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phoenixyfriend · 1 month

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Suggested Listening

I've heard a few distinct takes on the UN vote and the comparison of the US and Israeli actions in light of it. I don't fully understand everything about the politics around this vote, because it's a complicated dance and trying to understand what people are thinking is close to impossible when we don't know what's going on behind the scenes and what's just political theater... but I think listening to multiple perspectives might get us closer to understanding than just listening to one.

I have provided approximate bias/political spectrum position for each, as well as giving my reasoning or summary of why I think it's a useful listen.

This post includes The NPR Politics Podcast, Democracy Now!, Al Jazeera: The Take, and the BBC Global News Podcast.

To support my blogging so I can move out of my parents’ house, I do have a ko-fi. Alternately, you can donate to one of the charities I list in this post.

The NPR Politics Podcast - March 27, 2024 - Left-leaning, though not as far as some of the others. This contextualizes the relationship between Netanyahu and Biden among the history between Netanyahu and multiple past presidents, including Trump, Obama, and Clinton. It focuses in part on the domestic political dynamics and ramifications that Biden is facing, the question of funding, and the apparent self-contradiction of the US government when it comes to the possibility of conditions, sanctions, or other reprisal if Israel continues to disregard US concerns about the ground invasion of Rafah.

Democracy Now! - Several parts of the March 26, 2024 episode were focused on the UN vote and results - This is a far-left radio broadcast show that gets repackaged for online video and podcast dissemination. This coverage is much more critical, without 'well, maybe they're trying to [action]' as we see in some others, of the United States and its handling of the UN vote and subsequent fallout. The interview with Craig Mokhiber gets into some nitty-gritty details of something called the "General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace," which I didn't really understand. I can't speak to supporting that we take that part at his word, because it's not something I understand enough to endorse. He also refers to the United States as not only Israel's principal sponsor, but also its co-belligerent.

Short section: U.N.-Commissioned Report Lays Out Evidence of Israeli Genocide in Gaza

Short section: UNSC Approves Its First Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Ater U.S. Abstains

Full story: Ex-U.N. Official Craig Mokhiber: Israel Must Be Held Accountable for Violating Ceasefire Resolution

Full story: Jeremy Corbyn Applauds U.N. Ceasefire Resolution, Says World Must Prevent “Another Nakba”

Al Jazeera - March 26/27, 2024 (timezone-dependent, it was the 26th for EST) - I hesitate to place Al Jazeera on the standard left-right scale since it's outside the Western framework, as an independent Qatari news organization with some degree of funding from the government of Qatar. What I will say is that Al Jazeera provides a vital non-Western lens, even if some of the reporters are Western, when viewing politics in the Middle East. In this particular case, it also appears that they had a reporter much closer to the action in the UN than the others, as Al Jazeera has an office in the UN headquarters in NYC.

They also address a few curious things about last-minute negotiations on the floor of the UN, the immediate consequences of the US ambassador referring to the resolution as 'non-binding,' and asserts that the US warned Israel that they would be abstaining this time, which is why the US is seemingly confused at how upset Israel is about it. I'm not sure how intentional it is, but the message I got is that Israel tried to call the US's bluff and was then upset when the US followed through, because the US... wasn't bluffing. And did in fact abstain.

BBC Global News Podcast - March 27, 2024 - Dead center, variably left or right depending on the issue - This is a twice-daily podcast and generally contains three or four separate stories. Their coverage of Netanyahu walking back the cancellation of his officials' trip to the US is first, however, and I'm not sure how much it adds to analysis of the vote, but it is the most recent and has the latest of the updates.

To support my blogging so I can move out of my parents’ house, I do have a ko-fi. Alternately, you can donate to one of the charities I list in this post.

#united states #israel #gaza #palestine #politics #benjamin netanyahu #joe biden #united nations #NPR #democracy now #al jazeera #bbc global news podcast #bbc #al jazeera the take #phoenix politics #current events #podcasts #Spotify

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puckgoss · 11 days

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since it's been brought up.. i have info on the Sillinger + mcrae situation haha. we spend summer at the same place (BC) and i'm friends with a lot of his friends and i've had a drunk makeout with his brother lol. anyway, the story was he pursued her bc he was friends with a friend of hers and her brother (his name's Eric) and they went out all together. then they started hooking up, then dating officially. i saw tate said this in a podcast but like mid relationship he got a tinder account and also slid into dms and liked stuff on random girl's vscos (like really random girls, he even liked one of mines and i had no connection to him back then). he did end up hooking up with a few girls when he was away/traveling. then they broke up but he still wanted her (which is weird bc HE cheated and still wanted her back like ???) and tried to get her back multiple... multiple times. failed each time lmao. his friends can't even believe how hard he fucked up, they still tease him for it. now i think she's dating a rapper that cole really liked so he's butthurt about that. i follow his brother on apple music and have caught him many times listening to her album. lol. it's a little long but if anybody was curious there ya go

oohhh thanks for this tea anon!!

for someone who grew up around hockey, idk why tate is so surprised that he was cheating n fucking around lol they all do that, i truly do not understand the extreme surprise and outrage when it's literally what most of them do??

like i'm not saying it's right or that she should have been OK with it, and i'm glad she broke up w him and is in a happy rship now if she's not cool w being cheated on etc, but if u grow up around hockey u quickly learn how it goes... i'm just saying idk what she was expecting to happen.

he genuinely just sounds like every other hockey player his age, this just got more traction bc she's "famous"

and ya she's really pretty but tbh a lot of the other wags are at the same level and they all get cheated on

again i'm not saying it's fine to be cheated on i'm just saying if u date a hockey player u should probs know what ur getting urself into, esp if u've grown up around hockey players and know what they're like

#ask!#c. sillinger #t. mcrae

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iasmelaion · 2 months

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1,000+ Hours??

Steam tells me I've played over 1,000 hours of Stardew Valley. WILD! In my defense (?), that's over about 7.5 years, so it works out to about 130 hours a year, but still, it's by far the videogame I've played the most, and now that the 1.6 update is coming out in a couple of weeks, I got to thinking about just why that is, and why I enjoy the game so much.

For anyone who doesn't know, Stardew Valley is a farming life sim in pixel art style, where you inherit your grandpa's farm and are tasked with fixing it up and revitalizing the town it's in. It was created by a solo developer, ConcernedApe aka Eric Barone, as a passion project that took him years to make, because he did everything: the coding, the art, the music, all of it, while he had a part-time job and his girlfriend supported them.

It's a hell of an underdog story: solo developer labors away at this passion project for years, and then when he finally releases his game, it becomes an enormous hit. In the past eight years, it's sold over 30 million copies. At around $15 a game, all it takes some quick back of the envelope math to calculate that, even accounting for the cuts various platforms and past publishers have taken, discounted prices, and his overhead now that he has a small handful of staff, ConcernedApe has made hundreds of millions of dollars.

I mention all of this because in a lot of ways, Barone is living the dream. He did it, he hit it big: he worked really hard on this thing he loved, and it was a success, and people love it, and now he's set for life. Of course it came with its own costs: this GQ profile points out that it took a near obsessive dedication to pull off, and obviously, he couldn't have managed it without the financial support of his partner. But like, damn! It more than paid off!

The fanbase almost universally adores Barone: not only is he an incredible underdog success story, but he's released multiple updates for the game for free. Like, dude absolutely could have charged for the 1.5 update, it added a lot of content and the players would've been happy to pay for it, but it was free! He also personally helps people out sometimes, when bugs break their game saves, and he's supportive of the lively modding community (in fact, the 1.6 update includes a lot of updates that are specifically meant to make modding easier).

All that external stuff wouldn't really matter to me if I didn't actually like playing the game. But I do, and as I've thought about why I love it so much, I know part of it is the knowledge that it was, in fact, this one guy's passion project, and very clearly a labor of love that he devoted a ton of care and attention to. It's an inextricable part of what makes it feel good to play the game. (Also, it's nice to know the game isn't, like, evil, lol. No exploitative labor practices [other than the creator's own perfectionism], no microtransactions, no dark patterns meant to make you throw more money at it, though it is for sure an addictive game play loop.)

Anyway, it's been one of my emotional support videogames over the past seven and a half years I've played it. The great thing about my anxiety, to the extent there can be great things about it lol, is that it's very easily distracted, and games like Stardew Valley (and Hades) are A++++ ways for me to break out of an anxiety spiral. Very useful during the Trump times and the pandemic! Also, even when I'm not feeling notably anxious, it's just a super chill and satisfying game to play, one that gives you that sweet, sweet dopamine for accomplishing tasks, plus it's a great game to play while you're listening to an audiobook or podcast.

