#it's such a toxic mix of affection and nostalgia

[cosmoseinfeld]

looking up punk pictures on google is so bad for me because it always ends up showing me the grainiest oldest baby punk pictures and i start hyperventilating and crying...

[percervall]

Mamma mia, here I go again {pt6}

Summary: A summer of poor decisions leads you to having to face the consequences of your actions —and the men involved. Pairing: Kevin Magnussen x fem!reader, Lewis Hamilton x fem!reader, Mark Webber x fem!reader Warnings: girly pop having a realisation or two, mentions of a previous (toxic) relationship Word count: 1.9k Taglist: @ashy-kit @averagef1fansblog @barcelonaloverf1life  @bradfordbantams @dannyramirezwife-simpaccount @doofenshmirtzevil-inc @exotic-iris13 @goldsainz  @iloveneteyam @jaypreshpresh @laura-naruto-fan1998 @monzamash @norrisleclercf1 @opheliaas-stufff @roseseraj @szobosz @vellicora 

Part 6 of the Mamma Mia series

Early morning sunlight filters through the curtains, waking you from a dreamless sleep. Sighing, you snuggle back into the pillows, not quite wanting to get up yet. Yesterday had been emotional for sure, but it felt good to have it all in the open. Somehow you felt lighter, knowing that Mark could see where you were coming from and at the same time helping you understand why he had felt the need to make those choices. You find yourself surprised at the excitement of what kind of date Kevin might plan for you next. There’s also a part of you that’s hesitant; last night’s conversation about the end of your relationship with Mark and the ramifications of that has made you realise a couple of things about the way you approached your relationship with Kevin. As you get out of bed and turn on the shower, you think back to that night in Spa. Kevin had grown tired of you keeping him at an arm’s length, of your hesitancy to commit. You knew he was right, but him seeing right through you, questioning whether you loved your job more than him, rattled you more than it probably should. Now looking back, you can see it so clearly - the way you had dealt –or more accurately, hadn’t dealt with that break up years prior affected how you approached new relationships. You hate that you had allowed that experience to taint everything else, but more than anything, you hate that, in doing so, you hurt Kevin.

You sigh, closing your eyes as you let the water run over your face. Despite the fact that the two of you decided to call it quits, you still have love for him. Kevin is the complete opposite of Mark: he treated you with such care, giving you an autonomy you had not previously experienced in a relationship. There was a warmth to Kevin that was unfamiliar in the best way, and had never seen reflected in your parents’ marriage. It was Sunday mornings spent over cups of coffees and pastries from a bakery down the road from Kevin’s house in Denmark, going for long walks in the biting cold; he’d always want you to do things together. In the beginning you enjoyed it, but it soon came to feel stifling in a way. You can feel yourself frowning as you think back to those early days. Why did it feel that way? Kevin wasn’t a clingy person at all –if anything he had been so understanding every time you said you needed some time alone until your relationship had been stripped down to nothing more than text messages and hook ups in hotel rooms. At the time you figured it was just down to the both of you living in different countries, but maybe your fear of letting a man become all consuming made you put up a wall so high, nothing could touch you. You single handedly destroyed that relationship. 

That truth sits uncomfortably in the hollow of your chest as you turn off the shower and reach for a towel. A part of you misses those Sunday mornings, misses being made to slow down. If you close your eyes you can still smell the scent of cinnamon mixed with something more earthy, the taste of Danish coffee on your tongue whenever Kevin kisses you. The memory makes you smile, even though the nostalgia tugs on your heart. 

Do I even have a Danish bakery near me? you ask yourself as you get dressed, the memories making you crave the cinnamon buns Kevin would get. When you sit down at your desk with a mug of tea, you remember that Kevin used to live in the UK, back when he drove for McLaren. 

“Worth a shot,” you mumble as you pick up your phone to message him. 

Your teeth drag over your bottom lip while you consider his invitation. It would be nice to get out of the city for a few days and relax before the hectic schedule of a race week takes up all of your time. A quick look online tells you that there’s still a ticket available for tomorrow morning for a flight from Birmingham to Copenhagen. Without giving it a second thought you book the flight and send Kevin a message agreeing to his plan. 

As promised, Kevin is waiting for you at arrivals. 

“Hey,” he says quietly as he hugs you. You relax into his arms, sighing deeply. He lets go of you and takes your suitcase in one hand while the other is stretched out for you to take. You give his hand a squeeze and allow him to navigate the two of you to his car. 

“How was the flight?” Kevin asks as he puts your bags in the boot. 

“It was good, managed to finish the last bits for work so I won’t have to open my laptop until Monday.” You keep your eyes on Kevin as he closes the boot and notice the grateful smile he gives you.

“Do you want to drop your things off first? I don’t know if you booked a hotel or not, but if you feel comfortable, I have the spareroom set up,” he says as he climbs behind the wheel of the SUV. 

“I did, but I’ll gladly take you up on your offer. And if it’s not too much trouble, I would feel better knowing my laptop is safe. I know it sounds silly, but with the amount of data and information on it, I can’t risk getting it stolen.” Kevin nods and while you cancel your hotel room, he drives to his house so you can put your bags inside. 

The drive to the harbour doesn’t take long at all after that. There’s a box from a local bakery on the backseat and the thermos flask you gifted him for Christmas last year is peeking out from the side of his backpack. It does something funny to your heart, seeing him use something you had picked out for him, even after everything that had happened this summer. 

“It’s gonna be chilly out on the water so I brought an extra jumper. You used to steal it all the time, so I figured it’d be a safe bet,” Kevin says, looking at you with half mirth and half tenderness. 

“Thanks,” you murmur, that funny feeling only intensifying at him remembering how much you loved to wear that olive green, quarter zip jumper whenever the two of you did any outdoor activities during this time of year. Kevin parks the car and you help him carry the bags into the cabin on his boat. It’s not long before muscle memory kicks in and you’re helping him with checking the lines. The two of you easily fall into the rhythm of checking everything is in order, moving in synchronicity, and before you know it, you’re leaving the harbour behind you. Sitting cross legged on the deck, you tilt your face up to the sun, letting the wind play with your hair. You’ve always found peace out on the water, and this time was no different. Inhaling deeply, you feel yourself relax, your running to-do list finally being pushed to the backburner –at least for the time being. You feel the boat beginning to slow down as Kevin adjusts the sails and kills the engine. Looking over your shoulder, you can just make out the Danish coast line. This is how the two of you would spend most of his summer break: just floating around in the Øresund with a picnic basket filled with pastries and sandwiches. 

“Here,” Kevin says, holding out two mugs of coffee, motioning with his head to take one. You gratefully accept it, taking a careful sip. Kevin sits down next to you, leaning his body against the railing and sets down the box of baked goods as well. You lift the lid up and pick one of the cinnamon buns. They’re still a little bit warm and the scent makes your mouth water. You can feel Kevin’s eyes on you as you take a bite, letting the taste of cinnamon, cardamom and sugar transport you back to simpler times. 

“Oh, how I’ve missed these,” you mumble around a mouthful before swallowing. Kevin smiles at that, but there’s a wistfulness to his expression. You can tell that there’s an ache in him, and you’re responsible for that. 

“I’ve missed this, missed us,” Kevin says quietly. His admission sits heavy in the hollow of your chest. Placing the cinnamon bun on your knee, you turn to look at him.

“I know,” you reply quietly, “and I realised that I have been unfair to you –that I hurt you for no other reason than that I was scared.” Kevin remains quiet, giving you the opportunity to say what you should have told him months if not years ago.

“You know how Mark and I ended, and I thought I had gotten over him but the reality is that it made me terrified to let someone get so close to me ever again, to let a person take over my life like that. And so I kept you at an arm’s length. Shut you out. I’ve begun to realise that I need to work on that; I want to work on that. Because I know what a healthy relationship can look like –you’ve shown me that Kev, and instead of appreciating you for it, I hurt you. I hurt you by not talking honestly about my fears, by falling pregnant with a 66,66% chance that you’re not the father and I don’t know if I can watch you get your heart broken by me again,” you say, tears now rolling down your cheeks, “How you still want me is beyond me,” you add quietly, looking down at your mug of coffee. You feel Kevin’s hand on your knee, making you look up at him.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, “this is the openness I need in a relationship. I am sorry that I didn’t ask you about what made you pull away, that I questioned your loyalties. I know how much you love your job and I shouldn’t have made you choose between your Mercedes family and me. I should’ve come up with a compromise so we can still hang out even if work keeps you busy. Because truth be told, I just want to spend time with you, doing whatever, as long as we can be in the same room. And I know there’s a good chance I am not the baby’s father, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be the baby’s dad. A family isn’t determined by biology, a family is made. And when I picture my future family, I picture us –whatever that us might look like, but us. So I will keep holding out hope that you feel the same way about me as I do about you until you tell me otherwise; I will keep loving you, and maybe that makes me an idiot, but I don’t care because I’d rather get my heart broken a thousand times over by you than not have you at all.” 

