#Amazon I know you have the money for better rings

[allegriana]

Every time I see those godawful rings in The Rings of Power I am filled with indignation. You're telling me that the greatest living Elven smith set these chunky bizarrely cut stones into these incredibly basic bands?? Was this the wretched work of Sauron to make Celebrimbor forget everything he ever knew about lapidary???

These rings are completely out of step with the rest of the elven art nouveau aesthetic. Elrond was 100% correct; they should have been cast into the abyss before they infected Middle Earth with the desire for subpar costume jewelry.

The whole point of cutting gemstones is to make them catch the light and sparkle in a way that shows off the unique properties of the stone. Celebrimbor's grandaddy understood this perfectly when he crafted the Silmarils, which captured the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. (Then he apparently died without passing this knowledge on to his descendants and Celebrimbor was forever dragged for his questionable design choices, I guess)

Here are some examples of rings made by people who had a budget of more than $50 and more than a weekend to knock out their Jewelry 101 summer camp project

https://www.langantiques.com/lang-collection-art-nouveau-style-1-81-carat-diamond-ring-gia-j-si2.html

https://pebbleandpolish.com/products/victorian-art-nouveau-buff-cut-garnet-and-diamond-ring-in-yellow-and-white-gold

I'd be willing to entertain arguments about using larger/weirdly faceted stones, but you still have to design the ring to take this shape and style into mind

https://byangeline.com/products/partially-faceted-natural-sapphire-gemstone-raw-rough-diamond-18k-yellow-gold-engagement-multi-stone-1280

Galadriel, gazing in fascination at the first Ring Pop ever crafted by the elves. Look at how delicate the rest of her jewelry and costume are in contrast to the Temu engagement ring. The elves eventually have to take these rings off not because Sauron forged the One Ring but because theirs were turning their fingers green.

There are so many set and costume designs in this show that I love; clearly a lot of talented people worked on this show! I just wish that as much elegant craftsmanship had informed the TITULAR rings.

(I'm sure some there have been some defensive justifications for Why the Rings Look Like That but I tell you I will not be swayed by any of them)

[sugarcandydoll]

hi dolly I'm trying to enter my girly era and you clearly know a lot about it based on your aesthetic and stuff! I was wondering if you could give me some advice or tips on being more girly and hyper feminine?🩷

aww aww angel im so flattered omgg ♡🎀 but don't think im the perfect example of a girly girl cause im so messy n emotional n disorganized :(♡ but i do love pinky n glam fashion n aesthetics hehe so i can totally share some tips on that ♡👛 also pls pls remember there is no right way to be a girly girl ♡💞 those are just tips n advice from my own experience abt what makes me feel girly n happy hehe ♡👼🏼

🎀 Fashion

browse outfits on pinterest n make moodboards to find ur style hehe ♡ shein is also amazing for finding cute girly pieces for cheap!! i usually shop my pinky n barbiecore outfits from shein!! ♡ if u want inspo here is a link to my pinterest fashion board ♡ i love wearing crop tops, matching sets, cute dresses n skirts, white tights w heart patterns ♡ for my comfy n lazy day i go along with pink graphic sweatshirt w cute print on it like bambi or disney princess hehehe ♡ also get cute lingerie n pjs it's gonna make u feel like a lil princess ♡

🎀 Makeup

if ur into makeup, play with different look n choose whatever makes u feel the prettiest! ♡ my personal fav makeup look is a full face of makeup with frosty pink eyeshadow ♡ lots of white highlight on inner corners of eyes n nose tip ♡ black winged eyeliner ♡ white eyeliner on waterline ♡ cat eye faux lashes ♡ lots of blush, n too faced lip plumping gloss along with pinky lipstick hehe ♡ i also sometimes wear brown circle lenses to give that dolly look to my eyes ♡

🎀 Hair

pls pls take care of ur hair (it's smth i need to get better at cause i fried my hair w bleach) my fav hair care tip is too deep oil it w coconut oil ♡ choose a shampoo & conditioner that smells good n works for u ♡ if ur into dyeing ur hair play w colors hehe ♡ i personally loved a reddish brown and then later a light blonde on me ♡👸🏼💕 but now wanna switch things up cause blonde maintainance is getting too expensive n i feel bad wasting soo much of my dad's money on my hair :( so i might get back to like a caramel brown hehe ♡ i also love curling my hair n putting hair extensions n cute girly accessories like bows n pink barretes n huge pink scrunchies ♡

🎀 Nails

get ur nails n toes done often hehe ♡💅🏼 i love the whole salon experience of mani/pedi but since i don't work anymore n live w my parents i wanna be more frugal :(♡ so press ons are my bffs hehehe n i love putting press ons on my toes too hehe ♡ u can find a lot of cute press on nails on amazon n etsy ♡ i usually go for pink medium length nails either plain or w a cute pattern n rhinestones ♡ i sometimes love going with colors like red, baby blue, purple, n a leopard pattern too hehe ♡ my fav nail shape is coffin or stiletto ♡ but go along with whatever makes ur hands look pretty ♡🫶🏼💗

🎀 Accessories

get cute jewelery n accessories hehehe ♡🧁 i usually buy my cutesy pink jewelry from shein ♡ n i love carrying pink bags n purses ♡ my fav for school is definitely my victoria's secret's carry all pink tote hehehe ♡ i also love wearing rings n toe rings n anklets w little bells on it to jingle when i walk hehe ♡ also also i love getting a necklace w my fav fictional character's initial on it oops ♡ i also love wearing cute pink hair accessories like bows n barrettes n huge pink scrunchie ♡ or if i want my hair up i use a huge pink claw clip ♡

🎀 Smelling Good

perfumes n bodymists are the best hehehe ♡ explore different scents at shops n figure out what u like best!! ♡ my current favs are strawberry snowflakes by bbw & pure seduction shimmer mist by victoria's secret, & tease sugar fleur by victoria's secret ♡ usually go w super super sweet or fruity scents but u don't have to angel ♡🍰 florals n fresh scents are sooo cute too just go along w whatever feels the most you n the best in ur opinion hehe ♡

[meltotheany]

