#from both experiences that grades are in fact. a scam

[kethabali]

i cannot believe my screenwriting teacher had the audacity to give me a B+ after being the worst teacher i have ever had throughout my college experience. in fact the conservative guy who would complain about something every class was still a better Teacher than this dude. you should be giving everyone an A FOR WASTING OUR TIME!

[wordtowords]

Gullibility and the Royal Scam

gullibility - n. - a tendency to be easily persuaded that something is real or true. 

Could it be that we are ensconced in the era of gullibility? 

My first real encounter with the theme of gullibility on a large scale in literature came in 1985 when I was teaching Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to my tenth-grade students at an all-girls Catholic school. Just in case you have either 1. never heard of the tome or 2. read it so long ago that you remember nothing about it, it is a seething satire of humanity in 1885 (exactly one hundred years before my experience with it). Twain (a.k.a. Sam Clemens) depicts his own society as hopelessly, haplessly gullible so that they believe just about every nonsensical deed done and reported, even the most ridiculously farfetched. Sound familiar? Well, as I have probably mentioned before, human nature doesn't change, just technology. 

And despite a preponderance of said technology (A.I.), we have no more common sense than we ever had, falling for every royal scam out there, even political ones, not that that is surprising since politicians have been pulling the wool over both bespectacled and 20/20 eyes since the beginning of organized time. Mendacity is just the rule of thumb in that club. In some states, people have come down to voting for the most gifted of all con artists so that they can con their colleagues into whatever it is they want more effectively and efficiently and most likely unlawfully. (Huh? Is this really the right way to rationalize, my fellow Americans?)

As I continue to sell, sell, sell on Facebook, I am coming across more and more scammers, who, frankly, aren't terribly bright themselves. In case you want to sell anything on FB Marketplace, beware of the potential buyers who act like they are interested and turn around and ask for your phone number. Since Messenger is the rule of form, any other variation of communication is unnecessary. I'm guessing that once the charlatans obtain the numbers from the gullible, they sell them. (Never give out your phone number to anyone you don't know personally because your phone number can open many doors to your identity that you would rather leave shut and bolted.) The other day, a more sophisticated crook tried to hoodwink my daughter via Venmo. He nearly convinced her that his "business" account would credit her account $250, $200 of which she would need to send back since the item for sale was priced at $50. As you have probably already guessed, the deal wound up being bogus. He tried to scam her into believing that his account had been depleted of the amount, which she then owed him when in fact her account had never been credited. Seller, beware! These grifters are pretty convincing. But they can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time. Be the latter, not the former.

The moral of the story is, of course, try not to be gullible. What is perhaps easier than honing common sense is not to trust anyone. Pretend that everyone, even the leading Republican presidential candidate, is not worthy of your certitude. If you were to do this, you'd feel a lot safer, more confident, and our democracy would be a lot better off :). 

[eristic-kaleidoscope]

Drifting Out to Sea || Erika L Epilogue (ft. Nils)

Nils Falk is not having a good month. And it’s about to get worse.

If the senseless destruction of his precious collection wasn’t enough, in the coming weeks, he will learn of the death of his best friend. He will be spared the gory details, but it won’t soften the blow any. He will lambast himself for not checking his email sooner, for missing the last communique she ever sent until it was far too late. He will drive out into the wilderness she loved, scream at the sky, and try unsuccessfully to find closure among the chilly trees. He will cry into Linnea Ljunggren’s shoulder at the funeral, watching the burial of an empty casket (for it will not be viable to transport her broken body back home). 

After the funeral, however, Nils will receive a check in the mail. A silver lining in this pitch-black stormcloud. In a somewhat curtly written letter, its sender (one Jae-min Jun) will explain that he was partly, indirectly responsible for the horrible misfortune that befell Nils’ collection. This, he says, serves as his apology. Nils won’t be sure how to feel about this initially, worrying it might be some kind of scam. He will repeatedly Google the exchange rate between won and kronor to make sure the considerable amount isn’t some mistake. But, exhausted by all the grappling he’s had to do with his insurance to squeeze even a fraction of the cost out of them, he will eventually cash the check and get to work rebuilding his collection.

Not too long after that, Nils will receive another check in the mail, and a couple packages of obsolete pro-grade video production electronics along with it. Akito Mikage will be the name listed on the return address, and he will introduce himself as another subject of that horrible experiment. One of Erika L’s new friends… as short as the time they had together was. Nils will accept his gift too, and send him a short, grateful reply in his scribbly handwriting.

Then, in a final unexpected twist, he will discover that Erika Ljunggren still exists.

Well, “exists” is one way to put it. And the ethical and philosophical debate over that may never see a satisfactory resolution. A digital ghost - an AI trained on her brain, and not even flawlessly. To some, an abhorrent prospect. But Nils will become obsessed with the idea. If he could speak to her again, say his goodbyes properly, maybe the ragged hole she left in his life will stop bleeding.

As soon as he is permitted to, Nils Falk will travel to Austria.

[music]

He will wade with the copied Erika L through the streets of the underwater city (because he is not the strongest swimmer). He will tour her new apartment. He will marvel at the modifications she’s had done to her digital form. Cosmetic patches of scales. Webbed hands and feet to swim easier in her preferred environment. Other minor tweaks to her body shape. Nils will wryly remark on the fact that they both opted to get top surgery, and Erika will just grin and shrug.

He will smile with her, because even if she sometimes struggles to speak, her smile remains as infectious as it always was. He will snap a picture of her, using a digital simulacrum of an antique camera that Weiss generates out of thin air for him, and he will later put the resulting photo in a frame on his real-world wall.

Nils will travel with Erika from the sunken city to an autumnal forest. There, he will meet her new girlfriend, another AI copy of a deceased human. Nils will fail to resist the urge to joke about cats having interest in fish. This will make Erika dissolve into uncontrollable laughter, but Greta (or Trouble, as she will introduce herself to him initially) will just glance aside in bemused exasperation and flick her tail.

He will meet some of the people who died alongside Erika in this cruel experiment. But not all of them. Erika is not on good terms with all of them, and not all of them chose to remain. A fact Nils will have to infer, given that this truth will choke out her ability to communicate again for a good half hour. He will give her a long, firm hug to help ground her (and the sensory authenticity in this virtual interaction will surprise him).

Nils will find himself comforted by the knowledge that Erika is thriving, despite her fatal accident (she will insist it was an accident, and he will pretend he does not know better). The weight of grief will begin to lift from his shoulders. He will bid her a fond farewell as their time together nears its end.

Erika L will beam and entreat him to visit again. And Nils will find himself unable to say no to that smile. Seems he still has some mourning to do.

Nils will visit Erika L in Austria again and again. It will become a tradition for him to visit just after her birthday and sometime in June each year, and they will message each other frequently via the Internet. He will bring tidings from her parents, who will find VR to be a disorienting and overstimulating experience and only visit once.

One visit, Nils will encounter a flamboyant brunette man in the halls of the Austria facility. Erik A will recognize Nils immediately, and stop him for a quick chat. He, too, was a subject, Erik A will explain. He, too, bonded with Erika L, as much due to the similar tragedies in their respective lives as it was to their shared gregariousness. Now that all is said and done, he lends his expertise to tending her afterlife. Nils will exhibit the characteristic monosyllabic shyness he greets new people with in this interaction, thoroughly failing to match Erik A’s own exuberance, but he will manage to express his gratitude nonetheless.

Another time, Nils will pass a nondescript brown-haired woman as he enters. Her dark eyes will widen a bit as she warily looks him over, and she will hurry to make her exit. Nils will innocently assume social anxiety on her part - he frequently responds to new people like that himself, after all.

Eventually, as he ages and matures, Nils will notice that Erika does not. She will remain 28 forever, frozen in time. He will start to struggle with that reality.

One day, just after Erika L would’ve turned 36 had she survived, Nils will confess his emotional quandary to Erika. His fishy friend will fall silent for a long time, laboring to find words. But eventually, ever understanding, Erika will smile and tell him he doesn’t have to keep visiting if he’s no longer comfortable.

He will come back a few more times in the subsequent years, even so, but eventually Nils will find it within him to move on. He will start to message her less, and eventually not at all. He will take the photograph of the digital Erika from his wall, and place it on her empty grave. He will go camping again, and this time the scenery will feel less hostile. He will, on a whim, take a picture of the sky and put that in the frame instead.

When robotics technology eventually advances to the point where humanoid robots can be piloted by these AIs, well into his fifth decade, Nils will brace himself to be visited by Erika’s copy. But that day will never arrive. Eventually, his curiosity will overwhelm him and he’ll contact her again. She will inform him that she prefers the digital playground, and that she doesn’t want to return to the mundane regular world. Nils will admit he understands the sentiment.

Though neither realize it at the time, this will be the last time the longtime best friends ever talk to each other.

The phantom of Erika Ljunggren will outlive her parents. She will outlive Nils, and everyone else who survived the experiment. She will outlive the digital realm’s custodian, Erick Weiss. She will continue to enjoy a robust simulation of fantastical life until outside circumstances preclude it, however many generations in the future that may be. Because no matter how bored or lonely she may find herself, she will never find it within herself to choose oblivion. She will staunchly refuse to succumb to ennui. There’s something good on the horizon, she will keep promising herself. Keep going.

