cosmicsmoothie

Latest Posts by cosmicsmoothie

Are you aware that you're just screaming "Whore !!" Or "Vagina !!" In Icelandic?

It’s inevitable that at some point, in some language, you’re saying something phallic.

imo it makes waaayyyyy more sense if cold days were really long with lots of sunlight and if hot summer days ended at 5pm and we had long summer nights is the Earth stupid or something?

"is it possible for a [thing] girl and a [different thing] boy to be in a relationship? 🥺" i'll stop you right there. get a notebook cause i'll only tell you once. men and women are not allowed to date each other

Alternative language for biology of sex without using "hermaphrodite"

So, you're worldbuilding a scifi alien species or a fantasy race that can reproduce as both male and female. Or you're a biologist or science educator. And you want what you're writing/making to be inclusive to intersex people.

The term hermaphrodite in biology refers to species that can reproduce as both male or female. The problem is it's also a slur when used against intersex people (it's also incorrect - we're not hermaphrodites). I recently polled other intersex folks informally and a plurality were fine with the h-word being used with the correct meaning in appropriate contexts. But the qualitative feedback I got was, all things equal, most people who wrote to me said they'd just be happier seeing the term less.

So here is a glossary of words you can use to talk about the biology of sex without invoking the h-word:

Gonochoric species where individuals (typically) reproduce only as either male or female. This means the species produces two types of gametes that have different sizes, and conventionally the larger is female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and -choric for separated/distinct. Note that "non-gonochoric" includes both hermaphroditic species and those that can reproduce asexually (e.g. parthenogenesis).

Gonosyne: species where individuals (typically) can reproduce as both male or female. Gono- for generation/reproduction and syne for together/combined. This is a term I have coined to be an alternative to hermaphrodite.

Types of gonosyny: it's common to categorize different forms of gonosyny based on temporality and how many gonads an individual has.

Grouping by Temporality:

Cosex: species where individuals can reproduce as both male and female simultaneously. Alternative terms: cosexual, simultaneous hermaphrodism. For example: land snails/slugs typically mate by linking up both pairs of genitals.

Dichosex: gonosynic species where individuals reproduce as male and female at different times in their lives. Protandrous species start as male then switch to female; protogynous start female then switch to male. Some species cycle between the two (serial/bidirectional hermaphrodism/disexuality). Alternative terms: dichosexual, dichogamous, sequential hermaphrodism. I coined this one after feedback that "dichogamous" was not intuitive to non-botanists, keeping dicho- (in two parts/paired) for simplicity. Example animal: clownfish (the Finding Nemo fish).

Grouping by Gonads:

Digonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female because they have separate male and female gonads. Digony can be cosex or dichosex. In botany the term monoecious is used for flowering plants. For example: barnacles have their ovaries in the base of their body, and testes in the back of their head.

Syngonic: species that can reproduce as both male and female, because their gonads can produce both male and female gametes. Alternative terms: syncoecious, monoclinous, ambisexual. (Note ambisexual has other meanings.) Syngony can be cosex or dichosex. In dichosexual species the gonad changes which gametes it produces when the individual changes sex. For example: land slugs have a single gonad (ovotestis).

Together this makes four categories. Examples come from: Sex change in plants and animals: a unified perspective.

Syngonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Black-jack daisy, Lady of the Night cactus; mangrove killifish, stubby-root nematode.

Syngonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny within the same flower/gonad. Examples: Bromelia chrysantha, grape ivy; California sheephead fish, common limpet.

Digonic cosexual. Simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: bitter melon, jaraguá grass; barnacles, flatworms.

Digonic dichosexual. Non-simultaneous gonosyny from different flowers/gonads. Examples: papaya, catsfoot; staghorn coral, earthworm.

Hope this is helpful! I have two little notes I want to add on: Note on "non-gonochoric": it's possible this could also include isogamous speries? There's some ambiguity in use. Isogamy refers to sexual reproduction where you don't have two different sized gametes - instead it's two identically sized gametes that are getting combined. This is the standard amongst unicellular eukaryotes and very common in fungi.

