#Green List Qualifications

[immigrationz]

Green List Occupations and Eligibility Criteria: Green List Visa in New Zealand

Joining hands with Immigration Advisers New Zealand Ltd. will provide you with exposure to the Green List New Zealand jobs. These job profiles will take you to the pathway that leads to residence. The team of experienced professionals is there to confirm your eligibility criteria for such golden jobs.

know more: https://nzimmigration.info/work-visa/green-list/

[julienbakerstreet]

Ranking Sherlock Holmes Adaptations by the Quality of Their Dressing Gowns

First, my qualifications: I'm a flamboyant fashion-forward femme who frequently wears dressing gowns.

Rubric: I am scoring based on color, pattern, textural intrigue, garment construction, and fit. In cases where there are multiple dressing gowns per adaptation, I picked my favorite one.

#12 The Seven-Percent Solution (1976)

I hate this one. It's so beige, and the corded details + drop waist ultimately make it look like a monk's tunic. The only redeeming value I can find in this is the slight angled detail with the cording on the sleeves.

#11 Mr. Holmes (2015)

Similar to the last robe with some slight improvements. For one, it has pockets! The pockets have a corded decorative applique, and if you zoom in on a higher-def image you can see that the fabric has an interesting textured weave. I could definitely see it styled well. This robe is ugly, too thin to keep him warm, and fits worse than a burlap sack, but this Holmes is retired and deserves to put comfort and practicality first.

#10 Granada (1984)

This dressing gown is BAD!!! Before you accuse me of being biased against mouse-colored dressing gowns (I am) let me assure you that color is not my only issue with this dressing gown. It commits the ultimate fashion sin- boring. The texture looks decidedly un-cozy. I even hate the construction! There's no belt, or even belt loops, and the pocket is sewn onto the outside of the gown! Nothing wrong with patch pockets per se, but on this robe it looks shabby. This is made all the more painful by the fact that Watson wears multiple colorful and well-textured dressing gowns in this show. I love Granada, but I can't excuse this.

#9 Cushing Holmes (1968)

I really wish I liked this dressing gown more, because I think that Cushing is one of the best-dressed Holmeses we've ever seen. But I simply cannot get behind this. I applaud the bold use of color and how on theme this gown is for The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, but the red cording and blue looks odd together. In other shots, you can see buttons, but I think a dressing gown should have a nice belt, and I think the buttons are just a bit too formal for what should be a comfortable piece. I love that this is a Holmes who's willing to take a fashion risk, but in this case it did not pay off. 

#8 Soviet Holmes (1979)

While this dressing gown is boring, the fabric looks nice and heavy, perfect for curling up cozily in front of the fire on a cold night. Contrary to the Granada plain brown dressing gown, this one has a belt and pockets sewn into the gown. There’s nothing interesting about this gown, but it isn't offensive.

#7 Ritchie Holmes (2009)

Agh! This dressing gown is in tatters! As befits action-hero Holmes, I suppose. It might deserve the lowest spot on the list for its condition, but looking beyond that, I really enjoy the colors and the paisley pattern. It reminds me of a nice Persian rug. The hints of blue set off the reds and oranges nicely, and at one point it must have been a very nice robe. I like that the state of the robe tells us something about the personality of the wearer, but points are deducted because the texture looks a tad rough and it's in an unbelievably rough state.

#6 Basil of Baker Street (1986)

Now we're getting to the good stuff! The magenta dressing gown is set off nicely by the black cuffs, collar, and belt. Extra points for styling it with a green cravat, and because it nearly matches Dr. Dawson's vest. Great character design, and it makes Basil look like a snazzy little rodent.

#5 Rathbone Holmes (1939)

It's harder to judge in black and white, but I really like this dressing gown! The fabric looks like a thick cotton velvet, and the cording gives it a lovely contrast. It's distinguished, but it still manages to look comfortable for smoking a pipe next to Watson.

#4 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Now this is nice! The velvet is very shiny, slightly green, and I love the quilted collar and pocket. However, upon further inspection, it's not quite a dressing gown, but more like a long smoking jacket, for which it loses points. Still, it's the closest he comes to wearing a dressing gown and perfect for this urbane and fashionable Holmes.

#3 Enola Holmes (2020)

Dare I say fabulous? I love the cerulean on this one! The fabric looks like a soft silk, which isn't exactly the warmest, but very comfortable. The pattern on the collar is very intricate as well. It's definitely not the dressing gown I would pick for a classic Holmes, but it suits this untraditional Holmes perfectly.

#2 William Gillette (1899)

For the man who popularized the deerstalker/Inverness combo, he can certainly rock a dressing gown. Definitely the most authentic on the list (this picture was taken in 1916), I love the quilted collar, pockets, and cuffs. The silky fabric and decorative pattern make for a very stylish sleuth. I particularly enjoy the shape of the pockets and cuffs. Points deducted for an awkward fit and the lack of a belt.

#1 Star Trek: The Next Generation (1988)

"But this isn't an adaptation, it's just an episode of Star Trek!" I don't care! It counts in my heart. And Data has my favorite Holmes dressing gown. Let's break it down. This looks like a velvet gown with a classically Victorian damask pattern. The velvet texture contrasts really well with the quilted silk collar. The twisted cord belt even has a tassel at the end! And to top it off, it's fully lined with bright red silk. It looks comfortable for lounging in, the fabric has a nice heft without being stiff, and the aesthetic is perfect. This is, to me, the ultimate Holmes dressing gown.

Let me know which ones I missed and what your favorite dressing gowns are!

[komsomolka]

After the victory of the Red Army and its occupation of the eastern third of Germany, large landowners, mainly the ‘Junker’ class (the landed aristocracy that had traditionally been a pillar of support for German militarism), were expropriated and the land distributed to landless peasants and small farmers. In September 1947, the Soviet military administration announced the completion of agrarian reform throughout the Soviet zone. The report listed 12,355 estates, which had been seized and redistributed to 119,000 landless farmers, 83,000 refugee families, and some 300,000 agricultural labourers. But many new farmers soon found that the acreage of the individual pieces of land given to them through the land reform was not large enough to provide a decent living; and often the new farmers did not possess the expertise or the machinery to work the land efficiently. The government therefore supported the idea of co-operatives. [...]

One of the big advantages of agricultural co-ops was that individual farmers and labourers had, for the first time, a fixed working day, guaranteed holidays and the possibility of retirement without the worry of what would happen to the farm. The co-ops would organise the cultural life in the village, support its members in building homes and in gaining qualifications. It also provided childcare and holiday places. [...]

During the lifetime of the GDR the percentage of citizens living in the cities with over 100,000 inhabitants barely rose. The increasing use of technology and modern techniques on the farms also made the work more attractive to young people and helped retain them in the countryside. It is significant that the number of members in the co-ops increased over time because young people became members, no longer leaving at the first opportunity for the towns (in the 1980s, membership of co-ops increased by more than 10%).

It was also a fact that the per capita production figures of most co-operatives were better than those of individual farmers in the West. The co-operative principle, particularly in the agricultural sphere, demonstrated that it could offer a third way between the often barely economically viable family farms and industrialised farming, which has been responsible for the destruction of social structures and the rural environment in many countries.

After unification, when the whole economy was privatised at break-neck speed, the co-operatives came under enormous pressure. However, the main reason they could challenge the threatened expropriation was that the farm workers and not the state owned the land. This meant it could not legally be taken away from them and they could make their own decisions as to what to do with it. Because of their positive experience working in the co-operatives, the vast majority of farmers did not want a return to individual farming. However, the co-ops had to battle against discrimination anchored in Federal German law that favoured individual over collective ownership. In addition, they suddenly faced imposed fictitious debts that were near impossible to pay in the changed economic circumstances. As a result, many co-operatives were forced to give up. Today only a few survive and about 80% of the jobs in agriculture have been lost.

Stasi State or Socialist Paradise? The German Democratic Republic and What Became of It by Bruni de la Motte & John Green with Seumas Milne (Contributor), 2015.

[laurasimonsdaughter]

“Alright! Let’s just quickly go over your answers to our questionnaire in your application.”

As far as job interviews went, this one was rapidly moving up the list of utterly strange ones. For starters this was the fanciest office he had ever been in, and this was supposed to be an animal sanctuary. The amount of decorative pillows piled onto the chair he was currently trying to sit on would have been more appropriate for a lounge in a posh hotel.

The sanctuary manager – at least that’s how she had introduced herself – peered at the printed sheets of paper.