Goodreads | Amazon US | B&N | Blackwell’s | Bookshop “And when the Empire is weak, it is often because a powerful few have denied us the abundance of our people.” if you’re looking for a fantasy murder mystery that has a sherlock and watson dynamic, with a setting that feels like you were dropping into attack on titans, with themes of systemic injustice, and discussions on classism, with a story that follows a queer mc with a learning disability… well, i am here to tell you to please look no further in this world, the land is separated by rings, and those rings are walls that are constantly being reinforced to keep leviathans out and the people safe. especially the outermost wall, that is also constantly being manned by a military force. also in this world, people are able to get magical augmentations that enhance abilities – and there is a vast range of different augmentations from strength, to sight, or even memory. this land, these augmentations, and different sorts of technological advancements are constantly changing and evolving because of the flora and the importance of the array of plant life on this land. also, this story takes place right on the cusp of the wet season, where the land is less forgiving, alongside the leviathans trying to breach the walls. and if the leviathans do reach the shores, their blood and bodies have a very strange effect on the land and can make a place completely uninhabitable. and lastly, a murder rather unusual, involving the flora in this world, just happened and no one has any clues as to why or how, but the empire needs it solved before the wet season officially hits. this story follows an assistant to a detective, named dim, who is an engraver, which means he has an enhancement that allows him to remember everything he is seeing, and relay it back to his detective with 100% accuracy and certainty. this is because of an augmentation that he has, and he is able to extra anchor the memories with a vial of a fragrance he is able to tie the experience to. and truly, him exploring all of these places, and manors, and crime scenes, and attaching all of these clues to scent, was one of my favorite parts of this book. but the detective herself? oh, ana is the best character i’ve read in years! truly a new favorite for me! ana is a bit of a mystery herself throughout the book, so i don’t want to say too much, but she seems to be banished to the outer ring, but she needed a new assistant for a murder mystery in which she is very much needed to solve. and together we watch din and her work together and try to find the murderer(s), while more and more mystery ensues. this was just a really fresh story, and something that really pushed the bounds of both fantasy and mystery genres. yet, also combining both and making a really beautiful and harmonious experience for readers. this felt different to read, and special to consume, and it really surpassed absolutely every expectation i had prior to purchasing this book at b&n because i love the trend of covers being printed directly on hardcovers with no dust jackets. “Born into systems beyond our control, into relationships and organizations that obligate us to change, all so our families may prosper… That’s what the empire is, isn’t it?” to me, this story really also discusses themes of classism and social injustice, where the rich colonizers get to live in safety in the most inner walls, while also having the money to protect themselves from any and all things. while the essential workers who are trying to make all the walls and land a safer and better place are forced to work and live in unsafe conditions. and while people from impoverished communities are forced to give everything they have, in hopes that something will make it back to their families so they will be able to live a tiny bit of a better life. (please know, there is a lot more i want to say, but i won’t because of spoilers – but i really loved some of the themes and thoughts that i felt like were presented within this story!!) “If you ...

[rahabs]

In a depressive slump about money again. I know this is temporary, it'll only be a couple of years, but being on a strict budget is hard when two staples (bread and cheese) costs $16 and you have some unexpected pet expenses. Have a massive visa bill because I had to replace a broken appliance, too. Just... so tired. If I'd stayed in law I could have been making way more money, but I legitimately wanted to KMS when I was still working as a lawyer, and I couldn't face doing that for the rest of my life. I like my new job, but it doesn't pay well right now, even though it will get better years down the line.

It's also just frustrating to know I spent all that time in law school, getting read, only to not be able to make it very far. My sister is eight years younger and already more successful, my other younger sister lives with our parents and has most of her stuff paid for... it's frustrating. Add to that I know I'll be alone for always. It's just how it is. So I'll forever be the sole person supporting myself. They'll have partners and pooled incomes eventually and I'll just be :) Struggling on my own. An afterthought, as usual. They barely remembered my birthday this year, so unlike my sisters I never got a birthday dinner, and my present was something cheap off Amazon whereas my sisters got massive dinners and gifts. When my sister graduated nursing she got a dinner and a ring; when I graduated law I got nothing. My country is in a massive downward spiral, everything is unaffordable...

Just no point.

I thought about getting a second job, interviewed for one, but the gas to get out there would make any extra cash worthless.

[6leggedhorse]

Tarot Cards: Myths, Uses, and History 7/19

Have you ever watched The Craft? Perhaps you’ve seen that corny horror film Tarot or even The Ninth Gate? What do these films have in common? Well, the use of Tarot Cards! In Hollywood, the cinematic use of the deck can be seen in gloom, paranormal or supernatural based films or shows. Tarot cards can be seen as scary, fake and even satanic. To begin to understand the world of Tarot, we need to take a glance at its origin story.

Origins

Let’s go back to 1430s Italy, where cards weren’t just used for games, but for fortune telling. Instead of the generic four suites, the Italians added a 5th suite to the deck. This fifth suite consists of 22 cards, each one containing its own unique imagery and meaning. This made the deck go from 56 to the classic 78 card we all have come to know. Originally the deck wasn’t numbered so it was up to the user to remember the order in which their deck was in. The 22 cards consist of the major arcana while the other 56 contain the minor arcana; while the major arcana depicts significant meanings to the user and the client, the major arcana also depicts The Fools journey. With the remaining 56, each suite represents an element: air-swords, wands-fire, chalices-water and coins-earth. Each suite will have 4 court cards, a page, knight queen and king.

Fast forward to 1780s France where the tarot deck will now be adapted to metaphysical/occult usage. Each suite represents something, the element of water deals in emotions, love, the element of air deals in communication and conflict and perhaps some decision making, earth deals in money and material possessions and fire deals with work, passion, careers. With the major arcana, depicts large and significant meanings in situations, spirituality, paths and even helps providing some advice.

Myths

Myth: Your deck won’t work if you buy it! You need to have it gifted to you!

Fact: for specific cultures and people, this rings true as the tarot deck is viewed to be extremely sacred. Some people even believe it needs to passed down to you; which, again, rings true to specific cultures and people. If you’re Romani or part of any culture where this is a common practice, then this may ring true to you. In modern times, you can simply walk into a Barnes and Noble, Hot Topic, Spencer’s, Earthbound Trading Co. or even go to Amazon and buy one. It’s better if you purchase the deck yourself rather than have it gifted to you. Why? Well, someone may buy you a deck, but it maybe a deck that you don’t like or didn’t want. You need to look for the specific deck that clicks with you. Now if you add it onto you wishlist, thats fine too, but you need to be the one that finds and establishes such a connection.

Myth: Tarot is Satanic! It’s just down right evil!

Fact: this is a negative belief generated by religious folks to try and keep people away from getting into it. No deck is tied to any religion really, and there is no way it can summon any entity of a large scale such as Satan. The deck is a blank slate, ready for readings and a good time.

Myth: The Death card means you will die!

