#june 122

[chimeride]

[riverdale-retread]

Riverdale S7 E6 Peep Show.

The episode opens with Jughead in bed reading comic books with the editorial condemning  those same comic books.  This is the second or third time they’ve shown Jughead Jones in his tight-fitting long johns in bed, reading.  Is this- is this supposed to be fanservice for the Jughead girlies? (Of which I admit I am one).  But I mean, Is it?  The only other character I can recall who was regularly shown in this sort of underwear is Goofy from Disney.  This is an odd choice, because so much of this episode revolves around showing bodies and how best to showcase them in underwear.  

Anyway, as Jughead reads a Pep Comic issue which seems to be titled “Things [of?] Darkness,” he is suddenly reminded of something written by his “favorite pulp writer of all time, Brad Rayberry.” He picks up a volume of November County and Other stories by the same author, looking very concerned.

Immediately, he runs over to the publishing house to yell at his publisher about being a plagiarist.   Jughead always does this in every universe - oh I’m suddenly sad I won’t be able to say this anymore after this season! Sob! - when he has a suspicion:   He goes straight to the suspected perpetrator of whatever the crime or misdeed is and confronts then forthwith, but without any sort of plan as to what he’ll do if they deny it, which they invariably do, or how he will cope with the consequences of launching such a frontal attack.  Betty and Archie are physically reckless, but Jughead is existentially reckless.

His publisher says that plagiarism is a word they don’t use at the publishing house (which is such a great side step. Did Mr. Publisher have a former career as a lawyer?) Then he makes up a story about how he tried to reach out to the proper author but then conveniently presumed said author was dead based on the lack of response.  Which doesn’t justify plagiarism but he seems to think it does.

We are with Archie as he, along with me, tries to endure the unwelcome imposition that Uncle Frank is in his house.  I’ve always despised Uncle Frank, and honestly, them showing me that he would have been even worse in the 1950s does not make me hate any iteration of him less by one iota. Archie is trying to fix his car, but Frank says he is “concerned.”  He lays out all of Archie’s flaws, which are that he is a middling student, lying, not pulling his weight around the house, and the “business with the Blossom girl.”

Sir? Sir!  I object.  The lying & business with the Blossom girl was the exact opposite of a concerning lie, is it not?  It turns out both are still technically virgins, which is what you all probably care most about, and he did it to save her and he went along with you all trying to force him to get married at 17!  Anyway, Frank is a right piece of shit, because he pokes at Archie’s grief with “How do you think your dad would feel?”

Well sir, Archie may not know this but since I watched all previous seasons of Riverdale with close attention several times over, I know exactly how Fred would feel, and he indeed would feel proud of Archie. That was kind of Fred’s problem - even when he was annoyed at Archie, he was never less than proud.  

Apparently, Frank was present when Fred took his leave of Archie to go “off to war” because he knows what the instructions were - “Take care of Mom and be the man of the house.” 

I would have been much happier if Frank had died in the Korean War, and I’m sure Archie agrees.  I’m also pretty sure that Fred DID NOT MEAN to burden his actual child with this sort of thing. He was trying to give his child something else to focus on rather than worry daily about his father 8,000 miles away.  Frank as far as I can tell has no family of his own, so again, this business of childless men lecturing about or at other people’s children?  Bah humbug, honestly. Maybe this is my being raised intensely Catholic while female, but honestly, this type of man should simply never ever say anything at all about children, child bearing, reproduction and so on. 

So Archie, looking like he has a gun pointed to the back of his head (which is Frank staring into it like a psycho) apologizes to his mother about not being a ‘better son.’ I’m also back to very much disliking Mary Andrews. She is a bad mom. Why would you farm out actually raising your kid to FRANK of all people?  Ugh.   WHAT KIND OF MOTHER HAVE YOU BEEN MARY ANDREWS?  Have you thought about that?? She’s been weak as shit against people like the Blossoms, arbitrary & unpredictable in her rule enforcement and generally a shitty parent. 

Next door, Betty is sadly getting ready for school.  I want to look inside Betty’s closet this season. She alway has a perfectly color coordinated belt or scarf (sometimes the same color, sometimes a wonderful contrast color) to go with her outfit.  She looks across the way and is completely verklempt at the view of Archie’s moist abs, fresh from the shower.  The music can’t possibly be 1950s- there’s synths and stuff.  The song says “I feel so…. GOOOD.’  I can’t relate, but her vision is so good that she is capable of focusing on his happy trail from a whole house away.   If only we all looked as pretty as she does (I LOVE the Grace kelly type hairdo she has happening) while agog with lust. 

At school, in the locker room, the girls are putting on their gym outfits.  What sort of sports can you play  in outfits like these, by the way?  Stiff yellow button down shirts with puffy sleeves tucked into high waisted bermuda shorts that barely cover your butt cheeks?  These shorts are even belted tight at the waist.  

In the sweetest, most kittenish way possible, Betty asks Veronica, “What’s sex like?”

…. I mean. OK. Lemme breathe. Because that was so like, the perfect delivery for a very by-the-books porno, no?  Gorgeous blonde horny girl goes “What’s sex like?” while leaning forward, blinking winsomely with huge eyes.  And she’s not even aware of the effect she has.  What is GOING ON.

So Veronica is understandably shocked (hc: turned on and not out to herself) (Why is TONI not picking up on these vibes to invite Veronica for a cuppa at the Dark Room already?  Is this because they are both tops??)  but only gently says that it’s a bit early in the morning for this sort of talk (“I’ve barely just had my morning java!”).  What happens next is a huge part of why I adore Veronica Lodge above all girls but especially Betty (who, even if not this season, is for plot reasons not all that big on truth telling):  She meets truth and candor with truth and candor.  When Betty says she doesn’t know what sex is like and would like to hear, which is a pretty brave thing to ask someone, Veronica responds with the same attitude to confess that she herself is still a virgin.   Betty has the absolute perfect come-back:  I just assumed because you’re just so sexy!   Betty really knows how to talk to a girl!  

I suppose the idea is that the 1950s were a super repressed time in America (which I don’t think it actually was in actuality but OK) such that even the sensual Veronica Lodge is - gasp! - still a virgin  but actually since this is reflective of my own high school experience I found it very comforting to have it represented on the screen.   “You don’t have to have sex to be sexy,” is what Veronica says. 

Betty would like advice on how to carry herself more like Veronica.   Veronica suggests perfume and heels, then brings out the idea of sexy lingerie.  “Soft fabric against my skin” is what she says as some horny trumpeteer goes “Wah wah Waaaaah” in the background.  OK so I guess I’ve tried out the wrong kinds of lingerie because that shit was itchy as fuck.   Veronica walks her fingers flirtatiously up Betty’s arm as she says, “Say, why don’t you give lingerie a twirl?”  Betty looks very turned on, first just by the purring way Veronica is talking about being sexy, second about the idea of Veronica in lingerie that makes her already perfect body “look fantastic” and about doing something sexual with Veronica. I mean possibly also I guess she is excited about having a guide to learn about lingerie but that’s like below tertiary.   Betty is going to go over to Veronica’s later to try on her used underwear (which I find a strange idea but ok).

At the student lounge, Cheryl approaches Toni to give her the lesbian pulp novel back. Cheryl insists on calling her “Antoinette.”   I am insane for all these fabulous belts these girls are all wearing this season.  I love the gloss on the red patent leather one that Cheryl is sporting.   When asked what she thinks about the lesbian pulp classic (the real world version of which was one of the rare ones where neither woman died for being gay at the end), she responds to the cover art using very distant artsy language as in, Cheryl finds “two voluptuous, feminine forms in close proximity to each other” quite pleasant.   Toni pulls out her go-to pick up line for Riverdale girls:  She asks the girl to go to the Dark Room for a coffee.   See, I knew Toni was trying to put the moves on Betty when she was consoling her after the dumping of Kevin!  

