#in bold and highlighted

[landoseswins]

"wdc isn't an award for who has suffered more", "people need to stop thinking lando's entitled to the win"

no actually we're not demanding lando be handed wins or that he deserves them, we're just asking for basic fucking respect from mclaren, something most drivers y'know, automatically get!

[silvermoon424]

Okay straight-up nobody knows how to fucking read anymore. If I had a nickel for the amount of times at work someone’s asked a question that was already clearly answered in a previous email, I wouldn’t have to work anymore.

[longagoitwastuesday]

This is about Hindley:

«After a short suspense it was opened by a tall, gaunt man, without neckerchief, and otherwise extremely slovenly; his features were lost in masses of shaggy hair that hung on his shoulders; and his eyes, too, were like a ghostly Catherine’s, with all their beauty annihilated».

And this is about Heathcliff:

«a tall man dressed in dark clothes, with dark face and hair. He leant against the side, and held his fingers on the latch, as if intending to open for himself. “Who can it be?” I thought. “Mr. Earnshaw?”»

Heathcliff is the character most often described as tall (and altogether big), with Hindley also being described as tall, as well as Linton, Heathcliff’s son, being said he was tall for his age (which is fitting).

I find so juicy that Heathcliff and Hindley look somewhat alike, at least structure-wise, enough to make Nelly think for one moment Heathcliff could have been him, and scratch the idea because no, that's not Hindley's voice. You resemble the man who destroyed you. It goes both ways. His child looks like his sister. One could think it was her child instead. A stranger will think the boy your son. You'll smile at the irony.

[limeartichoke]

emerald duo + qphils enderking lore.... starts screaming

(excuse the poor editing my usual editing program would not stop crashing so i had to make do w something else)

[shallowseeker]

Nonny, you don't have to use AI to grab the episode snippets or transcripts. They're searchable thanks to the wonderful @butch--dean's search engine here.

And the scripts are here thanks to @spnscripthunt-inactive and the transcripts are available here.

But by far the search engine is the most helpful for cross-referencing themes for whatever you'd like to write about (or answer). For example, I hadn't seen Metatron's dog episode in awhile, but just typing "Toto" into the search engine was enough to pull up the exact scene.

The scripts can be a little harder to search unless you've run OCR on it to pull out the text to make it searchable. (I'm more of a script-girlie reader myself, so I tend to just... remember where things are.)

And although I haven't watched all of them yet, I’m finding that the SPN DVD box set is an absolute goldmine of commentary in the extras—on themes, set design, all of it. From there, you can sort of just… string the pearls together or criss-cross the red thread on your crazy investigation board—however you want to emphasize The Things!

But yeah, I'd say just shoot from the hip, and try not to worry about it. You don't need AI to ramble on, and it doesn't even matter if you're wrong, change your mind, or repeat yourself so long as you're having fun. Two of my fave books I've read that I think about a lot with respect to meta are Shot by Shot (volumes I & II). It just encourages you to look at things a bit differently.

And sometimes, I literally just see things that aren't there *cough* mouse trap ball YOU ARE AN EYE BECAUSE I SAID SO.

[wackywatchdotcom]

something i genuinely adore about tadc is how painfully flawed everyone in the circus is. and not in a small way

everyone does SOMETHING that negatively impacts the others. but it makes the fact that you are supposed to sympathize with and really connect with them all the more potent. because its easy to want to put a bunch of characters in a bad situation together and to just have them all be nice to each other and everyone and never make mistakes because theres no reason to hurt each other, and most of them dont TRY to, but the way they cope is so, so realistic for each of their personalities, and it doesnt always mesh with the others, and sometimes it exceeds self destructive and Just Hurts Others, Too

they still generally care about each other and the mistakes they make and the ways they end up hurting each other dont lose their weight but like. it doesnt take away from their humanity and the fact that they are all trying so hard to manage in an awful situation

and the characters seem to have sooome sort of understanding of this too. not fully, because the characters dont tend to be 100% communicative, but when they hurt each other, it often makes EVERYONE uncomfortable. because these are the only people they have. these are their friends. and theyre all coping. but it doesnt change how much it affects them (best illustrated by ragathas lines at the start of ep 2 or gangles 'i love her, but after a while it gets kinda hard to tell how genuine shes actually being'). its not all like this, theres a good amnt of variety, but characters knowing this but not really knowing what to do about it is very painful in an effective way

