#do I treat myself to the LP?

[radiowallet]

I've listened to So Much (for) Stardust with cheap ass headphones, in my car at full volume, and with my airpods. I have now moved on to the airpod max headphones and I'm honestly screaming at how good it sounds. I'm sorry but not really that I can't shut up about this album. It's so good and I don't know what to do.

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

i may or may not have just spent too much money on arctic monkeys albums under the guise of self care (again)

[jeweled-blue-eyes]

I was musing with some friends the other day, and I thought our thoughts would be interesting to talk about. In WMMAP, Jennette basically takes on the role of LP!Athanasia. She has a more downcast, gentle disposition, contrasting WMMAP!Athanasia's lively and sunny 'personality'. And I say that in quotes because she basically took Jennette's personality, eventually making her own spin on it and turning into the sunshine personification we know and love as Athy. She even said as a kid that Claude liked Jennette, so she should act like Jennette (therefore starting her lovey-dovey act with Claude). There's tons of scenes showing how lonely Jennette is. She's deserate for a family, like LP!Athy was desperate for her father's love (her family). She clings onto our Athy, and even though she's kind to Jennette, she still leaves her completely in the dark and alone, until the end of the series. And on a similar note, Athy.. Knew about Jennette's identity and situation the entire time. Jennette had been told her entire life that she is Claude's daughter and Athy's sister, and Athy knows this, but she still leaves her to stand. Repeatedly, she acts loving and happy with Claude right in front of Jennette's face, and treats her like an outsider. (Example; when she fell in the lake and Claude almost let her drown, or episode 82 when Jennette asks if Claude is alright, and Athy tells her to go home). This also applies to the Debutante Ball- While Athanasia shines that day, Jennette is left behind by both Claude and Athy. Athy knows all about her, but lets Jennette watch her act close with Claude, and then scurries off with him leaving her behind. Of course, this isn't to bash Athy or anything, she was in survival mode at the Debutante. And a lot of times around Jennette, she was paranoid that the 'plot' would fall back into place somehow. I'm just pointing out some things. I know that some people will go "Well in LP Jennette got her happy ending, and Athy didn't!!!" But that isn't true. Athy doesn't know what the ending is of LP, and we're shown through visions/dreams that LP certainly didn't have a happy ending. (The Empire burning down, Claude getting sick, etc). I can only really assume that has to do with Aeternatas. They both die a miserable death. We can assume that when Anastacius shows up in LP, like shown in the visions, Jennette realizes at some point she's been lied to her entire life by the people she loves. And then dies, though I'm not sure in what way, we just see the empire in fiery shambles after. Additionally - Claude never even loved Jennette, he just used her to cure his headaches. So Jennette never "stole" his love from Athy. In WMMAP, though, our girls both finally get their happy endings. Athy wins Claude's love, and becomes Crown Princess. Jennette finds happiness with her real father and gets to start over in Mieta, while also taking on her mother's green eyes - which I see as her making peace with the past she thought she knew, and no longer needing to hold onto the Imperial family. I really don't get it when people compare Athy and Jennette, in "who suffered more", or "who is better than who". Aside from WMMAP being a father-daughter story, I argue that it can also be seen as a story about 2 girls finding their happy endings.

(side note: controversial, but I always find myself feeling more bad for Jennette than I do Athy TvT I think it's because we only ever see LP!Athy's suffering from very far away, we rarely even see her face, and we usually just see our happy-go-lucky WMMAP!Athy. Meanwhile we see Jennette's hardships more closely, making me feel more bad for her. That's just how I feel tho!!)

I don't like putting two girls against each other in trauma olympics but if you want to insist one of them had it worse than the other, the answer should be Jennette and not Athy. Jennette was never loved for who she was, she had to witness the death of her family one by one until she was the only one left behind amidst the destruction of her home country to either die a violent death or become Aeternitas meat puppet, an accessory to his crimes and forced to witness him committing atrocities through her but powerless to stop him.

At least lp Athy had Lily, Jennette had no one. I feel like LP Athy was a lot freer too. LP Athy's lack of magic saved her from court intrigue and being used as a tool by greedy nobles wheras Jennette was manipulated from the start. Athy could pursue her own interests and these happened to align with the duties of an Empress, contrary to Jennette who never wanted to rule but was forced into intense studies to learn everything a princess should know.

I never fully understood why Athy didn't just tell Jennette the truth about her parentage. Leaving the part out that Jennette is a construct made of black magic, she could have at least told her Anastasius is her real father and warned her that if she revealed her identity, Claude might harm her. Lucas, as the magician of the tower, could confirm her words. Jennette would stop seeking him out and if Athy continued their friendship, Jennette's need for familial love would still be satisfied. They could have been both happy together. There were no advantages to keeping it a secret, only disadvantages and the risk she would lose Jennette's trust if she ever learned that Athy had deceived her.

[yuikomorii]

Greetings, I come with late night ramblings abt diabolik lovers. Big fan of your blog, I really like the side of the fandom which discusses the characters

Sometimes i wonder what it was like for the mukami bros to turn into vampires. Since vampires look so similar to humans the fact that they are a different species really slips my mind sometimes.....

So sometimes I find myself wondering what that psychological shift was like. The mukami bros were all pretty young and had grudges against humans in some way when they were turned, so parting with their humanity wasn't on their minds I think lol.

But despite spending lot of their childhood/puberty around vampires they still do act a lot more human like than the sakamakis. Granted, the sakamakis def have a lot trauma that compromises their ability to have any type of healthy relationship. But characters like ayato suggest that vampires aren't inherently incapable of the more "human" emotions (don't rlly know a good word for it mb).

I do remember ruki saying somewhere that because he is weak he stays with his family (not the only reason ofc, but having to band together/find strength in numbers to survive is a very human-like thing), yet he and his bros abandoned being human/ hold some level of resentment for humanity.

