#i used the last screenshot like 100 times but never gets old

[packetpixie]

pro tip for programmers - how to alias

hey, so you know that annoying thing that happens when you're coding, and you need to run/test the same program 100 times in a row, so you end up typing "python3 testScriptWithASuperLongName.py" into the terminal about 80,000 times?

well, there's a better way! it's called aliasing :D

in your bash shell (or zsh, or whatever shell you use, but bash is the default on VSCode and most people on tumblr use VSCode, so I'm using bash as the default to explain this concept) you can set an alias, essentially a shortcut command, that runs longer commands.

(yes you can just use the up arrow key to re-run the same command, but sometimes you're typing other things into the terminal too and you don't feel like hitting the up arrow key four times in a row, and also this is just a cool and useful tip to get comfortable with aliasing so shhhh)

so, in your terminal shell, just type this:

alias run="python3 testScriptWithASuperLongName.py"

now, you can run that entire super long command, just by typing the word "run" into your terminal. Here's a screenshot of an example on my computer to make it make more sense:

in this example, i just created a simple python file that contains one line of code: print("it works!")

then, as you can see, by setting the alias to run, i can now run that file, runningatestscript.py, simply with the command 'run'.

the best part is, this alias is temporary - it only lasts as long as your shell session is open. so once you close the terminal, the run alias is cleared and you can set it again next time to any file or task you're currently working on, to save yourself a lot of typing, typos, and time.

so if you want to, you can get in the habit of always setting a run alias in the VSCode terminal for whichever file you're working with as soon as you get everything open. that way, when you need to run the same file 50 million times, you have a super easy way of doing it! you can even set it to a single letter if you want to go for maximum speed, but i prefer to use whole short words, because they're easy for me to remember.

note: if you do want to set an alias to work for all sessions, you can simply add it to your ./bashrc file. this is a common way to automate repeatable tasks, and simply to set easier-to-remember commands for terminal commands that are really complicated/confusing/hard to remember.

for example, i saved the alias checkboot="[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo 'UEFI mode' || 'BIOS mode'" into my zshrc file (zsh equivalent of bashrc file). this way, no matter how many times i rebooted my machine, i would always be able to quickly check which boot mode was running by simply typing 'checkboot'.

yesterday i was updating my boot mode from BIOS to UEFI on my very old machine that is technically compatible with UEFI, but not configured for it by default. So it was extremely helpful and saved me the time and headache of having to remember and type that long-ass command a thousand times in between many different reboots and new shells.

if you have any tasks like that, or terminal commands that you know would be useful to you, but you can never remember them when you need them, i highly recommend getting comfortable with aliasing! it can be super useful to simply set custom aliases for all the commands you don't want to remember, so that you can automate things away and not have to worry about so much linux syntax all the time when you're tring to focus on programming.

i know this may seem like a simple tip to some, but i only learned about it recently and it's been extremely helpful to integrate into my workflow and customize my OS with! so i thought it might be worthwhile to some people if i share :) hope it helps!

#codeblr #linux #hacker #compsci #hack the planet #hacking #studyblr #coding #progblr #programmer #programming #women in tech #women in stem #women in computing #women in cs #comp sci #coding tips #programming tips #software development #software developers #vscode

[genericpuff]

Remembering My Roots - Rest in Peace, RateMyDrawings

I've talked about my old art before on here, but never really fully in-depth about the site that hosted it. I was reminded of it today while going through my FB memories and felt like I should actually write a true eulogy towards what once was.

Once upon a time, before LORE | REKINDLED, before Time Gate: [AFTERBIRTH], before I had even started drawing webcomics, I entered the world of digital art through one website - not DeviantArt, not Pixiv, but a little site called RateMyDrawings. Back in the day, it was one of the most popular browser-supported art tools, offering multiple different art tools that were, at the time, revolutionary. A flash drawing tool which could replay the progress of your drawing (but the tradeoff was that you had a limited amount of 'ink' aka recording data), a Java-supported tool that was essentially Photoshop Lite (but didn't come with the recording), and later, a more refined tool supported by HTML5 (?) that offered more 3D-like brush tools. There was also DrawChat, a live drawing flash tool where you could draw with others and chat.

And on that site, I created my first works of digital art. No drawing tablet, just a mouse and a loooot of patience. They'd host contests every now and then to win budget Wacom tablets. Sometimes I'd enter, I'd never win. I did eventually get my first drawing tablet, but by then, I'd moved on from RMD onto actual software such as GIMP and Photoshop Elements.

That site is gone now, one of the first art site deaths I'd ever experience in my teen years. I was around 12-13 when I started using this site and I adored it. When people talk about missing the 'tight-knit communities' of old, I don't think of DA, I think of RMD, my first home. Unfortunately, the site couldn't survive in the 'modern' era of the Internet, overshadowed by more advanced tools and art-sharing sites like Deviantart, Facebook, and Instagram.

But I did manage to backup some of my old art pieces before the site finally became completely shuttered in the early 2020's. For a while the site was awake but lacked any content or features, with a message from the site's creator Mick that it might come back, it might not.

It didn't. The old ratemydrawings.com URL now redirects to the inactive FB page. Any attempt to bypass that kill screen like before leads to an Error 404.

But while the site was in its comatose state - before it was shuttered permanently - I was able to access my old profile and extract some of my art pieces of old. I posted them to my FB about 3 years ago, and today they showed up in my memories.

I share a lot of art pieces from creators like Rachel Smythe in an attempt to preserve media. But I also need to remember to preserve my own. So here are a handful of the 100+ pieces I drew on RMD. Enjoy ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

Don't be confused by the '1987' part of the username, I picked that number because I was a huge Zelda weeb and 1987 was the year the first Zelda game was made. Whoof.

What's ironic is I actually didn't have the Featured Artist award last time I was actively on the site, so it clearly happened while I was inactive in its final days. The one award I wanted the most and I wasn't there to witness getting it. RIP.

Unfortunately that's all I really have in the way of high-resolution drawings as I wasn't able to preserve much else (though if I find anything more I'll definitely add it to this post!) That said, I was able to nab some screenshots of my homepage via the Wayback Machine where you can see more of the pieces I did back then:

There are so many dorky ass drawings here, some from Time Gate (because it's that freaking old!!!), some are screenshot recreations from anime that I enjoyed (a very common trend on RMD), some are collaborations. There was a point where I learned how to color with the mouse by using low opacity colors and layering them one at a time. Really upped my game there LMAO That Ocarina of Time Link drawing was the first one I ever did that made it to the front page of RMD and y'all, I was so proud, the site back then I think had 50k users total which is nothing compared to the Internet today, but achieving that was one of the greatest things ever LOL The Skyward Sword drawing that followed was one that really felt like a milestone in terms of my art evolution, I felt like I was finally creating something good. I believe I did that Skyward Sword drawing off another DA piece at the time, it was really common to do redraw challenges on RMD what with the technical limitations of the site - I suppose redrawing stuff I liked back then should have been foreshadowing LMAO

That feeling wouldn't last forever ofc once the art high wore off, but even to this day I look back on the pieces from that era fondly. It's where the mysteries of digital art finally started to 'click' in my brain, and I had still barely gotten started.

I also have a few drawings preserved that were done after I got my first drawing tablet, and you can really tell with the improvement of the lineart LOL That said, I think I was around 18-19 when I did these:

Now, one thing that I really enjoyed doing on RMD were collabs - specifically, trading collabs where users would exchange drawing files through the RMD PM system with one another to do steps of a drawing together. Often times I took the role of coloring other people's lineart pieces, which is probably where I started to really learn digital art coloring and come into my own with it.

A collab with user "lime":

Collab with user "Mikai":

A collab with user "Overik", which I specifically remember struggling with because, at the time, my computer monitor's screen was messed up resulting in the entire thing basically being a fluorescent pink:

A collab with "Mist04" that I don't remember doing lmao:

Collab with "Adzumi" (?). I'm fairly certain that's who it was, I definitely remember the process of painting this one, I had loads of fun with it:

Collab with user "ForgottenArtist", IIRC this one was more of a coloring page where they gave out the file freely for others to color, so this was my version. The forums on RMD were great for that sort of thing, people would literally just upload their drawing files for people to have fun with:

So I guess I drew this next little thing in 2021 when the site was still 'live' but not functional, I completely forgot I did this though LMAO Basically the main URL took you to that kill page I showed above, but if you knew any of the extension slugs, you could bypass that kill page and get into the rest of the site, which I was able to by using my username URL. So I got into the Java drawing tool and made this little thing in the hopes I could upload it. Of course, it didn't work, but hey, it was worth getting a screenshot, I suppose:

It's equal parts nostalgic and bittersweet to go through these drawings. Life back then feels so far away and yet I still remember it so vividly, the hours I'd spend drawing on the family PC, feeling more at home with the friends I made online than the ones I had in real life, listening to music that I still listen to to this day. It's far away now, but it still lives through me, in the work I do today. Even someone like me can go from being a complete noob drawing with a mouse to a professional making their living stabbing ink into other people while still drawing the same stories they drew as a child.

There is one piece I had to dig up outside of FB memories, fortunately it wasn't hard to find because I knew I had shared it ages ago on my FB so the search bar saved my skin. My very first digital art piece, of Sheena Fujibayashi from Tales of Symphonia, one of my favorite games of all time.

My very first digital art drawing:

Recreated in 2019:

Past me went through a lot, and they'd be doomed to go through even more still (they hadn't hit the plague yet). And yet they're going to survive, they're gonna keep getting better and better with each passing year. Thanks past me - you've done a lot of dumb shit in your life, but sticking with your craft wasn't one of them. Thank you for walking - through all the good and the bad that you've had to weather through - so that I could run for us both.