“So you have experience with animal handling?”

“During several internships, yes.”

“Wonderful. And horticulture?”

“I know how to keep a healthy habitat.”

“Excellent. And do you have any siblings?”

There it was, barely three questions in and already off the deep end. “Yes, three.”

The woman fixed two keen, dark eyes on him. “Three including you?”

“No, three besides me. I’m the second oldest, if that matters.”

“Ah! That’s alright then, Second of four, very good.”

By now he was looking at the manager with unrestrained wonder, eyebrows almost disappearing under his fringe.

“Well that all seems to be in order, just one more question—are you comfortable?”

He faltered, blinking. “I...well, to tell you to truth this chair could do with a few less pillows.”

To his amazement the manager’s face lit up with genuine delight. “Oh that is very good to hear. I do apologise for all that nonsense, but there’s rules against asking people about the circumstances of their birth, you know. Here, let me.”

He got to his feet, still rather stunned, and watched how the manager removed three pillows and, from underneath them all, a small green pea from his chair.

“There we are! Now, we’d be very glad to have you, you certainly meet all our qualifications, and I assure you we offer excellent terms and benefits. You clearly have plenty of experience with amphibians and birds, but you will need some on the job training, because apart from the usual frogs, swans and ravens, we also have clients in some of the rarer categories.”

“Clients? I thought this was an animal sanctuary,” he stammered.

“It most certainly is! Except our residents have not always been animals.” The manager smiled meaningfully. “You’d be surprised just how many people, especially royals, decide they would rather stay enchanted.” She looked a little embarrassed for a moment. “Which is of course exactly why I need to take certain precautions with my employees, you understand.”

He was pretty sure he did not at all understand, but he wasn’t about to admit that now. “Right.”

She peered at him again. “I do still need you to promise me not to fall in love with any of them.”

“Why on earth—”

“It’s happened before,” she said gravely. “We also have a couple of private parks, with a more human enclosure, I mean house, because we do get the occasional beastification.” She shook her head. “The last person we hired, well, our client was kind enough not to file an official complaint, on account of the whole finding his true love thing, but it was really very embarrassing.” He sat very still for a moment. “So, how many of those are there?”

“Beasts? Only two at the moment, since that unfortunate incident.”

“And your other...residents?”

“Hmm lets see, seven swans and seven ravens, three frogs, a stag, a hind, a fox and a bear. Well, and the cat, but she’s an exception, she lives in our head quarters and mostly looks after herself.” She gave him a rather worried look. “I haven’t scared you off, have I?”

He gave her a weak smile. “You promised me five weeks paid time off, so no you haven’t. But I am going to need some more information.”

“Wonderful,” she sighed. “In that case, let’s start with giving you a tour.”

[gay-disabled-characters-showdown]

LGBTQ+ Disabled Characters Showdown Round 4, Wave 1, Poll 4

A character being totally canon LGBTQ+ and disabled was not required to be in this competition. Please check qualifications and propaganda before asking why a character is included.

Check out the other polls in this wave and round here.

Ambrosius Goldenloin-Nimona (Novel)

Qualifications:

He’s gay and has facial scarring

Addition by @yrrtyrrtwhenihrrthrrt First I'd like to clear up that he does NOT just have facial scarring!! He has a visible walking disability, requiring assistance to stand and using a crutch. He appears mostly unable to bear weight on the left leg, and additionally the facial scarring visibly obstructs his eye adding possible partial vision loss to the list so. Just gonna leave this here not to let my boy be sabotaged with misinfo lol

Propaganda:

He’s such an asshole it's great. Still very gay though, he gets injured at the end, and also has facial scarring. He’s very different from the movie, much more of an ass, but still interesting.

Valerie Day-Paranatural

Qualifications:

She is Blind and a Lesbian.

she's blind and sapphic

Propaganda:

Agent Day is a Spectral (a humans who can interact with spectral entities like ghosts and spirits, and possess spectral energy, in her case Pink spectral energy) working for the Paranatural Activity Consortium. Her "Tool" (an object possesses by a weakened spirits that Spectrals can use to host spirits an directly use some form of the spirit's powers) is her cane. Due to the influence of the cane being possessed by her spirit partner, "Venus Guytrap" (a giant talking Venus flytrap that emotes through various marble statues wrapped in its vines), it appears as a green cane with a bouquet of roses at the top. As a manifestation of Venus Guytrap's powers, the cane can fire pink arrows that cause whatever they hit to fall in love with the first thing they see until the arrow is removed. As a Spectral, Agent Day can enter a "Heightened State of Perception" to converse & interact with her spirit in a mental state wherein time seems to move at a slower rate, to the extent that it almost seems to stand still for everything except her and her spirit partner (a phenomenon also known as a "Spirit Trance"). Spirit Trances also create an illusory alteration of the world surrounding the Spectral theme around the Spirit's aesthetics, and cause the Spectral's eyes to glow white, but neither of these aspects really affect Agent Day given that she a) can't see the illusory alteration to the world & b) often has her eyes closed anyways, making it so that no one else would be able to tell if she was in a trance in public so long as she stays still and does not talk while being sped-up relative to everyone else. Thanks to this, she utilizes Spirit Trance to occasionally have Venus Guytrap act as a "seeing-eye spirit" to performing certain actions, like reading off of a menu so that she can order lunch during her date with Dr. Mina Zarei.

i'm no good at propaganda so i don't have a lot to say but i think she's very good and also she made a train kiss someone once. what more could you want

[miffy-junot]

Junot's head injuries

You're all probably aware that Junot received many head injuries throughout the course of his career, and that these contributed to his eventual descent into insanity. But there's not much awareness for the actual effects of brain injuries and how they work, so I'd like to make a post (using information from some medical manuals of head injuries and their effects) to outline how these injuries may have effected Junot.

!! Disclaimer 1: I am not a doctor and have no medical qualifications, I simply know more about this topic than the average person and want to share that knowledge

!! Disclaimer 2: obviously it is impossible to discover the exact health issues that a man who died 200 years ago dealt with. It is known that he suffered many head injuries, but the exact parts of the brain affected and to what extent are unknown. Therefore I'll just be describing the potential effects of head injuries like the ones that Junot suffered, but it's up to the reader to interpret how many of these symptoms he truly dealt with.

Without further ado, let's get started:

Part 1: what type of head injuries did Junot suffer, and why does this matter? (tw for detailed description of injuries - skip to part 2 if you're sensitive about this)

Wounds caused by bullets or sabres (so the type of wound that Junot suffered) are categorised as 'open injuries'. While other forms of head injuries can cause damage to the whole brain, open injuries can be more localised, only affecting certain functions rather than everything.

However, open injuries also involve the skull being broken, which can cause further issues. This makes the affected part of the skull more fragile in the future, making it easier to break if another blow is suffered in the same area (which I'll get onto in the next bullet point!). In modern day, surgery can repair the skull and prevent complications, but as far as I'm aware these surgeries did not exist in Junot's time. Complications can arise from skull damage, such as chronic headaches, brain bleeds, and seizures.

Junot suffered multiple head injuries, which makes matters even more serious. A head injury makes both the brain and skull more susceptible to damage from future injuries, creating a sort of snowball effect. If the brain is already a damaged, a seemingly small injury can cause disproportionate harm.

It's most likely that Junot suffered injuries to the front of the brain rather than the back. With all head injuries but specifically open injuries, the part of the brain that gets damaged is crucial with determining the effects. In general, injuries to the front impair cognitive function, and injuries to the back impair physical function. Often injuries to the back of the brain cause symptoms like impaired spatial awareness, loss of control over limbs, or impaired vision. (to give an example from the Napoleonic era - Marshal Andre Massena was shot in the head during a hunting accident, leaving him blind in one eye. This is a localised injury to the back of the brain, impairing a physical function but leaving the mind unaffected). Junot showed no signs of physical disability, so it's clear that his injuries caused no serious damage to the back of the brain. However, the symptoms he did express (which I will get onto later in this post) are consistent with those of an injury to the front of the brain, specifically the frontal lobe which controls what we think of as the mind - emotions, behaviour, personality, problem solving skills, social skills, etc.

Unlike injuries to most parts of the body, brain damage is usually permanent. The brain can create new "pathways" to make up for the damaged areas, but those areas cannot be regrown.

Part 2: what are the symptoms of brain damage?