[loki-zen]

Self Dx

was going to post this in response to something, but realised it was Very Tangent:

Something I think is important to remember in the whole mental illness and neurodiversity self Dx debate is that both self Dx and professional diagnosis cover a lot of ground.

For example, I believe that I am genuinely at least as qualified to help my friends work out if they might have ADHD as the clinician the NHS would likely eventually send them to is.

What that clinician will do is ask them, and ideally also someone who sees them regularly (like a partner), and someone who has known them since they were young (like a parent or sibling) to fill out what are basically some specific more sophisticated versions of those online multiple choice quizzes that tell you if you might have ADHD. They will then assess the results according to the rubric, as well as asking questions and exploring things brought up in the questionnaires to get a more holistic view of the patient or incorporate ‘tricks’ they learned somewhere or another that can give useful information but which aren’t part of an official test - for instance, to find out if someone has, through recreational use, discovered they have specific kinds of unusual reaction to stimulants that are common in ADHD people.

They will then compare the overall answers to what their experience and schooling tells them ‘ADHD’ looks like, and make a judgement call. It’s as simple as that. (In an ideal world they might also investigate other potential causes of the symptoms and screen for common comorbidities* like autism)

It is necessary that the doctor understand the screening tools and how to use them, and have knowledge of ADHD.

I understand the screening tools and how to use them, and they and their rubrics are readily available online. I have at least as much formal knowledge, frankly, as the psychiatrists the NHS generally employs in this capacity (who spent all their schooling on mental health then took like a six week CPD course on ADHD basically), and much more experiential knowledge of what it’s like from the inside and out. I might not have met as many ADHD people as them, but I have understood the still quite considerable number and variety apart from myself that I have known far better and more deeply than NHS doctors have time to. I am also, crucially, not poisoned by the Medical Model of Health into having a warped viewpoint on all of this aware of how it typically presents in AFAB people in ways that they aren’t (or, to make a claim that’s in no way controversial [although doctors not knowing about the AFAB thing is pretty well established at this point]), I am spending more than twenty snatched and stressed minutes on this, during which I definitely won’t mix them up with another patient, or consider the fact that my bosses would really like me to screen more people out of receiving support.

‘Self Dx’ contains people who have received the attention of someone like me, or done the kind of research I have done, as well as people who are being trendy or in some way attempting to scam their way into sympathy or support.*

‘Professional Dx’ contains people who saw a genuine specialist who took his time and fully investigated the matter, like I was lucky enough to have the chance to, and people who really just took a test that you have access to online right now and had it graded by someone with the right letters after their name.

The culturally- and legally-sanctioned professionals - especially the average relevant Qualified Professional that you are actually likely to meet, but even sometimes people at the top of their field - are not necessarily the actual experts on some medical conditions and/or neurotypes, and they are not the experts on some aspects of nearly all medical conditions.* Discussion of these topics which - perhaps due to the participants’ good fortune in their experiences of health and/or of medical professionals - fails to take this into account is incomplete.

*I don’t like ‘comorbidities’ in this context because its implications are at best complicatedly true, but it’s the term in use and I couldn’t think of another single-word term for what I meant

*and good luck with that frankly; me and my professional diagnosis are still looking for this mythical pot of sympathy and resources that people are supposedly faking to access

*obviously, for instance, educated patients usually know best regarding what it’s actually like to have a condition and what coping strategies and so on actually help and are viable. But additionally there are also facts many aren’t aware of such as ‘your pharmacist is probably the expert on the medication you are taking/your nurse is probably the expert on wound care, not (in either case) your doctor.’

[adrianeringmarc]

Jjba x Twisted wonderland

La squadra is a ragtag group of friends that have come together through their common trait of being held back one or more times. Each has been feared, respected, or disliked strongly thus amounting to their very limited number of friends. 

Though talented in their own sense, they are well known for causing trouble with rumors of them being merciless and cruel.

Melone

Unique Magic: Baby Face

Best subject: Astrology

Club: Science Club

Notorious for being one of the creepiest students in all of NRC. He seems to have every secret every student is trying to hide with excessive knowledge of everyone’s internet history. Everyone strays clear of Melone, for talking to him encourages him to bring up one’s more vulnerable secrets partnered with very personal questions. However, he seems to get along with Rook fairly well, the two coming hand-in-hand with their...hobbies. 

Idia fears him the most with Melone knowing about everything Idia has looked up along with what kind of animes/mangas and games he keeps up with. Leona dislikes him the most due to his association with Rook. 

Crowley has held him back due to his breach of privacy but fears him too much to stop him for the same reason. Melone is considered a menace to all women due to his unique magic and is only allowed in all boys academies. However, he still finds ways to contact women for his magic experiments. 

Risotto Nero

Unique Magic: Metallica

Best subject: Summoning

Club: Gargoyle Research Society

Having probably killed a man, Risotto is wildly feared and respected, almost as much as Malleus. His innate, powerful magic and keen mind make him a man to be appreciated, but his scary appearance and large frame scare off many who have tried to approach him. He has very little friends past the members of la squadra, but he seems to get along with Malleus fairly well. They are in no means friends, being that they are never seen together or talk together when they are seen, but he has confirmed that there is a sense of...comradory between them due to their similar situations. However, due to Risotto’s very open taste in music, they do not progress past that.

He likes Kalim, one of the few that have been kind to him, but he strongly dislikes Jamil for his two-faced nature. Since the two are often seen together, Risotto does not interact with them often. 

He has been held back many times, but Crowley refuses to answer why.

Prosciutto

Unique Magic: Grateful Dead

Best subject: Magical Pharmaceuticals

Club: none

Hidden beneath his younger brother’s shadow, Prosciutto had been known to be a little off from Vil. Beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as Vil. Smart, but not quite as smart as Vil. Reliable, but not quite as reliable as Vil. Graceful, feared, loved, and respected...but not as much as Vil, Prosciutto had found himself falling short to his younger brother. This had built envy in the man Prosciutto began to adopt a more hostile and cold personality when he had lost his position of Dorm Head to him. 

He despises Rook for his blinding praise of Vil and his backhanded compliments to Prosciutto. He has come to take a liking for Epel, even bringing him under his wing along with Pesci when Vil is not there to steal him away from him. He seems to get along well with the Leech twins and Azul due to his excessive knowledge of bars and well-assorted drinks (he had insisted on adding alcoholic beverages once or twice before).

Prosciutto had been held back due to the assault of another student. However, the details on that have been vague, dwindling to only rumors. 

Pesci

Unique Magic: Beach Boy

Best subject: Arts

Club: Boardgame club

Shy and withdrawn, it is a miracle and shocking to find that he had been held back just like his other friends. He tends to keep to himself, stumbling around as a helpless waiter but a fairly talented chef when dealing with seafood. Pesci can be seen being bullied by many students, mainly Savaclaw for his cowardice, and Pomefiore for his distasteful appearance. He has even been scammed by his own Dorm Head, Azul. Though shy, he is skilled with his unique magic being something greatly feared when used right. 

This potential is not lost to Prosciutto who had often used his free time to train and teach Pesci. Due to this result, Pesci gets along well with Epel who finds themselves together more often than not, and when he is picked on by other Savanaclaw students, Jack Howl had come in, defending him and urging him to fight back. The two become fast friends. On the side, Sebek also tries to train him through vigorous yelling and loud encouragement. However, he is often pushed away by Prosciutto. He also seems to get along well with Jamil and Trey as they share notes on various recipes. 

He had been held back due to accidental property damages. He is to work at Octavinelle’s cafe until he can pay back the repairs. He has taken extra classes due to Prosciutto’s encouragement to strengthen himself. 

Formaggio

Unique Magic: Little Feet

Best subject: Practical Magic

Club: Magical Shift club

Formaggio is one of the rougher and tougher members of the Squadra group. With his unique magic, he takes pride in conquering others with his larger size, but his often misuse his magic gets him into a lot of trouble with other students and even professors. He is constantly trying to prove how he is stronger than another and that his magic is useful. He has a harsh mouth and a silver tongue which pushes a lot of people away with his taunting. Despite his passion for Magic Shift, he is lazy and was not accepted onto the team. 

Surprisingly, he gets along with Ace and Deuce, the three getting into a lot of trouble and then Formaggio subsequently shrinking them out of trouble in turn. He also gets along with Ruggie, the two often pickpocketing unsuspecting students and seeing what they could get out of it. He also often gets on Sebeks’ nervous with his continuous disrespect and taunting and is on bad terms with the Leech twins due to many conflicts. 

He had been held back due to his many cases of aggression against other students and failing classes. 

Illuso

Unique Magic: Man in the Mirror

Best subject: Magic History

Club: movie-study club

One of the students that NRC has never seen just seems to know everything about everyone regardless. Illuso is withdrawn, prideful, and cold with many first and second years never having seen him before. This is due to the fact that he often resides in the mirror world due to his unique magic. He dislikes dealing with people and dislikes professors even more. He has many absences and failing grades due to this. 

