#Ed from Digger

[cultivating-wildflowers]

@stormsouls tagged me to make a poll for (some of) my favorite characters (and it was hardddd)

I tried to do a mix of TV/movies and book characters, and I had to exclude a couple of my faves because they aren't well-known

tagging @number1dork, @liquid-sunshine-happiness, @rubyintheskywithdiamonds, @celestial-citrus if y'all haven't done this yet and want to yell about your faves

[bethanydelleman]

How would you feel for modernizing S&S about gender bending Edward (Edwina?)? So his her and Lucy’s relationship is a secret because Mother wouldn’t approve. Lucy claims she’s a lesbian but really she’s bi and makes Mrs F think she’s “cured” by meeting Robert. And Mrs F can initially evenly split her money then disinherit Ed and it all goes to Robert.

This would also require making Elinor gay and add an extra interesting component to Elinor and Lucy’s interactions.

Okay, this has been suggested. Edward's relationship with Lucy is very strange and does not translate no matter how much I think about it so let me lay it out clearly:

Edward is secretly engaged to Lucy. Hiding an engagement from parents is run of the mill, but not being able to tell Elinor, a woman you love? That's not normal. If he doesn't trust Elinor enough to tell her, that ain't love

Edward is trapped in his engagement by honour. But why in the world would a modern person be trapped? Unless Lucy is doing some very messed up stuff (threatening to kill herself if he leaves her), there is no reason for him to fall out of love and stay. Remember, he was out of love before he met Elinor. And Lucy doing something like that really changes the dynamic for me

Lucy is holding on so tightly to Edward because it's her only chance at entering the gentry. Lucy cannot just get a job and nothing she could do as work would get her close to the wealth of Edward/Robert, but it's also very much about class security. So how do you translate that to modern times without just making her a lazy gold digger? (This is also a problem with modernizing P&P btw)

There is also the part where Edward is forced to be jobless because without family support, he can't really do anything. The gentry professions relied so heavily on nepotism that even if Edward went into the church, he'd end up without enough money to support himself. That dynamic also doesn't really apply to modern times

So yeah, this is why I can't do a modern Sense & Sensibility. I'm open to suggestions but this one doesn't fulfill the criteria for me.

[t4tails]

What other male rogues would Eddie be interested in? I’d say Captain Boomerang, but only when both of them are doing drugs. I think Digger should believe that cocaine makes him want gay sex, and Edward isn’t going to dissuade him from believing in this.

i think ed is the exact opposite of picky, but will deny this if asked. im going to specify two-face because batman forever eat your heart out

also captain boomerang

[this-is-moony-lovegood]

Grave Digger AU (Bones AU) Sneak Peek

I am ONE scene away from finishing my Bones AU/Grave Digger AU buddie fic that I have been working on since the end of season 6 and I wanted to share a final snippet with you before I post it. Hopefully tonight, if not, tomorrow!

As a reminder here is the fic synopsis:

While working a case of the serial kidnapper, the Grave Digger, Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Evan “Buck” Buckley and Etymologist Dr. Howard “Chimney” Han are kidnapped and buried alive until the $8 Million ransom can be paid. After receiving the call, Special Agent Eddie Diaz and the forensic science team at the Jeffersonian must race against the clock to find where the Grave Digger has buried their friends before they run out of oxygen.

Enjoy the sneak peek! Let me know if you want to be tagged when I post it! :)

Since Eddie started working with Buck and the Jeffersonian, he has seen bodies found in a lot of weird places: the stomaches of bears, inside of walls alongside a stash of drugs, in a 1950s fallout shelter, a garbage truck, oh, and only a few weeks ago floating in a water filtration plant. Yeah, that one made Eddie stock up on bottled water, and seriously consider only showering at the bureau or Buck’s apartment for at least a week. However, getting the call about this case takes the cake when it comes to dump sites. “My superiors say to let you look at the flying saucer.” “It’s not a flying saucer.” Eddie says, dismissing the park ranger’s wild claims, as he and Buck step under the crime scene tape. “It sure looks like one.” “Come on, Eds, at least check it out first.” Buck says, humoring him. “You know Chris is going to love the idea of us discovering aliens.” “Local kids dirt biking saw something shiny poking from the dirt.” The park ranger continues as the two of them approach, and okay, Eddie has to silently admit that it does look a teensy bit like a flying saucer sticking out of the dirt. He could see how a couple of rambunctious pre-teens with wild imaginations could mistake whatever the shiny, capsule door was for something out of a sci-fi movie. But come, on? Aliens in L.A.? Isn’t that more of an Area 51 thing? “They dug it out, looked in the window, and saw aliens.” “Did you look?” Buck asks. “Yes, sir. Then called for back up.” “Why?” “On, the account of well, they are, aliens.” He shares a look with Buck, and finds that he too has his eyebrows raised. However, while Eddie knows his are out of skepticsm, Buck’s are definitely from curiosity. His whole body is practically vibrating with excitement. “Alright.” Buck says, crouching down and dusting off the glass window a little more. No more than fifteen seconds later, he turns to Eddie, the smile on his face having turned into a grimace. “Do you want to take a look?” Nodding, Eddie carefully pulls off his sunglasses and crouches down next to Buck, so close that their shoulders are brushing. The glass is still a little dirty so he has to squint to see inside, but he instantly recgonizes the outline of two skeletons in matching navy and red track suits. They’re sitting on the floor of the - well, Eddie doesn’t have a better word for it other than spaceship at the moment - with one of them wrapping their arms around the other. Whoever they are, their last moments were spent holding one another. However, what really gets Eddie is their size. He might not be a forensic anthropologist like Buck, but he’s been doing this a long time to have a pretty good idea of what he’s looking at. “Oh, are those what I think they are?” He asks, hoping he’s wrong. “As long as you’re thinking they’re two adolescent human males.” Kids. Two kids who are likely barely that much older than Christopher. God, cases like this made his stomach lurch. With one look at Buck, he can tell he feels the same way. “How long?” He wonders aloud. “The amount of dehydrated tissue suggests the tank is sealed and intact. Years.” Years? These boys had been trapped down here, clutching each other for years… he doesn’t even want to think about what their parents must have been going through for that long. Oh, this is going to be a hard home visit to make. He’ll have to take Buck. He’s much better at softening the blow when Buck is at his side. Sighing, he turns to the park ranger and says, “I liked it better when you thought they were aliens.”

