#because it has anson's comment

[spock-in-awe]

Star Trek Las Vegas 2023

It's been almost a week and I finally typed up my convention experience! I'm not going to go into the 2600+ word level detail but there are certain moments I really want to share. I'm wholly hyperfixating on Ethan, so I'm sorry I didn't get more of Anson's thoughts and comments!

I talked with Anson Mount once and Ethan Peck twice. Both of them are extremely kind! I told Anson that Hell on Wheels is one of my all-time favorite shows and finding out he was involved with "a certain show we can't name" made me so happy. He kind of did an eyebrow thing and said, "You can talk about the show," and I laughed. Obviously, I'm not the one on strike!

With Ethan, I showed him a Spock playing cello piece of fanart, and told him I also play cello. We talked about that for a little bit. My second time meeting him, I asked a question I had intended for his panel with Anson: what is a moment you might have spontaneously erupted into song that you're comfortable sharing? He replied very quickly that it would probably be a situation where he's ribbing his friends.

Random things from Anson and Ethan's panel on 8/6/23

-Ethan was all over the place as a child. His father gave him a rock that said "focus."

-Ethan claimed he only learned to act "like five years ago."

-When Anson gave Ethan compliments, Ethan thanked him and hugged him. When Ethan gave Anson compliments, he mentioned SNW by name and heavily regretted his lapse in the strike protocol.

-In response to a fan question, Ethan said "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" is his favorite musical.

-In response to a fan question, Anson said he eats "whatever the fuck I want." Ethan added pretty much the same, but he really likes candy.

The next two I wrote down verbatim from my videos.

A fan asked about what they hope would remain after losing their memories.

Ethan: So the question is… you lose your memories, so what are you? (Pause). Huh. (Fan apologizes). No, that’s a great question! So, we all experience ourselves experiencing, right. There’s no singular awareness, there’s almost two. There’s the thing, the construct that interacts with the world, Ethan, for instance. And then there’s something in my that experiences Ethan experience. So maybe that other perspective, that awareness deep inside that seems to observe Ethan experiencing, that might be what’s left. And would hopefully be amused and continue to be thrilled, and surprised by the things that happen, right. I think it’s a wonderful goal to be present in the moment, so maybe it would be something like that.

A fan asked about organizations they're part of.

Ethan: …And they are working to restore the California wetlands, which is a very important agricultural space and um, you know, I’m still working to become better educated on how exactly they do it, but they work with an enormous team of biologists, and a lot of water has been pumped out of these natural aquifers in California. And it has compressed the soil so when it rains, they call it a hard pan, the water just runs off and there are floods and then droughts. So they are working to restore those underground water vaults, essentially. It’s an amazing organization. River Partners.org. Hopefully I’ll be working more formally with them upcoming. I think it’s just a really– you know, I’m a California, my father is, my grandfather (people cheer) (Ethan makes a laughing “chaaa” sound) I guess it’s something to applaud. I love California. It’s affecting my immediate geography and my home. And they’re working really intelligently to fix this problem which has major effects. You now, there’s a lot of produce that comes out of California to the rest of the country, a lot of water that comes from California to other parts of the country as well. So, check it out. Furthermore, I’m hoping to work more with JPL actually, Jet Propulsion Laboratories, in Pasadena. Because I want to, if I can, help spread interest in rational thinking (laughs). (can’t understand). And it’s a natural fit, you can use your imagination as to why.

Random things from Zachary and Ethan's panel on 8/6/23

Both Zachary and Ethan seemed absolutely thrilled to be on stage together.

According to Ethan, they hadn't ever met in person, and had spoken only briefly. Ethan said, "This is tripping me out."

Zachary talked about losing his father at a young age. Ethan shared feeling emotionally unsafe in certain circumstances as a child, and how he felt the need to intellectualize or tamp down those vulnerable emotions. Zachary said, "Similar!" Both referenced doing a lot of work (Zachary specifically said therapy), to counter these tendencies.

Zachary asked Ethan if he's done any stage work. Ethan confessed to being terrified of live audiences, which elicited a chuckle from the audience. Ethan added that because of this fear, he should probably do it.

One fan in line to ask a question ended up getting a free photo op with the two of them because she said she couldn't afford it!

That same fan asked about their hobbies. Zachary talked about plants and how he not only wants to keep them alive now, but propagate them.

Ethan: I started sailing lessons this year.

Zachary: That tops plants.

Ethan: I don’t know about that, plants are incredible. I hope it’s (sailing) something I can do as I age.

Zachary: Were you nautical? 

Ethan: No (chuckles). Not at all.

Zachary: Any interest or exposure to that before?

Ethan: No, not really. I’d been sailing once or twice but it’s funny, I kind of hate the beach. I don’t actually hate it. I hate sand, I hate sand being in my bed. That’s the main thing. It’s hard to avoid. I like looking at it from either the shore not in the sand, or on a boat.

Zachary said many positive things about the ST fandom. He also shared how important his relationship with Leonard Nimoy was. That Leonard passed the torch to him, and now he gets to pass it to Ethan.

IT WAS ALL AMAZING.

[lean-mean-demon-genevieve]

Who’s this Anson character? I took a step back from tumblr and now I feel like I need a book to figure out what I missed lol.

With him yet again leeching off of appearing with Jared this weekend, now seems as good a time as any to circle back to this ask because I too have been perplexed by Jared’s supposed friendship with this guy for some time. And as per usual, I brought receipts.

Anson Gordon seems to first be publicly linked to the Pads in Sandy Molinare’s Instagram in 2016. This looks like he has been a part of the wealthy, and fairly conservative circle that both the Pads and the Ackles use to run with at that time.

He clout-chased a few times in 2018 in his IG story and wanted to let the world know he has famous friends, with Jared and Danneel (in the background of a video) making appearances. He then started more regularly sharing pics of himself attending UFC fights with Jared in January 2020. And since then, his presence has only grown to include other Austin goings-on, more testosterone fueled events, some weapons safety and/or stuntman gig on Walker that included some brief screen time, meeting up with the Pads on their 2021 Italy trip, Jared’s car accident last year in which he and his son were passengers, and a spot on the Pads Family Feud team earlier this year. He is seen, and confused for Jensen somehow in the comments, in this IG post of Jared’s, sliding down a slide like best buds. He is regularly seen showcasing himself on socials interacting with Pads errand boy, Charlie Capen (you won’t convince me he didn’t record that slide video), as well as Clif and various Walker actors.

