#Intersecting Worlds - Dash Commentary

[twinstateline]

tag drop part one .

[reb3lwife]

take two with the right symbols sldfkjsdlkfjsdf tag drop part one .

[lupaeusmoved]

tag drop part one .

[lupaeusarc]

tag drop / test part one

[dotthings]

Congrats to the fans of the wee woo show. I don’t go here but it makes me happy to witness how this arc for Evan Buckley got to bloom and I’m happy because I hope this reflects another shift in the TV industry.

For some media commentary context for you: ABC network is owned by Disney. Fox network was owned by Rupert Murdoch. So I can see how the network change for 911 can easily be a factor on how this got greenlit, after years of creator Tim Minear’s intention to work in hints, on the off chance he could take it there. (I don’t go here, but I did my reading). Oliver Stark who plays Buck also revealed he's been for it and couldn't say anything, until he was sure they could do it, until it aired and was out there. (*steeples fingers*)

For further context, Bob Iger—with George Lucas’ vocal support—just fended off a right wing coup on the Disney board from the kinds of people (like Peltz) who complain “why do we need so many female leads” “why do we need movies with all Black leads.” While it doesn’t mean Disney is no longer an evil megacorp, I’m pointing out that its CEO defended inclusive Disney brand content to the shareholders and the board, as well as dismantling the idea that it can’t be entertainment while being diverse.

The ripple of this goes outside of the wee woo show fandom. I’m seeing the joy on my dash from people who don’t watch the show or don’t watch it regularly, as well as from people who have been watching a long time and noticed things and realized there was a progression and it was there all along, and I know how much this must mean to a lot of people. With the world being how it is, with what people are facing inside the US from the far right, in their real lives.

It’s very hopeful in general for inclusion levels on a major network TV show, owned by a big evil megacorp. Representation matters.

Also I'm aware the wee woo show already had a queer couple, plus it's already an intersectional inclusive series, that’s great.

There shouldn't be limits placed on inclusion though. “But you already have X” shouldn't be weaponized to tell people to shut up. There is no “enough” or “too much” when it comes to inclusion. While I'm not for undermining the inclusion that's there, I've seen that weaponization used with a series that hasn't been great on inclusion, and I've seen that weaponization used for 911, which is. It's a sus argument.

Indirect and unintentional as it is, also bi Buck shut down every concern troll, every gaslight, every denial, every rationale I've ever seen people deploy against bi Dean. Everything from people who don’t understand what bi actual means—“but he likes girls so he can’t be bi”—to “but he wasn’t declared bi from the start of the show so he can’t”—yes he can and the wee woo show just did. On one of the original big three networks. Or people who say it would "ruin the character." Really? “But he’s an action hero”—so what? Evan Buckley is a hero, Dean is a hero, both badass action heroes. “People who see this as canon are delusional”—Evan Buckley went O RLY? Not so delusional now, is it.

Evan Buckley avenged bi Dean.

It’s self-evident. It’s right there. Different show, different network, but the concepts are familiar, the situation has a certain familiarity. This turn of events on an ABC show didn't just make bi Dean fans valid. bi Dean fans were always valid, the bi Dean reading was always valid. But I appreciate how much what happened on the wee woo show bonked people with a truth stick, about self discovery, character arcing, queer readings, queer coding, and the validity of merely noticing things.

[the-rollerchloster]

Some Thoughts On Cockles

I went into a cockles thought spiral brought on by the amount of Michael Sheen and David Tennant I am seeing on my dash.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, is doing it like Jensen and Misha.

I feel like there’s some kind of social commentary there; something about the intersection of how starved we are for legitimate queer representation AND seeing men in friendships without toxic masculinity.

It’s why Rob and Jensen are so fun together too. Or Rob and Rich. Or Misha and Darius. Or expanding outside of SPN, it’s also Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan. Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. Oliver Stark and Ryan Guzman. These are all fun, cute, intimate friendships, which people have every right to “ship” in their own way. But to me, they could all go either way. It’s fun to think about “what if they’re in love” but at the end of it all, if someone said “they’re just good friends with no toxic masculinity” I would believe them, no questions asked.

If/when someone says the same about Jensen and Misha, I vehemently disagree, because there’s so much more to it.

It’s lightning in a bottle, profound bond, desperate collision of worlds that is indescribably adorable, unfathomably intimate and undeniably insane. No one’s doing it like Jensen and Misha. And no one ever will. Nor should they want to or need to.

Of course, this is all my personal experience, but no one has ever pulled me in the way they have and continue to do. Their chemistry creates a vortex that draws people in, and like the unknown creature you can’t look away from in that Sandra Bullock movie with the blindfolds, once you’ve seen it, it drives your every move.

There will be people that have multiple real person ships of which cockles is just a cute thing they think about sometimes. And there will be Cockles Shippers™️ who feel about JenMish the way I feel about MichaelDave. And that’s all completely fine. But much like destiel, I can’t see a time when I will experience another cockles.

[misspopart]

Elevating Art Forms: The Fusion of Ceramic Pigeons and Pop Art Pottery

In the dynamic world of art, the unexpected fusion of traditional ceramics with modern pop culture elements brings forth a unique blend of aesthetics and symbolism. Among these intriguing innovations is the Ceramic Pigeon, a figure that combines the grace of classic pottery techniques with the vibrant energy of contemporary art. This fusion not only revitalizes ceramic art but also challenges the boundaries of traditional pottery, inviting both artists and collectors to rethink the potential of clay.

The Symbolic Resonance of Ceramic Pigeons

The Ceramic Pigeon have long been a symbol of peace and tranquillity in various cultures, but in the hands of modern artists, these figures acquire new layers of meaning. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, these ceramic creations echo the delicate balance between nature and urban life, encapsulating the struggle and harmony found within our environments. The versatility of ceramic material allows for expressive textures and forms, making each pigeon not just a piece of art but a narrative embodied in clay.

