#Rad philosophizes

[bonezone44]

Why the Daddy/Uncle Depravity?

This is a blog post for adults with critical thinking skills. If you read this and you wanna throw hands--then you do not have critical thinking skills and this blog post is not for you.

I reference DDlg, non-con/dub-con, trauma

++++++++++++++++++

I've noticed a lot of DDlg reader fics in this fandom. MUCH more than any other fandom that I've been in, but I think that mostly has to do with the fact that this fandom is centered around a particular actor and the characters he portrays.

And part of me has always been bothered by DDlg stuff. It weirded me out. But sometimes, part of me found it hot. And I couldn't understand why.

and the more stories I read, the more conflict it caused in my brain.

Because, you see, humans exist in multitudes. Much like the movie, Inside Out, there are multiple voices and perspectives that exist within us and give us our inner monologue and allow us to reflect on ourselves and the world around us.

And in my own personal real life, I would laugh in some dude's face if he wanted me to call him 'Daddy.' I would roundhouse kick him in the balls if he tried to push the issue, too.

But then I read it in stories and I'm like, "Damn. That's HOT."

---So what's the deal???

I'm sure many of us have heard the explanation that women who write rape fantasies or depraved sexual fantasies are exercising "control." It's been said that these fantasies allow us to take back our power in a way that we desire to do so. WE get to say what goes and WE get to write an encounter in a way that allows us satisfaction. (whether sexual, emotional, etc etc).

---But that explanation is generally referring to people who have experienced sexual trauma and are using fantasies as a way to process (and likely, 'remove') the experience from their system.

---What about other people? What about their fantasies? What's really happening when writers write and reader's read?

So here's where I'm at with philosophizing on this.

As I said before, humans exist in multitudes. We exist in many different parts and pieces and as we interact and connect with other people and the world we live in, we become even more multitudinal.

Even though I'm an adult woman, part of me is still a child. Even though I'm an adult woman, part of me is my husband. Even though I'm an adult woman, part of me is my dog. Part of me is my house. Part of me is my best friend. A small part of me is the guy who works at the gas station I frequent.

Even though I'm an adult woman, part of me is young and tired and doesn't wanna do the work and wants to pout about it. Another part of me is older, wiser, firmer and more aggressive.

And those two parts of me can be turned into two characters that I can name 'Daddy' and 'Little Girl.' And I can create a situation for them to experience and react to one another in. I can provide them conflict. And I can create an outcome for them. And I can write and direct and describe what happens between the two of them in a story format, if I so choose.

and I can share that story. And someone can read it.

And as they read it, part of them might relate to the 'Little Girl' and another part of them might relate to the 'Daddy'. And they might connect to the story's situation and the conflict as it may/may have exist(ed) within themselves.

---And when the smut comes in??

well that just makes it even more fun! Because on a physical level--sex can be fun and feel awesome. It can be a full body experience. There's chemicals and stuff that happen (google it. I'm not a doctor).

Sex can make us feel good. And when disparate parts of ourselves are in conflict and we find a way to resolve the conflict through feelings that feel good?? it feels good! It feels satisfying!

And in fic, we're experiencing these emotions and inspiring physical feelings using a narrative that exists in the safety of our own minds.

---But what if I want it for real?? in the IRL??

Some people do! Some people need it. Some people have a desperate need (or simply a 'want') to experience this relationship dynamic for themselves. They have a need to find someone who understands the internal battle and who will play the opposing part with them.

That's where the real life kink comes in. And it requires lucid minds and respect and clear, unambiguous consent.

Sometimes it's a full-time dynamic. Sometimes it's temporary role-play. Sometimes people try it and realize it's not for them.

But for some people, the fic is enough!

--You haven't mentioned Uncles yet....

Substitute 'Uncle' in place of 'Daddy'. It's a title for a familial masculine, authority figure. You could even do 'Big Brother' if you wanted. (Remember that Big Brother Frankie fic?? 🥵🥵🥵)

Substitute 'Mommy' or 'Auntie' or 'Grandma Claudia Flores' if you're looking for a familial feminine, authority figure. 'Big Sister'

--Why does it have to be a family member??

It doesn't! It can be a boss or teacher or professor or etc etc etc

It depends on YOU and what YOU connect with the most and what part of YOU that you want to explore.

--What if I wanna be the 'Daddy' ?? What if I wanna be the 'Uncle'??

Go for it ! There is a dominant authority figure in all of us.

🙏 Be the Dominant Authority Figure you want to see in the world !

--Do you have anything else to say for yourself??

In every 'Daddy' exists a little girl. In every 'Uncle' exists a niece. In every Dominant Authority Figure, there is a Submissive Figure as well.

In these fanfics, the Dominant recognizes a part of themselves in the Submissive. Just as the Submissive recognizes a part of themselves in the Dominant. That connection begets the dynamic.

[emptyjunior]

It looks like with the movies taking off, everyone is on the Dune train now!! Which is very exciting, I’m glad a bunch of new people are discovering this media and reading the books, but can I recommend you the David Lynch, Dune (1984) movie.

First of all, if you are invested in the lore of the books and the deeper messaging of the story, you’re going to need to turn that part of your brain Off. If you love kick ass shit and are willing to be slightly tipsy while you watch and have a great goddamn afternoon, this is the flick for you.

Now first fun fact I’m going to share with you. David Lynch (twin peaks, eraserhead director, celebrated surrealist) turned down the opportunity to direct Return of the Jedi for this film. A film that was devastatingly slow to make, changed hands multiple times, had a pricy VFX budget of $40 million and then made barely $31 million, David Lynch turned down Star Wars to work on it. And he did this when he had never read the novel, and did not even like or engage with sci fi media. THAT’S how you know we’re really in for something.

Now this film has some big names in it! We’ve got a young Kyle MacLachlan who is rocking some Devastating outfits:

We’ve got Sir Patrick Stewert as our Gurney and Sting, lead singer of the police, playing the 15 year old Feyd Rautha! If you wanted to see a grown man, sprayed orange, basically naked playing a free wheeling maniac you are in for a treat! And another fun fact, David Lynch also did not know who these actors were, he made a mistake and thought Patrick Stewert was someone else and when Sting said he was in the police he assumed he was in an organization of lawmen.

Now these characters are familiar to you, but let me get into the unfamiliar. Lynch made some directorial executive decisions throughout this film, for I suppose the ease of the viewer? I mean an adaptation is supposed to adapt so he went let me change some stuff up👏👏👏.

Those who paid attention to Jessica’s backstory may know about the Weirding Way. This is a martial arts style created by the Bene Gesserit, and practiced by Paul. It is more than just a fighting style but also an important philosophical concept, like Aikido or how Kung Fu has foundations in Buddhism.

You may also be familiar with the quote “My name is a killing word.” This inner monologue of Paul’s refers to how his title Muad’dub will be used to spur a holy war. A simple name is what people will die and bleed for, it will be what they scream as they cut down enemies.

Dark! Intense! That’s Dune, anyways in the novel it’s easy to take your time exploring these concepts. Introducing the audience to the religious ramifications of a simple name and fighting practice and how these things can have rippling repercussions upon a society like the Freman.

Now David Lynch didn’t have time for that! He had the belief (that may be right🤷‍♂️!) That watching a bunch of people kick each other on top of a sand dune would be Lame😭😭

So he made the choice for his film that “My name is a killing word” was to be taken Absolutely Literally and invented a device where if the freman said the name Muad-dib, shit would explode.

If they said Paul’s name, they could Explode Stuff. Let it sink in how rad that is. Hell yeah man, hell yeah. Imagine me interpreting religious text that way, imagine if I made a bible movie and the moral I took from a parable is that when Jesus asked for food and everyone donated fish, I concluded that Jesus was a mutant who had fish powers and could immediately conjure fish with magic and gave him fish death rays that shot out of his hands.

So that’s what you can expect from this interpretation, the weirding way now means everyone has Lasers its rad as hell.

Some other incredible choices made! This is a spoiler, but in the novels and the new films you can see the Freman collecting every scrap of water they can. Dr Liet-Kynes, the planetologist, reveals to us it’s because they have a long, multiple generation spanding plan to fix the planet. By introducing this water back they hope to reset the ecosystem over centuries of work. The reason they have been unable to do this is because a green planet would obviously not have worms and sand who produce spice, the most coveted drug in the empire, so imperial and harkonnen forces have been stopping this from ever happening. They want to be free from oppression so that they can start to work on slowly fixing their world, a project that plays out in Paul’s adult life and has its own dramas and complexities.

In Dune 1984??? The moment, the Moment Paul lays out his cousin and throws the final punch, it begins to rain in Arrakis. As if they were all under a magical curse and were just waiting for a teenager to come fight another teenager and then the water will come back. It’s so good, it’s so funny.

Also Pugs! House Atreides official Pugs! Paul has pugs in his lap!!

This is honestly an adaptation choice that I really really like! Paul is the result of centuries of selective breeding, this practice is an artform to the Bene Gesserit and a skill that they monitor closely. It produces bizarre and sometimes terrifying results and is the reason for Paul’s existence.

I think having an animal that was also created through selective breeding, was engineered from a wolf into an animal that can hardly breathe is an incredible metaphor! A smart and identifiable symbol for the audience, I think it’s a slam dunk and the new movies should have done it to.

Anyways can not recommend this film enough.

-The body suits the bad guys wear are made out of real body bags, that actually had been used.

-David Lynch to this day hates it.

-The original cut was four hours.

-The cast and crew were sick the Entire shoot with something they called Montezuma's Revenge, which was probably just food poisoning, side effects from the constant smog because they shot the whole thing on backup generators, illness from the cockroach infestation and terrible morale.

-Frank Herbert saw it multiple times and said he absolutely loved it.

-When they ride the worms, sick rock jams play.

If you love electric guitar, lasers, worms and will forgive me for not including all the trigger warnings cause Yes this film will gross you out, then go watch this movie.

[kiefbowl]

Do you have a specific reason you adamantly choose to not be called a radfem? I'm relatively new to the movement and getting really into the rad theory and community, but idk, I developed something of a respect to you by how much you've helped me understand things, and seeing you reject any ties to the radfem title itself makes me have double thoughts on if being one is actually a good thing

I wouldn’t say I “reject any ties” to the radfem “title”, I would say I consider myself a feminist that hasn’t subscribed to a specific branch of feminist tenets to identify into (including radical feminism). I see, and hopefully all feminists do, feminism as a living, developing social theory and philosophical framework. It’s not a static discipline of study. If a feminist identifies into a specific branch because she has rationalized those tenets in her own mind, that’s great. It’s important though that you don’t become so dogmatic as to say “since I decided I am x-label, I will make my thoughts conform to the philosophy” especially when met with an idea you conflict with. The beliefs should be rationalized by you, not you rationalizing beliefs in order to identify. You’re allowed to think whatever you want and reject anything you can’t rationalize or can argue against.

Hope that’s helpful, I have other ideas regarding studying feminism and viewing feminism as a living discipline especially wrt to social media, but I’m typing this on my phone at work so I will have to come back to it another time.