“Thank you,” you whisper, not knowing how else to respond to him. Part of you feels overwhelmed by just how willing all three of them are to simply love you, without any hesitation and a part of you desperately wants to allow yourself to love them in return. But how can you in good conscience do so if that means hurting two of them in the process?

Oh Kev, this poor, poor cinnamon roll of a man 🥺 girly pop has a choice to make, but who will she choose? (Who would you choose? 👀)

Massive thanks to @curiousthyme for being the best beta reader I could ask for

Please let me know what you think! Your comments, tags, and likes truly mean the world to me and, combined with the engagement on the polls, makes me want to keep writing this fic so thank you 💜

[hiohaku]

𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚎𝚍 ` . . . @spydcddy

WOMAN RESERVED , raised in the iori clan with traditions stacked upon another . stones by the river , will they fall ? no , not yet . despite the way their balance is broken at times , WHERE SHE LOOSENS , where her self reservations get stuck somewhere behind the recklessness that the alcohol inspires . alohol , whether beer or liquor , even wine , have always been a sort of escapism for her . there are stresses and harships to the profession [ DEATH , CORPES , CARNAGE , BETRAYAL ] , it can be difficult navigating the normalcy they crave . a clean consious is not something so easy to obtain .

YOU KNOW THIS , have spent hours and days scrubbing with fingers raw and red . chemical aromas , the burn of memory . if she had it her way , SHE WOULD BURN IT TO ASH . let it blow away in the breeze , never look back . but she is not so lucky , a woman often sought for the ability to boost . to make another more powerful [ . . . ] an important pawn in the game .

there is a well of nostalgia that dips into your chest , YEARS have passed , time left in the past and never collected . perhaps they should have reached out before now , COULD THEY ? he retired , might as well of disappeared . whatever . he ' s here now isn ' t he ? pressed close to her and — she didn ' t this through did she ? NO , her head swims with the affect of ambered beverage , mixing with the other liquor and becoming a toxicity for decision making . he smells good , refreshing as it wisps around her , carries her some place new . his arm frames them along the back and it only makes things worse .

A FLOOD OF THOUGHT , not enough brain power to think of a acceptable reply . IT LEAVES HER LIPS AGAPE , with her attention still on him . shoko elbows her and she ' s forced to snap back to reality . ❛ oh ! no no , don ' t worry you ' re fine , i mean this is fine ❜ internally , she ' s left scolding herself for her mouth running on it ' s own , it ' s an untrustworthy thing . ❛ it ' s good to see you again ❜

[ninaalexandra2005]

May recap 🥀🌸🎀:

First of all, I’ve decided to start using tumblr more like a blog about my life because instagram has become such a low quality, toxic social media environment where posting any longer texts about my life would just seem irrelevant. I’m still going to post on instagram, but I think it’s better to post longer entries here. I don’t care that no one follows me, at least no one I know, and that this platform is pretty much dead, since I myself feel that the days when social media was more personal and creative were 100% better…

In mid-May, I finished my first year of university! Before I had my final exams, I was in a constant state of panic and anxiety for weeks leading up to them, but on the days of the actual exams, I felt much calmer than I was expecting, maybe because I was prepared to have a panic attack… i got final grades of all A’s in each class, although I was disappointed that I didn’t do as well on my French final as I was hoping, but I was so happy that I got a 100 on my psychology final exam and for that entire class. It’s so annoying that A+’s aren’t counted in college for some reason, although I guess that means if I got a 93, it would still look as good on my GPA… a few days later, after my final grades had been confirmed, I was able to get registered in the psychology department:) I’m actually so excited to have so many plans about my classes for the next three years, then getting into the masters degree program at my college and being able to graduate a year early, and then go to graduate school! I’ve been thinking obsessively about my future career and planning out every little detail in advance, and now that I have so much worked out at such a young age and am preparing early, I can feel less stressed and overwhelmed about my future because uncertainty is one of the most unsettling things for me, as well as the fact that I can start doing extra things to get into graduate school early that will look good for my application. I’m hoping to do psychological testing after I finish graduate school, and also make my own personality tests and do research about the things that I have personally been affected by as long as I can remember- nostalgia, giftedness, and sensitivity, all of which I feel are inherent personality traits as well as things that can be worked on to help people feel less burdened by them, because at this point, nostalgia in particular is not treated as a negative emotion, although for myself and so many others, it is a feeling of pure grief, heartbreak, and yearning, a mix of sadness and anxiety for something you know is impossible but can’t acknowledge (returning to the past)… I hope I can do something about this with my personal experience with nostalgia and figure out ways it can be treated and recognized as something negative. After college ended for the semester, I of course enrolled in summer classes because I can’t stand not being able to write that I’ve done schoolwork in my daily planners and lists, and because I actually prefer having something to keep my busy mentally. Thankfully these classes are online, so I don’t have to drive to school this summer and the schedule is more flexible so I can go other places. A few weeks after school ended, the dreaded trip had arrived. I was so, so worried and panicked about going on an airplane and overseas flight; I’ve always had a severe fear of flying, but after not having been on an airplane in over two years, and an overseas flight in five (flying over the ocean absolutely terrifies me), I felt even more scared. The day before and the day we went to the airport, which was May 30th, I had taken several Klonopins and Robitussin and took more Klonopin at the airport. I was handling it very well because I was so sedated and calm, but just as we were about to board the plane, we had to leave the airport, go back, and cancel the trip… this is because Nes, the manipulative sociopath, had purposely taken a handful of pills and Gramma had to take her to the emergency room. Of course everything became chaotic and horrifying, and I was so upset and guilty that she apparently had attempted to end her life, and even now, after the real story has come forth, I feel sorry for her and sad that this is what her life has become. My poor parents had to stay at the emergency room overnight and most of the next day with Nes, while she was evaluated, and my parents had numerous discussions with different doctors, but on Friday afternoon, she was released because my parents decided not to have her taken to a mental hospital…

[mollsmediaspace]

Synopsis draft-

Project title:

The color violet

Genre:

RNB Music video

Target audience:

mixed genders between the ages 15-35

Outline of concept:

My group will be creating a music video to the song “the color violet” by Tory Lanez. The music video will be based on a narrative we’ve decided on, which directly addresses to the audiences and refers to the lyrics of the song.

The video will open with our main female and male characters shown as a couple in their honey moon phase of the relationship. The couple will then be denoted from various different shots in different areas on a yacht then onto an island. There will be multiple bird eye view shots taken throughout the video to capture the viewpoints of our main locations.

During the bridge of the song our characters will be seen going through conflict, as the female character is shown to have an interest in her spouses best friend. This is shown through their intensive eye contact in a car mirror. At this point there will gradually be more scenes particularly showing the female characters new found interest for her spouses best-friend. These scenes will be taken during the day so that audiences are seeing the conflict happen innocently throughout the day without the female characters spouse noticing, this creates a more scandalous affect. In this scene the three characters will be seen Rendezvousing in a vehicle along the beach. We may include one of the characters as the artist lip syncing the song, so that there is more going on including multiple quick cuts rather than just having a narrative to keep the video entertaining.

Coming to the end of the video, conflict has started to build up, audiences will be seeing more examples of a toxic environment between the two character’s relationship. Mostly from the males perspective. There will be multiple close ups and quick cuts building up to the ending scene. In this scene, the male character is seen driving to his best-friends house for company. This is where he finds drives over to find his girlfriend cheating on him with his best-friend. During this scene he is seen from inside his car seat looking out his window through the pouring rain in the dark.

Most of this music video will be filmed in the day time, as we want to create a more peaceful and happy environment for audiences through out most of the video.s This is so that when the conflict in the video begins, the ending stands out more as it will be the only scenes filmed in the dark to represent a troubling nostalgia for audiences to see.

[jpopjdrama]

Thoughts for Twenty-Five, Twenty One

Despite posting a while back that I may flood this blog with 25-21 contents due to it being my favorite for the time being, I haven't done that because (1) I didn't have enough "spare time" to browse through tumblr, (2) my tumblr app is having an error for 95% of the time when I tried to access the tag.

However, what led me to write this now is I had so much mixed emotions about the ending that it kept disturbing me and my sleep since I finished watching the last ep last night.

So, there might be SPOILERS (!) as I try to convey what I'm feeling right now.