Cheryl refuses - “Oh I couldn’t *possibly!” - and that’s because she’s too busy “relaunching the Vixens.”  She needles Toni about finding cheerleading “far too square,” essentially daring her to try out for the squad.

The hostage situation with Archie and Uncle Fucking Frank continues, this time at the Principal’s office.  Uncle Fucking Frank is still standing executioner distance behind Archie.  Archie  is trying to do everything with his face to signal that he is not ok, please help, while saying what his abductor wants him to say: “I wanna be at least a B student.”  His principal is too dim to catch these hints, and anyway he’s probably turned on by the weird dominance thing that he’s witnessing right this minute.  It turns out Uncle Fucking Frank is in cahoots with this asshole, the principal, enough to have private conversations with him!

At the tryouts for the cheerleading squad, Cheryl is holding court.  Evelyn Evernever is there! She’s already a cheerleader.  Welcome back Evelyn! I hope you’re unhinged and evil in this world too!

Toni bursts in like Aragorn, pushing the double doors wide open.  The song playing in the soundtrack (probably in Cheryl’s head) states: It’s Too Darn Hot as Toni smugly makes her slo-mo entrance looking, actually, Too Darn Hot.   Cheryl is so happy to see Toni, and is extra happy because she put on her blazing red lipstick just in case Toni showed up (she had more of a nude lip earlier in the day for their initial encounter).  She’s also forbidden Evenlyn from wearing her reddish hair down, lol.  Evelyn condescendingly tells Toni that she’s not “on the list” so she can’t try out, but Cheryl overrules her (because it’s never a cheerocracy!).   

The two lesbians smile adoring at each other.  Something about just breathing the air with Toni on her home ground (as a cheerleader) makes Cheryl glow like a Renaissance angel.  Toni actually has a routine prepared, and we go to it.   Cheryl watches all of Toni’s tryout routine in a totally horny haze, slowing it down in her mind as she almost drools.  The song is also egging her on - something something “Refill the cup with my baby tonight” and “I’d like to sup with my baby tonight” etc  which are all statements about cunnilingus.  The room gets all dark for her.   She doesn’t have the orgasm (of the mind) that she did the first time she watched Toni do a dance routine, but it’s close.  Cheryl says this whole performance “razzed her berries.”  This means looking at Toni made her nips tingle.   Then she adds that “I haven’t seen pompom technique like that in years” which means she can tell Toni is (like all dykes) great with her hands. 

Evelyn is making a very sour face behind her. Somehow Cheryl knows this, so she says since she “alone” speaks for the Vixens, she immediately offers Toni a spot on the team.  Evelyn tries to make a case for procedural fairness only to get screamed at.  The other girls all welcome Toni to the team.

At the dinner table, Uncle Fucking Frank makes a terrible announcement.  “It looks like I’m going to be sticking around for a while.”  Oh no. OH NO.  Why?  Because Principal Featherhead asked him “to be the basketball team’s head coach.”  I’m horrified.  Also Frank is short and stocky.  I know zip about sports but isn’t basketball for tall lean people? 

So Uncle Fucking Frank has no family - not even a lady - and no kids and he just moved into his brother’s widow’s house to bully his nephew, and because all this is not enough, he begged his way into getting a job at this nephew’s school.  “Asked me” my ass  What the fuck is his fixation on Archie?  

Archie understandably says he doesn’t want to play basketball while Frank is gonna be coach.  Not playing is not a way out  of the Uncle Fucking Frank close contact - if Archie won’t play, then he can be waterboy.  What is happening? I hate Mary so much.  See, I knew, I KNEW that my being OK with Mary Andrews was not going to last.  Why the fuck did she even have this child? Ugh. 

At Veronica’s, Betty is feeling shy about showing how she looks in Veronica’s underwear, though she wasn’t shy about wearing Veronica’s underwear to begin with.  Did they go shopping? Is this NEW underwear?  Be that as it may, Veronica looks very eager on the bed, quaffing mimosas, and eating chocolates.  When Betty finally emerges, Veronica’s eyes light up.  “I knew it would look perfect on you!”   The problem is, Betty feels embarrassed, which Veronica doesn’t understand.  Looking like Bettie Page exactly, Veronica says, “Bettie Page herself would go ape for you.” Bettie Page’s personal orientation was not, uh, lesbian so that is a weird thing to say, Veronica.  Just say you want to fuck Betty.    Even though Betty looks close to tears, Veronica wants to keep looking at her, so makes her come in front of the mirror so she can keep looking at her under the guise of giving her some sort of sexual koan:  “I am a gorgeous, powerful, sexy siren, at the height of my womanly powers.”  I mean, this is very sweet, but I did have a flashback to Hannah Gadsby going - *I* am in my prime!! *I* am in my prime!! - meaning her 40-something self. The koan does work on Betty though, who is actually persuaded by the end.

Jughead has straight up gone to see the author Rayberry.  He introduces himself as a writer at Pep Comics, then bluntly says “they’re ripping you off.”  Rayberry wants to know why Jughead wants him to sue his own employer.  Jughead is full on fangirling - “I think you’re the tops.”  Even though Rayberry just wants to get rid of him, Jughead won’t take no for an answer, and even though the author looks slovenly while he keeps slamming the door in his face, he doesn’t give up. 

Evelyn has given Cheryl a visit, to say that she is “uncomfortable” with Toni being on the squad not because she’s black (sure?) but because she’s “a lezzie.”  I mean, it’s probably a bit of both right?  Cheryl shuts down both objections - Riverdale has been fully integrated, and Toni Topaz is not… that, so Evelyn needs to “put an egg in your shoe and beat it.”  That is the weirdest way to say that I’ve ever heard. I kinda like it.   Cheryl wants to watch her show which is Oh Mija!

At the Dark Room, Toni is taunted for becoming a “paper shaker” by the Lezzie Lizzo, who is sporting a beret with a studded Serpents jacket.   Lizzo mocks her for “still birddogging that redheaded closet case.”   Toni tries to cover it up with some sort of sanctimonious bullshit - she is now the first ever black cheerleader at Riverdale.  I’m with Lizzo - I don’t believe her one bit.  “Oh so it’s *political* for you! [Much scoffing, then completely insincerely]  Yeah  I got it.  That makes sense.”   But Lizzo says she understands Toni Topaz for knuckling under the white patriarchy’s demeaning demands for women in the interests of getting access to Cheryl’s pussy. She says it nicer than me AND she acknowledges that Cheryl is very hot.  “That’s one cherry lollipop I’d happily lick.”

I knew Lizzo was a good egg the first time I saw her. Why o why won’t Toni give her a chance? And what does Lizzo do all day? How old is she?  Is she a high school drop out??  Can I have more Lizzo and much less Evelyn??? 

The next morning, Archie discovers that Uncle Fucking Frank has confiscated his car, to be returned to him when his “grades are where they should be.”   This is because Uncle Fucking Frank is obsessed with Archie, leading to his wanting to spend every possible moment with him, including the ride to school.  

Veronica is super excited to approach Betty the same morning to ask her exactly what kind of underwear she is wearing.  This is extremely heterosexual behavior among women, right?  Oh, and Veronica acknowledges that the ‘lingerie’ type underwear is neither silky nor comfortable (I mean granted, I haven’t ever tried the like, thousand-dollars a pop La Perla stuff so maybe those are??) - “How will ever get used to lace panties if you don’t wear them every day?” she chastises when it turns out Betty hasn’t put them on today for fear of being seen in them and being thought a “nymphomaniac.”

THIS FEAR IS SPECIFICALLY KEVIN FUCKING KELLER’S FAULT. I HATE YOU SO MUCH KEVIN.

Veronica thinks this whole “nympho” talk was invented by misogynist (gay) men to hurt women.  I agree.  She also diagnoses Betty with “needing a man.”  Usually, this sort of comment is not true about the woman about whom it is said, but Betty actually does need a man.  She is SO horny. 

