#Red|Blue (2026) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

somethingusefulfromflorida · 10 months

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Trump has so many charges against him that he's almost certainly going to be convicted of something. Not everything, probably not even a majority, but something. He knows he won't get unanimous acquittals across the board, so his only hope will be to slip loyalists onto some of the juries to hang them. A mistrial means months or years of delays as prosecution works each case through the system all over again.

In New York, he'd be retried over and over until a unanimous verdict is reached, guilty or not guilty, however long that takes, and every state level Republican candidate from now on will campaign on promises to drop the charges or pardon him or help him in some way, shape, or form.

In Georgia (he hasn't been indicted yet, but it's coming), he's going to be pardoned almost immediately. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets pardoned before it even goes to trial. Yeah, the governor refused to find 11,000 votes for him, but he's still a Republican and trump is still the leader of his party. If he didn't pardon trump, he would be crucified by his voters and shamed out of office, and his successor would pardon him instead. If he stood his ground and couldn't be bullied into resigning, then just as in New York every Republican candidate would run on the pardon promise platform. Trump will NEVER face justice in Georgia.

In the federal case in Florida, a mistrial means the judge, a trump appointee, could drop the charges and prevent the DOJ from retrying it. Best case scenario, it would get delayed into 2025 or 2026 and a different judge in the southern district of Florida will be randomly assigned to it, but that's assuming Biden wins re-election in 2024. If trump wins, he'd immediately pardon himself, or invoke the 25th to have his loyalist VP pardon him to avoid a Supreme Court decision on a self-pardon's validity. If Biden wins, the 2028 Republican candidates will all run on promises to pardon him, so he'll be out of prison the second the White House goes red. I don't trust Democrats to hold the line long enough for him to die in prison.

The federal case in Washington, DC looks open and shut, the best chance for a conviction. Trump only has four appointees in that district, so the odds of him getting off on a retrial in case of a hung jury are 4 in 13, 30.77% (4/15, 26.67% if Biden can fill the two remaining vacancies). Again, all this does is kick the can down the road until 2025 or 2026. He will walk free whenever the Republicans take back power.

The only way donald trump faces long term consequences for his crimes is if New York stays solid blue for the rest of his life, something like the next 15 or 20 years. The federal charges will disappear the second one of his allies gets elected president; I don't think the party would nominate him for a fourth time in 2028 if he loses 2024 for them, so it's looking like it's gonna be ron desantis vs Kamala Harris (God help us all). Then again, who knows? A lot can happen in the next 5 years, so maybe some nobody will be frontrunner by then and desantis will have slinked away into post-gubernatorial obscurity like Jeb and Charlie Crist. Whoever trump endorses will be the nominee, so whoever strokes his ego the hardest will have hometeam advantage. My money says it'll be some blonde woman or a lightskinned black guy for diversity points (whoever it is, they'll be even farther right than trump himself)

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ace-race-ace · 12 days

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Legacy AU - Prologue - end of 2026

Next part

He didn’t think he would cry.

But standing there on the top step, the cheering crowd all around him and his team shaking the barriers so hard they threaten to fall, Fernando can’t stop the tears from rolling down his cheeks. After 20 long years, he’d done it once again. He lifts the first-place trophy high above his head, as the announcement that Fernando Alonso has just secured his third Formula 1 championship rings out from the speakers. He closes his eyes as the Spanish and British national anthems play in tandem, the cheers not quieting down whatsoever. But in Fernando’s mind, everything goes silent.

He thinks back at the incredible season he’d just accomplished with Aston Martin. Ten race wins in twenty-four races, and more podiums along the way. The car, engineered to perfection for the new regulations, no one saw it coming. The racing green spots in the grandstands slowly morphed into waves as thousands of fans started to show support as the year progressed. Fernando felt so proud of his achievement, sticking with this team to create something truly incredible. Not only had he now had his forever-chased third driver’s championship, he also secured the constructor's championship a few races back. That was an achievement shared with Lance performing his best season yet. Fernando is convinced now, his future forever lies with Aston Martin.

The first splash of champagne hits his cheek, which brings him back to the moment. His eyes open and meet the grinning face of Carlos, clad in his Audi suit, shaking the bottle all over the place. Fernando quickly hops down and grabs his own bottle, spraying him back, bubbles rolling down his cheeks. The Carmen Overture plays loudly over the speakers, still unable to cover the cheers of the crowd. The back of his head is hit with another spray, as he turns to see Max in red, a color that still seems like a fever dream on the Dutchman. Fernando quickly sprays him in the face and the younger driver giggles. He shakes his head, champagne flying off his hair like a wet dog shaking off water. Finally, he turns to the crowd, spreads his arms like an eagle taking flight. He puts an arm to his stomach and bows deeply, a final display for the sport he’d dedicated his life to.

The play is over, and it’s time to leave the stage.

He clambers down the steps to get back to the garage. The Brazilian sun shines brightly above, the skies perfectly blue, a day where everything has gone right. Along the way, people scream congratulations at him, grab his shoulders, and slap his back. Everyone wants a moment with him. Still, he trudges on, politely smiling to everyone and shaking hands but never breaking his stride. Finally, back in the green garage, he’s able to shake off a few people, but more add-on. At least this time it’s purely his team, the engineers that made this all possible. Lawrence Stroll firmly grasps his shoulders from behind.

“Fernando, absolutely superb! I knew you’d do it!”

“Thank you, Lawrence, your support help me a lot! And couldn’t have done it without the team. Without Lance. We keep moving!”

“Yes, Lance is…somewhere but he’s definitely grateful for everything you’ve done for him this year. Hopefully, as Team Principal, you’ll be able to push him even further!”

“Oh, I will!”

Lawrence gives him another slap on the back before shooing the people crowding Fernando away. The Spaniard still feels like he’s floating, like his feet are hovering above ground, and has to pinch himself to convince himself he isn’t dreaming. His muscle memory kicks in and pulls him toward his driver’s room.

Stepping in, Fernando takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes and clutching his arms to his chest. Muffled voices echo in the background but Fernando finally feels he can truly cool down. What he doesn’t expect as he opens his eyes, is someone else being in the room with him.

Lance. Sitting on the couch, looking up at him with his doleful brown eyes.

Fernando freezes for a moment, crossing the gaze of his teammate before slowly stepping closer. Lance is on his feet by the time he reaches him. Fernando doesn’t break his stare, now having to look up at him.

Lance’s face breaks into a smile. Fernando mirrors it and engulfs the younger driver into a hug. Lance immediately reciprocates it, burying his face into his shoulder and squeezing him tight.

“You did it Fernando! You actually did it!”

Fernando laughs and grabs the back of Lance’s neck to give it a squeeze. He feels Lance’s smile through his shirt. They remain like that for a while, slowly starting to sway from side to side. Until Fernando felt the familiar brush of lips against the pulse point on his neck.

“Lance…” he says warningly.

The younger driver’s behavior came to no surprise. These past few years as teammates, Lance had become increasingly bold in his advances on the Spaniard. It started with innocent flirting, the same most drivers on the grid have with each other. A few suggestive jokes or winks to make each other giggle. Fernando found it especially easy to get along with the younger driver. It was the first time Fernando didn’t feel threatened by his teammate so he let himself loosen up and actually get to know him. Turns out Lance is one of the kindest people he’s ever met, humble, soft spoken and always willing to help or learn. Fernando felt compelled to reflect the same kindness towards him, often listening to Lance’s disappointments after a bad race and offering advice where he could. And when things went well, he’d laugh and egg him on by returning some hugs or squeezes in appreciation.

