I’m not talking about books and grammar (there are already too many masterposts for that) but how to get into Italian culture with music, movies, recipes, news, social media pages and more. Enjoy!
RAI Cultura - Italiano: learn Italian online on this Italian TV channel website. Test your level, watch videos, play games and more!
Cultura Italia: Explore every aspect of Italian culture (architecture, music, popular traditions, literature, art, cinema etc.)! Also available in English.
We’ve updated our FAQ and Guidelines which, just from the volume of questions that we receive that fall under these categories below, isn’t read quite as often as I’d like so we wished to make it easier to access.
Please check out these FAQ and guidelines, also foundhere.
The navigation is found here or at writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/navigation.
For your inquiries on tropes and stereotypes see the Stereotypes and Tropes Navigation here.
Thank ya!
-WWC
Writing with Color: Ask Guidelines
Ever since this blog opened for business, we’ve been inundated with Asks pertaining to writing PoC, and some of them are quite difficult to answer thoroughly. We check the answers with the other mods to make sure we’re giving you the best advice we can. Please be patient. On the other hand, here are Asks that we won’t answer:
general writing questions.
questions that are very broad or vague.
questions that have nothing to do with PoC or only deal tangentially with them.
questions that ask for facts you can easily Google.
questions that ask “how do I write a ___________ character?” See FAQ.
questions that have nothing to do with writing (we will either direct you to blogs that can answer them or answer them at our own leisure).
questions that are basically ‘Why haven’t you answered my question yet? Why are you so slow?’
Those that are similar to questions we’ve already answered (please check the navigation). We will not always redirect to the answer.
Finally, we urge you not to send in questions with racial slurs that aren’t blocked out or denoted as “n word” “g word” etc.
We may choose to delete uncensored slurs (and any other blatantly offensive Q’s) as to avoid triggering ourselves and/or others.
Please use submit for questions longer than two parts. Do not send questions through fanmail please.
Frequently Asked Questions
“What are some appropriate ways to describe my character’s skin tone?”
“I’m afraid my character has harmful stereotypical traits. How do I avoid making them a caricature?”
Trace your logic in this character’s creation. What traits have you given them and why did it turn out this way? Does it just “make sense” for your Black female character to be the motherly figure of the group? Why?
Is your character comprised of several stereotypical traits, or are they allowed to act and think in ways that are not confined to stereotypes? If your character is three-dimensional and allowed to be more than the stereotypical trait(s) they may possess, you should be fine. It also helps to have another character of their same race + gender etc. whom you can say are distinctive from each other.
Please also see the Tropes and Stereotypes navigation for more information on particular tropes and stereotypes and how to handle them.
“How do I write a ____________ character?”
1.First off, check the tag pertaining to the character you’re looking to write. For example, if you’re writing an Indian character, search terms such as “Indian”and“South Asian” might be a good start.
2.A general rule when writing any Character of Color is to be mindful that while they might not be like you in terms of some cultural and certain daily experiences, they are like you in that they’re human. Humans with thoughts and dreams and feelings just like you. Capable of joy, snark, and laughter. So remember: human. Not aliens.
3.Don’t focus so much of whether you’re writing a proper ______ character.
You risk homogenizing your Characters of Color when you do this. Not all Black girls think the same. Not all Japanese men act the same. There may be some common experiences and feelings within a group, but everyone has their own perspective, experiences and thoughts despite their race; no hiveminds here. Also, as with any character, background is a huge factor of a person and where they live and family life has an influence on a person’s making. For example, a Black boy who grew up in a mansion in California will have a different outlook than a Black boy who grew up on a Wisconsin bee farm swapped in cornfields. Same for their accents, style, and overall experience with life.
“I’m uncomfortable with all the pressure to include People of Color in my writing. Wouldn’t it just make it forced, anyway?”
Distance yourself from this pressure and ask yourself why you feel it. I’ve yet to encounter anyone who’s barging on doors demanding people be inclusive, but rather trying to illustrate its importance and encourage it, so where do you think the pressure to be inclusive is really coming from?
Campaigning for diversity should not feel like an attack, so do not perceive it as one.
This comes easier when you step outside yourself for a moment, and stand into the shoes of those who call for diverse books, who need diverse books. These are people whose voices and faces have and are shunned from the multitude of literature, enjoy an adventure as much as anyone, and have learned to “become” characters who look more like you…yet when it comes to those of color being the hero, being included beyond the small and often troped role, they have their presence immediately questioned, discredited, fought against, because folks just cannot “relate.”
And if we’re only (or mainly) reading about White people, no wonder they’re so easy to relate to. But not so much those PoC I guess, whose pain folks literally cannot relate to.
And we’re just brushing the surface of the adverse effects with lack of diversity, such as lower self-worth in the underrepresented. Because really; it causes pain on high and low levels. Never the beautiful princess in the tower, never the badass kicking butt and flying dragons. Then when we do show up God forbid it’s a two-second role or in the form of a stereotype, not as a real, complex human being.
Long story short: People of Color are people and want to be seen and treated as such. Not as a burden to devote your time to, but people who have a place in the world, fictional or no.
As for the issue of diversity being “forced”…nah, what’s forced is the all-white fantasy some authors conceive for their stories. Whether you consciously or unconsciously make all your characters White, this is a choice. One that does not reflect the magnitude of the real world, which actually has more People of Color than White people. And yet you wouldn’t be able to tell from reading a book…
Becoming comfortable with diversity requires unlearning White as the default and PoC as the Other. It takes setting aside feelings of pressure to emphasize, open your heart and listen.
“It wouldn’t be historically accurate for my story to include PoC.”
Lately in topics such as the movie Frozen the argument of “historical accuracy” has been flung around most vigorously by fans of the Disney movie. The story was set in a fictional country bases off of Norway and according to many (white) fans the county has little to no POC. Especially in the time period it takes place. Adding POC to the casting would make the movie historically inaccurate.
