#major sources bracket

[the-furies]

ok we got the Bare Ideas down for Chapter fuckin. 3 technically of New Task. and then tomorrow we start. writing it . and probably chapter 4.

[csuitebitches]

Book Review- The Wealth Elite: A Groundbreaking Study of the Psychology of the Super Rich, by Rainer Zitelmann Notes

I came across this book because I was looking for psychology books. I found the first of the book rather boring and too textbook-y. The second part is much better.

The author interviewed like 45 millionaire - billionaires. These were his findings.

—

48% stated that real estate was an ‘important’ source of their wealth, and one in ten described real estate as the ‘most important’ aspect of their personal wealth-building. And a total of 20% described stock market gains as an ‘important’ factor in wealth-building, although in this case only 2.4% stated that this was the ‘most important’ factor in building their wealth.

‘Creative intelligence’ is key to financial success. The following is a comparison between the percentage of entrepreneurs (and in brackets the percentage of attorneys) who agreed that the following factors played a decisive role in their financial success: seeing opportunities others do not see: 42 (19); finding a profitable niche: 35 (14).

The role of habitus

* Intimate knowledge of required codes of dress and etiquette

* Broad-based general education

* An entrepreneurial attitude, including an optimistic outlook on life

* Supreme self-assurance in appearance and manner.

He identifies a key quality that is essential for any prospective appointee to the executive board or senior management of a major company: habitual similarities to those who already occupy such positions.

Skillset of Entrepreneurs

* The ‘conqueror’. The entrepreneur has to have the ability to make plans and a strong will to carry them out.

* The ‘organizer’. The entrepreneur has to have the ability to bring large numbers of people together into a happy, successful creative force.

* The ‘trader’. What Sombart describes as a ‘trader’, we would more likely call a talented salesperson today. The entrepreneur has to “confer with another, and, by making the best of your own case and demonstrating the weakness of his, get him to adopt what you propose. Negotiation is but an intellectual sparring match.”

Entrepreneurial success personality traits

* Commitment

* Creativity

* A high degree of extroversion

* Low levels of agreeableness

Entrepreneurial success personality traits

* Orientation towards action after suffering disappointments (the entrepreneur remains able to act, even after failure)

* Internal locus of control (the conviction “I hold my destiny in my own two hands”)

* Optimism (the expectation that the future holds positive things in store)

* Self-efficacy (the expectation that tasks can be performed successfully, even in difficult circumstances).

constant power struggles with their teachers in order to ascertain who would emerge the stronger from such confrontations.

Secret of selling

* Empathy

* Didactics

* Expert knowledge

* Networking.

Conscientiousness is the dominant personality trait. Extroversion is also very common among the interviewees. Openness to Experience is very common

A high tolerance to frustration is one of the most characteristic personality traits of this group.

exceptionally high levels of mental stability.

primarily characterize entrepreneurs as being prepared to swim against the current and make their decisions irrespective of majority opinion.

“No, I never did that (lost my temper). I never get loud. But I can be resolute and say: “That is unacceptable.” And then you either have to go your separate ways or make a decision that the other party might not like. It’s the same in negotiations. I was always described by other people as a bit of a toughie.”

Having the courage to stand against majority opinion is probably a prerequisite for making successful investments, as this is what makes it possible to buy cheap and sell high.

Many of the interviewees spoke about their ability to switch off and direct their focus, even in the event of major problems. The interviewees consistently referred to their ability to focus on solutions, rather than torturing themselves with problems.

At least in the initial phases of wealth creation, most of the interviewees rated their own risk profiles as very high. This changes during the stabilization phase, when risk profiles decrease. In this phase, the hypothesis of moderate risk does apply.

Conscientiousness was the interviewees’ most dominant personality trait. It is important to remember that the Big Five theory’s definition of conscientiousness does not just include qualities such as duty, precision, and thoroughness, but also emphasizes diligence, discipline, ambition, and stamina.

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

We are one step away from the end. Tomorrow The FINAL POLL of the tournament will be posted. Here is the final brackets for each side. Then we can get a bit more into who the contestants are.

Our first finalist is Arthmael de Silfos, who appears to be a prince from the fantasy book Sueños de Piedra, which i think may have had an english translation at some point under the name Dreams of Stone but I couldn't find any place to read or buy it, so I may just be wrong about that.

The other is Varvara Lukinishna from a book called The Slynx. I was unable to find anything about Varvara specifically, but the book takes place 200 years after an apocalypse, and all 3 reviews on Barnes and noble are positive. It's also in english, which I imagine is a big plus for the (I assume) english-speaking majority of my followers

I don't think it's surprising to anyone that the finals will be 2 book characters. Oh and while I have you here, if you are the submitter of either of these characters please let me know how you feel about them getting this far.

May the more obscure win. I don't know about you all but will be following the tag for whichever source wins.