But Lance’s flirtations soon became more physical. Biting his lip at Fernando when he came back sweaty from a race. Sitting as close as possible during meetings, thighs touching. Pressing closer anytime Fernando casually held his side. All still very subtle, but hard to ignore at the same time. Fernando found it sweet at first, who doesn’t like an attractive person paying attention to them? Not that Fernando let himself think too much about Lance’s ‘attractiveness’, the boy is simply conventionally handsome. Until Lance’s behavior became undeniably inappropriate for a teammate working relationship. After Fernando’s first win in over ten years, Lance had shown up and begged to congratulate him by getting on his knees. When Fernando shook his head and told him he shouldn’t Lance had contented himself with kissing his older teammate’s neck. The Spaniard should have stopped him but it was too hard to push back something that felt so good.

Lance only kept going further after that. Wrapping around Fernando from behind, pressing into him and whispering sweet things into his ear every chance he could get. Showing up in the middle of the night, claiming insomnia just to end up cuddling up into bed with him. Fernando wasn’t innocent in the matter himself. It became increasingly harder to keep his hands off of his teammate anytime he was within reach. He slipped up often, sliding his hand in Lance’s back pocket a few times, squeezing his waist a little too long. Once he’d even inadvertently pulled Lance into his lap during a meeting, tugging him close to his chest. Fernando got many weird looks from the team and he brushed it off as an inside joke between him and Lance. Good thing Lawrence wasn’t there because anyone who knows Lance well couldn’t have missed the look in his eye as he settled against the older man.

All to say, they’d been teetering on much more than just teammates for a while. Yet Fernando has stood his ground. There was no way he could get involved with his teammate, especially when said teammate was 17 years younger than him and the boss’s son on top of that. Lance has tried time and time again to break his resolve but to no avail. So Lance continues to relish the few behaviors Fernando allows.

But soon, this would have to change.

“Lance…You know this can’t continue. I’m going to be your boss, we…we won’t be able to do this. Not anymore.”

Lance responds by pulling Fernando closer and pressing his nose into his pulse point.

“Exactly, so let's enjoy it for now. I think you should fuck me, take me to bed, and ruin me, as a teammate parting gift.”

He says it in his usual nonchalant tone as if he hadn’t just asked Fernando to cross the line they’d never crossed before. Fernando has a hard time keeping himself in control. The urge to bend the boy over the massage table in the corner of the room is nearly unbearable. He can’t help but slide his hands to Lance’s waist squeezing it once before settling on the small of his back.

“You don’t know how bad I want to Lancito but we can’t. We need to stop before this gets out of hand. Imagine if we get caught. Big scandal, could bring the whole team down. Is too big of risk.”

Lance sighs and pulls away from his embrace. He crosses his arms over his chest and chews at his bottom lip. The room suddenly feels too small, suffocating with things remaining unresolved. Fernando gets a ping on his phone telling him he needs to come out to the media pen. He sighs and walks towards the younger man. His hand comes to rest against Lance’s cheek, his thumb rubbing small circles. The Canadian meets his eye but drops his gaze back to the ground soon after. Fernando gets on his tip-toes and presses a small peck to Lance's cheek.

“I will see you at the party tonight. Lots to celebrate.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DRIVEN SPORTS DECEMBER 2026

Fernando Alonso, now a three times formula 1 world champion as of this year. His previous championship win was back in 2006, exactly 20 years ago. After such a heroic win, Alonso has shocked fans by announcing his retirement from F1 racing - but not the sport as a whole. He is now lined up to be the Aston Martin Formula 1 Team Principal for next year and beyond! I sat down with Alonso to discuss this past season and his future ambitions with the team.

Fernando, thank you for taking time to discuss this absolutely crazy announcement - on many different fronts!

Of course. Is all very exciting for me!

And for the fans! You’ve delivered such a strong season, with 10 race wins and many podiums. How did it feel to get back on that top step?

Absolutely incredible. I had not felt it for a while, so getting the experience again…Is very special. I need to make more space in my trophy cabinet now! But is not bad problem to have.

Last year the team barely broke the top 3, with Ferrari and McLaren taking a huge lead. This year on the other hand, no one could touch you! What changed?

The new regulations. We put extra focus on building the new car, working with Honda and the best engineers we could find. We knew this year was our chance to make real change and I’m glad all the work paid off. The upgrade packages also worked great, improving the car over the year while other teams on the grid had a much harder time. There is of course also a bit of luck, and picking opportunities but overall, the team’s hard work made the difference.

The other teams are now on the back foot, do you think they will catch up next season or is this the beginning of Aston Martin dominance?

Haha, is too early to tell. Now we focus on getting the car and the drivers ready to get on track. We see what we can do.

You mention the drivers, you will no longer be included in that title, even though you’ve just won a championship! Why is that?

I have been driving in Formula 1 for over 20 years. I’ve accomplished everything I wanted, is time for me to move on to something different. I’m extremely grateful of the new opportunity at Aston Martin. I’ll still be close to the action in a different way and gain new skills. Being Team Principal is a huge responsibility and I’m honored by the trust the team is placing on me.

Team Principal, congratulations! I’ve got to ask, are you more of a celebrity hire or are you fully taking on the responsibilities?

Haha, you are bold! But no, I am going to do my duties to the fullest. I’ll be trackside every race and work with the team behind the scenes. No slacking for me!

Aston Martin has recently announced their driver line up of Lance Stroll and Felipe Drugovich. How do you think the pair will fair?

They are both very strong drivers. Lance has a lot of experience and ambition. Felipe is excited for his rookie year, since I've been hogging his seat for so long. I think either of them could get a championship in the next few years. They’ve known each other for years and get along well so I anticipate they will work well together.

And what about Jessica Hawkins, your reserve driver?

She is great as well. Very helpful in the simulator work and if she gets the opportunity to show her skill on track, she will impress many. Believe me!

Why hasn’t she gotten that opportunity yet? There could be another seat open next to Drugovich, yet Lance has been there a while, some may say too long in comparison to his results.

Obviously it is no secret why Lance is returning as a driver, but I will not discredit his talent. He’s a strong driver when the needs arise, pushing hard for better results. He’s gotten on that top step twice this year and I couldn’t have reached the championship without his help. Most of all, he’s a nice boy, always kind and willing to work together. Being his teammate was an absolute pleasure, and I'm happy to keep working with him for years to come. I will be working with him personally to push him to his ultimate potential, because I truly see a champion in him.

Sounds like you’re quite fond of him.

Quite a bit, yes.

What about the rest of the grid for next season? Lots of new talent has come in recently! The Andretti team had a promising first season and Red Bull will be back after a two year ban. Do you feel any threats, from drivers or teams?

Now that everyone has a better understanding of the new regulations, I definitely think it will be a tighter competition. But I am confident in our team! We’ve done it once already, now we just need to make sure it happens again, by any means possible. Of course the big names will cause some good racing, Verstappen and Leclerc at Ferrari, Piastri and Norris at McLaren…All strong line-ups, but they are no reason to get discouraged, only to push even harder.