[chelledoggo]

My Analysis of "Lazarus Drug" by Meg Washington, and how it pertains to Bluey's "The Sign" [MASSIVE BLUEY SPOILERS]

(This post is going to deviate from my typical "all lowercase" typing style because I kinda want it to be taken seriously lol.)

So, I was doing some dishes earlier, and I started thinking about the song "Lazarus Drug" by Meg Washington. I started mulling over the lyrics and thinking about how it was used at the ending of the Bluey special "The Sign." The wheels kinda started turning and I felt compelled to attempt to present my interpretation and the thoughts I have about it.

Now, I'm not a music theorist or a seasoned philosopher or TV critic. I'm just about as much of a layperson as one can be. I'm just kinda calling things as I see them.

Although only the final portion of the song was used in The Sign, I wanna go over the full version of the song to give a better understanding of what all the pieces mean put together.

This probably won't be a play-by-play of every lyric (because I'm not that smart lol), but I'll do my best to get the point across.

Let's begin!

[MASSIVE BLUEY SPOILERS BEGIN BELOW THE CUT]

I am asleep, I am a slug I am a thief, I am a thug

The first lines of the song give the impression that the singer perceives herself as an impure person. She seems to bring attention to her vices of focusing too much on the self to the point where it could potentially hurt others.

You are grace, you are belief You are a Lazarus drug

This is where the song title comes in, and this section in particular is clearly very heavy on Biblical imagery.

Lazarus was a figure in the Bible, specifically the Gospel of John (John 11:1-45). He died of illness and had been in the tomb for four days. Jesus loved Lazarus so much, that he had wept upon the confirmation of his death. He then went to the tomb where Lazarus lie and resurrected him.

Note how the singer refers to the subject as a "Lazarus drug." When you think of a drug, you think either of something meant to treat an illness, or something meant to give someone a high. However, in this case, I think it's both.

Meg Washington said the following in an interview with ABC's (Australia) Double J radio station:

"'Lazarus Drug' is a song about love and euphoria and revival. It's really just an ode to whatever it is in your life – or my life – that makes you feel like rising up and floating in the middle of the air and splitting into light beams of happiness. "Writing this song was really special for me, because every time I sing it I feel the same way that I felt when I wrote it. I really wanted to make something that sounded like how we can make each other feel if we try very hard to share love."

The subject of the song is a loving, caring figure. You could even argue that they are a Christlike figure. The love and compassion that they extend to the singer not only heals their pain, but makes them feel high, as illustrated in these lyrics a few lines later.

And when you make A perfect circle in the sky I get so high I get so high I'm like a planet And I can't come down Oh, I can't come down

The next verse begins like this:

You are an angel And when you weep, the heavens rain I am a mermaid, eating at the sushi train

The "mermaid at the sushi train" metaphor is kind of up in the air, but I believe it might once again be highlighting the singer's selfishness.

Like, why would a mermaid be eating sushi? Why would she be eating her little fishy friends? Like imagine if Ariel was advertising frozen fishsticks... Oh wait...

It seems like a metaphor for thinking more about your own hunger rather than the needs of those you're meant to care for.

We sort of see this in both Bandit and Rad's subplots in "The Sign."

Bandit gets this high-paying new job in another city. He's going to have to uproot his family's life and take them away from the people they love and care about in Brisbane. However, Bandit doesn't really seem to consider too much how this might emotionally affect Bluey and Bingo. The way he sees it, he's doing the right thing. He believes he's guaranteeing a bright and comfy future for the Heeler family. He means well, of course. But in this case he's being so short-sighted that he doesn't seem to really take his family's feelings into account.

Likewise, Rad plans to move himself and Frisky out west after their wedding... Except that he didn't bother bringing this up to Frisky herself. His motives were arguably even more self-centered and short-sighted. He didn't bother asking Frisky how uprooting her own life would affect her. He just... assumed he could just smooth it over after the wedding. (I love you Rad, but... dick move, man. Dick move.)

But when you look in me With language in your eyes I get so high I get so high I'm like a planet And I can't come down

When the singer stops and looks at the subject, gazing into her eyes without needing to say a word, that "Lazarus drug high" comes back. She realizes that she's not in it alone. That there's people around her that love her and care for her, and they matter just as much as she does.

When Rad finally catches up to Frisky at the Lookout, they have this moment:

Now at surface level "I know you like it here" could just be referring to the Lookout, since it's one of Frisky's favorite places. But on a deeper level, I think we can tell what this really means. It's referring to Brisbane. You can even see the city in the background here.

Rad finally wakes up and realizes how much Frisky's home means to her. Neither one of them has to say a word about Brisbane for us to know that Rad's had a change of heart about moving. The way they look at each other during this scene speaks volumes.

Likewise, there's... the moment.

Moving day.

I feel it in the morning I feel how low it lies And then I hear you calling And then I start to rise I feel it in the morning I feel how low it lies And then I hear you call my name And then I start to rise

The Heeler house is all packed up in boxes, and the family is getting into the car to leave their driveway for the final time.

But just as Bandit's about to get in the driver's seat, he stops to answer a call from Bucky, letting him know that the Sheepdogs decided at the last minute not to buy the Heeler house.

After the call ends, Bandit walks over to peel the "SOLD" sticker off the "For Sale" sign.

He then gazes back at his family waiting in the car. No words are exchanged. He just takes a moment to look into their eyes. He's reflecting on what this move will mean for them. He remembers all the sorrow Bluey and Bingo endured over the revelation.

And suddenly his eyes are opened to what really matters...

And when I hear you calling Like you were always there I rise until I'm hanging In the middle of the air

He grabs hold of the sign, pulling it with the strength of two Bandits.

And when I hear you calling I split like I'm a snake With golden light like fingers And then I start to break Into a billion pieces

And...

...YEET.

Oh, I shatter into constellations Like I've never been more here Like I completely disappear

The ego shatters. Bandit foregoes the self and realizes his oneness with his family. That they all matter. That what they have in Brisbane is beautiful.

Sure, he could assure himself a cushy high-paying job and ensure a "comfy" life for his family.

But his family was already comfortable. More than comfortable, even.

His preconceived notions of what a "good life" could be disappear, because he knows they already have a good life.

I'm nothingness, but shining And everywhere at once I'm everything and everyone who is or ever was

Now this line is particularly interesting to me.

In eastern spirituality, especially Buddhism, there's a concept of "emptiness." Basically nothing and no one exists purely in and of itself. "Everything and everyone who is or ever was" exists because of interconnections through other factors. There's no inherent "thing" or "self." We're all one.

The words "emptiness" and "nothingness" in our western mindset seems to denote a feeling of despair and sadness. I think this is why Meg chose to word it as "nothingness, but shining." In the eastern mindset, "nothingness" is something that is shining and beautiful. It's not a sense of loneliness, rather a sense that you are not alone.

Bluey isn't a stranger to incorporating eastern spiritual thought into its episodes. Probably the most famous example is the episode "Bumpy and the Wise Old Wolfhound," which is loosely based off the Buddhist story of Kisa Gotami. The episode "Hide and Seek" alludes to the practice of mindfulness meditation, which is a practice rooted in eastern traditions. You could even argue that the episode "Slide" has themes of Ahimsa, the eastern principle of nonviolence and not causing harm to other living things.

Even "The Sign" incorporates the Taoist parable of the Farmer, which teaches about accepting the unexpected of life, and not labelling anything as "fortunate" or "unfortunate."

I also personally see themes of the aforementioned principle of interconnectedness. The whole episode is basically a literal "butterfly effect." Every little thing, from Frisky leaving the wedding and the Heelers going to look for her, to Flappy (who originally appeared in "Slide." Oh wow, this goes deep!) flying into the Heelers' car, to Bluey finding a lucky coin, only for it to get stuck in the binoculars that the Sheepdogs later use to spot their new dream house... it all leads up to the ending.

The ending in and of itself can't really be labelled as a perfect happy ending, either. Bandit can no longer accept his new job, and will probably need to find new work in Brisbane. How will it go?

"We'll see."

And You're nothingness, but shining And everywhere at once You're everything, we're everyone who is or ever was, forever

The final lines are just a pronoun switch of the ones before them. This could be interpreted in multiple ways. The singer could be addressing the subject of the song, but she could also be addressing the listener.

The song ends on a reminder that we're all connected. We're affected by the circumstances we face, including the love we're shown by others. Likewise, the love we show others affects them and those around them.

Isn't that kind of one of the overarching messages of Bluey as a whole? How we treat others - our friends, our families, our children - goes a long, long way.

...

WHOO. That ended up being more of a ramble than I thought.

Anyway, I'm just calling this as I personally see it from my silly overthinking layperson perspective. You shouldn't by any means take what I say as gospel, but I do hope I've at least given you something to think about.

And, of course, feel free to share your own interpretations!

If you've made it to the end of this massive skyscraper of text, thank you so, so much. I love you. 💖

[coinandcandle]

About the Divine Feminine

This was inspired by this post by @hiswitchcraft but I didn't want to possibly derail the post so I decided to make my own. Please go check out the original post!

This post mentions various sexual reproductive organs, if this makes you uncomfortable please scroll past.

What is the Divine Feminine?

Sometimes also called the "sacred feminine". What is it? Well, no one can really agree.

One website says, "The divine feminine is the spiritual concept that there exists a feminine counterpart to the patriarchal and masculine worship structures that have long dominated organized religions."

Another defines it as, "the feminine aspect of the divine power that connects and binds the Earth together. In other words, it is the goddess energy that exists within all of us".

Wikipedia tells us that "The term "sacred feminine" was first coined in the 1970s, in New Age popularisations of the Hindu Shakti. Hinduism also worships multitude of goddesses that have their important role and thus in all came to interest for the New Age, feminist, and lesbian feminist movements."

Obviously, I'm not here to dunk on Hinduism or the array of approaches to the religion, but rather to talk about the use of the term "Divine Feminine" and its context in New Ageism.

The idea of an overarching divine feminine is heavily flawed for all the reasons stated by hiswitchcraft and more. He says that it sounds good at a glance and I think that's often what happens, the concept doesn't get dissected nearly as much as it should. From a feminist pov it sounds rad as hell but once you actually look into it you'll find a lot of gaps.

First off, no one can truly define what feminine is because the definition changes depending on culture, religion, and even time (ex: pink used to be "masculine" but is now seen as "feminine"). The definition of feminine is:

marked by or having qualities, features, etc. traditionally associated with women

Even if you believe firmly that what makes something "feminine" is associated solely with cis women the idea is still riddled with holes. Cis women are vastly different for all of the reasons mentioned above: culture, religion, etc. Even a uterus can't be seen as solely feminine because there are those who are born without them or those with penises born with them!

We certainly can't say that estrogen denotes femininity since even those born with xx chromosomes have differing amounts of the hormone inside them and they eventually lose a lot of it as they age.

Speaking of sex chromosomes, we can't really attribute chromosomes to femininity since 1) they're much more complicated than freshman biology would have you believe and 2) even those born with xx chromosomes can have stereotypically "male" or "masculine" traits.

