#power points in Rutherford

[smallsparkelectrical]

Power Points in Rutherford: Enhancing Your Home’s Functionality and Safety

When it comes to designing or renovating a home or commercial space, one often overlooked yet crucial element is the humble power point. If you’re a homeowner or business owner in Rutherford, NSW, understanding the importance of power points and how to strategically place them can dramatically improve both convenience and safety. Whether you’re building from scratch, renovating, or simply looking…

[booart5]

Been rewatching Lower Decks and I love these guys (@daunda4 (on instagram) got ahold of my iPad while I was working on it, so that’s what’s going on with Brad under the cut),, this was INSANELY difficult bc they’re all overlapping and stuff

Progress shots, timelapse under the cut

[ffcrazy15]

I need a whole fic where the Cerritos is mistaken for the Enterprise by some type of alien with very high intelligence but very poor visual recognition, for whatever reason.

And Freeman either can't or is too scared to convince them that they're not the Enterprise, so she starts desperately assigning everyone to various roles. Boimler gets assigned as Data, and since he and Mariner are the only people on the ship who play string instruments, the captain orders them to put together some sort of "symphony" because the aliens have heard that that's a thing on the Enterprise.

And it's just Mariner and Boimler frustratedly trying to figure out how to combine her electric guitar skills and his traditional violin skills into something suitably "symphonic" (i.e. thematically trying to combine her more lax/modern way of doing things with his more strict/traditional way).

[cowboy-carnival]

I’ve been listening to Florence + the Machine’s, Drumming Song. AND thinking about Cullen Stanton Rutherford, inquisition’s token alter boi/catholic cop #2 (Cassandra is catholic cop #1) romancing mage inquisitor.

It’s gotta be a double whammy for the guy honestly. One, they’re a mage and he is just getting out of his anti-mage propaganda stage. But he is obviously still wary about them and still sees them as a persisting threat. So he’s gotta get over that hill of trauma. Secondly, he was raised in the church. Told to love the Maker and praise Andraste yada yada. And devote his life to them and the Chantry. COULDN’T EVEN HAVE WORLDLY POSSESSIONS!! And he does this for like 30 years.

And then bam! Outta the sky, supposedly. The Herald of Andraste. Said to have literally been touched by Andraste, blessed to save the world. And on top of that, they’re a mage. So to Cullen, they're this holy abomination to be. Just walking around, glowing hand, saving the day, and occasionally flirting with him.

My point is when the Inquisitor starts romancing Cullen he has got to be in the grips of catholic guilt/trauma every time he gets this inkling of excitement. And the possibility that this person likes him. (Not to mention how he couldn’t even envision himself being with a person, let alone living beyond war (and the lyrium withdrawals too)). Like he’s just going through it. So naturally, he's apprehensive about it, constantly backpedaling, the most nervous guy ever, can't even get words out.

But I’m just sitting there thinking about how all those emotions collide when he embraces his love for the Inquisitor and tries to figure out how to appropriately physically engage them (pre-desk/pre-battlements scene). Like was he constantly feeling shame, thinking about the inquisitor that way because of the herald thing AND the mage thing? Something to behold and something to abhor all inside this person that he loves and admires. Do you worship them?? Do you try to contain them??

So, Drumming Song playing while I think about this. Because, to me, this song is a great definition of what happens when you have intense feelings for someone. But you describe it as either danger or attraction (or both). I mean come on...

Louder than sirens Louder than bells Sweeter than heaven And hotter than hell

As I move my feet towards your body I can hear this beat it fills my head up And gets louder and louder It fills my head up and gets louder and louder

I'm so desperately in love with you can't you hear my heartbeat??? It's all I hear when I'm near you. Being with you is like heaven but it's just as sinful. Never being able to describe this caution I have with you. But just know you have this awesome power over me.

Anyway, just some daily Cullen thoughts. You wave at this dude and he thinks about it for the next 2 months.

[age-of-moonknight]

Interested to hear what your thoughts on the 2021 run's use of villains is considering how wildly different each one was from arc to arc

Ooooh, thank you for sending an ask! Especially since it's always fun to revisit the 2021 run. Also because, I must confess, I tend to not give the rogue's gallery their due so I appreciate the excuse to really buckle down and focus on them for a change. :D As it seems to be the case with a lot of my responses, things got a little long, so a list of all the villains in Moon Knight (Vol. 9/2021) to help me keep track of things and my miscellaneous thoughts on matters are included under the cut. Thanks again!!!

The villains of the 2021 run are as follows:

The Structure (including Tutor, Nemean, and Grand Mal): #1, #13-14, #16-18

Zodiac ("Terry"): #1, #5-7, #11-12, #18-19, #25, #27-30

Vermin: #1

Hawley (the janitor with the sweat thing): #2

Rampage (Stuart Clarke): #4, #25

Jigsaw (Billy Russo): #4, #11

Manslaughter Marsdale: #7, #25

Stained Glass Scarlet (Scarlet Fasinera my beloved): #8

House of Shadows (The Midnight Mission): #9

Waxman: #10, #25

Rutherford Winner: #10, #25

Black Spectre III (Robert Plesko): #18-#19, #25, #27, #29-30

Commodore Donald Planet: #19

Harlequin Hit-Men (Herb and Sheila Hollister): #19-20

Sarnak: #21, #23, #25, #27-29

New Enforcers: #23

Morpheus (Robert Markham): #24

Man Mountain Marko: (bonus: Devil's Reign: Moon Knight) #25

Black Spectre II (Ryan Trent): #25, #27-29

Vibro: #26-27

With honorable mentions to

Hunter's Moon who definitely wasn't a villain but who did represent a generally antagonistic force in issues #1 and #3

The real antagonist of issue #22 being Marc thinking it would be a good idea to dress up as Midnight Man, steal money, and lie to Greer

,,,,and to 8-Ball who pops up in issues #1, #7, #20, #25, #28, and #30

Now that that's all sorted, two things really stuck out to me about the villains Mr. MacKay chose to use in vol. 9: A. the EXTREME deep cuts and/or throwbacks and B. how quite frequently, the identity of the villain didn't matter as much as whatever else Moon Knight had going on interpersonally in that issue.

This is me just conjecturing here, but I would propose that Mr. MacKay could get away with inserting honestly downright obscure villains, such as the Harlequin Hit-Men, or villains that aren't particularly developed beyond their cool power set, such as Grand Mal and Nemean, because Marc having to reckon with the murder of old comrades or finally have a decent conversation with Jake and Steven (issues #20 and #14 respectively) is where all of the emotional investment was for those issues; the big, classic comic book punch up was almost window dressing at that point for the issue's real conflict and the villains could have been practically interchangeable. I would also go so far as to suggest that the encounters with Hawley the janitor in issue #2 and the relatively less obscure Waxman in #10, Jigsaw in #11, and Zodiac in #12 were predominantly to establish Marc's moral limits as a hero and had comparatively little to do with the villains as characters themselves. Personally, and this might be because of my own slight biases where I tend to not focus on the villains on much, I find it commendable that MacKay as a comic book writer was able to craft some gripping stories where a good deal of the narrative momentum came from interpersonal dynamics and knowing one's own self in a genre that pretty consistently relies on flash without the narrative feeling too slow or,,,,navel-gaze-y. Again, this might just be my opinion, but it feels appropriate for Moon Knight comics, which have always been a little contemplative with Moon Knight's complexities being a major draw. The fact that MacKay then used that structure to sometimes bring back bronze age villains with fewer than five appearances made it all the more fun for us comic fans who like such deep cuts hahaha

This is also not to say though that there weren't some cases of "author very purposefully chooses a specific character to reveal something about the hero." There's Hunter's Moon who, when acting antagonistically to Moon Knight, represented what it could look like for Mark to really fully give himself over to Khonshu (issue #3). Then there's also Mr. MacKay's tendency to bring back old villains and tweak them a bit to reflect Moon Knight's development as it was progressing in vol. 9. A positive example is the House of Shadows (RIP) which moves on from just being a despised entity cursed with unlimited resurrections to having a new purpose in helping the community. Scarlet Fasinera (RIP), however, is an instance of how a champion for justice can begin to lose humanity in a warped life after death, a common ominous theme in vol. 9.

One other character that necessitates a little discussion is Robert "Sigmund" Plesko with his return as the third Black Spectre. Am I particularly compelled by Plesko's motivation apparently being that he "became bored with being a mere observer...a minnow in [Moon Knight's] wake" of shark-like destruction (#30) and decided to try his own hand at creating a little chaos? I'm only admitting this because you asked for my thoughts as this is veering into personal opinion territory aslkdfj, but I don't personally find such a motivation interesting for a villain, especially after he was built up as being the ultimate antagonist of the volume. I am nonetheless majorly compelled by A. how Mr. MacKay plucked Plesko out of the twilight issues of Marc Spector: Moon Knight as I'm always a sucker for supporting characters making a comeback, B. how he wove Plesko into Marc and Frenchie's history with Bushman as I am also always a sucker for a reference to the wild dog days, and C. that of all characters, Mr. MacKay chose to bring back the guy that Marc Spector: Moon Knight's #55's creators used to suggest for the first time in comics (that I've found) that Marc had "an extremely complex multiple identity syndrome" (the early 90's were rough). Plesko's motivations as a character may have been a little rough, but I love how he is another variation on a theme that has been popping up in Moon Knight comics since the very first volume: no matter what March does, he can't escape his violent past, he can only confront it when it rears its ugly head and starts threatening to do damage again (with Marc's willingness to do so even to the point of occasionally dying in the process being one of the things I find most personally intriguing about his character).