Alright, to wrap things up, what is your favorite part about your promotion at Aston Martin so far? Any special surprises?

Getting to work with such a dedicated team. We all are looking towards the same goal, remaining on that top step and getting plenty of shiny silverware. As for surprises, I think many will be surprised by the work of the team and our drivers. We keep pushing.

———————————————————————————

Alright, sorry for any confusion but this is now the official beginning of the Team principal AU! I’ll try to update quick now that I’ve got my bases covered!

I adore feedback so tell me what we think!

(Will eventually cross post to AO3)

#f1 #formulaone #fanfic #strollonso #fernando alonso #lance stroll #ls18 #fa14 #legacy au

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lonestarbattleship · 3 months

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February 4, 2024 Update from the Battleship Texas Foundation

"Battleship Texas just after sunset.

DRY DOCK TOURS

Tours in February are SOLD OUT. We will announce if new dates become available.

A Dry Dock Tour just for our volunteers and their friends and families!

A quality control check was conducted on January 30th, 2024. Leaks were expected and the team has successfully located them. Work will continue to ensure that Battleship Texas is leak free.

Above the boot top (above the black band) the ship has been painted Navy Blue 5-N. This color was matched from existing examples found aboard (both internally and externally) the vessel.

Battleship Texas with a new paint job on the hull. The rest of the ship will be blasted, repaired, and painted at a later date.

The ship was painted in the Measure 21 camouflage scheme prior to deploying to the Pacific Theater during World War II. At this time Battleship Texas is the ONLY museum ship painted in this camouflage scheme and only one of two battleships in their WWII measure.

The ship’s hull has been coated with PPG SIGMASHIELD 880 GF. Historically the ship would be coated with an anti-fouling coat that is red in color, but that coating is no longer needed as the ship is not in service.

The new hull numbers have been extensively researched so each number is not only the correct font, but applied in the appropriate position as it was in 1945. The numbers have been applied to both bow and stern.

Yes, the rest of the ship will receive a new coat of paint once repairs conclude at a later date.

Work continues on and in the ship’s aft fire control tower.

Looking forward from aft fire control.

Looking aft from main battery control in the ship’s aft fire control.

Looking to the starboard side from secondary battery control in the ship’s aft fire control.

Looking to port while in the second battery control in the ship’s aft fire control tower.

Mullions have been installed in secondary battery control level within aft fire control for preparation of the windows needed to present the ship to its 1945 configuration.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

WHAT’S NEXT? - Battleship Texas will remain at Gulf Copper Shipyard for the time being. Additional steel work, removal and replacement of the ship’s deck, and superstructure/aft fire control restoration will continue.

SPLASH! - The ship will be put back into the water in mid to late February 2024.

KEEL BLOCKS - Yes, the keel blocks supporting Battleship Texas can be moved. Each block is moved so the area atop of them can be blasted, repaired (if need be), and coated.

WHAT ABOUT THE RUDDER? - The rudder will remain where it is. Funding is best spent elsewhere.

WILL THE SHIP RUN AGAIN? - No, the ship will never be able to run under its own power again.

TOURING? - The Battleship Texas Foundation is working on new touring opportunities before the ship reopens.

REOPENING? - There is a lot to be done before the ship is ready for touring at its new home in Galveston, Texas. Reopening is projected to happen sometime in 2025 or 2026.

Live, Laugh, And Flood your Torpedo Blisters.

To donate to the preservation and operation of Battleship Texas, please visit: https://battleshiptexas.org/

Support Battleship Texas by making a purchase through the ship's store: https://store.battleshiptexas.org"

Posted on the Battleship Texas Foundation Facebook page: link

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mornington-the-crescent · 3 months

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Man, I hope Trump does win in 2024. Because 2026 is America's 250th birthday, and you know that that man would go balls-to-the-wall insane with the star-spangled red-white-and-blue everything. Just a full year of non-stop, over-the-top Americana, with the 4th of July being the most obnoxiously American thing you've ever seen in your life.

I want that so very, very much.

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faithfromanewperspective · 2 months

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was just thinking about how easy it is to compare the current president of Israel (whose name I don’t even remember) to hitler. it fits the way we think, doesn’t it, foreign people do bad things, what we see as familiar is good. but then the more I think about it, about how this whole thing has been set up and the extent (which I have to learn more about exactly still) to which usamerica is driving a literal genocide then the person I’ve gotta do that comparing to is actually… joe biden??? like that’s such a curveball in our brains we never expected but if you trace the power structures, yes there’s a fair deal of being a puppet going on but only because he never stands up against it. because he doesn’t actually care to stop it. and actually how fucked up is it that we’re literally talking about how the best thing is to continue voting for him for president because the other guy is worse like ??? none of us expected it of usamerica. we respected that country. we still respect its people and hang out with them every day

but like. let that sink in for a second. the guy encouraging and allowing a genocide is the better of two options?? if that’s the case I’m sorry but the civilians really don’t have any power. I’m sorry but if that’s the standards we have we have to start imagining better. this is like when your parent asks you if you want to wear a red shirt or a blue shirt but you never got the option to wear a dress instead or simply no shirt at all. it’s the illusion of choice. and as a world how do we turn a blind eye to this?? how do we not call out our dear cousin usamerica who is clearly in a bad state right now? whose leadership desperately needs to do better especially if they’re going to be in a position of leadership in the world as the power structures would have that they are?

because people live and breathe economy I was thinking, what if the rest of us simply boycott usamerica like we boycott Israel?? that would send the global economy to shambles. and I know it’s not gonna happen all of a sudden (so no need to hurriedly account for all the people that would get hurt) but what if we did? simply stop buying and consuming things that come out of America?

now I’m probably one of the biggest and most long-standing swifties you’ll meet (tumblr doesn’t count it’s an echo chamber) but could I? could I simply hold off listening to the tortured poets department when it comes out and stick to her older stuff I already own on cd’s and the like? Taylor doesn’t need my money or my numbers next to her songs and I’m going to be missing a lot if I do this but when this is over, her music will still be there. My favourite author is American. that one might be harder since I really want to read the second sword catcher book (I’m not worried about twp since it’s not coming out til 2026). I know a bunch of technology comes out of usamerica but I don’t need to update any of my devices and if I do there’s probably other brands I can buy from. I think because my iTunes is Australian I might be okay with it?? but I’m trying to transition away from it and buy more cds anyway. And I don’t watch tv, I rarely watch movies now so I could probably forgo that too.

I was actually just thinking about how there are so many songs out there I probably won’t get to listen to. what if, in boycotting some this is my chance to broaden my horizons? and I will preface with the fact that I know many non American artists do live and record in LA: im not gonna boycott them for that. In fact I’ll support their music because I want them to come home. and I might make an exception for green day and good charlotte for generally protesting much about usamerica?? but tell me guys, what do you think?? is this feasible? I might actually do it. I’ll make an exception for tumblr probably and use meta social media to the minimum (maybe I should for tumblr too and google). but also. is this racist?? is it going to do any harm?? because damn it I want to support the people. I want to support marginalised groups and native americans but I also want to be part of a boycott that’s meaningful rather than a token gesture. and I know the usamericans of us can’t do this, but please if I do it see it as me supporting your rights to having your opinions heard on a political level because I come from a country that isn’t great colonialism wise but at least we have that and I can’t imagine not having it

#boycott usamerica #boycott usa #<-genuinely can’t believe this is a tag in the wild gonna check it out #anyway. this is gonna hit hard for the fandoms I’m in on here #if I do it fully #luckily we still have 5sos #but I feel like I’m being up myself about it when Australia’s not really better #at the same time albo has finally gotten mad at israel and we don’t have anywhere near the international power #usamericans please weigh in on this #free palestine #human rights

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respectthepetty · 1 year

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Well. After the opening of Bed friends and the scenes after I have my eagle eye ready on your page for a colour break down.