Craftsmanship Meets Contemporary Art

The making of a Ceramic Pigeon involves traditional handcrafting techniques passed down through generations, now infused with modern artistic expressions. Artists are experimenting with glazes, colours, and forms to push the limits of what ceramic art can represent. These pigeons, often depicted in bold, vivid colours or abstract patterns, stand as a testament to the evolving nature of ceramic art, embracing both its heritage and its potential for innovation.

Pop Art Pottery: A Colorful Reinterpretation of the Mundane

Shifting focus from the delicate forms of ceramic pigeons to the bold and vibrant world of Pop Art Pottery, this genre of art redefines everyday objects with a splash of colour and a dash of irony. Inspired by the pop art movement that emerged in the mid-20th century, this contemporary pottery style incorporates bright colours, graphic designs, and cultural commentary, turning ordinary vessels into extraordinary artworks.

The Vibrant World of Pop Art Pottery

Pop Art Pottery is more than just decorative; it is a reflection of modern society, often incorporating elements of commercialism, technology, and mass culture. This style of pottery appeals to a diverse audience, resonating with those who appreciate art that speaks to current trends and thoughts. Each piece serves as a functional work of art, bringing the vivid and often whimsical style of pop art into the daily lives of its admirers.

Innovative Techniques and Expressive Outcomes

The creation of Pop Art Pottery involves innovative ceramic techniques that allow artists to express vivid imagery and bold patterns reminiscent of pop art's signature style. Techniques such as silkscreen printing, underglaze painting, and meticulous glazing are commonly used to achieve the bright and glossy finishes that define this genre. Through these methods, artists are able to bring a dynamic and youthful energy to pottery, making each piece a bold statement in both style and function.

Conclusion

The artistic journeys from Ceramic Pigeon to Pop Art Pottery highlight a fascinating evolution in the ceramic arts, marked by an embrace of new ideas and a celebration of old traditions. These art forms not only adorn homes but also stimulate conversations about the intersections of art, culture, and society. For enthusiasts eager to explore these captivating styles, misspopart.ca offers a gateway to a world where classic techniques meet contemporary designs, promising pieces that are as expressive as they are exquisite.

[alertfacts]

Is Devon Archer Tied to Kimberly Guilfoyle? The Marriage Rumors Explained

In the world of high-profile personalities, rumors spread faster than wildfire, and it's no surprise that Devon Archer and Kimberly Guilfoyle have found themselves at the center of such speculation. From casual conversations to social media debates, the question on everyone’s mind seems to be, Is Devon Archer married to Kimberly Guilfoyle? What’s the real deal between these two? Let’s unravel the buzz and separate fact from fiction!

Who is Devon Archer?

Before diving into the rumors, it’s crucial to understand who Devon Archer is. A financier and businessman with a history that’s as colorful as it is complex, Archer has made waves in the world of investment banking and political consulting. He's been involved in several high-stakes ventures, from his work with Rosemont Seneca Partners, a company he co-founded with Hunter Biden, to various investments in energy and real estate.

But who is he beyond the boardroom? Devon Archer is known for his sharp mind, ambitious pursuits, and a knack for finding himself in the midst of controversy. His life, both professional and personal, has always been a topic of interest, but recently, the spotlight has shifted to his connection with none other than Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Kimberly Guilfoyle: The Powerhouse

Kimberly Guilfoyle, a name that resonates with power, influence, and media prowess, is no stranger to public scrutiny. An attorney by training and a former Fox News personality, she’s carved out a niche for herself in the world of political commentary. Guilfoyle’s charisma, sharp wit, and undeniable presence have made her a force to be reckoned with.

She’s not just known for her career, though. Kimberly Guilfoyle’s personal life has been equally intriguing. From her marriage to Gavin Newsom, the current Governor of California, to her relationship with Donald Trump Jr., she’s always been in the public eye. But now, the question looming large is: Is Kimberly Guilfoyle married to Devon Archer?

The Rumor Mill: How It All Began

So, how did these marriage rumors start? As with many celebrity rumors, the origins are a mix of speculation, casual comments, and a dash of misinterpretation.

Public Appearances: Devon Archer and Kimberly Guilfoyle have been seen together at a few public events, sparking whispers and raising eyebrows. When two well-known figures are spotted in the same place, it doesn’t take long for people to start drawing conclusions.

Social Media Frenzy: Social media can be a double-edged sword. A few innocent posts or comments can quickly spiral into full-blown speculation. Fans and followers often try to connect the dots, even when there might be no dots to connect.

Shared Circles: Both Archer and Guilfoyle move in elite circles that often intersect. They have mutual friends and professional acquaintances, which only adds fuel to the fire. But does that mean they’re married?

Digging Deeper: Is There Any Truth to the Rumors?

Let’s get down to brass tacks. Is Devon Archer married to Kimberly Guilfoyle? While the rumors have certainly gained traction, there’s no concrete evidence to support the claim.

Here’s what we know:

No Official Statements: Neither Archer nor Guilfoyle has made any official statement confirming or denying the marriage rumors. In the age of instant news, silence can often be misinterpreted, but it’s important not to jump to conclusions.

Past Relationships: Both individuals have a history of high-profile relationships. Guilfoyle’s past marriages and relationships have always been public knowledge, while Archer’s personal life has been more private. However, there’s no record of a marriage between the two.

Media Silence: Major news outlets have not reported on a marriage between Devon Archer and Kimberly Guilfoyle. In the world of celebrity news, a lack of coverage often indicates that there’s no substantial story to tell.