I will be 100% transparent here about my political leanings that run deeper than fandom. I don’t like this guy because I feel like he is the very conservative, aging frat boy of my nightmares. I don’t care that he’s rubbed elbows with other rich people at the Out Youth Gala, he is a salesman at the end of the day. I feel like he and I would strongly disagree on a lot of important (to me) issues/values, and the transference I feel when I look at him is strong. (That means he reminds me of people I know in real life.) He appears quite motivated to flex next to Jared at any opportunity and draw attention to himself. (Jared doesn’t showcase him nearly as often. The slide post kinda surprised me. Again, who’s a good boy? Charlie is!)

To me, Anson comes off as caustic, shallow, arrogant, and chauvinistic. Here’s the story of how I got bored and nosy during the pandemic and came to these opinions:

This post from February 2021 was deleted months later as Anson posted more and more with Jared and Walker actors and gained followers/eyes on him. Now why in early 2021, would some folks from Texas even joke about secession?? The most obvious answer: the growing uproar over covid, mask mandates, vaccines, general pandemic limitations on their gentrifier (sorry/not sorry, wealthy Austinites) rich-kid fun. Look out y’all this privileged white male is “startin trouble.” Somebody ask this guy where he was on January 6th.

Exhibit B is less damning, but it irritates me so imma include it:

A smug face and pose like this with a firearm captioned “virtue signaling” sure feels like a jab at the sNoWfLaKeS, given the rest of the context. No, shooting guns isn’t a crime, and in fact it’s this guys livelihood, but why add the snark if you’re not an ass and hoping to instigate? It feels like a safe bet that gun laws were also up there on the list of reasons for Texas secession dreams.

Exhibit C, posted to his story in August ‘21 just prior to his IG account going private for a few months and right about the same time the Pads themselves got Covid:

I would love to know how Jared responded to being tagged in this mess. No I’m not suggesting he gave the Pads Covid, but I do think someone from the Pads or Walker team told ole boy to cool it with the anti-mask rhetoric so as not to reflect negatively on Jared, hence the private account. However you may feel about mask mandates at this point, remember that this was late summer/fall of 2021. Covid was obviously still rampant as the Pads and Anson himself would soon learn after returning home from Italy. How dare the Uber peasant ask that he respect his safety as he provides a service. Fuck that guy, right?!

It was after this in November 2021 that Anson first seemed to try to redeem himself by attending the Out Youth Gala with the Pads and also with his favorite accessory, his wife, in tow. What I won’t include here are the gross IG story video highlights from a different event that this tool has conveniently saved in which he documents his seemingly intoxicated wife’s side-boob for an uncomfortable amount of time. Guys can dig their wife’s bodies, and even do so on their own social media, but you gotta trust me that the ick factor is palpable. Bodily autonomy being what it is, maybe she’s ok with the multiple posts of this type, and I can respect that…and he’s shared quite a few.

But for me the final straw was when, not 24 hours after the horrific Robb Elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas on 5/24/22, Anson’s IG story was plugging his firearm silencer business and hyping the launch of new products at the NRA convention that coming weekend in Houston.

If you followed the link early on when I called him a salesman, you may have already figured out that this man has made a sizable fortune off of engineering top of the line silencers for assault rifles. The IG account tells me that they sell for about $700-$750 each. None of this is a crime, but he’s not exactly reading the room in this moment. In comparison, Gen was sharing post after post to her IG story during this time about the need for reform around gun laws and sympathy for the victims. But this guy knew a big convention was approaching and he needed to capitalize. Then he went golfing.

Are you still with me?

So this is why I cringe whenever I see this Wish version of Jensen snuggling up to Jared.

He’s not deserving of the positive assumptions that some fans/Jared stans have made about him based solely on his proximity to Jared. And let’s be honest, with the great big fandom divide these days, a lot of Jared fans are just all too eager to root for anyone that isn’t Jensen. But, in my opinion, you don’t get to show up at an LGBTQ fundraiser claiming to be an ally when you have no doubt voted to protect your own interests (guns, money) and cast ballots for people who also support drag bans and an end to gender affirming care. It doesn’t work like that, especially not in Texas. He’s invested in Texas staying red, and if you recall or scroll up, there was a time when it wasn’t red enough for him. He’s certainly not voting for LGBTQ+ human rights, but he will write them a check for damage control in the aftermath. What a guy.

To clarify, this is NOT an anti-Jared post, although some may see it as such. There’s no suggested call-to-action for the fandom coming from me. Jared is not Anson’s keeper. But at the same time, to an extent, we are who we associate with and with whom we spend precious time. And Jared spends a fair amount of public time with this clown and allows Anson to attach himself to him and profit off of him. Leeching onto Jared is the best thing this guy did to get his face and his veneers seen by a larger audience. So Jared, I love ya, but it’s not a good look. This guy had no qualms showing people who he was when fewer people were looking, but deleting posts doesn’t delete screenshots. And I’ve got those, as you can see.

[dduane]

In the digital art dep’t: Smiling a bit at this...

Down in the comments on the post where Harry Callahan first appears:

Re Anson Mount: I’m assuming that’s off Harry’s hairstyle. (cheerful shrug) I can live with that. There are worse things on Earth (or other planets) than looking like Chris Pike.

Meanwhile, as for breasting boobily at things: Let’s deconstruct the problem a little. We’ll pull Mr. C. out of that background and take a closer look.

First of all: this is a Daz figure called “Dain 8”, who (after a significant amount of shopping around...) I chose to stand in for Nita’s dad.

Anyway, as usual, I made adjustments in the basic figure to match his description in the text: a bit husky, as befits his work as a florist and (because he does this kind of work too) groundskeeper: muscular guy, strongly built, skin tone of someone who spends a fair amount of time outdoors. Let’s dump the jacket for a moment.

One thing that kind of jumps out of the general physique: the pecs.  They’re what’s giving that jacket so much trouble.

...Honestly, pecs seem to be a bit of a thing with a lot of Daz’s builders of male characters. There seems to be sort of a consensus: “If we can’t give them big, uh, private parts, we’ll give them big pecs.”

...Let me pull the shirts off the local major players for comparison’s sake.

Left to right: Harry, Carl Romeo, Tom Swale, Herewiss and Freelorn. ...Anyway, you see the problem. Most of these guys are moderately well pec’d up, and no matter how they stick out or don’t, every single set of those pecs has interfered with their clothes at one point or another.* At one level, this is a problem with Daz’s software.

