#the optics of being diverse

[ssaalexblake]

also lol @ the chirping crickets from the ‘the dw showrunner shouldn’t be a white man we’ve moved past this’ crowd from the past 5 years suddenly going radio silence. 

[vigilskeep]

bea’s family should be loosely tied to the amells i think

i would be all for this but my amells are not white so i would have uhhh logistical questions. i mean, depends on how distant the relation is i suppose!

[overbearingstruggles]

Hit me with the Alex excerpts (if any)

[decolonize-the-everything]

I've heard time and time again since i was a kid of the "great american melting pot" as being something amazing and aspirational, where people from all over the world come and contribute themselves into what it means to be american. but that's so very not true. a "melting pot" is an assimilation into something homogeneous. when people live here they have a choice to either strip themselves of all the identity of their heritage in order to fit in with a culture that does not appreciate the realities of diversity (and is largely only now starting to appreciate its optics), or hold on to their authentic self and always be the "other." America is where history goes to die.

Couldn't have said it better myself

[yarrayora]

So I love your thoughts on post king Laois and prince-elector Falin, and I propose some more options for prince-electors:

First, I think Laois would really try to get as many people from different races as possible, especially because it seems his kingdom has more diversity than others (it ends with him talking with an orc child, after all, so we know that along with "humans" there are at least some "demi-humans" as well)

So, the first prince elector is of course Falin. I don't think she represents either the Tallmen or demi-humans, given that she's. Well. A chimera. So I think later, her role would be filled by a family member close to the current ruler. Or maybe a random citizen! Who knows.

The next prince-elector is for the Tallmen. I want to say Kabru, but people might be worried he's too influenced by the elves (even though we know he isn't). Perhaps that goes to an advisor that Kabru carefully selects. Or maybe Kabru himself because Laois doesn't care about optics, he wants his friend Kabru to help him.

After that, a prince-elector for the Halflings. I think Laois, who knows how important Chilchuck's union work is to him, would want to make sure there's someone who can advocate for them. Chilchuck might not want to do it himself (I could see him going either way) but I think at the very least Laois would ask Chilchuck who to choose.

Prince-elector for the gnomes would be Mr. Tansu. Not just because he's one of the few named gnomes, but I think it's good to have someone who isn't completely won over by Laois.

For dwarves, you may think it's Senshi, but no. He's not the kinda guy who cares for that. Not Namari either. But Daya would be good, I think. She apparently was a "guardian of a dungeon" and I think Laois would like to keep someone who knows and respects dungeons on his elector board. Plus, unlike Senshi, I think she is more in tune with what the dwarves would need from a king.

Marcille might be another no-brainer for the elf rep, but she's also no at first. We know she's terrified of losing her friends, and I think she would be really upset at being put in the position of having to choose a "replacement" for her friends. So they set up Mithrun in there first, if only because he would be the hardest for the other elves to influence. After all, he supports Laois and how can you bribe someone who can't even say what he wants most of the time? But eventually, perhaps after a generation or two, Marcille will have enough time to distance herself emotionally from the kingdom and become ready to step up to being the elf prince-elector.

The orcs are a bit more of a headcanon. So, I love the concept of political marriages and the way society shapes the idea of what is platonic/sexual/romantic. So I think Laois would get politically married to Leed. Not only because he loves monsters, but because the other races tolerate each other's sentience. They have their racism, but at least all "humans" are considered human. But demi-humans or monsters like orcs--while they are considered *kinda* human, they're also not. They're treated as more monster than human. So I think if Laois wants to successfully establish orcs as equal citizens of his kingdom, he needs to show that they are truly equal to humans, regardless of how many bones they have. And I know Leed is scared of Laois, but we see that she's willing to "make the sacrifice" to be his wife when her brother suggests it for the good of their people. Bonus, it fills the slot of queen so one less thing for Kabru and Yaad to worry about. So, political marriage. And yes, Leed takes a while to warm up to the Devourer, but I think she'll eventually see that Laois does love her people. I think she would eventually come to love him the way Izutsumi and Falin do. And even if they did have little half orcs, I could see Laois being like "I'm not gonna raise my kids like my dad did, training them to force them into a position they don't want". His kids can make a bid to be the next ruler if they want, but he won't force them.

All this to say, he would let his wife, Queen Leed, choose the orc prince-elector.

Izutsumi has a chair. She doesn't sit in it though, because she's like Marcille in that she would hate being forced to choose a "replacement" for a friend. She also doesn't sit in it because she's a cat. Izutsumi.

yep! basically the plan is to keep an equal amount of humans and demihumans as prince-electors (years later the term demihumans will be contested, as it's basically a vague term used to discriminate against various short-lived races as subhuman) (it is a realization falin came across to when during her travel around the world various establishments refuse to serve her, citing her feathery neck as proof that she's a demihuman)

the thing about Falin is she might be a chimera but she grew up a tallman with the perspective of a tallman. she ABSOLUTELY represents the tallmen as a prince-elector. so instead of another tallmen, they choose a kobold as the second member of the electoral college

you're right about chilchuck though. his first reaction would be "WHAT THE HELL'S WITH THAT FANCY TITLE? GET OUT OF MY HOUSE" before finally sitting down and listen to laios' explanation of his plan. chilchuck REALLY doesn't want peerage, but he also honestly. kinda doesn't trust anyone else to represent the halflings... so he takes on the responsibility.

as for mr. tansu i don't think he'll ever leave kahka brud. in the end theyll choose a gnome completely unrelated to laios' party. same with the dwarf! though that one is based on daya's recommendation. because daya herself doesn't seem to be to keen on politics.