So, while the idea of these two powerhouses tying the knot is certainly intriguing, the evidence just doesn’t add up.

Why Are People So Interested?

You might be wondering, why is there so much interest in whether Devon Archer is married to Kimberly Guilfoyle? Well, it’s no secret that we live in an era where the personal lives of public figures are often considered public property. People are naturally curious about the relationships of those in the limelight, especially when those individuals are as influential as Archer and Guilfoyle.

Celebrity Culture: We’re fascinated by the lives of the rich and famous. Their relationships, breakups, and marriages provide endless fodder for conversation and speculation.

Political Connections: Both Archer and Guilfoyle have ties to the political world. Archer’s association with Hunter Biden and Guilfoyle’s relationship with Donald Trump Jr. make them figures of interest in both political and social circles.

Power Couple Appeal: The idea of two powerful individuals coming together is always compelling. It’s the kind of story that captures the imagination and keeps people talking.

The Impact of Rumors on Personal Lives

While it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of celebrity rumors, it’s important to remember that these are real people with real lives. The constant speculation can have a profound impact on their personal and professional lives.

Privacy Invasion: For individuals like Devon Archer and Kimberly Guilfoyle, maintaining privacy can be a challenge. The more speculation there is, the harder it becomes to keep personal matters private.

Public Perception: Rumors can shape public perception in ways that may not reflect reality. If people start to believe that Devon Archer is married to Kimberly Guilfoyle without any evidence, it can lead to misunderstandings and unfounded judgments.

Stress and Pressure: Being in the public eye comes with its own set of pressures, and dealing with rumors can add to that stress. It’s not easy to live under the constant scrutiny of the media and the public.

The Final Verdict: What’s the Real Story?

After all the speculation, the public sightings, and the social media chatter, we return to the central question: Is Devon Archer married to Kimberly Guilfoyle?

The answer, based on all available evidence, appears to be no. While they may have crossed paths in their respective careers and social circles, there’s no proof that the two are married.

Conclusion: The Nature of Rumors

In a world where information travels at the speed of light, it’s easy for rumors to take on a life of their own. The idea that Devon Archer is married to Kimberly Guilfoyle is a perfect example of how a few pieces of information can be woven into a narrative that captures the public’s imagination.

However, as we’ve seen, the reality doesn’t always match the rumors. It’s a reminder to pproach such stories with a healthy dose of skepticism and not to believe everything you hear—unless, of course, you’ve got the facts to back it up!

So the next time you come across a juicy piece of celebrity gossip, ask yourself: Is there any truth to this? Because, as this case shows, sometimes the real story is much simpler than the one we create in our minds.

[masters-menagerie]

...Something felt wrong. There was a weight settling over Ghost, making his body feel heavy. A pit formed in his chest, making his core pulse faster. He’d...felt something like this before. This awful, oppressive tightness, pressing down on him. When had he felt this...?

An image flashed across his mind.

Yes....when he first met him. But this time, it felt different. He was panicked, but not because of something coming for him. It was more a sense of urgency...like, he was going to lose something. Or someone....

Ghost decided to make some rounds, checking in on various acquaintances. It would at least put the restless energy to good use.

[mysterydungecn]

Gen is a legitimately good cook, and while he mainly cooks for his family, he also sometimes asks to help out at the cafeteria at school. His favorite dish to cook is okanomiyaki, and he always pours his heart and soul into his cooking. And while he’s still learning, he wishes to become a chef one day.

[esther-dot]

The thing is the Willas and Tyrion post made to show the situation for Sansa was almost similar. Both are old men, disabled, heir to their house, trying to steal Sansa birthright. I don't think that op once said that Willas is cruel like Tyrion. I never saw Jonsa hated Willas. I think op means that Tyrells will be better than Lannisters yet they are opportunist like Lannisters. Maybe some do not like the pairing but no one called Willas a bad guy.

(in reference to this post)

I didn’t see the post my anon was referring to, but often, one post inspires other posts on a similar topic and depending on who you follow, you’ll experience a totally different conversation. Not all of us put our posts in the main tag so sometimes we’re responding to things the next person hasn’t seen. If you check on one blog and see a post once, it’s easy to ignore. If you scroll through and see the same post 5 times with added commentary or tags, and additional posts talking about it too, it hits you in a totally different way. It sounded to me like my anon felt what was happening on their dash went beyond the Lannister and Tyrell comparisons. I’m not characterizing the original post in any which way, just saying as the conversation evolved my anon got a specific impression that they objected to, and as I had spoken fondly of Willas before, they reached out. I didn’t mind in the least. Although, for what it’s worth, I haven’t seen Jonsas hating on Willas either. The benefits of curating your tumblr experience!

I agree with you that there is a comparison to be made between the Lannisters and the Tyrells, and that it is worthwhile to find parallels since the author enjoys those so much. I just think the contrast between the two scenarios (marriage to Tyrion vs marriage to Willas) better highlight the issue at hand rather than saying the parallels mean they’re the same. Saying, oh, here’s a good guy and a much nicer family and Sansa could have something rather beautiful there and—oh shit, they’re still using her, little girls are still being handed off as the means to an end, Sansa is still not being seen as a person—that’s the interesting stuff to me. 

Just because one family chooses methods that are less directly violent doesn’t mean there aren’t victims to their machinations, and there’s a really interesting direct parallel with the Lannisters killing Robb, and Olenna killing Joffrey. Obviously, one is a whole hell of a lot more sympathetic, one is a lot more evil, but there are a lot of intersections in their stories. But I think there’s a difference between living within the context of their world and being particularly evil. I suppose that’s what my previous anon and I agree on. Houses cared about advantageous marriages, marrying off children to procure things/alliances was normal (as in, the Starks were gonna do this), but even though it’s normal to them, we shouldn’t be ok with it, and we should recognize the shades of grey to each scenario. But the underlying sentiment is that it is all bad. It leaves girls and women incredibly vulnerable and that plays out later in other people’s stories where people marry and then kill women to get what they want. I believe that fate awaited Sansa if she had given Tyrion a child. I’ve written before that Sansa saved herself and the North when she refused to have sex with Tyrion, and as weird as the castle-y sex metaphors are, I think that supports the idea that this is something the author is consciously writing about.

