#Boston Class

[lonestarbattleship]

USS Canberra (CAG-2) underway on January 9, 1961.

Note: "her radar arrangement: CXRX was moved forward from the mainmast, SPS-29 was fitted on the mainmast and SPS-13 was fitted aft. Canberra was the only ship ever equipped with SPS-13."

NHHC: KN-1526

Information from Wikipedia: link

[ppeonppeonhan]

The Sexiest 2023 BL Scenes

I think we can all agree that there is an art to executing a sex scene -- and not everybody's an artist. This year, we (and, by that, I mean you) gif'd a couple of masterpieces that range from romantic to...educational. Here are the ones that live in my head rent free, in order of PG-13 to NC-17:

BEST ROLE-PLAY SEX: Bed Friend

If you had told me last year that incorporating cat ears into foreplay would result in one of the hottest scenes in BL, I would've given you bombastic side-eye. But James, the actor who plays Uea, pulled it off, and is probably responsible for a lot of Amazon orders till this day. (Episode 6)

BEST BEACH-SIDE SEX: The Eighth Sense

This entire sequence was so beautifully lit in golden tones, with soft touches, and romantic moments. It almost made you forget about the depression plot. Almost. (Episode 6)

LONG-AWAITED SEX: Hidden Agenda

Joke yearned for Zo in a way that was borderline comical. From the moment Zo kissed Joke like he was trying to give him CPR and then promptly shoved him out of his apartment, I knew every kiss after that would have to come with a parental warning. I'm surprised Joke didn't move in. (Episode 8)

DO-OVER SEX: Love Class 2

The music for this sex scene was so perfectly matched with the caressing and hand closeups. And the fact that it happened after the initially-ghosted Joo Hyuk got Sung Min to reconsider made it even sweeter. (Episode 9)

BEST WET SEX SCENE: Kiseki: Dear to Me

I may have enjoyed Ai Di and Chen Yi's love story more, but Fan Ze Rui and Bai Zong Yi were helping us all live out our tall boy fantasies. When he mounted him with a soft bounce, I knew the gif Gods would giveth. (Episode 7)

BEST EUPHORIC SEX: Only Friends

Ray looked like he reached nirvana when he made love to Sand in that sardine can of trailer, so of all their sex scenes, this was my fave. (Episode 9)

BEST INSECURITY-INDUCED SEX: Only Friends

Say what you will about Boston -- and the fandom has said a lot lol -- but if you had to choose a cast member to get you off, you'd choose him in a heartbeat. And yes, this scene was grimey. He f*cked his friend's potential boyfriend in the backseat of his car after manipulating him into believing he was cheated on, but can you blame him? He was probably tired of always having to give and never receive. Plus, Top did this vibrating move that made me wonder who told Force to do that... (Episode 3)

GIF by wanderlust-in-my-soul

BEST CENSORED SEX: Wedding Plan

I'm still mad that this scene wasn't in the Youtube cut. It paints an entirely different picture of their dynamic and their personalities. But thank God for the gif'ers, otherwise I would've missed how ravenous they were when they weren't...wedding planning. 😳 (Episode 6)

BEST WHIPLASH SEX: Be Mine Superstar

To be clear, WE were the ones getting whiplash. One minute, we were watching a sweet love story between an innocent college kid and his idol crush, and the next minute we were watching a masterclass on how to bang your one-night stand (consensually) until he agrees to date you. It's like...Sir, I'm on the train. Could you give a bitch a heads up? (Episode 8)

***

While I am generally envious of every single one of these experiences, I'm even more envious of everyone's knee strength and flexibility. I could never. Rollerblading has ruined me. If I tried half of these positions, I'd have to get physical therapy. 🙃

[katabay]

A SPY FOR A SPY

an informal AmRev sketch dump type of thing circling around some thoughts: Benjamin Tallmadge and the corpse of Nathan Hale (they never did recover Hale's corpse, so this is like. you know. symbolism. it's why Tallmadge isn't looking directly at the body, but oh something in you has changed. loss defines the outline, the shape. that body is going to be inside you forever), bad dreams with John Andre and something that looks like Nathan Hale, and the finally Tallmadge and Andre. they turned your friend into a martyr, Tallmadge, but before that, he was your friend, and that makes this personal.

there's a. triangle. happening between these three. a kind of ritual substitution. the absence of Hale's body demands a body in it's place, John Andre's fate was sealed the minute Nathan Hale died.

also, in the first one, Hale's feet are bound because that's my favorite awful detail from both the MacMonnies statue and the Pratt statue.

