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That I was out playing pokemon go, and people all over the world had started seeing this new pokemon popping up. Like out of nowhere this little thing started appearing occasionally. No word from Nyantic or The Pokemon Company about when or why they had released it. The pokemon was called “sleepytired” and it looked like this.
And you couldn’t catch it, the ball would just go straight through it. People were data mining and shit trying to figure out how to catch this thing but they couldn’t. Eventually they would just have to give up and leave the encounter.
After a few weeks of people reporting sightings of it, and no word from Nyantic, some creepy shit started happening…
What started happening was, if you entered an encounter with a “sleepytired” with the AR on it would manifest in the real world. But it wouldn’t do anything. It would just float there, watching.
So people being curious started doing this whenever they could, and these things would just manifest and stay there. Obviously this was causing problems because these things would just be floating menacingly in local parks and in the local McDonald. And they couldn’t be moved, because anyone who tried to move them or touch them would be struck by sudden, intense, chronic fatigue that seemingly had no cure.
The last part of the dream I remember was watching a news broadcast telling people that pokemon go was now illegal, and to avoid touching or disturbing the creepy little things that are now just about everywhere.
oh yeah and i can’t believe it’s taken me this long to bring this up but i’m absolutely not here for people shading the “american girl today”/”my american girl” line because
the line literally enables girls to create a doll that looks like them
including a wide array of non-white skin tones and non-european features
like black dolls with curly and textured hair
or asian dolls that appear to have epicanthic folds
and they’ve also released accessories like doll-sized wheelchairs, hearing aids, and crutches so that girls who aren’t able-bodied or are hard of hearing can have a little friend who shares their experiences
and they’ve even begun to offer dolls without hair for little girls who have alopecia or have lost hair while battling cancer
and basically if you don’t think that’s the tightest shit then get out of my face
Also: SERVICE DOGS.
IT’S SO CUTE IT EVEN HAS TRAINING TREATS. You go American Girl.
They also consulted the Nez Pierce when making their Kaya doll and that’s why her smile doesn’t show teeth, among other things, and they’ve released some beautiful, and accurate, modern Powwow regalia for her.
Also they’ve been offering all this stuff since I was still getting the catalog. I just turned 29, so if I’m going to guess, that means they’ve been offering these options since at least 1996ish.
Since in previous posts we’ve gone into some detail about application of the black bloc tactic, I thought a post should be dedicated to it. So here is a rough guide to the purpose of the tactic, how to do it, when it should be used, its perks and dangers.
Goal of the black bloc:
The black bloc is a protest tactic that is meant to provide anonymity to activists wanting to participate in street action, by making everyone look very similar and close to identical, it becomes harder for authorities and other opponents to track the actions of individuals.
So the goal is to have everyone look as similar as possible, so individuals can act and not be singled out easily out of a crowd. Because they are one of many in all black with a face covering. Its like a uniform.
How to bloc up:
The goal is to be difficult to single out and hard to be recognized as an individual. So it is essential to have no identifiable features, your mask can’t be a bright colour or covered in patterns, your jacket/shirt can’t have a massive logo on it, your jeans can’t be ripped to shit making it obvious who you are. It isn’t a style its a tactic, dress in as plain clothing as possible, cover as much of your body as possible, hat and glasses/goggles as well, the less of your face and body visible the better. The aim is to blend into a sea of black, not look edgy. There is no point having a mask if its easy to single you out, you will be singled out easily if you stick out. Style gets you no points at all.
When to bloc up:
Now this is where the discussion was mostly based, and this is probably one of the most important points. NOT EVERY SITUATION JUSTIFIES THE BLACK BLOC! It depends heavily on what your intentions are and the purpose of the protest/action. I’ll run through how to identify when it should be used.
Consider who you’re opposing / the event you’re attending: Some groups should be opposed but opposing them in black bloc is counterproductive and stupid. One such example you can read about here is when the fascists dressed head to toe in black, and organizers said to turn up in work clothes and a red mask. Some anti-fascists ignored this and turned up in black, being mistaken for fascists and sticking out among the majority not in black bloc. By not considering the situation they were confused for fascists, and because MORE obvious than if they were not in bloc. Also there are times when fascists or provokers say “antifa will turn up in masks and attack our free-speech event” so if you turn up in masks looking for a fight, you will prove them right and give them support. Sometimes turning up in black looking to brawl severely proves their points against you, consider whats the best tactic to deal with your opponent.
Also some events simplydon’t need a bloc. If you’re at an animal rights march you Don’t need to be in black bloc, you’re going to stick out, any action you take will be pinned directly on you. If your event will involve direct action, or will be under threat from others (i.e: fascists or authorities), consider the bloc tactic, but also consider it casual wear would be better, if there are and critical downsides to it (like the fascists looking IDENTICAL, or it being a non-bloc event).