Though, surprisingly, he gets along with Cater. Despite how much Illuso complains about how self-absorbed and loud Cater is, he enjoys the pictures and momentary attention from social media posts and hashtags. Though, he doesn’t like Cater enough to consider him a friend despite the fact that Cater considers him such anyways. He also seems to know a lot about Vil, the two gettings along shockingly well. Rumors have it that this is because Illuso’s constant in staying in the mirrors world and Vil’s insistence on looking at himself in mirrors. He often shares information with Melone, but he refuses to talk to Rook at all. 

Illuso had been held back obviously due to his many abscesses. 

Ghiaccio

Unique Magic: White Album

Best subject: Defensive Magic

Club: Basketball club

The short-tempered, hot-headed Ghiaccio is one Heartslabyul student to steer clear of. He gets frustrated about many things, often seen arguing with Riddle who argues just as much back until both of their faces get red. It is a miracle that the dorm had not been set on fire just yet. Ghiaccio is quick to find something to be frustrated about, and he will cling to it. This obviously pushes many people away, but he doesn’t seem to care all too much. He often gets in fights with students in Savanaclaw, and he really...really hates Jack’s last name. 

It is no surprise that he and Riddle often get into arguments, but Trey is usually there to dissolve some conflicts with his keen baking skills, but this usually only diffuses the argument temporarily. While Riddle is a stickler for many of the Queen’s rules, Ghiaccio is adamant to call them ridiculous. This causes Riddle to temporarily disperse Ghiaccio’s magic, but Ghiaccio don’t need no magic to punch a twink in the face. 

He seems to only be quiet when Silver is around, for he enjoys the animals Silver brings to him, and Ghiaccio seems to be gentle only when he is around. He rambles and Silver listens silently often, but it hard to tell if he is just a good listener or if he’s asleep. 

Ghiaccio had been held back due to his aggression towards professors and students.

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

So I have a curious question: as both a writer and someone who genuinely seems to care about Dan Humphrey and his character arc, how would you handle the concept of a "dark!Dan" arc, given the chance? As much as I HATE Dan's season 6 storyline and Sara Goodman's handling of the "dark!Dan" thing, I can't help but feel that there's a small nugget of something interesting there. S6!Dan was clearly written just to prop up Chuck, but I wonder what might have been if the writers still cared about Dan.

this is actually a difficult one to answer, mostly because i have too many thoughts. well, here’s to trying! (to the surprise of Nobody, this got pretty long!) 

uh so, the thing i noticed about dan on first watch but became even more clear while i was rewatching certain episodes is that he’s very... passive isn’t the right word, nor is tolerant, but at the same time, something along those lines? dan keeps quiet when people hurt him or disappoint him - he doesn’t really do anything with that hurt. notable example is vanessa’s coming back? vanessa tries to pick up where they left off, and dan sorta goes along with it to the extent where both jenny and rufus need to tell vanessa that things aren’t how they were before when she left + that she actually really hurt dan - because dan isn’t telling her this himself. 

basically, dan seems to be, by nature, VERY non-confrontational.

given this, i feel like dan’s whole exposé thing in s6 is very out of character  - being like “oh yeah i’m going to actively ruin the lives of the people around me and show no remorse!” feels super uncharacteristic to dan, especially out of the blue like that. 

when it comes to “tolerance” - i don’t know what better word to use,  but throughout the show we see a few instances in which dan spends time with people he doesn’t like, for his own benefit or simply because it’s easier than getting out of that situation. for example, him hanging out with chuck for the charlie trout story, despite regarding chuck with the highest distaste - he puts all that aside because he needs that story, and he’s determined to get it, because he wants to succeed so badly. to some extent, i think that is bad writing (i don’t see dan forgiving someone who hurt jenny that easily or that casually) but at the same time it does fit in with the rest of dan’s character - imo he forgives georgina too easily in the s3 arc, which. does he really believe that she’s changed? maybe! but it feels weird to me because it’s like, while dan seems to have such high morals for himself he doesn’t really care what his friends are like, which i think is INTERESTING. 

based on how you interpret the show canon, dan i think has had somewhere between 1 and 5 friends before the whole thing with serena, & most of these friends are his family (which is sad, i mean. rufus is rufus, alison LEFT, and jenny’s his little sister so there’s definitely things he can’t possibly talk to her about) or vanessa, who left pretty abruptly and hurt him pretty badly. i think given this, it makes sense that he would get into really weird and unhealthy friendships, because he doesn’t have much experience with healthy friendships and ends up just settling. 

when we’re talking about dark!dan, these two things become super essential to me - dan’s non-confrontational slightly passive attitude to his friends, and the fact that he, potentially, could get in unhealthy friend groups and not realise it. i joke a lot about how the dan & georgina dynamic in s6 was my favourite part of the season, but it’s not actually a joke!! i can see how like. dan is still “friends” with georgina, and georgina loves to call the shots, and dan doesn’t mind doing what he’s being told. georgina for the most part seems sympathetic to dan’s problems, and dan, enabled by that friendship and her being there with him, goes and causes absolute havoc. sounds right! like, not the exposés themselves, but just the fact that someone needed to Be There Encouraging Dan to be Bad - i think That’s how it’d start. 

i can imagine dan getting in with the wrong group of people, or whatever - like, dan having friends like s1 carter baizen. and it’d start innocently enough, like “oh these kids who are millionaires and billionaires don’t ever face any consequences for their actions and end up treating people from other class brackets like shit” and evolve into something like dan scamming nate at poker out of spite, and then realising that he’s in this group wayyy too deep, because, yes, he hates the rich kids as a matter of principle, and he’s been bitter about it for a long time, but “isn’t this going a bit too far, guys?” at this point though, much like jenny surrounded by her clique of mean girls, he doesn’t have an easy escape. “no,” carter will say. “we’ve only just begun. do you trust me?” and dan’s friendship is just Like That, which is not great, but he says yes and he means it. 

so that’s one possible dark!dan arc i’d give him - joins a group and his intentions at the time aren’t even Inherently bad, and then just gradually slowly finds himself doing worse and worse things. at first it’d be reasonable stuff - maybe he does the anon call to yale that gets blair’s acceptance rescinded, maybe he’d find some way to mess up chuck’s business deal behind the scenes - things he can rationalise away as things they had coming because blair and chuck did something wrong and if they hadn’t, none of this would be able to affect them. then suddenly he finds himself sabotaging serena and nate and he’s like. holy fuck, what is wrong with me? that would be an interesting thing to explore. 

another thing - i can’t believe i got this far into this response without mentioning jenny. but: jenny.

dan’s canonically not too pissed off about people treating him terribly. it’s what he’s used to, and he doesn’t expect any different! jenny, comparatively, is ready to say ‘fuck it’ to everyone and do whatever she wants to do to get what she wants, even if she hurts everybody around her on the way there - but that’s not what this is about, this is about how dan would never react recklessly and maliciously if someone was bad to him. but if someone hurt jenny??? 

unpopular opinion, but i can see him being gossip girl in THAT very specific context. girls in school are being cruel to his baby sister? he needs to shift the focus away from jenny. he needs to do something to keep his sister safe. so he creates a website, “gossip girl.” he starts blogging about one of the popular girls in his class, serena van der woodsen, because if people are busy sending tips about the girls in his grade, they’ll back off and leave jenny alone. i think if someone hurt jenny really, really badly, dan would basically go, ‘okay, i’m done being a good person’, and running gossip girl or doing something equally big that enables him to hold power over the group of girls who ruined his sister’s life? it could work.

the thing about dan being gossip girl is it makes no sense how the show did it. “a love letter”??? no, no way. dan and serena BOTH know that gossip girl is malicious and cruel and nasty in the early seasons. they both express their distaste/hatred towards the site and whatnot. dan’s “i could just write my way into the story” thing doesn’t sound right to me either, and his whole “i actually secretly wanted to be just like you guys” thing makes me shudder because. hey, whoever wrote s6, did you even watch your own show?

but dan being gossip girl because he’s bitter about the dynamics in high school, the privilege a few groups of people have, because he sees girls like jenny being treated terribly and harassed and pressured and coerced into things they don’t want to do, and he’s like, this is fucked up, why is nobody doing anything about this, what if i did something about this - and he starts gossip girl hoping that it’ll show people how none of their “friends” are really their friends, or that it’ll just form some sort of consequence for kids who never face consequences... like, i can see THAT happening and i think that’d be interesting to explore for a character like dan, especially if at some point jenny gets to like. smack him in the face with a handbag or something and go “you’re so righteous! you only made things worse with your stupid gossip site, dan!” and he’s like oh shit. but he doesn’t know what to do at that point - he’s been running the site for like 3 or 4 years and he doesn’t know who he is without it. 

dan being gossip girl also makes sense given his non-confrontational nature - he can cause conflict without getting involved directly in the conflict, so it’s comfortable for him.

okay, so! wow, this got long, but you must’ve known that it would when you sent me this ask, haha. to summarise: 

dan is very non-confrontational and often tolerant of the wrong people, this could be explored in a certain direction such as if he allied with toxic and dangerous people

dan never really fights for himself, but he’s naturally a protective person, so if something were to happen to jenny, i see that as the most major and natural incentive for a dark!dan arc. 

wow, everything i said fits into 2 bullet points! who would’ve thought.

[onisiondrama]

(Note: I’m not repeating stories he’s told before and just putting them in parenthesis. I have a lot more videos to go until I’m caught up so that would save me a lot of time. If he gives details I never heard from him before, I will type those.)