As covered in part 1, I will only be focusing on the cognitive side of things, since that's the part of the brain that Junot's injuries affected

For the following list of symptoms, I'll put a green tick next to the ones that Junot certainly suffered from, although many of them are up to interpretation

Fatigue

Chronic headaches ✔

Frequent nightmares ✔ (an example is the intense nightmares he suffered after an assassination attempt on Napoleon)

Difficulty starting/completing tasks ✔ (this seems apparent in his career)

Reduced concentration span

Reduced problem solving ability ✔ (again, this seems apparent in his career)

Impaired reasoning and judgement ✔

Unrealistic view of oneself and others ✔ (particularly in his blind faith in his own abilities and in Napoleon)

Intense mood swings (including rapidly changing between experiencing emotions very strongly or appearing cold and emotionless) ✔ (very evident in his relationship with Laure)

Depression ✔

Anxiety

Impulsive behaviour ✔

Reduced ability to tell what's appropriate in social interactions (including sexually inappropriate behaviour) ✔

Lack of insight ✔

Irritability and aggression ✔

Obsessive behaviour ✔ (particularly in his devotion to Napoleon and obsession with becoming a marshal)

Reduced capacity for memories (usually this only affects memories made after the injury - the person may be able to recall events many years ago but have little memory of yesterday) ✔ (this is shown in Junot's poor memory at the end of his life)

Part 3: in connection with other factors in Junot's life

Overuse of drugs and alcohol already cause mild brain damage, and will make any head injuries much worse. Additionally, it makes recovery more difficult.

Complete recovery from a brain injury is impossible, but rehabilitation can help the person to lead a fairly normal life afterwards. But unfortunately rehabilitation, particularly to the extent that Junot clearly needed, did not exist in the 19th century. Even with the best efforts of Junot's family, he could not have received all the support that he needed.

Many people with head injuries are able to regulate themselves more around strangers, but will show symptoms more intensely around trusted people. I believe this is shown somewhat in Junot's interactions with others.

Often when somebody in a long term romantic relationship gets a head injury, this causes the relationship to become less romantic and more platonic. Similarly, Junot's mental condition worsening and his relationship with Laure cooling off happened around the same time.

Part 4: so what does all this mean?

Honestly, it means whatever you want it to. Junot's behaviour matches many of the symptoms of an open injury to the front of the brain, but you could either interpret this as being cause-and-effect or merely coincidental.

Whether you love or hate Junot, I hope this gives you at least some insight into why he was the way he was, and the possible issues he was dealing with.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep8 Musings - The Ep8 Script (Pt2)

Thanks to slitwrstsavior sharing the script and @memorian for digitizing it! <3

Had to do Pt1 in chunks, cuz of Tumblr's 30-pic limit.

DANGIT. So this was INTENTIONALLY vague, not just some weird choppiness or cut footage.

Ohhhh.... They added just a tiny extra line--

But it's a SPICY line, cuz it implies that Les wasn't fully cooperating/on board with the rehearsal. BUT! Like I said, there's no effing mention/emphasis/indication that he was INJURED, either, which is an L.

They changed it--Louis looks UP, into the middle distance.

I'm fine with it either way--this scene had me and my bff SCREECHING.

Pet peeve, but the crew really should've been spritzing these vampires with a spray bottle of red blood, so we'd SEE the BLOOD SWEAT. (I was thinking about this when that post was circulating about vampire sex in IWTV fanfiction, like, AMC didn't show visual vampiric cues like Blood Sweat or blood (ejaculate) stains on the coffin lining--Les' was WHITE, and we KNOW Loustat was going at it in the coffins, so were they just reupholstering CONSTANTLY?) The books mention Blood Sweat all the time, all over their clothes, but the show just focused on Blood Tears (and ofc Les' ear hemorrhages).

OOOOOOOO.....!!! 👀 That highlighted bit was cut out! "You have grown warm again, filled with the love which you first came to Paris with." WUUUUT!?! So Armand's mind-wipe gaslighting BS against Louis was in the exact same vein as Claudia "finding her childlike wonder again"--which was IMPOSSIBLE, since ARMAND was the one that beat it out of her, Mr. 500 Performances, Mr. Sleep In Your Costume; Mr. They Gave Me A Choice; Mr. I Will Not Harm You.

I seriously suspect that every time Louis had an "outburst" like he said in 1x2, or "acted out," Armand would be like "Go back to your first night in Paris--forget all the bad stuff, just be warm & happy [with me];" but then Lou would FIGHT it (or rather: Daniel's constant prodding would PUSH Louis to fight it), and Armand would have to do it all over again. (My question's why didn't he just kill Daniel? Arrogance, I reckon--he severely underestimated just how good Daniel was; and "You can get lazy," like Lou said, cuz Armand didn't even bother to read Dan's thoughts to learn that the Talamasca was feeding Daniel all this extra information).

They cut that line, too--was Louis parroting him (fighting hypnosis), asking him (for clarification), or challenging him (indignant)?

That might also explain the new couches, LOL, if he wrecked them from the impact or bled on them or something.

(We already know Jacob improvised shaking Eric's hand.)

MLS = LePere Schloop?

Too bad we didn't get this--I wanted to see the main door/lobby of the penthouse (certainly not for my The Sims Dubai penthouse layout, no sir~!) .

They added extra lines about the hurricane being pre-July.

Uhhh.... This might imply certain things. Cuz I've been saying that the post-Paris timeline makes no effing sense (X X), and now we have confirmation(?) that Louis' had an Amex membership since 1951.... Even though Amex credit cards were only started in 1958, as a competitor for the Diner's Card that started in 1950 -- so was Louis an INVESTOR who helped launch the Amex credit card!? XD STFU, AMC! I thought y'all said No Forrest Gumpness!? XD

Also: HOW does Louis qualify for all these credit cards? (We saw he had a regular Amex Green Card in 1973 SanFran). According to Amex application qualifications, you need a US SSN or ITIN; OR a foreign credit card to apply.

And France isn't listed. (Unless anyone's French and has an Amex card who can correct me?)

SSNs have been issued since FDR (1936), so Louis SHOULD have one...but it would be from 1936-40 (pre-Mardi Gras), or after Paris () . Meaning on paper he'd be in his 80s in 2022, so I don't imagine he'd be a Black Card carrier for too much longer, unless he's got someone on the inside cooking the books for him.

Omfg AMC I hate y'all. got me out here overthinking effing PROPS.

They added a few lines about the green "pearly gates" of 1132:

And took out a few lines:

And took out an interesting bit of tea:

So the people of ~1940s NOLA thought Claudia was Louis' daughter (Claudia DPDL confirmed???) but the grapevine ALSO rumored that she was his child bride--OOF! 💀 (Which tracks with the AR pedo/incest stuff. Thank goodness they DON'T remember his name!)

Rolin keeps mentioning this smashed piano, but I HAVE LOOKED, but I also have crap eyesight (curse you, midnight gaming sessions), and I just don't frikkin see any smashed piano. HELP.

DEFINITELY not the Mayfair mansion though! XD DANG, I wish they'd included a few frames of gangs tryna rob the Garden District homes, coming up on the Mayfair house, and IMMEDIATELY booking past it like they'd seen a ghost. CROSSOVER, AMC, COME ONNNN.

Drats, I wanted to see Millennial Fledgling try to square up against Lou, and get one of Lou's patented condescending smirks. XD

And Les looked dirty, but he didn't look malnourished, sadly; which I'm still mad about.

In the FLOORBOARDS? OK, come through, BRUCE--I been saying this about Lestat, yet people wanna call me names!

New rule, AMC: NEVER remove Loustat lines. We need ALL the angst. Les out here like: ain't no way a baddie like Lou is SINGLE! XD

S3 BETTER show us Les watching the most vapid ish on Youtube, omg.

LOL

Drats--it might have been cool to see him with those huge pupils he gets when he's mad/hungry, but ah well; he still looked like a gorgeous BAMF.

EXCELLENT SCRIPT, EXCELLENT SHOW, GAAAAAAAH!!! ❤️

[duxbelisarius]

The Dance of the Dragons: A Military Analysis (Pt. 1)

I’ve been meaning to do this since I watched House of the Dragon and read Fire & Blood; after reading and re-reading F&B, I’ve concluded that the way that the Dance of the Dragons was fought by both factions is plain nonsensical. I will demonstrate this by analyzing the military as well as political aspects of George’s narrative, referring to F&B and other works in George’s ASOIAF legendarium and analysis I’ve seen from reddit and Tumblr. Part 1 covers Chapters 1 and 2 of The Dying of the Dragons, being The Blacks and the Greens and A Son for A Son, as well as The Red Dragon and the Gold where it concerns the alignment of the houses. 