(MacMonnies)

(Pratt)

on the topic of Hale statues, what really fucks me up is that the MacMonnies rendition of Nathan Hale is. it's a hot statue. the posing suggests something almost provocative (in combination with the open collar of the shirt), but only because his arms have been tied behind him in a way that forces the position, so it turns vulnerable and voyeuristic. horrifying and delightful. I'm obsessed with it.

bsky ⭐ pixiv ⭐ pillowfort ⭐ cohost ⭐ cara ⭐ ko-fi

[majorbaby]

trapper suffered frank and was even nice to him once or twice but he might've murdered charles after one night

[syrena-del-mar]

Boston, the Machiavellian Prince?

Okay, okay, this is definitely too early into the show to establish anything definite, but I wanted to write my thoughts of the first two episodes down to see if I still agree with my initial assumptions at the end. Boston, so far, has been as messy as I wanted him to be when I first saw the initial trailer all those months ago. What makes him interesting and so unlike the others, is that he's incredibly calculative, to the point that the show explicitly refers to him as 'The Hunter'. Personally, when I think of an individual being designated as 'The Hunter', I tend to correlate it with Machiavelli, so it's no surprise here that Boston reminded me of the his renown work, 'The Prince'.

If you know anything about Machiavelli, specifically in ‘The Prince’, he establishes that it's important for a Prince to hunt so that way he is actively learning more about his kingdom, in turn that knowledge maintains his power. Now a Machiavellian Personality is one of what is coined the "Dark Triad", which refers to the three personalities: Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Essentially, while they are all distinct, they all fall under the callous-manipulative personality type. As @trilliastra pointed out, that deep red coloring with the soundtrack on Boston really mimics the type of portrayal that is typically seen in psychological horror films. Now bear with me, I don't necessarily think that if someone falls under this personality type it's an instant signifier of "evil" or such notions, but I do think that it takes a larger effort to be agreeable and overcome their more malevolent tendencies, but some don't. So it'll be interesting to see how Boston navigates this side of him that has been consistently show to us.

Now before really diving into the deep end, I'm first going to give a little more information regarding Machiavelli's The Prince and how this works itself into psychology, then I'll be breaking up my analysis into the typical Machiavellian Personality Traits with the correlating quotes from 'The Prince'.

What is a Machiavellian Prince?

If you're not familiar with Machiavelli's ‘The Prince’, let me give you a brief rundown. Essentially, ‘The Prince’ is a political treatise that was utilized to provide advice to rulers on how to gain and maintain power effectively, essentially throwing out morality altogether in order to reach their goals. The central theme really revolved around the idea that to be an efficient leader, one needs to ensure that they are both cunning and adaptable to allow their kingdom to survive in the struggles of power. Similarly, these concepts directly relate to the idea of personality psychology, specifically the Machiavellian personality.

A Machiavellian individual, or personality type, refers to one that exhibits traits that are outlined in ‘The Prince’, specifically the use of manipulation and the belief that the ends justify the means. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, a Machiavellian individual tends to their own interests, manipulates situations and exploits others to achieve their goals. They place an emphasis in having a strategic focus solely on their own self-interest, so as long as they reach their desired end-goal, they're satisfied (even if it means burning bridges).