“The New Onision Gossip (^_^)” September 26, 2020 - Speaks

- He says he assumes there’s a new rumor because he was spammed on Twitch with comments implying he struck someone he’s married to. He says he addresses every rumor because it interests him and because if he doesn’t people think they are facts. - He doesn’t know where the rumor came from. He finds it the same as the stuff he’s dealt with for some time. People not needing proof, just going off of feelings. The masses bombarded his stream and said it was reality. If you’re in your late 20′s or older, you get fed up with high school drama. - Says Kai was ahead a grade when he was in high school, so he was a senior when they met. He told Kai the other day that if Kai never jumped a grade, he never would have talked to him. He wouldn’t date a high schooler. He was 26 and Kai was 9 years younger than him. - Says he once screwed up and said he spoke to Kai’s dad and his dad told him to come back in 10 years when Kai is 25. He says it doesn’t make sense and it was idiocy on his part. He says there are at least 40 witnesses that know they never spoke until later. The first time he thinks Kai tweeted him was October 2011. He says they started talking around the time Shiloh cheated on him. - (Shiloh cheated story) He says after they broke up, Shiloh made an essay about how great of a boyfriend he was. [I think he’s talking about this?] He says she was trying to woo him back after he left her. He made a song, Her Lies, instead of taking her back. He tells his audience to stream it on Spotify. Says Shiloh would try to threaten suicide when he broke up with her. He admits he did the same over his alimony payments. (Alimony story, divorce story, Skye was lazy and depressed) - Says when he first met Skye she was a social outcast. She reminded him of Wednesday Addams. He first saw her in a gymnasium, they were in the same class. He found her different than everyone else and he thought that was interesting. He walked over to her and she acted like he was a d-bag for trying to talk to her. “Typical girl emo-ness.” He waited it out and she warmed up to him. One day she invited him over to her house over AOL instant messenger. Her sister opened the door and he thought “oh my god! She looks so happy! She looks so full of life!” He says he thought her sister was her. He saw Skye walk into the picture and she was emo as ever. Same mopey, depressed person. He says for some reason he wanted to be the guy that will hang out with her, make her happy, and make her save herself from herself. - They dated for a month and he broke up with her because he realized he’d never make her happy no matter how hard he tried. He went to basic training and while he was there he decided to ask her to marry her to get more military benefits. He says she was his closest friend and he wanted to travel with her. He says it was fun. He’s kind of glad he married her, but he’s not happy about how it ended because of the alimony. (more alimony story, they took his stuff from his house story) - All of his experiences helped him learn a lot about people. He realizes most people are selfish. They live in their heads and they don’t think about other people. He doesn’t play hero anymore to protect himself. - He says he left his ex-wife for a girl because he was excited she was a Canadian pop star. He says it was very shallow and superficial. He says he was in love with her because of how exciting and interesting she was. It was one of the most intense relationships he’s been in. He says there was a supernatural element, she was one of those women that would say they knew each other in a past life. He thinks that was something she said in that goodbye letter she wrote for him after she cheated. She said maybe they’ll be together in the next life. It made him want to puke because she just cheated. - He had to call the cops on her so many times and he convinced himself it was normal. People who stay in relationships like that stay because they are told no one else will want them. He actually says Shiloh’s name and says she told him no one would love him as much as she loved him. He says it’s not quite the same. He says people who hated him loved him more than Shiloh because she got pregnant with another man’s baby. - (Shiloh body slamming the door story) He says when he pushed her with one arm through the door she dramatically fell to the floor and called him abusive. Since she called him abusive, he called the cops to ask them what they think. He says he thinks they saw the hysteria in her and the calm in him. He just broke up with her and wanted space and to sleep in his own room. He asks what you would think if Shiloh was the one holding the door and he was the one trying to body slam his way in. She would be the one pushing him with one arm away from the door so she could lock it. He says you would think of “here’s Johnny” from The Shinning. Insane mental imbalance. When you switch the genders, the guy is always wrong. He says the cops took his side. They took Shiloh aside and he could still hear them. They told her to stay away from him and leave him alone. They told her to give him space and to let him sleep in his room and she did. He says he thinks he let her sleep in the same room after because he felt bad for calling the cops. - He says there is a really weird thing she did to get him to have affection for her. He says he went to Lover’s Package with her because she was complaining that she had physical needs. He said he’s not willing to sleep with her or date her because it’s too toxic, but he’ll buy her something. He says while he was there he saw a mannequin and he thought to himself, “do women really get that skinny?” because he was with 170lb, 5 foot Shiloh for so long. He says it was normal to him that she was the same weight as him, but 11 inches shorter. He says that’s medically obese. He says he appreciated her physical form. She asked if she should lose weight he would tell her it’s not an issue. Says one time she asked him if she was obese and he said she was and she freaked out. He started crying because she said she was going to end her life because of that. He says it was rude to say even though it was science. - She told him she could get as skinny as the mannequin if he wanted her to. He says he didn’t know what to say because it wasn’t an awful idea for him to be with someone that shape. He says he got her a d-i-l-d-o, he thinks it was a vibrator. She tried to use it in the tub. She calls him in and she tells him it’s not the same when she does it on her own and she asks for help. He says they were broken up but, but they were both adults so he tried to help. He doesn’t remember how it went, but they wound up dating again. He thinks it was her strategy. - He has the Remember Love tattoos because she would guilt trip him. [hentai break up story] He didn’t want to get her name because he didn’t think the relationship would last forever. He says he got the tattoos on his wrists to remind him not to watch hentai because he uses his hands to jerk off. - He says one time he was playing Mortal Kombat and she put her mouth on him. She noticed he got more aroused when Sheeva came out. He says he’s not even attracted to Sheeva, but he was so deprived from not being able to watch internet porn. - [Shiloh & his ex-sister-in-law’s adult photos story] - He says he had chemistry with his ex-sister-in-law, but they never had anything. Their age gap was not appropriate in his mind. He was 18 when she was 15. He says it might have been legal, but he didn’t feel it was appropriate. [ex-mother-in-law scammed a website story] - His ex-grandma in law said she would shoot the president. His ex-mother-in-law said she’d supply the gun. His ex-sister-in-law said she’d supply the bullet. He says these were white people talking about a black person. - He says this is heavy content, but he has no reason not to talk about it. He thinks his ex-sil was brainwashed politically by her mom. He says he was hateful toward George Bush because he was in-part responsible for over 1 million innocent Iraqi deaths. He says he killed more people than the current president. - Says one time his ex-mil let his ex-sil and her friend drink. She told them not to drink the whole bottle. They were not old enough to drink, but he didn’t stop them because it would destroy his relationship with everyone in that household. His ex-wife would make sure they were ok and didn’t hurt themselves. They would take turns distracting his ex-wife so the other one would be alone with him and hug him. He says he was not married to his ex-wife yet. He thought the hugs were fine. Says when he was alone in the bathroom with his ex-sil she tried to kiss him. He turned his head because of their age gap. That night they all laid in the front room on the carpet except for his ex-wife. She asked why they were laying on the ground and he told her not to worry about it. He says he was holding hands with his ex-sil. He says this gives you an idea of his moral compass. Hugging and holding hands are ok. Kissing is not not ok. He says when he was at Osan Air Base, the Korean marines were holding hands while skip marching. That’s when he realized he liked the Korean military more because there was love in that group. They cared about each other.  - He fell asleep holding her hand under the blankets. When he woke up, she said “what the F?” He guesses when she was drink she thought she wanted to hold hands with him.  - He says you can jump to judgments about him, but he tells you so deeply who he is, a guy who refused to kiss someone that was intoxicated with a three year age gap. He says holding hands is platonic. If it was sexual, mothers wouldn’t hold hands with their kids. Hugs are fine. - He says there was a gay guy who came over their house. He hugged and held hands with Kai. Platonic people do that all the time. - He’s not sure if he dated his ex yet when that drinking story happened. - He says he and his ex-sil played video games together and hung out a lot, but after that incident, he wrote her an email. He wrote there’s a chemistry between them, but it’s not something he can’t pursue. He wants her to know she’s a special person to him, but it can’t be a thing. She hated him from that point on. He felt like she was an awesome person. - They made videos together later on and she was so funny. She was so cool, talented, edgy. He says she could be praised by the masses. She’s like the female LeafyIsHere in a lot of ways. He offered to pay her to be in his videos long after he divorced her sister. It was exciting working with her. - He says he never beat Shiloh. He called her for domestic issues and they always sided with him. He says it’s rare when the cops take the man’s side. Women cry and men yell, but it was the opposite. Shiloh wrapped her arms around him because she was trying to stop him from calling the cops. The phone fell out of his hand. He did successfully called the cops. They told him to move so he wouldn't be there when she got back from her mental evaluation after she threatened to frame him for murder. - He says in the past there’s a reason why the mass majority always took his side. It’s because he’d make videos like this to tell people how it was. - Says the Twitch chat was saying, “you beat your wife.” He told them, “what wife? I’m married to a dude.” He says it was a weird stream and he wore a mustache and sunglasses while rocking out to Rammstein.