It’s become like a drink and I’m abit addicted to colour now: how dare you!!!

And thank you 🥰

Anon, I'm sorry for making you addicted, but I'm going to do something even worse - I'm going to cut you off cold turkey.

I have to stop writing about the colors in Bed Friend.

We are halfway through the series, and I have been on my King is a Blue Boy bullshit since before the show even began. He wears so much black that it should be obvious he is a Black Brooder, but I cannot accept that, even when @dribs-and-drabbles has questioned my choice. Uea wore black this episode, which if I was being reasonable, I would have been delighted at the color exchange.

@wen-kexing-apologist is screaming at me about Uea being in the gray. But I can't be impartial. I am clearly exhibiting confirmation bias because I can only see King as a Blue Boy and nothing else. For instance, I see King's phone as blue.

That phone could be black and simply reflecting light in such a way that it makes it lighter, but I SEE BLUE!

The cake was black, but I saw the inside as being blue and cannot be convinced otherwise.

@himbodelamain is reminding me that Uea has a black lanyard with a red badge holder while King has a red lanyard with a black lanyard (which is a great color exchange), but I can't be swayed because all I can see is King handing Uea a blue mug as he tries to convince Uea that he can be loyal to him.

All of my peeps are trying to make me see the light, but I can only see blue. Like the blue that King is highlighted by in his reflection which is symbolic of the truth.

And the blue King wraps Uea in when the lights go out.

Or how the blues hide between the blacks and whites in the closet

And how Uea wears blue (which would be a color exchange), when King wears yellow to represent happiness

Sports Sidenote: Why Brazil, my man? I'm thrilled to see some Latin American soccer representation, but Brazil? I would have even allowed Argentina, but Brazil? Why not México? And don't use that "It's Central America" excuse. Brazil has beat Japan, pero Viva la México! World Cup 2026!

Or at his most basic, King is blue.

I see a merge of blue and red in the sunset

Even when it's just a sunset

But above all else, I'm latching onto every single blue crumb.

King is a Blue Boy to me and I can no longer be fair-minded about it. Therefore, I need to step back, and let others write about what is actually there instead of what I need to be there.

But I'll leave you with this - Regardless of the colors they are exchanging, they are in love.

Or, as I like to call it, deep in the blue.

#Bed Friend #the colors mean things #Uea x King #I NEED King to be a Blue Boy #This is GAP all over again where I'm waiting for Sam to wear pink #What is King hiding?#WHAT?!#Baby can't be a Black Brooder #He just can't #Simply because I will not allow it

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chouthechaoticraccoon · 8 months

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About Me

My name is Morgan Alexander but I also go by Chou and Cedar

My pronouns are he/they, but neos are fine too :)

I am 15 and going on 16 though I’m somewhere above 60 in my heart

I am a… hoo boy, this is complicated. Um, I'm transnasculine and nonbinary as well as an oriented aroace (bi/omni cupio/quoiromantic graysexual, to be specific), so… gay af but also no, thank you. I’m also romance-positive and sex-neutral

I have a spicy brain (also known as Asperger's, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and MaDD with some gender dysphoria and unlabeled weirdness sprinkled in for good measure)

I also have a weird body (Type 1 diabetes, Celiac disease, Hashimoto’s, and chronic pain from joints and headaches and shit as well as some other symptoms)

My ethnicity is confusing because my family didn't keep good records, but I'm mixed (about ⅓-½ Blackfoot, ⅔-½ European) and white-passing

Very introverted, I like my alone time more than being around another person no matter who they are. Honestly, I might be a little socially anxious…

A dual high school and college student set to graduate in 2026

INTx-T (can be either INTJ or INTP)

Leo, I guess? Born August 16, so yeah. Not really into that astrology stuff, though

Converting to Reform Judaism as soon as I’m able to

Everybody deserves equal rights no matter skin color, religion, gender, orientation, physical appearance, or class. I'll respect your opinion as long as it doesn't disrespect anybody's existence. Don't agree with this, don't interact with me and get off my page

AKA transphobes, homophobes, ableists, racists, MAPs, zoophiles, etc aren’t welcome

Inbox and DMs are open, happy to make friends or mutuals (and might be open to a QPR or romantic relationship after I get to know you :) )

Asks are fine, and I love talking to people (online, that is) so just reach out if you want to know more about me

Don’t send me NSFW content. Like, ever. I may dabble in writing it (I write SA sometimes, varying from not-at-all to moderately graphic, but to be honest I only really write it so that there can be major hurt/comfort and I always depict it as a horrific act of violence and in some cases torture), but that doesn’t mean that I am interested in sexual content or comfortable with it. I am also a minor and asexual so it’s a big no-no

Artist (drawing, painting, and photography), comedian (stand-up), musician (piano, violin, vocals, and guitar), poet, and writer (original novels, short stories, and fanfics). Happy to do commissions on any of my chosen art forms, just DM me :)

I speak and am learning to speak ASL, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, and Yiddish (I alphabetized lol)

I like pretty much all music except country (Jolene is an exception)

I have precisely 69 Spotify playlists and am very proud of it

I’m actually starting an alternative rock band called Blue Humor. I’ll let you know when our first album drops

I like a lot of music, with over 32 pages on my list of bands I like (actual thing, might post the link later but it’s a list of over 1200 bands that I enjoy and am constantly expanding)

My fandoms include Abbott Elementary, Adventure Time, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Aurora Cycle, Big Hero 6, Bo Burnham, Brooklyn 99, Cavetown, Coraline, Creepypasta, Danny Phantom, the DCU, Deadpool, Derry Girls, Disenchantment, Disney, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Good Omens, Game of Thrones, Gravity Falls, Gregor the Overlander, Heartstopper/Osemanverse, Hunger Games, I Am Not Okay With This, In a Heartbeat, Into/Across the Spider-Verse, IT (2017/19), Jamie Dodger, John Mulaney, Jurassic Park/World, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Les Miserables, Lord of the Rings, Manifest, Marvel, Merlin, Monk, Monty Python, Mythic Quest, Narnia, Night at the Museum, NOAHFINNCE, Our Flag Means Death, Over the Garden Wall, Once Upon a Time, ParaNorman, Parks & Recreation, Red, White, and Royal Blue, Riordanverse (Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, etc), Shaaba, Sherlock (BBC), Star Trek, Star Wars, Steven Universe, Stranger Things, Supernatural, Ted Lasso, The Adam Project, The Afterparty, The Good Place, The Goldfinch, The Hollow, The Office, The Simpsons, The Sims, The X-Files, Tim Burton, The Owl House, The Umbrella Academy, TwoSet Violin, Wednesday, Wings of Fire, and Young Royals.