Anyways all that to say the mukami bros have an interesting relationship with their "humanity" and I'm overanalyzing characters in an otome game of which the lore is constantly retconned. Complicating this is the fact that we don't have a "average" or "normal" vampire to compare with

Also reject totally missed an opportunity to make a character that didn't want to be turned into a vampire, and had to struggle with the changes.

// Hello, thank you for enjoying my blog!<3

Hmm… If the person who becomes a vampire is kind-hearted and mentally stable enough to avoid wishing revenge upon someone or using their newfound vampire status as an excuse to treat people badly, I sincerely doubt that the psychological transition from human to vampire would hit that hard. Trauma caused the Mukami brothers to develop such a vicious nature, exactly like Yui in HDB did at one point when, as a result of being mentally broken, she started killing people in an After story. While pure-blood vampires do have their own set of morals and they obviously need blood to survive, I wouldn’t say they are inherently evil, taking into account that in LP and VC, some vampires were nice to Yui and the Diaboys. They are indeed predators, that’s something they can’t control no matter how much they try, but not all of them are malicious.

The Mukamis got rid of their humanity but they still kept acting like humans around one another because, after all, that’s how they were initially accustomed to. As for the Sakamakis… due to trauma as well, they were pretty twisted since childhood. I mean, most of them were the main cause something bad happened to any of their brothers in the past, therefore it’s to be expected that their relationship is not a healthy one. However, vampires are actually capable of experiencing human emotions, and Ayato is the living example of this given that he is confirmed as being the most human-like out of all due to the fact that he was already capable of displaying these emotions prior to meeting Yui (for example: wanting to sacrifice himself for his brothers, ruining Karl’s blue rose so as Cordelia wouldn’t get sad, crying when Cordelia died and, most importantly, valuing his life). Additionally, a vampire will begin to experience human emotions the more Eve's blood he consumes, so... that's basically part of the plan, according to what Karl said in Ayato’s DF route.

I wouldn't say the Mukamis hate humans; they held a grudge against aristocrats, but not humans in general, because they only see them as an inferior species. As for Ruki, the reason he would feel weak without his family isn’t only due to banding together or finding strength in number but rather it’s about them as his emotional support. Kou, Yuma, Azusa respect, praise and accept Ruki with all his qualities and flaws, therefore feeling needed and appreciated is actually what makes Ruki strong.

[lupinehills]

I’m rebranding myself! 😆

I know I’ve been MIA for awhile now.. we live far north, and get very harsh winters. Our pipes burst and we were without water for over a month! In that time I unfortunately lost a lot of interest in my new LP on yt. I had several recording issues and attempted several times to record a third episode. For the time being I will not be posting anymore of that LP. I’ve been finding my love for the sims again now that I’m not so stressed out! Made a new sim self that I’ve been playing with and having so much fun doing so! Hope the new year is treating everyone greatly and I hope to start posting more and being more active🤍

[ladypeonies]

Hello! I hope you’re doing well. Is it okay to share my thoughts on Apo from yesterday? People say ‘let him do what he wants.’ And of course! He can and should do what he thinks is best, absolutely. I’m sure he has his reasons and I applaud him for doing what he wants. (I could learn from him there.) What he did yesterday wasn’t just using the company tag. He used it 40+ times to an extent he’s never been close to any other time. It feels hard not to see that as a quite pointed thing to do. And it made me feel sad and guilty that I don’t have it in me to support the other man there yesterday. I love Apo so much but being a fan doesn’t mean that I have to love everything he does? I’m a little confused and lonely and see that having these feelings aren’t seen as valid. I don’t have your way with words. But I struggle with what happened yesterday and I hope I can get past it soon. Have a lovely day and thank you for your time.

Hello,

I’m fine thank you, I hope you are fine as well. I think these past weeks have been challenging for many in the MA fandom. There was a lot of toxicity, anger and bottled up feelings. The thing is so many fans are projecting things onto Apo. By posting so many times he isn’t chastising you or trying to control, HE IS NOT. It’s not an attempt of manipulation or to make you feel guilty.

One anon sent me this which is very true:

‘The main issue with fans is thinking apo is trying to force/control fans when it’s the opposite. How many times has fans disobeyed him and yet he leaves them be and calls us cute and just spreads love. All apo does is show support like he always had since boc started even Filmania era. He does his thing then the next day is like it never happened he treats fans sweetly despite the outrage/resentment they throw at him.’

Your feelings are valid, you love him and you want to please him but it contradicts with your beliefs. But what you believe in comes first, always. You have your own free will and Apo has his own. And he knows that every time he supports BOC in any way he gets hate, yet he still does it more than any other artist out there to my knowledge.

You need to support whom you want to support. If Apo comes to me personally asking me to trend for the other person, I would tell him you are cute but no, because I’m my own person. I won’t betray myself for one person not even for Apo Nattawin that I admire. Supporting an artist doesn’t mean you have to agree with them 100% and be what you think, they want you to be. A fandom isn’t a cult, be you, do you and support who you want.

Try not to be too invested in all this, Apo will be fine, but what about you? If you feel that way, it means that perhaps you need a break, step away from social media and take a deep breath, take care of yourself.

Have a great day,

LP.

[mundrakan]

For the WIP game, I am curious about Crossover.