But like, I'm still kind of baffled about why this game. I've tried a bunch of different games that are similar, and none of them have hit for me like SDV. Like, objectively, I should be sick of SDV! Even with the amount mods add to the game, I've basically 100%ed the game with two different saves (the achievements I haven't gotten are the ones I'm NEVER going to get: never gonna do a Joja run, and never gonna come close to beating the Journey of the Prairie King minigame). And yet, here I am, still playing it!

Other games like it that I have tried, and even enjoyed, but that haven't held onto my attention like SDV has:

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Like probably everybody else, I downloaded this just as pandemic quarantines and restrictions were kicking off in the US, and it became my Emotional Support videogame while I was stuck in my apartment. It was charming and comforting and cute, and the routine it added to anxious, isolated days was a true gift. It has plenty in common with SDV: farming and foraging mechanics, decorating a house, befriending villagers. But I abruptly dropped it in July of 2020 and just...never went back to it. It served its purpose for me, and while I think of it fondly, I don't really have any desire to play it again.

Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom: Not, strictly speaking, in the same genre as SDV. But I've played a lot of it, and it has some of the same vibes, if you will: gorgeous scenery, the ability to play it however you want, foraging, great music, a chill vibe (when you're not fighting monsters). And indeed, I do occasionally come back to these games! They truly are beautiful, and genuinely thrilling at points. But there's not quite enough structure here to make for a comforting gaming experience.

Littlewood: a cute little RPG with some of the same mechanics as SDV. I played about 40 hours of this, but got bored with how grindy it started to feel. SDV also has a fair amount of grind, but I think what keeps it from feeling too grindy is the amount of variety. Littlewood's grindiness felt like it was just about making Number Go Up. With SDV, you have a bunch of different kinds of grindiness: making money, catching all the fish, collecting stuff for the community center, collecting enough resources to build stuff, going into the caves to mine and fight monsters, etc.

Spiritfarer: billed as a "cozy management game about death", and not really fucking around with that description. Has farming and fishing mechanics, plus you get to explore the world by sailing to various destinations, but there's not really any replayability here. Also it is emotionally devastating. Like, you start it, and you're like, oh, the art is so pretty, the music is so nice, how lovely, how charming, there is an adorable cat here as well, and then the game reminds you, hey! you are here to help souls release their earthly burdens and move onto the next stage of the afterlife! And you will cry. Like, seriously, this is the only videogame to have ever made me cry.

Cult of the Lamb: darkly funny little RPG about being an adorable little lamb who's building a cult to your dark god. The vibe here was funny, with the juxtaposition of the cutesy art and the dark humor. I got bored with this, plus it got pretty buggy for me on my Switch, but it was fine!

Sun Haven: farming sim RPG, much heavier on the fantasy and anime vibes than SDV. I gave up on this one after 15 hours. There were a lot of little things that just piled up and annoyed me too much to keep going. Something about the game's balance and pacing also just felt off to me.

Dave the Diver: like, yes, this is about a guy diving into a Big Blue Hole to catch fish for his sushi restaurant, so objectively quite different! But honestly, this was a delight to play. It juggled its various different aspects in a fun way, cycling between the fishing, the RPG stuff, the restaurant management, and even a little bit of farming. The art style is neat, the cut scenes are funny, and it's pretty nice to just swim through the water catching the occasional fish. Again though, not super replayable, and the gameplay loop does get boring once you've played through the main game.

Roots of Pacha: this is basically SDV, but make it prehistoric. I liked the pixel art a lot, and it's a neat tweak on the SDV formula. I had fun playing it! But again, I finished the main game and felt no real urge to go back to it, or to grind out all the achievements.

Wylde Flowers: another cozy life/farming sim, but this one includes witchy elements. An art style reminiscent of Pixar movies, which tbh, is really not my jam in video games. This one stands out though for how it's fully voice-acted, which is a neat touch. Nothing out and out wrong here, I just got bored, and as noted, the art style is not my favorite. I think the gameplay loop here just wasn't as satisfying as SDV.

And finally, Hades: this is nothing at all like SDV, obviously. The only thing they have in common is a fishing minigame. But it and BotW/TotK are the only other games I've played anywhere close to as much as I've played SDV. Hades, like SDV, offers an immensely satisfying gameplay loop, one with enough novelty to keep you playing, and the art is gorgeous. An incredibly fun gaming experience, and yeah, I come back to this one every so often. It's pretty relaxing for a rogue-lite fighting game, at least, once you've gotten the hang of it!

Graveyard Keeper: I haven't played this, but I did watch some Youtubers play it, lol, and counted it a bullet dodged. Not because the game looked bad, but just because it looked the kind of grindy that would CONSUME me but that would be ultimately unsatisfying. Way better to have saved myself ~50-60 hours and just watched Youtubers play through it instead.

After all that, I'm still not quite sure what keeps me coming back to SDV over and over rather than other games in the same or similar genres! I'll keep giving other games like it a try: I'm especially excited to try Coral Island when it comes out for the Switch, and Chef RPG whenever it's released. But for now, I'm super excited for the 1.6 update, and can't wait to start a new save.

#stardew valley #games

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niuniente · 9 months

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@dannybagpipesarecalling Thank you for this tag, I literally saw it as a first thing in the morning when I woke up <3

Were you named after anyone? No, but my name was "stolen" from someone else lol. My grandmother has named me, and a few years ago, while digging through a family tree, I found a relative with an identical name to mine (same first, middle and last name). She's my grandmother's niece. Till this day, I don't know why my grandmother stole the name her brother had given to his own daughter, lol!

When was the last time you cried? I woke up crying maybe last month while having a silly but sad dream. I was really angry to someone in the dream and tried to yell at them but I could only wheeze. Nothing serious!

Do you have kids? I'm a childfree by choice.

Do you use sarcasm? Occasionally but only with certain people. But it has to be funny sarcasm, like black humour, not to belittle someone in their face.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Their vibes, literally! I can read people like open books and I can't help to notice their vibes the first. There have been so many cases where a completely normal, polite, friendly person gives me "NO" vibes at the first look and then - sometimes years later - it's revealed to me that yeah, that person is definitely a BIG NO. Same the other way around, too! Oh and you can't fake the vibes. Not to me.

What’s your eye colour? Grey. A quite typical eye color in this country.

Scary movies or happy endings? I've never in my whole life seen a movie which would have been scary, so from these both, I'd like to see a horror movie, please.

Any special talents? I can tell a time without looking a clock, even if I had went to take a nap or just woken up. Every single hour (and half of an hour) has it's own unique feeling to it. I pick it up and know what the time is. Seasonal chances won't affect this. If I can't pick a time up then it's s sign that I'm stressed, tired or in a bad health. I've also got multiple forms of synesthesia.

Where were you born? East-Finland, North Europe

What are your hobbies? Drawing, collecting stickers and ice-cream flavors, watching or listening to paranormal documentaries and podcasts.

Have any pets? No, never had one and I think I might not even have one.

What sports do/have you played? I'm too sick to be sporty but I attended a little while to Japanese spear, Naginata, lessons. Sometimes, I do yin yoga at home. I walk everywhere since I don't have driver's license so it counts as an exercise.

How tall are you? 153cm / 5'0 (which is not accurate as 5'0 in centimeters is anything between 150cm - 153cm)

Favorite subject at school? Drama & improvisation

Dream job? I'd like to continue working with my art with my own phase with a great success and great income! I've gotten to work with podcasts recently and would enjoy that work, too.

Tagging ANYONE who wishes to do this, tell a bit about themselves, and whoever happens to come across with this. And I mean it - go crazy, have fun!

#tagged #me

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tellthemeerkatsitsfine · 4 months

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A little while ago, I posted a screenshot to show I'd downloaded the first 22 episodes of four different long-running podcasts that I'm thinking of getting into. Thinking I'd try the first few episodes of each podcast and decide which one I want to commit to long-term for 2024. It's am important decision. My job is hard and my hours are long and the only consolation is I get to shut myself in an empty classroom during breaks, hopefully with some headphones where I can hear some people whom I'll enjoy enough to get me through the next few hours.