[stolen-stardust]

actually wait with dr carmilla being on the vampire bracket poll. its making me remember that the majority of mechs fans still think she’s an evil villain mad scientist or whatever.

so anyways here’s your reminder that dr carmilla isn’t a villain, the mechs are just Spiteful Little Shits (<3) and carm tried to have good relationships with them. not saying she was perfect but the claims against her are Greatly Exaggerated.

(source: am her official artist of 2.5 years and close friends with maki. there is New Content in the making and by god this slander will not stand /lh)

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Glenda Farrell (We're in the Money, The Mystery of the Wax Museum, I've Got Your Number)— Susan Slept Here is a terrible no good very bad movie but somehow she gets even hotter as she ages

Dolores del Rio (Flying Down to Rio, Flor silvestre)—to begin with, dolores is so RADIANTLY BEAUTIFUL, even more so in action then in images, its like she emits a literal glow. marlene dietrich (a close friend and rumored lover) considered her "the most beautiful woman who ever set foot in hollywood". she was the first mexican actress to become a major success in hollywood, rising to fame in the silent era and becoming an influential icon of beauty and glamor in the art deco age, though she was not thrilled with the exoticizing parts often pushed on her. in the mid 1940s having tired of the controlling hollywood studio system she returned to mexico, saying "I wish to choose my own stories, my own director and cameraman. I can accomplish this better in mexico", and proceeded to become a pivotal figure in the golden age of mexican cinema, making a string of masterpieces with directir emilio fernández and cinematographer gabriel figueroa. i love this anecdote about the insane art deco mansion she and her then-husband cedric gibbons lived in in the 30s, as related by david niven: "Dolores had a large sunny room on the first floor containing a huge and inviting bed. Gibbons lived in comparative squalor in a small room immediately below. The only connection between these rooms was by way of a stepladder, which could be lowered only when a trapdoor in the floor of Dolores room had been raised. There was a long stick with which, we conjectured, he signaled his intention or hopes by rapping out signals on the floor of his wife’s bedchamber." heres a pinterest album with a billion hot pictures of her

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Dolores del Rio:

There's so much! She started in Silent films and successfully transitioned to sound, She is the first woman to wear a two piece swimsuit on screen & popularized the bikini!, She transitioned back to Mexican Cinema in the late 1940s and was a leading lady of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema including staring in Maria Candelaria--the first Mexican film to win the palm d'Or at Cannes. She was literally studied for her beauty & was considered a beauty ideal in both the USA & Mexico--there's a whole section on her Wikipedia page about how beautiful everyone thinks she was. She never actually had a feud with any of the female stars she was rumored to feud with despite the fact that press & Hollywood culture attempted to pain them in competition... She remained a leader in Mexican theater & Cinema through her own production company. Mexican painter Diego Rivera: "The most beautiful, the most gorgeous of the west, east, north and south. I'm in love with her as 40 million Mexicans and 120 million Americans who can't be wrong" (quote source: Wikipedia)

*fan self* Leading actress in silents and early Hollywood. Lover of Orson Welles until she got fed up with him, friend of Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo. When she got tired of Hollywood executives typecasting her as a stereotypical spitfire (and trying to force her to feud with Lupe Velez as a publicity stunt), she ditched Hollywood and became a major star of Mexican cinema, where she got to play rounded characters

Had a career in American cinema in the 20s and 30s and considered one of the most important figures in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema (30s to 50s).

Marlene Dietrich said Dolores was the most beautiful woman to set foot in Hollywood

Joan Crawford: "Dolores became, and remains, as one of the most beautiful stars in the world."

One of the few Latin American women working in the Hollywood industry to make it big not just in hre home country but internationally. In 1931, Photoplay magazine declared that Mexican film actress Dolores del Rio had the "best figure in Hollywood." (which I know not necessarily a good barometer) but! it shows that many people looked at her for her beauty and sought to emulate her. Famous for her years-long love affair with actor and director Orson Welles, who was 10 years her junior if that's anything.

We need more hispanic representation in this!! Del Río is one of the most important actresses of her time as she was one of the first Mexican movie stars to break through to Hollywood! She’s unbelievably sexy and an absolute icon. Thank you :)

[bestadaptationtournament]

Welcome to Best Adaptation Tournament

Adapting a work from one medium to another is hard, and fans are impossible to please, but occasionally, you get the adaptation that do the OG justice, perhaps even elevates it. We voted for what we hate at @book-was-better and @booktomoviebrawl, now we find the adaptions we love.

For the purpose of this tournament an adaptation is...

A work which transfers a piece of art from one medium to another.

Any medium counts as long as it's different from the OG

An adaptation must have the same protagonist(s) and share major plot points with the OG. There can be changes from the original but it should not be focused on whole new plot.

Exclusions:

The following were excluded from nomination:

LOTR

Harry Potter

Marvel/DC

Shakespeare

Fairytales

Manga to anime adaptations with no change in content

Organization

Polls are tagged with #tournament poll.