#get to know the blogger #get to know the person behind the blog #introductory post #introducing myself

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 4 days

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Psyche Fires Up Its Thrusters

The spacecraft already is beyond the distance of Mars and is using ion propulsion to accelerate toward a metal-rich asteroid, where it will orbit and collect science data.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft passed its six-month checkup with a clean bill of health, and there’s no holding back now. Navigators are firing its futuristic-looking electric thrusters, which emit a blue glow, nearly nonstop as the orbiter zips farther into deep space.

The spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on Oct. 13, 2023. After leaving our atmosphere, Psyche made the most of its rocket boost and coasted beyond the orbit of Mars.

For the next year, the spacecraft will be in what mission planners call “full cruise” mode, when its electric thrusters take over and propel the orbiter toward the asteroid belt. The thrusters work by expelling charged atoms, or ions, of xenon, emitting a brilliant blue glow that trails behind the spacecraft.

They are part of Psyche’s incredibly efficient solar electric propulsion system, which is powered by sunlight. The thrust created by the ionized xenon is gentle, but it does the job. Even in full cruise mode, the pressure exerted by the thrusters is about what you’d feel holding three quarters in your hand.

The orbiter is now more than 190 million miles (300 million kilometers) away and moving at a clip of 23 miles per second (37 kilometers per second), relative to Earth. That’s about 84,000 mph (135,000 kph). Over time, with no atmospheric drag to slow it down, Psyche will accelerate to speeds of up to 124,000 mph (200,000 kph).

The spacecraft will arrive at the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in 2029 and will make observations from orbit for about two years. The data it collects will help scientists better understand the formation of rocky planets with metallic cores, including Earth. Scientists have evidence that the asteroid, which is about 173 miles (280 kilometers) across at its widest point, may be the partial core of a planetesimal, the building block of an early planet.

Clean Bill of Health

The flight team used Psyche’s first 100 days in space to conduct a full checkout of all spacecraft systems. All of the engineering systems are working just as expected, and the three science instruments have been operating without a hitch. The magnetometer is working so well that it was able to detect an eruption of charged particles from the Sun, as did the gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer. And this past December, the twin cameras on the imaging instrument captured their first images.

“Until this point, we have been powering on and checking out the various pieces of equipment needed to complete the mission, and we can report they are working beautifully,” said Henry Stone, Psyche project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which manages the mission. “Now we are on our way and looking forward to an upcoming close flyby of Mars.”

That’s because the spacecraft’s trajectory will bring it back toward the Red Planet in the spring of 2026. The spacecraft will power down the thrusters as it coasts toward Mars, using the planet’s gravity to slingshot itself out. From there, the thrusters return to full cruise mode. Next stop: the asteroid Psyche.

In the meantime, the Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration aboard the spacecraft will keep on testing its mettle. The experiment already surpassed expectations when, in April, it transmitted test data from over 140 million miles (226 million kilometers) away at a rate of 267 megabits per second to a downlink station on Earth — a bit rate comparable to broadband internet download speeds.

TOP IMAGE....This artist’s concept depicts NASA’s Psyche spacecraft headed to the metal-rich asteroid Psyche in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The spacecraft launched in October 2023 and will arrive at its destination in 2029. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU

CENTRE IMAGE....This photo captures an operating electric thruster identical to those being used to propel NASA’s Psyche spacecraft. The blue glow comes from the charged atoms, or ions, of xenon. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

LOWER IMAGE....This graphic depicts the path NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is following as it travels to the asteroid Psyche. The key milestones of the prime mission are labeled, including the Mars gravity assist in May 2026. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

#science #space #astronomy #physics #news #nasa #astrophysics #psyche

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axel-draws · 2 months

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Character design explorations for Red Reaper. I haven't settled on a final design for her yet colour-wise, but I've got everything else figured out for her!

#artists on tumblr #art #digital art #illustration #character design #chardes #design #character exploration #red reaper #red|blue 2026 #im doing a lil mix-and-match with the colours and ill probably post that when im done

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k-evans-reads · 1 year

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Peace

An On Deck Extension

Summary: Chris returns home after a few weeks on the road.

Pairing: MLB!Chris Evans X OFC Samantha “Sam” Merrick

Word Count: 2,686

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | On Deck Masterlist

October 2026

Chris pressed the call button on the steering wheel, coming to a stop at a red light while he listened to the line ring over the car’s speakers. His muscles ached in a way they always did after a busy week of games, but the end of the season was in sight, and Chris couldn’t help but look forwards to the postseason, even if it meant more time away from home. The sudden end of the ringing snapped Chris out of his thoughts and before Sam could answer, he murmured, “Hey baby.”

“Hey Mr. Home Run Hitter,” she replied, a smile evident in her voice. A matching grin appeared on his own lips as he slowly moved through the intersection towards their condo building.

He leaned back against the leather seat as his grin became a smirk, asking her, “You saw the game, huh?”

He’d missed her at the game today – he missed her at every game she didn’t go to. But with her classes and schedule at the clinics, it was hard to get time to watch most of the games, even from their house. “Like I’d miss a chance to see that baseball butt in your tight pants,” she replied with a laugh.

He huffed as the traffic slowed in front of him, but easily merged into the turn lane. “See? I always knew you only married me for my body.”

“Well it sure as hell wasn’t your stunning personality.”

A laugh left his lips again at her words, knowing they were far from the truth but that he wouldn’t have it any other way. “At least I’ve got something going for me,” he murmured, pulling in front of the building and hitting the opener inside his car for the doors.

“Are you on your way home?” She asked, her voice quiet and muffled as she moved, and he faintly heard a drawer shut in the background and a laugh. “We missed you around here today.”

He nearly melted at those words, knowing how much he felt it as well. He was barely home during most of the year, but those long weeks on the road hit him harder the more time went on. “Just pulling into the garage, baby,” he told her.

He drove into the garage, pulling the sunglasses off of his eyes as they both said goodbye to each other for the time being. Chris was so happy to be back on the field. Baseball was something so deeply rooted in him and being able to be back on the team was something he was so thankful for, especially after his injuries made him think this would never be possible.

But as much as he loved being back on the field, coming home every night was always so much better. He rushed as he left the car, grabbing his bag from the backseat and quickly headed to the elevator, tapping their key against the reader and heading up to their floor. His foot tapped against the tile floor as the elevator rose through the levels before stopping on the sixteenth floor with a faint ding.

The doors opened with a silent whoosh, and instantly Chris’ eyes were looking down when he heard a familiar patter across the wood floor. He stepped out of the elevator, dropping his bag carelessly as he saw some little wet brown curls bouncing as a smiling little face came running toward him chanting around the pacifier in his mouth, “Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy!”

The sight of seeing his little boy with big blue eyes running to him, the grips on his foot-covered pajamas keeping him from sliding on the hardwood as he ran made his heart instantly melt. He was carrying a familiar well worn book in one tiny hand and his water bottle in the other, and Chris was astounded that neither fell out of the toddler’s hands, but all of that was forgotten as he got closer and Chris bent down with open arms as his loud voice boomed, “There’s my Blakey boy!”

He nearly rushed into Chris’ arm and Chris squeezed him tightly as he stood up again. He kissed the twenty-two month old’s cheeks, his beard making Blake squirm as his laughter echoed through the open space.