Well, I've made some progress:

I listened to the first five episodes of each podcast, down to 17 downloaded episodes instead of 22. I still haven't narrowed it down, really. Here are some bullet points with the first few things to come into my head about it:

- Three Bean Salad is by far the closest to getting cut, but not quite yet. It's the one I've enjoyed the least, but it's also growing on me more with each episode. I'm going to give it more time. I don't know what it is about that one that doesn't connect with me. On multiple occasions, some tangent they've gone on has left my cold, and I've tried to picture Andy Zaltzman and some other podcast comedian I like going on that same tangent, and have to admit I'd find it funny if those guys did it. Something about the TBS guys just doesn't get to me, even if they're saying funny stuff. Which means the issue may just be that I know less about these guys than I know about the people on those other podcasts, I don't get the inside jokes or their references quite as well, which is why I'm giving it more time.

- After five episodes, I have started to detect a very faint note of whatever Welsh bit is apparently in Benjamin Partridge's accent. I definitely wouldn't have noticed it was there if someone hadn't told me, which makes me think that maybe I'm imagining it, but whatever I'm hearing is allowing me to start occasionally thinking "I'm pretty sure the guy talking right now is Benjamin", and then another guy will address him as Benjamin, so I am starting to get that right. And I do know Mike Wozniak's voice, I'm starting to be slightly better at picking it out. They still sound mostly indistinguishable, I have no idea who's talking about 85% of the time, and of course that doesn't help with the enjoyment of the podcast overall. I'll keep listening to it at least until I learn to tell the voices apart. Which at this rate might be like 100 episodes.

- The other podcast where I struggle with differentiation isn't going much better. I can recognize Matthew Crosby's voice very easily, I just don't know whether it's Ben Clark or Tom Parry who's speaking. And if they have a male guest whom I don't know and who doesn't have a very distinctive voice, I probably won't be able to tell him from Ben or Tom either.

- Pappy's is a bit more uneven than some of the others, as it depends on the quality of guests. However, the more it goes along the more I'm appreciating the interactions among the three main guys, and most of the guests are good. I've been enjoying that one.

- I have to admit that after one episode, I was a bit disappointed by John and Elis. I like John Robins so much, from his stand-up. The guy he was in that first radio episode seemed a lot lighter than what I enjoy in his stand-up shows. Obviously, I don't want him to be talking about wanting to commit suicide while touring a friend's house every time I hear him talk (that is a reference to a specific part of his 2017 stand-up show, not just a general example of what I want comedians to do). But... I hate asking for this, but yes, I do appreciate a little edge, John.

Fortunately, after a couple of episodes, I think John relaxed into it a little, and I got used to what he was doing, and it got more fun. I will also admit that how Elis James is doing doesn't have a huge effect on how much I've been enjoying this show, it's John Robins that I like enough to want to hear hundreds of hours of him, and Elis James seems like a nice guy who makes a nice foil to the Darkness of Robins, and I'm glad he's there. But I'm there for John. Elis hasn't particularly changed my mind about that in five episodes, but his presence is nice enough, and he might have lots of time to change my mind. I recently described Elis James as being not only the least edgy comedian in his radio double act, not only the least edgy comedian in his marriage, but somehow the least edgy comedian in the sitcom where he starred with Josh Widdicombe. He’s eminently likeable, and I see that working, next to John Robins.

- I’ve found the John/Elis one a lot of fun, though, after I got a couple of episodes in. Some Howard/Richardson vibes, of two people who are close enough friends to be able to play off each other very comfortably, borderline too comfortably, but it’s fun to listen to. Oh, and little shades of the professional jealousy that marked the tension in the Howard/Richardson relationship have already popped up in this one, John Robins being bitter about Elis James getting cast in a sitcom and nominated for a Chortle Award (at one point he mentioned in almost the same sentence that his relationship was going well but his chances of winning a comedy award were going badly… I wanted to tell him that those two things will come to trade places, and the misfortune of one will cause fortune in the other). Previous experience has shown that two white guys talking to each other in a studio (or two studios) where one becomes more professionally successful and that creates a dynamic of tension is sort of my favourite thing (Howard/Richardson, old school Bugle), so this might be good.

- I fucking hate how funny I continue to find Peacock and Gamble (on the subject of two white guys talking to each other in a studio where one will notably surpass the other in professional success and relationship tension will ensue). I’m going to keep giving this one more time because I think that surely, if I listen to it for a while longer, it’ll get less funny. Two guys just being inappropriate and filthy has to get old after a while. I want to stop finding this as funny as I do. But I have to admit, I’ve found this one the easiest to listen to. It helps that it has the shortest episodes, but it’s the one where I’ve found myself getting to the end of each one and wondering how it could be over that fast, it feels like this episode only just started.

- The Pappy's really long song to introduce the quickfire round joke did, in fact, get slightly old in episode four. But it came back with a vengeance in episode five, funniest one yet. I'm now beginning to see how they could vary its content in ways that would keep it from wearing thin over 100 episodes.

- I still think Pappy's is at its least funny when it brings in audience members, as most podcasts are. But I have to admit that some of the Beef Brothers segments have still been funny. And there is a good argument for sticking with Pappy's, in that its the only one of the four options that brings in guests, so would keep it varied and I'd get to hear from lots of comedians I like, as well as maybe introducing me to new ones. But also, I do quite like spending hundreds of hours with the same two people until I've heard all their jokes and stories and can recite their lines along with them.

- There's a real possibility I end up sticking with John and Elis, which would of course mean doing their BBC show after XFM, and that will take the rest of my life. Oh well, there are worse things I could do with the rest of my life. Listen to every episode of Peacock and Gamble, for example. Because I could do that too. Too easily, probably. Like how I could eat an entire family-sized bag of chips, without even noticing the time passing, if I let myself. But that doesn't mean I should.

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harmony-discord-pipeline · 1 month

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I think my mental health has been getting better! I mean I've thought that for a while but I think that I gained more evidence for believing that over the past several months. Here's why I'm bringing it up:

I have just re-listened to one particular episode of The Magnus Archives — the one that targeted and still targets my most potent personal fears* — for the first time in just under a year**.

And apparently the progress I've made at learning to acknowledge said fears has produced some tangible results! Because unlike every previous time I tried listening to the statement portion of said episode, listening to the statement again didn't make me a shut-down bad thoughts quivering mess, and it seems unlikely that it will make me feel terrible for days afterwards*** which is genuinely fantastic!!

I'm so relieved. Mostly about the improvements my mental health has undergone. But also because this statement is one of my very favorite episodes of the entire podcast and I'm happy I'll be able to listen to it again without fearing that I'll interfere with my well-being for several days! It makes me happy**** and I miss being able to listen to it.

Now I need to improve my mental health enough to listen to said episode with others, because I believe doing so with several of those I'm close to just might help me be capable of addressing a sizable chunk of what bits remain of said fear. Outside perspectives have been incredibly helpful with things in the past and I think dealing with this would be no different.

Anyways yeah my mental health has been improving and while I've known that I don't always know that, so it feels refreshing to have a tangible reminder I can turn to when I forget that and need an instant reminder of how I've moved through this process.

* I don't feel quite comfortable enough with making myself vulnerable to my followers or anyone else to say which exact episode it was. I want to get better at doing so eventually, so I will say that the episode I'm referring to's statement is not narrated by Jon.

*** If it made me feel so bad why would I repeatedly listen to it? Either a) to try to figure out how best to address these fears by repeatedly exposing myself to them, which always made things worse, or b) to distract myself from different bad feelings I wasn't familiar with by replacing them with an even worse feeling that I was familiar with, or c) to listen to the portions of the episode I'm fine with but ending up too immersed in the listening experience to turn it off before the...before portions that hurt show up.

** I first listened to the episode a year and a half ago but I listened to it multiple times since then up to just under a year ago. This footnote is included just due to me hating to say inaccuracies, even ones due to interpretation.

**** I don't mean that it is the content of the episode itself that makes me happy, but that my favorites in life make me happy, and this is one of said favorites.

#hdp personal #the magnus archives

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sshbpodcast · 5 months

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Character Spotlight: Data

By Ames

It’s the man you’ve all been waiting for! He’s one of the most popular Star Trek characters of all time. He teaches us humanity and friendship and science. He’s the outsider character of his series and uses his unique perspective to open our eyes to the world and the people around us. And he loves cats! No wait, we already spotlighted Commander Spock. Just kidding. I’m, of course, talking about Lieutenant Commander Data!