And that is nonsense. First of all, there are indigenous people in Norway – the Sami – (and many surrounding countries) and they were a part of the original story and concept art. Now only a token amount of their culture, bastardized as it is, has been permitted into the movie.
But enough of the movie and more in the topic. Historical accuracy can never be used as an excuse (a credible one that is) for media to be exclusively white in its casting. No matter which time period, there are POC everywhere around the world. There might be some places which are predominantly white, but there will always be travelers, merchants, sailors, artists, etc. from surrounding countries.
This argument has been a very popular one for stories set in Europe. Europe is known by many for people the home continent for white people. What they do not know, is that is also a home continent to POC. This fact has been written out of history by historians in the past centuries because of racism. White supremacy which has spread its dreadful influence across the entire globe has done so since before colonialism. And of course when you want people to think that they are superior and grand, they whitewash not only their religious figures (Jesus), but also the complete history of the world and its people.
Europe has seen two main influxes of people from the time when people traveled outside of Africa. The first were black people through Spain. The second were groups of people with albinism from east-central Asia (which also originated from Africa). It is believed that these people are the forefathers of white people (through mixing with other people they attained a certain amount of melanin). The Germanic people were known for their red hair, blue eyes and pale skin. The presence of all the POC in Europe throughout time can be found in many art pieces, such as paintings and sculptures. There have been black people (royalty as well) in Britain. The moors had a great influence and control stretching throughout south Europe from Spain. There have been black Vikings. Sailors, merchants, artists and more from different parts of Asia and Africa.
Cultural appropriation involves a culture and/or sacred aspects of it being worn or used by people outside of the culture with little to no understanding for the significance of the usage at hand. Cultural appropriation is void of any “cultural sharing” aspect, since this would imply someone of the culture inviting them to engage in certain aspects of their culture (aka you can’t put on a headdress and say you’re appreciating Native culture…because who invited you?)
When applied to writing, cultural appropriation/misappropriation is what happens when you write about a culture that is not yours and either perpetuate racist stereotypes about it or egregiously misrepresent it. It’s taking a culture for your story because you think it’s cool or interesting, but when you don’t bother to look into the aspects of how that culture works. Why is this harmful? Because writing about these marginalized cultures in such a way leads readers to believe that your work is presenting the truth about them, even when that’s not the case. Members of these cultures already have a difficult time finding proper representation—that is, seeing themselves as they really are—and it’s incredibly important that outsiders wanting to write them do so with care.
How can you do this? Do your research. Read books by people from that culture. Talk to people from that culture. If you’re writing a story, get someone from that culture and have them read it and point out the inaccuracies. The key is that you’re depicting these cultures with care and respect.
If you’re writing sci-fi and/or fantasy, that doesn’t let you off the hook (one of the most tired excuses people have for cultural appropriation is that because it’s SFF, we all should get over it). You might be writing an imaginary world or a story far in the future, but your work is going to be read by people who live in the here and now, and they’re going to know if you were lazy and didn’t do your homework, and they’re not going to be happy about it.
“What is tokenism and why is it harmful?”
Tokenism in writing is the practice of doing something (such as writing about a person who belongs to a minority group) only to prevent criticism and give the appearance that representation is included. Tokenism is writing about a minority character to give the illusion that the author is being diverse and inclusive while relying on stereotypes as an attempt to make the characters seem “authentic.” while giving majority of characterization to the main (often White) character.
The problem with tokenism is that characters placed into this position are suddenly put into the position of being the single representation of their particular group. Everyone has seen the sassy Black friend, the flamboyant Gay friend, the smart Asian friend, etc… Stereotypes are damaging because they state to readers that if you are in a minority group, you can’t be anything other than what the Eurocentric media portrays you as. It’s hard to rise above these stereotypes. This is even more damaging as this spills over into the real world. (i.e. “You aren’t like other Blacks/Gays/Asians,etc…”)
Tokenism is harmful in media because it reduces a character to his/her most harmful stereotypes. Invoking tokenism does not force creators to be creative and gives viewers a false sense of diversity. Jokes are taken at the expense of tokenized characters regarding their race, ethnicity, accent, etc….. Token characters are only created to be the proverbial Black friend who makes it okay for White characters to make jokes at the character’s expense, inviting the consumers (in this case readers) to make jokes as well. (i.e. Many of us have heard someone being openly racist and excusing it by saying they have a Black friend, so it’s okay) Being an “equal opportunity” racist won’t get you points either. This would be including as much diversity as you can only to take cheap shots at your characters cultures, languages, and/or ethnicities. That is not meaningful diversity and can be just as harmful as tokenism.
How do you avoid tokenism? It’s not entirely “wrong” to have a character of color be the only character of color in your story. There have been plenty of times when I’ve been the only person of color in the room. The problem comes when you place that person in the position of speaking for the entire race and saddle them down with stereotypes that they can’t get away from. It is okay to add a character of color to be a main character’s best friend, but don’t reduce this character to a cliche or a trope. Write the character from a place of empathy, make them three dimensional, do your research on the culture, and avoid stereotypes.
Since it’s super hard to find them when you need them! Anyone is welcome to use these, but I don’t want to see “this is great for people who DON’T have chronic illnesses too” (trust us, we know).
These are to be used as a supplement in addition to professional medical care, treatment and medication, not as a sole alternative!
If anyone knows of additional witchy content for any of these that I missed, or content on a category I wasn’t able to include, feel free to send it my way and I’ll get a part two started for this post!
A quick note: Please don’t send me asks relating to weather magic. It is an interest of mine but I am not comfortable teaching others yet. I’ll link some helpful blogs at the bottom!
What a crazy month! I was able to get through every prompt, some easier than others, and managed to come up with some more solidified scenes and characterizations and relationships.
These are all set in my Zodiac setting with original characters. Some of them are royal, some of them are Chosen Ones, some of them are non-magical, some are magical, some are broken and doing their best.
yooo it’s me again with part two of my reference masterpost, now focusing on life in general a little bit more (see part one for more school-based things)! enjoy ✨
I’m going to start with an important and underappreciated point: the effects of torture are hard to research.
