#framing messaging

[tomorrowusa]

When you understand that Republicans are not entirely cookie cutter, you can frame messaging to instigate division among the various GOP subgroups.

Data journalist Nate Cohn separates the GOP into six groupings based on poll responses regarding various issues.

In a specific state or legislative district you might be able shape issues in such a way as to make a Republican candidate seem unpalatable to certain elements within the party. Even if disaffected Republicans don't vote for the Democratic candidate outright, they may simply skip voting for any candidate for that particular office.

In Arizona in 2022 the GOP nominated a particularly dreadful slate of candidates for statewide office. They lost by several percentage points even while the GOP did passably in downballot races.

[W]hile majorities of Republicans side with Mr. Trump on almost every issue, those majorities are often quite slim: Around 40 percent of Republican-leaning voters support aid to Ukraine, support comprehensive immigration reform or say abortion should be mostly or always legal.

The closer the race, the more useful microtargeting becomes.

[sparrowlucero]

speaking of how to train your dragon and creature design, the shift from the really naturalistic art direction and character animation for the first movie's toothless- the face getting flatter, the eyes bigger and closer together, getting rid of the little realistic details like the dust collecting between the scales, the pink splotching where the scales end at the nostrils, the muted markings, the animation making a shift from largely realistic animal behavior to much more anthropomorphic- is such a huge downgrade to me, made worse because it's subtle in such a way that you will sound insane if you mention it

(huge L for the "the audience's capacity to find a creature cute and empathetic and expressive is directly proportional to how much it looks like a human baby" principle of character design because the first one is so so much cuter)

[limbcom]

créme de la créme aftermath...

i refuse to believe that either one of them would leave each other after winning. they're friends, the winner would soo pull the other so they'd hold hands and stand atop the 1st place podium together. like

it's real it's canon trust me i'm pure vanilla's hat

[inktho]

the hierophant, reversed

[copia]

A Message from Vessel ☼ Fall For Me 2021 — footage and the message | all messages

[nellasbookplanet]

Mentioning Tusk Love and the potential of other independent stories set in Exandria reminded me of an old discord conversation about how they could Fix the courting of the crick for publishing (seeing as it's canonically a Bad Book due to being super dry and also racist towards drow) without breaking canon:

Rename it 'The Courting of the Kryn - a Reimagining of the Classic Story, by Jester Lavorre'

Present it as an in-universe fanfic-ish rewrite. There's a foreword where 'Jester' elaborates on the inaccuracies of the original, the impact the story had on her, and the importance of Dynasty-Empire relations. There's an acknowledgement section where she thanks Caleb and Beau as 'consultants on Empire culture', as well as an unnamed/under fake name/clearly Essek as an 'expert on the Luxon, dunamancy and Dynasty culture'. All his information on spy networks is eerily accurate and has his former co-workers scrambling. (He makes her keep all the dry historical accounts, but now it's accurate (with added dick-related puns)). She mentions that she reached out to the Bright Queen who reluctantly (after 5 messages in a row) gave some pointers. In her frantic research she possibly made some breakthroughs on the nature on the Luxon that has Essek reeling (there's a 'further reading' section where she lists the academic paper he wrote building on her discoveries and an entire list of the sources her consultants used).

For extra fun and meta-ness, include footnotes where she comments on things she changed/removed from the original and why, how various scenes may have been inspired by a real life couple or events, etc. Some of the footnotes are written by her consultants. Caleb and Essek get into arguments on dunamancy theory which is actually thinly veiled flirting. There's anatomically accurate drow sex (it's unclear whether the consultant was Essek or Caleb or possibly a certain brother, who was also consulted on Dynasty military practices).

[ovium-sheep]

The Cost of Immortality

Other versions 👍

[allgremlinyaps]

"Aang's arc and his actions in the finale were about him choosing attachment over his duty." Well, almost. But no. Because he very much did do his duty. Saved the world, stopped Ozai, restored balance, etc etc. He just did so in a way that did not sacrifice his attachments - to his culture or to his sense of self.

