#Examples of Awful Music

[thatdykepunkslut]

Taylors wift is just elon musk for horse girls and gays who are afraid of faggots

[running-in-the-dark]

just realised something random: I've always been kinda sad that there isn't any media that my parents liked and shared with me, that sort of thing. I know of things that they like, of course, but it was never something they showed me or anything.

and I just realised that's because it was never something nice, something fun, something they wanted to share - no, they only ever brought up things that they liked as a way to say that everything I liked was bad.

[k1rishiki]

something abt realizing you're listening to someone sing for the last time really hits in an awful way

[levelopourdeux]

Imma just name a TON of bands and you can say ur opinions: (side note you don't have to just talk about their music)

panic!

Idkhow

Waterparks

The Wrecks

Weathers

Mcr

and nothing but thieves

uhm. okay

so panic: i think i’ve made my opinions on brendon clear enough. that said i do really like the first three albums (mainly p.o. and v&v) and also doab. i thought i’d like pftw songs but i listened to them again and yeah nevermind actually. also the new songs are super boring i’m sorry

idkhow: in my bio i state that this blog was (originally) an idkhow/brobecks one so idk you tell me lol (in all seriousness i’ve liked em since like 2018. good shit)

waterparks: i like entertainment and double dare! also some stuff off fandom. i was really into parx for early 2022? i think. or maybe 2021. but haven’t listened much since

the wrecks / weathers / nothing but thieves: putting these THREE* (whoops missed one) together bc im uh. really sorry i have no idea who these are 😭😭😭😭 i don’t rly. listen to a lot of music. those are kind of banger names though

mcr: pretty good from what i’ve heard also really epic that they were purposefully pretty queer-friendly and unafraid to show it back when it was super hard to be. that’s a bad description bc i forget exactly what the post i saw abt it said but i do admire and respect them for that even if i don’t listen much to their music (not cause they’re bad it just doesn’t scratch that itch in my brain)

[wallabywannabe]

My dad's small-town hometown is like something out of a book. It's so stereotypical of small town America of the 60's that it doesn't seem real. And my family is inextricably intermeshed with it.

My grandfather was the Local Doctor. Everyone I meet who lives there was apparently delivered by him, and sometimes their family paid him in chickens instead of money. My grandmother was a...forceful...presence everywhere in every community group, of which there were plenty, to hear people tell it.

My dad was the only boy in a family of sisters. First job in elementary school was the paper boy, riding on his bike with his beagle trotting beside him. He worked for the same paper in high school as a photographer.

Despite being the first boy child after many "failed" attempts that were my aunts, my grandparents apparently didn't have enough ideas for boys names and his middle name is the town's name.

He met my mom, an interesting professional from the worldly city of Chicago, and moved away as soon as he could. Understandably, he felt the pressure of this small town environment with nothing but expectations of him to be a bit much, and left as soon as he could and never looked back.

From my perspective, this town was just the place we had to go to every thanksgiving with too many relatives to remember their names and cousins that were all older and intimidating. My grandfather was the grumpy old man who was the oldest person in the church choir by a few decades. (This was the only place we ever had to go to church as children.) My grandmother never made a lot of sense, although no one ever acknowledged her dementia.

One thing my dad did tell us about was all the community musicals he was in growing up. Perhaps the one not incredibly stereotypical part about his town, and clearly one part he enjoyed the most. Bath time and bedtime for me as a kid were full of hits from the most popular musicals of the 70s.

My aunt just sent me a picture from the local paper today. Print version, because she and everyone in the town still get the paper delivered to their door. It's the same paper my dad worked for. Although I don't think the delivery is done by a 9 year old on his bike anymore, it's still a thriving local paper, which is incredibly rare in 2022. They do a segment where they reprint articles from the archives, and this one is an advertisement for the upcoming production of Once Upon A Mattress, featuring a picture of my dad around age 15 as the Jester. (As if to highlight the passage of time and how my family and this town are forever linked, below the picture is an ad for the local pharmacy, "serving this town for generations" with a present day picture of my cousin, the pharmacist. That cousin's daughter is currently a teenager and a frequent star of that theater's productions as well.)

I don't have any pictures of my dad as a teen, so I wouldn't have recognized him if it wasn't captioned. I have many memories of my middle-aged balding father dancing around singing "Very Soft Shoes" from that play. It was one of his favorites.

The full-circle nostalgia is so on the nose it's just not believable. I feel like this should be a passage in a book that is analyzed by American literature students.

[hikarry]

I'm a big apologist of Aziraphale/Wilde for jealous Crowley reasons and I do wish there were more fanfics about the topic. Or even not about Wilde, just the men in the gentleman's club. Crowley was supposedly asleep at the time but he is clever, he would figure it out somehow (memorabilia Aziraphale keeps in the bookshop, for example) but I don't think he would really bring it up. He would be jealous in silence.

On the other hand, I'm also an apologist of Crowley/Da Vinci. It's not everyone that has a bloody sketch of the Mona Lisa with the message "For my friend, Antonio" or something along those lines (I think it was written in Italian? I can't remember anymore). And Crowley has kept it in pristine condition for centuries!

By now, everyone knows Leo was queer, yes? Fantastic.

Crowley is attracted to art like music and statues, but you know what else? Engineering! Because he used to be a Star-Maker, and what was Leo besides an amazing artist? An engineer! Do you really think Crowley wouldn't be attracted as hell by his inventions? Especially the flying machine?