(i think a subtle example of this is how zooble handles gangles situation in ep 4- they were so genuinely trying to help her because they care. but could tell as the day went on that oh, this is not working at all and its making things worse, and they leave gangle alone- something that very genuinely couldve been the moment she abstracted, because of the mask zooble gave her- and we dont get to have a super blatant explanation of zoobles thoughts on it, but they reach a fairly healthy conclusion about it that helps both of them, and i like that a lot, because on paper zooble could be placed at fault but the narrative doesnt dwell on it excessively, because thats not the point. i dont know if that tangent makes sense but i think about it sometimes. i think zooble wasnt 'to blame' but it was still a mistake, which is a hard balance to strike, and having them help at the end feels extremely effective at rounding it off!!!)

but like. in general its complicated balancing making characters in a bad situation act flawed because it can run the risk of seeming like the story is scolding them or blaming them for the situation theyre in, or like youre expected to not sympathize with them despite it (though the inverse also has complications- if characters in a bad situation never mess up, it feels unrealistic and hard to relate to, and can imply that their innocence is why whats happening to them is bad at all), but the show handles it so well

even the characters who are genuinely trying all try in different ways- some of them have similar outlooks or attitudes towards these thing but theres vital differences for ALL of them- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. in fact some of the more painful mistakes characters have made in the show have come from them so genuinely trying (like the thing i mentioned w zooble, or basically Everything Ragatha Does, or pomnis first attempt at helping gangle, etc), which hits harder than if every mistake characters made had wholly selfish and cruel goals.

i mean, there is a selfishness to many of the characters' actions but imo not in a way thats not warranted. because all of them are in a horrible setting. its uncomfortable to watch characters be selfish. but it is a natural instinct to survive. its not the foundation of most of their actions, but when it is, its uncomfortable but hard to completely disparage them for in a way that makes you feel kinda conflicted

and like. it hurts to be doing your best and for that to make things worse, but its what happens often in the show. because no one in a bad situation is gonna handle it well. by the very nature of trying to survive something is gonna give, but it makes the themes of the show so much more powerful. that making sure the people around you dont feel unloved, cherishing them and finding meaning with others is no less important just because everyone is fucking up. it complicates things, for sure, but it doesnt make those characters exempt fromt this. theres a reason pomni tells gummigoo that she doesnt want "anyone" to feel like theyre nothing, and that kinger doesnt add ANY quallifiers to making sure people feel wanted and loved (not that i think either of them were thinking SUPER super hard, but it conveys smth from the perspective of the narrative

it gets complicated when you add in jax for sure, since i think on the surface he IS the exception to this concept- none of the characters like him, including pomni or kinger. but i think this is something thats gonna be examined further down the line, bc hes the main complicating factor in this reading of the show, but i feel like thats on purpose. hes universally disliked (and so is caine, in a different way) and his actions arent mistakes. they are him coping. the show has made it clear that he can be a complex person AND also a piece of shit. his actions dont detract from the fact that hes a person and the show reminds us of this. so it makes things so messy, but im genuinely super excited to see how the show examines that. where his character goes is, imo, going to be a massive piece of how this show fleshes out this concept

[keen-eye]

rewatching s13 after s11 & s12 kind of subdued dean’s antagonistic role (though you should be hyper aware that it’s still there if you’re watching correctly) that had been going strong for 7 seasons is….idk how to describe the feeling

dean absolutely had his moments in s11 & s12 that made me want to drop kick my laptop but s13 is back to bam bam bam he’s a villain!! i’m jerking off about it like always but i’m doing it tiredly. it’s maybe harder to watch bc s4-10 sam vs s13-15 sam is like he’s a piece of paper that has been slowly crinkled and crushed into a smaller and smaller ball that’s been kicked and thrown around and then small paper ball sam was dunked in water and squeezed really hard over and over again until his list of hopes and dreams that he wrote on himself were washed off and then for 2 seasons small soggy paper ball sam was left on the table to dry and he was knocked to the ground a few times and then you have a sam that is a hard tiny ball and there’s no unfolding him now he’s in that shape forever and he’s tossed into the trash because no one thinks that he’s fun to play with anymore

i think i blacked out for a minute there what the fuck am i saying is any of that legible