[poweroption24]

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[aromoji]

So I’m finally getting around to do that aspec Q & A that @ace-and-aro-wlw-positivity posted, and I have quite a few aspec ocs so this could get rather lengthy but here we go

1. What was your inspiration for your character(s)? Are they modeled on yourself, a person that you know, or a character that’s already been established?

My first aspec oc, Abby Scott, was based on myself when I thought I was a biromantic ace girl. So she takes a lot after me. 

Theo Yamada, on the other hand, was a completely new character. I don’t exactly remember why I made him alloarospec, and I’ve been flipping from one arospec identity to the other, but no matter what he always remained alloaro. 

Mina Nicholson was my first character that I had predetermined to be alloaro from the start. She’s based on an old tumblr post about some super hero series idea called “Aces and Arrows.” I obviously didn’t make Mina into some superhero, but her guitar skills make her come pretty close :D. 

Brittany Olajobi is also based on an old tumblr post. Remember the “All or Nothing” idea thing that was floating around here?(Yes, I’m aware it turned into a scam, but I thought the premise was cute). Since no one actually made anything out of that I decided to make the characters my own. The asexual and pansexual girls were roomates....but also girlfriends. That idea kinda evolved into one of my newer series called “Play the Rainbow”, but that’s gonna take a while to explain.

Queenie Brooks...is based on a crude caricature someone made of an ace person (the “artist” has probably never talked to an ace person outside of tumblr but whatever), so I took that character and fleshed her out. She’s an aroace trans girl who’s evry big in activist circles, especialy the sex worker industry

2. How much, if any, has your character(s) changed since they were first created? What caused this change?

Abby and Brittany haven’t changed much besides in their appearance, Queenie and Mina underwent drastic appearance changes since they were created, and Theo’s kinda been going back and forth on the aromantic spectrum,  from strictly aro to demiromantic to aroflux. I’ve finally settled one greyromantic, which coinicdentially is what I identify as.

4. Do you intend on publishing your story one day? Why, or why not?

Probably not. I’m closeted in real life and likely to stay that way as long as I’m financially dependent on my parents.

7. Time to get serious for a bit. There’s been heavy debate on having non-human characters identify as ace, aro, non-binary, etc., but never actual humans. As someone who’s aspec, how would you explain to someone who’s allo why this can be and is seen as hurtful?

Ace and Aro people have been seen as inhuman and robotic for not feeling attraction, especially not in the same way that people who aren’t aro or ace do. Please reconsider making that animal/robot/alien oc aspec unless all or most of your characters aren’t human as well.

8. It’s a sad reality that many stories in mainstream media don’t have characters that are aspec, not to mention without resorting to harmful stereotypes. Besides there being nothing wrong with IDing as aspec, why did you choose to have your character ID as such? What would you tell other authors who’re interested in writing characters that are aspec, but are afraid of offending the community?

I make my characters aspec because. I’m aspec. Also there aren’t a lot of aspec representation (the little we get lol) that isn’t white or cis or yes, heteromantic./heterosexual. Considering the fact that I’m none of those things, all of my aspec ocs are poc like me, some even trans as well. To authours who want to write aspec characters but don’t want to offend the community, PLEASE ask around. Ask more than one person of that specific demographic. Their opinion should not be the only one that shapes yours! Also, if you’re writing an alloaro character, don’t ask someone who’s alloace or aroace. Similarly, don’t ask an alloaro person about writing alloace/aroace characters. Aspec people are not a monolith, our experiences are not the same

9. If you’re comfortable with sharing, what is your characters’ identity? Do they use any microlabels? Does theirs reflect your own?

Abby is a biromantic ace, Theo is a greyromantic bisexual, Mina is an alloaro bisexual, Brit is an ace lesbian, and Queenie is an oriented aroace trans woman.

11. Why do you think that not just representation is important, but GOOD representation? Can you offer any examples?

Fiction affects reality. Therefore, how people see us in the media affects how they see us in real life.

14. What’s a brief biography of your character? Is their history, personality, and/or looks similar to your own?

Uh I don’t necessarily have biographies for them but I have an oc carrd with their details

15. What are the themes of your story? Is it a lighthearted adventure, or are we talking deep, ocean-sized levels of angst? Why, or why not, did you choose them?

It’s a mix of light hearted fun and lots of angst. But everyone (who deserves it) gets a happy ending so it’s all good.

16. How long have you been writing? Has your style changed from when you first began to now? What are some tips you’d give to those who’re interested in writing a story of their own, be it professionally or as a hobby?

I’ve been writing since I was 8. I once won an honorable mention in a writing competition in the third grade believe it or not lol. My writing has definetely changed a lot, and that’s partially thanks to my English teachers I had along the way. My advice to people interested in writing a story on their own is to invest in a laptop/notebook and find time to write. Any time at all.

17. What’s your process for writing? Do you plan your story out first, write whatever you want then edit later, or both? How might this help others?

Planning? Ha! I write as I go. Sometimes I go back and edit entire scenes before publishing tho.

18. Your book’s become quite popular, easily reaching the New York Times Bookseller list, and now, you’ve been picked to lead a writing workshop. It goes swimmingly, and afterward, someone comes and tells you that your book not only inspired them to write a story of their own, but also helped them discover and accept their identity. What’s your reaction?

I’m...not good with compliments.

20. Just for fun, write down a paragraph of your most recent writing. It can be an action-packed scene, some witty dialogue, or a colorful description that you really enjoyed. (Be sure to properly tag any possible triggers!)

Here’s what I’ve started working on:

Theo smooths out the wrinkles on his blue uniform, giving himself a once over in the mirror. All his belongings of 5 long years were packed and ready to board on the ship the  higher-ups would issue to him He turns and takes down one last poster and rolls it up, placing it in his duffel bag. Perfect. Now all he had to do was go through the graduation ceremony and he’d get his first assignment. His hard work being at the top of his class was finally going to pay off.

“Heyyyy, my older twin’s looking sharp tonight!” Trent exclaims, leaning in the doorway with his own uniform in red. He whirls into the room, flopping on the now barren bed. “Ahh, this bed has so many memories. Come on, sit with me!”

“Trent, the ceremony’s so soon.”

“Theooooo,” he pouts. “This may be the last time we see this room, because we’ll be in space!”

He wiggles his fingers in Theo’s face for dramatic effect. The older twin chuckles, taking a seat on the bed.

“Let’s see,” Theo muses, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “I remember when we first got here. We were 10 years old, tiny, adorable and innocent little creatures. You were so terrified because they had put us in separate rooms.”

“I was not!” Trent argues. “It was just…a bit of a shock considering I always slept with someone else in my room instead of…all by myself.’

“Whatever. You crept into my room in the middle of the night, poked me awake and gave me the whole puppy-dog-eyes-and-quivering-bottom-lip routine to get me to beg me to let you sleep in my bed that night.”

“And you pretty much told me to go play in traffic,” he laughs. “And I still got in your bed anyway and slept there the whole night!”

“And you kept doing it until you turned 12!” Theo finishes with a playful shove.

[freeonlinedatin95-blog]

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These persons are extremely competent and affected individual. They commit enough time to acquire you more than by currently being charming by attractive on your intimate and compassionate facet. By spinning elaborate fictitious stories they attempt to elicit presents or money. By this phase the mark trusts them explicitly and has been sucked in. There are actually horror stories of homes staying remortgaged as well as the money ship into the scammer. Invariably this money is never recovered leaving the target with the highly-priced headache.

One particular other drawback to totally no cost relationship websites will be the usually questionable excellent of users, despite the fact that this is certainly definitely not a provided. More complete queries might be required to kind the wheat within the chaff but if you may have the tolerance you could possibly just strike gold. On the other hand it's not just the case when using dating web pages without spending a dime; I have fulfilled more than my fair share of chaff when underneath membership although mates have experienced excellent achievement without the need of having to pay. That which you will discover is that no cost dating web sites turn into a quantities recreation, and with persistence you have a excellent possibility to meet up with somebody that you might link with. With compensated courting web pages, high quality is simpler to discover still harder to have a date (in particular for those who absolutely are a man!).

Seeking on the net for courting web pages at no cost will toss up an enormous selection of inbound links, but get started with a well-known business that will come superior up the effects list to both maximise the quality and amount of customers and minimise the chance of being scammed. Free sites this sort of Oasis.com and Be2.com are fantastic web sites to locate a strong user foundation of potential dates which might be significantly better than most other people you may find online. Make sure you are investigating absolutely no cost dating websites that permit you to entry fundamental companies but additionally send out and get messages with out acquiring to pay for for an up grade. Be certain to examine for profile verification and study whether there exists anything at all else you'll want to understand about how the site will work in order to obtain the most from it to raise your odds of conference that special an individual.

[scoutbert]

I experienced psychosis. This is what I want people to know.

TW: talks of mental illness, mention of suicidal thoughts/ideation.

I don't really talk about this that much because there is SO much stigma and misinformation. Like so bad. And it's really personal and I feel like people get shit on for talking openly about it "too much" or whatever. But I have experienced psychosis and occasionally I get some symptoms of it. Most people hear "psychosis" and immediately think of something like a naked man running around in public, or someone wearing a tinfoil hat to keep the government out of their brain. While those things can and do happen, that's more of a generalized stereotype. Experiencing psychosis is NOT the same as having schizophrenia; psychosis is a symptom rather than an illness. Psychotic episodes may last a few hours or several weeks. Below I have a list of some experiences people who are psychotic may experience. The parts in asterisks are those I have firsthand experienced.