Now, with the idea that they knew each other and probably spent a lot of time together in the workshop and drinking and what not...well, have you looked at Crowley? He's gorgeous! And artists are attracted to pretty things. My headcanon is that Leo painted Crowley at least once.

Now, a good story would be if the painting was lost in time and eventually found and it made a tour through the best museums and made a stop in London, eventually.

Aziraphale would be excited, Crowley would be curious, and they would go together.

When they arrive in front of the painting Crowley goes very still and Aziraphale gasps.

"But! But that's you!"

"Mhnn eh how would I know? Plenty of red heads back then in Italy, I assure you."

Aziraphale points at the picture.

"I would recognize that face anywhere, Crowley!"

"Aw, angel, would you? What a flatterer."

"That's not the point! This painting...this painting is gorgeous. But aren't you a bit too...au naturel?"

"Agh, eh, I mean. Plenty of semi nude paintings to go around from that era."

"Yes, but in that case the artist and the muse were quite close." Gasp. "Anthony J Crowley, you had a...a thing with Leonardo Da Vinci?! While I was in Spain?!"

"Ngk. I wouldn't call it a thing. More like...a tiny thing."

So yeah, while Crowley is jealous on the inside, Aziraphale (especially if they were already in a relationship) would be very obvious about it and very vocal. Even petty if we want to go down that route.

"Please, angel, you've been avoiding me for 2 days."

"I refused to be kissed with the same lips that kissed Da Vinci."

"Oh yeah? What about your 'friend' Oscar Wilde?!"

Aziraphale gasps and blushes.

"Why the hell would you bring Wilde into this conversation?!"

Crowley steps closer.

"I know exactly what you did with him back in the 1800s. And yet I never complained did I?"

"...since when?"

"The 40s."

"And you never told me you knew?!"

"Because I don't care! I mean, I do, it hurt a little. A lot. But I got over it. That was a century ago, Aziraphale. And I have you now, don't I? I won in the end."

Sorry, I easily get sidetracked. My point is: more Crowley/Da Vinci fanfic or even art are needed.

[punchliiine]

how to have a better reality shifting experience

hi! i'm bad with introductions so here's a quick guide on how to elevate your reality shifting experience if you feel like yours is boring or you don't really know what to do once you successfully shift + tips, examples, and disclaimers if needed.

I - scripting

should i really explain this one? script that you have everything you want. script unusual quests. unheard of music, new colors to see for the first time. no matter how crazy or otherworldy it seems. it's your reality, your rules (as long as you're not doing anything immoral)

- a warning disguised as a disclaimer:

if you intend on scripting crazy scenarios and 'unimaginable' stories, please remember that they're real, and that they will feel real, because they ARE real. i feel like that's something that always slips away from shifters' minds.

and sure, you may script that these situations won't affect you as much or that having your cc/s by your side will make it better (which is true) but don't hurt yourself or others in the process of it all. be smart about every decision you make. and remember there is consequences. (i'm aware that infinite realities exist, and there are realities where there are no consequences. still, choosing that path is not excusable and is morally wrong IF you intend on doing awful things)

II - do not limit yourself

do you want to be the main character in your favorite show? do you want to create a silly world for your oc/s and live amongst them? do you want to be in your favorite games? do want to be unfathomably overpowered in your dr? do you want to have the knowledge and wisdom of a 10000+ year old being?

whatever you can possibly imagine // want, give it a go! (again, as long as you're not doing anything immoral)

do not limit yourself to your cr's laws of physics or how life generally is in your cr "like the amount of money you get per hour working at a certain cafe in singapore" and stuff like that.

there are no limits but the ones YOU set yourself!

III - set goals

setting yourself goals can motivate you to shift when you feel like you're at the lowest of lows, even when you feel like reality shifting isn't real (it is)

what do you wish to achieve by this shift? is it fun? is it to learn a dead language or is it to learn how to swing a katana? is it to reminisce about your past? is it to gain balance? is it simply just to say 'oh yeah i've experienced this'?

what do you wish to achieve by your shifting experience as a whole? healing your trauma? having a family and finding a place you can call home? or maybe finding someone that'll lasso the moon, stars and every celestial being for you?

by setting goals and achieving them, no matter how big or small, you will gradually build confidence and find purpose, which i find to be one of the most important things anyone, and in this case shifters, can strive for.

no like really imagine finiding your purpose alongside your cc/s, isn't that just the dream-come-true type of life? :')

IV - be open

be willing to try things outside of your script. some shifters seem to have an obsession with control that it sometimes feels unnatural (i'm talking about ones that make you feel like there's no way anything can go SLIGHTLY different), which is not wrong! i do it sometimes too, but doing that to every part of your script and in every dr feels exhausting and robotic almost (it's not though, because infinite realities exist, but you get what i'm trying to say)

be open to try to shift without a script, IK it is scary but try it out at least once in your journey. it'll shock you with how fun and crazy it is, you might even learn about things you'd never dreamed of knowing.

- disclaimer more like warning:

AS FOR SAFETY, please always script yourself safety measures no matter where you're going, idc if your dr is sunshine, rainbows, and happiness infuesd air. always script safety.

- tip:

you can always have a theme for your dr "to enhance the journey and better your chances of going somewhere fun". just have the key elements for the story.

- for ex.