Starting with Gyldan’s claim that the realm was ‘divided in two’ by the Dance, this is provably false even if one takes it as just a shorthand phrase and not a serious attempt at summarizing the Dance for his audience. Rhaenyra received the nigh uncontested support of four of the Seven Kingdoms during the war, the North, the Riverlands, the Iron Islands and the Vale, whereas Aegon II’s claim went uncontested only in the Westerlands and Stormlands. The Crownlands and Reach were divided from the outset, with the Tyrells remaining neutral until the end (arguably, but we’ll save that for later). Taking into account the Royal Fleet and Rhaenyra’s numerical advantage in Dragons, even though Rhaenyra’s allies were not all able to provide immediate support, the sheer number of her supporters presents a problem with George’s set-up.

What is that problem? By George’s premises that he established in his work, Rhaenyra’s support should not exist or at least not without the lack of qualification he provides. The chapter Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession states that the Council of 101 AC chose Viserys over Rhaenys’ son Laenor by a wide margin, possibly as much as 20-to-1. Though she was passed over as Jaehaerys’ heir in 92 AC for her uncle Baelon, Rhaenys’ claim for her son was superior to that of Viserys, as she was the eldest child of the first son of the King while Viserys was the second son’s eldest. Yet George would have us believe that after passing over Rhaenys’ superior claim under Andal Law, the lords of the realm would support Rhaenyra in droves despite her objectively inferior claim? The oaths sworn to Rhaenyra as Viserys’ heir were made when Daemon was removed from the line of succession, and because Viserys had no children save for Rhaenyra. By Viserys’ death he has three sons and his eldest, Aegon, was in a similar situation to Rhaenys and Laenor. Under Andal Law, a sister cannot inherit before a brother; but just like in 101 AC, the wishes of the King that the legal heir not inherit were given preference over the law. There should be plenty of lords and ladies from either side of the 101 AC debates that would support Aegon on the basis of his sex or his legal status, but save for House Baratheon it seems that none of the houses that supported Rhaenys received offers of alliance from Otto and the Green Council until after Blood and Cheese, if at all.

George does not help his case by giving us so few good reasons as to why certain houses supported Rhaenyra or Aegon; @lemonhemlock has an entire tag devoted to this issue, and I recommend starting with this thread. Despite Aegon II’s ties to the Reach via the Hightowers and the potential for this to increase the Reach’s influence over the realm, the number of houses listed as joining the Blacks far outnumbers the Greens. House Beesbury, Merryweather and Caswell may be explained by Aegon executing members of those families for supporting Rhaenyra, but we get no reasoning for the Tarlys, Mullendores, Grimms, Rowans, Oakhearts, Footlys or Costaynes. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Westerlands and Stormlands, which supported Aegon II without any mention of internal opposition by Gyldan. This is especially bizarre for the Stormlands given that Otto Hightower expected House Tarth to support Rhaenyra, while Lady Fell and Lord Buckler were among those executed by Aegon II early in the war. This trend of inexplicable unanimity continues with the Riverlands, whose lords are called a ‘notoriously quarrelsome lot’ but support Rhaenyra completely with the exception of the Brackens and the Vances of Atranta. The only real basis for this support that we get from the narrative rests upon the oaths made to Rhaenyra in 106 AC and a single visit she made to Riverrun in 112 AC, decades before the war began.

The unanimity of Northern support for Rhaenyra is even more questionable based on information which George provides within Fire & Blood and elsewhere. Despite Rickon Stark’s death in 121 AC, his son Cregan Stark only became Lord of Winterfell in 126 AC after imprisoning his uncle Bennard Stark and his sons for being slow to relinquish their authority as regents. Despite the approach of winter and the conflict with his uncle, we hear nothing of any misgivings or opposition to Cregan’s pact with Jacaerys. The pact itself is remarkably generous to Rhaenyra, guaranteeing the North’s support in exchange for the marriage of Cregan’s son to a future daughter of the still unwed Jacaerys Velaryon (contrast this with Hoster Tully’s demanding that Ned Stark wed & bed Catelyn during Robert’s Rebellion). In the case of Jeyne Arryn’s support for Rhaenyra, her supporters in House Royce have every reason to oppose this given that Rhaenyra’s consort is Daemon Targaryen, the man who allegedly had Rhea Royce murdered and tried to claim Runestone. Yet they seem not to oppose Lady Arryn’s decision, and Ser Willam Royce is among Rhaenyra’s supporters during the King’s Landing riots. When the war is over and Jeyne Arryn dies, House Royce promptly makes an about-face to support Arnold Arryn over Jeyne’s named heir Joffrey. Finally there’s the “Silent Five,” Corlys Velaryon’s nephews who lost their tongues for accusing Lucerys and his brothers of being bastards. We are told in Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand that the Five supported Aegon and that three died during the war, yet we do not hear of Velaryon forces of any kind supporting the Greens in the Dance’s narrative until after Rhaenyra imprisons Corlys. 

The Dance’s narrative makes even less sense when it comes to the Tyrells and Tullys, both of whom are neutral for most of the conflict. The Tyrells initially declare for Aegon but opt for neutrality when confronted with the large number of Black supporters in the Reach. The Tyrells remain neutral even after these Black houses are brought to heel by Ormund Hightower and Daeron Targaryen, but according to Maester Munkun they prevented the Hightowers from aiding Aegon II at the end by threatening the life of Garmund Hightower (fostering at Highgarden as a ward). The Tyrells were apparently unmoved by Aegon II’s rising fortunes, but were prepared to violate guest right and murder a child for the prospect of Aegon III becoming king. 

Meanwhile Elmo Tully keeps his house out of the war despite the protestations of his grandfather Grover, who is bed-ridden but wishes to support Aegon II. Elmo wished to avoid his house being assailed by either faction’s dragons, but he breaks neutrality and declares for Rhaenyra after being visited by Addam Velaryon with Seasmoke. While Elmo is claimed to have said “a dragon in one’s courtyard does wonders to resolve one’s doubts,” this quote makes House Tully’s prior neutrality even more mystifying. Daemon and Aemond were both present in the Riverlands and rode dragons far fiercer than Seasmoke, but we’re to believe that neither of them considered a show of force as a means of winning over House Tully? Elmo’s decision also makes little sense in light of the fact that Rhaenyra’s cause is in shambles at this point in the Dance, with Borros Baratheon and Ormund Hightower closing in from the south, the people of King’s Landing rioting against her, her Velaryon supporters abandoning her en masse due to the imprisonment of Lord Corlys, and rumors circulating that she had Queen Helaena and Dowager Queen Alicent gang-raped in a Flea Bottom whore-house. That George chose this moment for the Tullys to intervene on Rhaenyra’s behalf is bizarre, especially given the devastation wrought upon the Riverlands by the Dance.

I’ve doubtless left out other examples of inconsistencies and contradictions within the political alliances of George’s narrative, but in the interest of keeping things brief I’ve focused on what I found were the most obvious. If you’ve made it this far without drowning in walls of text, I commend you and thank you for your time (I definitely intend to add more images to spice things up). 

If you’ve got feedback for me, the replies and my inbox are open!

[toastedcinnamonflakes]

Books of the USA

So, I've decided to make a list of books that take place in each state of the USA. These are all books that I have already read. My only qualification is that they take place in that state, nothing else matters.

Please recommend me books for states that I haven't covered yet!

Alaska

Alabama: Looking for Alaska, John Green

Arizona

Arkansas

Colorado

California: A single man, Christopher Isherwood

Delaware

Connecticut: On Earth We're Briefly Georgeous, Ocean Vuong

Florida

Hawai

Georgia: The color purple, Alice Walker

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland: The silence of the lambs, Thomas Harris

Maine: My dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russel

Michigan: Middlesex, Jeffrey Eugenides

Massachusetts: The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath

Minnesota

Missouri

Mississippi: The little Friend, Donna Tartt

Nebraska

Montana: The Miseducation of Cameron Post, emily m. danforth

Nevada

New Jersey

New Hampshire: A separate peace, John Knowles

New Mexico: Love letters to the dead, Ava Dellaira

North Carolina

New York: The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Ohio: Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng

North Dakota

South Dakota: Carrie, Stephen King

Oklahoma

Oregon

Rhode Island

Pennsylvania: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

South Carolina

Tennesse

Virginia: Flowers in the Attic, V.C. Andrews

Texas

Utah

Vermont: The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming: The Lake of Dead Languages, Carol Goodman

Edit: Please stop recommending Stephen King to me, I've found that he's not to my taste.