Not Crossover, but Crossing. It's a Snack AU, and crossing... that's the boundary between Muggles and Wixen. In other words it's a amnesia AU. Little snippet for a treat:

The bedroom more than anything screamed underage, and if Severus hadn't just barely rode the line, he would have felt bad about it. The was a students desk with writing supplies and school books scattered all over it, there was a bed that wasn't meant for two people, there were band posters and LP covers on the walls, all carefully pinned down like religious icons. They hadn't been particularly quiet as they entered the house, but they hadn't been loud either. “Everyone is sleeping,” was all explanation he got, for now. It was enough, he wouldn't do this. Not after... The other, now that he could actually see him in the soft light of the bedroom light, looked insanely familiar. Dark hair, sharp-lined face and thundercloud grey eyes. He looked just like... no, impossible. He was too young, and fully Muggle. Which reminded Severus. “How old are you?” The other grinned. “Oh that question. Don't worry. I turned eighteen a while ago. My forsters could have kicked me out then... but... They said I can stay, until I find something for myself. With my brother still here I'd be around a lot anyway...” There was an intense air of gratefulness and love in his voice and his smile. “We got lucky.” “Forsters? Your... brother?” Severus was dumb-struck. “Darn, that really kills the mood, does it?” With a self-deprecating sigh the man looked around his room. “Sorry about that. I'd really like to... you know.” Maybe this was really the best Severus could do. Forget about the eerie resemblance and just get the guy. He stood up and put his arms around his waist, kissing him again, like they had in the club.

Thank you for asking :)

[shychick-52]

Let's go with 1, 2, 23, and 30 for Fenton!

My first impression of them

I thought Fenton was absolutely adorable! This clumsy, overly-excited, ambitious, cinnamon roll of a nerd who's genuinely passionate about science and desperately wants approval by his mentor (a mentor who appeared to have very little patience and respect for him) who he looks up to. Not only do you get all that from his very first episode ('Beware the B.U.D.D.Y. System'), but his very first scene where he loudly interrupts Gyro's sensitive experiment in his enthusiasm to show off his efficiency, causing Gyro's prototype to go haywire, crash into the glass separating the underwater lab from the bay, and nearly cause a flood (and Gyro's blueprints getting soaked). Poor Fenton was so adorably shamefaced about his mistake, and you could tell by his tone and body language- and Gyro's angry reaction- it wasn't his first screw-up. And I was like 'D'awww!' when he responded to Gyro's "Intern, try to think!" with "That's all I ever do all the time." I knew he'd be a favorite of mine, and I looked forward to more of him (including his dynamic with Gyro).

The weird thing? I didn't even know who Lin-Manuel Miranda was until sometime in season 3!! I was familiar with Hamilton when the show first debuted, but I knew nothing about it and hadn't listened to any of the songs. I just had never even heard of him or even knew what he worked on (including that he voiced Fenton, and was one of the most prominent pop-culture icons of the decade). I didn't find out about any of that until I kept seeing his name in YouTube comments on DuckTales videos I'd watch (often clips of Team Science and review/reaction vids), and I finally decided to look him up for myself.

When I think I truly started to like them (or dislike them, if you've sent me a character I don't like)

I was sold on him from his very first scene (see above answer), and especially by the end of that episode when he rose to the challenge of saving the day using Gyro's prototype armor (which would eventually become the Gizmoduck armor), proved his competence to himself (because he previously told LP he just wants to help people and make the world better, and he has so many amazing ideas to do so, but he felt like it was all for nothing because they're never taken seriously by Gyro or probably anyone else, and I loved how him saving the day with this complex suit of armor outfitted with all these cool gizmos was his big moment to shine), and earned some grudging respect by Gyro for how he both saved the day and managed to use the armor so well for the very first time.

Future headcanon

I like to think that ever since Gyro promoted him at the end of 'Astro B.O.Y.D.', Fenton wasn't nearly as clumsy and eager to prove himself. Their dynamic had finally changed; Gyro strongly implied to Fenton that he'd been wrong to treat him similar to the way Akita treated him during his own internships days- and outright admitted he was so very much like Fenton back then too- and that he was going to start treating him with the respect and support he deserved. I like to think that Fenton knew he no longer needed to try so hard to earn Gyro's respect, which I think was what caused a lot of his clumsiness before in his desperation to prove himself. Not only did he see Gyro with different eyes and understood why he was the way he always was, but this was the confidence boost- the validation- he needed from Gyro himself.

The funniest scene they had?

OMG, SO MANY. But I think I'm going to have to go with when he said "That's all I ever do all the time" when Gyro snapped at him to "try to think" in his first scene of the series. From the implications of how desperate he was to prove himself and how hard he tried, to the brilliance of the delivery of that line!

[wesavegotham]

Also, as a sidenote, a part of me understands why Waid made Black Alice the one to ultimately defeat King Fire Bull in Lazarus Planet Omega.

He talked about this in an interview and I actually agree that he was kinda initially treating her as only a tool for the plot to work and that was unfair, which is why he gave her such a key role in LP omega to change that.

As a woman myself I notice just how many times the perspectives and needs of women, both fictional and real, get ignored because men are often valued more, so I do appreciate Waid thinking about these issues.

I also understand to a certain degree why the magic characters in general got a key part in solving the problems. Lazarus Planet was originally pitched to DC as a magic crisis event. Of course they should be involved.

But it's also an event that used Damian's Robin solo as setup, in fact it got cancelled to make way for this book, Batman vs Robin has Robin in the title, Nezha got tied to the lore of the Lazarus Pits and the al Ghul family.

Considering all of that? I simply feel like in the end Damian didn't get to contribute enough that was positive and about him and his heritage to make his involvement in all of this feel like it was worth it.