Without getting too technical: clothing sufficiently advanced can be caused (using Daz’s dForce animation system) to drape over body contours, with greater or lesser levels of success depending on how well the clothing is constructed. As below, where Harry’s jacket has gone through the process:

But depending on clothing textures and the way the light is falling... things can get unavoidably booby. You wind up having to balance the needs of the rest of the scene—in terms of lighting and the way shadow falls—against how the clothes look. Sometimes the clothes don’t come out perfectly due to (among other things) the positioning of a character’s limbs. (I.e. the way Harry’s arms had to be positioned to be holding the pumpkin in front of him.) But trying to make them do so can cost you hours of labor which may or may not advance the project as a whole. (shrug) In a case like this, you pays your money and you takes your chances.

Meanwhile, I’m going to turn in before I start complaining about the generally crap state of men’s three-piece suits (for Carl!) on this platform... :/

ETA: per @man-and-atom​‘s comment on ubiquitous definition: Well, Tom and Carl are (and gods rest them, in reality were) gym rats... as wizards in their positions have a responsibility to keep themselves better-than-usually physically fit. And Dusty and Lorn—as princes expected as a matter of course to go into battle, to satisfy their ruling families’ and realms’ political obligations—are both trained warriors from childhood; and due to being rigorously schooled in weapons- and armor-handling, are going to pick up some def no matter what they do. So... (shrug) We’ve got an image full of outliers here. Can’t be helped.

*Noting to myself that I really need to get some work done on Herewiss’s and Freelorn’s skin colors, as neither of them should look anything like as pale as they do. The problem is that it’s the figure designers who determine skin colors... and attempting to tinker with them can cause endless problems with display. (sigh) One more thing to think about...

[lifewithchronicpain]

Thousands of people in pain are urging the Drug Enforcement Administration to scrap plans to further reduce the supply of opioid medication in 2024.

The DEA recently announced it would cut production quotas for oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and other opioids for the 8th straight year, despite complaints from pain patients and healthcare providers that the medications are already in short supply and difficult to get at pharmacies.

The DEA invited people to comment on its plans in the Federal Register. Over 2,400 have so far – many with heart breaking stories to share about not being able to get the pain medication they need.

“I was finally able to establish a reasonable pain management routine but that was disrupted when my regular pharmacy was no longer able to supply my medication (a moderate dose of Norco) and not a single other pharmacy was willing/able to fill my prescription,” said Jessica Ericksen. “One pharmacy supervisor screamed at my doctor on the phone when he called in to try to get my prescription set up with them. I now have a 1.5 hour round trip drive to get my medication, which is particularly challenging for a disabled person who is unable to drive.” “I am one of the many that has had my life destroyed by the government regulations on pain meds. I haven't been able to get my medications for the better part of a year,” said Paula Perry. “I'm now basically bedridden and praying for death. Stop doing this to people, we are dying and you guys make it worse every year.”

“Most of us in pain have gone through all of the other drugs to treat our pain and these are the drugs of last resort. The opioids don't totally treat our pain but allow us to function,” said Heather Larson. “The DEA needs to stop playing doctor and let the doctor decide what is right to prescribe. If production is cut anymore, people will commit suicide or go to the street for pain medication.” “I have already had to jump through numerous hoops just to be prescribed my meds, but now have to call pharmacy after pharmacy monthly to find my meds, because they are out of stock at every pharmacy around me in a 10-mile radius,” said Jill Bartruff, who suffers from scoliosis. “I also had a surgery in September 2023 and could not find a pharmacy to fill my post op pain meds. I was in immense pain and was unable to advocate for myself to get my meds filled. Imagine being cut open and discharged from the hospital with no pain control.”

“Why do you continue to cut supply when legitimate patients cannot obtain their medications? Many are already out of their meds for weeks on end,” an anonymous poster wrote. “You should be able to see you're making the situation worse.” Are you a U.S. pain patient with an opioid prescription? Please take a few minutes to complete PNN’s survey on how opioid shortages are impacting pain care. It will help us document how serious the problem is. Click here to take the survey. (Read rest of article at link up top)

I've taken the survey, it's a few minutes long and easy enough.

[cptnchristopherpike]

OOC: From the Mun - IMPORTANT

Okay, so...I'm interrupting my hiatus to highlight one of my Captain Pike creative/RP blog rules here:

Also, if you start posting a lot of political, activism and/or religious stuff, you’re going to get un-followed.  What you believe in or whoever has your political loyalty is your business, but there are far better venues for that material than in a roleplay blog in general and on my dash in particular.

I'm doing this because I've seen backlash against Anson Mount for stuff he's posted on Twitter (I refuse to call it "X") in relation to a certain hot-button topic. Let me make this powerfully and unmistakably clear:

I absolutely, positively do NOT have an atom's worth of fucks to give about your political/social views, or about how you feel about Anson's political/social views, except for how they annoy me when I see them in my dash.

In case that isn't enough to make it all sink in, allow me to elaborate:

What I feel or don't feel about his points of view are none of your concern, and you have no basis or right to judge me one way or another as you have no frame of reference.

Furthermore, my political/social views in general are no concern of yours, and unless I share them here, you'll never know them. Don't assume or guess; the odds are good that you'll be wrong.

I don't owe you my opinions on ANYTHING, and whatever I do share, I'll decide how much I want to expand on them, NOT you.

My liking an actor or actress has no bearing on their personal points of view, or mine. PERIOD. I don't need any celebrity to tell me how I should feel about something, and I don't have the arrogance to presume I have a say in how they feel.

I don't follow and admire an actor or actress because of their personal views. I follow them for their career-based talent and their body of work. Their personal feelings take a distant back seat.

I don't care about, or want to see, anything you have to say about me liking Anson Mount or the characters he plays. Don't bother sharing those opinions with me. If you do, you'll be immediately blocked.

If you try to insinuate that I feel one way or another about any political or social issue and weaponize that insinuation, I'll report your ass with a quickness and then block you.

I won't reply to, share, or otherwise entertain, any asks, comments, posts, reposts, or anything else you share in response to this or any follow-up post. You will win no fame and gain no ground here, so don't waste your time.

If you don't like my attitudes on this matter, you're welcome to unfollow and/or block me.

This is the first and last time I'll be addressing this matter in any form on this platform. Thank you for your time.

[whydoiwrite]

Did you see what Carli and HAO had to say about the NT after the game on Thursday? Do you agree?

Part 1:

Yes. I’m not going to comment on midfield shape etc. re HAO, mainly because I left at halftime and didn’t watch the second half of the game. I’ll say that JJ hid a lot of defensive problems for the team while still being able to spark the offense, and Vlatko hasn’t bothered to change tactics in response to losing her, but I’m tired to analyzing stupidity so that’s that on that, and at this point, I would look somewhere not Andi and I’m not kidding about that somewhere being Emily Sonnett or Crystal Dunn in midfield.