Betty tells Veronica that she has her eye on Archie.   Veronica doesn’t like it, but she prioritizes Betty’s well being over her own, so rushes her to speak to Archie before Betty can “talk yourself out of it” by which Veronica means “myself.”  

Archie is bent over a book in the student lounge.  While Veronica listens from her hidden vantage point (with Betty’s awareness), Betty, her big bambi eyes brimming with adoration, asks Archie out on a movie date.  Archie actually tells her the truth - he’d love to, but he can’t because of Uncle Fucking Frank.  Veronica’s face falls when he says he’d love to, then brightens when he says he can’t.  Betty doesn’t believe Archie though, at all.  She thinks she’s being rejected.  

She cries about it on Veronica’s shoulder, who continues to say the right and decent thing - that what Archie said might be the truth.  Cheerful now that they have both been apparently rejected by Archie, Veronica suggests that they both find some airheads down at Stonewall Prep to play with.  Betty cheerfully agrees to this plan.

At basketball practice, Julian is being a piece of shit to Archie who is trying to appease Uncle Frank because his mother is blind to the abuse he’s being subjected to.   Why would you leave a child in the care of a childless middle aged uncle?    Mary Andrews makes me so mad.

Evelyn Evernever, looking very ginchy in the ginchiest outfit (I love the 50s cheerleader uniform - cream sweater, navy skirt), breaks into Toni’s locker, immediately finding the lesbian book.  She gets caught red-handed, but is brazen enough to try to confront Toni about her lesbianism.  Cheryl denied it, she tells her.  Toni threatens her with violence, then insists that Evelyn tell her exactly what Cheryl said.

At the comic publisher’s,  Jughead is getting to see his name in print.  He is so pleased - “It’s so boss, Boss!” - and being really adorable about it. (By the way, is this a throwback to the comics? Was Jughead in the comics just always off in his own world like this?).  With perfect timing, Rayberry, all dressed up in his confrontation suit, bursts in, demanding to know who Fieldstone is.  He launches into an angry speech about suing Pep Comics for plagiarism.  Jughead jumps in to mediate, and this middle aged man and old man let him do this.  The author and publisher shake hands on compensating Rayberry for the plagiarized stories.  For his troubles, Jughead gets to have a dinner date with his favorite pulp writer at his favorite diner.  Right off the bat, Rayberry even hints that he might ask for Jughead to be the one to adapt his stories going forward for the comics.  Jughead just gushes to the man about how he loves his stories in “all the different pulp magazines” then proceeds to list all of them: Weird Tales, Startling Stories, Fantastic Adventures.  He looks so happy - he can’t stop smiling. It’s so cute. 

Then Rayberry asks whether his father approves of these literary aspirations.  Across all universes, terrible Faifather FP is a fail, because the light immediately dims in Jughead’s face.  Rayberry causally says his own father didn’t approve of his “literary aspirations” but Jughead simply doesn’t know. And in addition to inflicting me with Uncle Fucking Frank again, Riverdale fails me additionally but not killing off FP.  Riverdale, girl, why?  So even in this universe created by his angelic girlfriend, Jughead is abandoned by his father yet again. Rayberry tells him to write about his trauma from paternal abandonment.  When Jughead asks if Rayberry would be willing to read his more literary attempt, Rayberry sighs and says “Oh, and we were having such a swell time.”  Jughead fully looks like he is going to break apart into sad, salty-tear soaked little pieces at this apparent rejection until Rayberry says he was joking, that of course he’d be happy to read Jughead’s efforts, and they laugh about it.  

OK so this is why Jughead is so disinterested in girls and Veronica and so on.  He is in too much pain from his father. He is in desperate need of a father figure, but Fred Andrews who served that function in the other universe is gone (and possibly didn’t even meet Jughead in this world, since he never met Cheryl either), other male authority figures are all non-starters (Dupont hates him, the principal hates him, Sheriff Keller is a moron, Clifford Blossom is evil, Uncle Fucking Frank is himself), and his publisher/editor who served this role for him in the other universe acts just as exploitative towards Jughead as FP does so he’s no appropriate either.  And Riverdale’s main narrative arc - the Jugular Vein, if you will - is that Jughead Jones Cannot Get What He Wants, so we should know by now that this business with Rayberry will never work out.

The song that plays in the transition to the next scene is “Lead Me Father.”  This show and its song choices!  We cut to Archie doing child labor for Uncle Fucking Frank in the gym.  he takes a break to handle a basketball.  I don’t know this song, but it says things like “Pick Me Up When I Stumble, So the World Won’t Know.”  I guess basketball is tied to his father’s death for Archie somehow, which is why he doesn’t want to play it anymore, especially not with Uncle Fucking Frank as the goddamn coach.  Also I don’t know whose daddy is like this but if your daddy is like this, let me just say, Wow you are lucky.  

This is intercut with Jughead trying to write about his father, as the lyrics gravely intone about “Give me the strength for a song.”  He picks up a photo of a man who is not the FP we know, sitting scowling on a bike.  The singer croons that he wants to help some “poor troubled weary worker along.”  Jughead’s face goes through complicated set of emotions - he misses his dad, he’s bitter about his abandonment, and above all, he’s very very sad.  Jughead Jones’s tears of heartbreak are always just under the surface, which is why he keeps not wanting to be here in his reality and (doubling down on my thesis) he resents it when people are emotionally secure enough to try to take a risk to make their lives even better (like, you know, get laid with a sexy person to share a good time).

The next morning, Uncle Fucking Frank unilaterally tells Archie that he now has a job at the Diner, pumping gas.  This seems like a really specifically american thing, to overload one’s kids - Archie, who is not bright and also not that interested in school and not given very good brains by his very stupid mother, is supposed to get his grades up but also perform slave labor for the basketball team and further perform child labor at the gas pump all at the same time.   This is not how that works.  (Listen to your bespectacled East Asian -I know what I”m talking about.)

Meanwhile, Jughead is showing off his Homeroom of Horrors Pep Comics issue, written by JUGHEAD JUGULAR JONES.  His friends want to celebrate with burgers.  Jughead tells them he has a meeting with Rayberry at his house.  He’s so happy.

Toni confronts Cheryl about telling Evelyn that Toni isn’t gay. She completely glosses over Cheryl saying they have a “big problem”  about MIDGE.  Toni says she’s not ashamed of who she is or who she likes and should not be considered someone to be rescued.  Cheryl backs down immediately, answering in a soft voice that she doesn’t know what Toni wants Cheryl to say.  Cheryl apologizes, so Toni says that she’s had enough of pursuing Cheryl.  And that turns out to be the key thing, because the prospect of losing Toni’s attention altogether is what makes Cheryl gin up the courage to say, out loud, using her voice, to another person that she is attracted to girls.

Atta girl Cheryl!

“And I think maybe I’m attracted to you!” Cheryl says, starting to cry.   Toni is merciless, and wants her to actually confess - that Cheryl KNOWS she is attracted to Toni. 

Jughead is at the Rayberry apartment, which looks really familiar to me.  Is it the Toni/Fangs Throuple Cursed Apartment with Fucking Kevin??   Or is it Jughead and Tabitha’s apartment?? (The windows are too different.)  Rayberry says he’s willing to read Jughead’s writing, then offers him tea, which Jughead accepts.  Jughead is a bad guest because opens a closed box and steals a manuscript with a working title that I don’t catch the reference to because I never do.  Jughead straight up steals the manuscript.   Plagiarism and manuscript theft are apparently big themes for Jughead (sometimes the manuscript is a computer file), but I am not clear on what the theme is supposed to say, yet... this was very ill judged of him.