Polls will be queued at the rate of 4 posts per day.

Bracket

I don't feel like putting it in a bracket graph buuuuut the grouping will follow the order below. The 4 black lines in the middle divides the semi-finalist candidates. I tried to group by genre and target audience.

A full list of nominations can be viewed here.

Remember: You're voting on the better* ADAPTATION of the source material, not necessarily your favorite work.

Which means if you're not familiar with both adaptation AND OG of BOTH works, vote this:

*Better does not necessarily mean more accurate. If you feel like the adaptation has improved upon the source material or did well on translating the story/themes to its new medium in a compelling way, that's also a valid reason.

[ceo-draiochta]

Lughnasadh in the Modern Day

The ancient festival of Lúnasa is one of the 4 celtic fire festivals celebrated on the turn of the seasons. The other 3 festivals all have very clear christian reinterpretations. Those being All Hallows Eve, St Brigids day and May day. However Lúnasa also has a number of modern day christian holidays associated with it in much the same way.

(Linked sources in brackets)

Names

The modern festival goes by many names: Domnach Lúnasa, Lá Lúnasa, Domnach Crom Dubh, Bilberry Sunday and most commonly as either Reek Sunday or Garland Sunday. (1)(2)

Hill Climbing & Holy Wells

This is a day where the mountain of Croagh Patrick is visited, the pilgrimage consists of climbing the mountain while taking stops at certain stone cairns, where one walks in circles around them a set number of times while reciting specific prayers. There are 3 major sections where this is done(3). This is still observed today(4). It is celebrated on the last Sunday of July.

(Croagh Patrick)

This, while observed throughout the country, is not the only such celebration. Many towns climb their respective hills on this day such as those around Keash Hill in Sligo(2)(5)(11), Slive Donard in Down(6), and Máméan in Galway (7). Holy wells are also visited on this day such as in Cappagh, Galway(8), Ballyfa, Galway(9) and Ballyhaunis, Mayo (12). In some cases a procession from the Holy Well to the hill takes place (2)(7)(11)

(Máméan)

An interesting example of this was the Tullaghan Hill holy well in county Sligo, where the Holy Well was on a hill specifically the Ox mountains. This specific well used to be visited on Garland Sunday but is no longer as the festival that followed this visit evoked too much "secular fun" (10).

Festivals

Fairs and celebrations seem to be a core feature of this Lúnasa Tradition, with the aforementioned Tullaghan Hill fair, The Old Fair Day in Tubbercurry, county Sligo (13) and Fair Day in Kenmare, Kerry(14). These are usually celebrated in the second week on August, i.e. a week or two after the religious excursion.

The Puck Fair is festival in Killorglin, county Kerry. It is celebrated in the second week of August and involves crowning a specific goat "king" and parading them around while a large fair takes place(15).

(Puck Fair)

Mythology

In the dinseanchas entry for Nás, the death and burial of two of the wives of Lugh are described, with Bui having been buried on the Hill of Cnogba. Where it is said that "The hosts of the pure Gaels came to bewail the women". Suggesting that there was a precession to the Hill she was buried. There was then said to be mass mourning which grew into a great assembly. These events were said to have contributed to the beginning of the festival of Taltiu, which is to say Lúnasa. (16)

Pagan Connection

The pagan connection is quite clear to see, with Holy wells long being sites of pre-Christian worship, it is little coincidence that they are visited around the time of Lúnasa. The climbing of a hill seems to be widely practiced over the country and directly connects to the Dinseanchas story of the beginning of the Lúnasa festival in where a hill was climbed to reach a grave for mourning. The fact that Keash Hil (Ceis Corran) and Croagh Patrick are both home to ancient megalithic cairns, which are commonly connected with the Otherworld is also an interesting point.

Lúnasa being an Aonach, a funeral festival for the foster mother of Lugh, Tailtiu does tie directly into the occurrence of festivals around this time.

Practices to Adopt

It seems clear now that visiting watery sites such as wells and climbing hills to worship, as well as large scale festivals and merriment are a key part of how Lúnasa has continued to be celebrated and should be incorporated into a modern Irish pagan practice.

[pumpkincurryelote]

Furthering the world-building thought experiment of Midwives as an independent organization or governing body in a stateless/moneyless world: Imagine their purview extending not just to birth, but to abortion, women's health, women's history, and women's liberation by force where necessary up to and including the execution of rapists. Exclusively female membership, living in facilities akin to non-religious convents. In fact the most powerful of any large organization. How their services/protection might be engaged would vary depending on region. If this be a post-patriarchy world, they would be the first line of defense against the resurgence of said disease.

Farmers would be second most powerful. As permaculturists in a world where everything is locally sourced, and they would be responsible for protecting biodiversity of both flora and fauna in their biomes. There is no mass production of anything in this model. Wild animals are respected members of the community alongside domesticated ones. They monitor and survey the land, on guard for outbreaks and potential disasters, tending the food forests and keeping the biome healthy. They deliver non-human medical care to every creature in the land. Their voices are heard first on the floor of any development project and they can set hard boundaries or veto projects outright. While not explicitly stated to be female only, females would nonetheless outperform males in this field. Even in hunting.

