josephbrassey

[josephbrassey]

After several painful revelations about things my mentors said once, believed once, or did once, I've come to a place where I think the best sort of admiration-dynamic to have with someone is where you let yourself see them as flawed enough that you can pick and choose what they say to agree with.

I've read authors who said things so profound that it seismically shifted my worldview, and in the next sentence copped to believing things I find deeply repulsive. I think that's healthy, as it means you have enough sense of self to absorb what's good from someone without thoughtlessly taking the bad into yourself like an unthinking acolyte.

And acolytes are bad for people to have anyway.

[josephbrassey]

Okay Glassblade edition here we go:

Keys to the city: Probably Adam or Cody since they’re very communally oriented people (albeit for different reasons)

Dish for themselves: Probably Lina just because she strikes me as having more stomach related dietary issues than anyone else, which is funny since I never say that in the books.

Store-bought: Roberta, Aaron, and Claire, with WILDLY different values of “store”

Monstrosity: Rubin and Gabe try to cook something together because they have an idea that collectively lowers their intellect to zero and the result is just not something that should exist. I’m talking Hollandaise seaweed pizza with candy-corn garnish. I’m talking octopus marmalade pierogis. And if you like these things no judgement and I fucking love you, you walking glorious garbage-pail.

Bonus round:

Agnes doesn’t get included in this because she’s an Eastern European baba who has been cooking for 3 adults and 5 plus teenagers for years and is just a walking culinary cheat code. Assume she wins any cooking competition between the characters.

Heart buys something thoughtful at the store that he knows everyone will like because he memorized their preferences or he makes something small along the same lines.

Michael forgets until the last second and panic-buys a pie at Fred Meyer. It might be expired. He is not good at this.

Curious for more? Glassblade starts serialization next January via my newsletter, where I post every month about the craft of writing, media, what I’m working on, and martial arts and other stuff. Link below:

[josephbrassey]

My friend got us killer seats to see Ateez tonight.

[josephbrassey]

No long blog post today. Today is about writing the book of your heart. There’s subtitles on the video.

[josephbrassey]

There's a lot of guys out there who feel like they're helping Incels by 'bringing their concerns' to women and other people out of a misguided attempt to bridge some sort of gap that they imagine exists between these dudes and the women they're furiously mad at.

I am here to tell you, as someone who has slow-walked guys away from Incel thinking, this is going about it EXACTLY the wrong way.

The reason it's wrong is based on your misconception that these guys are acting the way they are because of external rejection and not because of internal insecurity that leaves them extremely vulnerable to Manosphere grifters. The problem is not that women do not understand their problems. I assure you. They do. They reject these guys not because they don't understand them, but because they DO understand them, understand, and (rightfully) do not want the responsibility of fixing their issues foisted on their shoulders.

These women are seeing the culture these guys want to build, and they are opting out.

The only way--the ONLY way--that you can actually help these men is by demonstrating to them that it's not the women they encounter not grasping their problems that is the issue, it's that they don't understand their problems, themselves. It's that they need to be slow-walked (or fast-walked, if they have the resilience) out of their insecurity and fear and the learned habit of blaming those things on women.

When you try to 'bridge the gap' between women and these men, you're being an apologist, and that's both wrong, and it wont work, as it still puts the onus for fixing the problem, something of which only these dudes are capable, on women.

You want to protect them, I get it. You want them to not feel so alone and hurt. You've been alone and hurt and you get it and you feel like being their critic is only gonna make things worse... but I am telling you from the bottom of my heart, you cannot fix an internal responsibility by externalizing it.

Being a critic, sometimes compassionate, sometimes hard, it depends on the guy, is the only way you can help these guys.

Nothing else works.

[josephbrassey]

Holy shit this is too real.

"tumblr's the only social media without algorithms!" "you can still be anonymous on tumblr!" "tumblr's so nice because you don't have to show your face!" WRONG tumblr is special because you can have 3000 followers and still get an average of seven likes a post. i'm doing stand up comedy at a packed venue and one person is laughing

[josephbrassey]

So I’m starting up a newsletter, the link to which can be found below. This is a bit of an experiment for me: it’s going to be monthly at first, a combination of what I’m reading/watching/listening to plus behind the scenes stuff on work… but then next January I’m going to start serializing a novel there and on wattpad as an experiment in indie publishing. If this sounds like something that interests you, follow the link below!

