#dept. of speculation

[the-ephemeral-ethereal]

But now it seems possible that the truth about getting older is that there are fewer and fewer things to make fun of until finally there is nothing you are sure you will never be.

from Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

[destyni-is-me]

03/20/2024

Hello hello!!! I have read another book for class!

This one was called Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offil! It was so good and unique in structure that I was about halfway through it when I decided I needed to recommend it to others. One of those books that will be good no matter what the ending is.

And I was right to feel that way, though the ending left me a bit...

Anguished?

The entire situation sucked for the wife, but I understand her actions.

I also learned a lot of fun facts! Or not fun... interesting. Like how the Manicheans believed the world was filled with imprisoned light thst were the fragments of a God who destroyed himself because he no longer wished to exist, and their mission was to release it from the plants, animals, and people keeping it trapped. (Paraphrasing from page 23).

Really great book! Definitely one I'll look at again someday, I think.

[atomicrebelfire]

✍️Tommy Kinard: Speculating His Rank in the LAFD (Canon + Structural Analysis) 📊📋🧵

📍TL;DR: Based on canon clues and real-world LAFD structure, Tommy Kinard is most likely a 🎖️Fire Helicopter Pilot V—the highest pilot classification. His career path is unusual: he started in suppression at the 118 before transitioning into Air Ops using his Army flight experience.

-----------------At your own risk- Lets Spiral-----------------------------

While the show hasn’t explicitly stated his rank, there are enough visual, behavioral, and contextual clues/crumbs to build a solid case for where he fits within the LAFD—especially given the real-world structure of Air Operations.

Similar to Tommy’s military-to-LAFD career timeline, this is meant to be both canon-compliant and grounded in how the real LAFD operates, in order to build a plausible theory around Tommy’s role, rank, and seniority. It’s part character study, part structural breakdown.

🔍 Canon Facts/Clues (What We Know)

Tommy is introduced in S2 as a ground firefighter at the 118, and reintroduced in S7 as a helicopter pilot at Harbour Station.

In 7x04, he tells Buck that he used to be a pilot in the Army.

He has over 20 years of service in the LAFD (stated on-screen based of begins episodes).

He has taken helicopters out without formal clearance (7x03, 8x15). While reprimanded afterward, the fact that he has the access and autonomy to do so is notable.

He is seen launching without escort, clearly trusted to operate independently and justify his decisions after the fact.

He casually offers to teach Buck how to fly (7x04), suggesting he holds—or is qualified for—a trainer or flight instructor designation.

In 7x06, Tommy arrives at the hospital in turnout gear, soot-covered, after a fire at Angeles Crest. Raising questions about whether he was working suppression or Air Ops.

In 8x15, Tommy performs evasive maneuvers while being pursued by military helicopters—diving low, climbing high, and weaving between towers—as part of an aerial diversion to buy time and deflect pursuit.

In 7x03, Tommy helps Hen bypass red tape by taking a helicopter without official approval, offering only a vague line about Central Bureau and brushing off objections from Melton.

🚁 How Most LAFD Pilots Get There

In real life, becoming a helicopter pilot in the LAFD follows a specific and highly competitive path:

Most candidates begin with military flight experience or are already civilian-rated pilots (e.g., with commercial or instructor licenses).

However, even military pilots must first complete four years of full-time suppression duty within LAFD before becoming eligible for Air Ops roles—there are no direct-entry exceptions.

That said, their military flight hours and FAA qualifications do count toward pilot certification requirements, making them strong candidates once they transition.

They are hired into pilot trainee roles (Fire Helicopter Pilot I or II) and must pass rigorous evaluations.

Air Operations is a separate track—pilots do not typically come from suppression (ground firefighting) units.

As a result, most LAFD pilots have never served on engines or trucks.

Pilots usually work 12-hour shifts (day or night), typically on a 4-on, 4-off schedule, and remain on-call at the airport rather than responding on the ground.

🧩 Real-World LAFD Air Operations Structure

LAFD helicopter pilots are classified under the following civil service ranks:

Fire Helicopter Pilot I or II - Pilot Trainee Roles

Fire Helicopter Pilot III – Entry-level pilot

Fire Helicopter Pilot IV – Senior operational pilot

Fire Helicopter Pilot V – Training/lead pilot (sometimes informally called “chief pilot”)

These ranks are lateral to suppression-side ranks like Firefighter, Engineer, or Captain. While pilots typically don’t carry the "Captain" title unless cross-trained—but senior pilots often operate with comparable authority within their unit.