Meanwhile, Cheryl and Toni are on their first date, kind of, during which Toni takes it upon herself to out both Kevin and Clay, even though she says Cheryl isn’t supposed to talk about it with other people. This does not seem like a very good beginning.  Cheryl in this universe has an aunt Carol, who moved to Greenwich Village to be a lesbian and a writer.  “A sapphic sexual deviant” according to Penelope.  Carol apparently gets to live loving women.  Toni is bisexual in this world too, but it was only a problem when she made  out with girls. Her grandmother is for some reason absolutely accepting of Toni being queer.  Cheryl says that her family will only accept her if she plays her role correctly.   She’s now ready for something else, so Toni holds her hand.  

Archie is working at night, and of course Julian oozes up to get his tank filled.  Inside the Diner, Bee and Vee are on a date with one dark haired and one light haired WASP boy each from the private school.  Betty is bored as fuck by her date.  Pop brings a thermos of coffee to Archie.  Archie says that Fred used to play basketball with him all the time, when Pops says Fred was a legendary basketball player.  Pops says Fred was a true American hero. Archie agrees, looking genuinely happy for the first time

Jughead has stayed up all night reading Rayberry’s “Jupiter Journals” manuscript that he stole when he was personally invited to that man's house AND imposed on him to read his vomit draft.  Jughead! Why are you like this!   For some reason, he is not in his skin tight Goofy long-johns.  Instead he is in the patented slutty Jughead Jones tank top over striped pajamas. Does this mean something?  Or is this the underwear and loungewear that Veronica got for him when she redid his traincar?   Jughead says the book is “like Flash Gordon if Fitzgerald had written it.”  I have no idea what Flash Gordon is.   Jughead in his inappropriate way, because he is so love-starved, immediately decides to confront Rayberry about shoving his light under a bushel or something, not cognizant of the fact that having stolen the manuscript is going to have bad consequences.

At school, Veronica wants to know what happened with the preppy that walked Betty home, which was a big nothing.  There was no spark because Betty wants to sleep with Archie and nobody else.   She says this means she’s doomed since he turned her down flat.  Veronica says Romeo & Juliet had “logistical problems but they figured it out.”

And for the first time in seven years, at the THIRD Romeo & Juliet mention (Jughead calling Betty Juliet, Toni calling Fangs and Midge Romeo & Juliet and now Veronica) someone finally says the correct thing: “Veronica, they both DIED.”

Bless Veronica though because she knows something about Romeo & Juliet, so she retorts: “Not until Act 5 and only after they lost their cherries.”

Is this foreshadowing? Is this how this sojourn to 1955 is going to end??

Veronica has an idea.  She says that Barchie should have long meaningful late night conversations to get close to Archie.

She also uses the word “gatekeeping.”  Earlier on she used the term “gaslighting” about the purpose of the word “nymphomaniac.”  Is the slow breaking down of the world of 1955 as created by Tabitha Tate?  Why is Veronica using 2020s lingo like this in her 50s universe? 

Betty said she’d love to, but she knows Archie doesn’t have a phone in his room.  Veronica is so smart - she immediately gets to the heart of the matter.  “You can look into ARchie’s bedroom window through yours?” she asks.  She wants to know immediately if Betty has seen Archie [dot dot dot] and I’m choosing to understand this as “naked” to which Betty says, sounding very much like she really needs a vibrator, “Yes. Many, MANY times!”  Veronica wants in on the peep show. 

Inside the school, Julian Blossom is really asking for it, calling Archie a grease monkey to complain about the car service, then calls him waterboy and to get him to fetch a soda.  Julian then takes the name of God, I mean Fred, in vain, saying he’s going to obliterate Fred’s record since Archie’s not going to be the one.  Archie pushes him, Julian pushes back, then Archie punches him right in the face. 

What was the casting requirement for Julian Blossom?  Have a punchable face?  Because he’s now been socked in the face by no less than Ethel, then Jughead, and now Archie.

It is Archie’s explosion into violence that makes Mary spring into action. I don’t have kids but this is bad parenting, right?  Like, she’s doing all the things wrong.  Mary only reacts meaningfully when Archie is violent, like today.  She finally womans up enough to tell Uncle Fucking Frank to back off, declares that since she is Archie’s mother, she will take the lead on this issue.

While that’s going on, violence of a different, distinctly more feminine character is happening among the cheerleaders. Cheryl has assigned being the flyer to Toni, which Evelyn very much resents because that was her role.  Cheryl comes very close to saying this is a Cheerocracy but  what she actually says is that if Evelyn doesn’t like it she can quit immediately.  Evelyn looks at the others for support, but none is to be had.  OK so we know from the earlier seasons what Evelyn is like, and she is shown to be openly homophobic here, but also given that Kevin got to do all that HE did and still got called BRAVE by Betty as sweet music played over the horrible scene, I think Evelyn deserved better.   So Evelyn capitulates as Toni smirks at Cheryl approvingly.

Finally, finally, Mary is asking Archie what is going on.  She wants to know if Archie is avoiding basketball because of Frank.  Archie says it’s not because of Frank, it’s because of Fred’s absence. There is an anvil in his heart whenever he plays basketball because he misses his father.  He’s also afraid of not being as good as Fred.  Mary says a truthful thing -that Fred would be proud of Archie.  She’s also going to make Frank ease up on him.  We’ll see about that.

Jughead has gone charging ahead to go to Rayberry, to tell him outright that he stole a manuscript from him and then read it.  Jughead thinks that his telling an already published and well known author that he has “got to get [something] published” is somehow going to get him forgiveness for the breach of trust. When Rayberry tries to get his bearings, Jughead smiles as he says that it was “only for a night.”  Rayberry gets angry, and kicks Jughead out.  Jughead's heart breaks right there, but he did it to himself. He wanted to speed run to intimacy with this potential father figure (who also confessed to having a difficult relationship with his own parent) but made a colossal mistake by being too hungry & desperate. Rayberry also breaks his own coffee cup by throwing it, which makes Jughead go running, which probably means he grew up in a violent home.

In  the girls’ locker room, Choni get their first kiss.  Toni was turned on by Cheryl’s show of dominance, even though Cheryl is apparently sexually a total bottom.

And finally, Veronica and Betty are blatantly peeping at Archie undressing. Veronica starts narrating in the most cheesy way: “Stand back Ringling Brothers because THIS is the greatest show on earth!”

OK so I agree that Archie’s abs are pretty fantastic but why does this keep happening to him? In place of Kevin now here’s Veronica egging Betty on to do this voyeurism.  Veronica even wants binoculars.   Archie sees them though before Veronica can get a gander at his junk. Both girls collapse to the floor.  Veronica finds the whole situation pretty funny, but Betty is so embarrassed, saying the two of them are being Peeping Patties.  Also?  Betty understands a lot of Veronica’s film references, though I suppose Rear Window is very much a mainstream blockbuster.

The next morning, Betty tells Veronica she couldn’t sleep a wink.  Veronica was also embarrassed but like many perpetrators of sexual wrong acts she has come around to thinking that Archie was asking for it with his strutting while having abs.  She also hopes Archie will be too embarrassed to confront them.  

She is utterly wrong about this, because Archie has come directly to them.  He doesn’t seem mad however.  Archie wants to talk to ONLY Betty.  Veronica makes like a MILF, tells Archie to “keep up the good work” before walking away.  Archie says he saw B and V peeping on him.  Betty does here what Betty always does and she lies, until Archie assures her that he isn’t mad, and actually wants to do a mutual peep show.  

This next part is very very cute though.  The lust makes the two of them completely braindead so they assure each other that they will both be in their own bedrooms at midnight (so they can do this mutual peep show).  Archie is so really, truly, very excited, and Betty is BEYOND excited. 

Suddenly, Archie wants to play basketball.  Apparently 50s Jughead is not wrong about this part - Archie is entirely fueled by sex.  Because he has sex related prospects tonight, suddenly he is “here to play.”  He also stands up to Frank, telling him how irrelevant he is -”I’m not doing this for you.”  Frank seems to think that his ‘tough love’ worked.  I wish I could punch him in the nuts.

