#Steve McGuire

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

Not only is Robin DiAngelo a total racist lunatic, she's also a complete fucking idiot.

[spilladabalia]

Doctor And The Medics - Round And Round

[steviesbicrisis]

Eddie Munson who gets his Lizzie McGuire moment by going to Rome with an university art program.

The only requirement is to visit museums regularly and redraw the art pieces in his style and submit his work by the end of it.

What seems to be a piece of cake for Eddie, gets a lot more complicated when the average Italian museum worker is met with his peculiar drawings style -which might include evil dragons and decapitated heads in some of Caravaggio’s Still Lives and, in worst cases, some additions to Christian art pieces that have been described as “blasphemy” as he was getting escorted out and banned from the Vatican’s Museums (and maybe the whole country, Eddie still doesn’t know so he avoids that part of the city just to be safe).

And Eddie, who will never compromise his work integrity for a few Italian bigots, ends up in one of the least known and visited museums of the city. Which still, by his standards, contains fine art he can work on.

And if this particular museum, which is one hour and a half of public transport from his house, has a really hot security guard who follows him closely and barks at every tourist that tries to take a picture of his drawings, he surely won’t complain.

[artist-issues]

Sometimes I’m really mad at where modern moviemaking is. And I’m like “what is all this crap, why the sequels, why the remakes, why the laziness.” Then I remember:

There’s been some cool stuff 16 year old me only daydreamed about and never thought They Would Actually Do.

[sesiondemadrugada]

The 40 Year Old Virgin (Judd Apatow, 2005).

[after-the-end-times2]

[wine-porn]

Since 1962

My absolute FIRST exposure to Santa Barbara wines (and an urban winery before it was cool)–many, many years ago–and still a winner in every category. I revisit occasionally–just to make sure–and across their ridiculously inexpensive roster: never fails to please. Pale chalky transparency in the glass, a blackened ruby fading out to dusty red at the rim. Nose pitch-perfect California Pinot: ripe…

[letterboxd-loggd]

Armored Car Robbery (Armoured Car Robbery) (1950) Richard Fleischer

August 18th 2022

[coverpanelarchive]

The Flash #770 (2021)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Josh Christenson

Published: Apr 11, 2024

Most American colleges and universities require the completion of courses that emphasize Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)-related topics to graduate, according to a new report surveying public and private institutions.

Speech First, a group advocating for First Amendment rights on US campuses, released an investigation on Thursday that found 165 of 248 selected institutions — from American University to Williams College — mandate DEI-related classes to meet general education requirements.

The classes “place students into identitarian groupings based on racial, sexual, and political characteristics to create a rigid framework amongst students where they only see each other as either the ‘oppressor’ or the ‘oppressed,’” the executive summary of the 33-page report states.

[ Two-thirds of US colleges and universities require Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) classes to graduate, according to a Speech First report involving public and private institutions nationwide. ]

Speech First looked for trainings and courses that included an “anti-racist” approach, which often denounces “whiteness” or “white supremacy,” as well as the existence of forced “DEI Statements” in which faculty pledge to promote the ideology if hired.

The group also searched for the use of terms like “intersectionality,” “toxic masculinity,” “critical gender theory,” “ableism,” “implicit bias,” “systemic racism” and “social justice.”

“Consequently, this erosion of merit-based principles and build-up of anti-American sentiment has had detrimental impacts on the quality of education and has fostered an environment where conservative voices are systematically marginalized, discredited, and silenced,” the report states.

“As DEI departments have grown on campuses, we have seen an increase in campus policies that regulate, monitor, and restrict student speech,” it adds. “The inquiry revealed that students are subjected to courses advocating far-left ideological perspectives and pushing far-left political advocacy.”

Last year, the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions practices at Harvard University, a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, a public institution, ruling that the universities’ affirmative action policies violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which guarantees US citizens “equal protection under law.”

Chief Justice John Roberts declared in the decision that “eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it” and “universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today.”