Fact: There is no card in the tarot deck that gets such a bad rep like the 13th card in the deck, well, other than the Devil. But back to the 13th card, this card isn’t saying you’ll go down like it’s a Final Destination film or that you’re cursed. It’s telling you you’re experiencing the end of an era, the closing of a chapter, rebirth. One door closes and another opens. You won’t physically die, but a chapter in your life is going to close; if the death card is reversed it means you’re not allowing that chapter to close, you’re stagnant in growth.

Uses

Insight: The Tarot deck has its uses, such as providing insight on some drama or how to solve a solution with that crusty co worker. It can even help provide more insight on a personal relationship; however I personally choose not to do this because I have no reason to and it’s anxiety inducing.

Advice: Tarot decks are good at this, and they won’t lie to you either. If you need advice on how to go about job hunting or dealing with your partner’s ex. partner then these cards can happily guide you to how to properly deal with the situation you asked for advice on.

Games: To this day you can still play games with them! If readings aren’t your style, then you can for sure play card games with them!

Inspiration: ever had writers block? Tarot can help you solve that issue by giving you creative inspiration through readings or just by simply existing. This works for other forms of art besides writing!

Growth/Reflection: If you’ve ever done shadow work, or commit to therapy or anything that helps you grow and reflect on being a better person, Tarot cards can help guide you to completing that goal. The goal of the Tarot deck would to be to receive its insights and advice in order to help you seek out the desired goal of personal growth or reflection.

Epilogue

I hope you enjoyed reading my first post! This took all day to knock out because I got busy with other personal matters. Needless to say I hope you enjoyed reading this! Stay tuned for next week’s blog post!

References

[all-hail-the-witcher]

questionable government spies, but better written and 5 years late chapter 2: please don't scramble my eggs

back at it again :)

i got stuck in florida for 5 days and produced this

___

words: 750 (short but its necessary)

edited: yes :)

warnings: kidnapping, threats, gangs

tags: @jack-kellys @ainti-pretty @boygirlctommy (let me know if you want to be tagged)

ch 1 | read it on ao3

___

*24 hours earlier*

It was a normal day for Spot. Which should have been his first red flag. There were no normal days when you worked for The Anonymous. 

Which was why he really shouldn't have been surprised when between one second and the next he was getting knocked out and thrown in a van. 

Next thing he knew he was blinking his eyes open in a dim, dank room. One single lightbulb flickered annoyingly above him and thick rope dug into his wrists. Something chirped in the corner. Rats, most likely. Spot wasn’t sure if the higher ups in the gang simply had no money or just had a thing for shitty movie interrogation core rooms because believe it or not, this was not the first time that he had ended up in a room that looked like this. 

“Sean Patrick Conlon.” 

Fucking Christ. 

“Oscar if you wanted to talk to me you could have just asked like a normal person,” Spot sighed. “We work in the same building. There was really no need to pull out all the stops for me.”

Oscar stepped into the light, a sickly smile stretched across his stupid face. The hilt of the silver knife he was rolling between his hands clicked against his many gold rings. Spot resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“You know you shouldn’t talk to me like that,” Oscar grinned. “Not after everything I’ve done for you.” 

“I wasn’t aware that kidnapping me and tying me to a chair fell into that category” 

Faster than he could blink, Spot felt the tip of Oscar’s knife digging into his collar bone. He ground his teeth together so he wouldn’t flinch. It wouldn’t do him any favors. He waited for Oscar to make some kind of smart ass comment, but what he said instead was far more terrifying. 

“Why did you never tell any of us that you have a sister?” 

Spot’s blood went cold. He hadn’t seen Grace in years. She had been placed in a different foster home than he had been after their mom had dropped off of the face of the earth and he had never been able to find her again after he had aged out. After a few years he had come to accept the fact that she had likely been adopted by whatever family she had been placed with.

He fought to maintain his composure. “So what if I do?” 

Oscar was unfazed. “Grace Michaels. You know she’s living in the city? 42 West 64th street. She has a cat named Slippers. Her Amazon package is arriving today, she ordered a new 10 foot iphone charger. She left the house at 7:33am with her fiancée. Did you know she was getting married? I’m assuming he didn’t ask for your permission.” 

Spot narrowed his eyes. Straining against the rope would just make Oscar more annoyed. 

“His name is Patrick Cortes,” Oscar continued. “He proposed during their vacation two months ago in Italy. The date is already set for next November. She picked out her dress two weeks ago.” 

“What do you want with Grace?” Spot asked, fighting to keep a straight face. In a way, it was comforting to know that Grace was still alive and seemingly okay, but if Oscar was interested in her then that might not last for much longer. 

Oscar flipped his knife in his hands. “Tomorrow morning you are going to go to the FBI Headquarters in Times Square and you are going to turn yourself in. In exchange for your immunity you are going to offer to work with their agents in order to take down this organization. You will refuse to work with every agent except for Antonio Higgins. You will build trust with him and help him to infiltrate our organization. After one month you will double cross him, leading him to his death.”

“And why would I do that?” Spot had a sinking feeling that he already knew the answer. 

“Because it would be a shame if your sister was in a horrible accident before her wedding, don’t you think?” Oscar smirked. 

“You’re sick.” 

Oscar shrugged. “It’s not my plan. This one’s direct from the higher ups.” 

“Of course it is,” Spot muttered. “I’m assuming I have no choice?” 

“Not unless you want your roommate to find your head on his doorstep.” 

Spot tried to imagine Elmer opening the door of their apartment to his head in a cardboard box. Not a good mental image. Especially when Elmer thought that he worked as a security guard at a Hilton hotel. 

“Do I have to kill him?” Spot asked. That was his one remaining boundary. Over the years they had pushed him to do worse and worse things, but he had still remained firm in the fact that he didn't want to kill anyone.

“No,” Oscar said. “The higher ups have a plan for him.” Spot resisted the urge to shudder. Hopefully whoever this Antonio was was an asshole so that he didn't feel bad about leading him to what was surely to be a terrible and painful death.

It was a lose lose situation and as usual, the only way out was through. That was how things worked around here. And the worst part was, he was stuck here.

“So are you in?”

“Yeah.” Spot hated that he didn’t even hesitate. “I’m in.”

___

:O evil spot

ch3 will be long and incredible to make up for how short this one is

let me know what you think !!!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Apparently the ACOTAR adaptation has been scrapped?

Mmhmm! It appears to have been dumped a while ago. I'm not surprised, tbh.

People seem to think that these streamers have endless amounts of $$$ to spend on fantasy shows. I've seen a lot of fans on Twitter etc passing around petitions to convince HBO, Amazon etc to pick up the show. And the reality is that not only do they already have their fantasy shows (the Game of Thrones spinoffs AND the Dune spinoffs for HBO, shows like Rings of Power and Wheel of Time for Amazon... Pretty much ALL of these companies are in the red. I think Netflix is supposed to be doing the best, but even they are... in the red.