For a mixture of reasons, including shame and fear of reprisals, many people are uncomfortable admitting that they were tortured. Fewer still have the opportunity or are willing to participate in research. Sample sizes in studies are often ridiculously small, so small that it can be difficult to reach any conclusions.
On top of that, picking a control group can be difficult. If the majority of torture victims are depressed does comparing them to a health or depressed population make more sense? If the majority of torture victims suffered serious head injuries should they be compared to people with mild brain damage?
The research is hard. We’re only just beginning to get a clear picture of the short and long term effects of torture, on individuals and communities. Sometimes clear evidence just isn’t there.
Sometimes, for some techniques, it is. So long as you don’t call it ‘torture’. Information on sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, starvation, dehydration and extreme temperatures are all available.
What this means is that treatment is often a hit and miss affair. Studies trying to find better ways to treat torture victims often can’t find enough volunteers to get meaningful results.
All of that said, here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the things a character who has survived torture and physically healed might experience.
Much of the research on treating torture survivors focuses on PTSD which appears to be a more common response for torture than for other traumatising events.
It’s worth mentioning that although clear evidence on torturersis even more difficult to come by there’s a growing body of evidence suggesting that torturers are often traumatised by carrying out torture.
Anecdotal evidence suggests torturers develop many of the same psychological symptoms as their victims, including PTSD, depression, addiction, social isolation and long term personality changes.
[Sources, ‘Mental health interventions and priorities for research for adult survivors of torture and systematic violence: a review of the literature’ Torture Journal vol 26 iss 1 2016 W M Weiss et al
‘Why Torture Doesn’t Work: The Neuroscience of Interrogation’ Harvard University Press S O’Mara
‘Dysfunctional Pain Modulation in Torture Survivors: The Mediating Effect of PTSD’ The Journal of Pain vo 18 2017 R Defrin et al
‘Testimonial Therapy: Impact on social participation and emotional wellbeing among Indian survivors of torture and organized violence’ Torture Journal vol 25 iss 2 2015 M M Jorgensen et al]
‘National Style’ is a phrase Rejali coined to try and describe some of the patterns he saw in torture worldwide while he was researching his book.
It’s not so much a theory as an observation: particular countries and cultures seem to consistently favour particular torture techniques.
This doesn’t mean that torturers from these countries don’t use other techniques. It’s a general observation of the most common techniques and that which techniques are the most common varies between countries.
National Styles can change and unique tortures can still occur. What I’m hoping to do with this Masterpost is give an overview of the most common techniques in different countries.
This isn’t just for those of you setting your stories in a particular place. A lot of the sci-fi and fantasy asks I get are understandably vague about where exactly the story takes place. I’m hoping that a resource on National Styles will help you think about the cultures you’ve based your world on. Something set in the far future does not have to adhere to a particular National Style but it could serve as a useful starting point for thinking about the sorts of torture techniques that might exist in your world.
Just because I’ve excluded a country does not mean that the country is torture free. I don’t have adequate information on all countries to describe a National Style.
This is focused on the 1950s through to the present. I’m doing a separate post for World War 2 on the basis that when I tried to include it in the same post this was far too long. If I can find good sources in English for a variety of places in earlier time periods I’ll do some follow up posts on historical periods. Please keep in mind that there’s a trend towards non-scarring or ‘clean’ tortures currently, so most of these styles concentrate on techniques that rarely leave marks.
General Tortures that are common Worldwide
I’ve listed some of these in National Styles as well when I’ve felt it’s a particularly prominent feature of that country’s National Styles
-Beating
-Starvation
-Sleep deprivation
American Modern
American torture is incredibly similar to French. There isn’t any clear evidence about why exactly that is but one of the main theories is that Americans learnt at least some of these techniques during the Vietnam War. Previously, Vietnam was a French colony and there is considerable evidence that the French used these torture techniques there. Which doesn’t mean that is where the Americans got these techniques, just that it’s a possibility.
Electricity- Generally using Tasers or stun guns that are officially issued though in the past magnetos were also used. Police departments in particular experimented with many different uses of electricity in the early 1900s with many different accounts existing from that period.
Waterboarding- Waterboarding is a form of near-drowning torture that was first recorded as a torture used by the Dutch in the 1620s. It usually involves covering the mouth and nose with a cloth and restraining the victim so they are lying down with their feet above their head. Water is poured over the face and this stops the victim from breathing. Americans have been using this torture for decades.
Standing Stress Positions,with restraints- The favourite American stress position is ‘Standing cuffs’. A victim’s hands are cuffed and raised above their head until they’re standing on their toes. This also serves to deprive the victim of sleep. In some places victims were made to wear adult diapers as this was seen as especially humiliating.
Solitary Confinement- Rejali doesn’t include this as a feature of American torture and barely discusses solitary confinement at all. I’m including it on the basis that it is: so normalised in American prisons and military facilities, is used for punishment, causes intense pain, causes systematic mental and physical health problems and is allowed to continue for time periods that are frankly ludicrous.
French Modern
Electricity- French electrical torture strongly favoured use of magnetos for many years. With the technological shift away from magnetos it now seems to favour Tasers and stun guns like most modern countries.
Waterboarding- France’s history of waterboarding may be longer than America’s. There are records of waterboarding in French colonies and records of French Nazi sympathisers using waterboarding extensively during the Vichy government.
Crouching Stress Positions- Most of the stress positions I’m aware of that are particularly ‘French’ were strongly associated with the military and the French Foreign Legion. I am unsure whether they are still commonly in use today but they were 40 years ago and I’ve chosen to include them.
English Modern
The UK has very rarely used electrical torture and instead has relied on a variety of stress positions. This is unusual as most countries have regularly used electrical torture at some point even if it is no longer a feature of their National Style. It’s worth keeping in mind as a feature, should you ever have characters who experience or witness torture from different groups.