So, if what qualifies something as female or feminine varies greatly, how can there be an overarching divine feminine? Even if it encompasses all that is, has been, and could ever be deemed as feminine, what then differentiates that from androgynous or gender ambiguous?

Also, if we're being honest, the idea of a divine feminine is incredibly reductive. It has been used to reduce goddesses down to being parts of one whole being rather than them being whole on their own; which I disagree with fundamentally, though that is a theological/philosophical argument that I won't get into here.

~~~

Personally, I find divinity in femininity but also in masculinity, in androgyny, and in the fluidity between and around all of the above.

If your femininity, masculinity, androgyny, or fluidity amongst these concepts makes you feel more connected to the universe and the divine then that is wonderful!

Just make sure we're not projecting or enforcing our personal experiences onto others, eh?

[weneverlearn]

Kurt Bloch: An Awesome Guy Who Awesome People Like

Rocking with the Fastbacks and recording all your favorite bands since 1979

Fastbacks, 1988; Kurt Bloch far left, Gumby t-shirt

“There truly is something about inspiration and enthusiasm that really is inspiring and enthusiastic!” - Kurt Bloch

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By: Eric Davidson

I’ve been thinking a lot about joy of late. Like pure, eyes-to-the-sky, skipping down the street joy. There is a paucity of it around right now.

We could follow a zillion trails to and from how we got here, but this is ostensibly a music blog, so I’m going to make a quick stab at the roots of this unenviably joyless position we’re sitting in, rock-wise.

The Fastbacks were joyful. Starting out in 1979 in the dawning days of Seattle’s punk scene, they became a local fave on the basis of action-packed shows stuffed with careening pop hooks, irked energy, and a friendly, guffaw around onstage demeanor that didn’t exactly scream “pre-hardcore era.”

Fastbacks retreated for a few years, circa 1988, and when kicked back into gear a couple years later, found themselves being a preferred opener for a load of grumpy grunge bands who I’m guessing hoped to absorb some of the Fastbacks positive energy to counteract their mope – which the Fastbacks were more than ready to supply.

A mélange of metal volume, fleeting bouts of prog whimsy, Ramones tempos, and BubbleYum stickiness, the Fastbacks created a  singular sound. Like most great bands, they never fit into any particular zeitgeist – too raggedy for the pop punk contingent, too peppy for the grunge trend, they nonetheless retained a respected status among bands who appreciated their consistently grabby tunes and fun live show.

Despite any remaining expectations of what “success” was supposed to be, by the turn of the millennium the Fastbacks became that precious thing – one of those awesome bands that awesome bands like.

It should be noted that, while grunge soon gained a definition as a downer genre (that has taken root since), Bloch and company palled around with that Seattle scene from the get-go, and knew many of them as fun rocker kids just trying their best to get through seven months of rain by rocking. 

The Fastbacks kept careening forward right through the ‘Alternative Rock” era that ignored all the fun underground garage punk and instead painted rock as increasingly dreary and grievance-based. The early 2000s came, and the Fastbacks took their leave.

They’ve recently gotten back together for occasional reunion shows. Always holding them together throughout their stop/start whirlwind of a career was ace guitarist/producer and philosophical center of the band, Kurt Bloch.

Bloch, who began his career as a recording studio whizz with Fastbacks, never stopped twiddling the knobs for lots of your favorite bands and/or underrated acts. We checked in with him on his ongoing mission to bring fun to the fringes despite the mainstream consistently choosing incorrectly.   

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Kurt Bloch, rockin', 1990 (Fuck the NRA. I will assume Kurt's t-shirt here was de rigueur '90s irony.)

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What was the first album you loved; and what was the first album you loved because of its production?

Good question, hard to answer. I think it was 45s and AM radio that got me going on recording qualities, how loud some of the great hits of the early-’70s sounded. How some records sounded like they were a band playing inside your head. I think I was aware of EQ and compression sounds early on, how the drum fills would sort of obliterate everything behind it on some songs. How the guitar would be so loud in the breaks. How, if the record didn’t have enough treble, it would be unexciting; if there was too much then it’d sound wimpy.

Then getting into albums, and FM radio, you’d listen to Larks’ Tongues In Aspic or Dark Side Of The Moon, and they had this spacious quality that was rad; the Scorpions’ Fly To The Rainbow was right in your face, really up-front and close. Then, going to see bands live, we’d see the coliseum style shows – that was so cool, but then getting to see bands in smaller spaces where you could hear the amps on stage, and feel the sound pressure in the room –now that was a mind-opener. You could feel the Marshalls and the actual sound coming off of the stage.

Then when punk bands started playing, that’s when it started getting interesting. You know, like I just saw this killer band that sounded so great at the show, and their record sounds like a bowlful of shit. Why?! That leads to one-track, two-track, four-track tape recorders, and each time you record something, you have a whole book of revelations of what to do and what not to do. So many great recordings from that early punk era without a bunch of reverb. It was another revelation. A lot of those early digital reverbs that everyone had, I just hated that fake trebly, scritchy sound. Rather just not use any reverb than that icky sound.

How did the Fastbacks form?

Kim and Lulu were high school friends of ours, The Cheaters was our neighborhood band; only lasted a couple years but they were good ones! When that band disintegrated on-stage, there was still band gear in my parents’ basement. Kim (Warnick, bass/vocals) had been in a band, The Radios, and Lulu (Gargiulo) wanted to play guitar and sing. Somehow my parents didn’t put a stop to it all, so we started playing a couple times a week. Not saying we got good, but we got better.

How long before you felt you had locked into the Fastbacks’ sound?

I reckon whatever “sound” we had was pretty well established early on; it was just whatever we wanted to do. Of course we loved the punk bands of the era first and foremost, but also the ’60s and ’70s pop music we grew up with; and the hard rock bands of the ’70s too! And I always was a fan of the wonderful arrangements and sound of the ’70s prog bands, once I started writing most of the songs, these things would creep in.

Live, 1986

I have this romantic vision of Kim Warnick as a long-haired rocker teen crashing parties and such. Is that correct?

Ha ha ha!! We were all pretty good (bad?) at crashing parties, some of the shit we did makes me wince thinking of it all. But it was 1977, ‘78; things were different back then, a different kind of boredom ran rampant through kids’ minds back then. There was a real disdain for society, maybe not to the degree of the UK bands at the time, but still there nonetheless. Often there was nothing to do other than the proverbial let’s go fuck shit up. And the music was such a part of all that.

So you got a story about something back then that would make you wince now?

Back when we were teenagers in The Cheaters, we would go to pretty desperate lengths to create excitement. The Cheaters singer, Scott Dittman, was maybe the funniest person I’ve ever known, and often in our search for something to do, he would drive a car full of us down to the frats at the University Of Washington. We’d go crash frat parties, rarely did we fit in unnoticed. You’d grab some keg cups and try to hang out, usually immediately, “Would you please leave.” And that didn’t often sit well with Scott. If we were going to “please leave” then we would not leave without exacting some sort of a toll. I guess we could run pretty fast, or we would’ve got our asses kicked pretty well back then. Somehow a few weeks later we’d go back to the same frat house that had a bookcase upended or a row of bikes knocked over, and lo and behold, the same thing would happen again. Of course we were never hired to play any frat parties.

Scott also loved to fight. He took boxing lessons and was always trying to teach us how to fight too. You knew when the gloves came out it was time to find something else to do. “Come on, you just gotta keep your guard up.” (smash smash smash) “You said you weren’t gonna hit us in the face.” Yeah right.

The Cheaters and The Accident (another erstwhile punk outfit) set up a show at a non-punk bar, somewhere down by Olympia. This would’ve been 1979 maybe. There were no roadmaps for like-minded or “friendly” places to play, outside of the major cities. But we were trying to do something, anything, and our double bill got the booking. This bar had a dance floor that also was used for bar fighting. There must have been some sort of organization to the fights, but it was sanctioned bar fighting. No-one was on the dance floor or anywhere near it when we started, so Scott tried to solicit a fight or two during our set. This was unfriendly territory, we were all, “Stop this nonsense!” But once you told Scott not to do something, well he was going to double down of course. Fortunately no one took him up on his offers, and we got out unscathed, but the bar owner took me into his office at the end of the night and gave me a rundown on what we needed to do to become successful in the music business, and the first thing was to get rid of that singer.

1978

First Fastbacks show, February, 1980 – any memories of it?

Oh, totally! The first Fastbacks show, it was at a rec center in a quiet neighborhood, it was three bands: The Vains, Psychopop, and The Fastbacks. We were all friends, and it was all three bands’ first shows. Very ramshackle, but we cobbled together a sound system, someone had a few lights, everyone brought what they had, and the show went on. A little rough around the edges, but the power didn’t go out, no cops were called, nothing was ruined – an early triumph for sure.

Was the power pop zeitgeist of that time a thing for Fastbacks? Did you feel a part of it?

No! For sure the New Wave was hitting strong at that point, but we were certainly not embraced by the new wavers at all. I suppose for that first year, we were pretty terrible, but we had some friends and people who wanted to give us a chance. Getting Duff (McKagan – yes, that one from Guns ‘N Roses) to play drums was the first step into making the band more listenable, but we were still a long ways off of what the general public would consider valuable music. We got kicked off of a show after our first set (of two). “That’s okay, you guys don’t have to play another set.” And I was all, “What do you mean we don’t have to?!” Oh, I get it.

Then when the hardcore bands cropped up, we were pals with some of them, but we weren’t furious enough for them really. I recall some sort of fury at a DOA/The Fartz/Fastbacks show. It required some foresight, which many didn’t possess, to support any kind of music that wasn’t 100% punk. Conversely, the proper power pop bands, well, we were a little too power and not enough pop, I reckon. We wanted to be that, but it’d take a bit still to hone those chops.

Had Duff McKagen played in any band before that?

Duff was the bass player in The Vains, who played that Laurelhurst Rec Center show. That was his first show. He must’ve been 15, barely 16?

Did he exhibit behaviors that would later align with Guns ‘N Roses’ infamous lifestyle?

We were still pretty reeled-in at that point, no one really even got plastered, no one started doing drugs yet. Might’ve been some Budweisers around, but nothing stronger yet.

Guns 'N Roses 2nd show, 1985

Got any Vains stories, recollections of a show, or the general scene from whence they came/played? Was there a good raw, original punk scene in Seattle in late '70s? I'm aware of Soldier and some other bands, but I wanna get it from the horse’s mouth.

The Vains only played three, maybe four shows total. In the late ’70s into early ’80s it was pretty hard to keep something going if you were any sort of impatient. Most bands never got the chance to play enough to iron out any difficulties, or taste any sort of real success. Lots of arguing over what direction to take, stick to your punk rock guns, and play to a rental hall of your friends; or try to get “jobs” in the bars, which would mean being stricken with the “cover band” tag, which was NOT punk.

1978

The Enemy worked the hardest, yet still couldn’t crack the code in 1979. The Telepaths, The Blackouts, The Lewd – everyone broke up, or moved away and then broke up. The Fartz made a pretty good go of it, but even they sorta morphed into Ten Minute Warning, and then morphed into an art band… The Silly Killers stayed pretty punk. The Living ripped it up for their short lifespan. But they were all in that 1982 dilemma, you can almost see a line in the sand, drawn in the summer of 1982. Not a lot of bands made it across that line that summer.