#i have other things i wanna mention about old RMD as well but they're better for another post #self post #old art #media preservation #digital art #ratemydrawings

[sepulchritude]

Update on my perfection playthrough: I did it!

🌟

I earned 100% perfection in early fall of year 5. I’ve been playing for a while past that though because I wanted to finish wrapping up a few things. Still not quite done, but nothing’s ever quite done so I figured I’d make the post now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Proof + some screenshots of completed collections since I figure most people don’t get to see them

I’m also dating every eligible in town so I got to see everyone’s events and get everyone to 10 hearts 😄 I’m the village bicycle I guess

The only person not at 10 hearts is my son Leon, he’s new. My first child is Ginger, I had her with Shane and named her that because I was away on ginger island when I missed the day we brought her home 😬 Then I divorced Shane and married Haley, and I had unlocked warping by then so I was present for Leon’s birth 👍 I’ll accept my parent of the year award now, thank you

Now for some cool places & lore around my farm!

In the top left corner, I have a small garden and sitting area surrounding grandpa’s grave. The fruit trees here are all old enough to give iridium fruit, and I sometimes go sit on the chair by grandpa and relax. The smell of fruit and flowers in the area also attracts junimos and small animals

In the bottom right corner, my slime hutch has been leaking contamination into the area, making it a lovely sanctuary for slimejacks, skeletons, and carnivorous plants. Also Wumbus the slime man lives there. This area is used for educational visits but for your health and safety we ask that you do not linger long. Also wash your hands

Next door to the left you can see the coop where my golden chickens live. No word yet on what the interaction of pure slime and pure perfection will do to the surroundings

Next: cave shrine

The bats leave offerings for the gilded man, and I am but the humble steward who keeps the altar clear

(I highly recommend putting the golden lewis in the farm cave every time. It brings me so much delight)

My aquarium! On the farm map, it is located just south of the greenhouse, in the blue cabin by the two fish ponds

I had to catch every fish in the game for perfection, and after I did that I decided I wanted an aquarium in which to display every fish. So I had to catch them all again 😅 I also had to invite a friend onto the save file in order to upgrade his cabin and remove the beds, because you really need a house to have enough space to show off all these fish and decorate around them

The main room is for ocean fish (with a small corner devoted to coldwater fish in the southwest corner). On the right are the freshwater fish, both river and lake. Up the stairs we have the fish that like warm climates, then last we have the deep, dark, and otherwise dank fish 🐠

I love how this building turned out, and the screenshot doesn’t do it justice. It’s so delightful to walk around and see all the fish swimming around their tanks

And finally, here is my house!

We’ve got a chill living room/kitchen, a funky bedroom (with Lewis’ shorts on display, obvs), a cute children’s bedroom, and… the basement where our shitty roommate Bobo lives. He doesn’t pay rent.

-

I would say if anyone wants to try a perfection playthrough, I highly recommend giving it a shot! It forced me to spend time doing things in this game that I never paid much attention to, like cooking and completing monster eradication goals. I also got to see the heart events for characters I hadn’t befriended before! Some things were kind of a slog to get through, but I liked having such a large project with so many different aspects to work on

And if you haven’t played much past the community center before, I have to tell you that’s just the beginning. There’s so much cool stuff to find and play with, and a lot of it was added in recent updates so some people don’t know how much is there. Starting a new file and experiencing these things organically as I played was a lot of fun

As for advice on how to do a perfection playthrough, my biggest tip would be to make it fun! Place decorations and make up stories and make your farm somewhere you want to be, because you’re gonna spend a lot of time there 😅 Sometimes a little inefficiency is worth it to have something that makes you smile

#(check notes for ginger island addition) #let me know what you think! is there anything here that you didn’t even know existed in the game? #the sunflowers btw are for my wife haley 🥰🌻 #the coop next to my house is for my original animals (and therefore my favorites 💝) #they are mostly named after danganronpa characters lol you fan ask for a list of names if you feel like calling me out #long post #undescribed #sepulchritudinous #sdv perfection #sdv

[lampmanliveblogs]

Alright, alright, I was being a bit facetious in my previous post. I don’t think Boscha and Amity were ever an item, at least not until stated so. Then again, things like ”canon” has never stopped shippers before. have it? And I can imagine that there emerged quite a few fanfics based solely on this scene. The language used is very reminiscent of your ex showing up, drunk on appleblood, asking you to please take them back, they’ll be better this time.

All these words I say Don't mean anything I realize Can I make you stay? I'll be better this time I'll be better this time To you

But yeah, like I talked about before, Boscha went from being just a high school bully, to being a high school bully with trauma and a seriously shoddy support network in the form of Kikimora. With her friends and family gone, Boscha sees reuniting with Amity as a way to regain some semblance of normality in the crazy world she finds herself in. The world may have gone insane, but at least there is something for her to hold on to, quite literally by the way she tackles Amity in the next shot. 

I believe that Boscha feels hopeless; after facing down The Collector’s spies and watching her teammates and friends, as well as all the adults get taken, she believes there is nothing they can do but to hide away in Hexside and continue to live there. And together they can rule Hexisde, just like before. No, even better!

I gotta say, for a character that’s been pretty one-note, they’ve done a great job of giving her some depth while still feeling natural.

(unrelated, but I kinda dig Boscha’s new look. the sportswear as armor works. plus, her grudgby make-up kinda resembles tears, or running mascara from crying. symbolism!)

((not 100% sure, but I think that was the right use of the word facetious?))

Boscha: ”I won’t let you leave again!” Amity: ”Boscha, you’re hurting me!”

Jeez Luise, all the, erm… Boschity? Amischa? What would you even call that ship… um, I’ll bet all the Amity/Boscha shippers (all three of you) still around in the post Lumity era went absolutely feral when this episode aired. The potential for angst just skyrocketed.

Now, that is the crux, isn’t it? Boscha desperately needs Amity, but Amity doesn’t need, not particularly want Boscha around in her life anymore. And in her attempts to hold on, Boscha inevitably only ends up hurting Amity.

Okay, I had to rewind the scene a few times, but I did catch it on the third time (and then I had to do it two three four more times to get the screenshot). Right after Mattholomule summons this smokescreen, he and Amity run away… except they appear to have switched places.

Then, while they’re running away, Boscha kicks the head of the statue Mattholomule made towards him, only for him to catch it… with a pair of gauntlets, similar to what Amity uses, even summoning a purple spell circle to summon them. When Boscha shoves Mattholomule aside to get to Amity, Mattholomule drops the illusion, revealing it was actually him playing the role of the Blight.

Gus and Luz pulled a similar trick in Clouds on the Horizon. And just like in that episode, the trick was really obvious in hindsight, yet I still didn’t call it. Though this one at least went by a bit faster.

Also, Matty calls Gus Augustus; returning the favor for Gus calling him Mattholomule this whole time.

"We can still save your teammates. Will you let us try?”

Like I said before, after witnessing her teammates and the adults be defeated so easily and taken away to who knows where, Boscha lost hope. Right now, she’s not fighting to save the world, or even to save one or a few people. She’s fighting to keep some small sliver of her old life.

Amity is the last of Boscha’s friends who haven’t been taken, so Boscha is going to fight to keep her from disappearing again. But… I think she might be starting to realize that it’s a losing battle too. Thus she finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place (i love that expression). She either risks it all trying to get her teammates back, which will probably end up with her and the few people still left being turned into puppets. Or she tries to keep the few people left contained and somewhat safe within the school, regardless of their wishes.

And I'm just saying Boscha, a fellow triclops, Tien Shinhan was hopelessly outclassed by Cell, yet his defiant stand against the Semi-Perfect lifeform remains one of the most badass displays in all of Dragonball.

Well, I can’t say I ever expected them to kill Gus off screen, but oh well. This is what happens when you cut an entire season down to three specials the length of six full episodes. Rest in peace, Augustus. You will be missed.

Nah, it looks like they’re down in the detention pits as well, Kiki and Boscha must’ve gotten to them as well after they ambushed Willow.

#the owl house #liveblog #the owl house liveblog #toh s3e2 #for the future

[halliescomut]

Look I understand why you thought what Alice said in what seems to be a very old screenshot is problematic and I feel like I'm not gonna change your mind anyway but here's to trying.

Alice is aroace. They also never expected to influence people as much as they do now, they were just creating things they can relate to and ended up gaining a lot of following and success naturally, so they just weren't careful with what they used to say and weren't expecting people to screenshot old stuff and spread them around and believe they were twisting their mustache back then planning on world domination and on making everyone sexless lmao. They were literally just some guy on good old Tumblr doing things and saying stuff lol just like you.

People are allowed to not be interested in sex just like people are allowed to be interested in sex, and what they said is not completely untrue. Yes there is bl that isn't fetishizing and eroticizing and yes it's getting better, but they didn't say all of them are, they said they tend to be. And it was true. Doesn't mean they think they're better for doing something that pleased them more than erotic bl, it doesn't mean they don't want erotic things to exist, it doesn't even mean they don't enjoy stuff that has sex in it (they have recommended plenty of content that is very sexual in the past), just that they weren't interested in it and didn't want to create stuff like that, that's all.

And even then, Nick and Charlie do have sex. This was in her novels and it'll be in Heartstopper, it's just not explicit, because that's not the point of the story. It's not a story to make people horny, it's a story about learning and growing up and being yourself. It's really nothing to do with purity. It just resonates with people who aren't overly sexual because we just barely have queer stories that aren't overly sexual.