But back to this topic specifically, in spite of the similarities between the scenarios, the big difference is that the Lannisters were holding Sansa hostage and forced her into the marriage, the Tyrells were offering her an escape from a horrible situation. Darling Sansa immediately romanticizes it and dreams of love and family, but even though she didn’t understand that the offer was not about her happiness and they had a goal, if we compare the two offers, if Sansa had a choice, she would probably choose Willas because she was a prisoner to the family that murdered hers and being forced into marrying one of them is a special brand of horrific.

Another thought I have is that we need to be very careful when comparing Willas and Tyrion because my other anon may have felt that people were emphasizing Tyrion’s dwarfism as his defining trait or Willas’s bad leg his. To their world that matters, but to me as a reader (to everyone in our corner of the fandom, I believe), I care more about who they are. And from what we know, as individuals, they’re nothing alike. Just because Willas would be married to Sansa doesn’t mean he’d have the same goals because we don’t know that he is power hungry or wants Winterfell for himself. His family is a bit conniving, but I don’t think we know that about him. Tyrion will never inherit his father’s castle, but Willas is the heir to Highgarden. That’s really scary for Sansa fans and that element, Tyrion’s lust for that position, (potentially) isn’t there in her marriage to Willas. I think that’s an important variable. So, broadly speaking, sure, similarities, but other Jonsas have notes there Willas may be foreshadowing for Jon, share parallels with him, and I tend to think they’re onto something. Anyway, if we’re thinking of Sansa as a person, it makes a huge difference that one man is a bad person (rapist, murderer) and the other is by all accounts a sweetheart. That one man has nothing and desperately wants title/castle/his evil father’s approval, while the other is loved by his family, has his own estate, and while his father wants to become more powerful, his methods are much more in line with normal standards for their world. So, not only are Sansa’s feelings about it different, her circumstances entering into such a marriage and prospects after are as well. That matters to me. I like to imagine Cat’s reaction to the news of a Sansa x Willas marriage compared to her reaction to them forcing Sansa to marry Tyrion. I think it would be quite different.

As I read your message and responded, I just kept thinking that it’s possible we don’t even really disagree. I can see why someone would say “it’s the same” and I think you can understand those of us who say, “but let’s make sure we acknowledge where it isn’t.” So, I don’t really feel like I’m arguing with you, just saying I come at it from a different angle, as my previous anon did.

[twobitcathedral]

This post made its way across my dash recently, with no critical commentary appended, and it struck me as such a dangerous way of thinking. You know what makes you racist? A whole spectrum of things, from being actively white supremacist to holding unexamined beliefs about white supremacy and its relationship to economic structures. You know what doesn't automatically make you racist? Being transgender and being on the very wide spectrum of accessing medical care to support that identity.

I understand the point that OP is making-- choosing to pursue medical care related to transitioning can and often does intersect with widespread, oppressive cultural beliefs about how bodies are supposed to look under white supremacist late capitalism.

But also:

Everyone in the US lives under late capitalism. It's a hermetically sealed, all encompassing system that's very difficult/impossible to escape. I'm not going to begrudge someone a surgery or a pill or an injection or a gel that transforms their day to day life from unbearably painful and dangerous in this world that we live in to bearable and even maybe joyful.

I know a lot of folks who are BIPOC *AND* have had gender-affirming surgeries *AND* do incredible work for their communities. These things aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, being able to acquire medical support for transitioning was, in many of their cases, a huge factor in them having the mental and emotional capacity to do work for the benefit of other people.

I understand the profound pain of wanting or needing something that is broadly inaccessible. I understand it from a deep, personal perspective that comes from growing up not just working class, but nonworking poor, frequently without access to things like food and heat, and sometimes without access to shelter. The thing that makes you a good person is not begrudging someone else a thing that you can't have, but doing work so that more and more people can access it.

I get that the broad definition of tr*scum are people who hold tight to the necessity of dysphoria for someone to "count" as trans, but I don't think many people like that exist in reality (reality here meaning the broader world beyond tumblr). Instead it feels like a dangerous strawman that creates a target out of other transfolks, instead of targeting the larger racist, classist, sexist structures that perpetuate these standards.

Rage about the absolute unfair flaming garbage heap that is capitalism is real. The deep pain of being unable to access things that you want and need is real. And unfair beauty standards rooted in classist and colonialist ideals are absolutely real. But it's incredibly important to work to understand these things with nuance, call in your comrades who haven't done the work to understand their internalized biases, and focus your rage at the real enemy instead of other transfolks.

[evieveevee]

What We Lost: Returning to Tumblr in 2020

On December 17th, 2018, Tumblr banned 'adult content' across the site, marking the end of an era. The ban was the result of a cavalcade of issues which reportedly made maintaining NSFW content unfeasible for Tumblr. Now, it's 2020. I'm back on Tumblr, and I can't help but meditate on what we've lost both on Tumblr, and across the globe in 2020.

Part One: Tumblr and Adult Content

*Things we lost to the flame Things we'll never see again All that we've amassed Sits before us, shattered into ash

— Bastille, "Things We Lost In The Fire"*

A bit of personal history: Tumblr was the primary community I used in various forms from 2012 onwards, associating with various fandoms, doing what I could to design interesting things. The various communities I was involved in intersected with social justice communities, and eventually I dug into those further and tried to learn to better myself in the process, starting along the path to becoming the person I did.

