#Godwin Swift

[streetsofdublin]

GULLIVER MURAL BY MEAGHAN QUINN

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin on 30th November 1667 and was given over to a nurse to be minded in England. He did not meet his mother again until he was 21 years old, this was not unusual in those days.

JONATHAN SWIFT LIVED FOR A WHILE IN TRIM COUNTY MEATH Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin on 30th November 1667 and was given over to a nurse to be minded in England. He did not meet his mother again until he was 21 years old, this was not unusual in those days. The cost of his education was funded by his uncle Godwin Swift. He was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, Dublin where he…

[avelera]

"Weirdness", Decency, and the Historical Echoes of Walz's tide-turning call-out of MAGA

At the risk of writing a high school paper about American politics in 2024, I think there's a historical echo that I'd like to add to the conversation of why Walz calling MAGA people, "weird" seems to finally armed Democrats with a line of personal attacks against MAGA that resonates with voters and seems to have overall broken the spell on this, well, weird behavior by them.

I think the one line of discussion that I haven't seen explored as to why the "weird" attack seems to be working to call out this aptly-named behavior by the far right in America is its similarity to the end of another far right movement in America: McCarthy's Red Scare.

It is popularly attributed that the moment, the quote, that brought about the end of the Red Scare was this:

"Until this moment, senator, I think I never gauged your cruelty or recklessness . . . . Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?"

Special Counsel for the U.S. Army Joseph N. Welch confronting Sen. Joseph McCarthy (source)

Many historical accounts will say this is the moment the spell broke with McCarthy. That this is the moment when Americans looked around like the naval officer at the end of Lord of the Flies and basically said, "What the hell is going on here?"

I think Walz's "weird" quote is this moment.

I've been waiting for this moment to occur with MAGA for some time. It did indeed feel as if no amount of pointing out the lunacy, the absurdity, of the movement was enough. I think other commentators might be right when saying that appealing to how dangerous they are, how scary they are, wasn't working. I could speculate on a variety of reasons for this, like that people like to be part of the winning side and being "scary" can feel good. Or that because of Godwin's Law it's nearly impossible to impress upon people how serious and swift the rise of fascism can be even when it's right in front of you, because no one wants to believe that "our sort of people" would do that sort of thing.

But calling out the MAGA movement as "weird" seems to be working because it echoes Welch's "decency" attack. It is treating childish behavior with the response it deserves. It's huff of exasperation, it's the admonishment of the social choir saying, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you care about other people's personal lives so much? Why the hell are you trying to ban books like the Nazis did? Why are you going after women and immigrants and trans kids? Why can't you just be a good neighbor and leave people alone? At long last have you no sense of decency?"

We're tired of it. The MAGA movement has gone too far beyond the wishes of the moderate "silent majority" (such as it is and that's its own topic of debate) and is now obsessed with its own culture war issues that have grown increasingly detached from anything anyone really cares about day to day except for their die hards. And those die hards are so out of touch they don't realize it happened.

If I may end on one last rumination, I think that part of the reason the MAGA movement has lost touch is because of Trump's skill at marketing. Now, I loathe pretty much every aspect of the man, I struggle to think of any point on which I don't, but there is one thing, one thing I'll give him credit for which is being an arguably generational talent at marketing, branding, and self-promotion. He's good at getting his name on things and making them all about him (before he inevitably runs them into the ground).

But the thing is with marketing, you do a thing called A/B testing. You see which message resonates the most. And if a feel-good ad gets you 30% response and a misogynistic ad gets you 60% response, you go with that misogynistic one because the numbers support it (I actually saw this happen with an ad campaign so it's based on personal experience).

Now, if you notice that 16 year old boys really like your product and if you sell to them, you move more product, even if you lost the interest of everyone else, you're still doing a good job at moving your product (see Hollywood for the last few decades). Because a large, certain audience is better in marketing than trying to achieve broad but tepid appeal.

But the thing in politics is that you actually do have to expand your appeal. You have to get over 50% in the US. That means expanding the coalition, appealing to more people. But that runs counter to the way a lot of product marketing would work, where you'd single out your best audience and market aggressively to them because you'll get a better return. That, I think, is why Trump risks losing the middle even as he has the right locked down. He is a marketer, not a politician. He has his reliable audience. But that reliable audience isn't enough to win office. It's just enough to get reliable buyers of his product. And he doesn't know how to expand beyond them.

To bring this all back to "weirdness" and "decency", I think this too plays into what we're seeing. The MAGA movement has turned in on itself through its constant marketing to itself, always seeking a bigger outrage, a bigger sequel to bring people to the theater. That has put it out of touch with the wider mainstream. It's made them weird, a weird subculture within America that is not in touch with what most people want out of their government.

At least, that's what I hope. We'll find out in a few months now, won't we?

[notablenotions]

Ma-Chapter 2

Radzig shook his head. It had been a long time since he’d allowed himself to think of that. Since Skalitz, he had locked his mind on the task at hand, moving through the world with cold precision — not out of duty, as others believed, but because he couldn’t afford to remember. If he did… if he let his thoughts stray to her — the woman who had altered his very being — it would tear him apart.

She was gone.

Gone.

And Henry — their son — was all that remained to prove she had ever lived. The only evidence that something beautiful and real had ever graced his cursed, bloodied life.

Beside him, Godwin cleared his throat, the sour stench of wine wrapping around him like a shroud — just like that day.

“Reminds me of two other fools,” the priest rasped, eyes following the two boys skulking toward Lady Capon’s chambers. Trouble, clear as day. Capon’s reckless nature might have been admirable — if he didn’t drag Henry along with him. Radzig’s jaw clenched. He hoped they’d at least avoid scandal until the bride’s kin departed.