"in a cyberpunk city in the year 3766, just beyond its borders lies a city abandoned due to radioactive fallout from a forgotten war. its secrets remain unknown, hidden within the silent remnants of a bygone era."

this way, you only know what the story is about, but you don't know how it ends, who will accompany you, what will happen.. etc.

- another tip:

for extra fun, you can script in characters that you already know from other dr/s, like the blue blazes from bubble!

V - reflect

taking your time to reflect is important because it allows you to understand what happened, how you felt, what you learned, where you slipped up.. etc. therefore grow and make better decisions. it's like looking in a mirror for your mind, helping you see yourself more clearly and make positive changes.

you may reflect by asking yourself questions like; what did you learn from your recent shift? how do you intend to improve? what were your weak points, and how can you strengthen them? was it something external or internal? and whatever other questions you resonate with.

- for ex.

let's say you shifted to BNHA/MHA, and you were assigned to have a training session with one of your classmates, tokoyami, for instance. and he happened to dominate that fight and ultimately win it (despite what you may have scripted)

now, ask yourself; what are some things you wanted // needed to improve on during the fight?

as for when to reflect, you may do it in so many different ways and to give you a few examples, you may instantly reflect which'll happen in your dr, either right after you finish the fight or during the fight if possible. or you may go to a wr where you watch an analysis of the fight by one of the heros or just a general analysis. or you may go back to your cr and try to remember what happened and note it down.. etc.

these are just a few i've tried and they've all worked wonderfully, (especially the second one)

- disclaimer:

as for the last one, i don't recommend it as much as the others, and it's coming from experience. i remember my memory betrayed me one time when i was analyzing a villain's quirk and i ended up with an injury due to it. yes, the injury was small and i ended up recovering in 3 days but it could've been avoided yk?

now, i must say that i realize we will have our own unique experiences, and my memory may not match yours. and i acknowledge there were things i could have done differently, but you live and you learn! ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ

[stuckinakillingjar]

look i don't like brendon urie at all, but p!atd songs go so fucking hard i

[nerdyqueerandjewish]

7 Types of Rest

I've been reading a bit about this and jotting down some notes because the framework is helpful for communicating my different kinds of exhausted and gives me ideas on how to help myself more, and idk I thought I would share because I think other people might find it useful or interesting. I don't have just one article on it to recommend because unfortunately they are almost all trying to sell you their telehealth services or a meditation app or whatever.

**Disclaimer that resting isn't going to fix everything, examples of things to do aren't going to be accessible to everyone, they are just meant to be a start to brain storming, this is not medical advice etc...**

Physical - Relates to activities that are physically restorative

Mental - Relates to taking a break from mental stimulation

Spiritual - Relates to the fundamental need for belonging, purpose and acceptance

Emotional - Relates to being able to experience and express your real and authentic feelings

Sensory - Relates to giving your senses a break from stimulation

Social - Relates to feeling energized by spending time with people who contribute to your life in positive, supportive, and meaningful ways

Creative - Relates to appreciating beauty or feeling awe/wonder

Notes I made for "signs you need x type of rest" and actually getting that type of rest are under the cut. Again, they are personal so take them with a grain of salt. Also some of my notes on things I could do would definitely apply to others. I didn't want to keep writing "go outside" and "journal" for over half of them lol.

Physical Rest

Signs you may need physical rest

Feeling fatigued, body aches and pains

Feeling mentally sluggish or foggy

Getting some relief

Prioritize getting good quality sleep

Go on walks or engage in other gentle physical activity

Stretch throughout the day

Getting a massage (maybe trade with a friend or partner?)

Improve the ergonomics of your workspace

Mental Rest

Signs you may need mental rest

Unable to concentrate or recall simple things

Unable to relax

Racing thoughts

Getting some relief

Schedule breaks throughout the day

Write things down (can help racing thoughts or things you're worried about forgetting)

Do a satisfying activity that doesn't require much thought (example: coloring pages, simple craft)

Spiritual Rest

Signs you may need spiritual rest

Feeling lack of purpose or belonging

Getting some relief

Get involved in local community

volunteer

pray or meditate

Emotional Rest

Signs you may need emotional rest

Feeling weighed down

Stifling/suppressing feelings

Strong need to please others

Getting some relief

Talk to someone who allows you to be your authentic self

Participating in a peer support group

Journaling

Sensory Rest

Signs you may need sensory rest

Feeling energized at the start of the day, but becoming more irritable as the day progresses

Getting distracted by noises other people seem to be able to tune out

Getting some relief

Use dimmable lighting or lamps

Regularly set notifications to do not disturb

Use power strips to easily turn off multiple appliances at once

Avoid running loud appliances during busy parts of the day (ex. if washing machine is loud, don't run it while you're trying to pack and get out the door on time)

Social Rest

Signs you may need social rest

Feeling drained, exhausted

Feeling like your only interactions are with people who want/need something from you

Getting some relief

Nurture life-affirming, meaningful relationships

Make time for socializing with friends who don't "need" anything from you, where you can just enjoy each other's company

If you know you will be interacting with someone you find draining, make a plan to engage in social rest after

Creative Rest

Signs you may need creative rest

Feeling "blah"

Struggling with problem solving or brainstorming

Getting some relief

Go out in nature

Spend time in inviting spaces

Listen to music

Watch a skilled performer

Display items you find visually appealing in both home and work spaces

[droplet-dread-cat]