Bloc behaviour:
Just wearing all black isn’t enough, this tactic requires specific behaviour. Theres no point wearing bloc if you’re parading in front of cameras for photos, or running around on your own. Stay with the bloc and only divert when necessary, police will happily pick off stragglers and fascists will pounce on you if you’re alone, if you smash something or vandalize something return to the bloc ASAP as to limit ability to capture and identify you. Collectively be aware of the police if there is a big bloc in their streets they’ll be quick to try and trap you, move as a group, keep an eye on streets around you and police, don’t scramble and break up but move as a group. Keep your bloc tight, don’t spread yourself out too thin or police will easily break you up and divide the bloc in half. Assist your comrades and come to their aid, help in de-arrests, clear media from areas of action, when a comrade cries out come to their aid. Blocs must be organized and disciplined, if you’re disorganized you’re all FUCKED. Organization of a bloc protects everyone involved.
Advantages of the bloc:
If properly applied the black bloc can aid activists phenomenally. The first is obvious that if all look similar it makes being identified much harder, wearing a mask isn’t enough it only protects your identity so much. If you are all the same looking then fed’s search is for a needle in a haystack, it may save you from arrest and charges if done right. A good example of this is “The battle of Dover” when Nazis and antifa faced off in the port town of Dover, fascists were ragtag, disorganized, whilst antifa had a tight black bloc where everyone looked very similar. About 80 have been arrested for that day and about 60 of them are fascists, if it wasn’t for the black bloc a great many more of us may be in prison.
Not only is being identified harder, taking direct action can be easier with a black bloc tactic in some cases. If you have a strong bloc with large numbers it becomes harder and harder to tell who smashed that, who broke that, who threw that, who was that guy doing that thing? It is a tactic that makes resistance against fascists and the state much easier and less dangerous for those involved (IF DONE RIGHT AND IN THE RIGHT SITUATION).
Limits and disadvantages of the bloc:
If done wrong or applied at the wrong time being in black bloc can badly fuck you over big time. Firstly is if you are blocced up when only a few others are, you don’t have enough people to blend into so you end up sticking out more than if you were dressed normally. If in a crowd of hundreds there are 20 in masks and all black, authorities have a small minority they can focus on so if you’re bloccing up in those conditions there better be a damn good reason. Otherwise you’ve put yourself on police radars all day for no reason.
If you don’t assess the situation properly and end up being a minority in bloc, then direct action may actually become harder. Again if theres 20 of you and one of you punches a fascist, the police only have to single you our of that 20 and chances are they’ll identify you off some feature, the more of you the are the less small details can be used to pick you out. Also fascists may have an easier time targeting antifa and if they get the upper hand on a few of you thats massive propaganda points for them. If the situation doesn’t call for bloc, DON’T turn up in bloc or you’ll tie your own hands and put a target on your own back.
The black bloc may be effective on the street at the time but sometimes it can backfire in the long run, and corrupt the ideology and reason behind an action. The bloc can make us all look bad if used wrongly on the wrong people. If the fascists you’re countering aren’t thuggish hooligans on the street, but sophisticated, suit-wearing, calm types. Attacking them in bloc makes it look like you’re attacking peaceful people cos you disagree with them, when in reality they aren’t peaceful at all. You may shut down their talk but you’ll look like a fascist thug after. If you’re opposing skinheads and street movements like National Front then black bloc might be better in some cases, but know your enemy and don’t play into their hands.
Wrap-up:
The black bloc is a tactic that at times is essential to combating fascism, the state, and capitalism. If done right it can limit arrests, aid action, organize activists to be effective at countering threats, if done wrong it can single people out, put targets on all involved, damage our image to outsiders, and cost us support. It isn’t a trend, it isn’t a style, it isn’t a look, it isn’t a game, it isn’t for fun, its a tool that only works in certain situations. It takes organization, planning, and consideration.
If you think I missed anything or you have anything to add please do! Check the reblogs for any additional tips or guides. There may be a V2 of this with additional tips and guides.
thinking about life & its twists and turns today……a lot for an armadillo to deal with but i’ll be okay………….
In case anyone was worried about this little guy
Thank you, I was 😀
armadillo, born and raised in the desert for years without seeing a large body of water: *sees a pool* ohhhhh fuck yeag im goin in that big puddle baby
The auxiliary water pump on my car broke (the plastic rotted and cracked so it was spewing coolant everywhere) and the mechanic wanted me to pay $300 for a $150 part.
I went to an auto store and bought the part for just under $150 and was gonna have the mechanic install it until I called them back and they said they don’t install customer parts.
So I figured if they won’t install customer parts, they’ll at least fix existing problems with the vehicle.
So, naturally I poorly installed the new part myself, then took it to the mechanic saying I had coolant issues and wasn’t sure what the problem was. They fixed the problem in under 20 minutes and only charged me $30 for the labor.
Ho l y
Imma try that last one
I went to my doctor’s office and asked if they had any slots open for that day. They told me they don’t take walk-ins, you have to call ahead for an appointment.
So I pulled out my phone and called the office. The other receptionist answered the phone and the first one literally WATCHED ME say “I’d like to make an appointment today if you have any slots available.”
He said to me (on the phone) all they had available was for 9:00, could I make it in time?
I said “Yep, I’m standing right here.”
He didn’t understand what I meant and happily put my appointment down.
I hung up and said to the original receptionist, “Hi, I have an appointment in five minutes.”
She (very angrily) entered me as arrived and gave me my forms.
The Chaos Bitches 