about themselves. Characters who talk about everything but leave out everything that actually has meaning to them, who use their oversharing to hide all the things they're not talking about.gutpunch ass last reblog im ILL. too many thoughts!!!!!!!!!! illness in looking at sylvie and knowing their happy go lucky cheerful personality is 100% them but also 100% isn't. it's both their bare face and a mask at the same time.
—tired-fandom-ndn
they yap and yap and yap and talk and are open and warm but they never truly talk about themselves outside of a very few people. your worries? they will listen. their worries? nawww they're chill they don't have things on their mind (they're etched deep into their bones and buried underneath)
CLAWS AT MY FACE AUGHH FUCKKKK cause like. sylvie won't hide things they like, they'll share their stories, their hobbies, their projects, beloved things. they'll give you scraps of information about their past, they won't beat around the bush that they died, but the aftereffects of that? good luck reading between the lines!!!!!!
augh fuck i know i've talked about it but sylvie struggles as well with knowing that if the self they're presenting is their true self or just a facsimile of their true self. is there a true self underneath or has it disappeared and melded into all of their masks over thousands of years? what is an identity when you've lost your own, lived through hundreds and thousands of others, and had just as many hands and people shape your life?
(i crossposted this from tumblr dont mind me)
jazzfish) wrote2026-03-28 08:30 pmAvallu, 2016-2026
Avallu was a Tornjak, a big fluffy livestock guardian dog. Mostly white; brown facemask, speckled muzzle, and a dark patch over his hindquarters. He came from somewhere in Europe. Erin and I picked him up in Van and drove him north to Fort.
Once the fence went up, and once he learned to stay inside it, he was an exemplary guardian. He chased off lynx and bears; he was polite to the cats and the various fowl. It took him awhile to warm up to Solly the new pup a couple of years ago, but eventually they (and Thea, a little younger than Avallu but arrived slightly before him) worked out a routine to keep the place safe. He was, I suspect, always a bit anxious. We got on well. I'd stand outside, watching birds or pigs or Erin, and he'd come and stand next to me, his hip pressed into my thigh.
I don't really have stories about Avallu, not like Whiskey being a scaredycat until he discovered that petting is Good or Void Demon the cat who 'doesn't like people' settling in on my lap. He was just always there, a solid presence in the chaos of farm life. He was the best of pups.