Recommendation rating: 8/10 (I sincerely want to give it a 10, but I can't)

Will watch again?: Maybe, in the far future. But not right now.

Will be stashed?: I want to, but I can't even look at it now.

The truth is I'm very much confused about the ending of 25-21. Not about the plot, but how I really feel about it. For months now, it has been THE ONLY drama that made me so much interested, it made me watch it while airing. Also, it is the only drama that I've been invested in watching right now.

DRAMA TAG AND EARLY PREVIEWS. The drama tag and early previews really "mislead" me (for the lack of term). It was described for the earlier part as a rom-com and portrayed as being "light". Yes, there were conflicts and sometimes rather heavy topics, but they always turned out to be alright at the end of the episode or the next episode at most. It made me somehow felt safe that it won't lead to something miserable at the end. And that was what it made me clung onto the series: ALL WILL BE WELL.

WHY I FELT NOT OKAY. To be honest, the last few episodes where it started to go downhill, it already felt a little heavy for me. And that gradually increased as new episodes were released. But that didn't stop me from watching because (as I said earlier) I was clinging onto that hope that it won't betray me at the end.

Personally, I have been struggling about my personal growth and current situation that I'm in now. And the series didn't only gave me joy and nostalgia, but also inspiration. The depiction of support, healthy coping mechanisms, determination, patience and forgiveness within yourself - the things that I should learn and appreciate and embrace.

Frankly speaking, it's true. The ending was realistic - that people grow apart. Our time and youth - no matter how happy or sad it was - are fleeting, but they still shine no matter what. If that's the writer wants to convey. But it's not something that I need right now. The ending was like slapping me right across my face that I should still build my wall because no matter how supportive, positive, and determined I am and the people around me are, time can still take away everything from me. And that sad feeling was amplified by giving the other characters the "happy ending". That time was on their side, but unfortunately not on BaekDo's. The worst part? You can't do anything about it - cause that is life. They didn't even become friends after despite being best friends before having the romantic relationship. I agree to one comment that I saw that I would much preferred if they didn't add romance to it if this is how they want to approach it.

I felt so lost right now. I felt like a clown believing that there will be a plot twist like in Reply series. My expectations led me where I am now. And I feel like I can't trust any series for the meantime. Even in Hammurabi, where the court cases were (very) heavy, it gave me so much hope because the main leads portrayed a healthy relationship that pulled through no matter how toxic their environment was. I was planning to marathon 25-21 after all episodes were aired. But I guess, I can't anymore. At least not now that I'm not in a good place. You just don't know how much this bothered and affected me. The scene where they said their last farewell while crying and the last tunnel scene kept waking me up all night despite watching it for one time only. How ironic. Something that kept me looking forward to the next weekends just placed me back to square one.

I'm not trying to tell the writer here what should've been the ending. It's their story to tell anyway. This is just me watching a what-might-be-the-best-drama in the wrong season in my life.

^literally me upon realizing the last episode has already ended with no plot twist

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 Portrayals of The Penguin

Alongside the Joker and Catwoman, Oswald C. Cobblepot, a.k.a. The Penguin, is arguably Batman’s single most iconic villain. At least outside of comics, he’s long been considered Batman’s “Number Two Rogue”: if the Joker is Batman’s arch-nemesis, then Penguin is usually considered his SECOND worst enemy. In comics, that role has not been so stable; since the Bronze Age, other characters like Two-Face, Scarecrow, and Ra’s Al Ghul have sort of superceded Penguin. Nevertheless, the character has endured over the decades, and virtually no Batman imagining worth their salt would dare to completely leave this Pompous Waddling Master of Fowl Play out of the running entirely.

With numerous takes in movies, TV, video games, and so on, there’s a lot of Penguins to choose from. So, here is my CURRENT ranking for My Top 15 Favorite Portrayals of the Penguin!

15. Terry McGovern.

When I made my list for the Riddler, I mentioned a PC game entitled “Toxic Chill”: a puzzle-based game developed by The Learning Company, made for children and incorporating an aesthetic style seemingly inspired by the DCAU (with some hints of Dick Tracy, of all things), but with lore elements based on the then-current depiction of Gotham in the comics of the early 2000s. “Toxic Chill” wasn’t the only game TLK made, however: they also made a sequel, “Justice Unbalanced.” In this game, Penguin ends up playing both victim AND villain, as he winds up on the receiving end of Two-Face’s ire: while trying to stop a series of strange robberies Penguin is involved in, Batman discovers that Harvey Dent is planning to get revenge on the Buccaneer of Birds for crimes past. I love the use of the Penguin in the plot of this game, and McGovern does a decent job with the character’s voice, plus I have some good nostalgia for these games.

14. Bobby Moynihan.

I first learned Bobby Moynihan’s name because of his role as Louie in the DuckTales reboot. How fitting is it that a duck would also play the Penguin? Moynihan voiced Penguin for “Batman: The Audio Adventures,” a series of radio-play-style audio dramas for HBO Max, which sort of ride a fine line between the campy goofiness of the 60s series and the more dramatic, darker intensity of most modern incarnations. It mixes the moods surprisingly well, allowing the characters to be both funny and yet also dangerous. Moynihan’s Penguin is no exception: this take on Oswald Cobblepot has a voice and sense of style and vocabulary heavily influenced by Burgess Meredith’s portrayal, but he can also be legitimately scary and a canny manipulator. This Penguin is an opportunistic, crafty Bird of Prey, who has a habit for finding people’s weak spots and exploiting them for various purposes. For all his humorous elements, one shouldn’t underestimate him.

13. Stephen Root.

With a design directly lifted from the pages of the Golden Age of Comics, and a vocal performance seemingly inspired by Lennie Weinrib’s portrayal from the filmation cartoons (Root gives the Penguin several of the same affectations), “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” certainly gave us a fun take on the Bird of Ill Omen. Like most villains in the series, however, this Penguin had a fairly small role in the way things played out; the only major role Root’s portrayal had in the show was in the episode “Aquaman’s Outrageous Adventure,” where he was effectively the main villain of the story…but even then, most of the action and conflict revolved around the protagonists, not so much their struggles with Cobblepot and his crew. (He also had a supporting role in the Scooby-Doo crossover, but in that appearance, he was given a whole different voice actor, for reasons I know not.) He was always fun to see hanging around, however, and the show made great use of the character’s classic gimmicks and quirks. If he’d had more focus, he might have made my Top 10. 

12. William Salyers.

Bill Salyers portrayed the Penguin in the animated features “Return of the Caped Crusaders” and “Batman vs. Two-Face.” Both films were set in the same universe as the 1960s TV series, where Burgess Meredith had played the Penguin. However, since sadly most of the performers who appeared in that show have long since passed away (Meredith tragically included), new voice actors had to be selected to portray the many colorful baddies of the series. Salyers’ impersonation of Meredith’s Penguin is pretty spot-on, and he gets a bunch of fun lines and moments throughout both films. However, much like with Stephen Root, it’s focus that ultimately drags him down a peg: Salyers spends his time in both movies surrounded by a cavalcade of other crooks, and is never the villain chiefly in charge of the many dastardly plots that occur. As a result, while he does a great job with what he’s given, he’s just not enough of a presence to make it past this place.

11. David Jennison.

In “DC Universe Online,” the Penguin pops up several times throughout the course of the game. It’s revealed that - much like in the popular Arkham games - Oswald Cobblepot and Two-Face are engaged in a turf war, and throughout the story of the game, the player gets roped into the conflict, or has to visit the Iceberg Lounge for other purposes. At one point, the player may even have to face Cobblepot in a boss battle, where he attacks them using a machine gun umbrella, assisted by an army of mooks. David Jennison really plays up the “old time gangster” side of the Penguin; this version considers himself a “businessman,” above all else, and sees crime as simply an opportunity for growth and profit. I really like this interpretation, and it’s fun to hear a Penguin who just so thoroughly embraces that quality of the character.

10. Dana Snyder.

Snyder first played the Penguin in the “Batman Unlimited” series of films and shorts. Used as promotional vehicles to sell toys, Unlimited created a unique take on the universe and visual style of Batman, the stories of each film largely focusing more on action and comedy than anything else. Snyder’s Penguin looks…weird, I’d be lying if I said I was crazy about the design, but the character is VERY well-portrayed, and Snyder’s vocals fit like a glove. In the first film, “Animal Instincts,” the Penguin assembles of a team of animal-themed supervillains in a plot to destroy Gotham City: it’s a twisted sort of revenge scheme on his part, as Oswald has always felt mistreated by the human race, and despite his success as a businessman, has never gotten the things he truly wanted in life. It’s a surprisingly sympathetic motivation, but the character’s schemes and methods are so dastardly and destructive, it’s arguable how sorry one feels for him. He later returned in the movie “Mechs vs. Mutants,” teamed-up with Mr. Freeze, with a new plan to try and get back at the City, as well as Batman. Snyder would reprise his role as Penguin in a few episodes of the show “Justice League Action;” the character had less to do in this version, but also looked much more traditional in style, so one can pick their poison with this interpretation. Both are good, but good for slightly different reasons, and the voice actor plays both off very well.