As for some additional miscellaneous notes:

They essentially had cameo roles, but I did appreciate Mr. MacKay's inclusion of Black Spectre II (Ryan Trent) and Morpheus. I love a bonafide Moon Knight villain.

I realized that I haven't discussed the Structure much despite how prevalent that organization was in the first half of the volume and I guess that's because the exact details of the Structure wasn't quite as important to me as the fact that they were vampires !!! I love when Moon Knight comics blend the street-level with a little bit of the fantastic as that is a niche that is so incredibly Moon Knight™️ to me. So between that and how they're the reason why we have the lovely Reese as a reoccurring supporting character, I'm grateful for how they served the story even if they didn't leave the biggest impression on me.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Steve Brodner

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

July 24, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JUL 25, 2024

Tonight, President Joe Biden explained to the American people why he decided to refuse the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination and hand the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. 

Speaking from the Oval Office from his seat behind the Resolute Desk, a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880, Biden recalled the nation’s history. He invoked Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence; George Washington, who “showed us presidents are not kings”; Abraham Lincoln, who “implored us to reject malice”; and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who “inspired us to reject fear.”

And then he turned to himself. “I revere this office, but I love my country more,” he said. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president.” But, he said, the defense of democracy is more important than any title, and democracy is “larger than any one of us.” We must unite to protect it. 

“In recent weeks, it has become clear to me that I need to unite my party in this critical endeavor,” he said. “I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America’s future, all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation.”

There is “a time and a place for long years of experience in public life,” Biden said. “There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”

Biden reminded listeners that he is not leaving the presidency and will be continuing to use its power for the American people. In outlining what that means, he summed up his presidency. 

For the next six months, he said, he will “continue to lower costs for hard-working families [and] grow our economy. I will keep defending our personal freedoms and civil rights, from the right to vote to the right to choose. I will keep calling out hate and extremism, making it clear there is…no place in America for political violence or any violence ever, period. I’m going to keep speaking out to protect our kids from gun violence [and] our planet from [the] climate crisis.”

Biden reiterated his support for his Cancer Moonshot to end cancer—a personal cause for him since the 2015 death of his son Beau from brain cancer—and says he will fight for it, (although House Republicans have recently slashed funding for the program). He said he will call for reforming the Supreme Court “because this is critical to our democracy.”

He promised to continue “working to ensure America remains strong, secure and the leader of the free world,” and pointed out that he is “the first president of this century to report to the American people that the United States is not at war anywhere in the world.” He promised to continue rallying a coalition of nations to stop Putin’s attempt to take over Ukraine, and vowed to continue to build the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He reminded listeners that when he took office, the conventional wisdom was that China would inevitably surpass the United States, but that is no longer the case, and he said he would continue to strengthen allies and partners in the Pacific. 

Biden promised to continue to work to “end the war in Gaza, bring home all the hostages and bring peace and security to the Middle East and end this war,” as well as “to bring home Americans being unjustly detained all around the world.”

The president reminded people how far the nation has come since he took office on January 20, 2021, a day when, although he didn’t mention it tonight, he went directly to work after taking the oath of office. “On that day,” he recalled, “we…stood in a winter of peril and winter of possibilities.” The United States was “in the grip of the worst pandemic in the century, the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” But, Biden said, “We came together as Americans. We got through it. We emerged stronger, more prosperous and more secure.”

“Today we have the strongest economy in the world, creating nearly 16 million new jobs—a record. Wages are up, inflation continues to come down, the racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years. We are literally rebuilding our entire nation—urban, suburban and rural and tribal communities. Manufacturing has come back to America. We are leading the world again in chips and science and innovation. We finally beat Big Pharma after all these years to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors…. More people have health care today in America than ever before.” Biden noted that he signed the PACT Act to help millions of veterans and their families who were exposed to toxic materials, as well as the “most significant climate law…in the history of the world” and “the first major gun safety law in 30 years.”

The “violent crime rate is at a 50-year low,” he said, and “[b]order crossings are lower today than when the previous administration left office. I’ve kept my commitment to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court of the United States of America. I also kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America and [to] be a president for all Americans.”

Then Biden turned from his own record to the larger meaning of America.

“I ran for president four years ago because I believed…that the soul of America was at stake,” he said. “America is an idea. An idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It’s the most powerful idea in the history of the world.” 

“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” he said. “We are all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We’ve never fully lived up to…this sacred idea—but we’ve never walked away from it either. And I do not believe the American people will walk away from it now.

“In just a few months, the American people will choose the course of America’s future. I made my choice…. “[O]ur great vice president, Kamala Harris… is experienced, she is tough, she is capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country.

“Now the choice is up to you, the American people. When you make that choice, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin hanging on my wall here in the Oval Office, alongside the busts of Dr. [Martin Luther] King and Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez. When Ben Franklin was asked, as he emerged from the [constitutional] convention…, whether the founders [had] given America a monarchy or a republic, Franklin’s response was: ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’... Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands.” 

“My fellow Americans, it’s been the privilege of my life to serve this nation for over 50 years,” President Biden told the American people. “Nowhere else on Earth could a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and in Claymont, Delaware, one day sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office as the president of the United States, but here I am.

“That’s what’s so special about America. We are a nation of promise and possibilities. Of dreamers and doers. Of ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things. I’ve given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others. And I’ve been blessed a million times in return with the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am to all of you.

The great thing about America is, here kings and dictators do not rule—the people do. History is in your hands. The power’s in your hands. The idea of America lies in your hands. You just have to keep faith—keep the faith—and remember who we are. We are the United States of America, and there is simply nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. So let’s act together, [and] preserve our democracy. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. 

“Thank you.”

And with that, President Joe Biden followed the example of the nation’s first president, George Washington, who declined to run for a third term to demonstrate that the United States of America would not have a king, and of its second president, John Adams, who handed the power of the presidency over to his rival Thomas Jefferson and thus established the nation’s tradition of the peaceful transition of power. Like them, Biden gave up the pursuit of power for himself in order to demonstrate the importance of democracy. 

After the speech, the White House served ice cream to the Bidens and hundreds of White House staffers in the Rose Garden.

And when the evening was over, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden posted an image of a handwritten note on social media. It read: “To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.” 

—

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[viviennevermillion]

Welcome to my newest AU: Lost but everyone who ever stepped foot on the island has some type of usable magic power from that moment on. Rules for this is every power has a drawback and it only activates at a critical moment to their character arc. Here's what powers I assigned them:

Jack Shephard: Can heal people using his own life force. He can only give up to 50% of his own life force to do this, if the injury can't be healed by that, he can't save a person. Jack's power doesn't activate until way into Season 6 because he didn't have faith in the island.

Kate Austen: Has the same power as Blake Belladonna in RWBY. Both are characters who are established as people on the run because of their past. Their powers reflect that. Whenever Kate is attacked, if she reacts fast enough, she can leave behind a shadow of herself to take the hit for her.

James "Sawyer" Ford: The angrier he gets, the more damage his punches do. On the other hand, if he gets genuinely sad and devastated, his physical abilities are significantly stunted and damage is almost non-existent.

Charlie Pace: Can focus on a person and play or sing a song that reflects their true nature. This can be used to gather information about them. He can only do this once per person.

Claire Littleton: She can sense danger, even when there otherwise isn't any indication of it.

Hugo "Hurley" Reyes: Can speak to the dead. Activates off-island.

Sun-Hwa Kwon: Can accelerate the growth of plants and the natural healing process of animals and people. She has to know and understand the species to do this.

Jin-Soo Kwon: Can communicate with the ocean to go with the "son of a fisherman" theme. If his head is underwater the ocean tries to kill him tho.

John Locke: Is the only one who doesn't have a power. He's like Mirabel Madrigal. He's deeply important to the story but he has 0 magic. He himself and other characters throughout the story think that he does during varying points of time but it's always the MiB messing with him. He realizes this at the end. Can you tell I like angst yet?

Michael Dawson: Can create a magic shield using his own stamina. Shield disappears when his stamina runs out.

Walter "Walt" Lloyd: Astral Projection. Self-explanatory.

Vincent: Ages normally and can die of old age but is otherwise virtually indestructible. Usually animals don't get any powers but Vincent's was given to him by Jacob directly to assist the survivors.

Sayid Jarrah: Can burn a person with his touch when he wants to. Doing this inflicts an equal amount of emotional pain to him as the physical pain he causes. I like angst.

Shannon Rutherford: Can master any skill within 30 minutes if she puts her mind to it. Never figures this out because she has been told that she's useless all her life and believes it. Only uses this once when she translates French but thinks those are lucky guesses.

Boone Carlyle: Blood-bending. Mostly gave this to him because everytime he angrily stares at someone you can tell that his blood is boiling. Never uses this once during his lifetime though.

Rose Henderson Nadler & Bernard Nadler: Have a soul link with one another. They can always tell how the other is feeling and neither of them can die while the other still lives as long as they're on good terms. Virtually indestructible unless you kill them at the exact same time but why the fuck would you.

Ana Lucia Cortez: Pyromancy. Fits her vibe. Also bound to stamina.

Elizabeth "Libby" Smith: Can read people's emotions.

Mr. Eko: Precognition. Can tell what he needs to do when and can anticipate things a couple seconds before they happen.