A teacher has ratted out Jughead’s author status to Werther (Dupont!). Why are these people at work so very, very late??

Betty and Archie are so ready to do their long distance strip tease/ peep show.  Belts, then shirts  (and Betty has on the sexy lingerie underneath!), then come Archie’s abs!   Betty starts to remove her skirt (though with her unbuttoned blouse still on. And now they are down to just their underwear!

OH NO. RECORD SCRATCH.

I am cockblocked by BOTH  Uncle Fucking Frank AND  Hal Cooper! Oh Riverdale, that was really cruel. “What in the hell is going on here??” indeed! You title the episode Peep Show and then do THIS?

[greyfalter]

06 - Knight -

[marigoldcanaries]

Hey guys!

I know we are helping with families in Palestine, but can we PLEASE give Sudan the same energy for a few second?

Many people are displaced, starving, and trying to escape the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) by evacuating to neighbouring countries or overseas.

(If you do not know what is happening in Sudan, click here.)

I want to bring your attention to four (4) fundraisers. Three of them are from Tumblr users! I also have donated to these campaigns, so please consider doing the same! It will help them so much!

URGENT: Eman Abdelrahman (CHF26,218 / CHF38,475).

@emooz-8 | Verified and vetted by @/el-shab-hussein.

This is the link to her extended family's fundraiser!

She and her family are in IMMEDIATE DANGER! The RSF is closing in her location. They can harm her and her family at any time! Eman needs to evacuate NOW!

Sajida's five (5) families (£7,062 / £30,000).

@niqabisinparis | Verified and vetted by @/el-shab-hussein.

This fundraiser is for Sajida's extended family.

They have been displaced from Khartoum for more than a year now and reside in a makeshift home in the scorching hot desert with no A/C and no windows. The temperature can go up 52°C (122°F)! (This is mentioned in their fundraiser).

The last update is that they have received their passports!

Randa and her family (€20,067 / €35,000).

@rnd8

Randa is in Rwanda so the campaign is to reunite her with her six family members! She has posted an update on June 26th, almost three weeks ago:

Her family has their visa rejected when they entered Rwanda, so they are staying in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, but only temporarily. They have to borrow money to cover the high cost of living as well as issue new visas for Rwanda. (This is mentioned in her fundraiser).

Elaf Babiker ($18,570 USD / $35,000).

Verified and vetted by @/el-shab-hussein.

Elaf is a medical student in her final year as well as the eldest daughter. She wants to evacuate to Rwanda.

Last update: July 25th!

The RSF has claimed more terrority and closed more borders. It will be much more difficult to leave Sudan via ground transportation. So the best option is to take a flight from Port Sudan to Ethiopia and then she and her family will be Rwanda.

My donation to Elaf's fundraiser is not in the donation match's post. So here is a screenshot.

Thank you for making it this far! I didn't mean to make this long. I try to condense it as much as I can! Either way, please have a look and match!

(07/14/2024)

[cupofmeat]

From The Garden magazine, Volume 122, June 1997.

[garadinervi]

June Jordan, An Address to the Students of Columbia University During Their Anti-Apartheid Sit-in, April, 1985; in On Call. Political Essays, South End Press, Boston, MA, 1985, pp. 117-122

[womblegrinch]

Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927) - Venus stiger op af havet

Oil on canvas. Painted in 1907.

48 x 34.6 inches, 122 x 88 cm. Estimate: DKK 300,000-400,000.

Sold Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen, 10 June 2024 for DKK 550,000 + B.P.

[simply-ivanka]

How the Biden-Harris Economy Left Most Americans Behind

A government spending boom fueled inflation that has crushed real average incomes.

By The Editorial Board -- Wall Street Journal

Kamala Harris plans to roll out her economic priorities in a speech on Friday, though leaks to the press say not to expect much different than the last four years. That’s bad news because the Biden-Harris economic record has left most Americans worse off than they were four years ago. The evidence is indisputable.

President Biden claims that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, but this isn’t close to true. The economy in January 2021 was fast recovering from the pandemic as vaccines rolled out and state lockdowns eased. GDP grew 34.8% in the third quarter of 2020, 4.2% in the fourth, and 5.2% in the first quarter of 2021. By the end of that first quarter, real GDP had returned to its pre-pandemic high. All Mr. Biden had to do was let the recovery unfold.

Instead, Democrats in March 2021 used Covid relief as a pretext to pass $1.9 trillion in new spending. This was more than double Barack Obama’s 2009 spending bonanza. State and local governments were the biggest beneficiaries, receiving $350 billion in direct aid, $122 billion for K-12 schools and $30 billion for mass transit. Insolvent union pension funds received a $86 billion rescue.

The rest was mostly transfer payments to individuals, including a five-month extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, a $3,600 fully refundable child tax credit, $1,400 stimulus payments per person, sweetened Affordable Care Act subsidies, an increased earned income tax credit including for folks who didn’t work, housing subsidies and so much more.

The handouts discouraged the unemployed from returning to work and fueled consumer spending, which was already primed to surge owing to pent-up savings from the Covid lockdowns and spending under Donald Trump. By mid-2021, Americans had $2.3 trillion in “excess savings” relative to pre-pandemic levels—equivalent to roughly 12.5% of disposable income.

So much money chasing too few goods fueled inflation, which was supercharged by the Federal Reserve’s accommodative policy. Historically low mortgage rates drove up housing prices. The White House blamed “corporate greed” for inflation that peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, even as the spending party in Washington continued.

In November 2021, Congress passed a $1 trillion bill full of green pork and more money for states. Then came the $280 billion Chips Act and Mr. Biden’s Green New Deal—aka the Inflation Reduction Act—which Goldman Sachs estimates will cost $1.2 trillion over a decade. Such heaps of government spending have distorted private investment.

While investment in new factories has grown, spending on research and development and new equipment has slowed. Overall private fixed investment has grown at roughly half the rate under Mr. Biden as it did under Mr. Trump. Manufacturing output remains lower than before the pandemic.

Magnifying market misallocations, the Administration conditioned subsidies on businesses advancing its priorities such as paying union-level wages and providing child care to workers. It also boosted food stamps, expanded eligibility for ObamaCare subsidies and waved away hundreds of billions of dollars in student debt. The result: $5.8 trillion in deficits during Mr. Biden’s first three years—about twice as much as during Donald Trump’s—and the highest inflation in four decades.

Prices have increased by nearly 20% since January 2021, compared to 7.8% during the Trump Presidency. Inflation-adjusted average weekly earnings are down 3.9% since Mr. Biden entered office, compared to an increase of 2.6% during Mr. Trump’s first three years. (Real wages increased much more in 2020, but partly owing to statistical artifacts.)

Higher interest rates are finally bringing inflation under control, which is allowing real wages to rise again. But the Federal Reserve had to raise rates higher than it otherwise would have to offset the monetary and fiscal gusher. The higher rates have pushed up mortgage costs for new home buyers.

Three years of inflation and higher interest rates are stretching American pocketbooks, especially for lower income workers. Seriously delinquent auto loans and credit cards are higher than any time since the immediate aftermath of the 2008-09 recession.

Ms. Harris boasts that the economy has added nearly 16 million jobs during the Biden Presidency—compared to about 6.4 million during Mr. Trump’s first three years. But most of these “new” jobs are backfilling losses from the pandemic lockdowns. The U.S. has fewer jobs than it was on track to add before the pandemic.

What’s more, all the Biden-Harris spending has yielded little economic bang for the taxpayer buck. Washington has borrowed more than $400,000 for every additional job added under Mr. Biden compared to Mr. Trump’s first three years. Most new jobs are concentrated in government, healthcare and social assistance—60% of new jobs in the last year.