Whilst I'm on the topic of fanfics every fandom has and which I want to see with Alhaitham and Kaveh: body swap

Imagine Kaveh finding out that Alhaitham's daily life is one terrible sensory overload after another. Alhaitham once said the colours of the new plates Kaveh bought hurt his eyes and they literally do. Kaveh knows he has a loud voice in his own body and by god he doesn't know how Alhaitham can stand listening to him without his headphones if that's how he hears the world. Simultaneously, Kaveh has never felt so internally calm in his life. No wonder Alhaitham preaches rationality when he's basically nonstop in a zen state of mind. The prospect of talking to strangers doesn't inflict nervous anxiety on him in this body. Instead, he now abhors the loudness and touchy-feely nature of Sumeru's people. He doesn't overthink the simplest things when he's in Alhaitham's body - he just creates, caught in a flow-like state that doesn't come with jittery fingers and frayed nerves. In a sense, it's ironic how much more suited Alhaitham's body is for the creative process. Blocking out people's annoying voices with those genius headphones, listening to repetitive and yet satisfying music through said headphones and just letting himself work... now Kaveh knows why Alhaitham hates to be interrupted when he's in work mode.

Meanwhile, Alhaitham for once doesn't feel the need to drown out his surroundings with calming music. He's actually enjoying spices. He likes looking at vivid colours and touching those usually awful blankets that Kaveh prefers. If that's how Kaveh sees things, it is no wonder how he can stand being so bright. Alhaitham finds himself speaking louder than he usually does - but, of course, when he notices Kaveh's grimace, he adjusts his volume. He genereally finds himself simply enjoying so much more. However, he's sometimes overwhelmed by an anxiousness inside this body's chest. Feelings, Alhaitham comes to understand, can be just as sensorically challenging as, for example, a too shrill noise. During his time in Kaveh's body, Alhaitham has come to dread leaving the house for entirely different reasons than usual. And he's realized just how much uncaring-sounding words can hurt - no wonder Kaveh leaves for the tavern every time they argue.

And their arguments... well, now that each of them has had a taste of what it's like to be the other, they've grown to understand that the harshest of their disagreements - the ones that aren't simply banter - stem from mutual ignorance on what the other person is actually experiencing.

[pilfappreciator]

Brandi and Bruce’s S/o looking after the bakers dozen on their own, what shenanigans occur?

Anon this is?? Literally so cute what the hell??? Also referring to them as the "bakers dozen" is so genuis sfhjjfdadfggh—

Reader & the Bakers Dozen: babysitting solo

Includes: GN! Reader, mentions of polyamory, mentions of Vacay Lovers, slightly Parental! Reader, the Bakers Dozen

CW: Bruce Jr.

🍪 POV: your partners go off to some fancy convention to promote their business, leaving you to watch after all 13 of their kids. Chaos ensues

🍪 These little shits are already a lot to handle, so when you suddenly find yourself being the only adult in the house responsible for them? Yeah, babes, you've definitely got your hands full

🍪 Luckily, you've spent enught time at the Vacay Lovers household that things are at least a little easier for you lol

🍪 They definitely behave much better for you compared to other babysitters. Partly because you're smoochin their parents (and don't wanna get in trouble), and partly because they genuinely like you :3

🍪 But they're still little shits thru and thru, don't forget that

🍪 If they happen to have school? Chances are Bruce and Brandi already took care of their lunches and stuff before they left, so it'll be up to you to pick them up (WARNING: THE KIDS WILL TRY TO CONVINCE YOU TO GO ORDER AT THE NEAREST FAST FOOD PLACE! Unless you've got money for 13 happy meals, prepare to hit em with a firm refusal). Definitely helps if you blast some music in the van! They've kinda lost interest in Velvet & Veneer after learning the two literally tortured their dad and uncles...

🍪 Play Brozone. They'll go crazy and shout-sing along with Bruce's parts lol

🍪 Later in the day you can expect a few to come up to you for homework help. They might also wanna help with dinner, but fyi there WILL be a mess. Pasta sauce on the floor, flour all over the counters, stains on your clothes— the whole shebang

🍪 Want the least amount of casualties? Just let them set the table (no worries, all the plates and stuff are made of plastic ajdjakkala)

🍪 A few of them have some dietary restrictions tho so keep that in mind!! Luckily, you can always find a list of reminders/examples up on the fridge courtesy of lovely muppet wife Brandi <33

🍪 If the kids don't have school that day, then be prepared. You're gonna have very little time to yourself ://

🍪 Like they've each got their own interests and hobbies to keep them occupied, but sometimes they'll need you to reach somewhere up high, or for you to play tiebreaker/settle an argument, or they honestly just want you to join them for a game of hide and seek which???

🍪 "Aw, you sure you guys don't mind me joining in?"

"Yeah! Just cuz you're old doesn't mean you can't have fun, too!"