Both Harvard and UNC made the Speech First list, along with Cornell, Dartmouth, and Princeton of the Ivy League.

Prominent flagship state schools that made the list include the universities of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.

Notable private institutions shamed by Speech First included Boston College, Brandeis, Carnegie Mellon, Duke, Fordham, Georgetown, MIT, Purdue, Syracuse, Vassar and Wellesley.

Every university surveyed came from at least one of four groups: Spring 2023 NCAA Division I institutions, schools ranked among the best in the nation in 2023 by US News and World Report, those with endowments above $1 billion and those in the top 100 of undergraduate enrollment nationwide.

[ Notably, 59% of the universities with DEI requirements were public and 41% of them were private. ]

The 67% of schools with DEI offices and programs included at least one institution in every US state and the District of Columbia — several of which have recently outlawed the practices, such as GOP-led Florida and Texas.

Some anti-DEI legislation is also pending in Democratic-controlled states like Illinois, the report shows, and states where power is evenly divided between the major political parties like Pennsylvania.

To be counted, the universities or colleges needed to have mandatory DEI courses or sensitivity training, DEI electives that are required for graduation, or general education learning outcomes that include DEI language.

[ The 67% of schools with DEI offices and programs included at least one institution in every US State and the District of Columbia — several of which have recently outlawed the practices. ]

The report suggests that the banning of DEI and critical race theory courses and the adoption of free speech programs during freshman orientation would change the leftward drift of America’s higher education institutions.

It also advocated for a return to the study of the nation’s founding principles under the Constitution as a part of general education requirements nationwide.

“Obviously, a commitment to free speech on campus requires academic freedom for professors within their classrooms,” Cherise Trump, the group’s executive director, said in a summary of the report.

“But American universities are increasingly institutionally stacking the deck by requiring students to sit through classes that, rather than impart knowledge or build saleable skills, infuse an ideological worldview that is in many instances hostile to key tenets of the American way of life,” she added.

“Taxpayers may well wonder why they subsidize academic institutions that require training in a hostile ideology as a graduation requirement.”

[theartofangirling]

part 3 of the 2023 version of this post: adult books!

part 1: middle grade books | part 2: young adult books

this is a very incomplete list, as these are only books I've read and enjoyed. not all books are going to be for all readers, so I'd recommend looking up synopses and content warnings. feel free to message me with any questions about specific representation!