Benjamin Linus: Everytime he lies (to convince someone of his lie, sarcasm not included), it slightly alters reality in an unexpected way to make his lie appear like the truth. This is how Anthony Cooper gets to the island after Ben tells John about the magic box. The result of his lies is always unexpected and can backfire. He can't make something specific happen intentionally. His power activated during the purge.

Juliet Burke: Ice-bending. This has nothing to do with her character but I've previously seen Elizabeth Mitchell in Once Upon A Time and The Santa Clause and both times she plays a character that has something to do with winter. Also bound to stamina.

Ethan Rom: Superhuman strength. Self-explanatory. It actually takes multiple shots from 6 guns to take him down in this AU.

Harper Stanhope: Can see people's time of death over their head. Was very confused that Juliet's said 1977 and Ben's was way past his normal life expectancy.

Goodwin Stanhope: Idk what his power is but it's certainly not danger sense. 💀

Roger Linus: Can sense fear. Terrible power for a terrible man. I love Ben, I promise. I also love angst tho. The moment Ben killed him was the only time he didn't sense any fear from him, which scared the shit out of him.

Desmond David Hume: Activates his power after the events of "The Constant". Can see glimpses of people's past and future upon touching them. Can only do this once per person.

Frank Lapidus: Always lands safe. Literally always lands on his feet like a cat. Also applies to planes / helicopters he flies.

Charlotte Staples Lewis: Can speak any language after hearing it spoken once. Growing up with this was very confusing off-island.

Miles Straume: Reading the final thoughts of the dead. Self-explanatory.

Daniel Faraday: Stopping time for up to an hour. After using this power, he can't use it for 24 times the amount of time he stopped time for. Only can use it in present time.

Illana Verdansky: Able to tell when people lie.

Danielle Rousseau: Her bullet or arrow always hits the target unless the target specifically blocks it.

Alexandra Rousseau: Can make herself invisible. Used for stealth.

Karl Martin: Can accelerate his speed. Bound to stamina.

Mikhail Bakunin: Telepathy.

Eloise Hawking: Chain Reaction. Once a day for 5 minutes she can see the effects of every action of hers she thinks about.

Charles Widmore: Can take a glimpse at people's destiny. Only can do this once per person.

Richard Alpert: Can't be killed by anything ever. Can't even die of natural causes. Can't die.

[celestialastronmy]

"Cullen Rutherford: Redemption Arc or PR Stunt?"

(Disclaimer I'm OK with Cullen. I just needed to slander him )

OH BOY, let me tell you about Cullen "I've Seen The Light" Rutherford, everyone's favorite problematic templar-turned-commander who somehow failed upward into one of the most powerful military positions in Thedas. Don't get me wrong—I GET why people love him. He's got that whole tortured golden boy thing going on, and his character design is basically "what if trauma was hot?" But let's talk about the MASSIVE narrative blindspot that is his redemption arc.

First of all, let's address the nug in the room: this man was literally part of a system that imprisoned and abused mages. And not just ANY part—he was actively complicit in Kirkwall, aka Magic Prison But Make It Worse™. Yes, he had his own trauma from the Ferelden Circle (which, valid), but using that trauma to justify participating in further oppression? That's gonna be a yikes from me, dawg.

But HERE'S where it gets really spicy: the way his redemption arc is structured is basically "Trauma Processing: The Ladies Edition." If you romance him? Congratulations! You're now his unofficial therapist AND girlfriend! The Inquisitor—particularly a female one(only elf or human bonus points if a mage)—becomes this weird combination of emotional support and validation dispenser. She has to carefully navigate his lyrium withdrawal, his past trauma, AND his current authority position, all while he... continues to be the commander of one of the most powerful military forces in Thedas? Make it make sense!

And can we talk about how his "redemption" never actually requires him to give up any real power? He goes from being a templar (power over mages) to being the commander of the Inquisition (power over... basically everyone). Where's the sacrifice? Where's the ACTUAL accountability? He gets to keep his sword and his status while everyone else does the emotional heavy lifting of helping him process his guilt. It's like he's playing redemption arc on easy mode with cheat codes enabled.

The writing treats his withdrawal from lyrium as this massive act of personal growth—and don't get me wrong, addiction recovery is HUGE. But it's wild how the narrative frames this personal health choice as somehow equivalent to addressing the systemic harm he participated in. It's giving "I stopped being actively terrible so now I'm automatically good" energy.

The most frustrating part? There's actually a really interesting story buried in here about power, accountability, and genuine redemption. But instead of diving deep into the messy reality of what it means to truly atone for participating in systemic oppression, we get... broody looks and chess metaphors. CHESS METAPHORS, people! Because apparently nothing says "I'm processing my role in magical fascism" like moving some pawns around.

Don't even get me STARTED on how the game treats his past actions as primarily a source of personal angst rather than, you know, actual harm that affected real people. His guilt becomes this weird form of character development currency that he gets to spend on being perceived as reformed without doing the actual work of material reparations.

Listen, I'm not saying Cullen is irredeemable. But his arc is basically "What if we took this man who participated in magical oppression and made him feel really bad about it... while still letting him keep all his institutional power and outsourcing all the emotional processing to the women around him?" It's the redemption arc equivalent of putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg and calling it healing.

And yes, I know someone's going to come at me with "but he changed!" Did he though? Or did he just switch from enforcing one power structure to enforcing another, while looking very handsome and troubled about it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks less like actual redemption and more like a really well-marketed rebrand.

The worst part? This is a missed opportunity to tell a story about ACTUAL accountability and transformation. Instead, we got "Hot Guy Feels Bad: The Adventure." Don't get me wrong—I still end up slightly tolerating him in every playthrough because the game basically requires it, but I'm not going to pretend this isn't some of the most privileged character development I've seen in modern gaming.

In conclusion: Cullen's redemption arc is basically what happens when you try to address systemic injustice with personal growth narratives and a really good haircut. It's giving "I've changed (but will face no real consequences and maintain all my institutional power while women do the emotional work of validating my growth)" realness. And that's the tea. Thank you for coming to my TED talk about problematic favs and the power structures they maintain.

(Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go replay Inquisition while aggressively side-eyeing every scene where someone has to process Cullen's feelings for him.)

[joju-but-trek]

A detailed analysis of a line about Voyager that doesn't need to exist

According to the Prodigy season 2 premiere, Voyager-A launches in 2384, when the episode is set. In this episode, they comment that the original Voyager is a "floating museum."

Star Trek: Lower Decks showed the Cerritos escorting Voyager out of repairs and back to Earth for exhibition in 2381, when Ensigns Samanthan Rutherford and Bradward Boimler famously saved the ship from total destruction with the power of Neelix Cheese. I love Lower Decks.

The point I'm making is that in that episode, they parked Voyager in San Francisco as a temporary exhibit before it would be moved to its permanent home in the Fleet Museum in orbit around Athan Prime. We see the museum in Picard season 3, which is set in 2401.

From this timeline we can conclude that the Voyager spent less than three years parked in San Francisco before being moved to the museum. We also know that the Romulan evacuation was in 2384-85, with every available ship being used to help Romulans flee their exploding planet, except for Voyager-A apparently because Janeway's special.

Does this matter or deserve the attention I have given it? No. But you read it.

[natlacentral]

ONE NAME IS ALL KIAWENTIIO NEEDS

The mononymic Mohawk actress stars in the highly anticipated new adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” one of Netflix’s most expensive series ever. It’s a role she’s been preparing for almost her entire life.

At first, it’s a ripple. Hovering drops rising from a puddle soon cluster into a faster-moving, levitating stream that swirls into an orb of water floating over a young woman. The focused motion of her hands control this aquatic flow. In the lore of the beloved animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, the ability to manipulate the elements is known as “bending” and wielding this power is Katara, a fan-favorite of the franchise’s core characters. In this instance, she’s no longer animated, but rather living and breathing in Netflix’s recent adaptation of the cult show, as played by Kiawentiio, the 17-year-old actress and singer-songwriter from the Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne. For young Indigenous audiences, it’s a powerful moment seeing what was always an Indigenous-coded character, dynamic and independent, brought to life by an Indigenous actor. Her interpretation of the heroine is both true to its source material and grounded in an undeniable sense of Indigeneity, notable in the scenes of Katara’s survival of the violence inflicted upon her tribe and their later resistance to its recurrence. Free from the confines of Western film tropes or the expected relegation to secondary and background roles, Kiawentiio’s Katara is unprecedented. She’s both of this world and beyond. A sign of things to come.

There’s a balletic velocity to Kiawentiio when she arrives at her photo shoot, a certain sense of purpose and the pull of a trajectory toward something just off of the horizon. She’s traveling with her mother Barbara, who works in their community’s cultural restoration efforts, and her father Corey, a volunteer firefighter and building inspector for their tribe. They beam with pride as they watch her and recount the recent stops she’s had on the show’s busy press tour. In the dressing room, she smiles while reviewing pieces she requested from Indigenous designers Josh Tafoya and Karen Francis. It’s like witnessing someone coming into alignment, a new possibility realized. She says, “It feels like it’s not real, to be honest. Sometimes it feels like I’m living this fantasy life or living someone else’s life, especially with where I come from.”

The evening prior, Kiawentiio walked the red carpet for Avatar’s Los Angeles premiere in a stunning ensemble, also fashioned by Indigenous designers: an ice-blue duo chrome taffeta skirt by Evan Ducharme, accented by a hand-beaded corset from Tasha Marie, and jewelry by BYCHARI and Dean Davidson. The look, both in color and from the corset’s beaded wave design, is a subtle nod to Katara’s Southern Water Tribe in the show. Kiawentiio grew up watching the original series, which makes this all the more surreal. “For filming, we were in British Columbia for almost a year and stepping out of that was really kind of like a culture shock,” she explains.