[vinylanswer]

Last week, I saw that a record shop near me posted “hey, we got 90 signed Taylor Swift “Midnights” albums in; first come, first serve.” I was going to pass the place, so I figured maybe I’d grab one and flip it on eBay. I would have given it to my kid, but she’s never had any interest in Swift; to wit, the Lover LP she got for Christmas one year has never been played, best I can tell. Anyway, I got to the shop, and nabbed the last one; they went fast! When I checked eBay later, however, I discovered that enterprising Ms. Swift has signed thousands of CDs snd LPs, satisfying her audience so that it’s a must—but not too hard a challenge—to get a signed copy. The avg. sealed signed LP was going for $15-20 over list price. When you throw in gas, eBay fees and my time, there was no profit to be made. Hats off to Ms. Swift for flooding the market, looking after fans and foiling evil flippers all in one Swift swoop. Also: A+ work ethic. So now I had this album I’d blown good money on. To handle this situation, I did what I always do: I said I’d deal with it later (yeah, sure) and put it on the shelf. Fast-forward to Sunday night after I saw the Too Much Joy show at Mercury Lounge. My erstwhile pal Dave offered to give me a lift to Penn Station—and then cranked that “Midnights” album the entire way. So here’s two 50+ year old guys blasting Taylor Swift with the windows down and sunroof open, catching every red light in NYC and plenty of bemused looks from passers-by. That said, it WAS New York City, so we were rarely the most interesting thing going on. And you know what? I discovered it’s a good record. I got home, unsealed that puppy, and it’s nice “put it on in the background while you work” music. I’m a sucker for harmonies and a perky melody, and this thing has plenty of both. Congrats to me for unexpectedly treating myself to a new record. The post-credits scene: My kid wanders into my home office yesterday and goes “Ooh! You got the Taylor Swift album!”

[mirandamckenni1]

SLOTHRUST - "Horseshoe Crab" [Official Music Video] Official music video for "Horseshoe Crab" from the Slothrust album "Everyone Else" (now available everywhere). I learned that hunger is a symptom of adopting bad behavior I bit my tongue last night Woke up with blood on my pillow I woke up thirsty Words makes less sense to me these days Faces looks flat and unfamiliar Do you wanna rest forever? Underwater it gets better When I get better I'll treat you like I used to I'll do the things you want me to Sometimes I feel like I'm a seahorse Sometimes I think that I'm a horseshoe crab I don't have anything in common With myself, except that I came from the sea Just like everyone else did But it is so unfamiliar now Everything is so unfamiliar now Directed by: CJ Riehl and Emmy Kenny Written by: CJ Riehl and Leah Wellbaum Cinematography: Johanna Brooks Stylist: Emmy Kenny Animation and Compositing: Molly Garrett Editor: Johanna Brooks Concept: CJ Riehl, Leah Wellbaum, Abby Urban Order CD/LP/Download at http://slothrust.com Apple Music: https://ift.tt/7HAjXDT Spotify: https://ift.tt/4icvAY5 via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM5pPuFcJw0

[anosci]

Media Thread

im making a list of media ive watched/played/etc this year with brief thoughts. its going to be far less featured than my music list, but still a bit long. again mirroring twitter except this time because fuck twitter.

list below the cut

～January～

1/ Princes Arete (2001) I was sold on this movie under the premise that it's similar to Kino no Tabi. and… it is. kinda. Kino and Arete would be cool pals. Every character is interesting, which seems rare(?) Only real drawback: the hostage situation kinda really sucked.

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2/ Time of EVE (2008/9) the classic tale: androids indistinguishable from humans as an allegory for racism. but unlike DBH, this is actually really good. its a story that feels like a single thread in a vast tapestry that'd be fascinating to explore, but too bad: you only have 6 eps

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3/ Spice & Wolf (2008) i remember loving this show. i don't remember understanding the economics. I took notes this time. I still struggled. (spoilers for ep3) regardless: wow this is a good show. weirdly, I saw myself in the relationship portrayals. I guess that means its realistic?

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～February～

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4/ Spice & Wolf II (2009) i feel like this kinda fell off? :( like it tried too hard to be action-packed. and that worked sometimes. but that first arc was just… :( it feels like a case of "just needs an editing pass. needs a bit more focus" i'll treasure S1 more, after all

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5/ Double Fine PsychOdyssey (2023) absurdly captivating. i say that it's a miracle that any video game gets made ever. this shows that Psychonauts 2 was several miracles in succession. it's simultaneously illusion-shattering and inspiring.

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6/ The Owl House S1 (2020) finally sat down to watch this. it's GOOD. lots of worldbuilding to chew on, and then it picked up quite nicely. im immediately pouncing on S2 and feeling glad i was late enough to be able to marathon

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～March～

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7/ The Owl House S2 (2022) stumbling down the boulderest mountain and hitting every rock on the way down. the rocks represent engagement. i am engaged. i adore this show. it is a little weird to suddenly freeze mid-tumble.

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8/ Broken Age (2014) (Dr. Mick's LP) delightful start! brilliant, even! then the big bad is revealed and…. meh. I watched Dr. Mick's playthru tho, and holy shit that's some really cool commentary.

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9/ Double Fine Adventure! (2015) its a little unfortunate that the nature of gamedev means that the ending is kinda anticlimatic but good lord what an amazing journey. i'd watch a million of these.

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10/ Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) ok ok fine ill [finally] watch it …oh its good. like really good. its rly funny but in a way that fascinatingly beside the point? yeah I can see why some ppl didnt like this but i think its super fun

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11/ Nichijou (2011) a nice and cute slice of life thing… that occasionally breaks out some quality jokes. though only half of them landed for me. i feel like i would've gotten more out of this if I caught it at the time.

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～April～

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12/ The Owl House S3 (2023) i had a lot of reservations about the collector initially but having seen the entire arc: that came together nicely! still sad that it's The End, but like. good overall!

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13/ Penguindrum (2011) i DONT think i followed 90% of the themes and their connections. that said, i DO love the way metaphors are treated as "literal". confusing maybe, but i adore the idea of "paint what you feel not what you see" applied to storytelling.

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～May～

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14/ From the New World (2012) this has a mess of an opening (several) episode(s), but it eventually found its footing and became quite a cool action adventure… thriller i guess? i do take some issues with bits and pieces but it was a good watch overall.

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15/ GinGitune (2013) fluff. the lightest, fluffiest of fluff. melts in water. there are several elements that couldve been mined for drama and intrigue but they were all treated as background elements. (this isn't a bad thing, but it's not what you might expect.)