"...Gee, thanks :D"

🍪 They're merciless

🍪 They've all got their own set of chores they need to do. Each and everyone will try to worm their way out of them. All of them. Everytime

🍪 Sure, they can be a little hyper sometimes, but they're like 6-8 years old so that's expected. For the most part, they're all pretty chill

🍪 It's Bruce Jr. who you've gotta watch out for

🍪 He is a shit- stirer and I WILL FOREVER STAND BY THAT

🍪 This guy won't hesitate to rally his siblings into whatever plan he's been cookin in that feral little head of his. Prepare yourself because you're MOST DEFINITELY getting pranked. It's like a requirement or something

🍪 One nice thing i have to say about Bruce Jr. is that he's actually pretty resourceful. Like this little dude is using everyday household items like he's staring in his own Home Alone movie AKSJSJAKA—

🍪 Rest assured, tho, none of his pranks are seriously harmful or anything but like... at the end of the day, expect:

1) to be covered in craft supplies

2) your clothes/skin/hair a mess

3) to have one limb stuck in a bucket

4) all of the above

🍪 Honestly I feel like Bruce and Brandi would be surprised if they came back and DIDN'T find you sporting paint-stained clothes or with glitter in your hair. Maybe a few stickers slapped on your forehead??

🍪 The trick to dealing with this little agent of chaos is to either keep him separated from his siblings long enough so he doesn't manage to rope anyone into his schemes, or strike some kinda deal with him. Considering he's got 12 siblings, all of whom you need to be watching over at the same time, chances are the second option is your safest bet

🍪 Chances are he'll ask for something semi-illegal, or at the very least something that DEFINITELY requires adult supervision

🍪 DO NOT LET THIS BOY TALK YOU INTO BUYING ANYTHING RELATED TO FIRE. Seems like an easy task, I know. Unfortunately this little shit enherited his dad's charm so watch out o_o

🍪 He'll settle for a happy meal tho. Hopefully you didn't already cave and take him and his siblings out to eat earlier, otherwise you're spending even more money ajsjakkala

🍪 If any errands need to be run during your time there, you BETTER BELIEVE they're all coming with. You'll need to be incredibly vigilant during this time cuz these kids are even more rowdy in public than they are at home. If you're smart about it, you can turn the whole thing into a game! If everyone manages to grab everything off the grocery list in a certain amount of time or if they're able to find the best quality (but relatively cheap) brand of laundry detergent, then you'll buy each of them candy or something uwu

🍪 You can count on them to be cooperative, but like... bring the family child leash just in case

🍪 Cough cough (Bruce Jr.) cough cough

🍪 MOVIES BEFORE BED! It's a bit of a family tradition in the Vacay Lovers household. Yknow, just some way for the kids to spend time together before the day ends

🍪 You're most definitely gonna be playing tiebreaker when the time comes. All 13 of them have wildly different tastes

🍪 Absolutely no scary movies tho. They'll try to argue that theyre able to handle it, but at the end of the night expect to find yourself under a pile of frightened children who've ctawled into bed with you

🍪 Their collective nightly routine is literally?? So chaotic??? Like all of them are simultaneously trying to squeeze into the same bathroom just to brush their teeth... running in and out of their respective rooms... trying to sneak some extra dessert before bed

🍪 Literally never a quite moment in this household jshskakakam

🍪 You might have to read a few bedtime stories or sing a lullaby—

"Dad does it better"

"Just go to bed, Benji"

—but once they've settled in under the covers? Out like a light. They are unconscious the moment their heads hit their pillows

🍪 You'll probably have a mess (or two... or three) to clean up afterwards, but once they're taken care of? Dishes washed? Counters clean? You're more than welcome to crash on Bruce and Brandi's bed <33

🍪 Said couple returns home the next morning...

🍪 Just to find their kids drawing on your face with marker. Cross your fingers that none of its permanent 💀💀

Hope this was good! I know I call them all little shits BUT I MEAN IT AFFECTIONATELY OKAY AJSJAKA

Ngl I feel like this could have been like... more colorful? Like I was very general about the kids and their behavior as a whole, but now I'm super tempted to make a post describing each of them and all their little quirks! Just something fun to do that'll help me write them better in the future ;3

[wisellamawerewolf]

Charlie is an indicator of greater problems with Hazbin's writing.

*rant under the cut, as always*

I've read a couple of posts detailing how Charlie really comes off as a terrible person because she enables people who do terrible things (Alastor, Lucifer) and is completely useless when it comes to providing support and protection for the people she's supposedly cares about (Vaggie, Angel Dust), and while they are absolutely correct in their observations, I feel like Charlie is an embodiment of a bigger issue: the series' identity crisis.

The series constantly flip-flops between being the raunchy adult comedy that is supposed to get into very serious topics, and being a wholesome Broadway-esque musical about how anyone can change for the better. And accordingly, Charlie is flip-flops between being either a nice innocent girl who has almost child-like view of the world and has to be protected from terrible reality of life in hell by others, or someone who's hyper aware of a genocide and a awful state of the hell. She's supposed to be a combination of those two things, or at least grew up as a character from the former to the latter, but instead she feels like two similar, but ultimately very different characters.

Let's take episodes 1 and 4 for example.

In episode one although Charlie is quite hopeful about things, she's aware how horrible the hell is and how genocide affects her people. At one point she even looked like she was about to try and kick the leader of angels' ass for implying all souls in hell deserved death.

She also tried and direct Adam to the important topic, albeit pretty softly, but still she made an impression that she could at least be somewhat assertive and hold her ground.

In episode four she behaved like a completely incompetent child.

She was afraid of coming off too "mean" (she didn't even have to be that to be assertive?), she acted childish through out the meeting with Valentino and messed up so bad she left the studio in tears.