I’ve said what Carli said plenty of time privately and possibly publicly on this site, but here we go again.

Everyone saying they won in spite of Jill never knew what they were talking about. Jill, and Pia, created the training environment they needed to have the mentality to pushed them over the edge. Running them until they were about to break. Never letting them feel secure in their position. You’ve heard Kelley talk about players puking in training and Becky talk about how she felt one bad long ball away from being benched. Yes, Jill was wrong about say Christen for example, but she was wrong about very little. So much of the bitterness towards her comes from things I will always believe were out of her control (Pinoe kneeling, the way Hope was treated, even things she’s being blamed for now ie knowledge of abusive nwsl coaches) because she was under USSF’s thumb. She knew how to be hard when she needed to, she experimented when it was appropriate, she played players where they needed to play regardless of their feelings, she got rid of players that just weren’t it even if their friend and the fans didn’t like it, she admitted (with actions) when she was wrong, and she was soft when she needed to be, with people like Rose, for example, and with bringing Sonnett back in, because she saw the big picture. So yeah, maybe tactically and technically, Tony et al. deserve a lot of credit, but like Carli said, and I hate agreeing with her, you have to know that, mentality is way more important than soccer sometimes. When you’re talking about the elite level, you’re going to see very little difference in the technical side of the game amongst top teams, but it was not a mistake that the US scored in the what? first ten minutes or less of every WC ‘19 game until the final. That was a direct result of the way she coached them, the intensity and fire and “we will fucking destroy anyone in our path,” and “we need a bitch, get Kelley,” mentality that they had. And that came before Jill, too. Tony DiCicco didn’t give a shit, he was a hard ass. You’ve seen what Anson Dorrance has done for literal decades because he makes every single aspect of his program a competition AND posts results publicly. Kelley was about to lose her shit on press members over their doubts about Alyssa. Say what you want about Sonnett, but she would force someone to carry her off the field before she let her team down. Horan gets it, you see her playing through an injury that she shouldn’t be. Alex and Crystal get it. Pinoe’s aging body get it. Player after player after player from the beginning of time til 2019 has thrown their body around and played through pain and pushed as harder than they actually could because of the way they love each other. That fight for each other (or in Carli’s case, for herself) has pushed them over the edge. But that fight is embedded in training, and like I have said before, Jill gave those players a reason to bond (their hatred of her) so they could fight for each other. They were overprepared, in every aspect, for the 2019 WC, and I don’t mean overprepared like fucking planned subs.

Not be being told I ran out of room with my pre-7am rant. Hold please.

[yuexuan]

[Review]深渊对峙

Title: 深渊对峙 Standoff Within the Abyss

Author: 焦糖冬瓜

Length: 79 chapters + 1 extra

Rating: E

Tag: Crime, action

Summary:

Zhou Chou: The young elite of the interpol, known for his calm and restraint demeanor, along with his superb marksmanship. His future was supposed to be bright and boundless. Yet it stopped before a man as deep and dark as the abyss - Anson Lorenzo. 

When everyone fell to Anson’s charm and schemes, Zhou Chou was the only one that preserved a clear mind.

That is, until that explosion disrupted his life. 

He was transformed from an undercover agent of the Interpol into the heir of a wealthy family, and was ordered to approach this unfathomable man…

Anson Lorenzo: He enjoyed the extravagance of life. He believed in money and power. He was known for his ruthlessness and unpredictability. Most importantly, he didn’t believe in love -- because the real luxuries are things that can’t be bought with money.

But when he first met the young Asian Interpol, he knew that a ray of sunlight had fallen into his abyss, and he wanted to capture everything about him.

Novel | Audio drama

Comments **contains spoilers**:

Per the summary, the story largely follows the entanglement between Zhou Chou and Anson - before the explosion when Zhou Chou was still part of the Interpol, and after the explosion, when he assumed the role of Dion. 

Zhou Chou’s mission was simple: to act as a spy and root out the bosses behind MASSIVE, a company engaged in illegal smuggling of weapons. But to do so, he had to become part of the underworld. It didn’t help that Anson, an equally shady merchant, took interest in him.

Highlights:

As with many of Jiaotang Donggua’s novels, the majority of the characters are action-oriented. E.g. if a character likes the MC, they’ll just state it and pursue the MC rather than go in circles. Romance (if any) between characters tend to lean more towards lust than fluffy stuff, so expect a certain level of violence and dub/non-con between characters (especially MC and ML). Most of the characters are also morally ambiguous, if not on the antagonist’s camp - e.g. the ML dabbles in explosives and has planned numerous murders, but he is also willing to collaborate with the Interpol to supply them with information and weapons. 

I love the premise of the story - how Zhou Chou had to undergo surgery to alter his appearance to match Dion’s and fake the rich heir’s identity. It makes for tension whenever Zhou Chou interacts with other characters under his disguise.

The vibe of the novel is so early-danmei and nostalgic - It was written in 2012 and contains a lot of the tropes that are considered cringe/edgy by today’s standards lol Reading this is novel is like a trip down memory lane~

Things I don’t like

I shouldn’t have read this directly after reading another Jiaotang Donggua novel. The thing about her novel is, as much as the premise is interesting, the structure and direction are the same across novels: the MC is a heartthrob, the ML is an ass, all the other male characters want to get in MC’s pants, and there would be a ‘canon ash’ gong that is the bad guy but loves MC and would not bring any harm on the MC. I would say it’s better to space out reading her novels so that you don’t get tired of the same tropes and story structure. 

The main pairing lacks any dynamic and their relationship is super forced - in fact, up till the very end, Zhou Chou is still very much straight, and he still very much hates Anson. 

As I mentioned before, the way the novel is written is reminiscent of earlier danmeis, which can be nostalgic to read…for a bit until it becomes very cringe. I feel like the author is trying too hard to make the characters fit the masculine stereotype and depict them as overly serious. Despite having only 79 chapters, I had a hard time finishing the novel lol…

[ansonmountdaily]

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Strange New Worlds panel and Hall H sing Happy Birthday to Paul Wesley → San Diego Comic-Con, July 23 2022

Paul Wesley, who plays James T. Kirk on the show, celebrated his birthday on the day of the panel. His co-stars Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Celia Rose Gooding, Christina Chong, alongside executive producers Henry Alonso Myers, Alex Kurtzman and Rod Roddenberry, and the Hall H audience, sang him Happy Birthday, before a big Captain Kirk themed cake was revealed.