Saying they're racist is also a really huge stretch given they're obviously giving space for black and asian characters in their story. It's not gonna be as well done as if it was created by an asian or black person but they're clearly not racist.

Again, I do under where you're coming from, if they DID think they were better and wanted all shows to be sexless I would even agree with you, it's just not what they meant at all.

I'm answering this because I appreciate you being open-minded towards me as well. The screenshot is from around 2017, which while that is quite a while ago, they were still around 22 at the time, which I think does show that they deserve some grace in having the opinion they did/possibly still do. It's not necessarily my issue that they felt this way at that time, my concern comes from them not really addressing the statement in any way since then. Now, at 28 years old, if they felt differently, why not clarify? Especially considering that this is a topic that gets brought up regularly. Whether she chooses to double down on this opinion or express how her thoughts have changed in the last six years, I do feel that they are certainly aware that this is a concern people have.

I am also Ace, for clarity. I understand that having pieces of media based around romantic relationships SO heavily focus on the physical/sexual aspect is not something people want all the time. I'm not arguing that it's a necessary thing in all media, just that it shouldn't be demeaned, as it is a part of romantic relationships for a lot of people. I'm incredibly happy to see representation that I relate to in Loveless, it's a beautiful story and I think Alice is a really good author. I also believe that it's incredibly important to have queer media that can be rated PG or PG-13 available so that kids have an opportunity to see queer stories. Having that type of media exist means that any kid can enjoy these stories and develop empathy for queer people, as well as potentially explore their own queerness at an age appropriate level.

I 100% agree that HS doesn't need explicit sex, I state that in my original post. It would be out of place for multiple reasons in the universe that Alice created. I would like to say though, that explicit scenes in media of any type are not always included with the purpose of making someone horny. Can they be? Sure. But they can also be included as a way of further exploring the personal connection between characters, to add detail to the growth of their relationship, depth to their characters. In visual media specifically, it's important to SHOW growth as opposed to just saying it's happening. Written work gives us a lot more insight into characters thoughts and feelings, but that's limited in visual media, and seeing how characters interact in intimate scenes is a way to show internal feelings.

As for the last point about racism, I do not think Alice is overtly racist. I appreciate the diversity of her characters, but the inclusion of diverse characters doesn't automatically indicate a lack of racist ideology. JKR is a prime example. Do I think they were being intentionally racist? No. But subconscious racism and biases will ALWAYS be present in white people. It's literally something you have to actively work against. And while they may not have seen their comments then as being potentially harmful or racist, that doesn't mean they are not. Your intentions do not dictate how your words are received or the level of harm they can have. Making blanket statements as a white person about an entire genre that is created and developed by non-white people stereotypes that media and is racist. While Alice at that time may never have imagined the reach her words would have, they still said them, and they have the ability now, with an even greater scope of influence, to express any potential changes in their thoughts regarding things like BL.

#Ask Hallie #Anonymous ask

[medicinemane]

So, this is about a post I saw a few days ago, that I even did a long response to, but then decided it wasn't worth inviting discourse into my life so I'm just going to write about it rather than directly share the post

The post is a screenshot from 4chan of a guy saying he's 19, never had any friends, never had a girlfriend, never had a real job, and that his life is over, and then someone else on 4chan saying "have you tried not being pathetic"

What drives me nuts is 99% of the what people said here on tumblr was just making fun of him for being a "weak model" of human or being melodramatic with only a real handful of people being at all sympathetic. We're talking like 2 people I saw last I checked out of like 1000 notes

So here's my problems with this and I'll try to distill it down more than I did in my response:

First, everyone's laughing at him for being 19 and feeling that way, because they're older and know things change. You're literally laughing at someone for not having the same amount of experience you do in the world and calling them an idiot for... not having the perspective of a 25 year old at 19. You see why that's stupid?

Second, it's just plain unacceptable. I don't care how melodramatic someone is being, if you're laughing at another person expressing anguish you're being an asshole

Third, I saw a few people making comments like just "Hitler" or how he had "Elliot Rodgers vibes" (a spree shooter), or how if he didn't have friends by 19 clearly he was an awful person who caused that to happen

A couple things on that one, first off I'm sure most of these people would say they'd never be ablest, that they support autistic people or whatever, but we literally no nothing about this guy other than what he told us. I can pretty well promise he's depressed, and I can't say for sure but certainly people who are neuroatypical can wind up without friends, unable to work, and otherwise isolated. You don't get to just pull back on making fun of people when you know they have a diagnosis, this is literally just the "I'd never make fun of someone autistic, I just make fun of weirdos" mentality

Other thing is on a personal note when I was in highschool one time I was hanging out with someone from school, and she just out of nowhere says to me that I looked like a school shooter. I don't think it was even meant to be mean because she went right back to normal conversation. I looked like a teen with a beard who usually wore an olive green jacket and kakis. So like comparing this kid to Elliot Rodgers offends me on a personal level because I was told something similar to my face by someone I was friendly with. I don't know what's wrong with some people honestly

Forth, we don't know other people's circumstances. We don't know if this guy is abused at home, we don't know what he deals with. Sometimes people's lives are just as bad as they say they are, they really are just stuck. The sad truth of the world is some people just have miserable lives and then they die in the streets

Just telling someone to pick themselves up isn't helping, actually lending a hand is helping. If you aren't willing to put in the effort to actually help, then shut the hell up. You don't get to start critiquing and advising unless you're willing to get down in the mud with them and start actually doing something

So that's most of my thoughts condensed as much as I can manage. At the core I just find the way people mocked this kid over being hopeless and started assuming things about him disgusting and unacceptable

In highschool everyone liked me, I didn't have any friends. I knew that at the time, I knew everyone at school cared, but not a single one of them every wanted to do anything outside school or anything. Sometimes things like not having friends aren't cut and dry someone being antisocial, sometimes they just don't have any connections deeper than school/work acquaintances who kind of like them. 100% of my friends I met on tumblr, and I have like 2 close ones and like a few more friend where everyone's just busy, and a number of good acquaintances

We don't know this kid's life, but people sure as hell jumped to conclusions, and you want to know what I bet this guy thought about being called pathetic? I bet he thought "they're right, I could fix things if I just wasn't such shit, but I can't fix things so I am pathetic and... I give up"

Anyway, I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on this. I'd sincerely like to hear. I just don't feel like dealing with people likely to argue rather than discuss and I don't talk with brick walls, so I'd rather I keep it to people I actually like on here (and even though there's plenty of followers I've never spoken with you all seem pleasant and civil)

[quinnfabrayapologist]

New niche British celebrity chef drama just dropped

So there's a chef - Jack Monroe, who also goes by Bootstrap Cook.

Jack has spent the last decade with a career about pulling yourself up by your bootstraps/living on a shoestring budget, hence Bootstrap Cook. Jack says they (NB) are a single parent to a 10 year old, fed their child water and weetabix because they couldn't afford proper meals, been homeless with their child, work 100+ hour weeks, used food banks, just scraped by above the poverty line for years and now have a career raising awareness of food poverty.

Jack is now being called a liar. Jack has given 2 stories of how they became homeless, one of which does not involve them actually being homeless (instead on the brink of it and saved themselves just in time) and one of which has them homeless for 2 years. Jack's son's father is also in his life, and has majority custody of Jack's son, so kiddo was unlikely to have been homeless at any point. Jack also explains that kiddo's dad, plus Jack's own parents, helped them out when they were on the poverty line, buying food and offering them a place to stay, so the whole story of them pulling themselves up by their bootstraps, completely by themselves, and 'if I can do it you can too', which has always been Jack's brand, is now in question.

Jack's career is a few things. Primarily an activist bringing attention to cost of living, food prices, governmental extortion. Recently they got chain supermarket Asda to reintroduce their basics line, which is significantly cheaper than the other food products they sell. They had a cookbook out in 2018 via a Kickstarter campaign that began in 2015, and when the book was released there were claims that Jack had scammed the backers, who never received the copies they paid for. Jack now does a few bits and bobs including having another book out, TV appearances, radio, podcasts, just basically what you would expect from a celebrity chef, and has things like Patreon, paypal, Kofi, Tip Jar, etc. The Patreon alone has over 700 subscribers who pay a minimum of £3 a month.

Jack is now claiming that they are once again just barely scraping by, and have had to downgrade from their current residence, a house, to a flat. They also asked a couple of weeks ago about holiday ideas as they have a holiday fund set aside. They posted a picture of their bank account at about -£15 in overdraft to show that they were in poverty. The holiday fund, or any other bank account, was not included in the screenshot.

The person who compiled all of this into a thread has warned people to stop giving Jack money, alleging that they are a middle-class grifter claiming to be working class to get money from people who are actually poor and need advice on how to live on a budget.

Jack has also received criticism for their sanitised brand of a middle class person who has some money issues but pulled themselves out of it alone, as this is rarely true, which is proven if the above allegations that Jack had help are also true.

Jack has also been classist previously with this same logic, stating that they were on £27k a year with their old job and not like the lower-class benefits scroungers who sit at home eating burgers and watching TV. Jack is primarily accused of essentially being the rich man's poor person, a middle-class parent who did everything 'right' and is therefore better than, or more deserving of help than, one of the working-class people born into poverty who Jack themselves has mocked previously.

Jack has responded that they will not account for every little expense to weirdos on twitter making callout posts, they will not platform baseless accusations from said weirdos on twitter, and alleged transphobia/homophobia on account of Jack being non binary and bi.