Also she decided to write an apology letter to everyone INCLUDING Valentino??? Excuse me, but literally what the fuck. No wonder even Angel fucking Dust of all people felt like he should shield Charlie from the reality of his job- the same guy who pretty much only talks about sex 24/7.

There's a couple more examples of her character going through the same roller coaster, when she seems to be oblivious that Alastor says she's like a daughter to him only to get back at Lucifer, or when she's horrified by implications of Vaggie being an ex-exterminator, etc.

Why do these drastic changes are constantly happening? Simple: the plot demands so. Charlie is afraid of being mean when the plot needs her to step away from the Angel Dust's situation so writers could milk tHe dRaMa, but suddenly this fear disappears when she tells an old lady to shut the fuck up.

The same way how plot demands to have a Broadway style song that feels like it belongs in a cartoon for a school age children, right before the episode discussing sexual abuse, where violence is used as a source of jokes.

The show wants the conflict that could be resolved in a single episode to discuss a serious issue that realistically would take years to fix, be it the self-esteem and self worth issues or the redemption. This also creates a problem where the characters don't feel three dimensional, they feel like two different characters who are equally flat replacing each other when the story demands it.

Charlie is just a glaring example of the show's overarching writing flaws.

[leviaana]

Miraculous Movie Review (Rating: 4/10)

I watched the preview of the Awakening movie yesterday and really want to share my honest review. There’s going to be several things that I’ll criticize. So be warned!

Also: Spoilers!! DON’T read it if you haven’t seen it yet. This is my personal opinion. So please stay excited for it!! 🐞🪄

First of all, my overall rating for this movie is a 4/10. Just yesterday I was ready to give it a 5/10, but quickly noticed it had much more things that upset me than I initially realized when walking out of the movie.

I know it’s a pretty low rating coming from such a huge fan like myself, but that’s probably the main issue. I’m a big fan of the show, so changes in lore and characterization will be more apparent to me. For better or for worse, in this case, mostly for worse.

On the first glimpse the movie seems like a retelling - a soft reboot, if you will - of show’s origin story. The plot goes much further than that however, as it also provides a conclusion in form of a final battle with Hawkmoth as well as an identity reveal of our two main heroes.

In order to ensure the entire premise fits into a 90 minute movie, a lot of things regarding the shows lore were simplified. I say that as a neutral statement seeing as a simplification can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your opinion of the source material.

Personally, it left me rather unsatisfied but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the good things!

One of the things I really enjoyed was the animation! Seeing miraculous with such a high production value certainly felt like a cool summer breeze. While I do prefer the original character models style wise, it was still just nice to see them in this cutesie pretty style! The locals were gagging!

Ladybug and Cat Noir were especially gorgeous!

I also really enjoyed the singing. I watched the German dub and it was very neat!

Sad to say that was pretty much how long my enjoyment lasted. Everything apart from what I’ve mentioned above was… interestingly handled… to say the least. Let me elaborate.

1. The dialogue was awful!

Truly not the biggest fan of musicals but I couldn’t wait for them to start singing just in order for them to STOP TALKING 😩!

The dialogue was so awkward and stiff. All of the characters were interacting very weirdly with each other. At times it would sound like several lines of dialogue were cut from the final version, as the characters barely acknowledged each other verbally. They didn’t talk with each other, but past each other.

Moreover, every second phrase was a very cheesy one liner. “Believe in yourself.”, “Listen to your heart.”, “stronger together”. Super overdone.

The movie wanted to be inspirational so bad, it forgot to be genuine.

Some examples that I recall from memory:

“Mom, I don’t have any friends and I’m scared to go I school.”

“Just believe in yourself, Marinette.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Or.

“Tikki, I’m in love with Adrien.”

“Listen to your heart, Marinette.”

“My heart……Adrien.”

2. How did they manage to make Ladynoir banter … weird and uncomfortable to watch?

Don’t let these pretty movie shots fool you because Movie!ladynoir spent their time in a constant roasting competition that they were somehow both losing!

Not once did they manage to establish that flirty and charming atmosphere around them. No, they were draaaagging each other through filth. And maybe it could have been somewhat fun, god knows I love couples that can roast each other. If only the dialogue was better and didn’t reek of “we have no idea how young people interact”.

In a desperate attempt to make jokes, they let Chat call LB a sidekick or watermelon in every. single. scene. To say that it got annoying when the jokes didn’t land the first 10 times they were made is an understatement. No Milady, no Bugginette, no little wink or a kiss on the hand. Only watermelon and sidekick. Them talking in weird cut off phrases. With careless whisper playing in the background.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some beautiful moments. But their beauty can only ever do so much when met with weird pacing, dialogue and characterization. I’ll talk about that last part in a minute.

3. Everything was so on-the-nose.

The characters would constantly say how they feel and what they think aloud. Jeremy didn’t trust us with even an ounce of media literacy. Classic case of always telling, never showing. Not to mention the constant inspirational quoting in a desperate attempt to convey some deep message. Is this a movie script or my moms facebook page? I guess we‘ll never know.

4. Characterization: Marinette

Having Marinette be somewhat scatterbrained but overall still respected by her peers is not inspirational enough! Make her your average teenage outcast and a total loser. Dad, you’re embarrassing me in front of the cool kids!