Which is why you see all these cheap shows being made, the constant churn and burn, etc. Zaslav cutting shit from Max like it's his job. The budget for HoTD s2, a season with budget cuts that was pretty widely dragged by fans and critics, which CLEARLY had less money to work with based on the lack of full scale battles, main characters sitting in the same sets for episodes... on.... end.... without much motion, still cost around $160-200 million-ish, supposedly. (If we go by the estimate of $20 mill+ per episode.)

ACOTAR could potentially cost MORE if you take into account the SFX needed for the fairy realms, etc. HotD and Rings of Power are, at the end of the day, essentially medieval sets with some polish added in for things like dragons, magic, etc. I actually think that ACOTAR is potentially more involved.

... which is why.... it would have worked better... as an animated series lol.....

And uh, Prime made their choice with Fourth Wing. Who knows if that'll happen? I'm skeptical. But it does make more sense to me as an investment as, similarly to HotD, there really isn't too much CRAZY SHIT to invest in besides the dragons (which is still a lot, mind you). Film on certain locations to get the right look, etc. The costumes don't sound super elaborate. The story is preeeeeeeetty linear, whereas ACOTAR has a lot of stops and starts and shifts in focus. Where do you even end with that one?

I'd still make it an animated series, but that is is me.

And I also think that there's just a lot more coming down the pipeline for the fantasy romance trend. We can give ACOTAR its due for being at the forefront, but that doesn't mean it's the one people are buzzing about QUITE as much anymore. Still very successful, don't get me wrong. But is it worth the massive investment required? Who knows?

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii personally think that the investment in a fuckton of fantasy shows seems like... a lot... as it is. I feel like I can see some fantasy fatigue, on TV at least, coming up. The book trend was influenced BY the TV trend, and it'll be interesting to see where it goes if the genre drops off a bit in TV.

[kissmethroughthebone]

The Holidays were a mess!

Sometimes I date people and they make it seem like they have some big surprise in store for me, and then they don't.

Like this passing Christmas, my wishlist was very simple:

Lab-grown gemstones (if one really bothered to search, I could've gotten like 10 sapphires, 10 rubies and 5 other gemstones for the price of an average Shake Shack order from gemsngems)

Sapphire or emerald ring (even broke people can get this; Etsy has sapphire and emerald rings for 30 bucks. Are they doublets [a.k.a. a gemstone sat upon a thin later of glass]? Yes. But are they nice, pretty, cheap and what I want? Yes. Or even a lab grown one would've been dirt cheap.)

A blanket...... yep, that's it. A blanket. An UGG blanket would've been amazing but frankly all blankets are good. Hard to mess up. Like, under 30 bucks, really.

A massage oil candle. As in the brands where you get a candle that, when lit, slowly melts into a skin-safe warm body oil. Sexy AND comforting, works for both self-care and intimacy with someone. 35$ maximum, but some sold for as low at 15$ for guaranteed high quality massage oil.

Easy enough list, right? Even a man working at Amazon could do this.

And what I actually got:

Excuses.

I almost did get a massage oil candle, but it was my last fling's shoddy attempt at making one... ah yes, a man who could've spent like, 15 bucks, decided that an empty no-spout pasta jar with untested-for-skin-safety heated up shea butter and lavender oil, with a wick in it, was what I deserved...... after being great all year to him.

Why didn't I get it, you ask? Well, let's just say men don't like it when you hold them accountable for things they attempted that made them deserving to be on a registry somewhere. Thankfully, I have hands. He didn't want these hands moisturized even when I almost lacked the sense to forgive him! (I was in a haze and hardly had anyone around me, of course I was almost gonna go back to an abuser!)

Meanwhile he still blew tons of money on board games and comic books.

The ethical anti-consumer organic product naturalista in me is flattered, but ultimately not at all impressed.

Ha! Funny how last year I discussed with others openly on my social media page that a man who spends more on himself, than you, is a man who underprioritizes you.

And the men on my roster, (consisting of my Recent Ex Boyfriend, who let's call L, and my recent fling, let's call M,) agreed, and promised to do better.

It paused temporarily! L stopped with the Bape hoodie obsession of his for a bit and promised more high end dates. (He promised that when we broke up too, since men always try when they know they're gonna lose you for good and will pull out all stops.) M temporarily paused (or hid better) his obsession with wasting cash on rare comic books he never reads online.

And then it happened again. Suddenly everyone has rhinestone hoodies and the limited edition Resident Evil comic books, but no money for a real date, or to pick me up from anywhere but a BART station.

Whew, chile. The ghetto. The ghettoooooo.

My fault for dating broke niggas with issues.

All good though. I'll tighten the fuck up!

I am meant for ubers, galas, chaffeurs, high end events and success! Bills paid! Not... that lame shit!

Low tier men are good for smaller expenses, or tasks; small bills, little hair treatments, maybe a dress or shoes. Some jewelry if in budget! But, talk to them scarcely and show there's always better out there for you and that they have to impress you. Always. Or else, its not worthwhile to see them!

Mid tier men are good for actual life investments: carpet cleaning services, construction, vector control, taxes, actual real gemstone jewelry, subscription services, buying a car or jewelry, and more.

High tier men are good for LIFE in general; industry things, housing things, anything ever on this planet. Ever. They'll always do it.

I keep sympathizing with men and/or letting them get away with things, instead of utilizing them as stepping stones for what I want.

Since you give too much to a man and they get comfortable and stop trying.

Fuck that, I need all my niggas to be working and crying over the idea of losing me! Heart panging in their chest, bent at the knees sobbing, since another man is taking me out to a high end dinner after treating me to some earrings.

I love doing that to men, so much. Always.

Anyway, just reminding myself I got everything to thrive and have no need for a man to survive.

I have a well paying job, a nice mind and a beautiful face and body. I always get what I want. Always. Amen. Thanks and peace out yall!

[danikamariewrites]

EVERYTHING I SAY IS MY THEORY AND OPINION NONE OF IT IS FACT!!!

First, this show would be labeled as a Hulu original and I’m not sure which studio would back it. The Hulu Original team is very very small so I’m hoping they bring more than just that team in. Obviously they have Sarah and that other guy (his name is escaping me) so I’m sure they’re fine.

Disney owned 60% of Hulu up until yesterday. They’re buying it in full for like 8 billion which to me is fucking wild since everyone in Hollywood is struggling rn. I thought they were supposed to be selling not buying but that’s above me.