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～June～

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16/ Space Dandy (2014) dropped after ep4, but on good terms i guess? fun animation, funky vibes, sometimes even funny! anime johny bravo…or I think i saw a Dirty Pair comparison, which feels right. but im not meshing with the silly wacky high nrg antics rn. maybe another time.

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～July～

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17/ Death Parade (2015) rly misleading intro (i was ready to drop lol) rly rly promising setup by ep4 RLY good development and mildly biffed ending, but hard to fault considering its a 12ep. i love the aesthetics, worldbuilding, characters. overall i really really liked this!!!

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18/ One Punch Man S1 (2015) i forgot how fun this show is! and the great worldbuilding! i dont plan to move to the second season again tho. i thought about grabbing the manga instead but good lord it's way longer than i thought. oh well.

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19/ Flying Witch (2016) slicest of life with a la croix touch of supernatural. the normal slices didn't do much for me 90% of the time. but the supernatural slices? choice. (…mostly.) tbh i just want an entire season of that cafe.

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～August～

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20/ Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto (2016) i was skeptical, but this actually worked rly well. for moment. a short, beautiful moment. most of the potential here was stifled by trying to add high school drama/plot. the comedy tho, at its best, had a vibe i havent felt since hayate

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～September～

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21/ Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan (2016) it is VERY EASY for a comedy show to slide from "absurdity = funny" to "this is just annoying". somehow, this never crossed that line, which was weirdly refreshing? not always a winner, but overall a good mix of laughs and superpower exploration.

21b/ edit to add: oh this was right after Sakamoto! Man. The two feel kind of kindred but Saiki is leagues better at staying fresh.

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22/ Viewfinder (2023) short but very sweet mind-bender puzzler thing. the story had a cool foundation but fumbled in execution imo. but the gameplay? top notch. felt great through and through. never too difficult. beautiful idea and beautiful execution.

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23/ Flip Flappers (2016) uncertain about the show at first, and then, after watching… im still uncertain. i did enjoy it, but I also felt outside the audience ig? a case where I can imagine a version of this show that knocks my socks off, but as-is it's just a fun ride

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24/ Fionna & Cake (2023) my expectations were very low and they were VASTLY exceeded! think this show is at its strongest when exploring characters w short stories, which was most of this. the ending felt slightly fumbled…i think it couldve rocked me but instead it was just :).

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～October～

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25/ Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (2021) i already played and loved this game, but happened upon About Oliver's playthrough and fell in love again. truly that is The Most outer wilds playthrough. good lord.

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26/ The Amazing Digital Circus (2023) interesting and filled with style… but not for me. i'd list complaints but basically all of them are strengths and favorites for someone else. yknow?

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～November～

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27/ Little Witch Academia TV (2017) as the credits roll, i find myself with two thoughts: croix was done dirty and wow this is SPECTACLE. aptly magical. oh also! it was quite fun to follow along with contemporary discussion

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～December～

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28/ Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) oh it's like. really good. i dont remember the movie so i cant compare but this stands well on its own and i love the character exploration, even if i dont like some of the uhh… what would you call that? scifi jokes? (spoiler territory soz)

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29/ Land of the Lustrous (2017) FLOORED by how much I loved this. qualms about the CG turned into admiration, the shading drawing me into the world. worries about annoying characters melted away to find admirable layers. THE USE OF SYMBOLISM kept me SO well fed. and the pacing!

29b/ cont: my only complaint that isn't a nitpick: i hate how it left so, so, so many threads loose. i faceplanted my dashboard during the decelerating pace between the first 10 eps and the final 2. i get that it's from an ongoing manga but that still felt maximum bummer.

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30/

[leffee]

What are things that inspire you?

Well that depends on the "Inspire me to do what?" question, but I do have a few general choices that apply to pretty much anything. You might as well treat inspiration as motivation for this one, I hope you don't mind me doing that, but again, inspiration would be mostly for a specific thing. Anywhoo! The things that inspire/motivate me the most are:

music, which of course mostly includes any new, wonderful songs I find. Seriously, there is nothing more motivating sometimes than a good song and I have been finding so many absolute bangers from fnaf lately, but let's be honest, in that fandom it's not hard. They can give me a kick to do my chores, go somewhere or finally finish something I have been putting off for way too longs,

fanfics or fanart that really speaks to me for the fandoms that I'm mostly involved, especially my favourite characters

asks in my inbox here on tumblr! Seriously, I cannot express how energy-giving those are whether they are lps-related or just questions that are more about me (like this one!)

delayed gratification (this one is mostly for the motivation really). I love delayed gratification and that's what mostly pushes me to do stuff I really really don't want to do. Just so I'm sure we're on the same page I use that in this way: I need to do something I really don't want to but it's high time -> I find myself something really personally gratifying, it can be anything: food, reading a fanfic, checking if the person I rp with replied, the thing is -> I'm only allowed to get that thing after completing that certain task -> and that motivates me to do that. Yepee delayed gratification!

my Foxy plushie :)

this one is good for inspiration: skinny characters and people too but to a lesser extent. I'm trying to lose weight :] I have been for years D:

good academic grades, just in general. Oh academic gratification my beloved, kinda anyway. I have been brought up to focus on my grades most of all and it sticks to this day, though a bit less, but sometimes there's nothing more serotonin-inducing than a good grade or words of praise from a teacher, or anyone really

That's all I can think for now, I hope it was okay 👌

[lastchancevillagegreen]

Friday, 28 July 2023:

24 Songs The Wedding Present (HHBTM; formerly Happy Happy Birthday To Me and now abbreviated, thankfully, but still a dreadful name for a record label)

In 1992 most fans of The Wedding Present are well aware of the band's option to release a new single every month for one year. That series of singles became known as The Hit Parade and was, as Gedge points out, a major hallmark of early Wedding Present releases.