🧭 Why Tommy’s Path Is Unusual

Tommy’s trajectory breaks the mold in several important ways:

He began his LAFD career in suppression, working as a firefighter at the 118.

Only later did he transition to Air Ops, requalifying based on his Army flight experience.

This kind of cross-track shift is rare—most suppression-side firefighters never move into aviation roles, especially after years on the ground.

🔄 Update (Post-Publication): As clarified by a kind commenter, all LAFD helicopter pilots must begin in suppression roles. So Tommy’s path actually aligns with departmental requirements.

What still makes him stand out, though, is how long he remained in suppression—over a decade—before switching tracks. That kind of deep dual experience is rare.

He’s probably one of the few who might have earned credibility in both areas: the fireground and the flight deck.

This dual-track background probably makes him a unique versatile asset with extensive experience to the department.

🧵 What That Tells Us About Tommy

Tommy’s military aviation experience likely included high-risk flying, tactical decision-making, and possibly training roles—skills that directly translate to LAFD Air Ops.

He entered the LAFD through standard firefighter routes—like all Air Ops pilots must—but instead of transitioning to aviation early, he stayed in suppression for over a decade before requalifying as a pilot. (But why?! 💭🤔)

That makes his path both rare and earned.

His ability to take out helicopters independently, despite the fallout, signals a level of seniority and operational trust only afforded to top-tier personnel.

His offer to teach suggests a CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) license or LAFD-equivalent designation, reinforcing that he may also serve in a training or mentoring role.

Tommy might still be dual-certified (implied by full turnout gear after the Angeles Crest response. (Or the show forgot he’s a pilot?!)🫨🤐)

His evasive flying during the diversion mission —dodging military helicopters —points to tactical or combat-style flight training. Possibly special ops. (So sexy.😘)

He’s senior enough and holds enough field authority or just bold enough to fake it to casually override protocol with a “You didn’t get the call?” deflection.

🧠💥 Conclusion: Most Likely Rank 🎖️

Tommy Kinard is almost certainly a Fire Helicopter Pilot V, or at the very least, a senior Pilot IV on the cusp of promotion. He’s not formally titled “Chief Pilot,” but functionally operates as one—with over two decades in LAFD, firsthand suppression experience, and the kind of authority and autonomy that reflects a deeply trusted position and seniority to push limits.

He may not wear Captain’s bars, but between his dual-track career, leadership instincts, and ability to push protocol when it counts, he clearly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the station’s most senior personnel. 💬 If I missed something or misread a clue, feel free to correct me (kindly)—or share your own version. Always open to digging deeper. After all… the writers clearly aren't worried about consistency. 😌

📎PS: 🤷‍♂️ All of this is, of course, pure speculation—built off canon clues/crumbs, real-world LAFD structure, and my completely healthy, not-at-all obsessive need to spiral over every background detail the show refuses to explain. I know 9-1-1 isn’t always that deep (and sometimes barely tries). Don’t worry, I’m seeking a therapist. 🙃👩‍⚕️ learning to chill.😎🪭

if you read till the end 🫡 & don't ask why we needed to know all this!

✨ Update: Added more canon evidence from 8x15 and 7x03 that reinforce Tommy’s seniority + elite training 👀🚁 (That somehow got lost in my Excel-to-Tumblr exchange. Damn. I need to stop. I’m putting myself in a time-out. Bye.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS 2: Okay, so I did mess that up🤣—turns out all LAFD pilots need to start in suppression for 4 years, and someone kindly pointed that out (thank you!! 🙏). Just to clarify, this post isn’t absolute fact—I don’t have a firefighting background, just sharing what I could find. Also, I am not from USA. please take all of this with a grain of salt. this is just a fun exercise. I've now learned even more about fire department structures than I ever planned to.

Seriously guys, stop enabling me 😭 I should be updating my resume, not drafting municipal org charts for fictional men.

[bylerposting]

so I finally got around to watching LSOH (the 1986 film dir. Frank Oz) for the first time today and like... is that you, audrey II?

[mags-yaps]

can we pls get street fighter!eddie back just so that someone can beat the sht out of capt gerrard in the next ep? (and maybe this is how eddie gets isolated from the team cuz he gets kicked for protecting them 👀)

[lesbianboyfriend]

oh my god was my class dropped bc of ron desantis

[chicago-geniza]

YES found the record of Stef giving a lecture at WWP in 1928 about new directions in contemporary education and I am 98.9% it's adapted from a paper she presented at a pedagogy conference, which I've read--that or she gave the WWP lecture first and the conference presentation second. But same content I think. Need to consult my notes and compare then cross-ref dates

[krsonmar]

When Blackbonnet finally happily reunite, I need some of the comedy of having one partner with long hair to be portrayed as part of the show. I have been the long-haired half of a couple, the awkardness is a gift that keeps on giving. Ed's hair needs to repeatedly get caught on just one whisker of the Steard and combed out in a trail behind Ed awkwardly as he pulls away from a kiss. We need bracing sea breezes temporarily impairing Stede's ability to see because his boyfriend is standing next to him and upwind. Rhys better get unintentionally well-acquainted with how that wig tastes in the middle of what was about to be a spot-on line delivery, and not just in the blooper reel.