It’s hard for us at A Star to Steer Her By to narrow down the best moments from our android friend because he gets to do so damn much between The Next Generation series and movies, and he’s also my personal favorite character on the show, but we’ve somehow managed it! So use your positronic brains to read on below and listen to our discussion on this week’s podcast episode (tricorder scan to 1:03:10) to see where we drew the line. Saddle up!

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

You are fully functional, aren't you? As we mentioned in our Picard spotlight, “The Naked Now” has the strangest mix of great and terrible character moments, and I couldn’t not include the incredibly hot Data/Yar romance that it created. It’s just nice to know that Data is programmed in multiple techniques, a broad variety of pleasuring. And later, the physical acting we get from Brent Spiner in that lean and fall was great!

My thoughts are not for Tasha, but for myself While the rest of “Skin of Evil” and the anticlimactic death of Tasha Yar aren’t really our cups of tea, we do have to admit that the tribute scene at the end is moving and well done. And that final moment when Data and Picard talk (even so briefly!) about the point of the ceremony and how empty it will feel without Yar… I’m tearing up just thinking about it.

Tied game, we’re going into overtime I also have to give Data credit for all the times he uses his big android brain to solve a problem, an advantage he has over pretty much any other character. For example, when he busts Sirna Kolrami up in a game of strategema by forcing a constant stalemate in “Peak Performance,” it feels like a win because he thinks outside the fluorescent holographic box!

One android with a single weapon Every so often, we also see Data in command, questioning his leadership skills or having difficulty connecting with his peers (more on that one in a second). But when he’s the only one who can survive the radiation on Tau Cygna, he takes charge to get its colonists to leave by blowing up their aqueduct in “The Ensigns of Command.” Try withstanding Sheliak attacks now, losers!

Thank you for my life While some of us on SSHB didn’t care much for Lal, you’ve got to admit that all of Data’s actions in “The Offspring” are on point. From questioning why he shouldn’t be allowed to create life, to letting his offspring self-identify, to keeping her out of the hands of Starfleet, it’s all good parenting. But what takes the cake is the heart-wrenching farewell scene after he tries to save her.

He who dies with the most toys… is kind of an asshole While we don’t get the cathartic release of Data phasering the hell out of Kivas Fajo in “The Most Toys,” we do get to take some pride that he is capable of overcoming his ethical subprogram to do away with someone who really has no right existing. When Geordi says that he detects a phaser firing in the transporter beam, you know he just needed a fraction of a second more and Fajo would be toast.

Your request for reassignment has been noted and denied Like in the afore-mentioned “The Ensigns of Command,” Data has some trouble adjusting to command when he takes control of the Sutherland in “Redemption, Part II.” It sure doesn’t help that his racist XO Hobson undermines his every decision, but that doesn’t stop Data from single-handedly foiling the Romulans’ plan and telling Hobson exactly where to shove it.

I've never been to a better funeral When it’s apparent that Geordi has been killed in a transporter accident in “The Next Phase,” Data grapples with the loss of his best friend in a very touching way, similar to how he mourned Yar as we mentioned above. And before he solves the puzzle of the episode and saves them, Data throws the best funeral I’ve ever seen for La Forge and Ro! People are just dying for a funeral like that!

The most human decision you’ve ever made We gave Picard a lot of accolades when we discussed his standing up for Data’s right to live in “The Measure of a Man.” Data gets a similar moment in “The Quality of Life” when he refuses to trade the lives of the Exocomps for those of other beings. It’s a nice episode of paying it forward, and we also get to see the scientific method on high display when he and Crusher deduce the little guys are alive.

Radioactive. What does that mean? Speaking of the scientific method! Even with his memories wiped in “Thine Own Self,” Data is able to piece together why the radioactive materials are hurting everyone in the village on Barkon IV. And with that clear slate of mind, we see that in all forms, Data is curious, caring, and willing to help people who are in need, even if it gets him speared in the back a little bit.

Felis catus is your taxonomic nomenclature… We’d be remiss if we didn’t bring up Data’s beautiful relationship with his cat, Spot. As everyone on SSHB is a devoted cat person, we found it a treat whenever we saw Data interacting with Spot, testing which food she’d like, and writing cat poetry. The best might be when Data reunites with her after the Enterprise crashes in Generations AND he has the emotions to appreciate it!

Resistance is fully functional We noticed in our TOS spotlights that it’s in the movies that most characters get to shine, and First Contact is that chance for Data. His scenes getting tempted by the Borg Queen are dead sexy and you can’t tell me otherwise. And his betrayal of the Collective by purposely sparing the Phoenix and then fumigating engineering to kill Borg Queen are the climax we all needed. I’ll be in my bunk.

—

Worst moments

I am stuck Especially in the early seasons, Data got used to make bad fish-out-of-water jokes. It was a silly habit the show had of depicting him as naïve about human culture even though he’s lived in it for years (and has the memories of the Omicron Thetans when the show remembers). Seeing him get stuck in a fingertrap in “The Last Outpost” is just such an example of dumb sight gags to make him look goofy.

I can’t use contractions, sir This is just a pet peeve of mine that could have been fixed so damned easily. Listen, writers, if you’re going to make it a plot point that Data can’t use contractions in episodes like “Datalore” and “Future Imperfect,” then be consistent. Run an apostrophe search in Microsoft Word and replace them, because in episodes like “We’ll Always Have Paris” when he states “It’s me,” it pisses me off.

Take my Worf, please! Don’t worry, we’re not done pointing out all the bad jokes told at Data’s expense that we see throughout the series (oh god, and just wait for the movies). And it’s a shame because Brent Spiner himself has such great comic timing and delivery, but when you make his jokes so obviously idiotic like in Ames’s least favorite TNG episode “The Outrageous Okona,” we cringe so hard.

Is anybody out there? We mentioned this one in our prime directive chat before, since Data just tramples all over it, but “Pen Pals” has some good discussion on the pros and cons of the situation. But that doesn’t excuse Data for making the decision on his own to get involved with the Dramen people, much less to bring Sarjenka onto the bridge (for crying out loud), necessitating a Pulaski mind wipe!

One seven three four six seven three two one four… There are a handful of times in TNG that we find it a terrible idea that Data (or any single being) has as much power as they have, considering how often they get possessed by things or duplicated by other things. So when Data single-handedly takes over the Enterprise in “Brothers,” disrupting the mission to save Willie Potts’s life, because Soong hacked into his brain, we raise eyebrows.

Jilting by association While I could joke that Data ever introducing Miles and Keiko was a mistake (and I have!), there’re still a lot of bad moves he makes regarding their relationship in “Data’s Day.” When he gets stuck in the middle of their nuptial stress, he’s so clueless how to handle the situation and keeps making things worse when, frankly, Miles and Keiko should have kept things to themselves.

Who programmed the book of love? Moving on to even more lousy relationships: Data’s brief, unnecessary romance with Jenna Desora in “In Theory” proves to be just another example of too many “Data doesn’t understand humanity” jokes that we hoped the show was over by this point. But alas, he’s written himself a love program to basically treat the situation like a sitcom and we were done with it.

Point that thing somewhere else From the moment Data stands directly in front of Bashir’s mystery device in “Birthright, Part I,” it’s obvious he��s going to get zapped by it. Really, Data? You couldn’t have stood literally anywhere else than in front of what is clearly an energy beam? And the rest of the episode, we’re stuck going on a dream adventure, and you already know how I feel about those!

Stop it, stop it, stop it Like in “Brothers,” it just seems weird to have Data getting controlled by his kooky family members when it happens again in “Descent.” This time, Lore has given Data the emotions he thought he wanted all along, but it turns out the very first emotion Data embraces is sheer rage. When he takes pleasure in killing Borg, you know maybe emotions just aren’t for him, and yet…

Open sesame! …when we get to Generations, Data has a fully fledged emotion chip that really needed more testing first. We’re subjected to just way too many of those dopey Data jokes, from Open Sesame to Mr. Tricorder to cackling at a 7-year-old joke. And to add kidnapping and torture to insult, it’s when Data is having a particularly bad reaction that Geordi nearly gets killed by Klingons!

I have been designed to serve as a floatation device We’re not done yet with the Data humor (and just way too much humor in general that doesn’t land) in Insurrection. While this film really gives Jean-Luc his time to shine, the rest of the cast are treated like afterthoughts, including Data who seems to be around for punchlines, like remarking about how the women’s boobs feel firmer, and serving as a life preserver.