list of books under the cut ⬇️

yerba buena by nina lacour

if we were villains by m.l. rio

everyone in this room will someday be dead by emily r. austin

i want to be a wall by honami shirono

portrait of a thief by grace d. li

the thirty names of night by zeyn joukhadar

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

love & other disasters by anita kelly

take a hint, dani brown by talia hibbert

boyfriend material by alexis hall

almost like being in love by steve kluger

the charm offensive by alison cochrun

something wild & wonderful by anita kelly

red, white & royal blue by casey mcquiston

something to talk about by meryl wilsner

honey girl by morgan rogers

one last stop by casey mcquiston

once ghosted, twice shy by alyssa cole

kiss her once for me by alison cochrun

a spindle splintered by alix e. harrow

finna by nino cipri

every heart a dooryway by seanan mcguire

the starless sea by erin morgenstern

under the whispering door by tj klune

space opera by catherynne m. valente

light from uncommon stars by ryka aoki

dead collections by isaac fellman

the city we became by n.k. jemisin

light carries on by ray nadine

an absolutely remarkable thing by hank green

feed them silence by lee mandelo

summer sons by lee mandelo

upright women wanted by sarah gailey

lavender house by lev a.c. rosen

fried green tomatoes at the whistle stop cafe by fannie flagg

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

a master of djinn by p. djeli clark

witchmark by c.l. polk

a marvellous light by freya marske

a restless truth by freya marske

when women were dragons by kelly barnhill

plain bad heroines by emily m. danforth

a lady for a duke by alexis hall

infamous by lex croucher

passing strange by ellen klages

even though i knew the end by c.l. polk

the chosen and the beautiful by nghi vo

whiskey when we're dry by john larison

wake of vultures by lila bowen

silver in the wood by emily tesh

the once and future witches by alix e. harrow

the kingdoms by natasha pulley

a tip for the hangman by allison epstein

she who became the sun by shelley parker-chan

the song of achilles by madeline miller

spear by nicola griffith

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

gideon the ninth by tamsyn muir

some desperate glory by emily tesh

all systems red by martha wells

a psalm for the wild built by becky chambers

the mimicking of known successes by malka older

winter's orbit by everina maxwell

fireheart tiger by aliette de bodard

empress of salt and fortune by nghi vo

legends and lattes by travis baldree

the house in the cerulean sea by tj klune

other ever afters by melanie gillman

the priory of the orange tree by samantha shannon

a day of fallen night by samantha shannon

a strange and stubborn endurance by foz meadows

the unbroken by c.l. clark

real queer america by samantha allen

fun home by alison bechdel

in the dream house by carmen maria machado

better living through birding by christian cooper

why fish don't exist by lulu miller

[steviesbicrisis]

(Okay this is turning into a summer series thingy because the idea of Steddie exploring Rome together while making Lizzie McGuire references makes me HAPPY)

Eddie: but wait, if you are italo american, do you still get an Italian clone? or is it an American clone?

Steve: what

Eddie: yeah you know, like Lizzie and Isabella

Steve: People don't have italian clones, Eddie

Eddie: WHAT THE FUCK

Steve: For the millionth time, Lizzie McGuire the Movie it's not an accurate representation of Italy-

Eddie: You take that back.

Robin, coming in: I've been looking for you, dingus

Eddie: ...

Eddie: OMG HERE'S YOUR CLONE!!

Steve: SHE'S NOT MY CLONE!

Robin, who has no clue what’s going on: he’s actually my clone

Eddie: ah yes, makes sense

Steve: I give up

Eddie, sighing: I can't wait to meet mine

[superblysubpar]

siiiiiiiigh, taylor. you're the only one i trust with this and i don't know if you take requests but i'm desperate (like the i'm in pain + aching kind of desperate) for wealthy!steve to take us out on his lil yacht and absolutely rail us off the coast of italy :(

the song: Pineapple Slice by Tove Lo & SG Lewis

warnings: secluded public spot / Sorry I've never been to Italy, my only experience are slutty Joe pics & The Lizzie McGuire movie 🤷‍♀️

He turns his black baseball hat around for better access to your body. His lips skim the seam of your suit, thick fingers messing with the ties on your hips. He squeezes the plump skin, dragging and scratching down your thighs as he pulls the bikini bottom from your body. Your back arches against the leather cushions of the boatseat, hips lifting for him. The sun is blinding white - high in the sky, and the drip of cool ocean water from his hair soothes the sweat coating your body.

You whisper the name of the man you've just met when his nose skims up the inside of your legs, nipping at your thighs as his large hands push them wider for better access.

"Come on honey, need to taste you." The endearment falls easily from his lips despite knowing each other less than 24 hours. This isn't what you thought would be the aftermath of your night out with friends.

Green flashes and purple shimmers as base radiated from your feet into your chest. Sweet drinks and stealing cherries from everyone as you danced and bounced in the Italian club to a song you didn't know. Hips swaying to a good beat and when you turned, you saw him. He's smug, a lopsided smile, a hand running through chestnut hair. A glint in his hazel eyes and the flashes of green overhead illuminate the silver chain, the ring on his middle finger and the watch on his wrist that all scream money. A flirty line about how dancing like you were was dangerous, an offer of buying you bubbly expensive things that taste sweet on your tongue, and hands on your hips as your chests pressed closer, moving to the music together until your lips collided. All ending in an offer of taking you out on his boat tomorrow, a secluded little spot off the coast.