In honor of that achievement 30 years ago, Gedge and band decided to release another 12 singles over the course of a year's time. This time, it wasn't a new track and a cover, instead it would be all new songs (well, mostly, but virtually all of them Wedding Present songs or perceived Wedding Present songs such as We Belong Together, a tune by Sleeper which Gedge and company recorded for their first COVID album Locked Down and Stripped Back).

I am a huge Wedding Present fan--their entire catalog along with Cinerama gets featured in 2024--and I wanted to subscribe to the monthly delivery service that would bring me a new Wedding Present single each month (along with a box to store them in) but this was during the pandemic when shipping overseas costs went through the heavens. I simply couldn't justify what was going to be something like $200 for the entire package. Of course, today, you can pick up the box of singles on discogs for all of $200. Anyhow, as expected, Gedge treats his fanbase very well and many bet he would put these songs on an album and reissue it in that fashion. And here is that album.

It's a triple LP and Gedge has said he sequenced each album as if it were it's own proper album. That seems quite clever and I am so excited to be finally hearing these songs. To add more value to our money, Gedge has included five additional songs to fill out Side 6. That's correct, Gedge poo-poos the idea of an etched slice of vinyl and that alone deserves applause. I used to think colored vinyl was the bane of the industry, but I'm so much wiser now and understand said bane is a fourth side of an etching. Oh for the days when Johnny Winter just kept the fourth side smooth as a mirror.

Above you see the front and the back of the album. It comes in it's own plastic sleeve, the kind that I struggle with to ever keep from tearing and often just pitch out of that frustration. I always keep the hype sticker attached to said plastic but I try to keep it as long as possible. Below is a shot of that hype sticker up close.

This is the modern era, so many record labels, those that are small and have more consideration, provide white inner sleeves for the albums to go inside and then provide the fancy, custom printed inner sleeves empty so the fan can enjoy them in pristine condition. I'm funny in that the crinkling and bending and tearing of inner sleeves has never bothered me one iota. I read predominantly paperback books and I could not care one iota if the covers get bent, the pages get dog-eared (although I use a bookmark, I do dog ear pages at the gym so I can remind myself of key facts later that I believe require some documentation), it's the same way with inner sleeves. They gonna get bent and I don't care that they do. Still, if a label wants to give me standard white inners to bend and crinkle in lieu of keeping the original custom inners in perfect shape, who am I to complain?

however, since the label does that, you might be struggling to determine which inner sleeve goes with which record album. Well, Gedge is a master of minimalist design and if you check out the back of the album cover, you can see that the song titles are color coded with the same color of the individual custom inner sleeves allowing you to know which sleeve goes with which album should you decide to use them instead of the white inners provided.

Below you will find the first inner sleeve, front and back that would go with the first album.

Usually I post the record label for an album after the inner sleeves, but here I'm doing it differently. I'll explain shorty, but first here are the front and back of the second inner sleeve.

Lastly, here are photos of both sides of the third inner sleeve.

Below you will find the record label for Side 1. I have not included shots of the other five labels because they all look identical (save for the designation of whatever side the label is and that just didn't seem important enough to document six different times).

This album is presented on blue vinyl (all three albums are the same color). Below are my two customary shots of said colored vinyl.

This comes with a single sided insert representing all 12 pictures sleeves that were utilized for each individual single. (The back of the insert is plain white, no need to photograph that). Check this out below.

In the era of COVID and cheap corporations milking every single profit they can scrape out of the bottom of the barrel, pressing plant delays are endless. A band like The Wedding Present can't stand up to titans like Taylor's Version, so they suffer delays. A tiny label like HHBTM, like so many other tiny labels I buy through bandcamp, take time to thank you and offer their apologies for delays. This set included this card. Below is the front, then the inscription inside and the back of said card. These kinds of touches often keep me going back to the label or the artist who provides such niceties.

I almost forgot that this includes a DVD as well. I thought initially it was a CD of the tracks, but Gedge loves his multimedia presentations. This doesn't quite include everything the DVD does on the Clue pressing (a label of a friend Gedge's released the singles and the vinyl pressing in the UK) but chances are I'll not get around to watching it beyond what I've already seen (a video for the final track The Loneliest Time of Year, which I didn't watch all the way through because I got to some very important business). Here is the DVD in the sleeve that it came in. I don't include a shot of the DVD as a stand alone because it looks just like the record label.

Since there isn't a CD of the album, HHBTM does provide a download code. It may be just a slip of paper, but let's not forget, this is a tiny label. I'll download this for certain, but you can almost bet I'll buy the double CD as well since I own virtually the band's entire catalog on compact disc.

As a bonus HHBTM provide a button which thrilled me. I'm a big button wearing guy which seems to befuddle many people, but it is a habit I developed way back in the button (ie badges) wearing late 1970s while in college. I had every single intention of applying this cool one to my blue summer suit coat and then as I gathered everything to bring in the house (I now shoot these photos outside because I enjoy that more than upstairs), the button fell onto my wooden deck, rolled and slid right between two of the boards on my deck. Normally, I'd merely unscrew the side grate and crawl underneath my deck and retrieve it. But this button decided to not fall directly below me. No, it fell into the abyss where the top of my concrete back porch had to be removed so I could build the deck properly. It fell down into a place that would require unscrewing at least seven boards the length of my deck and then I would have to shinny down into the concrete that is impossibly thin. I'm thin enough to shimmy down there, but once down there there is no room to bend over! And that's if it even fell in that particular spot. It may have fallen into a concrete hole that simply allows nothing to climb inside. My beloved Wedding Present button is trapped forever like Little Jessica. Here is it before it died an agonizing slow death.

I thought about writing HHBTM and asking for another one, but I'm sure my story sounds so impossibly complicated that they'd think I just want to score one more free button. This button would have looked so great on my summer suit coat!