Next up is Libraries. Librarians collect, organize, and administer all manner of public resource, not just books. Knowledge, tools, furniture, clothes, technology, seeds, genetic material, whatever is needful. They keep mundane records of everyone in their community, and community members can deposit personal logs for safekeeping here. Indeed anything the community deems of utmost value may be stored here. Every library is built to withstand assault, and to protect its contents-- a last resort lockdown would fully seal the library from the outside world for 100 years, killing anyone inside. The identities of chief librarians with access to sensitive collections (and the ability to lock their library down) are shrouded in secrecy. Field librarians go out on expeditions to collect data, specimens, etc where permitted by a region's Farmers (and always with a Farmer in attendance).

Hospitals are fourth, and we all know what they're supposed to do. Universities are arguably fifth, and bosom buddies with Libraries. Universities would be the only "large cities" you ever see, and are major transportation hubs. Any large scale project happens here-- rocket to the moon large. Trains occupy this status bracket as well, being the main arteries of civilization/transportation. Ocean cargo could be an extension or a symbiotic relationship.

Of equal influence are Mail and Sanitation. The postal service delivers through whatever means necessary. Any interference with another person's mail results in brutal application of force. No matter how isolated or alone you think you are, the post service will find you. If anybody at all sends you a message, you WILL receive it. They're the best trackers in the world. Many have working dogs as companions. Some have birds. All of them tend to be loners unless someone has done them dirty or behaves dishonorably.

Sanitation encompasses recycling/repurposing of non-compostable goods, composting itself (composting toilets are the norm), janitorial work, pandemic/outbreak containment, and burials (where applicable). If there's a landfill or old oil spill that needs remediation, they're there. Many have skill in repairs/fabrication, and choose this life to have first pick of scavenged parts. Many are also skilled at soapmaking, extractions (Greek oregano, eucalyptus, wintergreen, etc.), and distillation (vinegar).

[bracketsoffear]

Dr. Alexander Hilbert (Wolf 359) "Dr. Hilbert is the ship's doctor tasked with keeping the Hephaestus Crew healthy for the during of their deep space mission. However, he is your classic "Russian scientist performing unethical experiments" on the crew instead. His own secret mission was Project Decima – creating a retrovirus with the intent to make people healthier by reversing cellular degradation. Goddard Futuristics supplied him with the resources and test subjects necessary to start his human trials.

Hilbert has performed these trials on 2 separate missions, though on the first mission he was known as Dr. Selberg. On that mission, he was responsible for the deaths of the majority of the crew, after their bodies' immune system decayed too much to keep them alive. Lovelace recounts having to watch her crew-members getting sicker and sicker while she is unable to do anything to help them. She calls him "the finest medical sadist Goddard has ever produced."

The first time Officer Eiffel feels the effects of Decima in his system, he develops a headache, fever, rash, and terrible cough. Due to Hilbert's attempted mutiny and imprisonment, Eiffel has not been receiving regular checkups for his Decima infection and develops a small cough that escalates into him coughing up blood and lung tissue. Eiffel goes into shock and continues to deteriorate rapidly."

Clara/The Changeling (Pathologic) "Clara does not exist until the game begins. She takes on the role of a healer in this town with an emerging plague, but the first person she attempts to heal dies. She is told that someone who looks exactly like her is committing crimes in the town, so she has to actively work to maintain her reputation throughout the game, or else citizens will start to attack her in the street.

Though she does have healing abilities, the game purposefully misleads you on how they are used. She doesn't understand it any more than you do. She is also aware that she is a character in a video game, and knows that she cannot exist outside the framework of the game. Because Pathologic is about a town dying to the plague that you are trying your hardest to prevent, and then mitigate, and then destroy at any cost, Clara comes to believe that she is the cause of the plague. After all, she cannot exist in a world without one. She comes into being as the game begins, and will likely stop existing after it is over, as what more is there for her to do? Kill an already dead town? Save an already healed town?

Each character you can play as can choose their own ending, and hers involves asking people to sacrifice themselves to her routinely to keep the town alive. Even when you make the correct choices and try to heal the town, the plague is still a constant threat and will never truly go away, and Clara is indeed responsible for this looming threat, as her healing hands are the ones people are blindly following into a routine of self-sacrifice and reminder of the plague that almost destroyed their town. In a way, it is fully possible to interpret her character as the true source of the plague, and the game allows you to believe this. There isn't really anything to contradict it, after all."

[dimension20npcofalltime]

Round 1A - Bracket Two [Dimension 20 NPC of All Time]

The Stepmother vs Em

Propaganda under the cut (Contains major spoilers for Neverafter)

The Stepmother - She/her

Campaign: Neverafter

Who is she?