[the-final-sentence]

The book calls to mind another proverb, this one from Madagascar: Marriage is not a tight knot, but a slip knot.

Roxane Gay, from “Bridled Vows (Jenny Offill’s Dept. Of Speculation)”

[nyctarian]

Jenny Offill, Dept. of Speculation

[rabbits-of-negative-euphoria]

I have great respect for Samuel Sey, but I am skeptical of this tweet, on 2 counts.

The first being, exactly which policies can HHS undo or enact? The only one I can think of would be to repeal the coverage Obamacare provides in certain states for abortion in the cases of rape & incest. Other states are already allowed to prohibit the ACA from covering any abortions at all. Trump has been clear he does not want to touch the abortion issue since it has been returned to the states, so I find it difficult to believe anyone he appointed would challenge the White House on that. On top of that, last time he took office, Congress tried to pass a bill which would virtually repeal Obamacare itself, which they can now attempt again since we have a fully Republican government this time.

The second being, I don’t think RFK Jr. has any personal beliefs about abortion. He first got into hot water with his Democrat base in 2023 for voicing support for a 3-month abortion ban. His campaign walked it back, and then he got in hot water with his Republican base for saying he didn’t support any restrictions on abortion. His campaign walked that back, too. He finally settled on a vague viability stance and called third-trimester abortions “gruesome.”

I just don’t see him being a significant impediment to pro-life measures that are clearly best taken through Congress rather than cabinet.

You can support Trump’s presidency and hold his administration accountable at the same time.

There is good reason to be very concerned about RFK Jr being the Secretary of HHS.

[thedialoguedilemma]

The Dilemma Bulletin: Wednesday February 5th, 2025

Keeping you informed about the daily events of the Trump Administration

President Donald Trump held a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu where he reaffirmed his stance on forcing Palestinians to relocate to Egypt and Jordan and then occupying the Gaza Strip under United States control. Trump boasted that Gaza would be the “Riviera of the Middle East” This is a full on support of ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.

Congressional Democrats held a press conference and protested In front of the US Treasury after Elon Musk and 6 college students unlawfully gained access to sensitive information and payment distribution systems. Multiple lawsuits against Musk are being filed as we speak.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) announce all packages and parcels from China and Hong Kong have been suspended until further notice. Reason is speculated to be because of Trump’s tariffs.

Republicans have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to ban OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration) This department ensures workplace safety and health within the workforce.

Trump signs an Executive Order withdrawing the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council with further explorations in withdrawing from the United Nations altogether.

The White House is drafting up plans to eliminate the Department of Education. This would be detrimental to underrepresented communities who look to the DOE for protections against discrimination, civil rights and school funding. Dozens of employees have already been placed on leave.

President Donald Trump is exploring options to send American prisoners to El Salvador. This would remove Constitutional protections for prisoners which could ultimately lead them to be subject to various human rights abuses.

The CIA has offered buyouts to all federal employees. Trump continues to purge longtime federal employees from the government in unprecedented and unlawful ways.

All USAID federal employees could be placed on administrative leave as soon as Friday.

The Senate Finance Committee has voted to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Dept of Health and Human Services. His confirmation now heads to the main Senate for a vote.

-

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

Are animals lonely?

Other animals, I mean.

jenny offill, dept. of speculation

[pen-and-umbra]

Here’s a particular detail to wonder about. How does Sephiroth gain access to the Jenova chamber when he arrives at the Mako reactor after pillaging Nibelheim?

We don't see him using any keycards or entering any passwords. There are no mechanical locks or keys to speak of. We don't see him tampering with any remote terminals in the mansion or the reactor itself. There is no indication that he is using voice commands either. He simply says "Mother, I have come for you. Now, open the way for me", and it magically opens after he's dealt with Tifa.

Interestingly, there is an odd device attached in front of the Jenova tube that resembles the entity and appears to be linked to some type of circuitry. When Sephiroth plucks it away, we see tubes and cables rupturing and leaking liquid.