“Hi buddy, I missed you,” he murmured, shifting Blake onto his hip and taking the book that the boy held out to him excitedly. “What did you do today?”

“Ry Ry!”

He raised an eyebrow with a smile, kissing the toddler’s cheek again. “Did Uncle Riley come over today?” He asked him. It was common for Riley to take the subway down from campus to stop by. It’d started with just raiding their fridge and sleeping in his own room for the night his freshman year, and had now evolved into Riley coming by whenever he had a canceled class, finished his work early, or just wanted to see them – but mainly it was to see Blake. He and Blake were so close, in a way he and Sam never expected given the twenty years between them, but it was one of their favorite things to see now.

The boy grinned behind his pacifier, laying his head onto Chris’ firm shoulder as he quietly told him, “Yeah.”

He adjusted Blake onto his hip, the smell of the boy’s lavender shampoo evident. “That sounds fun, buddy,” he replied quietly, reaching down to pet Dodger as the dog bounced around his feet excitedly.

Blake made a small sound of displeasure as he gently patted Chris’ chest, kicked his legs a bit, then whined, “Daddy, story.”

He huffed out a laugh and gave Blake a little look, placating him and saying, “I’ll read you your book in just a minute, bud. Where’s your Ma?”

Chris looked in the direction that Blake’s finger pointed and walked down the hall, calling out, “Sammy? Baby, I'm home.”

“I’m in Blake’s room,” she called back, just she shut something with a slight clatter.

With this knowledge, Chris walked down the hallway, purposely bouncing Blake on his hip and making him giggle the entire way. But when Chris rounded the corner and saw Sam standing next to the dresser, folding a few tiny shirts, he couldn’t help but pause for a moment. It had been four years since they’d been married and he still felt his heart skip a beat every time he saw her.

He watched as Sam turned her head, letting him see her makeup free face which put all her freckles on display and her dimples made an appearance as she looked at the two before asking Blake, “Did you find your daddy?”

Blake’s wet hair tickled Chris’ chin as he turned further into Chris, a small hand clinging to Chris’ shirt as he told her, “Daddy home.”

“That’s right bud, Daddy’s home now,” Chris murmured, pressing a kiss to the boy’s hair as he stepped further into the room. “And so happy to be.”

Sam reached out, carefully unrolling Blake’s sleeve of his pajamas as she told Chris, “We’re happy about that too.”

“I missed you, baby,” Chris replied, pausing as he kissed Sam quickly, then shifted Blake to his other side with a sigh. “And I missed this little guy too.”

But Blake whined again, his tiny feet swinging against Chris unhappily as he reminded Chris, “Daddy, story,”

He exchanged an amused look with Sam before he reached out, taking the boy’s dinosaur water bottle in his hand before he said, “I see how it is, he only wants me for what I can give him.”

He heard Sam’s laugh echo in the room before Chris went over to sit in the padded rocking chair, situating Blake in his lap with his water bottle in hand, before opening up the book that he swore he had completely memorized at this point. He slowly rocked back and forth while he read, feeling his sweet little boy starting to relax against him. But right as he was flipping to the last page of the book, he saw Sam looking at them from where she was putting the laundry away and quietly informed him that Blake was fast asleep, the point being proven when the pacifier fell out of Blake’s mouth and onto his lap.

Chris took the water bottle and book, putting it on the small table before carefully picking Blake up and going to lay him down without disturbing his sleep. He tucked Blake’s stuffed dog under the boy’s arm, rubbing his back until he was sure Blake was settled.

Sam had just finished shutting his curtains and nodded her head towards the hallway as they both quietly left the room, shutting the lights off behind them and cracking the door, Blake’s star night light glowing as they headed down the hallway into the kitchen quietly.

Chris reached out, his arm wrapping around Sam’s waist with a content sigh as he finally got her to himself. It didn’t matter if he had been away from her for weeks or just one day, everything felt right the minute that he had her back in his arms. He felt her arms snake around his neck, allowing him to easily lean in to kiss her deeply, having gone much too long without it before they parted and Sam led him into the kitchen.

“You hungry?” She asked, her arms moving as she pulled her long, dark curly hair into a messy bun with a deep sigh.

Chris shrugged, knowing he’d eaten some after the game but had been in a rush to get out to see Blake before he went to bed. “A little,” he admitted.

“Sit down, I’ll heat up some leftovers,” she instructed as she headed to the fridge, digging around the random containers of food, carefully avoiding the mac and cheese and chicken nuggets from Blake.

Chris watched her, his chin in his hand as he finally sat down. He’d been running on adrenaline all week, but felt the exhaustion settling into his body as he finally took a second to breathe. “How was work this week, baby?”

“Okay…I missed Blake a lot while I was there this week,” she answered, her voice quiet. Chris knew what she meant, having a job that took him out of the city the majority of the year. But it didn’t mean anything when he knew Sam never complained once about it, instead being the sole caretaker for Blake most of the time, on top of her clinic hours and class schedule, with Riley, Blake’s daycare, sometimes his mother, and the occasional babysitter being the only help she had during the season. “It’s harder to leave him when you’re gone.”

“I know what you mean,” he told her honestly. It wasn’t as if the reality of being in his career hadn’t hit him before, especially after he and Sam got married and he had his first season back in the major leagues. But missing out on time with Sam and Riley did little to prepare him to leave Blake for weeks, only getting bursts of time at home every few weeks. To see Blake growing up through pictures and videos, missing a lot of his firsts, and realizing how much he’d changed between leaving and returning from trips only hurt him, but it was the necessary evil, and the reason he loved the winters, when he was home with them all the time. “I’m glad it’s almost time for the off season. I’m ready to just be home with you guys.”

She turned with a smile just as she pulled some chicken out of the microwave, confessing, “Me too.”

She brought the plate in front of Chris, sitting down next to him at the island. He ate quietly, able to hear the soft tune of Blake’s night light as the sound drifted down the hallway. He couldn’t stop thinking about their baby, laying in his crib in those planet pajamas as he slept soundly. He knew they’d never have imagined themselves in these shoes only three years ago, but here they were. Sam had thrived in her role in a way he knew she never would have been able to predict, loving that boy even more than he adored her. Getting to be her husband and Blake’s father was the greatest thing he’d ever been given, and he never took it for granted once.

But as the silence persisted, Sam asked, “Chris… are you okay?”

“Yeah….I just, I don’t know. I just can’t believe this is my life sometimes,” he shrugged with a laugh. He could see the toys in the playroom off the kitchen, scattered around from Blake’s mania earlier. This was the home he once dreaded living in, never putting a personal touch on it until after he and Sam got together. Everything from the pictures on the walls to the furniture in the condo had once been handpicked by a team of designers, purchased from the stagers because he couldn’t have been bothered to put more thought into it. But now it was a home, complete with Blake’s fingerprints all over the floor-to-ceiling windows, his trains on the coffee table, pictures of Riley at his high school graduation on the wall, smiling next to Sam and Chris, then Sam at her undergraduate graduation, then of them holding Blake the day they’d brought him home from the hospital the following year. “I’m married to the girl of my fuckin’ dreams and I get to come home to you and Blake and I just can’t believe it sometimes.”