My view FWIW: I've known about the inconsistencies in Jack's story for a while, but Jack has been such a major voice that I just assumed I'd misunderstood. Jack and I both come from Southend, Essex, which my family moved away from due to the obscenely high cost of living, and within that Jack is living in the 'nice' part of town with mini mansions and sea views. This isn't to say that I'm jealous, because I'm not, but I do tend to get a bit sus if a celeb gets called out and then instead of responding or ignoring it just goes off on a rant saying that they won't respond to that person?

#jack monroe #shit is WILD #are they cancelled? are they not? who's to say?

[qnfarc]

Hello legend it's so late rn so if you have notifs on this is my apology note but let me know how the bookstore went today!! Or if you ended up seeing anything you liked / bought 👀 I had a little look at my reading list (it's my 10 year old ipads iBooks app full of downloaded pdfs. I update it like every 8 months from my folder of screenshots of anyone praising any book ever) and I have a few extra little recs if you ever find yourself stuck for something. I say that like we both probably don't have 100s of recs already but ignore that fact.

The most promising to me looked like "the elephant in the brain" which talks about hidden motives in everyday life (according to the synopsis 💀). I do enjoy a good insight on the mind now I will say big enjoyer. I've got some Carl Jung books in this list as well but I feel like I need to get back in the habit of reading before I start biting off those pieces. It's gonna take every brain cell in my head to pull together on it and I just don't have that capacity rn bye. Another sexy read looks to be "permenant record" by Edward Snowden who basically worked for some national intelligence company and a few years back leaked some fucked up tracing shit they were doing on consumers. Gotta love being reminded about my internet footprint, god I hate the thought. Might be practically common knowledge in that book at this point, not sure but it sounded promising! On a fiction note I'm like 2/3s in (on/off for the last literal year) "the babysitter" by Phoebe Morgan. I quite like it, it's weird to read something in first person but you get used to it quick enough. It's about a girl who was babysitting (we're all shocked) who got murdered on the job (now we're actually shocked) and basically following the case, but following one suspect more than others. I can't say if it's actually going to be predictable or not because I haven't got there (and at this rate I might never make it) but it's an easy read and an enjoyable one!

Bye I wish I had this knowledge in the morning for you this is so sad but I hope you picked up something good for yourself! I love the idea of getting a rec like this and going off and reading it's so sweet 😭😭😭 I wish I had more to offer you here and not just the vibes of books goodbye but hopefully something in these recs strikes your fancy. I know I said this earlier but literally flood with me with as many recs as you want, it might take genuine years but I'll read them no doubt 😼 I actually really need to cut down on my screentime these days (I hit 9 hours this week in one day 💀💀 and I don't want to know how, I'm blaming Spotify podcasts. I'm gonna find out it doesn't count time when the screens off and just genuinely scream) / expand my ever depreciating attention span once more, so reading sounds so sexy rn 😍 enjoy the upcoming weekend legend we got MCC day up and coming. I also hope the internship slaps so far, I'm so excited for you!! I'm wishing you the nicest coworkers, supervisor, manager, the chefs working the cafeteria, the whole team I hope they're lovely and make your time even more enjoyable!! I will catch up properly with you soon, I actually started responding to your ask from like two months ago today 😭 I'm really out here causing us the biggest time delay in conversations it's unbelievable, but I will chat to you soon legend!! Have a good day <33

Hello hello, no need to apologise, always happy to hear from you ^_^ I went very nicely, package was basically presents for my friends but I did end up finding and buying Almond! Walking around in bookstores is a trap for real tho, I had the urge to buy such a big stack of books and start reading immediately. Definitely took some photos of titles to look around online for them, buying from websites always will end up cheaper than in actual bookstore after all. Thanks to that gotta get reading vibe I got I finally got around to cleaning up somewhat and adding stuff to my reading list on storygraph account I made a long while ago and it ended up being 200+ positions and that's definitely not all of them even 😭 I'm such a book collector tbh I love having physical copies of books but I also always fear I'll end up not liking what I bought and waste money... Seeing photos of other people's bookshelves filled with manga or books always makes me want to spend so much money and have similar sized collection 😭 I'll add all your recs to my tbr and definitely read them at one point! I'm also big fun of psychology and mind insights! Similarly horror isn't really my thing but psychological thrillers? Yes 😍 I'm struggling with finishing Girl on the train for a year or two now... It's alright, just not a big fun of how much antagonising each other there is between female characters when chapters are from their povs like understandable but also tiring to read through in my experience. I also really like the idea of giving someone book, music or any other recs, it gives me quality time love language feel, wanting to include someone in something, it's very sweet! I definitely will end up giving you more recs especially cause it's summer so still more time to indulge yourself. Especially cause I often just get a little overwhelmed with how much different interesting media there is to consume, like books, anime & manga, tv shows, movies, games and so many sub genres to all of it, gives me "WOW creation!!!" feeling! I really need to cut down too, mostly yt but the moment I actually end up opening twt or tiktok it ends up such a big time consumer when I could get some nice reading in (I also end up reading fanfics from recs but still some actual books couldn't hurt 💀), definitely would appreciate longer attention span. I also spent longer than usual on genshin with new areas opened to explore for summer event, looks very nice and time really flies when you play 😔 There was MCC yesterday🧍🏻‍♀️...I completely forgot, literally remembered somewhere around midnight and checked twitter to see who won. Feeling conflicted cause on the one hand I always have my fingers crossed for George win but if he and his team ended up winning that one MCC when I forgot about it I would feel so annoyed 😐 Also heard there was some drama with noxcrew and dream and I try to be fair but when many players end up voicing displeasure over glitches in games or the way games are constructed than throwing it all as just biased complaining and hate is definitely not what I would expect from people who should care about feedback and enhancing the players and viewers experience, very immature move in my opinion especially with community that is so vast in people with a lot of knowledge about mechanics and creativity to resolve issues or propose ideas for modyfing games. And thank you, it pretty small team so everyone is understanding and nice, definitely enjoyable so far! After I read what was going on in your place, I'm so happy you had opportunity to get away from that quick, definitely more stressful environment than it should be! I also had opportunity to work remotely so I could go home for some time and finally have opportunity to go to hairdresser on Tuesday so maybe I'll fulfill my ideas of changing hair colour for a while, dark purple sounds kinda fun and cute 🤔 And no worries, take your time, it's always worth it to read your thoughts ^_^ Have a nice Sunday and week sunshine 💛

(also sorry if I answered twice, last answer didn't want to publish and I didn't save so I ended up having to type it out again, hopefully it'll work now)

[papirouge]

More women are talking about the pain of iud insertion so I hope this brings up the topic of just why do girls have to do this in the first place. We don’t and shouldn’t honestly. I never had an iud but every girl I know who had talked about how they threw up, fainted, needed excessive pain killers. And no surprise, pain killers were denied to most black women. This isn’t right

Also babe, was that a screenshot from lolcow on your last post lol I was gonna say you’d probably like LSA too if you haven’t visited there

I remember (a long) time ago when I was considering getting contraceptives of an IUD. I've always been scared of pills (cancerigen) but non hormonal ones seems less harmful. Thankfully I had a classmate who has one and she told me she had struggled quite a lot with it (irregular bleeding, cramps even out of the periods time, etc) so I eventually gave up.

So yeah, contraceptives are a big no to me.

And yes, that was a screenshot of lolcow lol Touché !

I've been doomscrolling on it since yesterday day. I have a love-hate relationship with this website bc the most retarded takes coexist with the most hilarious & based takes.

For example they'll go off against aging scrotes dating younger women, but have a weird obsession with an actor (don't remember his name, he was the Scarlet Witch brother in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron) dating (and marrying) a 42 years old woman who groomed him on the set of a movie she directed when he was still 17 years old... For some reason they are simping hard for him and say how jealous they are of her and seethe at every comment saying how creepy this age gap/grooming situation was. These femcel truly believe female groomers is a progress towards sex equality/a dunk against patriarchy....smh Btw that predator got pregnant a year later after they 'started' the relationship (so he was 18). They call her a queen for leaving her husband and 2 children (who were around her new boyfriend age) and getting a hot new thing.... Typical femscrote behavior

Oh and there are also stupid Amber Heard stan who are still seething at Deep lmao who else is gonna tell them that as problematic and ugly Depp was, their deranged queen has still chosen to date him? 💀 Whenever they go like "DePp iS nOt gOnNa fUck yOu" we should clap back: "I know, Amber did it instead" 🙃 This self burn will never not be funny imo lmaoo

The tinfoil thread is interesting too. I got some new ammo about the Hunter Biden case (100% he's a pedo and a bunch of his files that are hidden are incriminating him on this). I got some nice tea and pics evidence so I like lurking on it to build up my #papiconspiracy archive. I had no idea he was rumoured to have preyed on Malia Obama 🥴 (in the leaked files, there are pics of coke lines with her Goldman Sachs card lol)

And yes I occasionally browse LSA but I this website can be so frickin stupid at times....

I remember that thread about the Smiths kids and OP asking why they weren't mainstream and ppl were like so weirdly defensive about them whenever ppl replied they weren't liked bc they were nepo kids and these girls were like "every other races is ok with nepotism so why is that a problem with Black people!!!" and I my eyes literally rolled out of my head at that strawman because THE HATE OF NEPOTISM IS SHARED BY ALL DEMOGRAPHICS. NO ONE likes nepo kids, period. Why are the Kardashians unanimously hated? the Hadids? actors from celebrities parents (doesn't one of Stranger Things girl gets crap for having a celebrity actor parent)?? That's the thing that irks me the most in LSA: whenever a bad behavior in the Black community is pointed out, there are always people who are like "bUt tHe wHitEs dO tHat tOo!!" k?? AND?? If the Whites collectively throw themselves out of a window does that mean it's ok for Black people to do that as well?? Truly shows the weird inferiority complex of these folks who use Whites as some sort of reference.... The people in the Smith thread were acting so smug pointing out that Black ppl were hypocrite bc we pretend rooting for Black people but were not here for these (nepo) kids.....as if someone Black was enough for us to blindly support them regardless of their background 🫠 they really took the Issa Rae meme a tad too far.....