The Enemy live, 1980

If I remember it was some sort of divine intervention that The Fastbacks reconvened in 1983 to fire it up again, it was nearly the end of the line. But it was also clearly a new beginning, a new lease on life, a new crop of kids started bands in those Metropolis years; the Metropolis was a new all-ages venue that I would consider the petri dish of the next bundle of bands.

As the ‘80s took hold and punk rock hall shows were sort of the only stage for many of our bands, after a couple years of not getting to any sort of next level, it was clear that there needed to be a re-grouping of some sort. We’d see our friends’ bands get actual paying gigs in bars – if they were non-punk sounding. Of course many of the punk bands went to the dark side of ’80s metal. Everyone was looking to do something that could “go somewhere.”

Somewhere right in that 1982 corridor, drugs started flourishing, stupidity set in. Duff came with us Fastbacks as a “roadie” in 1984 down to L.A., and when we came back I reckon he moved to L.A. to escape that whole rigamarole. No one was getting anywhere here anyway. A bold move at that time, at the advanced age of 20!

1987

Word is Fastbacks have had between 12 and 20 drummers. Short of naming every single drummer, are there a few you’d like to point to as having had a particularly interesting stint; or who went on to other bands?

Gosh, all the Fastbacks drummers had something great about them. There were a few who only did one show. I publicly apologize to those who didn’t last. Those were strange times. I don’t think there are any unsolved mysteries in the Fastbacks drummer world, Dan Peters, who recorded a couple songs with us but no shows, Tad Hutchison, and Tom Hendrikson, who each did one show…. Some convoluted moments for sure, and all killer drummers!

Do you think if you would have remained drummer for Fastbacks that you would have still gotten into production?

Yeah, I think the fascination with recording was parallel to the live playing side of things, it was always there in my constitution. Wanting to learn, wanting to figure out how to make records that captured how killer bands sounded. It was such a tall order back then. Seemed like the old guard [engineers] didn’t “get it,” or were prohibitively expensive; and so many of the others didn’t sound kickass like we wanted. Of course this comes from the actual band, first and foremost; that is learned the hard way! But if the band blazes at their show, it seemed that their records should sound blazing too, but that wasn’t often the case.

1988

1989

From what I remember, the Fastbacks rep was that of the favorite local band of all the Seattle bands, and hence got on as openers for bands who would soon get huge during that whole grunge thing…

Pretty hard to say from the inside view. We had the unfortunate hurdle of being broken up from late-1988 till mid-1990. A lot of opportunity probably squandered during those times. But, unlike anyone else I can think of, we did get a second chance via Sub Pop, and another decade of rock. I know we were quite lucky in that department. We never did gigs large or small with Nirvana, Soundgarden, sort of the class of ’89. We did share a slightly miserable practice space with Green River and later Mother Love Bone. Always pals with those cats, so we did do opening stints with Pearl Jam in 1996, all around the world.

What was miserableness about it?

Oh man, that place… It was in a basement in Pioneer Square, the old, original downtown Seattle. The Great Seattle Fire devastated downtown in like 1889, and they rebuilt the city on top of the old city, one floor higher. So our basement was on the level with the old, original city; some rooting around could be done. There was no bathroom or running water down there, so you had to go to the bar a block away to use the facilities, but often you just couldn’t be bothered. In the space next to ours, it was a smashed up, decrepit old room that we moved all the garbage from our side into. No lighting of any sort, so it was all flashlights if you had them, and filling up bottles of pee and putting them where ever we could find room.

But of course we raged supreme down there, some epic parties, bands playing, and whatnot; of course no water or facilities, but grand times in the ’80s. Somehow, I ended up being in charge of paying rent, not the best job for me to take on. It meant tracking down Andrew Wood once a month and trying to get him to pay his share of their rent. First it was Malfunkshun, and Green River was there too. We might’ve blown up before Mother Love Bone started? I think I remember Green River blowing up too, after their California trek; it would’ve been not too long after that that The Fastbacks unceremoniously imploded. But for a while it was definitely a rager.

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Nifty, random link I stumbled on with some cool early Fastbacks fliers, stories, and live stuff.

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1992

While you didn't play with the "biggies" of the scene as much as I thought, got any early Nirvana or Soundgarden tale of any sort you'd like to share?

Our fabled practice basement was just a couple blocks from The Central, a venue that was sort of home base for a lot of stuff. The Vogue as well, it was on the north end of downtown, we were on the south end. Many people had keys to the place, so it was not surprising to duck in between sets at The Central, to have cheap beers or whatnot. I first saw Soundgarden at The Central, and they were certainly mind-blowing. Would’ve been ’87? Quickly became a favorite Seattle band, and when their first 7” came out, my roommates hated me. I had a tendency to play those 45’s over and over and over again. But they played The Central a lot, and just got better and better, heavier and heavier. I remember the first time they played “Beyond The Wheel”, it was at the Vogue. I was standing next to Mark Arm and we looked at each other and just said FUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHH…

The first Nirvana show I saw was also at the Vogue, it was maybe not the greatest Nirvana show, but man I thought that singer was amazing. Shortly after, Jon Poneman (Sub Pop co-founder) was at the bar there and said, “If you buy me a coffee now, I’ll give you a 45 tomorrow that will change your life.” An easy proposition. Sub Pop HQ was half a block away, he gave me a “Love Buzz” 45, and once again, the roommates had a reason to hate. I must’ve played that record 100 times in a row. Might’ve taken them a bit to find their pummeling style, but man they sure did. Then after Bleach had been out a while, all the rumors of major label this and major label that… So exciting and weird.

Who is a favorite Seattle “grunge era” band you really dug and maybe didn’t get the recognition you think it deserved? Mine are the Derelicts and Zipgun.

Of course! Pure Joy, Flop, H-Hour, the Meices – wait they were actually from SF… Huge Spacebird, Once For Kicks…. Have you got an hour or so?!

I know you are no doubt tired of this question, but do you have a late ‘80s/early ‘90s story or show that happened where you thought, “Damn, this Seattle scene thing is getting some real attention? This is fucking weird.”

After the Fastbacks blew up in 1988, I started playing with the Young Fresh Fellows, and we were off and running pretty hard right away. Certainly a parallel path from the Seattle Grunge Explosion, but a decent path it was! I was pals with Jon and Bruce (Pavitt) at Sub Pop when they started, so I’d go hang out at their early HQ/distributor place downtown. It was amazing to see some of these bands blow up when they did.

Young Fresh Fellows, 1989; Kurt Bloch far right

I suppose the thing that sealed it for me was listening to the advance cassette of Nevermind on a Young Fresh Fellows trip. Scott McCaughey had been assigned to review it for local music rag, The Rocket, and I nabbed it from him on a trip out East. It totally blew my doors wide open. Already having been a superfan since that “Love Buzz” 45, and seeing a couple of the shows they did here before going out to record that album, then hearing it for the first time on headphones; then as our tour progressed, seeing the record just going ballistic at every record store, it was just crazy. It never stopped getting bigger and bigger. This is so fucking weird!

Strange feeling of seeing a local band you saw shlubbing around town or peeing next to them at a dive, to hearing them play in a grocery store in Nevada, or whatever....

Soundgarden was the first one I remember blowing up. They went from Sub Pop to SST to A&M – they sorta seemed to have their shit together pretty well. Alice In Chains were kinda off our radar, they were only on the Rock radio stations; it wasn’t until their second album that I noticed that they actually were killer. But Nirvana, they were crazy cool from the get-go, not in the FM Rock station sort of way, but the punk underground sort of way. Plus I didn’t really know them at the beginning, so there was way more mystery about them. A couple legendary Seattle club shows before they went off to start Nevermind; the OK Hotel first playing of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” we were just transfixed – What the fuck is this?! Then the Off Ramp show, they went on really late, and got cut off right before 2am. Somehow the club picked up the empties and let the band play on into the night, and what a show it was. Then… nothing.

Didn’t really hear anything from Nirvana ‘til the advance cassette of Nevermind went out, and of course thinking, if I like this so much, it’s probably never gonna go anywhere. Wrong. It was like a slow ball of fire, radio then record stores, like every record store playing it, every magazine… It would’ve made you hate a lesser band, but it really was great so there was a sense of pride attached to it all. Finally something we loved is big. But then how big? There seemed to be no end to it. It was everywhere. And so weird to think that kids dug something that was blazing and amazing.

Were you defacto producer of Fastbacks from the get-go of recording?

Oh for sure. Not by strong-arming anyone, but just because there was no money, and no one else could be bothered! Our first 45 was with Neil Hubbard and Jack Weaver, as we were doing a song for a Seattle comp LP, and as per the usual, just recorded some extra songs in our allotted time. The first EP was Peter Barnes, drummer for The Enemy, killer Seattle band and very much an inspiration to all the bands in the late-’70s in Seattle. Then after that, it was trial by fire.

Can you tell me more about The Enemy, and their local import?

The Enemy pretty much initiated the punk “scene” in Seattle. There were a few bands, but they started a club, it was all ages, March, 1978. Otherwise it would’ve been hall shows, but The Bird brought everyone together. Originally only open for a few months, but there were shows there every Friday and Saturday, it really did give us something to do.

My first band, The Cheaters, might not have actually played anywhere if not for them. We could have languished in my parents’ basement forever if not for being stopped by The Enemy members at a Ramones show: “Hey! Are you guys in a band? Would you want to play at our club we’re opening up in a few months?” Of course we said yes, we didn’t tell them that we were just barely a band, we’d never actually played a show, nor would we maybe ever had if not for their offer. We were just teenagers, my brother Al was still in High School. But they took us in and let us play shows. The drummer, Peter Barnes, filled in for a night our real drummer couldn’t play.

Everyone knew each other, when it was time to record what was to be The Fastbacks’ first EP, Peter volunteered to be our producer. He figured out how to get cool, kickass sounds and make things happen. No one had any money or experience so it had to be on a budget, but he made it happen. The record turned out great. “In America” was on the commercial new wave station, we thought we had it made!

I thought I knew what to do, to various degrees of success. Conrad Uno at Egg Studio did much of our first album. He was wise beyond words and also a great teacher. After that LP was finished he was all, “You can do all this, I think, I’ll be back at the end of the night to close up!” Then it seemed like the right avenue. So many producers seemed like they just wanted to add stuff in order to have their presence be felt. I always felt, like – what is the least amount of stuff we can have on here to make it happen? Less stuff, but louder. Certainly not against adding things, but also happy to leave things out as much as possible. Always loved the one-guitar bands that didn’t double everything all the time. Makes you think a little harder about what you’re doing.

1994

Okay, I will name a band, and you give me the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your production gigs with them:

Presidents of the U.S.A.

We’d do several takes of any given song, as the band was learning them, Chris (Ballew, singer) would play his two-string bass flawlessly every take, and sing a scratch vocal that could’ve been used as the keeper. Never a mistake, never less than killer every time.

Robyn Hitchcock