Part of that process was also learning to love my own body, a thing I was not particularly good at and still struggle a bit with nowadays. One of the ways I did this was by making 'adult content', or more plainly, pornography. It was a unique opportunity to experiment with femininity and sexuality - something I'd been very closed off from as part of my upbringing - in a supportive, fun environment. Experimenting with my self image first in this way, in semi-private, led to me experimenting more publicly and eventually embracing aspects of that as part of my day to day life. That's right: making pornography was part of what led me down the path to figuring out I was trans and embracing that part of me.

Making porn on Tumblr was a great time; the adult content creators and consumers community on the site was largely supportive of queer people and sexuality, different body types, all manner of things. It was - in my experience - a healthy and fun place to be, and certainly one of the better places you could be on the internet for a visual medium like pornography. Tumblr's format made it easy to share both adult content you made yourself, and stuff you were curating. Vex Ashley wrote that "this sharing was so desperately vital for women and other marginalised people whose sexualities are often overlooked or infantilised in media about sex in preference for the tastes of the traditional porn consumer – the straight white guy" in a eulogy and love letter to Tumblr's adult content communities.

Tumblr's format remains novel to my knowledge as well: the notion of having a large image-focused feed which also allows for easy sharing and curation, gorgeous, high resolution pieces and photos to be uploaded with relatively little compression, custom arrangements of photosets, and personalized theming of your blog. There was, and remains, lots of potential for expression on Tumblr., and its focus remains unique. Twitter and Mastodon's focus is on what's written, Wordpress doesn't have the sort of interlinking of blogs that Tumblr does, and Facebook is... Facebook (read: evil).

I think the novelty of that format is what made the announcement of the ban on 'adult content' so impactful. Even looking back at the framing of it is gross: the post posits that 'adult content' is something which is negative, and says that removing it is working towards a 'more positive' Tumblr. There appears to be an attempt to try and strike a balance in allowing conversation about sexuality and such, but this is the killing blow. A huge portion of the community, including countless queer and furry artists, needed to find a new home online.

3 months after the ban had hit, traffic had reportedly dropped off 20%. Recent data from SimilarWeb, the outfit which published that initial data, shows that visits to the site have dropped off a little bit more, but have stayed otherwise pretty consistent. August 2020's data shows about 317 million visits. [1] In other words: any hope that this move would allow Tumblr was dashed. A massive portion of the userbase deleted their accounts after archiving them; Tumblr and the internet at large had lost a massive, vibrant chunk of community, and it was completely in vain.

I lost contact with a bunch of those folks I was following on Tumblr for years. The mass exodus left both people who wanted to find and share artwork and adult content and the people who made it completely adrift. Years later, some artists are still picking up the pieces. Archaic policy like SESTA/FOSTA being brought into the picture has left very few standing when it comes to adult content, Twitter included. Who knows how long that will last? If something happens to change the way that Twitter handles adult content, for example, what options do casual creators like myself have?

Fortunately, platforms like OnlyFans exist. But even those are at potential risk from legislation like the EARN IT Act, not to mention the danger this poses to Twitter and to the internet at large. OnlyFans and its ilk, as they exist right now, are fantastic for sex workers because they offer pay-gating and a variety of features to make sure sex workers get paid. But they leave those of us who want to be able to curate the content they enjoy or casually create their own content freely without real options, and without real community.

We stand to lose a lot, and as always people in the margins will be the ones most impacted: the queer, the people of color, the disabled; all will suffer greatly if adult content is found without a home. Media dealing with queer themes is enough to be considered "adult content" by some and it's not hard to imagine what we could be staring down the barrel of here.

What have we lost in eliminating platforms like this?

Part Two: 2020 and the World

*These are the things The things we lost The things we lost in the fire, fire, fire.

— Bastille, "Things We Lost In The Fire"*

Meditating on what we have lost seems to be a running theme for the year 2020.

January: New Year's Day. In Aotearoa New Zealand, smoke covers the skies from a fire a literal ocean away. The Australian bush has been on fire, part of one of the most and it has turned the skies of a nation not it's own orange at midday, across thousands of kilometers. What did we lose in those fires? What stories and history? What wildlife, what species? What will remain afterwards? What will grow anew?

April: Aotearoa New Zealand hits the peak of COVID-19 related lockdown with the entire nation moved to Level 4, meaning that nothing except truly essential services, such as roadworks, pharmacies, and supermarkets were open. During that time, I thought a lot about how some of my favorite small shops were doing; the bakery with astonishingly good pies, the charming dollar store which always has a few things that catch my eye, the coffee cart near one of the local parks every morning. As a nation, Aotearoa acted early to deal with COVID-19 with a strong hand, and it was risky for all of those small shops across the country. What would we come out the other side of the lockdowns having lost, both in terms of human cost and cost to the places around us?

May: Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin, massive protests against police brutality, racism, and white supremacy break out across the United States of America. Daily protests have continued to the time of writing in some cities. George Floyd is one of 781 people killed by police in 2020 at the time of writing in the United States alone [2]. 1099 people were killed by police in 2019 [3]. What incredible lives and stories have been lost in the process? Are those stories being told now? How do we prevent this from happening again? (Hint: defunding the police will be a start, and supporting the cause now is a good choice too.)

It is now September: The incompetence of the US Government has allowed COVID-19 to spread beyond control, leaving tens of thousands of deaths in its wake; lives and stories which must be remembered and their stories carried on by others. The western coast of the United States is on fire, blanketed in smoke and ashes. Massive west coast cities like San Francisco gain an apocalyptic feeling as the skies turn orange, like they did for me in January. Friends of friends lose everything in small Oregon towns. The costs of the prolonged fires will be paid by people all up the coast; it's their health outcomes which will suffer. What will we lose as a result of this in the future? What can we do to make things better?