[castle-dominion]

c3x7 almost famous

I’ve actually seen this one before! It was recorded on TV but I didn’t know it was season 3. This was one of the first ones I’d seen. 

nypd open up ; )

Too many pickles

Me: joining in on the vocal warmups RC: I had a dream I was floating on a lily pad & the swedish bikini team was whispering positive reviews of naked heat  MR: Oh that must have been lovely RC: Yeah... MR: Why are you telling us this RC: Well because of you my swedish paradise turned into a wailing cat shelter

MR: Besides, we’ll all have plenty of time to sleep when we’re dead. *phone rings for a murder* (probably won’t clip)

Alexis’s voice sounds like she’s going thru puberty or smth

RC: Maybe he’s old-school, didn’t want to give up the badge he’d made his career on? LP: Castle he’s mid 20s KB: [the gun is] fake! RC: *taps end & sniffs* that’s tequila *licks finger* that’s cheap tequila

LP: *rips open the guy’s pants* RC: *covers the view* man has a car?

RC: *runs over* shotgun KB: Castle you’re the only one here RC: Ugh this place reminds me of my first dorm room (I don’t think I’ll clip that)

They don’t have a warrant to come in tho

wow Wow WOW

RC: Ladies, I am not a stripper, though I understand how you can make that mistake

Poor gal, puking into their garbage bin. Poor esposito I didn’t know throwing up made him nauseous. (TRIVIA FOR THE SHOW) & the other detective back there too (won’t clip...) she’s still wearing the ring too Y’all tie back her hair. I’ve never had hair that long & now listen I have a mohawk but even I know that u need to tie back long hair if you’re vomiting

Aw castle, getting em coffee, I love him RC: It might interest you to know I’m an assistant volunteer homicide detective myself : ) Oh my goodness this is a great episode, plenty of witnesses but all too drunk to remember.  Ryan, always the phone sim camera record guy. 

JE: They’re treating him like a piece of meat RC: it’s ok, *pats him on the shoulder* Me: It’s his job & also I’ve heard the way YOU talk esposito.  Kathleen: It’s what he’s paid for

K but castle’s laughs & ryan’s face

Girl it’s a digital zoom, not enhancing.  (& why do you need to tap the keyboard? all u need to do is hit ctrl & zoom)

(I still can’t get over how he’s called officer mcnaughty)

SHE HAD TO WAITRESS WHILE HUNGOVER? or maybe she gets a discount there & wasn’t scheduled for work that day

KR: Mostly just of movie posters & a bunch of donald trump books about finance B’y this show is in 2010

Lol “looking up”

Weird timing. KB: You guys head off *ryan looks to esposito in confusion* mucho men *ryan mouths mucho men barely after beckett says it* that’s the place that booked him. Bud he would be saying that a moment later. Not before beckett even said “mucho men”

RC: He’s not even that handsome. 300 bucks an hour? Little steep. LP: As the one person in this room who has seen everything under the sheet? BARGAIN.

RC: Some women want officer mcnaughty, others want an older man with mutual funds. You know, daddy issues. It’s times like this I’m glad my relationship with my dad is actually surprisingly good & I’m queer. 

LS: Sorry, promoters are up my ass.  JE: Lloyd Sanders? LS: I’m already up to my ears in a-rods, *esposito looks at himself* but your friend here, I got women requesting that skinny twilight dude like crazy *Ryan now looks at himself* (Bro ryan isn’t even that skinny, he just looks skinny next to esposito who has muscle like a brickshithouse) LS, tossing a pair of underwear to Ryan: One size fits all. *ryan looks at the underwear trying to figure out what it is* Bathroom’s down the hall if you’re shy.  KR: :| >:| JE: NYPD KR: I can assure you, these would fit LS: That’s what they all say the package store XD (after the interview) KR: Thank you for your time. LS: Hey if you change your mind I can provide you with fangs & some hair gel KR: a??? JE: *just offended*

(Remember in a few seasons when ryan gets a job at men-hattan? as a security guard? Yeah anyway)

KR: Casually mentions twilight to make esposito jealous

KB: Well there’s only one way to find out. *singsong* Oh castle!

(I’m glad my gay older brother is not here) Except ryan & esposito DID NOT call not-it! (she brought him here!) Castle caught the frickin pants

Ooh this is going to be a good scene. Ryan making coffee, esposito taking off his long-sleeved collared sweater in the background. Ryan adding a bit of sugar to their coffees, esposito working out, speaking of which I should do my pushups today. Ryan turns around with an “aight here you go” but stops short when he sees esposito just doing dips on a chair. (Bestie you have a gym upstairs.) JR: Up to his ears in a-rods? I got an a-rod for that SOB. Three years Varsity Ball (talented sports team), *ryan lowkey checking him out,* two years Special Forces triathlon (military marathon), & NYPD calendar 2007. KR: *Looking up into the corner* JE: What? >:( KR: It was a group photo JE: I got letters KR: Yeah, three, two of them from your mom JE: One of them was from my mom KR: Sure JE, politely taking coffee: twilight my ass (clipping)

castle surrounded by women & not liking it? Wow. “Hey honey you found me!”

You know good for them. Firefighters are better than cops for sure. & it’s also a dance! Not just body, but entertainment!

Interesting, the deleted scene & the “woah woah whoa murder?” must be in a different order than initiall7 expected. Well no the deleted scene is similar to this but it’s just a different take. Different take, not deleted scene. 

Castle & his books KR: Did you go home & watch sunset boulevard before your trip to the package store? (esposito isn’t fed up with him this time)

I love martha.

This attorney is weird... 

KB: Ryan can you pull up derek’s acting reel? KR: Man, once was bad enough

Ryan is starting to wear vests & ties more, ties for sure. His colours are still dark tho. I like the evolution of their styles. Esposito just had a long sleeved sweater like thing over his t-shirt, now he is wearing a weird shirt with a lot of panels & a tie & i rly like it. 