From the original fairytale of Cinderella, the Stepmother wanted one of her two daughters to fit into the glass slipper and marry the prince. To ensure their feet fit into the glass slipper, she forced one of them to cut off her toe and the other to cut off her heel. The plan failed, and Cinderella, fitting the glass slipper, went to marry the prince.

The Stepmother later married Pinocchio's ailing father, Geppetto, promising Pinocchio she would look after him, both as a parent and as a patron. However, she often treats him with brutality instead of kindness as an act of leverage. She seems to be occupying a room outside of time and space, resembling a living room in front of a fireplace with a large chair that is only illuminated by the light underneath the entrance way. The Stepmother can manifest this door for Pinocchio to enter at her will.

Why is she the NPC of All Time?

She's creepy as fuck, she's a cannibal, and I know those are turn offs for people, but those cement her as one of my favourite characters. Truly and iconic villain.

"You are seeing something you absolutely should not see, the face of a divinity you do not worship, the smile of a devil you never believed in."

Em - She/her

Campaign: The Unsleeping City

Who is she?

Em, also known as the Angel of the Waters, is an iron statue atop the Bethesda Fountain. She guards and protects the waters in and around New York City, a source of neutral divine magic. The water of her fountain is magical and has healing properties.

Why is she the NPC of All Time?

An iron statue atop the Bethesda Fountain. She guards and protects the waters in and around New York City, a source of neutral divine magic, designed by a woman (has a womans touch), besties with Sofia

[proton-wobbler]

Warbler Showdown; Bracket 7, Poll 4

Red Warbler (Cardellina rubra)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: resident (elevational migrant); endemic to Mexican highlands, with three disjunct populations- one spanning the majority of Durango and into some adjacent states, one cutting from Jalisco to Veracruz, and another in Guerrero and Oaxaca.

Habitat: pine-oak, pine, and fir forests, though in nonbreeding season it can be found in oak-dominated forests as well.

Subspecies: 3

Pink-headed Warbler (Cardellina versicolor)

IUCN Rating: Least Concern

Range: resident (non-migratory); found in a small section of Chiapas in Mexico and the Guatemalan highlands

Habitat: pine-oak and montane evergreen forests, with a preference for the edges and secondary vegetation.

Subspecies: none

Image Sources: Red (Dubi Shapiro) Pink (Ana Paula Oxom)

[runwayrunway]

No. 40 - Southwest Airlines

One of my most requested posts, it's time to cover a carrier anyone who's flown in the US is probably very familiar with. After all, Southwest has for decades been the largest low-cost carrier in the world by both revenue and fleet size (though IndiGo is coming for that title).

Southwest's history is longer and more substantial than many may think, a central figure in the genesis of what we now know as the low-cost carrier. But one thing I think a lot of people know is their livery.

A common theme on this blog is trends in airline liveries - in particular, the modern trend towards the minimalist, sterile, underdesigned, and above all generic. As an anecdotal example, someone who lives near Boston's Logan Airport, the 16th-busiest airport in the US and 30th-busiest in the world, served by every major US airline and every major international carrier from countries within 787 range, were they to watch the takeoffs and landings, would be treated to the following...menagerie.

Can you believe these planes fly for different and indeed unrelated airlines?

Safe to say from 5,000 feet below it's a challenge to tell these planes apart. Even taxiing past them you'd need to pay attention. If I forced someone to squint I'm not sure they could identify them properly. How about Southwest?

Bam.

Southwest Airlines was founded in an era that borders on incomprehensible to those of my age bracket. The United States is a nation united in grumbling about Spirit Airlines, and most of Europe is constantly cursing Ryanair under their breath, but it wasn't always like that. The fact of a united enemy at all is new in the US. Back before the 1978 Deregulation Act, it was so prohibitively expensive to operate interstate flights that most airlines just didn't. Interstate flights were left to giant full-service airlines like Delta and Eastern, while international flights were the domain of an even more elite few - Pan Am, TWA, Braniff, and National (no, not that National, the other one) while the scrappier little companies flew short hops for commuters.

One airline which emerged in this pre-deregulation era was Pacific Southwest Airlines, commonly abbreviated to PSA, an initially tiny airline operating in California. You may recognize them from my icon! PSA is one of the single most important airlines in history because it all but invented the idea of the low-cost carrier. Beyond that, they were a Fun Airline. And while they were flying their grinningbirds all over California something else brewed in the background.

image: SouthwestArchive I have never before in my life seen such a profound pairing of undereye bags with the slicked-back hair and piercing blue eyes of a YA dystopia novel film adaptation villain, darting around to lock onto any sources of potential wealth ripe for acquisition.