English torture has also been more varied in some respects. Torture in different colonies during the colonial period could vary dramatically, possibly a feature of the decentralisation of administration throughout the empire. Practices in Kenya were different to practices in Aden, Cyprus and Ireland. I’ve tried to focus on the overall similarities rather than list cases that only occurred in one particular place.
Positional torture without restraints- Accounts of English torture in Ireland usually contain a description of ‘Walling’. The victims were made to stand close to a wall, leaning forward. Their finger tips touched the wall but they were prevented from putting their weight against it. England has a long history of stress positions, especially in the military and a great many different positions have been used. English use of stress positions in the modern age seems to avoid restraints and instead rely on guards beating prisoners who don’t hold the stress position. Other standing stress positions apart from Walling have been used and the only common feature seems to be the lack of restraints.
Beating
Sleep deprivation- Methods of sleep deprivation were not consistent. Stress positions and sleep deprivation were often combined, but sleep deprivation was also inflicted by continually waking prisoners, use of noise and light or near-constant interrogation as in 'sweating’ or 'relay interrogation’ practices.
Exhaustion exercises- These are the practice of forcing someone to exercise until they collapse. Running, cleaning and aerobic exercises such as crouching then jumping repeatedly have all been used. Obstacle courses and forced crawling have also been used. While worthy of a place here I feel it should be noted that exhaustion exercises seem to be particularly associated with the English military and I’ve never seen an account involving the police. The exact form varies widely in English torture.
Temperature torture- This is usually done through exposure and seems to be slightly less common then the previous three methods but I felt it was worth including. Freezing showers and standing in extremely hot or cold rooms seem to be the 'usual’ methods.
English 'Five Techniques’
These were used in Ireland during the 'Troubles’ and I felt they were worth inclusion. They’re a seperate category because I haven’t found any evidence of them regularly being used in conjunction by the English or British elsewhere.
Standing stress positions
Hooding
Starvation and dehydration
Sleep deprivation
White Noise- This seems to have been uniquely used in Ireland. I’ve found no evidence of regular use elsewhere.
Russian Modern
I’m a little unsure of just how current my sources on Russia are. The following techniques were representative after the Cold War but may not all be currently in use.
Electricity- Russia like many countries that use electrical torture originally relied on magnetos but has since switched to more modern methods. I can’t find evidence for a preferred electrical source in Russia at the moment. The use of electricity is relatively recent, Soviet torture avoided electricity.
Dry choking- This was originally done using old fashioned gas masks. Manipulation of the air vent can be used to produce near-suffocation. Plastic bags are much more common now.
Beating
Suspension- Suspension by the wrists with the feet off the ground is a scarring torture that ruins hands and dislocates the shoulders. It causes permanent nerve damage on an average sized individual in around 15 minutes and acts more quickly when the victim is larger and heavier. Such practices are generally rare but this is still a common torture in Russian institutions. I am unclear on whether any sort of precautions are taken to avoid permanent damage to the victims or not.
Israeli Modern
Israel, like Britain, is notable for avoiding electrical torture. This is a relatively recent development with electrical torture and water based choking tortures being employed before the 1990s and not afterwards.
Positional torture using furniture- Use of child-sized furniture to deliberately cause discomfort in prisoners is, so far as I know, unique to Israel. An example would be making a victim sit in a child’s chair during a prolonged 'interrogation’. The size of the furniture makes it impossible for the victim to sit comfortably and has a similar effect to restraint torture, producing a prolonged discomfort but allowing enough movement to avoid the risk of kidney failure associated with stress positions. In some variants victims are shackled to child-sized chairs and this does seem to function as a stress position causing the tell-tale swelling in hands and feet.
Stress positions- Forced standing, including standing cuffs and forced squatting appear to be common.
Exhaustion exercises- I’ve seen reference to three specific forms of forced exercise which appear to have been in regular use since the 1980s. The first is making victims stand up and sit down repeatedly until they collapse from exhaustion. The second is the 'Bear Dance’, making victims run while holding a heavy object (sometimes a full bucket) in each hand. This exhaustion exercise is usually combined with a 'gauntlet’ of guards who hit or trip the victims as they run. The third was a sort of 'deep sit up’ performed on chairs while prisoners were handcuffed.
Hooding
Temperature torture- The Israeli style tends to use extremely hot or cold rooms rather than exposure to the elements.
Iran
Iran went through a period of using electrical torture but so far as I can tell after the 1990s it was no longer common. Electricity was used from at least the 1970s through to the 1990s.
I have not included punishments that are torture in the list but these include flogging, blinding and amputation.
Falaka- Beating the soles of the feet. This technique is common throughout the Middle East and North Africa. It has also been used historically in China. Different impliments cause different degrees of damage.
Beating
Stress Positions- My sources are unclear on what positions are favoured.
Turkish Modern
This basic combination of falaka and electricity is common throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa, though different countries add different techniques to this basic mixture. Israel and Iran stand out as distinct in the region.
Falaka
Stress positions- I don’t have any clear indication of which stress positions are common in Turkey currently
Electricity- As previously Turkey once used magnetos but has since switched to more modern implements such as Tasers and stun guns.
Indian and Pakistani Modern
I’ve chosen to put India and Pakistan in the same section due to the overwhelming similarities in their National Styles. This may be in part due to continued conflict between the two countries resulting in a constant exchange of torture techniques. As with the similarities between French and American Styles, there’s no proof this is the case, but it’s a possibility.
Stress positions, murgha- The victim is made to bend forward, putting their head between their knees. They are sometimes made to hold their ears. This is extremely painful and in some cases can cause bleeding from the mouth, nose and anus.
Pepper-In India and Pakistan this means insertion of irritants and spices into the nostrils, anus or vagina.
Electricity-The instruments used to generate electricity in Indian torture have varied widely since the 1950s. Magnetos, live wires, the mains and more conventional Tasers and stun guns have all been used in different regions. Pakistan has generally favoured electrical prods.