[bananonbinary]

finally some good fucking ai discourse

ai being used to generate shit recipes, patterns, and other forms of advice and instruction is honestly one of my biggest concerns with it right now, it's at best extremely frustrating and at worst actively dangerous to people that trust it.

we as a society REALLY need to fix this thing where profitability is prioritized over things like "not telling kids to eat rat poison or whatever," sooner rather than later. that's not strictly an ai problem, the regular human lies are what ann reardon has been trying to combat for years in Debunking, but the scrutiny that ai is under because of all the hype, and the way these things are being marketed as a positive thing, are certainly highlighting how much corporations do not give a fuck.

[anaconda-creates]

A style study I did on vintage comic art:

this is my recreation:

and here's the original reference:

[ask-woods]

*You can see someone looking through a big case of books, he… looks like a Soviet… huh?*

*You look closer and you finally spot him;* AH- UH- SORRY- I thought this place was abandoned I’m so sorry! I was just looking through the books I’m so so sorry-

- @askchernov

((I would’ve put the text in italics but sadly I’m on mobile so I can’t 🥲))

Woods had his trusty shotgun aimed up in a moment. He smelled vaguely of alcohol, but didn’t seem drunk, or not yet anyway.

“Who the hell are you?”

He looked like a Soviet. And Frank doesn’t have the best track record with Soviets.

[majorasnightmare]

OC Interview Tag!

Playing 20 questions with Faerûn's most prolific uncaught serial killer! Courtesy of @arach-tinilith and @the-weeping-dawn ! And @mogruith because this has been sitting in drafts so long I got @'ed AGAIN. Sorry I took so long to respond, Dirge took a bit to be wrestled into cooperating 😭

Are you named after anyone?

"I mean, I'm barely named at all. This is just the first thing that came to mind on the beach, and I suppose it stuck. I certainly don't have anything better in mind. I suppose it'd be nice to know what my parents called me, back when that would be relevant, and their reasoning behind such a name, but the time for that has long since passed."

When was the last time you cried?

"I'm not a crier, not really. The last time was... I don't think I've cried at all since waking up on the nautiloid, come to think of it. Hm."

Do you have kids?

"Absolutely not. And I never will."

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

"Only when it's funny. Or Gale presumes something particularly egregious."

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

"I.. hm. I don't really notice people at all. They're just kind of a blur of skin and organs. I suppose anything unusual about them? Eyecatching features like scars or tattoos. I've gathered that dragonborn are supposedly rare, and truthfully I see so few of them that it's always a bit of a surprise when I DO encounter one. So things like that, I suppose."

Scary stories or happy endings?

"Well there's only a few ways a story can end happily, isn't there? But an infinite depth to fear, horror, terror. I'm sure happy endings have their place, but I just can't help but feel the exploration of fear is more interesting."

Any special talents?

"Well I certainly have skills, though I don't know if they'd be considered talents. I'm fairly adept with magic, and have a wealth of experience utilizing psionics. I've found I can be quite persuasive in cirumstances that call for it, and quite a few beside that are just fun. I'm an exceptional killer, with years of experience, and a graveyards worth of corpses to prove it. And I have it on reliable authority that my tongue is pleasingly skilled at more than just honeyed words."

Where were you born?

"I... believe I hail from Baldur's Gate. Though I don't strictly know if I was... "born" there. Given the particulars of my heritage, it might be more accurate to say I was born within Bhaal's Throne of Blood, but admittedly I tend to think of it similarly to a potter throwing clay on a wheel."

Do you have any pets?

"Scratch! Oh, I love Scratch, he's such a good boy. Such a sweet dog. I adore him. There's also the owlbear cub, Sniff, but he prefers my brother's company to mine. Really those are the only two that come closest to pets, but maybe you could count Shovel if one was feeling particularly irritable about her. Us is too... oh, whats the way to phrase it. Us feels less a pet and more like a follower, meant as kindly as possible. If it finds enjoyment in tagging along behind me, I'm certainly not going to complain, but if it ever desired to do anything else, it's not like I would stop it."