9. Elias Toufexis.

I never expected Adam Jensen from “Deus Ex” to make such a magnificent Oswald Cobblepot, but life found a way in the video game “Gotham Knights.” While the game itself has many flaws and foibles (or so it seems; as of writing, I haven’t actually played it yet, just watched videos), one thing I do like is the way the Penguin is portrayed. This version of Oswald plays off the idea of him as a “retired” criminal in a new way: evidently, this Penguin didn’t decide to “go straight” until after Batman died. In typical Penguin fashion, he’s suspected of still doing dirty deeds out the back window from the Iceberg Lounge, but what’s interesting is that, in this game, we don’t actually get too much PROOF of that. Penguin actually acts as a sort of tenuous ally of the heroes in the game, giving them gear and offering information about the Court of Owls. Naturally, he’s not a fully trustworthy associate, but that’s par the course for the character. I loved the way they played with the Penguin’s “legitimate businessman” angle in this version, and I also love how Toufexis’ portrayal sort of blends elements - both visually and vocally - of the sort of “mafioso” Penguin popular nowadays with the more classic character of yesteryear. If he were in the game even more prominently, he could have been a bit higher in the ranks.

8. Ted Knight.

It is perhaps stubborn nostalgia and personal fondness, above anything else, that lands this Penguin so high in the ranks compared to others below him. Knight was the second person to ever play the Penguin, and the first voice actor to handle the role, in first Filmation cartoon series. More famously, however, he would reprise the part in “The New Scooby-Doo Movies,” appearing in both of the classic “Scooby-Doo Meets Batman & Robin” episodes of the show. In these episodes, Knight’s Penguin was always joined by Larry Storch as the Joker. While the two characters had teamed-up in comics and even in the 60s series a few times, I would personally argue that it was these appearances that led to the popularity of the characters as a duo for many years. Knight plays the Penguin with a foppish, flutelike sort of voice, foregoing the quacking and squawking of Meredith in favor of presenting the character as a more gentlemanly, posh fellow. Probably the most noteworthy thing about this Penguin was his love of alliteration; Meredith’s Penguin enjoyed repeated letters and sounds, too, but Knight REALLY played around a lot with the concept in dialogue, and apparently some of it was improvised as much as scripted, which to me only makes the moments more impressive. Seriously, just sample THIS beauty: “We are prepared, Professor, to purchase your praiseworthy product. Not for a piddly, paltry pittance, but a prodigious payment!” I sure hope the pop filter was attached firmly to that poor microphone when he said those lines!

7. Colin Farrell.

Out of all the different takes on Penguin that embrace his “mob boss” side, none has latched onto that element quite so firmly as Colin Farrell’s portrayal in “The Batman.” Farrell plays Oswald Cobblepot in the style of a stereotypical gangster, with his heavy “Brooklynese” dialect, and various little quirks and traits that seem taken straight from the pages of a 1940s film noir...which is fitting, since this movie basically IS a film noir, just with...you know...a detective in a bat costume instead of a trenchcoat. Farrell is honestly my favorite part of the movie; his melodramatic but convicted performance, combined with the absolutely ASTONISHING makeup job, allows him to completely and entirely disappear into the part. There were seriously multiple moments watching him throughout the film where I forgot it was Colin Farrell in that outfit, and while Penguin isn’t the primary antagonist of the picture, he’s definitely the scene-stealer of the film. The only reason - and I do mean the ONLY reason - he doesn’t rank higher is simply that, perhaps because the film is so new still, I tend to think of other portrayals that I’ve known much longer before this one, whenever I think of the character.

6. Danny DeVito.

While most people nowadays, especially major comic book fans, concede there are some flaws with the execution of DeVito’s Oswald Cobblepot in writing, this version still has plenty of fans, and for good reason. I myself sometimes forget how much I enjoy watching DeVito’s Penguin, until I actually sit down to do just that; then I get all wrapped up in it again. Seemingly owing more to Killer Croc than any take on Oswald in the comics, Tim Burton and company created a particularly grotesque and gruesome Penguin: a depraved monster of a man with flippers for hands, jagged teeth, pale skin, and a more Gothic, Victorian sense of style. Mixing the basic imagery and tropes of the Penguin in comics with the shadowy dramatics of German Expressionism, the visual design of this character remains highly influential. As for the performance…yeah, it’s a bit over-the-top, but I don’t think there’s a way to go subtle with a character like this in these cases. DeVito actually finds ways to give this character surprising nuance and depth, which leaves one unsure on how to react to this Penguin. You often get the feeling one is supposed to feel sorry for Oswald, but he’s still a thoroughly nasty, menacing creature.

5. Nolan North.

The Arkham games did something similar to the Tim Burton movies, but in a different way: once again, they put aside the Penguin’s more debonair elements, instead focusing on his rougher edges. This Cockney-accented Cobblepot was a truly nasty customer; a gritty mobster who loved the finer things in life, and would stop at nothing to make a profit. Sadistic to a fault, this Penguin loved carnage and cruelty, as long as he wasn’t the one getting the butt end of it, and demanded loyalty and respect from his associates. While a departure from the dapper little crook of yore, the character still felt distinctly like Penguin at heart, and even kept many of the character’s typical aesthetics, albeit giving them a more grimy, grungy sort of demeanor. (For example, instead of a monocle, this Penguin has a piece of broken glass stuck in his face. Ouch!) Nolan North voiced Oswald in the games, as well as the “Assault on Arkham” spin-off film, and did a dandy job maneuvering through the character’s nasty demeanor and inner cowardice delightfully. Alongside the version from Gotham, it’s arguably the most popular Penguin to date, and influenced both the comics and even recent other versions a surprising amount.

4. Robin Lord Taylor.

When “Gotham” started out, to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of Penguin...but, like many other things in the show, he grew on me over time. However, in his case, it was in the best and smoothest way he could. The series does a very good job showing the progression of Oswald Cobblepot into becoming the Penguin we all know and love. We see him struggle from the odd little wimp in the corner to becoming, as he so triumphantly puts it, “THE KING OF GOTHAM!!!” over the course of the first season...but his wicked adventures don’t stop there. You see, as Penguin quickly learns, gaining power is only half the equation. You also have to hold onto it. Throughout the remaining seasons, that becomes his real journey. Robin Lord Taylor’s Oswald became probably the most popular character in the show, and while the Penguin has always been an iconic character, I would argue his work helped reinvigorate interest in Gotham’s Bird of Prey. The character’s tragic past and sense of vulnerability draw us to the Penguin and make us empathize with him deeply...but he is more than capable of horrendous and frightening acts, able to make us fear and revile him as much as we adore him. There are multiple layers to him as a character, as we come to find Penguin is not merely a greedy monster, but a rather broken human being. At the end of the day, he just wants a few simple things he never had: to be loved, or to be feared, and to DEFINITELY be in control of his own life…and maybe a few others, as well.

3. Tom Kenny.

Yep. Spongebob himself not only played the Penguin…he’s been doing it for years. Kenny first played Oswald Cobblepot in the TV series “The Batman” (long before the oncoming storm of the Farrell). Fans seem split about this Penguin, and this show as a whole; personally, I love both. This Penguin mixed elements of the portrayal popularized by Meredith with things taken straight from Danny DeVito’s book, and created a really fun and unique take on the villain. In this show, while the Joker was imagined as Batman’s arch-foe, the Penguin was meant to be Bruce Wayne’s: a sort of dark reflection on what Bruce could have been like if he’d let the wealth and power his family had go to his head. After this show, Kenny would go on to reprise the Penguin MANY times, and still voices him repeatedly to this day: he’s played Oswald in most of the LEGO games AND direct-to-video appearances, had a minor role as the character in “Batman: Ninja,” replaced Stephen Root in “Scooby-Doo and Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” and - my personal favorite - had a supporting role as Cobblepot in “Batman vs. TMNT.” Indeed, some would argue Tom Kenny has become to Penguin what people like Mark Hamill and Kevin Conroy have become to Joker and Batman, and for that above all else, he earns VERY high marks here.