PS. Also, this fic is over 20k. Would you prefer to read this in two easier to read parts or one solid 20k chunk? Vote below and let me know.

[bluejaysandblackbats]

It's That Time Again!!! (1/5)

Through All of Time and Space: Space alien, Thad Thawne, falls to Earth and takes on the form of Bart Allen, making minor changes according to what he saw in orbit... Tim Drake mistakes him for an angel. (yj98/flashfam; TimThad also TimBart; space alien AU)

A Love For All Seasons: Jay Garrick catalogs the first five years of Judy's life. (flashfam/jsa; JayJoan; no powers AU)

magic yellow lightning: AU where Barry keeps Bart while he recovers from a near-death experience. Bart is four years old, and Barry suggests it'd be best for Bart to stay with him on his vacation. (flashfam; BarryIris; no powers AU)

in between seconds: Don goes to the past to speak with his son, knowing his next mission might be his last. They speak to each other between seconds. (flashfam; MeloniDon; canon divergent AU)

Comfortably Wrong, Painfully Right: Bart accidentally sends two similar text messages to Conner and Preston. (flashfam/yj98; KonBart and PrestonBart)

A Joyful Rebellion: AU where Meloni Thawne recalls her time with Digger Harkness. (flashfam/flash rogues; DiggerMeloni)

Nothing But Time: Tim and Thad are roommates and freshman year classmates at Brentwood Academy. Both tightly wound boys struggle to overcome their differences to pass the class's partner assignment. (yj98/batfam/flashfam; TimThad; boarding school AU/no capes AU)

✨Snippets of the fics under the cut to help you guys decide✨

Through All of Time and Space:

The subject’s name is Tim. Bipedal human creature. Non-childbearing. Blue eyes, dark hair, and fewer organs than documented in human literature. I believe something in him is broken. I wonder if he’ll be useful to me in the future despite this. For now, he’s chosen to keep me a secret. I believe this is for his benefit. He doubts his mental faculties despite my original subject, Bart’s declaration of his intelligence. I needed his assistance to assimilate into Earth's culture. 

Tim’s expressions change when he looks at me. His heartbeat slows and his eyes waver as he studies my form. He fails to understand that Bart is my blueprint for appearance and nothing more. I tried to explain it but the explanations only upset him. Human emotion feels complicated. I took the form of someone he had a fondness for, but he looks at me with pain in his eyes and a heaviness in his heart. I apologize to him for it, and he smiles. I don’t understand him. But I want to.

A Love For All Seasons:

Day One: As she lay on my chest, I remembered touching her little head. It was the size of my palm. My heart skipped a beat and found the rhythm of hers. I glanced at Joan as she slept peacefully in her hospital bed, wondering how she could remain so calm. I felt her hands and feet, counting her fingers and toes as tears streamed down my cheeks. How could I ever sleep again? How could I ever relax, knowing her tiny life was in my hands? Her little head that couldn’t fill up my entire palm? Her tiny fragile body with her perfect little face���. She had a full head of hair. It was the last thing I noticed. I spent so much time worrying that I didn’t notice my daughter’s full head of beautiful brown hair. I didn’t notice my eyes and nose and mouth translated onto her little face. It all sank in at that moment. I would love her forever.

magic yellow lightning:

I put his red rubber rain boots on as he sat with his hands stretched out. “Grandpa? Am I magic now?” Bart questioned. 

“Huh?” I asked in reply.

“I got shocked-ed by lightning. Am I magic now?” Bart asked. I smiled as I held his hand. 

There was no harm in letting him see the accident in a fun light. He survived and that was all that mattered. “Yup… And now that we’ve both been struck by lightning, I can tell you all my magic secrets. You can help me make my potions,” I answered. Bart smiled with his eyes shut. “You can open your eyes. If you keep them closed, we won’t be able to tell if you’ve gotten your sight back.” 

“It’s not bad to open them?” Bart questioned. I kneeled beside him, rubbing a smudge on his cheek with my finger. 

“No, it’s not bad. It’s helpful. You’ll start to see lights again, then shapes, and your sight should come back fully in a few days. It happened to me, too. You’re so brave, Bart. I was really scared when it happened to me, but I’m so proud of you. You’ve been such a big boy,” I commended him. He reached up for me to carry him, and I felt his body go limp in my arms. 

“Not seeing makes me sleepy, Grandpa,” Bart mumbled. I rubbed his back, wondering if I upset him. “How am I gonna watch SpongeBob?” I held back a laugh. 

in between seconds:

Time is a lot like origami paper to me. If I use the speed force like fingers, I can fold a straight line into a three-dimensional object. And in those folds are points in time. When Bart was born, I could feel all the creases in time where he touched. So, I searched for a crease in time where he would understand. I kissed my Bart goodbye and ventured through the folds of time until I saw an opening. A pocket in time where he and I could talk. I waited for him to feel my presence in his time. Bart. 

I felt him before I recognized his face. The speed force carries unique energy for all of us. Dawn felt like cool air like the inside of a tornado. Wally felt like the rumble in a thunderstorm. Bart’s energy felt like rippling rays of sunlight, almost like water. Uncontrolled but uniform. 

He met me in a space between milliseconds. “You’re not supposed to be here,” Bart stated. It wasn’t accusatory. It was an observation. My breath caught, and I wanted to cry, but I had an urgency in me that wouldn’t allow it. Not yet. I touched his face, and he gasped. 