“I do not think Hanush and I…” he began, only for Godwin to cut in, voice sharp.

“You know I’m not talking about Hanush,” he hissed.

Radzig’s stomach twisted, shame tightening in his chest. He hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it — to speak her name, conjure her ghost. But Godwin saw through him.

The priest leaned closer, eyes cold. “Don’t insult her memory by pretending she meant nothing. That’s cowardice, Radzig.”

The air grew heavy, thick with unspoken grief. Godwin — her father in all but blood — raw with loss. And Radzig, the one who had taken her, who had loved her, was now silent, twisting the knife with every unsaid word.

Godwin had been more of a father to her than Radzig could ever hope to be to Henry.

The priest was rarely hostile. Normally cloaked in wine and humor, his bitterness had crept in slowly, like rot. When Radzig first met him, that weariness hadn’t existed. Not yet.

---

After Radzig’s wounds healed, conversation with Godwin and Anna had come easily. Too easily. In truth, he had one aim — one obsession: to learn everything about her.

She was a foundling. Her father — a soldier. Her mother — dead in childbed. Left to the mercy of the parish, raised under its roof. Godwin, then a young novice, had taken her under his wing. They’d been bound ever since.

When Radzig asked what forged such an unbreakable bond, the two had shared a glance, nodded, and replied: “A story for another day.”

He didn’t press. He was just glad for any day spent unraveling the mystery of Anna. He craved it — craved her — with a greed that felt less like desire and more like need.

---

He had cleared his throat, trying for levity. “How mysterious. But tell me — why are you fleeing so fast? I recall, even half-dead, something about a lord’s wife…”

Anna rolled her eyes toward Godwin. “This lecherous bastard fucked Sir Beran’s wife. Naturally, the crusty old bastard wasn’t too pleased to find the confessional used for a different sort of prayer!”

She laughed — raw, loud, unashamed. That laugh — his laugh — pulled at something deep in him. Christ, he’d have given anything to bury his face in her neck, to make her moan his name like it was sacred.

Radzig remembered Beran’s wife — twenty years younger, full-figured. He didn’t blame Godwin. Beran was a bitter, vengeful wretch, but his men were loyal — enough to hunt down a fugitive priest and his ward.

“Beran has riders. Connections,” Radzig said. “You won’t reach Prague. Someone will turn you in.”

Then he smirked, sensing opportunity.

“My lands are small. Forgotten. Return my gold, and I’ll offer you safe harbour.”

Anna’s eyes narrowed, hand clutching the purse, weighing her options. Godwin lowered his head in thought… then nodded.

“We agree.”

Anna’s shock at the priest’s swift consent amused Radzig — she trusted Godwin. That trust, that respect, was rare. Rare and valuable.

“Fine,” Anna said. “But no coin till we reach your lands. And I’ll pay it back. Monthly.”

Radzig grinned. His gold — and her — within his grasp. In his world. It was a beginning.

And he’d take it.

---

Godwin stumbled off, seeking wine to drown memories Radzig couldn’t imagine. The movement jolted Radzig from the past. So long ago. So much had changed.

He fidgeted, fingers brushing the dagger at his hip. A soothing habit. Ironic, really — it had nearly ended him.

She had given it to him after Henry was born.

He could still see her — pale with exhaustion, radiant with love. Her eyes bright, lips curled in that wolfish smirk as she gestured to the blade.

“I believe you two know each other,” she said, teasing — the woman he’d met on that fateful road.

She’d held Henry in her arms, cradling him, stroking his cheek with a gentleness that gutted him.

“I’m someone’s Ma now, Radzig. I can’t go around cutting men up… Henry needs me.”

Her voice dropped. “He needs what I didn’t have.”

A pause. Then, barely audible — “A family.”

Radzig’s heart clenched.

Their son… his son. The joy of holding him, knowing Anna had survived childbed — it should have been the pinnacle of bliss. But Radzig… felt fear. Dread. He was going to lose them, somehow.

She looked at him, and he saw it — love. Raw, true, unshakable. He loved her, more than anything he could name. But holding Henry… Radzig had loved Anna beyond all reason — but this child… Henry became his entire world.

An instinctual, primal love. A need to protect, to possess, to keep them safe, no matter the cost. It surged through him, sharp as steel and just as unrelenting.

She passed Henry into his arms. He held him — tiny, perfect, breakable. His son. And in that instant, everything else faded. The wars, the bloodshed, the politics — none of it mattered.

Henry was everything.

Anna whispered, “He needs a home. A Ma and Pa.”

The inn room echoed with laughter below — their ragged band of misfits, celebrating the babe. A merry excuse, but Radzig saw it differently now.

Henry wasn’t meant for this life. This chaos. He deserved more. Anna deserved more.

Radzig bowed his head, the weight of the world crushing him. The truth — society’s scorn, their reality — they could never have the life she wanted for Henry.

He tried to speak. To apologize.

She touched his cheek, calming. “I knew,” she whispered. “And I chose this.”

Her smile — tender, unwavering. “I was never under pretense about who you are. I love you for it.”

Henry stirred, turning toward Radzig’s chest — seeking his mother. Anna took him, gently, a softness in her strength that broke Radzig.

He felt the loss of his son’s warmth like a knife.

“I’d have been bored if you were anything else,” she said with a grin.

God, how he wished she had begged him to run — to start fresh, to make her an honest woman. She hadn’t asked curse her pragmatism that mirrored his own.

And even now, would he have gone?

Radzig didn’t know.

To his shame — he still didn’t know.

[jtophat]

My Ponyboy Curtis playlist because I love it, I listen to it quite frequently even when I’m not writing stuff involving him, and want to share it.