same with mr. tansu, mithrun belongs to the western elves. he will not be part of the electoral college because he's not a citizen there lmao. milsiril will try to move there because of kabru, though uh, she doesn't fit their criteria of a Prince-Elector either. i can see them inviting marcille's mother in the end, since she has the experience working at a royal tallmen's court before.

i do think if it's to give the orc an honorable position, laios would give in and get politically married but like... the whole thing with inventing the electoral college thing is so he doesn't have to fulfill the societal expectations of being a husband and a father. so if he got married to Leed and then fail to perform (in like, the way autistic people has to perform in society, ya feel) as a loving husband in front of his court, they'll think Leed doesn't have his favor and shoves their own daughters his way. Kabru would be aware of this and not pressure Laios to get a queen. In fact he would talk Yaad out of pressuring Laios lmao

so, no, i don't think he'll ever get politically married to anyone ever. not when he has painstakingly created a system of succession that ensure he won't have to get married and have sex for the next heir to be produced. The Prince-Elector is already an honorable title to have, having Leed as one is enough to show that the orcs are not being treated as second-class citizens.

and yeah i think it would be Leed because while originally Zon was the one who received the offer, he refuses citing the fact that he has the responsibility to look after his tribe and that responsibility will clash with the responsibility of a Prince-Elector. he nominates his sister instead.

for izutsumi ngl my idea for her is that she becomes this folktale kind of charming rogue character because she makes money by escorting caravans through the monster-infested land surrounding laios' kingdom. there are children's books about her. she doesn't know she's popular.

[the-spacedust-collector]

Unveiling Saturn- a few lesser known facts

source

Saturn, the majestic ringed planet, often steals the spotlight in our cosmic lineup. But did you know there's more to this gas giant than meets the eye?

1. Saturn's Many Moons: While almost everyone knows Saturn has a bustling entourage of over 80 moons, it’s lesser known why.

Saturn's numerous moons are a result of its massive size and gravitational influence. As the second-largest planet in our solar system, Saturn exerts a powerful gravitational pull, allowing it to capture and retain many objects in orbit around it. Additionally, its proximity to the asteroid belt provides a steady supply of potential moon candidates.

Many of Saturn's moons are believed to have formed alongside the planet during the early stages of the solar system's formation, as material in the protoplanetary disk coalesced to form both the planet and its moons. Others may have been captured later as Saturn migrated in its orbit or as it encountered passing objects.

The complex interplay of gravitational forces among Saturn's moons, as well as tidal effects from Saturn itself, contribute to the diversity and number of moons. Some moons may be locked in resonance with each other, stabilizing their orbits, while others may experience tidal heating and geological activity, shaping their surfaces and interiors.

In summary, Saturn's extensive moon system is a result of its size, gravitational pull, orbital dynamics, and its location in the solar system, making it one of the most moon-rich planets known.

2. The Hexagonal Storm: Deep within Saturn's atmosphere lies a peculiar hexagonal-shaped storm at its north pole (as seen in the image below). This bizarre weather phenomenon, discovered by the Voyager mission in the 1980s, continues to puzzle scientists to this day. How and why it formed remains one of Saturn's enduring mysteries.

3. Saturn's Density Dilemma: Despite being known as a gas giant, Saturn is surprisingly less dense than water! If you could find a bathtub large enough, Saturn would actually float in it. Its low density is due to its composition of mostly hydrogen and helium, making it one of the lightest planets in our solar system.

Who Discovered Saturn?

Saturn's discovery is shrouded in ancient history. While it's difficult to pinpoint a single individual credited with its discovery, the planet has been observed by civilizations throughout history.

Galileo Galilei: In 1610, Galileo became the first person to observe Saturn through a telescope. However, due to limitations in his telescope's optics, he mistook Saturn's rings for large moons on either side of the planet.

Christiaan Huygens: It wasn't until 1655 when Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens correctly identified Saturn's rings as a disk surrounding the planet. His discovery revolutionized our understanding of Saturn's unique features.

first ever colored picture taken of Saturn source 1

source 2

[mychlapci]

Nocturnal emissions ft ageswap Prowl As mechlings of his age tend to still get nightmares and wet dreams, imagine one night, after being thoroughly exhausted from datawork, Prowl goes to recharge with a frazzled processor.

He decided that he'd defrag it in the morning, since his specs takes about four times as long as a normal mech's processor to clean, so doing it that late at night would just result in more sleep lost. Ratchet spotted the early signs of a workaholic, and took it upon himself to drill the importance of a good night's rest into Prowl. After all, sleep is a very integral part of a young mech's development!

But as he recharges, his glitchy processor, with no conscious mind awake to make sense of the running sims, which cannot be turned off, start dumping the jumbled results into his subconscious brain. And before he knew it, Prowl is caught in the throes of his first wet dream.

In his dream, he comes to in his little bunk, confused as to why it was still dark all around him. When he tries to stand up, something pounces on his face, causing him to fall back onto the pillow with a startled squeak. He couldn't see what it was, but the shape and texture was so very familiar.

Prowl's collection of stuffies are rather diverse, you see. Some of them are just big enough to fill his palms when lined together, usually in the shape of a ball, like a plush DragonQuest slime or fuzzy mechanoid urchin soft toy. Some are about as long as his forearms, just the right size for him to cuddle to his chest and bury his faceplates into. These are things like his teddy ironbear, his stuffed turbofox, his floppy gel octopus, and his tuxedo cybercat. Then lastly, we have the jumbo plushies, which are almost the size of a bolster. He has maybe two of these, one being a large pink rabbit and another is a cybertronian sized IKEA python.

His optics covered and his doorwings trapped under the blanket, he struggles in the dark, trying to get whatever fuzzy stuffie off his face. But the moment he gets a good grip on the toy, the rest of them decide to join the fray, the jumbo plushies doing most of the work to restrain and pin him.