“Dad?” Bart questioned as tears streamed down his cheeks. He knew me by energy alone. I nodded. 

“Hi, Bubs… We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Don’t we?” I asked, still holding back my tears as I held his face in my hands. I was pure energy, but he was flesh and blood. My flesh and blood. 

Comfortably Wrong, Painfully RIght:

“Okay… Let me get this right: You have a crush on Kon. You have a crush on Preston. You couldn’t decide which one you wanted to ask out, and you were so baked you sent them the same question. Am I getting this?” Cassie questioned. 

Bart nodded. “Oh, you’re fucked. Like this is better than TV,” Cassie laughed. 

“You’re not helping,” Bart half-shouted before lowering his voice, “They’re both coming tonight. I can’t cancel on Preston because he went through a lot to come here, and—.” 

“Cancel on Conner,” Cassie interrupted. 

“I can’t. How do I tell him I take it back?” Bart replied. Cassie groaned. “Exactly!”

A Joyful Rebellion:

I sat there next to him, hiding in a brand-new HDPE pipe for my father’s new construction project. He pushed his feet out, attempting to roll us, and I laughed. “Hey, amnesia boy… Do you wanna do something bad?” I questioned. He grinned, moving to take off his jacket and shirt while I took a lighter out of my pocket. His eyes widened, and he backed away.

“Kinky… But I prefer my pleasure without pain,” he chuckled. I shook my head and climbed over his lap and out of the tube. He followed me, and I reached down into his pocket for his flask. 

“Wanna see something cool?” I questioned. He bounced his head from side-to-side, and I walked toward the wooden structure of the building and took a swig of his ancient alcohol before spitting and lighting a fire. He hooked an arm around my stomach and pulled me away from the blaze as he laughed. 

He rocked as he walked me back and away with two strong arms wrapped around me. “Good on ya! Fuck that building,” he smiled into my neck. He understood me. Even if it was on a base level, he could accept my actions without any explanation. He didn’t care who my father was. All that mattered was me and what I wanted, and I wanted him. 

“It’s my dad’s,” I replied. He froze, resting his chin on my shoulder. 

“Fuck him,” he whispered. And the weight fell off of me. “Yeah, fuck him. What does he matter? Whatever he did to make you feel this way… Fuck him.” 

Nothing But Time:

Thad sighed as he sprayed the room with an air freshener and opened the window. “God,” Thad groaned as he stifled a gag. He asked for a new roommate, but he didn’t expect someone like that. He covered his mouth and nose with one hand as he looked around in horror at the clothes strewn across the beds and floor. Open soda cans lined the nightstand and dressers. A used bandaid rested on the dresser. He stepped outside, waiting for his new roommate to arrive, growing more and more agitated as time progressed.

[lfthinker]

So some Riddlerang headcanons to distract myself from my ennui.

-Mirror Master will unceremoniously dump Digger off in Gotham when he gets so sexually frustrated he starts picking fights with the other Rogues.

-Jervis Tetch will get himself sent to Arkham on purpose when Digger’s in town, because Digger and Ed make date nights out of bullying Tetch.

-Whenever Ed goes to visit, Wally braces himself, because he knows that Digger’s going to pull off some ridiculous stunts with his flashy new boomerangs to impress the Gotham Rogue.

-Flash’s Rogues are more accepting of them generally, even if Ed rubs some of them the wrong way, because Ed stays out of their way and a happy Digger is a less obnoxious one.

-The Gotham Rogues on the other hand can’t stand Digger and hate everything about this situation, especially Selina and Oswald.

-Oswald tried to bribe Digger to break up with Ed. Digger took the money and took Ed out on the wildest date night Gotham had ever seen and dared Oswald to do something about it.

-God help Digger when he does get Ed mad, because Ed can and has sent a drone after him even when he was in another country with Task Force X.

-Speaking of Task Force X, Ed can and has hacked into their secure comms to talk to Digger whenever he’s bored, angry at him, or on one memorable occasion, to initiate phone sex. Amanda Waller was Not Amused.

-In the event that their kids are around…Owen is weirded out by Ed at first, and the thought of someone like him being with his Dad, but he gets used to the situation pretty quick and gets along with Ed fine. Digger and Enigma on the other hand? It’s on sight, 24/7, 365. The only reason Digger has not killed this ranga is because she’s Ed’s kid and that she and Owen get along like peas and carrots.

[lfthinkerwrites]

Write me something you know I'll love 😉 xx

Since we were just talking about this, lol. Hope you enjoy!

The morning peace of Edward Nigma’s apartment was broken by the man’s annoyed voice shouting “Digger Harkness!”

The target of his ire, one George ‘Digger’ Harkness, finished his gulp of black coffee. "Ed," he whined. "Whatever it is, it's too early in the bloody morning!"

"Too early!? It's 10 am you savage! Now get over here!"

Digger rolled his eyes, got up from the kitchen table and stomped over towards the bathroom. "Alroight yer bloody highness," he shouted at the closed door. "What are you chucking a wobbly about this time!?"

The door burst open, almost smacking into Digger and Edward stepped out, clad in only his white undershirt and pair of green boxer shorts. He glared at Digger, and the Aussie might have thought it was hot if it weren't for the next words that came out of the man's mouth: "I just used up the last of my cortisone!"

Digger arched an eyebrow. "How's that my problem?"

Edward jabbed him in the chest. "It's your problem, Digger, because you gave me a rash on my inner thighs!"

"I wot now!?" Digger almost jumped a foot in the air. "Crikey! I'm clean Ed, I swear! I ain't touched anyone else fer over a year!"

"What?" Edward pulled a face. "Oh for the love of-no, not that kind of rash!" He gestured at the bushy red sideburns on Digger's face. "It's those!"

Digger brought his hands up to his face. "My sideburns? How'd they give you a rash?"

Edward sighed and pinched his brow. "It's a simple matter of friction, Digger. When you're...down there giving me oral pleasure-"

"Crikey, why can't you just say 'sucking my dick' like a normal Yank?"