[katoska]

What kind of outcome had Kate been hoping for from letting Conrad come up? Possibly armed, at that? Like, what did she mean by "we need to finish this"?

Cause I don't think she was planning on having a nice cuppa and a polite debate with him to bring him around to her POV.

We are supposed to think she only made the decision to kill that guy once he'd insulted her dad, or once she heard he'd shot Jordan, but I'm not so sure.

[catenary-chad]

AC/DC is a VERY smart song, one of the reasons it’s my favorite lyrically in the show is that it’s so explicitly about electric trains and has multiple references to super interesting issues/traits with them. This doesn’t go into the broader electricity puns (which are shockingly versatile), just the ones most relevant to trains

“Feel my magnetism”

I’m still trying to figure out if this is an issue with remotely modern electric trains and motors, but I have heard a claim about a turn of the century New York Central S-motor (one of the very first mass produced electric locomotives!) basically “picking up and stealing” some tools left near the track this way and then dropping them when switched off.  Basically the whole “pulling in things with magnetism” has at least some real life precedent with trains.  

“AC/DC it’s okay by me/ I can switch and change my frequency”

This was perhaps the defining feature of the CC 40100 Electra’s helmet was based on.  Due to inconsistent electrification systems (due to early 20th century tech limits) it’s very common to have 2,3, even 4 voltage locomotives and EMUs since it’s cheaper and easier than replacing all that infrastructure.  Having both AC and DC compatibility is actually super old, the New Haven Railroad had one of the first AC-powered lines ever and the very first AC locomotives there had to be equipped for both it and the existing DC third rail in other sections.  But being able to run on multiple AC frequencies is much more recent, and the CC 40100 was an early example of it.  The Northeast Corridor in the US actually requires trains capable of running on THREE different AC voltages/frequencies, being able to “change your frequency” is an important requirement there (and in continental Europe)  

Basically, silly 70s-80s era bi allusions are just how electric trains are.  It’s so out there but so on the nose.  It’s probably the single smartest writing decision of the show because it works so well and talking train media otherwise NEVER talks about these aspects of electrification.  

“I can shock you, I can set you on fire”

The history of diesel and electric trains involves so, so much spontaneous combustion.  Exploding is almost exclusively a steam engine thing, but if they wanted to dramatically kill Electra or Greaseball or any of the Nationals, this is always an option and weirdly underused.  

“I can reach up and pluck down the lightning/watch the conductor, see the live wire”

Direct reference to overhead electrification and how pantographs are raised to make contact.   Also fun play on train conductor/electrical conductor, which is popular in trolley/train jokes.  This system is something almost exclusive to trains and part of why they are so established, efficient, widespread and convenient as electric vehicles.  They’re genuinely absurdly OP vs basically all other forms of traction since they don’t have to carry their own fuel/power supply and can have ridiculously high single-unit power since the only limit is how much capacity the power grid has (and how much can be practically used without wheelslip).  Due to their fixed paths they can run this way vs needing batteries and totally bypass the decades of density limits those had.  Even today batteries are not really practical as a main power source for anything bigger than commuter EMUs and switchers.  

(Trolleybuses are a thing and there’s been attempts at sticking pantographs on trucks… and I guess bumper cars technically count too lol) 

Shoutout to Stexico for having a very different chorus with somehow the exact same sentiment. 

“Macho/Hembra es mi conector” (Male/Female is my connector)

This is just a hilariously matter of fact statement about the electrical connections on AAR standard passenger engines and coaches, which I think Mexico uses since their rail system is so US-based but I could be wrong (privatization axed basically all their passenger services around the time Stexico came out and there’s very little even today).  The stuff about “with my switch I connect you” is also incredibly matter of fact because there’s usually a separate switch or dial to turn on head end power on locomotives.  

Electra is based on this very 70s bi stereotype/trope that lumps in the botanical definition of “bisexual” and makes characters “both male and female” in a way that’s inconsistently trans, GNC, and/or literally being 50/50 both in a way that doesn’t work that way in humans.  Velvet von Ragnar from Never Too Young to Die is almost IDENTICAL in this regard as another example.  But the hilarious thing is that it’s just… incredibly matter of fact and literal when applied to electric trains because so many of them are able to run on both AC and DC power because rail electrification is so messy and many of them are technically “both male and female” going off electrical connections.