So yeah LSA can be funny but is also super retarded in the same time. That's why I very seldomly go there. I like going there to know at what time US Black women are💅🏾

#answered

[nonsamaro]

anon:

Hey! Lord this blog is a blast from the past. I used to know your system back in the alloaro server days which was such a long time ago. But anyways, I can empathize with your problem. When I first became host a year and a half ago I was lost because the old host had a lot of things and I didn't want part in any of it. And yk what there was no shame in just leaving that shit in the past. People grow, yk? No one blames you are leaving the label leaving whatever else in the past, if it's not what resonates with you leave it. Trust me trying to live up to old hosts things is... frustrating to say the least. I wish you luck and I'm sending you love

hi, sorry im answerin yer ask like this, but unfortunately smiley faces are still a trigger, but I didn't wanna just ignore the entire message bc of it and my font is blasted on my phone so editin screenshots just get wonky fast

hearin the "alloaro server" be mentioned is honestly funny though. cause I mean. it was supposed to be welcomin to not-ace aros, but it truthfully was just an alloaro server with non sam aros tacked on for "inclusion"... smth which old host has ranted upon many times. and I do have a lot of issues with the idea of empathy/empathizin, although thats probably my gut reaction as a local sociopath tryin to run away from emapths at every corner. anyways

it's not that I want to abandon the blog, or at least not the idea of a queer-focused blog, I just. hate old host with a vengeance, 100% would 1v1 to the death for sport with them if they weren't already gone. and this blog is them. and I know so ppl use the non sam aro label and it existed before they identified with it, but with the flag bein their creation and ultimately helpin the spike in non sam aro's general recognition of at least a thing that exists... it kind of feels like their thing u know? idk. the thing is I'd probably identify as a non sam aro proudly if it weren't for old host's existence, if it werent for the trauma endured by pretendin to be them for months while sufferin with the desire to be myself. but trauma is forbidden to be a reason for why u do or don't identify with a term, right ? (/s but also /insecure idk djdhdhdj)

but honestly. I don't know if this blog's possible deletion would actually effect anything, sadly. even on the queer wiki's theres not even so much as a small link to the original post or any mention of why the flag is the way it is. the flag completely has lost all of its history, and this blog feels like the only thing keepin the flag, one of old host's biggest creations, from bein shred and devoid of it's original meanin and purpose.

how many people know why the colour is blue? how many people know why the flag is "upside down"? do people even know that the flag is "upside down" at all (re: last reblog)? can they even point to the creator despite the fact they literally held (or still hold idk) the url that is just point blank the name of the identity? do they even know why the flag was created? do they know the original terms and conditions of use of the flag before the creator almost disowned the flag because of repeated violation? do they even know what is non sam arophobic if they aren't non sam aro themselves?

like yeah, it's 5 stripes any1 could have done truthfully. but it was never just a flag, it was supposed to be a tool to be able to speak on issues, and flags are one of the most easily recognizable things to become a "valid" identity. and yes, I hate old host, but these things still upset me, whether or not I am non sam aro.

sorry to go off, and I do appreciate the sentiment of your message.... am just in a confusin place atm

#ask #anon #info #idk tags on this blog. its a mess jskdhfjfjf #I am Thinkin #lmao #oh yeah one thing that left me wheezin was someone usin a combo w/ another id non sam aro flag to be the nsa flag #im short handin to nsa now u cannot stop me. but idk like #just small things like that. like if u google nsa flag all that comes up is the original flag. how did they make that mistake? #I head in hands moment.

[jolliestlolli]

Jolly's Friday Blog Update - Dec 9th 2022

Nearly forgot about this shit lmao.

What a week. I could really go for some MJ right about now but it's looking like I probably won't be having a green Christmas if you know what I mean.

So let's get down to brass tacks: Writing. I haven't done a lot of it this week, there I admitted it. To say I didn't write at all would be inaccurate, but the most I did was some extremely self-indulgent crap that is not meant for virgin eyes to read. Other than that all I really did was make some minor edits to stuff I've written with a very close friend of mine, and even then I know I could have probably done more. Oh well, there's always the weekend.

I had my first ever CT scan this week. Lately my health has sort of been on the decline, and we're hoping to get some answers soon. The truth is I haven't really been well for a long time now, I've been dealing with varying degrees of stomach trouble since I was at least 10 or 11. You might remember in my Author's Notes on my latest Ao3 story The Greatest, I mentioned how I recently got very very sick and was still not 100% recovered at the time that story got uploaded. I'd say I'm doing a lot better but the reality is I'm still dealing with the same issues I've been dealing with for close to a decade now, I've just gotten to a point where I'm like "This is a normal level of pain for me, therefor I'm perfectly fine". IDK what they'll find on the CT Scan, if they'll find anything at all. I almost hope they do just so I can finally get some damn answers. Whatever happens, I'll say this: I'll be happy if I never have to chug an entire bottle of Barium Sulfate again for the rest of my life.

As far as self-care is concerned, I at least have a decent morning routine in place: Wake up, shower, cook myself breakfast, take a walk around the neighborhood to try to wake myself up. Sure, there's room for improvement; I need to start remembering to brush my teeth everyday before they rot right out of my mouth. Oh also! Last night my mom found this old journal I was using back in 2020 to keep track of everything I ate and drank that day, and what my stomach pain was like. I can't entirely remember why I stopped. I feel like it had something to do with the fact that on some days, I couldn't remember what I ate, or if I even ate anything at all. Or maybe I eventually just couldn't be bothered anymore. Who knows. Bottom line, I'm gonna try to get back into the habit of writing in that journal.

Anyways, on another topic: My best friend and I finally started watching the 3rd and final season of Dead To Me last night, which I have been waiting for for a stupidly long time. If you don't know what Dead To Me is, stop whatever you're currently doing, go on Netflix, and watch it right fucking now. You will not regret it. The fact that it hasn't gotten nearly the level of international recognition that certain other Netflix shows have gotten is a crime and an injustice and I will do everything in my power to rectify this mistake. The basic plot is: Jen Harding is a mother of two that was recently widowed after her husband died in a hit and run. At a grief support group, she ends up meeting Judy Hale, and the two of them form a close bond. But Judy has some skeletons in her closet, and she's not even the only one.

My shitty summary probably doesn't even do the show justice, it's just that good. I can't even go into any real detail without giving away a small fraction of the many twists and turns the story takes. You have to see it to know what I'm talking about. We're about 3 episodes in and I'm just super nervous to see how the whole thing concludes, and I have slight PTSD from the last time I got super hyped over a new season of a show I love to pieces only to be horrifically betrayed... (*cough* *cough* The Promised Neverland *cough* *cough* *cough*)

Anyway that's all I can really think to talk about for now, see y'all on Monday. I'll go ahead and leave you with this screenshot of a funny exchange I had with my best friend last night:

#Jolly's Bi-weekly Blog Update #chronic illness #self care #dead to me #netflix

[williamhaahr]

These Minecraft Ancient City Redesigns Are Gloriously Green

Minecraft builders are renovating 1.19 update's ancient cities as if they were never destroyed.

As as if the dark and gloomy world of Minecraft 1.19 wasn't enough, intrepid builders are out there re-imagining entire Minecraft 1.19's ancient cities. There is a little light building in between other projects.

The massive structures that have been destroyed deep underground are spooky by default: ruined pillars dotting the dark, covered in sculk blocks , and shriekers ready to summon a warden should you not be careful when you enter their territory.

Perhaps the wardens are unhappy because their homes have fallen into disrepair. Fortunately, builders are restoring the old cities to restore them to their former splendor. Some have been completely renovated with lush cave plants to prove that they used be living cities that could sustain life. Some add lore of their own and brighten the dark with an abundance of bright blocks. At least one of them decided to keep the spooky feel. Perhaps the ancient cities were always dangerous. The builders were often so determined that they built their buildings in a hardcore manner and were not creative. I won't be caught doing that.

These builds make use of the top Minecraft texture packs and shaders to create vibrant and vivid atmospheres. Here are some of the most original and beautiful designs of the ancient city, along with hyperlinks to the creators. As always, this is the latest in incredible Minecrafting. We've also collected some really impressive desert temple redesigns, underwater bases, and many more of the best Minecraft designs.

The restored city of Unsorted Guy brings back the dark, deep time before it was overrun by sculk and wardens. Unsorted Guy shows how he began by replacing all the sculk in the city with deepslate blocks. He also transformed the ceilings into stalactites and brought in tons and tons of vines from the lush caves. Unsorted Guy also moves grass blocks, digs out a stream, and creates his own version of an old city farm. This place truly was alive at one time. With all that water, the final construction certainly has a hidden mountain city feel to it.

I'm getting big Atlantis vibes off this reimagined ancient city created by Andyisyoda. There's also a ton of greenery being added to the scene. It's hard to believe that these underground cities were ever dull and gray.

The timelapse of the build shows Andyisyoda building amazing bridges over a layer water and dripping with vines. They also kept some of the spookiness going with the lava moat that runs around the massive portal. At the end of the day, they've got an entire sunken city surrounded by towers, massive draping greenery and walls of lights.