"Don't interrupt me! You rub your face all over my thighs and your facial hair gives me a rash!"

Digger just shrugged. "Well, what do you want me to do about it? Do you not want me ta give you gobbies anymore?"

Edward paled. "I never said that! No, what I'd like for you to do is trim your sideburns!"

It was as if all the color went out of the world. "Trim me sideburns?" Digger repeated. Then he covered them with his hands. "Nevah! I've had these since I could grow hair! I wouldn't shave 'em if me own Mum asked me to!"

"First of all, I didn't ask you to shave them, I asked you to trim them. There's a difference. Second, I don't think it's too much to ask that my boyfriend does his best to ensure I'm comfortable during and after our sexual activities!"

"Oh yeh? I didn't hear ya complainin' last night!" He then proceeded to do possibly the worst impression of Edward's voice ever attempted: "'Oh Digs, don't stop, roight there, roight there-'"

"I don't sound like that!" Edward snapped. "How would you like it if I grew ridiculous sideburns and did the same to you!?"

Digger considered this a moment. "You offerin'?" he asked.

Edward rolled his eyes. "You are unbelievable."

"Cheers, love."

"That wasn't a compliment!"

Two months later, Digger Harkness returned to Edward Nigma's apartment. He would have visited sooner, if not for the six-week deployment with Task Force X. Stupid fuckin' parole requirement. "Ed!" he shouted, closing the door behind him. "I'm here!"

"I'm in the bedroom," Edward called out. "Ready and waiting Captain."

Digger's grin threatened to split his face. He kicked his boots off, tore off his coat, bandolier, and shirt, threw them on the floor, and dashed towards the bedroom, ready to pounce on his boyfriend.

Edward was indeed waiting for him, lying on his back, dressed in only his underwear and a half-unbuttoned dress shirt, just how Digger liked...but there was something different about him. Something the Aussie picked up as soon as he saw him. "Ed love," he asked. "Wot the Hell are those?"

Edward gestured to his face, and the long red sideburns that adorned it. "Oh, these?" he asked. "Do you like them?"

Digger cocked his head. Truth be told, he kind of liked the fact that Edward was a little prissy about his appearance. That and the extra hair made him look a bit like a..."Ya kind of look like a chimpanzee, mate."

Edward abruptly sat up. "A chimpanzee!?" he demanded. "Is that what you have to say to me?"

Digger shrugged. "It's the ears. The hair makes them stick out a bit more."

Edward scowled. "George," he warned. "Do you want to have sex with me or not?"

"They look great mate!" Digger said, falling in line immediately. "Really, they do?"

Edward rolled his eyes, but beckoned him down with a crook of his finger. Digger pounced on him in an instant, claiming him with a rough kiss and groping every part of his body he could. "Chimpanzee indeed," Edward muttered as Digger attacked his neck. "You should talk. I've never been with anyone with half as much body hair as you."

"Thought ya loiked it," Digger said, pausing mid-bite.

"I didn't say I didn't," Edward teased. Digger began pulling Edward's boxer shorts down, only for Edward to flip them so he was on top. "At ease, Captain." He licked his bottom lip and gave the Aussie an evil grin. "Let's see how much you enjoy beard rash."

Digger grinned back, folding his hands behind his head. "Love, long as I get that gobby, you can do whatever ya want with me. Do yer bloody worst."

[joeseventies]

RTC characters as quotes my friends and i have said

Mischa: "Go get your ears hear-ed."

Constance: "Today I got out of my mom's car and I fell and I said 'weeee' before I fell."  

Penny: "And they sit in the windowsill and just stay completely still and they stare."

Ricky: "How giant… is the Uno."

Noel: "Meh." Ocean: "Meh? What does that mean?" Noel: "Its like shrugging, but with my voice."

Penny: "If I had a nickel for everytime I swallowed a nickel, I'd have exactly one nickel."

Ricky: "Everytime a phone rings, nitrogen gets its wings."

Mischa: "Too fast for the eye movement."

Constance: "I think that's legit the flavor." Ocean: "Flavor? Do you EAT your handsanitizer?" Penny: "I do."

Constance: "Dont threaten me about my socks! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Ricky: "Careful there J.D." Mischa: "Who's that?" Ricky: "You dont know who J.D. is?" Mischa: "Isn't he from Warrior Cats?"

Noel: "You have the IQ of soft toast."

Penny: "I'm not a criminal, I'm just a drug dealer."

Mischa: "If I'm an idiot, then you're a ghost."

Constance: "You're not stinky."

Noel: "He’s like a very Italian pepperoni pizza. But british."

Ricky: "I'm shoving my gay up my pants."

Mischa: "Everybody gangsta till they tongue starts feeling weird."

Ricky: "Imma great mafia talk. Meow shmeow."

Penny: "3 people voted. God is dead."

Ricky: "Homosexual bad grr"

Noel: "I am not fucking watching Glee."

Ricky: "Remember: When fire strikes… Gay out and slay out!"

Noel: "They're still gnomes, I don't care if they're gay."

Ricky: "Happy Birthday, here's my AIDS."

Constance: "Chocolate MILF? I like women."

Ocean: "What's under my eyes? That's right. Abstinence."

Mischa: "I will only shake my ass for the POPE!!"

Ricky: "Run me over with your car, oh baby."

Ocean: "Give me your paper, you infertile gold digger."

Noel: "You're the one staring at my donut like a pedophile staring at a playground."

Penny: "Its not vandalism if it's fun."

Mischa: "Do you wanna check out my ass? For one second?"

Constance: "Straight people can be kinky too."

Ocean: "I'm literally a lobster. Lobsters don't have airpods."

Ricky: "Another day, another slay."

Mischa: "Don’t pull up on me. I'll pull up on your mouth."

Penny: "I know where your heart is."

Ocean: "You want my life to be miserable because you won't give me a penny?"