Panicking, Prowl tries his best to thrash under the blanket, but only succeeds in turning himself over, arms and legs still pinned together by soft but firm appendages. Whatever that was on his face lets go, but a tail quickly wraps around his eyes, blindfolding him. When he tries to engage his doorwing sensors, fuzzy little paws start molesting his very sensitive hinges and rubbing all over the smooth plating, effectively rendering them useless as his senses are distracted by the soothing pets and arousing stimulation.

Helpless and caught, Prowl tries to call for help, only for a blob of fur to stuff itself into his mouth, muffling his cries. There are more plush limbs teasing him and rutting their various textured coverings all over his body now, filling his senses with delicious friction in all of his erogenous zones. After a few breems of whimpering, his instincts finally give and his plating opens up against his volition, exposing his soaked array to the dark of the room.

Immediately, small little cottonmesh paws zero in on his pulsing node and leaky spike, driving him wild with pleasure. He can only moan when he feels one of the ball plushes pressing up against the entrance to his valve, becoming sopping wet as it soaks up all of his gushing juices.

It rubs against his valvelips for a bit, rotating and pressing onto the squishy protoform, spreading and massaging the entrance. Then it starts pushing in, the soft body providing no resistance as it stuffa itself up his valve, the involuntary squeezing only helping to guide it upwards deeper and deeper into him. Prowl squeals behind his gag when he feels it press up against the aperture of his gestation chamber. Before he could get used to the pressure, another ball of fluff presses against his pussy.

The stimulation on his anterior node and little cocklet continues as the stuffies travel up his valve one by one. It's so humiliating to be taken like this, but at the same time, a traitorous part of him doesn't want to stop.

With each successive deposit, the plushies gett larger and larger, and eventually, the non-blob shaped toys are stuffing themselves into his pussy, their much larger size pressing against all of the others in the back of his valve. It's becoming such a tight squeeze in there, his ceiling node feels like it's basically being tortured with pleasure. He'a getting close to an overload.

Teary and drooling, Prowl is no longer struggling, and is instead trying to rut against the bedding and the plush toys plastered all over his needy and charged frame now, mindlessly chasing his orgasm. His pussy is so full now, it wouldn't take much more before a hard shove into the contents of his valve forces his cervical entrance open.

And whem it finally does, he cums himself awake in his real bunk, groggy but horny, clutching his favourite cybercat to his panting chest. He sits up to find that the bedding around his hips have been soaked from his sonambulistic squirting.

Extremely embarrassed, he sees to changing his bedsheets immediately, praying that no one finds out about his mishap. The twins, being early risers themselves, catch him in the act of accessing the laundry room so early in the cycle, of course.

Once they've trapped their little cadet between them and teased a confession out of him, they scoop him up and pepper him with reassuring kisses, telling him that it's normal for mechlings like him to experience such things as he weeps from his stressful recharge flux. Once all washed up, Prowl gets taken back to the twins' quarters, where he finally gets to defrag properly and go back to sleep in between his mentors, burying his face into the soft fur of an innocent, inanimate plush toy in their embrace-🔌

ouhh Prowl having silly sex dreams about plushies is so fun. Fuzzy little bodies rubbing up against his needy valve and spike, making him twitch and convulse in his bed… He wakes up in soaked sheets, his spike and valve have squirted quite the mess all over his legs, and he’s so embarrassed…

I bet that next time this happens, Sunny and Sides would love to be there to watch their trainee squirm…

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Awesome

Technicron Manufacturing began production of the Awesome in 2665 to replace the STR-2C Striker. What they produced not only replaced the aging Striker, it became one of the most feared BattleMechs of all time. The Awesome is built around its impressive all-energy based arsenal and heavy armor making it a highly independent and powerful assault 'Mech. Rugged and reliable, the Awesome is traditionally used in a vanguard role when penetrating enemy defenses. The Awesome's massive firepower also lends it to defensive actions, acting as a mobile turret when necessary. Because of its reliance on PPCs, the Awesome is able to act independently for extended periods of time. This trait is also useful in siege situations where the 'Mech can keep up a constant barrage, allowing it to win battles of attrition through bleeding an enemy dry. The only downsides to the Awesome is its low maneuverability and lack of rear-facing weaponry, making it vulnerable to being outflanked and surrounded by lighter 'Mechs, although good intelligence and a well-deployed screening force can mitigate this issue.

Originally built for the Star League out of Technicron's factory on Savannah, the Awesome soon became a common sight in the armies of all the House Lords. At the start of the Succession Wars, the Free Worlds League was able to maintain control of the Savannah factory, making them the only Successor State capable of building new Awesomes and thus the largest user of them. Lycomb-Davion IntroTech had been producing the Awesome and other designs from their main factory on Demeter, but the Capellan Confederation struck at and destroyed the manufacturing lines on Demeter early in the First Succession War.

Eventually Technicron partnered up with Irian BattleMechs Unlimited to open a new line on Irian, although neither one was willing to tamper with the venerable design. The discovery of the Helm Memory Core and the onset of the Clan Invasion finally spurred them on to build a new variant, the AWS-9M, which took advantage of recovered lostech to address some of the issues of the original. The AWS-9Q was built in time to take part in Operation GUERRERO, while the advanced AWS-10KM built at the time of the Jihad was the result of a joint venture between Irian Technologies and Alshain Weaponry.

The Awesome has a limited, but effective, armament consisting of three Kreuss PPCs, one mounted in its right arm and two split between the left and right torsos. These give it an immense amount of damage potential at ranges exceeding five hundred meters, enough to destroy some 'Mechs with a single salvo, although at point-blank range they are less useful. For close combat the 'Mech mounts in its head a Diverse Optics Type 10 Small Laser while its left arm ends in a battlefist sufficient for hand-to-hand fighting.