As if creating the city manually wasn't difficult enough, Fixxitt412 has managed it in complete survival mode, meaning no life after death, over the course of 100 days. Fixxitt's design is also extremely green, with manicured areas of flowers and farms, but they haven't completely eradicated all sculk, which feels like a nice addition.

The building has a magical feeling to it, with lots and of light and stained-glass emanating from the copper conduits at the top of the central portal. There are even homes for the villager to live in the deep darkness. I'm curious about how long they'll last. Roof info

Another lush subterranean city was built by RandomGgames (opens in new tab) and OceanManRulesZaWardo. The one that is more overgrown and may even be as abandoned as other cities of the past. It is surrounded by a lot of vines, leaves, and traditional glowstone blocks to illuminate it, similar to other beautiful green buildings. It looks like the pair have cleared away nearly all the sculk and have replaced it with wood walkways and deepslate arches.

This "build" is actually just two screenshots (opens new tab), but it's a pretty good image, and I couldn't resist sharing it for the other inspirational seekers in this room.

This is the total opposite of all the peaceful, green recreations of the ancient city. Seggie could have made this area more frightening than a Nether fortress if it ever happened. The skull archway and the blue flames are very foreboding.

This is not a Minecraft build. This is an actual Lego set design based off the ancient cities cooked up by Veyniac540 (opens in new tab). It's an absolute delight. They've even put together the construction instructions and list of parts in case you want to build it yourself (opens in new tab). After you're done with Minecraft There are also parts and instructions to help you.

#Roof info #Roof Is On Fire

[kexing-wen]

incorrect wenzhou quotes (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12)

#wenzhou #word of honor #zhou zishu #wen kexing #tyk wkx prob laughing in the bg #anyway happy pride month <3 #i used the last screenshot like 100 times but never gets old #incorrect woh

[the-hot-zone]

Too Old To Play With Toys: The Sad Truth Behind Sokka's Boomerang

This is Sokka’s boomerang: 

[ID: a screenshot of Sokka’s boomerang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has just been thrown, and it whips through the air in a rapid, whirling motion. End ID.]

And as we all know, it always comes back. This characteristic makes Sokka’s boomerang a returning boomerang, rather than a hunting boomerang. This is an important distinction to make, and it’s where the heart of this headcanon lays. Let me explain. 

Accuracy: What’s the Difference Between Hunting and Throwing Boomerangs?

There are three types of boomerangs: the hunting boomerang, the returning boomerang, and the cross boomerang. We’re only going to be discussing hunting and throwing boomerangs, but feel free to learn about cross boomerangs and their construction--they’re really cool. As a general note: the following sources and information pertain to Aboriginal Australian cultures. Boomerangs were used elsewhere, but mainly as throwing sticks, not returning boomerangs.

So, hunting boomerangs, also known as throwing sticks or kylies, have this basic shape:

[ID: a black silhouette of a hunting boomerang. It is shaped like a skinny tear drop, with a slight curve along its form, and it widens asymmetrically at its ends. End ID.]

[ID: an overhead shot of three hunting boomerangs. They are carved from glossy, light-brown wood. End ID.]

Artist: Aboriginal Elder, Joe Skeen Snr. Buy here.

The hunting boomerang is straighter, larger, longer, and deadlier than the returning boomerang. “With it,” states the Britannica, “animals were maimed and killed, while in warfare it caused serious injuries and death.” This is due to its shape, which allows it to travel in a relatively straight line. With its capability for distance and force, the hunting boomerang is a very powerful tool. 

According to Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones, a hunting boomerang can travel around 100 meters. If the boomerang is heavy enough, and the throw forceful enough, large prey, like kangaroos, can be killed. If you want to see a hunting boomerang in action, watch sections of this Youtube video. The range and accuracy of this tool are amazing. 

The returning boomerang, which was used in eastern and western parts of Australia, is very different:

[ID: a black silhouette of a returning boomerang. It has two arms that widen towards the middle and connect, forming an angled shape, like a triangle with two sides. End ID.]

[ID: a painted returning boomerang. The base is formed from a smooth, light-colored wood. Designs are painted at the end of its wings, in the middle of its wings, and towards its center. At the center is a stylized turtle. End ID.]

Artist: unknown, but sold by Aboriginal-owned business Murra Wolka. Website here. 

As you can see, the returning boomerang is shorter, smaller, and angled sharply. The shape of it allows it to trace an elliptical path, thus returning to the thrower. But this property is not without its drawbacks:

“A hunting boomerang needs to fly well and nearly straight to strike prey some 200 metres away. The trouble is that the best-flying boomerangs tend to return, rarely departing beyond fifty metres from the thrower. With the returning form ‘there is no certainty of hitting the mark. It may come back too quickly and may hit your own friends standing near you.’ While recognising that the best-flying boomerangs do return, Aborigines defined a technological problem. They needed to strike a compromise between flying ability and hunting requirements...” (Australian Museum).

Now, the returning boomerang could still be used to hunt, but not to kill or maim prey. Its application was craftier:

“When hunting ducks, for example, nets were set up at either ends of a creek or river. A boomerang was then thrown out over the ducks which gave them a scare so that they took off up the river and flew directly into the nets. From there they were collected. At other times during the hunting of birds the returning boomerang was thrown horizontally along the ground into a flock, and, as they took off the boomerang would follow them into the air. This may or may not kill the bird and a harder way to hunt” (murruppi.com).

Still, this wasn’t the main application of the returning boomerang. In actuality, it was used as a toy:

“The returning boomerang was not primarily designed for hunting as it is too light and wouldn't guarantee a kill. Rather, it was designed as a toy for young aboriginal boys. The toy would allow a youngster to practice throwing skills but still make it fun” (murrippi.com). 

So, Sokka’s boomerang? A plaything.

Let’s Bring It Back to ATLA: What Does This Mean?

With the above information, Sokka’s use of his boomerang in canon becomes almost tragic. His boomerang was probably given to him by Hakoda when he was very young. He used it to learn how to throw; one day, when he was older, he would have carved his own throwing stick, and used it to hunt alongside his dad and the other adults of his tribe. 

Instead, Sokka’s boomerang is another aspect of his childhood that was twisted by the war. His boomerang is--should have been--nothing more than a toy. He shouldn’t have had to use it to fend off Zuko, attack Azula, and defeat Combustion Man. Regardless, it did become a tool he used to help defeat the Fire Nation, and that’s pretty fitting when it comes to ATLA’s ideas of childhood and war: Sokka spent years acting as his tribe’s protector; Katara spent longer acting as a mother. Thus, his use of his boomerang throughout the show displays how Sokka was forced into a war-torn world at an incredibly, unfairly young age. As a result, he was forced to adapt in ways that took from him. 

And we’ve all seen Sokka’s boomerang in action. Here’s a video of his greatest hits--literally. His accuracy is insane, and he catches his boomerang every time. He’s more than ready to have a hunting boomerang, yet we see him use his returning boomerang throughout the show, and long after he earns his ice dodging mark. Tbh? I think that Sokka didn’t want to carve a hunting boomerang without his dad guiding his hands. 

So, you might be wondering, what happens post-war? 

Eventually, I think Sokka retires his returning boomerang and carves his own hunting boomerang, but the shape of it is particular: 

“Some scientists argue that a throwing-stick, commonly used by indigenous hunters around the world, is the precursor of the boomerang... Through trial-and-error the boomerang was refined to a point where the most desirable size, proportions and curvature were established. This refinement brought one serious problem: any improvement in flying resulted in a tendency to return. There is little doubt that indigenous hunters brought this experiment to its ultimate conclusion, by producing the perfect returning boomerang” (Australian Museum).

In short, making a good hunting boomerang is hard. Lots of trial and error, and still, hunting boomerangs come in a wide array of shapes. Thus, I headcanon that Sokka carves his hunting boomerang differently, as compared to the other members of his tribe--it’s more curved. This would show that although he's grown up and is in a post-war world, he's changed in some ways that can't be completely undone. 

In other words, Sokka eventually moves on, but the way he throws and uses his boomerang is going to be a little different.

Conclusion

TL;DR: Sokka’s boomerang is a plaything, and this has sad implications. But also? He never should have had one in the first place. Firstly, boomerangs were traditionally made from green hardwood, which I don’t believe can be found in the South Pole. I on god can’t find any authentic sources for bone or metal boomerangs. To be more accurate and still keep with the trend of throwing weapons, I would’ve given Sokka a nuqaq and darts or a bola.

Also, as far as I can tell, Sokka’s boomerang is the only aspect of Aboriginal Australian culture Bryke used in ATLA (I can’t get a confirmation on Hakoda’s name). This is cherry-picking to the max, and it perpetuates the harmful ideas of pan-indigeneity wrt one large, singular culture. 

So, if you enjoyed this, please consider supporting aboriginal artists and charities. You can buy aboriginal art from murrippi.com and Murra Wolka. This article here provides a list of charities as well as active GoFundMe’s for families affected by police brutality against Aboriginal Australians. Thank you.

Sources

“Hunting Boomerang - Extreme Range - The Aboriginal Karli” by Throwsticks Channel

“Boomerang Information“ by Murruppi, Djirrbal/Ngadjonji Tribe 

“Boomerang” by the Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors for the Encyclopaedia Britannica

“It Comes Back ... What a Nuisance!“ by Stan Florek for Australian Museum 

Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones from Wikipedia 

Murra Wolka 

Gonna tag @atlaculture​​​ because I think this is of your interest. <3

#atla #avatar the last airbender #sokka #atla meta #atla headcanons #atla hc #YES this is angsty shhhhhhh #am I doing meta right?