Fast Car- Tracy Chapman

Imagine- John Lennon

Dark Days- Punch Brothers

Mama Tried- Grateful Dead (The song is originally by Merle Haggard but I listen to the Grateful Dead version)

East Side of Sorrow- Zach Bryan

hope ur okay- Olivia Rodrigo

Renegades- X-Ambassadors

Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears

Boy In The Bubble- Alec Benjamin

Uptown Girl- Billy Joel

Everybody Knows- Sigrid

Friends In Low Places- Garth Brooks

Winter’s Come and Gone- Charles Wesley Godwin (Song originally by Gillian Welch but I feel like this version fits Ponyboy better)

teenage dream- Olivia Rodrigo

Youth- Daughter

Teenage Dirtbag- Wheatus

Friend of the Devil- Grateful Dead

You’re On Your Own Kid- Taylor Swift

Here Comes The Sun- The Beatles

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder- The Secret Sisters

My reason/analysis for each song is below:

Fast Car- I think the desperation for a better life but the cycle of how life can drag you down and make you live the same lives as the people is something that can relate to Pony. I feel like, deep down, he probably has a fear that things may not work out for him as well as people hope and that he may end up living the same kind of life as the rest of the people in his neighborhood which is why I also think it’s a great song to choose to have as the opener for the playlist. I know Luke Combs has a cover of this song and that it may be the more masculine take on it but I feel like the way Tracy Chapman sings it just has so much heart that it really works for Ponyboy. And plus, Tracy Chapman is my favorite artist so I had to go with her version.

Imagine- I think the song has a bit of a daydreamy kind of vibe that can represent how Ponyboy is described as having his head in the clouds. The song is also a call for peace and unity among people and asks them to imagine a world where what divides them no longer exists which is something that I can see Ponyboy longing for.

Dark Days- The song is about how love getting people through difficult times which is something that I think really works for the Curtis brothers because no matter what they love each other and will do whatever they can to help each other, especially after their parents die.

Mama Tried- I think the song works really well for the vibe of the gang as a whole even if it’s something that may directly relate to Ponyboy. And even if Ponyboy doesn’t get into much trouble I’m sure that he gets into more than his mother would have wanted for him (especially after goes on the run for Bob’s murder)

East Side of Sorrow- I think there is so much about the song that relate to so many people in the story but I’ll try to keep my analysis limited to Ponyboy. I think while when song talks about fighting a war that you don’t even know what your fighting for works well for the metaphorical war between the Greasers and the Socs in the books. It’s been going on long before Pony and will continue long after him and no matter what he will never fully understand it even though he too participates in it. “I lost friends in the August heat” I feel really relates to Johnny and Dally’s death, because it was probably about that time that the book takes place. And when the song talks about losing someone in the waiting room and that the doctor did all the could it really brings home the point about Johnny’s death. The song then mentions walking around the Tulsa streets while feeling fucked up which represent Pony’s depression after the death of Johnny and Dally and how he was aimlessly going through life. I also like how the song specifically refers to the east, and of course the Greasers live on the East side of Tulsa. The song then also talks about the sunrise as a symbol of optimism for the future and the sun imagery really works for Ponyboy. After all, sunrises can’t really be that different than sunsets for him.

hope ur okay- I feel like this is how Ponyboy will look back on the people he knew in Tulsa once he finally moves away. I also like how the song references a towhead blonde which is also similar to how Ponyboy describes Dally.

Renegades- I feel like this song really works for Johnny and Pony running away from Tulsa. Even though it’s a bit optimistic for the events in the book, I still feel like it also works for their friendship too.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World- I feel like Ponyboy would really dig the instrumentals of the song and the references to well, people wanting to rule the world works for the story in an odd way that I can’t quite explain. But the vibe of it just really works

Boy In The Bubble- I feel like the beginning of the song is really reminiscent of how Ponyboy and the rest of the gang will get jumped by Socs but in the end where it discusses the home life of the person who attacked the singer represents Ponyboy gaining an understanding of how things are rough all over Tulsa and that even Socs have problems

Uptown Girl- I feel like once Ponyboy starts liking girls (if he does even like girls because I’m not entirely convinced that boy is straight) he would mainly have a thing for Soc girls. The song is about a lower class boy wanting to get with an upper class girl which is what I can see for Ponyboy in the future.

Everybody Knows- The Greasers have the cards stacked against them and everybody knows this, especially Ponyboy.

Friends In Low Places- I was debating between this and Heathens but this won because it’s country (I feel like the gang would really like country music) and the friends in low places is an obvious reference to the gang. I also think that in a way it shows how Ponyboy is out of place in his classes because he’s a Greaser and there are a lot of Socs in them.

Winter’s Come and Gone- I love the outdoorsy vibe of the song and think that Pony would too. I also like the lyrics “so long now I’ve been out in the rain in snow” because I think it can work as a really interesting way of portraying the gangs struggles and how Ponyboy doesn’t feel like he entirely fits in.

teenage dream- Ponyboy really hates it when people refer to him as being a kid which is a sentiment that I think this song shares. I also think it has a slight desperation to be taken seriously which is something that I also think that Ponyboy relates to.

Youth- It only loosely relates but has lyrics like “if you’re still breathing your the lucky ones” which in a way works because it shows that even things are tough, as long as you’re still alive you’re pretty lucky. Because, as we see in the novel, Greasers tend to die young so those of them who still able to keep on living are pretty lucky.

Teenage Dirtbag- I feel like the title of song is probably a bit about how Ponyboy feels about himself. I also think that song relates a bit to teen who are bit more into counter culture/ may get into a bit more trouble which I think works really well with Ponyboy.