[forgotteneilionora]

OOC | Coronations

ok so first of all i haven't run any of this by @thelongforgottenrealm -- this is 100% hc'ing and therefore may or may not be in any way accurate, but id mentioned i was thinking abt this vs @forgottenroderick's coronation which i think was quite different (tho tbf he's had multiple crownings so they're probs pr old hat for him atp alkdjsflksdfj) eilia has only had the one

anyway! ok so i have this hc that maybe astaira, given its value system, maybe used some of the ancient anglo-saxon forms of government, so this is highly inspired by the witan's and its election of rulers, etc!

ASTAIRAN SELECTION OF THE FUTURE RULER

so my thought was that maybe you aren't just ~born to rule in astaira and that you are, in fact, chosen and must accept this choice given that its v much a role of service in their culture etc!! so, like the anglo-saxon aethelings, im thinking that there was a pool of candidates, so before her election, eilia was only the heiress presumptive rather than the heiress apparent bc it has to be voted and ratified by the witan/great council of astaira, a council made up of all the other leaders and magnates of astaira, each in turn repping the interests of their own ppl to the best of their ability etc

anyway! aethelings in early anglo-saxon culture are anyone born to a noble family (eventually it became just sons of the king, and that's usually how its translated now, but initially it was more!), but im thinking maybe for astaira its a slightly different qualification -- you have to have completed a trial of sortsans well as having having displayed your abilities by performing charitable acts and such on a big scale etc as well as having submitted your name to a list for consideration etc, that sort of thing! -- that way anyone no matter the rank of their family, can apply, but it also means you're not automatically in the pool even if you don't wanna be since its a srs responsibility etc! now, no question it'd def be easier to do this if you're already backed wealth and power etc but yeah!! here we are!!

so anyway! eilia's been trained for this her whole life, she wants it, she's good at it, she gets chosen. a representative is sent to her to invite her to take the crown for astaira's sake, and she of course accepts. this would def also have a public ceremony of her formally accepting the crown etc.

CROWNING

ok so i def picture her coronation as having taken place during the spring. everything is beautiful and green! t he and i do feel like there's a humility sort of aspect like they used to do so!! i also feel like they brought live, flowering frees into the palace and into whatever shrine in which she was crowned in the sight of the guardians/symbolically BY the guardians, etc and that everyone who came to witness was wearing like...flower and ivy crowns and such and there were garlands of flowers strung everywhere and babbling brook ran along the path from the castle to the shrine and birds were singing and it was all v lovely and v natural and v astairan etc

eilia's purification in which she is taken by the hand by a seeress who brings her to the brook in question which, having its mouth at the shrine, is considered a holy spring, and wearing just her shift w her hair unbound etc she is sort of dunked/bathed and lets all the old run away from her so she can paproach her new role as queen w a pure heart. the seeress then drapes her own cloak around eilia and, however poor it may be, it is a gift from astaira, and a mantel of state

next, still led by the seeress, eilia goes on foot without any shoes, cloaked in her new mantel of state and processes from the brook by her castle to the shrine. singers and musicians accompany her and those all around her may offer her any goods they like, all of which become artifacts of state and her reign and is is thus clothed rarhter than in any guady ornaments of gold and such -- woool and cotton and such things are what she wears, handmade by her ppl for her to wear as their leader

lots of these items are traditionally bracelets of flowers and vines, gloves to keep her warm on her walk, shoes, etc -- all of these meant to be the sort of thing ur common astairan would wear so that, no matter how guady her lifestyle might become, she will know what iis to spend a day clothed as an ordinary astairan is, and noen of it is intended to be rich or fine etc tho special care is often given to crafting such objects as a thank you to the new ruler etc. ba sically, the theme of the day is simplicity, and everything she is given must be white

throughout the day, she is obliged to ask for anything she might want. if she wishes to eat, if she wishes to sleep at the end of the day, whatever! she will spend the rest of her life giving orders, so today is for receiving them

when she reaches the shrine, which is totally open so everyone can see, etc, a humble bench is carried and she is obliged to sit there and hear the wishes of anyone who wishes to speak for her new reign. this can be literally anything! a tiny child can stand up and say they love kittnes! an old man can tell her that his crops are dead but his sheep are still fairing well! a student can wax poetical about philosophy!!! needless to say, this takes hours and hours and in some cases this part has gone on for days w the new ruler sleeping on the wooden bench only to wake the next morning to hear more, still obliged to beg for food from the ppl around etc until ppl stop coming up w things to say! it p robs does tend to be longer the worse the previous reign was bc there are more needs etc and, since i hc that eilia's dad was a pr good ruler, i imagine eilia's was relatively short

anyway, once that's finished, the seeress sends someone, called the herald of the seer, to the new ruler to take them by the hand and ask once again if they are still willing to take all this on!!!! if they decline after all that, there's no shame and they can return to their life etc.

if they still accept the charge -- which obv eilia did! -- the herald of the seer takes eilia by the hand and leads her into the shrine. there, she first asks the ppl to pray for her, then prays herself, and finally presents the gifts which the ppl of astaira have given her to the guardians as a symbolic gesture of the mutual relationship between ppl/ruler/guardians etc

now dressed only in her shift, again, eilia is clothed in the heavy robe of state which is, by design, quite physically hefty to represent the burden of rule

the bench is then carried into the shrine and, in the sight of all w the doors still flung open etc, eilia is crowed by the seer. the crown is also quite heavy for the same reason

now crowned queen, eilia processes back to the palace and is feted all the way w dancers and singers and poets

all are welcome to the palace, where live blooming trees reach towards the star-painted ceiling and a living stream has been brought inside, w the doors and windows all open and anyone who wishes to enter free to do so

anyway yeah obv none of this is canon! these were just some idea i had!!!

also def hc that the seeress who crowned eilia was ~also aine whom arthur later beheaded at kil-kennar so! that's fun!!

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2006 - Number 23 - Kate Ryan - "Je t'adore"

More Belgium. They are having a lot of entries this year. This time it's the actual winner. Kate Ryan, another of the 2006 VRT girlbops and perhaps the one that punctured the girlbop balloon at Eurovision.

Kate (real name Katrien Verbeeck) has been having ever increasing success for the past four years. Singles and an album have hit the charts, not just in Belgium but across Europe. Her breakthrough was a debut cover of Disenchantée, but she followed that up with original compositions and even managed to get into the US Billboard dance chart with a cover of The Promise You Made by Cock Robin. Kate was a solid choice for Belgium. She could sing this material live, she looked good, she was relatively well-known.

Je t'adore is more of the same. It's Europop, filled with energy but at the same time harkening back to Eurovision past. Rather than ethno elements, it substitutes more Western pop and maybe that's where it went wrong. Somehow it doesn't feel hugely fresh. It fits the Eurovision template almost too perfectly.

It's not as if Belgium weren't really going for it here. It does manage to incorporate new staging elements including the illuminated microphone stands used as choreographic elements, that make it stand out from other fare. There's some rare pyro for 2006. Kate dances as she sings, hitting marks in way that most of the other entries don't have to. The routine is complex enough for it to be relatively hard to pull off perfectly.

Then there are the mistakes. Not only the camera cutting mishap, although I don't think there's ever been a Eurovision entry with a mistake originating from the mixing desk that has done well. The routine isn't quite polished enough and those microphone stands look like they're going to topple over in places, the lines they form aren't perfectly rectilinear.

After having won every stage of Eurosong '06 easily, Kate managed to finish only twelfth in the Eurovision semi-final and didn't get through to the Grand Final. It was only seven points off qualification, but that's not enough. It got points from lots of countries, but nothing higher than a seven. There were two many other different exciting things to vote for.

It was still a shock to many, the easy qualifier that failed, and a sign that if you wanted to do well with a girlbop now, it was going to have to be something extra. We'd seen it all before.

The good news is that this was only a minor blip in Kate's career. She went on to release something in the region of thirty singles, seven albums, had huge numbers of top ten songs in the Benelux countries and collaborated with Avicii among others.