What sort of sports do you play?

"What... exactly counts as sports? I've certainly made a game out of toying with prey, while it shivers in the dark clutching useless weapons. I'm sure I've entertained myself with corpses plenty of times before. But I'm not going to pretend that's what people think of when they say sports. Though I might be open to suggestions."

How tall are you?

"Last time Lae'zel informed me, I was 6'5" if that means anything. Oh, without the horns, I haven't bothered to measure them."

What was your favourite academic subject?

"Did I ever actually attend school? Wait, I don't think I did. And judging by the barebones state of the Temple's lending library, I don't think I was finding much material there either. If it was even instituted when I was a child. I imagine I took rather well to lessons in doctrine and theology, and certainly, ah, bloodletting as it were, but I seriously doubt any academic institution would recognize my expertise in those subject matters. Nowdays there isn't much I don't enjoy, though history tends to crop up more often than I would have expected. Oh, and arcana is always enjoyable. I wouldn't mind studying that academically."

What is your dream job?

"What a question. I honestly don't even think about it, thought that's... probably because I tend to find myself at the mercy and whims of situations I can't afford to ignore. It's not like a child tells their parents their dream is to lead a cult on a path of bloody devotion to carve a city of innocents into a meal fit for a god, after all. And similarly I don't imagine anyone is fantasizing about spending their days scavenging rations from the ruins of a conquered village while on the run from a horde bent in service to a maddened illithid elder-turned-hoax. But such things have consumed so much of my time, it's difficult to ponder what I would do besides such things."

tags: I took so long doing this everyone already passed this around each other 😅 so if you see this, and haven't already been tagged (or want to do it again with a different character) just tell everyone I tagged you (and @ me so i can see it+reblog it!)

[mxtxfanatic]

*moseys on in with a cigar* so.... I've been rereading SVSSS and have been thinking about the Abyss again (as one does). More specifically, I've been turning over the question of why Shen Qingqiu went through with it...was it more out of fear for his life (which doesn't entirely make sense, since he's down to sacrifice his life for CQM by the demon attack scene, and I don't think he was already planning to make a mushroom body by the immortal alliance conference) or more out of a belief that the abyss was the only way for LBH to level up and reach his full harem protagonist potential? I'm leaning towards the second, but he's also SO upset about it and likes the little lamb Binghe so much, I'm torn 😫

Ok, so the thing about Shen Qingqiu's reasoning pre-Holy Mausoleum arc that we must remember is that 1) he is told that he cannot change key parts of the story, and 2) the parts that he cannot change are meant to transform Luo Binghe into an invincible protagonist who gets everything in life he could ever want (namely women and the power to prevent anyone from ever abusing him again):

After sending a happily beaming Luo Binghe away (returning his goodwill by using him as hard labor), Shen Qingqiu called on the System. “Is the scenario at the Endless Abyss unavoidable?” he asked. 【 If Luo Binghe fails to complete the “Endless Abyss” scenario, ten thousand satisfaction points will be deducted, 】 said the System. Upon hearing that number, Shen Qingqiu once again, out of habit, spat up a fountain of blood. Afterward, he wiped his mouth. Whatever, he’d spat out so much blood that he was used to it at this point. This was eminently logical. If Luo Binghe wasn’t shoved into the Endless Abyss, then he wouldn’t be able to activate his golden finger. If the protagonist couldn’t become overpowered, then where was the satisfaction? Therefore, the Endless Abyss scenario was unavoidable. And as this novel’s number one loser, number one scum villain, the execution of this glorious task, naturally, absolutely, inescapably, fell to Shen Qingqiu. Yet unwilling to resign himself to this fate, Shen Qingqiu asked again and ended up sighing, still unable to give up completely. Luo Binghe, who was currently like a little sun, was destined to fall and become that brooding, cold-blooded, demon youth. Even a transmigrator like Shen Qingqiu, who by all rights ought to have access to cheat powers, was unable to change this inevitability.