Friend of the Devil- From the title alone I think it works. Ponyboy is friends with a lot of troubled people, and some of them, like Dally, some people probably consider a bit devilish. The song as a whole may not perfectly work with Ponyboy but I feel like the vibe of it does

You’re On Your Own Kid- I feel like this is really a Ponyboy in twenty years looking back at his life/childhood kind of song. And also shows how at the end of the day, and even though the gang wants to help him, the only person who is truly looking out for him is himself. He’s not like the rest of the gang. He’s on his own.

Here Comes The Sun- The song has a really optimistic tone has promises of a better future. It also has a lot of sun imagery

Tomorrow Will Be Kinder: The song is hopeful for a future that is better than the present. I think that is the kind of sentiment that Ponyboy holds onto throughout life, especially during his childhood. I think if he doesn’t develop that kind of outlook he will probably be depressed for most of his life.

Some my analysis for this stuff is better than others and not all songs directly relate to Ponyboy, or even the gang/Greasers, but I think the vibe for each song works.

[jackatlas]

midnight rain x jack atlas fr

i pondered this so much that i wrote a fucking fic about it so here you all go: miss jack atlas is midnight rain by taylor swift coded.

read on ao3 | tip me on kofi | send more drabble ideas!

Jack knew this was how things had to be. She had made sacrifices in the name of her title – the King of Riding Duels – and Rex Godwin had promised that they would pay off.

Yes, abandoning her best friend, who she may have felt frustration with but never would intentionally harm, was classed as a necessity. Sure, nobody had told her to steal Yusei’s D-Wheel, nor Stardust Dragon – not directly at least.

They were her keys to a better future, and she had been promised that those who loved her would understand.

They had to understand.

The duel circuit had worn her down, the burden of a title settling into her spine. Guilt gnawed at her flesh, and she found herself painting a smirk on every evening before an appearance, if she wasn’t doing something worse to perk her up. It worked, and the world thought she was happier than ever.

They didn’t think she spent evenings in her penthouse, staring across the waters wondering if she had made the right decision. The thought burned at her throat. Had she made the wrong choice?

She would swallow the anxiety down with expensive wine and remind herself that she did this for herself. It didn’t matter what anyone thought. Besides, she thought Yusei couldn’t have stayed mad. Maybe him and Crow were impressed, proud of her: maybe they understood.

The thought tended to bring her some form of comfort, at least. That was, of course, until face-to-face with the man who still haunted her two years later and realised...

He didn’t understand.

No, Yusei was the same as he has always been. And when Jack looked in the mirror after their duel, she realised she could barely recognise herself anymore.

If he had asked her to come home, she would have. That thought scared her more than anything else.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Object permanence

I'm on a 20+ city book tour for my new novel PICKS AND SHOVELS. Catch me in SAN DIEGO at MYSTERIOUS GALAXY next MONDAY (Mar 24), and in CHICAGO with PETER SAGAL on Apr 2. More tour dates here.

#20yrsago Godwin’s Law analog for porn and file-sharing https://web.archive.org/web/20050321011557/http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/archives/000784.html

#15yrsago James Randi is gay https://archive.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/914-how-to-say-it.html

#10yrsago Windows 10 announcement: certified hardware can lock out competing OSes https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/windows-10-to-make-the-secure-boot-alt-os-lock-out-a-reality/

#5yrsago Marc Davis's Haunted Mansion https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/21/most-dangerous-ghost/#most-dangerous-ghost

#5yrsago Pandemic stimulus, realpolitik edition https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/21/most-dangerous-ghost/#peoples-bailout

#5yrsago After the crisis, a program for transformative change https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/21/most-dangerous-ghost/#disaster-socialism

#5yrsago Don't Look for the Helpers https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/21/most-dangerous-ghost/#elite-panic

#5yrsago UK emergency science panel predicts mass altruism https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/21/most-dangerous-ghost/#covered-dishes

#1yrago Why Millennials aren't leaving Tiktok https://pluralistic.net/2024/03/21/involuntary-die-hards/#evacuate-the-platforms

[fairytail-fanworks]

Chapter Update!

I‘ve actually added several chapters since my last post, but I’m not on Tumblr often. My bad! I thought I’d share a humorous snippet today, featuring Lucy fighting a mercenary.

"You chose the wrong guy to try to seduce!" he declared as he stomped towards her, knife raised to take her out in one savage blow, seeing no reason to hold back on account of her being a woman. Let no one ever say he didn't treat everyone equally.

To his amazement, she blocked his strike with little effort, causing his knife to fling away, crying out, "Who says I'm trying to seduce you?" before delivering a swift kick towards his groin.

Seeing the ease in which she'd deflected that blow, Godwin instinctively knew he wanted to avoid that incoming kick at all costs, and pushed her away as he retreated a fair distance from her feet. He eyed her more critically, rightfully assuming her change in attire had something to do with that enormous strength. While he calculated his next move, she shook out her hand, the one she'd blocked with, and pulled out a long whip.

She was muttering to herself as she pulled the whip taut between her hands.

"Seriously, even though I definitely was not trying to hit on you, I can't believe you wouldn't fall for my stunning good looks. What the heck is wrong with you bad guys anyway?! Is there some weird standard of sex appeal I'm not aware of? Freakin Gray attracts more men than I do!"

"What?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I can totally see the appeal. If I was a guy, I'd probably switch sides for him too, but Natsu and I have a chemistry, dammit!"

"The Hell are you going on about, lady?!"

"I'm talking about how this right here," she said as she gestured towards herself, "constantly goes over the heads of dimwits who don't know how to appreciate true beauty!"