It’s not lost on her that this is her moment, one that she’s balanced with both grace and aplomb, but also a time to reflect on all that’s led her to this point. From her beginnings as a guest star a mere five years ago on the Canadian series Anne With an E, to playing the title character in Tracey Deer’s debut feature Beans in 2020, and more recently appearing in Peacock’s Rutherford Falls and Marvel’s What If…?, Kiawentiio’s career has been nothing short of meteoric. In many ways it mirrors the creative boom of Indigenous-led and centered television in the last half-decade. That a young, Indigenous actor is now one of the leads in a $120 million Netflix production—one of its most expensive to date—that also happens to be an adaptation of what is considered to be one of the best animated series of all time, is as much of a cultural tipping point as it is an expectation rewriting itself. And Kiawentiio is at its precipice.

Over the phone, Kiawentiio discussed this moment and what it means to her.

How did you connect with the Indigenous designers you’ve chosen to work with recently?

One of the looks was Josh Tafoya, a fashion designer out of New Mexico. I actually got to meet him, I think it was two years ago now. He also works closely with 4Kinship, which is also a really cool Indigenous vintage brand. For the red carpet, I got to work with two Indigenous designers to custom-make this very beautiful gown. Tasha Marie Designs was the designer that beaded my corset and Evan Ducharme made my skirt, and they both just came together so beautifully. I love how it turned out, truly.

Does anyone in your family do beadwork? Is it something that you grew up around?

Yeah, my mom beads. She doesn’t sell any of her work, which she should. My sister also beads. I grew up beading here and there, but it was never something that I continued. I think out of all my creative outlets, it got the short end.

My mom does some beadwork too, so I know it’s super meticulous. How do you approach style outside of professional spaces, like the red carpet? What are you drawn to?

I feel like my style has been changing a little recently. I like really baggy pants. I haven’t really worn jeans in a while, but I wanted to up my whole closet recently. I’ve been wanting to get more color because I tend to lean on black a lot and earth tones in general. It also depends on what time of year, ’cause sometimes in the summer I like giving off that skateresque vibe.

I like a lot of men’s fashion too. I’ll have long shorts that are past my knees and huge T-shirts on and be like why do I look like a boy? Oh, I’m dressed like this. Doing a lot of this press and having this part of my life really lets me tap into my feminine side.

You grew up in Akwesasne?

Mm-hmm.

When you’re on set and you’re in front of the camera, how do you become this character that you grew up with?

It was honestly really crazy, like that first time we had that transition. Growing up, seeing this character all of the time and idolizing this character almost, and then to have that transformation and look in the mirror and see yourself as that person. It’s like whoa, whoa, whoa. But honestly, Katara and I have a lot of similarities in our personalities. And I feel like it’s kind of a double-edged sword in that it becomes easy to become them. But because there are some similarities, it’s hard to differentiate yourself from the character and keep those things separate.

Were you able to draw on or tie some of your own Mohawk roots? It was great talking to your parents too and hearing about the impact of their own work, your mom’s work in cultural restoration and your dad’s work with your tribe. I’m curious if any of that went into how you shaped this role, especially because Katara is a very Indigenous-coded character.

I think with my Mohawk roots and what my parents have done my whole life, I feel like it has shaped me as a person. With that, I can’t help but take that to every role that I play in the past and in the future, too. So, I feel like my Kanienʼkehá:ka roots will always be there with me in every character that I have the pleasure to portray. I haven’t said this before, but really, I truly do owe everything that I have to my mom and my dad.

What was some of your preparation for this role?

We binged the original show. I think I watched it twice and then went into specific scenes for Katara’s character and her mindset, and then also her bending. Every time we had a fight or we wanted to re-create something from the animated show, we were watching clips of Katara’s bending and that also was really helpful for me.

What’s it like being a young actor now in the age of TikTok and social media?

I think it’s a delicate balance. I feel like in this age, it’s really easy to get caught up in what people are saying, good or bad. Because it’s just so accessible. It’s really important to be able to protect yourself from that. With the show dropping, I will have to find ways to protect myself from the outside and what they are saying, even though I have this sense of wanting to look, wanting to know what the public thinks. That’s how I’ve been this whole time leading up to the show coming out. I want to be and I try to be an open-minded person. So, with what people are saying, I like to look at it just plainly, not trying to hurt my own feelings or anyone’s feelings. I like to have this information and [take] it as a learning type of thing.

With the show dropping and how massive the scale is, there is going to be so many opinions, so many thoughts. So, I feel like it’ll be OK if I just kind of let this one go for a while and revisit when I’m in a more stable place.

I think that’s healthy. On the flip side, for somebody coming up in your generation, specifically somebody Indigenous working in this industry, what’s it like to watch actors like Lily Gladstone or Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs lead the way?

It’s so beautiful. It’s beautiful to see all these amazing strong Indigenous actors. A lot of our stories have been trying to break through for a long time. To now be able to see it in multiple people that come to mind immediately with Reservation Dogs, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Echo, all of these things are so amazing to be able to see in the industry. It’s come so far even from when I was little.

I think one of the main reasons that I was drawn to Avatar: The Last Airbender growing up was being able to have a strong brown role model in Katara. She was one of not many. I think representation, even in that time, was so scarce and rare. So, to be able to carry the torch that’s been passed down for a long time now and be able to light multiple fires and lead the way for the generations coming is so important. I am truly blessed to be alongside all these incredible Indigenous actors leading the way.

Has there been a particular performance by another actor that’s had an effect on you like that? Somebody that you saw growing up, or are even watching right now that’s a model for your career?

The only person that I could think of is Zendaya. I grew up watching her on K.C. Undercover and Shake It Up, when she was just a kid star on Disney. Another thing that is so inspiring to me is her fashion sense. I love how she doesn’t always step out to all these different events. But when she does, everyone knows it and she’s making a statement. It’s just really inspiring to me, her fashion sense and her choices. Also, to have a single name that’s different from what you always hear is also something that we relate to and is inspiring to me.

What is it like having this be something of a new normal for a Native actor where you’re not necessarily just relegated to these roles in westerns? That’s something that people have been dreaming of. It seems like it’s a totally open future now too. What does that feel like?

It feels so surreal. Honestly, sometimes I get the sense of guilt. There are so many people that fight for the same spot. Sometimes, I have to remind myself how hard I’ve worked for things because it sometimes can feel like maybe someone else deserved this. You know that type of feeling?

But I’m lucky enough to have an amazing support group. To be able to be in this position that I’m in now is so incredible. Something that my dad always told me that we’re always where we’re supposed to be. I think that’s something if I had the chance to tell other Indigenous people, or just people in general, especially with actors and acting—you’re always where you’re supposed to be. If you didn’t get this job, it was for this reason. If you feel like you really wanted this thing but it didn’t end up happening, it was because this thing was waiting for you. And I feel like a lot of times, fate works in really funny ways. Of course, I was auditioning for so many things before Avatarhappened. I just can’t imagine if I had landed a different role and then wasn’t able to go out for this. So, it’s so funny how the universe works in crazy ways to make things align perfectly.

[nikkeisimmer]

Warning: Non-Sims Hockey Post

As most people who follow me know, I'm a hockey fan (almost required to be Canadian) and I'm a Vancouver Canucks fan which means that for most other teams' followers, they hate my guts. 🤣

July 1st for me, most always includes Free Agent Frenzy Day as well as Canada Day. And this year was no different. As of July 6, 2024, Jim Rutherford (or as I like to call him "Trader Jim" (the original Trader Jim)) will have been at the directional helm (as President of Hockey Operations) for almost two and a half years (has it been that long? - it's gone by in the blink of an eye) and two years and almost 4 1/2 months since Patrik Allvin has been hired as General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

Considering the sad shape that the Canucks were in in December of 2021, I did not hold hope that there was going to be such a turn around and frankly 2022-2023 season did not disappoint in my books. In fact I will go on record as stating:

Even Scotty Bowman wouldn't be able to win the

Stanley Cup with these idiots...

I meant the efforts of the on-ice team in the fact that they had absolutely no direction and that they were losing more than they were winning. With Travis Green the Canucks were losing and he got fired in December of 2021 and outside of a sudden spurt of winning effort when Bruce Boudreau was hired in December of 2021 right after Green was fired. Under Bruce the Canucks at the end half of the that 2021-2022 season went 32-15-10 and nearly made the playoffs missing it by only 5 points. And we thought that was going to be our Pacific Street Miracle. But 2022-2023 season and our fortunes did a complete 180°. In fact, not only was the winning record in the pre-season illusory, but the Canucks were on their way to a league worst opening season. It was a pretty sad effort all around. The Canucks stumbled out of the gate losing to the Edmonton Oilers in a match-up that ended 3-2. Surprisingly they won the next game against the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4; which was surprising to me which for a long-time fan, having seen the Flyers come into GM Place (now Rogers Arena - and I'm sorry, I just can't call GM Place Rogers Arena - it's too ingrained in me - Sorry, Ted) and essentially ROFLstomping the Canucks on a regular basis - the Canucks getting these infrequent wins seemed like an effing miracle.