Second, Disney has been saying for years now that they want adult content and buying Fox was supposed to help them with that. I’m not sure they’re ready to make that leap yet. Audiences are so unsure of their usual content like animated movies and marvel. I’m looking forward to Wish but I’m not sure it will live up to be the ‘100 years story’ it’s supposed to be. And if it doesn’t that’s going to be a huge slap in the face and it should be a wake up call.

The only adult content Disney has been actively pushing is the Simpsons. It’s on the D+ banner all the time and it streams on Hulu. Honestly the Simpsons isn’t even that adult I’ve been watching it since I was a kid. Yes it has the inappropriate jokes and stuff but if kids are watching it it’s not that adult. And they have a section in the universal theme park soo…

Ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and rebranded it to just 20th Century Studios they have been sticking those movies and shows on Hulu. It would not surprise me if there was never a proper release for 20th Century in theaters again. Unless it’s a big name movie, but even that one with Ana De Armas and Ben Affleck went straight to streaming.

That being said, my theory is that now Disney has full control of Hulu that’s going to be the home for everything Fox/20th Century no matter what. And that Disney will treat it like a black label streaming service if you know what I mean. Like all their stuff they consider not for kids and TV-MA will live there.

I feel like my theory is right given that the trailer for Echo came out today and it’s going to stream on both platforms bc of how violent it is. That’s a good thing to me bc that story needs to be violent and we need the Netflix era marvel vibe back.

But back to ACOTAR, if a studio backs it it’ll probably be 20th Century. And Ik ppl are saying HBO would be a better home for this type of content. I think they can absolutely give ACOTAR a big ass budget bc that’s Disney money. They just have to spend it right.

Streamers like Amazon for example have produced good fantasy/sci-fi stuff with good vfx. I Never thought they could produce The Boys until it came out and the Lord of the rings spin-off.

I think it’s about how they spend the money and what they can give to vfx. Bc of that, Make-up, and costuming will make or break them in the overall visual aspect.

If done right this show can be their game of thrones, and it should be! This is a huge get for them! But that’s my theory, I’m sorry this was so long lol

[mint-moon25]

DEAR - KOREAN - GIRLS,

PRINTFUL - FREE - PLAN

LIMIT - 383 PIECES

GOING - BACK - 2 - GROWTH

I - HAD - SLIGHT - HEART

ATTACK - SO - STILL - ON

THAT - WHEN - I - TOOK

PRICE - BREAK - BUT I'M

BACK - WITH - GROWTH

PLAN

MISSING - OUT - ON

MAJOR DISCOUNTS

HOW - ABOUT - THIS

I'M - MY - OWN - BUYER

DON'T - I - WANT 2 BUY

THIS - DISCOUNTED ?

9% - OFF - BRANDING

OF - MY - PRODUCT

INSTEAD - OF - $0.99 ?

IS - THAT - WHAT THEY

MEAN ?

SAMPLE - ORDERS - 25%

OFF - AM - I - NOT - VERY

INTERESTED ?

I - HAVE - THE - UPS

STORE - NOW ?

UNLIMITED - STORES

MINT & MOON

CARMEL - INDIANA

LLC.

$39 - PER - YEAR

LATE - FEE - $10

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BECAUSE

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KOREAN - NAMES

WOO - MEANS - HOUSE - UNIVERSE

FRIEND - RAIN - DIVINE INTERVENTION

PROTECTION

JI - WILL - PURPOSE - OR - AMBITION 2

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UNIVERSE

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UNCLICK - 2 - REMOVE

I - DON'T - KNOW - WHY - NOT

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CHECKING - CATEGORIES

WIX - DASHBOARD

MAYBE - THAT's - KEY

TEMU

SAVING - ME - TONS - OF $$$$

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DOLLAR TREE

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INSTEAD - OF - MAGGI - $4.95

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HEINZ - LIGHT - SODIUM

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HUGE - SAVINGS

SO - DOLLAR - TREE - SAVING

ME - MAJOR - MONEY

GRATEFUL - AND - AS - USUAL

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AREA - THEN - ATTACKED 2 ME

READY - 2 - PUSH - ME

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MOM - AND - CHILD - & - BABY

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EASY - 2 - TOPPLE

THEY - DON'T - SELL

PUBLIX - SWIFTER - FORGOT

NAME - JUST - PUT - PAD - &

USE - THEN - THROW

SWIFTER ...

MAYBE - AT - TEMU

SO - I'M - GOING - BACK - 2

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500 PRODUCTS

TIRED - OF - CHANGING

PRICES - SO - MY - NEW

ONES - CAN - DO - THAT

FRI - SAT - CLOSES - 6P

LEAVING - 5:30P EDT

I'M - EXCITED - AGAIN

WENT - RUNNING

A - LITTLE - FELT

GOOD - SO - ON - THE

BRIDGE

L SIDE - OF - PUBLIC

STORAGE - 91 SW 3 ST

CAN'T - WAIT

VERY - EXCITED

I - NEED - 2 - LOOSE

WEIGHT - 65 LBS YES

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JESUS - IS - LORD

BACK - 2 - PRINTFUL

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HAD - NO - MONEY

THIS - MONTH - BECAUSE

AMAZON - PRICE

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EATING - AND - EATING

CAN'T - WAIT

JESUS IS LORD

BACK - 2 - PRINTFUL

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$24.99

TOO - MANY - BENEFITS

I'M - IGNORING

'YOU - GET - WHAT - YOU

PAY - FOR' - IN - THIS LIFE

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BECAUSE - SINCE - I'M MY

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THEN - DESIGNED - 4 - ME

ADOPTING

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SO - NEED - KIDS - TODDLERS

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JESUS IS LORD

HOPEFULLY - WAY - BEFORE - EASTER

MINT & MOON

COMING SOON

[cherokeegal1975]

Wristband attempt #3, WIP

I wasn't going to try this again, but the idea wouldn't let go. No, I'm not gay, but I am demisexual. There are rings and bracelets available online with these colors, but I wanted to try something that didn't cost me any money.

Anyway, I'm crocheting a tube and I'm going to make it double wide and then fold it over and sew it closed so it's double thick, resembling an arm band I saw on Amazon...or at least I hope so. It will also have the added advantage of hiding all the needle work.

Incidentally, I lost most of my yarn needles. I don't know what happened. I went digging last night and only found two of them. But at least I have them. I would have a harder time with the embroidery part without them. I'm also learning as I go, finding YouTube tutorials on how to make hearts and flowers. Watched them and it seems simple enough. I even learned how to make better color transitions from YouTube so no knots are showing.

I plan to also put a purple heart on it (hopefully that doesn't change the meaning, but I did see something similar online, so I think it will be okay) and adding flowers. I'll stick to the color theme in various hues of purple.