Manipulation through Vulnerabilities to Establish Control

"At this point one may note that men must be either pampered or annihilated. They avenge light offenses; they cannot avenge severe ones; hence, the harm one does to a man must be such as to obviate any fear of revenge." -Chapter 3, The Prince

In this case, we see this blatantly in one specific scene with Nick and Boston, where Boston uses the knowledge that he acquires almost as a knife. Nick had come clean about his own insecurities and Boston is quick to use that as a 'pet name', completely disregarding that Nick didn't like to be called 'Kinky head'. He's using the one moment that Nick had become vulnerable with him in the guise of a friendly jab, but also an incredibly threat that he is more than aware of where to aim where it hurts for Nick if he crosses any line that Boston has already established.

Boston's camera is another way he exerts his control, which can specifically be seen in how he uses it to take pictures of Nick after his night, positioning him, controlling the development of said picture. Pictures capture moments in time, Boston posed and captured an intimate, exposed, moment for Nick. Boston controls the image while Nick is left vulnerable. That image is fully in Boston's control; to do and develop as how he sees fit.

Now I'm not applying the idea of 'fear' in the sense of physical injury or corporal punishment, but the punishment that Boston seems to hang over Nick is leaving him. Boston is more than aware of Nick's growing feelings for him and he uses that in his interest, because Nick is so willing and eager to let Boston to have his way with him. Now this hasn't even been touched upon in the show, but there is also an almost societal-instilled fear that photos can bring, specifically intimate ones. It doesn't have to be blatantly stated by Boston the amount of damage intimate photos may cause emotionally (even if it's not spread), so when things turn sour, that photo and any personal information that he shared with Boston may very well hang over Nick's head.

Calculating Approach and Exploitation of Emotions

"A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from traps, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten wolves." -Chapter 18, The Prince

Now, @respectthepetty really did a great job at breaking down why Boston is referred to as the Hunter, specifically in the way that he consistently corners people to get what he wants, so for this part I'm going to jump off their meta. He consistently puts all his 'conquests' in a position where they are unable to leave, he puts them in tight spaces, he pins them on walls, he wraps his hand around their neck (one of the most vulnerable parts to a human due to the lack of natural protection and easy accessibility). They're all calculated positions that he puts his hook-ups in to establish that only he can give them the out, he's the one that establishes boundaries. We see this literally when he corners Top in the shower, who is the first that we hear to dare tell him 'no, he's not interested.' Boston doesn't let that sway him, because that's not a boundary respects because he wasn't the one to set it.

He's called 'the Hunter' because he knows how to play the game, he excels at it. He can be both the fox, when he plays the interested fling to Nick and Mew's best friend, and the lion when he shows who he truly is with Top. When he tells Mew to be wary, since Top never has a relationship that lasts longer than 3 months and his interest is likely to see if he can sleep with Mew, this doesn't seem to be a touching moment where he cares for his friend but rather an attempt to get Mew to push Top away, because we have no idea if that's really what Top intends. His calculative nature is shown again when Boston tells Nick, "You should be glad that you're my favorite." Man the phrasing of that, at least in the translation, is so incredibly manipulative, it really sets the tone that their relationship is fully transactional, lacking any deeper emotions that are typically found between lovers. It's not a factual admittance that Boston is enjoying the sex with Nick, but rather blatant acknowledgement that Nick should be grateful that Boston even comes back to him for the sex. Not to mention that he rewards Nick every time he acquiesces with a kiss or peck on the cheek.

In Spanish, there's a saying/insult that goes 'te va poner los cuernos', which literally translates to 'They're going to put the horns on you', but really signifies that they're going to cheat on you. That's why I couldn't help but find the irony when when Boston backed Nick into the horn/antler frame on the wall. And while here, Boston and Nick are in no set closed-relationship and they're both aware of that, Boston purposefully strings Nick along, dropping little personal information about his own life that will entice Nick and keep him present in their situationship.

Boston is willing to gamble with his intimate relationships and friendships, because he believes that he has the eagle eye's view on this playing field. He is willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone if it means that he is the one in control, he is the one people worship and claw their way to. To him it's only natural, because he has that sex appeal and he has never met anyone he couldn't triumph. Every one he sleeps with is a conquest. In his viewpoint, he is the kingpin, even in his group of friends, because he believes that he's the one that controls how his friends move since he knows how Mew is developing feelings for Top and is aware of Ray's feelings for Mew. This is a game to him and he believes that he's smart enough to come out the winner.