Penny: "I can feel every fiber in your body."

Noel: "Do as I say, not as I say."

Penny: "Does your fish want to paint? Woop woop woop."

Ricky: "Do you guys like my ring? Just kidding it's a pink monkey."

Mischa: getting choked "That was good form."

Ocean: "Let me put my hand in your pocket and show you I'm not gay."

Penny: "I always make people look away. Whether it be with my face or my actions."

Constance: "Little donuts on my math paper make me anxious."

Penny: "I've been craving water since 2nd grade."

Ocean: "Turn on your brains. Turn on your ears. Cause it sounds like they're not on."

Penny: "So health or religion?" Ricky: "Communism."

Mischa: "They word in such a way that words should not or should word."

Mischa: “Wait Stuart Little is Shakespeare?”

Noel: "You know how much I'd kill myself??!??!"

Penny: "Yep that's some high quality cocaine."

Noel: "Youre pissing me off." Ocean: "You're pissing me on."

Ocean: "You're gonna end up on an episode of forensic files."

[mzuark]

The Boondocks was kinda problematic

TW: N-word because Boondocks

I've been thinking about the Boondocks recently and I was wondering about how much of it aged well. Some of it did for sure, like the R. Kelly Trial, Luna, and that Obama episode, but there's a handful of things that I think were dumb back then and only got worse. Here's 3 big examples:

Ed and Rummy are two fan favorites who generally represented early 2000s politics via George Bush (Ed the face) and Donald Rumsfield (Gin Rummy, the behind-the-scenes guy). One running gag with them was that Ed was a fucking moron and Rummy was his straight man. Everything Ed said was meant to be seen as stupid and Rummy was supposed to be talking sense into him. One example of this was with the famous "Nigga Technology" bit, technology for niggas. Nigga, in this context, is used as a general ignorant motherfucker and not just black folks (Which has some wild implications right out the gate by the way). So Ed would buy something new on the market and Rummy would try to convince him that it's silly and superfluous. Some examples were texting, wireless headsets, and iphones. Aaron Mcgruder couldn't have been older than 30 when those episodes were written up but they make bro look like a fucking luddite. "New tech bad, old thing good." Now I don't know about you, but I think texting was a handy invention that's made the world a much more convinient place, headsets too even if they do make you look homeless. The iphone joke was made in season 3, which was around 2009 so I think the writers might've realized they would look ridiculous making that same argument for an objectively good device.

A second example that kinda rubs me wrong was Cristal, like the champagne. Now this might be a little spicy but I believe that sex workers are people. Cristal got done dirty as hell in that episode because they kept insisting that her life of hoing and being a human trafficking victim was self inflicted and entirely her own fault. Nobody fucking chooses to work for a pimp, no matter how funny he is. Oh but she's a trifling gold digger so it's okay, what a concept. Then there's the side joke about whether or not all women are hoes and it's just like...eh.

Finally, I want to talk about Return of the King. This is the jewel in the crown of Boondocks social commentary and I really don't think it achieved what was intended. The episode's climax was a speech by Dr. King taking down pretty much everything you can think of about black culture and entertainment, especially fucking BET, and causing societal change. If any writers are reading this, I regret to inform you that you can't get a bunch of black people in one room, call them and everything they care about stupid, and then expect a positive outcome. It's not that it's a bad message, it's just incredibly condescending and unhelpful. That speech does more to help racists than actual black people from what I've seen. The old "Black people vs Niggas" joke that Chris Rock once made is another example of that, appealing to "the good ones" and putting everyone else under an umbrella with very unspecific parameters.

So in conclusion, I loved The Boondocks but damn has it not aged quite as well as I thought.

[remindingpersephone]

That Essay in The Cut

Holy shit was @hopefulmisanthrope right when she told me to hold on to my eyeballs! This piece is just... Christ. I know people like this exist in the world, but to read this article/essay/op-ed/whatever the fuck it is, just kind of blows my mind.

I mean, this woman is incredibly selfish. Every word is about what she needs, what she wants, what she can get, what she doesn't have to work for, etc. I pity her future hostages children, because Mommy's not going to have much time for them.

And the arrogance! A quote from the article "...in beautiful places when I was young and beautiful, a symmetry I recommend." Gee, why didn't I think of that? Oh wait, I was busy working to support myself and be there for my friends and family.

I think her point is that strategically marrying older and wealthier is the answer to what a drag modern feminism has become? And don't gloss over the wealthier part of this arrangement. This guy is clearly not a 37 year old punching a clock for minimum wage. Maybe nobody called her a gold digger to her face, but this chick is a gold digger.

I believe everyone has the right to live their own life in any way they see fit. So long as everyone is of the age of consent, baby, knock yourself out. People have the right to be conniving, manipulative, stupid, naive, mean, whatever. Where she lost me was with the "let me tell you how to live your life, because I am so wise and have all the answers" tone of the essay. Clearly, she thinks she came upon some magic formula for how to live her best life without actually earning it. Brava, honey. I hope you're still this cheerful in your late forties when he's moved on and you're bitter and popping pharmaceuticals like they're candy.

[artismusicchallenge]

For January, I've made a playlist of the top 10 songs from 1995, 2005 and 2015, and the #1 song from 1985. I can guarantee I've at least heard all of these songs (many against my will/on the radio/etc.).

Here's to the first 31 says!