Esposito had gang task force days. At least we’re getting backstory this episode. Sports, special forces, & gang task force.  (that’s probably how he knew detective slaughter...? & his interactions with Racine when he was with Ike probably)

Ooh I like the look of them (& I like beckett’s & castle’s outfits)

You know what good on her, & pookiebear that’s honestly kinda cute but a hilariously fake buttslap sound.

Castle you watch way too many infomercials. (He has probably seen Sticky Buddy & the OmniTool+)

KR: IDK how you missed that *slaps the receipt into esposito’s chest with another hilariously fake buttslap sound*

I KNEW I REMEMBERED THE NAME JESSE MANDALAY

Ooh fake identity!!!

Poor gal. Louve he’r idenidy.  Poor guy contractor man...

KB: Do you have any brochures? I’m looking for a place. Mine blew up. My mom told me that tick tick tick was the last episode & I believed her because we only had four episodes of Castle & I thought it was as short-running show that went out with a bang. Then I saw this episode & made some assumptions. But I still hadn’t seen boom, the sequel episode so I wasn’t sure how beckett survived. The part that gets me is that this was halfway through season two & now it is season three. It has been an entire summer, where has beckett been staying? With her dad probably?

I like how sometimes ryan is wearing a soft, dress sweater, sometimes a funny little patterned shirt with a tie, sometimes a normal dress shirt tie & suit jacket (with a coat as well if he needs it), & sometimes a suit with a vest. I love a good waistcoat. Look at him. Every episode I can’t help but notice how pretty he is. I also notice everyone else & their costume choices are very good & purposefully made.

I knew the lawyer was sus. 

This man is already a lawyer you’re never going to get him all the way.

I like how martha calls herself an actress but also an actor & refers to the concept “actor” with he/him pronouns. It gives her bigender or genderfluid vibes even tho it really doesn’t. 

Always!

Rick is such a dad. He loves his daughter so much & no matter how childish or grossly adult he acts, when he is around his daughter he is full of love.  Also the little feeding the birds with her uwu.

(ok got all my clips)

[newsnigeria]

5th Column Vs The Progressive: Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed declines the request of Prof. Wole Soyinka for a one-on-one debate.

The Vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declined the request of Prof. Wole Soyinka for a one-on-one debate on the result of the February 25 presidential election. Prof. Wole Soyinka requested the debate while condemning Baba-Ahmed's recent interview on Channels TV, where he called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to not swear in President-elect Bola Tinubu, whom INEC declared since the president-elect, insisting that declaring Tinubu a success and issuing him a certificate of return is contrary to the constitution. Based on the LP vice presidential candidate, “whoever swears in Mr. Tinubu” has “ended Democracy” in Nigeria. Reacting to the interview that saw the National Broadcasting Commission NBC issuing a ₦5 million fine on Channels TV, the Nobel Laureate described Baba-Ahmed's remarks as a “type of do-or-die attitude and provocation” that goes despite democratic disposition. “I have never heard anyone threaten the judiciary on television the way Datti did. I heard the kind of menacing, blackmailing language as that to which we were treated by Datti. That kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation is not what I think we have all been struggling for. Nearly the totality of Datti’s comment in the interview was unbecoming. It was like trying to dictate to the supreme arbiter of the nation, and whatever you think of the supreme court, it is an institution we all refer to sooner or later. But Datti kept saying, in his wisdom, that the supreme court must agree with me. That is what is known as fascistic language and it is not acceptable.” he said The revered poet's position on Datti's utterances, however, didn't drop well with many supporters of the LP's presidential candidate and his vice, while they dragged Soyinka on social media. Giving an answer to these criticisms and the conduct of Datti Baba-Ahmed, Soyinka in a record titled “Fascism on Course”, noted that Nigerian Democracy 2023 has witnessed innovations largely in the retrogressive vein, as violence, ethnic profiling, and intimidation continue being easily overlooked even since they are directed against dissenting voices. He condemned the sanction against Channels TV and praised the professionalism of the anchor who he stressed made several attempts to help keep Baba-Ahmed in balance while on air. He continued to challenge the LP's vice presidential candidate to a debate as regards his claims of Nigeria's democracy ending if Tinubu is sworn in come May 29th. “May I seize this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on CHANNELS Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly – saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure a fair hearing. I fail to understand just where the station could be faulted, except for a disposition for injustice. To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn the Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced. If CHANNELS feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr. Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer,” the Nobel Laureate said Reacting to a one-on-one debate challenge by Soyinka over his views on the constitutionality of inaugurating President-elect, Bola Tinubu, Baba-Ahmed told the Nobel laureate to instead bring his preferred candidates to debate him. In a record by the Obi-Datti Media Office on Saturday, May 8, the LP vice-presidential candidate said his decision never to take Soyinka on his offer wasn't out of cowardice but for cultural and political reasons. He explained one of many reasons he wouldn't debate the celebrated writer is he wasn't on the opposing ballots in the election. Datti, however, said when Soyinka can use his influence to bring forward his preferred candidates for the debate, he's prepared to bring them on. ‘’DATTI BABA-AHMED WILL NOT DEBATE PROF. SOYINKA. Like many Nigerians, we are bewildered by the late-hour intervention of our respected Nobel laureate Prof Wole Soyinka in issues around the flawed 2023 elections. Where was he all this while? One of those who should ordinarily and rightfully be honoured as the conscience of the nation, Prof. Soyinka is now criminalising dissent and weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice! We state therefore that the vice-presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed cannot take up Prof. Soyinka’s offer of a public debate, not out of cowardice, but for cultural and political reasons. Culturally it’s just not decent, their age and accomplishment gaps taken into account, for Datti to sit opposite the 88-year-old global icon and point out his folly to his face, even if the old man called for it. And politically there is no basis for such a challenge in that Prof. is not on any of the opposite ballots. If however, he can use his influence to drag his preferred candidates, who resisted debates throughout the campaign, to the studio this second, Datti says he is more than willing to take them on. Signed: Obi-Datti Media Office.'' 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