And here you are.

Steve's thumbs spread your lips for him, and his tongue licks a broad stripe through you. Thighs squeezing around his ears, muffling the sounds of the waves crashing into the rocks and the side of the boat. His mouth works lazily but precise as his hands roam under the curve of your ass. Pads of his fingers push into your skin, curvy and thick and he pulls you tighter around him, desperate for more. Tongue licking and swirling around your clit, mouth moving lower as he sucks one of your lips. A moan falls from your parched mouth and your toes curl as a rough wave rocks the boat, adding to the boil bubbling in your stomach.

He brings his attention back to the throbbing nerves, sucking around it and kitten licking with his tongue as a finger nudges at your entrance. One finger easily slips in, a second following and you clench around them as they curl. He finds the spot that has you lifting yourself off the seat. Your fingers tug in his wet locks, chest heaving as you look down at him. Sweat beads down the dip of your breasts as you plead his name, begging to release.

Steve removes himself, shaking his head no. His eyes are taken over by his black pupils, his dark chest hair curls with saltwater and sweat. He shoves the black wet fabric of his swimtrunks low enough to pull his throbbing length out. Your mouth waters at the sight of his muscles flexing as he tugs on himself, somehow getting harder and bigger. Lining the mushroom tip up with your entrance, Steve leans over you. He kisses your lips softly, tongue licking and tracing over your top lip until you sigh. The taste of yourself lingering, mixing with sweet fruit and salt from the ocean water that still clings to his tan and freckled skin.

Breath warm against your cheek as he whispers, "I need to be inside you when you cum, pretty girl."

You nod, desperate, your orgasm right on the cusp already and he lets his weight fall against you as he slides into your entrance in a quick and powerful thrust. Your cry against his lips has him squeezing at every ounce of your skin he can find. Lips drifting and pressing sweet kisses to your neck that contrast with the quick and sharp movements of his hips slapping against yours.

"Oh, fuck," your lashes are wet with tears at the ache in your gut, "Steve, I'm gonna cum!"

"Yeah?" He's breathless, groaning as your fingers scratch up his back.

The weight of his chest against yours is somehow comforting, and the pressure and graze of the thick hair at his base hitting the perfect spot that has you hanging on the edge of the cliff you've been climbing.

Steve's fingers rub messy circles into your puffy and needy clit, nerves vibrating beneath the pads of his fingers. He attaches his mouth to yours again as you take the jump, freefalling off the ledge until you hit the water. Walls tightening around him, body spasming beneath his. His release follows quickly, throbbing inside of you as he grips at your sides, squeezing and breathing your name into your parted lips.

He slows his thrusts, both of you gasping for air. Sounds of the waves return, the sun feels even warmer as the sweat falls off of both of your hot skin.

Steve reaches above your head, grabbing a piece of pineapple and holding it up to your mouth. You stare into each other's eyes, something in your gazes warming for each other as your breathless panting finds a rhythm together. Your lips wrap around the fruit, biting into the pineapple slice. Juice flows into your mouth, sweet and sticky and quenching a thirst you didn't know you had. Steve's thumb brushes over your bottom lip, tugging a little meanly until it pops back into place. He brings his thumb up to his lips and sucks the juice free from the skin.

The sun still has half the sky to conquer and you have no where to be other than on a boat off the coast of Italy with a rich boy who has an entire pineapple sliced and ready to feed you with.

---

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[brokehorrorfan]

Artwork from Gallery 1988’s "Location Scout" exhibit, an homage to the places of pop culture, is available online. I’ve highlighted nine genre-related pieces:

Psycho by Stephen Andrade

Psycho by Shane Houston

Edward Scissorhands by Hayden Evans

Evil Dead II by Steve Chesworth

Rear Window by Carles Ganya

Beetlejuice by Chet Phillips

Beetlejuice by Luke T. Benson

Twin Peaks by Liz Martin

The Shining by Chris McGuire