Power Struggles

“And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.”

-Chapter 27, The Prince

In this case, for Boston what P'Jojo tweeted rings in my head. While he stated it in a more literary way, essentially Boston has an ego. He likes having first pickings and this shows with how he's reacting to the fact that Top is willing to chase Mew, but doesn't necessarily want to have a second round with him. His hubris is his achilleas heel.

Now we haven't seen much of the conflict that is going to arise between Mew, Boston and Top, but we are seeing much of Boston's reactions to what is going on between the two. Boston uses that using Mew's virginity is a weapon, he's the one that is the first to throw it in Mew's face. Boston sees virginity as a detriment, as a stain, a symbol of not being wanted, because he finds his power behind being lusted for. @athousandbyeol, prior to the show even airing, brought up the point that Nick became his favorite because of his availability, Boston objectifies Nick. Nick serves a purpose, an outlet to get rid of the frustration that Boston finds himself accumulating with this pseudo power struggle that he has with both Mew and Top.

He has no consistent leverage over Mew or Top, because Mew doesn't care about his virginity (not in the way that Boston does) and Top does not actively chose nor chase after him, instead Boston is the one that has to be one that corners Top. It's why it drives him a tad nuts that Top is seemingly taking the idea of a relationship with Mew seriously, because it was never part of his plan for Top to actually get interested. That's an ego blow, but there is one person that he consistently has power of: Nick. Even though Boston is aware that he's seeking more, what's to define their relationship, he only gives him two options: Fuck Buddy or Friends with Benefit. And though neither are what Nick truly wants, he still chooses one, because that keeps Boston around and Boston knows this, he counts on this power he holds over Nick. For every damage he takes to his ego with MewTop, it gets soothed and stroked by Nick, literally.

Final Thoughts

“A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony with his ways.” - Chapter 25, The Prince

Now, the labeling of Boston as a potential Machiavellian Prince (personality), does not dictate that he is inherently evil and that he will always be, or is, the villain. It's true that he manipulates and is merely interested in pursuits that are personally beneficial, which in turn may hurt others. Yet, the concepts of "evil" and "good" are incredibly binary. So far, we have no idea as to why he behaves as he does or whether he had past-experiences or personal insecurities that shaped him. It doesn’t mean that the pain he inflicts on others will be okay as long as there is a reason or sob story, but it will give us more insight into why he is the way he is.

Machiavellianism is typically easily written off as an evil form of being but arguably, it's just another behavioral guide on how to respond to challenging circumstances. There's a lot of labels that we can so far apply to Boston, narcissist is one that I see floating around a lot as well. Yet, narcissists typically lack self-confidence and overcompensate, Machiavellians typically believe that they are the best and as such do whatever they can to achieve their personal goals that they believe that they deserve. Personally, with what I've seen so far, Boston falls under the latter rather than the former.

I think simply writing Boston off as the "villain" or "evil" is simply disregarding the potential nuance that his character may bring. This show does a great job at showing how messy Boston is and even the different types of messy that they all are. It's important to keep in mind the broader context in which Boston is acting in to fully be able to understand who he is an individual and the consequences that his action may bring. It'll be interesting to see if he comes out of this a changed man or more set in his ways.

[thebreakfastgenie]

Enough Trapper vs BJ rivalry. Give me post-war Hawkeye moves to Boston and tries to hang out with his old friends but ends up having to negotiate a peace treaty that makes the Korean War look like child's play because Charles thinks Trapper is beneath contempt and Trapper is trying to kill Charles with his bare hands.

[fvcking-damage]

patrice bergeron & brad marchand — king and lionheart by of monsters and men

[yiyuehua]

Early bird ✨ pre-orders for s-class dolls @ anime boston 2024!