To handle the tremendous heat load of its weaponry the Awesome carries twenty-eight heat sinks, although even these can be overwhelmed; most pilots only fire two of their PPCs per salvo to reduce the strain. With fifteen tons of armor plating the Awesome is one of the most heavily-armored assault 'Mechs, making it better protected than even the BattleMaster, including some of the thickest rear armor of any 'Mech. Although an enemy coming at it from the rear or left flank has a fighting chance, most soldiers agree that "the only defense against an Awesome is another Awesome."

[psychotrenny]

Now electoralism under a DOTB is always fundamentally a form of theatre; a concession grudgingly granted to the working classes in order to make them feel like they have more control over their society than they actually do (which hopefully discourages them from trying to take more meaningful control). In the USA this has been especially obvious for a very long time, with the two major parties having even more policies in common than your typical Bourgeoisie Democracy. There's a reason that quote about the US being a one party state with two parties has so much resonance (regardless of who actually said it)

But like usually there was some kind of difference, even a minor one, even if it was only in the promises and not what was actually delivered. Even though most Yanks fundamentally treat supporting a political party like cheering on a sports team, a matter of personal preference and expression of identity rather than a means through which to actually influence the system they live under, they at least had a semi-meaningful reason to pick one team over the other. Some excuse they could latch onto in order to say "I didn't just pick my side on a whim. I have a good reason to vote for my team and tell other people to do the same"

But with this current US presidential election, they don't. The blue team is openly and proudly declaring that it will be just as fascist as the red. They'll just do it with a little more diversity and #girlpower, aesthetic differences that are incredibly superficial even by US standards. And for all the sports-brained Liberals out there, it absolutely breaks their fucking brains. They become even more incoherent and embarrassing than usual, to the point of happily comparing their preferred candidate to Hitler or even declaring their willingness to work with actual Hitler. Like what the fuck is your problem?!?!? No one is making you do this! No one is making you say this! Have you considered saving the Hitler comparisons for the guy you don't like or else you know not bringing up Hitler at all??

Like I'll often criticise Liberals for being overly concerned with Aesthetics and vibes over anything material, but this dipshit Vote Blue strain can't even do that right; it's obviously fucking terrible optics to align yourself with Adolf fucking Hitler i.e. a name that is a byword for the greatest evil humanity is capable of (in case you were somehow unaware of this). Even actual fascists usually try to dissociate themselves from Hitler himself, at least in public. Like these so called "progressives" are less ashamed of supporting Hitler than your average fucking Neo-Nazi. Truly among the most stupid and pathetic people on the internet. The only solace we have is that harassing people on the internet is a pretty shit was to influence an election one way or the other, so it's not like these people are actually accomplishing anything besides embarassing themselves. I just wish they'd pick a less annoying way of doing it

[stevewarlock]

My 10 most wanted characters for Marvel Rivals

Putting under a read more because it ended up being pretty lengthy.

Doctor Doom: Borderline non-negotiable. With his magic and technology allowing him to function as either a vanguard or strategist, Doom would be incredibly easy to fit into this game's style, both in terms of gameplay and design. There's no excuse not to have Marvel's best villain in Rivals.

Mystique: Every hero shooter needs its spy, and while Loki's illusions can trick the enemy, Mystique can pose as one of their own. With all these powerful heroes and villains running around, having a character built for subterfuge would add some diversity to team strategies.

Nova: Richard Rider deserves the world. The least they could do is give him a spot on this roster! The human rocket would be a fantastic addition! I'd see him as a similar vanguard to Peni Parker, moving fast to deny space and blast the enemy, all while tanking everything his opponents can hit him with.

Cyclops: X-Men '97 has really given Scott a big boost in popularity, and his optic blasts make him a great fit for a hero shooter. Letting him use them for propulsion could give him some really cool movement options too. He'd be a nice duelist, though his ability to inspire others and lead them to victory could make him a good strategist as well.

Thor: Worth it for the Storm combo attack alone. The prince of Asgard would be a great vanguard, especially if they tap into the Odinforce or Rune magic as inspiration for his abilities. It's hard to think of a better heavy-hitter than the Odinson himself.

Falcon: While there are already flying characters in the game, Sam's sheer speed and pal Redwing could easily make him stand out as the team's eye in the sky. He could function as a duelist or even a strategist depending on how they interpret and add onto his skillset.

Nightcrawler: Another X-Men icon, Kurt's teleportation, wall-crawling and acrobatic expertise would make him one of the most mobile heroes in the roster. Add some swashbuckling and you'd have one of the coolest as well! He'd definitely be one of Rivals' top duelists.

Moondragon: She can summon a dragon made of telekinetic energy. How has Heather not been in a good video game yet? She'd make a great vanguard, her dragon construct absorbing damage for her team while dishing it back out with great force!

Gambit: Remy's power set makes him perfect for the demoman archetype, especially in a game where several characters can build walls to deny areas to the enemy. Everyone's favorite gambler can easily fit the role as a duelist.

Gamora: Magik can't be the only swordswoman duelist in the game forever! Hacking and slashing as the deadliest woman in the galaxy would be an awesome experience, and frankly one I'd be disappointed not to get.

[witchofthesouls]

The last option for the Decepticons/Autobots to discover a Gadget is hilariously on point. No one but the whackiest inspector around would stumble upon actual aliens on their break but also ruin the enemy faction's cover. Spike just staring when the bots mention the encounter before he shows them the Inspector Gadget movie.

Prowl being friends with a Gadget just gives me Good Cop/Bad Cop vibes as the latter definitely isn't that threatening in an interrogation. Plus Go Go Gadget Toothpaste Slick is a funnier possible way to deter the science bots cause its sticky and feels weird. Also something a Cybertronian shouldn't try to rub off their optics haphazardly cause it smears.