In another extended clip showing the same moment, Anson Mount says, "This is the second year in a row we've done this to Paul. Last year was on set!" And Paul laughs and says, "It's true!"

Source: hollywoodtv Twitter

[jewish-privilege]

[December 12, 2020] - For this year’s Hanukkah, Amir is lighting menorah candles and reciting blessings to celebrate the holiday’s eight nights, as many Jews are around the world.

But he does so in secret, worried that Chinese officials will come around – as they often do on religious occasions – to enforce a ban against Judaism, pressuring him to renounce his faith. Sometimes, he’s even called in for interrogations.

(...)

Since 2015, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has waged a harsh campaign against foreign influence and unapproved religion, part of a push to ‘Sinicise’ faith – ripping down church crosses and mosque onion domes, and detaining more than a million Muslims in the western Xinjiang region.

As well as Christians and Muslims, Mr Xi’s suppression has hit China’s tiny congregation of Jews, whose ancestors settled more than a millennium ago along the Yellow River in Kaifeng, then the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty.

That such a small group can attract the Communist Party’s ire shows how far the crackdown has spread. Only about 1,000 people in Kaifeng claim Jewish heritage, and of those, only around 100 or are practising Jews, experts say – barely a splash in China’s sea of 1.4 billion. Even at its peak in the 1500s, the community only numbered around 5,000.

“It’s government policy – China doesn’t want to recognise us as Jews,” one man, who dreams of training as a rabbi in Israel, told the Telegraph. “Their goal is to make sure the next generation doesn’t have any Jewish identity.”

At home, he teaches everything he knows to his child, just as his forebears – most likely merchants from Persia – did for generations.

In that way, Kaifeng’s Jewish heritage survived dynasties, wars, natural disasters and the Cultural Revolution, when many destroyed genealogical records to hide their lineage. It has also helped them manage without a rabbi for more than 150 years.

They are fighting to keep their history alive, even though “asserting their desires to be connected with their Jewish heritage falls afoul of the official [Chinese] position on unauthorised religions,” said Anson Laytner, a retired rabbi and president of the Sino-Judaic Institute.

(...)

Chinese authorities are also concerned about undue foreign influence if the Kaifeng Jewish community is allowed to build links with Jews abroad.

“In terms of numbers, it’s so insignificant, but in terms of potential attention, it’s much, much bigger,” said Noam Urbach, an Israeli academic who has studied the Kaifeng Jews. Their existence can “raise a lot of attention among the international Jewish community.”

In Kaifeng, stones engraved as far back as 1489 with the community’s beliefs and ancestry that used to mark a 12th-century synagogue have disappeared from a public exhibit.

An ancient well, believed to be the synagogue’s last ruins, has likewise vanished under a cloak of cement. The authorities have also torn down the city’s few Hebrew signs that once marked the Teaching Torah Lane.

In that same lane, a spot where a few dozen Jews – some of whom were government officials – used to meet for services is now plastered in propaganda about China’s “management of religious affairs.” They include reminders that Judaism is prohibited. A security camera is directed at the entrance.

(...)

The crackdown is so intense that Kaifeng residents are afraid to dine together in public. “It’s a small place,” one Jewish man said. “Restaurant managers know that we are the Jews, and they will report us to the authorities.”

Across the city, the remaining trace of Jewish heritage appears to be two tombstones with the star of David and epitaphs in Chinese and Hebrew – but even this, they fear, will soon be gone.

Yet the Jews in Kaifeng are remarkably resilient, and have found ways to keep their faith alive underground.

Each week, meetings are held in secret to celebrate Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.  Many don’t eat pork, though keeping fully kosher is risky and expensive. But for holidays, they pool money for kosher meat and wine procured through a network of friendly intermediaries.

At home, residents decorate with photos of Israel, stars of David and traditional Passover seder plates, and serve guests tea in jars that used to hold yahrzeit candles lit in memory of the dead.

(...)

Groups like Mr Laytner’s Sino-Judaic Institute and Shavei Israel had previously set up centres to teach Hebrew and Jewish history and traditions, and helped some to emigrate. But both groups were expelled a few years ago, among the first targets of the government crackdown.

Mr Laytner does not consider the suppression to be specifically anti-Semitic – a sentiment experts say is unusual in China. The country sheltered thousands of European Jews fleeing the Nazis, and today, many Chinese view Jews favourably, typecasting them as an affluent bunch in influential positions – bankers, politicians, lawyers, doctors, film directors.

“In fact, the history works in their favour, because Jews were treated like garbage all over the world, but the Chinese accepted them,” said Moshe Yehuda Bernstein, a researcher in Australia who has written on the Kaifeng Jews.

“It’s something the Chinese could be proud of, yet recently in this clampdown on unofficial religions, they’ve taken away all historical evidence of a Jewish presence in Kaifeng, which is absurd.”

China’s ministry of foreign affairs denied the “so-called suppression,” instead highlighting that it had once welcomed Jewish refugees in a written response to the Telegraph.

Kaifeng Jews hope Israel will support them, though they aren't considered Jews under Israeli law – after generations of inter-marriage, Judaism has not been consistently passed down the maternal line. Mr Laytner also doubts that Israel wants to jeopardise Sino-Israeli relations “for the sake of a couple of thousand people."

Indeed Israel has deepened trade ties with China over recent years. The Israeli embassy didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

But while those in Kaifeng insist they’re proud to be Chinese and only want to preserve their history and traditions, the crackdown has been very painful.

“We love our country; we’re not criminals; we just don’t eat pork,” said Amir, blinking away tears. “Why do we have to practice our faith in secret, and live floating on the fringes of society? It’s really hard to bear.”

[depressoexpresso-anon]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴀᴛᴏꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴꜱ

ᴀ ꜱᴛʀɪᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴀʟᴘʜᴏɴꜱᴇ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ

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⚠️ WARNING ⚠️

DRUGS, ALCOHOL, ADDICTION, ABUSE, SEXUAL IMPLICATIONS, SEXUAL SITUATIONS, LANGUAGE, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE, MENTIONS OF MENTAL ILLNESS, AND POSSIBILITY NSFW STUFF.

⚠️ VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED ⚠️

If you want to be on the tag list, just let me know in the comments!

Part 2 is a little about readers past

Part 1 /// Part 2 (You're here)

And yes, I added two songs. Why? Because I felt like it!