I'm not sure what the end result will be, it's all an experiment. I accidentally made the purple band too narrow. But I'm letting that go since I can't fix it without undoing the whole project again.

I will post the end result and you can feel free to copy it or not. Bet the end result will be kind of stupid and not nearly as good as the stuff I've seen online.

It's all a social experiment that will likely fail because I don't get out of the house. Wish I did.

I suppose you could use this as a pattern for a sweater cuff, using your own flag colors of course...and doing a better job of it than I am. I'm serious about letting you copy me, but please wait until this is done so you can see the final result.

One variation you could try of this is to make a strip with button holes and do it that way. It worked for me, except the stitching went wrong so it shrank and curved weird. A failed attempt for me, but maybe you could do better? I'm okay at crochet, but I don't know everything. I tend to make things up as I go for the most part.

Just in case anyone wants to, I'm into one man and only one man. The one I'd have to completely trust and be totally in love with before there's any sparks...unless I discover I'm more ace than I first realized. Who that man is, I don't know. I've barely dated at all. Most teen girls have more experience than I do and I'm 50. But I've been right about a few things in my life that I just knew, so I'm sure this is one of those things. I just couldn't put a label on it until late last year because I didn't ask myself any further questions beyond am I gay. Didn't even know ace existed until it was mentioned on Legends of Tomorrow, and then I didn't give it much thought until for whatever reason, the question came up in my mind asking am I ace? Did my research on YouTube and that's where I found my answer...and inside myself too. YouTube just gave me the framework to better express it.

[margret-jons-blog]

Your (Second) Most Powerful Business Marketing Strategy?

Regardless of what niche you are in, there is no doubt that building a list of prospects and customers who know you, like you and trust you is your most powerful business marketing strategy.

So what's the second most powerful business marketing strategy? It's up for debate, but I'd like to suggest the following: Writing a book in your niche to give away to your prospective customers. And no, I don't mean a 20 page report, although that's far better than nothing. Nor am I suggesting you write a “book” that's nothing more than a cleverly disguised sales letter, although those can be useful as well. Let's stand in our prospect's shoes for just a moment. Let's say you live in Chicago and you're looking to invest a substantial amount of money in marketing your brick and mortar business online. Obviously you don't want to hand the work over to just anyone – you want someone who clearly knows exactly what they're doing and can deliver the results you seek. Someone who will get customers streaming through the door and the cash register ringing non-stop. Bottom Line: Someone who won't waste your time and money. A fellow drops by out of the clear blue and offers to do your marketing. You've never heard of this guy and you're cautious. You do some research, ask your fellow business people, and locate 3 more small business marketing types who all say they're experts at marketing small businesses online. They even have references. Still, you're cautious. Then one day you're at a friend's place of business when you spot a book on his desk. The title immediately grabs your attention: Effective Online Marketing For Small Businesses In The Chicago Area. It's not a snappy title by any means, but you don't care. You're riveted. You want to know everything in the book and you especially want to know who the author is and can you hire him. And all you've seen so far is a book title. So why are you so interested in hiring THIS guy? Why does he stand head and shoulders above all the other small business online marketers you've already spoken to? First, he's an author. And like it or not, author's carry a mystique and an air of credibility virtually untouchable by any peers who haven't authored a book. Second, not only did he write a book on marketing your small business online – he wrote about marketing your small business online in the area in which you live. It's akin to having the name Abdul Anderson and finding a book titled: What Abdul Anderson Should Do Right Now to Solve His Problems. Tell me you wouldn't pick that book up in a heartbeat if your name was Abdul Anderson! Okay, you've got the point. When you write a book, you've got instant star attraction and a ton of perceived credibility. People are no longer asking, “Can I see 5 references?” They're not asking, “What if you can't do what you say you will do?” They're not asking about your guarantee, how long you've been in business, and all those other questions. Instead, they're asking how much you charge and when can you start. And this isn't just for marketers working with offline businesses – this is for almost anyone offering a service or even a product. Imagine someone comes to your website – has never heard of you before or been to your website before – and there on the home page sees the book that you've written. Do you think you've just scored some serious credibility with that new visitor? Absolutely. Or what if you're sending traffic to a squeeze page to capture their email address. Do you think offering them the e-version of a REAL book that is currently being sold on Amazon will increase your conversion rate? You bet! Back to marketing to offline businesses – if you hand a prospect a copy of your book, do you think you've increased the odds you'll close them on a $5,000 marketing package? Of course. Your book should contain tons of dynamite information and no sales pitch. Yes, it's fine to refer them to your website, but the main focus should be on educating your reader. The more you tell, the more of an instant expert you become in your reader's mind. Make the book comprehensive, covering a great deal about your particular niche. Don't be afraid of telling too much – generally when a prospect realizes how complex your service is, if they can afford you then they will hire you rather than attempt it themselves. Include your contact information, including phone number, address and of course your website. Realize that people hang onto books, and even if they don't need your service right now, they might refer back to it in a year or even in 5 years, so don't change your contact information unless you absolutely have to. The book you give to someone today could result in a $20,000 sale 5 years from now, but only IF they can easily find you. Make it easy to read. Just like a sales letter, you don't want page after page of fat paragraphs. Use plenty of headings, bullet points and space to break it up. And by all means edit it. Get someone else to read it over and tell you if there are any errors or places where it's difficult to follow. You want it to read as professionally as possible because it is a direct reflection of you and your business. If you are giving away the e-version of your book on your squeeze page or website, by all means either give them a link or a screenshot that shows your book on Amazon. Anyone can SAY they are giving away a $19.95 ebook, but when they see that you really do charge that much on Amazon, your free gift suddenly becomes much more valuable in their eyes, increasing the likelihood that they will opt into your list AND read your book. Do encourage your readers to review your book on Amazon. The more reviews you get and the better reviews you get, the more credibility you build up. After all, if you see a book on Amazon with 1 or 2 reviews, and another with 50 reviews, which seems to be the more popular? People tend to be followers, not leaders. That's why they look for social affirmation that others are reading and liking your book. You might even offer a free gift for every unbiased review you receive. Just be sure not to offer a free gift for every POSITIVE review you receive, or you will lose much of the credibility you've worked to achieve. Is writing a book hard? Yes and no. For some people it's extremely difficult, not because they're not intelligent, but because their intelligence lies elsewhere. We all have particular skills we're good at and others that we really should leave to the “experts.” So if you don't like to write, consider hiring a ghostwriter to write your book. If you're going to write it yourself, set a deadline by which you'll have it finished, and then decide to write 2 to 5 pages a day, every day. If you're writing a 200 page book at 2 pages per day, you'll be finished in 100 days. At 5 pages per day, you'll be done in just 40 days. See? It doesn't take long if you stay consistent. The secret to writing a book? Write your table of contents first. This will become your outline, and it'll break the book up into manageable pieces. It seems like a daunting task to write 200 pages about your subject, but 10 pages about one particular facet of your niche is a breeze. For your book cover design, I recommend hiring a professional. People really, truly do judge your book by its cover. Sure, you can create your own, and if you're a graphic artist then maybe that's the way to go. For the rest of us, we put too much time and effort into our book to make do with our own amateurish cover. So do some research and find a professional book cover designer with a portfolio you like, and spend the extra money to get it done correctly. Once you get your book finished, I believe you'll find it's the second most important tool in your marketing arsenal, right behind your list of customers and prospects. Your book has the potential to generate more business for you than perhaps a dozen full time sales people, and through the power of the Internet it can be working for you 24/7, making you an instant expert and the go-to person in the eyes of your prospects. Read the full article