2. Burgess Meredith.

Robin Lord Taylor and Nolan North may have rejuvenated ol’ Pengy for more contemporary audiences, but Burgess Meredith is the actor who has probably done more for the character than any other. While the Penguin was already popular in comics before Meredith came around, it was Meredith’s portrayal of the villain - possibly the single most popular character in the show - that arguably allowed the cagey little bird to become a pop culture icon. Not only did Meredith’s costume and makeup allow him to look like the character had practically come to life, leaping right out of a Silver Age illustration, but the portrayal of the character was absolutely brilliant. Meredith’s voice carried a sense of grit and toughness, which, when combined with the character’s dandified sensibilities and vocal mannerisms - emphasizing certain words and consonants in interesting ways - helped to sell the core concept of the Penguin in a wonderful way: he looked and spoke like a gentleman, but he was ultimately still a slimeball at heart. Meredith also invented the character’s waddling gait and “Quacking Laugh,” both of which are still featured in various takes on the character in and out of comics to this date. If it weren’t for this man, we simply wouldn’t have the Penguin we know today.

1. Paul Williams & David Ogden Stiers.

Williams voiced the Penguin in “Batman: The Animated Series,” and most of its subsequent spin-offs. However, in the spin-off movie “Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman,” David Ogden Stiers (most famous for his appearances in various Disney movies, such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Pocahontas,” and “Lilo & Stitch”) played the character. While Ogden Stiers only had the one movie, I would honestly argue his performance is more than a match to Williams’, and to this day, I’ve never been able to decide which of the pair I like more. Whichever actor tackled the part, they aren’t the REAL reason this is my favorite Penguin. The reason, really, is because in my opinion, this was sort of the Penguin who offered a little bit of everything. In the first three seasons of the show, Pengy was portrayed in classic style as a sort of gentleman thief; he had henchmen, but he wasn’t a crime lord. These early seasons also featured a design influenced by the version from “Batman Returns,” due to contractual obligations. In the fourth season, things changed: keeping with the lore of comics at the time, the Penguin openly retired from crime to manage the Iceberg Lounge…but of course, he was still up to his old tricks, using his business as a front for the capers he would mastermind. In this fourth season, the creators were allowed to depict Penguin in a more classical aesthetic style; this is the version Ogden Stiers would play. As a person who loves ALL these different angles with Penguin, I personally felt there was just no way to lose with this one, and while his actual APPEARANCES weren’t always top notch (he seemed to just be the bad guy the creators would use when the Joker wasn’t wanted, with only a few exceptions), the actual portrayal of the character was truly brilliant, and he did have a few golden moments to shine. As a result, the DCAU Cobblepot takes top billing as My Favorite Penguin.

[jamestheenderman]

Mod Note

MOD Q: Okay hi. I wanted to say I missed my first OC, so I revamped him! Just a heads up: this is a side blog and will likely update slower than my main, @askthelostenderman . I'll develop James more, he hasn't changed much from the time I stopped using him though.

A little F.A.Q in case you've missed out:

Q: Who is James? When did you create him?

A: James is my first public OC, and the first Minecraft OC I ever had. I created him back in late 2013, but I never gave him a story nor an appearance until late 2014.

Q: What made you revamp him?

A: Nostalgia. And the feeling of not having developed him enough. I made this blog instead of renaming the old because I felt like he needed a new beginning. The one he had back then is a mess and I don't want it back. It's surrounded by drama, toxic people and decisions, etc.

Q: Did you delete the old blog then?

A: Nope, it's still there! But I changed the name and of course, the theme. It's my Mod blog now. Still, you can find some of his posts if you look for #James or #askjamestheenderman. It's called @3x0ndiary by now.

Q: Does James remember anything about his past, now that you revamped him?

A: you'll have to ask him 👀

Q: When is James's birthday?

A: September 3rd, just the same day I created him. In fact, it also marks the day I started taking art seriously. It's been almost 8 years since then!

Q: Will you ship him with anyone? Will he be multiship?

A: There's a chance, but I won't take it as slightly as I did back then. There's a reason for that.

Q: May I ask why he wears glasses?

A: Yes, you can ask... him ✨

Q: Does he relate to any of your OCs?

A: Yes! Many OCs of mine are somewhat related to him, be it due to being part of his family, a friend, partner, etc.

Q: Will you make this blog unique? Or will you add more OCs?

A: The last time I tried to mix many OCs in one blog, it ended up being quite chaotic, so I'll try my best not to mix them this time. Basically, I'll only add James.

Q: Can we ask for hugs, cuddles, etc? Since some OCs might not like contact.

A: Yes! James loves affection. As long as you don't hurt him, it's okay.

Q: Can I give him gifts?

A: Sure!

Q: Do you mind fanart?

A: Not at all! Go wild c: just don't make it +18. I'll throw hands.

Q: If he had friends, does he remember them?

A: Since he's a revamped OC, there's a high chance he doesn't. But you can make him remember 👀

[[ I'll edit this if necessary ]]

[taggedtforswears]

Episode 10 Author Notes

Becca and Hannah Davey love music! So much! They love music a lot and have many feelings about music! Sometimes, all these feelings come from a really slammin’ soundtrack. Other times, we make the feelings all by ourselves in the fanmix factory. Either way, we’re having a great time talking about the value that music can bring to a piece of media or to a fandom. Some songs show up on a bunch of shipping playlists, some soundtracks are perfect to study to and also have the benefit of making you think about Captain America: Winter Soldier at the same time. Do you need music recs? We have you covered this episode. Do you want to hear two theories on how to build playlists? HD and Becca each discuss their own fanmix-building techniques. It’s a nice, meandering chat about music and all the value it lends to our lives and our stories, so sit back and enjoy!

Listen to this week’s podcast episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts! You can also email us at tforswears.pod@gmail.com.

Episode Notes

Thor: Ragnorak Fight Scene but the background music is Brittney Spears’ ‘Toxic’

Hey Brother - The Adventure Zone Animatic/PMV by Stardust In June

Here’s a brief article about how the composing process works!

A link to Hannah Davey’s Lord of the Rings podcast!

Songs Referenced In This Episode

Buckle in, friends, this is going to be a long list.

Misirlou - Dick Dale (Pulp Fiction)

Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright (Shrek)

On My Way - The Proclaimers (Shrek)

Immigrant Song - Led Zeppelin (Thor: Ragnarok)

Rocky Road to Dublin - The Dubliners (Sherlock Holmes) (note HD says ‘Rocky Road to Galway’ in the podcast; they have listened to this song a frightening number of times but still they were wrong and always fuck up a reference and this is fine.)

The Call - Regina Spektor (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian)

Into the Unknown - Panic! At The Disco (Frozen II)

Sticks and Stones - Jonsi (How To Train Your Dragon)

Hoist That Rag - Tom Waits (A Most Wanted Man)

Hi Ho - Tom Waits

Into the West - Annie Lennox (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)

A Far Green Country - Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)

Forbidden Friendship - John Powell (How To Train Your Dragon)

Wonder Woman Theme - Hans Zimmer & Junkie XL (Batman v. Superman)

Upward Over the Mountain - Iron & Wine

Stuck In The Middle With You - Steelers Wheel (Reservoir Dogs)

Khabberni Keef - Khansa

Toss A Coin To Your Witcher - Joey Batey

Promise - Sunna Wehrmeijer (She-Ra)

Again - Yui (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Trøllabundin - Eivør

Soften and Shake - Olivia Broadfield

Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Father John Misty

Soundtracks Referenced In This Episode

Nostalgia Listens: The Lion King, The Parent Trap, Shrek

Study Soundtracks: How To Train Your Dragon, Pride & Prejudice, Theory of Everything, Little Women, Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Movies That Don’t Deserve Their Soundtracks: Suicide Squad, Twilight

Soundtracks That Mix Old and New Sounds: A Knight’s Tale, The Witcher

Children Show Soundtracks: Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Steven Universe, Avatar: The Last Airbender, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Soundtrack That We Don’t Have a Category For: Wind River (HD mentions in the ep, but this movie really freaked them out in theaters though the soundtrack is POWERFULLY GOOD so uh. Watch with care if you choose to watch it, it has a strong rape trigger warning)

Fanmix Songs Referenced In This Episode

Eden (Hozier) - Good Omens

I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley) - The Adventure Zone

Hey Brother (AVICII) - The Adventure Zone

Make Out (Julia Nunes) - The Magnus Archives

Becca’s Good Omens Fanmix

Further Reading

Bliek, F.S. (2018). “The Sonic Space of the Lord of the Rings trilogy: A study in the role of sound production in the soundtrack for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.” Utrecht University Repository.

Boltz, Marilyn. (2004). “The cognitive processing of film and musical soundtracks.” Memory & Cognition, volume 32, 1194–1205.