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'Rain' was something Y/N always enjoyed. Rain even though brought cloudy sad days, also brings life. Rain needs to be balanced. Too much can cause disasters and death. The day that it happened was rainy. Y/N wished that it wasn't a rainy day. If it wasn't, maybe they would still have the same love for them as before.

It was a few months ago when their heartbreak happened. You were walking in the rain, enjoying the weather with not a care about getting wet. You liked how it felt on your bare hands, and how it sounded when it hit your umbrella. Y/N also liked to splash the puddles with their yellow rubber boots. You were often called childish for this action, but you never cared. That was something he said he loved you for. The ability not to care what others felt.

It was your anniversary, and you got the perfect gift. It was a small watch that mimics the actions of a locket necklace. You also bought all the ingredients to make an excellent dinner for tonight.

You arrive at your small brick apartment that had small flowering vines growing on the side. You close your umbrella, shaking it out before walking inside the establishment. The architecture of the inside gave a vintage feel. With marble checkered style floors with a chandelier hanging in the small lobby area. The lobby was a small room that everyone used as a sort of wet room and it was also where all the mailboxes were kept as well. You set your wet boots and umbrella on your respected shelf and hurried upstairs.

Y/N liked where they lived. Sure it was a bit cluttered and small, but it felt lived in. Another plus is that the rent was cheap and the landlord wasn't cruel. You befriended the sweet old lady that was your landlord and went by the name Lily.

Lily and you both would often have little get-togethers on her fire exit balcony. You learned a lot about lily and her life. She would often tell you stories of her younger years and talk about both good and bad in her lifetime. One of the good parts was her grandson that she would brag about constantly. She told you that he opened up his own floral shop and how she was so proud of him. You loved to listen to her speak. She had a voice that was harsh yet kind that blended into one like her tea concoctions.

You rush up the stairs to your apartment to get everything started for your eventful evening. You put your groceries away and wrapped your gift perfectly. Now it was time to find the perfect hiding place for it while you still have time.

As you were about to hide your gift in your shared bedroom, you heard the front door open. You quickly hid in your closet. Your heart was racing with the fear of getting caught and ruining the surprise you had in store.

Sadly, Y/N wasn't prepared for what they would see. I mean, who wouldn't be prepared to see their boyfriend of 2 years fuck someone else on their bed.

Y/N watched from a crack in the closet door. Hateful tears running down their face as they felt the betrayal ripping their heart into pieces. Their hands over their mouth in shock and to prevent the harsh screaming in their throat.

As you watched you saw the physical features of the woman he has bedding. She looked tall and extremely fit, with long flowing hair. She was everything that you weren't. She was like a goddess while you were just some commoner.

They finally finished after a few minutes and rested for a bit before they started to clean up the mess that they made. You listened to the small conversation they had as they were getting dressed. "Thanks for the good time, babe." Said your now ex as he put on his shirt, adjusting it to look like nothing happened. "No problem, big boy. But, I need you to tell me something." The mistress said while putting on her undergarments. "When are you gonna leave your-uh- 'current situation' to finally be with me?"

Y/N's mind burned with questions. How long has this gone on? Did he even love me? Was all this just nothing? These thoughts ran circles through poor Y/N head as they listened.

"Oh I don't know, I wanna let them down slowly. We've been together ao long. I don't want to hurt them, you know?" But, what he didn't know was that the damage was already done and the hurt was sinking in like a knife to your chest.

Y/N waited in the closet for a long time. So long that your boyfriend already walked the mistress out the door, changed the sheets, and took a shower. You sat in the closet silent and shocked as you were thinking what your next move is. It took some time but, you finally made up your mind. He needed to go. On wobbly legs, you stood and walked out of the closet. You were ready to confront the one who you once loved and never really loved you back.

You walked into your living room to find him sitting on the couch watching tv, supposedly waiting for you to come home. You slowly walked up to him, not wanting to be noticed too soon, but a loose floorboard gave you away. He turned to you, the words 'happy anniversary' died in his throat as he saw the look on your face.

You had a sickening scowl on your face that was accompanied by tear-stained red eyes. "You need to leave. Now" Y/N hated how they sounded at that moment. Voice strained and raw. They cringed internally at how their voice sounded so pathetic and hurt.

That's when the fight began.

Y/N and their lover screamed and fought. Hurtful words and insults were thrown at each other. For a moment Y/N thought he was going to strike them. You had to physically shove him out the door along with some of his things. "I never want to see your fucking face anywhere near me again! And you can crawl right back to that whore that you were fucking earlier and sleep there!"

Those were the last words you said to him as you slammed the door in his face and locked it behind you. You slid down the door, sitting on the floor, as you listened to the petty insults and the pounding that your ex was throwing at you bedind the door.

As you hear him start to walk away from the door, you continue to slide and lay on the floor observing the chaos that was before you. The couch was flipped over along with some broken lamps and vase pieces that you both threw at each other.

Y/N laid in the remanence of their once loving home that has now turned into a room of hurt. Now too exhausted to move, Y/N fell asleep on the hard floor, listening to the rain.

After that night, Y/N fell into a deep depressive hole that felt no escape from. You didn't want to get up, you didn't want to do anything. You just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Sometimes your neighbors would come to your apartment to check up on you, but you would always say that you were fine. Lily would come and make you breakfast and chat sometimes. Your best friend would come as well staying with you almost all week to make sure you were ok.

You remember once she brought you some flowers and tea from a local flower shop to help you cope. In the end, you just watched the flowers wither and rot wishing you could do the same. You were going to make that happen.

It was a clear night with the moon full and beautiful. Y/n walked up the stairs wearing their best dress clothes with their hair combed up. It was going to be your last night alive, so one must dress appropriately to fit the occasion.

The apartment building was a few stories tall, it wasn't skyscraper tall but, it was enough to get the job done. Y/N stood at the ledge, hair blowing in the wind as they looked down below at the concrete below them. As they took a shaky breath ready to make the first step, Y/N heard that kind voice behind them.

"I hope I'm not interrupting something," It was a voice you wouldn't expect in a thousand years. Y/N carefully turned around on the ledge to find Lily standing behind them. Looking at Y/N with kind eyes.

Y/N would have never expected Lily to be here. It was even more of a shock that she looked at them with a kind glance, giving the position they were in. As you focused on lily you saw that she carried 2 foldable chairs, a blanket, and a thermos. Y/N questioned how she even carried that up all those stairs.

She propped both chairs open and took a seat mentioning you to come to sit next to her. You slowly climbed down from the tall ledge and made your way towards the old lady. You sat down next to her staring at the ground, not daring to look up at her face.