Also just an amazing music machine. Put him in an iso booth with a mic for vocal and one for acoustic guitar. He’d show the band a new song and go into the booth, sometimes it would just be one take and they’d nail it, with the lead vocal included. Never a lyric sheet in sight. A brain that truly works overtime. Peter Buck playing his 12-string on a song that he had just heard, and plays flawlessly the first time. Great Peter quote: “I like to get things right.” Indeed!

Fastbacks

Ha!! Some of the recording we’ve done astounds me to this day. It’s like any idea we had, we’d just do it. I swear, no one ever said, “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Listening back to the early ’90s recordings, there truly is something about inspiration and enthusiasm that really is inspiring and enthusiastic! Some of that music is pretty weird, even some songs that I wrote, I can’t imagine where they came from. I know we did them and all, but what was the impetus, where did they come from?!

Nashville Pussy

Another tale of just trying not to ruin a band that sounded killer. Amazing to think that they all fit in the tiny live room at Egg for that first album. The sheer volume of air pressure in there was unbelievable. A perfect example of what we’d set out to do, just try to not let the recording process get in the way of the recording. And nominated for a Grammy! I went with them to the Awards show – limo, booze, and afterparties. We were scheming all the horrible things that we’d say when we won the award, who we were gonna thank, who we were gonna blame. Of course there’s no way we’d win, they barely could say the name of the band when reading off the nominees! But what an experience. So many laughs.

Mudhoney

Five Dollar Bob’s Mock Cooter Stew (Reprise, 1993) doesn’t get enough props. I think it’s a great record. I really tried to make each song sound different and killer in its own way. Dan Peters (drummer) is always dishing out the quality.

Young Fresh Fellows

It’s easy to work quickly with a band you’re in. You kind of already know what’s going to happen, you know how to set up since you’ve already seen what works and what doesn’t over the last decade or two. We had intended to record maybe four or five songs for Tiempo De Lujo. Somehow we’d crammed all four of us in the basement here; after the two days we’d recorded twelve band tracks – so an album it was! Toxic Youth as well. We’d gone over to Jim Sangster’s living room to learn a few songs before starting recording the next day, and once we got going, they just kept coming and coming. When inspiration strikes, keep the tape rolling!

Can you describe Conrad Uno's Egg Studios; the kind of size or situation you were dealing with? Was there like a famous recording board there you worked with?

Egg Studio, where I and others honed their chops, was a welcome alternative to the “normal” studios of the time. It was truly a basement studio, the performance room was smaller than an ordinary living room. Many bands’ rehearsal spaces were larger than this. But it really did have a relaxed feel to it, and loud bands could all set up in the room and play live and get a good sound. Mudhoney, Nashville Pussy, Supersnazz, Devil Dogs, Supersuckers, Zeke – it was home base for so many great albums.

Conrad Uno moved into the house in maybe 1987, I reckon we finished Fastbacks …And His Orchestra there; and by early 1988, we began Very Very Powerful Motor, then the Sub Pop 7” and Zücker sessions. It began as an 8-track studio. Conrad brought in the Spectrasonics console that was formerly at Stax/Volt studio – rumored to once be owned by Paul McCartney, under whose purview a varispeed knob was installed. The knob remains, it’s Paul’s Knob. The console is now at Crackle And Pop studio here in Seattle, and is working better than ever.

Before Mudhoney began their third album, Piece of Cake, their second at Egg, they bought a 16-track machine for the studio, and that was the classic setup for so many records there in the ‘90s.

1996

I personally would love to hear about making the classic Devil Dogs album, Saturday Night Fever (Crypt/Sympathy for the Record Industry, 1994). Whose idea was it to make it kind of like a party, with friends and fans whopping it up in the studio between songs?

It was their idea from the beginning to make it a party album, “You have been invited… to a party!” Another band that didn’t need any fancy fussing about, they already sounded like a house on fire. Just tried to record them and not get in the way, make sure that the playback sounded like it did in the room with them.

Definitely the last night of the session, they invited all their Seattle friends over for a party, and we played the songs from the album through twice, if I remember, and just had a mic in the room while they were going. All the bottles clinking and all the blabbering was totally what happened. There was so little time to get everything done while we were there. They had booked two gigs on recording days – one out of town in Bellingham! Basically it was like wrangling the Three Stooges to record and mix a full album and an EP in like five days. Let’s just say that the morning hours were not particularly productive. But fortunately, when they were on, they were unstoppable. And so fuckin’ funny! What a fucking great record!

Oh yeah, definitely the most hilarious band to tour with too! We did a month with them once in Europe, traveling in the same packed little van. And even the bad hungover mornings in the van drives would lead to so much cracking up. Singer Andy G. sometimes stood up and imitated Tom Jones live. Anyway, can you recall who all was in the “crowd” on that record?

Honestly, I don’t! The studio was in a neighborhood, so all sessions had to be finished by 10pm. I loved the idea of recording a loud listening party and then mixing that in with the album, but it was so precarious to cram a bunch of drunks in the tiny studio and try to not let any gear get ruined, while still egging on loud misbehavior. Then getting all the cats out of there by 10 and not annoying Conrad or his neighbors in the process.

You must have some fun Andy G. stories too.

All three of those guys had their moments! Andy, Steve, Mighty Joe. Someone should’ve given them their own TV series. It might not have lasted very long, but what a show it would’ve been. I’ve never seen a group rile each other up the way they did. Should’ve had a room mic going constantly while they tried to make a group decision. There was way more work than we had time for. Somehow we got it all done, but just barely.

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Crypt Records, 1993

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And here’s where I decided to check in with Devil Dogs drummer, Mighty Joe Vincent, to get some more details on their Bloch party: "So, in the friends crowd [on the Saturday Night Fever album] was Eddie and Dan Bolton from the Supersuckers, James Burdyshaw and the rest of the Sinister Six, and a bunch of really cool women whose names have escaped my memory banks.

We def recorded on the Stax board. I remember because we had hopes that there was some soul residue left in the cables that might coat our tracks.

We totally loved Kurt. What’s not to love? I do remember that it was a Crypt budget recording so we had to make every minute count, so we were mixing until we were all so tired we were delirious. I’m pretty sure we went ‘til 2a.m. or something like that, but that was mixing. We did that in the middle of a tour, so we did about two weeks of gigs from NYC across this great nation of ours as well as that other great nation to our north, then out to Seattle. While we were doing it , we had a gig up in Bellingham, so we took a day off to drive up there.

I remember Scott Mccaughy was working there at Egg. I was talking to him one day and he told me his days of playing out on the road were over as his wife just had a kid and he had to be a good dad and provide a steady paycheck. I really felt bad for him. And then of course, a short time after that, Pete Buck asked him to come on the road with R.E.M. and said he would pay him a million dollars. Like an actual million dollars. That always made me happy to hear."

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And now, back to Kurt Bloch!

Who were bands you liked to tour with? And/or, a classic Fastbacks tour story?

We had some great west coast tours with DOA in the early-to-mid ’80s, they were definitely an early inspiration to go head-on and charge through best you can. They certainly blazed a trail for the rest of us to follow, doing everything themselves, like Black Flag did from Southern California. The ’80s were a rocky road for the Fastbacks. We played a lot of shows in Vancouver, BC, as well as Seattle, but it was a lot of problems and fighting, ha, and it wasn’t until the ’90s that we actually went out for any length of time – certainly getting into occasional serious trouble with The Meices, Motocaster, Gaunt, and even the New Bomb Turks!

Pearl Jam asked you to do some stadium shows in 1995, arguably the peak grunge year. How did you relate to the whole fame/stadium situation surrounding those shows?

It was January ’95, Pearl Jam asked us to play a radio show from their rehearsal space. I kinda didn’t know what they were talking about, and maybe sort of blew it off. I was trying to finish a Sicko record that night, couldn’t be bothered. I did like their Vitalogy record, “Not For You,” “Spin The Black Circle.” The rest of the Fastbacks were all, “C’mon, we’re doing this!” And I grudgingly told Sicko I was going to have to leave early. I didn’t even bring a guitar, I knew that Stone had a cool ‘50s Gold Top, maybe I could use that.

Then of course we get there and it’s really fun, just a big party scene, tons of buddies and band cats. We played three songs on the Pearl Jam gear setup, maybe Kim talked on the radio, drank some beers, great time! That was cool enough, but then they asked us to open a few shows at the end of the year, Salt Lake City and San Jose I think, and we’re all like, “Hell yeah!” And everything went well, then, “Would you want to go do a U.S. tour, oh and maybe a Europe tour following that…?” And we were all, “Hellz yeah!” And that all went great, clearly we would be the next big thing, the world is gonna love us, nothing holding us back now! We had a great record out, New Mansions In Sound (Sub Pop, 1996). Man, that was it – lots and lots of fun, great shows. We invented an auxiliary opening band for some of the shows, The What. We played Who tunes with Eddie Vedder incognito with a wrestling mask. We drag Mike McCready out for jams, Stone Gossard to sing one of his PJ songs, Eddie did “Leaving Here” with us a couple times, just great rock times in the giant venues. Somehow it didn’t lead to us being the Next Big Thing, but it was fun to pretend for a few months.

1994

Any good backstage shenanigans stories?

There weren’t a whole lot of super shenanigans. They had an espresso machine onstage every night, so we’d all slug down coffees, blast through our tunes, and then get drunk and watch Pearl Jam. Sometimes we would annoy their wonderful crew by being loud and boisterous aside of the stage, spilling bottles of wine or whatnot, but not much more than that. Everyone got along really well, and it was well-protected against after show bullies or negativity. We’d just keep on our course, often ‘til the huge sports arena closed down and they’d kick us out after everything had been loaded out – and we’d still be back there cranking tunes and running around.

It was totally like an arena-sized version of a living room party most every night. Their crew moved all the gear, we barely had to do anything except play every night.

I know you knew some of their members from earlier in the scene, but did you know Eddie Vedder before he got asked to join Pearl Jam?

I might not have met Eddie until the live radio show we did? He came up from San Diego. Didn’t know him before then at all, but we were fast friends. We would spend hours talking about the Who and riding around on the catering carts and smashing into the walls of the arenas. Come to think of it, we were probably very annoying. But no one, like, smashed up their hotel rooms or anything. It was probably comparatively tame.

Might sound weird, but while playing in the Seattle scene -- which is generally described as kind of serious, or dark, or junkies, or you know, “grungy” – did you and the Fastbacks feel kind of out-of-place; or are those kind of definitions of grunge and that town/time not correct?

The Seattle “thing” certainly was a dark, serious sound. That isn’t to say that every musician was dark and serious, but that darkness prevailed. To say The Fastbacks felt a little out of place at that point would be correct; but I always thought we were here first. It’s not like we didn’t dig lots of the bands, but it also wasn’t like we would try to take them on at their own game. It just wouldn’t’ve happened. We did do a version of “Swallow My Pride” – Green River’s, not The Ramones – on Sub Pop 200 [compilation], after a Soundgarden version too; but it ended up being menacing only in a Blue Öyster Cult sort of way, rather than ala either previous version. Slow and heavy just wasn’t in our DNA.

Columbus, OH, 1993 (Courtesy of Bela Koe-Krompecher)