I want to be clear: this is not a comprehensive list, and is centered around the things that me and my social circles have been aware of and talked about. Even with that consideration, we have to reckon with massive, ongoing, and far reaching concerns. The loss felt as a result of all of the above issues is staggering, and far reaching, and we must fight to ensure that loss is not in vain. Voting alone is not going to solve these concerns, and there's more to concern yourself with than any one person should have to cope with. There's not a magic bullet to solve all this stuff though.

Rather than pretend that I have one, I want to propose a couple things to close this out: one bit of advice, and one plea for yourself and others.

The advice: pick your battles carefully. Pick issues you want to focus in on, and fight for those things to make things better where you live, and in your social circles. Choose things to care deeply about first. Keep caring about them.

The plea: think carefully about the questions I've asked throughout this piece, and think about the things in your life and communities that you have lost. Think about how to make sure those losses are taken with you and learned from; to take lessons learned and better yourself and the people around you. Think about the things you don't want to lose, and how to fight like hell for them.

Move forwards to something, and some place better than where we are now. Stand united with the people around you, and press on.

*Do you understand that we will never be the same again? The future's in our hands and we will never be the same again.

— Bastille, "Things We Lost In The Fire"*

If you enjoyed this piece and want to support my work, please contribute to my Ko-fi. If you are interested in re-publishing this piece on another site, please contact me either here or via my business email.

References

[1] Data provided by SimilarWeb; accessed on 15/09/2019 at 5:30am. (https://www.similarweb.com/website/tumblr.com/)

[2] Data provided by Mapping Police Violence (https://mappingpoliceviolence.com); accessed on 15/09/2020 at 4:08am NZT

[3] Data provided by Mapping Police Violence's (https://mappingpoliceviolence.com) database, downloaded on 15/09/2020 at 4:08am NZT. Count obtained using the following formula:

=COUNTIFS($'2013-2020 Police Killings'.F:F,">=1/1/2019",$'2013-2020 Police Killings'.F:F,"<1/1/2020")

[ailegallychallenged]

The 'Corruption' of NFTs

The Basics:

NFTs are non-fungible tokens. They exist as part of the Ethereum blockchain and operate in a manner that is very similar to the infamous Bitcoin (Van Boom). NFTs were originally created as a way to better protect artists and their digital artwork (Dash). Unfortunately, in the last few months, NFTs are becoming popular for, what is in my opinion, all the wrong reasons. People are now trying to make a 'quick dollar' by buying these NFTs for a minimal amount of money and then selling them at an insanely high cost.

Wall Street Journal's YouTube channel offers a great summary of what NFTs are and some additional insight into the current 'corruption':

Relevant Article by Anil Dash:

The linked article provides an excellent commentary on the history of NFTs and how they ended up where they are today. The article is written by one of the original creators of the NFT and discusses how he and his company are attempting to fight back against this mutated purpose of the NFT.

Further Information:

NFTs, Explained by Mitchell Clark at the Verge

The Coming Convergence of NFTs and Artificial Intelligence by Jesus Rodriguez at the CoinDesk*

*Although NFTs, which run on the blockchain, are quite different from AI, an important intersection is forming between the two. This article offers some interesting insight as to what this means

[thewyrdwritere]

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m not sure I really like Joe Abercrombie, as an author I mean, (not as a person I’ve never had the pleasure, so can’t comment). I never really bought into the First Law trilogy and remember it being a frustrating read. Let’s just say the surfeit of anti-heroes, everyone is flawed characterisation, gritty realism and contemporary commentary felt far to drawn out over a trilogy. If you ask me it’s a methodology that works better in the stand alone novels. Anyway on to reviewing the new Abercrombie…. A Little Hatred is the first book in a new trilogy The Age of Madness that is set a generation after the First Law trilogy and follows the progeny of the main characters from previous books. What trials and tribulations will they go through? What conflicts, both physical and emotional, will they endure? As Adua plunges into a period of rapid industrial progress will Abercrombie’s young cast of naïve ingénues be forged into older wiser people? Will a bona fide hero emerge? Not bloody likely, this is Abercrombie, this is Grimdark; expectations will of course be subverted. A Little Hatred finds Abercrombie mastering the flawed characteristics of youth, from naivety to depression, arrogance to anger, lust to love, Abercrombie unleashes his young characters unprepared into a cold and unforgiving world, “no justice is there? Just a world that looks the other way and doesn’t care a shit” Abercrombie delights in showing young characters tackling adversity, their fears, their flaws, their overbearing parents and striving to become better people, before artfully pulling the rug from under them, dashing any hopes for character growth and any reader’s hopes and dreams for those poor innocents. Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he’s nailed characterisation. Despite the irony, of well plotted character growth being rendered pointless by a string of gratuitous twists, it at least sets up the conflicts and drama for book two… you could make a case that Abercrombie has gone from subverting tropes to self-indulgence of his own tropes…anyway… Thematically ‘A Little Hatred’ uses its 18th century Industrial Revolution inspired setting as wry social commentary on modernism, like the twitter feed of a “Guardian reader” A little Hatred takes digs at the cynicism of capitalism; banks are evil, work is harsh exploitation built on the back of the vulnerable and everyone (King and Pauper alike) are mere pawns to higher powers, a New World Order of Magi pulling strings for their own unfathomable ends…Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he can imbue a fantasy novel with criticism of modern socio-political models and cultural phenomena... Character and theme intersect beautifully along the narrative. The plot pushes its characters to grow and develop and from their new perspectives subsequent events are set in motion, about half way through the pace rapidly increases as events and characters collide driving the narrative to breaking point… A Little Hatred is not just wry social commentary and character study, its more Dickens via David Gemmell. Violence erupts, pretty much from the start, there are plenty of nasty, brutal and bloody fights, killings and battles, to suit any avid fantasy fan… Modernism still creeps in though with character’s spouting truly Heroic truisms, “your defeats teach you more than your victories” Resembling nothing more than the pithy soundbites espoused by professional athletes or at a corporate training shindig for that matter. Say one thing for Abercrombie, say he gives good action. A Little Hatred is wry modernism wrapped up in a fantasy setting, artfully working character, theme and plot together in ways that will subvert the readers’ expectations. I’ve still not fully bought into Abercrombie GrimDark, but say one thing for Abercrombie, say he wrote a bloody good book. View all my reviews