A Gadget could happen in Aligned, Animated, and Earthspark. The latter being in the same (sorta) universe as G1 so it's a bigger possibility. For Aligned, it's because of Rescue Bots side since the whackiest shit tends to happen there, like Optimus going T-Rex, so a Gadget being made plus ending up entangled in Prime's shenanigans can happen.(Prime deserves an extra dose of weirdness.)

Finally Animated is another possibility cause the human villains being insanely diverse from serious to absurd leads to the possibility of a Gadget hero. Plus Captain Fanzone as their police chief makes it funnier. The poor man knows what shenanigans their rookie gets into and them accidentally kicking Sentinel in the bearings because of a glitch is expected for him.

Exactly! Just imagine the resident Autobot-aligned humans going, "Are you sure? Did Megatron throw too hard? Ratchet needs to look at the dent in your helm."

Meanwhile, the Decepticons are furiously searching for such a terrible and terrific monstrosity! Megatron is howling that "abomination" under his command!

Prowl and Inspector friendship because both of them understand how to be an outsider from their own kind from specialized equipment and situations outside their hands/choices. Prowl helps the poor Inspector from being shanghaied by the science 'bots. They become known as Prowl's "squishy new bird" since the Inspector is generally found perched on the mech's shoulder or using the propellor to buzz around him.

The Inspector is very much aware of how much their supplies are written off by taxpayers' dollars. If they're not on the job or in danger, they don't want to utilize the armed gadgets. At least the propellor can use gasoline. It's awkward to fuel as a station, so they have an empty fuel container they lug around on vacation or their downtime in the car trunk.

Ngl, I thought of TFA as well, but there's a whole lot of dark implications in that universe and I wanted to keep it light-hearted fun. Plus, you would think with all that sci-fi, futuristic stuff going on, there would be humans with cybernetic prosthetics and a lot of other supplemental or augmentation gear. Something from I, Robot, Cyberpunk Edgerunners, My Hero Academia, or Overwatch. Having an Inspector Gadget wouldn't be so far-fetched or as fun and hilarious.

Same reasons why TFP/Aligned and Earthspark were out as well.

[mattdillon]

alright second viewing of the musical post mortem, in bullet points

it truly wants to have it's cake and eat it too. it wants to be praised for racial diversity yet brings up race in all the wrong ways and contexts and has zero optics involved.

the treatment of greaser identity is horribly handled. ponyboy always knew he was a greaser, acted like it, participated in it. what was shaky is that he didn't understand how to behave regarding a future of being a greaser and didn't like how society treated him for being a greaser. the musical acts like he's never been into it at all, going so far as to act like he's never been in a rumble which is entirely stupid when he states he and johnny were involved in rumbles together, often tag teaming

johnny is a character i don't love because his fanbase is truly annoying and even i was extremely appalled, again, at the lack of agency he is given here. dallas acts surprised he's sleeping outside — fucking why? they all know he sleeps out there! they all know his situation! — and then is the one to arm him with the switchblade. this totally robs johnny's choices to defend himself on his own and undermines his conviction to hurt the next soc who harms him.

soda is not a fully fledged character at all. his empathetic traits are completely removed and as a friend pointed out, he gets laughs like two bit should be getting laughs. he is not the empathetic, sensitive brother in either canon.

darry is laughably bad while also being deeply cruel to siblings he says he loves. allegedly. darry is also not my favorite (side bar: the paul/darry fanbase springing out of this would have you believe paul is a major character. he's not. he's the same fucking loser who leaves his junior year of college to go fight someone around midterms! loser behavior all around!) character and i feel like they wrote him straight from the tv show. he acts like he's been at this grind for years, not a few months, he's an outright tyrant to ponyboy and soda, and nothing about the performance or writing makes you feel anything for him except contempt. there's not an ounce of warmth in his performance or "brotherhood" people keep extolling.

the musical excises gone with the wind so they don't have to deal with it and it makes it poorer. stay gold, gallant that shit doesn't make sense unless you have both gwtw and the robert frost poem. clumsily inserting cinema they skimmed from wikipedia doesn't work.

there's too much #notallsocs with cherry's character. her one good point is that she does break up with bob (why does he looks and sound like someone who knows what bitcoin is with a bbl?) and other than that she acts as both a white savior and Sacred White Womanhood to Be Protected.

tuned out the songs this time. they're bland, badly staged, absolutely terrible in the choice of genre and are utterly forgettable.

i have a third round soon so. more overall thoughts later.

[mamaangiwine]

Hey about your post on the Barbie movie. Totally open to you still disagreeing and hearing why but as someone who saw the movie I just wanted to give perspective.

Obviously the consequences in Barbieland are just cute and funny but ultimately bad but I'm having a hard time seeing how comparing smallpox blankets (a tool of imperialism used to kill people) to infecting a place with patriarchy (another system of oppression that also kills people in real life) is a harmful metaphor.

I agree in a lot of ways the movie completely fails to actually address things like race and class to solely focus on sexism and it has been heavily criticized for being libfem. However, is it not analogous to compare two systems of oppression that obviously work differently but are both very bad?

I appreciate you reading my ask and hearing me out. I look forward to understanding your perspective better.

Thank you for being respectful.

So firstly, as you said the movie has been widely criticized for not touching on racism or classism- which is honestly something I expected. It's The Barbie Movie, after all. I wasn't expecting a particularly in depth exploration of that kind of intersectional feminism. No... Barbie's "intersectionality" lies in its optics. There is a trans Barbie, disabled Barbie, and various woc Barbies. Which begs the question- in a movie that wishes to show case its inclusivity and celebrate that inclusivity via the diversity of it's Barbies...in a movie that wishes to suggest "intersectionality" through the diversity of its Barbies...who then is missing in this film?