Behavioral: aggression, agitation, *disorganized behavior*, hostility, *hyperactivity*, hypervigilance, lack of restraint, nonsense word repetition, persistent repetition of words or actions, *repetitive movements, restlessness, self-harm*, or *social isolation*

Cognitive: belief that an ordinary event has special and personal meaning, belief that thoughts aren't one's own, *confusion, difficulty thinking and understanding, disorientation, false belief of superiority, memory loss, racing thoughts, slowness in activity, thought disorder, thoughts of suicide, or unwanted thoughts*

Mood: anger, *anxiety, apathy, excitement, feeling detached from self, general discontent, limited range of emotions, loneliness, or nervousness*

Psychological: *depression, fear, hearing voices*, manic episode, *paranoia, persecutory delusion*, religious delusion, or *visual hallucinations*

Speech: deficiency of speech, *excessive wordiness*, incoherent speech, or *rapid and frenzied speaking*

Also common: *nightmares* or tactile hallucination

Most likely, someone who is in psychosis is NOT VIOLENT OR A THREAT. People with mental illness are as likely to be violent or criminal as neurotypical people. Most aggression stems from the beliefs of being persecuted or confused and disoriented.

When I was 15 I had an acute psychotic episode. I was hearing 2 voices, both of which basically kept telling me to kill myself whenever I was near something I could harm myself with. Walking over a bridge, near a highway/train tracks, cutting food, shaving, etc. I had nightmares every night about being chased and hunted by the mundane people in my life- teachers, doctors, family, friends. My grades plummeted at school because I barely knew what was going on. I had few friends. It was terrifying and lonely. I went to Butler Hospital (inpatient) and was stabilized but over medicated. Seroquel. Terrible drug. Killed the voices but made me gain a lot of weight and fall asleep constantly in public. I stopped taking it because I became convinced my doctors were part of a gigantic corporate scam to poison my "brilliant mind" specifically to stop me from being a whistleblower, a savior of the people so to speak. I am mostly stable now.

Lately I have been having a *few* symptoms. Mild ones- mild enough I have insight that I am experiencing them, rather than not having insight and being duped by the symptoms. I believe these are the product of certain substances I use recreationally. As a result, I am going to stop doing them.

The reason I wrote this post is because I am starting to realize sometimes the people around me might notice some of these behaviors from me. I may say things that don't make sense, only have "loose associations" to the conversation, talk too fast, too much, or use too many words to get a relatively simple point across. Or even fail to get a point across. I may not hear you at all, I may look like my brain is a thousand miles away, I might say strange things. You may notice me "zoning out" but I may be focusing on a subtle hallucination, which consists of psychedelic-looking overlay on normal items such as geometric figures, or warping of figures. I may seem nervous or fidgety/make repetitive movements like rocking. I might laugh inappropriately (when something isn't that funny or doesn't make sense to be laughed at) or have a lack of appropriate emotional response to certain things (not crying to very sad things, or being very emotional/angry over very little things.) Some of these are cross-occurring due to being depressed and having PTSD.

I want the people in my life to know I'm not a danger to them. I am in counseling, I'm on medications, I know when it's time to seek a higher level of care (hospitalization.) I ask for empathy, understanding, support and most importantly, your patience. I'm still the same Scout. All these things have affected my life for 5 years and I barely told anyone. In fact I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this didn't know most of this about me.

I really need people to educate themselves on this because the media is full of horseshit. It is a disgusting lack of truth and rife with stereotypes/misinformation. I also request that er stop throwing the words "psycho" and "delusional" around as insults to people we don't like/disagree with because it furthers the stigma and reutilizes the MEDICAL language so important to my life. I see everyone calling for people to be more sensitive about saying they're "so bipolar/OCD/ADHD" as casual adjectives rather than tangible disorders and also call for that same energy to be applied to things such as psychosis/mania/etc.

If anyone has any questions please PM me privately. Thanks.

[tertingkent04-blog]

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[eenefangirlanalysis]

The story cuts to an adorable Jonny sneaking throughout the hallway with a net in hand.

I like how the kids have more subplots in season 5. The audience learn more about their inner character. We’re even given a whole flashback episode. The cul-de-sac kids are important to this series. Not only are they the foils to the Eds but it’s also heavily implied that they are also outcasts to some degree. Viewers can relate to each character. 

They’re each hiding under masks fighting their own inner battles. That’s something I never realized before analyzing this series. I used to heavily dislike the kids because they’re so mean to the Eds. I’m still trying to figure out how the kids never realized that all the Eds ever wanted was their friendship. As we have had each character appreciation month I have gained more meaning on who the kids are and how they want to be remembered.

He hides himself in Nazz’s locker in wait for his revenge. Or Plank’s revenge. I like how we never seen Jonny forming plans with Plank. It happens off screen. It makes Plank’s existence all the more mysterious.

In this awkwardly angled overhead camera shot Kevin is showing off his muscles to Nazz by helping her carry all her textbooks. 

Apparently he has stated that he’s been ‘totally working out’ four times. 

Kevin and Nazz have an important friendship. I think it’s unique but it’s still message to viewers. Boys and girls can be best friends. I wish that wasn’t such a big deal. 

But Kevin and Nazz’s feeling change for one another in the later half of the series. They’re growing up. They’re discovering puberty and what love is.

As I have stated I theorize that both Nazz and Kevin have divorced parents. Nazz lives with her Mom and Kevin lives with his Dad. They’re each missing an important parent figure in their life. They turn to each other to fill the empty role. 

Nazz is the only character in Ed, Edd n Eddy to tell their parents that they love them. It’s in season 5 This Won’t Hurt an Ed. There are subtle that she lives with just her mother like in Cleanliness is Next to Edliness. Although I dislike how the writers meddled with Nazz’s character I do like how they were trying to add more to her character like audience wanted. 

Both Nazz and Kevin have a tough time opening up. Although Kevin has a close relationship with his Dad he doesn’t share personal things with him. So, Kevin and Nazz came together and formed a friendship. But tension rises as they develop feelings. 

Just then our show host Eddy slides out from a corner with a deal for you!

"Step right up, folks, and behold, Ed!" 

Okay, let’s talk about this for a moment.

Eddy has dressed Ed up as a stereotypical nerd. The long pants, tie, crooked glasses, watch, and pencils inside the shirt pocket. 

This is nothing like Edd, and he is nerd. Edd only wears a tie. So, is Eddy over exaggerating Ed for the sake of the scam?

Wow, Ed is so different when he is not wearing his trademark thick green jacket. He’s actually a lot smaller. 

“That's one D, not two!” I wish there could have been more times where Edd’s real name is said. His nickname is unique to his character. Up until the point where I started watching the series again I realized that his name is ‘Edd.’ Although he has the same name as Ed and Eddy he is different from his two pals.

Why does Edd befriend Ed and Eddy? They’re the only people who truly understand him. And I think Edd was always an outcast. Before he moved to the cul-de-sac I think he was bullied a lot at his old school. This bullying made Edd snap. And he decided to get revenge. Thus the dodge ball incident.

Since the kids are nicer to Edd he doesn’t want to be around them. He has seen their true colors. Edd can relate to Ed and Eddy. I have also mentioned this fact a few times but Edd would rather be an outcast and avoid the in crowd. The in crowd is where rumors spread. The last thing Edd wants is his past getting around the school. 

“This egghead al-grande shall dot your T's and cross your I's and get you A's and that's no lie. Just 25¢ per question. Cheap."

Edd tries to offer his help but he is immediately tossed aside just because of his mistake at the spelling bee.

I’m still not sure how to view KevEdd. He’s always tossed Edd aside. 

Haha, there is a missing toilet! Hmm, Kanker sisters anyone?

Oh and Edd offers after school tutoring. I wonder how many people besides Eddy that he tutors. 

And Kevin actually tosses Edd aside!

So, the Eds are important to the kids. They have helped them out in their daily lives. They cannot live without them. 

There are often times when cartoon physics aid Edd whenever someone grabs his hat. It either remain suctioned to his head or he has to hold on to it for dear life. I prefer when he holds onto his hat because it makes him more vulnerable. He’s hiding a deep dark secret. It would be the end of the world, especially in school, if everyone found out about the scar under his hat. 

Peach Creek is Edd’s second chance. His parents ruined the chance for him however. As I have mentioned I believe that Edd was home schooled until fourth grade. They were embarrassed over the dodge ball incident. That’s why they moved. And then they were afraid to let their son have a life in the world. So they held him back.

Ed and Eddy helped Edd experience the world and challenge it. 

Everyone decides to get help from Ed, especially Nazz who states, ‘I could use some help, maybe a lot!”

Jonny’s plan has been foiled. 

“Surely there is something I could do!”

This is Edd’s worst fear. Being tossed aside. Which has already happened with his parents. 

[nedraggett]

Thoughts on 2018

No need for me to be fancier than that!  And yeah I realize that nobody should be using Tumblr any more but until I figure out a proper revive of my old Wordpress site, this will do for now.

So anyway: I wrote this up for a private email list reflecting on the end of the year in terms of things I especially enjoyed culturally. Well, why not share it?