Anyways, tangent aside

I do not know enough German to appreciate the intricacies of stuff like word choice or idioms in the translated lyrics but these ones are fun because they’re explicitly about overhead wires

“Steh unter Spannung”

I’ve seen the translation given as “I’m a live wire” but the more literal one seems to be “stand under tension/power/voltage”. “Tension” is often used in place of “voltage” especially outside of English, but there’s a fun double meaning with trains specifically. The allusion to voltage/power in overhead wire is obvious, but  literal catenary wire tension is also SO important specifically in rail electrification.  The wire has to be tight and straight enough to make proper contact with the pantograph (and getting the upwards pressure on those is also important).  Europe has mostly reasonably modern lines with adjustable weights to keep wire tension constant but the northeast US has HUGE issues with outdated systems with fixed wires that sag in the heat (then get snagged on pantographs and torn down) or snap in the cold when they shrink/expand.

“Ein Griff von mir” (A grip of mine)

“Holt den Blitz aus der Leitung,” (Takes the lightning out of the wire)

Also seems to be a direct reference to pantograph pressure/contact with overhead lines, similar to the English version of this line.  There’s a strong hand/arm association with pantographs in general due to their design, modern ones bend in arm-like ways and “touch” the wire in a very particular way.

Also this is probably just wild coincidence but “Griff” makes me laugh because Zaine Griff was the workshop Electra.  

[taraxippos]

A mosquito would not say this she would say 'CARBON DIOXIDE AND BODY ODOR DETECTED big blood source blood source blood for my babies blood to lay my baby eggs yayyyyy yayy blood'

[merakiui]

Mera. Mera. Mera--

That new riddle fic, MERA!!!! OTL OTL

Bestie, I have no words to describe how I felt after reading that—literally the ending got me staring at the wall like,,, "lord, what--??" but HOLY SHIT DID YOU DO A ONE HELL OF A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THIS PIECE LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyway. I am still speechless, but this part stuck with me the most so i just had to draw it:

RIP to Azul. You will be missed our dear italian fren u_u

BESTIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! ( ˶°ㅁ°) !! AAAAAAAAA OMG OMG OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!! KHEYY, YOUR BEAUTIFUL ART BLESSES MY EYES ONCE MORE!!!!! THIS IS GODLY, AMAZING, STUNNING, SHOW-STOPPING, AND SO MANY MORE ADJECTIVES BECAUSE WOW!!!!!! I spent so much time staring at this when I read your ask because it's truly a masterpiece. I feel like I'm in a museum pondering the meaning of it because it's just that wonderful!!! I gasped in delight when I saw it!!!! (≧ᗜ≦)

Did you grab the image directly from my brain........ this is exactly how I imagined Rido sitting there on the steps, eating his tart while covered in blood. >:D ohhhhhh he is so cooked. I love him and I love your art so much WAAAAAA!!!!!! His tired eyes, the blood on his clothes and shoes, the blue lights from the police, the lighting (shadows) itself, the bright red tart, his nonchalant "guess I'll just eat this fucking tart" LOL everything about this is scrumptious. I'm devouring it with rapture!!!!!

Thank you so much for reading the fic and for drawing such a beautifully haunting picture!!!!! (✿´꒳`)ﾉ💖 I was actually going to write him eating an apple instead of tart, but I thought that would feel too Death Note hehe. If Riddle had the Death Note, he would scribble Azul's name one-hundred times just to get him out of the picture....... he is obsessed. My dissociating king. orz I just love when those nerds are playing complicated mind games. They're both smart enough to keep up with each other. It's really fascinating!!

(rip Azul indeed,,, he will be missed, but not by Riddle... ;;;;;)

[clumsypuppy]

i feel like im not making any sense but does anyone else feel like there are stories that let u run with them and ones that spell everything out for you

[everynart]

[businessbois]

.

[joongdunking]

Joong's birthday party 🥳

SO EXCITED!!! CANT WAIT!!!