[int3rn3tp1x13]

omg.. times goes by.. UPDATESL OLZ

WOOP WOOP SUMMERS HERE BABY!!!

mini school rant(bleh) its been pretty great! i hate school so much, felt like i was going to implode any second!! I still have things to worry abt school wise but honestly, i dont think i care anymore. its summer and im gonna have fun :) RANT OVER

OMG OMG OM- so much fnaf news!!! movie!dlc!vr! eeee im literally so excited for all of it!!! and MERCH!!! i love spending money, i literally preordered the new sun&moon figures on amazon (i hope they come lol) ive already seen ppl getting theirs but i have to wait until next month to get mine :(

also update to my last post: i got fired from shca lol, which is like totally understandable. i was pretty offline for some time but it was fun! might try to be a medic again but who knows.

ALSO NEW OBBESSSINO!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPIDEEVERSE!! which im pretty sure is most ppls obsession rn. the movie was absolute amaazingness!!! BUT MY OBSESSION MOSTLY LIES WITHIN THE SPOT!!!!!!!!!!! hes my dream guy..my little meow meow omg hes literally my type.. >//< - but cringe aside his character is so cool man. understanbly the next movie is gonna take awhile to come out (jeez im probably gonna be 18 by the time it comes out..) im willing to wait ofc but i dunno if my obsession with the spot will last that long, (NO ILL LOVE HIM FOREVER!!!!!!!!(lets see if thats still true 2 months from now</3) i believe in myself, sorta..

ee well art wise i think im getting better? eh ive been a bit unhappy with my art lately, i just dont think its interesting or all that pretty.. so im gonna try my hardest to improve!! though, when doing a redraw of one of my drawings from around 2021, i saw a HUGE improvement. which honestly,, made me feel better about my art. i guess its true that it can be hard to see improvement in urself unless you really compare!!! or something like that but yeah!!! keep practicing!! its advice that always rings true for the most part :)

ALSO YEAH!! another notable obsession, needy streamer overload!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KANGEL 4 LIFE....i almost got all the achievements!!! i just need two :3

i dont i missed anything else?? but yeah, life is pretty nice. its a bit lonely but who cares >o<

bye bye

[secretmellowblog]

So much internet analysis of media feels like……. if people were trying to criticize Chick-Fil-A, but refused to talk about anything other than the quality of the sandwiches. All that mattered was whether the product was good. So people just debated endlessly over whether the products were Good or not, and no one discussed how Chick-Fil-A donated to conservative homophobic hate groups.

“Is this Disney product Good and does it have good gay representation?” Does Disney still donate to homophobic republican politicans!!!??? Do they still actively censor any queer content during production, cancelling gay projects and actively forcing their writers to cut gay content, to the point where every sad scrap that makes it onscreen is a miracle? Can you meaningfully make any statements about “gay rep at Disney” without bringing in that larger context?

It’s not a perfect analogy— because art shouldn’t be a product, and a movie is theoretically trying to Say something in a way that a sandwich is not. But Idk I feel like the reason we fixate so much on media analysis is because it is Fun. It is fun to talk about lord of the rings and the owl house and Steven universe. It is not fun to talk about the horror and exploitation that is baked into the “entertainment industry;” it’s not fun to research and analyze the systems that created the horrifically expensive movies you love.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because amazon is releasing the most expensive tv series ever made, a spin-off series based on lord of the rings. I have no interest in watching it despite my lifelong love of lotr but the thing is—

I have no doubt the series will be good! It will be fine. Lots of money has been thrown into it, and I have enough friends in the entertainment industry to know that on every massive corporate product there are hundreds of writers and artists sincerely trying their best to create good meaningful art. The Amazon series will be Fine. It will be good.

But my question is: Does it being good actually matter? Does it matter if a chick-Fil-a sandwich is good? Does it matter if this vile evil horrible media monopoly run by a villainous CEO that works its employees to death creates a good product?

I feel like I’m going crazy when most of the criticism of Amazon’s lotr is conservatives and people who act like conservatives ranting on about how “I can’t believe they gave Blorbo GenericElf a personality! That’s so out of character—he didn’t have a personality in the book! Tolkien, our lord and savior who we must worship as an authority, would be infuriated (because we still are bound to submit to this dead guy’s opinion apparently!) Everything would be better if everything stayed exactly as it was in the past, in the Sacred Original Canon. Any attempt to transform Tolkien’s work is morally reprehensible and a sign of the fall of the civilization.”

Sometimes I just want to shake those people and say “PEOPLE ARE DYING! people are dying in Amazon warehouses, and you’re treating your petty fandom opinion about blorbo genericelf’s personality as if it has this laughably enormous moral weight.”

I know that’s unkind, and that people can care about more than one thing; but I don’t know. I used to have this really naive idea that adaptations were a conversation with the original work, and every reinterpretation was a beautiful addition of meaning. I still believe that on some level. I think every author should be free to reinterpret stories however they want, should be able to argue with the original author and set their work on fire if they need to. there’s a lot about Tolkien’s work specifically that deserves to be disrespected, like his vicious racism and sexism. I LOVE transformative work—especially transformative work that meaningfully argues with the original author.

But like….you really can’t talk about these big media franchises without talking about the systems that created them.

Yes, people can sometimes create great beautiful sincere emotional art within these exploitative systems! I love the original lotr films and books. The new Amazon series is so expensive that it will be perfectly Fine.

But creating good art doesn’t change the fact that these giant media monopolies do so much real, constant, tangible harm. Warner Brothers caused massive harm to New Zealand while making the lotr/hobbit films, essentially strong arming the country’s government into changing their film industry laws to benefit massive foreign corporations. And Amazon is a vicious violent exploitative mega monopoly that is literally overworking its underpaid employees until it kills them.