—Vol. 1, Chapt. 3: Favor Points, 7seas

So when the Immortal Alliance Conference invitation actually arrives, this is what Shen Qingqiu thinks of it:

The first step of Luo Binghe’s climb to the top, on his journey to marrying every ideal woman, as well as his first step toward his blackened heart, after which his soul would never again be washed clean—and he had actually managed to forget it!

—Vol. 1, Chapt. 4: Conference, 7seas

The narration then goes on to gush about the details of the Immortal Alliance Conference as if it is a fanboy gushing over their favorite vidoegame, as if this is Peerless Cucumber gushing over PIDW. Except directly after that praise-laden explanation, we get hit with this:

Shen Qingqiu was silent for a long time. He finally tossed the invitation into Ming Fan’s arms for him to file away.

Shen Qingqiu is not gushing over the Immortal Alliance Conference. Shen Qingqiu does not show excitement over its arrival. In fact, his actual thoughts come next, worrying over whether or not Luo Binghe is ready for the abyss, if his doting on the boy has unwittingly left him unprepared to face the horrors that await him. He was also afraid that he would be unable to throw Luo Binghe down when the time came:

Though Shen Qingqiu was comfortable being waited upon, he wasn’t sure if Luo Binghe’s development had gone awry or something. Wasn’t he sticking to his master a little too closely...? Shen Qingqiu would often wonder: Was it because I doted on him too much? Should I besmirch myself a little, as appropriate, to prove to the System that I’m firmly a villain? If things kept going as they were, he was afraid that when the time came, he would be unable to harden his heart and throw Luo Binghe into the Endless Abyss.

This is a thought he has had often, despite earlier in the chapter the narration telling us that he had "forgotten" about the Immortal Alliance Conference until he received the invitation just then. So despite not being able to tell Luo Binghe about the existence of the system or their world as a book, what is Shen Qingqiu's next course of action?

Shen Qingqiu shook his head while smiling, and he considered his next words. “Binghe.” “Yes?” Luo Binghe’s expression instantly turned serious. He had realized that Shen Qingqiu had something important to say. Shen Qingqiu stared into his eyes. “Do you want to become stronger? Stronger until you are without rival, until no one beneath the heavens would dare challenge you?” Luo Binghe had possessed an answer to this question for a long time now. Sitting squarely, without the slightest hesitation, he looked straight back. “Yes!” This resolute answer made Shen Qingqiu release a breath of relief within his heart. “Even if in order to achieve that, you had to suffer through pain, torment, and countless tribulations, to the point that your body and heart were about to collapse—you would still want to become the strongest?” “Binghe does not fear suffering and tribulations,” Luo Binghe said slowly. “I only wish to be strong enough to protect the people and things important to me!” This answer finally settled Shen Qingqiu’s thoughts a little. That’s right. Luo Binghe, for the sake of protecting the myriad harem of jade- and flower-like beauties you’ll embrace in the future, you must become strong!

Shen Qingqiu doesn't ask Luo Binghe how the boy feels about him. He doesn't bring up their shizun-disciple relationship to probe Luo Binghe's thoughts. He asks about whether or not Luo Binghe wants to be powerful and is reassured that that is Luo Binghe's goal, not just something that he would be forcing on the boy. But even then, he is still unwilling.

Shen Qingqiu’s heart was still unwilling, but when he remembered that this suffering was something the protagonist had to experience in order to break free of his chrysalis and become a butterfly, he had no choice but to adjust his mindset.

What Shen Qingqiu is using to convince himself that Luo Binghe being thrown into the abyss is a good thing is not the fear of punishment if he were to refuse the task, but the promise that the abyss is a "necessary" right-of-passage for Luo Binghe to grow into the adult he's meant to be. Then after he dies in Hua Yue City and transfers his soul into the plant body, we get two moments of reflection from Shen Qingqiu: 1) in the first dream they share in Huan Hua Palace and 2) the second dream they share after Luo Binghe loses Shen Qingqiu's corpse and Zhuzhi-lang has kidnapped his plant body.