One other mention for the song-writers here. Kate contributed alongside Lisa Greene, Niclas Kings and Niklas Bergwall. Lisa has written songs for many major names including Britney Spears, Girls Aloud and Kylie Minogue. Niclas Kings is someone who may come up again later in my 2006 list...

[howlinchickhowl]

It's day four and we're posting up early today because a gal's gotta work tonight. As usual thank you @gallavichthings for this fun list of prompts and for putting this all together.

To Sir, With Love four - teachers

The teacher’s lounge is like a time capsule, set in resin in the late ‘70s and never changed a day since. There’s something kind of comforting about it.

The whole neighborhood has changed so much the last few years, housing developers and rich lesbians and ‘young professionals’ transforming the bleak streets of his youth into lush green pastures and driving up the price of every single fucking thing. The price of beer at the corner store by his apartment is fucking insane, and if he wants to eat a vegetable every once in a while he practically has to take out a loan.

The teacher’s lounge though, that can always be relied on to look and feel and smell exactly the same as the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that. Piles of papers stacked high on every surface, a collection of typewriters and ash-trays in the corner by the microwave, remnants of a bygone era, the disposal of which seems to be nobody’s job. The faded sparkles in the stained linoleum that try valiantly to glimmer, the stale but sustaining aroma of years of coffee brews and spills and stains. Day in, day out, exactly the same.

Not today.

Today there’s a new smell. Not wholly new, but different. The rich aroma hits him in the face right as he opens the door and he stops short.

“The fuck’s that smell?” He asks the room, already quietly bustling with the regular crowd of overtired public school teachers he calls co-workers.

“Good morning Mickey”

Ian Gallagher, fresh-faced and too fucking smiley for this ungodly hour of the morning greets him from over by the coffee station, clutching his favorite mug in both hands like he’s a fucking teenage girl. He brought the mug from home, it’s got pictures of a bunch of kids on it, his family, he told Mickey once at the start of the year. Weird kinda family, two redheads, two brunettes, some guy who looks like a fuckin’ rat and a little black kid, probably about twenty years between all of them Mickey’d guess. He’s never asked.

Gallagher’s a new hire, fresh out of qualification at the start of the year and clearly overjoyed to be here, shaping young minds or whatever. Mickey knows he’s got at most a whole school year of feeling that way before the fucking grind of it starts to get to him. Too many kids and not enough money and no resources and a senior staff so apathetic that there’s no hope of anything ever getting better.

Normally he finds the fresh meat irritating, they’re too friendly, too enthusiastic, he gives them a wide berth and waits for them to learn, or to burn out.

Something about Gallagher though, sweet-natured and keen but not naïve or over the top, he’s kind of hoping that this one will survive.

Helps that he’s easy on the eyes. Bright red hair, pale, freckled skin, calm green eyes and the body of a fuckin’ cross-fit dad. Mickey doesn’t hate to look at him, wouldn’t hate being tossed around by him neither if it came to that but he doesn’t have a good read on the guy yet. They’re friendly, kind of. As friendly as Mickey ever is with a colleague. Maybe a little more. He likes talking to the guy. Likes looking at him.

“Gallagher.” He replies by way of a hello. His question about the smell still hasn’t been answered. “Why does it smell weird in here?”

Gallagher smiles, a sweet little thing that speaks of a giddy kind of smugness.

“I changed the coffee. Do you want some?”

It’s not that Mickey was attached to the old stuff, it was basically watered-down tar at it’s very best, but it was at least familiar. The devil he knew. And there’s no telling what kind of hair-brained scheme Gallagher might have replaced it with.

“It’s not fuckin’ decaf is it?”

That gets him a warm little chuckle and a friendly eye-roll.

“No, Mickey I would never do that to you. It’s just different. The stuff we had ran out and there was some disagreement over whose turn it was to go and buy it and it was fucking awful anyway and I saw an opportunity. I got us a subscription.”

“A subscription?”

“Yeah! The finest blends, delivered straight to our door. And all the proceeds go towards supporting women’s healthcare in Sierra Leone. Isn’t that cool?”

Is it cool? Mickey’s unclear exactly on why they should give a shit about helping people in Africe when there’s plenty of healthcare problems here at home, but if the coffee’s good he’s not exactly gonna kick up a fuss.

“Is it good?”

“What does your nose tell you?” Gallagher asks him with a tap to the nose, and Mickey rolls his eyes. The guy’s hot but he’s a fucking cheeseball.

It does smell pretty fucking good. It tastes pretty great as well, he has to admit when Ian passes him a cup, Mickey’s own favorite, not that he’d ever tell anyone he has a favorite. It sends a funny kind of warmth through him to think that Gallagher might just have noticed.

“It’s decent.” He admits, and Gallagher’s mouth opens to respond but there’s a knock on the door, and Mickey, being the closest faculty member to it, reluctantly turns to swing it open.

It’s a kid. Which makes sense, adults don’t normally knock, but it’s early still for kids to be in the building, even with extra-curriculars. He takes in the girl, he doesn’t know her. She’s skinny, reminds him of Mandy in her ripped black jeans and vintage band tee, kind of funny that kids are still dressing like that. She’s staring at him apprehensively, one hand still raised where she had been knocking.

“What?”

She looks taken aback by his brash question, a lot of the teachers are kinda soft with the kids, treat ‘em like babies. Not Mickey.

“Um. Is—Is Mr Gallagher here?”

“No.” He barks, and swings the door closed.

“Mickey!”

Gallagher’s face is incredulous, half a foot from his own where he had clearly been on his way to meet the student when Mickey had closed the door.

“What?” Mickey feigns innocence, and it gets him a laugh.

“I’m right here!”

“She doesn’t know that. It’s too early for kids, you ain’t even really workin’ yet.”

That much he’s right about, everyone gets in early but no one’s supposed to be working ‘til seven, and Gallagher would do well to learn a thing or two about boundaries. He’s got to learn to separate himself from the kids, take the time for himself. He doesn’t seem ready to hear that though, rolling his eyes, even though he’s still smiling.

“It might’ve been important. Who was it?”

Mickey shrugs, takes a gulp of his actually really fucking good coffee.

“I don’t know. Girl. Dark hair. Didn’t give a name.”

“You didn’t ask.” Gallagher fixes him with some attempt at a reprimanding look that Mickey has to duck his face into his mug to hide his response to.

“Eh I’m not your messaging service, alright.” He says once he’s got his grin under control.

“No you’re a fucking menace. Get out of the way, I’m gonna go find her.” Gallagher brushes past him, almost a full body check, really, that Mickey is certain wasn’t necessary. He grins into his coffee and goes to sit down, content to feel the ghost of Gallagher’s body up against his for the rest of the morning.

(btw the coffee subscription is a real thing run by the brothers Green, it's called Awesome Coffee Club and proceeds are donated to Partners In Health in Sierra Leone who are their long time charity partners.)

[torchship-rpg]

Dev Diary 2 - Character Creation Part 1

Torchship has a very involved session zero. You are not just making your characters; you’re making a program (building out a sector of space and your mission there), a rocket (by customising templates), and, indirectly, the state you work for. But characters are where we’ll start.

A Torchship character is fairly mechanically involved, but there’s not a lot of numbers. Instead, you have layers of character-defining mechanics, skills, and identities which will come into play during the campaign. The character creation section also acts to teach new players about the world, asking them right away to dive into questions about societies, politics, and life by using the various building blocks as introductions to setting concepts.

Level & Departments

The first thing you decide is your character’s level. Your level is basically how you start as a character, how powerful you are when you join the game. 

You have the option of playing B-Team, which is your basic crew member. They work a single Department and they either have expertise in a single job, or they’re working on a second team. However, the main purpose of the B-Teamer start is that you can turn your NPC crew into B-Teamers if you want to play as them later, maybe if you’re doing a Lower Decks episode or something like that.

Most starting PCs are the A-Team, the overachieving go-getters who end up on the bridge because they’ve got the most experience, most qualifications, or they’ve been working hardest for it. A-Team means you get to have two Departments and an expertise. The only thing that B-Team has which A-Team doesn’t is that they get more hobbies to invest in, because they actually have a life.

Departments are what colour shirt you wear on the ship, what your job is. Departments are used to sort skills out, and gate some special equipment later on. It’s your role on the team, basically.

There’s 8 departments, so a traditional 4-person RPG group playing A-Teamers can cover all the Departments between themselves (though it’s not a big deal if you have overlap and are missing some; that’s what NPCs are for!). The departments are…

Administration, the diplomats, bureaucrats, leaders, and social scientists which are the closest thing to the commanders. Your most skilled Administrator is probably your Vehicle Commander (that’s the captain). They wear gold. 