In 1971 Southwest Airlines began operating flights. The company was actually incorporated in 1967 (as Air Southwest), the brainchild of then-lawyer Herb Kelleher (and two other people who nobody ever talks about because they're boring). They saw what PSA was doing and saw potential for the massive profits that could be gained from avoiding fees from operating interstate and charging drastically lower fees than the larger carriers. Unfortunately for them the larger carriers also realized this, and they were trapped for three years in lawsuit purgatory, with Braniff, Continental, and Trans-Texas Airways taking the case all the way to the Supreme Court, who apparently declined to review it, recognizing that 'they have come up with an idea that will make them make more money and us make less money' is not a particularly powerful legal argument.

And with that little hurdle over Southwest was open for business! Though they weren't quite starting out as a single rented DC-3 Kelleher very closely modeled the airline after PSA, who seemed to be okay enough with it if them helping to train mechanics at the nascent airline was any indication. After all, at this point they were both intrastate airlines fundamentally unable to compete with each other - Southwest was staying put in Texas with no reason to think this would change anytime soon. They brought a bit of PSA to the state, like the low fares and the stewardesses in hot pants and go-go boots.

So what was their answer to the grinningbird?

The rare and deeply cursed Southwest 727.

The mustard rocket. It was called "desert gold" but I think we all know that this is mustard. At this point in history brightly colored airplanes weren't even unusual either, so it would have just been regular ugly instead of ostentatious. (I mean...I like this shade of mustard yellow, honest, but I recognize that most people think this is hideous.)

Southwest kept on Southwesting from there. These days, they're massive, and the most common response on my questionnaire for best airline experiences. No comment, as I've never flown with them. Highlights of their journey there include getting a federal amendment passed because they didn't want to relocate their hub from Love Field to Dallas-Fort Worth, getting sued for only hiring female flight attendants, having the first Black chief pilot of any major airline in the US, technically legal tax evasion measures, having to invent elaborate work-arounds for the restrictions placed on them which could have been avoided by just relocating to Fort Worth, absorbing a bunch of other airlines, being the launch customer for both the -300 and MAX 8 models of the Boeing 737, and making approximately a zillion dollars. In 1990 they absorbed Morris Air, a vacation charter airline which developed innovative cost-cutting measures like e-ticketing, including high-up positions on the Southwest corporate ladder for the founders...

image: conde nast traveller Strange millionaires lurking in woods distributing model airplanes is no basis for an airline industry! ...scratch that, it does appear to be working.

...oh, for heaven's sake, there he is again. Yes, David Neeleman's cost-cutting acumen was indeed put to use at Southwest, meaning that between this and founding jetBlue he basically created low-cost carriers. I reluctantly tip my hat to the man. I would not be able to afford airline tickets without him. But he's just everywhere.

Here is my handwritten faMintly tree. Southwest is jetBlue's cousin once removed, do with that what you will. Anyway, let's hope I never have to add to this. (Not least because I already binned the piece of paper I wrote this out on.)

The turn of the century brought new things for Southwest! In 2000 they had their first major accident (a nonfatal runway overrun resulting in loss of the aircraft). Unrelatedly, in 2001 they released a new color scheme for their fleet, now several hundred strong and entirely composed of assorted models of Boeing 737.

The era of Canyon Blue had begun.

I mean, it's a statement. At this point a plane painted to look like a poisonous frog was in fact a pretty major statement. They were setting out to be an eyesore and I'm sure people were upset about this one, but to the modern eye it looks muted and unfinished. Still bluer than anything David Neeleman had made at that point, but not quite what we know today.

Okay. Yes. There we go.

This livery is meant to be the heart from their logo, the same one worn where the plane's heart might be if planes had hearts instead of air-conditioning systems, the colors unwrapped and deconstructed. And boy, is it almost violently colorful! It goes so far that it takes a minute to notice only three colors, plus white, are used in the entire livery. It's almost eyestraining, and I did have to turn the contrast down on my monitor while writing this because I'm fairly photosensitive. It's...less painful when pixels aren't involved.

So this is definitely one-of-a-kind. Well, it was. jetBlue has made choices recently. But this livery is definitely not one that gets lost in the crowd.

There's very little white or even silver on this airframe, in sharp contrast with...basically every airline. The rest of the livery is vivid and searing yellow and red, unusual shades in airlines, which tend to stick to slightly more muted schemes. And if you couldn't tell who they were by that, the big white billboard wordmark would let you know real quick. I think the white is a bit less legible than I'd like, but I'm not sure how to improve that without making it genuinely eyestrainy. At least it's large and visible, which is crucial for a low-cost carrier, instead of subtle and out of the way on the tail. That might work for an airline with a prestigious air, but that's not Southwest. Southwest is blue and yellow and red.

The main differences between the modern livery and Canyon Blue are in the placement of the logo and the colors used. Each shade is brightened significantly, which is why the once-garish Canyon Blue now looks pretty dusty in comparison. They entirely removed the blue from the tail, making it the airframe feel a little less like it's blue with accents and a little more like it's a circus tent. I do wish the yellow and red covered a bit more of the belly, but still...wow.

Some uses of Southwest Sans demonstrated.