[hmspogue]

Outer Banks season 2 Official Trailer shot-by-shot rundown

A comprehensive post where I scream about analyze the entire trailer frame by frame for clues, theories, and plot. Just my own opinions and general tin foil-hatting

These are screenshots from Netflix’s trailer for Outer Banks season 2. I do not claim or own any of these.

note: this post is tagged as a long post if you wish to avoid having to scroll until your thumbs break.

“My old man used to tell me, ‘it’s best to never say you’ve hit rock bottom’.”

(Putting all of these shots together since they’re scenes we already know but-) Holy shit, okay let’s just....start off like this I guess, damn.

“'Trust me’, he said...”

Kiara looking back and forth between the boys like this really just feeds the headcanon I have that her form of grief this season is going to be her trying to hold it together for their sakes (and eventually just snapping).

JJ just looks fucking furious someone give these kids a hug? I already know this scene is going to ruin me.

“You can always go...”

JJ back working at the hotel. He looks literally so angry again in this scene I could see him self destructing at work and losing his job? (Please do not be isolating yourself you beautiful son of a bitch even though I know you’re going to).

Pope in the Twinkie (costuming wise they all are in warmer looking clothes for some of the shots, so just confirming it’s a little bit into the school year when this all takes place).

“Lower”

Big John was real big into pep talks, I see. (seriously can you imagine Big John having this conversation with like 8 year old John B after he fucking dropped his ice cream cone or some shit I shouldn’t be laughing).

I’m just-

These poor kids, I wanna know how the police all the way down in the Bahama’s knew about them?

Their calves....

“RUN!”

Are going to be so fucking jacked by the end of this season I stg.

Fuck you.

“The gold from the Royal Merchant....it’s here.”

For a while, I had thought that maybe they didn’t even make it to the Bahama’s at the front of the season and ended there (because everyone had been filming in there). But I guess they’re going to be making two trips.

If I were a bird from this POV I’d shit right on that house no questions asked.

oooooh ho hokay. Just so we’re clear. Ward Cameron not only get away with murder and about two dozen other felonies, but-

“Half a billion.”

HE STILL FINDS THE GOLD IN THE CRAIN HOUSE AND GETS TO KEEP IT?

Not the polo with the snap back, I just know this man has a playlist called Sad Boi Hours that is just Juice WRLD’s top 5 songs on Spotify and he tells his friends they wouldn’t know the underground artists he listens to.

Sh, you have lost screaming privileges. Go inside and take a nap maybe.

“John B, we are fugitives in a foreign country.”

So, previously, I was talking about how I was confused how they would still be trying to find him is everyone thought he was dead, but here the wanted poster clearly says “presumed lost at sea”. I think that will be interesting to see how the Pogues all interpret that. 

Especially because they already had a memorial for John B and everything, I wonder if there will be any part of the Pogues holding out hope that they both could still be out there OUCH.

I’m going to circle back to this, but it looks like John B and Sarah are going to get separated for a little while in this man hunt, I could see my idiot himbo son trying to sacrifice himself so Sarah can get away but in reality just....stranding her.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid?”

Oh, sweetie....

“Well, Sarah Cameron, I do stupid things all the time without realizing it.”

The volume of his self awareness is astronomical. sir, that is your whole character summed up in your own words.

GOD, IT’S ME AGAIN. PLEASE LET THEM LEAN INTO COMPLETE HIMBO JOHN B THIS SEASON I’LL DO ANYTHING-

nyyooooOOOOOOOOOOOOM-

“Hold on!”

The complete abject terror I would feel having John Booker Routledge driving get-away and then saying the words “Hold on” while reaching fro the gear shift? The english language fails me. 

Sarah, bestie, I’m so sorry.

I just wanna know-

what the plan or objective was in this situation. What was the reason for being this dramatic.

Rest in piss, bozo <3

“Ward’s still out there...”

Okay, same conversation they were having as before. I wonder what makes them decide they need to get back to the OBX for this tho.

“I can clear my name. This can all be over in one shot.”

It looks like Topper watching this but way more concerningly, correct me if I’m wrong but this 100% looks like....John B gets caught. And the DEATH PENALTY?! He did have a mug shot for the fliers in s1 and the one above but he was never brought in? Plus he just looks super dirty and dishevled in this one so I-

Jail break anyone?

I also still want to know if they’re going to go with a Topper redemption arc this season. like, does he know more than he should just from being around Rafe and his big fat mouth? Is he going to help out the Pogues even if it’s just for Sarah?

This shot just suddenly made me really sad. The thought of this all started because Big John left one last thing for his son to find, his literal life’s work. And when it all started, it was just a fun adventure John B and his best friends were going on together and having fun with. Then it all got dragged to absolute shit and turned into what it did, including the remaining 3 Pogues thinking that this treasure hunt took their two best friends away from them. And it’s nothing like Big John intended it to be.

Why my eyes wet?

Now we’re edging into what I was talking about earlier with John B and Sarah getting separated.

“If you think there is anything I wouldn’t do...”

Once again, John B is no where to be found. Also, just in case y’all didn’t already know or forgot Ward is an actual psychopath.

I believe this one of the new character, played by Jontavious Johnson (Stubbs). Based on the voice over it lowkey sounds like they’re implying Ward maybe hired Stubbs and Cleo to find and bring Sarah back. My theory would be I bet they do go to retrieve her, but she somehow convinces them that it would be more beneficial for them in the end to be on the Pogue’s side instead.

Miss Girl you gotta be keeping your head on a SWIVEL. Especially when you’re a FUGITIVE of the LAW-

“...you haven’t been paying attention.”

My guy, who are you clarifying this for?

It’s what you deserve for monologuing.

in all seriousness, the idea of them coming to face to face with Ward in Nassau after thinking they finally escaped him is genuinely terrifying.

“SARAH!”

It kind of looks like they’re either hiding their faces or covering their noses? I don’t know maybe it was from some tactic to get away from Ward.

What did I literally jsut say about yelling privileges, you unhinged mother fucker?

“I’m calling the shots now. I’m driving.”

The following progression of scenes made me actually snort-

“I can’t drive stick.”

PLEASE THE FINGER GUNS LAUNCHED ME INTO ORBIT I LOVE THEM, YOUR HONOR.

Alright, so now it looks like we’re in Charleston. This is the same scene with Heyward’s truck that got leaked from BTS (read: JJ and Kie shoulder touch).

One of the main things that stuck out to me in the following scenes which, you will see, is it lowkey looks like Pope is kind of heading up this part of the operation, or even going in alone? The following clips are just very Pope focused. 

I don’t know what it means, it’s just an observation.

“John B was not the only one that Ward double-crossed.”

LIMBRY-

Bro, we have been hearing about this woman for literal months and I just have....so many questions? 

Who the hell is she? How is she connected to Ward? Why is she in South Carolina instead of the OBX? How do the Pogues even learn about her and how to track her down? How is she meant to “help” them? GAH I JUST WANNA KNOOOW. I already know I don’t trust her though and no I will not be offering up supporting evidence.

Sir, that is my son please unhand him.

“I think you know what I want.”

.......no? But feel....free to explain yourself?

The print on the paper is the same one that’s on the ceiling tiles in the following scene. Obviously, with a key on it that most likely goes to the place a few shots from now.

Hell yeah, son, let’s get SLEUTHING.

“The treasure belongs to the Pogues.”

DAMN STRAIGHT.

Bestie’s I’m not going to lie, I stared at this frame for a solid 10 minuets and I have no idea what it says on there I’m sorry. Someone in the comments is welcome to enlighten us.

“We gotta find it first.”

I can’t tell if that’s just dirt or if he hurt his head? But he look GOOD right now for one thing. For another, same outfit as the one in the Twinkie from the beginning of the trailer.

Look at her. LooK AT HER! LOOK! AT! HER! I MISSED HER SO MUCH even in that damn smiley face top that continues to haunt my waking hours she is in it so much and it stresses me out for literally no good reason I’m sorry-

I could literally cry right now and I think that speaks volumes to how little we actually see him genuinely happy. Have I mentioned how much I love that red hat?

Also, probably not that important, but this is not from the same scene as the shots of Pope and Kiara were. This is from the next one-

“Woogity-woogity?”

“Give me some woogity, baby!”

Yeah, this pushed me over the fucking edge, the way that they’re actually happy and laughing? The fact that they kept woogity-woogity and made it A Thing? Yes.

I am, however, going to be intentionally ignoring what appears to be the very intentional stagingof having such an obvious space between where Kiara and Pope are sitting adn where JJ sits, even including the level they’re sitting on because I don’t have the emotional capacity to face those implications right now. Thank you for your time.

Yes yeeeeEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

GIVE ME ALL OF THE SCENES OF THEM ACTUALLY GETTING TO BE TEENAGERS AND JUST BREATHE AND LAUGH AND HAVE A GOOD TIME AND NOT BE RUNNING FOR THEIR FUCKING LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!

before Rafe comes in and literally starts shooting because they can’t breathe for more than 7 seconds but we’ll....get to that.

They refer to Sarah as a Pogue this season or I burn Netflix to the ground. Your move, Jonas.

50 bucks says John B is driving the Twinkie again for the first time since being back.

I deadass think the Pogues JUST got Sarah and John B back and they’re just having the time of their life. Kie was in her smiley face outfit when Pope was in this one a few clips ago, and I still hold to the belief that that one still they released of JJ and Kie hopping over a fence is the Pogue reunion so-

Ward? I have no idea what he’s looking at behind the wall paper and I’ll be so honest I don’t care my eyes are only seeing Pogue content right now.

“This is a map of the whole island.”