But by the time the first ten games of the regular season were over, the Canucks had compiled a 2-6-2 record and were pretty much enroute to shitting the bed and making certain that their coach Bruce Boudreau was going to end up getting sacked. The question was when not if. In fact it looked as though the entire Jim Rutherford/Patrik Allvin experiment wasn't going to go the way that everyone had hoped and that this was all a mistake that they should rectify in a hurry. As usual our reactive fanbase was calling for their heads. It also meant that something had to be done. But it dragged on and on for the entirety of half a season while poor Bruce was trying to do everything in his power to get a team going that just wouldn't listen to him. It appeared that the team had tuned him out. In fact, I was not happy with the guys on the ice more than I was unhappy with Bruce. I kept saying to my wife that "God help the players on that team, because if I were the general manager on this team, I'd be having a fire-sale on players and try to bring in some players with a will-to-win." I'd be firing these players out the door like the slingshotted Bombbird on Angry Birds. God knows that Boudreau was trying his damndest to get something out of a team that just wasn't doing the right things to win. And of course the management was dumping all over Bruce every chance they got when they should have been questioning the work-ethic of their players. Anybody who was in Vancouver at the time knew the coaching drama that was going on in Rogers Arena. It was practically front-page news and the topic of damned near every sportsfan in Vancouver. So I wonder just how long Bruce Boudreau has, because he looks like he's a marked man.

Yeah, well, that pain lasted till January 22nd, 2023 - while the Canucks compiled a 18-25-3 record that was a hole that was seriously going to be difficult to climb out of. And fans were getting on the Tank for Bedard train. Yeah, I hate to admit it, I was one who was hoping that every loss would bring us closer to getting the coveted #1 draft pick. But I knew the NHL. They would do everything to make sure that we didn't get the number one. As a long-time Canucks fan from the very beginning (with Captain Orland Kurtenbach) I knew damned well the hockey gods would conspire to make sure we didn't or we would have had Gilbert Perrault. Instead we got Dale Tallon at #2.

Luke Schenn, one of the players that I think was actually trying on the ice, said it best "Obviously, we feel like we let him down in the room. He deserves better. I think that's on us as players," Yeah, no shit. This was entirely on the heads of the players and their "will-to-win". They were playing to get their coach fired. And that was the bottom line.

Rick Tocchet became the new Canucks Coach and a lot of fans were unhappy the way that it was presented to them. I know I wasn't too happy either, but I was one of the ones willing to give Coach Tocchet a chance. Besides...he wasn't the one that was responsible for Coach Boudreau's ignonimous departure. Frankly that was 100% to blame on the front office and the shitty way they handled things. The second Coach Tocchet took over the bench, it seemed like fortunes had turned around. The Canucks seemed to listen to Coach Rick Tocchet in a way they hadn't for Coach Boudreau. There was a new work ethic being instituted in the locker room. Coach Tocchet demanded hard work without being overbearing. We learned that he was a player's coach as he had been a players' player; that he had two ears and one mouth and used them in proportion.

He was bloody tough to play against as a player as most of the 80s and 90s players will tell you. He was a hard-nosed player who went into the corners, was gritty and tough-as-nails, was capable of throwing down the gloves and chucking knuckles and I hated him when he used to come into the Pacific Colisseum and take on my 'Nucks. But now...

Seeing him in Canucks colors on the ice helping players become the best versions of themselves they can be - I'm just glad that we have him.

Less than ten days after that, one of the main issues in the dressing room (the contention between Horvat and Miller) was addressed. I'm certain that there was friction between the two. The Canucks gambled on an older Miller and fired Horvat out the door trading him to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier (was later traded to Chicago for a fifth round pick in for in the now complete 2024 draft), Aatu Raty (now a stalwart in Abby) and a protected 2023 first-round draft pick (ended up going to the Islanders for Filip Hronek) and extending J.T. Miller instead. In retrospect, that was definitely the right decision to do, however it sure pissed off a lot of fans even more than they were already about the Boudreau firing.

Over the off-season we were thirsting for news about the Canucks. Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin had instituted a practical information lockdown and we could only speculate what was being done during the off-season to change the on-ice dynamics and work-ethic of the team and whether or not the Canucks players were buying in. The Canucks front office would toss us out crumbs from the draft table at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.

Canucks drafted Jonathan Lekkerimäki at 15th overall in the 2023 draft. And Allvin did some major fine-tuning during the off-season picking up Hronek,

And then 2023-2024. HOLY SHIT!!! It's like we'd somehow acquired a whole different team with the faces of the players we'd had before. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought that humankind had perfected cloning because we now had players with familiar names that had "work-ethic" coming into games. None of this holiday resort type atmosphere, it was what we knew now as "lunch-bucket" hockey, crack-your-knuckles" and get to work.

We were seeing a lot more of these kinds of celebrations on the ice. It was a far cry from the dejection. It was fun to be a hockey fan again (not that I ever left, but those losses hurt). And the loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs hurt like hell, but we know that playoff hockey is back in Vancouver and that there will be more playoffs to come.

Yes, there were losses throughout the season, but somehow we knew the Canucks would dig themselves out. This was a whole different team and the man responsible, the man behind the bench.

The fact that we have Adam Foote as an Assistant Coach is incredible.

Again as a long-time Canucks fan whose young adulthood coincided with Tocchet's and Foote's time on the ice as players. Footey was an Avalanche player, again tough to play against and he was one of those players that got under your skin because he was so damned good at what he did.

This is how I remember Adam Foote - tough, gritty and basically would clear players from in front of his net and this was the skillset that he was now teaching to our Canucks players as Canucks assistant coach. These were guys with Cup winning pedigrees.

We can't miss out Sergei Gonchar who was with Crosby when they won the first of two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh in 2009.

Sergei Gonchar is now our Defensive Development Coach and he goes into the intricacies of what constitutes how to play good defense. It's great to see him on the ice teaching our young Canucks.

And the best damned thing about these three is that THEY WANT THAT for our Canucks - in fact the coaching staff may not have been former Canucks players, but they are Canucks in the fact that they are our players' guiding lights. They're not going to be satisfied until Lord Stanley's Cup is raised in Rogers Arena and neither are Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin.

The 2024 offseason so far, as short a period as it's been has been tumultuous. Both Lindholm and Zadorov (is still loved in Vancouver - and he deserves his new contract, but it's a bit too pricey for us) are now Boston Bruins and we just inherited a shit-ton of new Canucks (ex-Bruins in return) that we signed in free agency.

According to Quinn Hughes. Kiefer Sherwood had pissed off the entire team while playing for Nashville

New Canucks team-mate Sherwood harassing ex-Canuck, now Bruin Elias Lindholm. "Welcome to Vancouver" Kiefer.

The Bruins stole two of our players (yeah, I know they were free agents and they wanted too much for the Canucks to pay them what they wanted but they were our players, dammit!) so Allvin returned the favour and signed Jake DeBrusk. Big Z no matter what team he plays for made an impact in Vancouver and will be a loved player here just as much as Kuzmenko was.

They will be missed.

Lindholm, well, he was just a rental.

Well, good luck in Boston, Elias.

Danton Heinen came home (He's a Langley boy) after playing with the Bruins for the past year after playing with the Penguins for the prior two years to that.

And he's so looking forward to playing for his hometown team. He gave the hometeam discount in order to come play for them. He wants to help the Canucks win and well, he remembers the 2011 playoffs too well and wants to change that outcome.

He's also an ex-Penguin so he knows the regime over here having played with them for two years recently. Heinen returned to the Bruins after being drafted by them back in 2014 becoming a regular in the lineup in the 2016-2017 season.

Derek Forbort is a monster. He may not be the most fleet of foot, but he's effective where he places himself. And evidently he can hit like a Mack truck and clear the area around the net which is what Tocchet will want him to do. 6'4" of pure unbridled aggression and "get out of my team's net".

Hopefully Tocchet will be able to help Jake DeBrusk find some consistency and the fact that Jake acknowledges that he has some work to do is nice to hear. But he's one of the most promising of the signings next to Kiefer Sherwood. He's also the "power forward" that Tocchet wanted lining up with Elias Pettersson hopefully to get him going during the playoffs. DeBrusk is a gritty player, a good two way player and able to make defensive plays as well as generate offense. And hopefully Tocc will be able to take him to the next level.

Not much is known here about Nate Smith (Nathan Smith) other than the fact that he spent most of his past two seasons in the minors and that he had a promising season back in 2021-2022. But in 4 games in 2022-2023, he had 0 points.

Hopefully he becomes a good pickup for Abby or that maybe Tocchet will be able to spark something in him during camp.

Last of the pick-ups on opening day of Free Agent Frenzy was Vincent Desharnais from the Oil who will now be plying his trade making sure that Petey is protected rather than plowing into him as seen here.

At 6'7" he's a replacement for 6'6" Big Z. And can clear the net as well as his new team-mate Derek Forbort.

Abby needs a new goalie and well, it's going to be a two-way race with Jiri Patera (Vegas Golden Knights) now possibly contending for backup position to Thatcher Demko against Arturs Silovs who played phenomenally against the Edmonton Oilers and drew them to a seven game series after Demko went down in Game 1 versus Nashville. Demko did not return for the duration of the playoffs and it was Casey DeSmith and Arturs Silovs for the rest of that series. Then it was all Silovs against the Edmonton Oilers.

My gut says that Silovs will ultimately get the nod to become the permanent back-up to Thatcher Demko and Patera will become the lead goaltender for the Abbotsford Canucks.