Engineering, the damage controllers, mechanics, inventors, and technicians on the rocket, who keep the reactor from blowing up. They wear safety orange.

Astrogation, the flight planners, pilots, drivers, and stellar navigators who fly the ship, plot orbits, and drive shuttles, pods, and rovers. They wear navy blue.

Security, the soldiers, brawlers, field officers, and crisis negotiators who put their bodies between danger and the rest of the crew. They wear red.

Tactical, the artillery officers, drone pilots, missile plotters, and space marshals who operate the weapons and coordinate with other rockets. They wear olive green.

Research, the observers, academics, technologists, and physical scientists who scan, record, and make theories about Weird Space Shit. They wear baby blue.

Medical, the paramedics, surgeons, pharmacists, and life scientists who keep the crew from dying of all the dangerous things in space. They wear teal.

Signals, the programmers, roboticists, telecom operators, and hackers who run the ship’s computers, radios, and other electronics. They wear purple. 

Identity

When you start to make your character, you begin by choosing a few high-level concepts which will guide character creation going forward. These concepts help you narrow down who your character is and provide frameworks and suggestions for the rest of the process.

Your character’s identity is what species they are and what society they are from. These contain a bunch of information for you, from a quick blurb about it to some naming conventions, followed by a list of suggested Traits. We’ll get more into Traits later, but essentially, these are features your character can take which give them unique capabilities. The traits in your Identity are not mandatory, they’re just suggestions, and they’re listed in order of how widespread they are within an identity.

The first thing you’ll notice is that there is not default ‘human’ option; this is not a game where humans are the boring ‘neutral’ choice. There are six kinds of humans you can play, eight if you include sub-categories, all with unique sets of traits, and many of the human identities are more mechanically similar to some aliens than they are to each other. You can easily play an all-human game, and yet have nobody in the group sharing any traits.

For instance, let’s talk your basic, bog-standard Earth human. This should be easy right, you don’t get anything special except maybe a bonus ability to represent human diversity?

Hell no. If you play a Terran in Torchship, you immediately discover one of the setting’s quirks; Earth is a high-gravity world by the standards of humanoid life. 1g can make you a heavyworlder; you get a bonus to physical strength and endurance, you hit harder in melee, and you aren’t well suited to 0g. 

Terrans are then divided into rural and urban sub-identity suggestions, with Urban Terrans speaking many languages and working nearest the IUR’s bureaucracy, while Rural Terrans have a connection to the local biomes and are more likely to be ‘baseliners’ with no genetic modifications. Oh yeah, surprise, genetic engineering is so widespread that not being genetically engineered is a trait you have to opt into.

The other human identities are just as detailed. You might be a tall Lunar, living and working in the underground industrial capital of Armstrong City. You could be a diminutive Martian, genetically engineered to survive the oxygen death zone of Mars and used to working with terraforming machines. You might be a low-grav Spacer, either a habber running human trade from the great spinning stations or an independent deep spacer living in the rings of Saturn or growing up on cargo rockets. Finally, the extrasolar colonies; Proxies from our nearest star with their many genetic augmentations, or the ‘free space’ of the wildcat colonies.

After humans, each of the aliens gets an identity page the same way. Being a classic pulpy space story, most aliens are humanoids with minor differences, because that’s fun! The alien identities covered in this section include nearly all the major alien powers in the setting, so you can play as a defector who has joined Star Patrol. We’ll go more into the various aliens in another diary, but we’ve got five options with a wide variety of recommended traits to cover them.

There’s also the Koath, the sole non-humanoid alien on the list. They’re crow-like aliens who joined the IUR as a peasant republic on a medieval world; what more do you want? Our eventual goal is that every alien identity will have at two sub-identities which represent different cultures or groups for each alien society we present; right now the Aquillians have four.

If you don’t really like any of them, you are free to declare your own identities and make up stuff, of course; the Trait system is very flexible and contains enough options that you should be able to play just about any kind of classic space alien. We’re even looking into making non-embodied characters playable, if you wanted to be an energy being, ghost haunting the rocket, or the ship’s computer which gained sentience (we just haven’t figured it out yet).

After you’ve picked your level, departments, and identities, you get into the meat of character creation, but this diary has already run long. Next time: Personal Information, Impulses, Certifications, and Traits!

[homesimprovement]

How to Choose a Bathroom & Kitchen Contractor in Vancouver

Renovating your bathroom or kitchen is an exciting project. And, we know that hiring the correct contractor is not straightforward. After all, you want someone who understands your concept while also completing quality work within your budget. In this blog post, we'll look at how to select the best bathroom and kitchen remodeling contractors in Vancouver.

Start with research

Start by researching local contractors. Look for organizations with a strong reputation, favorable feedback, and experience with bathroom and kitchen renovations. Trusted platforms such as TrustedPros and HomeAdvisor provide a list of top-rated contractors in Vancouver. These platforms offer ratings, reviews, and quotations from professionals in your area.

Check Credentials

Before hiring a bathroom remodeling contractors in Vancouver, check their credentials. Ensure they are licensed, insured. And, in good standing with the local authorities. A reputable contractor will readily provide qualifications and references. Do not hesitate to request proof of insurance and licensing.

Evaluate Experience and Specialization

Find contractors who specialize in bathroom and kitchen renovations. Consider their years of experience, portfolio, and types of projects they've completed. Some contractors specialize solely in kitchen remodeling, while others excel at bathroom makeovers. Select one whose expertise matches your exact requirements.

Communication is important

Effective communication is required for every renovation project. A contractor who actively listens to your suggestions and replies to your inquiries promptly. And, keeps you updated throughout the process is invaluable. Schedule an introductory meeting to determine their communication style and response.

Request Detailed Quotes

Ask for detailed quotes from at least three contractors. A comprehensive quote should include labor costs, materials, permits, and any additional expenses. Be wary of vague estimates. A transparent breakdown helps you compare prices and make an informed decision.

Visit Showrooms and Past Projects

Visit showrooms or explore contractors’ websites to see their work firsthand. Look for design elements that resonate with your vision. Additionally, ask for references from your kitchen remodeling contractors in Vancouver and visit completed projects. Talking to previous clients provides insights into the contractor’s reliability and craftsmanship.

Discuss Timelines and Flexibility

Clearly define project timelines and discuss any potential delays. A dependable contractor will stick to a realistic timeline and react to unexpected changes. Avoid contractors who promise unrealistic deadlines or lack flexibility.

Quality Over Price

While cost is essential, prioritize quality over the lowest bid. A cheap contractor may cut corners. Resulting in poor results. Invest in a contractor who provides good craftsmanship. Even if it means paying slightly more. Remember that improvements are long-term investments.

Environmental Considerations

If eco-friendly practices matter to you. Inquire about sustainable materials and energy-efficient solutions. Some contractors specialize in green remodeling. Ensuring minimal environmental impact.

The Best Place to Find a Contractor: All Quotes

Finally, when you’re ready to connect with bathroom remodeling contractors in Vancouver , visit All Quotes. It’s a reliable platform where you can request quotes from multiple contractors simultaneously. Simply describe your project, and they’ll match you with qualified professionals in Vancouver.

In the end, we can say that choosing the right bathroom and kitchen contractor involves thorough research, effective communication. And, a focus on quality. With the right partner, your renovation dreams can become a reality!

[mushroom-madness]

Submissions & Qualifiers Masterpost

I’ve decided to just make one list of nominees that I’ll update every so often instead of making a new post for every update, to prevent clogging up the blog so people can still find propaganda and questions and stuff!