Please follow the link above to read the rest of this chapter🤠

[alphacrone]

WRITING TREATS YES PLEASE

what a cute little ghostie!! happy halloween! this is the intro to a fic i still would like to finish one day maybe where lucy gets possessed by something ancient and evil during a joint case with the kipps krew (also my OG love for lucykat definitely shines a little in this snippet lol)

-

“Tony.” 

“Kipps.”

Despite the unsteady truce Lockwood & Co. and Fittes found themselves in, the tension between the two boys tonight was palpable. As autumn faded into winter, the outbreaks around London seemed to grow worse. Every agency in town found themselves swamped with jobs and it was starting to take its toll. George was running on an hour of sleep and had already dropped the bag of chains on Lucy’s foot twice; Lucy herself was still sore from running a solo job in Lewisham the night prior, where she’d nearly toppled backwards out a window when Skull decided to spook her from her backpack. And Lockwood-

Well, he was still washing mud from behind his ears from a rather disastrous meeting with Flo two days before. To Flo’s credit, she’d warned him that the dock worker he was meeting didn’t take kindly to posh little brats in tight trousers. Lucy wasn’t even clear how any of that led to them finding a source, but apparently they had succeeded in the end. 

All that to say, no one was in top form that evening. Even Skull was pouting silently from his place in Lucy’s bag, miffed that Lucy had scolded him for nearly killing her. So while the chance to work such a large job as this—multiple teams investigating multiple sources—was nothing short of a boone, the proximity to their former rivals put Lockwood & Co. on edge. 

Kipps’ eyes shifted from Lockwood to Lucy, and Lucy found herself looking away quickly. Things between them had been left at such an awkward place the last time they spoke—Kipps had admitted to her that his sight was going, signaling the swift end to his career as an agent. Before then, he’d tried to poach her and ask her out in one conversation, and Lucy was frankly unsure how to even speak to him properly after all that. 

Her eyes ended up meeting Kat Godwin’s instead, which wasn’t much better. She and Kat had an odd sense of kinship, being strong listeners and the only girls on their teams, but that was where any goodwill ended. Kat was acerbic, prideful, and deadly with a rapier; in another life, they might have been friends, but in this one they dug under each other’s skin with sharp words and passing sneers. 

Instead of her usual smug smirk, however, Kat was giving her something of an appraising look. Perhaps she’d heard of Lucy’s heroics with the bone glass and Joplin. Perhaps she wondered why Lucy would choose not to join her team. 

Or, perhaps, she was simply taking in Lucy’s soot-stained clothes. She’d slept too late that afternoon to do laundry and had to settle for yesterday’s romper and jacket. Lockwood had teasingly called her Cinderella on the way over until George had told him to shut up. 

“As you know,” Kipps said, breaking the silence first. “The client, Mr. Windermere, has asked our two teams to handle this stretch of tunnel between Whitechapel and Liverpool Street. The Post Office is hoping to revitalize its private railway system again and our work is essential for that to happen.” 

“Why does a post office need its own underground?” Lucy asked. “It closed down for a reason, didn’t it?” 

“It closed shortly after the problem reached London,” George said, just as Bobby Vernon tried to speak. “At the time, it wasn’t a priority, so they switched to a team of lorries instead. As for why now, well. It appears Fittes and DEPRAC are considering it for the transportation of sources. There’s a station in Clerkenwell, close to the furnaces.”

“So, what?” This time it was Kat who spoke up. “They plan on having us drop off sources in the mail? How’s that safer than hand-delivering it ourselves?” 

“They plan on establishing drop-off center along the tunnel route,” Bobby cut in before George could. “I’m sure you’ve noticed how long wait times at the furnaces are these days.” 

Kat nodded, satisfied with this answer. Lucy, however, didn’t quite buy it. She glanced sideways at Lockwood, but he was focused on the tunnel before them. “George, the lining along this tunnel–what is it?” 

“Iron,” George said. “By all accounts, it should keep Visitors out.” 

“Or keep them in,” Lockwood murmured. His hand moved instinctually to his rapier hilt. “Well,” he said after a moment. “What fun! We’re likely the first people to explore this place since it closed.” 

“Any word on what’s down here?” Ned Shaw asked as we ventured further in. George and Lucy busied themselves by pulling glowsticks from their packs and dropping them along the path to illuminate where they were going and where they’d been. 

“The crew who opened up the entrance thought they heard a little girl,” Kipps said, raising a torch as the tunnel grew darker. “But they were probably just spooked. Might be nothing down here, with all this iron around.” 

“Or something very, very strong,” Kat said ominously. 

“Ooh, don’t say that,” George whined. “You’ll jinx it.” 

The girl is right, Skull whispered. It is strong.

[darael]

Look, I am not going to say that this is untrue, or that it's okay if it is true, but in general you should not trust ANYTHING coming out of the Daily Mail. The Mail is the leading right-wing hack newspaper in the UK. The Mail supported Hitler right up until Britain declared war, and that's not me triggering Godwin's Law because it's not a comparison, it's literal historical fact. The Mail is a leading vector for the spread of overt bigotry against queer people, brown people, and especially immigrants of all kinds. It also wants its readers to believe that all young people (defined, approximately, as anyone younger than the reader) are stupid, incapable of logical thought, and destroying the world.

The Mail has also been amplifying climate-change denialism as recently as THIS YEAR, lest you thought there was any sincerity to this criticism. They're publishing it because they believe it will make people angry and because they think Swift is a threat to their politics (because she's not overtly a fascist and a lot of people like her, especially among demographics that old white conservatives expect to agree with them and that don't).