Chełkowska-Zacharewicz, Maria & Mateusz Paliga. (2019). “Music emotions and associations in film music listening: The example of leitmotifs from The Lord of the Rings movies.” Roczniki Psychologiczne, 2, 151-175.

Romano, Aja. (2020, Jan. 30). “The masterful deceit of “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,” explained.” Vox.com.

Williams, Rebecca. (2013). ““Anyone who Calls Muse a Twilight Band will be Shot on Sight”: Music, Distinction, and the “Interloping Fan” in the Twilight Franchise.” Popular Music and Society, 36(3), 327-342.

Young, Matthew. (2007). “Projecting Tolkien's Musical Worlds: A Study of Musical Affect in Howard Shore's Soundtrack to Lord of the Rings.” Bowling Green State University. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. 

Music/Sound Effect Credits

Intro: ‘The Messenger - Silent Partner’

Outro: ‘Brain’ by Lobo Loco via Free Music Archive

Filler Music: ‘Work Wonders’ by Lobo Loco via Free Music Archive

[mbti-notes]

Hi mbti-notes, I hope you're doing well. I am an INFP young black American and the past few weeks have been such a nightmare. I obviously support the protests that have been taking place but I feel so hopeless at the same time. I've never been a fan of this country but the past few weeks have at least provided me with more clarity and conviction that there is nothing to be salvaged here. I have a friend who's also black but lives in europe and even we're at a loss for what to say to each (con't)

[con’t: other. I feel so angry and disgusted. I remember learning that as a part of anti-US propaganda during the Cold War, they’d show how black people have been treated in America and be like “this is how they treat their own people”. I’m not saying I support the USSR of course but it surprised me to hear that in the eyes of other countries, we’re as American as anyone else. It never felt that way. People can’t even protest police brutality without being faced with more police brutality. I’ve donated to bail funds, signed petitions, contacted my representatives about a piece of legislation that would help combat the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women but...I think the closest thing there is to a solution is for another Great Migration but this time, we just leave America. I feel bad saying that because obviously so many people don’t have the means to do so and it shouldn’t have to come to this but nobody wants us here. If the black panthers...]

It seems that tumblr disappeared the rest of your message, but I've read enough to detect some problematic thinking. It’s not about whether you’re “wanted”, it’s about the fact that you have a right to exist and be treated as human, equal to every other human under the law. It is beyond the scope of this blog to address politics and write political commentary. This blog primarily addresses individuals and how they cope with their circumstances. I won’t be able to understand all the experiences that you’ve had as a black American given such a short message from you. All I can do is bring to light your attitude and beliefs and how they affect your ability to cope and thrive in life. 

Developmentally, irrational pessimism is always something that INFPs should be vigilant about due to Fi-Si loop and the struggle to develop Ne big-picture thinking skills. There is certainly lots of injustice in the world, but this doesn't mean that there isn't also a lot of good in the world. There are many good people out there doing good things, otherwise, you’d have nothing to donate money to. There are also a lot of decent people who understand that racism is a big problem but don’t know what to do about it. Yet your mind is only ever trained on the pain and suffering - this indicates Fi extremes. I have a longstanding habit of observing how different people respond to challenges in life. For example, I see some black Americans out there protesting, some are educating people, some are attacking people, some are sowing anarchy, some are running for office, some are giving up, some are hiding, some are writing, some are leading legislative initiatives. Black Americans as a group share the burden of racism, but each person handles it in their own way. What is your response and why?

You focus on the problems, drowning in negative feelings, and perhaps even look for evidence to reinforce the belief that everything is irredeemable (misuse of Si), which means that you lack a big picture perspective. For your own well-being, perhaps you need to make wiser decisions about how you spend your time, where you focus your energy, and with whom you associate. Otherwise, you are only ever a victim of circumstance, bending and breaking with every gust of wind. If there are things/people in your life that exacerbate your tendency to be negative, it's up to you to adjust your decision making so that you are not always surrounded by the negative. Just as you keep physically healthy by not eating crap food, you should keep mentally healthy by not feeding yourself a constant diet of emotional negativity. For example, people tend to be much more pessimistic when they spend too much time on social media or consuming political commentary that is designed to be emotionally provocative. Perhaps there are healthier ways to spend your time. Whether you followed this or that tweet is of little significance if it only ends up with you feeling miserable.

With respect to moving: There are a variety of methods to measure the health and well-being of a society, and it's natural to think about how your country stacks up against others. Different societies have their own character and excel at different things. However, it's important to remember that there is no society without problems. Some countries are better at hiding their problems than others. Europe is no paradise, as there have been long running problems with colonialist and xenophobic attitudes. American society tends to be very extraverted and media driven, so its problems are often hanging out there for all to see, which might make them seem a lot worse than they really are.

Each aspect of society, whether you think it is positive or negative, is the result of a trade-off. For example, people often respect the U.S. for its staunch commitment to free speech, which allows for marginalized voices to be heard. But the trade-off is that you may get a more noisy and toxic social environment, as all voices get elevated and amplified. The question for you, as an individual, is whether the trade-offs are worth it for the kind of life that you would like to live. With the example of free speech, I’d rather have free speech, so I’m willing to tolerate all the noise and accept it as the cost of doing business. Nobody can make these sorts of judgments for you, as you are the best person to decide what's best for you. Thus, I'm not sure what to tell you. I only remind people that the decision making process works best when you give proper consideration to EVERY side of an issue, as opposed to being myopic, extreme, or one-sided.

Right now, there is a lot of frustration and anger floating around. Being so emotional basically means being myopic, as you are hyperfocused on the things that make you sad or angry. This will blind you to everything else. When you lose sight of the positive, Ne might start to believe that the grass is greener elsewhere. There's no denying that the problem of racism against black people runs very deep in American society, all the way back to the founding of the nation on the backs of slaves. But are you denying that progress has been made?

When people use the word "progress" in relation to history, they mainly refer to how things changed for the better. I think people too often forget that progress almost always comes at a steep COST. Society doesn’t change because people miraculously get “enlightened” en mass. No. People suffer, things get mangled, blood is shed, and there is a period of intense pain and sacrifice - these details tend to get glossed over in history classes as hindsight and nostalgia take over. Creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin. Thinking that you can create something new and better without destroying what is old and obsolete is wishful thinking. To be clear, I'm not advocating destruction; I'm only saying that, in reality, you cannot escape destruction, as it is a necessary stage in the process of creation. If you are unlucky, you get to live during "interesting" times. But, viewed from a bigger perspective, it also means that you get to live during a time when you have a chance to make a difference and what you do matters. From this perspective, being alive right now is better than living during a time of being forced into accepting the status quo, is it not?

What is society other than the people comprising it? Societal problems are analogous to psychological problems in that they are deep-seated, long-running, festering, recurring, and difficult to resolve. I believe that there is a qualitative shift in attitude right now. It doesn't mean that racism will suddenly get fixed once and for all, but I've not seen such widespread attention and commitment to the problem in a long time. It actually gives me hope. I have older friends who've remarked that they suddenly feel transported back to the unrest of the 1960s. IMO, it means that another period of progress is on the horizon, but it also means that a time of intense turmoil is here. It seems that you focus on the turmoil and miss seeing the openings and opportunities for change.

Another thing that INFPs should always be vigilant about is a shaky relationship to reality and/or being unable to tackle problems in a realistic way (i.e. poor Ne and Te development). Reality contains everything, including the good and the bad, so it’s no use to try to pretend that one or the other doesn’t exist. You will always make better decisions by taking BOTH the good and the bad into consideration. Some INFPs get stuck in trying to wish away the bad, and some drown in the bad and disconnect from everything good. 

Just as a child picks up a mix of psychological issues from their parents, as a member of society, your identity is forged through your relationship to your society's (problematic) history. I don't see how a "great migration" is any solution. Don’t forget that technology has made our world significantly smaller, so it’s a lot harder to distance from these problems. As long as you carry the scars of your home, no matter where you go, unresolved pain will continue to haunt you and hurt you. There is historical evidence that utopian thinking never leads to anything resembling a utopia. Utopian thinking is what people resort to when they are incapable of confronting the problems of reality. When it comes to human psychology, there is no way to wipe the slate completely clean without confronting and addressing the mistakes and sins of the past - this is what social unrest is meant to achieve. To believe that you can/should “start from scratch” is often a sign of Te grip in INFPs, as they want to violently wipe out the accumulated burdens of Si loop. 