[rallamajoop]

The Great Escape Attempt

Chances are, if you know anything about The Great Escape, you know that it features a scene where someone ramps a motorbike over a prison camp fence. It’s one of those scenes that’s been so relentlessly pastisched and parodied that you'd probably recognise the references even if you couldn’t name the film – an iconic image of Hollywood spectacle, as man and machine go flying over our heads to freedom.

That someone was going to vault a motorbike over a fence at some point was one of few things I knew about this movie going in.

Now, scenes like this do tend to grow in the re-telling, but I would not have guessed just how exaggerated the parodies would prove to be. To begin with, we aren’t jumping the prison fence itself – the prison break itself is about a third of the runtime behind us, so instead we’re making do with some random border fence in Nazi territory, as Steve McQueen flees the pursuing Nazis. For another thing, the fence he jumps is actually only the first and much lower of two fences.

And having jumped that fence, he almost immediately runs head-first into the second one.

From this dignified position, he’s recaptured and taken back to prison, there to spend the rest of the war.

It’s still a reasonably cool stunt and all, but blink, and you could miss this ‘iconic’ scene altogether – the camerawork doesn’t remotely frame it as the epic moment it would become in reproduction (and given what follows, you can see why not). It’s more like watching a fleeing animal tangle itself in a hedge than a great leap for freedom. It’s odd to find myself thinking, “well, okay, but it was cooler when the team behind Wallace and Gromit did it with the chickens.”

I open with this particular impression not simply for effect, but because this sort of anti-climax was typical of the my overall experience with the movie. If you asked me to summarise the film in a few words, they might be, escape was not actually as great as advertised. Remember this, we’ll come back to it.

Summarising the film in more detail requires some background context. The Great Escape is, for the completely uninitiated, a film based on a real, historical breakout of (primarily) British troops interred in a Nazi prison camp during World War II. Opening cards assure us that though liberties have been taken with some of the personalities involved, all the details of the actual escape are as truly took place.

My own interest in the film was twofold – for one, as covered above, this is one of those films which has been so relentlessly referenced in popular culture since its release that I was curious about the original, and the fact that my own family history intersects with the British war effort (both my paternal grandparents were in the RAF) adds some minor personal interest in the topic. For another, and probably the more obvious point, this film features David McCallum, and since I’d already given one of Vaughn’s pre-UNCLE films a try, this seemed the logical follow-up.

Actually, there are additional parallels between The Great Escape and The Magnificent Seven, as their large ensemble casts both featured Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and James Coburn among the more prominent credits – or, to put it another way, both featured That One Skinny Blonde Dude From M7, One Of Those Two Brown Haired Dudes from M7, and That Other Skinny Blonde Dude From M7 Who I Kept Confusing With Steve McQueen. Believe me, when you’ve already spent one movie trying to figure out which of the two skinny blonde dudes in cowboy hats is Steve McQueen, having both of them show up in a second movie with an even bigger cast does not help (that both had American accents in a cast of English accents did not help either), and round 2 of Is That Steve McQueen? quickly ensued. Having now spent two different movies on this same problem, I think I can definitively state that I Do Not Get the hype about Steve McQueen. He is generic as fuck.

I would like to say that the rest of the cast was more distinctive, but I’d be lying. The trouble with large ensembles of white dudes with generic faces and hair is that, well, just look at these people. Richard Attenborough was consistently recognisable, as was the one bald dude and the one with the mustache, but few others really stayed with me, and keeping track of who was who and who did what was a genuine chore. It’s not even that they were all generically hot, as they’d probably be were the movie made today – in a cast stuffed to the gills with healthy young men of enlistment age, David McCallum remains the only notable eye-candy on screen, and he did not have enough scenes.

In fairness, though, this isn’t a movie about characters nearly so much as it exists to chronicle an event, and the scenes where the escape plan gradually comes together were the film’s best. Next to zero time is wasted on getting to know one another or formulating their plans: the Nazis have opted to deal with their most troublesome prisoners by chucking every member of a seasoned team of British escape artists in the one place, and thus most everyone knows one another from the get-go. ‘Big X’ outlines the plan to dig their way out of the camp in one of the earliest scenes, gives everyone their job, and they all go to it. Men are assigned to dig, to dispose of the dirt, to scrounge materials, to keep watch, to forge documents and even to make clothes to help escapees to blend into the populace after making it out. There are setbacks and missteps, but the majority of the action is rather like watching an episode of Hustle or Mission Impossible – sit back and enjoy, knowing the heist is in good hands.

At the same time – and for all the perfectly valid commentary about Steve McQueen being shoehorned into the action for the benefit of the American market – he and his countrymen did add a valuable (though never over-dramatised) element of culture clash. He’s the outsider, who initially has his own plans, who only gets drawn into the plan as an early attempt is foiled and the tension mounts. Perfectly valid narrative device, no matter how little he may have done for me as a character.