Based on the FFVII Remake, we know that Hojo had extensively experimented with Jenova cells, even imbuing machinery with them, as witnessed at the Drum. The evidence suggests that its organics can, in some cases, interact with various devices.

This raises the question whether Jenova's chamber was connected to the entire reactor complex, or at least the portion housing the test subject pods. If this is true, the phrase "Now, open the way for me" takes on a far more sinister meaning. Even more disturbingly, it raises yet another troubling possibility. Who's to say that if Jenova could tamper with the sealed door, it couldn't also tamper with the pod system? In other words, what if the creature was responsible for the entire alleged "reactor malfunction"?.. [some additional speculation on Jenova being “awake”]

Another potential conspiracy theory emerged immediately after the original game was released. What if Hojo orchestrated the Nibelheim mission? While there is no solid evidence that Hojo or his assistants recently visited the site (the townspeople would have likely noticed the visit or the helicopters heading towards reactor H-pad), Sephiroth goes out of his way to emphasize that the Nibelheim reactor is unique in that it is under Research & Development jurisdiction rather than Urban Development dept.

R&D most likely had a remote monitoring/control system for the chamber environment. Hojo, in particular, has expressed an interest in Palmer's testimony that Sephiroth was seen walking the halls of ShinRA headquarters, famously stating that he would like to see Sephiroth and Aerith produce an offspring.

Later in OG, Hojo was shown to be fascinated by his pet theory of Reunion being played out. As a result, it's not unreasonable to speculate that Hojo may have specifically arranged for Sephiroth to be dispatched to Nibelheim to observe Jenova specimens come into contact and its corollary. If there were security cameras in the Jenova chamber, Hojo might have been able to remotely unlock the door [upon seeing Sephiroth approach].

It is indeed a terrifying possibility that Hojo could be directly responsible for the Nibelheim tragedy. Before Crisis Core and Genesis, In OG, prior to Genesis stuff being introduced, it seemed suspicious to send two top SOLDIER members to a remote and dilapidated reactor to investigate reported monster sightings.

@pen-and-umbra

[henrysglock]

The Mirror Isn’t A Mirror At All. It’s Something Else.

Now, this single screenshot is part of a far larger (possibly multi-part) post about El's entrance into NINA and the different versions of the rainbow room we're show.

In short, even the "identical" shots aren't exactly the same. For example:

And bits we think are simply shot in a mirror:

Aren't "mirrored" at all, once you compare the surrounding items:

(Not to mention the color grading swap...okay, I guess!!)

So many of these objects change so often and for no apparent reason that I've actually had to make a spreadsheet to keep it all straight (which will likely go in the bigger/more comprehensive post).

What I want to look at in this post, though, starts with this particular shot, where we get to see the same part of both rooms at the same time with the mirror.

Do we see it? No? That’s okay, it took me a full year to catch it.

Let me point it all out:

But wait. That's not how mirrors work. Even if the kids change a little, actors and fabric folds aside...the objects should at least be identical, right? Right?

Unless it's not a mirror at all. Unless it's something else.

With the context of the second, conjoined rainbow room, in mind:

I'd like to bring up another piece of weirdness this all ties into.

The Lighting.

Do we see it?

No? Still totally fine, this was something I didn't pay much mind to until Em pointed out to me a few days ago.

I, at least, went "Huh. That's not how wall mirrors typically work, alternate universes aside. Typically the shadowed side is toward the mirror, unless there's a new light source".

Which of course there is:

This shot is lit with light coming through the mirror.

So it's either that we've got originals and doubles in the same universe, just on opposite sides of the mirror (à la "Us"), or it's this kind of deal:

The window between universes, which ends up spiderweb-cracked just like our weird mirror.

In one universe exists one baby El, and in the other universe exists the other. Same with Teen El, same with the Henwards.

So with one room being more brightly lit than the other, I'm left wondering if it's not light from the other universe coming through a window between universes:

Which would also tie in with this "through the mirror" bullshit they pull in the massacre sequence...which I spoke about in more dept in the post I've linked here.

Long story short: The mirror is not a mirror at all.

A brief closing note: This all casts some major speculation on the baby we see in the second set of flashbacks, whose gown doesn't match any of the gowns we see in the Henward-El fight.

[tsunamiholmes]

My favorite part about the Oregon Parks Dept. Twitter coming back, besides the eluding to new Gravity Falls content of course, is being the ONLY PERSON to receive a reply from the account.

Is it because I found the Cipher statue originally, Alex? Or am I just lucky? Alex now people are speculating that I have something to do with it, why would you do this to me. Sir.