"How did you know I was up here?" You asked while holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "I read it in my tea leaves this morning dear!" She started chuckling at her statement as she threw a blanket over both of your laps.

She started to hum a soft unfamiliar toon as she grabbed her thermos pouring you a cup and handing it to you. You stare deeply into your cup as the warm floral liquid floods your nostrils.

"You know I know what you going threw right now." You look over at the woman speaking to find her looking up at the stars. "This is a story I refuse to tell because it hurts so much. So listen closely when I speek."

She took a shaky breath before she started her story. "It was a warm summer day, my husband and daughter thought it would be a good idea to go grab some ice cream together like when she was little. I remember her smile as she handed me her little Finn before she left. She had wild red hair with freckles that sparkled across her whole face, like her own personal galaxy." She paused smile faltering as she remembered.

"There was an accident. A drunk driver crashed into their car killing everyone. It tore me up inside. I lost the love of my life and the gift that he gave me. Sometimes I can see my daughter's face when I look into her son's eyes. Soon after the funeral, I adopted Finn and sold my house to move to the city. I took all of the insurance money and invested in this very building. Sometimes after I tucked Finn into bed I would walk up here, right up to the ledge just like you did. I would stand there and just think about what to do. I never jumped and I think a good reason is that I had to live for my grandson."

You finally let the tears stream down your face as you turned to look at Lily. Lily got up from her seat and sat in front of you taking your hand in hers. "Y/N listen to me when I say this, even though this breakup is hard right now and you don't know what to do with your life right now, you should never give up on your life. Not now or ever. Y/N you have so much life left in you and tomorrow is never granted but, take your time, go slow and you'll come through the other side stronger and happier than before."

She brought your hand towards her lips as she mumbled, "please stay alive for me at least." You felt her hot tears stream down her face as she wept into your hand. You both cried for what felt like hours but, this experience had brought you together way more than before.

You remember that night almost every day. It was like a reminder to never give up and keep looking forward. But as Y/N laid in bed could think about was the eventful evening they had with that man. The man at the bar. The man in a bunny outfit. The man who sat in their lap. The man with his light blue eyes and with a loving smile that felt oh so genuine. Thoughts of him flooded their mind. As they drifted off to sleep they finally made up their mind.

Y/N had to see Alphonse again.

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Taglist: @gay-jay @hawkshoney

Thank you for reading and stay tooned for part 3!

Love you guys! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜🖤

[damnredthing]

New Pike trailer - part 1

What a nice surprise! Just before I was about to head to bed today Paramount dropped another Pike trailer.

And I find myself grinning stupidly because I think I am onto something with my theory about that one episode... you know... the "Pike in bed with a woman that is not Vina" episode.

Here he's attacking one of the guards. Notice this is taking place topside in the garden:

Nice recovery from the slightly failed attack...

And here he's fighting (or more like knocking out) another guard. Notice this happens downside in the catacombs with the bright wires in the background.

It's good to see Pike gaining the upper hand in these scenes (although trailers have the habit of deceiving us). My guess is he's trying to rescue the boy from whatever.

The next scene had me laughing. Pike always asks the right questions!

lol

I remember how Anson talked about the make up work when he was prepped to play burnt Pike. How facsinated he was by the make up artists' skills, but how it also was so time consuming and he has great respect for Doug Jones for enduring this every morning. He said something along the line of he is not too keen on doing that again. I guess with this job Anson has to get used to it. 🤭

And the next gifs are just to enjoy without further comments because no further comments required.

[the-haven-of-fiction]

So I followed you for hiddles, and here I am becoming increasingly obsessed with the american variant and I’ve been watching SNW all week 😂😭 are there any of his other shows or movies you’d recommend?

Hiya! Well, I guess that's a hazard of following this blog these days.

As someone who only started paying attention to him when he was on Discovery in 2019, here are my thoughts...

I am not going to sit through every B movie he's made over the years. The Anson from 20 years ago, 15 years ago, maybe even 10 years ago doesn't appeal to me. Something has happened to this man as he has gotten older. It isn't just a physical aging, it's also his growth as an actor and I am sure he has also been impacted by life experience. He's just seasoned now and it is a thing of beauty.

I haven't watched Hell On Wheels because it appeared rather dire and depressing to me when I first heard about it and as much as I usually like seeing a good actor in distress, I often avoid something when it is the current good actor who has taken my fancy. However, there are five seasons to get through, so that could occupy you for a while. :)

If you've already seen SNW, I recommend giving Discovery a try. It's very different in some major ways, so be prepared. @happycabbage and I just watched his episode of CSI:Miami and he was what I thought he would be: a sort of semi-douchy suspect. I just today watched the episode of Law and Order he was on and I remembered it. I remembered thinking that the actor (I didn't know his name at the time) was great for the specifics of the character, it was perfect casting. Give that a whirl.

To sum up, having not seen his entire body of work, I would say his best years are now and I would watch the episode of L&O, Discovery and Hell On Wheels.

Okay, fine, I have one more comment...I saw a quote from him that he never got period pieces because casting directors told him that he looked too "contemporary" and that makes me very curious which roles he wanted and/or actually got to audition for but did not get.

I lied, I have another comment...like his OG, I really hope the future offers him more comedy because he has talent for it and that aspect of his skills has been under-used so far.

Thanks for the message!

[lean-mean-demon-genevieve]

I saw a weird comment made on one of Anson's posts where Gen called Shelby a babe and Anson said "✂️ 🤣" and Shelby said "it never stops 🤦‍♀️ 🤣" or something like that. Also with how Gen dresses like a man or grandma half the time, doesn't really seem to like kissing Jared but instead misses, does stupid things like the shower ad for towwn, the sex supplements, dildo photos, "post sex" photo, etc. Along with other things, I'm starting to question Gen's sexuality. Is it possible she's not straight but is bi or even a closet lesbian?

I want to be careful how I say this because I don’t think that assuming sexuality based on clothing choice is fair. And I’m not sure how that shower video or flaunting supposed sex with her husband would suggest anything other than heterosexuality.

Nevertheless, her sexuality has been debated for some time in certain circles. (The Campbell Ritchie AKA “Soup” Era is long gone, but not forgotten.)

What you’re describing is someone who is trying very, very hard to cosplay a happy het marriage. Almost like there’s something in it for her…but there are some cracks showing when you look for them. And with that, you’re so close to Tinhat Territory, but I’m not sure if that’s where you want to be.