Administrative agencies are also creating uncertainty by blitzing businesses with costly regulations—for instance, expanding overtime pay, restricting independent contractors, setting stricter emissions limits on power plants and factories, micro-managing broadband buildout and requiring CO2 emissions calculations in environmental reviews.

The economy is still expanding, but business investment has slowed. And although the affluent are doing relatively well because of buoyant asset prices, surveys show that most Americans feel financially insecure. Thus another political paradox of the Biden-Harris years: Socioeconomic disparities have increased.

Ms. Harris is promising the same economic policies with a shinier countenance. Don’t expect better results.

[asphodeldreams]

Update: Red vs Blue Survey

In honor of pride month, we have decided to extend the deadline of this rainbow colored survey until the end of june

jk (kinda) we are mainly just trying to give people more time to watch restoration before filling it out/try to wait until we can get a better sample size As of writing this, we have 122 responses, which is a bit lower than my target goal of 164, which was the amount of responses received the first go around with the older, less organized, version of this survey The new deadline will be june 30th, at 11:59pm EST! Thank you to everyone who has filled it out thus far, and for sharing it around!

[adastra-sf]

Climate change-driven heatwaves threaten millions

Extreme record-breaking heat leads to severe crises across the world.

Already in 2024, from Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria in the West; to Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines in the East; large regions of Asia are experiencing temperatures well above 40°C (104°F) for days on end.

The heatwave has been particularly difficult for people living in refugee camps and informal housing, as well as for unhoused people and outdoor workers.

Using the Heat Index Calculator, at that temperature and a relative humidity of 50%, residents see a heat index of 55°C (131°F) - a temperature level humans cannot long survive:

In February, the southern coastal zone of West Africa also experienced abnormal early-season heat. A combination of high temperatures and humid air resulted in average heat index values of about 50°C (122°F) - the danger level, associated with a high risk of heat cramps and heat exhaustion.

Locally, temperatures entered the extreme danger level associated with high risk of heat stroke, with values up to 60°C (140°F):

Even here at Ad Astra's HQ in Kansas, last summer we saw several days with high temperatures of 102°F (39°C) at 57% humidity, resulting in a heat index of 133°F (56°C):

Of course, the major difference in survivability in Kansas versus some of the places suffering extreme heat right now is that air-conditioning abounds here. Those who live somewhere that faces extreme heat but can escape it indoors are a lot more likely to survive, but a person who lives somewhere without such life-saving gear faces not just discomfort, but heat stroke and even death.

This includes unhoused and poor people here in the wealthier parts of the world, who often do not have access to indoor refuge from the heat.

About 15% of US residents live below the poverty line. Many low-wage earners work outside in construction or landscaping, exposed to the ravages of heat. Many do not own an air conditioner, and those who do might need to budget their body's recovery from heat against cost to purchase and run cooling equipment. Because heat stress is cumulative, when they go to work the next day, they’re more likely to suffer from heat illness.

Bad as that is, for those living on the street, heatwaves are merciless killers. Around the country, heat contributes to some 1,500 deaths annually, and advocates estimate about half of those people are homeless. In general, unhoused people are 200 times more likely to die from heat-related causes than sheltered individuals.

For example, in 2022, a record 425 people died from heat in the greater Phoenix metro area. Of the 320 deaths for which the victim’s living situation is known, more than half (178) were homeless. In 2023, Texans experienced the hottest summer since 2011, with an average temperature of 85.3°F (30°C) degrees between June and the end of August. Some cities in Texas experienced more than 40 days of 100°F (38°C) or higher weather. This extreme heat led to 334 heat-related deaths, the highest number in Texas history and twice as many as in 2011.

The Pacific Northwest of Canada and the USA suffered an extreme heat event in June, 2021, during which 619 people died. Many locations broke all-time temperature records by more than 5°C, with a new record-high temperature of 49.6°C (121°F). This is a region ill-suited to such weather, and despite having relatively high wealth compared to much of the world, many homes and businesses there do not have air-conditioning due to a history of much lower temperatures.

Heatwaves are arguably the deadliest type of extreme weather event because of their wide impact. While heatwave death tolls are often underreported, hundreds of deaths from the February heatwave were reported in the affected countries, including Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

Extreme heat also has a powerful impact on agriculture, causing crop damage and reduced yields. It also impacts education, with holidays having to be extended and schools closing, affecting millions of students - in Delhi, India, schools shut early this week for summer when temperatures soared to 47°C (117°F) at dangerous humidity levels:

At 70°C (157°F !), humans simply cannot function and face imminent death, especially when humidity is high. This is the notion of "heat index," a derivative of "wet-bulb temperature."

Though now mostly calculated using heat and humidity readings, wet-bulb temperature was originally measured by putting a wet cloth over a thermometer and exposing it to the air.

This allowed it to measure how quickly the water evaporated off the cloth, representing sweat evaporating off skin.

The theorized human survival limit has long been 35°C (95°F) wet-bulb temperature, based on 35°C dry heat at 100% humidity - or 46°C (115°F) at 50% humidity. To test this limit, researchers at Pennsylvania State University measured the core temperatures of young, healthy people inside a heat chamber.

They found that participants reached their "critical environmental limit" - when their body could not stop the core temperature from continuing to rise – at 30.6°C wet bulb temperature, well below what was previously theorized. That web-bulb temperature parallels a 47°C (117°F) heat index.

​The team estimates that it takes between 5-7 hours before such conditions reach "really, really dangerous core temperatures."

On March 5, 2024, Hong Kong saw temperatures of 27°C (80°F) with 100% humidity, which results in a heat index of 32.2°C (90°F) - seemingly not so bad until considering it's higher than the critical wet-bulb temperature. Also, if you watch the video, imagine the long-term effects of water accumulating in residences, such as dangerous mold.

We are witnessing the effects of climate change right now, all around the world, and rising temperatures are just the most-obvious (what we used to call "global warming"). Many, many other side-effects of climate change are beginning to plague us or headed our way soon, and will affect us all.

Unfortunately, those most affected - and those being hit the hardest right now - are people most vulnerable to heatwaves. With climate crises increasing in both intensity and frequency, and poverty at dangerous levels, we face a rapidly rising, worldwide crisis.

We must recognize the climate crisis as an international emergency and treat it as such. So much time, creative energy, resources, and life is wasted in war and the pursuit of profit or power - consider how much good could come from re-allocating those resources to ensuring a future for Earthlings, instead.

(Expect to see a "Science into Fiction" workshop on climate change coming soon - SF writers have a particular responsibility to address such important topics of change and global consequence.)

[stargazerbibi]

[ 12th june, 2024 • DAY 122/145 ]

in a bit of a crisis cause, in my hurry to enjoy my holidays, i was actually making them stressful for myself. and that's a new one! glad i sorted that out quickly xD

-> read a few chapters of The Enigma of Room 622 (getting back into it~ plus, finally understood what "bothers" me about the author's writing. for the longest time i couldn't figure out why i didn't find the books particularly captivating despite finding the stories really interesting. the author was in Portugal a couple of weeks ago for a book fair and i'm so upset i didn't have this epiphany earlier so i could ask him about it)