10cm dolls: set of 2 with ears + tails, clothes

first-come first-serve* free bundle: 2 acrylic clothing tags, 2 epoxy charms, 1-2 sticker sheets, 3 prints while supplies last

$90/set IN-PERSON, free domestic shipping (USA only)

-pay in advance, receive items later

-items will be shipped for free in 1-3 months

-fill out a form as receipt

-FCFS merch set: estimated quantity 10-20 (depending on interest)

-full merch bundle to be revealed soon, featuring really amazing artist friends!!

- this is a soft launch and mail orders are expected to open soon! please help me achieve my dreams of hjyj world domination 🥺

⬇️ sample products (not including full set)

[nando161mando]

🗯️ We're excited to announce our virtual workshop program!

We received so many amazing workshop proposals that we couldn't fit everyone in during the book fair... so join us this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Nov. 8-10 for workshops on direct action, autonomy, resistance, food, queerness, health, and more.

Virtual workshops will be held via Jitsi Meet at http://tinyurl.com/bosabf 💫

@antifainternational @anarchistmemecollective @radicalgraff @kropotkindersurprise

[faithinlouisfuture]

[lonestarbattleship]

USS BOSTON (CAG-1) undergoing an overhaul in a drydock at the Boston Naval Shipyard, Massachusetts.

Date: May 1960

Dick Leonhardt's Collection: 19600500S-15, 19600500S-16, 19600500S-14, 19600500S-13, 19600500S-12, 19600500S-11

[vergess]

In my ideal fantasy world, guns are a bit like cars: you take a 6 month ed course on how to use your basic hunting weapon, take a licensing exam, renew it regularly, have additional exams and education requirements for specialized weaponry like semi-auto high power rifles... Basically treat the entire process the same as a driving license.

In practice, however, that entire process needs to be government funded to work, because impoverished hunters aren't going to have the money for that shit.

And god can you imagine convincing a US representative to support paying for gun education in this country?

I don't think you'd even convince them to make a DMV if the car was invented today...

[hannibalismos-jaaneman]

reasons why i just KNOW john richard papen is the pretty boi of the greek class and most probably all of hampden (spoilers, read at your own risk):

he's from california so he has that accent shut up.

he gets attention. now listen, we see him accompanying literally every single one of these nerds yet he's the one who gets recognized, every fucking time. he's literally been to a college party with camilla and judy but he was the one who got taken home while no one even tried to hit on judy and camilla (pretty sure because they were just getting all up and personal with each other so everyone kept their distance i'm allowed to dream shut up-).

he swoons over charles and francis too so... we've seen him call charles charming and he does end up with an older woman by the end of the book, BUT... he never got any attention from any one of their college friends, ik not appropriate but what in the living fuck is appropriate about this book anyway, he doesn't even get noticed by any girl at bunny's funeral... not even SOPHIE! but.. whatever i guess.

he's literally objectively prettier than bunny i don't need to justify that.

francis.. he's a redhead but that doesn't make him less pretty, actually that makes him prettier. people just find richard more objectively attractive. ik we all have this wrecked image of richard in our heads because that's how we decided to look at richard but just imagine richard's features being an absolutely stunning cross between achilles and remus lupin *sighs in gender envy*.

just the fact that he made it into the class.. hear me out. these nerds, including julian, are all about the aesthetic. and richard appearing outta nowhere could not be reason enough for them to just pull him in their "tight-knit circle" as we go about describing the greek class to be. the fact that richard's somewhat proficient at greek, is stupid AND pretty is reason enough? yeah (as i said, a cross between achilles and remus lupin).

julian calls him for dinner (i don't think i need to explain this i think we all know why he did that *ahem* *ahem* pulling the shit he must have pulled on henry to attract him *ahem* *ahem*) which is viable enough for my claims lmao.

i'm biased do what you will lol.

[haec-quoque-est-res]

(slaps stack of twenty aubrey/maturin novels) this bad boy can fit so much american college d1 ncaa swimming au material in it

[murderblade]

[girlssagainstgod]

today's moodboard // October 17th 2022