[addictedtostorytelling]

Hello! Your in-depth analysis of Grissom x Sara is awesome. I have been reading your essays and watching the episodes again. It has given me a new perspective on every CSI Episodes with GSR verbal or non-verbal interactions ( Been on the GSR Ship since Scuba Doobie-Doo S02E05) I have a question about the CSI Vegas S01E01 where Sara Sidle chased Bill Dwyer on the street. Sara took a tumble and almost got hit by a car. Do you think Sara Sidle would have told Gil Grissom about her almost accident chasing a convicted felon given their 6/7 years or marriage? It's weird that it was never mention in the show again but Sara admitted to Grissom that she met Anson Wix. Grissom's reaction was alarmed by what happened her meeting with Anson Wix. Hope you can give your insight about this matter. Thank you.

hi, @hiei29!

thank you for your kind words! i'm glad to know that you enjoy my analyses.

re: your question:

i think sara does most likely tell grissom about her close call with the car for three main reasons:

because, as you note, by this point in their marriage, grissom and sara seem to be in the habit of telling each other everything, as we see when grissom reveals his landsickness to sara in episode 01x03 "under the skin" and when sara tells grissom about her run-in with anson wix in episode 01x08 "pipe cleaner," as well as when grissom makes a direct comment to chris park in episode 01x07 "in the blood" stating that he doesn't even try to keep secrets from his wife anymore (and sara smiles knowingly).

because if sara didn't tell grissom how she came by her photo of bill dwyer's license plate, she would have had a very hard time explaining to grissom the chain of events that led to dwyer's arrest, the discovery of the storage locker, the incrimination of david hodges, etc. otherwise; her chasing dwyer down and id'ing his vehicle was a crucial step in the way the rest of the case unfolded leading up to grissom's own arrival in vegas. (to the same point: the information would almost certainly be in the case report.)

because she's probably still a little sore/bruised when grissom arrives in vegas, and, again, she'd have a hard time explaining wherefore she was so without mentioning that she did a barrel roll across fremont street.

as for when she might tell grissom about her run-in, we can't be sure.

the timeline and logistics for grissom's arrival in vegas honestly doesn't make any sense per real-world logic—how does grissom supposedly make it from san diego to panama to peru to vegas in just a few days' time? and especially when the first two legs of the journey take place by boat? the flight from lima to vegas alone should have taken him at least twelve hours, and yet he seems to arrive in vegas fairly instantaneously once hodges is accused—so trying to pin down exactly when he hops on the plane to vegas relative to the phone call we see between him and sara in episode 01x01 "legacy" is an exercise in futility.

while sara may tell him about what happened over the phone sometime while he's still in south america, it's just as possible that he doesn't get the rundown until after he arrives in sin city.

as for how he reacts to this news, since he's only getting it ex post facto and sara obviously survived (albeit a bit worse for the wear, given the road rash), i'm sure that while he's retroactively afraid for her and probably a little bit alarmed that she would do something so dangerous—seriously, why is it that ever since they've been married, whenever sara comes back to vegas for a visit, she almost immediately ends up in a life-or-death situation of some kind (see episode 10x01 "family affair")?!—he's mostly just glad that she's okay and somewhat grateful that at least she did come up with a new lead in the case for her troubles.

he knows who he's married to; wouldn't be his wife if she weren't being stupidly brave about something.

he might scold her a bit for her recklessness—especially because she wasn't armed at the time of the chase—but he also probably shows her some sympathy/tlc for her sore arm.

anyway.

those are my two cents.

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time!

[lifewithchronicpain]

…Nearly 10,000 comments have been received so far, with many blaming the federal government for the drug shortages -- not monopolies, middlemen or lack of competition. Drawing the most criticism is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which sets annual production quotas for opioids, stimulants and other controlled substances. The CDC and FDA also came under fire from frustrated patients.

“The heavy-handed failure of the FDA/DEA to properly and ethically manage the uptick in ADHD prescriptions is creating a crisis on par with their equally underhanded failure in managing the opioid crisis,” wrote Matti Dupre. “Hardworking Americans are left looking at the individuals leading these organizations as a source of pain rather than as a means of support.”

“Millions of people are having a hard time getting their prescription opioid medications filled at pharmacies now. Why? Because the DEA have cut production down so low, pharmacies can't get what they need to fill our prescriptions,” said Candi P. “Wake up! Stop playing with our lives!”

“The government has gone way too far, with their guidelines and regulations regarding opioids,” wrote Julie Anuskewic, who has a painful immune system disorder. “My pain is not controlled because the CDC has scared all doctors into not prescribing. It’s bad enough that they have destroyed the doctor-patient relationship. Now they are destroying the patient-pharmacist relationship.” (Read more at link)

[the-yearning-astronaut]

I don't know why your answer to my ask won't even let me comment back. But - yep, I hear ya. That's why I had to give up ever trying to be in Star Trek groups. They're so toxic against Discovery, much less Disco's canon status. I agree, they explained it perfectly how Disco is canon and Spock never told anyone about Michael, nor did anyone else ever speak of the spore drive and ship. I thought it was brilliant. And more than that, it is giving us Strange New Worlds. My fave trek from 1966 through Discovery was Disco S2 and Pike and Spock. I joined the voices that begged the franchise for Anson/Pike and Ethan/Spock to have their own series. I feel certain as soon as SNW premieres, it will quickly catapult to the top of my fave Treks list!

Ah, that might be due to my settings or something, sorry about that!

Back in 2018 when Discovery was just finishing up its first season I actually made a Star Trek Discord specifically for fans of AOS and Discovery because I was so tired of seeing the toxicity directed at the both of them. It's quiet now -- 2020 sorta stifled it I think. But it was a great little community.

I wasn't raised on Star Trek but AOS got me into not only the franchise but also astronomy and physics; the first two films were my comfort movies during college. Discovery is what brought me back into the fandom years later -- just in time for me to go back to college to finish a physics degree. Both are very dear to me and it's frustrating to see the way they're treated (and the way their fans are treated).

I absolutely adore Disco S2. Ethan Peck plays an amazing Spock and Anson Mount's Pike is certainly one of my favorite captains (tbf I have three captains and they're all my favs chdjc). I was certainly hoping for a spin off series before s2 had even finished airing lmao. I'm incredibly excited for Strange New Worlds and also apprehensive about how Star Trek 'fans' will treat it. I think how readily it's accepted as part of canon will say a lot about the fandom :/

Discovery itself has certainly found it's own footing in seasons 3 and 4, too! Now that it's unbound by that narrow space in the previously established timeline I think it's truly shining. The themes of both seasons have really hit home for me and I think they embody all Star Trek ideals in the best ways.