-> watched The Newsroom ep 1-3

[annabelle--cane]

do we have any information on the approximate dates or year that TMA takes place in? I’m obsessed with timelines and I’m so curious about if those dates are Known or not or can only be guessed about

yes we do! some parts of the timeline are a little vague, but every live and "in situ" statement (with a few exceptions) has a date attached to it. I won't go through every known date, and I'm also not scrupulously checking to make sure I've copied all these numbers down correctly so there's probably an error or two in here, but some significant ones include:

s1

mag 13 - alone: the first live statement and the first hard date for the show, 13 january 2016

mag 22 - colony: martin's statement after being trapped by jane prentiss, 12 march 2016

mag 26 - a distortion: sasha's statement about meeting michael, 2 april 2016 (<- that was my fourteenth birthday :3)

mag 38 / mag 39 / mag 40: jane prentiss's attack on the institute, sasha's death, and all the debrief statements afterwards, 29 july 2016

s2

mag 41 - too deep: jon's statement about exploring the tunnels and his first supplemental tape about gertrude's murder, 2 september 2016

mag 43 - section 31: basira's statement about diego molina + the start of her giving gertrude's old tapes to jon, 19 september 2016

mag 47 - the new door: helen's statement about the hallways, we meet michael in person for the first time, 2 october 2016

mag 61 - hard shoulder: daisy's statement about seeing the coffin for the first time, 1 december 2016

mag 73 - police lights: basira's statement about rescuing callum brodie from maxwell rayner, 11 february 2017

mag 76 - the smell of blood: melanie's statement about her investigations into war ghosts, at the end she and jon have a bit of a fight about how That Is Not Sasha, 13 february 2017

mag 78 / mag 79 / mag 80: jon releases not-sasha from the table, martin and tim get trapped in the corridors, jon meets leiter, elias smashes leitner with a metal pipe, all on 16 february 2017

s3

mag 81 / mag 82: jon makes a statement at georgie's place about a guest for mr spider at the same time as daisy interviews the remaining archives staff to try and ascertain his whereabouts, 18 february 2017

mag 89 - twice as bright: statement of jude perry, ft. jon hand crispification, 24 april 2017

mag 91 / mag 92 (/ maybe mag 93?): statement of mike crew, death of mike crew, jon daisy and basira's encounter in the woods, the big elias conversation at the institute, 28 april 2017. mag 93 might also be recorded on this day, I'm not quite sure, because georgie's statement (mag 94) is 29 april, but I don't know if that's fully the next day or if jon got back really late on the 28th, recorded mag 93, and then georgie gave her statement in the wee hours of the 29th. up to interpretation and how little sleep you envision jon as having.

mag 100 - I guess you had to be there: lynne hammond's is 2 may 2017, robin lennox's is 20 may 2017, brian finlinson's is 26 may 2017, and "john smith's" statement doesn't have a date.

mag 111 - family business: gerry's posthumous statement about smirke's 14, 30 june 2017. again, trevor and julia's statement about how they met in mag 109 is dated 29 june, and I don't know if it's an either-side-of-midnight thing or a full day elapsed between them.

mag 118 - the masquerade: martin and melanie pull a fast one on elias while the rest of the gang sets up explosives in the unknowing, 6 august 2017.

mag 120 - eye contact: elias's statement about jon's coma dreams + elias's arrest, 9 august 2017.

s4

mag 121 / mag 122: oliver banks gives his statement about point nemo and jon wakes up, 15 february 2018

mag 128 - heavy goods: breekon deliver's the coffin and jon slurps a statement right out of his head, 3 march 2018

mag 132 - entombed: jon buries himself alive to rescue daisy, 24-26 march 2018

mag 141 - doomed voyage: on the boat to norway jon slurps a statement about mikaele salesa out of a shiphand's head, 11 june 2018

mag 142 - scrutiny: jess tyrell comes in to complain about jon slurping a statement out of her head and haunting her nightmares, 12 june 2018

mag 146 / mag 147: jon gets intervened on about all the brain slurping, they go to hilltop road and find annabelle's statement, 20 july 2018

mag 157 / mag 158 / mag 159: peter releases not-sasha and brings martin to the panopticon for a showdown with "elias," julia and trevor attack the institute, daisy goes monster mode, and jon follows martin into the lonely and saves him with the power of gay love and also slurping peter lukas's brain so hard he explodes badly, 25 september 2018

mag 160 - the eye opens: jon reads a normal statement and nothing bad happens, 18 october 2018.

s5

fuck if I know

[kirame90]

SniperSpy lives happily ever after (FINALE)

Well. SniperSpy's Great Misadventures has finally come to its end. I'm not going to lie, I will miss this project so damn much but at the same time I couldn't be happier I got to tell the story I wanted and give my dearest darlings the ending they deserve. This is the ending I always wanted to give them and this is the ending I always had in mind with each chapter.

Thank you so very much to those who reblogged this comic along the way.

To celebrate the LGBTQ+ month the charity of June 2023 shall be Outright International

Outright International works with partners around the globe to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTQ+ human rights movement, document and amplify human rights violations, and advocate for inclusion and equality. You can find their global projects here

The characters don't belong to me, the artwork does.

First part / Previous part

All dem other parts:

Part1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

Part 16

Part 17

Part 18

Part 19

Part 20

Part 21

Part 21,5

Part 22

Part 23

Part 24

Part 25

Part 26

Part 27

Part 28

Part 29

Part 30

Part 31

Part 32

Part 33

Part 34

Part 35

Part 36

Part 37

Part 38

Part 39

Part 40

Part 41

Part 42

Part 43

Part 44

Part 45

Part 46

Part 47

Part 48

Part 49

Part 50

Part 51

Part 52

Part 53

Part 54

Part 55

Part 56

Part 57

Part 58

Part 59

Part 60

Part 61

Part 62

Part 63

Part 64

Part 65

Part 66

Part 67

Part 68

Part 69

Part 70

Part 71

Part 72

Part 73

Part 74

Part 75

Part 76

Part 77

Part 78

Part 79

Part 80

Part 81

Part 82

Part 83

Part 84

Part 85

Part 87

Part 88

Part 89

Part 90

Part 91

Part 92

Part 93

Part 94

Part 95

Part 96

Part 97

Part 98

Part 99

Part 100

Part 101

Part 102

Page 103

Page 104

Part 105

Part 106

Part 107

Part 108

Part 109

Part 110

Part 111

Part 112

Part 113

Part 114

Part 115

Part 116

Part 117

Part 118

Part 119

Part 120

Part 121

Part 122

Part 123

Part 124

Part 125

Part 126

Part 127

Part 128

Part 129

Part 130

Part 131

Part 132

Part 133

Part 134

Part 135

Part 136

Part 137

Part 138

Part 139

Part 140

Part 141

Part 142

Part 143

Part 144

Part 145

Part 146

Part 147

Part 148

Part 149

Part 150

Part 151

Part 152

Part 153

Part 154

Part 155

Part 156

[fatehbaz]

going through some recent essays from e-flux Journal on intersections of gender and trans-ness with colonialism and imperial imaginaries (of music, architecture, geography). all can be read online:

"Hija de Perra: Writings from a Poor, Aspirational, Sudaca, Third World Perspective" by Julia Eilers Smitth (Journal Issue #140, November 2023)

"Anarcho-Ecstasy: Options for an Afri-Queer Becoming" by KJ Abudu (Journal Issue #139, October 2023)

"Sadistic Chola Manifesto" by Olga Rodriguez-Ulloa (Journal Issue #137, June 2023)

"Reluctantly Queer" by Akosua Adoma Owusu and Kwame Edwin Otu (Journal Issue #137, June 2023)

"Don't Take It Away: BlackFem Voices in Electronic Dance Music" by Alexander Ghedi Weheliye (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"Dark Banjee Aesthetic: Hearing a Queer-of-Color Archive within Club Music" by Blair Black (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"A Whale Unbothered: Theorizing the Ecosystem of the Ballroom Scene" by Julian Kevon Glover (theme issue "Black Rave", Journal Issue #132, December 2022)

"Editorial: Black Rave" by madison moore and McKenzie Wark (December 2022)

"Pasolini and the Queer Revolution in Beirut" by Raed Rafei (Journal Issue #126, April 2022)

"Inappropriate Gestures: Vogue in Three Acts of Appropriation" by Sabel Gavaldon (Journal Issue #122, November 2021)

"Taking the Fiction Out of Science Fiction: A Conversation about Indigenous Futurisms" by Grace Dillon and Pedro Neves Marques (Journal Issue #120, September 2021)

"Editorial: trans femme aesthetics" by McKenzie Wark (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"The Cis Gaze and Its Others (for Shola)" by McKenzie Wark (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"Our Own Words: Fem & Trans, Past & Future" by Rosza Daniel Lang/Levitsky (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"Post-genitalist Fantasies / Temporalities of Latin American Trans Art" by Kira Xonorika (Journal Issue #117, April 2021)

"S/pacific Islands: Some Reflections on Identity and Art in Contemporary Oceania" by Greg Dvorak (Journal Issue #112, October 2020)

"Capitalocene, Waste, Race, and Gender" by Françoise Vergès (Journal Issue #100, May 2019)

"Non-Aligned Extinctions: Slavery, Neo-Orientalism, and Queerness" by Ana Hoffner ex-Prvulovic (Journal Issue #97, February 2019)

[kp777]

By Jake Johnson

Common Dreams

Sept. 6, 2024

"If you keep doing the same thing, you cannot expect to get any different result," said the director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. "Unless we limit greenhouse gases, we will only see an exacerbation of these temperatures."