Going out in a blaze of failure Finally, I need to criticize Nemesis yet again, as I am wont to do. It’s just… Data’s sacrifice for Picard is so unearned. I’d debate that it’s worse than the Kirk sacrifice in Generations that we put in that Worst Moments list too. Most of it is probably the abysmal script. I’ll sum it up by saying this: if you can’t make me care that my favorite character died, you’ve done something wrong.

—

Now that we’ve found Data’s off switch, we can wrap things up this week. Don’t worry, we’ve got tons more character spotlights for the coming weeks, so keep your sensors here, journey over to SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts to follow along with our Enterprise watchthough, break the Prime Directive with us on Facebook and Twitter, and delete that comedian holoprogram from the computer!

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laf-outloud · 1 year

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//Also, i think you're being unfair to Michael. He had awful health problems, several surgeries, and has been leaving with horrible chronic pain for decades, that's why he struggled to work as an actor.// - No one is talking about him not working as an actor though. We're talking about his behavior during his podcast. He repeatedly tries to bait people into saying things that will cause drama. He did it with Jensen and he fell for it (multiple times....). He tried it with Jared who smartly answered and did not fall for the bait. He tried it with Katherine too trying to get her to say something about Jared. He probably does it with almost everyone (I wouldn't know, I've only watched the Jared and Jensen ones). And chronic pain is terrible, I feel for him that he has to go through that, but there are plenty of chronically ill/chronically in pain people who aren't assholes just for the sake of it. That is an explanation, not an excuse. Like @laf-outloud said, that sucks and no one deserves it, but its still not an excuse to be a jerk.

"...there are plenty of chronically ill/chronically in pain people who aren't assholes just for the sake of it. That is an explanation, not an excuse."

Yes, thank you! (Though I did say he was probably sucking up to Jensen because he's a desperate actor. If he's desperate due to health conditions, that's awful, but it still wouldn't preclude him from also reaching out to Jared... so my original point still stands.)

And yes, Michael could easily have a much more positive podcast that people would still listen to (they listen for their faves). There's no need to constantly bait people. In fact, if I were a Jensen fan, I'd actually prefer Jensen stay away from Michael because he does seem to stick his foot in his mouth more often than not on that podcast. Jessica Alba, anyone? (And no, saying you were under the influence is not an excuse for what was said.)

#ask box #anti michael rosenbaum #jensen critical #anti aas #not sure why Jensen fans want to defend Michael #he provides an outlet for Jensen to get in trouble

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steamishot · 5 months

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leveling up (or not)

i've still been listening to a lot of sara payne's rock solid relationships episodes and it's been very uplifting to me as she provides mostly great life coaching (for free!). one episode stood out most to me recently, which is about leveling up. she talked about playing mario and going on to the next level. with every advance, there is failure. you die, you try again, you keep trying until you beat the level. otherwise, you're stuck at the same level and always winning - this although nice, gets boring and unfulfilling. as a student, we go through all the grades K-12, then in college year 1-4, etc. so there's always that feeling that we're growing incrementally.

in my professional life currently, i feel that i've been playing on the same level and constantly winning. it's definitely boring and unfulfilling. there are pockets where it's busier and the work is new and more challenging - but this usually only lasts a little while and it becomes boring again. especially during the holiday season, i feel like no one wants to be working and its been really slow! at least on the outside, it appears that i have received a promotion this year, so it is an instance of leveling up. after reflection, i want to resume my studies in accounting and possibly aim for a CPA.

furthermore, i used to be more goal oriented when it came to working out/exercising. i can think back specifically to during covid where i would track my running speed and consistently run 5Ks multiple times a week. also, when i did copilot for two months (?) and leveled up in weights to the point where i surprised myself. now, i am mostly doing hot yoga and youtube workouts - but for the purpose of maintenance, not growing. i've even recently started searching for easier workouts as i feel lazier, and had no motivation to use my heavier weights. this also made the workout feel more boring and unfulfilling. the podcast episode really made me think of all the areas in my life that i am not leveling up in. so, for the past two days, i've put in more effort into my workouts and it definitely became more challenging and rewarding.

i started playing duolingo and learning japanese as a replacement to social media. at least for this, there is a clear indication of a path forward (unit 1 -> 2, etc).

i will start therapy with kaiser mid-december. i want to delve in to my need to put myself on the backburner. for example, i'd rather focus on someone else's career (aka matt's) instead of my own. i've always prided myself on being "selfless" and helping other family members, being the reliable one. why i avoid being the "main character" and feel more comfortable as a supporting cast.

this is part of the reason why i felt so down about matt's job search being unsuccessful thus far. i became totally tunnel-visioned about this that i had very little else going on for me (AND vice-versa). because i had so little going on for me, i needed to latch onto his thing to feel some sense of purpose. to be honest, it's probably the latter moreso than the former.

to make life more interesting and intentional/purposeful, i'll need to set SMART goals for myself. 2024?

edit: i attended hot yoga today, even though i almost didn't feel like going. matty always has a little story at the beginning of class. today, he talked about beyonce and her film renaissance now out in theaters, and the commentary about her daughter blue ivy receiving criticisms from online haters. despite the criticisms, she continues to show up and try her best to get better. he inspired us to say "i can" instead of "i can't". this was completely coincidental to my theme of wanting to level up recently, so i tried harder than i normally do in yoga class and felt proud of myself.

quote: “Very rarely does pursuing our dreams feel like anything other than a lot of effort clothed in self doubt.” Self doubt is part of the deal. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.

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coastworthy · 1 year

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Often my ADHD brain will just go on long tangents about topics, most of which are incredibly inconsequential, but will take up like a ton of my time, a single prompt can like send my brain down a rabbit hole on why I like or don't like a thing. It's very tiring.

Anyway, today's hyperfocused mind journey is on why Critical Role never grasped my interest in the few attempts I tried getting into it.

Like I'm a big fan of actualplay/ttrpg podcasts, having stuck with some for multiple years (Friends at the Table is great and I think more people should listen to it), but I've tried on so many occasions to get into CR and it just doesn't grasp me in the same way others have. Like originally, years ago, it was mainly because all their episodes were 4+ hour long, unedited youtube only videos. I already have a hard time listening to podcasts while sitting around, like I have to be commuting or doing menial tasks to listen because my brain is broken. So like, having sit and watch 4+ sessions of D&D was already out of the picture (and I'm not paying youtube money to just have videos play with my phone screen off). Then when they started releasing some in podcast form (I'm guessing some of this has changed, idk I haven't checked in years) I tried giving that a shot, but it felt like walking into the middle of a per-established story with little to no context and like no real introduction to any of the characters. So it was already like hard to follow with characters referencing shit I had no context for, very blase jokes only 30-40 (especially at the time) y/o D&D nerds can make, but like also the very distracting ambient cityscape noises added for "immersion". Just a sensory nightmare. So that didn't work.

All this aside, like it's cool and fine that some of my friends and mutuals get a lot of enjoyment out of this series, like it's clearly very popular for a reason, I'm just not sure it's something that'll ever get me. It's definitely a bad moment in time for me to get into a new, long standing series in general, but also, my tastes in ttrpgs has changed a lot. Like I've experienced so many different table top systems, some truly interesting ans engaging way of play, that D&D and a lot of d20 based systems just don't anymore. So It's really hard to sell me on a Dungeons and Dragons story in the year 2023. It's like making me chose between buttered toast and a sandwich, both got bread, but there are so many different sandwiches out there

#adhd rambling about shit that doesn't matter but my brain keeps bringing up #I just have a lot of thoughts on why d&d based media really doesn't do anything for me anymore

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rattyoakenbitch · 3 years

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❝𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞❞ ─ 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨

hey, it's not like you ever tried to stay . .

❥ content ; gn reader, angst, dark themes, yandere themes, toxic relationship

❥ warnings ; sxlf hxrm & mxtilation, swearing, verbal abuse, manipulation, slight nxdity lol

❥ synopsis ; all you wanted was his attention. and by the gods, you were going to get his attention by any means.

❥ a/n ; first mello fic (: i've been wanting to write something dark for a while and ig i finally got the opportunity lol. i thought i got out of my death note stage but i'm back, so please don't be afraid to send requests or ask to be added to my nonexistent taglist! alsoo while this oneshot does include s/h, i am in no way glorifying or romanticizing it!!! but i do tend to write angsty and dark fics. again, this is a work of fiction and i don't intend for anyone to take this too seriously and let this influence them.