Note on ambisexual: this is the term that Ursula K LeGuin used for the dichosexual aliens in the Left Hand of Darkness. The term in biology these days refers to undifferentiated (immature) tissue that has yet to develop into a given sex - e.g. a human embryo has ambisexual gonads until sexual differentiation later on in development. The term ambisexual has a ton of other meanings in other contexts such as a sexual orientation. For this reason I'd personally avoid it.

(Part 1) Written and Illustrated by Me, Researched by @bitsbug, @ikayblythe and @needlemeister.

(the link)

"I barely EVER give things 5 stars" "I only have 3 real 10/10s" "I don't recommend things often" "I don't call something peak unless"

SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UPPPPPP!!!! your passion and joy is not diminished by its availability!!!! you are falling into the capitalistic nightmare of the value of scarcity and it's going to eat you from the inside out until you have nothing left you enjoy in life! your standards aren't a set of things you like anymore! you're just trying to force all media to thread a needle to appeal to you before you give it any praise! you're poisoning your mind and you're going to die!

if you find yourself prefacing your praise of things you enjoy with how LITTLE you enjoy things, you're doing it wrong!!!! you need to open your eyes to the little beauties in everything you consider mediocre! not everything has to be a masterpiece! comics and movies and games and books and tv shows is not a competition for refined taste like some sort of wine drinking group!!! HAVE SOME FUN IN YOUR LIFE!

PSA: Paypal on some more shady shit

-

tag an artist save a life etc

thats an elevation map color ramp if ive ever seen one. stealing immediately.

also i'm pretty sure it's because the warmest colors (yellow and orange) are being muted by leaning into the blues. there might be some contrast that you're wanting but not getting because of that. dont quote me on that though

does anyone have suggestions for why this colour palette isn't working? How do I make it more appealing.

i hate that i like kuris dads design so much he's so pleasing to look at for me. but i want to beat him to death :(

TGIF thank god iFor fDylan

5houghts on the minecraft movie teaser trailer?

I hope everyone involved with the film finds themselves stricken by the Pharaoh's curse and they all die within the span of 4 years

notice how there are only the lights on the ceiling. the ring of lights.

the night scenes are ALWAYS drawn this way. I don't know how they messed it up this bad. It's an incredible part of the atmosphere and worldbuilding and giving even what could be called an illusion of a night sky breaks that. It makes the world feel so much more generic. Also coming off of episode 9 of season 2 the animation is frighteningly stiff. I'm only in it for the soundtrack at this point. just read it on webtoon if you want to get into the series, please.

tower of god season 2 is the most glaringly terrible adaptation ive seen in a while for one reason. have you taken a look at the night scenes? do you see them in the background? the MOON and STARS???

i guess Rachel didn't need to climb anywhere past floor 20 after all because you can see the stars RIGHT THERE. in fact they're also on floor 3 in the scenes with Khun. It might seem like a minor detail in other stories but that's her whole motivation for the inciting incident of the series.

i don't particularly care about the other things people have been ragging on, but they're valid criticisms too. I'm just unreasonably irritated about this detail because it is central to the entire story. It would have taken LESS effort to not put the moon and stars in the background. Do better.

has anyone looked into whether choices made in anger can be undone or not yet?

if a wife is defeated she will split into several wifelings, which can tunnel through gravel

tower of god season 2 is the most glaringly terrible adaptation ive seen in a while for one reason. have you taken a look at the night scenes? do you see them in the background? the MOON and STARS???

i guess Rachel didn't need to climb anywhere past floor 20 after all because you can see the stars RIGHT THERE. in fact they're also on floor 3 in the scenes with Khun. It might seem like a minor detail in other stories but that's her whole motivation for the inciting incident of the series.

i don't particularly care about the other things people have been ragging on, but they're valid criticisms too. I'm just unreasonably irritated about this detail because it is central to the entire story. It would have taken LESS effort to not put the moon and stars in the background. Do better.

hindsight

[ID: A two-panel comic with crudely drawn stick figures.

Panel 1: The lime green person is talking to the leaf green person and the moss green person.

Lime: "I... have a confession to make."

Leaf: "Go ahead."

Lime: "I want to rewatch the Wizard Child movies."