I remember when Fastbacks stayed with New Bomb Turks while on tour in 1993, you guys, well I think specifically Lulu, made an amazing Thai meal for us. Did you always cook for bands you crashed with, or just for us ‘cuz we’re so awesome and nice?

Ha. I think the wonderful cooking was a bit of a rarity. We weren’t much of a crash on people’s floor kind of band by the ’90s, but sometimes it was great to have a day off and some good ideas! Remember that Metallica VHS box set had just come out, and we watched it ‘til the end because Lulu and I both worked on the film crew for the shows they filmed in Seattle, and we wanted to see if we, several years after the actual shows, got any credits at the end… and sure enough we did. Reason to celebrate!

Columbus seemed to love you. What were some other fave towns you played?

Always a great time in Columbus. Not necessarily Cleveland though. We weren’t the hard-touring road warriors that a lot of the other (more successful) bands were. It was whatever city we had friends in that were the best. Vancouver BC, San Francisco, L.A., NYC, maybe Albany, Columbus, Istanbul…

Contract and ticket for 1993 Columbus, OH show. (Courtesy of Bela Koe-Krompecher)

Highly technical and professional stage diagram implorations, Columbus, OH, 1993 show (Courtesy of Bela Koe-Krompecher)

I could be wrong, but you didn’t go over to Europe a lot, did you? Were you able to procure any production work from Euro bands you met whilst on tour there?

Oddly, not a lot of Euro tours… Seems like we should’ve done more, but there was always something. Young Fresh Fellows did some great trips, especially in Spain. Fastbacks Spanish tour was a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Not because of the people in Spain, no sir. We certainly lit it up in Japan once, though!

I did a couple albums for Les Thugs, the French band. One of them in Seattle and one in Angers. May have been bookended with some music travel. It’s amazing to look back at the old calendars and see that between tours with the Fastbacks and Young Fresh Fellows, recording with those two bands and recording other bands. Man, there were times when there was nary a day off, those ‘90s months were packed! Gotta consider myself pretty lucky. And so many killer records I got to be part of.

As a producer, do you feel you are mainly bringing an “ear” to finding the sounds the band wants, or do you try to gently impose a certain style and sensibility over the whole production?

Always try to keep the kickass factor high. I would never try to impose anything other than to try to keep everyone happy so they could do their best work, and not do the same bit over and over and over. Work hard and play hard, but not to overanalyze every little thing. Not under-analyze either, but if it’s killer, it doesn’t matter if everything “lines up” perfectly, or if the choruses speed up a little bit. Try to capture what is great about a band live in concert, and not dilute that if you can help it. Don’t add a bunch of crap just to put your mark on a project.

It's interesting how you professed a love for prog, but you had an innate sense of not always overdubbing too much – note your comment about loving bands that only had one guitar, etc.

The true exciting prog bands started coming out around 1968 and ’69, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Van Der Graaf Generator; Pink Floyd and Moody Blues had already been around but maybe weren’t quite included. Recording technique at the time was still fairly straightforward for the most part, there was of course room for overdubbing on an eight-track machine, but most of the first-wave prog bands’ recordings were not overloaded with overdubs. The magic was what they did with their four or five musicians, the arrangements you hear on the record were the same instrumentation as they played live. Some of the songs would have been concocted in a studio, but it wasn’t until later that walls of overdubs became commonplace.

That’s where the greatness of the original bands lies – cool vocal arranging and melding several songs’ worth of ideas into one track. Not a lot of room for squirminess either, it wasn’t so easy punching in on a giant eight-track tape machine in 1968. You made one mistake on that verse? You do the whole thing again!

Okay, gotta ask, with as much exposition as you’d like – what was your favorite recording session(s); and worst recording session(s)?

Pretty much always subverted the disasters. A time or two I told a band, after seeing a live show, that they weren’t quite ready to record yet; play a few more shows and practice a lot, record your practices and actually listen to them constructively. Studio time is expensive, practice time is (or at least was) cheap. You don’t have to have every bit of every song nailed down exactly, but do have most everything pretty well figured out, and be ready for criticism during the recording. If the rhythm isn’t working, be prepared to fine-tune your part so it is; if your harmony vocal is a half-step off, go ahead and adjust!

Some of the great sessions are those where I feel that I learned things, a new piece of gear, a new way of looking at things. Overwhelming Colorfast, Supersuckers, Les Thugs in France, The Meices in Florida… Or the records that just slammed out of nowhere. Devil Dogs, Flop, Supersnazz, Nashville Pussy. So many first albums by bands where they have been playing the songs at shows for a year or two, the tempos are up, the blood is pumping, get rid of the headphones and make it like you’re playing a gig. Play the song three times without stopping. Play three different songs in a row without stopping.

1999 (Courtesy of your's truly)

You’re still actively producing. What have you worked on recently you’d like to highlight? And what’s coming up?

There’s always some great Seattle band records going on – Bürien, 38 Coffin, Once For Kicks, Insect Man, The Drolls, Zack Static. These days, some records take a while to finish, I suppose it’s the nature of the business now. Trying now to clean the slate and get these out the door before starting new ones!

And there’s maybe a new Fastbacks coming, no?

There was no plan of any sort. We were having lunch as we sometimes do, and started talking about a couple songs it would be fun to learn and maybe record. Our pal Joe “Meice” Reineke had recently finished an ambitious and fantastic recording building in his back yard; wouldn’t it be fun to check that out….? Well let’s call him and see what his schedule is. Oh! he’s got a day open, whaddayasay, let’s take it. Well there’s a few other songs we could learn, let’s make it two days… I guess we’d better practice… What if we did enough songs for an album? Maybe we did! Got some band tracks, everyone played their butts off! Now we gotta make more magic. No target completion date nor avenue to release, but everyone is excited to finish it!

------------------------------------

Post Script: This article sprung from an editor at a national mag asking if I wanted to do a story on Kurt Bloch, which of course I said yes to cuz Kurt's a great guy and I've been a Fastbacks fan for a goodly spell. But some months passed and plans changed, and so here it is! Also, I would've put more videos in this piece because the Fastbacks have a ton of great songs, but I guess I just learned there is a 10-video limit for a tumblr post. Who knew?

All images courtesy of Kurt Bloch, except where noted.

[sketch-guardian]

I might do asks publically now that I feel a lil more comfortable using tumblr but I also might use anon since it’s Less scary so this is kinda like a test for the moment!! :))

Is it okay if I ask for the classmates (old and new) with a mate who they find out is like a prince or princess later on in the year?? I don’t know the gender neutral name for it other than monarch which seems very vague.

Aw don't worry, do what makes you feel most comfortable, either way is okay☺Your ask is perfectly fine✨I'll do my best to write some good headcanons💕(I don't the neutral term either honestly😖but at most we can say MC is part of royalty🤷🏻Also, I apologize if I didn't reply immediately🙈):

"RAD CLASSMATES+NEW EXCHANGE STUDENTS WITH A ROYAL MC"

DEMYA

Demya was born into a tribe of bloodthirsty demons with cannibalistic tendencies and now she's the last still alive of that lineage, having been driven to extinction. Demya wouldn't know if she could be considered a specimen of an endangered species or even a princess of a lost kingdom, either way she would still find herself fantasizing every now and then. Demya would probably be a bad influence for royal MC, especially for their etiquette, in fact she would enjoy being rebellious and breaking certain rules together with royal MC. Demya would notice that royal MC has obvious advantages over others, especially on Earth, regarding privileges or favors, she would especially appreciate the delicious food they can afford and would ask if going to restaurants and showing off as a couple would get them a discount (no, she's not taking advantage of their status, she would do it even with a non-royal MC, maybe pretending that it's their birthday or that they're getting married just to get a free dessert, she's a menace after all-). In general Demya isn't used to luxury or being spoiled, however she wouldn't mind being doted on by a royal MC

DOMNRA/MOBIM

Domnra has never shown too much interest in wealth or anything similar, he's used to a fairly simple life and when he was a warrior angel before his fall from the Celestial Realm, he was more used to following orders rather than issuing them, however he could not deny that more money would certainly be useful to him. Domnra would be stunned the first time he found out about MC's royal status and flabbergasted he wouldn't be able to stop himself from calling royal MC quite a dumbass, because of all the people they could have had or chosen, they chose him, terrible taste in his opinion (self loathing much?). Domnra would be pretty sure that his demon nature and thuggish attitude wouldn't do much for MC's royal reputation, he can only imagine if anyone found out, but he would appreciate royal MC's willingness to take risks for their relationship. Domnra would not be the type to let royal MC spend a lot of money despite their availability, in fact exasperated he would scold royal MC for spoiling Mobim with lots of toys and cutesy clothes, even a small crown to make the little curse feel important

AZUL

Azul, despite his occasional mood swings, lives his life quite philosophically, lightly, so while he would be surprised at first by MC's royal status, their relationship wouldn't change much aside from a few jokes or humorous requests. For example, every now and then Azul would pretend to behave like royal MC's personal butler, imitating Barbatos, for shits and giggles, or he would ask royal MC if he could come to Earth one day to haunt their castle or mansion, because it would be hilarious to terrify visitors, he would then sulk at his request being denied. Either way, Azul would become royal MC's personal artist and make paintings to hang in their home or even sculpt statues of their image in all their glory, he would be honored to be able to immortalize his lovely star. Azul would also be charming enough to sway the attention of media from royal MC, if they needed a break from duties and expectations, his magic would come in handy too

ZURI

Zuri was used to noble treatment when she was still an angel, however it wasn't a life that suited her, she felt almost hollow in that period, because the admiration received was not due to her merits, but to the role she filled. Currently, as a demon, her reputation has been earned through her efforts and work, so Zuri feels more accomplished and proud of her position. Zuri would perceive MC's royal status rather quickly, even before their confession, especially due to their manners and etiquette, which would result obvious to her. Zuri would prefer to be seen as an equal by royal MC as she would do the same, also thanks to her bearing, Zuri would make royal MC look good if seen in public by paparazzi. Given her rather refined tastes, Zuri and royal MC, at a ball or at a Lord Diavolo's event, would draw everyone's attention with their best clothes and jewels, arousing admiration and envy, not that the couple would take any notice, as they would only focus on themselves. Royal MC might even be tempted to call Zuri a queen, while she would softly scoff with a subtle amused smile. Also, Zuri would offer to become like a sort of seamstress for royal MC, should they need one

ODON

Odon, as an eldritch horror, has not experienced what people would call luxury, they don't exactly have needs to satisfy in order to survive to begin with, so all activities Odon would try to do, would be simply for the pleasure of experiencing new things. Furthermore, in the past, when Odon was young and essentially devoid of any kind of empathy or emotion, they lived in a dark and damp cave, where they could shift into their true eldritch abomination form undisturbed. After their change of ways, Odon has moved to a wooden cabin in the outskirts of Devildom, near the woods, it would almost resemble a haunted house, but it's cozy and the only thing haunting that place would be Odon. Odon would find the idea of royal MC wanting to be with a demon like him rather curious and endearing, a love story between a monarch and an eldritch horror would certainly be a tale worth telling, otherwise they would simply be content about being accepted for what they are and would do the same for royal MC. One of the advantages of being with royal MC for Odon would certainly be having access to the best tea around, especially green tea, as it's their favourite, while royal MC would be able to find rather ancient and rare books in Odon's possession, moreover they wouldn't need bodyguards thanks to Odon's eye-like creatures around, royal MC wouldn't have to worry about being attacked, because any threat would disappear before they even realized it (don't ask what happens to those criminals-)