So. Maybe she is a climate criminal. I wouldn't be surprised; she's very rich and most of the rich are. But before you get mad at her specifically, check with a source that is not the Daily Mail, and also ask why they are suddenly pretending they care about the climate. They may be trying to distract you from something that would otherwise seem more important.

Then get mad at her; she's still a billionaire after all.

imagine being that fucking rich and that fucking careless.

[newcountryradio]

New Country 28e jaargang  #T1268 (S827) (C67) van 17 februari 2025  (wk 07) uitzending op Smelne fm & Crossroads Country Radio

Album van de week:   Tim Knol & Bluegrass Boogiemen – Ride Again           

Classic album:  Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon       

Maandfavoriet : Josh Ward – There’s A Drink for That   

Maandartiest : Dierks Bentley  

Dierks Bentley – Drunk On A Plane      

Dixie Chicks – Cowboy Take Me Away   2000

Pam Tillis  Mi Vida Loca  1995

Kip Moore  - Learning As I Go

Jordan Davis – In Case You Missed It      

Brett Eldredge ��� You’ll be Mine

Charles Wesley Godwin - The Little Things.

Mackenzie Carpenter ft Midland - I Wish You Would .

Morgan Wallen - Love Somebody #1 3e week

Tim Knol & Bluegrass Boogiemen – Coming Down  *Album vd week  I

Tim Knol & Bluegrass Boogiemen – Lost Lovesick Lonesome Blue (album)

Kenny Chesney – Flip Flop Summer *Entertainer 2007

Eric Pasley – Country Side Of Heaven  

Bryan White – So Much for Pretending  

Brooks & Dunn –    If You See Him /If You See Her  

Josh Ward – There’s A Drink for That  . favoriet 

Shane Worley - High on a Hilltop  (sofi )  

Tim McGraw – Don’t Take The Girl

Tim McGraw – Not A Moment Too Soon   (classic album

Robert Mitzell - The Last Thing in the World..

Brian Sklar – Daddy On The Radio .

Jack Greene – Statue Of A Fool 

Jack Greene – All The Time

Jack Greene – There Goes My Everything

Tim Knol & Bluegrass Boogiemen – Walz Through The Night  album

Kameron Marlowe – How’s The Leaving Going .

Alison Krauss & Union Station - Looks Like The End Of The Road..

Sam Barber -  Indigo (feat. Avery Anna)

Morgan Wallen, - Devil Don’t Know

Jason Aldean – Burnin’ It Down

The  Doohickies – I Wish My Truck Was Bigger Truck song: 

Dierks Bentley –  Home  

Colby Lee Swift -- The Barn   juweeltje

Vince Gill  en Amy Grant  - Longer

Lanco – We Grew Up Together vw

Tim Knol & Bluegrass Boogiemen – There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (album)

Willie Nelson – Always on My Mind

Change of key - Beyond that smile

Marcel Smulders -.Habits Of The Heart

Ruud Hermans- Rhinestone Cowboy

Don Williams – Stronger Back #5  2014

Johnny Cash – Out Among the Stars #4 2014

Lee Ann Womack – Changes Are       #3  

Garth Brooks – People Loving People  #2 2014

The Common Linnets - Where Do I Go With me

Common Linnets – Calm after the Storm #1 2014 in the new country music express

[theirishaesthete]

A Swifte Burial

Located beside a now-disused church and within an old graveyard at Castlerickard, County Meath is this curious limestone pyramid, each of its steeply pitched sides carrying a raised diamond. One of them carries the name Swifte, indicating that the monument commemorates a member of the family of that name, possibly Godwin Swifte who died in 1815 and owned a property in this part of the country,…

[spangledmystars]

My DnD characters! First, Henry "Hank" Godwin" created in 2019

Lawful Good Fighter/Paladin

The first son of a renowned general and a powerful wizard, upon their deaths by the hands or political maneuvering he and his baby sister were raised by the local frost giants. The Giants' leader being sworn brothers with their father, the Godwin kids were raised alongside the other children of the village, where he picked up a passion for cooking, monster slaying, and putting smiles on peoples' faces

Suzan "Suzie" Godwin created 2019

Chaotic Neutral Rogue/Wizard Unlike her brother, Susan Godwin was blessed with swift feet, ambition, a drive for power, and a INT/WIS above 8. Growing up on the shorter side in a village of frost giants would make anyone else develop a sense of non-conformity, and possibly isolated. However, her unique talents were praised wholeheartedly, as she and her brother were always beloved members of their adoptive family. However, seeing the world outside of her loving home become more war-torn, more chaotic, and those she felt responsible for the destruction of her home spread across the land filled her with an anger that was far from righteous. Walking the thin line between thoughts of a greater cause and bloody vengeance, Susan gathered a cabal of others that had lost everything by the continent spanning war, she formed The Thieves Guild; an organization that, below the surface of crime, actively operates to cause the downfall of those who stole the lives of so many innocent people

[huggybearluvr]

lemonade and americano for jamie drysdale please 💗

Americano:

The deal, Elle Kennedy, I can totally see College Jamie falling for his tutor!!!

