Happy Valentine's Day From WD Herself !  

i cannot keep quiet about this anymore.

if you're in the US or Canada and interested in learning a language using a free app please get a library card and download MANGO. it's very good and extremely free with a library card (there are many public libraries and universities using the service, so make an account and use the search feature here to find out if there's one near you).

mango currently has 72 available languages and dialects (that's right! different courses for french or canadian french! spanish or latam spanish!). it's set up basically like an audiobook with text. the idea is that the narrator explains the words while you read, and you repeat after them or say the translation out loud when prompted. there's a daily review where you go through flashcards. you can also use the flashcards at your leisure and create your own. at the end of each chapter there's a listening comprehension quiz and a reading comprehension quiz. i cannot emphasize how effective this all is. and it's free with a card.

if you're not in the US or Canada and/or looking for something more like duolingo (don't use duolingo btw tldr they fired translators and replaced them with "ai"), then try BUSUU! it only has 14 languages atm but the lessons are really descriptive and effective. it also has a feature where you can correct other people's open-ended speaking/typing exercises. you set your fluent languages, and exercises by people learning those languages will appear in your feed for you to correct. you can even add others as friends! and, much like duolingo, it has a streak and leaderboard system for you to strive for, minus the guilt-tripping owl.

busuu is free (you watch ads to unlock lessons and they're all skippable after like five seconds), although it also has paid premium/plus versions (i don't use the paid version—the language courses are available for free, and the ad system is Really unobtrusive).

so that's my wisdom for the day. mango and busuu. please check them out :)

should you delete twitter and get bluesky? (or just get a bluesky in general)? here's what i've found:

yes. my answer was no before bc the former CEO of twitter who also sucked, jack dorsey, was on the board, but he left as of may 2024, and things have gotten a lot better. also a lot of japanese and korean artists have joined

don't delete your twitter. lock your account, use a service to delete all your tweets, delete the app off of your phone, and keep your account/handle so you can't be impersonated.

get a bluesky with the same handle, even if you won't use it, also so you won't be impersonated.

get the sky follower bridge extension for chrome or firefox. you can find everyone you follow on twitter AND everyone you blocked so you don't have to start fresh: https://skyfollowerbridge.com/

learn how to use its moderation tools (labelers, block lists, NSFW settings) so you can immediately cut out the grifters, fascists, t*rfs, AI freaks, have the NSFW content you want to see if you so choose, and moderate for triggers. here's a helpful thread with a lot of tools.

the bluesky phone app is pretty good, but there is also tweetdeck for bluesky, called https://deck.blue/ on desktop, if you miss tweetdeck.

bluesky has explicitly stated they do not use your data to train generative AI, which is nice to hear from an up and coming startup. obviously we can’t trust these companies and please use nightshade and glaze, but it’s good to hear.

since we're getting closer to canada's election year and i plan on doing my part to help educate voters, here are two exceedingly simplified graphics for my international viewers on what we're dealing with here. tldr: canada is tired of trudeau (the liberal party) and things are starting to lean a bit too right-wing for comfort.

i am compelled to remind canadians that the NDP is our leftmost leaning party and our best chance at getting some tangible, beneficial change for everyone and not just some people.

the NDP have been pushing for universal basic income and damn,, what a dream it would be to have it

also: instead of the "democrat vs republican" that the states has, we're dealing with "democrat vs liberal vs conservative vs french vs green vs alt right". we're playing chess with six players on the board and yes, it's a mess.

First contact between Horde Prime and Hordak probably Don't look at me for explanations because this was fully unplanned lul

how not to draw flashman.exe by nicst

Commission for someone on Twitter.  Layer’s a cutie!

My warforged paladin Sunder here to tell you, it’s just wood.

Sorcerer boy belongs to @thatonewiththeponytail

@ Canadians

I think we have a solid factual basis and enough supporting evidence that (provided that the conservatives lose the election) we may have a case to have Canada alter or withdraw from its safe third country agreement with the United States and begin to accept trans refugees from there.

But this is not going to happen if we don't demand it and present information that should lead to an update to the law.

So in addition to voting in the next election, please try to get in contact with local immigrant and LGBTQ advocacy groups and organize to bring this information before those who could act on it, including phone calls to members of parliament.

It is time to take action. We can't just assume someone else will do it in our place.

As a refugee myself, I am already gathering allies and information to coordinate actions from the shadows. I am hopeful that this can be done.

Don't Fuck Around and Find Out. Be informed about the policies you're voting for.

Exceedingly summarized positions from three of Canada's parties based on information either readily available on each party's website (NDP, Liberal, Conservative), or otherwise found through articles.

Don't just take this chart at face value. At the time of this post, none of these parties have released their official 2025 election year platforms.

Also as a way to make politics slightly more bearable, take a shot every time Pierre Poilievre says "Trudeau" in a public statement or social media post. Happy holidays 🍻