Leaf: "Didn't the wizard author get incredibly chromophobic?"

Lime: "Yeah I just... It's nostalgia you know? They meant a lot to me when I was a kid."

Panel 2: The three are on the couch.

Lime: "All right, let's go."

Leaf: "It's so weird how the wizard author just turned chromophobic though. Like I remember this series being pretty good for its time. It'll be weird seeing their work contrasting with their views now."

Moss: "I'm just glad we got the movies for free through normal and legal means. Heh."

End ID.]

[ID 2: Scenes from three Wizard Child movies.

Wizard Child and the Simplistic Morality: A slightly round child with a propeller hat is talking to a child with no hat.

Round child: "I am so fucking fat and greedy I am textually shown to be fat because I am greedy and also evil."

Hatless child: "You are to infer my moral purity from juxtaposition with this fat child. Woe is me for our shared parent has deprived me of a propeller hat."

Wizard Child and the Goodness of Wealth: An adult wizard is talking to the child, who now has a wizard hat.

Wizard Adult: "Wizard child you are secretly extremely rich."

Wizard Child: "I will form biases regarding the bankers all being triangular for some reason!"

Wizard Adult: "Your wealth is deserved because your true parent was Good and therefore you are also Good."

Wizard Child: "Now we should acquire consumer goods. Buy consumer goods!"

Wizard Child and the Dark Family History: A blue-grey horse person is talking to the wizard child.

Blue-grey: "No, wizard child. You don't understand. I am one of the good ones, because unlike the bad ones I don't try to spread my curse that makes you a blue-grey horselike creature to others!"

Wizard child: "Wow uncle blue-grey you are one of the good ones! I forgive you for being a horse because I am so good I would even forgive horses. I sure hope you don't conspicuously get killed off later in this movie!"

End ID 2.]

[ID 3: Oh hell no there are even more of these.

Wizard Youth and the Tokenistic Relationship Dynamics: A square headed wizard youth is talking to the former wizard child, now a wizard youth.

Square Wizard Youth: "Wizard child, as the only person with a square head in this entire series it is my duty to inform you that you are the savior of all people with square heads, too. Let us build a one-sided relationship that only furthers your character development, after which I will immediately lose all plot relevance."

Wizard Youth: "I will do this because I am a maturing wizard youth and need disposable relationships that don't threaten the endgame!"

Wizard Youth and the Escalation of Stakes: The Dark Wizard, a sort of grey-green person with a cloak, is pointing at Wizard Youth.

Dark Wizard: "Wizard Youth, I have returned!"

Wizard Youth: "Dark Wizard! Why are you green now?"

Dark Wizard: "Evil magic made me green! I am green with envy towards all who are good!"

Wizard Youth: "I will not engage with how you are clearly based on fascist ideologies and yet this narrative plays into fascist aesthetic sensibilities!"

Wizard Youth and the Post-Hoc Revelations: The Wizard Youth is leaning over their Wizard Mentor, who is laying in a pool of blood.

Wizard Youth: "Wizard Mentor no! You can't die!"

Wizard Mentor: "It is fine, wizard youth. My death will further your character development into a wizard adult. Also, I was secretly a very very dark purple this entire time. I never brought it up so I could retain narrative approval.

End ID 3.]

[ID 4: Wizard Adult and the Overdue Conclusion. Three panels. I am sorry.

Panel 1: The dark wizard is dueling the Wizard Adult with magic beams.

Dark Wizard: "Evil green beam!"

Wizard Adult: "Good red beam! Despite the enormous variety of magic in this series this is what our final battle looks like!"

Panel 2: Wizard Adult stands victorious over the dark wizard, who is dying on the ground.

Wizard Adult: "In the end, dark wizard, you were defeated because I am morally superior to you."

Dark Wizard: "I was a product of systemic failures. There will be someone like me again someday!"

Panel 3: Zoom in on wizard adult, who says:

"Not if I can help it. Because I am going to be a wizard cop now. The moral of this story is that all systemic issues can be solved by finding a bad guy to beat."

End ID 4.]

[ID 5: Four panels.

Panel 1: Return to the green trio on their couch, watching the TV say "The End." All are are silent.