The loud crash of a glass echoed throughout the room as a vase went flying through the air and collided with the wall, just a few feet from where you were standing.

You didn't flinch. Didn't scream. Didn't cry. Didn't react. You were used to Mello's fits of rage by now, months into your relationship. If you could even call it that, at this point.

You knew Mello wouldn't dare lay a finger on you; if he did, he'd cut off his own hands and have live with the guilt forever, knowing he brought you harm. Which is why you didn't react.

However, he didn't seem to have a problem when it was only verbal.

"I don't fucking get you!" Mello spat harshly and continued to rant, "Why did you think that was okay?! Did you once consider how I felt?! I was worried sick that some asshole hurt you but you come back a day later and tell me you were at some boy's house!"

You only scoff, leaning against the wall in a relaxed manner, eyeing the remaining shards of the vase carefully. Just like Mello, you were incredibly stubborn.

"Answer me, Y/N!"

"Okay, Mihael," you state cooly, using Mello's legal name and causing him to listen more intently. "First of all, I don't know what you expected me to do when you invited your weird mafia 'friends' over while I was trying to sleep. Second, he's not 'some boy', his name is Y/F/N and he's one of a few people I can trust. I don't know what you think of me."

"You could've gotten a hotel room, that's what!"

"With what money, Mihael?! What fucking money? You forced me to quit my job and then practically lock me up in this hell hole that I can't even call 'home' anymore!"

Mello huffed. "Pfft, you should be grateful. I've kept you safe all this time, away from the dangers of the world. You're alive because of me. Me. You're mine."

"Yeah, some fucking life, right?"

"I provide for you, I protect you from the monsters out in the world, but you still decide to go and whore yourself out to your little 'friend'," Mello sneered, his sharp voice dripping with venom.

You stared at your boyfriend in disbelief. All words, all arguments and nasty retorts expiring on your lips.

"I.." You start, but laugh pitifully. "I don't even know what you're saying. I don't know if you even know what you're saying. Honestly, Mello, just when I thought you couldn't surprise me anymore, you start spewing complete and utter bullshit out of your mouth." Mello's silence only egged you on. "It's no wonder Near always came in first place." Aaand there it was. You snapped.

If looks could kill, you'd be dead. Mello's eyes widened in anger at the mention of Near, reminding him of his inferiority.

In a completely different situation where he wasn't on the receiving end, Mello would be smiling proudly, listening to your clever retorts and comebacks. You've always been as stubborn and hot headed as him, and he really liked that about you, fuck that "opposites attract" bullshit. (I ACC LOVE THAT TROPE LOL IM SORRY) However, considering you were both extremely toxic people, it was far from entertaining when it was you who got in a fight with the other.

You didn't stop, though. If he was gonna play that who-could-be-more-toxic game, you weren't gonna back down.

"I don't know if it was the explosion or you've really always been that stupid, but you need to get the fuck over yourself and stop throwing tantrums when you find out that I have a life, too, and I have friends. Friends who actually give a damn."

You stare down each other in silence, a heavy tension hanging in the air. Still, after a few moments, Mello didn't make any effort to speak or react, other than walking out of the room.

Days, weeks went by. Mello hasn't spoken a word to you. Hasn't even looked in your direction when you passed each other or walked into the same room. You didn't exist anymore, and it worried you.

Mello was never like this. Within a few days or even hours after an argument, you would easily kiss and make up. Had you gone too far this time?

Besides the fact that Mello was intentionally giving you the cold shoulder, he was also busy with work, and was out of the house from midnight to early afternoon. During that time, you would stay at home and carry out your every day mundane tasks and chores.

Even now, you didn't seek comfort in your family or friends. You were either busy keeping the house clean, sleeping, or entertaining yourself on social media. But it was all a sad attempt to keep your mind occupied on anything else other than Mello.

And one day like any other where Mello was out doing whatever the hell mafia dudes do, you snapped. You decided you were sick of the silent treatment.

If Mello was gonna play dirty and ignore you, you were gonna give him something to react to.

Mello came home some time after sunset. Kicking off his boots as he walked in the front door, he immediately knew something was off. It was quiet - too quiet. Despite the fact that you were practically taking some sort of forced break after the argument, you acted the same. You went about your day and didn't bother acting shy or timid around Mello. You still hummed earworm pop songs to yourself or put on a podcast to fill the tense air. But now there was nothing. Just Mello, the walls, and the silence.

Mello cautiously walked around the house and searched for any signs of you, fearing the worst.

As he frantically looked around, he stopped abruptly at the sight of blood smeared onto the hallway wall.

Blood.

His heartbeat began to thump loudly in his ears.

Then he noticed more blood. And more, smeared up on the wall, and eventually a trail picked up. He followed the bloody trail as it lead him through the hallway and stopped outside of your shared bedroom that he hasn't been inside for weeks.

Mello shakily inhaled and braced himself for whatever gruesome scene he would walk into.

He reached for the doorknob, twisting it and letting himself in.

Soon as he did, he ceased all motions, his breath caught in his throat as he tried to process what his eyes were showing him.

There, you sat on the bed, nothing on but your underwear and one of Mello's shirts. On one hand, you loosely held a pocket knife. On the other, you had your sleeve rolled up, your inner arm facing Mello's direction.

Your doe eyes looked up from the floor and met Mello's panicked ones. He was finally looking at you again. Despite the gorey setting and the stinging in your arm, you smiled. You were real to him again.

Multiple cuts oozed blood and trickled down your arm, onto your now dirtied clothes and the once satin white sheets below you.

As Mello got closer, silently freaking out, he could now see that these weren't just cuts - you carved out words. Sentences, onto your arm.

Among the many bloody 'I love you's' and pleads, one word stuck out to him.

It was his name.

He felt sick. Distraught. Guilty. Afraid.

"Y/N," he choked out shakily.

His gaze trailed up your arm, your body, and fixated onto your seemingly innocent face. Your face was rested and gentle, your eyes still staring up at him with adoration and desperation. If it weren't for the blood that painted your whole body and surroundings red, he would have found comfort in your presence.

"I did this.." You ran your fingers along your fresh wounds, not once wincing or drawing back in discomfort. "For you."

You continued, a sick sweetness in your voice. "Jus' wanted to show you how much I love you.. You've been leaving me so lonely, Mello." You frowned. "It was only a matter of time before I had to do something. And now you're finally here.. And you won't leave me again."

#mello x reader #mello x y/n #mihael keehl #death note fanfiction #death note #death note mello #death note near #death note angst #angst prompts #angst dialogue prompts #angst #sh tw #tw s/h #yandere mello #mello yandere #death note yandere #death note oneshot #death note imagines #rattyoakenbitch

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siarven · 3 years

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Hey, you mentioned that you like all those queer hopepunk horror podcasts in some tags and I wanna know: which podcasts are you talking about? Ever since tma ended, I've been looking for a podcast that could fill its place

Hello!! :DDD

So (in true fashion of a Good Memory™) I suddenly forgot Everything, so I enlisted a friend's help! ( @followthatgoose, who has also listened to all of these, some multiple times. I'm still kind of working on them because I hit sudden No More Podcasts™ a while back sadly, and am currently back to audiobooks for the most part. But I'd trust Soren's podcasting taste with my life, sooo :D) So the proper premise-descriptions are mostly provided by them <3

- Hello from the Hallowoods (kind of like how I'd originally hoped Welcome to Night Vale would be! It's a radio broadcast-esque story about queer survivors at the end of the world, really nice mix of following the characters as they live and also their fight against the horrors of the hallowoods. It also has some of the Best Quotes and the narrator has a fantastic voice <3 fantastic vibes overall)

- The Sheridan Tapes (found footage horror (with very nice music and soundscaping), following a detective as he tries to piece together what happened to a missing horror writer. monster of the week type recordings mixed with what is happening 'real time' to characters. a lot of Very Good emotional moments. also very queer)

- The Mistholme Museum (monster of the week format combined with 'real time' moments too, an audio tour guide takes you on a tour of the mistholme museum's exhibits. there are canonically queer characters, though so far it is not as Queer™ as the others. set in australia)

- Kane and Feels (in the words of Soren, "can best be described as a Vibe that is really good to zone out to and just exist in (liminal space my beloved). it's done in a noir style (which is IMPECCABLE) and the main characters are an academic who studies the supernatural, and his ex cop friend who punches the supernatural when it is causing problems. other than having canonically stated queer characters there is also Very Nice queer subtext around the main characters (particularly kane). also the academic is named lucifer kane, i feel like that speaks for itself xD")

- The White Vault (this one isn't as queer sadly, (though it does have Two Gays later on) but it has the most fantastic creepy-horror vibes that kinda feel similar to tma's horror vibes, and it's fairly short and really cool! It's about a multi-national group (the cast being from those nationalities as well, it feels amazingly real in that sense <3) sent to an arctic outpost to repair a broken radio, and then a blizzard keeps them from returning and everything escalates in the most deliciously terrible way. I've binged it two or three times so far >:D It's currently on hiatus but we'll get a fifth (final?) season staring in October!)