So in a nutshell, that's Vancouver's offseason acquisitions for you. As far as I can tell, the Canucks made some solid acquisitions early in the Free Agency Frenzy on July 1st, because it was clear that they weren't going to land the big names being floated around.

Frankly they would have shot themselves in the foot if they had gone after Jake Guentzel and we've seen that kind of thing happen before. (Hello, Mark Messier...and Oliver Ekman-Larsson).

“Other than some inexperience in Vancouver, which is probably the thing that they're lacking the most right now, you've got to look at their team as being really positioned well to play well in the playoffs.” ~Mark Messier

Yeah, Mark, thanks, do us a favour next time...and keep it to yourself.

Mark Messier with the "invisible Cup" that he was going to win for us. 🤮

[smallsparkelectrical]

The Importance of Reliable Power Points in Rutherford: Ensuring Safety and Efficiency

Having power points Rutherford that function efficiently is essential for modern households and businesses. With the increasing reliance on electrical appliances, a properly installed and maintained power system ensures safety, convenience, and energy efficiency. Many homeowners and business owners may not realize the significance of updating and maintaining their electrical outlets, but it plays…

[media-enthusiast]

"Listening Together"

Summary: Mariner let out a squeak as the usually docile Boimler flung the bottle of whiskey into the wall, it shattered on impact. “Boim- Brad… what’s going on?” “You didn’t hear, did you?”

______________________________________

“Computer, locate Ensign Boimler.” A chirp. “Ensign Bradward Boimler is located in supply closet thirteen on deck eight.”

“Ha! I bet he’s playing Captain again!” Mariner laughed.

The girl got on a turbolift to deck eight, eventually coming across the supply closet after a few minutes' walk. She pushed a button and the door swung open.

Sure enough, there was Boimler. But he wasn’t narrating into his padd like she thought he’d be. He was instead, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, nursing what appeared to be one of Mariner’s bottles of Romulan whiskey. The ensign’s padd was beside him.

She squealed with delight. “Boims! You finally tried Romulan whiskey? I’m so proud of you, you rule-breaker! What did it huh? Third-wheeling with Tendi and Rutherford? A girl reject you? Put too much sugar in Ransom’s coffee and got yelled at?” Mariner let out a squeak as the usually docile Boimler flung the bottle of whiskey into the wall, it shattered on impact. She noticed Jennifer Sh’reyan peek around the corner, concern and curiosity dominating her features. The two shared a look before the Andorian turned back the way she came.

Mariner turned her attention back to whatever situation she had just walked into. “Boim- Brad… what’s going on?” “You didn’t hear, did you?” Mariner looked confused. “William’s dead, Mariner.”

The human girl’s eyes widened slightly. “You– Your transporter clone?” Boimler nodded. Mariner moved further into the supply closet. Making sure the door swished closed behind her, she took a seat next to her friend on the floor.

“Sorry about the bottle.” Mariner shook her head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. Like I said before, Riker’s flush with that kind of stuff.” She noticed Boimler visibly tense at the mention of his old Captain and put a hand on his shoulder. “Tell me what happened?”

Boiler took a shaky breath. “The Titan was ambushed. Pirates, bounty hunters and Pakleds working together, about ten ships. Even for a ship like the Titan, it was too much. By the time backup arrived… 80% of the crew was gone. It was a miracle she could even keep power to the warp core and life support systems.”

“Riker didn’t send me anything…” Mariner said, slightly hurt that she hadn’t heard from her friend after such an awful experience. “I don’t think he could even if he wanted to. He and the rest of the crew have been ordered to attend counseling sessions at some survivors' guilt therapy camp thingy while their injuries are treated. Minimal technology access. He’s probably using what little access he does have on speaking with family.”

Mariner nodded. “Okay but Brad I thought you didn’t really talk to William–” “Oh my God, that’s not the point Beckett! Don’t you get it?!” Mariner winced at the way her name sounded coming from an upset Boimler. “That was going to be me! That was supposed to be me! I was supposed to die! If I hadn't gotten cloned, I would be lying on the bridge of the Titan with a metal rod in my stomach!”

Mariner sat in stunned silence.

It was quiet for a while, before Boimler finally spoke again. “He– he sent a message to my padd.” He shuffled and showed her the screen. “I want to listen to it but…” “You don’t want to do it alone?” Boimler nodded. “Okay,” Mariner said gently. “How about we listen to it together?” “I’d like that.”

Mariner delicately took the padd from him. After looking at her friend for confirmation, she hit play.

“Hey Brad, William here.” The muffled sound of phaser fire hitting metal and shouting could be heard in the background. “I don’t have a lot of time so I’ll make it quick. I was going to apologize for getting you sent off the Titan but in hindsight, I’m not going to. I know where this is heading and… better the transporter clone than the real one.”

Mariner glanced at Boimler. He had his head against the wall, eyes closed but clearly listening. Probably imagining…

6 Days Earlier, USS TITAN -

William Boimler couldn’t help but chuckle at his situation. Here he was on the bridge of the Titan with the rest of the bridge crew, praying the door wasn’t blown open until help could arrive. All the while, narrating a message into his padd.

It was a lot darker than it sounded. Shields were down and virtually all weapons were taken out. They had run out of torpedoes; even the tractor beam was inoperable. And to top it all off, they were being boarded. Knowing there wasn’t much else they could do, the captain had them send messages to loved ones if they desired. So that is what they did. Riker didn’t want to discourage his crew but he was not going to bullshit them either.

“The universe is a big place, Brad. Find your purpose in it! Keep going, Cerritos strong! And… tell Mariner how you feel. It could all be gone in an instant so make the most of your time together. Say goodbye to everyone for me, William out.”

The intruders had given up on the door and had instead beamed directly onto the bridge. Riker managed to shoot two before he was brought down by a phaser to his torso. William Boimler fell to the floor beside his captain, bringing the padd down with him, as he was stabbed in the stomach with a piece of debris.

But the universe was cruel though. Oh so cruel.

Just as the group of pirates finished gathering all the data they could, one spoke up. “Sir, at least three Federation and two Vulcan ships have responded to the distress call. At maximum warp they’ll be here any minute.” If only they had held out a little longer…

The leader nodded. “Let’s get out of here.” The bridge was cleared out, leaving only a room of dead or dying Starfleet officers.

William took one last glance around the bridge before his heart dropped. His message! He had stopped it but didn’t get a chance to send it. He reached and reached but it was too far.

Then, a hand hit the send button for him. William could cry. “Thank you, Captain.” Riker groaned. Fortunately for him, the phaser hit him in the side instead of dead on, he’d live.

“I need you awake, Lieutenant. You heard those pirates, help is coming.” William looked down at the rod protruding out his torso. With the adrenaline wearing off, his eyelids were already impossibly heavy. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, sir.”

Riker took a look at his subordinate, swearing at the sight of blood pooling around him. He was right. “I am sorry, Mr. Boimler.”

“You made it up to me by sending my message, sir. Don’t worry, I signed up knowing this could happen. Still the best job in the galaxy…”

“Mr. Boimler…” “Mr. Boimler…!” “William…!”

William Boimler closed his eyes for the last time as his captain’s voice faded away.

Present Day, USS CERRITOS -

Mariner didn’t realize she was crying until she felt a few drops hit her leg. Bradward Boimler was still in the same position. Back and head against the wall, eyes closed. Except the tears rolling down his cheeks were obvious.

Mariner put the padd down, wrapping her arms around her best friend and pulling him close. He reciprocated the embrace.

“I do have feelings for you by the way.” “If you’re just saying that to make me feel better…” Boimler croaked out. “I’m not. I’ve had feelings for you ever since you left for the Titan. I didn’t realize how much you meant to me until you were…” she gulped. “Gone.”

“But we can talk about all that tomorrow, alright?” Boimler nodded. They stayed in the supply closet (and embrace) until they fell asleep, not caring that a search party would inevitably find them when they didn’t show up for their shifts. They were mourning.

[scotianostra]

On 22nd November 1794 Alison Cockburn, poetess, songwriter and socialite

Alison Cockburn’s is most famous for writing the words for one of our greatest songs, Floo’ers o’ the Forest.

Born as Alison Rutherford at Fairnilee House near in the Scottish Borders. She married Patrick Cockburn of Ormiston in 1731. Alison Cockburn’s married life was as happy as she or anybody else could possibly have desired. aged just 19, as she states in her Memoirs, she had had several “matrimonial, as well as dancing lovers.” But from the moment when she gave her heart as well as her hand to Patrick Cockburn, she never glanced aside or had cause to regret the marriage. Alison but was widowed in 1753 after 22 happy years, and was left with a small but “adequate“ income.

After losing her husband it has been written that she “never lost her liveliness, her insatiable love of mischief, mockery and match-making”

Anyway Alison became the 'Queen' of Edinburgh society and for more than 60 years was at the centre of a circle of notables of the Scottish Enlightenment, she knew a young Walter Scott who she described as 'the most extraordinary genius of a boy' she was friends with the likes of David Hume and Robert Burns, of the bard she described as having 'a most enthusiastic heart of love'.

Alison Cockburn was a poet as well as a wit and a socialite, of Floo’ers o’ the Forest, Walter Scott and Robert Burns unite in praising this poem to the skies, so it is perhaps rather presumptuous to find fault with it. “A fine set of verses,” Scott calls it in one of his letters. “‘Flowers of the Forest’ is charming as a poem,” Burns wrote, in 1793, to This editor George Thomson, when the latter had asked his advice as to the projected publication of a series of songs to suit a collection of the best Scottish airs.