Scientists with the European Union's climate service said Friday that Earth experienced its hottest summer on record for the second consecutive year in 2024 as unprecedented and deadly heatwaves scorched large swaths of the planet, intensifying the urgency of large-scale policy changes to phase out the fossil fuels that are driving temperatures to alarming new heights.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said the three-month period between June and August saw global-average temperatures that were 0.69°C, or 33.24°F, higher than the average summer temperatures seen from 1991 to 2020.

"During the past three months of 2024, the globe has experienced the hottest June and August, the hottest day on record, and the hottest boreal summer on record," said C3S deputy director Samantha Burgess. "This string of record temperatures is increasing the likelihood of 2024 being the hottest year on record."

"The temperature-related extreme events witnessed this summer will only become more intense, with more devastating consequences for people and the planet, unless we take urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Burgess added.

Temperatures in Europe were 1.54°C, or 34.77°F, above the 1991-2020 average, a record temperature surge that had deadly consequences in Greece, Italy, and other nations.

But The Washington Post's Sarah Kaplan noted that the consequences of the record-shattering summer heat "were felt by people on every continent, from world-class athletes competing in the Paris Olympics to refugees fleeing from wars."

She continued:

Wildfires fueled by heat and drought raged through the Brazilian Pantanal, a vital wetland known to store vast amounts of carbon. A turbocharged monsoon triggered landslides that killed hundreds of people in India's Kerala state. The Atlantic Ocean saw its earliest Category 5 hurricane on record, while deadly floods have wreaked havoc from Italy to Pakistan to Nigeria to China." It was a summer of unrelenting humidity and heat too extreme for the human body to withstand. In June, at least 1,300 pilgrims visiting the Muslim holy city of Mecca died amid temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Another 125 people were reported dead in Mexico during a July streak of exceedingly hot nights that researchers say was made 200 times as likely because of climate change. And in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, one of the world's northernmost inhabited areas, August temperatures soared more than 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above the previous record.

Carlo Buontempo, the director of C3S, told the Post that "if you keep doing the same thing, you cannot expect to get any different result."

"Unless we limit greenhouse gases," Buontempo added, "we will only see an exacerbation of these temperatures."

[nonotnolan]

No Not Nolan's Year in Review

Apparently this is a tradition now, so-- here are the stories of 2023, ranked by the number of likes.   It also helps keep me a bit grounded-- it feels rough when recent stories don't pick up stream, but the year as a whole has still gone quite well. It's also nice to see where all of my work falls, note-wise.  And if you're feeling very nostalgic (or horny?) here is a link to 2021, and here is a link to 2022.

I'm leaving the eBook announcement posts out of my year end review, but I'm calling it out for myself so when I revisit this in December 2024, future-me will remember to grab those. I'm not planning to abandon this account anytime soon-- and I'm certainly not shifting to Patreon or PayPal or what have you. I'm not prolific or popular enough for any of that. The vast majority of my work will continue to remain free and open. I just wanted to prove to myself that I'm good enough of a writer to publish something that I can be proud of-- I have, and I am.

Do authors love notes and reblogs? Yes. But they often enjoy hearing direct feedback even more-- I know I sure do. Consider "messaging authors directly" as a New Year's Resolution. (Please note that begging for someone to write you a story is not feedback. Don't be that guy.)

12) Green Grass - 122 notes - December 2023 Two guys learn first hand that not everyone values the same things. Concise and straightforward. 11) Soul Stones: Long Distance - 192 notes - April 2023 A romantic story of two men using the power of body swapping to close the gap on a long distance relationship. Cell phones have nothing on being there in person. 10) Colony Freedom - 197 notes - September 2023 A slime alien attempts to rebuild its colony from the ground up after its overseers have completely vanished. Can it manage to find enough hosts for its family, or will its cover be ruined? 9) Cuerpo Inc: After Hours Perk - 249 notes - July 2023 Ethan tries to pretend to be Jake for the weekend, but he wasn't counting on Jake's nosy neighbor getting But if he can't be Jake, at least he can still have fun in Jake's body. 8) Summer Break Dullahans - 252 notes - June 2023 Eric was not expecting to find Ben's detached head in the dorms. I'm a big fan of detachable limb stories, so I decided to be a part of the change I want to see. (I'm also very rusty at GIMP / photoshop, but it gets the job done.) 7) The Great Gym Shift - 275 notes - August 2023 A version of The Great Shift, but with a limited radius. A gym instructor is stuck babysitting a bunch of grown men who suddenly find themselves in very muscular bodies. 6) Just Another Sunday - 279 notes - October 2023 A Chronovac story with unaware recipients and a retroactive reality shift that ripples through reality. I'm really happy with this one, though I will freely admit that I lucked out on the photos for this one. 5) An Excellent Choice - 291 notes - February 2023 My Valentine's Day story, dedicated to my boyfriend. As such, the emphasis is on a merging transformation sequence. Two men take advantage of new technology to become a new sum of themselves. 4) Group Project - 331 notes - November 2023 Another work set in the Swapper universe, where college students take advantage of body swapping technology for success or pleasure. This piece features Aiden, who has to hire a nerd to take over his body if he wants to pass his classes. 3) Cursing Fate - 337 notes - January 2023 It's an alien possession story with a dark twist. If you're going to align yourself with an extraterrestrial force, make sure you have something valuable to offer them. 2) Soul Stones: The Easy Life - 412 notes - March 2023 Alfie finds himself in the body of Jordan, one of the most popular athletes on the football team-- but he's not the one who plotted for the body swap to happen. It's one of my favorites for the year, and it's a series I could see myself returning to if the inspiration is right. 1) Rookie Mistake - 482 notes - May 2023 A novice magic user tries out an Astral Projection spell without reading all of the instructions. Things do not play out in his favor.

Special Mentions-

Travis Cordin - 382 notes - February 2023 by @mergeman My boyfriend's Valentine's Day story that he dedicated to me. A raw and electric story about a magic user who gives the resident nerd too much magical power.

Stories I Love (Part 1) and Stories I Love (Part 2) I was not expecting so many people to react to these lists, but these have been getting reblogged like crazy. More importantly, a lot of authors have been reaching out to show thanks and start conversations, which I appreciate even more. Like I said-- I'm not always the best at participating in the community, so I really enjoy hearing from people.

Top 5 All Time-

5) Revenge, Reversed - 517 notes - August 2020 4) Overbearing - 538 notes - May 2022 3) Finals Week - 552 notes - May 2021 2) Gym Merchandise - 610 notes - September 2022 1) Soulmate Swap - 659 notes - August 2022

It's always fascinating to see which stories get a second life through reblogs and new discoveries. Soulmate Swap is one of my heavy hitters, but both Gym Merchandise and Overbearing have gained a lot of momentum this year. Finals Week is starting to slip, though I'm still quite fond of it. I'm quite surprised to see Revenge, Reversed on this list given its age, but it's another one of my personal favorites.