Panel 2: They are sitting on the couch. Moss is looking at their phone.

Lime: "Yeah so there were maybe a few signs we missed because we were children."

Leaf: "Yeah. A few. Some."

Panel 3: Continue conversation.

Lime: "So what did you think, Moss?"

Panel 4: Zoom in on Moss, who says: "I've been zoned out on my phone since the second movie. They lost me at the magic stuff. Wizards aren't real."

End ID 5.]

Start - Previous - Next

Analysis so bad you don't even know what it's talking about anymore.

thought id take a crack at an obscure sorrow because the dictionary of obscure sorrows still doesnt get at everything i want words for

laccevenomism - /læt͡ʃːəˈvɛnəmɪzm/ or /lækːəˈvɛnəmɪzm/

the frustration that one cannot express discomfort because the person or situation causing it is doing something socially perceived as "good" or "selfless".

can be shortened to laccevenom if used to describe the feeling (i.e. "slowly building laccevenom") or if used in a less abstract context (i.e. "her face betrayed hints of laccevenom")

idk i think this would resonate with a couple people out there because "communicate when you're unhappy :)" advice seems engineered to coincide with a maze of situations that don't let you speak out about things.

Guy who transforms into a swarm of locusts when shaken vigorously: hey can you turn the music down it's resonating kind of hard and shaking the ground and I don't want to endanger anyone

DJ Loudmusic: SORRY I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THESE SICK JAMS! HERE'S MY NEXT SONG, "EPIC JUNGLE BEAT THAT GIVES LOCUSTS THE DESIRE TO KILL HUMAN BEINGS"

People losing it at the ‘pause button’ suggestion for Elden Ring are not prepared for my ‘tourist mode’ suggestion.

There should be a mode where people like me can just run around and look at the pretty landscape and soak in the atmosphere with the soundtrack. All NPCs and Bosses are still there, but instead of fighting you they stand still and do a lil wave 👋 as you admire them. Maybe some start reciting the game lore like they’re tour guides lol

whats crazy is my name is like. i thought it would be easy and intuitive but i guess nobody in america knows what the five vowel system is. its spelled with an E its spelled with another E not A or I or U or O and then if i spell it and people get that right they start PRONOUNCING it extremely wrong. americans are not familiar with central vowels or the letter e, i have found

Instead of doing the work that I was supposed to do today, I decided to illustrate one of my biggest pet peeves.

manifested this because it is truth

You are not That Bitch. Being That Bitch is the grind-killer. Being That Bitch is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face the pressure of The Bit. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where it has gone, there will be nothing. Only 💦💦Big Top💦💦(45) will remain.

Sweating chanting "You are not That Bitch you are just being rude to strangers on Grindr" in the bathroom mirror like a littany

update: i still have not found a single Traveller at a space station. i need them glyphs to get to the center of the galaxy quick. ATLAS is smiting me for my hubris

im trying to get the "To Live Forever" achievement in No Man's Sky so i started a permadeath run. It is Hard. not because of any of the actual permadeath stuff, no no. i am very good at the game. it is hard because i have to spend 5 hours building a base EVERY GODDAMN TIME. it is part of the MAIN QUEST. that you CANNOT IGNORE. seething. i absolutely despise this part of the game and if I turn off tutorial quests then it doesn't count as a permadeath run, for some reason...

no mans sky, i love you but like. come on. 40 side quests are not essential to the main quest

im trying to get the "To Live Forever" achievement in No Man's Sky so i started a permadeath run. It is Hard. not because of any of the actual permadeath stuff, no no. i am very good at the game. it is hard because i have to spend 5 hours building a base EVERY GODDAMN TIME. it is part of the MAIN QUEST. that you CANNOT IGNORE. seething. i absolutely despise this part of the game and if I turn off tutorial quests then it doesn't count as a permadeath run, for some reason...

no mans sky, i love you but like. come on. 40 side quests are not essential to the main quest

i think in universe Kuri would be a little bit of a meme. at least amongst Aubreys more invested fans. any photo taken of Aubrey after they start dating just has a Kuri scarily making eye contact with the photographer somehow

klein bottle pussy

occasional posts from users