I must point out though that the song, like many others, including Burns and Scott’s own work, was deeply embedded in Scottish storytelling circles, handed down from generation to generation through the centuries, that’s not taking anything away from Alison Cockburn or her version, Burns himself is said to have played around with the story himself aged 17 he wrote I Dream'd I Lay.

Alicia, as she was also known, was for many years one of the best known and best loved characters in Edinburgh society. Her house was the rendezvous of all the interesting persons who inhabited or visited the Scottish capital. Her parties were characterised by an absence of formality, which did not detract form their charm

Her parties and dinners were not formal, they were formed, at a few hours, or less notice, little snug supper-parties, I think a lot of us will have grown up with similar types of shindigs and spent many an early hour sitting at the top of the stairs listening to the singing and shenanigans in living room and kitchens growing up, a thing that I doubt goes on much nowadays.

David Hume, the philosopher and historian, arriving at Mrs. Cockburn’s house, when most of the supper dishes had been consumed, was met by the hostess who at once made Herculean efforts to cater for his needs. He stopped her with a smile. “Trouble yourself very little about what you have, or how it appears,You know I am no epicure, but only a glutton!, epicure being an old word for one who takes pleasure in eating.

Mrs. Cockburn’s little parties often included a concert given by operatic “stars,” or a dramatic performance by exponents of the latest music-hall sensation.

This was certainly the most interesting period in the social and literary history of Scotland, when so many young eagles were testing their flying powers, The Enlightenment was in full flow and this wee wifey fae the Borders was at the heart of it.

Walter Scott has declared that the city of Edinburgh was more like that of Paris. There was an absence of formality and ostentation about the social gatherings of Edinburgh in which they resembled the little French parties where “wit and brilliant conversation superseded all occasion for display.” I personally see Scotland as a nation still very much like this, we are generally a very welcoming people, the Highlands in particular are known for their hospitality.

As I wrap this post up I again refer to Sir Walter Scott who wrote of our subject;

“Even at an age advanced beyond the usual bounds of humanity,” wrote Sir Walter Scott, “she retained a play of imagination and an activity of intellect, which must have been attractive and delightful in youth, but are almost preternatural at her period of life. Her active benevolence keeping pace with her genius rendered her equally an object of love and admiration.”

Mrs. Cockburn found herself, even at the age of eighty, still at the very centre of the most interesting element in Edinburgh society, and that when she died two years later she left a gap which it was not easy to fill, and a reputation for brilliancy of intellect and kindliness of disposition which has survived until to-day.

Alison Cockburn died on this day 1794. She is buried in the kirkyard of Buccleuch Parish Church, where another subject of a recent post, The Blind Poet, Thomas Blacklock is also laid to rea, I am sure that the pair would have been friends as Burns knew both from his time in Edinburgh.

I've heard the lilting, at our yowe-milking, Lasses a-lilting, before the dawn o' day; But now they are moaning, on ilka green loaning: The Flowers o' the Forest are a' wede away.

At buchts in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning The lasses are lonely, and dowie, and wae; Nae daffin', nae gabbin', but sighing and sabbing, Ilk ane lifts her leglen and hies away.

In hairst, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering The bandsters are lyart, and runkled and grey At fair, or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching — The Flowers o' the Forest are a' wede away.

At e'en, at the gloaming, nae swankies are roaming 'Bout stacks wi' the lasses at bogle to play; But ilk ane sits drearie, lamenting her dearie The Flowers o' the Forest are a' wede away.

Dule and wae to the order, sent our lads to the border The English, for aince, by guile wan the day: The Flowers o' the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost The pride o' our land, are cauld in the clay.

We hear nae mair lilting at our yowe-milking, Women and bairns are heartless and wae; Sighing and moaning on ilka green loaning The Flowers o' the Forest are a' wede away.

[k4tisblog]

10 MEDIA DIARY: MLP:FiM & YAKYAKISTAN.

Hello! Hi! This post may be a bit of a ramble. I have watched all 9 seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It’s a comfort show, and has been very dear to me since I was a kid. While I love it to death, I want to point out its portrayal of race.

From the "Buffalo tribe" being analogous to Indigenous Americans (S1), to Rarity gentrifying an Indian Pony restaurant (S6), one could probably write an entire thesis about it. However, for everyone's sake, I'll focus on the episode "She's all Yak." (Season 9 Episode 7). Spoilers ahead, of course.

Introducing MLP:FiM A quick summary of the show thus far- Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn who earned the title of Princess of Friendship (and also wings). She couldn't have done it without her friends Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and last but not least, Rarity! The Mane 6 (that's a pun) have a reputation for saving the world (too many times to keep track). At the premiere of season 8, Twilight starts the very first School of Friendship! The point: to invite everypony everycreature to come and learn friendship. (There are implications here- but that's another discussion in and of itself.) The school's credibility is questionable, but they get through the trials and tribulations of the education system with the power of friendship!

Yakyakistan Let's just say things can go a bit off the rails when you invite different species into the My Little Pony cinematic universe. It didn't have to be bad. It really didn't.

Alas, the Yaks. They're from Yakyakistan. Speak "broken" English when no other species does. Being destructive is "crucial to their culture". Need I say more? It is not necessary to create this association to real-world regions using the suffix "-stan", for them to have "caveman-like” speech, for their "traditions" to be destructive tendencies. They are prideful and nationalistic to an unrational extent as well. Refusing cooperation with others, instead choosing to eat and sleep on snow comes to mind.

"However, despite Pinkie and the yaks' efforts, there is too much snow for them to dig through, and their forceful digging only causes more snow to fall from the mountain. Pinkie Pie offers to return to Ponyville and get help from her friends, but the proud Rutherford and his subjects refuse to accept help from ponies. Rutherford suggests simply waiting for the snow to melt, and he and his subjects resort to eating and sleeping on snow to survive. " (S7 Ep 11, MLP:FiM Wiki)

YONA: SHE'S ALL YAK As much as the Yaks were in poor taste (AT BEST), it was easy to avoid; they typically only existed in their own standalone episodes. Unfortunately, they keep appearing; Yona is chosen by Yakyakistan's Prince Rutherford to attend the School of Friendship. The main thing with the Yaks as characters is that their main "problems" in their episodes are the clash of their “savage” cultural norms vs. the “civilised” ponies.

Considering once again a clear association to real-life ethnic groups and these "cultural norms" enforcing real-world prejudice… Yeah, I do flinch every time a Yak plot is introduced. "She's All Yak" is an episode that I watched all the way through. I have things to say. Yona is asked by her (pony) friend Sandbar to join the Amity Ball and partake in the Pony Pals contest with him. Since the dance is traditionally pony-centric, she responds "But Yona yak. Yona not pony." Sandbar assures her that that doesn't matter and she accepts.

Now filled with a want to be the best Pony Pal, Yona sees Rarity stressing about Ball dresses and feels she has a lot to learn before the event. She turns to Rarity for guidance on what to wear, and how to act.

Rarity teaches Yona how to talk - shoving Brussels sprouts in her mouth to help annunciation.

Rarity: [elocuting] The weather is quite agreeable today. Yona: [muffled] The weather is quite agreeable today. [chews, gulps, belches loudly] Yona like Brussels sprouts! Rarity: Let's move on.

While Rarity looks through different dress options, Yona tells her she likes brown. Rarity expresses disgust at "earth tones," sticking her tongue out and calling them "earthy." She says not to worry; she'll find a dress to make Yona stand out! Yona says she doesn't want to stand out, but rather to fit in… Cue the musical number. "Once you learn the pony way you'll start to fit right in." Rarity sings while Yona gets transformation montage.

Yona's struggle in integrating into pony norms is turned comedic. It's exaggerated to the point of being downright unflattering. She's highlighted as dirty, clumsy, unfashionable, and, of course, destructive.

After a long while of Yona getting everything wrong, she manages to get things right! (She dances without causing earthquakes and speaks like a posh pony now.)

Yona’s ready to rumble.

THE AMITY BALL

Gallus: I'm just glad I'm here with you guys. Least I'm not the only non-pony in the crowd. Sandbar: You're not still worried about that, are you? Like Headmare Twilight said, this is a dance for everycreature. There's no pony pressure.

Yona's friends giggle at the contrast between Sandbars' statement and the sight of ridiculously-overponified-Yona.

They are all taken aback, and Sandbar looks concerned. He plays along with it; she did all this for him after all. The dances begin! Yona is excited, inviting Sandbar to dance. She dances well until she trips on her dress and takes a tumble. Regaining her composure, they move on to the Pony Prance. Yona’s wig temporarily obscures her vision and she freaks out. Stampeding through the Ball, she ends up hurting everyone and destroying everything in her path. Inconsolable, Yona runs off in tears.

"Yona disappoint Sandbar. Yona not make very good pony." Sandbar finds Yona and they have a heart to heart.

Yona: Yona just want to do all the right pony things and fit in at dance! Then maybe Sandbar and Yona win best pony pals contest. Instead, Yona win worst pony ever.[crunch] Sandbar: That's not true. (...) Sandbar: Yona, it doesn't really matter if you're a great pony or a horrible pony. You're the best Yona I know. That's why I asked you to the dance.

I don't have an issue with the message this episode is trying to convey. It's an obvious trajectory towards being yourself; you don't have to change for anyone - I appreciate the representation of this in Sandbar and Yona's relationship.