- I can always and forever recommend Rusty Quill Gaming as a honorary mention, just because it's partially the same people and it's fantastic and even though it doesn't start out as horror, alex has been knew (that man just can't help himself from putting horror everywhere, it's GREAT). It's a very good time and has made me cry and there's a lot of content to listen to with familiar voices, and I love it a lot even though I'm usually not a ttrpg listener <3

Apart from these I've also heard that Old Gods of Appalachia is good (though I personally didn't like the vibes), I've listened to a big chunk of I Am In Eskew which had some extremely nice episodes and some I didn't vibe with quite as much (it also lacked the queer, if I remember right), and by the same people (and apparently very queer?) The Silt Verses, though I haven't listened to that yet. I think that one has a lot of body horror, from what I've seen, and an aro character, which makes me go very :hypereyes:, but yeah :)

I hope these help!

If anyone wants to add recs, please do!!

Also Soren / @followthatgoose wants to find other people to scream with about the sheridan tapes so if anyone following me has listened to that pls message them xD <3

#podcast #podcast rec #tma related #i hope you end up vibing with one (or more) of these!!! <333 #one day my podcast-brain-cell will return from the war #also I dont know what i am going to do once rqg ends too #how dare they end all rqg shows in the same year??????#i'm once again in s3 of tma and it hurts the me <3 :')

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scvrllet · 3 years

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If you're still doing these, could I get a 🎫 concert ticket for Harry Potter and Once Upon A Time?

Glad to have found your blog!!!

I'm Lucifer, but people call me Luci or Luce, I'm 21 (22 in September), I identifiy somewhere around the nonbinary category, but I see gender as something trivial. I'm a panromantic demisexual and prefer they/her pronouns. 6'3 tall, long wavy blonde hair, black eyes. I wear glasses and usually skirts with old band t-shirts (that I actually listen to).

I always have a bunch or rings around my fingers as well as multiple ear piercings. I'm super pale, to the point that people often ask me if I'm sick.

I'm introverted, but I can be a social butterfly if required. I love listening as much as talking. I never really talk about emotions/feelings but anything else I'mhappy to chat about. I don't really react to things apart from my facial expressions. The lift of an brow, a smirk or an eye-roll will let you know how I feel about things without verbal confirmation. I'm always calm and collected, and my voice stays monotonous no matter what ; I don't stutter, yell or scream.

I'm highly intelligent and very sarcastic, and rarely laugh outloud, but smirk a lot. I might come across as rude and blunt but on the inside I am a softie, just don't show it often.

I love literature (especially classic), arts and learning languages (I currently speak 18). I'm also musically very inclined. I study History and mythology. When it comes to hobbies, I read and collect lots of things things such as lighters, tarot cards, night lights, rocks/crystals and books.

I have four siblings and am the oldest, but I don't really keep in touch with my family that much. I have a few good friends (2 or 3) and I don't even really need much more.

I'm a Virgo, Slytherin and INTJ-A if that tells you anything.

I'm not athletic in the least, but am in good shape. My body is an hourglass figure and I also got a bunch of tattoos.

I have a bad habit of smoking, and usually having a glass of scotch or wine with me (but I never get drunk or even tipsy). I love spending time near water, but hate getting wet. I usually take long walks outside after midnight while listening to creepypastas or true crime podcasts. I love the genre horror overall, yet I rarely get scared. The only thing I'm scared of is being scared if something. And Santa Claus (<-- no idea as to why).

If I were to go on an ideal date, it'd hopefully be something original and not the cheese classics, but I wouldn't mind them either. I just want to experience new things.

I don't really celebrate holidays (e.g. Christmas, Ester) since I was raised in an atheist/witchcraft household.

If I still might add something, when it comes to relationships I'm never overly dramatic. I don't, as previosuly mentioned, yell or really even cry. I don't get frustrated or suspicious easily. If I see any inclination that my partner might be e.g. cheating on me, I ask them about it directly and will absolutely under no circumstanses go through their phone, computer or start stalking them.

You wanted 3 random things, here :

1. I can't cook shit, I have set spaghetti on fire, cracked a pan in half and blown up a microwave.

2. I'm very unpredictable, but at the same time I like to stick to certain routines etc.

3. I've had my hair dyed more times that I can count with more colors than I know how to name.

Uhhh, I think that's all? I hope you have a good day :)

(🎫) CONCERT TICKETS - get a platonic or romantic ship/match-up from the fandom of your choice (max. two) along with a shirt headcanon

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I ship you with....

Peter Pan

- Arriving on Neverland, in hindsight, was a mistake. Magic beans while very reliable were prone to mistakes every so often and so instead of appearing in the Enchanted Forest, you were on the beach of a large island. And what was the most odd of all, was not the strange feeling you felt upon arriving on the island, but the pair of eyes you could practically feel staring at you from the trees. Hoping that it was just an animal of some sort, you walked off the beach and headed to the path through the forest.

- Unfortunately for you, the feeling lingered, following you almost as you walked through the forest. Tall trees lined the path and every once in awhile you’d see some small animals scurry away. What seemed to stand out the most however were the silhouettes standing off in the side, deep within the trees but standing right below the sunlight for you to see clearly. There was four, than five, than six than......only one. Looking at your surroundings, you saw your footprints in the ground before you and it hit you. You’d been walking in circles the whole time and the silhouette was still there.

“Hello?” You called out, not sure as to whether or not the silhouette really was there.

Without a verbal response, the figure disappeared only to reappear a few feet in front of you.

You jumped back in shock but quickly regained your balance as you studied the person before you. It was a boy, looking to be around your age, with a questioning look on his face as he looked at you. “Who are you?”

“I could ask you the same question.”

“I asked you first!”

“And I’m in charge of this island!”

“You? In charge of an island? What is this Neverland?” You rolled your eyes at the possibility. Neverland was a place made up so that kids could fall asleep. Not a real place that you could visit.

“Yes it is, and I run things around here so tell me, who are you.” The boy replied, emphasizing his last three words as he spoke.

“As if, what’s next? You call your little Lost Boys to come prove to me?” You scoffed. To believe that you were on Neverland was already too much and all you wanted was to get home to the Enchanted Forest but it seems you’re stuck playing pretend with a boy who doesn’t want to grow up. A shame really

Smirking, the boy simply pressed two fingers to your forehead and before you could even say something, your mind went foggy and your vision was filled with black.

- To say you got off on a rough start was an understatement. The two of you were constantly at each other’s neck while he kept you on the island, the camp specifically, and didn’t let you leave due to belief that you were a spy of some sorts. Not that he had anything to hide. Not yet at least.

- As time went on however, the two of you had begun to form a friendship. It wasn’t anything big or odd, but it was definitely new. He’d be less of an ass to you and let you explore the island on your own (with some exception).

- Upon finding your out about your hobbies, he would discreetly try to surprise you with materials to help you engage in them even if Neverland’s magic still had some restrictions. He would still try to the best of his abilities.

I also ship you with....

Blaise Zabini

- Losing was one thing Blaise never took lightly. Competitive he was but even with his ambition and skill, it was the mundane things that revolved around luck that often made him lose. Like the stupid bet he made with Theo on whether Gryffindor would win or lose where the loser would have to make a full four course meal complete with drinks for all the Slytherins in their year. Unfortunately for him, he had lost unlike Gryffindor and now here he was, spending his Saturday afternoon in the kitchens and a cookbook Pansy had given him “to help”.

- Blaise didn’t know what he’d see upon entering kitchen. He was sure to see a few House Elves, perhaps he could ask them for help, but what he didn’t except was to see you standing in front of the stove with a pot spilt cleanly in half somehow and a fire burning below. And to make matters worst, you were simply standing there as if you had been frozen.