No, the major problem with the film arrives only later, as the escape takes place. Now, up until this point, my major problem with the film had been that the whole notion of the escape plan seemed a bit of a jolly jape to the men enacting it. As far as Nazi camps go, it goes without saying that these folks have it insultingly good. Most have multiple previous escape attempts to their names, after which they’d all been rounded up and politely brought back to prison. Early in the film, an exasperated Nazi Colonel implores the ranking British officer to have his men give it up, so that “we may all sit out the war as comfortably as possible,” to which he receives the brazen reply, “it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape.” Now, it’s fair to say that no-one wants to be a prisoner of the Nazis as the war wraps up, for all sorts of good reasons. But the impetus behind the escape is certainly not survival, but explicitly, “to start another front, to foul up the Germans behind the lines.” To achieve this, they plan not simply to escape, but to escape in unprecedented numbers – to free a full 200 men and set them loose in occupied territory, to tie up as many Nazi resources as possible. This goal is as explicit as can be: it’s in the trailer, it’s the carrot they use to get Steve McQueen on-board, etc. It’s the rallying cry behind the movie.

On the night of the escape, however, one thing began to bug me, as with every man in the camp outfitted with new clothes and papers, waiting for his turn to make the dash, it became apparent that the diggers were only now closing the final distance to open the exit into the fresh air. I’m no expert here, but it struck me as extraordinarily bad planning not to at least have had someone stick their head out the night before to confirm, eg. that they hadn’t brought themselves up under a boulder or a bee hive, or the border guard’s favourite tree for a discrete piss in between their rounds, etc. The counter-argument, presumably, was that every single day they waited was a day where the tunnel might be found and the whole thing foiled. But when one has just spent several minutes thinking, “gosh, they’re going to feel like right twits if it turns out they’ve misjudged the distance and come up short or something,” it’s a bit hard to feel as sympathetic as one should when that’s exactly what they did.

This is all, for the record, historically accurate – only a mere 75 of the 200 men would make it out through the botched tunnel before they were seen and the alarm raised. With months of careful planning, outfitting 200 men to blend in in Nazi territory – even going so far as to have one man stage a solo escape attempt and then deliberately get recaptured after he’d had a chance to get the lay of the land – the one thing the conspirators didn’t do was stop to say, “do you think maybe we’ve misjudged the distance to the trees, given that we’re basically guessing? Shouldn’t we have someone stick his head out of the tunnel just to double check before we commit?” Perhaps this all made far more sense from the inside, but the film didn’t especially sell it, and that’s disappointing.

The greater disappointment, however, was that after this great failure, the film shrugs, and goes on to follow the various escapees as they mostly sort of drift around occupied territory for a full additional third of the film’s runtime before most are recaptured, and at last summarily executed. This could, with a few tweaks, have easily been a clever subversion – the kind of tragic disappointment on which the reality of war is built – but as filmed, the framing carries surprisingly little narrative weight. The magnitude of their failure to free the full 200 prisoners or create the new front they’d planned is never really dwelt upon. There are no bold new plans to make the best of their options with their limited numbers, no revised strategy to prioritise survival – what any of them are actually trying to do beyond ‘not get captured’ is quite ambiguous. And thus the conclusion is not a tragedy, but a prolonged anticlimax. When the Nazis finally have almost everyone but Steve McQueen shot, all I could really think was, “yeah, can’t especially blame them at this point.” I mean, they should’ve shot Steve McQueen too, but that’s beside the point.

Ultimately, The Great Escape is neither awesomely epic nor soberingly tragic. It’s merely a moderately authentic recreation of a one of the most meticulously planned fuck-ups in POW history, and it doesn’t even seem to know how it feels about it.

In conclusion, my advice to you all is not to bother with The Great Escape (Attempt). If you want a truly magnificent WWII escape story, then I’d suggest instead you look up the 1943 uprising and escape from Sobibór – the 2014 documentary Escape From a Nazi Death Camp gives an excellent overview, and you can probably find a copy online fairly easily (it may even be available on Netflix in some regions). Sobibór, for the record, was a genuine concentration camp – the prisoners were primarily Polish Jews, kept alive only to do the horrific work of stripping and incinerating the bodies of their fellows – and yet so many of the facts of the escape are just about pure Hollywood.

There’s a portent of doom, when a note in the pocket of a gas chamber victim brings a warning that the Nazis are beginning to shut down their own camps, and that Sobibór may be next in line. There’s culture clash, as the original population ally themselves with a small group of newly transferred Russian soldiers, only lately added to their numbers. There’s a daring, meticulously-organised escape plan led by a tall, young, hot Russian officer (Lieutenant Alexander Pechersky), with the gall to give inspirational speeches at key moments, and even live to carve the name of the camp on the wall of a building in Berlin. There’s even some romance – two of the prisoners met in the camp, fell in love, and lived to escape together.

But most important of all, there’s the success – around 200 of the prisoners made it out, and almost 50 of the escapees would be still free to see peace come again, putting the very modest 2 surviving escapees of “The Great Escape” to shame. Seriously, look it up – it’s got the material The Great Escape was based on beat on every possible front, and it doesn’t shy away from the true horror evoked by the words ‘Nazi’ and ‘camp’ in combination.

Alternately, look up the escape from Treblinka, another Nazi extermination camp in Poland, where prisoners broke into the armoury, set fuel stores on fire and burst out amid a hail of gunfire. Nearly 70 of those who escaped lived beyond the end of the war too.

What do stories like these lack? English-speakers, presumably. No British prisoners, no Steve McQueen, no Hollywood deal. End of story. Sobibór got one British made-for-TV movie, but that seems to be about the limit of the interest in dramatising this sort of material in the Anglophone world.

Anti-climax indeed.