The success of this design isn't by accident. Apparently, Southwest consulted no fewer than five design firms, and the font used for the livery and all their material (which I think looks totally fine) was actually commissioned from iconic foundry Monotype. A lot of airline liveries are designed in-house, and that can turn out fine, but Southwest clearly pulled out all the stops and it shows.

Southwest is a low-cost carrier, and this does affect the standards by which I judge their livery. They aren't here to be guided by legacy or decorum the way a flag carrier is - they're here to sell you a cheap ticket on an airline with funny cabin announcements. Circus tent with big lettering in a sea of Eurowhite? Nice, clean execution - I'd call that a job well done.

Grade: B

[taleweaver-ramblings]

In the tags on the Mossflower post you reblogged you said that it wasn't your favorite (like it seemed to be op's). Which would you say Is your favorite 👀

This is a very hard question, and my Great Redwall Reread of a few years ago actually made it harder. It is, to be frank, easier to tell you my least favorite than my favorite. But if I must make some choice, it's a five-way tie between Lord Brocktree, High Rhulain, Rakkety Tam, Pearls of Lutra, and Mattimeo.

Lord Brocktree has the fabulous dynamic between the main characters (especially Brocktree and Dotti), Bucko's challenges, pretty much EVERYTHING with the hares, a stellar example of rivals-to-friends, and a pretty epic ending.

High Rhulain, Pearls of Lutra, and Mattimeo all have the riddles/treasure hunt thing going on, which I will never not love. As far as I was concerned, that was a plotline Jacques could repeat as many times as he wanted and I'd be happy.

High Rhulain is probably also a major source of my love of the "young person has nobility unexpectedly thrust upon them; must figure out How Does One Royal?" trope. And it has both hares and otters (my two favorite Redwall races) in major roles! This makes me happy.

Pearls of Lutra is actually my favorite of the treasure-hunt plots, and I think it's the best of the seafaring Redwall books. It's still in the era where we're seeing the overlap of different generations, and we see the young characters from past books grown up, and I really enjoyed that while it lasted. It also has one of the best sympathetic villain characters in the series . . . and I just like Grath Longfletch as a character, what can I say?

Rakkety Tam is Scottish squirrels. Enough said.

(Ok, but actually you have Scottish squirrels, plus the Long Patrol, plus Tergen (who is Excellent), plus a really cute romance? I also love the poems that bracket the different sections. And can we TALK about the final battle? It is arguably the MOST impressive fight, at least in terms of power imbalance, since Martin vs. Tsarmina in Mossflower. Rakkety Tam takes on the evil equivalent of a badger. And WINS. Literally the only reason this is not hands-down my favorite book is the existence of Yoofus, who annoys me so much.)

Finally, Mattimeo really just has almost everything I love about the Redwall series, both the A and B plots are excellent, and it's another one of the stories where you get to see some of the next generation. And it has the Sparra in it — I was so sad when Jacques dropped them from the narrative.

So, yes. Those are probably my favorites. I do love a lot of the series, though, so it's very hard to choose! And I recognize that not all of these have the Significance or Weight of Mossflower, and some of them may be technically weaker books . . . but they're the ones I've loved since the first time I read the series, and that I've only come to love more in the times I've reread them.

[ww1-uniforms-tournament]

France on the left, Russia on the right.

With its daring horizon blue, France enters the fight! Despite their belated uniform modernisation, they get credit for inventing the first steel helmet of the war, which would then be worn by Russia and other nations. Since the defeat of 1871, the French had long awaited for an occasion to recover their lost territories of Alsace-Lorraine, and their clash with the Germans would be one of three in less than a century.

Flying to its allies' rescue, Russia, like France, was also one of the major forces of the war and an early participant. It paid the price with blood, being the country having suffered the most casualties of the war. This immense loss of human life would lead to the collapse of Russia's government and civil war, the trigger to a revolution that would change the face of the country forever.

Source on the right: Osprey Publishing.

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

The major bracket of the gay wrongs/murder husbands and wives poll is here!

Full list of all couples/ships along with sources below (although not in order they're in the poll)

Osamu Dazai & Chuuya Nakahara - Bungou Stray Dogs

Edward Teach & Stede Bonnet - Our Flag Means Death

Arséne Lupin III & Jigen Daisuke - Lupin The Third

Princess Bubblegum & Marceline - Adventure Time

Tiziano & Squalo - Jojo’s bizarre adventure: Golden Wind

Ellie Williams & Dina - The Last of Us 

Eve Polastri & Vilanelle - Killing Eve

Louis & Lestat - Vampire Chronicles series/Interview with the vampire

Kinn & Porsche - Kinnporsche

Alec Hardison & Eliot Spencer & Parker - Leverage

Vegas & Pete - Kinnporsche

GoodTimesWithScar & Grian - 3rd life (Life series as a whole, hermitcraft)