Ghotna-This is distinct to India and Pakistan. A large pestel, like a huge stone rolling pin used to grind spices, is rolled over the victim’s thighs. Sometimes police officers stand on the ghotna.
Falaka-Slightly more common in Pakistan but also used throughout India, falaka is the practice of beating the soles of the feet.
Choking-More common in India than Pakistan, dry choking is near strangulation or near suffocation.
Chinese Modern
I’ve had some difficulty with this one. What I’m reading suggests that Chinese torture is either not consistent across the country (which would be understandable in such a large and varied country) or that Chinese torture is changing.The result is that this is a bit vague, may be edited later and some of these practices may not be current or used everywhere in China.
Restraint tortures- I’ve seen several accounts of political prisoners being kept in retraints long term (ie for days, weeks or in some cases months). The favoured device is a combination hand and leg cuff, with a chain connecting the hands, another connecting the feet and a longer chain linking them together. This keeps the victim hunched over in an extremely uncomfortable position but allows enough movement that they do not die of kidney failure (a difference from stress positions which allows the torture to continue for much longer)
Positional torture using furniture- These include devices such as 'tiger chairs’ which are essentially restraint devices victims are strapped into and left in for prolonged periods (over 24 hours). I am unclear on whether these could have the same effect as a stress position and suspect it depends strongly on the piece of furniture and how the victim is restrained. Chairs which strap down the victim’s arms, legs and chest seem to be the most common but boards which restrain victims so they’re laying downhave also been used.
Sleep deprivation
Restriction of circulation- I’ve mentioned the old Chinese practice of 'finger-milking’ on the blog before. I’m unsure if the current practice is finger-milking but it shares similarities. Currently the victim’s hands or feet are restrained and the cuffs are deliberately made too tight, cutting off circulation and causing painful swelling in the hands or feet. In finger-milking this is accompanied with attacks to the swollen hands or feet. This is not always the case today.
Japanese Modern
Beating-One thing that I’ve seen particular reference to in Japanese cases that I haven’t seen elsewhere is hair pulling. There also appears to be higher use of furniture to beat suspects then in other countries.
Crushing hands with flat objects- Placing a stuff, hard, flat object like a rulerover the back of the hand and applying pressure. This produces intense pain but rarely leaves any lasting marks.
South Africa
This is predominantly focused on the post-Apartheid period. During Apartheid scarring torture was much more common and in addition to the techniques I’ve listed falaka, whipping, and pumping (forcing liquid into the stomach until it flows out of most orifices causing intense internal pain) were all used. Targeted sexual violence was and remains extremely common.
Electricity- Prods and stun guns seem to be the implements of choice.
Dry Choking- This was previously done using gas masks but now seems to be done with some sort of hooding. Plastic bags now seem to be the most common method.
Stress Positions- Predominantly forced standing.
Nigeria
Unusually for a modern state most torture in Nigeria is scarring. This may be because there is more or less complete impunity for torturers and torture is often justified by people in positions of power, citing the unrest in the north. Targeted sexual violence against women, queer people and people perceived as either is common.
Scarring beating- Using batons, gun butts, machetes, sticks, rods or cables.
Shooting extremities- Such as the leg, feet and hands.
Extraction of nails and teeth with pliers
Suspension by the feet- Another scarring torture.
Electricity-Amnesty describes this as using ‘battery powered objects’.
Near-strangulation- Using a rope around the neck.
Being forced to sit of lie on sharp objects- Broken glass appears to be a favourite.
Stress positions using implements- The ‘Parrot’s perch’ and a position called ‘Tabay’ are both used. The parrot’s perch has the victim’s hands tied together and their feet tied together. Their limbs are bent and a stick is inserted under the knees and over the elbows. They’re then lifted by the stick, exposing the buttocks and leaving them dangling upside down. In ‘Tabay’ the victim’s elbows are tied together and the arms are raised using a stick.
Sources:
Torture and Democracy by D Reajli, Princeton, 2009
The original post, [The Masterlist of Lists, v2], was getting very long, and I worried it was in danger of dead-linking. To solve that problem, I have split it up into two posts - the first will contain the FAQs and 101 posts, as well as the general resource lists; the second (this post) will contain all the individual spell and sigil lists I have made during my time on this blog.
As the clock ticks over to next year, let’s have a look back and honor the wonderful artists and authors who have created such beautiful Big Bangs for us!
In other words, here comes the MHBB 2020 Masterpost!!! To every amazing artist and author: thank you for participating.
Title: A Proposal Is A Promise Your Heart Makes Author:@thesilverqueenlady Artist:@heavymetalhannigram Rating:Teen Length: 10,029 Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lector Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: Years ago, a young Will Graham met a young Hannibal Lecter in Italy, fell in love, and promised to marry him – until he discovered Hannibal’s secret and ran away. Unfortunately, marriage promises are not so easily forgotten in a world where they create unbreakable red rings … and where everyone must marry by age 35. When Hannibal nears his 35th birthday, he comes calling upon Will to fulfill his promise. Link To Fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28651515 Link To Art: https://heavymetalhannigram.tumblr.com/post/639851443049938944/a-proposal-is-a-promise-your-heart-makes-by
Title: A Rare Find Author:hit_the_books Artist:Ahumokio Rating:Explicit Length: 5,300 words Pairing: Will Graham/Hannibal Lector Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary:Life as an omega bookseller can be quite lonely. However, as the owner of Graham’s Books, Will Graham is reasonably content. That is until he meets—long-time customer and crush—Doctor Hannibal Lecter in person for the first time. Attraction blossoming between them both, Will agrees to a dinner date with the good doctor. Link to fic and art
Title: Celebrity Crush Author:Sulluspark Artist:nimoras-draws Rating:General Length: 7,617 words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: What started as a way to relieve boredom and learn a new skill to help him sustain his hermit life quickly evolved into something more - until Will Graham could confidently and proudly say that he was Hannibal Lecter’s biggest fan. And he would have been perfectly content with harboring this “little” crush for the rest of his days without doing anything about it had Beverly not intervened. Link to fic and art
Title: The Boy Who Lived Author:@Red5WritingBy Artist:@kishafisha Rating:G Pairing: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter Summary: Something sinister is stalking the halls of Hogwarts hunting the muggle born students. Can Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham set aside their rivalry to save the school and Will’s half-sister, Abigail Hobbs. Link to Fic Link to Art
Title: Border Guard Author:@highermagic Artist:@g-love99-art Rating:Teen Length:~5,000 words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Warnings/Tags: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary:“What do you see, Will?” Hannibal asks him, crouching down. “Young human,” Will says. His nostrils flare as he breathes in. “She smells…sad.” “Afraid,” Hannibal confirms, his own nose twitching. “Can you hear anything?” Will holds up a hand, and tilts his head to listen. “I know it’s late.” That must be the young one. “I’m really sorry, I just need -. I need to adopt one. The biggest and smartest one you have. Please. I can pay in cash, whatever you need. You’re the only guys still open.” Link to fic and art.