There were no Native Barbies.

Honestly, that's not unusual for me as a Native. I didn't expect to see Native Barbie. I don't expect to see Natives in much of anything that doesn't take place in "the old west" or some kind of historical drama (that is, if it isn't being written and/or made by Ndns). Up until recently, people didn't even question why we hardly got to play indigenous roles in films (Johnny Depp as Tonto comes to mind).

Which is why it's so sad that the only representation we get in a film that is trying to tout its "inclusivity" is a throw-away line that references our suffering and the genocide we endured...and are still feeling the effects of to this day.

Tragedy is not one for one. Oppression is not one for one either. I don't agree that small pox was a "tool" of imperialism. Small pox, once colonizers realized they could weaponize it, was a failed "means to an end". It was just genocide. Plain and simple. Also, "patriarchy" is a broad concept that affects multiple people differently (going back to intersectionality) whereas Native genocide only affects Natives. Including the imposition of western, white patriarchy on both Native women and men. If one is going to make comparisons, they need to be prepared to take responsibility for ALL of what that comparison implies.

Let's not forget though, this wasn't just a "comparison". This was a part of a joke. Granted the joke didn't center around smallpox, but it was still placed within an exchange of dialog in which, yes, they are discussing patriarchy, but still funny-silly-goofy things are happening. For one thing, even if you could make the argument that there is an analogy to be made, there is a time and place for things- and it certainly isn't in a comedy centering around two white actors.

There isnt an analogy to be made though. The truth is, this "joke" is apart of a long problematic history of white women (like Greta Gerwig) using the history of minorities as a means to compare their own oppression to atrocities that they were also historically complicit in. White men were not the only one who stood to gain from Native Genocide. It's also a way for white feminists to wiggle their way out of discussions of their own privelege and take accountability for a system that they benefit from.

I would like to posit a question here, if I may... Would you have felt comfortable with a reference about the Holocaust in the Barbie movie? Would you have felt comfortable with a reference about Jim Crow in the Barbie movie? Particularly refenced via a line that had no bearing to the plot or any real attatchment to a character's world view or identity? That could have gone unmissed from the final product as a whole? If the thought made you pause or cringe, that's understandable. That's how it should be.

Personally, I feel Greta Gerwig felt she could make this comparison because Natives are not always treated as a living group of people suffering under colonialism, racism, and patriarchy- it's for the same reasons we are only seen in movies set in the "old west"- we are often thought of as something from the past. As though we are already gone. This makes it so Ndns have to work especially hard for our voices to be heard sometimes, because the genocide we experienced wasn't just about exterminating us but convincing people we had already been exterminated.

For all these reasons, Native voices should be elevated, Native actors should be hired, and Native History should be respected.

[growingnerves]

Trying to find a nice way to put this… what Norman said on that podcast was not okay. Insulting fans and admitting to being responsible for writers losing their jobs with such nonchalance, is downright disrespectful- although I’m thankful the truth didn’t stay buried. It’s careless behavior and it doesn’t reflect well on AMC considering this is a repeated offense.

Not everyone involved in television has to be an excellent public speaker but there should be someone at the helm who understands how to conduct themselves in interviews. Every show needs a spokesperson to be a direct link to the audience: for promoting the show, and making the fans feel included as well as appreciated. As a fan I’ve never wanted creatives to bend to the whim of every loudmouth on social media. Shallow fan service has never benefited any show. However, fair criticism and honest feedback should be welcome. Serving the self-interest of a man with an ego the size of the Eiffel Tower won’t do the show any favors either. AMC, like any other network, presumably wants someone as the face of their series who reflects positively on their brand. I’m hoping we will see some significant changes going forward to win back the trust of the fans. And I believe Melissa McBride’s input is essential to do so.

Viewers are considering ethics when it comes to their TV watching habits now more than ever. We are becoming aware of the optics of the media we consume. We can examine what we know of the practices at individual studios and networks in an effort to support shows that most closely align with our own values. We don’t need to compromise our high standards when there are endless other options. To stay in line with the audience, TV has to evolve alongside us. If AMC can’t keep up with the demand for a diverse cast and writer’s room, I’m not subscribing and I suspect other viewers will gravitate elsewhere too, as they have been.

Women’s voices are valuable even if historically they’ve been taken for granted. Women tend to have a wider outreach in their storytelling than the repetitive POV that is often seen from male showrunners. Men have not been faced with the same obstacles. They haven’t had to contort themselves into a million different shapes to be taken seriously.

Men’s voices were the only ones heard for a long time in film and television. Male protagonists were given autonomy and multifaceted stories, while women’s representation was not prioritized. Women only existed in relation to their male counterparts- and the damsel in distress just isn’t that interesting to watch. Because of this, women have projected themselves into the considerably more compelling male characters, delving into the minutiae to find some semblance of relatability in typically masculine portrayals. This has been a challenge to other marginalized groups on an even larger scale. How long have POC been sorely underrepresented, having to find ways to see themselves in white stories? And the LGBTQ+ community has been limited to watching primarily straight cis romances. The representation we do get is often times minimized to tokenism. The absence of diversity impacts everyone who doesn’t fit the same generic prototype. There are countless experiences and lifestyles that take on a wide range of forms which have not yet been in the spotlight. We don’t need another lone ranger on a motorcycle. Another mysterious brooding male antihero, yawwwwn.

Marginalized individuals have been prompted to work a creative muscle that the everyday man has not- to both suspend our disbelief and also dig into the details to uncover the inherit humanity in stories where we don’t necessarily identify with the protagonist.