“Hey watch out!” He called out as a flame went up towards you. Pushing you out the way just in time, he managed to save you from the burn in return of him getting burned.

“Fuck.” He hissed out in pain. Gripping his arm as he put out the fire with his wand before dropping it on the ground.

Without a word, you simply grabbed your wand and waved it above his burn. You seemed to be muttering something, a spell of some sort, as a cooling sensation covered his wound. Looking down, he was shocked to see that the burn was actually healing.

“How, how did you.... Thank you.”

“I was practicing a charm, fire control, but thank you for the concern.”

Feeling sheepish for thinking that you didn’t have it under control, he ended up excusing himself from the kitchen to head back to his dorm where his friends immediately pounced on the chance to tease him for a variety of reasons.

- The next day, instead of going to Hogsmeade with his friends, Blaise stayed back at the castle to catch up on a paper he had failed to submit on time. Deciding on going to the library, sh was disappointed to see that almost all of the tables were taken. All but one in the far back corner. Quickly heading towards it, a sigh left his lips as someone dropping their book bag into the table beat him to the table: you.

“Oh did you need the table? I can leave if you’d like?”“ You said upon noticing him standing in front of the table.

“No, no it’s alright I just uh, planned on finishing a paper for Flitwick’s class.” He admitted.

“You can have a seat if you’d like, I’ll just be doing my own work and you can do yours.” You kindly offered and Blaise gladly accepted. He really need to finish this paper or else he’s be kicked off the Quidditch team so while he didn’t get the complete privacy he originally wanted, he’s fine with this.

As the two of you worked in quiet, occasionally Blaise would sneak glances your way which you ended up catching once.

“Hi.” was all you managed to muster out as you tried to contain the wide smile that wanted yo grow on your face.

Trying his best to not chuckle at your slightly flustered state, he mirrored your smile as he replied with a “Hello.”

#you didn’t mention romantic or platonic so i just made it platonic #long post #jens record shop #jens 4k follower celebration #(🎫) concert tickets #marvelousluci

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ao3gingerswag · 3 years

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HI HELLO I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS

okay so I've been like thinking these things for weeks but I've been very unmotivated so I'm saying them all now!! so prepare for multiple asks!! or something!!

okay so I've just been rereading my all time fave fics and there was this one like in one of them- 'I’m not *stupid*, I just can’t read' and it immediately made me think of your writing, like kyis, first of all (and actually more on that bc obviously I've been rereading that too as one of the Best Fics Ever™ and holy SHIT it's so good. I cannot believe no one has made a podfic for it yet, bc wow especially after listening to the extract that was read out at the beginning of the podcast episode I NEED someone to read this shit to me so I can savour every bloody word bc dammit I'm a skim reader and its TOO GOOD for me to be skimming the fucking words!!!!! anyways needed to get that of my chest back to the regularly scheduled programming) but then also with wander home, I feel like with sam being able to read its definitely gonna be cashing some form of angst for the other boys, dean I think similar to in kyis but also with all his bucket load of self worth issues it's like makes sense uno. but also with cas, I feel like cas thinks of himself as not that intelligent at all. we know he thinks quite poorly of himself due to his autism, and I feel like he would consider himself not actually smart but rather just weird, especially with him being uneducated and I think his struggles with running the inn, especially before dean and sam would rly effect his opinion of himself and lead to some self-hate. so anyways, then I feel like when sam enters the picture and interacts with cas (once everything has settled down and they start interacting NOT in a life-or-death situation) I feel like he'll add an outsider perspective and realise that actually yeah cas *is* actually rly smart. like, he'll be talking with cas about something - like uno spewing all his knowledge like the little nerd he is - and cas will be following along but as soon sam tries to engage him cas will be like 'I'm sorry Sam, I'm not smart enough to know that' and sam is like grhhh yes you are!! and then he tries to push it bc hes Sam and is like 'but u were just telling me and *insert something cas knows, like about nature or the like* yesterday! and you knew loads!' and cas dismisses it bc that's a result of him being abnormal not being smart and then there's a whole little journey of sam trying to convince cas he's actually smart with many trials and tribulations but eventually it ends up with them having their lil debates/Intellectual Conversations about whatever Sam has recently learned with his lessons and it's all :)) (bonus scene is dean observing them and when they try to involve him he's like 'yeah no not gonna happen, idc if u say I'm not dumb sam, not all of us can be Aquinas okay?')

I justify the aquinas reference bc I had to know him for a subject and now I've gotten my exams back and I somehow haven't flopped them!! which means I never have to do that subject again and I feel the need to at least somewhat reference the worthless knowledge in my brain :')

ok first of all what is the fic ur referring to drop the fic!! (even if its not destiel ill read anything lol!)

also thank u so much ;~; <3 idk no one has ever offered to make a podfic and i am terrible at reading out loud so i def cannot but if anyone ever offered i would totally be down for that!

i think ur so right, i think cas def does not think of himself as smart at all, when he actually is!! and i think he's a giant nerd as well who would def find a lot of the stuff sam rambles about to be very interesting. hes not a Certified Genius like sam and doesnt have the same Desperate Thirst For Knowledge but he also genuinely finds this stuff interesting!!! i think they bond so well over nerd stuff!! but yes!! sammy following him around once he trusts him more bc dean will indulge him but he can tell hes bored to tears by sam talking about like geometry and its just going in one ear and out the other. hes like hmm wow thats interesting sam. yeah that is so cool ur right. but hes like falling asleep. so he starts talking to cas...maybe it starts bc cas overhears him talking to dean and is like ! wow really? and asks like an actual question. and sam is like YES finally and rambles his heart out and cas is actually listening and engaged and sam is like ok i like u now actually ur my friend. and starts talking to him about all the intellectual stuff. and yes him over time convincing sam that his intelligence isnt just a Symptom of Being Weird or even if it is who cares hes still smart???

and do u mean Thomas Aquinas? i have never read anything by him!! congrats on surviving ur exams tho!!!!!

#ao3gingerswag #asks #wander home #prompts

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nicistrying · 4 years

Text

I need to do a bit of a brain dump so apologies to anyone who sees this, feel free to scroll past lmao

Lovely morning blackberrying and making more curd. Was in a great mood! Leftover mushroom risotto for lunch!

I was only working from 12-4 but tbh it was such a rollercoaster like - I went in and the delivery driver who I get on well with was there and I was chatting to him and he told me our region was having more restrictions put in place and I was a bit dubious bc I hadn't heard anything

Covered the cashier's break, and the card machine fucked up and declined a few cards when they tried to make contactless payments but the first person had already left the shop and bc there was only me there I couldn't go out to the car park to ask them to come back. So I now have a formal note from my manager for incurring company losses and I'm so fucking annoyed with myself like what an idiot?! I've worked in shops for the past 6 years and I know full fucking well not to let people leave before I have confirmation of successful payment. Ugh. So that made me really anxious and a bit teary tbh bc I'm also due on and I hate being told off, it just really upsets me even though obvs that's the procedure so I won't do it again but it just gets to me more than it should to know I did something Bad.

Delivery driver friend had a few hours to kill so he came and helped me in the freezer and we were having a lovely time tbh, I really like him but he's moving to Manchester next week so I was also a bit teary and sad about that too. And I was working extra fast bc I knew the manager would be watching the cameras wanting to tell me off for fucking around chatting, although I was working as fast as humanly possible for my whole shift.

In short I was just really flustered the whole time. My manager was really patronising and corporate about the lost money even though I offered to pay it back straight away, he just said "that's not how this works" which tbh I think is dumb.

Anyway so I just got home and had a text from my mam saying not to visit her on sunday as planned so I checked the news and sure enough, gatherings of multiple households are banned (but schools, restaurants, shops and pubs are still open lol. but heaven forbid i use my one day off to visit my family). So I'm just pissed off. I'm still freezing cold and I left work an hour and a half ago, and have had a hot cup of tea. I'm going to watch the end of my episode of Masterchef and go out for a walk and listen to a podcast. Might run if I really want to but I think I really need to try to calm down, I feel so anxious and stressed out still. But would a run help me calm down? But it's hot and sunny so A) I'll probably warm up too fast ans get really itchy and B) the parks will probably be really busy. Idk I'm just looking forward to a day away from work on Sunday, it can't come soon enough ☹

#personal #rant #anxiety

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