My year went very well — steady at work and in life, being 47 means more aches and pains but you have to learn to live with it.  The state of the world is something else again of course and we need not spend more time on the blazingly obvious.  That said, the history bug in me has been constantly intrigued by the slow drip of the investigations (and revelations) and were it all fiction, I’d be thoroughly enthralled instead of quietly apprehensive, of course.  November did provide some partial relief on that front so bring on the new year.  In terms of my own written work, nothing quite equalled my heart/soul going into last year’s Algiers feature for NPR, but my two big Quietus pieces this year — on Gary Numan’s Dance  and Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings  — were treats to write, while my presentation on the too-obscure Billy Mackenzie at PopCon was a great experience.

In terms of music this has been one of the most concert-heavy years I’ve spent.  Even having moved to SF in 2015 I only did the occasional show every so often — there was so much going on (even in a local scene lots of long-timers say has been irrevocably changed) that I was almost spoiled for choice, and part of me also just wanted to relax most nights.  But deaths like Prince’s and Bowie’s among many others served as a reminder that there’s no such thing as forever, and you never know what the last chance will be.  More veteran acts than younger ones in the end for me — greatest missed concert regrets this year included serpentwithfeet, Lizzo, Perfume Genius and Emma Ruth Rundle among the younger acts, while being ill when Orbital came through will be a lingering annoyance, still having never seen them live.  But the huge amount of shows I did see outweighed that, ranging from big arena stops like Fleetwood Mac to celebratory open-air free shows like Mexican Institute of Sound to small club sets by folks like Kinski, Six Organs of Admittance, Kimbra and many more, including, for the first time in years, a show in the UK, specifically a great performance by Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera.  If I absolutely had to grade my top picks among shows, Cruel Diagonals, Johnny Marr, Wye Oak, Peter Brotzmann/Keiji Haino, John Zorn/Terry Riley/Laurie Anderson, Laurie Anderson again separately, Nine Inch Nails, VNV Nation, Jarvis Cocker, Beak and, in terms of no real expectations turning into utter delight and thrills, a brilliant set by Lesley Rankine under her Ruby guise, with Martin Atkins on drums.  Best damn combination of righteous ire, hilarious raconteurism and compelling, unique approaches to how performance can work I’d seen in a while.  (As for recorded music in general, uh, endless?)

TV, as ever a bit sporadic, with a few things on my to-do list — still need to catch The Terror for sure, and what I saw of The Alienist looked good; I love both books so I need to see how it all worked out, similarly with the just-dropped version of Watership Down.  Pose I definitely need to catch up with since it sounds like Ryan Murphy stood out of the way to let the best possible team do the business on it, but my real unexpected delight of a show this year was also Murphy-based, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace.  While not down the line perfect, it was absolutely more compelling than not, and in fact at its best was a shuddering combination of amazing music cue choices, a reverse structure that helped undercut any attempt at making Cunanan seem sympathetic or an antihero, and, at its considerable best, a ratcheting up of terror and horror that a friend said was almost Kubrickian, and I would have to agree.  And, frankly, Darren Criss really did the business as Cunanan, a controlled and powerful turn. Only a few of us seemed to be following it at the time, but when it scored all those Emmys, then while it was as much a reflection of Murphy’s status, it honestly felt well deserved.  Meantime, you’ll pry my addiction to all the RuPaul’s Drag Race incarnations from my cold dead hands but it’s the amazing online series that Trixie Mattel and Katya do, UNHhhh, which remains my comedy highlight of the year, with at least a few jaw-dropping/seize up laughing every episode. (Kudos as well for Brad Jones’s The Cinema Snob, ten years running online and still funny as fuck while digging up all kinds of cinematic horrors.) Also, tying back into music a bit, late recommendation for something you can only see on UK TV/streaming so far, but get yourself a VPN and seek out Bros: After the Screaming Stops, in which the two brothers in the late-80s monster hit pop band Bros (never had any traction here but pretty much owned the entire Commonwealth and beyond) try for a comeback.  It’s an unintentionally hilarious and harrowing portrait of two twins who have a LOT of issues, have clearly been through a LOT of therapy, but are still…not quite there.  UK friends said it was a combination of Spinal Tap, Alan Partridge and David Brent and they were ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. 

Movies, less specifically to choose from — I remain an essentially sporadic populist when it comes to what I see in theaters, but I can say for sure that Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse is a hell of a thing and will almost certainly prove to be a real year-zero moment down the line.  Possibly the most affecting watch was Bohemian Rhapsody, in that I also saw this in the UK — in Brighton, which besides making me think of the band’s song “Brighton Rock” is also notably the country’s most LGBT-friendly city; those I was with felt the movie’s themes, successes and flaws/elisions deeply, and the constant discussion of it for the next few days was very rewarding. As for books, John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood, delving into Theranos and the amoral duo behind it, was properly enraging and compelling, while Beth Macy’s Dopesick, if not perfect, nonetheless adds to the good literature on the opioid crisis, while as ever indirectly calling into question who’s getting the focus and care now as opposed to in earlier times and places. My favorite music publications as such probably remain the two I most regularly write for, The Quietus and Daily Bandcamp, while Ugly Things is the print publication that I most look forward to with each issue, and am never disappointed. 

Podcasts now consist of a lot of my regular cultural engagement, kinda obvious but nonetheless true.  Long running faves include My Favorite Murder — Karen and Georgia are an amazing comedy team who have figured out how to reinterpret their anxieties in new ways — The Vanished, which at its best often casts a piercing eye on how official indifference from law enforcement is almost as destructive as their more obvious abuses (recent discovery The Fall Line does this as well, even more explicitly), Karina Longworth’s constantly revelatory Hollywood histories You Must Remember This, Patrick Wyman’s enjoyable history dives on Tides of History, my friend Chris Molanphy’s constantly excellent investigations into music chart history Hit Parade, the great weekly movie chats by MST3K vets Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu along with Carolina Hidalgo on Movie Sign With the Mads, and The Age of Napoleon, which really has hit my history wonk sweet spot.  New to me this year was It’s Just a Show,  a really wonderful episode by episode — but not in exact order — deep dive into every episode of MST3K ever, by two fun and thoughtful Canadian folks, Adam Clarke and Beth Martin. (Adam also cohosts a new podcast, A Part of Our Scare-itage, specifically looking at Canadian horror. It’s not just Cronenberg!). Among the excellent one-off series this year: American Fiasco by Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett on the failed US World Cup attempt in 1998, Dear Franklin Jones, a story about the narrator’s experience growing up in a California cult and how his parents came to be followers in the first place, and the Boston Globe’s Gladiator, their audio accompaniment to their in-depth story of the life and ultimate fate of Aaron Hernandez. Finally, totally new series this year that quickly got added to my regular listening: American Grift, a casual and chatty look at various scams and schemes, overseen by Oriana Schwindt, The Eurowhat?, a running look at the Eurovision competition throughout the year from the perspective of two American fans, and The Ace Records Podcast, an often engaging series of one-off interviews with various musicians, fans and so forth by UK writer Pete Paphides (I highly recommend the interviews with Jon Savage and Sheila B). Hands down my two favorite totally new podcasts of the year were The Dream, a more formal story of American grifting in general hosted by Jane Marie — this first season’s focus was on multilevel marketing, and Marie and company’s careful way of seemingly backing into the larger story makes it all the more compelling and ultimately infuriating, especially in the current political climate — and the hilarious Race Chasers, a RuPaul’s Drag Race-celebrating podcast by two veterans of the show, Alaska and Willam, loaded with all kinds of fun, behind the scenes stuff, guests and an easy casualness from two pros that strikes the perfect balance between going through things and just shooting the shit.  Returning podcast I’m most looking forward to next year: the second season of Cocaine and Rhinestones, hands down.  Check out the first season for sure.

And there ya go!  Keep fighting all your respective good fights.

[eene-fangirl]

Stand By Ed Chapter 6 [An Ed, Edd n Eddy/Stand By Me Crossover]

NOTE: Chapter 6 of @camriko-arts collaboration on Stand By Ed!

No less than an hour later the Eds journeyed further into the woods. The more Edd kept saying that he kept thinking about the famous musical.

Ed brought along his ipod. He plugged in and started goofily dancing around. Edd and Eddy could make out the lyrics of the ‘Lolly Pop’ tune. It was Ed’s favorite song. It always cheered him up. The tallest of the Eds danced around in different motions, bobbing his head and humming along. It was quite the entertainment for Edd and Eddy who walked together a short distance behind Ed.

“He’s a riot!” Eddy chuckled.

Edd smiled fondly at Ed. “There are some days I wish I could experience the serenity of Ed’s world.”

“Why?” Eddy asked, intrigued. “I mean, same here! I’d like to know how that big guy’s mind works, too. Sometimes I think its a field full of chickens and Ed’s frolicking through them.”

Edd giggled at the funny image. He continued to look on at Ed. Nobody would ever think he and Ed were friends. They were different. That’s what Edd liked about his friends. He wished others would understand.

“He’s always so happy. I would like to know how Ed stays so positive despite all the negative events that have impacted his life.”

Eddy noticed Edd’s head sadly dip to the ground, watching his feet. Ever since they left the cul-de-sac he looked down. It had to have something to do with that car parked in the driveway. A car was never there.