If you enjoy that kind of characterization that’s okay! Personally, I thought it was very cliche. It just.. didn’t do anything for her as a character. Having her start off at a much „lower” point in life, with almost no support system, only makes her coming of age journey to eventually become a self accepting confident heroine take longer. Seeing as the movie is only 90 minutes, the moment we see her “shine” is when it’s all almost over.

5. Ladybug …?

Did I mention Ladybug doesn’t use her lucky charm? Not. once. No crazy plans to show that she’s smart and creative. Just a pretty girl swinging around.

6. Adrien

I have a bit more to criticize about the characterization of Movie!Adrien.

The longer I think about it, the more it becomes apparent that they really didn’t know how to write Adrien. His personality appears inconsistent, almost like they were trying to fit him in too many roles at once. He is either extremely closed off and mysterious (even towards his friends), a comic relief character, bathing in self pity or just outright cocky. Those hoping to see his politeness and selflessness will be disappointed. This character only is ever shown to be self centered. A perfect example is how he *didn’t do anything* to be called worthy of the Black Cat Miraculous. He was just one of the „chosen ones“. When the Adrien from the series sacrificed his own freedom to help Master Fu.

Another example is how this Adrien doesn’t really see anything in Marinette. He called her strange in their first interaction and never really lost a single thought on her throughout the rest of the series. No common praises, no support, just awkwardness and not the wholesome kind. In fact, I would argue Marinette and Adrien aren’t even friends in the movie, the only interaction to suggest otherwise was slammed as a 5 second scene in a 2 minute montage.

Even if you were to suggest their bond was formed off screen. We don���t really see it ever take root. He even turned down her gift and invitation to go to the ball with her. Yes, you guessed correctly. It was because he was busy bathing in self pity over being rejected by Ladybug. Yikes.

To sum it up, this Adrien really doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Ever. They massacred my boy.

7. Chat Noir

His charming smugness as Chat Noir crossed the fine line that turned to arrogance.

Considering how Adrien was characterized, that comes as no surprise.

As mentioned in my criticism towards the dialogue and the Ladynoir dynamic, this Cat is often seen discrediting LB with unfunny jokes. The moment you see him actually appreciate Ladybug, open up to her and Woo her, it’s all overshadowed by his entitlement to her affection.

Some may argue that we see traces of such attitude in the show as well. However, in a series, Chat Noir has many redeeming qualities as well as time to grow, change and move past these flaws. And boy, move past these flaws he did. In the movie, it’s all you get. Take it or leave it.

In one scene, he even lets her think he was hurt by an Akuma in order to catch her worrying about him. It was just a short scene and most people would look past it, but I think it’s these small details that really show how these movie characters tick in comparison to the series.

8. Akumas/Hawkmoth

Just a small detail that kind of ended up taking away the enjoyment of all action scenes is how the Akumas in the movie do not have a motive. There’s just some random people that you don’t care about before their akumatization and that you won’t care about after.

Hawkmoth doesn’t make a deal with them, ask for ladybug and chat noirs miraculous in exchange for his powers, none of that.

He just makes them evil and they do evil things for shits and giggles. The movies premise doesn’t even suggest he needs the miraculous. He just needs to get close enough to Ladybug and Chat Noir to steal Tikki and Plagg.

9. The Ending

I just wanted to dip into that ending real quick. In the movie, Gabriel is redeemed when he finds out about Chat Noir being Adrien. He apologizes to him and they make up. The scene surely will make people emotional, but from my perspective it was all rather predictable.

Whether or not Gabe was worthy of a redemption in the movie is a topic to discuss on its own. Personally, I was okay with it.

What I found more interesting however was…

10. The reveal

This is the moment most people have been waiting and yearning for. And I may sound a bit smug when I say that the movie served a good purpose to show us that a fast reveal would have never ever been satisfying!

It was super underwhelming because - of course it was!

Marinette and Adrien barely had a connection! For all we know they could have been total strangers and their reaction to each other’s identity wouldn’t have been any different than what we saw in the movie.

We never saw Marichat or Ladrien interact either. So that certainly lead to a less explored dynamics. Cue unsatisfying reveal.

They really tried to make it this big emotional final moment, but really? We just saw Ladybug and Chat Noir lean in for a kiss without their masks. Like in a new fit. Nothing really groundbreaking came out of it.

Any fake reveal in the show was better than that and I mean it with every fiber of my being.

And don’t even get me started on how Adrien only ever noticed Marinette when she revealed to be Ladybug. It’s just not it.

Final thoughts.

There’s sooo many more things that I could elaborate on but I think for now I’ve said enough to support my rather poor rating of the movie.

In my opinion, the movie relies too much on people enjoying the source material while trying to be its own thing. It risks leaving everyone unsatisfied.

Those who watch the movie as a stand-alone are met with weird dialogue as well as plot, characters and dynamics that aren’t at all fleshed out.

Meanwhile those who watch the movie because they like the show will be inevitably comparing the movie to its far superior source material.

[turtlesandfrogs]

Here's the actually* short notes for the course, "The Science of Well-Being" from Yale on coursera, which is available for free. Mostly focusing on the actionable steps.

Point the first: We/society at large is often wrong about what makes people happy/have a sense of well being. Unless you've been reading into motivation, happiness, flow, etc, already, in which case you're likely right on track.