Shen Qingqiu studied Luo Binghe leaning against the bamboo, stare fixed on himself. He thought of Luo Binghe’s numb appearance on the throne earlier that day, all alone. When he compared that to the scene in the original work of Luo Binghe surrounded by splendid luxuries, his every call answered by hundreds, Shen Qingqiu’s heart throbbed a bit, though he tried to stop it. Luo Binghe didn’t have a single wife by his side to heal his injuries, to pamper and ask after him. How could his heart not throb? A perfectly fine stallion novel male lead had fallen to such a state. What man could bear to look?

—Vol. 2, Chapt. 10: Huan Hua, 7seas

It’s supposed to be a guarantee that after blackening, Luo Binghe no longer goes down the route of misery! Take your hands off!

—Vol. 2, Chapt. 11: Corpse, 7seas

We also get in Chapt. 9: Borderlands the fact that the reason Shen Qingqiu even falls back into Luo Binghe's orbit is because he discovers that Liu Mingshan, "Luo Binghe's wife," was captured by demon bandits and he wants to help Luo Binghe rescue her her because she is his shidi's younger sister and his shimei's disciple. If Shen Qingqiu was motivated by fear of death, he would have stayed far away from anything to do with Luo Binghe, instead of going to meddle in the affairs of one of the man's "wives." If Shen Qingqiu really feared Luo Binghe, half of his thoughts after resurrection wouldn't have unconsciously centered Luo Binghe for his amusement. Shen Qingqiu fully expected to resurrect into a world where Luo Binghe dominated with all the luxuries and women he could ever want, and it breaks his heart to discover that actually, his former disciple is alone, feared and reviled, with only a corpse to keep him company. If this was gonna be the outcome, then what was the point of Shen Qingqiue having been forced to throw him into the abyss?

Hope this answers your question.

[glorfindel-of-imladris]

"Why are you always bringing Glorfindel and Erestor together, it makes no sense" yeah, well, the gamers are doing it, too 💁🏻‍♀️

[amelikos]

That scene in the new ep when Amethio's reaction was highlighted when Liko said she wouldn't give up.

[worldnews90]

Justin Trudeau sends fiery message to US after Canada's 4 Nations win

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent a fiery message to the United States on Thursday night as his country won the 4 Nations Face-Off in an overtime thriller.Team Canada’s Connor McDavid scored the game-winning goal to give his team the 3-2 win over the U.S.The game was played amid political strife between Trudeau and President Donald Trump as the U.S. world leader has teased Canadian lawmakers about the country becoming its "51st state." Trump has openly called Trudeau the "governor" of Canada as well. It continued on Thursday ahead of the game.

Read More

[wackywatchdotcom]

got reminded of it ... but i think about the symbolism of jax' model a lot bc i think its subtle!!! but its there

and i think the crux of it is that jax' model is very much a prey animal, something that contradicts his general tendency for reckless, mean bullshit. there could be something there about him having front-facing eyes too. and iirc gooseworx said the farm was a lie which i do take into account but also i think it helps w his generally very 'natural' or real-world-nature design components and ideas being evoked. he has clothes and these clothes are very minimal and hes a real animal fairly closely associated with farming or hunting and is very humanlike and his pocket just Has Mulch in it. even if the farm isnt real theres definitely something his design is evoking here

that and an idea ive thought of is that rabbits are VERY much animals that operate on instinct. they do a lot of things based on an immediate need, typically for survival, at least in the wild. and i dont know if id describe jax as fearful (some could argue he is in his own way, which i dont disagree with, but i think the implications can be a bit loaded- but theres many ways a person can be fearful) but he definitely operates on what he immediately wants. he wants to have fun. so he DOES. it doesnt matter what that entails. he wants control, so he takes it out on the others. it doesnt matter what that entails. etc etc. hes also running from something and i think the image of a rabbit fits that well

i think its deliberate that jax is the only design that actually revolves around an animal that we see. theres dobby and that worm on a string in the back but of the main cast its ALL humans or items, jax is the only one whos an animal (and probably still intended to be toy-like, but none of the others have distinct animals theyre meant to be). and it feels purposeful in a way i genuinely think about a lot. i cant place what its implying for certain because i genuinely dont think we have enough information on jax to fully understand his thought processes, but it does make him very connected to the real world, but in a distant way