Lemonade:

Mine - taylor swift

If I could Fly- One direction

Hardwood floors - Charles Wesley Godwin

[pumathoughts]

Super Wild-card Weekend Rundown

It’s that time of year again, NFL Playoffs! We begin as always with Super Wildcard Weekend, here is my rundown of all the games:

NFL Super Wild-card weekend: Jan. 13, 14 and 15

NFC

(7) Green Bay Packers at (2) Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox

These are 2 teams with different expectations on the season. Jordan Love has played well and the Packers the last 2 games of the season played good defense and got the most out of their young core to make the playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys are Super Bowl or bust, CeeDee Lamb is arguably the second best WR in football and the defense overall is a take away machine. The Cowboys I think will try to pressure Love into bad throws, and be opportunistic in creating take aways. This to me is the Cowboys game to lose, only question is can Tony Pollard get going in the run game because he is the home run threat on the ground in space. Green Bay went on a 3 game win streak to end the season and Dallas leaving a lot to be desired to end their season. Dallas won impressively in week 14 against Philadelphia, then a bad loss to Buffalo, another loss to Miami, an illegal touching penalty win against Detroit and a dismantling of Washington to maybe get right? The Cowboys are the better team and they are home. Even with the struggles Dallas should get past the Packers and into the Divisional round.

(6) Los Angeles Rams at (3) Detroit Lions

Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET on NBC

This one is going to tug on the heart strings. Matt Stafford returns to Detroit to face his old Lions and frankly the Rams might spoil Detroit’s first home playoff game in ages. The Rams are a hot team coming into the playoffs, 7-1 since a week 10 bye, only loss was an overtime loss to Baltimore in week 14. Puka Nacua came out of nowhere and is shattering expectations. He and Cooper Kupp are a formidable duo at WR, and Kyren Williams has brought stability to a ground game that have made the Rams a really tough matchup for anyone and unfortunately it has to be the Lions. I want good things for Detroit, and they deserve to go far in the playoffs. I just don’t see how a defense that is susceptible to the pass can slow down this Rams passing offense. The Lions will have Sam LaPorta but not at 100% which could hinder what the Lions do passing the ball. The 2 headed monster at running back in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs is what the Lions need to control this game. The biggest X factor is how aggressive will Dan Campbell be? Hopefully just enough to get the win, but this is Jared Goff’s chance for redemption. He was traded for Stafford but not only that the Rams GAVE a first round pick just to get rid of him. I want Detroit to win this game because I like feel good stories but the Rams seem to have put it together at the right time and I think will spoil the party in Detroit.

(5) Philadelphia Eagles at (4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Monday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN2 and ESPN+

The Eagles are dragging their asses into these playoffs. Rumors are swirling Nick Siriani might lose his job if the Eagles piss this one away. Crazy to think a team a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance would fire the coach but this is a crazy world we live in. The Eagles also get dealt another low blow by stud WR AJ Brown likely being out for this game due to a knee injury. The hits just keep coming. The Buccaneers on the other hand haven’t been spectacular but haven’t been average. 5-1 in their last 6 to close the season and Baker Mayfield might have found a home in Tampa Bay. Mayfield had 4,044 yards 28 TDs and 10 INTs on this season. Tom Brady last year for these Bucs had 4,694 yards 25 TDs and 9 INTs. The Bucs I think have a better chance to win this game because of the weapons at receiver. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should give Philly all they can handle. The Eagles need to get D’Andre Swift going to take the pressure off of Jalen Hurts. For the Eagles to win they have to establish the run and control clock. I think the Eagles are desperate enough to win this game but it will be closer than people think.

Bye: (1) San Francisco 49ers

AFC

(5) Cleveland Browns at (4) Houston Texans

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC

To me this is the most intriguing matchup of the playoffs. The upstart Texans and CJ Stroud against the resilient Cleveland Browns. The Browns are the first team in NFL history to win at least 10 games in a season with four different quarterbacks earning at least one win, according to OptaStats. They’re also the first team to make the playoffs after starting four different quarterbacks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Joe Flacco is a timeless wonder, and survived a tenure with the New York Jets, EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. But Cleveland with a steady hand at QB and a stout defense get a rematch with a team they creamed in week 16 BUT CJ Stroud is playing this time. I thought CJ Stroud should’ve been the number one overall pick in the draft but Bryce Young gets to fall on the sword and waste away in Carolina while Stroud thrives. Stroud threw for over 4000 yards and had 25 TDs. Impressive for a team that had 2 wins last season. DeMeco Ryans has transformed this team into one who believes in itself and they are young and growing together. Even Buffalo Bills cast off Devin Singletary took over the starting RB spot and is the steady hand in the backfield. Tank Dell being hurt is a loss but the Texans have other playmakers that have carried them to this point. I like Houston to shock the world and Beat Cleveland at home to advance.

(6) Miami Dolphins at (3) Kansas City Chiefs

Saturday, 8:15 p.m. ET on Peacock

Now there is a joke in here somewhere involving Swifties and Peacock…I’m not the one to make it, but there has to be. Now for those of you wondering as you see above it says this game is on Peacock. Yes, Peacock is a streaming service by NBC Universal. Yes, this is streaming ONLY. Yes, the NFL is a money hungry organization that does what it wants and will continue to do so until the end of time. So, get ready to pay $5.99 for this game or just hope a friend or family member has it. ANYWAY, this game is more about 2 teams who are not where everyone thought they’d be. The Chiefs are just reaping what they sewed by not upgrading at WR. This group leads the league in drops. Taylor Swift has garnered a lot of attention and I think it has somehow manifested itself into affecting this team. The Chiefs just don’t have that same mojo this year. Travis Kelce is having his worst statistical year in what feels like forever. If KC survives this game they are likely going on the road to play what would be Patrick Mahomes first ever road playoff game. The Dolphins again fail to reach expectations this season. Did you know they scored 70 points on Denver this season? That was a different time. The Dolphins are “the greatest show on surf” but have been hobbled as of late. Tyreek Hill has been hurt, Jaylen Waddle has been hurt, and the speed the Dolphins were killing people with has been somewhat neutralized. Miami squandered a golden opportunity win the AFC East and to get the 2 seed in the playoffs, all they had to do was win 2 of their last 3. They got waxed by Baltimore at home, and Buffalo beat them for the division and the 2 seed. Ouch. My wife tells me Mike McDaniel is a player’s coach, I say he can’t close. The temperature is expected to be around minus-2 degrees with a wind chill approaching -30, according to the National Weather Service. If that projection remains to be then this will become the coldest game that the Dolphins have ever played in. The Dolphins have lost 10 straight games when the kickoff temperature is 40 degrees or below. With all the struggles this season I think the Chiefs will win this game by the slimmest of margins because of Isiah Pacheco.