We adapt to both good things and bad things, so neither one effects us as much as we think they will. Our brains adapt to, and filter out stimuli after a while. If we want to get the most enjoyment out of something/life, we should increase variety and take breaks. Like, drink a different kind of tea every day, or take breaks when listening to music. Also, practicing gratitude, savoring (pausing and intentionally appreciating the good moments in life), sharing experiences with others, and recalling past moments of joy. Also, you can practice negative visualization, when you on purpose think of how awful the world would be if you didn't have something that you do have.

A good job is one that allows you to practice your signature strengths and enter the flow state.

The income-increased happiness plateau is somewhere between $75k and $500k- but I found a recent article** after the comments to this effect, and "Yet is important to note that the relationship is weak, even if statistically robust. The correlation between average happiness and log(income) is 0.09 in the experience sampling data, for example, and the difference between the medians of happiness at household incomes of $15,000 and $250,000 is about five points on a 100-point scale. The flattening and accelerating patterns are even smaller modulations of a small effect. However, the emotional effects of other circumstances are also small. KD reported that the effect of an approximately four-fold difference in income is about equal to the effect of being a caregiver, twice as large as the effect of being married, about equal to the effect of a weekend, and less than a third as large as the effect of a headache." Which says to me I'm making the right move by going to a 4 day work week :P But seriously, that's great news.

We think in comparisons, and comparison is the thief of joy. You can reduce consumption of images of people who are richer, cooler, more skilled, etc than you, and that will help prevent mood deterioration. You can also reframe to compare to yourself in the past.

Being kind makes you and everyone involved happier. Buying things for others makes you happier than buying things for yourself. Giving to charity makes you happier if it builds social connection. (Why the focus on buying things to make you happier? Why not on actions you can take to make yourself or someone else happier? Probably because giving someone $20 is easier from a study's standpoint.)

Get 7 or more hours of sleep a day.

Move 30 minutes a day.

Meditate- look into mindfulness, loving kindness.

Social connection- doesn't have to be a romantic relationship! Just interacting with others, even strangers, makes us happier (still sounds fake to me, but I'm like a mega introvert). Spending time with people you like is good.

Having free time is important.

Create an environment that supports what ever change you're trying to make.

WOOP = Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, and Plan. "What's your wish for your goal? What's your best outcome? What are the obstacles? What's your if-then plan?" Really helps with actually accomplishing your goals.

*I realized I said short notes before, but then somehow that ended up being super long.

** Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved by Matthew A. Killingswortha, Daniel Kahnemanb, and Barbara Mellers

[transsexula]

Hate seeing people say that Transandrophobia isn't real because, in their words, the "androphobia" isn't something people in real life face.

Now. Maybe this is because when I see this opinion, it's attached to someone who is either transfem, AMAB, or who has only ever lived in incredibly liberal areas.

Meaning: They do not have the life experience to speak on that.

It's simple, I can use myself as an easy example: I grew up on the west side of the US. My extended family and parents were very Christian, very conservative. The community I grew up in was in turn the same- very conservative, very Christian, very fundamentalist. Certain Disney movies were banned from the house for featuring witchcraft, or other "morally reprehensible" things. DISNEY MOVIES.

With this background, I'm sure you can tell where this was headed: I can clearly remember being in the pharmacy with my mother. I was small. I saw a lady with what I now know is a pixie cut- incredibly short hair, bright bold pink. Her girlfriend was there, and her own hair was incredibly butch- like they went to a sports clips and asked for what the guy next to them was getting. I was amazed- I'd never seen a woman that looked like that before. I voiced so with awe and wonder to my mother. I was supposed to get a haircut in an hour. "I want that! She looks so pretty and nice"

Who was visibly disgusted. Grabbing me, yanking me away, muttering "no. You don't want to look like that. Let's go."

Fast forward a few years. I'm too young to be drinking a beer, my uncle has stayed up late. We are watching music videos and sharing interests, when we see a rather masc looking woman in a video. He's disgusted. He makes an offhand joke about how she needs to be reminded of her feminine ways. I know what violations he's implying so vividly. He opens up about his fantasy of hatecriming two butch "women" he saw. I'm too afraid to speak.

There's a debate in church. Should women be allowed to wear above the knee shorts? We really didn't like that they can wear pants. Really, the pastor says in his sermon- it's the woman's job to maintain her feminine nature, in opposition to her husband's masculine nature. These blurring lines aren't good for people.

And- I don't want to get into the people I've known who've been hurt, abused, forcefully feminized, beaten for being masculine- the men that feel entitled to their bodies, because they feel entitled to a say in how they present.

The reason you don't see the abuse for being masculine, is because you come from a world where it's widely accepted in ways that not every culture, not every state or country has.

Gnc women, trans men, transmasc nonbinary people- if you're in the wrong place, born to the wrong family, you may never be safe enough to wear pants. You may not be able to cut your hair. Or be anything less than the perfect, ideal woman.

You get punished for not being what you have been assigned. For the act of defiance against others perception, you can be killed.

So, yeah. There's a lot of androphobia. There's a LOT of fear of the masculine. It just comes out in ways you aren't expecting, as someone who hasn't had to experience it. You don't know what to look for. Where to look. It's everywhere but you can be blind to it if you're insulated enough.

Hell- even terfs are falling into severe androphobia. It's their whole motto. What am I, if not a failed woman to them? Mutilating my perfect feminine form? Being a man is the ultimate crime to these people. Are you really telling me JKRs very public campaign hasn't made life hell for ALL of us? We are all losing healthcare due to this.