These are the voices who are going to be the best conduits for fresh stories because they’ve already had to do the work to investigate human complexity to find themselves on screen, within characters who don’t necessarily look or act like they do. Not only can they build on already existing material but they can introduce original concepts. Television has been oversaturated with the straight white man running his mouth unchecked for too long. We don’t have to settle for that anymore when we can switch over to another show, one that better represents us.

[transingthoseformers]

Santa Claus Conquers the Decepticons: Thundercracker after defecting to the Autobot side in the the Earthspark universe sometime in the mid-90s is found to have a talent for writing. After a while he's asked by some studio executives to write a movie showing Transformers being friends with humans. He purposes a holiday movie, based off of what he knows about human holidays and decides that it would be a Christmas movie with ol' Santy Claaus as one of the protagonists, along with a group of kids. The story starts off on Cybertron where Optimus Prime, Elita-One, and Megatron are wondering how they can get the Transformers to stop fighting. They come across Alpha Trion who mentions the Earth holiday of Christmas, which is a time of love and friendship. Megatron is leery of bringing human traditions to Cybertron but Optimus thinks it would be a good thing to bring Christmas to Cybertron, so the Autobots and Decepticons would know peace and joy. In order to bring Christmas to Cybertron, they decide to kidnap Santa Claus, because somehow that makes sense. In the process of kidnapping Santa, they end up kidnapping a diverse group of kids "with attitude" so they can keep the secret that the Transformers kidnapped Santa. However, a bunch of hijinks occur including Wheeljack inventing a very bizarre toymaking contraption that ends up malfunctioning, Starscream trying to kill Santa Claus on multiple occasions, Grimlock being in charge of making the treats only to have the cassetticons eat all of them behind his back, Wheeljack creating Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by sheer accident who ends up fighting Starscream with his laser nose (and that's why it's red), and Santa Claus being sent back home with those kids after Alpha Trion uses the AllSpark to make a Santa Prime. Basically it's a rehash of that old Christmas movie Santa Claus Conquers the Martians but with more action scenes and explosions.

Alex Malto has a DVD of the movie and considers it one of his favorite Christmas movies of all time. It's also been riffed by Earthspark's version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Terrans have many questions about it after the movie ends, like asking why Optimus would participate in a kidnapping and why Megatron sounds so weird.

Nice to see someone else indulging in the "earthspark Thundercracker defected" train. I also damn swear by earthspark TC with yellow optics because then the elite trine would have the three primary colors

It must've been so interesting for Thundercracker to get scouted by humans but he's just excited that he can share his writings.

TC IS A GENIUS

I have no goddamn idea that there was a movie involving Christmas and martians but this sounds rather cool

Alex would totally collect it!

Sdfghj on them immediately trying to logic it out

[celestial-coordinates]

Introduction

Finally decided to make a Tumblr for my sci-fi project that's been languishing on Amino for literal years.

The City

Astar City sits in the heart of the Atlantic, an artificial island that breaches the boundary of earth and the greater reaches of space. I is here that the greatest minds are trained, taught and cultivated to carry humanity forward in the pursuit of betterment--and to avoid the mistakes of the past. Guiding them are our allies and friends from beyond the stars, each bringing to the table something unique that enriches the lives of those living with and without gravity keeping them on the ground.

At the northernmost point stands the base of the great Gravern-Tybbs Space Elevator, the hub of planetary travel and resource management for Astar City and the very reason for the island to be built. The city itself consists of three 'rings' with the outermost zone being subdivided at the cross-quarters:

Northeast: the docks that import and export goods from the elevator to the rest of the world.

Northwest: the factories that shop materials used in the city itself or to be exported.

Across the midline is the Elgiss Channel that separates the industrial zone from the rest of the outer ring.

Southeast: Glassgow Park, a touch of nature to greet the incoming visitors and new citizens of Astar City.

Brightside amusement park lies at the southern tip of the island, full of neon and fiber optics.

Southwest: Elysium Square, named for the fields of heroes, this part of the outer ring is a type of nature reserve where festivals, recreation and camping occurs.

The secondary ring is the widest and most densely populated, hosting the library, museum, businesses, apartments, the university, etc. Different zones have developed based on local population and need, with various cultures carving out corners of the city for themselves, each connected by the monorail that covers the middle ring.

The inner ring is also known as Pillar Place and hosts only three buildings the locals refer to as "the ladies of Astar City" for their nicknames: Astrid, Ingrid and Ester.

Astar Technology, Research & Development (AsTReD) is the jewel of the city where the greatest minds of all species bring their skills together to move forward. There is a direct landing zone for small ships on the roof of the building which stands the tallest at 123 floors.

The Inter-Global Resource Department (InGReD), or “trade center”, manages the accounts and resources of Astar City, regulating repairs, jobs, money and relationships between earth and the colonies. Boasting 119 floors, it is the second tallest building in the city.

The third building is colloquially called “the ambassador apartments” but it's legally named the Exo-Endo Suites for Terran Relations (EESTeR) which are somewhere between a hotel, a timeshare and an apartment block for political figures to stay and to house the ambassadors of the Kuana which handle the translations and interactions on behalf of their patrons. The Lofted Gardens sit atop the spire, capping it at 115 floors.

No building in the city is allowed to exceed 100 floors as to not conflict with The Ladies.

The digital currency of the city is the kibb, which has an exchange rate of 100KBB=1.25 USD (kibb are counted like Japanese yen with no decimals or fractional dollars).

The Citizens

Boasting a colorful array of denizens, Astar City boasts not only the greatest diversity of new-earth cultures in one place, but also the most non-earth cultures as well. In the wake of The War for Change (also dubbed WWIII or the Eco-War), many cultures and countries on earth were fractured, lost or sub-divided as populations were deposed and borders redrawn. In an effort to preserve history and their memories, surviving groups were approached to document their culture and struggles post-war; some of these survivors eventually migrated to Astar City for work, settling in the new districts and reshaping their identities into what they are today.