“I know what you mean,” she smiled, blinking away what he thought might’ve been tears as she put her hand on his arm, rubbing her thumb along his sleeve. “I was thinking about that a little when Riley was here today. I was thinking about how when I was Riley’s age, I was working from open until close in the diner, praying I’d get good enough tips that I could buy him some clothes from Goodwill for the school year or how I’d hold him in bed and try to get him to fall asleep so he wouldn’t hear our mom’s screaming match with one of her boyfriends or know how drunk she was when she came home.”

“But things are different now,” he reminded her – and himself. “And Blake’s never going to have to grow up with any of those things.”

Sam nodded, stealing a sip from Chris’ water glass before she admitted to him, “I just can’t help but think that the other shoe is going to drop. That something is going to happen and I’m going to lose all of this.”

“That’s never going to happen, Sammy,” he rushed to tell her, pushing the plate away and turning to look at her. He jerked his chin towards the hallway, reminding her, “Baby, we’ve been married for four years now and it’s not enough. I want forever with you, and with Blake, and nothing is going to happen that’s going to change any of that.”

He watched as her chin wobbled slightly and she reached a hand up to rub at her cheeks. Sam stayed quiet as she wiped away her silent tears, just enough until she asked, “...Even when Blake leaves his trains out and we step on them?”

“Okay, that may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he admitted with a laugh, shaking his head as he remembered the latest incident. “I swear I still have a fuckin’ imprint of that train on my foot from last week.”

“Chris…”

He raised an eyebrow, his hand dropping to rest on her thigh, rubbing his thumb along the bare skin exposed by her shorts and asking her, “Yeah, baby?”

Sam’s hand slid up his arm and hooked around the back of his shoulder, her brown eyes wide and vulnerable as she replied, “I just want to tell you that I love you, and I’m really happy.”

He looked at her through his long eyelashes, a wide grin on his face as he agreed, “I am too, Sammy.”

A/N: Surprise! We hope you guys enjoyed a glimpse into Blake! We love him and cannot wait to share more about him and how they came to be parents! Let us know your thoughts!

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kylesvariouslistsandstuff · 14 days

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The discussion of Pixar and sequels tends to be a heated thing. Here's a list and some stats, showing the stark differences between last decade for the studio and this decade so far...

The 2010s:

7 sequels: TOY STORY 3, CARS 2, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (prequel), FINDING DORY, CARS 3, INCREDIBLES 2, TOY STORY 4

4 originals: BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, COCO

The 2020s, so far:

3 sequels: LIGHTYEAR (spin-off), INSIDE OUT 2, TOY STORY 5

7 originals: ONWARD, SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED, ELEMENTAL, ELIO, UNTITLED 2026 FILM (presumably original)

We're not even halfway through this decade, and it looks like the amount of original films made at the post-Lasseter Pixar already equals the amount of sequels they let out in the 2010s.

Also keep in mind, Pixar at one point were supposed to make a few non-sequels in the 2010s that got canned for various reasons.

There was an adaptation of William Joyce's THE LEAF MEN AND THE BRAVE, GOOD BUGS from director Chris Wedge, who was allowed to take the picture somewhere else after his work with 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky... So he took it to Pixar... LEAF MEN could've been the studio's first-ever adaptation of pre-existing source material. That was in 2008, and the movie - if it had gotten off the ground there - probably would've been completed around 2012/13. Fox then wanted it back, so Chris took LEAF MEN back and it was greenlit as a Blue Sky movie in 2009. The movie was released as EPIC in 2013. Because Disney would later buy Fox and Blue Sky, shuttering the latter, Disney owns EPIC.

Elsewhere in development was a Henry Selick collaboration called THE SHADOW KING, a stop-motion affair that John Lasseter micromanaged to death and it went over-budget, eventually getting canned by him and a then-new head of Disney's motion picture group in mid-2012. After about 50% of the film was complete, at that. All those sets and props, destroyed.

NEWT, from director Gary Rydstrom, was meant to start a whole line of lower-budget, quirkier Pixar pictures... But we all know what happened to that one. We were also supposed to get an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's THE GRAVEYARD BOOK at one point. Also, there was an edgier picture that was to be directed by Teddy Newton... So that's... What? Five non-sequel films that got canned? If those had all happened, in addition to BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, GOOD DINOSAUR, and COCO? The 2010s would've given us *nine* not-sequel Pixar movies.

We really need a tell-all book on Lasseter's days of being Pixar's CCO. There were all these weird attempts at expanding (a line of smaller movies + possible live-action projects), but then a lot of it flat-lined and we got a ton of sequels. The whole parade of those movies was largely due to the fact that Pixar couldn't make any sequels prior to being owned by The Walt Disney Company. I always love to remind folks that Disney's original contract that Pixar signed mandated NO SEQUELS... but with TOY STORY 2 being the exception, for various circumstances, which Disney head Michael Eisner still wouldn't count as part of their picture deal, much to the chagrin of then-Pixar owner Steve Jobs. It was one of my sources of their ongoing rift in the early 2000s... Then once they were bought in 2006, the sequels all came flowing out, like someone had taken a wrecking ball to a dam.

Pete Docter, current CCO, isn't like Lasseter. He hasn't canned a ton of projects nor battled with directors til they left their projects. ELIO is probably the toughest production that's happened under his watch, but that's still being made by its original director. All it got was a nice long delay so they could figure out its perceived story issues.

So there are five years left to go. TOY STORY 5 is the only other sequel on the horizon, the rest will probably be originals with maybe one other sequel at the very least. That's pretty cool. Maybe a book adaptation, too. I still like the idea of Pixar making smaller, weirder movies too - hope they can resurrect that idea under Docter, because in this climate? Expecting $200m-costing ELEMENTAL and ELIO to pull massive box office numbers out of a hat just like that? Nah.

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letapollojusticesayfuck · 1 year

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[PREV]

April 20, 2026: 10:45 AM

Okay, no more messing around--this is the first trial with your name on it, and you can't spend it all listening to bad music on your phone!

...also, it would probably be bad if Mr Gavin's friend got convicted of murder. That too.

You straighten your tie and look around the courtroom--it seems as though everyone's gotten really invested in the nuances of poker-playing in the past twenty minutes. Okay. While you've been distracted, several pieces of evidence have entered into the court record, and Mr Gavin seems to be on the verge of a breakthrough. Let's assess:

-It seems that Olga Orly, current witness, was dealing the cards for a poker game between Phoenix Wright and Shadi Smith

-Smith and Orly conspired to expose Wright of cheating in order to maintain a seven-year-long winning streak. By slipping an extra ace into the deck, they would be able to 'prove' this.

-In the photograph entered into the Court Record, however, each player only has two aces in their hands. However, this contradicts the actual preserved cards from that night, which show one set with two aces and one set with three, making five in total

-One might expect, based on Orly's testimony, that it would be Wright's hand with the extra card--but it's Smith's hand that has the extra ace, sticking out like a sore thumb with a bright blue back amidst the red cards

This has got to be it--the breakthrough you've been waiting for! Or at least, waiting for somebody else to think about for you. Not even looking at Mr Gavin, not giving the rest of the courtroom the slightest regard, you bang on the bench like a true seasoned defense attorney and voice your opinion to the room at large.

"The defense would like to formally accuse the witness, Ms Olga Orly, of murder!"

.....