January playlist:

Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie (1985)

Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio, L.V. (1995)

Waterfalls - TLC (1995)

Creep - Radiohead (1995)

Kiss from a Rose - Seal (1995)

On Bended Knee - Boyz II Men (1995)

Another Night - Real McCoy (1995)

Fantasy - Mariah Carey (1995)

Take a Bow - Madonna (1995)

Don't Take It Personal - Monica (1995)

This Is How We Do It - Montell Jordan, Wino (1995)

We Belong Together - Mariah Carey (2005)

Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani (2005)

Let Me Love You - Mario (2005)

Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson (2005)

1,2 Step - Ciara, Missy Elliot (2005)

Gold Digger - Kanye West, Jamie Fox (2005)

Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day (2005)

Candy Shop - 50 Cent, Olivia (2005)

Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls (2005)

Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson (2005)

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars (2015)

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran (2015)

See You Again - Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth (2015)

Trap Queen - Fetty Wap (2015)

Sugar - Maroon 5 (2015)

Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon (2015)

Blank Space - Taylor Swift (2015)

Watch Me - Silento (2015)

Earned It - The Weeknd

The Hills - The Weeknd

[cultivating-wildflowers]

this looks fun so I'm yoinking it from like four different people:

choose 4 of your favorite characters from 4 pieces of media as poll options and let your tumblr pals decide which one most suits your vibe, then tag 4 people.

If you wanna join in, do so and tag me and I'll gladly vote. This goes for followers, too. 💜

[oneofthosebells]

All right, starting my rewatch and jotting down some thoughts, one episode a day until Sunday...

Wilhelm already looks so worried about his mother in the opening seconds of the show, didn't pick up on that first time round. Probably already already blaming himself as well.

Simon in the palace. 😭 You can really see the magnitude of it all hit him.

I was SO surprised on first watch that the video/drugs issues were resolved so quickly after two seasons of build up! But I guess it makes sense that if it's not going to be a big part of the season, might as well wrap it up and move onto the next part rather than dragging it out for no reason.

(I was always like 90% sure it would end in a settlement though, because there's no time for a trial in the timeframe and you don't want to leave it as a loose end hanging over the characters' heads.)

Linda comparing the royals to the Mafia. 💀 There's a reason the British royal family is nicknamed The Firm... (For anyone not aware, it's a term for gangsters/organised crime in parts of the UK.)

Simon failing to warn his mother that the drugs thing might come up is so teenager of him, bless him. He's still such a kid at heart.

Kristina once again referring to the video as a 'scandal' and not a crime committed against her son, sigh. And then immediately pulling out the Erik guilt trip card. Kristina is the result of her upbringing just as Wille is - no royals are normal! - but it's gutting to watch.

Felice's grief for the end of her friendship with Sara kills me. 😭 I'm so glad they showed how heartbroken she was over it.

Maddie is the best. Stella and Fredrika are the WORST. (Apologies to their fans if they have any, but in a show full of rich, interesting, complicated characters, I view Stella/Fredrika and Henry/Walter as basically slightly annoying wallpaper.)

Linda finally realising she has no clue what her kids are really up to...

August pours himself only a glass of water when everyone else is eating a full breakfast. The show has done his ED really well and subtly over the three seasons I think - it's clearly there but not been laid on too thick. Compare Maddie's worried looks at Felice not eating however over Nils and Vincent not noticing or caring that August never eats.

Photographers on the way to school - did someone tip them off that the prince was coming back or have they been hanging round the school gates ever since the Jubilee?

Felice (plus Maddie) is behind Simon at the lockers when Wilhelm returns to school which feels deliberate but they don't acknowledge each other at all (until the later scene anyway) - a hint that Wilhelm's going to be very wrapped up in Simon (and kind of self centred) this season?

Followed by Wille completely glossing over Simon saying he's uncomfortable with the staring, ouch. Some painful foreshadowing there.

Felice wanting to know how Sara is. 😭😭😭

Of course Marcus talked to the press. But honestly, I'm a little disappointed at how tame it was. If you're going to be a snake, go all out! Make up lies! Call Simon a cheating whore and a gold-digger! 'Their relationship seems problematic' is just a wee bit pathetic.

Wilhelm's total naivete about what the effects of his speech would be for Simon with the online abuse etc makes me want to strangle him and hug him. He's so sheltered and he's also still such a kid (even if he no longer looks like one, my god Edvin's sudden adulthood is distracting at times!). But agh.

Redrawing the heart. 😭😭 It's so teenager in love, I love it.

Gen Z kids reading the article in an actual newspaper. Printed on actual paper. Hillerska really is its own little world, isn't it?

I quite like the school restrictions plot from a storytelling perspective, it ramps up the tension, but yeah, it's not the most realistic thing the show has ever done. 😂 Like seriously, you're confiscating their phones but leaving them their laptops? What's the point? All you're going to do is annoy your rich students and their entitled, self-important parents without achieving anything.

Enjoyed that episode much more on a rewatch! I think the first time round I was thrown by the August plot wrapping up so quickly and worried my girl Sara was going to get short changed this series. I do feel like the tone of this season is quite different in a way that's hard to describe, but not in a bad way - just took me a little while to get into it first time round.

[epitometheburnkid]

The archive is back after my account was suddenly terminated during yesterday's updates! Just incase this account becomes compromised due to the collective's most wonderful work that I share via my collaborations with Magic 8 Ball (my divine electrokinetic cohort that brings all the cool stuff I share with you, please see episode 0 of the #SupplementalBroadcast on YouTube or Rumble for more). Follow me on X @BurnkidV for the least censored/most complete version of this digital archival project, please also find my podcasts, music, and video art at the following links:

https://youtube.com/@okcopernicus?si=cVqi53wR0A_iT31f

🧩The good, bad, weird, & wild! Fortified with memes, music & movies!!!📺 Welcome to the 🎱#youtuberecommendedchronicles🔮 Come find my podcasts #SupplementalBroadcast & #PanPanenPiousPropheticPonderings on YouTube & Rumble!🎙️ Soundtrack available on #C0P3RN1CANR3C0RD5 via #SoundCloud📻 #TheGreatsResist #TheGreatAwakening #TheGreatTaking 🪬🕯️😱🧿🫶🏼👽

An open note to the Ex/disowned family, friends, husband, co-workers, community who are still gang stalking me for leaving you all behind over 20 years ago for trying to steal my inheritance, reputation, and life itself:

I always knew what you all were up to and knew it was a matter of time before the universe and the law caught up to the lies, fraud, violence, and manipulations you employed to cast illusions to destroy my life in hopes of justifying stealing my inheritance with false promises from my evil satanic cult family I have done everything in my power to break free from. I don't want my ex, he was a con artist and gold digger who conspired with my parents to deceive me, torture me, confine me, smear me and think that character assassination will somehow allow them to steal my inheritance hoping that if i'm unfit the money is theirs? All of you need to turn yourselves in and return the money, you have been living off my money for decades while I have struggled to live because some family/friends implanted lies with black magic into my ex husband's mind to exploit him and sacrifice him too so he could be their fall guy. Seriously, this is not an individual story. This is a large crime syndicate acting against a collective in tandem and acting in unison.

DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE THIS EASIER FOR EVERYONE!!! It will only get worse if you keep acting in defiance to universal law, so seriously... Justice is on my/our side, grow up and quit casting illusions.....

#TheGreatAwakening #TheGreatReset #Pizzagate #HumanSacrifice #RicoCrimes #TheGreatResist #TheGreatTaking

[ninja-muse]

September is birthday month, if anyone's wondering why my acquisition of books appears to have slipped again (picture #2). At least I'd read nearly all of them before they joined my library shelves, and Winter's Gifts, well, it's really easy to read an Aaronovitch novella within a day or two of acquiring it. Especially since…

September was also week-vacation month, which is part of how I made it to 13 books read but very little explanation for my read-from-TBR-shelves stack (picture #1), only two of which I read on holiday. The two short ones I read in the gap between "finished the latest Book Of Substance" and "started the official Vacation Stack", and Digger was one of my 2023 goals so I decided to check that off. Baking Yesteryear was a surprise/accident. I was telling a coworker how much I enjoyed reading the library's copy and they said, "hey, while you were off, we got a copy too damaged to sell…". And one has to treat oneself in birthday month.

(Vacation was good, in case you were wondering. Camping, so no wifi, so lots of outdoors and reading time and charming rodent shenanigans.)

My biggest regret of the month, by which we mean less regret and more mild bookish panic, is the number of reading copies I appear to have taken home. I have one for Menewood which I'm planning to get to once I finish with My Roommate is a Vampire, and the rest of them were, well, um. Look. When your store buyer and random publishers send you books you'd enjoy and your coworkers finish reading ARCs you've been interested in, things happen, okay? At least at this point a lot of the books are coming out next year, which probably doesn't bode well for my 2024 TBR but that is a future problem.

Also, not doing great at my goal of reading a Canadian author every month. This is the second (?) month in a row I've failed on that front which, yes, is why I'm reading a Canadian author right now. (Also it's one of those ARCs a coworker finished with.)

Beyond the bookish stuff, there's not much to report. I've written a good bit and am surprising myself by how much I can write on my phone during a commute. Had a good birthday. Ate good food. Got fun things. Dealt with slightly more chaos at work than usual. Finished the last season of Great British Bake-Off aired in Canada and am looking forward to starting the Canadian version tonight.

How was your September?

And now without further ado, in order of enjoyment…

Evidence of Things Seen - Sarah Weinman, ed.

A collection of true crime journalism tackling recent social justice issues and big-picture flaws in the justice system.

8/10

multiple #ownvoices essays by BIPOC authors

warning: the usual things one would expect to find in true crime journalism

Infinity Gate - M.R. Carey

A scientist, the multiverse, AI, and the nature of humanity.

8/10

Nigerian and Moroccan POV characters

warning: slavery, fire, xenophobia, war, torture, violence

Thornhedge - T. Kingfisher

Toadling confronts the knight bent on entering the sleeper’s tower.

8/10

Arab Muslim secondary character

Digger Unearthed - Ursula Vernon

A wombat’s tunnel takes her to a very foreign land. She would like to go home please—but there are gods.

8.5/10

Baking Yesteryear - B. Dylan Hollis

Tried and true recipes from the past century.

9/10

🏳️‍🌈 author

The Fragile Threads of Power - V.E. Schwab

Seven years after Red London was saved, some people have moved on and others are still picking up the pieces. And some are asking whether the king deserves to be in power.

7.5/10

POV characters of colour, 🏳️‍🌈 POV characters (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 author

Winter’s Gifts - Ben Aaronovitch

Agent Kimberley Reynolds investigates a case with “unusual characteristics” during a Michigan winter.

7/10

Ojibwe secondary characters

Lud-In-The-Mist - Hope Mirrlees

A bourgeois father tries to save his children from the plague of fairy fruit—which is hard, since it doesn’t officially exist.

6.5/10

warning: classist, misogynist, generally unkind to the disabled and mentally ill

A Long Day in Lychford - Paul Cornell

Something is wrong with the borders around Lychford and the local coven has to put things right before people get hurt.

7/10

Black British main character

warning: mild racism and xenophobia

The Vaster Wilds - Lauren Groff

A servant girl flees her colonial town for the dubious safety of the wilderness.

7/10

protagonist of colour, mentally disabled secondary character, incidental Powhatan and other indigenous characters

warning: racism, misogyny, rape, disease, starvation, murder, death of a child

Board to Death - CJ Connor

Ben turns down a suspiciously good deal on an old board game. Then the dealer turns up dead on his doorstep.

6/10

🏳️‍🌈 main character (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay), 🏳️‍🌈 author, #ownvoices

Starter Villain - John Scalzi

Charlie inherits a supervillain empire, complete with a subscription mega-laser, spy cats, and enemies.

6.5/10

The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices - Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins

Two friends go on a holiday to northern England.

7/10

Currently reading:

Like Every Form of Love - Padma Viswanathan

A writer digs into the strange, complicated story of a man she befriended in a marina.

🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay), Indo-Canadian author, 🇨🇦

warning: domestic and child abuse

My Roommate is a Vampire - Jenna Levine

There’s a room-to-rent in Cassie’s low, low budget. The (hot) guy renting it acts like he’s from the 1800s. Surely he’s just quirky.

🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (gay)

Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin

A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.

Stats

Monthly total: 13 Yearly total: 100/140 Queer books: 3 Authors of colour: 0 Books by women: 5 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 5 Books hauled: 6 ARCs acquired: 12 ARCs unhauled: 4 DNFs: 0

January February March April May June July August

[thesludgeofbabylon]

Top 100 Films

Just wanted to put this somewhere for the sake of documentation, might do this once a year to see how much the overall list changes.

Not ranked, but the list is done by release date, earliest to most recent. Includes short and feature length films (plus one TV series, and two serials, if you want to be specific):

• The Musketeers of Pig Alley (1912), dir. D.W. Griffith

• Fantômas (1913), dir. Louis Feuillade

• Les Vampires (1915), dir. Louis Feuillade

• The Doll (1919), dir. Ernst Lubitsch

• Foolish Wives (1922), dir. Erich von Stroheim

• Sherlock, Jr. (1924), dir. Buster Keaton

• Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge (1924), dir. Fritz Lang

• Greed (1924), dir. Erich von Stroheim

• The Last Laugh (1924), dir. F. W. Murnau

• The Gold Rush (1925), dir. Charlie Chaplin

• The General (1926), dir. Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

• Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), dir. F. W. Murnau

• The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

• The Docks of New York (1928), dir. Josef von Sternberg

• The Wedding March (1928), dir. Erich von Stroheim

• Man with a Movie Camera (1929), Dziga Vertov

• M (1931), dir. Fritz Lang

• Vampyr (1932), dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

• I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), dir. Mervyn LeRoy

• Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933), dir. Mervyn LeRoy, Bubsy Berkeley

• L’Atalante (1934), dir. Jean Vigo

• The Scarlet Empress (1934), dir. Josef von Sternberg

• The Thin Man (1934), dir. W.S. Van Dyke

• The Only Son (1936), dir. Yasujirō Ozu 

• Citizen Kane (1941), dir. Orson Welles

• Now, Voyager (1942), dir. Irving Rapper

• Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), dir. Maya Deren

• Day of Wrath (1943), dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

• At Land (1944), dir. Maya Deren

• Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944), dir. Sergei Eisenstein

• Notorious (1946), dir. Alfred Hitchcock

• Sunset Boulevard (1950), dir. Billy Wilder

• Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday (1953), dir. Jacques Tati

• The Wages of Fear (1953), dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot

• The Big Heat (1953), dir. Fritz Lang

• The Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954), dir. Kenneth Anger

• Rear Window (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock

• Ordet (1955), dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

• A Man Escaped (1956), dir. Robert Bresson

• Ivan the Terrible, Part II: The Boyars’ Plot (1958), dir. Sergei Eisenstein

• La Dolce Vita (1960), dir. Federico Fellini

• L’Avventura (1960), dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

• La Notte (1961), dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

• L’Eclisse (1962), dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

• The Exterminating Angel (1962), dir. Luis Buñuel

• Mothlight (1963), dir. Stan Brakhage

• Red Desert (1964), dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

• Gertrud (1964), dir. Carl Theodor Dreyer

• The War Game (1966), dir. Peter Watkins

• Au Hasard Balthazar (1966), dir. Robert Bresson

• Daisies (1966), dir. Věra Chytilová

• Lemon (1969), dir. Hollis Frampton

• The Conformist (1970), dir. Bernardo Bertolucci 

• The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), dir. Luis Buñuel

• F for Fake (1973), dir. Orson Welles

• Lancelot of the Lake (1974), dir. Robert Bresson

• A Woman Under the Influence (1974), dir. John Cassavetes

• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). dir. Tobe Hooper

• House (1977), dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi 

• Stalker (1979), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

• Nostalgia (1983), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

• L’Argent (1983), dir. Robert Bresson 

• Blue Velvet (1986), dir. David Lynch

• Heathers (1989), dir. Michael Lehmann

• Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), dir. Hayao Miyazaki

• Baraka (1992), dir. Ron Fricke

• Satantango (1994), dir. Béla Tarr

• A Confucian Confusion (1994), dir. Edward Yang

• Chungking Express (1994), dir. Wong Kar-Wai

• Ed Wood (1994), dir. Tim Burton

• Whisper of the Heart (1995), dir. Yoshifumi Kondo

• Showgirls (1995), dir. Paul Verhoeven 

• Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997), dir. Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki

• Gummo (1997), dir. Harmony Korine

• The Big Lebowski (1998), dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen 

• Outer Space (1999), dir. Peter Tscherkassky

• Beau Travail (1999), dir. Claire Denis

• Julien Donkey-Boy (1999), dir. Harmony Korine

• Yi Yi (2000), dir. Edward Yang

• Dancer in the Dark (2000), dir. Lars von Trier

• The Piano Teacher (2001), dir. Michael Haneke

• Mulholland Drive (2001), dir. David Lynch

• What Time Is It There? (2001), dir. Tsai Ming-liang

• Memories of Murder (2003), dir. Bong Joon-ho

• The Matrix Reloaded (2003), dir. Lily Wachowski, Lana Wachowski  

• The Village (2004), dir. M. Night Shyamalan

• Caché (2005), dir. Michael Haneke

• Southland Tales (2006), dir. Richard Kelly

• Inland Empire (2006), dir. David Lynch

• Zodiac (2007), dir. David Fincher

• The White Ribbon (2009), dir. Michael Haneke

• The Turin Horse (2011), dir. Béla Tarr

• Five Broken Cameras (2012), dir. Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi

• The Master (2012), dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

• Spring Breakers (2012), dir. Harmony Korine

• Song to Song (2017), dir. Terrence Malick

• Twin Peaks: The Return (2017), dir. David Lynch

• The Favourite (2018), dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

• Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), dir. Céline Sciamma

• We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (2021), dir. Jane Schoenbrun

(10/4/23)