More Pride Dice!  More Pretty!

I just realized that I forgot to post yesterday!  I had it planned out and just ... spaced.

Anyway, now that I'm done beating up myself (with e. e. cumming’s help), I'm ready to take on the world.  If you're sequestered, this may be a good time to add some color to your life!  Yesterday’s poem was I Shall Paint My Nails Red by Carole Satyamurti.

For today's poem, if painting your nails isn't acting out enough, try some Dangerous Coats by Sharon Owens.

Knowing and accepting all of the options makes a huge difference, too.  I suspect that many people who identify as heterosexual do so by default.  They don’t know, don’t understand, or aren’t willing to accept that they could be something else.

This was being wondered some time ago but the 1% asexuals in population is from UK census from January 1994. I think the latest studies had numbers such as 5% and hypothesis that the actual number would be closer to 10% (that would be the same as homosexuality) if people with split attraction are counted in too. Most of the population are multisexuals (bi, pan, ply, omni...) followed by heteros.

That does follow every study I’ve seen. Amazingly queer things happen when society lets people be themselves 

I forgot to post again yesterday, so it's another two-for-one deal on National Poetry Month!  We're continuing our trend of dangerous womanhood with Lucille Clifton's won't you celebrate with me.

Part of shaping your own life is naming yourself.  There is power in a name, as Enby-Phoenix explains beautifully in Names.

Also, if you are LGBTQ+ and need help, you can contact the Trevor Project.  Call 1-866-488-7386 or go to https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

— view on Instagram https://ift.tt/39UbApi

I laughed so hard I woke up the cat.  Now he’s staring at me, trying to decide whether he needs to be concerned about this.

I laughed a lot. (x)

Kudos to the DM for playing along with this!

Our party—a bard, a fighter, and a ranger—were on a one-off side quest to deliver a letter to somebody. He wasn’t at his house (learned after breaking in, to the DM’s dismay), so we found out the general area he was in and went there, confusion in our wake and a spring in our steps. I, the bard, had decided that I would funnel every ounce of skill I possessed into charisma, and at level 5 had a +6 modifier. I had been using that power at every opportunity that arose. We wander through the foothills full of caves, looking for this guy, when our fighter rolls a nat 20 perception trying to look for any signs of life.

DM: You—okay, so. Yeah. With that, you actually notice about fifty feet away that a particular cluster of bushes is rustling just slightly, but not with the breeze.

Fighter: Oh. Cool. “Hey guys, I think there are some folks in those bushes over there.”

Me: “Cool beans! HELLOOOOOOO, MY DUDES!”

DM: There’s a few seconds of silence before four guys come slowly forward from the bushes. They look pretty rough and tough, and uh—

Ranger: Can I roll perception? Uh… that’s a 15.

DM: You deduce that they’re probably bandits or something. They’re walking forward and one of the guys says, “Who are you little pests, and what’re ya doing in these here foothills of ours?”

Me: “We’re just hanging out, traveling, and actually it seems like a good time to break for breakfast if you lovely gents would like to join us! I can brew us up some chamomile, I have like a thousand mushrooms I got earlier—”

Fighter: “I got that chicken, too, and jerky.”

Me: “Oh hell yeah, we’re gonna chow down if y'all want in on that action.”

DM: That’s, uh… that’s persuasion, advantage because you’re offering them food and seem too dumb to be dangerous.

Me: Thanks man. Uh… 14 total.

DM: *head in his hands* I just—okay, they join you for breakfast I guess. And yet again you avoid a fight I planned for you. One of the dudes breaks out some eggs from somewhere.

Ranger: What’re their names?

DM: Uh, uh, they—it’s got. There’s Bablo, Sanchez, Kent, and uh. Eskabar.

Me: Cool. I roll to flirt with them.

DM: ………<i>all of them???</i> I mean… sure?? I guess??

Me: Hells yeah. Rolling.

Proceeds to roll: 16, 19, and <i>two natural 20s</i>.

DM: *head on the table* Like. You—you make your fellow party members super uncomfortable. You are piled under boys, it’s kinda gross but super chill for you. Kent wasn’t super into the whole group thing before, but now he would straight up die for you. He’s learning a lot about himself today.

Me: I’m gonna write those names down for later. Can I put “a boys harem” in my items list?

As a librarian, and especially as a cataloger, I have Feelings about the arrangement of books. However, one of those Feelings is that, in your own personal/household library, you should arrange your books in ways that make sense for you/your household. Part of that is going to depend what types of books you have, part on how much shelf space you have where, and part on how you use and look for your books.

In my household, we have several broad areas for books. General fiction is arranged alphabetically by author; books by the same author are alphabetical by title unless I can remember a series order easily or at least separate distinct series from one another. Anthologies are arranged alphabetically by title. Graphic novels and collections of comics are arranged by series, character, or title (depending on whether they're part of a series and/or how we would look for them).

Nonfiction books are organized by subject, with similar topics generally grouped together and flowing into each other in ways that made sense when I set up the shelves after we moved here. For example, one shelf has yoga/stretching -> massage -> first aid -> general science -> animals -> field guides for birds and plants -> pets -> art books (because we have some art books focused on different animals) -> biographies (because we have biographies of artists).

A few collections are separated out for various reasons. Picture books are in their own area because I had a small bookshelf with high enough shelves for them to fit in (mostly) comfortably. Cookbooks are on their own set of shelves in the kitchen, roughly grouped by topic or type of food (general, slow cooker, chocolate, bacon, etc.). Gaming books are organized by gaming system, then generally by title. Books on sex and sexuality, erotica, and NSFW graphic novels/comics are in the bedroom but otherwise mirror the organization of the main collection.

The guest bedroom has collections of miscellaneous information and short essays, as well as books that we have two copies of, so we don't mind if someone borrows them indefinitely.

This is very important research so I can figure out how to arrange my books

I’m so glad that the QUILTBAG+ folks I know are welcoming and friendly to all, including asexuals and aromantics!

this pride month if i see ANY of you fuckers including ace/aro identities anywhere, if you even fucking say the words asexual or aromantic in any context of pride in any day this June, you have 0% of my patience and respect. this month isn’t for ace/aro identities and never will be. shut the fuck up.

Yes!  There is nothing wrong with phases, or taking time to find the terms that fit you, or changing your orientation.  My understanding of myself has changed over time.

instead of assuring everyone that it “isn’t a phase”, why don’t we just assure everyone that if it is a phase it’s fine? it’s healthy to figure yourself out? because if we tell everyone it’s not a phase and it ends up being a phase, those people are going to feel guilty, like they stole resources or wasted time. It’s not bad to ‘go through a phase’. It’s a healthy way of finding out who you are. And if it isn’t a phase, that’s fine too. But if it is, there’s no reason to feel bad.

Another librarian who would love to see more people doing this! We have displays of shiny new books and movies, as well as some on various topics to tempt you. However, you can also go into the stacks and search for forgotten treasures! You could find books about salt or pockets or seahorses or doorways to other worlds or forbidden romance.

You can also try that book or movie or music CD that everyone is recommending but you don't think you'll enjoy! If you don't like it, bring it back and check out something else guilt-free -- it didn't cost anything, and it won't keep taking up space on your shelves.

unsung benefit i think a lot of ppl are sleeping on with using the public library is that i think its a great replacement for the dopamine hit some ppl get from online shopping. it kind of fills that niche of reserving something that you then get to anticipate the arrival of and enjoy when it arrives, but without like, the waste and the money.