[josephbrassey]

I had to go back through a book and a half and make edits because I realized a wealthy old money family steeped in medieval Germanic lore would never build themselves a Neo-classical mansion. Gothic Revival is what makes sense.

I got this good meme out of it though.

[josephbrassey]

Not a teaser exactly but the shape of things to come.

[josephbrassey]

Can't express how stress free being open minded is.

Some lesbians use he/him? Oh cool.

Some people have people inside their head and sometimes it's fictional chars? Sick your brains like a pirate ship they're all working to run.

Some people like being treated like a pet dog? Bark bark bro.

Being fat isn't unhealthy but a perfectly normal type of body to have? Kinda beautiful how different we can all be.

Something doesn't make any fucking sense? Cool an opportunity to learn. And even if I can't figure it out it's cool we still have mysteries today.

[josephbrassey]

The ducklings grew up!

[josephbrassey]

Things like “history will judge you” seem trite, but I’d like you to take a moment and imagine the vast swaths of humanity that will come after you, that will live when you are old and long after.

Now imagine every single one of them hating your fucking guts. Forever. Relishing the chance to piss on your grave and spit on your memory. Your face as an avatar of shame. Your legacy that of countless **billions** measuring themselves against your so-called “greatest” achievements and going “fuck, at least I’m not THAT guy.”

A chorus of nearly eternal voices united in loathing your pathetic, sniveling evil until the sun burns out. Being remembered for the closest humans get to eternity as hot, steaming garbage. Whatever descendants you leave behind you desperately scratching your name from the family tree and apologizing for having been begotten by someone like you.

That’s what it means to be judged by history.

A shitstain beyond contempt, hated by all, forever.

[josephbrassey]

I met my wife when we were 15 and it was basically as close as you can get to love at first sight as happens in real life.

This means that while I know “meet your soulmate unrealistically young and have it work out” is the most common romance trope ever, I am also EXTREMELY vulnerable to it.

Like “they met insanely young, fell in love during an adventure, got married before everyone said they should, then had a happy family” is something that annoys a lot of folks because it’s actually the exception to the rule for most human beings but it’s what I’ve lived so I’m basically primed to almost always love it I’m sorry I don’t know what to tell you.

It almost annoys me sometimes how easily I can be reduced to tears by **just that trope.**

It plays me like a freaking fiddle. I become a tissue-grabbing mess.

[josephbrassey]

New OC don’t steal.

[josephbrassey]

Hey all, Im offering up a bundle of the first three Drifting Lands books in hardcover plus a bookmark with art of Aimee and Elias as part of an auction to support Trans rights in the UK and South Africa. Shipping is available to UK, US, and Canadian bidders. Head on over if you want to support a good cause.

I also forgot to mention here that Prince of Clay is out!

[josephbrassey]

They are disappearing people. I get up. I eat breakfast. I write 500 words.

They are stripping away legal protections and trampling people’s rights. I take my kids to school. I write 500 words.

They strip funding from the sciences and attack universities. I sit, and I write 500 words.

They are protesting downtown. People are shouting in the streets. At night my loved ones are frightened, and I am frightened too.

I write 500 words. I don’t know if anything will ever come of them or if they will ever matter.

I teach my classes and I try to comfort people. I write 500 words.

My children ask me if there’s anything we can do. I do my best to reassure them. I talk about the people doing good things. I try to be one of them.

At night I cannot sleep. Somehow the next day I still write 500 words.

I do not know when this cycle will end. I am doing my limited best. Trying to be a supportive husband, a good father, teacher, friend, student, community member.

And I come home, and I write 500 words. When I am doing it it often feels empty and pointless. I write them anyway.

I do not know why.

People are vanishing and there is no way to tell where they have gone. My friends overseas ask if I am alright. I do not have an answer.

But at least, today, I have 500 words.

For what little it matters.

I hope it does.

[josephbrassey]

A piece of history.

Stan's Twin Theory

Hey, this is a new blog dedicated to Gravity Falls, and specifically to theories about Gravity Falls. We have some interesting (possibly far-fetched) theories. This is one of them.