Title: The Saints Can’t Help Me Now Author:@evabelmort Artist:@spikethecrazycat Rating: Explicit, for show-level gore and violence (also some much-less-graphic sex.) Length:23K Warnings:Graphic Depictions Of Violence. Summary: When Hannibal accompanies Will to a crime scene near his old home, they discover that this killer has links to his mother’s family, and Hannibal finds he and Will have more in common than he realised. A slightly more magical take on canon set immediately after Buffet Froid, offering an answer to the eternal question of why Hannibal can get away with making cannibalism puns to the FBI. Fic! Art Masterpost!
Title: the bee made me shiver like a rag Author:stereokem Artist:@mferret9 Rating:Mature Length: 8,829 words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lector (Molly Graham/Will Graham) Summary:[It has been 4 years since Hannibal left. Will has built a life in his absence, has filled whatever hole Hannibal left behind. He thinks he has successfully moved on—but an unexpected gift makes him question whether or not that is true.] Link to Fic Link to Art (slightly NSFW)
Title: The Conditions of Man Author:chaparral-crown Artist:w4687 Rating:Mature Length:20,646 Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Summary:“There are only two truths around here. Any man can be king for a night,” the younger man says with a wry grin and long drawl, sliding cards from the card shoe into tidy rows in front of himself and Hannibal. “But by the morning, the house always wins.” — An investigation into the deaths of casino hostesses in Las Vegas is made more interesting by a strange card dealer with an uncanny skill at reading guests at his table. Hannibal investigates the depth of his skill, and the card player surprises him with how truly acute it is. Link to fic and art.
Title:7empest Author:@heavymetalhannigram Artist:@kishafisha Rating:Explicit Length:43692 words Pairings:Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter (Will Graham/Margot Verger, Alana Bloom/Margot Verger, Alana Bloom/Mason Verger) Warnings/Tags: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con Summary: Will Graham is a shadow, the head of one of the largest gangs on the eastern seaboard. His reach stretches from drug trafficking to murder, but killing a man in broad daylight sets off a chain of events that will threaten not only his kingdom, but the lives of his loved ones. He is instructed to employ a bodyguard, and manages to find the one man who can lie to his face, Hannibal Lecter. The combined pressure from Jack Crawford and his own unruly mobsters sets off the tempest that is Will Graham to thunder over everyone in his path. Link to fic Link to art
Title: In The Woods Somewhere Author:Immamortician Artist:whispers-in-the-chrysalis Rating:Mature Length: 7023 Words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Warnings:Graphic Depictions of Violence Summary:The Carver is a serial killer who’s modus operandi is to leave hand carved wooden animal effigies tucked lovingly into his victims chest, and Will Graham is on the case.. But with his own grip on reality spiraling drastically out of his control, and with a psychiatrist who may not be acting in his best interests, is he up for the job..? Link to fic Link to art (SFW)
Title:Before those hands pulled me from the earth Author:@obfuscatedheart Artist:@arstyrannus Rating:Explicit Length: 37,000 words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter Warnings: Graphic Descriptions of Violence Summary:[A lie and truth are always emblazoned on your skin, your soulmate’s first absolute lie and truth they ever tell you.] Link to fic Link to art
Title:A Thousand Truths Author:Tiggy Malvern Artist:Nin Potato Rating:Explicit Length:8600 words Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter (background Will Graham/Molly Graham) Warnings/Tags: canon-typical gore Summary:Hannibal wants to know why Will testified as he did at Hannibal’s trial. Will has many different answers. Red Dragon Arc and beyond… Link to fic and art Link to art on tumblr
Title: Best Served Cold Author:@kishafisha Artist:@panoramicambitions Rating:E Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Summary: Hannibal Lecter, founder and visionary behind Lecter Ltd, wakes up twenty years in the future after the betrayal of his business partners. Where artificial intelligence had been a fledgling technology in his own time, the world is fully inundated with it now, to include the full integration of artificial humans, or Artifices, within society. As he navigates this new world with a stranger that seems to know him better than he knows himself, Hannibal is plagued by one driving thought. To seek revenge against those who stole his life. Link to Fic Link to Art
Title: Close. Closer. Author:@stratsandwhiskeywritestuff Artist:@ewlyn Rating: Teen Length:2174 Pairings: Will Graham/Hannibal Lector Warnings: n/a Summary:They can meet only rarely, when the vividness of their lives merges into a dusky grey. These moments live in the in-between, that space where mortals make their more ambiguous choices. There, Hannibal and Will meet, and discuss, and come away from the table with a decision in hand. Will and Hannibal are minor gods of mortal decisions. Link to fic Link to art
Shoot when it’s light out for best quality photos, because natural lighting is honestly your best friend. Taking them when it’s lighter out will also make it easier to edit them.
** A lesser known tip that I’ve learned myself is to take photos in pure light. My room is pink, so unless I take pictured in the middle of my room at noon they turn out with an annoying purple tint. it’s hard to edit that out, so I sometimes go to other spots in my house to take photos.