Crickets. Dead silence. You're not quite sure whether this reaction is good or bad.

Luckily, Mr Gavin is always there to add to any ambient tension in a room. "Well done, Justice. We established this ten minutes ago. Do you have any other genius observations to contribute?"

What?

Looking around, you notice that Ms Orly is no longer at the witness stand. Prosecutor Payne is regarding you with the kind of bafflement typically reserved for conspiracy theorists touting their beliefs at an academic conference. Mr Wright just shrugs in your direction, as though he half-expected this.

"Ms Orly had to be removed from the courtroom following her shock at being named as a murder suspect. In the meantime, we've been debating whether to continue the trial today or leave it for a later time," Mr Gavin clarifies. "Personally, I believe we should allow for more time to investigate, but we've hit some...snags, shall we say."

He shifts his icy glare over to where Mr Wright stands. Wright narrows his eyes.

"We can't end the trial here for today, Gavin. Just think! We have all the evidence we need. Don't we, uhh. Justin?" He's looking at you.

"It's Justice," you say, still feeling disconnected from what's happening. He could have bothered to get your name right, considering he allegedly requested you specifically for this case.

"Yeah, that. Look, we alternated between two differently colored decks of cards while playing, right? That was specifically to prevent them from getting mixed together."

It still happened, though, you think, uncharitably.

"It was the blue deck you were playing with in the final game, wasn't it?" you ask, desperate to seem as though you were at least following along with the trial a little.

"Actually, we were playing with red cards." Wright doesn't seem surprised at your misinterpretation, though, even though everyone else in the courtroom seems a little thrown off. You don't know why you had that impression, though--there's just something that's itching in the back of your mind telling you that the cards were blue.

"But a card of the wrong color in the deck means somebody cheated!" Payne screeches from across the courtroom.

"Yep. Except--a card of the wrong color raises a couple questions. When was it swapped...and who swapped it?"

Payne sneers. "Obviously it was swapped before the murder!"

"Was it?" Wright smiles, a little thing that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Apollo, what do you think?"

You don't answer immediately. There's something about Wright's expression that makes you feel that the most obvious answer isn't going to be the correct one--and you need to think this through. Logically, you'd think that cheating would have to happen before anybody got murdered. However...

If the cheater swapped a blue card into a deck of red ones, they'd be found out immediately. There's no way they could swap the cards during the murder--there would have been far too much going on at that point. So it must have happened...

"After the murder. They swapped the cards after Smith was already dead." You don't know why Wright is being so enigmatic about this, but you also know that you're correct about this.

"Ah, but if it was after the murder...who swapped the cards?" Wright still has that expression on his face. You're reevaluating the part of you that's still hanging onto that university-student-idolization of the man, because in-person, he's infuriating.

"It's Orly, of course," Mr Gavin says, seemingly as fed up with this as everyone else. "The murder has been done, the only two left alive are her and Wright. Wright is our client, and furthermore would have no motive to aid his opponent in victory. This is a pointless exercise, and we are wasting the court's time."

"Are we?" Wright queries. "I want to hear what Apollo thinks."

This again! Come to think of it, something's not quite adding up. Wright has no motive to swap the cards, correct, but the added ace had the wrong color back, and Orly was the dealer. She would have known the color of the cards--and wouldn't have made such a careless mistake. If the swap took place after the murder, obviously Smith couldn't have done it. But that's....impossible.

"I don't think there is an answer," you say. "Nobody present in the room at the time would have swapped the cards in the way that they've been swapped. Not only is the card's color incorrect, but...the blue card in the red deck isn't even an ace, though we know there were five of them in play."

The courtroom fills with murmurs of disbelief. You're still reeling, somehow having gone from listening to terrible legal-themed music to having the realization of the decade.

"The person who swapped the cards added in a king to the deck, rather than an ace--they've created a win with a full house, but for the wrong person, and in the wrong way. This could only happen if they were unaware of how the game had progressed--that is, if the person who swapped the cards was somebody besides Orly, Wright, or Smith!"

There's an uproar as the court processes this information. You feel as though the room's spinning, and grip the edge of the bench to keep steady. Distantly, you hear the judge bang his gavel and call for a recess, lecturing both Wright and Mr Gavin on keeping information from the court--and requesting Mr Gavin meet with him in his chambers.

The courtroom slowly empties, and you find yourself--somehow--back in the defense lobby.

#WHOOPS THIS GOT LONG #adventures by committee #aa4 #ace attorney #my writing #god i forgot how much turnabout trump is just. here's a twist! here's another twist! did you pay attention to this tiny detail?#love how we're zigzagging between being a Good Lawyer and fully ignoring the trial #anyway. you guys have a lot of power here #apollo could do anything #probably #thanks again to everyone for participating!!#have seen some comments about 'we're making apollo lose his job'#he does that anyway! it's a foregone conclusion!#apollo either gets fired for listening to the gavinners during trial hours or he gets fired because he gets kristoph convicted #there's no winning

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lonestarbattleship · 3 months

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January 28, 2024 Update from the Battleship Texas Foundation

"DRY DOCK TOURS

Ryan leads the first Battleship Texas Dry Dock Tour of the day!

You can now sign up for the Dry Dock Tour on February 10th, 2024. Limited spots available. To sign up, visit:

https://battleshiptexas.org/plan-your-visit/

The ship's main and foremast can be seen here.

A Dry Dock Tour makes a stop at the ship's bow!

Steel repairs have been completed on the hull of Battleship Texas.

Above the boot top (above the black band) the ship has been painted Navy Blue 5-N. This color was matched from existing examples found aboard (both internally and externally) the vessel.

Looking forward on the ship's starboard side.

This used to be one of the many openings for a 5"/51 cal. gun.

Yes, the rest of the ship will receive a new coat of paint once repairs conclude.

Repairs and restoration of the ship's aft fire control continue. The windows, removed several years ago, will be reinstalled.

Looking down on the ship's smoke stack (left) and aft fire control (right).

The ship's main and foremast can be seen here.

Looking down on the navigation (below) and flag bridge (above). Several repairs to the deck were made on the superstructure.

The foretop!

Repairs made to the ship's signal bridge uncover remnants of the cage mast that used to be there.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

SPLASH! - The ship will be put back into the water in mid to late February 2024.

KEEL BLOCKS - Yes, the keel blocks supporting Battleship Texas can be moved. Each block is moved so the area atop of them can be blasted, repaired (if need be), and coated.

WHAT ABOUT THE RUDDER? - The rudder will remain where it is. Funding is best spent elsewhere.

WILL THE SHIP RUN AGAIN? - No, the ship will never be able to run under its own power again.

TOURING? - The Battleship Texas Foundation is working on new touring opportunities before the ship reopens.

REOPENING? - There is a lot to be done before the ship is ready for touring at its new home in Galveston, Texas. Reopening is projected to happen sometime in 2025 or 2026.

Thank you to the Birdsall family for the generous gift to the Battleship Texas Foundation! We look forward to hanging this piece somewhere everyone can enjoy it. Live, Laugh, And Flood your Torpedo Blisters.

To donate to the preservation and operation of Battleship Texas, please visit: https://battleshiptexas.org/

Support Battleship Texas by making a purchase through the ship's store: https://store.battleshiptexas.org"

Posted on the Battleship Texas Foundation Group Facebook page: link

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