Stan’s Twin Theory:

Stan has to have a brother (although not necessarily a twin), because he’s Dipper and Mabel’s Great-Uncle, and they all share the same last name, therefore he must have a brother. However, we believe he has a twin. Here’s why:

twins are genetic (and the gene can skip generations) 

There are some pieces of evidence found in the show that supports our claim

We also believe that Stan’s twin may be the Author. Here’s why:                            

1. The Hiding Spot

Look, a hole in the ground

In Tourist Trapped, Dipper found the 3rd book in the forest near the Mystery Shack. This may seem like a stretch, but think about it! where would you hide something important that you might want to access easily? By your house.                                        

Gideon’s factory

In The Hand that Rocks the Mabel it is shown that Gideon’s family factory is located on Gopher Road, the same street as the Mystery Shack. 

The Mystery Shack’s address via the Deed is 618 Gopher Road.

This could explain how Gideon found the 2nd Journal. 

And it’s interesting to note that Gideon was searching for the 1st Journal at the Mystery Shack. 

Possible hiding spots

There are possible hiding spots listed in the 2nd Journal, they seem to be located around a building similar to the Mystery Shack.

2. The Bunker

The Bunker is located underground, in the forest near the Mystery Shack.

There is a sign on the wall of the bunker that says that it is a nuclear fallout shelter. Now, where would you build a fallout shelter? Near your house of course! During times of bomb scares people would build fallout shelters in their backyard.

And since the Author did experiments in the bunker and was observing a shapeshifter, it would be more convenient for him to have the bunker close to the place where he lived. 

3. The Glasses              

In Carpet Diem, a secret room is discovered in the Mystery Shack, and Stan finds a pair of glasses.                                                                  

Stan finds the glasses

Later he is seen staring at the glasses, and he frowns at them in both scenes.

Stan contemplating the glasses

This could possibly represent an old memory of a friend or *cough* brother. It is obvious that someone lived in that room at some point, so why would Stan want to cover it up?

!!!

In Dreamscapers, it is shown in the 2nd Journal that the Author was surprised to see glasses on the Bill Cipher wheel, possibly because those are his glasses.Take a look at the glasses, they are similar to the ones found in the secret room.

We don’t think these are Stan’s glasses because his glasses are square with rims at the bottom, while the glasses found in the room and on the wheel don’t have rims at the bottom and are rounded.

Also in Dreamscapers, is a flash back of Stan when he was just a wee lad.

Notice his glasses are square and have rims at the bottom.

Here is Stan a little bit older. Notice that he still has square rimmed glasses.

But, in The Time Traveler's Pig, a younger “Stan” is shown with round glasses without rims at the bottom. His glasses look exactly like the one’s found in the secret room. 

Is this really Stan?

Also, this “Stan” has a cleft chin, whereas we have never ever once seen Stan with a cleft chin (not even in flashbacks). 

4. The Calender

Another small point: the calendar in the secret room has the date July 4, 1982 circled. It can be assumed that 1982 is the year the room was abandoned.

The room definitely looks like it hasn’t been touched since the 80’s

However, in the Author’s bunker, there is a calendar on the wall. Guess what year is on the calendar. 1982.

The calendar in the Mystery Shack and the calendar in the Author’s Bunker are from the same year, 1982. 

This suggests that both the room in the Shack and the Bunker were abandoned around the same time. 

5. Wrestling Match Flashback

In a brief scene in Stan’s flashback in Dreamscapers, we see young Stan at a wrestling match. There is a kid reading a book in the stands that looks very similar to child Stan, he even seems to be wearing the same clothing.

Could this be Stan’s twin?

6. The Swing-set 

In Dreamscapers, Stan’s mindscape is very creepy. One notable object in Stan’s mind is a dilapidated swing-set. This is the stuff of horror movies. 

Good times

Since we can assume everything in the mind is a symbol of a significant part of Stan’s life, then this swing-set is very telling. It likely symbolizes a broken childhood. Since it is a two swing swing-set, it could symbolize another person, likely from Stan’s childhood. A close friend… or sibling…

The fact that only one of the swings is broken is also interesting. In Into the Bunker, the Shapeshifter states that the Author “hasn’t been himself in 30 years” suggesting that he probably went crazy. 

…

Are all these merely coincidences? Maybe… But this is Gravity Falls we’re talking about. This show is filled with foreshadowing, plot twists, and secrets. There is just no way that all of this could be a coincidence. 

So, what do you think? Is this a stretch? Or are we on to something? Feel free to comment with your own theories. The more the merrier! :)