Merry Christmas, if you’re into that sort of thing!

@Dalillama

My fave detail is how the leopard cats themselves used to be pets way before modern cat ancestors arrived to the area. Like awwwwwww!

@Dali

Good to see you! 🙂

Sort of; the breed is descended from Amur Leopard Cats (which are from Bengal and much of the rest of South Asia), crossed with assorted domestic cats, mostly breeds originating nearby.

Thank you. 🙂

@Skiriki

Got a couple of old friends who have cheetahs as hunting companions. They’re really sweet natured if they like you. Not so nice if they decide they don’t though. One of them likes to sit on me when I visit – an honor I could do without! They’re much heavier than they look. 😛

Leopards are supposed to be the same sort of behaviour, just far stronger and heavier, and more unpredictable. 😛

@Preux
Ayy! Welcome back *confetti*

in my opinion, it’s only really cultural appropriation if someone is making money on it anyways

I’d add social currency to financial. White people with cornrows aren’t selling anything, but they’re still gaining something in the social sphere that black folk with same hairstyle often don’t. Then you gotta take into account the stealth financials of it. White people can get away with things as ‘exotic’ or ‘trendy’ that, for brown folk, was always just ‘weird’ or ‘foreign’ or actively ‘ugly’. Becky is less likely to be fired from her job cos of her new box braids than Imani is. So, direct exchange of money, IMO, is too narrow a lens

@mrex

at some point white people** start to sound a bit like Nazis when they start berating other whites for dipping their toes into any culture other than their own

No. It’s not antimiscegenation, it’s them knowing how this often goes down. Do white people sometimes oversympathize with the plight of minorities? Absolutely. Not gonna weigh in on the subject of dreamcatchers (not NDN, know too little about the cultural trappings/significance), but, frex, I don’t care if white people rap. But if white people give Eminem the side eye on my behalf, I’ll think them missing the forest for the trees, but not comparable to nazis. There are literal fuckin nazis in control of the gov right now, let’s keep that designation aimed at those fuckers and their sycophants

Maybe power is always gained by the white person. Maybe this is the point

Fuckin kinda

I owned dreamcatcher when I am 18 because I bought it at the small shop and I didn’t know about what it means. when I found out it is disrespectful I gave it away. I didn’t want it any more. I am ashamed I didnt know and I didn’t listen to my friend who told me it is racist. I can buy other things with wolfs which are not disrespectful or cultural appropriation. there is no reason to own such things from cultures which oppressed by white people when there plenty other beautiful things

when I visited some counties in my job people give me given me gifts. daughter of my captain who is from Myanmar on one ship, gave me jade cross necklace and little frame with woman made from colour sand inside. picture of kneeling Myanmar woman. I kept this because it is gift from Myanmar person to me and she chosen it to represent her country.

and I agree with Axe, how can white people who tell other white people to respect other cultures be like nazis? this is opposite! and I think it is very important white people tell each other if they done something disrespectful. it is very hard for POC to always be teacher for white people – it is upsetting and tiring. we should teach eachother. this is how to be ‘ally’ ?

@Axe

“There are literal fuckin nazis in control of the gov right now, let’s keep that designation aimed at those fuckers and their sycophants”

Point taken. I did take that too far.

Sometimes it just feels off; like deep-down, for these white people it is about seperating cultures/races. But maybe I’m reacting to something in myself, rather than in them.

“I don’t care if white people rap. But if white people give Eminem the side eye on my behalf, I’ll think them missing the forest for the trees, but not comparable to nazis.”

Yeah. Seems kinda off, like they’re trying to speak over you, or frame the discussion, out of sympathy or whatever. But certainly not Nazis.

Thanks for making me think. I stand corrected!

I feel positive about my contribution to dealing with the very concerned swarm. As a person who also sees too much of himself in Ansari from past experience I can at least now put some more objective names to my dispositions and choices. I am doing the “gatekeeper” thing and it’s a matter of creating a space for people to communicate about their experiences. In form I did a “stare down” over the general issue of gossipers* trying to prevent discussion about Grace’s experiences. They dress it up as just asking questions (and other things), but when there’s a group of them and they leave out any means of identifying the cause of their very repetitive concerns I just see the gossip.

With respect to fear and writing I’m now thinking about how my methods and goals have changed in my confrontations. Some of it is harder and fuzzier than I expected. I’m not sure how much I should let myself enjoy beyond learning to help.

*I spoon fed “gossip” via hammering their resistance to quoting anything wrong with Grace’s words or other communication. In another example someone was outraged at the general idea of “rapist talk”, but wouldn’t qoute one snip of it. I’m sure they felt a lot if negative about me but I do try to shape it some. That’s a skill in progress.

@Brony

“I spoon fed “gossip” via hammering their resistance to quoting anything wrong with Grace’s words or other communication. In another example someone was outraged at the general idea of “rapist talk”, but wouldn’t qoute one snip of it.”

What’s “rapist talk”?

US figure skater and soon to be Olympian Adam Rippon dragged Mike Pence for his homophobia upon hearing he’d be leading the US delegation at the Olympics.

Pence called him a liar.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/christinebrennan/2018/01/17/gay-olympian-adam-rippon-blasts-selection-mike-pence-lead-u-s-delegation/1040610001/

Adam brought the receipts

https://twitter.com/Adaripp/status/954744691882311686

Both he and skier Lindsay Vonn have said they will not be attending post Olympic celebrations at the WH with Trump. So I expect them both to come under attack by Trump and his fans any time now.

Adam Rippon is hilarious and awesome BTW. When asked what it was like to be a gay athlete he said it was the same as being a straight athlete but with better eyebrows. A few days ago some concern troll tweeted him to whine about mean it was to say straight people have bad eyebrows. His response?

To be fair the tone you’re taking with me sounds like your brows might not be great

Since his response to trolls is to mock the shit out of them, I wish he’d come hang out with us here. He’d fit right in.

@Valentin –

I was being very sarcastic. No, I don’t think the Star Wars remake without showing any woman doing anything strong or good, is a good thing.

@Ariblester

LOL

To be honest, that would be very much the correct expression or close enough for that horrible moment when I saw the kitty tail and hindlegs peeking out of Carisma’s bum.

Alamak’s original explanation goes like “The name is originally from Arabic العناق الأرض al-‘anāq al-’arđ̧, “the caracal” (desert lynx).”

@Lensman – he’s functional, at least. His twitter is still in use from time to time, and you can’t schedule retweets with comments.

Good health, I can’t say. Just hope.

Thank you, Shadowplay. Much appreciated (not being on twitter, so not readily able to see directly). Joining you in all best hopes and wishes for David to feel better.