REMIEL

Remiel has lived for most of her youth in isolation, as her race, half-angel and half-nephilim, would be quite discriminated, so she may have some trouble understanding at first what royal MC means as they explain their lifestyle and status, however with a little help, she would be able to associate royal MC's status with high-ranking angels' one and consequently understand royal MC's situation a little better thanks to the practical example. Honestly, Remiel wouldn't mind MC's royalty, as she would love them either way, after all it was their pure bright soul that intrigued her in the first place, however Remiel would be curious to discover royal MC's personal experience, through stories and photos, the angel of death would also be interested in learning about their family tree, as hers is also peculiar, albeit for other reasons. Remiel would be confused but flattered by royal MC's thoughtfulness in providing her with a spring big enough for both preening and cleansing her wings, as the angel of death would need a large space to spread her wings, a simple tub wouldn't be sufficient and a huge bed would be ideal for resting, which royal MC would beg Remiel to do, since she would deserve it. Even experimenting with tailor-made clothes to leave room for her wings would be strange to Remiel, as she has always owned the same black robe, however it would be a nice new experience that she would enjoy. If royal MC's castle had a mausoleum, they might see Remiel perching on a high place, almost like a gargoyle, while watching over them

NATHANIEL

Nathaniel in the Celestial Realm is seen as a sort of advisor, a mentor that many turn to for advice or wisdom in times of need, it can be exhausting, especially for Nathaniel who isn't a talker, however at the end of the day, doing something good would be worth it and being of a high rank can come in handy when needed. Honestly, Nathaniel's reaction to finding out that MC is royalty would be a shrug, meaning he wouldn't care, not in an offensive way, it's just that he'd be fine with anything, ultimately he's chill like that. Their relationship wouldn't change that much, maybe Nathaniel and royal MC would see each other slightly less often due to their duties, however they would find moments to share together and spend alone, possibly in peace, for example spending a day sharing a picnic and then watching the sunset in the middle of nowhere, with the sound of water and animals in the background, then waiting to see some shooting stars. That would be a nice break from their busy schedules, although royal MC would be pretty sure that Nathaniel would be more busy staring at them with a dreamy gaze rather than at the view

URIEL

Uriel, as a warrior angel, is of a fairly high rank, but not enough to take irrevocable decisions or give certain orders, in fact she wouldn't be allowed to speak freely with the Celestial Realm council, she would first need permission or to be convened by the council itself. Uriel has never been interested in earthly politics or humans in general, so she would be a little perplexed by royal MC's kingship, but she would rightly guess that they would be in a position of power compared to others, a bit like the celestial hierarchy, a detail that would help Uriel understand royal MC's situation better. Uriel, though she wouldn't mention or admit it, would be honored to have been chosen by royal MC as a significant other, even though she would probably seem more like their royal guard in their company. Uriel would ask questions about how royal MC's family came to hold such a position in society and if there were ancient armors or weapons in their castle, Uriel would look at them in slight awe. If royal MC joked about a relationship between a monarch and their knight being a fairly recurring theme in romance, Uriel would say that their case is different and that it would be inappropriate anyway (royal MC must not be fooled, Uriel would blush under her wings-)

[lesbiansgoal]

Merry Lesbian Christmas

It's funny - outside of being with the woman I love, being gay has never really been a huge part of my life. I am many things. A math nerd, a gamer, a swimmer, a partner, an introvert, and yes, a lesbian. But to me, that aspect I viewed as one part of the tapestry that is me.

My fiancee is still asleep. She has been recovering from illness. A prospect made harder because she is still battling the Scarlet Rot (cancer). It is looking like victory over the Rot is all but guaranteed. She has been such a warrior and I am so proud of her. She has battled the Rot and the Navy to pay for it, because they refused to admit it started while she was on deployment. A battle we won, though with a lot of bullshit that came with.

So here I am, drinking hot chocolate at the butt-crack of dawn, on the couch, listening to choral Christmas music, and waxing philosophical about being gay on Christmas. As I said, it feels like one small part. Maybe it is how introverted I am, but I don't regard it as such a massive part of my life. I don't wear merchandise announcing it or taking pride in it, save for Pride Month when there are events we will go to. I still go to meetings of our local lesbian community. Some amazing women there. Plus some of the wild parties you've ever seen. Their rave nights are rad. The only time I can get my fiancee to wear something overtly sexual out and about. There is this sexy rave outfit that has "Love is Love" on it. We got it matching. Feel so empowered when my warrior woman has her arm around me on rave nights and we are badass and sexy together.

I don't know what the future holds, but I am back home, staring at my beautiful Christmas tree. And I hope you all are too. If you are feeling lonely this time of year, hit up your local LGBT non-profit. If one as introverted as me can, you can too. Volunteer your time with them. You will meet some amazing people that way, and learn a lot about where gay/bi/curious women congregate. And you will get some stories to tell as well. We gotta stand together, chooms. We are a sisterhood, and one I am proud to be in. 👩‍❤️‍👩💙🏳️‍🌈

[fullmetal-scar-simping]

Me, gazing fondly at the scene in fma 2003 of Scar wielding a massive philosopher's stone: omg baby that's so awesome, you're so amazing, the way you mass slaughtered those scumbag soldiers was just so incredible, how many-? 7000? haha wow we should all aspire to eradicate the cops and state militaries just like you, and liberate people everywhere, you're such an inspiration dude, haha you're so rad and so lovely and so handsome, haha, hey can I suck your d-

[gnomewife]

Any artist with this rad of a haircut is def running from something

Willow Mendoza is an introverted idealist with something to prove and abandonment issues the size of San Myshuno itself.

Traits: PERFECTIONIST, ADVENTUROUS, LOVES OUTDOORS

Age: 30

Likes: rainy days, old art, not changing her lightbulbs on time so they flicker a bit, banana-flavored candy, finding musicians before they're famous, drop-d guitar tuning, grocery store sushi

Dislikes: gallery bigwigs, people who scratch her savior's complex, pistachio ice cream, Kantian philosophers, owing anything to literally anybody, folding her socks

[annaizscribbling]

Why it is far more than just “Logan should be listened to” and a conversation on external vs internal flaws.

Firstly, it’s clear that the series is agreeing that Logan as a character is not heard, and that is is an issue. From the SKIP ALL button, to that little momentary sung debate Logan has with Thomas in the puppet episode, to the entirety of WTIT, Logan does not feel heard. 

I have thoughts, because the issue is more complex than just the other characters giving him more attention. Much like the series as a whole, Logan’s issue is far more of a multifaceted problem. I also am not one of those fancy essay writers who can cite philosophers and like research papers and stuff, but I sincerely wish I was, not gonna lie. This is just me making observations and having a decent grasp on how to write characters.

1. Logan is both Logan and Logic.

One of the less discussed points to Logan as a character is actually just how difficult his role is. Not just as in a difficult job for the character to fulfill, but in how hard it is to balance Logan as a character vs Logan as a writing tool. Logan is a fleshed out character within the sasi series, he is not a side character or one who is not meant to be analyzed. He’s a person, but he’s also a means of communicating information to the audience. The show usually defaults to Logan when trying to teach a lesson or handle a heavy topic from an informational stance. It makes sense. Logan is logic. He is information. He’s a steady stream of facts and stats. Logic as a character is extremely valuable when the series decides to tackle topics around various mental health issues, but this does temporarily mean Logan as a character has to take a backseat for Logic as a means of communication. You can’t have the character informing the audience about intrusive thoughts actively overcome by his own issues to the point of being unreliable or questionably biased. WTIT does the best job with balancing this, but it’s a fine line to walk. Logan can be emotionally charged, but cannot subtly manipulate facts, or lead the viewer to believe he is doing so. This actively limits how Logan is utilized. Again, the show balances this by making his biases obvious when necessary, and I think they’ve done well, but it can become tricky and I’m curious to see how it is handled in the future.

2. Logic can’t be the default solution (for C!Thomas).

Logan can’t fully embody his function. If so, he’d never be wrong. Then there is no show. Imagine if Thomas rationally and calmly asks Logan for a solution every single time he has a problem, and is given an easy solution every single time. It would kinda suck. A lot of fan interpretations of the ‘Logan isn’t listened to’ issue are resolved by simply defaulting to Logan’s opinion, and everything being solved right after. This is boring. But also impossible, because Logan as a character is quite human, and therefore flawed. Therefore, not really wholly Logic,. The other sides can fully encompass their traits while being irrational or contradicting their jobs because they are simply meant to represent pieces of C!Thomas, and since he’s human, he’s flawed, so they are flawed. But logic is not really a personality trait, it’s a method of reasoning and understanding facts. His job makes less sense than the others. Is he the level of logical understanding that C!Thomas is capable of? Is he supposed to be flawed human logic? Or is it just an umbrella term for whatever the hell he is? There’s no unbiased logic that is also human, so what is he really?

The whole point of the series is talking out issues from various perspectives within oneself. In everyday life, the ‘logical’ answer is probably the correct one, because I’d wager that decent everyday logic takes into account emotions and the human element. Logan is kinda that ... sort of. Well. At his core, Logan is flawed, which means he is human, which is rad, but then he’s not not pure logic. Which means he isn’t the only solution to Thomas’ problems, as it should be. Again, what’s the show for if he was?

3. Internal vs external flaws.

One of my biggest writing pet peeves are the characters without internal flaws. I mean characters who have ‘issues’ but all of the issues are entirely out of their control. Their environment is their biggest obstacle, and their internal flaws are practically non existent. Rey from Star Wars is unfortunately a good example of this, almost all of her problems are external, minus kinda believing in humanity too much (though this isn’t usually written as a legitimate flaw in most cases). This is not typically the mark of a well written character, it’s necessary at times and we can absolutely have a mix of external and internal issues, but it usually is not interesting as a main issue.

Now let’s talk Logan. I’m saddened when he is reduced to a character purely plagued by external issues. His sole issue is not that he is not listened to. His sole issue is not that he is sometimes treated badly by the other sides. I hate to see a complex character simplified to a few external flaws, because Logan is deeply flawed, like we said above. All the sasi characters are delightfully flawed, it’s something I love about the series. They’re all terrible people sometimes, they just love each other enough to try and be better. But seriously, these guys suck. Love em. But they suck.

4. Logan is flawed.

Deeply flawed. He is prideful. He is insecure. He is afraid of being wrong. He has anger issues. He doesn’t always trust the other sides to help. He thinks he can save Thomas singlehandedly (maybe if he was actual pure logic he could lmao). He has a complicated relationship with his function as Logic and his own emotions. He’s scared of not being taken seriously. His self worth is probably cripplingly low. He struggles to ask for help. And like thirty other things.