We get a sincere apology from the Mane 6, admitting that it was no fault of Yona's but rather their fault for unknowingly forcing her to be something she was not. Yona and Sandbar are given the winning trophy for the Pony Pal competition!

Spike then exclaims that "everypony wants to learn that crazy dance [Yona] did." She teaches them all the "Yakyakistan Stomp." They all start to dance as the camera shakes and the credits roll.

How do you feel about the use of the word “crazy”? CONCLUSIONS As much as I understand the intent, I can't ignore the root of Yona's character. From her personality traits to her place of origin... There are too many implications. I've scavenged for online articles, forums, etc. for opinions on My Little Pony’s Yaks, but it's proving to be a bit of a niche topic. Only in conversation have I heard of people who share my concerns or even acknowledge them. A friend of my girlfriend's posted about this on Reddit once, as I have come to learn, but was shot down by negative responses and disagreements. I suspect the difference in the main fanbases for MLP are a factor.

(I might go into this more in a future blog post - let’s just say that humanified fanart now is more diverse compared to a decade ago.) These comments I found while scrolling through the MLP:FiM wiki piqued my interest. While a fine assessment of the episode at large - the descriptions of Yak culture further prove my point. Just choosing to describe Yakyakistan culture with the word "simple" says a lot.

User Angel Emfrbl's "not that bad" feels like we're settling for "it could be worse. It all makes sense with the current characterizations." I want more people to want to dig deeper into what it all represents. There is a lack of acknowledgment of the root of the Yaks’ existence - their designs, plots, and worldviews.

The unflattering portrayal of Yaks being destructive and completely un-ponylike feels dehumanizing (deponifying?). There ARE ponies that are portrayed as Indian and East Asian. Even the Kirin species closely resemble ponies (just sporting different manes, horns, and tails.) If I'd even go out on a limb and hypothetically say the Dragons are implied to be Europeans (since they based on traditional European dragons), who could be hurt by being compared to a dragon? It certainly gets complicated to explore not only racial implications between ponies, but entire different species. Nonetheless, there is a heavy responsibility to check in with those who experience real-world discrimination before using it as plot points. At the end of the day - Personal biases must be checked, especially when writing for children's media. Hm. Thoughts?

Comments? Concerns?

Otherwise, have a good evening!

[leastdatablebracket]

QUARTERFINALS, MATCH 4

Propaganda under the cut!

Joseph Christiansen

Propaganda

So many reasons. He's already married, he's a jerk to his wife, he's already slept with at least one of the other romance options. That romance option goes to you before a date with Jospeh and damn near begs you not to be stupid and go with him. The worst part? You put up with all this and he leaves you to "work things out with his wife". She deserves so much better than him! One of the writers even said he's a sociopath. 

Married and a youth minister.

Cheater, cringe man, father of creepy children, possibly evil cultist, left a guy feeling used which said guy also became friends with Joseph's wife who appears to be an alcoholic likely as a coping mechanism since she's married to Joseph

He cheats on his wife, has done so before, lies to you by claiming that he's going to leave his wife when he clearly never intends to (and, in one ending, will even cheerfully suggest that you two continue having an affair in an extremely sleazy way), and judging by the fact that the other guy we know he cheated on his wife with, Robert, hates Joseph and is now very close friends with his wife, it seems clear to me that this whole "purposefully mislead someone into sleeping with you and then later drop the bomb that it was an affair" thing is repeat behavior with him. Also, I just find much of his behavior to be very manipulative and controlling; there are many situations where it seems to me that he's actively trying to paint others in a negative light while still coming off as saintly himself, such as an early scene where he subtly implies his wife is a shitty mom because she *checks notes* let their toddler out of her sight... during a neighborhood barbecue in a fenced-in yard surrounded by trusted adults and other kids. Also notice how in this scene he pushes *her* to go look for their son, rather than just looking himself, all while keeping up his "long-suffering husband" act. (and in other scenes can be found letting his other young children wander off into the woods with sharp implements and visibly not caring, but whatever). He does this with Robert, too -- the other guy he had an affair with. Almost everything he says about or to Robert is a subtle jab about his personality or his alcoholism. Classy, Joseph. Meanwhile, the fact that you can't actually end up with him in the end (because he was never going to leave his wife for you) started some of the most volatile discourse in the fandom and had people calling the devs homophobic and claiming they were spreading a message about "gay men needing to stay in loveless abusive marriages to women" (just ignore the fact that there are several other divorced gay dads in this game who all have great relationships with their kids and are not demonized in the slightest). HOWEVER, if you see people claiming he's a cultist or demon or something, that's untrue and was just going to be a non-canon spooky alternate ending that ended up getting cut. So I empathize with him a little bit for getting literally demonized by some fans for that cut alt ending. But he loses all those points by cheating on his wife multiple times and showing clear intent to continue doing so.

He's still married when you start dating him. He's also got like 5 kids that are some "children of the corn" kinda shit, and all their names have "Christ" in them

You don't even get to date him he's still married to his wife who he doesn't get along with. Tragic really

Cullen Rutherford

Propaganda

stupid racist cop creep whose fans cry about how hes "changed" and "you can't judge him he was addicted to magic drugs" nah he still chose to be a racist cop and abuse his power over innocent people and i hate him. the writers making him romanceable in da:i after how blatantly horrible he was in da:o and da:2 is baffling but i guess they had to appeal to the part of their audience who watch those "mafia boyfriend" videos on tiktok or whatever

He's creepy in origins, though still 100% willing to kill the female mage pc he's crushing on, as well as all the other mages trapped in the circle with him. He's the second-in-command in an even worse circle in 2, listening to and defending the increasingly obviously insane meredith until literally the end. He's one of the people still pushing for the circle system by inquisition, and yes he's going through withdrawals and working through the traumas of previous games. And to be brutally honest his was the first romance i took and while i don't remember much from it, its not worth all the girls going absolutely nuts over knockoff terrible alistair.

He's basically a cop who thinks being born a certain way can revoke personhood and by Inquisition still thinks mages are monsters to be controlled, not people. He gets a fairy tale cutesy romance that focuses on his personal struggles with addiction while showing absolutely no regard to the atrocities he committed and still thinks were justified. He can be romanced BY A MAGE and his actions and beliefs are just glossed over. He believes mages are 'not people like you (Hawke) and me', but if the Warden was a female mage he canonically had a crush on her and would deliberately hang around her despite the fact that he was her *jailer*. If that Warden romanced Leliana, there is war table dialogue in which he pesters Leliana for news of his 'former' crush despite her repeated statement that she doesn't want to talk to him about her. All this shitty behavior and lack of introspection gets swept under the rug by the game, not even giving the PC the chance to really challenge his beliefs. Like damn even Fenris could apologize when he lashed out due to past trauma with mages, and if anyone has a reason to hate mages it's Fenris. If you want an ex Templar hottie Alistair is RIGHT THERE. Tbh I know Cullen is a popular romance and I'm not here to tell anyone what they can or can't do or like in a video game, I'm just saying I think he is deeply undateable

Spends the first two games as an antagonist, fervently devoted to the cause of subjugating mages, then a bunch of "character development" happens off screen and the games treat him like he's completely reformed. However he's actions make it clear he still sees mages as dangerous and lesser. Not to mention if you romance him with an elf he doesn't pay your culture more than lip service respect like most of the devout characters 

He was a total villain in the first two games who was violently prejudiced against mages and uses one single bad experience as an excuse for it (a bad experience that is pretty much exactly what he in his job subjected graduating apprentices to, mind you, but this is never brought up). Now he says he's changed, but his words and actions say otherwise. He still distrusts mages, sympathises with the rebel Templars trying to kill them, and he never owns up to the terrible stuff he did and helped others do in the past two games. He totally knew what Meredith was doing and says he doesn't, and he still tries to defend her intentions. And you have no option to call him out on it. If you romance him as a mage, he angsts about how he might have seen you as subhuman in the past but NOW you're one of the good ones, and when you ask him if he'll kill you if you get possessed, he dodges the question. And the PC is written as being almost sad that she's a mage? Like 'can you love me despite what I am??' Also if Leliana romanced a female mage PC in the first game who is still alive, he asks her creepy questions about their relationship. Fitting considering his original purpose was to be creepy to the female mage Warden. 

I hate him and want to cause chaos. Plus his VA is an asshole.

Cop

I think you covered almost everything but don't forget that beautiful moment in DA2 - Act 2 where you find out some templars had a petition to lobotomize all mages and Meredith, THE HARDCORE TEMPLAR LEADER, rejects it, but Cullen says they got a point. Despite the fact that we just found out that those templars were using lobotomy (or the threat of) to rape people and get away with it. And then Cullen in DA:I is whining that anything that happened it's not his fault because Meredith kept the worse away form him so he didn't know, but also that anyway Meredith had a point and did what she had to do. Meredith does not go mad until Act 3, before she was of sound mind and Culllen was her second in command BECAUSE he hated mages as much as (or even more) than her. What the FUCK did she even hide from you, Cullen. Oh, but he changed! Because the writers make A VICTIM OF THE TEMPLARS say so. And anyway he only says so BECAUSE HE READS MINDS not because Cullen did anything to show it. Also the narrative wants to sympathise with Cullen for his drug problems while Cullen is openly attacking the only other character with the same problem for...having the same problem. And he's the antagonist, so there were OTHER things Cullen could be mad about. But he is mad about the drug problem. Also I'm not an expert on writing characters with addictions but he is an addict only when it's time to have a cut scene where you pity him. Otherwise it has zero impacts on everything else.