EXTRA: If you’re taking photos with a screen turn down the brightness. High brightness gives the screen so much glare that you often can’t see anything other than a bright spot.
Taking the photos:
I’m using a colorful planner as an example, so I’m using a white background.
If your subject is plainer, you can use a brighter background. (I used a sweater)
EXTRA: lots of pillowcases/sheets=lots of backgrounds!
Editing:
I use Aviaryandvsco, and I edit the brightness/exposure, contrast, saturation, warmth, and tint. On vsco I add either the filters A6 or OC and add on the following to fit.
Brightness/exposure: turn these up depending on how bright your original photos are
Contrast: turn this up for clarity
Saturation: turn the saturation up because photos will generally look washed out after you turn up the brightness (be careful that it doesn’t look unnatural)
Warmth: always turn this down, especially if you take pictures in artificial light.
Tint: this is what I use to correct the purple-y tint that a lot of my pictures cave because of the color of my walls (I turn it greener, but I imagine it’ll be opposite if you have a green/blue room).
You don’t have to do this at all to be a good studyblr. Plenty of amazing studyblrs don’t jump through this many hoops every time they want to post. I would actually encourage you to not do all of this every time you want to post. I used to spend hours agonizing over my photos, and, believe it or not, my grades went down! Now I know how to balance the aesthetic and actual studying, but I was so caught up in how my notes looked that I wasn’t studying them. If you like to take pretty notes and photographs, then have fun with it, but definitely don’t feel pressured to do all of this if you don’t want to.
Hello sweeties! Now that I’m in uni, I’m more aware of the money I spend not only on materials, handouts, but also on textbooks. Since I’m in my second year, I’ve learned a lot of things (sometimes the hard way) on saving some money so here they are ♥
Discounts: So of course this is my first tip. I had no idea but a lot of textbooks are more expensive when you buy them on campus, probably bc you want to get it over with and think it’s easier BUT there’s this website (the trivago of books) that can help you compare prices. Long story short, check various places before giving your money.
Used textbooks: Apparently Amazon and Ebay not only sell new things but used too lol. Check if they have the ones you need (on your syllabus) or maybe you could find some that complement your courses.
Check with teachers: Before you do anything, check your institution’s library to see if you can rent or talk with your teachers and see if they have the book you need laying around. Even if they don’t, ask them for the chapters you’ll be using.
Scanning/Photocopying: So this brings me to my next point. I hate reading on the computer, so for me photocopies are the best way to save on books to be honest. Asking our teacher what chapters we’d need through the weeks helped us so much.
Older students: Talk to people. Seriously. An older studentis most likely to have the textbooks you need. I’m the worst person when asking for things I need but I’ve honestly learned I need to OPEN MY DAMN MOUTH sometimes. Now there are some books I won’t need again that I could gladly lend to a student!
Share books with friends: If you are a group worker, and you’ll need it to study out of class, a good way to save is by sharing with a friend or splitting the money between a group.
So you live in a place that limits your uses of things typically associated with spell casting. Maybe you’re in a dorm, an apartment with indoor sprinklers or are simply not in a place where you can practice openly. Don’t worry, we got your back.
the ‘$1000 to go to Hawaii’ bride, the ‘I bought a $99 polygraph on amazon’ lady, or the ‘why was $200 so huge’ birthday girl
a lot of people seem to be confused and think the hawaii bride and the polygraph lady are the same but they’re actually 2 separate people so here’s all 3 in one go
the “$1500 to go to hawaii” bride
Ms Polygraph Test
$200 birthday
bask in the unfiltered nonsense of it all
since someone mentioned this and I had forgotten, a last minute entry fighter: “Squire Sebastian” lady
New to the arena, Kristie and her surprise wedding
Y'all really gonna pass up childless millennial Disney Mom?
As an aspiring polyglot, it’s important that I have a bunch of resources at my disposal for language learning. I use a variety of resources for my learning, such as books, websites, apps, T.V. shows, movies, etc. Almost all of these resources are free too! These are some of my resources!
-Websites-
1. Omniglot
This website is more for finding information about languages and finding languages to learn. It has a very comprehensive list of languages and you can find plenty of secondary resources for learning the language. You can find tutors for that language, and even songs in your target language. I can just about guarantee you that no matter what language you’re looking for, it will be documented here. It is absolutely amazing, and it is a FANTASTIC resource for the dedicated linguist. Price- Free
This is both a website AND an app, however, I tend to use the website more frequently, mainly because I’m always on my laptop anyway. The learning system that this website uses makes out very easy to stay motivated, and the lessons are organized amazingly. Currently, the website offers about 27 different language courses for English speakers, and various language courses for speakers of languages other than English. You can set goals for yourself, take multiple courses, be involved in discussions, and even do translating activities. Beware though, it gets VERY addicting. Price- Free
Also a website AND an app, this is my all time favorite resource for learning languages. It has SO many languages to choose from, and it even offers subjects other than languages, although foreign language learning is its primary appeal factor. Price- Free
Although this sector of BBC has been archived and is no longer updated, it still contains some valuable information. It includes some useful phrases, alphabet guides, and jokes in many languages. You’re bound to learn something new there, so check it out! Price- Free
This website offers language courses constructed by the U.S. government, and relies heavily on audio-based learning. However, many of the language courses include lessons in the form of pdf. There is a very large selection of languages to choose from, so this resource is very good for getting an excellent introduction to your target language. Price- Free
Claiming to be the internet’s largest collection of free public domain language learning materials, this website is a MUST for language learners. It contains the FSI courses, Peace Corps language learning materials, and the DLI (military) language courses. It also offers Skype sessions for language learners in several different languages! The main appeal of this website, however, is the Peace Corps language material archive. There are SO many different languages to choose from, and there are many ebooks and audio files to take advantage of here. Price- Free
This website offers texts that translate English texts into 55 other languages. It is not a translator, it merely provides reading material in foreign languages to learners. It is a very useful website, especially for analyzing how sentences are formed in other languages. Price- Free
This website is really helpful for explaining grammatical concepts and for learning general stuff about languages, such as verbs, vocabulary, nouns, adjectives, basic phrases, foods, etc. There are quite alot of languages offered on this website, so it’s a great resource! Price- Free (for certain features)