(7) Pittsburgh Steelers at (2) Buffalo Bills

Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS (Postponed due to weather)

We all know my feelings on the Buffalo Bills, I love and hate them all at the same time. But what really grinds my gears is everyone acting like the weather is a real advantage for the Bills. It’s projected to be 40MPH winds, and somewhere between 1-3 feet of snow. I don’t know if you know this but Pittsburgh plays in cold weather too. As does Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, New England, Jets, Giants, Baltimore, Washington, Green Bay, and other cold weather teams who play outside. Let’s stop pretending Buffalo weather is different. Cold is cold, snow is snow. The new stadium should be a dome, not have an overhang that causes wind confusion. Who know what else causes wind confusion? A DOME! ANYWAY, this game is moved to monday because of the weather but is a classic Bills trap game. The Steelers are currently a +10 point spread for this game (take the points). The Steelers and Mason Rudolph have found their stride on offense after a tumultuous season the Steelers made their way to the playoffs. They don’t turn the ball over and they don’t commit penalties. George Pickens is my player to watch because he’ll either have a huge day or not be heard from. The Steelers will be able to establish the run but if the Bills can keep a lid on the receivers the Bills will have a great chance to win this game. The Bills problem will be can they get points when points are there to get? The Miami game left potentially 21 points on the field with 2 Josh Allen INT’s and a James Cook fumble all in the redzone. Josh Allen catches a lot of shit for his turnovers, but the national narrative that he’s a liability for his turnovers in outlandish. In his first 6 seasons he has 102 total turnovers, 78 being interceptions. Did you know Peyton Manning and Jameis Winston have 111 total turnovers in their first 6 seasons? In their first 6 seasons Peyton Manning had 110 INT’s, Winston and Eli Manning had 88, Jay Cutler had 86, and Matt Stafford had 85 INT’s. Gun Slingers through INT’s, shit happens. But to lay it all on Josh Allen like he’s a turnover machine is asinine. Josh Allen is the solution to the problem of not having truly elite weapons around him outside of Stefon Diggs. The Bills will win this game if Diggs can get loose and get chunks of yards and you get James Cook in space. The defense needs to keep a lid on the speed of the Steeler receivers. I think the Bills get the win by a field goal.

Bye: (1) Baltimore Ravens

[tomorrowedblog]

Friday Releases for December 8

Friday is the busiest day of the week for new releases, so we've decided to collect them all in one place. Friday Releases for December 8 include Poor Things, Leave The World Behind, The Boy And The Heron, and more.

Poor Things

Poor Things, the new movie from Yorgos Lanthimos, is out today.

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

Leave The World Behind

Leave The World Behind, the new movie from Sam Esmail, is out today.

A family’s getaway to a luxurious rental home takes an ominous turn when a cyberattack knocks out their devices — and two strangers appear at their door.

The Boy And The Heron

The Boy And The Heron, the new movie from Hayao Miyazaki, is out today.

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.

There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.

A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

Eileen

Eileen, the new movie from William Oldroyd, is out today.

Set during a bitter 1964 Massachusetts winter, young secretary Eileen becomes enchanted by the glamorous new counselor at the prison where she works. Their budding friendship takes a twisted turn when Rebecca reveals a dark secret — throwing Eileen onto a sinister path.

A Creature Was Stirring

A Creature Was Stirring, the new movie from Damien LeVeck, is out today.

Faith (Chrissy Metz) keeps her troubled teenage daughter on a tightly controlled but illicit pill regimen in order to ward off a terrifying affliction. But after a Christmas burglary, their dark family secret may finally be exposed.

Fast Charlie

Fast Charlie, the new movie from Phillip Noyce, is out today.

Charlie Swift is a fixer with a problem: the target he’s whacked is missing his head and the only way Charlie will be paid is if the body can be identified. Enter Marcie Kramer, the victim’s ex-wife and a woman with all the skills Charlie needs.

Lord of Misrule

Lord of Misrule, the new movie from William Brent Bell, is out today.

Directed by William Brent Bell, LORD OF MISRULE follows Rebecca Holland (Tuppence Middleton), who has recently taken over as priest of a small town. When her young daughter Grace (Evie Templeton) goes missing at the local harvest festival, a desperate search begins. The closer they edge towards finding Grace, the more secrets emerge from the town’s dark past. Soon, Rebecca must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to rescue her daughter from the grip of evil.

Merry Little Batman

Merry Little Batman, the new movie from Mike Roth, is out today.

This Christmas, Damian Wayne wants to be a Super Hero like his dad—the one and only Batman. When Damian is left home alone while Batman takes on Gotham’s worst Super-Villains on Christmas Eve, he stumbles upon a villainous plot to steal Christmas and leaps at the chance to save the day.

Culprits

Culprits, the new TV series from J Blakeson, is out today.

Three years ago, Joe was recruited by notorious British criminal Dianne Harewood to join her crew and take part in a high-stakes crime – one that promised to make Joe rich and provide him with a brand-new life. And now, his dangerous past is about to catch up with him. When a killer starts targeting the crew behind the crime, Joe realizes that the only way to keep his family safe is to return to London, make contact with his old gang, and track down Dianne.