Jonathan Simms & Martin Blackwood - The Magnus Archives

Legolas & Gimli - Lord of the rings

Female Byleth & Edelgard - Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Heavy & Medic - Team Fortress 2

Edward Nygma & Oswald Cobblepot - Gotham (TV series)

Misa Amane & Rem - Death Note

Joe & Nicky - The Old Guard

John Silver & James Flint - Black Sails

Vriska Serket & Terezi Pyrope - Homestuck

Nandor & Guillermo - What we do in the shadows (TV series)

Eustass Kid & Killer - One piece

The Doctor & The Master - Doctor Who

Hannibal Lecter & Will Graham - Hannibal (TV series)

Wen Kexing & Zhou Zishu - Word of honor (series)/Faraway Wanderers (book)

Lord Boxman & Professor Venomous - OK KO: let's be heroes!

Jack Harkness & John Hart - Torchwood

Nadja & Laszlo - What we do in the shadows (TV series)

Poison Ivy & Harley Quinn - DC comics/Harley Quinn (series)

Gregory House & James Wilson - House MD

Rei Suwa & Kazuki Kurusu - Buddy Daddies

Wylan & Jesper - Six of crows (books)/Shadow and Bone (TV series)

Eddie Brock & Venom - Venom

Mystique & Irene Adler - X-Men Comics

Roronoa Zoro & Sanji - One piece

[the-ghost-bracket]

VikingPilot propaganda:

"Unreliable narrator of all time, this FUCKED UP MESS OF A GHOST has sooooo much nonsense going on and going WRONG with him. This mans starts off as a tragic character whos unable to interact with ANYONE, but once he becomes semi-corporeal and is finally able to speak to others, this results in a LOT of problems for everyone else.

To simply name a few, he phases through things and jump-scares people any chance he gets, he went to unreasonable extremes in order to acquire an I.O.U. from a very powerful person (Legundo) that ultimately accidentally results in a mini apocalypse, he gets an I.O.U. from someone else (Fixxit) and just orders him to stop Legundo at all costs?, hes ALMOST canonically plural/two people, this bitch has a fucking insane underground vault (with like twelve full sets of netherite, a dimond and netherite throne, and its just spooky as hell), He probably has the best scary laugh i’ve ever heard, and hes ALWAYS up to mischief.

Oh also he tries to do some Dark Magic but isn’t capable of going through with it due to Legundo not properly following through with his I.O.U., and he decides to remind Legundo of this in the MOST mentally well adjusted way possible ( https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxbcBe_A7YYtt2K33_Rm4V71SG0sqdnEY_ ).

Anyways thats most of the major nonsense I can think of for right now so uhhh! Enjoy the VikingPilot propaganda and please remember you are NEVER immune to Bell Noises!"

"Lovely unreliable narrator who loves jumpscaring his friends."

"quote from the ghosty boy himself. ""what do the interest rates look like on your word?"""

"he's a ghost. he has no memories. his soul got torn asunder by an evil magic book. he's trying to do a ritual from the evil magic book that split him in half so that he can get his memories back. he's a sneaky bastard who's double crossing everyone else on the server. he makes a lot of really terrible jokes. he (canonically!) says trans rights. vikingpilot you agree reblog."

"split color scheme. unreliable narrator. plural swag. committed tax fraud."

"Viking is a ghost haunting the world of Dominion SMP! For a long time, he was merely an observer— no one could see him, no one could hear him, he couldn’t interact with anything; no one knew he even existed. That was, I until the members of Dominion killed the Ender Dragon. This changed… something… in the world, and caused him to be visible, audible, and (mostly) tangible.

From there, he made a haunted graveyard, spooked people by sneaking up on them and shouting ‘Bell noises!!’, had a totally normal and not at all unhinged response to (one) asking for a favor, and (two) following up on that favor when it had not yet been kept, and he built a creepy mansion! He also plays piano!

He’s not sure how or when he died, but he feels certain that he was someone important. At some point in the time he was a ghost, he somehow got his hands on a book, which contains different rituals, and apparently, the contents of this book broke his mind, somewhat splitting it in two, and possibly being the source of his amnesia. Notably, the book contains a ritual that would allow him to regain his memories, and this has been his main objective for most of the series."

"ghost of ALL TIME. haunted his friends for months before they suddenly became able to see him. walks through walls. has world's most evil nervous laugh. knows exactly where his hinges are buried. unreliable narrator. has an underground vault full of diamonds and expensive armor, including a throne made of netherite. causes shenanigans on purpose. lived in an underground graveyard and then a haunted mansion. monologued for 11 minutes about wanting to do dark magic in order to necromancy himself and cure his amnesia. very pluralcoded. won round 1 of a sexyman bracket despite being a niche character. the most guy/ghost of all time forever"

"i haven’t actually watched dominion,,, but like. i keep seeing this funky little unreliable narrator ghost man on my dash sometimes. so fuck yeah."

"He’s just a silly little ghost guy!"