Perhaps there are benefits for you, as an individual, to move away, as you might find happiness in a different sort of life. But what happens when the advocates give up and walk off? At the societal level, good people moving away only leaves the bad actors to wreak havoc on the poor and innocent. Certainly, some individuals do move away and successfully build a better life for themselves. However, some people move away only to discover that they miss home dearly, and they end up roaming aimlessly, lonely, miserable, bitter, or disappointed. What separates the two groups? You will find a better life when you know exactly what you're looking for and you're realistic about whether the new place will meet those terms and conditions. You will NOT find a better life if you're merely running away from unhappiness, fueled by wishful thinking that the grass is greener "anywhere but here". It's up to you to be honest about what's happening with you.

[thebmatt]

Patch 5.5

Thoughts on the 5.5 MSQ and Sorrow of Werlyt after the break. I haven’t done the new Alliance Raid yet so nothing there.

MSQ

1. I really like seeing Alphinaud get to be bros with Arenvald and Estinien. Also I’m pretty sure Alphinaud is STILL not 18 yet so stop making those ships. It’s kinda gross.

2. I wonder if anyone who DIDN’T do the level 80 summoner quest was confused about Arenvald and Fordola partnering up to deal with “We can’t get the WoLs to deal with this right now and anyone else will be tempered, can you help” issues because I don’t think they mention that anywhere else. 

3. Paglth’an is a truly SPECTACULAR dungeon, but I thought that the Amalj’aa were all tempered by Ifrit, save for the Brotherhood of Ash. Was that NOT the whole of the Amalj’aa? Or are we just supposed to believe the Alliance already freed them all of it? It was never made totally clear, I think. I might have missed it.

4. seriously, I love Paglth’an so much, which is good, because Rheika needs like half the sets in there for glam, so we gonna be farmin.

5. I can’t wait for 5.55 because I really wanna know what exactly those towers are supposed to DO. Seems like the lunar primals that come out of them are pretty weak compared to Bahamut. Also goddamn is Garlemald just all tempered now? Eesh, the implications there are...unpleasant. Also nice tease with the Masamune.

Sorrow of Werlyt

I have mixed feelings about this story. I like a lot of the elements of where we started and where it ended, plus hey I’m absolutely captain of the FF7 nostalgia train, so I absolutely loved the WEAPON trials, but the plot devices and writing we used to go from A to B are...not the best. The dialogue between the kids goes from very “we must stop dad and kill the WoL” to “we have to make these sacrifices, its what father taught us” extremely suddenly and it’s VERY jarring, almost like they just abruptly changed story course between patches. It just felt like they could have come up with a far more logical and less “murder kids for shock value” story that would have been more interesting and meaningful while still hitting the “Valens is evil, Gaius is goin through a personal crisis about the Empire, lets reunite with our long lost adopted orphans, HEY LOOK GIANT ROBOTS FROM YOUR FAVORITE FF GAME” beats. Also, I maintain that their refusal to show any forms of physical affection save *headpats* is extremely detrimental to their attempts to convey that characters deeply care for one another. Yes I realize that’s part of Japanese culture, but frankly that’s kinda toxic and I’m not apologizing for stating as much. 

[tipsycad147]

HONEYSUCKLE {LONICERA CAPRIFOLIUM / LONICERA JAPONICA}

by Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Also Known As,

Honeysuckle

Jin Yin Hua

The herbal plant called the honeysuckle is a climbing plant that can grow to twelve ft – four meters – in length. The plant comes in several varieties, and some varieties are deciduous – example, the L. caprifolium variety – while some are semi-evergreen – the Asian honeysuckle or jin yin hua, L. japonica. The plant bears oval-shaped leaves that come in pairs on the branches. The tubular shaped flowers of the plants come in a variety of colours, the yellow-orange flowers of the European variety or the yellow-white coloured ones of the jin yin hua. The European honeysuckle variety bears red coloured berries and while the berries of the jin yin hua variety are black in colour.

The European honeysuckle or “Woodbine” – the L. periclymenum to botanists – was at one time employed widely as an herbal remedy for problems like asthma, all kinds of urinary disorders, and as an aid to soothing labour pains in women giving birth. The ancient Roman writer Pliny suggested the use of the honeysuckle mixed with wine for disorders of the spleen. The variety of honeysuckle most likely to be used in herbal medicine is the “jin yin” or Chinese honeysuckle – L. japonica to botanists – rather than the woodbine. The properties of this variety of honeysuckle were recorded in the Chinese medical book called the “Tang Ben Cao,” that was written in A.D. 659. This herb remains as one of the most potent Chinese herbs used for eliminating heat and accumulated toxins from the human body.

The traditional use of the honeysuckle in European herbal medicine was as a remedy for asthma and related respiratory disorders that affected the chest. The Bach Flower Remedies lists the honeysuckle as one of the beneficial herbal plants. In this system of herbal cures, the Woodbine is said to suppress feelings of nostalgia and to quell homesickness in a person. The use of the “jin yin hua” in Chinese medicine has a long history, and the herb was used as an agent to “clear heat and relieve toxicity,” besides other uses.

Parts Used…

Flowers, leaves, bark.

Uses…

Contemporary herbalists in the Western world make very rare use of the honeysuckle herb. Honeysuckle was a part of the traditional herbal repertoire, and the historical uses of this plant in herbal medicine were many. Traditionally, European herbalists used to employ different parts of the honeysuckle plant for different therapeutic purposes as they believed that different parts of the herb had different remedial effects on the human body. Honeysuckle bark contains compounds that induce a diuretic effect in the body; a remedy made from the bark is used to bring relief from problems such as gout, from kidney stones, and is also used in treating liver problems of all kinds. Honeysuckle leaves have the astringent properties and are made into an infusion used as an oral gargle and general mouthwash – this remedy is excellent in alleviating sore throats and canker sores or other oral complaints. The remedies made from the flowers of the honeysuckle have an anti-spasmodic effect, this brings relief from chronic coughs and was traditionally used as a treatment for asthma and related respiratory disorders. In the Chinese system of herbal medicine, the “jin yin hua” remedy is extensively prescribed for a very wide range of diseases. Remedies made from the jin yin hua are mainly utilised in countering “hot” infectious disorders including abscesses, sores, and inflammation affecting the breasts, as well as dysentery. The remedy made from the jin yin hua plant is also used to bring down elevated temperatures in a body wracked by fever. This remedy is also used in treating problems affecting the oral cavity.

Other medical uses…

Viral infection

Habitat…

The European honeysuckle or “Woodbine” is indigenous to southern Europe and the region of the Caucasus, though plants can be seen all over Europe except in the far north. The Asian variety, the “Jin yin hua” is native to the Chinese mainland and the island of Japan – it is cultivated as an herbal plant in both countries. The usual site where both varieties of plants can be seen growing are along walls, on trees, and in hedges. Harvest of honeysuckle is usually done in the summer months, flowers and leaves are normally gathered in the summer immediately before the onset of the floral bloom.

Research…

Research carried out on the properties inherent in the “jin yin hua” suggests that active compounds in the herb can help inhibit the growth of the tuberculosis bacillus and can help counteract infection of this dangerous pathogen. The Chinese also investigated other known properties of the herb, during one clinical trial, the jin yin hua was used in combination with the ju hua herb – this herbal mixture was found to be very effective in reducing the elevated blood pressure in individuals affected by hypertension. The European honeysuckle may also prove to be very useful in counteracting infection as it is very similar to the “jin yin hua” herb.

Constituents…

Honeysuckle’s constituents include a volatile oil, tannins, and salicylic acid. Honeysuckle contains a volatile oil (which includes linalool and jasmone), tannins, luteolin, and inositol.

How Honeysuckle Works in the Body…

The use of remedies made from the honeysuckle – Lonicera caprifolium – in the Western world is based on the knowledge gleaned from its age-old usage and herbal lore. Some of the ways in which the honeysuckle is used in the West include the preparation of an herbal gargle or mouthwash from the leaves for use as a treatment for sore throats and gum or other general oral problems. The remedies made from the honeysuckle flowers are commonly employed in the treatment of asthma and related respiratory disorders – the herbal remedy helps soothe and relax the irritated respiratory passages. The traditionally use of the Lonicera japonica – a variety of honeysuckle in China, or the “Jin Yin Hua’ as it is known is much more extensive. Clinical studies carried out in China have shown that the herb possesses distinct bactericidal action against both the streptococcus and Staphylococcus strains of bacteria. During the laboratory experiments carried out on human subjects, the herb was demonstrated to induce some very potent protective effects on the tissues of the lungs of tuberculosis affected patients. The traditional uses of the herb in the Chinese system of medicine include the treatment of abscesses or swellings in the body, the herbal remedy was particularly used in treating disorders affecting the breast, the throat, the eyes, and used extensively as an internal medication. The remedies made from the honeysuckle are also employed during the early stages of many diseases that come with a fever. The herbal remedy is used to treat individuals with sensitivity to wind, they are used in treating chronic soreness in the throat, and to alleviate a persistent or a chronic headache. The herbal honeysuckle remedy is also employed as a remedy in treating cases of damp or heat dysenteric disorders in patients; it is also used in treating urinary dysfunction accompanied by pain. The property of being both “sweet and cold” is the alluded to this remedy in the Chinese system of medicine.