This website is great for learning languages through a sentence based, contextual experience. It’s a bit like Duolingo in that sense, and it requires you to fill in missing words from sentences. In my opinion, it’s better for people with a background in their target language, and they offer many different options for languages. It’s also good for speakers of a native language other than English! Price- Free
This is a great website for ancient language learners, and it provides resources for Egyptian, Mayan, Hittite, Latin, Old English, Etruscan, Gaulish, and several others. I have found the majority of resources that I have looked through helpful to my learning efforts. They have dictionaries, grammars, charts, and texts, and it is a very comprehensive resource. Price- Free
This is a good resource for learners looking for audio files to help them practice their listening. I haven’t used it all too much, but there are many language options, so you’re bound to find a language that you find interesting on here. Price- Free
This is a great resource for getting feedback on your writing in your target language. You can post things in your target language, and native speakers of that language will correct it, and you can do the same for other people! It’s very helpful, and is a great resource if you have to write in your target language often. Price- Free
This website offers a few books to read in different languages and is good for comparing different languages of the same book. This makes for good practice for reading in your target language. Price- Free
There are quite a few languages courses on this website, although several of them cost money. However, there are quite a few courses that are free, and are good for introducing you to your language of choice. Price- Varies depending on the course, however, there are some free ones
-Apps- [For this, I can only give the price for iPhones, however, I am relatively sure that these should be the same price in the Android store]
1. Memrise
As mentioned above in the websites section, this app is so amazing for on-the-go language learning, as well as for subjects other than languages! It helps users memorize concepts with “meme” which are pictures that will remind you of what the word or concept means, and it’s such a unique and fun learning experience! It has the feel of using flashcards, but I just love using this app so much. Price- Free
2. Duolingo
Also mentioned in the websites section, this app is great for both learning new words and reviewing words that you have either memorized or have just been exposed to. There are grammar lessons available, translation activities, groups that you can join, and Duolingo makes it fun to learn a language with it’s reward system. Price- Free
3. HelloTalk
This is my absolute FAVORITE app to talk to native speakers of my target language(s). You can become language partners with people, help others with translations, video/voice call, send voice messages, and have as many partners as you want! It’s an absolutely amazing app, and I highly recommend it to everyone! Warning- If you’re a native English speaker looking for a native Chinese speaker, you will get HUNDREDS of requests. It might overwhelm you for a second. Price- Free
4. TuneIn Radio
This is really great for finding stations in your target language, and it helps with practicing both comprehension of spoken language as well as introduces you to awesome music in your target language! Price- Free
5. Tigercards
This app presents words in the form of lists, and gives you vocab so that you can review it. Not the best presentation of words and it doesn’t really offer a memorization technique like Memrise, but it’s still helpful! Price- Free
6. Busuu
This app is a bit like Duolingo, and it offers German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, Italian, Russian, Polish, Turkish, Japanese, and Chinese! Price- Free
7. uTalk
This app offers so many different languages, it’s pretty incredible. There are games that you can play, phrasebooks, and several other features. The interface is also really awesome and simple, so it makes learning easier than usual. Definitely a must have. Price- Free
8. Innovative Language
I haven’t used this app much, but I have heard that the lessons on this app are very good, and you can download the lessons so that you can view them offline. Price- Free
9. FlashSticks
This has been super helpful to me, in addition to the games and flashcards that it offers, it also provides an object scanner, which uses your camera to scan objects and then tells you what it’s called in your target language! Price- Free
10. Mondly
This has been an awesome resource for me since it’s a bit like Duolingo, only with more unique language options. I’m currently using it to learn Hindi, however, there are tons of other language options. The interface is awesome, and I love using it. Price- Free
11. MindSnacks
This company makes several different language apps, and currently I’m using the Mandarin, Japanese, and French ones. So far, I’ve really enjoyed these apps! Price- Free
12. Spotify
Through Spotify’s “Word” category, there are many different playlists dedicated to language learning, such as for Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, and Swedish! Price- Free
13. Quizlet
This is more of a diy language learning resource. It is not an inherent language learning resource, however, if you learn best through lists and/or flashcards, then this app allows you to make cards and review vocab that way! I use it all the time for exams! Price- Free
14. FluentU
This is an awesome app for watching videos in your target language, and is really good for learning new words. Price- the app is free, but the service is $15 per month or $120 per year
-Books-
1. Teach Yourself
This series offers an astounding number of languages, and I have found them to be pretty effective in helping me learn languages. I have used the Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, and Irish ones.
2. Barron’s Grammar and Verb books
I really like the way Barron’s does language books, so far I have used their Japanese grammar book and their Russian verbs book, and I really like the layout of them, especially the grammar book!
3. Dk Visual Bilingual Dictionaries
These are so helpful for me, I’ve been using the Mandarin and Japanese dictionaries for a long time, and they are so comprehensive and awesome!
4. Ethnologue
These aren’t language “learning” materials, but rather they help me find new languages to learn. These are more for the linguistic lovers, since they catalog almost every living language in the world in every country, and provide language maps and statistics. There’s really fascinating stuff in those books, so I highly recommend purchasing them.
5. The “Dirty” books
So far, I have only used the Japanese version, however, I really like what the book includes, and it’s great for learning slang in your target language, and things that traditional textbooks wouldn’t teach you.
6. Living Language
I LOVE these books so much, I’ve used the Russian, Mandarin, and French ones and I’ve found them very helpful! The layout of these are very nice, and they’re pretty comprehensive.
7. Tuttle books
Tuttle offers several different language books, and they all are very good in my opinion. I have used their books for Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Hindi.
That’s all that I have right now, but if you all would like more resources than I will definitely make a second one!