🍄Our Qualifiers!🍄:

Stanley (Spiritfarer)

Todd from Mario (Drawfee)

Mooshroom (Minecraft)

Brown Slim Mushroom (Everhood)

Moonshine Cybin (Not Another D&D Podcast)

Danielle Barkstock (Dimension 20)

Breloom (Pokémon)

Zommoth (Bug Fables)

Leif (Bug Fables)

Poison Mushroom Cookie (Cookie Run)

Toad (Mario)

Parasect (Pokémon)

Apothecary Gary (Amphibia)

Ragel (Undertale)

The Mycologists (Inscryption)

Bongo-Head (Genshin Impact)

Twirly-Whirly (Genshin Impact)

Kinoko Komori (My Hero Academia)

Sozo (Cult of the Lamb)

Caduceus Clay (Critical Role)

Toadette (Mario)

Shrumal Warrior (Hollow Knight)

Mister Mushroom (Hollow Knight)

Truffles Daal (Chowder)

Morelull (Pokémon)

En (Dorohedoro)

The Nomes (Little Nightmares)

Shiinotic (Pokémon)

Ramblin’ Evil Mushroom (EarthBound)

Amoonguss (Pokémon)

Amanita (Just Dance)

Jade Leech (Twisted Wonderland)

Foongus (Pokémon)

Goomba (Mario)

Akaboshi Bisco (Sabikui Bisco)

Walking Mushroom (Delicious in Dungeon)*

Clickers (The Last of Us)*

Puffstool (Pikmin)*

Mushroom Pikmin (Pikmin)*

Shrumeling (Hollow Knight)*

Congrats to all of our Qualifiers! Below are characters that have been submitted and meet the requirements, but have yet to reach the 3 nomination minimum for qualification.

Characters with 2 Nominations:

Violet and Tate (Monster Prom)

Kinoko (Katamari)

Josh (Dominion SMP)

Myconids (Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition)

Shrooom! (EarthBound)

Master Firbolg (The Adventure Zone: Graduation)

Tarin (Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening)

Marabelle Cybin/Marabelle the Terrible (Not Another D&D Podcast)

Shroomish (Pokémon)

Toedscool (Pokémon)

Slimefoot (Magic the Gathering)

Muttshroom (Mother 3)

Brute Bonnet (Pokémon)

Shrumbo (Ooblets)

Room (Join the Party)

Magic Myc (Inside Job)

Puff-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Hattifatteners (Moomin)*

Chio (The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)*

Characters with 1 Nomination:

Paras (Pokémon)

White Mushroom Emblem Heartless (Kingdom Hearts)

Amanita (Green Lantern)

Galwyn (Troll, 1986)

Advisor Mung (Hypnagogia 無限の夢 Boundless Dreams)

Captain Toad (Mario)

Red Dead Mushroom (Everhood)

Morphean Mushroom (Dragon Quest)

The Truffle (Terarria)

Ararycan (Genshin Impact)

The Blemmigan Voyager (Fallen London)

Brown Mooshroom (Minecraft)

Toedscruel (Pokémon)

Cappy (Kirby)

Fleeble (Ooblets)

Funghoul (Dragon Quest)

Mushroom Mage (Dragon Quest)

Sun-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Doom-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Fume-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Gloom-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Hypno-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Ice-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Scaredy-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Sea-Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Shrub Berry (Empires SMP)

Night Cap (Plants VS Zombies: Battle for Neighborville)

An Zhe (Little Mushroom (小蘑菇))

Duncecap (Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch)

Napcap (Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch)

Nightcap (Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch)

Madcap (Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch)

Princess Shroob (Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time)

Shumi (Shumi Come Home)

Katie Clay (Seconds)

Magnet Shroom (Plants VS Zombies)

Mushroomon/Mushmon (Digimon)

Lich of Flowers (Maiden and Spell)

Hitotake (Mushishi)*

Bloater (The Last of Us)*

Killer Mushroom (American McGee's Alice)*

The top 2 characters per franchise with 3 or more nominations automatically are guaranteed for the bracket. Characters with less than 3 submissions and less nominated characters from franchises with more than two qualifiers will be used to fill the bracket based on mod bias, propaganda, and submitters passion, and are not guaranteed to be in the bracket.

*At least one submission for these characters was done through the askbox instead of the google form. If this was you, please resubmit using the google form with a note saying it’s a resubmission so I can get the proper number of votes all in one place. Thank you!

🍄 So submit away y’all! We’ll keep this post updated as submissions roll in and characters qualify! 🍄

[queer-in-a-cornfield]

A list of Thoughts™ I had in 2023:

-What is even the point of Arkansas?

- Why aren't there two cases of numbers?

- Humans like the taste of thinking they’re on fire and that’s just weird

- We need a word for when you're daydreaming at night

- Rob Cantor spelled backwards is not a palindrome and that feels wrong

-I think thyme should rhyme with stymie and for that matter, so should rhyme)

- Imagine a pollen waterfall

- What is the median word?

- V I O L E N T H A N D W A S H I N G

- How do the cars in Cars reproduce?

- What does human taste like?

- Plaque is like tooth zest

- Is there a raspberry emoji? (There isn't and I don't appreciate that)

- The respiratory system is my instrument

- 🎶Dun dun dududun dun dududun dun dudun dun dududun dun dududun dun dududun dun dududun dun🎶

- Is oxygen flammable?

- Someone should make jello ice cubes

- What is the word for the smell of a walk-in freezer?

- Where do blimps go when they aren't in the air?

- Do fish make sounds incomprehensible to us?

- Bottomless Dreaming (I do not remember what this means because I thought of it literally as I woke up)

- Who is the most average person?

- Is the trademark™️ symbol trademarked™️?™️??? (According to Max: Yes, by Alexander Trademark.)

- Why can 10/10 dentists never agree on anything?

- What percentage of the population is lawyers?

- Beanana

- What is the oldest surviving copy of a newspaper? (Not what is the longest running newspaper, but what is the oldest physical newspaper still intact?)

- ɪˈmæʤən ˈspɛlɪŋ jʊər ʧaɪldz neɪm wɪð aɪ-pi-eɪ ˈsɪmbəlz.

-I really want to bite my plant.

- Would Bill Cipher be invisible if you looked at him from the side? (Since he's 2D)

- Imagine if you could make wine bottles by jumping on grapes (Courtesy of Max)

-Queue should be pronounced qwehweh

- Trampolines are are when you jump on a strainer that is on top of another strainer. (Courtesy of Max)

- How many oranges are there? (Courtesy of Max)

- Imagine if there were just floating staircases to nowhere

- Rabbits are an unstoppable force

- What is the cold version of incineration?

- Wholesome blackmail should exist

- I hate that our eyes take in information from top to bottom because whenever I look at the map on my wall I see North Dakota first and that’s just not it.

- How many people were named Amerigo after the Americas became widely known as America?

- What was the greatest thing before sliced bread (pre-1928)?

- Pomelos are subject to the laws of physics

- Australians be like: “Our lord and savior vegemite”

- I want to grab a cloud with a hook and drag it along behind the car

- Unfortunate Roadtrip would be a really good band name

- You wouldn’t download a pie

- If you donate blood, do you tell the person drawing the blood "thank you" or "your welcome"? (Courtesy of Max)

- Grass does not care for international borders

- Why are mirrors slightly green?

- What is the texture of flame?

- What if Mickey was short for Mickolas?

- Beans is my favorite word.

- Trees are like naturally occurring lollipops except you can’t eat them and aren’t really anything like lollipops

- Is it possible to dissolve a brick?

- I know calling it Virginia was meant to be a compliment but like I personally would be miffed if a place was named after the fact I haven’t dated anyone

- We know what ranch tastes like, but then what does farm taste like?

- We have deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning, I say we complete the trilogy with seductive reasoning

- If the only qualifications for being a seagull are being bad at acting and not having lips then technically the only things that aren’t seagulls are people and desks (stupid f*cking bird reference)

- Is it possible to liquify a bird?

- Does pizza count as art?

- I’m so fine (both literally and figuratively, both sarcastically and sincerely. Bothception.)

- If Cam is short for Cameron then is Sam short for Sameron?

- Schrödinger’s AAA battery

- Five dudes, a gorl™, and a middle schooler walk into rehearsal…

- It’s been tomorrow since yesterday ended

- Ties are man ribbons

- Sugar is the letter Y of baking

- Balliscuits

- Desecrated Coconut

- Imagine if working out caused you to lactate (Courtesy of Alec)

- Dragon is not synonymous with pie

- (In the voice of the tiktok spongebob news fish) You’ve just been smargled

- What country has the most cities (incorporated places, not necessarily populous ones)

- Today is tomorrow’s yesterday and yesterday’s tomorrow and a tv show

- Soap soup

- Imagine a lightbulb with a smaller lightbulb inside and you can play lightbulb dice

- *British accent* Plunderbuckets and Billyhocks

- Rahrehksdee ;)

- Where does candle wax go???

- If you don’t specify the source of your organ meat, people would assume it’s human organs which is kinda weird

- What if air is a drug (if you don’t have it you go into withdrawals) (Courtesy of Max)

- What would a calorie taste like?

- Why are walruses like that