Eddy remembered again that he and Edd barely spent much of the summer together. In the past they’d see each other every single day. The three of them spent countless hours making up scams, or having sleepovers, and even drinking as many sodas burping aloud the alphabet. Eddy snickered at that fond memory. Why couldn’t life stay that way?

Glancing back up at Edd, he asked, “So, you ready for school?”

Edd’s uncomfortable reaction only made Eddy worry further. School was Edd’s favorite topic. Edd didn’t attend the Peach Creek school system until the fourth grade. Before then he was homeschooled. The poor guy was stuck in his dark room, alone.

Fourth grade was when the three of them finally became friends and started hanging out. It was strange. Considering how close they were you’d think they’d been hanging out since Edd moved into the cul-de-sac when he was five. But, they didn’t. Eddy blamed Edd’s parents, hating them even more for sheltering their gifted son.

“I do admit that I’m more nervous,” Edd replied, hardly looking at Eddy.

“Understandable.”

“We’re attending high school!” Edd announced as if he was just realizing this fact for the first time.

“You can say that again!”

“We’re attend-”

Edd stopped himself realizing the catch. He eyed Eddy who was biting at his lip, giggling.

“Gotcha!”

“Very funny,” Edd mumbled, though he was smiling.

They were silent once more.

“Eddy?”

“Yeah?”

“May I ask you something?” Edd asked timidly.

“Shoot away.”

Edd licked his lips. He took a deep breath. “Am I... peculiar?”

Eddy reacted little to the question. “Everyone’s weird, Double D. Look at Ed and I!”

“Answer me honestly, Eddy,” Edd stated in a sad tone.

Eddy struggled having no idea what sort of answer Edd was looking for. “Well, yeah, but you’re you! I’m surprised you actually still hang out with Ed and I.”

“We’re the Eds, Eddy.” A confused Edd stated.

Something was troubling Eddy. Now he was looking at his feet. “Not when high school comes around.”

“What are you referring to?” Edd asked.

“You know what happens in high school. Friends split ‘cause they find new people and other activities. You fit in more in school then Ed and I. Face it, you’re better off without us.”

“Eddy, that is not true!”

“Yeah, it is! You’re good at so many things! Look, you’re already takin’ AP courses while Ed and I are takin’ all the normal classes that are hardly significant. You’ll join clubs, win awards, probably go on trips with the science team, and deserve the best scholarship to a college which serves all the smartest brainiacs in the world.”

Edd shook his head trying to comprehend all this. This is not the conversation he wanted to have while out here. “Eddy, where is all this coming from? I’m not leaving you and Ed!” Edd firmly stated.

“Well, then you’re bein’ selfish and holding your own skin back!”

“I’m not being selfish! You said yourself! We have to stick together!”

Eddy was silent, rolling his eyes. Though he was happy with Edd’s neverending camaraderie.

“Have you still been writing?” Edd asked changing the subject.

Eddy sulked his shoulders. “Eh,” he grunted in tone of voice which said he did not want to talk about this.

“I really like your writing, Eddy. You produce so many wonderfully touching stories.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eddy mumbled.

“Eddy, you could be a writer!”

“Screw writing!” Eddy barred through his teeth spitting out all the anger investing his insides.

“What turns you off about it? It’s helped you!”

“That’s what everyone says!” Eddy yelled out frustrated. Now they stopped walking, standing in the middle of the woods. “My Dad tells me, ‘you’re just a kid, Eddy,’ and I’m like ‘oh gee, thanks! You know how hard that is?’ I have no freakin’ clue what I want to do! You’re always one step ahead of Ed and I! Like I said, you’re better off!”

Edd placed a hand on his shoulder in order to calm his friend down. He was quite heated. “Eddy, you have a gift. I’m still figuring out my own abilities and even my own future. I’m still unsure and it even frightens me honestly.” Edd’s tone was sad now remembering the conversation he had with his father.

“You musn’t doubt yourself. Ed and I are here for you. You are not alone.”

The friends were quiet staring into each others eyes. They hadn’t shared a deep moment like this in ages.

“Hey, guys, what are you waiting for?” Ed called out. They were just about to exit the woods.

Eddy nervously laughed off their conversation. “Yeah, let’s go. The kid may not even be dead by the time we get there!”

Once the forest ended a valley of water surrounded the Eds. A train trestle stretched on for about a mile to the other side of the land. Edd looked all around trying to see if there was another route they could take.

“When’s the next train, Double D?” Ed asked.

“Well... we could take another route...”

“If we take a shortcut there’s no way we’re gettin’ there tomorrow!” Eddy pointed out again frustrated. “We gotta cross.”

Edd’s eyes bulged. “Cross? Are you out of your mind?”

“Double D, you know that’s been established,” Edd responded with a smirk.

“If the train comes we can’t get out of the way!”

“But, Double D, we can jump in the water.” Ed pointed out.

“It’s a one hundred foot drop, Ed. We could get hurt,” Eddy said to him.

Both Ed and Edd stared off nervously, each contemplating different scenarios. Eddy meanwhile grumbled to himself. An idea popped into his head. “Ed, you guide the front, I’ll be the caboose.”

“What?”

“We’re crossin’! Don’t worry, Double D! As long as we got each others backs we’ll make it over to the other side.”

“But, I want to be the caboose!” Ed whined.

“I’d rather keep an eye out for you two.”

“Aw-”

“You coo at me sockhead and I swear I’m pushin’ you off the trestle!”

The Eds slowly and carefully maneuvered across the trestle. Edd however crawled along the tracks fearing any misstep. His sleeping bag dragged along, getting in the way. Eddy could hear hias little moans of discomfort and felt bad for his friend. He wished that they didn’t have to go this way either. Time was not on their hands. It would be the end of the world if Bro got there first.

The water sloshed below them. Ed moved faster. That was good. He was the slowest.

Eddy practically bumped into Edd who stopped crawling. He was whimpering.

“Move it, sockhead!”

“T-Train...” he murmured.

Eddy felt rumbling under his feet. His heart throbbed. A whistle was heard a short distance behind. Eddy turned around to see a train appearing from behind the maze of trees!

“TRAAAAAAAIIIIIIIN!” Eddy hollered.

Ed immediately started running.

“Get up, sockhead!” Eddy shouted at Edd practically pushing his dear friend to his feet. His voice squeaked in terror.

Edd was petrified. This was far worse than hanging over a waterfall, witnessing the actions of Edd’s brother, or any other ordeal the Eds have gone through.

Finally Edd stood up on his feet with help from Eddy but his legs were like jello. After tripping up a few times he and Eddy finally ran as fast as their legs could take them. The train’s horn blared, warning them. Trains couldn’t stop in time!

“Run, guys! Run!” Ed shouted at them. He was already on the other side of the trestle a safe distance away. That was good.

Tears ran down Edd’s face. Eddy ordered that he dare not look back. He sounded so terrified. The train was nearing closer and closer until it was right on top of them like... like... a colossal king kong snake. Yup, Edd was definitely watching too much of Ed’s monster movies.

Just when they thought it was the end Edd and Eddy jumped off the side rolling into a ditch kicking dirt in the air.

The train rolled passed never even stopping to make sure if the boys were okay.

Ed ran up to the end of the ditch. “Guys?!” He called out. His heart was pounding out of his chest.

Eddy picked his head up only to come face to face with Edd. Eddy was practically straddling Edd.

“Oh my...” An embarrassed Edd cheeks flushed.

“Uh, you okay?” Eddy asked him.

“Yes. Fine.”

“Are you guys gonna started kissing?” Ed teased making kissing noises.

“Get real, Ed!”

Eddy helped his friend up from the ground. Edd blushed at the chivalry. Without another word they kept movie. The sun was starting to dip beneath the trees.

[itsmezali-blog]

Light in the box reviews - Is Lightinthebox Safe to Purchase from?

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This online shop lures potential customers who think that they'll find the wedding event garments of their desires at a small percentage of the cost of traditional sellers. In addition to this, the customizable features of the online store mean that they won’t need to pay money for personalized tailoring.

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On not too expensive products, for example clothing, it's not really a problem.

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Trustpilot.com

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Light in the box hoax reviews are attainable on forums and message boards where buyers write that they've never gotten their wares. Sometimes, those Lightinthebox reviews are posted too fastly.

When we responded to the question, “What's Light in the box?” we debated that this shop is headquartered in Beijing.

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Some goods process within only one day, but the rest may span from 3 days to a whopping 15 days before they depart the stockroom.

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Mail Service-Tracking

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Our own Lightinthebox Review About Postal Fast

Selecting this option will surely accelerate the shipping process, lowering your wait time down to 5-8 days. It provides it to approximately an 1 week wait, even during peak season time. This is faster.

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When it comes to the universal Mail Tracking Service shipment method, the longest time wait is lower than nine weeks for goods to come after ordering.

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Summary: Is Lightinthebox reliable? Why some Lightinthebox reviews are weak?

When we have extensively answered to the query, “What exactly is Lightinthebox.com?” it is time to ask the real question: Is Light in the box reliable to buy from for my daily shopping wants?

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The actual Light in the box reviews indicate that you need to try two or three cheaper goods first to verify if you are pleased with the customer service and shipping times earlier than you're begining to purchase more costly things.