Applications…

Flowers:

HERBAL INFUSION – the honeysuckle flowers can be combined in a remedy with many other expectorant herbal flowers, including flowers of herbs such as the cowslip, the elecampane, or the mulberry, this remedy is excellent for treating problems such as chronic coughs and in mild forms of asthma and some respiratory disorders.

SYRUP – the syrup made from the honeysuckle flowers can be used along with the floral infusion for treating coughs -particularly if they are chronic. The syrup may be used as a combination therapy with other herbal flowers, including expectorant herbs such as the mullein or the marshmallow herb.

Flower buds:

HERBAL DECOCTION – this form of the remedy can be used in the early stages of getting a feverish cold that is accompanied by some characteristic symptoms including a persistent headache, great thirst, and soreness in the throat. The dosage to use is ten to fifteen g of the dried honeysuckle floral buds mixed in six hundred ml of water as one dose. If the cold is accompanied by very high fevers, then the huang lian and huang qin herbs can be added to the remedy.

HERBAL TINCTURE – the tincture prepared from the honeysuckle is used for the treatment of different digestive disorders, including persistent diarrhoea or chronic gastroenteritis that accompanies food poisoning and related complaints.

Stems:

HERBAL DECOCTION – the decoction can be prepared by steeping fifteen to thirty g of dried honeysuckle stems in six hundred ml of water. The use of the stem decoction is similar to the way in which the flower bud decoction is used. This remedy is excellent particularly for chronic pain in the joints, as well as in the treatment of influenza and other infections. This herbal remedy can be combined with the use of other cooling herbs, including the Chinese “luo shi teng” or “shi hu,” particularly when intending to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and related problems.

https://crookedbearcreekorganicherbs.com/2018/07/29/honeysuckle-lonicera-caprifolium-lonicera-japonica/

[sinceileftyoublog]

Live Picks: 6/16-6/19

Bill MacKay; Photo by Michael Vallera

BY JORDAN MAINZER

It’s a day I wasn’t sure would come this soon, if ever, to be honest: The return of previews of actual live, in person, non-streamed shows.

6/16 & 6/17: Patterson Hood, City Winery

The Drive-By Truckers band member plays two nights in a row (6/17 sold out as of publication) at City Winery. The band released two records last year, and Hood (as well as other Truckers) took advantage of livestreams to play originals and covers and raise money for worthy causes. You can hear and purchase the audio from some of these streams over at the Truckers’ Bandcamp page.

6/17: Diamond D (D.I.T.C.) & Jarobi (A Tribe Called Quest), Chop Shop

The price of admission to hear rare 45s spun by these two hip hop legends, alongside DJ sets from locals DJ Intel and DJ Pickle? $60. Knowing that proof of vaccination is required for entry? Priceless.

6/17-6/19: Helen Money, Empty Bottle

Experimental cellist Alison Chesley, who records as Helen Money, plays three sold out shows at Empty Bottle. Guests will likely be able to celebrate for the first time in person the release of last year’s Atomic, which we previewed in advance of Chesley’s Twitch stream:

“I’ve been eagerly awaiting experimental cellist Alison Chesley’s new Helen Money album ever since I heard 2016′s mammoth Become Zero, and in March, she finally followed it up with Atomic (Thrill Jockey). Written after her parents passed away and inspired by time spent in Northern California with her siblings, as well as Lucretian ideas of inter-connectivity, it’s a comparatively solemn affair, but no less affecting. The clarity of her compositions is bolstered by collaborator Will Thomas’ modular electronics, and each track juxtaposes layers of plucked and bowed cello with propulsive percussion and crackling noise. Yet, Atomic is remarkably varied. Rounded bursts of cello on opener 'Midnight' contrast repeated 3-note plucking on 'Understory', while Chesley’s sludgy riffing on 'Coil' (over panning, clattering percussion) recalls her earlier, metal-adjacent material. And following 'Coil' is its polar opposite, 'Coppe', with Chesley writing for the harp for the first time ever. Overall, Chesley’s sheets of cello provide what effectively sounds like an entire symphony on tracks like 'Understory', 'Brave One', loop-heavy 'Redshift' and droning closer 'Many Arms'; it makes the faint industrial thuds of 'Nemesis', eerie electro-acoustic tones of 'Something Holy', and drum sounds of 'Marrow' stand out even more. Above everything else, Atomic cements Chesley as a master of space and contrast, versatile in her ability to simultaneously overwhelm and tranquilize.”

The show is billed as having special guests, so stay tuned!

UPDATE: You’ll be able to stream Saturday night’s show on Noonchorus!

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real; Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

6/18: Bill MacKay, Constellation

It wouldn’t be a return to live picks without recommending a Bill MacKay show. In a show that’s also being livestreamed with a suggested donation on the venue’s YouTube page, but open to a full capacity (!) seated audience, he’ll play selections from his great new album with Nathan Bowles, Keys, out now on Drag City. The record, like a lot of MacKay’s albums, relies on improvisation, but it also takes influence from the swath of genres Bowles tends to explore, like folk, country, and gospel. It contains a mix of songs each wrote and a couple more experimental collaborations. Overall, its best aspect is the extent to which MacKay’s guitar and Bowles’ banjo interplay, like on “Honey Time”, where spritely strumming is interspersed with limber banjo plucking, or on the deliberate “Dry Rations I” and “Dry Rations II” instrumentals, wherein the echo on both instruments give the tunes simultaneous depth and randomness. Further, the MacKay-penned “Joy Ride” is an exuberant stomp, while Bowles’ closer “The i in Silence” offers a sparse respite after the building, swaying rush of the penultimate “Truth”. Other instruments show up on the record, like piano midway through “Truth”, or clacks of percussion and a warm hue of pump organ on Bowles’ “Dowsing”, but the players’ main tools shine through.

As MacKay will adapt Keys songs to a solo performance (along with playing some unreleased material, and film projections from Timothy Breen to accompany everything), I do wonder whether he’ll only play the tunes he wrote, let alone how he’ll present them without Bowles. Perhaps he’ll emphasize the songs he sings on, like “Truth” or the excellent “Late for Your Funeral Again”. (MacKay debuted his singing voice on 2019′s Fountain Fire, and it continues to evolve into a subtly yearning coo.) The one track on Keys that certainly does need another vocalist is “I See God”, an adaptation of an E.C. Ball gospel tune that sees MacKay and Bowles sing in harmony with each occasionally stepping over the other just like their banjo and guitar do, a sense of ramshackle determination that exemplifies the entire album. That’s a quality you’ll hear Friday no matter what.

6/19: Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Martyrs

Lukas Nelson just doesn’t stop, and the release of his latest album with his band Promise of the Real came at a good time. A Few Stars Apart dropped this past Friday via Fantasy Records, and Nelson’s able to celebrate by doing release shows in multiple cities, including one at Martyrs on Friday. The record, produced by (of course) Dave Cobb, was inspired by the unexpected sense of home he found while isolating with family during the early days of the pandemic, and the band recorded it live on eight-track tape at RCA Studio A in Nashville. Its ethos is best summed up by a line on “Perennial Bloom (Back to You)”: “Some of the stillness I have found is bound to last / Some of the restlessness will live on.” Indeed, the band’s best album since their 2017 self-titled release sees Nelson wavering between reflection and new habits. “Empires will fall and everything dies / But don’t worry baby, we’ll be alright,” he sings on opener “We’ll Be Alright”, a swaying strummer on which he sounds so much like his father I did a double take to make sure I was listening to the correct record. That warm sense of wisdom continues on tracks like “Giving You Away”, a classic-sounding country tune about the inherent melancholic nostalgia of time passing by, accepting how and when your loved ones change. The band, as ever, is excellent, Logan Metz’ spiritual organ and banjo playing complementing Nelson’s pleas for forgiveness on “Throwin’ Away Your Love” and aiding to the stomp of anti-toxicity anthem “Leave ‘em Behind”, respectively. Of course, it’ll be amazing to just hear a true full-band rock record in person, making me think that when Nelson sings on “Perennial Bloom” that “summer’s healing is coming soon,” he’s a little too late. It’s already here.

A Few Stars Apart by Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real