Logan is not perfect. If he was, he’d be boring as hell. he’s flawed, and his flaws are part of what make him complex. He’s no bad guy, but he’s also not solely a victim of circumstances either. He’s a lil fcked up in general, and that’s okay. Because they all are.

5. Still love him tho

This is less of an actual topic and more of a “he still needs attention and care to grow and mature while he overcomes these problems because this poor bitch is lonely” section. My boy is deeply flawed but it’s made worse by the current method of communication he, C!Thomas, and the other sides use. He’s being benched and clearly emotionally spent trying to be everything Thomas asks of him while unable to be what Thomas needs. He can’t do it alone, Remus is right. No matter how much Logan tries and tries to change and adapt and be what Thomas wants from him, it’s not going to work. Not when he’s working alone

[kaijuposting]

The Pacific Rims that never were

Before Pacific Rim: Uprising as we know it was a thing, there were a number of sequel and spinoff ideas that never made it to production. Here are some that made it to the Internet:

A prequel cartoon Pacific Rim: Steel Warriors was going to be a two-season cartoon prequel series that would have expanded on the franchise's lore, featuring Mako Mori and a number of new characters. The wiki has a page on it here. I'm always a sucker for expanded lore, so I definitely think it's a bummer that this one didn't pan out. Also, making Mako Mori a major character in an entire series would've been rad.

Showing more of the other universe Guillermo del Toro was vague about it, but he expressed intentions of showing off the other universe. He ruled out "invading" the other world, so it doesn't seem he meant to have jaegers just go in and start attacking. Perhaps he meant to reveal more through more kaiju drifting. Perhaps he meant to have scenes featuring the aliens doing their thing. Or maybe it was something else. It is a mystery. I do know I'd have loved to get a better look at what was on the other side of the breach! More comics Guillermo del Toro intended for the Tales From Year Zero comics to continue, running up until the release of the second film. Alas, it was not to be.

A jaeger named Black Maria In 2015, Guillermo del Toro talked about plans for a Mexican jaeger named Black Maria, piloted by two convicts who'd been promised their freedom in return for piloting the jaeger. (I also can't help but notice that this sounds very much like Travis Beacham's plans for Matador Fury and its pilots.) Also, gotta love a name like Black Maria - it sounds all piratey. Was del Toro planning on a pirate-themed jaeger? Because that would have been awesome. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of kickass!

A jaeger cadet played by Maisie Williams On October 3rd, 2015, Guillermo del Toro tweeted his wishes to cast Maisie Williams as a jaeger pilot in the second Pacific Rim film. I'm not a Game of Thrones fan, but I did love Maisie Williams's character in Doctor Who, so I'd have loved to see this. I wonder who her character would have interacted with. Would she have been friends with Mako Mori? What would her co-pilot have been like, and would she have been played by Jenna Coleman? Alas we'll never know, but we can imagine! The destruction of San Francisco In late 2017, del Toro said that he planned for the second film to end up on the west coast and have San Francisco destroyed in a battle between kaiju and jaegers. Utterly demolishing the first city that had ever been attacked by a kaiju would be a brutal move, but I can picture it leading to some interesting questions - why do we fight when things are destroyed anyway? Is it a waste of time, or is gaining even just one more day with those we love worth it?

A techbro villain, a time travel plot twist, and more Mako Mori In late 2021, del Toro said that he'd planned for the villain of the second film to be "this tech guy that had invented basically sort of the internet 2.0." It would be revealed that he'd been getting all of his ideas from the Precursors, who would have been revealed to be humanity from the future. Del Toro also said that he'd intended Mako Mori to be one of the story's main characters.

I dunno about you, but I think a techbro villain who isn't actually inventing the shit he's taking credit for is a great idea. I also think the reveal that the "Precursors" are actually humans from the future is excellent on a philosophical level, because it forces us to confront that fact that what we often like to think of as "alien" is really just humanity at its worst. Also, more Mako Mori? Hell yeah! I'm sure there's more articles and interviews out there that talk about plans that never materialized, and hopefully I'll come across them - or maybe some of you know of them? If so, please feel free to add on with them. :D

[coffinandwheezing]

been watching a marathon of m. night shyamalan movies lately in no particular order.

in the last week we watched:

signs (2002)

the village (2004)

the happening (2008)

split (2016)

they’re all very… fine. upsettingly serviceable. like i’m not sure i’m having a good time but i’m not particularly suffering or anything.

have a bit of a soft spot for the happening because of how shit it is. well, not shit, but silly, i guess. badly cast, largely boring, about forty minutes of every conversation being about how they think it’s plants then immediately forgetting they had that conversation. the deaths are pretty rad though; there ain’t enough of them.

that’s really the thing with his movies though. usually about four or five fun scenes but twenty agonising minutes filled with people staring into the middle distance and talking softly to each other between them. it’s like being slowly drown in a kiddie pool while he looks into your eyes and gently explains a very basic philosophical concept to you over and over.

[hms-no-fun]

This is probably gonna be a longer and potentially more spicy ask than usual so apologies for that. I've been reading through the new chapters as they've been released (great stuff by the way) and I've noted the frequent switching back and forth of jade/silverbark going by her original name (jade) or her moniker/title (silverbark/harbinger silverbark ) depending on who she is currently talking to, the nature of her relations with the person and the context of the conversation. One example being her last conversation with karkat at the end of the latest chapter. This along with the nature of deunistic radiation you mentioned previously and the theme of divergence/character divergence throughout this series so far, makes me wonder if eventually we may reach a point where she drops her original name and goes solely by her moniker/title (at least for a while anyway).

i've got two responses to this. the first is

but the second is a bit more credulous. only a bit though. yes, godfeels has given multiple characters the opportunity to change their names, and this is partially a result of my desire to get away from the iconography of homestuck so that we can focus more on unpacking the themes of homestuck while telling a more “original” story. but i’d caution against the assumption that changing one’s name is the natural endpoint of self-actualization in godfeels.

is silverbark plural? is jade a mask she puts on around other people? is what we see in A1 the code-switching of an autist or a manipulator? these are excellent questions to be asking! but on the matter of names as such, let’s remember that silverbark is thousands of years old. a name change and gender realization is one thing for 22-year-old june egbert because she’s young and inexperienced. we see “june” as the hatched egg, the evolved form, the destination. but what if we fast-forwarded another hundred years, and she’s had all that time to live and be comfortable in her own body. would she remain rooted in transfemininity? would she still feel like “june”? does one break their gender or identity once, and no more?

among the many themes in its bucket, godfeels 3 is about change. changing people, changing times, changing expectations, changing lives and homes and friendgroups... and i’ve lived long enough to see the barest jagged tip of the truth that no two people “grow up” in quite the same way. “growing up” isn’t a static thing either, it isn’t affixed to age and it’s not a one-way street nor is it a bridge you can only cross once. i tried to show this in microcosm with dare in ch8, how they keep having life-affirming epiphany after life-affirming epiphany, only to backslide and start over from a place of only minimal progress. people can get better, and then they can backslide, and then they can get better again, and on and on, and nothing is ever done until it’s dead.

all of which is to say that i’m not interested in repeatedly showing the same types of change when i’ve got such a wildly weird cast of traumatized blorbos to poke and prod at. if june’s name is her planting a flag in her own identity, then perhaps to silverbark names and titles are a means of maintaining the area around that flag? what is “mary” to kanaya, what is “risk,” what is “dare” except a shield put up around something that needs protecting? or that’s worth protecting? for different reasons, to different ends. it’s all relative.

lastly, i would also caution against looking at a character changing their name and going, “ah, denexustic radiation!” not because it’s necessarily wrong (at least according to what VV said in the ch8 epilogue), but because it’s the boring lab-coated science officer answer to a profound philosophical question. which, you know, isn’t really an answer at all. there may be times when denexus is the culprit, or at least partially, but in most cases it’s the difference between wearing a glow in the dark radon watch for a few months when you were a kid, vs airsurfing in the radiation cloud of the chernobyl nuclear disaster.

anyway, i’ll leave us on a passage from the homestuck epilogues that is very important to me:

[clericofgale]

Thanks for the tag @hotnerdywizard

Let’s see…

1. Are you named after anyone? No, my name was picked out of a dictionary/baby name list.

2. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday! My therapist I see weekly has a talent for making me cry. I also just cry easy tbh. Funny story, how much I related to Gale told me I am Le Very Not Healed™ and got my ass back into it. Thanks Gale!👍

3. Do you have kids? No, and most likely never will.

4. What sports do you play/have you played? I am not a sports person...ever. The last athletic hobby was aerial arts which lasted a year. mostly aerial hoop(Lyra) and a few classes in static trapeze. I've also tried pole dance but I was too weak/my brain couldn't wrap my head around it. I'd love to do it again eventually but first I must get stronger💪 I lost all my muscles.

5. Do you use sarcasm? It's my 4th language.

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Whatever sticks out about them. Their aura? If they're attractive? Interesting fashion? It really depends.

7. What’s your eye colour? black/very dark brown.

8. Scary movies or happy endings? out of the two happy endings, I'm a wimp for scary movies.

9. Any talents? I am not really sure if I've got any innate talents? I've got stuff I'm good at but that all took work. From the work I put in to expand my palate/mind's eye to be a decent cook, to all the therapy I've done to become very aware of my emotions/self.

10. Where were you born? on this little blue ball we call Earth<3

11. What are your hobbies? I'm ADHD af so I pick up and drop hobbies once they stop giving me enough dopamine. Most consistent throughout life that I've always come back to were cooking, trying out new food, gaming, and knitting. I'm also quite the sex/relationships nerd, not only in the horny way but also in the intellectual/philosophical way. It's why Gale's scenes tickled me so much on an intellectual level. It's weird sex and I love it!

12. Do you have any pets? Not yet! I really want a cat but I want to make sure I'm healthy enough to take care of it before adopting.🐈🐈🐈

13. How tall are you? 5’2

14. Favourite subject in school? any of the humanities/arts I really enjoyed. Cinema studies, communications, psych, history, linguistics, ethnic studies, etc. Inject that shit straight into my veins. It made choosing a life path a nightmare. I was always jealous of those who always knew what job they wanted.

15. Dream job? I'm working towards becoming either a therapist or a radiology tech. I'll decide if either psych is truly my passion or not by the end of this year. If I can tough out this much school to a master degree/finish clinical hours end career goal it's doing mental health outreach for AAPI, and little bit of private practice. Otherwise rad tech is a short program, in demand, well-paid and you can end up with a 9-5 with enough luck.

[dark-elf-writes]

So mako energy is probably some fmab philosophers stone human soul shit????

That’s pretty rad

Seeing these pop up back to back made me laugh

But yeah the Lifestream/mako is kinda like the Force it’s in everything and you go back to it when you die but it’s also planet blood and very much a finite resource