It’s hard because I believe that good art can be very meaningful to people, and that media analysis can be important and valuable.

Its just that— not to swing a bat at a hornet’s nest— sometimes I wish people would stop hyperbolizing about how [petty fandom opinion] will cause lasting harm to the world, while not engaging with the things about the media property that are causing immediate tangible physical objective harm.

[floof-writes]

i love when tragedies are like “the love was there. it didnt change anything. it didnt save anyone. there were just too many forces against it. but it still matters that the love was there”

-Starpeace, tumblr

This isn't my normal type of post, but I just closed my high school's production of 'Puffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic', and I can't stop thinking about it. This show broke me and put me back together and I don't know what to fucking do about it.

I played the role of Megan Jones, and she taught me how to be a person again. Skip straight to the next heading if you just want to know what the hell I'm talking about, otherwise, here's my Love Letter to Puffs: you deserve the world and the world doesn't deserve you, but every person reading this deserves to see this show at least once in their life.

First of all, this show is hilarious. Like, 'laugh until your stomach hurts and you can't breath and you start coughing up your sanity' hilarious. Your abs will hurt after seeing this show and your tear ducts will struggle to keep up with demand. But, despite that, or maybe because of that, it is also heartbreaking. Maybe the best kind, I think. The kind that rips your heart into pieces but then sews it back together, tells you that you have to carry on, but somehow that's worse, because hope hurts more than anything else.

And to see Puffs is one thing, but to be in it?

I don't know what to do or how to feel. For the rest of my life I will have carry this grief nestled next to my soul. The characters have the faces of people I know, and goddamn that makes it so hard to think about but just as hard not to.

I am changed, for this show. I am a different person at the other end of this nine week love-stained, obsessive hell. It found me when I was in a very vulnerable place, only halfway to healing, and picked me up and straight up told me to my Megan's face that I "shouldn't have to be alone"! Told me safety is love and loneliness is a lie we tell ourselves when we hate ourselves too much to see reason. That justice is the only pursuit that brings both self-love and heartache.

Live theatre is a powerful, powerful thing and yes, a professional recording of Puffs is available on Amazon Video and some pretty good bootlegs are up on YouTube, but if this show is open anywhere near you at a local high school, college, or community theatre, then I'm begging you to go see it in person. High school-age actors are uniquely suited to this show so don't let that make you wary!

If anyone, ever, wants to talk about Puffs, I'm more than available. PM me, ask me, tag me in your post. I don't care if you're seeing this post 2 months or 2 years or 10 years from now, if I am still on this hellsite, I will respond.

Go see Puffs. If everyone on this planet did, I think the world would be just a slightly better place.

Okay, hold on, what's Puffs?

Puffs tells us the story of a certain badger-aligned house during the seven years a certain orphan boy wizard attends a certain school of magic, plus ✨it was the 90's✨. If you can't tell, Puffs is technically a Harry Potter parody, and it very intentionally gives JKR no money and is not licensed with Warner Bros. Maybe that's a small part of why it spoke to me so much, because in the simplest terms: Puffs won custody of me in the great JKR/Fandom divorce. I really felt betrayed by JKR's transphobia and treatment of representation issues and this show was a bandaid and a kiss better for my aching, eleven year-old heart.

The story follows the Puff Wayne Hopkins, a young British orphan who was raised by his uncle in New Mexico. Wayne is the nerdiest, 90's-est kid you've ever met and well, as a fan of Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons and Lord of the Rings, when he gets his school letter he gets this idea in his head that his life is about to become as awesome as that of the average fantasy protagonist. That he's gonna be a hero! Of course, he isn't. That's Harry. It's Harry at every single turn and Wayne and his friends are constantly being screwed over as unmentioned side characters in Harry's world-shattering and school-wrecking life, not to mention that the Puffs are the laughingstock of the school anyway, constantly failing classes and being bullied by the Snakes.

The Puffs work hard to become better but it rarely turns out. I mean, just look at Cedric, who plays a huge role in mentoring Wayne and his classmates the first act. Yikes. As the Puffs grow into their teen-hood it even gets a little spicy (in the hilariously awkward, teenage way), and eventually, they each come to understand that Puffs matter, Puffs are the best, in fact, Puffs are the "Mighty Ducks of wizards. No. The Mighty Ducks 2 of Wizards!"

[mag-lore]

You know, people keep saying that Rings of Power is a fanfiction, and while I can see where they're coming from, I would have to disagree.

In my experience in fandom, most good fanfic has one thing in common; and that is that it explores character relationship in depth. Often more depth than the original. You're really able to get to know the characters better, because of how they interact and feel about each other. For example, if you were to read a fanfic about Elrond in the Second Age, it would most likely show his relationship with Galadriel, who is much older and wiser than him but a good friend of his; Gil-galad, who trusts Elrond more than anyone else and named him his heir; Celebrimbor, who is kind of his cousin and also who Elrond desperately tries to save right before building Rivendell; Celeborn, who is a soldier beside Elrond; Celebrían, whom Elrond loves when he first sees her but doesn't act on it until later; and Círdan, who is also very old and wise, but who failed to help Elrond during the Third Kinslaying despite his efforts. And this is just the beginning. It might also show how he feels about the Numenorians, his brother's failing people. It could also bring up how he feels about characters who have died or left, such as his parents, Maedhros, Maglor, and Elros. And if the author has any original characters in the work, then there's even more opportunities.

All of these relationships have the potential to be really interesting and compelling. Depending on the author and the type of fic, these relationships can be portrayed in a variety of different ways. This brings us to the greatest part about fanfic in my opinion, it gives us a chance to explore deeper aspects of the characters we love, even if (and often especially if) it's working outside the established canon.

This is why I can't call Amazon's mess a fanfic. It doesn't explode any of the characters in any detail, not even on a surface level. I honestly can't tell you how any of the characters feel about any of the other characters besides "they get along okay" or "they don't get along." And that's a real shame, because as I said above, character relationships are extremely interesting.

Fanfiction is made lovingly by fans who are passionate about a certain work and characters and who want to see more. They want to see more character growth, relationships, and world building. Fanfic is able to add to a world and to characters, oftentimes making them more complex and interesting.

Amazon's show was only made because it has the Lord of the Rings name attached to it. The higher ups saw that they could get the rights to a book that has a famous name and they jumped. What they produced is a hallow attempt to compete with other fantasy shows and to get money. They've added nothing to these characters and to the world. In fact in many cases, they have taken from them and made them worse.