Of the races/species represented, there are:

Humans, both Enhanced (robotic) and Modified (gene spliced)

Robots, the smallest faction, consisting of pure synthetic 'life' developed from rapidly advancing AI made by humans

Viispaa, currently majority Primes, some Curantis and Puer, a few Inimicus and Artifex (other subtypes coming soon)

Aska'a Thani, the second most common non-human under Viispaa

Kuana, though they remain in orbit and rarely come to the surface

Ravulcaba Mercs and Merchants, the most recent inclusion to the roster having appeared after responding to distress caused by stray Miscreant activity

Lem'iran, a single individual currently in hyper sleep with an unknown wake date

The System

By the onset of the 3030s, earth (also known as Terra, Geos or Gaia) and its resident sapient species, the humans, have touched the corners of their solar system and set up stations of one kind or another on most available surfaces. In 2375, the three races agreed that all space within 40 AU of Sol/Helios (our sun) would belong to humans by right and thus determined by them how it would be distributed and moderated. [dates are temporary and under reconsideration]

Moon/Luna/Selene: colonization of the moon started in 2260 as the first major unification project between the Kuana, Aska'a and humans. However, political and bureaucratic policies on earth forced the colony to declare independence in 2269, dubbing themselves the Greater Alliance Lunar Commonwealth, later dubbed Galuc. They celebrate the birth of the first off-world infant which opened the filed of psionics in 2272, with the colony town developing into something of a college-town. The University of Galuc is the only facility in the system greater than Astar University in terms of academic scope, with focus on the study of psionics, low-gravity survival and colonization of hostile landscapes, and deep-space communications and observation through the use of Arecibo II. Sim chambers are a staple of the lunar economy, with the short ride from the space elevator to the docking bay being little more than a train ride for citizens of Astar City.

Mercury: around 2380, in response to changes in the judicial system of earth, a high-security "reformation" station was built on Mercury though everyone knows its a prison. Intended to 'make use' of those who failed to contribute to society, the station ensures escape is impossible due to the harsh terrain of Mercury and its abysmal climate. Considered a one-way trip, the facility doubles as a factory for manufacturing and refining certain materials while utilizing a system similar to the moon's for being solar powered. After a failed uprising by inmates cause massive losses around 2600, the guards were replaced in majority with AI.

Venus: despite rovers surviving for upwards of 36 hours on the surface, in 2400 Venus was deemed "still hell" and quarantined as a waste dump for materials that don't decay, such as plastics; lack of terraforming technology has made planets like Venus "unsuitable" for colonization. Some materials such as radioactive waste are ejected into the sun for removal.

Mars: in 2375, after the Galuc colony debacle settled, Mars was considered for a new base of operations. The founding colony was established as a terraforming research facility, however as they gained space and samples, our alien allies began bringing embryos from other planets to help diversify our resources and fill niches that had not been needed on earth. While the technology for proper terraforming hit wall after wall, advancements in robotic AI allowed for opportunities to better mine asteroids for material. The Mars colony itself turned its focus to conservation and study of exotic animals, becoming the system's largest wildlife preserve and only place currently allowing the display of non-Sol species.

Belt: under control of the InAMi Corporation (Inner Astroid Mining Corporation) since 2727

Jupiter: with the onset of gravity-assist launching methods becoming standard practice and trial runs of quantum radio broadcasting, the year 2572 saw the beginning of Jovian lunar colonization to help facilitate asteroid mining. By 2586, the Jovian Lunar Bases dominate the field in terms of mining exports and AI development for industrial workplaces.

Saturn: while Saturn's moons were under observation for colonization since 2586, the first bases weren't established until 2601 due in part to the fuel requirements and resource limitations, but also from the mysterious, radioactive wreck found floating between Saturn and Uranus in 2590. The make of the ship was not familiar, life signs were absent and no race claimed a missing ship, thus it was hauled to an asteroid base for study and dubbed The Shell. High levels of radiation and no comparisons for deciphering the salvage brings the study to a crawl.

Uranus: 2697 saw the first attempt to colonize Uranus, however energy requirements caused major hiccups along the way, forcing the orbital station to be shut down until alternatives are found. Inami Corp funds a smaller station to facilitate the development of electro-magnetic generators while supplying fossil fuels to the station. A gamble is taken on whether or not Neptune's moon, Triton, has liquid water which could be used for hydro-electric power. After the prototype solar-powered hypercells are perfected, the colony station comes back online on restricted power in 2836 with a focus on using magnetic fields for energy.

Neptune: in 2735 the gamble paid off and a team was sent to try and establish a power facility in the back half of the system. Despite this, tensions arose between the sentient races regarding the withholding of technology, creating The Frozen Period where advancement and colonization effectively stopped until 2825. Proper colonization of Triton begins in 2862, growing it into a power station and foothold to the Kuiper belt by 2870.

Pluto: In 2881, a unknown signal from outside the solar system is detected; origins are unknown and unclaimed, but the possibility of more life on their level existing encourages a project for converting Pluto and the other demi-planets to be fitted with signal transmitters to boost and detect further broadcasts. In 2891, after siphoning most of the unstable radiation from The Shell and spending a considerable amount of time breaking down the remnant of a language, it's discovered the console received a signal whose imprint matched the mysterious signal from a decade prior, which had previously been written off as interference from sunspots. In 2913, the Exo-Solar Communications Station (ESCoS) comes online.

Kuiper belt: under control of Inami Corp's sister company, OKAMi (Outer-Kuiper Asteroid Mining) since 2878.