This fit, when will John B learn how to operate buttons, stay tuned for season 5. Also my previous theory of this being their reunion outfits and stuff because Pope is in the back in the same jacket as before.

The plot thickens and so has JJ’s hair, Rudy drop the shampoo brand.

Please, dear God, tell me they’re back in the sex church. For @jiaaraa sake.

Kiara, your Madison is showing.

Okay, I really did try but all I can make out is Something to the tomb begin something something.

You’re welcome.

I am no expert but I do not believe boats operate on land.

John B looks like he is in the same outfit here that is in his mug shot we saw on the TV screen so I have a sneaking suspicion this is where he gets caught. 

“John B is back-”

Once again with the damn sexual tension that’s always between Barry and Rafe in every scene they do are we about to kiss right now?

“-it’s him or me.”

First of all, no.

Second of all, I’m just....so very confused about this time line this season. It kind of looks like Ward and Rafe follow and find Sarah and John B in Nassau (unless those scenes by the truck were actually back in the OBX). So did they....go to Nassau, then just come right back when they did? I’m just confused.

Put that thing back where it came from or so help me.

Literally when will you stop at this point I am begging you. 

This looks like the same scene the Pogues were, ya know, literally just having a good time at so fuck me, I guess.

Yeah, no, it’s going to be a no from me, I’m just going to pretend like I’m not seeing this and moving on.

I have simply no idea what is going on here or who that is on the bike but maybe JJ? Maybe Luke even? I think that’s JJ’s bike. 

The sewer scene. The SEWER SCENE-

For months sicne that tiktok leaked this damn scene has been genuinely all I could think about. So (obviously) it seems like they’re sending Kie down into the sewer to go do seomthing and things go horribly, horribly wrong. 

If you haven’t seen the tiktok, essentially all it was was JJ and Pope screaming and trying to lift up the man hole cover while Kie is begging for them to hurry from inside. I’m cheating a little bit as this isn’t a shot from the trailer but this picture was posted and it’s from the same scene.

I’ll just....leave this here. Back to the trailer shots.

Nice. Also, same shirt as mugshot.

Hey, um, what? 

Kiara’s car, she’s driving, I can’t tell who’s in the back seat or the front.

Holy God what is going on and how can I as an audience member put a stop to it?

So, same scene as we will see and was in the teaser but, for some reason, they’re all jumping off of a giant ass boat into the little life raft where it looks like JJ gets hurt later but don’t you worry we’re getting to that.

JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE JJ AND KIARA WITH THE POGUE HANDSHAKE THEY BOTH LOOK SO DAMN GOOD AND THEIR LITTLE SMILES SPARE ME-

Cleo 🥵

I’m so excited to see her arc and what it brings this season you guys have no idea.

Please for the love of God be about to get Ward Cameron’s ass like he deserves literally punt him into jail right from Tanny Hill.

Sarah at My Druther’s with what looks like a bloody bandage on her side? Same outfit she’s wearing when they’re running from the police on the beach and she has the bandage there too so. Interesting. 

Topper hugging who I’m pretty sure is Sarah, being a general douche because he’s clearly looking at John B like 😏 

Clips like these serve to remind me just how many of my worldly posessions I would gladly give up to be able to punch Topper Thorton in the throat one time. 

I think this is Cleo jumping off the boat with Pope after John B and Sarah. 

Absolutely busting a lung at Pope’s form in this one.

John B and Sarah waiting in the life raft, still Cleo and Pope coming after them. The obvious next question is where are JJ and Kiara. The scene I’m sure you all have been waiting for is coming up and clearly takes place in the life raft as well.

So, I really think JJ and Kie get left for last, something horrible happens as they’re trying to jump (my head instantly goes to JJ maybe like pushing Kie out of the way and getting hit on the head instead or even just some accident). 

And, oh my GOD a scene of him falling off the boat after it happens and Kiara diving in after him immediately, having to desperatly try to stop him from sinkingand get to the life raft holy shit-

Girl CATCH HIM?????

Because why wouldn’t this be Rafe’s fault. Part of me wonders if this isn’t related to JJ being hurt.

I am going to try and unpack this as calmly as possible because behind my computer screen I am vibrating at a frequency that could shatter glass but respectfully.

WHAT IN THE FUCK IS TIAUEWFHLAILA

Okay, so scene wise, JJ’s hit his head somehow (probably while he was jumping with Kiara) it looks like and now they’re back on the raft. 

In my opinion, this is either:

A) JJ is in really, really bad condition after getting hurt in the jump and they’re not sure he’s going to make it. So this is a “Please stay with me, stay awake, please don’t die” hug OR

B) They very narrowly just avoided a deadly situation (my first thought is JJ hits his head while jumping, passes out in the water, maybe almost drowns but Kie and the others get him onto the life raft in time) and this is more of a “Oh my God, you’re okay, you’re safe now, we’re okay” hug. 

I honestly lean more to the second one based on the little bit of Sarah’s face we saw in the background. To me, it almost looked like she was smiling thru tears, which, fits way more with the second option than the first. 

Anyways. Moving on before I burst a lung again.

(also, before anyone comes at me, no, I’m not happy JJ is hurt, obviously.  

(Once again, arrest outfits). You can still see the bandage but it looks like Sarah’s limping now too so...good Lord give the girl a break maybe?

Everything in this trailer just went to shit so fast I think I have whip lash, can we go back to the Pogues hanging out and being happy now pkease I liked those scenes.

��I get it. You guys are scared.”

“No.”

She’s cute but, uh, hello sewer scene outfits. Seems like them planning to do whatever the hell they were going to do in the sewers but the boys are starting to get cold feet as maybe they should but hind sight is 20/20 I suppose.

“It’s kind of cute.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You should’ve just led with that.”

I will never be able to express how much I adore Pogue banter and general dumbassery and I have a feeling this season will not be lacking in either department

I high key don’t think these two are actually going to be there for this scene to go down but I’ll let it slide this time because-

They do be kinda cute.

It both feels like I’ve been waiting for this damn show for 3 years and also like I just watched season 1 last month explain that to me. 

Either way holy shit. I missed this dumb show and these dumb kids so much it physcially hurts and WE GET THEM BACK IN T-MINUS 16 DAYS.

Also. Where The Hell Is Wheezie Cameron And When Will She Have The Rights She Deserves.

#THIS LEGIT TOOK ME ALL DAY #AND I HAD A BLAST #im simply not ready #jiara nation how we feeling #UGH i missed them so much dude #outer banks season 2 #obx #long post #shot by shot rundown #jiara #the pogues #obx2 #john b routledge #pope heyward #sarah cameron #kiara carrera #jj maybank #jarah b #john b x sarah #jj maybank x kiara carrera #cleo #rafe cameron #topper thornton

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Of all the Britcom shows I’ve watched in the last couple of years, and there have been a hell of a lot of them, I think Comedy World Cup is the most underrated. I only learned about it because I saw it on a list of panel shows that I came across on IMDB once; I haven’t seen it talked about online otherwise. And for some reason, they only ever made the original seven episodes. I do not understand how this didn’t get more seasons.

I first watched it last May, and have avoided re-watching any of it since then so I can try to forget the answers to some of the questions and then re-watch it while again playing the game of trying to guess the answers before they’re revealed. But I have decided that today is the day to re-watch it. Mostly because my roommate is away for the night and I have spent all day taking advantage of this by washing everything I can find and getting things clean enough so I can actually feel relaxed, and now I’m taking advantage by enjoying an evening of beer and playing audio without headphones. It feels like this occasion should be accompanied by the re-watching of a show that I know is fun to watch.

And Comedy World Cup is so much fun to watch. It’s fun to guess the answers to the quiz’s questions. It’s fun to see the interactions of the panelists. It’s fun to see their jokes and it’s fun to see them get competitive but at the same time there’s this nice relaxed atmosphere. It’s fun to see David Tennant be fantastic as the host. It’s fun to see the mix of guests! Many of the teams were clearly calibrated to have one comedian who had been around for 100 years, one comedian who was well established by the time this was made (in 2012), and one comedian who was quite new to TV work at the time. The time being 2012, so it features baby versions of a number of comedians who have gotten bigger since, most of whom are quite excited to be there. For example, look how much Baby Sara Pascoe is enjoying herself in this screenshot:

But there’s a whole other layer of fun here, in that it’s all comedians talking about their own industry and their own craft (not to be too pretentious in using that last word, but I feel like it applies). It’s a topic that actually interests all of them, and they all seem to be enjoying discussing it. The old ones have lived through the stuff they’re talking about and the young ones have grown up watching the stuff they’re talking about and are now excited to be on TV with those people they watched growing up, talking about those things they watched growing up. It’s so much fun to see.

And I haven’t even gotten to the dramatic storyline of a younger Johnny Vegas and a relatively-new-to-television Josh Widdicombe (it wasn’t his first TV appearance or anything, but he hadn’t done much on TV before it) and Johnny Vegas acting out some combination of a gangster movie and a sports movie as the established comedian and the knowledgeable newcomer jockey for position within their team before learning to work together for the good of the whole team. It’s possible that the reason this show never got a second season is they knew they could never strike gold a second time, with the beautiful story arc of the first season that unfolded naturally in an unscripted show - they just couldn’t repeat that. (Seriously though, they should have made more seasons and I would like Channel 4 to know that it is absolutely not too late to do so.)

Last year I watched it all on YouTube, but when I tried to go back to that today, I saw it had been taken down. So I immediately downloaded it all from Dailymotion, to make sure the whims of the internet would not leave me with no way to re-watch this show. Then I uploaded it to Google Drive, in case anyone else wants to watch it. I highly recommend it.